Blog - Grits in the City - discounts and faves

white weekend

September 8, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

White cover-up. White sandy beaches. Squeezing in all of the white! I had to wear white until the very last second, obviously. This morning, I have this song running through my head, even though the warm temps projected for this week confirm summer is far from over.

I don’t think we could have asked for a more perfect Labor Day weekend. Clouds were non-existent, sun was plentiful, and the temps were high. Yesterday, we woke up earlier than I do on workdays (5:30AM?!) to make the long trip out to Robert Moses Beach, located on the western-most part of Fire Island. It’s possible to get out there from the city sans car, but it is admittedly a bit involved. If you’re going, this vacation package from LIRR is the way to go, which includes round-trip LIRR fare as well as a round-trip bus ticket for the S-47 bus at Babylon. We spent the day napping in the sun, surrounded by friends.

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al fresco picks for labor day

September 4, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

I’m not going to use the words “last call”, because let’s be real – there’s no need to be dramatic (yet). Labor Day may mean the supposed end of all attire in lovely summer white, but it doesn’t mean it’s all the sudden crisp cool fall temps and leaves falling at your feet. That being said, I was noticing the cooler walk into work this morning, reiterating that turn is near. It’s definitely a perfect time to think about all those wonderful outdoor NYC spots you meant to go to and haven’t yet. Here are some of my faves as you’re thinking about what to do around the city over this upcoming long weekend.

Take the long trip out to Brooklyn Crab. Yes, it’s a bit of a pain to get there. It’s either a long walk from the F/G or a ride over on the Ikea NY Water Taxi. Once you get there though, a spectacular view and crab caked with Old Bay awaits. If there’s a bit of wait, fret not. This spot comes with built in entertainment. Head to the back for some mini golf to pass the time. Come late afternoon, sit outside, and you’ll have the perfect spot come sunset. [Read more…]

cobbler-ing with the ‘rents

September 1, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

Summer is for fresh fruits and cobblers. This Southern girl will never feel like a Northern zip code means changing anything about that. This weekend, thankfully I was able to get my fill.

My parents went this past week and picked some fresh peaches at a spot in New Jersey. Peaches from the local store – or, better yet, local market – works as well.

The best thing about cobbler is it is incredibly easy. You don’t need to spend a ton of time perfectly rolling out or chilling your crust layer. Nope. Skip that silliness. Cobbler has you covered. And the end result is equally tasty.

My mom found this easy recipe from Southern Living. The longest part of this prep time was peeling and slicing up the peaches (you want to make sure to cut out any bad spots and, of course, the tougher spots leading up to and including the pit). Once that was ready to go, the rest went quickly.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk
4 cups fresh peach slices
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

First, melt the butter in a 13″ x 9″ baking dish.

Separately, mix up the batter by combining the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt and then adding the milk. You will want to stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Then pour batter over butter, but do not stir.

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a magic night at la vara and clover club

July 20, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

I first went to La Vara not too long after it opened, and enjoyed it so much what we vowed to come back before too long. At the time, T lived close by, so in my mind, it was a no-brainer. As is often the case though, time continued to pass by and we didn’t return – not until January 14th, a day I’ll never forget.

Small plates are the focus at La Vara, which we enjoy since it means we really get the chance to try as many different menu options as we’re prepared to eat. They change them up often, which can be good (yay, more things to try!) or bad (wait, where’d my favorite go?), depending on your POV. We’d recently started to do one “fancy date night” a month, and January, our destination was La Vara.

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new year’s eve at rose water

February 8, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

I’m well-aware that I’m a tad tardy on sharing the food side of New Year’s. It’s more than justified, but that’s a story and explanation that will come later. Besides, I’m a believer it’s never too late to talk about a fabulous meal.

True to what’s become our tradition, T and I made reservations for a nice dinner in Brooklyn. This year, we opted to visit Rose Water in Park Slope, having previously only been there for brunch. We were both big fans, so I took a bit of a leap of faith, booking us a spot for two menu unseen. Hey we’re serving a six course paired tasting menu just for the evening. A quick email to the manager confirmed that they could accommodate a mushroom allergy, so other than that, we had no idea as to what to expect when we arrived. [Read more…]

3 ingredient wonder: eggnog pancakes

January 2, 2015 by Lara Leave a Comment

I’ve been looking forward to trying eggnog pancakes for some time and figured New Year’s Day was a perfect time to make them. I saw this recipe on The Daily Meal that gave me the idea. All you need is Bisquick, eggnog, and nutmeg. It really is that simple.

I recommend using whole nutmegs and grating to get the best flavor. I can’t get enough of freshly ground nutmeg. I went very much overboard on the nutmeg, which made the pancakes, IMHO. I found the eggnog flavor a bit subtle for my taste. I left the batter on the thicker side. Next time, I would keep adding eggnog to a thinner consistency – just to maximize the eggnog flavor. [Read more…]

how to rent the runway like a pro

December 29, 2014 by Lara Leave a Comment

One of my latest obsessions is Rent the Runway. It’s perfect if, like me, you really love taking a lot of photos at special occasions and won’t be wearing that dress again anytime soon. It’s also a lifesaver if you live in a big city with limited real estate in your closet. I’ve stopped buying very expensive dresses I won’t want to wear to events too close together since it frankly takes up too much space in my closet when considering the return.

Grits in the City - Rent the Runway Tips

Last year’s David Meister rental

If you haven’t found that right something for NYE, it’s not quite too late (there are even in-person RTR options for select locations). Here are some things to keep in mind if you haven’t used Rent the Runway before. [Read more…]

winner, winner chicken (and bubbles) dinner

December 27, 2014 by Lara Leave a Comment

I was just reading about Sarah Simmons’ new restaurant, Birds and Bubbles, as I received an invite from N to go check it out during her recent trip to NYC in September. The wait to get a prime time seat was a bit on the longer side, so I felt super lucky that my friend from Detroit was so on top of the Manhattan food scene. I went to one of Simmons’ City Grit dinners back in 2012 and had been planning on coming back. This was a good alternative!

When T and I arrived, they had already been seated and were perusing the fabulous menu. The selection of bubbles to accompany your order is extensive. We had the H. Billiot Fils Brut Rose, which was a raspberry rose that was amazing. The list on their website gives you an idea. [Read more…]

a hat tip to wd~50

December 1, 2014 by Lara Leave a Comment

Yesterday evening, the final meal was served at wd~50. Sadly, I wasn’t able to get seats for one of the final meals, which looked like a wonderful way to close out the restaurant’s over eleven and a half year run. I was lucky enough to get to go once back in February 2012, when T and I were celebrating our first anniversary. I never posted about it since even though the food and majority of the service was outstanding, our actual waiter for the evening was the worst I’ve ever experienced. It was one of the most innovative meals I’ve ever had – very varied in composition and featuring so many plays on the food that even in looking at the menu, I wasn’t expecting. Regardless though, looking back through the photos, it was quite a meal. I actually found the full paired tasting menu still sitting in my email drafts, so seems fitting to share it now. We didn’t do the pairings, but I’m leaving the details in the listing.

Hamachi, lychee-buttermilk, asparagus, cashew
Cremant d’Alsace Brut Reserve Francois Baur NV (Alsace, France)

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pizza plans at marta

November 30, 2014 by Lara Leave a Comment

When I first read about Marta, I knew I had to check it out – but, of course, it was booked up for weeks. I booked the first available dinner they had and hoped my friend M was available. The restaurant is located inside the Martha Washington Hotel. The entrance into the restaurant opens into the hotel lobby.

We started off with the bruschette strappata, which is torn pizza bread, ricotta, pistachio and honey. The portion size was perfect – just enough ricotta to enjoy, stopping shy of feeling too indulgent. We also had the suppli alla terrazza, deciding we had to check them out since all the tables around us seemed to have chosen them. The dish is green risotto croquettes , mozzarella, and mixed herbs. [Read more…]