FoodMayhem

Two of my bridesmaids, Sara and Angie, went with me to check out a store for bridesmaids dresses. We were already in Chinatown so dinner was easy. We decided on a Vietnamese restaurant that Angie and Sara frequently visit, Nam So’n.

As I went to the bathroom, Sara and Angie picked out all the things they wanted to eat which mounted to four dishes so when I got back, my only input was a strong confirmation for ordering it all. I was excited to try some new things. My favorite was the Bun Thit Nuong (Grilled Pork with Lettuce and Vermicelli). This is a fun dish where you wrap the pork, pickled vegetables, and vermicelli in the lettuce. Then we had two pretty good dishes: Banh Mi Bo Kho (Stewed Beef with Bread) which was very reminiscent of Chinese Red Stewed Beef and the Pho (something you have to order at a Vietnamese restaurant). The sauce in the stewed beef was a bit on the sweeter side and got cold too fast, but otherwise good. The Pho was better than the Pho from Saigon Grill or L’annam, but not better than Pho in Los Angeles. Con Chien Bit Tet (Steak and Fried Rice) was the least favorite because the steak was hard to chew.

The meal was good enough that we almost finished all of the food. Our waiter was quite impressed with the three of us finishing four dishes, in Chinatown portions. I would recommend trying it because I haven’t found much better Vietnamese food in New York and at about $30 for all that food, it’s worth a try.

We were actually planning to have Steve and Yael over for dinner last night. I had planned an Asian style meal of Curried Carrot Soup, Beef Skewers on a bed of Fried Rice, Garlic Baby Bok Choy. I was in the middle of cooking when Lon and I started to smell a toxic odor. It turns out that the neighboring apt was staining the floors. We tried opening all of our windows and thought maybe the smell would go away. An hour later, I was developing a headache and Lon was nauseated. I was basically done with dinner at that point but I had to pack it all up so we could take Ice (our Jack Russell) and escape.

So last minute, our plan had changed, we were in a cab and on our way to Kasi’s (Lon’s sister) apt and we had to figure out what to do with out dinner guests. Kasi generously offered to have Steve and Yael over and so we ordered in from Italian Village Pizzeria Italian Village Pizzeria(Kasi and Stephen’s regular Italian place).

Kasi and Stephen love Italian Village and Yael was really happy with her Penne Bolognese. I’m the food perfectionist so I’ll have to pick at a few things but generally, I’d have no problem ordering from there again. I ordered a plain pizza and while the sauce is very tasty, they put a bit too much on, and a lot of cheese, so large clumps of cheese and sauce slide right off the pizza. I prefer my pizza to stay in tact while I eat it. The excess sauce also tends to make the crust more soggy than crispy on the bottom. Lon ordered a Spaghetti with Meat Sauce with added Meatballs. The meat and sauce was good for pizzeria food but the spaghetti tasted over-cooked. To be fair, the food did sit a while before we ate so it could have gotten soggy then but I reheated my pizza in the toaster over (as I always do with delivered pizza cause I like it really hot) and that didn’t help the sogginess of the pizza.

The prices are good and the delivery was pretty fast. It’s a good safety delivery menu to have around.

My friend Stephanie introduced me to some new running buddies who are actually more in to brunch than running but hey, can’t blame them. We met at Engineer’s Gate and ran the inner loop (4 miles) in Central Park so that we could justify our brunch so soon after Thanksgiving feasting. Karen recommended Taco Taco Taco Taco
based on reading some reviews on Yelp.com and we were all happy with the pick. As one reviewer mentioned, you would never think a place with such a name could be the real deal.

Their brunch menu was so exciting; so many items I wasn’t familiar with. I’m used to reading menus that read soft tacos, hard tacos, burritos, fajitas, or salads. Then choose beef, pork, chicken, or vegetarian, and sometimes shrimp. At Taco Taco, there was a wide variety of omelets, all the standard fair, and then at least five dishes I hadn’t heard of. Unfortunately, I can’t remember any other than the one I ordered, but the Cazuela was so good. It’s a baked dish with tortilla, black beans, roasted poblano chiles, sunny side up eggs, sauce, and melted cheese. If you like all of those ingredients, as I do, you will love the Cazuela. I was also surprised that it wasn’t at all oily. I often feel gross after a Mexican meal even if I do love it. I finished the entire dish and felt like I had a pretty healthy meal.

I would definitely recommend brunch at Taco Taco and I will probably bring Lon there. It’s a no frills place but the service is fine and the prices are right.

I was really psyched to have lunch with my friend Angie. We both have long restaurant wish lists and were about to knock another off the list together: Jean George’s Perry StreetPerry Street. Their lunch special is two dishes and dessert for $24.

We made sure to choose different items in order to sample more. The Yuzu and Green Chili Scented Nishiki Risotto was topped with shaved Matsutake mushrooms and foam. The risotto was impressive in appearance but mediocre in taste and texture. It was very mushroom-y which was boring after a few bites and the rice wasn’t as starchy as risotto should be. The Arctic Char Sashimi was sitting in a pool of very good olive oil but the fish itself was flavorless. Angie and I both recognized that the fish was fresh with a good texture, yet surprisingly tasteless. The Poached Snapper was cooked perfectly yet the flavoring of some chili oil was nothing special. The Grilled Bluefin Tuna Burger was a generous portion and wonderfully balanced. The bonito mayo and shiso/yuzu pickles worked perfectly with the seared chopped tuna meat and soft seeded bun. The whole burger was light and refreshing and the definite favorite of the meal. The desserts were pretty good: a chocolate pudding with a little bit of chocolate cake and a white chocolate sandwiched in meringue with yuzu sorbet. Angie also ordered a passion fruit chili soda that she really enjoyed.

The service was good. The white minimalist decor seems so common these days. But more importantly, the food……we weren’t impressed enough to go back, especially because it’s pretty out of the way. If you do find yourself at Perry Street for lunch, go for the Bluefin Tuna Burger.