>What an absolute honor to be invited to an industry-only tasting event at the finest chocolate shop in New York. I was warmly greeted by Haley-the-hostess who presented me with my press kit detailing the delectable chocolates I was about to enjoy. I was led into the back room to find a dozen other food writers schmoozing around small tables of the sweets I was about to indulge in. I found Horacio, the gentleman who invited me and profusely thanked him for allowing me in on such an exclusive event. I honesty felt privileged to be there and was treated like a V.I.P the whole time.
I was then given an extensive tour of the desserts on each table, and had plenty of one-on-one time to learn about the specifics and ask my many questions. I took my photographs during this tour so that I’d be able to taste everything afterwards without the distraction of my camera.
I started with the Salvador Raspberry Mousse Cake. As beautiful to the eyes and it was in my mouth. The slight crunch of the raspberries in the filling contrasted wonderfully with the smooth, creamy mousse. The ganache on top glistened and melted in my mouth. The overall flavor was incredibly rich, but somehow light and airy as well. A perfect first course.
Next, I moved on to try the BEST macaron I’ve ever had in my life. Not to be confused with coconut macaroons, macarons are a French pastry, more like a crisp meringue cookie made of egg whites and almonds and filled with various delicious creams. This one was the Macaron Sylvia: made of a shell with cocoa, and filled with luscious milk chocolate ganache, notes of biscuits and honey.  The flavor and texture was unbelievable and it turned out to be my favorite treat of the day.
Ready to move from the pastries on to the ‘hard stuff’, I sipped on a glass of cold water to cleanse my taste buds before the next adventure. The collection of chocolate is the new summer offering from Maison, and they are each little pieces of art with tastes as exquisite as their designs. The first was Etzia, a creamy milk chocolate ganache with a hint of 2 honeys, one which was floral and the other which was from chestnuts. What a unique flavor this combination was, I thought about having a second piece, but alas there was still so much more to save room for. I moved on to the Txokolate Iluna (what a lovely name) which was a dark chocolate with a hint of smokiness. Next was the praline macaron which was smooth with almonds and the slightly crisp bits of macaron inside. I loved the texture of this one, and thought it was quite different than the smoothness of the others. My favorite piece was the Almond paste with Patxaran. A mouthwatering dark chocolate with almond paste inside. Totally and completely delicious. This is the one that I will most likely return for, a crave-able flavor for sure. Last was the Espeletako Piperra, a dark chocolate with two different kinds of pepper. I found the pepper to be extremely subtle, and had to wait for it in the aftertaste as it was not immediately noticeable. The chili pepper pattern on top was a delightful touch.
I thought it was really charming that the next step, as my host explained, was the palette cleanser: a quintet of ice creams and sorbets to finish the day. They were presented in icy shot glasses, each with their own little perfectly fitting lid. Having been in to try the fantastic chocolate sorbet on a prior occasion, I decided to start with the caramel ice cream. Creamy, smooth, rich and complex, this flavor is perfect on it’s own- no need to follow the trend of adding salt like so many restaurants are hip on doing these days. The pistachio was outstanding and I must add it to my list of favorite foods. No fake, chemically green color here, oh no. This pistachio ice cream has way too much class and integrity for shenanigans like that. Both the strawberry and raspberry sorbets are light, refreshing, and truly did work as a perfect end to a delightfully rich afternoon. It’s very hard to find anything less than perfect about this ‘meal’ although I did find the fruit sorbets slightly too sweet for my own preferences. Then again, maybe that was just because I was in complete state of sugar overload at that point and anything aside from water might have been one step too far.
As I said my goodbyes, I was handed a gift bag and was thrilled to find a couple of truffles and two more the best macarons ever inside. Oh, I am a lucky girl indeed.
 All in all, La Maison is a true treasure and I am incredibly flattered that my blog allowed me to take part in this event. My hobby has come full circle at this point, turning something that I started just for fun into a truly valuable passion. I think the famous saying can now be changed to “Do what you love and the chocolate will follow.”  To me, chocolate of this caliber is worth far more than it’s weight in gold.

>Bocca East opened about 3 weeks ago in my neighborhood, finally replacing a restaurant that closed after a fire last year. On a block with a few other excellent Italian places, I was surprised that every time I walked past it’s been totally packed. Huge windows allowed a peak into the restaurant, which is rustic, cozy, warm and welcoming with brick walls, tons of displayed wine bottles, fire places and artsy chandeliers. The bar goes the entire length of the restaurant and looks very conducive to eating and drinking alone. Towards the back, the windows continue and you can look in on the kitchen which I really like…Nothing to hide.
A friend and I met for dinner tonight. We made reservations for 7:30 and were seated immediately. Water and bread were brought out right away as we browsed the menu- which was very similar to Uva, one of my local favorites just a few doors over. The wine list is extensive, 3 times the size of the food menu, so I decided to have a taste size glass of Pinot Grigio. I LOVE when restaurants offer this petite size, perfect for someone like me that has a low tolerance but loves the taste.
The bread was fresh and had a great consistency, but I felt the olive oil for dipping was not the best quality. I ordered the artichokes starter which came with a delicious basil aioli dipping sauce and I was very impressed with it. The artichokes were quartered and pan fried. They were not coated in any kind of breading or batter so you could really just taste the vegetable without grease or crust in the way. Fantastic appetizer for an artichoke lover like myself. For my entree I had the Rigatoni with eggplant and ricotta and I absolutely loved it. The pasta was obviously homemade and cooked perfectly al dente. The light tomato sauce and eggplant were hearty without being heavy, and the cubes of ricotta added a rich, creamy touch. I had ordered a half size portion (another size option that I love) and cleaned my plate. The only negative here was the service. Our waitress was clearly rushed in telling us the specials and did not check in us much at all. They have a staff of busboys who pretty much take over after orders are placed and we literally sat and chatted for half an hour after we were offered dessert and declined. When we finally saw our waitress, who had pretty much vanished, we asked for the check. Now, don’t get me wrong. I  DO like to be able to chat without feeling like we are being rushed out the door, but I also feel that in periodic check-ins are the wait staff’s responsibility and that was clearly not part of her repertoire. I think they are a bit understaffed since they are so new, and they will probably work out these kinks as they go forward.

 Overall this is very comparable to it’s neighbor Uva, with a similar vibe and similar menu, but here they take reservations, a total plus. Being that it’s a 2 block walk from my house, I’m quite sure I’ll be returning. Glad to welcome it to the neighborhood!

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 Yay! I finally had an opportunity to try Red Bamboo tonight, a restaurant I have heard good things about for years but for some reason never went to until now. The menu is a lot more extensive than I expected. For some reason I thought it was all asian-based, but it’s not at all. Although there are plenty of asian options, there are also plenty of other choices including Italian influences, southern, indian etc. and it’s all vegan.

We started with the crab rangoon and though it didn’t really taste like crab, it sure was tasty with a zippy dipping sauce. Not cream cheesy like the ‘classic’ rangoon, but so enjoyable. For my entree I had the mango chicken, which my photo really doesn’t do justice for. It was really quite pretty, presented in the hollowed out mango shell and served with peppers, onions and strips of mango in a sweet sauce. The soy chicken was a shockingly close replica to ‘real’ chicken and I could totally consider going back to vegetarianism (I was veg for 12 years in my younger days) if I could make it taste like that at home. I had a taste of my date’s oxtail stew, and while we agreed that it really didn’t taste anything like oxtail, and it’s consistency was something from another planet, it too was interesting, complex, totally unique and hearty. The best part of our meal was the oreo cheesecake. As dense, rich, creamy and amazing as a ‘real’ cheesecake would be, but with zero dairy. Our waitress assured us that it was indeed dairy-free but also that it really wasn’t any less indulgent health-wise than the real thing. In this case, it was worth every forkful but even between the 2 of us we were unable to finish it despite it’s deliciousness. I would absolutely recommend Red Bamboo to vegans, meat eaters and everything in between. They have a real talent for the non-animal, and I think you should let them impress you too!

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 I met a friend here for brunch today and was greeted by the hostess who actually recognized my voice from when I called to make the reservation last night. VERY impressive! It’s that kind of attention to detail that I really love and take notice of.
We were seated immediately in a partially indoor/partially outdoor spot. Ice water, bread and butter were served, and I thought I tasted a faint orange flavor to the butter, nice touch! (or maybe the butter is just stored near the orange juice in the fridge and takes on it’s flavor. Either way, I liked it)
I ordered the eggs benedict. (with the hollandaise on the side because I don’t usually like it) As you can see, it was a lovely presentation and included fresh fruit, a small salad, and a piece of sweet potato gratin. The eggs were slightly warm, but definitely not hot. The english muffin and spinach that it sat atop was sort of on the cold side, and the bread tasted stale to me. The sweet potato gratin was close to inedible. I had one bite and then rejected the rest. Slimy, cold and greasy. Definitely NOT worth the carbs this time. I ate the eggs (which were cooked very nicely even though they were cool), the salad and the fruit and picked at the spinach and half of the english muffin a little. The rest remained on my plate. For dessert, I had a taste of my friend’s ‘Berry Avalanche’ and though the berries were fresh and plentiful, and the custard rich and creamy, the filo pastry was definitely stale. Again, not worth it. The service, aside from the hostess, was lacking. Although she was friendly, she was very slow in between courses and even slower to bring the check and have the plates cleared even though we’d been finished eating for a pretty long time. When my friend asked for 1/2 and 1/2 for her coffee, our waitress told her they only had milk. At a French restaurant? What? That was totally impossible to believe knowing how many French foods require cream for their preparation. My friend decided to ask the busboy for some cream and he replied, “Would you like 1/2 and 1/2 or milk”? Ummm, okay. He brought out a small pitcher of 1/2 and 1/2 a minute later for her. Ooooookay. Anyway, though seeing my friend is ALWAYS a complete delight, I thought this restaurant was sub-par. It’s always crowded with a typical Upper East Side clientele though- just another case of diners with little discretion for food as long as it’s a hip place to be seen.

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Soft shell crabs are one of my favorite foods in the world. They have a super short season, and tons of restaurants feature them. It seems like they are always really expensive and never as good as when I make them myself, so I was really excited when I saw that Fresh Direct had them on sale for only $3.99.
My favorite way to prepare them is almondine. That way, the crunch of the almonds makes the crunch of the shell slightly less disturbing. I dredged the crab in a mixture of a little flour and some old bay seafood seasoning, heated up about a tablespoon of light oil and sauteed them for a couple of minutes per side until they turned crispy and golden brown. Next, I toasted some raw almond slivers and topped the crab with them. While it cooled off a little, I made a salad of 5 different types of lettuces, red peppers, radishes, cucumbers, pepperoncinis, carrots and tomatoes. I happen to have some lovely herbs growing in my window box right now, so I made a light dressing out of lemon juice, mustard, cilantro, mint, parsley and a little olive oil. Yum yum yum. For a SUPER fast and easy lunch that’s pretty healthy to boot, this one was a total winner. I’m hoping the crabs are still on sale next week because this one definitely warrants a repeat!

> I met a date here for dinner last night and despite a packed house, a line of people outside waiting, and being told we’d have a 25 minute wait, we were pleasantly surprised to be seated at an outdoor table in the ‘perfect’ corner spot within about 5 minutes.
I’d never had Moroccan food before, but as soon as I started perusing the menu I realized it’s really quite similar to Mediterranean or Middle Eastern, which I am very familiar with.
We started with the hummus appetizer, which was fantastic. The olive oil on top was silky and very high quality, and the texture of the hummus was just right, not too gravely, not too smooth, and extremely rich and creamy. The fresh, hot pita bread was the perfect scooper for it and we polished it off quickly.
I was feeling pretty full already and was glad that I ordered a relatively light dish compared to the heavy meats and grains that the menu consisted mostly of. I was very impressed with my delicious salmon (although it was supposed to be medium rare and was definitely closer to well-done). It had a crispy crust and sat on a bed of beets and crunchy turnips (or maybe parsnips) that added a nice textural element to the fish. The cous cous, which is normally not my favorite grain, was actually really enjoyable, especially with the flavors of the salmon’s sauce mixed in. A taste of my date’s lamb was awesome and extremely tender, and I could see why it’s one of his favorite dishes at a favorite place.
Next time I am asked if I’ve ever had Moroccan food I won’t have to say no!

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Hooray for monthly-Friday-restaurant-adventures-with-Betsy! She picked this deal up on Bloomspot- so we had $60 to spend for $30. Awesome! Glancing over the very reasonable prices, Betsy was a little concerned that we might not be able to even spend all $60, but I assured her that I could easily eat that much worth in oysters alone if need be.
My photo just does not do this lovely garden justice. Even with beautiful Betsy sitting there in vacation-mode, it just can’t capture what an unexpected city oasis this is. There is a coi pond, rock garden, and a small waterfall quietly tink-tink-tink-ing. It happened to be a gorgeous,  70 degree day that was exactly perfect for eating lunch outside.
 Our waiter, Shane, was excellent right from the start. Funny, charismatic, well-informed, polite AND cute. He made some great recommendations for us and gave us plenty of time to decide while Betsy and I caught up. (she also let me have a taste of her delicious strawberry/basil mojito which I loved- but alas refrained from ordering since I had to go work in a little bit)
 I was SO excited for oysters- one of my favorite foods, but Betsy was skeptical. She’d only tried them once before and was not a fan. As my theory goes, it sometimes takes a second try to like things and I was ecstatic that such was the case here. We ordered 6 west coasts and 6 blue points and they arrived promptly with a trio of sauces; horseradish, cocktail and a champagne vinaigrette (that was gulp-able on it’s own). They were outstanding oysters. Not too brine-y, super-fresh and the perfect size. The only thing I didn’t love was that they weren’t loosened from the shell already as some restaurants do, and they required a little manhandling.
Next we had 2 different kinds of mussels, because after all- anyone who comes to the Mussel Pot and DOESN’T get mussels, well frankly, why would you do that? I was laughing the other day as I read a review on Yelp that complained about how bad the fried chicken was. Ummm. Ya. Don’t go to a mussel restaurant for chicken, genius! Oiy. Anyway, I felt a bit like I was cheating on Flex Mussels since that’s one of my fav go-to spots, but WOW, this was worth cheating for. We had the Asian Thai mussels (red curry, lemongrass, cilantro, coconut milk, couscous) which were creamier than I would have expected, with a little spicy kick that was perfect. We also had the ‘Chef’s Best’ mussels (lobster cheese fondue, pancetta, black truffles  ) which were totally rich, indulgent, and luxurious. The two types actually went well together, which was VERY surprising. When the waiter brought us some bread for dipping, we were pretty much in heaven. (especially with the cheesy one)
I wasn’t stuffed enough to refuse dessert and since Betsy doesn’t have a sweet tooth like I do, she let me pick. I asked Shane about the Nutella Flan and he raved so much about it that I knew I’d made a good choice. I am not a big flan person, but this sounded interesting with chocolate ganache, caramel, roasted almonds and berries and I was SO SO SO glad I ordered it. A deep, rich chocolate/hazelnut flavor that somehow tasted dense and light at the same time. I had no problem cleaning the plate- even with Betsy’s singular teaspoonful.
I would strongly recommend a visit to the Mussel Pot if you love mussels and/or oysters and/or dessert. Try to get a spot in the garden and you will feel like you’ve escaped from the hustle and bustle for an hour. Oh, and don’t have to go to work afterwards so that you too can enjoy a beautiful cocktail!