Brunch at Lulu-SF

The final event of the Foodbuzz Festival was the Farewell Brunch at Lulu Restaurant.  Those who managed to wake up from the prior night's festivities were on hand for the last food event of the weekend before attendees left for home.

Glad to see lots of salads available including this one with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, olives, baby lettuce, and Ivernia cheese.

We probably would not have seen this Californian produce for another week or so in NYC.

Make Your Own Bloody Mary bar...

After all the wine tasting and dinner pairing, we settled on OJ and as much of the buffet as I could fit on my plate:

Pear, blue cheese, and walnut salad
 Frittata with aged cheddar, whiskey, and wild mushrooms

French toast

Vegetable salad

Another fun event, including meeting Jaden from Steamy Kitchen and Marc from No Recipes.  (See if you can spot them in the crowd!)  Can't wait for next year's conference!

Sunday Brunch at Isabella's on UWS

For great people-watching, relatively minimal wait time, and a decent fixed-price brunch menu (our dishes were no more than $13 and included a complimentary drink), we usually brunch with friends at Isabella's.

Once seated in the open and airy restaurant, our most difficult task is deciding which complimentary drink (mimosa, champagne, screwdriver, Bellini, Campari, or Bloody Mary) will go with our Caramelized Banana Stuffed French Toast ($13) with strawberries in Grand Marnier sauce.

 

The addictive bread basket came with delicious strawberry butter.

 

Farmer's Market Egg White Omelette ($12.50):  This omelette is filled with plenty of julienne vegetables with turkey bacon, fresh salsa, and melon on the side.  The omelette needed a bit of seasoning, but we enjoy this dish because of its abundance of vegetables (it makes us feel healthier!) and large portion size.

 

Spinach, Sun Dried Tomato & Gruyere Quiche ($12.50):  Our friend ordered this dish.  It looked small, but was substantial enough and tasty.

Isabella's is located at 359 Columbus Ave (btwn W 76th and W 77th Sts).

resto - Leisurely Brunch in Murray Hill (NYC)

It's difficult to find a nice weekend brunch place to catch up with friends in midtown east.  The one standby, Penelope, had an hour long wait and we were all very hungry (and in desperate need of coffee!).  So we were happy to come across resto, a bright and airy restaurant, just a block away.  As you can see from this photo, the food was mouth-watering and fresh.

It was a brisk Fall morning, so we eagerly warmed up with our Stumptown coffee ($3).

We decided to get the "Kegs and Eggs" special ($20) which included 2 beers.  This was the Ommegang Hennepin, our favorite Saison style beer from upstate NY.

The other beer with brunch was the Ithaca Coffee Stout.  We thought this beer was a little sweet for a breakfast stout, as it did not have enough of the bitter coffee edge.  It was an okay beer, but not one that we would seek out again.

Now on to the food!  This English breakfast was the "eggs" part of the "keg and eggs" special.  With fried eggs, blood sausage with bacon, grilled tomato and portabello mushroom, and buttered English muffin, this was one satisfying dish.

Our friend's French Toast with compote ($9) was light and fluffy.

Her side of fruit was sweet and fresh.

We also ordered the Egg Sammy ($8) which was a delicious "haute Egg McMuffin".  This contained eggs, gruyere, guanciale, hollandaise, and an English muffin.  Unlike its double arches counterpart, we loved this version's lightness and lack of greasiness.

Our other friend ordered the Blueberry Pancakes ($8) with creme fraiche.  He thoroughly cleaned his plate.

Though the restaurant was empty when we arrived, it soon filled up by the time we had left.

resto is located at 111 E 29th St (btwn Park and Lexington Aves.) in NYC.

Eatery - Brunch in Hell's Kitchen

Ever have one of those days that starts off with the best of intentions, experiences a couple of glitches, but all works out in the end?  That was us a couple of weekends ago when we had friends and family come into town for an impromptu brunch in the city.  

We had planned on dining outside, but gray clouds (threatening rain), sparse parking, and unexpected restaurant closings had thwarted our plan. So we crossed our fingers and wandered about Hell's Kitchen for a spot to eat.  We came across Eatery, a popular and crowded brunch spot in the area.  Wistful about our chances for a table, I walked in and inquired about the wait for a group of 6.  "We can seat your group immediately if you're all here" was our host's response.  Success! With a smile on my face, I relayed the good news to our group and we all sat down at the large booth in the back.

Getting our table was a reason to celebrate, so drinks all around! The gals ordered the pretty drinks: Peach Bellini ($7), Guava Bellini, and Fellini (or Pear Bellini, $8).  My hubby opted for the Bloody Sangrita ($8), made with tequila, OJ, and hot pepper sauce.

Omelette with cheddar cheese and sausage ($10.95), plus toast and hash browns on the side was just what our BIL needed.

Chopped Chicken Salad ($10.95):  My healthy SILs ordered this colorful salad filled with seasonal vegetables like zucchini.

My hubby chose the plain burger ($10.99) while his friend opted for the Cheeseburger ($12.45) with fries.  The burger was fine, but not the juiciest nor tastiest burgers we've had in the city.

I ordered the Pulled Pork Tostada ($12.95) and liked the crisp shell and sweet sauce with the pulled pork.  My SIL remarked that she would order this dish the next time they came to the city.

A decent brunch, with no wait (or reservations), in an airily decorated space made for a good Sunday afternoon with our visitors.  It all worked out in the end.

Eatery is located at 798 9th Ave (btwn W52nd and W53rd Sts).

EAT Restaurant - Best Brunch in New Orleans, LA

Early one morning, we walked to a wonderful oasis in the French Quarter for brunch. EAT Restaurant serves a wonderful, Southern meal in a warm, contemporary setting.

We got there around 9AM so that we could get a table (the restaurant has a no reservation policy). Many of the diners around us took advantage of the BYOB (no corkage fee) policy and brought champagne for their brunch.

Eggs Dauphine ($11): Poached eggs, country ham, fried green tomatoes, hollandaise, and homemade biscuit. We're still thinking about the biscuits - crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside.

Fried Green Tomato Breakfast, v1 ($12): Fried green tomatoes, grits, fruit (substituting bacon), homemade biscuit, and 2 eggs (cooked scrambled). After eating lots of meat and seafood, it was nice to have such a large bowl of fresh fruit (including watermelon, grapefruit, oranges, bananas, etc) with our meal.

Fried Green Tomato Breakfast, v2 ($12): The same breakfast as above, except with bacon and poached eggs. The grits were plentiful. The fried green tomatoes, our first taste, were good - tart with a thin fried coating.

The meal was wonderful (and our coffee was again from Cafe du Monde!) We got there at the right time, as the restaurant filled up after we left.

EAT Restaurant is located at 900 Dumaine St in New Orleans, LA.

(Dining Out} Favorite restaurants on the UWS

Liver, Eggplant rolls, Quattro pizza, and Halibut at Celeste

We've finally moved! It's been awhile since our last post due to all of the apartment hunting, packing, storing, moving, and unpacking but we're finally done! But before leaving my beloved UWS (home for the past 7 years), we ventured to all of our favorite neighborhood spots for one last meal.

Though Per Se, Dovetail, and Telepan were all elegant, fantastic meals, when it comes to "last meals", we delved into comfort foods (and consequently, much more affordable restaurants).  Our first dinner spot was Celeste, a perennial favorite. This cozy little cash-only Italian is the place I would take out-of-town guests staying with us, fatigued from their flights but eager to dine out in NYC, for one of their first meals.  The menu doesn't change a whole lot, but the prices are good and the food has always been satisfying. 

My favorite dessert at Celeste: Limoncello Tartufo

Our dishes of choice at Celeste? As seen from the photos above, we love the:

• Involtini Di Melanzane ($8.50): Eggplant rolls stuffed with prosciutto and pecorino cheese baked with tomato sauce
• Fegatini Di Pollo ($7): Sauteed chicken livers deglazed with balsamic vinegar on toasted bread
• Quattro Stagioni ($12): Prosciutto, mushrooms, tomato, artichokes, and mozzarella pizza
• Ippoglosso Al Limone ($15): Halibut sauteed with lemon and capers sauteed spinach & roasted potatoes
• Tartufo al Limoncello ($6): Lemon gelato surrounding a creamy, limoncello center  

And yes, we took home all of the leftovers to enjoy while continuing to pack!

Shack Burger and Shack-cago Dog with Fries

No UWS neighborhood restaurant compilation would be complete without our favorite burger joint Shake Shack. We've eaten almost everything on the menu and really, you can't go wrong with a Shack Burger with everything, Shack-cago Dog, Shroom Burger, or all out with the Shack Stack. My favorite tip though has to be:

• Go to the C-line (it's for beverages and dessert orders only, so it's quicker and shorter than the regular line) and ask for Yesterday's Pint. For $4, you can take home (or indulge at the restaurant) a pint of the previous day's Frozen Custard flavor. Since a small cup of today's flavor will run you $3.50, the pint is such a great deal!

Kale salad, Mushroom Panini, Dumplings, Egg-and-dairy-free Chocolate Chip Cookie

When I want a reprieve from greasy, meaty foods, I head to Peacefood Cafe, a nearby vegan spot. It's less expensive than Cafe Blossom (another tasty vegan place) and the food's pretty good (i.e. carnivore Jeff's willing to dine with me here).  What were our picks?

• Kale Salad ($13.50): kale leaves, diced seasoned tofu, tempeh bacon, pumpkin seeds and raisins tossed with dressing
• Pan-seared French horn mushroom Panini ($11.95): with sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, artichoke aioli, mint & basil pesto
• Pan-seared Shanghai-style dumplings ($7.95):  homemade dumplings filled with chinese chives,
  shitake & wood ear mushrooms, marinated tofu and vegetarian protein, served with a ginger balsamic
  dipping sauce. Granted, these weren't the best dumplings we've ever had and the wrapper was a tad too thick for our taste, but for a vegan variation, the filling was very hearty and filled with umami
• Chickpea fries ($7.95): Though we were too full for these fries, I've had them before and definitely recommend them. With a hint of indian spices, they're served with a house dipping sauce.
• Chocolate Chip cookie ($1.35 ea): All desserts are baked in their kitchen without dairy, egg, or refined sugar. Though they have a gluten-free version, we went with the cookies made with spelt flour. It's the perfect sweet ending to our refreshing meal.

Peruvian-Chinese food. Before I moved to NYC, I never knew this cuisine existed. It makes sense though considering there is a Chinese population in Latin America. And it makes for a delicious combination. And when it comes to good value and satisfying meals, Flor de Mayo is the casual spot we've taken our visiting families.

• Dish of choice: Peruvian roast chicken or Pollo a la Brasa ($11.75) with Cilantro rice substituted as the side. It's juicy and full of flavor. This dish is more than enough for 2-3 people to share - which makes it a great deal at under $12.

Brunch and Barney Greengrass

One of the benefits of moving is that you finally make time to check out the nearby places you've always meant to try but never did. Though I had been to historic Barney Greengrass before, Jeff strangely had not.  If you know my husband's traditional tastes - Russ & Daughters being one of his favorite spots - you know that he enjoys classic, old-school dishes. What did we enjoy for a very savory brunch at Barney Greengrass?

• Combination of Sturgeon and Nova Scotia Salmon Scrambled with Eggs & Onions ($19.75) with a Bialy (a cross between a bagel and an English muffin)
• Sturgeon on Rye ($19.25) with capers (though you will be charged for any extras on the fish)
• Herring Salad and Whitefish Salad to go - both were stellar. Jeff even thought that the whitefish salad was on par with his favorite version from Russ & Daughters

Kefi salad, Sheep's milk dumplings, Meatballs

From its prior tiny 79th street location through to its move to Columbus Ave, Greek restaurant Kefi has been a part of our UWS experience ever since I first moved to the neighborhood from Toronto 7 years ago. Though the menu has changed (both the moussaka and the original sweetbread recipe has sadly been removed from the new menu), there are still a few favorites left that we keep ordering over and over again;

• Kefi Salad ($6.75): Shredded Lettuce & Fennel, Tomato, Cucumber, Olives, Peppers, Onions, Feta. Despite replicating a similar tasty salad at home, I will still order this bright, crisp, refreshing salad whenever we return.
• Sheep Milk Ravioli ($9.95): with Brown Butter and Sage
• Meatballs ($6.95): with Roasted Garlic, Olives, and Tomato
• Grilled Octopus with White Bean Salad ($9.95): We both prefer the meatiness of grilled octopus over fried calamari any day
• For pasta dishes, we've previously also enjoyed the Flat Pasta with Pulled Braised Rabbit and Graviera Cheese ($12.95) as well as the Shrimp Orzo ($14.95) with  Spinach, Tomato, Feta
• Our friends always seem to opt for the Chicken Souvlaki ($12.50) with Tzatziki and Pita Bread which comes with a small Kefi salad and house-made chips.

The last place we should mention is Jeff's neighborhood bar - George Keeley's. With great craft beers always on tap, friendly staff, free popcorn, and a darn-good Frikadelle burger (that I love having with an added runny egg on top), I think this spot is the one Jeff will miss the most!

We love the Upper West Side and with friends still living in the area, will likely return to visit our old favorite neighborhood spots. We're eager to check out what downtown Manhattan has to offer, so please leave us any recommendations in the comments below!

{Travel} His vs Her Lunch in Toronto

Happy June! We're back from a last-minute trip to Toronto. I have an exciting new opportunity coming up (more details to come!) so we took advantage of my free time and snagged a flight deal to visit with my friends and family this past long weekend.  Along with wonderful home-cooked meals, we enjoyed going out with friends to a couple new eateries in Toronto. Like our previous trips to Chicago and Toronto, we each "chose our own adventure". My husband opted for Sunday brunch at Parts and Labour (recommended to us by local food blogger Suresh Doss of Spotlight Toronto) while I selected Monday's"workday" lunch at Camros Organic Eatery.

My husband is not a fan of brunch - unless there's craft beer or lots of meat.  It's the latter that made him choose Parts & Labour, a sleek restaurant located in a former hardware store.  We met up with my friend and the three of us sat down at the communal tables to share a couple of dishes.

The P&L: Fried egg over potato hash, pork belly, and a pancake with maple trotter sauce ($15 CAD)
Sweet and salty mix together to make this rich and satisfying dish.  This was the perfect dish for us to share - I loved the sweet maple trotter sauce (like a maple syrup) mixed with the fluffy pancake and crispy potato hash, while my husband loved the runny egg and pork belly. 

Ploughmans:  Mennonite gypsy sausage, 10 year old cheddar, country pate, baguette slices, bread and butter pickles (the carrots were pickled too), Granny Smith apple, and hard boiled egg ($18)
According to Wikipedia, "A ploughman's lunch (often just called a ploughman's) is a cold snack or meal originating in the United Kingdom, served in pubs, sometimes eaten in a sandwich form."  To me, it seemed like a deconstructed picnic lunch. I particularly enjoyed the sharp white cheddar with the tart Granny Smith apple.  My husband devoured the country pate and savory sausage.

Overall, though the brunch seemed a little pricey, the food was wonderful.

After all of that meat, I was happy to choose our next lunch at Camros Organic Eatery in downtown Toronto.  Outside, the space seemed like any office retailer, but inside felt warm and nurturing to me.  The food is served cafeteria-style.  You choose the number of items you'd like (1-4) and select amongst both hot and cold items. My husband and I decided to share a plate of 4 items ($11.99 CAD) and looked over the organic vegan choices.

Spinach, Chick Pea and Plum stew; Raw Beet and Carrot Salad
The stew reminded us of a chick pea dish we often make at home, but we never would have thought of adding plum to it. The plum added a subtle sweetness to the hearty dish. I really loved the fresh and crisp salad filled with shredded beets, carrots, diced apples, walnuts, and a lemon/olive oil dressing. The flavor was sweet and tart - I'm definitely going to try making this salad at home!

Raw Kale Salad; Red Rice Ball
The raw kale was tender and marinated in lemon juice, apple-cider vinegar and oregano, mixed with beets and carrots. We both enjoyed this fresh salad of hearty greens and will also try making this salad at home. We were really excited about trying the red rice ball as the rice balls were highly recommended. It's made with Basmati brown rice with beets and lentils.  The rice ball was drier than I expected. Our favorites were definitely the salads.  

"Cheese" cake ($7.95)
There's no cheese (nor sugar, or tofu) in this vegan cake - it's made with nuts, dried fruit, spices, and dates. Truthfully, this slice of cake was good, but it wasn't cheesecake.  It seemed more like a mix of decadent fruit cake and energy bar.

Overall, we were not completely full from this meal (to be fair, our server recommended 3 portions per person) and my husband did supplement our lunch with some Toronto street meat. The menu changes daily and the bill can quickly add up, but I really liked the food here.  It gave us a renewed inspiration for upcoming Meatless Monday meals.

After seeing each of our lunch choices, which once would you choose - meat or veg?