Alta – West Village

17 Apr
Shortribs - Alta

Shortribs - Alta

Tapas/small plate restaurants have become extremely popular in NYC over the past few years.  Some of the top chefs in the city have embraced the tapas phenomenon and small plate staples like Casa Mono, Stanton Social and Beauty & Essex have enjoyed major success.  Last weekend, I decided to try out Alta, a tapas style restaurant in the west village with a HUGE menu of creative small plates.  I definitely recommend going to Alta with a group, as you will probably want to order every item on their delicious menu (which includes about 65 dishes priced from $5-$18 each).  In fact, they offer a special option for large groups called “the whole shebang” that includes one of every item on the menu (runs about $480).  Some of our favorites were the braised short rib served with beet-brbaresco taglierini, fresh grated and horseradish (pictured above), the fried goat cheese with lavender infused honey, and the house-made pizza with porcini cream, fontina, crimini mushrooms, fried garlic, and aleppo (whatever the hell that is).  Also make sure to try the skirt steak topped with chimichurri and parmesean potato puree (my favorite dish on the menu).  Click through to see some more pictures after the jump…

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Beer of the Day: Brooklyn Sorachi Ace – Brooklyn Brewery

16 Apr
Brooklyn Brewery - Sorachi Ace

Brooklyn Brewery - Sorachi Ace

Rating: 7/10

Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery

Beer: Brooklyn Sorachi Ace (ABV 7.60%)

Style: Classic Saison

Description: A hoppy, unfiltered, golden farmhouse ale made with rare Sorachi Ace hops grown by a single farm in Oregon

Taste: Bright, spicy lemongrass/lemon zest aroma backed by a crisp, clean, bitter malt finish

Pairings: Fried and fresh seafood, summer grilling, sunshine

Where you can find it on tap: Good Beer NYC (E. 9th Street btw 1st and A)

CraftBar (Brunch): Shrimp & Grits

16 Apr
Craftbar Shrimp & Grits

Craftbar Shrimp & Grits

New Orleans is without a doubt one of the greatest food destinations in the country.  The blend of french, cajun, creole and southern ingredients create some of the most unique flavor combinations you can find.  NYC has a few NOLA style gems (check out the Po Boy at The Great Jones Cafe and the Jambalaya at The Delta Grill), but there are very few places in the city that stack up to the real thing.  The shrimp & grits (above) on Craftbar’s brunch menu is an exception.  Celebrity Chef Tom Colicchio offers his interpretation of the New Orleans classic that starts with a base of light, cheesy grits and is topped with cajun spiced shrimp, spicy chorizo, grilled shishito peppers and a soft, runny poached egg.  For brunch, I also recommend the pecorino risotto balls, the Craftbar burger, and the brioche pain perdu (click through to see pics after the jump).  Craftbar is definitely worth a try next time you are looking for unique sunday brunch with some spicy cajun flavors.

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Dinner Tonight: Crab Stuffed Filet of Sole and Lemon Herb Tilapia with Parmesan Mushrooms and Lemon Cous Cous

19 Mar

Pesto Linguine with Veal Meatballs

8 Feb

Here is a great recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, FoodSnaps.   I made this for dinner the other night and it tasted as unbelievable as it looks.  Here is what you’ll need:

Ingredients (serves 2)

  • 1 box of linguine
  • 1 large bunch of basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 or 3 garlic cloves
  • 5 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 5 tbsp freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
  • salt to taste

For the meatballs

  • 1 pound of ground veal
  • 1/2 cup of soft bread crumbs
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1tbs olive oil
Follow the link for the full recipe…PESTO LINGUINE WITH VEAL MEATBALLS

Tremont – West Village

31 Jan

A friend and I recently met at the spotted pig to feast on what I’ve long considered the best burger in NYC.  Unfortunately, we were greeted with the usual two hour wait for a table.  We decided to forgo the miserable experience of waiting amongst the west village hipster douchebags at the bar and set out to find another restaurant nearby.  We were lucky enough to stumble upon Tremont – a small, dimly lit restaurant on the corner of bank st and west 4th.  The food was incredible and they have a great beer/wine selection (try the Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale).  I started with the polenta croutons, which are lightly fried cubes of rich polenta topped with sauteed mushrooms, parmesan cheese and herbs.  For my entree, I had the braised lamb shank (pictured above), which is served on a layer of cous cous and topped with sauteed peppers and harissa (a delicious Mediterranean spicy chile sauce).  Next time you are waiting for a table at an overcrowded west village restaurant, give Tremont a try.

 

Dinner Tonight: Panko Crusted Cod with Parmesan Portobello Mushrooms and Rice

5 Jan

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