I have just discovered the worlds best cookie at a simple little place called Levain Bakery on west 74th st. Giant, slightly crisp on the outside and soft and rich on the inside. I quickly developed an addiction and I went back 2 more times in the next 4 days to have more. The walnut chocolate chip is great, but the chocolate peanut butter cookie is heavenly.
Go there and get a cookie, but be careful you might get hooked. I'm now trying to avoid the neighborhood so I can control my new cookie obsession.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
A Veritable Smorgasboard
One day wondering about the city, my friend and I stopped for a glass of wine at a Scandinavian restaurant and also decided to try an order of Swedish meatballs. That was when I fell in love. A perfect combination of meatballs, mashed potatoes, and lingonberries. Forget IKEA, this was definitely the best thing to come out of Sweden.
So when I was invited to have lunch at the AQ café at the Scandinavia House with friends I was excited and dreaming of meatballs. A quick look at their menu had me stumped. I love the meatballs but should I branch out and try something else? There were actually quite a few tasty lunch options to choose from.
Café itself is no frills and looks like…a café. A clean, modern, IKEA furniture filled café. Not the most romantic atmosphere but for a new lunch experience it is worthwhile. Overwhelmed by my choices of sandwhiches, main courses, and cold plates, I decided to try a Gravlax club ($8.25) instead of my beloved meatballs. I was feeling guilty about not trying the Smorgasbord ($9.00) which was simply described as an assortment of Scandinavian delicacies. One of my friends ordered the Swedish meatballs ($9.50), while another went for the smorgasbord, so it seemed we had the menu covered.
My sandwich turned out to be huge and delicious. Great big pieces of salmon with an avocado and vegetable, though I don't seem to recall avocadoes being grown in Scandinavia, but why complain; it was an excellent complement to the salmon. I tried a bit of mashed potatoes minus the berries and meat and found them wonderful. My friend confirmed they were a great combo.
As for the smorgasbord, a word that conjures of images of piles upon piles of food, it did not live up to its name. It was a sampling, but it was mainly herring, which my other friend felt was too salty and left her feeling hungry when finished. There was one small delightful meatball on there, but otherwise a disappointment.
I left full and satisfied to return and try other dishes, so all in all it was a successful lunch. AQ cafe has a lot to offer and if you choose wisely its well worth it. Just don't get too rowdy with the IKEA furniture, which won't hold up as well as the meatballs.
So when I was invited to have lunch at the AQ café at the Scandinavia House with friends I was excited and dreaming of meatballs. A quick look at their menu had me stumped. I love the meatballs but should I branch out and try something else? There were actually quite a few tasty lunch options to choose from.
Café itself is no frills and looks like…a café. A clean, modern, IKEA furniture filled café. Not the most romantic atmosphere but for a new lunch experience it is worthwhile. Overwhelmed by my choices of sandwhiches, main courses, and cold plates, I decided to try a Gravlax club ($8.25) instead of my beloved meatballs. I was feeling guilty about not trying the Smorgasbord ($9.00) which was simply described as an assortment of Scandinavian delicacies. One of my friends ordered the Swedish meatballs ($9.50), while another went for the smorgasbord, so it seemed we had the menu covered.
My sandwich turned out to be huge and delicious. Great big pieces of salmon with an avocado and vegetable, though I don't seem to recall avocadoes being grown in Scandinavia, but why complain; it was an excellent complement to the salmon. I tried a bit of mashed potatoes minus the berries and meat and found them wonderful. My friend confirmed they were a great combo.
As for the smorgasbord, a word that conjures of images of piles upon piles of food, it did not live up to its name. It was a sampling, but it was mainly herring, which my other friend felt was too salty and left her feeling hungry when finished. There was one small delightful meatball on there, but otherwise a disappointment.
I left full and satisfied to return and try other dishes, so all in all it was a successful lunch. AQ cafe has a lot to offer and if you choose wisely its well worth it. Just don't get too rowdy with the IKEA furniture, which won't hold up as well as the meatballs.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Burgers and what?
Some food unions seem meant to be. Peanut butter and chocolate, chips and dip, a burger with fries. Notice I did not name burgers and cupcakes. It would be hard to believe that combo existed but since there are two location of Burgers and Cupcakes restaurants in Manhattan it is apparently a thriving combination.
Having a burger craving with some co-workers we opted to give this unique concept a try and called for delivery. I can't vouch for the atmosphere of the restaurant, only the quality of food that arrives after traveling 7 blocks. We of course ordered both a burger and a cupcake because otherwise what is the point?
First the burger: Nice and thick, with a crispy bottom and the taste of quality meat, nestled in a delicious bun. Although my medium cooked burger was a little dry, all in all this is a burger! Impressive and an almost equal match to many of the Manhattan burger greats except one complaint. The basic burger I ordered was 7.95 with no cheese or toppings included. For another dollar an item you can spruce up you burger meaning you'll drop 10.00 on what boils down to is a high quality fast food burger. Though I recommend the burgers and they are great, for my moneys worth I would still recommend Shake Shack or Burger Joint.
Now the cupcake: Strawberry Cheesecake sounded great and the first bite had echoes of strawberry shortcake. I was delighted, but a few bites more I found this 2.95 cupcake to be dry and not so impressive. Definitely not on par with the cupcake masters of the city. I only tried one flavor but the cupcakes were not top notch.
After spending about 15.00 dollars on a lunch of a burger, a cupcake and some fries,
I learned there is no need to combine burgers and cupcakes. Even had the cupcake been great there was really no need to eat it after the burger. I had it a few hours later anyway because the thought of throwing a cupcake on top of my burger and fries almost made me ill, or at least think of the restaurant more as Heart Attacks and Diabetes. In this city full of food trends a new quirky restaurant does not a good idea make. I guess in realizing the ridiculousness of this combo, I won't listen to a co-workers idea to open a hot dog and Strudels restaurant. Maybe it would have taken Manhattan by storm but some things are not meant to go together
Having a burger craving with some co-workers we opted to give this unique concept a try and called for delivery. I can't vouch for the atmosphere of the restaurant, only the quality of food that arrives after traveling 7 blocks. We of course ordered both a burger and a cupcake because otherwise what is the point?
First the burger: Nice and thick, with a crispy bottom and the taste of quality meat, nestled in a delicious bun. Although my medium cooked burger was a little dry, all in all this is a burger! Impressive and an almost equal match to many of the Manhattan burger greats except one complaint. The basic burger I ordered was 7.95 with no cheese or toppings included. For another dollar an item you can spruce up you burger meaning you'll drop 10.00 on what boils down to is a high quality fast food burger. Though I recommend the burgers and they are great, for my moneys worth I would still recommend Shake Shack or Burger Joint.
Now the cupcake: Strawberry Cheesecake sounded great and the first bite had echoes of strawberry shortcake. I was delighted, but a few bites more I found this 2.95 cupcake to be dry and not so impressive. Definitely not on par with the cupcake masters of the city. I only tried one flavor but the cupcakes were not top notch.
After spending about 15.00 dollars on a lunch of a burger, a cupcake and some fries,
I learned there is no need to combine burgers and cupcakes. Even had the cupcake been great there was really no need to eat it after the burger. I had it a few hours later anyway because the thought of throwing a cupcake on top of my burger and fries almost made me ill, or at least think of the restaurant more as Heart Attacks and Diabetes. In this city full of food trends a new quirky restaurant does not a good idea make. I guess in realizing the ridiculousness of this combo, I won't listen to a co-workers idea to open a hot dog and Strudels restaurant. Maybe it would have taken Manhattan by storm but some things are not meant to go together
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Burritos on my mind
Initially I had the inspiration to make my mark on the world with a burrito blog. Sound silly? Well someone beat me to it, which is fine because my love of food is not limited to one meal. That said I do love a good burrito and have been rating the various burrito establishments on Manhattan. This week proved exciting when I visited one of the Benny’s Burritos in Manhattan. Having tried all of the burrito chains with the exception of Benny’s, I was hoping it would be my new burrito paradise. It was not.
This is based on just one burrito (Grilled Chicken Chipotle Burrito 12.95) and maybe it was the wrong one to try, but it was average and 13 bucks. I also had a margarita that’s taste was easy to confuse with my glass of water. Hmm… watery with a smack of liquor. Plus, no free chips and salsa? Isn’t that a staple of the burrito place? All in all Benny’s came out to be a bland experience. Sorry Benny’s, you might get another shot, but right now you are in the running for least favorite burrito in NYC. I recovered from my disappointment with the spicy deliciousness of Burritoville’s Phoenix Rising burrito (7.29) for lunch later in the week. Full of flavor for nearly half the price, Burritoville once again comes out on top. A better variety of better tasting burritos plus they have a free salsa buffet. And so ends my simple burrito thoughts for the week.
This is based on just one burrito (Grilled Chicken Chipotle Burrito 12.95) and maybe it was the wrong one to try, but it was average and 13 bucks. I also had a margarita that’s taste was easy to confuse with my glass of water. Hmm… watery with a smack of liquor. Plus, no free chips and salsa? Isn’t that a staple of the burrito place? All in all Benny’s came out to be a bland experience. Sorry Benny’s, you might get another shot, but right now you are in the running for least favorite burrito in NYC. I recovered from my disappointment with the spicy deliciousness of Burritoville’s Phoenix Rising burrito (7.29) for lunch later in the week. Full of flavor for nearly half the price, Burritoville once again comes out on top. A better variety of better tasting burritos plus they have a free salsa buffet. And so ends my simple burrito thoughts for the week.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Welcome to Foodinista
Coming soon the thoughts and ramblings of yet another foodie who started a blog.
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