Char No. 4 in Carroll Gardens

One evening out in BK, someone mentioned to us that if you like bacon and whiskey (not to be confused with bacon whiskey - does that exist?) that Char No. 4 in Carroll Gardens is a great spot.  We locked that tidbit in our brains, and when we both had a half-day before Memorial Day weekend we indulged in a daytime food adventure!

The bar selection at Char No. 4 greets you as you walk in the door, and it is quite impressive.  

We hoped the cocktails would live up to our high expectations, and indeed they did.  They seemed to be made with great care and attention to the most minute flavor details.  DJ tried the Hound Dog and Mel went for the Noreaster - both awesome.

Then for lunch, we opted for the prix fixe which allows you a soup or salad, main course, and scoop of ice cream.

DJ had the soup of the day (carrot - quite yummy!), Mel had the salad (tasty dressing), and we shared the bacon that had been raved about (awesome thick-cut and smoky).  

Mel went for the flank steak with potatoes, which we agreed were hands-down the best side order potatoes we have had in a long time (hints of lemon - perhaps melted into the butter?).

DJ had pulled pork sandwich with Char 4 sauce and a side of beans (great smoky BBQ flavors).

Now here comes the kicker.  The ice cream scoop of the day was butterscotch.  We didn't think we'd really devour it since we were already relatively full.  And when it arrived, there appeared to be some ice cream already melted on the bottom.  We ventured a few bites, and suddenly both our eyes shot up in surprise and delight.  Hiding in the soupy bottom of the bowl was a shot of bourbon that went PERFECTLY with the flavor of the ice cream. 

Kudos to Char 4 for their playful addition to an otherwise ordinary treat!

Talde with the Dalton Crew

Several of Mel's pals at Dalton are fellow foodies and fans of Top Chef.  So at lunch one day (specifically, the day after Mel and DJ went to Talde and loved it), it was decided that the Dalton crew must try the menu at Talde together.  On a wonderfully sunny spring Sunday, we had a booth filled with 7 lovely folks: Scott and his wife, Katie; Ghislaine, her husband, Pete, and their baby, Adrian; and Mel and DJ.

With such a fun-loving and hungry group, you can imagine we went crazy with the ordering and tried pretty much everything on the dim sum menu.  Allow the pictures to tell the story:

watermelon margaritas and mojitos

 fried rice

 chicken wings and waffles

 shrimp toast

 lobster rolls

pork ribs

pretzel dumplings

Overall, we really enjoyed the whole brunch experience at Talde.  The family-style serving worked really well with such a large group, and the flavors in each dish were unique and fun.  We did wish the drinks could have been a bit larger, but for the price they were a decent size.  And DJ and Mel agreed that in would be great to return on a hot summer day to enjoy the cocktails with the lobster rolls.  

Talde, we'll be back!

Fette Sau and Tao - Mother's Day Weekend

HOORAY FOR MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND!!

We headed out to LI on Saturday to celebrate with Toots.  And as luck would have it, Amber and Ava were able to join us!  So we had a wonderful day hanging out in the backyard, soaking up Ava's adorable energy, and feasting on some take-out Fette Sau.  Such a great day!

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Then on Sunday, the Haile-Mariams came down from CT for an afternoon in the city.  There was a request for Asian cuisine and nice ambience, so DJ suggested Tao in Midtown.  It fit the bill perfectly!  Really great decor, delicious menu selections, and great service.  Capped off with a brief walk by the Central Park perimeter, it was a lovely day with family.

 Kung Pao chicken

 deliciously tender and juicy fish; we were all impressed

 salmon sashimi

 mochi!

 banana pudding

mommy-to-be!!

Cinco de Mayo at Bogota

Although it was a rainy Cinco de Mayo, we couldn't let the day pass without a proper margarita.  We knew most Mexican restaurants would be crazy packed, so we decided to opt for a place where we could actually get a reservation: Bogota Latin Bistro in Park Slope.  We gathered the troops, and had a full table for brunch - including some margaritas.  Mission accomplished!  :)

And afterward, Carole and Kathy ventured with us to The Chocolate Room for some dessert.  The pictures say it all!

Social Eatz - Another Top Chef Adventure

Our appreciation for the show, Top Chef, is no secret.  And since we're lucky enough to live in a city where many of the chefs decide to open new restaurants, we feel it is only fair that we show them some love and try out their cuisine.

Social Eatz was opened by Angelo - known on the show as (how shall we say this politely?) a strong personality.  His dishes on the show seemed kind of hit-or-miss, and we wondered how his restaurant would fare since he'd be able to pick only his favorite recipes to share.  Turns out... the dishes were still kind of hit-or-miss.

We went with Rachel and Mark, who were also pumped to try the American-Asian menu.  We started out with a variety of cocktails, which were all AMAZING.  (Apparently, they recently had a celebrity mixologist come and do a total overhaul of their drinks.  Excellent work.)

Mark tried the tomato soup and grilled cheese with a side of tograshi fries.  Verdict: he found the soup too thick and sweet, but the fries had a nice kick.

Rachel went for the bimbimbap omelet.  Verdict:  possibly the best omelet she's ever had.

Mel opted for the "Hangover" noodles (a.k.a. ramen).  Verdict:  a bit like chicken noodle soup with chorizo.  Still ranks the ramen at Kumo as her favorite.

And DJ braved the Bulgogi burger and kimchee fries.  Verdict:  tasty, but ordinary.  Thought the kimchee would provide a bit more kick in general.

Then we thought it'd be fun to try the strawberry shortcake in a jar because it sounded interesting.  Apparently it's lemon cake with black pepper marinated in sake.  The presentation in the jar was cool, but they were a bit too heavy-handed with the pepper.  We all agreed that the idea was cool in theory, but the black pepper flavor was too "in-your-face."  Would have enjoyed a more subtle hint of it.

Overall, it was fun to experience Angelo's cuisine and see some of his signature flavors that they would talk about on the show.  The service was very friendly, and the decor quite welcoming.  We're certainly open to giving it another try, but let's just say we're not racing to bring all our friends and family there immediately.