PIZZA ROLLIO #pizzarollio

This is a new restaurant at The Plaza Hotel's Food Court in the Plaza Hotel's basement by Centrak Park in Nee York City.

This is not your ordinary pizza.  It's like a cracker that has crisp edge and soft by the center. They serve their pizza sliced diagonally to make rectangles about an inch wide so you can roll them when you eat it. Hence Pizza Rollio.

Their most popular order is the Big Bang Supreme which has pancetta, ham, pepperoni, onion, mushroom and mozzarella.  This order comes with a little bit of arugula and greens you assemble on top of each slice then roll to eat. It reminds me of a fresh Philippine egg roll using a thin dough similar to an Italian Piadina - a very thin Italian bread that you heat in very hot oven or toaster oven  to put cold cuts on and eat.

Since I can already visualize the flavor, I opted for Imeldific - their pizza version with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) which is not really that spicy. It just has a little spike. This pizza Rollio has some dab of secret cream they first bake in their hot oven and then some mentaiko spread here and there which creates the flavor.  It also has some peeled slices of cucumbers, and sparingly sprinkled with minced or chopped chives.  You roll each slice to eat it but it doesn't come with greens.  To me this was more like an appetizer portion but it tasted very good.

They added a new salad in the me in this afternoon which is arugula with  some slices of smoked salmon served with a mustard dressing which reminded me of the Scandinavian gravlax sauce , only less thick.

The place is innovative using existing ingredients modified to create a new look and it works!  Perhaps, I could rate this with 1 more star if not for the hefty price considering the fact that I am not being waited on. 

At least if you are staying away from carbs, this may be your answer to the usual pizza.  But to me this is more of a cracker than a thin pizza with a softer center. It's a melting pot or fusion of fresh Asian roll, Italian pizza and other ideas from other nations like the gravlax dressing instead of a sauce on one's salad mixed into one dish.

THE PLAZA FOOD COURT #theplazafoodhall

One East 59th Street, New York, NY 10019

Market Hours:

10:00AM-9:30PM

Sun 11AM-6PM

OSTERIA MORINI

Can't stay indoors on such a beautiful sunny day in the 60s!  What started as an open house to see in Greenwjch Village ended up snacking and going around in SoHo with some friends.

They wanted to drink - but I'd rather find a good place to snack without eating sugar.

What started to be a wait at a restaurant nearby (another favorite of mine) turned out to be instant seat at Osteria Morjni.

We sat by the bar because they wanted to drink. Here's my order:

I ordered 3 crostinis. 

From left to right:

Parmesan Cheese "Gelato" - pure aged Parmesan cheese grated then whipped I suppose served drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Middle: farro and peas purée

Right: lamb crudo

The bread was slice, brushed with probably olive oil then toasted in the oven.

It was a satisfactory meal all it's own.  Enjoyed it!

OSTERIA MORINI

1. 218 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012
2. (212) 965-8777

   
   

EL PRESIDENTE #Mexicanreataurantnyc

My long awaited new restaurant in the Flatiron area turned out to be like a copy of Tacombi in SoHo.  They charge pretty similar but the crispy fish  taco at El Presidente is a little larger without the Volkswagen Wagon order station and the outdoor feel.

Although El Prediente makes an awesome crisp fries mahi mahi taco, I miss the unique sauces at my more favored SoHo taco place which is why I rate this lower. 

This place is more accessible to me  though. 

And El Presidente has more variety of tacos.  I liked the gringo which tasted like Mexican pizza.  

Their menu above, and our tacos below:

This is a pretty big piece of mahi mahi - like a nice tempura.

I had to order the kale taco for a balanced diet

Their condiments upon request - usual Mexican sauces unlike at Tacombi in SoHo.

  And if you want a watermelon drink called watermelon sangria - it has alcohol.

But we ordered the watermelon SANDRIA - which is plain watermelon drink. I wonder if it had agave because it was sweeter than what I normally make at home with my Vitamix.

I will be coming to this branch more often if they start serving their tacos with my 4 favorite sauces at Tacombi.

Cafe El Presidente 
30 West 24th St., Flatiron 
646-429-8284 
cafeelpresidente.com 

#HIROKO'S PLACE

OThis is definitely a Japanese cafe/restaurant.

They have quite an assortment if ice cream with fruit or drinks with ice cream floats. In Japan, I noticed that they have very good melon syrups that they incorporate in their drinks.  At Hiroko's they do have melon flavored drinks and ice cream floats.

Above is the Omu curry I ordered for a brunch between late lunch and early dinner.  It's a very thin omelette stuffed with delicious fried rice with vegetables and uniquely seasoned with Japanese flavor. They serve it with curry sauce on top with chunks of beef, carrots and potato plus a dollop of smooth potato salad.  One can request the curry sauce to be less spicy.

#Hiroko's Place

75 Thompson St., NYC, NY

Homemade Truffled Popcorn

This time I just popped a bag of store bought butter flavor popcorn.

When popped, drizzle it with truffle oil liberally and grated Parmesan cheese. I grated my own.

Now, watch TV!