May « 2009 « Two Fat Bellies

Archive for May, 2009

Matsugen

Sunday, May 31st, 2009 by virginia

DSCN8354

Almost every Sunday night, Josh’s parents come into the city to have dinner with us. It’s a nice time for everyone to get together and catch up on the going-ons of the week. We have our standby favorites that we frequent, and we also like to try new restaurants for some variety. We all love to eat Japanese food, and Josh’s parents had heard about a great deal that Matsugen was running, a $35 multi-course prix fixe dinner. They tried it out a few weeks earlier and liked it so much that we made them go back with us so we could try it as well.

The menu has a hot/cold theme, with each course consisting of a hot dish and a cold dish. The only course where you need to choose between the hot and the cold dish is the third course, your main entree. For $35, it’s really a lot of food but everything is pretty light and refreshing so you don’t feel so weighed down afterward.

We ordered a few appetizers off the prix fixe to start. The edamame was served warm with a nice sprinkling of salt.

Edamame

The crispy shrimp were were perfectly fried and served hot and crunchy.

Crispy Shrimp

The chicken meatballs, however, were a bit too dense and bland. The accompanying hot mustard didn’t help much.

Chicken meatballs

The miso glazed cod was absolutely delicious, with a sweet, sticky exterior and delicately tender, flaky white flesh inside. This was my favorite dish of the night.

Miso glazed cod

Next came the first course of the prix fixe menu, field greens with lobster (cold dish) and miso soup with fried tofu (hot dish). They serve both dishes at the same time, so it’s kind of hard to decide which one to start with. I chose the miso soup first, since I didn’t want it to get cold. It was unlike any miso soup I’ve tasted before, and had a very smoky aroma and flavor. The soup itself was very pleasant, but the fried tofu was a bit of a throwaway in the dish, as it was too soggy, tough and a bit oily tasting.

Miso soup with fried tofu

The field greens salad was terrific, topped with huge chunks of tender lobster and lightly dressed with a yuzu vinaigrette. The amount of lobster was really surprising, and it was nice to see a restaurant not cheap out on an inexpensive prix fixe menu.

Field greens with lobster

The second course was a hot dish of shrimp and vegetable tempura and a cold dish of sashimi. Again, it was hard to decide which to eat first, as I didn’t want the tempura to get cold and soggy, but I also didn’t want the sashimi to warm up while I was eating the other dish. Luckily the beautifully presented sashimi is served on a bed of ice, which helps keep it cool. The tempura was delicately battered and fried to a perfect crisp. The coating was light and flaky, without a trace of grease, and though the portion was huge, I didn’t feel heavy or gross afterward as I usually do after eating fried foods.

Shrimp and vegetable tempura

The salmon and yellowtail sashimi were really fresh and melted in your mouth, but sadly, the tuna and red snapper were a bit tough and stringy.

Sashimi

For the main course, we had a choice between cold seiro soba noodles or hot chicken and scallion soba. Josh went with the cold dish and I chose the hot, so that we could try both. The cold soba noodles came with a sesame dipping sauce that had a nice nutty flavor, but needed a pinch of salt from the bowl on the table as it lacked enough seasoning. It was very refreshing though, and had little ribbons of shiso leaf mixed in to brighten up the flavors.

Cold seiro soba noodles

The hot chicken and scallion soba came in soup similar to the miso soup from the first course. It was also very smoky, but I found the dish to be very comforting. The only disappointment was the dry pieces of chicken, which I ate around, concentrating instead on the nicely chewy soba noodles.

Hot chicken and scallion soba

There was only one choice for dessert, a vanilla caramel pudding that was a bit shockingly bitter if you ate the caramel on top by itself. Once everything was mixed together, however, the bitter caramel tempered the sweet vanilla pudding, and I scooped out every last bit of it from the bowl.

Vanilla caramel pudding

Overall the meal was really nice, and for the price, it’s a terrific deal. Like I said with the lobster, they really don’t skimp on portions or ingredients. You get a lot of food, and except for a few pieces of not so fresh sashimi, most of it is quite delicious. Everything was well prepared and served appropriately hot or cold, in line with the menu theme. The service is attentive, and no one made us feel bad about ordering from the cheaper menu. I would absolutely come back here again, and I’m hoping next time to try the sea urchin with yuzu jelly, a dish that I’ve read about a lot. Who doesn’t love uni?

Matsugen
241 Church St. at the corner of Leonard St.
New York, NY

Tags: Japanese, Sashimi, Soba, Tribeca
Posted in Restaurants | Comments Off on Matsugen

Napa Valley Grille

Saturday, May 30th, 2009 by virginia

DSCN8335

I needed to get a few things to round out my summertime wardrobe so I recruited Josh’s mom, who has terrific taste, and coerced Josh into coming along as we braved the crowds at Garden State Plaza. Usually we avoid this mall at all costs, as the mobs of people, traffic and parking are always horrendous, but since we had a few additional errands to run, it made sense to get them done all at the same place. And since shopping at Garden State Plaza takes such effort, we stopped for lunch first at the Napa Valley Grille.

Compared to the rest of the mall, which was already packed with patrons, the Napa Valley Grille was an oasis of calm. It was a bit early for lunch so there were very few people in the restaurant aside from us. The restaurant is a bit pricier and more upscale than most of the other mall offerings, but the food is always fresh and well prepared, and they have really good “combination plates” during lunch that range from approximately $13-$16 each. Each plate comes with three items arranged together on a long platter. Josh and I shared the “Oak Knoll”, which came with Portobello mushroom soup, steak fries, and two beef sliders with cheddar and tomato, and the “Atlas Peak”, which also came with mushroom soup, a mixed salad, and a grilled cheese and prosciutto sandwich.

After we ordered, they brought by a plate of soft and fluffy focaccia bread and some delicious herb infused olive oil. We happily noshed on these for a short while as we waited for our combination plates.

Soft and fluffy focaccia bread

We all tasted the Portobello mushroom soup first, which was smooth, creamy, and earthy. It wasn’t too heavy or rich and the portion size was just perfect. The mixed salads were refreshing and lightly dressed with a tasty balsamic vinaigrette. The sliders were tasty, but the bread, which looked like a buttery brioche, was actually more of a dense potato bread and was a bit too heavy for a slider. The accompanying steak fries were a disappointment, as they were made from real potatoes but were limp and mealy.

"Oak Knoll"

The grilled cheese and prosciutto sandwich was served on thick cut slices of bread and grilled to a buttery perfection but there isn’t enough filling, just a thin layer of cheese and prosciutto; I was hoping for a sandwich that was oozing with cheese. It was still pretty tasty though, and my favorite “entrée” of the bunch.

"Atlas Peak"

Josh’s mom ordered the “Yountville”, which had the soup, salad, and a piece of grilled salmon.

"Yountville"

Overall the Napa Valley Grille isn’t a place that we go to often, given its location at the mall and its pricier lunch offerings. It’s a nice treat once in a while though, and I really do like the combination plates they offer. The portions of each component are smaller tasting portions, but it’s nice to be able to try lots of different things. I usually have a hard time deciding what I want and this is the perfect solution.

Napa Valley Grille (multiple locations)
Garden State Plaza, Routes 4 and 17
Paramus, NJ

Tags: Grilled Cheese, NJ, Paramus, Sliders
Posted in Restaurants | Comments Off on Napa Valley Grille

Solaia

Friday, May 29th, 2009 by virginia

DSCN8323

We were in NJ for the night and ended up having dinner at Solaia, an Italian restaurant in Englewood. Located right next to John Harms Theater, it would be a good spot for a pre- or post-show dinner, or if you feel like having a nice evening out, but clearly the current economic environment has taken a toll on the restaurant. During prime time on a Friday night, it was almost empty, and after our meal, it was easy to see why.

Appetizers and salads range from $12-$16. I started with a tropical salad, which was comprised of Boston lettuce, hearts of palm, avocado, mozzarella, onion and tomato. The ingredients seemed pretty fresh but surprisingly, there wasn’t a lot of flavor to the salad. A sprinkling of salt and pepper helped, but I just felt like it was lacking something, and it definitely needed more acid to brighten it up a bit.

Pretty but bland tropical salad

Josh had a Caesar salad, which came with a nice big piece of parmesan on top, but the dressing was also a bit bland. Portions weren’t huge, so there was nothing to justify the price.

Also bland caesar salad

Entrees fared a bit better, though there was a bit of a snafu when my order of pappardelle with lamb ragu was mistaken as an order for the pappardelle with lobster and seafood, a special that night. An understandable mix-up, I guess, since I’m a low talker (though Josh, who constantly makes fun of me for being a low talker, said I spoke clearly this time), but I was left in the unenviable position of watching everyone else eat while I waited for my dish to be prepared. Thankfully Josh didn’t mind sharing his pasta with me, cavatelli with broccoli rabe and sausage. The cavatelli, which is homemade, had a nice chewy texture, and the broccoli rabe wasn’t too bitter. The sausage had a lot of fennel seed in it, which I didn’t like, but the dish worked well together overall. I don’t think it was worth the $23 price tag though.

Cavatelli with broccoli rabe and sausage

When my pasta finally arrived, at least it was served very hot, but now I had to eat while everyone was watching me so I felt rushed, which isn’t a pleasant experience. The ragu didn’t have a very gamey taste (I love gamey lamb, the gamier the better), but there was a piece of seared sheep’s milk ricotta that provided a very welcomed tang to the dish. The crusty exterior of the cheese was delicious, and I mixed the oozing center into the ragu to create a creamier texture that I thought worked better with the pappardelle.

Papparedelle with lamb ragu and sheep's milk ricotta

Pappardelle with lamb ragu and sheep's milk ricotta

Overall I feel like I wouldn’t come back to Solaia. Prices are pretty high, which would be more understandable if the food was spectacular, but it was just ok. Not bad, but not great, and not worth the expense. With so many other great restaurant options nearby on Palisade Ave. in Englewood, there’s no reason to spend the money on mediocre food.

Solaia
22 N Van Brunt St.
Englewood, NJ

Tags: Englewood, Italian, NJ
Posted in Restaurants | Comments Off on Solaia

Tilapia Cakes

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 by virginia

Tilapia cakes are a great stand-by recipe for Josh and me. We always have some frozen tilapia filets on hand, and this makes a quick, cheap and simple appetizer or meal. The ingredients vary, depending on what we have on hand. Basically, you just need tilapia (2-3 filets for two people), garlic (or garlic powder), any form of onion (regular, scallion, shallot), peppers (any color, or leave out entirely), lemon or lime, breadcrumbs, an egg, and salt and pepper.

Poached tilapia, lime zest, garlic, lime, egg, onion, green pepper, bread crumbs

I just poach the filets for a few minutes in salted water, then drain and flake in a mixing bowl. I like garlic, so I usually mince 2 cloves, but the amount is really up to you. Then I finely dice the onion (one small or half a large is plenty) and pepper (same amount as the onion), zest one lemon or lime, and reserve the fruit for squeezing over the top of the cakes after they are cooked. Mix it all together, and season with salt and pepper.

All the ingredients mixed up together

Since the fish is cooked after poaching, this is when I taste for seasoning. Then I throw in an egg to bind it, and some breadcrumbs if it needs some filler to hold it all together. Mix well, then form and shape into patties. The size is up to you, but usually we’ll get four hamburger-sized patties from the mixture. We’ve also made smaller appetizer portions, and even smaller bite size portions for a cocktail party. To cook, cover the bottom of a pan with a thin layer of neutral oil (i.e. vegetable or grapeseed), and heat over medium high heat until it is shimmering and just starting to smoke. Then simply fry the patties until they have a nice golden crust.

Pan fry the patties until golden brown on each side

To make a quick sauce for the cakes, I mixed together whole grain mustard, sriracha and mayo. Josh also sometimes mixes sesame oil and mustard for an Asian flare. Again, it’s up to you. Spread the sauce on a plate, place the cake on top, and squeeze the lemon or lime over the whole thing. Dressed up or dressed down, it’s really an easy meal to make and can be fancy enough to entertain with.

Bon appetite!

Tags: Appetizers, Tilapia
Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Tilapia Cakes

BBQ Time

Monday, May 25th, 2009 by virginia

It wouldn’t be Memorial Day without a BBQ, and BBQs at Josh’s parents’ house are always quite the event. It doesn’t matter how many people come, or who shows up unexpectedly, there will always be enough food and tons of leftovers. Josh’s dad grilled up a feast of hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, salmon and chicken.

Hot dogs, ribs, and corn wrapped in foil on the grill

He also grilled some pineapple for the burgers, corn on the cob, and a basket of asparagus that we seasoned with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, and then covered with freshly grated parmesan at the end. Those were a huge hit – a giant platter was cleared off in just minutes.

Chicken, asparagus, and more ribs on the grill

There was also potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, regular salad, and all the standard fixings. Josh made a batch of fresh guacamole to snack on while we waited for everything to come off the grill. The amount of food we ate was just insane!

Fresh guacamole with avocado, tomato, red onion, lemon juice, and seasonings

Huge colorful salad

Hot dog with sauerkraut, macaroni salad, and potato salad

salmon grilled in a foil packet with dill and lemon

BBQ ribs

Grilled asparagus covered in grated parmesan cheese

BBQ chicken and corn

Burger with tomato, red onion, grilled pineapple, and ketchup

After stuffing ourselves silly, we had to have dessert, of course. It wouldn’t be a BBQ without fresh seedless watermelon.

The first taste of summer

For the people craving sweets, there was chocolate cake, coffee cake, and chocolate chip cookies.

Still not done eating yet...

And finally, Josh’s cousins brought over Rita’s Italian Ices in lemon, mint chocolate chip, chocolate, black cherry, and sugar free cherry. Icy and refreshing, they were the perfect way to end the night.

DSCN8284

Tags: BBQ, Burgers, Italian Ice, NJ
Posted in About Us | Comments Off on BBQ Time

Louie’s Charcoal Pit

Monday, May 25th, 2009 by virginia

DSCN8243

Growing up in NJ meant that we spent many nights during high school or breaks from college at a diner, eating fries, drinking coffee and talking late into the night. Our favorite was always Louie’s Charcoal Pit in Teaneck, NJ, (which I guess technically is a coffee shop, but has all the great appeal of a diner) as it was just a quick walk up the block after we had spent hours drinking at Geronimo’s Hot Spot (now closed, sadly, after several violent fights and a few stabbing incidents…). Louie’s is also the place where Josh’s family gets together often, either for Friday night dinners or Sunday morning breakfasts. The menu is broad, offering breakfast staples, sandwiches, traditional Greek dishes, Italian food and other assorted roasts and dinner food. We popped in for a quick lunch as we had some errands to run and we can always count on the service here to be super fast.

I had tuna salad on a toasted bagel, which is always overflowing with tuna. The sandwich is so big that I can’t fit it into my mouth; I have to split it open and eat each quarter of the bagel separately. Usually I can only get through half, and save the rest for later.

Tuna salad on a toasted bagel

Josh had a triple decker turkey club, which is piled high with roasted turkey. Unfortunately it’s always a bit dry. A shmear of mayo would fix that, except Josh refuses to eat mayo, or anything that contains mayo (i.e. tuna/chicken/egg salad).

Towering high triple decker turkey club

All of the sandwiches come with pickles and cole slaw, which they are definitely not stingy with!

Creamy cole slaw and crunchy sour pickles

We shared a plate of fries, of course, which are standard but satisfying.

DSCN8250

Portions here are huge, and the food is consistently good. It’s obviously not fancy gourmet cuisine – it’s a diner after all – but the wait staff is friendly and the food is comforting. It’s nice to have a place that you can always count on.

Louie’s Charcoal Pit
510 Cedar Lane
Teaneck, NJ

Tags: Diner, NJ, Teaneck
Posted in About Us, Restaurants | Comments Off on Louie’s Charcoal Pit

Virage

Sunday, May 24th, 2009 by virginia

DSCN8239

We had plans to meet up with other friends for dinner who suggested one of their favorite restaurants, Virage, a French/Moroccan restaurant on the Lower East Side. As soon as we sat down, they brought over little bowls of olives that were doused in olive oil, garlic and chili flakes. Those were deliciously addictive, and we dipped the accompanying foccacia bread in the leftover oil. We went through several bowls of olives before we even ordered (the bowls really were tiny and there were a lot of us!), and they happily obliged in bringing us more.

Spicy and garlicky olives

The menu there is quite expansive, with French classics as well as middle eastern cuisine. I had a hard time choosing what I wanted to eat as everything sounded great, but I was still full from all of the food that we had earlier in the day so I opted for something a bit lighter. And by lighter, I mean a gigantic steak salad with arugula, endive, tomato, onion, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. The fresh vegetables really hit the spot, and the while the steak was a bit tough, the flavors melded together nicely with the goat cheese and the balsamic dressing.

Huge steak, arugula, endive, tomato, onion, and goat cheese salad

And because I can’t resist fries, especially at a French restaurant, I ordered a plate of them on the side that turned out to be quintessential frites – deliciously hot, crispy and salty.

Deliciously hot and crispy frites

Josh was a bit more adventurous in his order, a Moroccan free range chicken tagine with apricot, raisins, almonds, couscous and spicy carrots. He was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t served in an actual tagine, but he was exceedingly pleased with his dish. The chicken was tender, the spices interesting but not overwhelming, and the plumped up raisins were a sweet surprise. I couldn’t help but steal bites of couscous from his dish throughout the whole meal.

Tender chicken tagine

The atmosphere at Virage is really laid back. The music isn’t too loud and we were able to carry on a conversation down at the other end of the table without having to shout, which is rare. It was wonderful to just sit there and nurse a glass of wine while talking to our friends. The service was attentive and not rushed. It’s really a great place for groups, as there is so much on the menu that even the pickiest eater will find something they like. I can’t wait to go back and try some of the other things on the menu that I had my eye on.

Virage
118 2^nd Ave. at 7^th St.
New York, NY

Tags: French, Lower East Side, Moroccan
Posted in Restaurants | Comments Off on Virage

Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Pineapple

Sunday, May 24th, 2009 by virginia

We also had a bottle of prosecco in the fridge calling our names so we whipped up a quick chocolate “fondue” with strawberries and pineapple to pair with the sparkling wine. We simply created a double boiler with a pot of water and a metal mixing bowl, and threw in a few pieces of a giant Hersheys bar, stirring until it melted.

Melted Hershey bar

DSCN8227 I made a few chocolate covered strawberries to put in the fridge for later, and then we ate the rest with the prosecco. Quick, easy and delish!

Yummy, but I forgot to grease the plate before I set these down and they got stuck - fail!

Tags: Chocolate, Fondue, Strawberries
Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Pineapple

9th Avenue Pizzeria

Sunday, May 24th, 2009 by virginia

We took a lovely stroll through Central Park after brunch and decided to burn a few calories by walking the whole way home. It was a beautiful day outside and there was lots to see along the way.

The reservoir

A family of geese taking a swim

Belvedere Castle

Boaters on the lake

A few hours after brunch and our walk through the park, we were in the mood for a snack so we ordered in an extra-large pizza ($14.50) from a local pizza place, 9^th Avenue Pizzeria. It’s a decent pie with a thinner crust than most places, which Josh likes, but it was a bit too thin for me (I like a crispy outside with a bit of a chew on the inside).

Super thin crust

Underside shot

We’re always looking for a good go-to pizza place to order in from. In our old neighborhood, most pizza places catered to lunch crowd in the Financial District and closed early at night, around 7 pm, so our pizza choices were limited. We don’t have the same problem in our new neighborhood so we plan on trying each place in our delivery range until we find something we really like. This pizza was good but I won’t pass final judgment until we’ve tried everything else.

9 ^th Avenue Pizzeria
791 9^th Ave. between 52^nd and 53^rd St.
New York, NY

Tags: Delivery, Midtown West, Pizza
Posted in Restaurants | Comments Off on 9th Avenue Pizzeria

Fetch

Sunday, May 24th, 2009 by virginia

DSCN8212

We headed to Claire’s old neighborhood on the UES and had brunch at one of her favorite restaurants, Fetch, which has an adorable dog motif. The restaurant is spacious and there are hundreds of cute puppy pictures on the walls.

Puppy motif

Outdoor seating is also available when the weather is nice, and on this beautiful Sunday morning it was packed outside but empty inside. We ordered a round of bloody marys at the bar while we waited for the rest of our group. The drink was strong and peppery – the perfect hangover cure after our late night at Lansdowne Road.

Hangover cures - bloody marys and gatorade

Once everyone arrived, we were seated at a large round table that made it easy for everyone to chat. They brought out baskets of decent bread, but the true highlight was the strawberry butter, which deliciously sweet and creamy.

Lots of bread and strawberry butter

Claire recommended the smoked salmon scramble, and being the lox lover that I am, of course I couldn’t pass it up. It’s scrambled eggs with chopped smoked salmon and cream cheese, and it was definitely chock full of smoked salmon but I couldn’t taste any cream cheese. I was a bit relieved though, as I was worried about biting into a giant blob of cheese (not my favorite thing but I’m slowly working on that), but I guess it was all mixed in very well.

Tons of smoked salmon bits in the scrambled eggs

Josh had traditional eggs benedict with hollandaise on the side. It was pretty standard; good, but nothing special. The eggs were poached perfectly though, and both of our entrees came with delicious breakfast potatoes that were nicely seasoned.

Perfectly poached eggs benedict

The only major glitch in service was that the waitress seemed a bit upset when we didn’t order another round of drinks, and kept coming by to ask us if we were sure. I felt bad, but I guess we weren’t fully recovered enough for a boozy brunch. At least she kept our coffee mugs filled and didn’t rush us, even after the room filled up. Overall, Fetch is definitely a great place to meet up with friends and catch up over a nice meal.

Fetch
1649 Third Ave. between 91^st and 92^nd St.
New York, NY

Tags: Bloody Marys, Brunch, Eggs Benedict, Smoked Salmon, Upper East Side
Posted in Restaurants | Comments Off on Fetch

Archive for May, 2009

Matsugen

Napa Valley Grille

Solaia

Tilapia Cakes

BBQ Time

Louie’s Charcoal Pit

Virage

Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Pineapple

9th Avenue Pizzeria

Fetch

Pages

Archives

Categories

Tags