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live octopus birthday dinner at sik gaek

March 21, 2013 by Lara Leave a Comment

When it’s your friend’s birthday and all he wants is a group outing to a Korean restaurant in Queens for some live octopus, you do it. Especially when he’s taunting you saying “C’mon, Tony did it!” – referring to a visit Anthony Bourdain paid to the restaurant as a part of a No Reservations episode back from 2009. Ok, fine. I decided if my friend was on it enough to coordinate “reserving” one of the only twenty-something octopuses being flown in from Korea that I would give it a try. When else would I have this opportunity?

I would list out exact menu items ordered, but I’ll be honest. I don’t know names for most of the dishes we had. The menu was mostly in Korean, and if you visit Sik Gaek’s website, it’ll appear all in Korean, even when you click for English. We started out with some beef fried dumplings, thick pork belly, and a soju watermelon.

When it came to the main course, we let the birthday boy order. We ended up with the seafood hot-pot, preceded by sashimi. There were others who ordered a variety of more standard Korean fare – beef and noodles and a massive shrimp dish of sorts (their shrimp was amazing). When it comes to the sashimi and the hot pot, perhaps it’s best I save my words and just share some videos of what our experience really was like.

The birthday boy makes this look easy.

The video here where I finally tried it? Decidedly less refined. I only had a small bite – which was all I ever intended to try. I’ll confess, it wasn’t my favorite. I far prefer charred octopus to the chewier variety, and this definitely didn’t have that char layer. And I was so paranoid about not chewing it enough for the wiggling business not to be an issue that I couldn’t really think too too much on the taste. It was definitely an adventure and I’m glad I joined in on the experience.

Following the sashimi, the giant hot pot with all sorts of seafood came out. There was lobster, more octopus, abalone, conch, shrimp … so many things. They claimed it served 3-4 people – a statement we’re still confused by. The pot was massive, and there were at least 6 of us picking away at it, with it seeming to go nowhere.

As if that wasn’t enough, once we decided we were mostly done with it, the workers pulled it off the flame and turned it into a big pot of fried rice. No additional charge. We weren’t too hungry, so we told them just 2 servings worth of rice. The result was way more than we were prepared to handle, all topped with cheese. It was definitely a unique dish. This was just overall a restaurant full of surprises. It was a fun change of pace to do for a birthday, for sure. Great outing for a group!

To finish of the celebrations, the birthday boy’s girlfriend had brought his favorite cake from Veniero’s – cannoli cake! Which we all ate with, what else – chopsticks!

Fun night in Woodside! Anyone else out there tried “live” octopus before? Thoughts?

Sik Gaek – 49-11 Roosevelt Avenue – Woodside, Queens – 718.205.4555
Reservations Recommended

overnight blueberry french toast casserole

March 14, 2013 by Lara Leave a Comment

Not that I’m exactly a pro, but I’m learning that hosting in-home events can be a challenge. Especially if, like me, you don’t cook often. The timing can be tricky and you don’t want for your guests to be stuck waiting for too long without enough to eat. Everything coming out once everyone has left would definitely be a hostess faux pas.

I’d never tried an overnight french toast casserole but thought it was the perfect addition to the line-up for Dixie’s recent birthday brunch (AKA my annual excuse to have all of my friends over for brunch in February). I adapted it from this version I found online.

Ingredients

12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (or, if you’re like me and bought new bread, oatmeal thick style bread worked quite well – added a bit of additional flavor)
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup fresh blueberries
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon bourbon (whatever you have will work – optional, but delightful)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon butter

Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.

[Read more…]

celebrating 2 years at marea

March 13, 2013 by Lara Leave a Comment

I did not know where I was going for dinner to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. I did know I was meeting T at Columbus Circle. And I was to be dressed up. So I pulled out my to-be-worn Roberto Rodriguez dress, heels, and made my way there from work, curious to see where we were headed. While Marea had been a long lingerer on our “to try” list, it hadn’t really crossed my mind Marea could be the spot. Especially since I thought (incorrectly, as it turns out) that Marea was in the Upper West Side.

As we perused the menu and Bible-like wine list, we were greeted by this light refreshing amuse-bouche. I was very impressed by the sommelier, who was able to quickly go off of a couple I found interesting paired with my description (what wine works well for this guy over here who doesn’t like white wines but can no longer drink red) to guide me to a selection buried in the pages. Verdict? Quite good and at a reasonable price point to boot. [Read more…]

valentine’s day at kittery

March 3, 2013 by Lara Leave a Comment

We were not planning on going out on the actual day of Valentine’s Day. Most places only offer prix fixe menus or find some other way to make it more expensive for that one particular evening. However in the end, we opted to do our Valentine’s plans on the actual day. We started the evening with some paint your own pottery at The Painted Pot before making our way down the street to Kittery.

The restaurant, which has been open since around Christmastime, isn’t crazy crowded. As should be expected for Valentine’s, it was totally different. We got there around 9:30 (my squirrel here was super detailed so I wasn’t exactly the quickest of painters) and found the place completely full, with the hostess telling us it would be another hour before they could seat us. T did not look amused. However, it was only another 10 minutes before they seated us. Perhaps some growing pains of a new-ish restaurant learning how to deal with peak crowds. [Read more…]

opening night at nightingale 9

February 22, 2013 by Lara Leave a Comment

Last night was the official opening for Nightingale 9, a Vietnamese street food spot that sneakily went up under the facade of a curious frame shop that just never seemed to be open. Outta nowhere, there was a name and last week, there was a sign proclaiming Thursday, February 21st to be the day. I really wanted to check it out, being such a big fan of Kerry Diamond’s other spots – Seersucker and Smith Canteen.

Walking in, you can see the small bar bordered by tables mostly in a L shape. There are some 2 person tables in the front but the back is mostly communal style, holding around 6 people each. The menu was divided into 5 sections: salads ($11-12), appetizers ($10-14), rice noodle soups ($10-12), vermicelli bowls ($11-15), and jasmine rice dishes ($10-15). While many of the dishes caught my attention, I did have to read carefully, as there were lots of dishes with mushrooms in them. They have beer and wine on tap, as well as several intriguing sodas (next time, I’m totally trying the tamarind soda) and teas.

To start, we had the Long Island Squid Salad, which was tamarind, peanuts, morning glory (this interesting green you see here, also referred to as “Chinese spinach” or “Swamp cabbage”), and fried garlic. The dish was refreshing and very light. A nice flavorful yet light way to start off the meal. I can’t say I’ve ever had fried garlic but it was kind of an amazing addition.

I opted for the Chao from the jasmine rice dishes. The dish had shredded chicken, cilantro, peanuts, and fried bread. It was a nice portion size – just enough to enjoy without feeling overwhelmed by food. The broth was light and topped with a heaping portion of cilantro (no problem by me).

My BF had the Berkshire pork rice noodle soup, which had roasted pork shoulder, country ham, cracklin, lemongrass, and annatto. I really liked his. It was quite spicy without adding any of their on-table assorted sauces. You could tell it would be as soon as they brought it out from the deep orangey red of the both (which apparently was due in part to the addition of the annatto).

For dessert, I have to confess we never got to see the menu. The party next to us took off, seemingly late for another event. They left behind a lady, who was still paying and, as it turned out, was also waiting for dessert. Since they’d left, she offered us their dessert. They were Popsicles – one a coffee with cream and the other a creamy lemongrass. They were so completely different. The coffee one was more icy than creamy, except for the thin layer of condensed milk running along the bottom. It packed a bit of a bite and was quite good. I think my favorite though was the lemongrass. It was so creamy and flavorful. I really enjoy the flavor of lemongrass but I’m much more accustomed to it in hot noodle dishes.i have to say, it’s a great cold flavor as well.

Wonderful first night here. Can’t wait to go back and try more things at this spot, in particular I’m already eying the cha ca catfish vermicelli bowl and the campanelli checken pho.

Nightingale 9 – 345 Smith Street (btwn 2nd & Carroll Streets)
No Reservations

verdict on breakfast tacos at briskettown

February 21, 2013 by Lara Leave a Comment

Yesterday I used another one of my carryover vacation days to enjoy doing a little this and that in the city. I’m becoming hooked on this extra day a week thing. It’s one part staycation and one part errands I never get to do. Amazing.

The first thing I did was to voluntarily head over to South Williamsburg on what ended up being a pretty chilly Wednesday to check out the relatively new breakfast at Briskettown. Based on the other time I had Daniel Delaney’s brisket (over at a friend’s house), I had a feeling it would be well-worth the hike over. [Read more…]

tea cocktails with google local, david’s tea, and eflirt expert

February 20, 2013 by Lara Leave a Comment

Last week, I went to an event with Google Local at David’s Tea. The event was with Laurie Davis of EflirtExpert.com, and author of the recently released Love at First Click: The Ultimate Guide to Online Dating. The evening was simple – cocktails using David’s Tea, the location of which was where Laurie wrote the majority of her book. The sips were paired with a lovely spread from Murray’s Cheese.

I’d yet to try David’s Tea, and was completely overwhelmed by the options (in a good way). I fell in love with rooibos when I was in South Africa, and this spot? Has some 21 varieties of rooibos! Their tea of the month was red velvet cake, which tasted like it’s namesake. Red velvet cake has never been so ultimately and totally guilt-free. I walked out with 3 kinds of tea and these fabulous disposable tea filters (for someone like yours truly who wasn’t ready to commit to the fancy mug for loose tea). [Read more…]

restaurant week dining at lure in the midst of nemo

February 14, 2013 by Lara Leave a Comment

Nemo! Snow! Crazy things are coming, so everyone stay inside. Cancel plans!

Um, no. Not only was I had fun plans on Friday night. After a very scientific poll of two coworkers on late Thursday afternoon, I decided there was no reason my car-free Friday evening itinerary could not continue as planned (only change being my stylish Ugg snow boots).

When I walked into Lure Fishbar, well more like slowly walked down the stairs as to avoid a snow-induced slip, I was surprised to find it relatively busy. The humor of going to a place serving primarily seafood in the midst of a storm titled Nemo was not lost on me. I learned they have a nice bar-only Happy Hour from 5-7pm including $5 beer, $7 wine and $8 cocktails including a subset of their usual cocktail menu (champagne bellini, dark & stormy, ginger apple martini, and grapefruit margarita). I recommend the ginger apple martini – all fresh and flavorful, and none of that sweet syrupy Pucker-style taste here.

I’d read a lot about the different food options at Lure and the freshest fish options seemed to be the way to go, so that’s what I ended up doing. To start, I had the salmon tartare, which was served with a dill puree, salmon roe, and a creamy horseradish. When it arrived, I was surprised to find it looked more like a savory mousse. Whatever it looked like though, it was quite good. It was very refreshing and was a totally different take on salmon from anything I’d had before.

For the main course, I was originally tempted by the seared branzino, which was served with a pumpkin risotto and a pumpkin seed pesto, but I ultimatley stuck with the fresh fish plan, instead selecting the sushi. The sushi option was a sushi combo, which included 6 pieces of sushi and one maki roll. For the roll, you could choose one among three different rolls. I almost went with the yellowtail scallion but went with my staple fave, spicy tuna.

For dessert, I had to go with the apple walnut crumble based on our server’s recommendation. It was a nice balance to the sushi – a bit heavier but not too sweet. And their homemade ice cream was a basic yet refreshing accompaniment. I’d love to go back and check out their full menu at some point! (I’m sure I’m not the only person who goes straight to the Restaurant Week selections during those magical weeks out of the year…)

Oh and as for the rest of the evening, have to say the Passion Pit show at Madison Square Garden was a fabulous way to spend a snowy Friday. Big thanks to my friend M for taking me (and including me on yet another Restaurant Week dinner). Here’s a taste at the end, where the Garden became instantly filled with confetti. Fabulous ending!

Lure Fishbar – 142 Mercer St (b/w Houston & Prince St) – 212.431.7676
Reservations Recommended

avlee greek kitchen

February 13, 2013 by Lara Leave a Comment

After watching this spot go up for a while, I was so excited to see Avlee Greek Kitchen finally open late last week! Curious to see the finished product, I popped in yesterday, expecting the food to be more grab-and-go style (like a Maoz). Boy was I wrong. While there isn’t a ton of seating, there are several small tables for you to eat there with table service. Just beyond the first group of tables in the entry way, there is a long bar-like area which is the kitchen and there are a few more tables int he back. They even have a few wines you can order along with your meal.

Their menu ranges from standard pita wraps and platters to traditional Greek entrees, like pastitsio and mousaka. Usually I have to go into the East Village for some of these favorites, so I’m really excited to be able to try them now instead from Brooklyn! For my first visit, I went standard – chicken souvlaki along with Greek patates tiganites (hand cut russet potatoes fried & topped with EVOO, fresh lemon, and feta cheese). So good! Can’t believe they haven’t even been open for a week yet and are functioning so smoothly. [Read more…]

spicy chicken tacos & a night in

February 6, 2013 by Lara Leave a Comment

It was a busy weekend – but in the best way possible. Up at 5am to head to NJ for the day on Saturday. In Long Island and back late from watching the Super Bowl. It was an amazing weekend filled with friends I don’t see enough of – don’t get me wrong – but the thought of staying in last night for cooking and some Homeland watching had me smiling most of yesterday afternoon.

T found a fun recipe from the Food Network for chicken tacos and we were going to do as lettuce wraps instead of with tortillas. Between those and the toppings, it was like a built in salad. I knew I was going to like this recipe when I saw two ingredients – Serrano peppers and smoked paprika (my current obsession). This recipe was nice and easy and flowed much better with the two of us working together – him slicing/dicing/cubing and me mixing/sautéing/simmering.

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
10 garlic cloves
5 yellow onions, minced
4 pounds boneless/skinless chicken breast (diced into 1/2 inch cubes) Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Serrano chiles, sliced thin
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons cumin seeds (toasted)
2 tablespoons dried oregano
4-5 cups chicken stock or water

Taco Toppings

2 red onions, sliced thin
12 radishes, sliced thin
6 small tomatoes, diced [we substituted a small can of diced tomatoes]
1 pint sour cream
2 bunches of cilantro (roughly chopped)
1 head of Boston lettuce (rinsed/dried in stacks of individual leafs)

Directions

Heat a large sauté pan over medium hear and pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and onions, cooking together until soft and caramelized (10-12 minutes).

While the garlic and onions are cooking, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over the chicken and toss until the pieces are coated. Heat a different pan over medium-high heat, coated with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the chickehn until it is lightly browned. The recipe said 6-8 minutes, but this ended up taking more like 12-14 minutes for me as I only had a smaller pan to use.

Once the onions and garlic are caramelized and softened, add the serranos, paprikas, cumin (we omitted this as the store did not have the cumin seeds) and oregano. When the chicken is done, add it into the pan with the onions. Pour in the broth or water and bring to a boil (note: we agreed the next time, we would omit this and instead use the juice from the tomato can, as our sauce ended up on the watery side). Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens – the recipe claimed 20 minutes, but I kept this going for about 25. Serve on the Boston lettuce with the toppings, as desired.

Overall, a quick, flavorful, and easy recipe to make for a chilly night in. Paired nicely with the packaged “taco rice” we found at the grocery store. T’s addition of lime juice mixed into the sour cream was a nice one. Oh and Homeland? Totally addicted… (almost to season 2!)