To Eat or To Shop?

Looks like my excitement and the deliciousness of 202's french toast got the best of me. By the time I remembered to take a picture for the blog...it was gone. Sorry readers, however, the clean plate should speak for itself.

202 is a hidden gem tucked away in Chelsea Market. Uniquely, the restaurant is located within a clothing store. My advice is to save your money for the food since for every 50 french toasts you could have purchased one sweater. Next time you are in the Chelsea neighborhood definitely check out this restaurant on 9th Ave b/t 15th & 16th street.

I had an amazing tuna burger with guacamole and then topped it off with the rest of my colleagues' french toast. Oh, but I wasn't done there. We ordered deserts. The table favorite was the sticky granola w/fruit and ice cream. Sounds simple but the flavors were bold.

Eating Out Recession Style

My Mom is always looking for a deal. Whether buying microwaves on Ebay or getting triple skymiles points on Delta, her eye is always on the "never pay full price" prize. Being that we are in a recession, she has stepped up her game moving from deals to steals. Something constitutes as a "steal" when you walk out of the store worried the clerk is going to run after you saying she made a mistake in ringing you up. It was so cheap you feel as though you stole it from the store.

My Mom's most recent steal was on http://www.restaurant.com/. If you register online, you can purchase restaurant gift certificates at a fraction of the cost. (i.e. $25 gift card for $10). If you can believe it, she found a promotional code "NINETY" that takes 90% off your total order. So, I just got 13 $25 gift cards to New York City restaurants for a total of $14. Now that's a steal!

Speakeasy Celebration

Emily officially became damaged goods/past her prime/shriveled up yesterday when she turned 26th. Her wonderful and sneaky friends (aka Leslie and I) surprised her with dinner at "must give your right arm to get into" La Esquina in Soho to celebrate. Though hard to get a reservation and hard to find, it is NOT hard to fall in love with this Mexican speakeasy. La Esquina is located underground. You have to go into a diner, downstairs, and through a kitchen before you end up in a warm, cozy, and dark restaurant that is full of people who look like they must be important, but you have know idea who they are. Someone must have been pretty important...MTV was interviewing them at the bar.

I had Emily rank the dishes we got in order of best to worst. She did so reluctantly as she said, quote "It's as if you are asking me to compare Miu Miu to Jimmy Choo or Balenciaga to Gucci; they are all so different yet so amazing." Well said Em!

Emily's Ranking:

1. Chicken Tostadas

2. Tuna Tostadas

3. Plantains

4. Steak Tacos

5. Chocolate lava cake

*Personally, I liked the tuna over the chicken and the lava cake over the steak tacos. I give it two toasted buns!

Leslie, Emily, and I left La Esquina comfortably full, extremely satisfied, and with a clear vision that we were not half as cool as everyone in the restaurant. However, we walked back through that kitchen and out of the diner with our heads held high and our bellies low and onto the next out of our league destination...230 Fifth rooftop bar.

In-N-Out Burger...How Does It Measure Up?

One cannot make a trip out to the West Coast without giving this much talked about burger joint a try. Even though I was in LA for work, I easily convinced my collegues to join me for my fast food feast. My first philosopy on where their name "In-N-Out Burger" came from, was that their food is so cheap it goes right in...and right out, if you know what I mean. My whole meal with a vanilla milkshake was only $7. Not to shabby for a fast food restaurant that has been compared to 5 Guys where a burger and fries costs around $12. It seems that my second philosophy was correct...it's fast food...you're in-n-out with your burger faster than you can look up their "secret menu" on your iphone.

I heard about In-N-Out's "secret menu" (well not so secret anymore, but they still don't post it at their locations) but shied away from getting the animal fries (w/cheese, bacon, & secret sauce). My waist line says thank you.

I have to be honest and say that I prefer 5 Guys to In-N-Out. However, for the price I think it's pretty darn fantastic. Oh, and not to mention, they toast their buns!!! On a side note, I am not sure if I will ever find a fast food burger place better than Braums, which I will blog about on another day.

Yours foodly,

Toasty Buns

Yo Quiero Gidget Back

I am saddened today by the news that the Taco Bell Chihuahua, Gidget, died at age 15 of a stroke on Tuesday. He was famous for his saying "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" which means I want Taco Bell.

Taco Bell was my favorite food growing up...I mean obsessed. I would bring it to restaurants with my family. I always ordered a bean burrito and a pinto a cheese w/lots of mild sauce of course.

My friends favorite Taco Bell story of mine:

I was about 8 yrs old and living in Surrey, a suburb about an hour outside London. It was my birthday and all I wanted to do was take the train into the city and go to the only Taco Bell in England. We make the long trip out there. When we arrive, I turn the corner about to pee in my pants from excitement...all I see is an empty building where you could still barely read the washed out letters T A C O B E L L on the facade of the building. I just stood there, looking up at the letters bauling.

Years later I asked my parents if they were cracking up at me crying over Taco Bell. They said they have never felt so bad for me and started calling information to see if there was ANY other Taco Bells in the country...unfortunatly there wasn't. Probably because no other place eats as much crap like fast food as Americans do.

So, here is a video tribute to Gidget, to Taco Bell, and to childhood memories.

Yours foodly,

Toasy Buns

You Think You Know, But You Have NO Idea

Boy do you learn a lot about what you don't know about food around chefs. I was invited over to a friend of a friends apartment for a cookout with chefs. The chefs work at the popular NYC restaurant Jean-Georges and went to the culinary school, CIA.

Among the menu was skirt and hanger steak, corn, potato salad, three bean salad, and pickled ramps. Even though the list sounds pretty traditional, it was the preparation that made it unique. The potato salad had hard boiled eggs and dill in it. The steaks were perfectly cooked and marinated in lemon, olive oil, garlic, and cilantro. They also grilled with lump charcoal instead of charcoal briquettes. Lump charcoal is harder to manage however briquettes tend to contain additives and give an unwanted flavor to the meat.

LUMP (upper)

BRIQUETTES (lower)

The pickled ramps were my favorite, even though I didn't know what they were. Shortly after my 20 questions, I learned a ramp is a wild leek that is only available in the spring season.

Here is a pickled ramp recipe:

http://steamykitchen.com/4241-asian-pickled-wild-leek-ramp-bulbs.html

You don't have to pickle them, but since they are only in season for a short period pickling allows you to enjoy them all year long!

NYC Italian...86 Little Italy

If you are ever in NYC and are looking for good Italian food, please steer clear of tourist infested Little Italy. I swear Mulberry St. has one massive kitchen in the back where they make the same food for all 50 restaurants. If you would rather go to a more affordable place with a local feel and better food, I have listed a few of my favorite spots.

1. Piccolo Angolo- West Village
2. Crispo- Meatpacking
3. Bread- Soho
4. Max's- East Village

I went to Bread in Soho this past Saturday and it was Yum! It is a NY Magazine's Critics Pick. We started with a meat & cheese plate and fried calamari. I went with the meatballs and potatos (pictured) as my main dish, which was the biggest hit. However, I don't think you can go wrong at this spot. We also got multiple bottles of wine and the total bill was only $40 a person with tip.

Restaurant Etiquette

Bringing coffee into a restaurant...Who Cares or Who Dares?

It's Not Always A Boat the Food

If you are in Manhattan looking for a place to watch the sunset and enjoy a Corona on a stationary boat, the Frying Pan is the perfect spot. This past Friday was my second time making my way to this docked boat on 26th St. & The Hudson River. Once again it didn't dissapoint. I wouldn't go there for the food as it is mediocre bar food at best. However, it still gets the job done when the munchies kick in after a few cocktails.

A couple recommendations...

1. Get ready to throw some bows to get a seat...first come first serve

2. Order two beer buckets at a time...bar service only

3. Bring dramamine...you are on a boat

4. Bring dancing shoes if you plan to stay past the sunset...the DJ comes out then