Pies-N-Thighs

For me, this is so far the best fried chicken in the city.  Lightly battered which pulls out easily with the most juicy chicken inside.

I ordered the fried chicken box. It comes with 3 pieces of fried chicken of your choice, a large homemade biscuit served with maple butter and a choice of side - mine was Collard green salad with tangy dressing, avocado, (cooked or is it pickled) onion, and roasted coconut.

To go, I bought a studded pecan yeast donut with maple:

And sour dough donut which is very different:

This certainly is my new place for the traditional fried chicken.  They also have chicken and waffles - will try that next time.

PIES-N-THIGHS

43 Canal St, New York, NY 10002

www.piesnthighs.com/

SWEET CHICKS for Fried Chicken and Waffles

Back here again! Feather light crisp waffles served with 3 butters and crispy brined fried chicken of your choice of parts.

The chicken with waffles is offered at the same price during the week with free drink.

Have their kale salad with their homemade bacon and kale.

And don't forget to try their homemade sticky bun that has caramelized or burnt cream on top.

#SWEET CHICK

164 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11249

1-347-725-4793

Maison Kaiser Brunch

I ordered the eggs Parisienne which is a cracked egg in a little pot with cream, mushrooms, house smoked ham and 2 little toasts on top with melted gruyere cheese.

 A bit rich but delicious.

CANTINE PARISIENNE

I had Blackboard Eats coupon for 30% off for Cantine Parisienne that I've been wanting to try.  The coupon was good for the table up to 6 people!

Cafe Parisienne is located inside a hotel by Little Italy bordering SoHo.  It is also called NOLITA area - short for North of Little Italy.

The place is modern, sleek ,with cafe chairs as opposed to old antique French.  The servers we've had so far were both French.  The Chef is French as well.

Dishes we ordered:

Crab Cake with a light cabbage salad and greens served with a tangy sauce.

The cod is well prepared which sits on vegetables served with a delicate sauce with mussels and rice confit.

Delicious Croque Monsieur - Rich but delicious!

I like this restaurant because it reminds me of Paris.  It's casual, it's not pretentious, and the price is reasonable.

Cantine Parisienne

40 Kenmare St. , New York, NY 10012 40.720714 -73.995381 Elizabeth St.  212-966-2740

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cantine-parisienne-new-york#hrid:Krtv_OlUwgxmqqgQ4PYrpQ

BLT for Breakfast or Brunch

I woke up at 9AM this Saturday morning deciding whether to make French Toast stuffed with berries or not.

Between the decision of going to the BBQ fest at Madison Park today or not in NoMad (stands for North of Madison) area or not, I decided to make a hefty BLT sandwich.

The photo below shows you how I've assembled the ingredients to make my brunch.

MY BLT SANDWICH:

Use a good quality brioche bread

Cooked bacon free of sodium nitrite

Avocado

Tomato

Bib lettuce

Onion sliced thinly 

Mayonnaise

Beecher's flagship cheddar cheese

Fleur de Sel and freshly ground pepper

Lightly toast the bread. Spread mayo on both pieces of bread.  Layer one side with lettuce, onion, avocado, tomato - then, season it with fleur d'sel and freshly ground pepper.  Top with about 3-4 pieces of slightly crisp bacon*  and slices of the cheese.  Top with the other piece of bread with mayo.

*I bake my bacon in a racked roasting pan lined with foil in the bottom (for easy cleaning - you just throw the oiled foil at the bottom after using) and arrange the slices on top for fat to drip on the foil.  Bake at 450F degree oven on middle rack of oven for 6 minutes on one side; turning it over after, and baking it for another 4 minutes on the other side until crisp but not burned.

I use the left over bacon for other uses and keep it in a plastic bag.  You can reheat quickly when needed.

JACK'S WIFE FREDA

This is a Popular brunch place in SoHo, located just steps from the #6 Spring St. Subway station on Lafayette Street south of Spring street. This small restaurant offers good affordable breakfast with some Middle Eastern influence.

When looking for the restaurant, look for this sign above.

My morning started right with a great looking cappuccino. 

It was a fine beautiful Spring day this morning. The windows were open and people were o

We ordered the green shakshuka - poached egg with green tomato sauce which reminded us of the Mexican hue is rancheros.  As seen above, we also tried the house-cured duck bacon (a must try) and haloumi cheese.  Their black tea with mint is also refreshing.

We saw a few order the seasonal fruit crisp.

LAFAYETTE CAFE BAKERY AND BISTRO

As they always say, something happens for a purpose.

After showing an apartment in the Lower East Side, it was convenient to take the subway to get tickets to a show at The Public Theater on Lafayette Street.  And that's when I stumbled upon Lafayette.  I had heard that the Chinese Brasserie which used to be in that site was going to leave.  And I've read somewhere than Andrew Carmellini was opening a new restaurant in NoHo.  So of course, I hurriedly picked up the ticket and darted to Lafayette for a quick late lunch.

This place is big and bright.  I love the decor.

As you enter, on the right is the Bakery and Pastry shop where you can grab sweets and breads.  In my case, first I ate and then grabbed extra calories to take home.

I sat at one of these smaller tables to have lunch.

The Bakery as you enter

I had a wonderful salad with a delicate dressing.  It's made with frisee, and mache.

My main course which is really an appetizer are 4 large prawns with a nice light dip.

An array of pastries on your way out.

Anyone for a tart?

On the right are canelelle - one of my favorite pastry.

LAFAYETTE

380 Lafayette St
(between 4th St & Great Jones St)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: NoHo

(212) 533-3000

http://lafayetteny.com/

THE NOMAD in THE NOMAD HOTEL

First thing I have to say is I'M IMPRESSED!

My new favorite in NYC!  It certainly fulfills presentation, price point, service and taste!  Yes, a little pricey but not exhorbitant and not to mention the outstanding nouvelle decor.  I praise them for their creativity and new techniques.  I was happy from appetizer to dessert and how prompt and responsive our server was.  Although, there was one server that seemed a bit snobbish who sat us down.  The suckling pig, although small in portion (but honestly, it's a healthy portion unless you like to eat like a glutton) fit the description of being crispy skinned.  That passed my suckling pig test even though the crispy skin was placed on top of a pork confit. They did have a good slice of pork belly with crispy skin on the side as well.  My lobster with its sauce was delicate.  The milk and honey dessert is very light and not too sweet.  I'm so glad it's the dessert we ordered.  I highly recommend this place.

This restaurant was established inside The Nomad Hotel about 13 months ago from today.  It's no surprise why I love this restaurant without even knowing its background prior to eating here.  This restaurant is under Chef Charles Humm of Eleven Madison which is an expensive Michellin Star acclaimed restaurant not far from this restaurant.  Charles Humm spent his cullinary experiences in Switzerland, New York and California; which is why he is able to compose that clean fresh California taste, with sophisticated European Swiss taste and meet New Yorker's expectations!

The black canopied entrance of this fine handsome building opens to a unique boutique hotel where the restaurant awaits you.

Such elegance but not pretencious.  The sky above is open because the roof is made of glass.  There is always light that shines during the day as if you are outdoors. 

There is a bar area behind the restaurant and another separate room on the other side with a very large fireplace. You can either dress up or dress casually which is why it's very trendy.





I opted for the healthy julienned snow pease with mint and pecorino cheese in a light salad dressing.

This is the appetizer or small orders.

This first course of our dinner was this  poached egg with pancetta (minced), some cheese, brown butter and quinoa and some asparagus.  I think it would have been a nice brunch to itself!

They will give you war focaccia bread with rosemary and chickpea.  We had to ask for seconds as we were 3 people and we needed it to soak up the sauce from the egg.

I had to try the steamed lobsters poached with fennel, vermouth and asparagus.  The sauce is so light and delicate, it does not drown the lobster taste.

Next time, we shall order the Roast chicken for 2 as shown in the menu above.  It has foie gras between the skin!  We saw this ordered by quite a few tables.  It comes out perfectly brown roasted served topped with a bunch of rosemary standing up like a tree.

SUCKLING PIG:  The confit of pork is topped with a perfectly crisp suckling pig skin.  Covered by vegetables on top is a roll of succulent pork belly with dark crisp skin served with cooked prunes around the plate.  (I claim myself as a connoseur for suckling pigs having grown up in a country that served it in special occasions - which was often enough during a year)

I watch what I eat so we ordered a side dish of vegetables.  On the right is a mixture of snow pease, pease, and fava beans.

AAAH!  The dessert!  Given the restrictions I have for eating too much sugary stuff, I had to pick the most incredible and unusual dessert from the list that I could learn something new from.

Above is Milk & Honey dessert.  The scoop of "ice-cream" is really the smoothest cold milk that is not too sweet.  The crispy white cracked things around is really milk - probably bubbly and dried up to create a delicate crisp cookie.  The brown cookies crumbled around must be the shortbread which when I first imagined was not this way; so I was pleasantly surprised!
This is a light dessert to try!

DINNER AT BEAUTY & ESSEX

DON'T JUDGE THE BOOK BY ITS COVER!

One Sunday night, we decided to try Beauty & Essex after reading something about it.  This is a restaurant located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan - meaning south of Houston Street (pronounced How-ston).

Earlier last year, while in the area, I looked for it but all I could see is a small shop that looked like it carried some old and new jewelry and "stuff".  The place didn't look much at all.  I have also read that it is a must to get a reservation at this place. So my curiosity to try this stems from having read reviews.

This particular Sunday night, with our luck, I made a phone call around 5:00PM for a seating at 6:30 and luckily we got it. We drove down right away.

The place that appeared to be a little questionable jewelry and junky store had a door that opened to a huge restaurant with high ceilings.  It almost appeared to be a secret private venue. The place has vibes and is definitely hopping!

The place is quite dark so it's not easy to take photos in here without a flash.

This restaurant's menu offers an array of small plates meant to be shared like tapas.  But they do have about 3 full-size dinner portions to select from as well.

Beauty & Essex is named after the street it's at, which is Essex Street.  It's located near Essex Street Market.  They also have another restaurant nearby called Stanton Social; and that is located on Stanton Street.  That restaurant serves tapa-size portions as well.

At Beauty & Essex, they make an excellent roasted bone marrow with braised shallot marmalade.  It is served with slices of light crisp sliced baguette-like bread.

On the left is sashimi of hamachi or what they call yellow tail crudo served with caramelized citrus yuzu, avocado and micro cilantro leaves.

Above is the air-dried beef carpaccio.

To end this meal, I ordered the Black Bottomed butterscotch Pot de Creme.  They serve it with 2 nicely crisp cookies shaped like spoons.

I highly recommend to try this place because it's not what you will expect looking from the outside.  The food is creative as well.  There are dishes they prepare that others don't make such as my dessert.

This is another restaurant I would try a couple of times more to taste other dishes.

BEAUTY & ESSEX

146 Essex St
(between Rivington St & Stanton St)
New York, NY 10002
Neighborhood: Lower East Side

(212) 614-0146

http://www.beautyandessex.com/

MARC FORGIONE

Last weekend I finally ate at Marc Forgione's restaurant named after himself in Tri-BeCa.  Marc Forgione, is a New york native and winner of The Next Iron Chef in 2010. His restaurant is Modern American.  He uses bold flavors and very inventive - something I look for when eating out.

Stephen Wambach, who hails from Pennsylvania and the Executive Chef of Barclay Prime is now the Chef for Marc Forgione's.  It was a privilege to have met Stephen in the kitchen after our brunch last weekend.

Tribeca's Marc Forgione restaurant welcomes chef Stephen Wambach as its new chef de cuisine. Wambach comes from stints at the Four Seasons Beirut and Manrey Hotel in Panama City. [Grub Street]


As usual, I deviated from the regular menu list, whereas my companions ordered from it.

We had to order the quail and waffles.  This way I fulfill the craving for a quail and try his very light and crisp waffles.

The quail is lightly battered and deep fried (I think that's what he did with it) served on the lightest crispiest waffles ever yet.  A slab of bacon accompanies the dish.

We also tried the eggs Benny on the left.  It was served over potatoes instead of the usual English Muffin.  We loved it!



The special for today was a sandwich with foie gras, pork belly with crispy skin and 2 eggs on top.  It was hearty and as a foie gras fan, what can go wrong!

If I had more room to spare, I would have also ordered the lobster dish which was special for the day.

Will definitely eat here again.  I read that they do prepare a pig's head with crisp skin on Thursdays.  I should call in advance to make sure they're making it before I go.

I'm glad that Marc Forgione added Stephen Wambach to his restaurant!

MARC FORGIONE

134 Reade St
(between Hudson St & Greenwich St)
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhood: TriBeCa

(212) 941-9401

http://www.marcforgione.com/







HEROD'S HOTEL IN TEL-AVIV

I recently went to Israel for a Pilgrimage trip to the Holy Land.  This trip is most unforgettable since I am very well versed with its biblical history.  In fact, it is everything I have learned since childhood come alive.

With all my anxiety of what accommodations and food we may have, to my surprise, my first day experience proved to be awesome!

Due to the recent bad weather and flooding the week before, our hotel went under water and therefore was upgraded to a hotel by the sea.  What more could you ask for.  Our room had a balcony overlooking the parked boats and pool.  Most importantly, the food was well presented and deliciously prepared in an array buffet-style.

The new assigned hotel was called HERODS. 



There was the chef who cooked the lamb burgers, chorizos, duck breast and fish to dish it out fresh for you.

There were slices of peppers being grilled as well.  Do you see the duck on the left, chorizos in the center and the lamb sausages to the right?

They had chicken, stews, noodles and 2 more dishes on this side. 

There was stuffed grape leaf and a variety of yellow peppers to the left

Above, you can watch the array of desserts at Herods Hotel by the Mediterranean Sea in Tel-Aviv where we stayed.  And it's no surprise why I helped myself as evidenced below.

And you think this was dinner?  The following morning, I couldn't resist to try breakfast!  They had fresh baked pastries and breads.

 

 

 In the background was Challah type brioche bread and in the foreground was a very flaky apple strudel (that's what I thought it was).

On the right were more pastries such as mini freshly baked croissants.

How about some warm Herods chocolate sauce to pour on top of your waffles on the left.  Or eggs with savory tomato sauce.

We had a large choice of smoked fish to choose from including smoked salmon.  I liked the large sliced ones in the middle third from the right.

You can order eggs the way you want it as well.

Imagine 5-6 rows of these filled with food to choose from for breakfast.  It's like a Las Vegas buffet but healthier. (I think)

There were even cheeses to choose from.  So, next time you get bumped off a hotel, maybe you'll end up with one that's better than what you had expected!

HERODS HOTEL
155 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63453, Israel

Ranked #24 of 78 hotels in Tel Aviv