We’re heading off on a ski trip with Josh’s family to Killington tomorrow. Hopefully they’ve been getting lots of snow up there, as we were spoiled from our ski trip out west to Tahoe. I’m not sure if we’ll be doing much posting while we’re away, but I hope to find some time to work on the write up on Daniel. Plus I know we’ll be doing tons of good eating up in Vermont as well.
Hope you all have a great President’s Weekend, a wonderful Valentine’s Day, and a happy Chinese New Year!
My parents had some friends over when Josh and I went to visit them one weekend in NJ, so we all decided to try out a Japanese restaurant called Matsushima, which is located in Edgewater next to the famed Mitsuwa Marketplace. The restaurant is right on the Hudson River, giving it sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. To fully take advantage of the impressive scenery, the side of the restaurant that faces the city has floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap all the way around.
View of the Hudson and Manhattan from the window next to our table
It did make it a bit unbearably hot though for the person sitting right next to the window (me), as it was a particularly sunny day and the table behind me had control of the window blinds. Halfway through the meal, however, they mercifully lowered the blinds, and I no longer had to worry about getting sunburned. That was the only disadvantage of the panoramic windows, so just be warned if you plan on taking a window seat to best admire the view.
We were given two menus, one that looked like the regular menu and was quite extensive, and a one-page menu that featured a variety of lunch specials. We opted to order our entrees from the lunch special menu, supplemented by some sushi and sashimi from the regular menu. At $12.50, the lunch special was actually quite a bargain, as it included a salad and a pretty generous bowl of soup with udon noodles. The salad was pretty basic, featuring mixed greens topped with a very thin, vinegary ginger dressing. It wasn’t my favorite kind of ginger dressing but the salad was quite refreshing, especially since I was still baking in the sun at this point.
Mixed green salad with ginger dressing
The soup, however, was really quite delicious and chock full of udon noodles, seaweed, little fried bits, and scallions. The broth was savory and a bit smoky, evoking the fifth taste, umami. The noodles had a pleasingly chewy texture, and I had fun slurping them up.
Udon soup
For my entrée, I selected the pork katsu, which came on a pile of shredded cabbage and was served with a scoop of potato salad and a bowl of white rice. The katsu was perfectly fried and had a crunchy coating, though the pork was a little tough to bite through. The katsu sauce, however, was pretty dreadful. It was overly sweet and had a strange flavor to it, kind of like hoisin sauce, and it didn’t go too well with the pork. I ended up scraping off most of the sauce and eating the katsu plain, which made it a bit dry.
Pork katsu
Josh opted for the broiled yellowtail entrée, which was also a bit dry but was very flavorful and had a nice crispy piece of skin attached. The fish was very meaty and well seasoned, needing only a squeeze of lemon to brighten it up.
Broiled yellowtail
Two people in our group ordered the salmon sashimi and ikura over rice, which was a surprisingly generous portion. They aren’t fans of ikura (salmon roe), so I volunteered to take some off their hands. As you can see in the picture, there was a huge serving of ikura in each bowl. I love the salty, briny flavor as the eggs pop in my mouth. It can be quite overwhelming for people who aren’t used to or don’t like the flavor of caviar, but to me, it’s absolutely delicious.
Salmon sashimi and ikura (salmon roe)
We also decided to share a sushi and sashimi combination platter, which featured lots of fresh fish and also included a tuna roll. Josh thought the rice was packed a bit too densely in the pieces of sushi, but the sashimi pieces were all well cut, tender, and flavorful.
Sushi and sashimi combination platter
We also had a roll combination platter that included a huge spider roll and a dragon roll. The spider roll featured tasty soft shell crab, though the roll itself was a bit unwieldy to eat. I couldn’t fit a whole piece in my mouth and when I tried to bit it in half, it all fell apart into a messy heap on my plate. The dragon roll, which featured eel and avocado, was much easier to eat, with the sweet broiled pieces of eel matching perfectly with the buttery avocado.
Spider roll and dragon roll
Even though it was freezing outside, I think we were all a bit overheated from the sun streaming through the windows and decided to finish up our meals with some green tea ice cream topped with mashed azuki beans. The ice cream was rich and had a slightly bitter flavor from the matcha, which I liked. Sometimes green tea ice cream is too sweet and tastes fake, but you could definitely taste the tea in this version. There was also an almond cookie on top that was light and crispy and perfectly satisfying.
Green tea ice cream with azuki beans
Overall I think we were more impressed by the sushi and sashimi than we were by the cooked entrees. Even though my pork katsu had a nice outer crust, the pork itself was tough and dry, and the sauce was terrible. The broiled yellowtail was also overcooked and dry, and it was pretty plain and a bit boring. We did enjoy the udon soup though, which hit all the right umami aspects. I think that if we went back to Matsushima we’ll probably stick with the sushi and sashimi, as the fish was very fresh and well cut. We also didn’t try the “steakhouse” part of the restaurant, as there were hibachi tables on the first floor while we sat at the regular tables on the second floor. Despite some of the shortcomings, the lunch specials were a really good deal, and the regular menu looked slightly pricier but not super expensive. It might be a good option if the food courts at the Mitsuwa Marketplace are too crowded, or if you’re looking for Japanese food in a more upscale setting. And the view really can’t be beat, though it’s probably even better (and more comfortable!) at night after the sun has set and all the city lights are shining.
Matsushima
595 River Rd.
Edgewater, NJ
We just had an incredible meal at Daniel and are so giddy that we can’t stop smiling right now. The food was fantastic, the service was impeccable, and it was simply a wonderful experience.
Today, February 10, is the anniversary of the day that Josh and I started dating. We were juniors in high school and he asked me out on the phone to see Titanic on Valentine’s Day. The rest, as they say, is history, and we’ve been pretty much inseparable ever since. Being the romantic guy that he is, three years ago, Josh proposed to me on the same exact date. As such, this day has a lot of significance for us and we were thrilled to celebrate it at such a great restaurant. We hope to post about our dinner soon, after we’ve had some time to digest and reflect.
In the meantime, here are some pictures from the stroll we took through Central Park on our way home. The park was just gorgeous – peaceful, white, and pristine. It has just been a really lovely evening overall, and a great way to celebrate our 12 year anniversary as a couple.
In addition to the reservation we had made at A Voce Columbus on the first day of Restaurant Week, we had also managed to nab a prime lunchtime spot at the Bar Room of Aureole on the very last day of Restaurant Week. I was hoping to get some last minute reservations at a few places in between as well, but I wasn’t able to find the time to take a long lunch, as it was a particularly busy time at work for me. Josh ended up going to DB Bistro Moderne with a few of his coworkers but he didn’t seem too impressed by his meal there, so I didn’t feel too bad about missing out. I was really looking forward to our meal at Aureole, however, and couldn’t wait for the end of the week to finally arrive.
Aureole recently moved from the Upper East Side to the new Bank of America building at One Bryant Park. We had never gone to the old Aureole but I was kind of surprised by the casual décor at this new space. Granted, we were seated in the Bar Room at the front, and the dining room in the back did seem to be a bit more upscale. The front room was very bright, with lots of tall windows, and a huge, modern chandelier. There was a large bar that took up an entire wall, and a giant array of wine bottles behind rounded glass windows.
The Bar Room in front
What I didn’t really like was that the tall windows faced onto 42nd St., and you couldn’t help but be aware of all the people walking down the street and the cars driving by. Plus there was some very unattractive scaffolding across the street, and I kind of feel it was a bit distracting. The more formal dining room, however, is set back behind some glass and the décor was a bit more subdued, with a predominately brown and beige color scheme. And while the tables in the dining room were covered in gleaming white tablecloths, the tables in the Bar Room were bare, with the exception of some place mats.
After we were seated and had placed our orders, we were brought a wooden bowl filled with slices of baguette, and a small ramekin of creamy butter topped with crunchy kernels of salt. The bread had a nice crispy crust and an airy, chewy interior. It was pretty tasty, though I wish it had been warmed up a bit. However, I must admit that I did get a bit jealous when I saw that in the dining room, there was a bread man walking around with a basket offering five different kinds of bread. To add insult to injury, the wooden bowl that held our bread was severely cracked on both sides and looked like it was about to split in half. We were both surprised that they would let a bowl like that out of the kitchen, as the cracks really were conspicuous.
Tasty slices of baguette but served in a cracked bowl
Moving on to the actual meal, it wasn’t too hard for us to pick which dishes we wanted to try from the Restaurant Week menu, as we simply avoided the vegetarian options in each course (salad in the first course and winter vegetables in the second course). As per our tradition, we each started with a dish and then swapped plates halfway through so that we could taste both offerings. I wound up with the potato leek ravioli first, which featured bacon, caramelized onion, aged cheddar, and a chive creme fraiche sauce. There were three small but plump raviolis in the bowl, bursting with a tasty potato leek puree. The filling was well seasoned on its own, but when eaten with the accompanying toppings, it was a great mix of flavors and textures. Both the bacon and caramelized onions are very assertive ingredients but complemented the raviolis perfectly, with no one component standing out above the others. I found the dish to be very comforting, kind of homey, yet still refined and beautifully presented.
Potato leek ravioli
Our other first course was the wild striped bass ceviche, which was marinated in citrus juices and topped with red onion, avocado, smoked paprika, cucumber, red pepper, microgreens, and popcorn. The striped bass was sliced thinly, kind of like a crudo, and the citrus marinade was very light. I liked that the dish wasn’t overly acidic, and the freshness of the fish really shined through. The accompanying garnishes were chopped into tiny pieces so that they provided a textural contrast without detracting from the delicate flavor of the striped bass. Although this was a very elegant version of ceviche, I thought the popcorn on top was a playful nod to the traditional way the dish is usually served.
Wild striped bass ceviche
For the main course, Josh started out with the spotted skate wing, which was topped with cauliflower, golden raisins, toasted almonds, and a caper curry brown butter. The skate was pan seared perfectly so that it had a nice golden brown crust on the inside, yet was still tender and flaky. The curry in the brown butter sauce was very mild but combined with all the other ingredients, it was an intriguing combination of flavors and textures. Every bite highlighted a different component, from the sweet raisins to the savory cauliflower and tangy caper berries. There was a lot going on yet it all worked together very well.
Spotted skate wing
Our other main course was braised pork belly with apple, brussels sprouts, cornichons, dijon mustard jus, and roasted pearl onions. The pork belly was fatty and luscious, just as it should be, but it was served in one long piece that was a bit hard to cut neatly. I ended up separating the fatty top from the rest of the meat by accident and couldn’t get a thin enough slice of both that would just melt in my mouth. I think the restaurant should have sliced the pork belly up for us rather then leaving it for us to deal with on our own. That aside, the dish was a great mix of sweet and savory, highlighted by the apple sauce and shaved brussels sprouts. While it wasn’t the best pork belly we’ve ever had (that honor belongs to L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas), it was definitely near the top of the list.
Braised pork belly
There were only two options for dessert so we got one of each. The first was a caramel corn sundae with vanilla chantilly, bananas, and salted peanuts. This dessert was so incredibly playful that it just put a huge smile on our faces. It tasted just like cracker jacks, but better. The refreshing popcorn(!) ice cream was topped with sweet vanilla cream and streaks of caramel, and biting into the pieces of banana and salted peanuts were like finding little prizes in the sundae. The kernels of caramel corn just put the whole thing over the top.
Caramel corn sundae
The other dessert was a bittersweet chocolate ganache tart with blood orange creme. This was the polar opposite to the caramel corn sundae, as it was dark, rich, and very intense. The ganache was very dense but delightfully creamy on the tongue. The creme had just a hint of citrusy flavor to it, and was a nice complement to the dark chocolate. It was a good dessert on its own but couldn’t compare to the light and whimsical sundae.
Bittersweet chocolate ganache tart
Lastly, they brought us a small plate of cookies to finish off our meal. There was a thin and crispy sandwich cookie, a hard and crunchy biscotti, an intriguing salted chocolate chip cookie, and a classic shortbread cookie with jam on top. We were stuffed after our lunch but couldn’t resist having a few nibbles.
Platter of mini cookies
Overall Josh and I both loved this meal. We thought that it was one of the best Restaurant Week lunches we’ve ever had, certainly the best of winter 2010, and we were really impressed with all of our courses. While I didn’t love the atmosphere of the restaurant’s new location, service was exemplary. Our waiter explained each of our dishes to us as they were served, and when he noticed that we swapped plates during the first course, he made sure to help us with the swap during our second course. More importantly though, I thought the dishes we had were bold and innovative, as well as fun and imaginative. This meal was absolutely a highlight for us and definitely made us interested in trying some dishes from the regular menu. We sincerely hope that Aureole will be participating in Summer Restaurant Week this year, and will be offering yet another stellar menu.
Aureole
135 West 42nd St. between 6th Ave. and Broadway
New York, NY
It has been a while since Rodney and I had one of our weekday lunches at Yum Yum Bangkok. It’s a pretty far hike from our offices and the weather has been pretty lousy lately. One day, however, we decided to suck it up and make the trek over to 9th Ave., as we couldn’t resist the great lunch specials and tasty Thai food.
As I mentioned in my first post about Yum Yum Bangkok, the lunch special is basically any entree from the menu, which ranges from approximately $6.50 to $8, and comes with your choice of two appetizers from a decently broad list. I decided to try some new appetizers this time around, instead of my usual spring rolls and soup. Rodney and I both opted to start with a Thai salad, which was a pile of iceberg lettuce, some shredded carrot, and one slice each of cucumber and tomato. The salad was topped with a sweet peanut dressing, and it was perfectly fine but nothing special. I think the salads are pre-made and refrigerated though, as they came out almost immediately and were ice cold. But even so, the vegetables were still pretty fresh and crisp.
Thai salad with peanut dressing
I also opted for the steamed dumplings, which came two to the order. The dumplings were similar to Chinese shumai, and featured ground chicken and shrimp in a steamed yellow wrapper. They tasted ok, but texturally, they were kind of mushy.
Steamed dumplings
Rodney stuck with the spring rolls, which I liked better. I think I’ll stick with those the next time. Freshly fried and super crispy, with a sweet and sour dipping sauce, these are pretty hard to beat.
Crispy Thai spring rolls
For my main course, I also deviated from my usual chicken pad thai and went with chicken pad kie mao, which are flat wide noodles stir fried with chicken, broccoli, peppers, onions, and lots of Thai basil. It’s a very flavorful, savory dish, perfect for anyone who likes basil. The slightly licorice flavor permeates throughout, and though it’s slightly greasy, the noodles are perfectly cooked, not too mushy, and the vegetables provide a pleasing crunchy contrast. Just watch out for some of the peppers, as I bit into one thinking it was a bell pepper but it turned out to be super spicy. I’m sure they’d adjust the spice accordingly upon request. I would definitely get this dish again.
Chicken basil noodles (pad kie mao)
Rodney had the chicken pad priew whan, which was chicken in a sweet and sour sauce with onions, tomatoes, and pineapple chunks. It was a dish that reminded me of General Tso’s chicken, but fresher tasting. The sauce wasn’t too sweet or cloying, and the dish was tasty spooned over the accompanying white rice. The chunks of pineapple were a nice touch, and Rodney seemed to enjoy it a lot.
Chicken in sweet and sour sauce (pad priew whan)
As usual, Rodney couldn’t resist a scoop of green tea ice cream, still just $1 as the “summer special.” It might be freezing outside but he always has room for ice cream.
Green tea ice cream
Yum Yum Bangkok is still one of my favorite lunch places, and you really can’t beat the lunch special deal. We always eat tons of food and never spend more than $10 each, including tax and tip. The food is tasty and service is quick and attentive. It’s always packed whenever we go but we never have to wait for a table, so even though it’s a far walk from our office, we can still usually get in and out in less than an hour. I would definitely still recommend this place to anyone looking to get away from work for a bit and have a nice reasonably priced sit down lunch.
Yum Yum Bangkok
650 9th Ave. between 45th and 46th St.
New York, NY
As I’ve mentioned before, when Josh is away for work, I tend to get lazy and end up eating leftovers or slices of pizza from our failed pizza quest that we have stashed in our freezer. I don’t like to eat by myself so when I’m alone, I don’t really think too much about what I’m eating. One night, however, after a particularly long stretch of business trips for him, I couldn’t stand eating any more freezer burned pizza so I rooted around our fridge and pantry to see what ingredients we had on hand. I finally settled on making pasta with pink vodka sauce and chicken. It’s quick and easy to make, tasty, and one of my favorite comfort foods.
As with most of my cooking, I don’t really follow any particular recipe to the letter. To start, I prepped my ingredients by mincing a few cloves of garlic, washing off a stalk of fresh basil leaves from my surprisingly still thriving basil plant, and cubing up two boneless chicken breasts into bite size pieces. That’s basically all the grunt work that you need to do for this dish. Also, make sure you put a pot of water on to boil right away, so that you can put the pasta in just before the sauce is finished and your boiling water will be waiting for you, instead of the other way around.
All the sauce ingredients prepped and ready to go
To cook the chicken, I heated up olive oil in a large and deep sautee pan with about a third of the minced garlic and tossed in the pieces of chicken. Make sure to season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. When the pieces are almost cooked through, I pulled them off and moved them into a bowl. It’s ok if they’re still slightly underdone, as they’ll be added into the sauce later and cooked through some more.
Cook the chicken first, then set aside in a bowl
Using the same pan, heat up some more olive oil on medium heat and throw in the rest of the garlic. Add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes, depending on whether you want the dish to be spicy (or you can leave that out altogether). After the garlic is just starting to brown, add a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes and cook until simmering. Season the tomato sauce to taste with salt/pepper/thyme. When the sauce starts to bubble a little, pull the pan off the flame and carefully add in one cup of vodka. Place the pan back on the stove and mix the vodka around in the sauce, letting it bubble away. I threw the chicken back into the sauce at this point, and started cooking the pasta in the boiling water as well.
Simmering the tomato sauce with vodka
Cook the sauce long enough so that the flavor of the vodka stays but the bite of the alcohol is dissipated. At this point, cut the basil into small strips and add it into the sauce, then pour in one cup of heavy cream. Stir the sauce until the cream is combined, and the sauce takes on a nice pink hue. I let that reduce a bit so the sauce is rich and creamy, but not super thick. Take the time to taste the sauce and season it one more time.
Add the heavy cream and reduce until the sauce is rich and slightly thicker
Drain the pasta and toss it directly into the sauce (this is why I use a large and deep sautee pan for the sauce). I used rotini this time, but my preference is farfalle. Basically any shape of pasta that has a few grooves is fine (so not spaghetti or linguini), as they help the sauce cling better. I tossed everything together to incorporate the sauce and disperse the chicken pieces evenly throughout.
Add in the cooked pasta and toss everything together
Finally, I scooped out a portion into a bowl and topped it with a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese. Yum!
Pasta with pink vodka sauce and chicken, topped with grated parmesan cheese
Like I’ve said, I don’t really measure things out when I cook so none of the ingredients have exact measurements. If you like garlic, add more garlic. If you don’t like the flavor of vodka, use less. If you like the sauce to be thicker and richer, use more heavy cream. It’s a pretty basic “recipe” and can be altered at any point to suit your own taste. As for me, I had a big pot of rich and comforting pasta to last me the week, and it was much better than eating freezer burned pizza.
For our latest Sunday night dinner with the family, we were looking up restaurants that offered Restaurant Week menus on Sundays and wound up at Mia Dona, an Italian restaurant in Midtown East that is owned by Donatella Arpaia. She is a famed restaurateur who has several restaurants in the city and has made appearances as a judge on Iron Chef America. She was actually at the restaurant that night, which was good to see, as it appears she’s taking an active interest in how things are running. The restaurant has gone through several changes in the last few months, including the exit of chef/partner Michael Psilakis (though they are still partners at Kefi and Anthos), so we weren’t really sure what to expect but the new menu definitely looked appealing.
We ended up ordering from the regular a la carte menu instead of the Restaurant Week menu, since all of the prices were very reasonable and we wanted to have more options. After making our selections, we turned our focus to the bread basket offerings.
Focaccia, breadsticks, Italian bread
I was actually disappointed with the bread selection, as I had read in several reviews about a delicious-sounding tomato-topped focaccia bread served with a head of roasted garlic. While there was focaccia bread in the basket, it was a plain one seasoned with a little bit of salt, and no roasted garlic in sight. Instead, we were served tiny bowls of ricotta cheese, which were cool and creamy but a bit lacking in flavor. It needed just a bit more oil and salt on top I think. Other breads in the basket included a standard rustic Italian bread, and an interesting pretzel-like breadstick that was nice and crunchy. Normally I’d be pretty pleased with a basket like this, but we all know how much I love tomato focaccia (aka pizza bread) so I kind of felt like I was missing out. I don’t know if they just don’t serve it anymore as a result of the recent changes to the chef/menu, or if they just happened to be out of it on this particular evening. I’m interested to find out though!
Ricotta for spreading
There were so many appetizers on the menu we wanted to try so almost everyone got something different. I went with the zuppa di cavolfiori con pesto, which was cauliflower soup topped with arugula pesto. The soup was thick and rich, and surprisingly silky smooth. Even though pureed soups are usually creamy, they still tend to have a bit of a granular texture on your tongue, but this one was so smooth that it almost had the mouth feel of a thick yogurt. I stirred the pesto into the soup, which gave it nice green swirls throughout. The taste of the cauliflower was very pronounced, and the pesto swirls added another layer of flavor.
Cauliflower soup with arugula pesto
Josh had the grilled octopus with a citrus fennel salad. I had originally shied away from this dish because I’m not the biggest fan of fennel (I hate licorice), but wow, this salad was bursting with flavor. The greens and shaved fennel were dressed with a zippy, citrusy vinaigrette, and complemented the tender pieces of octopus perfectly. There were also pieces of supremed oranges mixed throughout. It was just a fresh, vibrant combination, and I couldn’t stop stealing bites from Josh’s plate (though I did give him spoonfuls of soup in exchange).
Citrus fennel salad with grilled octopus
Josh’s dad, who is famous in the family for his amazing meatballs, couldn’t pass up the opportunity to test Mamma Maria’s meatballs braised in tomato sauce. He took one bite and admitted that he had strong competition, as Mamma’s meatballs really were quite fantastic. They were delicate and tender, and the tomato sauce had a nice tanginess to it. The meat was coarsely ground, nicely seasoned, and very flavorful.
Mamma Maria's tomato braised meatballs
Josh’s mom chose the fried mini-calzones with mozzarella, tomato, and basil. The little pockets of fried dough were light and crispy, and the inside was oozing salty mozzarella cheese. I think these mini-calzones were really just fun and tasty, and would make the perfect snack for munching on while watching TV.
Fried mini-calzones with mozzarella, tomato, and basil
Lastly, Jess and Lisa had the mixed green salad with artichoke, cured olive and parmesan cheese, tossed with a house vinaigrette. It was a pretty large portion and they both seemed to enjoy it immensely.
Mixed green salad with artichoke, cured olive, and parmigiano
After a bit of a service snafu, where they delivered the wrong order to our table, we had to wait a while to receive our main courses. Our bellies were partially satiated at this point but after having those delicious appetizers, we were really eager to try our entrees so it probably made the wait seem a lot longer. At long last they arrived, and we quickly dug in. Jess had the eggplant parmesan while Alice, Lisa, and I all ordered the cavatelli with slow cooked Sunday ragu, brasciole, and ricotta salata. The pasta had a pleasingly chewy texture to it, and the ragu was rich and flavorful. The ricotta salata grated on top added a nice saltiness to the dish, but I found the brasciole to be tough and stringy; that was the only disappointment to my whole meal.
Cavatelli with slow cooked Sunday ragu with brasciole and ricotta salata
Lloyd ordered the dish that I was debating between, a special pasta of the night that included duck confit and chicory. The dish was amazing, with fresh pappardelle pasta and tender, flavorful pieces of duck mixed throughout. I hope that it’s the special the next time we go to the restaurant, as I wanted a bowl all to myself.
Pappardelle with duck confit and chicory
Josh’s main course was equally delectable. He chose the ricotta gnocchi with caciocavallo cheese sauce, sausage, and bread crumbs. The gnocchi were light and tender, pretty much just melting in my mouth. I liked that the sausage was crumbled into tiny pieces, so that it mixed throughout the cheese sauce evenly rather than being big clumps of sausage that would overpower the delicate gnocchi. The sauce itself was mild tasting, and not too heavy or rich.
Ricotta gnocchi with caciocavallo cheese sauce and sausage
We were all too full for dessert, but we couldn’t pass up sharing an order of zeppole di nonna, which was fried dough with lemon cream. The zeppoles were freshly fried, rolled in cinnamon sugar, and just simply incredible.
Zeppoles with lemon cream
The outer crust was slightly crispy while the inside was light and fluffy. They were wonderful on their own but dipping them into the thick lemon cream just brought them up to a whole new level. Even when the zeppoles were gone, we were still scooping out the cream with our forks. We regretted not getting at least two orders, but we all knew that we would be back at some point, and probably soon.
Zeppole autopsy shot
We walked into Mia Dona that evening not knowing what to expect, and we left happy and completely satisfied. Since we were never there prior to the split and the menu changes, I can’t say if it’s now better or worse than before, but I can say that the meal we had was really amazing. The food was simple and straightforward but perfectly executed. The flavors of each dish really popped and left us wanting more. Service was fine, if a bit slow, especially on a slow Sunday night, but the food really was the star of the show. I would order any one of these dishes again, on top of all the dishes that we didn’t get to try but wanted to. As we walked out, we all wholeheartedly concurred that this restaurant warranted a repeat visit, and will probably become a permanent fixture in our Sunday night dinner rotation.
Mia Dona
206 East 58th St. between 2nd and 3rd Ave.
New York, NY
Josh and I have kind of been apartment hunting on and off for the last three years. At one point we were really into it, going to several open houses each weekend. Our search has tapered off in the last few months but we saw an interesting listing in Midtown and decided to check it out during lunch on a weekday. The apartment was a bust so to make ourselves feel better, we decided to grab lunch at the famed Carnegie Deli nearby and drown our sorrows in a mountain of corned beef and pastrami.
Neither of us had been to the Carnegie Deli before, nor have we ventured to any of the other landmark NYC delis like Katz’s or the 2nd Avenue Deli, but we’re no strangers to deli fare. We were seated in the back room and noshed on some pickles while we looked around at all the pictures on the walls of the famous people who have dined at the Carnegie Deli.
Just a small sample of all the pictures hanging on the walls
Josh and I both preferred the half sour pickles, as they had a crunchier texture and a fresher flavor. The sour pickles were pretty limp and overly acidic, tasting like they had been hanging out in the brine for far too long.
Pickles to nosh on
We decided to halfsies on a corned beef sandwich and a pastrami sandwich, knowing full well that we wouldn’t be able to finish either portions. The size of the sandwiches definitely didn’t disappoint, as each was almost four inches high and spilling meat out onto the plate. I thought the corned beef was a bit too lean, however, resulting in a dry, almost crumbly texture. A generous schmear of mustard fixed that though, and we also asked for more bread to make more manageable sandwich portions for ourselves.
Corned beef sandwich
The pastrami we got was a much fattier cut and more tender as a result. It definitely had a smokier flavor than the corned beef, though I thought both were pretty comparable in terms of seasoning.
Pastrami sandwich
We also got a side of French fries, which were boasted as being cholesterol free. They were fat crinkle cut fries, similar to Nathan’s, and were surprisingly crispy on the outside and very potato-y on the inside. I typically don’t like thicker cut fries but these were perfectly cooked and not at all greasy.
Crinkle cut french fries
Despite our best efforts, we had tons of leftovers. Our waitress gave us sheets of waxed paper and bags so that we could pack up the rest of our sandwiches. Even though we had stuffed ourselves silly, we still ended up an entire half of the pastrami sandwich, plus 1/3 of the other half, as well as half of the corned beef sandwich.
We ended up eating the pastrami for dinner that night, cooking it up with scrambled eggs and eating it on toasted bagels. Even that was almost too much food, but I liked how the fattiness of the pastrami allowed it to hold up well during the cooking process, and its saltiness matched well with the eggs.
Pastrami and egg scramble on a toasted bagel
Overall Josh and I both enjoyed our impromptu lunch at Carnegie Deli, and the fact that we didn’t have to worry about what to eat for dinner later that night. At first glance, $15 for a sandwich might seem ridiculous, but when you think about it, it’s really at least two sandwiches, even for the heartiest eater. That means it’s actually not that bad price-wise, especially for Midtown. While the corned beef and pastrami weren’t the best that I’ve ever had, they were still pretty tasty. Besides, part of the appeal is going for the ambiance – to look at all the pictures on the walls and try to pick out your favorite stars, and to interact with the surly, no-nonsense waitresses. Even though some might dismiss it as touristy, when you’re there, you can’t help but feel like you’re experiencing a part of NYC history. Just make sure to bring cash (no credit cards), and to ask for extra bread to deconstruct your sandwich, unless you can figure out a way to detach your jaw!
Carnegie Deli
854 7th Ave. at 55th St.
New York, NY
Kefi is the Greek restaurant that Josh and I went to on our first anniversary, the day that we started Two Fat Bellies. I had said in that post that we would definitely go back, and I can’t believe that it took us over eight months to do so. Too many other places we wanted to try first, I guess. Nevertheless, we had suggested Kefi for a Sunday night dinner that we had with Josh’s parents and his friends from college who just recently got married. Even though we called late Sunday afternoon, we were able to get a prime time reservation.
The restaurant was surprisingly packed when we arrived, especially for a Sunday evening. It amazes me how big the restaurant is and yet it still manages to put out such well prepared food in such a short amount of time. We were seated downstairs in the back room, which was nice as it’s a bit more secluded and the tables are more spaced out than in the front room. We snacked on crusty rustic bread with fruity olive oil while we looked through the menu.
Crusty rustic bread
I opted to start with the grilled sardines appetizer, which was served with a chopped “Greek salad” and garlic sauce. The sardines were butterflied and perfectly cooked, with crispy skin and a good amount of seasoning. There were a lot of bones, however, and I never know if you’re supposed to eat them. I tried to scrape the meat from the tiny skeleton but still ended up with mouthfuls of bones, as they’re pretty much impossible to avoid. It wasn’t hard to chew them up and swallow, but it was still kind of unpleasant. Regardless, it was a pretty delicious dish, especially if you enjoy the oily flavor of sardines like I do. I didn’t even think that the dish needed the tiny chopped salad or garlic sauce, as the fish really shined on its own.
Grilled sardines with chopped Greek salad and garlic sauce
Josh went with a special appetizer of the night, fishcakes made from cod and branzino, served with a yogurt sauce. I took a bite of his dish and blurted out, “this tastes like falafel!” And it really did. In fact, if I hadn’t heard our waiter describe the dish, I never would have known the patties were made from fish. The cumin flavor and other spices were exactly what you would expect from a falafel ball, and the cakes even had the same crumbly texture. While flavor-wise it wasn’t bad, especially since we both love falafel, but it just wasn’t what we were expecting.
Fishcakes that tasted like falafel patties
Josh’s dad had the grilled octopus appetizer that we tried the last time, and it was cooked perfectly. Every bite was tender, and the garlicky beans underneath were still tasty. All the other people in our party had the Greek salad, which featured tomato, cucumber, olives, peppers, onions, lettuce, fennel, and feta cheese. I liked that everything was chopped into small pieces so that you could get a forkful with all the ingredients together. I especially like the sweet/tangy/salty mix of flavors in the salad.
We also decided to share an order of the Kefi mac and cheese. It was an unusual version of mac and cheese, with spinach leaves mixed throughout and a hint of nutmeg (I think), which gave it an almost cinnamon-sweet sort of flavor, though it was still savory. The bechamel sauce was nice and rich, but it wasn’t very cheesy or gooey, which I prefer in a mac and cheese. The result was almost custardy, and reminded me a bit of noodle kugel.
Kefi mac and cheese
For our main courses, most people stuck with the pasta section of the menu. Alice had the shrimp with orzo, which had a nice tomato flavor and big tender pieces of shrimp. Josh had the sheep’s milk dumplings in a tangy tomato sauce with pine nuts and spicy lamb sausage. The dumplings were very delicate and melt-in-your-mouth tender. The sauce and the sausage really packed a punch flavor-wise, and it was a very hearty, rich dish that Josh really enjoyed.
Sheep's milk dumplings with tomato, pine nuts, and lamb sausage
Lloyd had the same grilled lamb chop special that I ordered the last time, while I went with the braised lamb shank with orzo. Sadly, I wish that I had stuck with the grilled lamb chops, as the braised shank was quite a disappointment. Though I could pull bits of meat off easily with my fork, the meat itself was really tough and stringy, and hard to chew. The orzo was pretty bland, not nearly as tasty as the orzo that came with Alice’s shrimp, and the dish totally lacked seasoning. I’ve read so many rave reviews about this lamb shank that I was really surprised by how much I disliked it. To be honest, the shank isn’t my favorite part of lamb to begin with, but I’ve definitely had much better versions elsewhere. I don’t know if it was just an off night for the shank but I wouldn’t order it again.
Braised lamb shank with orzo
Luckily our meal ended on a high note with scoops of rich, creamy Greek yogurt topped with honey, almond slivers, and quince paste. The yogurt was sour, as expected and so thick that it would stick to a spoon turned upside down. The honey offset the sourness, as did the fruity quince paste, and the almonds added a nice crunch. It was a delicious dessert, and one that you didn’t feel too bad about indulging on.
Yogurt with honey, almonds, and quince paste
We also ordered a few coffee drinks, but for some reason they didn’t arrive until well after we finished our dessert. I think service fell a bit apart towards the end of our meal, probably due to the fact that it was getting late on a Sunday night and they were starting to clean up for the night. I got a frappe again, which was very rich and strong with lots of foam on top.
Refreshing frappe
Overall I think we were all pretty satisfied and happy with our meal at Kefi. While I wasn’t a fan of the lamb shank, I did enjoy the rest of my dishes and all the bites that I had of everyone else’s dishes. Despite the coffee snafu at the end of our meal, service was really much improved from the last time that Josh and I dined there. Our waiter was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu and about Greek wines, offering up his recommendations and suggestions. We weren’t rushed through our courses like last time, and I could safely put down my fork for a breather without fear of my plate getting removed prematurely. I’m still shocked by how reasonable prices are, especially considering the quality of the food. I’m already looking forward to our next visit to the restaurant.
Kefi
505 Columbus Ave. between 84th and 85th St.
New York, NY