Read it & eat: four places you've just gotta' try
Let's be frank here: how many restaurant meals do you find to be truly excellent from start to finish? I'm serious, think about it. If you have random/quirky standards that are set to an astronomically high level like I do, then I'm willing to bet that your answer is "not too many restaurant meals are truly excellent from start to finish."
Now, with that being said, I wanted to share four recent (within the past 2 months) restaurant experiences that I found to be nothing short of fabulous, from start to finish. So for all of you fellow nit-picky critics out there, take note!
A blissful prix-fixe meal paired with Portuguese wines, Macao Trading Co.
*All of the photos from this meal can be viewed on Flickr
In honor of Ceci's birthday - and our, then, upcoming trip to Hong Kong/Macao - I decided that it was only fitting that I treat her to a celebratory dinner at Macao Trading Co. For those of you who do not know, Macao is a small island - about an hour ferry's ride away from Hong Kong - that was colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century. In December 1999, the Portuguese Republic transferred sovereignty of Macao to the People's Republic of China.
Macanese fare is a hearty blend of Cantonese and Portuguese cuisines.
Prior to our dining experience, I had always assumed that MTC (Macao Trading Co.) was just another trendy, ornately-decorated restaurant with mediocre food and a bar scene mobbed with models, wannabe actors, and young investment bankers. Boy, was I wrong - at least in terms of the food/drink. The demographic, on the other hand, was spot-on.
Sky-high ceilings, dim lighting and twinkling votive candles, exposed brick walls, ornately carved and etched honey-colored wood, and Macanese souvenirs authentically grace the interior of the restaurant. The aura evokes sensuality and flirtation.
On the evening that we dined at MTC, a $65/person multi-course prix-fixe menu with Portuguese wine pairings was offered, in addition to the restaurant's daily a-la-carte items. Ceci and I simply could not pass up this incredible value!
Please enjoy my chronological photo tour of a meal that, I'm pleased to report, exceeded any and every expectation, from start to finish. The only negative aspect of our experience at MTC? The fact that the local Macanese cuisine *in Macao* had nothing on MCT.
*Descriptions can be found as captions below each picture.
Dinner at Macao Trading Co: prix-fixe menu with Portuguese wine pairings, $65
Dinner at Macao Trading Co: table setting
Dinner at Macao Trading Co: the menu noted the starter dish as "Bacalhau Fresco," which is salt-cured cod fish. Since neither Ceci nor I are fans, we asked our server if the bacalhau could be exchanged for another item. Et voila! Oysters seemed like quite an upgrade, don't you think? These morsels arrived on a bed of ice and were paired with a tangy concoction of rice wine vinegar and cucumber mignonette.
Dinner at Macao Trading Co: sauteed diver scallops with Malaysian curry sauce, country ham, and pea shoots.
Dinner at Macao Trading Co: grilled Blue Hawaiian prawns with garlic refrito, cashews, and grilled country bread
Dinner at Macao Trading Co: oxtail ravioli with chanterelle cream sauce and shiso
Dinner at Macao Trading Co: aged balsamic-braised heritage pork belly with kale & mustard greens, and grapefruit segments
Dinner at Macao Trading Co: although this item wasn't included on the prix-fixe menu, Ceci and I were so taken aback by its description that we ordered it on the side. What you're looking at are heritage pork and lamb meatballs stuffed with tetilla cheese, served in a shallow pool of smoked paprika tomato sauce. Sliced country bread accompanied the meatballs.
Dinner at Macao Trading Co: heritage pork and lamb meatball cut in half. Note the gooey tetilla cheese oozing from the center!
Dinner at Macao Trading Co: sugared malasadas, Portuguese-style donuts, were accompanied by a side of rum spiked guava sauce. This is a dessert that you'd beg for as one of your last bites on death row!
A taste of the South by way of Brooklyn, Egg
Egg. Since last December, I swear, anytime I heard that one-syllable word, I no longer visualized an omelette or an egg-salad sandwich - no, I thought of, in Danielle's-and Ceci's-and Dara's words, "the most awesome brunch ever."
And while it's taken me almost a year to get over to Egg, I'm pleased to report that my cousin, Shelley, and I made the trek to Williamsburg (Brooklyn) to do what was deemed necessary: try "the most awesome brunch ever."
In my opinion, some of my most favorite meals are those that are simple and comforting. By that, I mean recipes that aren't made with hundreds of ingredients and dishes that are somewhat familiar. That being said, it's hard to find a restaurant that does "simple" right. If I'm going to spend my money for brunch at a restaurant, I'll be damned if I can't get a decent plate of scrambled eggs and bacon - there's nothing worse than making the realization that I could probably whip up a better version at home. Egg, however, successfully executes "simple" with precision.
From the kitchen's use of local, high quality ingredients to its wallet-friendly, cash-only menu, Egg proved to be a delicious and nostalgic taste of home.
Brunch at Egg: table scape. Egg is a casual restaurant with a small front patio for al-fresco dining. The interior space is warm and cozy, with a decorative splash of hipster and shabby chic.
Brunch at Egg: le menu (note that breakfast is served ALL day!)
Brunch at Egg: clockwise ---> organic Anson Mills stone-ground grits, homemade hashbrown "cake," two perfectly-poached eggs. I ordered the biscuit on the side and, boy, was I glad I did! So dense and moist, yet incredibly light.
Homemade pies and garden-fresh salads served with a side of super model, L'asso
At L'asso, it's all about the brick-oven pizzas and really damn good salads - oh, and the delicious eye candy that comes in the form of models and trust fund babies who claim to be "artists." The atmosphere - while perfectly comfortable and somewhat spacious (by Soho standards) - definitely takes a back seat to the fantastic, reasonably priced fare.
Dinner at L'asso: le menu
Dinner at L'asso: Hairemy ponders what to order
Dinner at L'asso: gratis flat bread topped with olive oil, herbs, and accompanied by kalamata olives. This sure beats a boring sliced baguette!
Dinner at L'asso: "passata di carciofi" is a creamy artichoke dip dotted with spicy jalapenos, served with grilled country bread. I found this appetizer to be just "OK," as I felt that it was missing something - salt, perhaps.
Dinner at L'asso: arugula salad tossed with pear, pancetta, candied walnuts, ricotta salata, white wine vinegar, and honey. I'd return to L'asso solely for this salad - it was *that* good.
Dinner at L'asso: we ordered a large pie with the option of customizing each half. From the top down: homemade meatballs and onions, quattro formaggi (four cheeses: provolone, mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmesan)
Dinner at L'asso: a slice - or two - of heaven on a plate
Dinner at L'asso: are you familiar with the phrase, "stop while you're ahead?" Well, we should have ended our meal on a savory note - not on a sweet one. L'asso's "Smores Pizza" was an overly-sweet over-kill.
Baja delivered, Choza Taqueria
This past June, I spent the better part of 1.5 weeks serving as a juror on a criminal trial. Since the judge gave us more-than-a-leisurely amount of time for lunch everyday, I was able to explore the culinary territory that surrounded the courthouse. Set amidst the various judicial buildings was an outdoor dining area that included a burger shack, a pizza joint, and a taqueria. With the latter being my obvious choice of the three, I was disappointed to find that, of the week that I was downtown, Choza Taqueria was not open. Story of my life!
My luck turned around when I read that Choza had opened a location in to my neck of the woods (27th/28th Streets & Madison Avenue). While the menu read akin to that of a Q'doba or Chipotle, I was anxious to sample similar food items from a quick-Mex concept that was not a chain.
The verdict: two thumbs up. Choza doesn't cut corners when it comes to the use of fresh, high-quality, local ingredients (the tortillas come from Tortilleria Nixtamal in Queens!). This practice results in quick-Mex that is surprisingly healthy and incredibly delicious. Are you ready for the proverbial "cherry on top?" Choza's owner hails from Southern California, which means he knows his Mexican food. Win win.
Dinner delivered, courtesy of Choza Taqueria: handmade salsa rojo de tomate
Dinner delivered, courtesy of Choza Taqueria: salsa verde con aguacate
Dinner delivered, courtesy of Choza Taqueria: guacamole
Dinner delivered, courtesy of Choza Taqueria: tostados
Dinner delivered, courtesy of Choza Taqueria: grilled corn-on-the-cob, Mexican style
Dinner delivered, courtesy of Choza Taqueria: Carne asada taco - grilled hangar steak topped with a guajillo salsa & pico de gallo
Dinner delivered, courtesy of Choza Taqueria: Taco de Pollo - marinated chicken breast with roasted chilies & tomatoes, topped with arbol-chili salsa & grilled onions
Dinner delivered, courtesy of Choza Taqueria: Carnitas taco - pork simmered with citrus, chilies & seasonings, topped with tomatillo salsa & pickled onions/carrots
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Until we eat again,
Lindsay, The Lunch Belle