Tag Archives: casual

Jan13

Saigon Market: 91 University Place. NY NY

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I’ve walked past Saigon Market a bunch of times and never realized how enormous it is inside. My friend and I were seated right away and given menus and water. Even though the space is cavernous, it has a strangely cozy, warm feel to it anyway. It must be the lighting- which I really liked. The fixtures look sort of like little, golden, hot air balloons. Very cute.

The menu had a lot of great options with just about all of the lunch deals under $10. I scanned the menu and chose the basil chicken with brown rice.  My friend ordered dumplings and vegetarian spring rolls for herself. I had one of her spring rolls and thought it was pretty good, though kind of boring. I did really like the light, peanut-y sauce she ordered instead of the plum sauce that usually comes with it. My entree was great. Nice, large slices of white meat chicken, an assortment of veggies, and tons of basil. The portion size was perfect for me, as I didn’t really want to be taking leftovers with me since I wasn’t going straight home.

Overall, I think this is a convenient and thrifty place to meet someone for lunch and if I’m in the area I might go back. I’d like to try the Pho next time I’m there. Someone next to me was slurping down on some and It looked and smelled delicious. I’m slightly hesitant about ordering Pho from anywhere since my standards are crazy high and nothing really compares to: http://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-501-east-hartford#hrid:cT65iBDIPa7vY2LEC7gAEA/src:self

Hmmm. Great. Now I want to rent a car to drive up to East Hartford for a bowl.

Jan9

Rocco’s Italian Sausages & Philly Cheese Steaks: 5010 Northern Blvd (in front of Home Depot) Long Island City, NY

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This is a perfect example of why I run. I had started the day off on the right track. I had my typical breakfast which consists of a banana with a little peanut butter and a coffee with skim milk and honey. Lunch was Chobani greek yogurt, topped with blueberries, strawberries and Vanilla Almond Special K cereal. So far, so good.

Gabriel and I had to stop by his place in Queens that afternoon, and then had some errands to run at the Home Depot near there. When we finished up and we heading out, we noticed a tiny, little building attached to Home Depot that smelled marvelous. Rocco’s. He had noticed it a million times but never tried it. I, however, was very intrigued and had to look it up.  A quick Iphone search on Yelp made it clear that this 4 star Philly cheesesteak and sausage place couldn’t rightfully be skipped over.

We went in and scanned the menu.

It was aaaammmmmmaaaazing. Worth every ridiculous carb, calorie and fat gram. Hot and melty, the cheese was the perfect creamy compliment to the thin slices of steak and veggies. The hot sauce was a little too close to eating fire for my taste, but Gabriel slathered it on his half. This sandwich is no joke and it kind of makes me wish I had to go to that Home Depot more frequently. My waistline, however, thinks once in a very blue moon is plenty.On the recommendation of the very full-of-pride people working there, we ordered a large classic cheesesteak with onions, peppers and a side of hot sauce for us to share. This sandwich and a bottle of water cost about $11, so not dirt cheap. As we were about to find out, it turned out to be ohhhhh so worth it.

So, yes. I will be running extra miles this week to make up for it. I will also be loving every minute of it with the delicious memory still lingering. Check this place out and then thank me 🙂

Aug2

City Crab & Seafood Company: 235 Park Ave S. New York, NY

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After a walk on the Highline, (if you haven’t done that yet, I strongly recommend checking it out.) Gabriel and I decided that we were hungry for some seafood. We’d been meaning to go to City Crab for a while as it’s one of his favorites, and tonight was a great opportunity to wander over there for a late night dinner. We arrived around 9:30 on a Monday night and it was pretty close to empty with just a few other tables of patrons. We were seated at a booth towards the back, and fresh bread/butter and water was brought out right away.

After looking over the menu, we chose 3 appetizers to share so that we could get a little sampling of what they had to offer. The steamers were in a light garlic-y broth, fresh, hot and quite delicious. The buffalo shrimp were huge, spicy, with a side of tangy blue cheese dressing and a few carrot sticks and celery stalks. Although buffalo isn’t my favorite flavor, these were actually pretty tasty. The sloppiness of eating them however, made me leave the tails on the plate rather than trying to excavate through the mess to get to the remaining meat in there, but Gabriel was more than happy to finish mine. The iceberg wedge was covered in awesome bits of crumbly blue cheese, perfectly juicy and ripe tomatoes and crisp pieces of smoky bacon. With a side of a creamy balsamic vinegar dressing, this was a perfect summer salad, albeit a bit unoriginal, and I really enjoyed it.

For dessert, even though we were really perfectly full and didn’t really *need* anything else, we opted to split the Oreo ice cream cake and I was glad we did. I didn’t love the strawberry sauce drizzled over it, but the cake itself was that great, slightly-soggy consistency that Oreos get when dunked in milk. Yum! The ice cream was creamy and refreshing, and the crumbles on top were crunchy and chocolate-y. This was a great ending to a really nice meal.

Although it wasn’t the best seafood I’ve had in the city, I really loved the super casual atmosphere, low-key vibe and fast service. The prices seemed kind of high to me, but the whole menu was appealing and for that reason I will most likely go back.

 

 *photos courtesy of Gabriel Sanders. http://www.magicsandbox.com/enter/Magic_Sandbox.html
Jun27

Candle Cafe: 1307 3rd ave. New York, NY

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I avoided trying Candle Cafe for a long time because it’s the sister of Candle 79, a restaurant that I am, errr, less than fond of..see my review of it here: https://bigforkinmouth.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/candle-79-154-e-79th-st-new-york-ny/     It was my dear friend’s birthday though, someone I love to try healthy places with, and I’m always hearing from people I trust who adore Candle Cafe. I thought this provided the perfect occasion to give them a fair shot.

I’m SO glad that I didn’t write this one off! We were seated right away by the hostess and started looking, with wide eyes, over a menu that had WAY too many appealing choices on it. (this is a good thing) Everything sounded great, from the specials to the salads, sandwiches, entrees and smoothies…and I hadn’t even seen the dessert menu yet.

I settled on the special wrap of the day: An artichoke heart and arugula wrap with grilled lemon basil tofu, tapioca cheese, basil aioli wrapped in a spinach tortilla with a side salad and roasted tomato salsa. It was really SOOOOO good. YUM. The tofu was crisp on the outside and soft and creamy inside, the ‘diet’ cheese was flavorful and actually pretty interesting, the veggies were fresh and had nice texture to them and the basil aioli was sweet, spicy and delicious. The only complaint I had about this dish was that the side salad contained quite a few pieces of brown lettuce. Now, I understand that organic produce doesn’t always look as perfect as non-organic, but brown leaves are kind of pushing it as far as I’m concerned.

For dessert we shared (admittedly, I ate 80% of it) the chocolate mousse pie with a chocolate cookie crust. It was out-of-this-world. Kind of like a cheesecake, but somehow a bit lighter than that. It had a rich, dark chocolate flavor and a smooth consistency. No one is missing dairy here for sure!

The bill here was more-than reasonable and I really liked the casual, earth/animal-friendly atmosphere. The wait staff was super polite and attentive and the vibe was much more chill than it’s sister. I’ll leave Candle 79 for the wealthy UESers who can afford a $25 ounce of avocado. I will definitely be back!

May8

>Frankie’s 17: 17 Clinton St. New York, NY

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 It’s true. I rarely venture downtown much anymore unless I’m meeting someone or I have a gig. Well, luckily for me today the friend I was meeting suggested this great lower east side brunch spot. I read up online a bit, and it was clear that I may as well get my long run in early to offset the amount of carbs I was about to consume. The french toast was reviewed glowingly by so many people that I was sure it’s what I’d be ordering.
We were seated immediately and ordered lattes that turned out to be really excellent and beautiful. We shared the beets and avocado appetizer which was quite tasty, but not terribly exciting.  The French toast, on the other hand, was definitely noteworthy. Wow. Dare I say the BEST French toast I’ve ever had? Why yes, I do dare. Freshly made with bread from Grandaisy bakery did not leave anything else to be desired. Perfectly crisp on the outside and decadently eggy and sweet on the inside. A light maple syrup and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar finished it beautifully, as did the few pieces of fruit who’s purpose was clearly to ease the indulgent guilt of eating sugary bread for a meal. I was completely stuffed to the brim after only one piece and am rather excited to have the other half for a midnight snack tonight or for breakfast tomorrow.
I surprised even myself by being too full to order my own dessert, but of course I DID manage to find enough room to taste my friend’s red-wine prunes and marscapone, a dessert that really wouldn’t have appealed to me at all (what with the absence of chocolate), but was surprisingly good. The creamy marscapone was so buttery and rich that the wine-soaked prunes actually cut it with their rich, juicy, sweet flavor. Overall, Frankie’s 17 was definitely worth the bus ride down and I would strongly recommend it if you are in the area.

 

May6

>E.A.T. 1064 Madison Ave. New York NY

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 My mom and I were walking in the area so we went in to have lunch. She had an omelet that came with a small fields greens salad. I had a shrimp salad with field greens. We both had a lemonade. My mom had a cup of coffee. Not a latte, not a cappuccino, a simple cup of coffee that was FIVE BUCKS. Ridic. With tip, our grand total was $70. Ummm what you ask? Did I read that right? Yes you did. I said SEVENTY DOLLARS! I find that completely and totally appalling. We could have gone for a prix fix lunch at a fancy restaurant for the same cost. Seriously E.A.T? You are basically a casual diner-type place in a semi-fancy area so you think you are justified for this kind of pricing? REALLY? Wow. I guess a lot of the folks who live in the area don’t even bother looking at the check before they pay it, which is the only
                          explanation I have for the fact that this place is always busy. As far as I’m concerned, I will never go in again.
Don’t get me wrong, the food was tasty. The service was attentive and fast. But the price? Ohhhhh the price. Unforgivable. It’s places like this that give Upper East Siders like me a bad name and I do not appreciate it. Boooo E.A.T. Boooooo. You get one star. I kind of wish the food wasn’t good so I could give you zero.

Apr30

>V-note: 1522 First Ave, New York, NY

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When V-note first opened in my neighborhood and I found out that it was the same owners as Blossom Cafe on the
UWS, I wasn’t really all that interested in trying it. (See my review of Cafe Blossom Here: http://careysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2010/04/cafe-blossom-466-columbus-ave-new-york.html)
When I saw a Groupon for $30 worth of food for $15, I decided that maybe it was worth a try after all. The decor was totally appealing with sexy black lacquer walls, white leather banquettes and modern throw pillows. I pass by frequently and often see good crowds dining there late in the evening.
My friend and I headed over for a late lunch today and were 1 of 2 full tables which ended up meaning really attentive service. Our waiter was friendly and made some great recommendations for us. Even though I didn’t adore the burger at Blossom, I decided to give it another try here since it’s still the most popular dish. Well, I am so glad that I have my ‘try everything twice rule’ because this time, I was completely blown away. The soy cheese was crispy on the outside, but gooey and melty inside. The soy burger and soy bacon were both hearty, earthy, and really delicious. The bacon had a shockingly ‘real’ crispness to it and could hardly tell the difference. How do they do that? The caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and chipotle aioli topped it off beautifully and even though I was stuffed after half, I managed to find room for another few bites. My friend got the sweet potato fries and I got the side salad and both were perfect accompaniments to the burger.
For dessert I just had to try the chocolate ganache cake with peanut butter. It was ridiculous. (Ridiculously good) I couldn’t believe that something dairy free could be this rich. If I could afford to eat out everyday, I think I could really do the vegan thing after all. I’m so glad I gave this place a try and I will definitely be back with my veggie friends!

Apr28

>and on a totally different topic…

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>My CD of original music called Blurt is officially released and available for sale on Cdbaby.com today! It will be up on Itunes and other digital download sites in a couple of days.
Buy it here!
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/careyyaruss2
Thanks for your support.
The more I sell, the more great restaurants I can afford to blog about!
What a win win situation.
😉

Apr25

>Chez Carey! Variations on Mom’s Pasta and veggie dish.

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My mom used to make something like this for me when I was a kid and It’s still one of my favorite go-to dinners. Loaded with veggies, it’s a great way to get a ton of nutrients in one meal. It’s grown up slightly, with whole wheat penne and chopped peperoncini, but for the most part it’s still a comfort food for me. This version is super healthy; using cooking spray instead of oil, way more veggies than pasta and just a finishing sprinkle of Parmesan. You can feel free to vary the veggies, but this is my favorite combo.
Prep all of your ingredients first. Cook the pasta while you do the following.
Spray a pan with cooking spray and saute some minced fresh garlic and shallots. Add mushrooms, carrots, brussels sprouts and yellow squash and continue sauteing, add in shredded radicchio and toss a couple of times. Stir in chopped sun-dried tomatos and chopped peperoncinis. Add 1/4 cup of white wine and half a cup of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally as the liquid evaporates. When the brussels sprouts are tender, add the drained pasta and toss. Top with shredded Parmesan and enjoy!

Apr23

>Chez Carey! Mussels in light sauce. MmMMMmmmm

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>Fresh Direct was having a great sale on fresh mussels so I ordered some to make for dinner tonight. They came out perfectly. Light but very flavorful, super easy and fast to cook.  Here’s the concept:
Scrub a lb of mussels and throw away any opened ones that don’t close when you tap them. Heat up a little olive oil in a big cast iron skillet. Add some whole cloves of garlic (I used 6 cloves). Add some chopped grape tomatoes. Add some fresh or dried oregano. Saute that for a few minutes and then deglaze with a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Add about a cup of chicken broth and a half cup of white wine. Bring it to a boil, back down to a simmer and then cover with a lid for 5 minutes or
until the mussels are all opened.
I happened to have some sweet potato fries that I made a while ago in my freezer so I had those on the side with a lovely salad. It was pretty much a PERFECT dinner, and thanks to the sale at Fresh Direct, the whole thing cost me about $3.