What I loved and/or really stood out last week  (2/24 - 3/03)

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The 'Mushroom Mac' at Elbow Room  Located street-level at Brooklyn's brand-spankin' new Barclays Center is a mac and cheese-centric, fast casual joint that goes by the name of Elbow Room.  Cute, eh?  Aside from the interior-facing window that opens to serve hungry guests during events at Barclays Center, Elbow Room is also accessible from the street.  Which is how my friend, Carol, and I entered. 

Elbow Room: Sunday's specialsBefore even reading the menu, the first thing I noticed was that Elbow Room carried Baked Cheetos.  A favorite snack of mine that is nearly impossible to find!  Anywho, after buying four bags, Carol and I decided to sample the following mac 'n cheeses:  Old School Mac, Mushroom Mac, Chicken Tinga Mac, Jamaican Jerk Mac, Vegan Queso Fundido Mac, Meatball Parmesan Mac, and BLT Mac.  What?  We were hungry!

Mac overload!While all of the versions we sampled were delicious, my favorite of the bunch was the 'Mushroom Mac,' which was composed of:  Crimini 'shrooms, spinach, gruyere, and topped with a mound of crispy shallots.

Mushroom MacNext time you find yourself at/in the vicinity of the Barclays Center, stop by Elbow Room!

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My BFF got engaged!  Nuff' said.  No, actually, I'll say one more thing:  Dibs on planning the bachelorette party!

She's getting married!...

The Fuel Bar at Barry's Bootcamp  I withheld sampling the smoothies from The Fuel Bar for as long as I possibly could.  Why?  Because, personally, I think smoothies suck.  That was, until one morning, post-workout, I found myself famished.  Confident that I would not last much longer on "empty," I ordered the most appetizing-sounding smoothie on the menu.  'Simply Peanut Butter' only had about four ingredients and, even more importantly, rang in at under 250-calories.  I figured, how bad could it possibly be?  Turns out, not bad at all.  Not even in the least.  Think more along the lines of addictively delicious, satisfying, and filling.  Now, after having sampled a variety of smoothie flavors, I've found myself oddly craving them multiple times per week.  So much so, that even if I'm working out elsewhere, I will still make my way over to The Fuel Bar post-workout just to get my smoothie on.   

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Korean pancakes at Bann  I've really been on a Korean food kick lately.  And one dish, in particular, has completely stolen my heart:  Korean savory pancakes.  Served as a single "cake" in a circular iron skillet, this buttery, scallion and kimchi-flecked masterpiece is cut in to individual slices that always seem to be gobbled up within seconds. 

Bann's Korean pancake...

The pastrami Rueben (sandwich) at Katz's Deli  What's better than Katz's pastrami?  How about Katz's pastrami smothered with melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and sandwiched between two pieces of rye bread?  Yes please!

Katz's Deli: Pastrami Rueben...

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy, and snow-free weekend!

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Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle