Dough Loco with the Lerners

A while back, Scott forwarded us an article about a new doughnut joint in our neighborhood.  So when we wanted to make a plan to see the Lerner trio and catch up, it was obvious where we should meet!

Dough Loco is a very unassuming spot.  It's a simple, small storefront with a cool logo and nice large window.  There are enough seats for about 8 people total in the whole place, and we lucked out and scored the only table so we could sit comfortably with the littlest Lerner's stroller.  The focus of this place is clear; if you're not there for doughnuts, you have no business being there.  lol  At the counter, your only options are whatever donuts are freshly made (and a few variations on coffee).  So we tried one of every flavor available at the moment:  

 Raspberry Sriracha-- Chocolate

Chocolate -- Blood Orange

As you can see, these are some SERIOUS doughnuts.  The dough part was super fresh and cakey, and the icings were all extremely rich and flavorful.  Though they're filling, you really just don't want to stop eating them.  Loco! 

We stayed for quite a while just chatting and catching up, so eventually a hot tray of Miso Maple came out and we grabbed one of those as well.  It was like a whole plate of buttery syrupy pancakes in each bite!  (Sadly, our hands were so sticky by then, we forgot to take a picture.)

Dough Loco is definitely a place to go when you're craving a great doughnut.  So glad we were able to check it out with our fav fellow foodies!!

The Marrow for The MellowBee's Birthday

Two reasons to party: Mel's birthday and the anniversary of our engagement!  To celebrate, Mel wanted to check out The Marrow - the newest venture from Harold Dieterle, a fellow Long Islander and winner of the 1st season of Top Chef.  We love his first place - Perilla - so we had feeling this would be a fun night out.

And we were right!  We were greeted warmly by the hostess as we took in the fabulous decor.  Very cool red leather banquettes and graphic wallpaper, with a welcoming bar area off to the side.  They go for a dimly lit effect, so no photos did it justice.  But suffice it to say, just the visual of this place creates a relaxed yet upscale vibe that puts you in the mood for some fine food.

Our server was extremely friendly and pleasant, and soon after we settled in our booth we had drinks and delicious warm pretzel rolls.  (Since this place is Harold's ode to his German/Italian heritage, the unique spin on a dinner roll is perfect!)

Then obviously when at The Marrow, one should try the marrow.  So we did.  We weren't sure what to expect since neither of us have ever had beef marrow before.  At first the consistency was surprisingly gelatinous, which is not what your brain usually predicts when looking at a bone.  But once you know what to expect from the texture, the flavor is AMAZING!  This particular preparation includes sea urchin on top, and the combination of flavors really is sublime.  Eaten with bites of bread, it reminded Mel a lot of soft eggs on toast but with seasoning that brought it to another level of greatness.

Since the marrow is a bit filling, we both opted for fish dishes for our main course.  

Mel got the pumpernickel crusted salmon (which the chef prepares medium rare),

and DJ got the white balsamic-glazed black cod.

Both were phenomenal, and we liked each other's so much that we wound up switching plates in the middle so we could enjoy the best of both worlds. 

Though we were stuffed, you can't have a birthday without cake.  :)  So DJ got the ginger stout cake (like an ultimate gingerbread cookie) and Mel got the almond chocolate pear torta (just the right balance of all three flavors).  We loved them so much but were so full, so we decided to take most of them home to enjoy for breakfast!

Cheers to a wonderful celebration!  Our Top Chef buddy never disappoints.

And a few days later, the birthday celebration continued with a trip to Carnegie Hall to hear Mel's favorite author read.  What a treat!

 

Pumpkin Ravioli Reunion at Giovanni Rana

It was a British invasion: Dipali wound up coming to town at the same time Deep was here to visit his ladies!  Woo - time for a reunion!  

Dipali gathered the troops (Lula, Antoine, Jaz, Deep, Liz, and us), and we headed to Chelsea Market to try out Giovanni Rana Pastificio and Cucina.  This place is a huge sit-down restaurant tucked in amongst all the Market stalls, and apparently offering some of the best pasta in the city.  In particular, Dipali wanted to make the most of her autumn time in NY with pumpkin ravioli, and Giovanni Rana came up as #1 in her search.

With such a large group, we weren't sure how well they'd be able to accommodate us.  But they actually had a wonderfully huge round table so we could sit family-style and be able to see everyone.  Nice!  We started off by sharing the charcuterie board with artisinal cured sliced meats and Italian cheeses.  Yummy!

Then most of us went for the pumpkin ravioli since it was the reason we went there.  And it was indeed delicious!

Other dishes of note:  Jaz got the beef cheek, which she said was enjoyable.  And DJ got the Cappalletti al Prosciutto, which he felt could have used a lot more sauce and seasoning.

But the most wonderful part of the meal was the company.  It was so great to have the whole group together again and catch up.  Hooray for reuniting!

All Mercaditos Not Created Equal?

The Bhauras relocated to Alphabet City for the tail end of their New York stay.  When searching for good spots to grab food in the neighborhood, DJ discovered that there's a Mercadito in that part of town.  Since we love the one in the West Village so much, we decided to give this one a try.

Mel was a little put off by their "B" grade in the window, but when we looked it up on the app "ABC Eats" we learned that their infractions were pretty typical for any city restaurant so we wouldn't hold it against them.  

The front is very small, but it leads to a back area with lots more seating.  The dining area could use a renovation - the wooden tables are a bit sticky and have the aroma of years of use, and the upholstery on the benches could definitely be replaced.  But our server was very attentive and friendly.

We decided to start off with guacamole since it's so good at the West Village Mercadito.  Unfortunately, this one was so salty we actually had to ask them to take it back and replace it with another batch.  

Then DJ got the pork tacos, which were just as good as the ones at the other Mercadito.  Whew!

Deep raved about his steak's perfection, so that was clearly a winner.

Mel's chilaquiles were reminiscent of Le Blanc in Mexico!  And she loved that black beans were layered in for protein - especially since she opted not to get it with egg.

And Jaz really enjoyed her enchilada (not pictured), though she thought it could have used a bit more kick in the spice department.

Overall, the food at both Mercaditos gets top marks, but the East Village location could definitely use a facelift.  Next time we're craving their tacos, we'll probably head west.

Alex in NYC! - Ootoya

YAYAYAY!  Alex was back in NY for a weekend, and we all couldn't wait to see him!

Right after he landed, we whisked him away to dinner at Ootoya in Midtown.  Dave and Elim had been there before and absolutely raved about the traditional Japanese cuisine (way beyond just sushi).  Since they were better versed in the menu than the rest of us, we followed their suggestions for an ultimate yummy experience.

We started out with a couple of appetizers for the table: tofu salad (the fried bonita flakes on top tasted like bacon!)...

and Maguro Tartar and Mini Soba (blue fin tuna tartar with handmade soba noodles and soy sauce gelee).

 

Then came entrees of epic proportions!

Dave and Alex went for the Gyu Shiokoji (washu beef)...

Elim and Kathy went for the Salmon Saikyo...

DJ tried the Tonkatsu (fried pork, breaded in panko)...

and Mel opted for the Hokke Yuan (mackerel).

All of our proteins were prepared perfectly, and we really loved trying all the unique flavors of the side dishes.

Alex is only in town once in a blue moon, so we felt dessert was in order.  :)  Sadly, they were out of the cheesecake folks wanted to try, but the crepe with ice cream was tasty...

 

and the Earl Grey ice cream (often bland) was surprisingly rich in flavor!

The next day was also filled with family activity.  While a few of us went to check out Amie's art show, Alex, DJ, and Toto had a "Boys' Day Out" with a trip to the Guggenheim and Toloache for some yummy cocktails (though no grasshopper tacos!).  

Then we all met up at our apartment so that Amber could bring Ava and Luc by to see Uncle Alex.  Fun cousin reunion time!

So glad the East Coast could see Big Al for at least a couple of days.  Any chance all the fun we had will convince him to move back with Shannon?  Only time will tell.... (fingers crossed!).  

Love you, Alex!

NYC Marathon and Shake Shack

Though neither of us are runners, we can appreciate the fun and excitement of the NYC Marathon each year.  We're lucky enough to have a full view of the path on 1st Avenue from our window, so we had a fun morning of watching athletes go by.  It was interesting to see how for a while it was very quiet, then the elite in the lead went by (women first, followed by men),

and then masses of people with a roar of cheers.  It's hard not to be moved by the spirit of triumph inspired by such a difficult run.

Watching all that running made us hungry (har har), so we met up with Jaz, Baby Jaz, Brandon, and Carole for some super healthy (har har) burgers and fries at Shake Shack.

Shake Shack has what one might call a cult following, with every branch always teeming with lines of people eager for a junk food fix.  They supposedly have the best burgers and fries of any chain.  We thought the food was tasty, but none of us could really understand what all the hype is about.

 

 (We were so underwhelmed, we forgot to take a picture.  This one is from their website.)

Certainly they're a step above places like McDonald's and Burger King, but beyond that - we're not racing to go back like their reputation would suggest.