AND I'M OFF AGAIN...
And so, with an unexpected, last minute trip, I'll be returning to my culinary and cultural homeland in about 10 days. (uhm, that would be Taiwan). And though the occasion is quite somber (funeral), it means that my immediate family will all be in Taiwan at the same time- a rare occasional that occurs less and less as we get older.
But having my entire immediate family and 90% of my extended family (oh, in addition to all my family's friends) in one city means that I will be eating non stop for a week. We get together over food and if my last trip back can be taken as an example, it'll mean eating enormous meals at least twice a day. Sigh. Something to look foward to and yet fear. Because if you don't eat, people feel insulted, and if you do eat (which you always do cause the food is so damn yummy) you just walk around feeling fat, overstuffed and miserable in 90F and 100% humidity. Oh yeah, did I mention the heat, mosquitoes, weird bugs. I hate going to Taiwan in the summer- haven't done it in at least 15 years, but at least there's AC everywhere.
So I'm gonna take a ton of pics... Of my favorite street foods and the little stall a few doors down from my grandma's house where we've been picking up breakfast foods since forever, of the bakeries that makes stuff fresh every morning, of the banquets that I will undoubtedly be partaking in. If you haven't figured it out yet, my family is a family full of foodies, always looking for the place with the best noodles, dumplings, whatever. It seems funny that even though I was born and raised in the states, this is really the food that I identify with and still love the most.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
A TRIP TO THE FARMER'S MARKET
Ok people. I'm taking a break from finishing Harry Potter to write this post. (I figure if I read non stop all day today, I'll have a shot at finishing.) So last week, Tom and I made a trip to the Brookline Farmer's Market. For some reason, I only make it once a year (probably because I usually don't have a Thursday off), and this time it rained. But that didn't stop the farmers from setting up, though it did seem like there were fewer vendors than usual.
The market is stocked with fresh veggies, but we we didn't buy any because we still had our order from the CSA, that keeps our fridge fully stocked with fresh veggies every week. (I've already found 3 good CSA candidates in Berkeley. And they're year round. HAHAHA.)
Ok, back to Brookline. Here is a crate of globe zucchini. I thought they were cute. And probably fun to stuff.
Here's a shot of one of the farm stands.
Tom and I did pick up a few things, like a turkey pot pie from Bob's Turkey Farm. We've never tried one before, and we're having it for dinner tonight, so I'll let you know how it is. They do have a sign that says the turkey pies don't contain veggies, which is a first for me (an all meat turkey pie?) but we'll have a side salad.
Clear Flour has a booth, too. So of course, Tom couldn't resist picking up a loaf of bread. He picked up a sourdough loaf, which was pretty good (though not so great the next day).
Ok people. I'm taking a break from finishing Harry Potter to write this post. (I figure if I read non stop all day today, I'll have a shot at finishing.) So last week, Tom and I made a trip to the Brookline Farmer's Market. For some reason, I only make it once a year (probably because I usually don't have a Thursday off), and this time it rained. But that didn't stop the farmers from setting up, though it did seem like there were fewer vendors than usual.
The market is stocked with fresh veggies, but we we didn't buy any because we still had our order from the CSA, that keeps our fridge fully stocked with fresh veggies every week. (I've already found 3 good CSA candidates in Berkeley. And they're year round. HAHAHA.)
Ok, back to Brookline. Here is a crate of globe zucchini. I thought they were cute. And probably fun to stuff.
Finally, Tom got a pie from the pie guy. They have mini pies, so he got a strawberry-rhubarb one. When we got home and tried it, I wasn't a huge fan. I don't particularly like cooked fruit or rhubarb. Tom thought it was OK, but find the crust a bit old and dry. It probably would've been better had it been fresh.
And that was our trip to the farmer's market. About a week from now, I'll be FREE!!! And I'll be able to go to any farmer's market that I want. So perhaps I'll be reporting on those in the future.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
THOUGHTS....
I've got one week left at the store. And nearly a month off afterwards. (Off as in packing, looking for a job, selling furniture, tying up loose ends...) So as I wind down my stay in Boston, I've begun to think about places I want to eat at before we go. Where would you guys go? And who's gonna join me? Here's a list I've got so far....
1. Picco- The pizza place in the South End that Leah raves about.
2. Sel de la Terre- Another Leah recommendation. She loves the bread basket.
3. Anjour d'hui- They have a prix fixe lunch. I think I can do that.
4. Two Lights Lobster Shack- Gotta make one last trip to Maine for some lobsters!
5. Ten Tables- I want to finally go on a Wednesday night for the $25 prix fixe.
I've got one week left at the store. And nearly a month off afterwards. (Off as in packing, looking for a job, selling furniture, tying up loose ends...) So as I wind down my stay in Boston, I've begun to think about places I want to eat at before we go. Where would you guys go? And who's gonna join me? Here's a list I've got so far....
1. Picco- The pizza place in the South End that Leah raves about.
2. Sel de la Terre- Another Leah recommendation. She loves the bread basket.
3. Anjour d'hui- They have a prix fixe lunch. I think I can do that.
4. Two Lights Lobster Shack- Gotta make one last trip to Maine for some lobsters!
5. Ten Tables- I want to finally go on a Wednesday night for the $25 prix fixe.
Friday, July 20, 2007
FIREFLY'S BBQ, QUINCY
We ate out a lot last weekend (we're making up by mostly eating at home this week). Friends were in town, some friends were leaving town. You know how it is. That's what summer in Boston is like. This time, we were going out to eat because Evan, Tom's friend, was leaving to join the Border Patrol, so I suggested the we got to Firefly's all you can eat Sunday BBQ brunch.
We'd never been to Firefly's before. They have 3 locations, with the closest in Quincy (a 20 minute drive from Boston with no traffic), so we headed down there on a Sunday morning. We got there a little before they opened. I'd heard that there were long lines, so we wanted to get there early. Plus, by going early, it insured that the food would be fresh, and not dried out, after sitting on the hot table for hours. I snapped this pic as we sat outside, waiting for Evan and Stephanie to arrive. And no, we weren't the first ones there.
When we entered the restaurant, we realized that it's quite large. After Evan bantered with the hostess(saying he liked space and large tables), we were seated at a large empty room by ourselves. The room was off the bar, and was usually used as a performance space. We were given a big table and had the room to ourselves most of the meal. Unfortunately, the buffet was in the other room, but we ended up being quite lucky, cause our room seemed to be the only one with air conditioning. It was a sweltering, humid day, and you could feel the temperature rise every time we stepped out of our dining area.
After we were shown to our table, we immediately took off for the buffet. As I mentioned earlier, because we went right as they opened, a lot of the food was freshly cooked. Even the veggies were crisp, and those are usually the first things to go bad. I overheard a waiter mention that 90% of Firefly's menu was on the buffet, so this is a great way to try out their stuff. Here's a shot of the sides: mashed potatoes, veggies, mac and cheese, corn, beans, etc....
And here's a shot of meat: brisket, grilled pork, ribs, friend and bbq chicken, etc...It really was a generous spread.
Here's my first plate. As you can see, I picked a lot of sides. The veggies, garlic mashed potatoes and corn were all really good. The mac and cheese was dry and bland. I also got a couple of pieces of bbq chicken. The white meat was dried out, but the dark meat was quite flavorful and tasty.
They also have a nice condiment and BBQ sauce bar. Here's the one in our room. You can try 6 different types of homemade sauce (which are all served warm). And the condiments including things like pickled veggies, beets and peppers. In another part of the restaurant they also have a hot sauce bar with all different types of hot sauce. I thought Evan would appreciate that feature, but I think he was too busy eating to try them out.
And here's Tom's first plate. You'll notice it's all brown because he wanted to try a little bit of EVERY type of meat on the buffet. Sigh. For the pork and beef eaters, they all agreed that the brisket was very good.
We did go back for seconds and after that, there was a small dessert selection- brownies, red velvet cake and watermelon. This ended up being perfect because we were stuffed. I actually had too much watermelon and ended up groaning the whole way home. (We didn't eat dinner that night).
Overall, the Firefly all you can eat brunch is a fantastic deal. It's just $13/person and the food is quite good and plentiful. I think we'll be back so. Maybe I'll organize a group trip down...
We ate out a lot last weekend (we're making up by mostly eating at home this week). Friends were in town, some friends were leaving town. You know how it is. That's what summer in Boston is like. This time, we were going out to eat because Evan, Tom's friend, was leaving to join the Border Patrol, so I suggested the we got to Firefly's all you can eat Sunday BBQ brunch.
We'd never been to Firefly's before. They have 3 locations, with the closest in Quincy (a 20 minute drive from Boston with no traffic), so we headed down there on a Sunday morning. We got there a little before they opened. I'd heard that there were long lines, so we wanted to get there early. Plus, by going early, it insured that the food would be fresh, and not dried out, after sitting on the hot table for hours. I snapped this pic as we sat outside, waiting for Evan and Stephanie to arrive. And no, we weren't the first ones there.
After we were shown to our table, we immediately took off for the buffet. As I mentioned earlier, because we went right as they opened, a lot of the food was freshly cooked. Even the veggies were crisp, and those are usually the first things to go bad. I overheard a waiter mention that 90% of Firefly's menu was on the buffet, so this is a great way to try out their stuff. Here's a shot of the sides: mashed potatoes, veggies, mac and cheese, corn, beans, etc....
And here's Tom's first plate. You'll notice it's all brown because he wanted to try a little bit of EVERY type of meat on the buffet. Sigh. For the pork and beef eaters, they all agreed that the brisket was very good.
We did go back for seconds and after that, there was a small dessert selection- brownies, red velvet cake and watermelon. This ended up being perfect because we were stuffed. I actually had too much watermelon and ended up groaning the whole way home. (We didn't eat dinner that night).Overall, the Firefly all you can eat brunch is a fantastic deal. It's just $13/person and the food is quite good and plentiful. I think we'll be back so. Maybe I'll organize a group trip down...
HARRY POTTER AND AN ORDER OF PIZZA
Sorry, I know I'm being goofy, but the last Harry Potter book comes out today at midnight. Anyhoo, last week we went and saw the fifth Harry Potter movie and after, we decided to grab dinner in the neighborhood. Leah had told me that Cambridge One had opened in her building (The Trilogy, right across the street from the movie theatre) just a week ago, so off we went to try it out.
I knew that the entrance was on the Boylston side of the building, so it wasn't hard to find, but for people who've never been there, is is a little hard to locate. You can only enter through one door on the far right of the restaurant. Here's a shot of the interior.
We were quickly seated at wooden booths with large slate tables, which oddly enough, are all set up on 6 inches of concrete. I don't know why it's necessary to do this. It doesn't making sitting any more comfortable, and it's pretty awkward when you're trying to sit or get up.
We were given menus and our drink orders were taken. What Cambridge One is known for is its grilled pizzas. As in, the pizzas are cooked on an open grill (I think Otto in NY does the same thing). While walking to the bathroom, you can see the grills in the open kitchen. There are 4 of them, each with their own little booth, and you can feel the heat radiating off. You could also see all the bored kitchen employees and servers, who had nothing to do.
You can order either a half or full pizza, but unlike most places, you really don't derive any benefit (cost-wise) of ordering a full pizza. The half pizzas are priced at 50% of the full sized pizza+$1. So we all decided to order our own half pizza, and share if we felt like it. There are also appetizers like salads on the menu, but we skipped those. So here's Tom's half lobster pizza. It was the most expensive one, coming in it $13. (not terrible for dinner).
And here's my pizza.
Monday, July 16, 2007
KO PRIME
A little while ago, I wrote about going to a party at KO Prime with Leah and my initial impression of the place. So on Friday, Leah, Tom and I decided that we needed to have an actual meal there, and we headed downtown. Leah knows Ken Oringer, the consulting chef, and we both name Jamie, the chef de cuisine. Unfortunately, neither of them were there that night (which was kinda surprising on a Friday night, only a few months after opening.) Sorry, no pics for this post. It was really dark inside, and as the evening wore on, at 8pm, it was still more light outside than it was indoors.
Upon arriving, we were shown to our seats quickly. As I've mentioned before, the decor is very cow oriented. The have these strange leather place mats at each seat, which kinda bothered me, because it kept slipping around. Leah and I also pondered a strange composition placed in the ceiling. We didn't really think it related to steaks, but oh well.
When we were handed our menus, we were also greeted by a very very enthusiastic, cheery waitress (but you know, it's that fake kind of cheeriness that's kinda annoying). Unprompted, she started going through the favorites and recommendations on the menu and the scurried off so we could actually peruse the menus ourselves. Not surprisingly, there are lots of cuts of meat, but there were also a bunch of interesting appetizers, sides and some fish entrees.
For Tom, the highlight of his meal were the appetizers. He ordered a half dozen of Wellfleet oysters, which had been recommended by the waitress. He also got the Crispy Veal Sweetbreads (listed as McNuggets style). He said the oysters were very good (though the shucking could've been done better, there were pieces of shell) and the veal McNuggets were just funny cause they were also served on little sticks (but both Tom and Leah found them well cooked).
Meawhile, I got the asparagus with poached egg and hollandaise. The eggs was well poached, so that when it broke, all the yolk leaked out on the asparagus. But it was a heavy appetizer. I was kinda full after I finished it. And Leah got the lobster bisque, which she also enjoyed. I found it far too salty the last time I'd tried it, but Leah likes salt and she found it quite good.
Onto our entrees. As you all know, I don't eat beef, so I ordered the duck breast au poivre. The waitress let me know that it'd be prepared rare, and I said I didn't mind. Meanwhile, she failed to ask either Tom or Leah how they wanted their steaks done. Sometimes chefs do this because they feel that the meat should be cooked to a particular temperatures, which is fine , except...Tom's NY strip steak ended up a bit overcooked. He said it was a good piece of meat, but he found it too hard to cut through. Meanwhile, Leah had ordered the skirt steak and she found it quite tasty. I'll also take note that both Leah and my meals come pre-sliced. Oh, and I did like my duck breast. It wasn't stellar or the best thing I'd ever had, but it was well prepared. I'll also let you know that if you want a side with dinner, you're gonna have to order it (unless you count the 5 cipollini onions that came with Tom's dinner a side). We shared a side of fries with ricotta salata, but we agreed that they weren't all that great. The fries were cut too large, so didn't come out crispy and the ricotta salata really didn't do anything.
And finally, onto dessert. We were all stuffed by this time, but I insisted that we share some, because that's what I do. We ordered two desserts to share, mint mousse with warm chocolate ganache center and a dessert featuring lemon curd. The mint mousse dessert was a disaster. Mainly because the chocolate ganache was burnt, and you could taste its bitterness the second you put it in your mouth. I let the waitress know, and the manager had it removed from our bill. Meanwhile, the lemon curd dessert was quite good. The lemon curd sat a top a little piece of cake and that formed the base for a tall cookie tower. The tower was filled with fresh summer berries, and the combination of it all was very enjoyable.
I felt the pacing for our dinner was a little rushed. With our 7:30 reservation, we were out of there before 9pm. It was enjoyable dinner and great to have an adult meal with Leah and Tom, bu I don't think any of us will be rushing back. It was solid food, but nothing stellar, and it was quite expensive. (Entrees range from mid 20s-mid 40s). Certainly a great place to go if your parents are in town, or if you're entertaining clients.
A little while ago, I wrote about going to a party at KO Prime with Leah and my initial impression of the place. So on Friday, Leah, Tom and I decided that we needed to have an actual meal there, and we headed downtown. Leah knows Ken Oringer, the consulting chef, and we both name Jamie, the chef de cuisine. Unfortunately, neither of them were there that night (which was kinda surprising on a Friday night, only a few months after opening.) Sorry, no pics for this post. It was really dark inside, and as the evening wore on, at 8pm, it was still more light outside than it was indoors.
Upon arriving, we were shown to our seats quickly. As I've mentioned before, the decor is very cow oriented. The have these strange leather place mats at each seat, which kinda bothered me, because it kept slipping around. Leah and I also pondered a strange composition placed in the ceiling. We didn't really think it related to steaks, but oh well.
When we were handed our menus, we were also greeted by a very very enthusiastic, cheery waitress (but you know, it's that fake kind of cheeriness that's kinda annoying). Unprompted, she started going through the favorites and recommendations on the menu and the scurried off so we could actually peruse the menus ourselves. Not surprisingly, there are lots of cuts of meat, but there were also a bunch of interesting appetizers, sides and some fish entrees.
For Tom, the highlight of his meal were the appetizers. He ordered a half dozen of Wellfleet oysters, which had been recommended by the waitress. He also got the Crispy Veal Sweetbreads (listed as McNuggets style). He said the oysters were very good (though the shucking could've been done better, there were pieces of shell) and the veal McNuggets were just funny cause they were also served on little sticks (but both Tom and Leah found them well cooked).
Meawhile, I got the asparagus with poached egg and hollandaise. The eggs was well poached, so that when it broke, all the yolk leaked out on the asparagus. But it was a heavy appetizer. I was kinda full after I finished it. And Leah got the lobster bisque, which she also enjoyed. I found it far too salty the last time I'd tried it, but Leah likes salt and she found it quite good.
Onto our entrees. As you all know, I don't eat beef, so I ordered the duck breast au poivre. The waitress let me know that it'd be prepared rare, and I said I didn't mind. Meanwhile, she failed to ask either Tom or Leah how they wanted their steaks done. Sometimes chefs do this because they feel that the meat should be cooked to a particular temperatures, which is fine , except...Tom's NY strip steak ended up a bit overcooked. He said it was a good piece of meat, but he found it too hard to cut through. Meanwhile, Leah had ordered the skirt steak and she found it quite tasty. I'll also take note that both Leah and my meals come pre-sliced. Oh, and I did like my duck breast. It wasn't stellar or the best thing I'd ever had, but it was well prepared. I'll also let you know that if you want a side with dinner, you're gonna have to order it (unless you count the 5 cipollini onions that came with Tom's dinner a side). We shared a side of fries with ricotta salata, but we agreed that they weren't all that great. The fries were cut too large, so didn't come out crispy and the ricotta salata really didn't do anything.
And finally, onto dessert. We were all stuffed by this time, but I insisted that we share some, because that's what I do. We ordered two desserts to share, mint mousse with warm chocolate ganache center and a dessert featuring lemon curd. The mint mousse dessert was a disaster. Mainly because the chocolate ganache was burnt, and you could taste its bitterness the second you put it in your mouth. I let the waitress know, and the manager had it removed from our bill. Meanwhile, the lemon curd dessert was quite good. The lemon curd sat a top a little piece of cake and that formed the base for a tall cookie tower. The tower was filled with fresh summer berries, and the combination of it all was very enjoyable.
I felt the pacing for our dinner was a little rushed. With our 7:30 reservation, we were out of there before 9pm. It was enjoyable dinner and great to have an adult meal with Leah and Tom, bu I don't think any of us will be rushing back. It was solid food, but nothing stellar, and it was quite expensive. (Entrees range from mid 20s-mid 40s). Certainly a great place to go if your parents are in town, or if you're entertaining clients.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH....
2 heads of lettuce
2 heads of bok choy
2 bunches of swiss card
3 cucumbers
2 zucchini
2 summer squash
1/2 lb. of peas
2 bunches of arugula
5 ears of corn
(Tom already finished off our pint of blueberries- he just loves those things)
????
Cause that's what we got with our CSA share yesterday. We missed our pick up last weekend, so we ended up with a full share this week. (normally we get a half share). The shares have been getting bigger and bigger as the summer continues and the produce has been impeccably fresh. I'm super happy with my membership in the Stillman's farm CSA, but still, what am I gonna do with all this stuff. (I've got another pickup in 6 days!) Ok, the obvious is salad and sauteeing anything in olive oil and garlic, but that's gonna get old- fast. I need recipe ideas people. Send them over!
2 heads of lettuce
2 heads of bok choy
2 bunches of swiss card
3 cucumbers
2 zucchini
2 summer squash
1/2 lb. of peas
2 bunches of arugula
5 ears of corn
(Tom already finished off our pint of blueberries- he just loves those things)
????
Cause that's what we got with our CSA share yesterday. We missed our pick up last weekend, so we ended up with a full share this week. (normally we get a half share). The shares have been getting bigger and bigger as the summer continues and the produce has been impeccably fresh. I'm super happy with my membership in the Stillman's farm CSA, but still, what am I gonna do with all this stuff. (I've got another pickup in 6 days!) Ok, the obvious is salad and sauteeing anything in olive oil and garlic, but that's gonna get old- fast. I need recipe ideas people. Send them over!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
SUMMER RESTAURANT WEEK 2007
Oh crap people. I just remembered that the list of restaurants participating in Boston's Restaurant Week 2007 was published last week. Here it is. Sorry, it just slipped my mind with the 4th and the trip to NY. At any rate, I'll take a look see and decided what's worth going to. We probably won't be visiting very many, tho. Tom and I gotta save some $$ before our big move out west.
Oh crap people. I just remembered that the list of restaurants participating in Boston's Restaurant Week 2007 was published last week. Here it is. Sorry, it just slipped my mind with the 4th and the trip to NY. At any rate, I'll take a look see and decided what's worth going to. We probably won't be visiting very many, tho. Tom and I gotta save some $$ before our big move out west.
NY DAY 4: FROM HIGH BROW TO LOW BROW
We had only one thing to do on our last day in NY, and that was lunch at the famed Jean Georges Restaurant. Now, as many of you know, Jean Georges is one of the few restaurants in NY that has been awarded 4 stars by the NY Times. I've only been to only one other 4 star restaurant, and that was Per Se. Amazingly enough, Jean Georges does a lunch prix fixe menu that's very reasonable. You get two courses for $28 and each additional course is $12. (Dessert is only $8, and considering the price of dessert yesterday at KO Prime, that's a freaking bargain).
So Tom, my cousin Jeany and I headed off to Trump International on Columbus Circle. When we arrived, we were escorted through Nougatine (the casual part of the restaurant) into Jean Georges. The dining room was very small (actually, I think it was smaller the Nougatine) and I'm sure it couldn't seat more than 50 people. The rooms was bright and airy, with high ceilings, but I immediately started noticing some flaws- the stain from a spilled drink on the carpet, the smudge on the white tablecloth, paint faded on the dishwear...small details, but details that a 4 star restaurant isn't supposed to miss. Perhaps it was because we were dining while the sun was streaming into the restaurant that I noticed these flaws, and they would be less noticeable during dinner service, when the lighting of the restaurant would make in dimmer and change the atmosphere.
The service was quick, attentive and pleasant, though I could sense the disappointment when we didn't ordered wine with our meal. When we opened up our menus, we realized that it was very seafood heavy. A ton of fish, which isn't unusual for summer, but with Jeany being pregnant, she didn't have a ton of choices. I, on the other hand, had a tough time trying to decide what I'd be ordering and Tom ended up getting 3 lunch courses.
I did order a fun passion fruit lime soda, which was quite tasty. I do love passion fruit. And soon we were serve our amuse bouche (compliments of the chef). Below, you'll see a shrimp, a mini spring roll and a chilled mango soup.
My favorite (actually I think everyone's favorite) item was the mini spring roll. It contained a very familiar Asian plant, but I don't know the name in English. But this is when Jeany first noted that there's a progression of flavors in your mouth. You start out with something, and it becomes something else. Take for example, the mango soup. I wasn't a fan of it, but the first thing you tasted was salt. Then there's a hint of sweetness from the mango and it finishes wish a slight tingle and heat from a mild chili. It really makes you think, and this would be repeated the same experience would be repeated throughout the rest of the meal. And I must say, I think this is the first time I've had an eating experience like this.
Next up was my first course. It was grilled prawns on shitake mushrooms and topped with a yuzu foam. When it first arrived, I was surprised at the sheer amount of foam. First, I kinda feel that foams are very 5 years ago, and I've never been a huge fan of them. Plus, foam was also used in Tom's appetizer of sashimi.
Again with this dish you have that same progression of flavors. The slight sweet/sour character of the foamy. The saltiness of the shrimp, and there was a mayo-like sauce spread on the bottom of the plate. It was pretty good, and really filling.
Next up was Tom's second course. A dish of scallops with cauliflower and caper sauce.
I'm picturing it here cause I really enjoyed the pairing of cauliflower and scallops. It's not something I'd ever think of, but the sweetness of the cauliflower really enhanced the flavor of the scallops. However, the capers sauce was far too salty and overwhelment the entire dish. It should've been used sparingly.
Next up, my second course. Poached halibut with Shimeji mushrooms and lemongrass water. This was my favorite dish of the entire meal.
We had only one thing to do on our last day in NY, and that was lunch at the famed Jean Georges Restaurant. Now, as many of you know, Jean Georges is one of the few restaurants in NY that has been awarded 4 stars by the NY Times. I've only been to only one other 4 star restaurant, and that was Per Se. Amazingly enough, Jean Georges does a lunch prix fixe menu that's very reasonable. You get two courses for $28 and each additional course is $12. (Dessert is only $8, and considering the price of dessert yesterday at KO Prime, that's a freaking bargain).
So Tom, my cousin Jeany and I headed off to Trump International on Columbus Circle. When we arrived, we were escorted through Nougatine (the casual part of the restaurant) into Jean Georges. The dining room was very small (actually, I think it was smaller the Nougatine) and I'm sure it couldn't seat more than 50 people. The rooms was bright and airy, with high ceilings, but I immediately started noticing some flaws- the stain from a spilled drink on the carpet, the smudge on the white tablecloth, paint faded on the dishwear...small details, but details that a 4 star restaurant isn't supposed to miss. Perhaps it was because we were dining while the sun was streaming into the restaurant that I noticed these flaws, and they would be less noticeable during dinner service, when the lighting of the restaurant would make in dimmer and change the atmosphere.
The service was quick, attentive and pleasant, though I could sense the disappointment when we didn't ordered wine with our meal. When we opened up our menus, we realized that it was very seafood heavy. A ton of fish, which isn't unusual for summer, but with Jeany being pregnant, she didn't have a ton of choices. I, on the other hand, had a tough time trying to decide what I'd be ordering and Tom ended up getting 3 lunch courses.
I did order a fun passion fruit lime soda, which was quite tasty. I do love passion fruit. And soon we were serve our amuse bouche (compliments of the chef). Below, you'll see a shrimp, a mini spring roll and a chilled mango soup.
Next up was my first course. It was grilled prawns on shitake mushrooms and topped with a yuzu foam. When it first arrived, I was surprised at the sheer amount of foam. First, I kinda feel that foams are very 5 years ago, and I've never been a huge fan of them. Plus, foam was also used in Tom's appetizer of sashimi.
Next up was Tom's second course. A dish of scallops with cauliflower and caper sauce.
Next up, my second course. Poached halibut with Shimeji mushrooms and lemongrass water. This was my favorite dish of the entire meal.
The halibut was cooked well, maybe like 30 seconds too long, but it was still tender. And once again, you have that same progression of flavors: the earthiness of the mushrooms, the sweetness of the fish and the spice of the lemongrass. It looks simple, but really was quite complex.
For his third course, Tom had sweetbreads, which he enjoyed, saying they were very well cooked and tender. Oh also, during our meal, we actually did see the chef, Jean Georges Vongerichstein. He came out to the dining room to greet some of his VIP diners, and I always say, it's great to see a chef in one of his long running restaurants. I mean, he really didn't need to be there. It was a Monday, lunch service, and the summer. Could you ask for a slower time? And I was recently reading an article about his plans of developing an eatery in Mexico City. Yet, there he was, checking up on his restaurant, and I admire that.
By this point in the meal, we were all stuffed, but I insisted that everyone order dessert, because the pastry chef, Johnny Iuzzini, is very well known, and I wanted to see what he was doing. Jean Georges is well known for serving "themed" desserts. For lunch you get 2 small plates (dinner you get 4) which revolve around a theme, like chocolate. I ordered "summer", Jeany ordered "rhubarb" and Tom get "chocolate."
Here's my summer dessert:
I was really excited by it because I got a mini cherry souffle with a side of chocolate ice cream and a plate of macerated peaches with candied pistachios and farmer's cheese. Unfortunately, I wasn't totally in love with it. The souffle was a bit undercooked and the peaches were kinda mealy. Half way through, I made Tom trade with me.
Here's his chocolate dessert:
There's a Jean Georges chocolate cake (aka, a molten chocolate cake) with a side of vanilla ice cream, and chocolate panini with hazelnut, olives and cheese (I forget which kind). I must say, the panini was my favorite dessert, just for its interesting combination of flavors and the crunchy chocolate "bread". The chocolate souffle was also well made, but not anything new.
Lastly, here's Jeany's rhubarb dessert:
The thing on the right is some type of rhubarb slushy, that Jeany enjoyed. She let us have the rhubarb cake with yogurt ice cream on the left. I gotta say, it wasn't all that great.
And of course, you gotta finish with the complimentary petit fours. Here's a plate of chocolates:
I was surprised at how well made the chocolates were. Usually when pastry chefs make chocolates, they don't turn out great. (The ones at Per Se weren't stellar) But these were very well made.
And finally, a side of homemade marshmallows (in vanilla, mint and stawberry) and some mini macaroons.
I wasn't a fan of the marshmallows, though I applaud the cute idea (having them cut in front of you fresh from a jar). And the mini macaroons were good, but too tiny to really proffer an opinion on.
Up to this point, our meal was well timed and the serving staff quite attentive. But after the desserts were served, we were basically ignored. We had finished eating, plates had been cleared and we had to wait 20 minutes before getting our check. We would've asked for it if our server was anywhere near us, but he was too busy serving his other tables. Plus, the valet service and door service at Trump International in general leaves much to be desired. They should keep in mind that dining is an entire experience, and waiting an additional 15 minutes in 90F heat post lunch for your car to be pulled out of valet (in addition to the $25 they charge), doesn't make a diner leave happy.
Overall, we had a pleasant dining experience, and I'm sure it's a different restaurant during dinner service. But based on our experience, I just feel that Jean Georges was more like a 3 star restaurant than a four star one. For me, we didn't have any truly memorable dishes. Ones that we'd remember and talk about later (Like the chestnut agnolotti or the oysters and pearls at Per Se) I don't think we'll be back, too many other places to try, but if you're looking for a fancy lunch at a bargain price, Jean Georges is the way to go.
After finishing lunch, we started on our long drive back to Boston. I say long, because we got delayed on the departure and ended up in the middle of rush hour traffic. We made one stop to get gas and ended up grabbing dinner at a Friendly's. My very first trip to Friendly's (though I see them all the time)
I was expecting to be like a fast food take out place, more like Wendy's, but turns out, it's a sit down restaurant more like Denny's (with really ugly decor that's suppose to invoke memories of your aunt or grandmother's place).
We still had a way to go, so I didn't want to order anything too heavy. I got a salad and soup combo.
Hands down, this is one of the worst salads/meals that I've had in a long time. The soup tasted like Progresso and the salad just didn't taste like salad. When I ordered it with Italian dressing, the server proudly presented me with a bottle of Ken's Lite Italian dressing, proudly proclaiming that I got the whole bottle. The only edible thing on the plate was the garlic bread. I should've just ordered an ice cream sundae, which looked quite good.
Meanwhile, Tom got a turkey burger. Which he said was edible. I snacked on some of his fries.
I only include this because this meal was the polar opposite of the one we'd had early in the day. But it just shows our ability to go from high brow meals, to low brow meals, all in the course of 6 hours.
For his third course, Tom had sweetbreads, which he enjoyed, saying they were very well cooked and tender. Oh also, during our meal, we actually did see the chef, Jean Georges Vongerichstein. He came out to the dining room to greet some of his VIP diners, and I always say, it's great to see a chef in one of his long running restaurants. I mean, he really didn't need to be there. It was a Monday, lunch service, and the summer. Could you ask for a slower time? And I was recently reading an article about his plans of developing an eatery in Mexico City. Yet, there he was, checking up on his restaurant, and I admire that.
By this point in the meal, we were all stuffed, but I insisted that everyone order dessert, because the pastry chef, Johnny Iuzzini, is very well known, and I wanted to see what he was doing. Jean Georges is well known for serving "themed" desserts. For lunch you get 2 small plates (dinner you get 4) which revolve around a theme, like chocolate. I ordered "summer", Jeany ordered "rhubarb" and Tom get "chocolate."
Here's my summer dessert:
I was really excited by it because I got a mini cherry souffle with a side of chocolate ice cream and a plate of macerated peaches with candied pistachios and farmer's cheese. Unfortunately, I wasn't totally in love with it. The souffle was a bit undercooked and the peaches were kinda mealy. Half way through, I made Tom trade with me.Here's his chocolate dessert:
There's a Jean Georges chocolate cake (aka, a molten chocolate cake) with a side of vanilla ice cream, and chocolate panini with hazelnut, olives and cheese (I forget which kind). I must say, the panini was my favorite dessert, just for its interesting combination of flavors and the crunchy chocolate "bread". The chocolate souffle was also well made, but not anything new.Lastly, here's Jeany's rhubarb dessert:
The thing on the right is some type of rhubarb slushy, that Jeany enjoyed. She let us have the rhubarb cake with yogurt ice cream on the left. I gotta say, it wasn't all that great.And of course, you gotta finish with the complimentary petit fours. Here's a plate of chocolates:
I was surprised at how well made the chocolates were. Usually when pastry chefs make chocolates, they don't turn out great. (The ones at Per Se weren't stellar) But these were very well made.And finally, a side of homemade marshmallows (in vanilla, mint and stawberry) and some mini macaroons.
I wasn't a fan of the marshmallows, though I applaud the cute idea (having them cut in front of you fresh from a jar). And the mini macaroons were good, but too tiny to really proffer an opinion on.Up to this point, our meal was well timed and the serving staff quite attentive. But after the desserts were served, we were basically ignored. We had finished eating, plates had been cleared and we had to wait 20 minutes before getting our check. We would've asked for it if our server was anywhere near us, but he was too busy serving his other tables. Plus, the valet service and door service at Trump International in general leaves much to be desired. They should keep in mind that dining is an entire experience, and waiting an additional 15 minutes in 90F heat post lunch for your car to be pulled out of valet (in addition to the $25 they charge), doesn't make a diner leave happy.
Overall, we had a pleasant dining experience, and I'm sure it's a different restaurant during dinner service. But based on our experience, I just feel that Jean Georges was more like a 3 star restaurant than a four star one. For me, we didn't have any truly memorable dishes. Ones that we'd remember and talk about later (Like the chestnut agnolotti or the oysters and pearls at Per Se) I don't think we'll be back, too many other places to try, but if you're looking for a fancy lunch at a bargain price, Jean Georges is the way to go.
After finishing lunch, we started on our long drive back to Boston. I say long, because we got delayed on the departure and ended up in the middle of rush hour traffic. We made one stop to get gas and ended up grabbing dinner at a Friendly's. My very first trip to Friendly's (though I see them all the time)
I was expecting to be like a fast food take out place, more like Wendy's, but turns out, it's a sit down restaurant more like Denny's (with really ugly decor that's suppose to invoke memories of your aunt or grandmother's place).We still had a way to go, so I didn't want to order anything too heavy. I got a salad and soup combo.
Hands down, this is one of the worst salads/meals that I've had in a long time. The soup tasted like Progresso and the salad just didn't taste like salad. When I ordered it with Italian dressing, the server proudly presented me with a bottle of Ken's Lite Italian dressing, proudly proclaiming that I got the whole bottle. The only edible thing on the plate was the garlic bread. I should've just ordered an ice cream sundae, which looked quite good.Meanwhile, Tom got a turkey burger. Which he said was edible. I snacked on some of his fries.
I only include this because this meal was the polar opposite of the one we'd had early in the day. But it just shows our ability to go from high brow meals, to low brow meals, all in the course of 6 hours.NY, DAY 3
Day 3 in NY was the day I actually worked. Tom and I spent close to 6 hours at the Fancy Food Show, walking the floors, talking to suppliers and trying lots of samples. My favorite was the duck magret from D'Artagnan, but then again, I am crazy for duck. By the time we'd finished, we were exhausted and staggered back to my cousin's apartment for a nap.
When we awoke, we were hungry. So we headed out to the local Mexican joint. We had always walked by this place on the way to the subway and I was always curious about it, so we figured it'd be a good time to try it out. I assumed it'd be one of these hole in the wall places. Not much decor or charm with great food at low prices (like Havana Chelsea in NY).
Day 3 in NY was the day I actually worked. Tom and I spent close to 6 hours at the Fancy Food Show, walking the floors, talking to suppliers and trying lots of samples. My favorite was the duck magret from D'Artagnan, but then again, I am crazy for duck. By the time we'd finished, we were exhausted and staggered back to my cousin's apartment for a nap.
When we awoke, we were hungry. So we headed out to the local Mexican joint. We had always walked by this place on the way to the subway and I was always curious about it, so we figured it'd be a good time to try it out. I assumed it'd be one of these hole in the wall places. Not much decor or charm with great food at low prices (like Havana Chelsea in NY).
Here's a pic of the exterior. It's called Pedro's . Like I said, not much for charm.
Tom ordered a chicken taco and a tamale. As we watched the woman go for the tamale and then microwave it, we knew we needed to be skeptical about this place. After grabbing our food (which did end up being cheap enough) we headed out to park bench to dig into our food.
Here's a pic of Tom's chicken taco. It looks decent enough, but he found it tasteless.
So it wasn't such a great idea to go to Pedro's. We should've asked my cousin before going, but she was also taking a nap. But at least if you're ever in DUMBO, you'll know to order pizza, rather than going to the Mexican place.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
NY, DAY 2
Ahhh, another trip to NY, another opportunity to stuff ourselves silly. We'd already had a Brooklyn pizza the night before, but we followed with another pizza meal the following evening. With friends working in downtown and us staying in Brooklyn, I thought a great place to go was Adrienne's Pizzabar, which was highly recommended on Ed Levine's blog. I thought it was a good place to go because it wouldn't require reservations on a Saturday night. (It's in the middle of financial district, which is empty on the weekends) So off we went, to meet some old friends and enjoy pizza.
After a crapy ride on the NY city subway (stupid weekend service changes) plus a brief ride in a cab, we finally arrived at Stone St., a tiny cobblestone lined alleyway that was setup like a biergarten. (Lots of outdoor tables and benches). We arrived at Adrienne's and found out there'd be a wait for outdoor seating. So we headed instead we were were seated immediately. It's a very modern feel, with a long bar. We got to sit at some tall tables in the back.
My friend, Sug, and his gf arrived shortly after we did, so we decided to order a bunch of appetizers to share.
They were all really tasty. Tom and Sug shared a half order of mixed meats, and the rest of us shared a plate of mixed veggies and an arugula salad. I especially enjoyed the plate of mixed roasted veggies.
Soon, my friend Juliet arrived, as did our pizza. Adrienne's lets you order a traditional pizza with various toppings (which we got) or individual 10" pizzas. The traditional pizza is an enormous pizza on a half sheet pan. We got it with broccoli and sun dried tomatoes.
The cheese and toppings were fresh and very tasty. I especially like the crust where it got super crunchy along the side. However, once you got to the middle, the pizza suffered from the same problem of any pizza baked on a sheet pan, namely, the bottom got soggy, rather than crispy and firm. This meant that it was almost impossible to eat the pizza by hand. A fork and knife were very necessary.
The good thing is that Adrienne's is a total steal. We had a ton of food for five, and it still came out to be $12 per person. (and it would've been less had Juliet not ordered a drink). Overall, I think this is a great place to visit on the weekend (I've heard that it's packed on the weekdays). I still prefer Lombardi's pizza, but I certainly wouldn't mind going back here.
After dinner, we walked down to the South Street Seaport to get ice creams. And following our subway fiasco, Tom and I decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to get home. It was a lovely night, and lots of people were out doing the same thing, so it was a great way to work off the pizza. All in all, a great night in NY.
Ahhh, another trip to NY, another opportunity to stuff ourselves silly. We'd already had a Brooklyn pizza the night before, but we followed with another pizza meal the following evening. With friends working in downtown and us staying in Brooklyn, I thought a great place to go was Adrienne's Pizzabar, which was highly recommended on Ed Levine's blog. I thought it was a good place to go because it wouldn't require reservations on a Saturday night. (It's in the middle of financial district, which is empty on the weekends) So off we went, to meet some old friends and enjoy pizza.
After a crapy ride on the NY city subway (stupid weekend service changes) plus a brief ride in a cab, we finally arrived at Stone St., a tiny cobblestone lined alleyway that was setup like a biergarten. (Lots of outdoor tables and benches). We arrived at Adrienne's and found out there'd be a wait for outdoor seating. So we headed instead we were were seated immediately. It's a very modern feel, with a long bar. We got to sit at some tall tables in the back.
My friend, Sug, and his gf arrived shortly after we did, so we decided to order a bunch of appetizers to share.
They were all really tasty. Tom and Sug shared a half order of mixed meats, and the rest of us shared a plate of mixed veggies and an arugula salad. I especially enjoyed the plate of mixed roasted veggies.Soon, my friend Juliet arrived, as did our pizza. Adrienne's lets you order a traditional pizza with various toppings (which we got) or individual 10" pizzas. The traditional pizza is an enormous pizza on a half sheet pan. We got it with broccoli and sun dried tomatoes.
The cheese and toppings were fresh and very tasty. I especially like the crust where it got super crunchy along the side. However, once you got to the middle, the pizza suffered from the same problem of any pizza baked on a sheet pan, namely, the bottom got soggy, rather than crispy and firm. This meant that it was almost impossible to eat the pizza by hand. A fork and knife were very necessary.The good thing is that Adrienne's is a total steal. We had a ton of food for five, and it still came out to be $12 per person. (and it would've been less had Juliet not ordered a drink). Overall, I think this is a great place to visit on the weekend (I've heard that it's packed on the weekdays). I still prefer Lombardi's pizza, but I certainly wouldn't mind going back here.
After dinner, we walked down to the South Street Seaport to get ice creams. And following our subway fiasco, Tom and I decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to get home. It was a lovely night, and lots of people were out doing the same thing, so it was a great way to work off the pizza. All in all, a great night in NY.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
KWIK E MART!
Ok, I'll be the first to admit that this post has virtually nothing to do with food. But I like the Simpsons, and my friends like the Simpsons, so I'm making a Simpson's avatar post. You'll notice that mine isn't up here yet. I've made it, but I don't know how to save it. So Tom will help me with that when I get home. I'll post it up later.
We were in NY this weekend, and one of our first stops was to the Kwik E Mart on 42nd St. (yes, this is the closest Kwik E Mart/ 7-11 conversion to us in Boston). Tom and I seemed to be the only crazies in there taking pics with Marge and Apu, but we did pick up some Krusty O's, a Mr. Burns bobble head, and a t-shirt. Tom also had a squishee (aka, slurpee). Click here to see my Picasa Web album.
And now for the avatars. If you haven't already done so, you can make yourself a Simpson's avatar at the Simpson's movie website. So let's get started:
Here's Tom. I don't think it looks anything like him and I have no idea why he has a bear cub on his shirt, but whatever.
Here's my little sister, Cathy:
Here's Leah:
And here's Elisabeth. Out of all of these, I think this is the most accurate.
If you've got an avatar, send it over and I'll add it!
Ok, I'll be the first to admit that this post has virtually nothing to do with food. But I like the Simpsons, and my friends like the Simpsons, so I'm making a Simpson's avatar post. You'll notice that mine isn't up here yet. I've made it, but I don't know how to save it. So Tom will help me with that when I get home. I'll post it up later.
We were in NY this weekend, and one of our first stops was to the Kwik E Mart on 42nd St. (yes, this is the closest Kwik E Mart/ 7-11 conversion to us in Boston). Tom and I seemed to be the only crazies in there taking pics with Marge and Apu, but we did pick up some Krusty O's, a Mr. Burns bobble head, and a t-shirt. Tom also had a squishee (aka, slurpee). Click here to see my Picasa Web album.
And now for the avatars. If you haven't already done so, you can make yourself a Simpson's avatar at the Simpson's movie website. So let's get started:
Here's Tom. I don't think it looks anything like him and I have no idea why he has a bear cub on his shirt, but whatever.
Here's my little sister, Cathy:
Here's Leah:
And here's Elisabeth. Out of all of these, I think this is the most accurate.
If you've got an avatar, send it over and I'll add it!
Friday, July 06, 2007
OFF TO NY- AGAIN
Ok, I know I haven't been a very good blogger of late. But what can I say? I haven't been eating out anywhere new, so there's nothing exciting to write about. Really, do you want to hear about our July 4th picnic of Popeye's and watermelon? But that'll change this weekend because we're off to NY again. Perhaps the last time for a while. So we'll be visiting Adrienne's Pizzabar on Saturday night and we'll be having lunch at Jean Georges on Monday. I'm very excited about the lunch at Jean Georges. Hopefully I'll be able to take some pics for all of you. Anyway, I'll be back with some posts for you next week. Promise.
Ok, I know I haven't been a very good blogger of late. But what can I say? I haven't been eating out anywhere new, so there's nothing exciting to write about. Really, do you want to hear about our July 4th picnic of Popeye's and watermelon? But that'll change this weekend because we're off to NY again. Perhaps the last time for a while. So we'll be visiting Adrienne's Pizzabar on Saturday night and we'll be having lunch at Jean Georges on Monday. I'm very excited about the lunch at Jean Georges. Hopefully I'll be able to take some pics for all of you. Anyway, I'll be back with some posts for you next week. Promise.
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