A City Gem: Yakitori Totto

It doesn’t happen very often that you walk into a place and immediately know that it is one of the best.  We knew this was such an occasion as soon as we walked up the stairs and entered Yakitori Totto, which serves authentic Japanese food in the middle of Hell’s Kitchen.

When you enter, you’ll notice that the open grill is the centerpiece of the warm dining room.  For your first visit, pick a seat by the bar to observe the chefs masterfully create the many grilled skewers of joy, ranging from

Tehuitzingo – Mexico en Nueva York Señoras y Señores

Today's post is compliments of Piggie Hubby.  Born and raised in Mexico, this piggie knows his tacos.  

I have searched endlessly for a place that would remind me of the delicious dishes I grew up eating in Mexico.  My search for those treats, tacos, quesadillas, tostadas, tortas, has spanned numerous cities with the hopes of finding the restaurant that would remind me of the comforts of home with a single bite.  Hidden in the back of a tiny Mexican grocery store in Hell’s Kitchen, I finally found the answer to my quest: Tehuitzingo.

In hindsight, I should have known that my search would end as soon as I entered Tehuitzingo and found myself surrounded by the familiar décor of a traditional deli in Mexico: shelves stocked with traditional spices, salsas, sweet treats, canned goods, and friendly faces.  Beyond the groceries and after walking past a set of fridges filled with Mexican drinks (Sidral, Sangria, Jumex juices),

Patron Secret Dining Society: NYC Secrets Revealed

Last week, Piggie Hubby and I had the pleasure of enjoying a cocktail hour and 4-course dinner prepared by Chef Marcus Samuelsson along with Patron cocktail pairings by Mixologist Tomas Delos Reyes.  At no cost to us yipppeeeee!

     

It all started with a Patron Liqueur Double Dark Chocolate Mini-Bundt Cake.  A while ago my husband got this delicious chocolate tequila cake in the mail for his birthday, compliments of Patron. 

One bundt cake later, I signed up to be a member of the Patron Social Club so that I too could get this delicious treat sent to me in the mail.  Fast forward seven or eight months to current day – we received an email from

Pho finally in HK: ChaPa's Vietnamese Noodles and Grill

Hurrah! Pho has arrived in Midtown West!  There’s been an absence of pho around here, but lo and behold, as I was doing my weekly run to Stiles Farmers Market (that’s how I discovered Danji as well), I caught sight of the ChaPa’s Vietnamese Noodles and Grill sign.  Every day after that, I impatiently awaited the grand opening.

That day finally arrived – here’s what I had:

Sweet Potato Shrimp Fritters, Lightly battered deep-fried sweet potato and shrimp served with lettuce, pickled carrots, and daikon.  Served with Vietnamese fish sauce.

Surrounded by Culinary Greatness: James Beard Awards Ceremony & Gala

The James Beard Awards were this past Monday but already seem like a distant memory – I wish I could do it again!  Rubbing shoulders with the best chefs and TV food personalities in the country?  Sounds good to me.  We walked past the red carpet (green, actually) as Susan Ungaro (President of the James Beard Foundation), Tom Colicchio, Marcus Samuelsson, and his model wife Maya Haile were arriving.  The funniest thing was when one of the press photographers thought we were actually some kind of famous couple (see photo below - hahah in hindsight, we should have played along). 

 

I was no more than a foot away as Bobby Flay was getting interviewed.  James Beard Award winner Saipin Chutima (Lotus of Siam) sat two rows in front of us during the awards ceremony.  We ran into Yigit (winner of Top Chef: Just Desserts) and my husband yelled out to him and said hello.  We saw Wylie Dufresne of wd~50,

Eat Sandwich Feel Good: City Sandwich

I’ve been on a sandwich kick…ever since I’ve had teeth (a pretty long time).  Crusty bread, meat, and cheese stacked high then preferably toasted, pressed, or grilled in some way.  Now that’s a meal.  So you see, when I found out a new sandwich shop was opening up in the HK ‘hood in October of last year, I knew I had to try it.

With an unassuming name like City Sandwich, you wouldn’t expect it to offer anything more than your average midtown deli sandwich.  Oh, if you only knew how wrong you were.  As you step into the entrance, you immediately are greeted by the fragrant scent of golden bread, the finest meats and cheeses, and all of the other delicious fresh ingredients emanating from the kitchen. 

The Golden Ticket: James Beard Awards!

I’m going to the James Beard Awards on May 9!!!

By a crazy twist of fate, I somehow won two tickets to the James Beard Awards and Gala Reception (thank you SeriousEats and Green & Black's)!  For those of you who don’t know what the James Beard Awards is, it’s basically an event where all of the biggest names in the food and beverage industry (from restaurants, TV, publications) come out to honor and celebrate the James Beard Award nominees, winners, and most notably, the diverse cultures that have formed our American cuisine.  It’s only appropriate that this year’s event is themed “The Ultimate Melting Pot.”  Time Magazine calls it “the Oscars of the food world” and that explanation seems to have stuck – but psh, I say this is WAY better than the Oscars and can stand on its own. 

Allow me to enlighten you on the “melting pot” that will be showcased at the Gala Reception.  20 or so of the best chefs from around the country will be churning out beautiful dishes of some of the most amazing food I will ever eat in my life.  To top it off, I’ll be rubbing shoulders with the best chefs and restaurateurs in the country plus my favorite Food Network and Top Chef stars!!!!  Ahhhhh somebody pinch me, I’m not sure if this is real! 

Assignment for May 9: find a black-tie worthy dress that gives me plenty of room to eat =).  Stay tuned for my update after the event!

James Beard Awards 2011

http://www.jbfawards.com/2011/events.php

Tavern on the Green Truck: Free Food Giveaway

What better way to end a run around Central Park then to treat yourself to some free food from the food trucks at Tavern on the Green?  

According to Grubstreet, the food trucks at Tavern on the Green are returning to spring / summer hours.  They're celebrating by giving away one free dish per truck (that's right, you can get a free dish from every single truck)! 

Location: Tavern on the Green, 67th and Central Park West

Event Date: Saturday, April 16 (Sunday if it rains).  

Time: 2-4pm

Participating Trucks:

Ladle of Love

Pera Turkish Tacos

Rickshaw Dumplings

Van Leeuwen

Danji: Korean Tapas in Hell's Kitchen

If you were to ask someone from NYC what neighborhood to check out for a great meal, you’d probably hear East Village, Tribeca, West Village, Lower East Side, Chelsea; more blatantly, what I’m trying to say is that the last answer you would ever hear is Hell’s Kitchen.  

I am here to invalidate all of the anti-Hell’s Kitchen folks out there and open their eyes to the delights that my beloved neighborhood has to offer.  I have lived in this area since I moved to the city four years ago, so admittedly I am biased (and those who know me also realize I tend to stay in the vicinity purely out of laziness).  But all of that aside, Hell’s Kitchen is booming.

Tri Tip Grill: Where Carnivores Unite

If you’re feeling especially carnivorous, check out Tri Tip Grill to satisfy your hunger.  That’s what I did when I was craving a big slab of meat (apologies to the vegetarians out there reading this).  

Tri Tip Grill definitely did the trick – take a look at what we ordered:

Little Buck – 4 oz. of thinly sliced tri tip served with caramelized onions or au jus dipping sauce

World's Largest Bake Sale For Food Bank at Grand Central Terminal

Where and how can you get Sandra Lee, Lidia Bastianich, Mario Batali, Duff Goldman, Emeril Lagasse, and Rosanna Scotto all under one roof?

Tomorrow, March 29, 2011, from 11:30am to 7pm at Grand Central’s Vanderbilt Hall!

The Bake Sale, hosted by Sandra Lee, will offer goodies from 30 well-known New York City restaurants and chefs. According to Grand Central’s website, it will include Ciao Bella Gelato, Junior's Restaurant, Magnolia, Manhattan Chili Company, Murray's, Zaro's, Del Posto, and Fresco by Scotto.

More importantly, it’s all for a good cause – the Food Bank.

Check out full details at: http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/go/mallEvents.cfm?eventID=2145383784

Fuji Bakery: Best Chinese Pineapple Custard Buns

Ever since my parents brought home Chinese pineapple buns when I was little, or “bolo bao", I’ve been hooked.  Years later, I discovered the pineapple buns filled with custard filling – those have become my absolute favorite.  I tried to make them a few weeks ago (check out my version here), but from now on, I’m going straight to the professionals.

 

And by professionals, I mean Fuji Bakery.  Before, I used to go to one of my favorite Chinatown bakeries to get my pineapple custard bun fix, but then one day, my husband came home with this large, football shaped pineapple bun abundant with custard filling – see for yourself:

 I want one.  Now.

Air France Gourmet Food & Joel Robuchon for all?

Courtesy of Conde Nast, I just learned that an Air France Gourmet Food Truck will hit the streets of NYC from this Thursday, March 24, 2011 to next Monday, March 28, 2011. Have breakfast, lunch, and dinner compliments of Air France and Joel Robuchon.

Joel Robuchon is a culinary legend that holds the title of "Chef of the Century" with a dozen restaurants that have a combined 26 Michelin stars.  I am definitely not going to miss this!

Francois Payard & Macaron Day 2011

I just can’t get enough macarons.  My husband and I are slowly eating our way around Manhattan’s best macaron shops.  One bakery we’ve been wanting to try for a long time is Francois Chocolate Bar, named after the chef / owner, Francois Payard.  Payard is the real deal, a French pastry chef from Nice who sharpened his skills in Paris.  Well lucky me, it just so happens that my husband came home and surprised me with a whole box!  

 Pretty packaging

Co Ba: Mediocre Banh Mi

Serious Eats, you have failed me.  Serious Eats NY recently had a post titled “The Best Banh Mi in Manhattan, NYC” that listed the top ten banh mi establishments in the city.  I foolishly believed them.  I feel swindled.  Number one on their list, Banh Mi Zon, I immediately crossed out because the photo of the classic sandwich didn’t look particularly appetizing – where was the delicious roast pork?

I decided I wanted to give number two a try, Co Ba.  My go-to banh mi place, Banh Mi Saigon, was number four on the list.  I absolutely LOVE their banh mi, so based on Serious Eats’ recommendation, I figured Co Ba had to be nothing short of amazing.

Wah.  Where to begin?  I ordered two different banh mi to go:

Ode to Peanut Butter: The Nutropolitan Museum of Art

Oh yes - I did indeed go to a Peanut Butter Museum last week.

The creamy, crunchy goodness is so close to my heart that I actually bothered to venture downtown to check out “The Nutropolitan Museum of Art” (I haven’t even been to the Met yet),  a PB&J art exhibit presented by Peanut Butter & Co. and the National Peanut Board (did anyone know it was National Peanut Month?). 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this excursion.  I think I went in with expectations that were a bit too high.  I was hoping for some 3D edible art creations (maybe I was just hungry), but the gallery consisted of a small white room with various peanut butter photos hung on the walls – a peanut butter sandwich “fashion show” if you will.  The photos were cool, quirky, and some of them looked quite tasty.  Here are a few of my favorites below: 

PB & Banana "hotdog"? Count me in.

Lotus of Siam: Best Thai Food?

I have a deep rooted love for Thai food.  I’m surrounded by it in my neighborhood and find myself eating it at least 3-4 times a month.  I had heard Lotus of Siam, an apparently legendary Thai restaurant in Las Vegas (some have praised it as being the best Thai restaurant in the nation), was opening up a location in New York City.  An authentic Thai restaurant over 150 dishes deep in Vegas, the newly opened NYC location had an abridged menu and higher prices.   In my honest opinion, extravagant Asian food doesn’t make sense.  It’s an oxymoron.  Traditional Thai food isn’t meant to have all these extra bells and whistles.   This is my long-winded way of saying I was initially a bit hesitant at trying this restaurant.

I don’t regret a single bite.  My friend and I shared two dishes and both were absolutely delicious.  I still think it’s overpriced for what it is, and I get that rent is high on 5th Avenue, and anywhere else in Manhattan for that matter; but in any event, I probably won’t be a repeat customer.  And it looks like the creators agree – Bill and Saipin Chutima abandoned this venture back in January according to Diner’s Journal stating it’s against their original vision: “homey and affordable.”  I wish owner Roy Welland listened. Anyways, back to the most important part, the food!

 

Basque-ing in Glory

Another restaurant week adventure – my husband and I wanted to check out the newest China Grill Management restaurant, Bar Basque.  They specialize in Spanish / Basque cuisine.  Having just opened in October 2010, we figured they had to have a good restaurant week menu to woo in new clientele.  And that they did.  They had a comprehensive menu with a lot of options coming straight off their normal menu.  

Often times (or it seems so to me), restaurants tend to haphazardly throw together dishes specifically for the restaurant week menu, only to turn off diners with their mediocrity.  In my past experience, restaurants that stay true to their normal menu are far more successful and leave customers with a positive impression. 

City Lobster and Steak

My hubs and I had a super early dinner yesterday (5pm, senior citizen's style) - we checked out City Lobster and Steak.  The reviews for the restaurant are mediocre, but I wanted to try it anyways.  The restaurant week menu looked mouth-watering, so despite some of the negative reviews, they had me sold.  Goes to show that putting time in to create a menu that really sounds amazing will entice customers (or maybe just me…). 

Check it out:

Cookie Sampling: Ruby et Violette

After lunch with my coworkers last week, we decided to check out a cookie shop I recently discovered in the area.   I remembered reading a food blog post about the “best chocolate chip cookies in NYC” that featured Ruby et Violette in the top ten.  I was so excited to see that such a famed cookie establishment was in my neighborhood.

Ruby et Violette isn’t your ordinary cookie shop – they have a huge selection of flavors (apparently over 100 throughout the year), and the only recognizable flavor is “Perfect”, their rendition of the classic chocolate chip cookie.  It’s a very cute little shop that’s all white inside and has some café style seating inside.  Besides cookies, they also sell various kinds of brownies and ice cream (definitely something I’ll be sampling during my next visit)

As I approached the counter and eyed the 20 different flavors of cookies available that day, I was a bit overwhelmed.  There were so many cookies to choose from, and being the cookie monster that I am, I wanted them all.  But alas, being $2 / cookie (and that was the “special of the day” too, typically $2.50 each), I decided it was best not to drop $40 on cookies.  I opted to get six different cookies to split with my husband.  Behold, the chosen ones:

Top: Perfect, Friday Night Foosball, Peanut Butter Chip

Bottom: The Breakup, Carrot Cake, Cookies 'n' Cream