Tapas Tour: Blue Owl, Bar Carrera, and GRAFFITI

We hadn't seen Neha in a while, so we made plans to hang out and catch up.

We started off the evening with a drink at Blue Owl, a hip bar with classic decor and speak-easy vibe.  The bartender took his time with each drink, and all the ingredients were extremely fresh.  Definitely a place to go if you appreciate a well-mixed cocktail.

Next, we hopped across the street to grab some sangria at Bar Carrera.  DJ (a sangria connoisseur) said this place was a must-try, and he was absolutely right!  The strawberry sangria had a great kick, and the tapas were tasty.  

But after nibbling on a couple of items we realized we were still a bit hungry.  Rather than ordering more, Neha was able to work her magic and add us to her later reservation at Graffiti and we were in!  :)

We say "work her magic" because Graffiti is known for its amazing tapas... and amazing arrangement of seating in a very limited space.  Imagine a NYC brownstone living room with an adjacent kitchen; now imagine cutting it in half.  That's about the size of this place.  The seating area is a feat of physics, with 8 people fitting around a table meant for 4.  And the kitchen is the width of one average-sized adult.  Hence, reservations are a hot commodity.

 Funny thing is, in spite of space limitations this is probably one of the best tapas places we've been to.  The service is friendly, attentive, and prompt; the decor is reminiscent of being in someone's home; and the chef's creative flavor combinations are unexpected and refreshing.  If you're able to get a seat, this place is an absolute must.

 watermelon and feta salad, topped with mint sorbet

Yummy Yucca!

Over the weekend, Elim asked if we had ever tried yucca.  We both had, but realized it had been a while since we'd eaten it.  So, of course... (::drum roll::)

WE HAD YUCCA FOR DINNER!!

Seasoned with a bit of fresh cilantro and softened by some chicken broth, mashed yucca proved to be filling and tasty.   Combine it with some sweet apple sausage and string beans, and you've got yourself a hit.  DJ said he liked it so much he could eat it once a week!  We'll definitely be remembering this dish for future dinners. 

The Farm on Adderley: Part Deux

DATE NIGHT!  :)

We decided to strike out for our first local date night since DJ moved to Brooklyn.  Since we've only gone to The Farm on Adderley once before (and it was for brunch), we decided to try out their dinner menu.  And we were not at all disappointed!

We started out with some adventurous appetizers:  Mel went for the chilled corn soup with mussels, and DJ braved the beef tongue to see if it was as good as his mom's.  The soup was awesome (albeit a bit sweet), and the tongue was tasty... but not as good as his mom's.  Mel had never had any type of tongue before, and was surprised to discover it tastes a bit like bologna.

For the main course, Mel went for a vegetarian option of summer squash with polenta fries - wonderfully light and delicious.  DJ opted for a hearty meal of pork ribs, not realizing just how generous the portion would be.  lol  He loved every bite, but definitely decided to bring some home to the fridge.

We were careful to leave room for splitting a dessert of almond cake with blueberry compote, which was well worth not finishing our main courses.  The flavor combination of the blueberry and almond was a delight for the tastebuds.

And the best part of the meal?  Being able to walk home afterward!  Yay for local eating.  :)

Pineapple Salsa Pork

In the mood to switch things up a bit, but still have a light meal?  Pork chops to the rescue!  Last time Mel tried a pork chop recipe it was wintertime, so it involved a somewhat heavy apple and onion gravy.  This time around we wanted something a bit lighter, so she found a simple recipe for pork chops with pineapple salsa.  So easy in fact, that she won't even post the details because she'd like to receive maximum credit for what was secretly very little work. :)

Lesson Learned:  What they say on Top Chef is true: fewer ingredients allow for strong, savory flavor to come naturally from the food.  AND, pineapple salsa is super tasty and fast to make!

"Three Tarts" Before Taiwan

Alex, being a fab big brother, sent us a gift certificate to Three Tarts many months ago to encourage us to try some dessert places.  Well, we decided to finally check it out today so that we could share the sweet treat wealth with friends at Vicky's going-away party (she's moving to Taiwan!).   

The store itself is incredibly charming.  Thanks to the warm, welcoming vibe, great customer service, and visually appealing desserts, we quickly became the proverbial "kids in a candy store."  The dude at the counter was kind enough to relieve us of the burden of choosing from so many temptations and said he would just stock our box with the most popular choices.  

Once we got to brunch, everyone wound up sampling at least two of everything and the reviews were unanimously positive.  We love Three Tarts! 

Thanks for the wonderful splurge, Alex!  :)

Buddha Bodai Birthday

Dave the Brave turns the Big 4-0 this week, so his lovely wife Elim decided to throw him a surprise birthday dim sum brunch at Buddha Bodai in Chinatown.  Dave was in such shock to see all his kung fu buddies and their families waiting for him at tables when he thought he was just going to be helping Elim pick up some take-out!

The food was all vegetarian and delicious, and the crowd was all smiles.  The best part was when Elim broke out a cake, our group started singing, and then the whole restaurant joined in with applause!  Check out Dave's reaction:

 

This was Dave's first EVER surprise party, and he was in shock all day.  Great way to kick off a new birth year, don't you agree?! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVID!!!

La Bottega: Some Pre-Hurricane Eating

It was a great night to catch up with Nick and Kristen.  School is about to start up again, Nick has a new place in Chelsea, and the entire NYC area was on hurricane watch.  Why not toast the end of summer and high gusty winds with some great sangria from La Bottega in the Maritime Hotel.

This place definitely wins points for ambiance.  Inside has tiled walls reminiscent of a public pool (perhaps the origin of the name Maritime?) and the space is decorated with a nice rustic Italian feel.  The outside seating area is both cozy and funky, with Chinese lanterns strewn nicely through full trees.  A great place to sit back and say, "I love New York."

As for the food, we ordered pasta dishes and pork chops just to sample a bit of everything.  The pasta was delightful, but the pork chops were a bit salty.  Nothing to really write home about.  The sangria got rave reviews online and was quite refreshing, but then DJ pointed out that it tasted a bit like Gatorade and we realized he had a point.  lol

Overall, La Bottega is a cool place to hang out on a breezy summer night, but skip the pork chops.

Pistachio Tofu Curry

The latest Bon Appetit magazine had a great recipe for Pistachio Tofu, so Mel thought it'd be a fun healthy dish to try.  The dish evolved a bit due to two factors:

1.  The supermarket did not have the ponzu sauce the recipe required.
2.  The pistachios were supposed to be ground up finely in a food processor so they could coat the tofu like breadcrumbs.  Since we don't own a food processor, Mel thought maybe a hammer would do the trick.  Shockingly, it didn't.

Sooooooo....
1.  Instead of ponzu sauce, we went with a jar of massaman curry sauce.
2.  Instead of coating the tofu pieces with pistachio powder, pistachio chunks were thrown in the sauce for a little flavor and crunch.

The end result (served over rice):  STILL TASTY!  :)

Lesson Learned:  A food processor does not a hammer make.  :-/