Aldea

3.8.10

I really didn't know what to expect at Aldea. I didn't even know what Portuguese food was?? All I knew was that we were going to try the sea-urchin toast and the sonhos (fried doughnut) dessert. Although most critics/ reviews recommended the arroz de pato dish, we decided to settle on fish dishes, not because we didn't want to try it, but because we'd been eating a lot meat recently and it was starting to show around our waist.

Happy 6th Birthday BLT Steak

3.3.10 It was BLT Steak's 6th Birthday last Wednesday, and we had the pleasure of celebrating the special day with discounts from their menu. All the sides, cocktails, desserts were $3.03 and the entrees were $33.04. We couldn't hold back so we went all out. Here's the long list of things we ordered:

• Onion Rings
• Creamy Spinach
• Potato Gratin
• Parmesan Gnocchi
• Stuffed Mushroom Caps
• New York Strip 16 oz
• Filet 12 oz

Some kind of pate with a layer of wine (compliments from the chef) Onion Rings Creamy Spinach

Parmesan Gnocchi

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Filet Mignon Filet Mignon Rare New York Strip

My favorite thing about eating at a steakhouse is the side itself. My favorite sides at BLT Steak were the potato gratin and creamy spinach. The stuffed mushroom caps were savory, but a little too bland for me. Also, the onion rings weren't crispy enough. Nevertheless, we cleared our plates. As for the steak itself, it was cooked perfectly. I ordered medium rare and my bf ordered rare, but it wasn't too rough or dripping from blood. It was just right. The steak was covered with seasoning, adding enough flavor to the meat. But, I wish I had tried the various sauces on their menu. Thankfully, this gives me another excuse to check out BLT Steak again. Happy 6th Birthday! The birthday bash was a great way to celebrate the success of BLT Steak.

Porky Me at Porchetta & Luke's Lobster

3.2.10 Porchetta was next on our stop. We got a 30% discount coupon from BBE, so we decided to make a trip to the East Village joint. Knowing that Porchetta was crowded and popular, we chose a weeknight to check out the hot spot. The place is more like a kitchen with a small seating area, but just enough stools to call it a restaurant. We were lucky to get a seat right in front of the heated Porchetta that was making us drool while we were waiting for our food. We ordered:

• Porchetta Sandwich
• Porchetta Plate
• Crispy Potatoes and burnt ends

Porchetta

Porchetta Plate

Porchetta Sandwich

Crispy Potatoes with Burnt Ends

The meal was absolutely delicious, but we were still hungry. We knew we would be hungry within an hour, so we decided to hit up Luke's Lobster while we were in the neighborhood. At Luke's Lobster we wanted to get a small bite, so we settled on...

• A Taste of Maine- small lobster, crab & shrimp rolls, a pair of empress claws, chips & a drink

Both meals were very satisfying and I'd like to go back to both restaurants for a bigger meal. Needless to say, Porchetta was a memorable experience. Their plate was full of flavor and crispiness. I've never had such crispy pork skins and potatoes. The name sounded a little funky at first, but the taste was far from funky. It was more porky than anything. The dishes were even better when spiced up with hot sauce (just ask for a side of hot sauce when you order). Then, the night got better when we ordered the 3 seafood snack rolls at Luke's Lobster. We were debating whether to order just the lobster roll or try all 3, but I'm glad we ordered the snack special. The lobster roll was good, but the highlight of the special was the claws. They have so much meat on them that it's hard to believe that you can get 4 claws for only $5. I was definitely full by the end of the night. I will be taking another trip to Porchetta an Luke's Lobster sometime very soon. I have to mention one thing..Luke's Lobster had this funky drink that was ginger flavored. It was one of the flavors from the Maine Root all natural soda line. I literally took one sip and through out the rest. After one sip, it felt like I had a whole ginger root in my mouth. Eww...

Italian Dishes...Barbuto Style

2.28.10 Barbuto was one of the restaurants on our list of places to go. When we got a reservation a couple of weeks ago, we were excited and shocked at the same time since we couldn't get a table before. Nevertheless, my bf and I were happy campers. Unfortunately, this Sunday in particular, we were feeling lazy and grungy. After a night of endless House Hunter re-runs, we didn't get enough sleep the night before. It also didn't help that we were on the East side, and the restaurant was on the total opposite side of us. But, in our sluggish state, we trekked out to the Meatpacking District for some Italian food. To be honest, I was a little disappointed when I first walked in to the restaurant. Not only was it too dark, but the place was half empty. With very little expectations, I ordered pasta from the limited Primi selection, and my bf chose a fish dish. In an attempt to eat healthy, we both ordered some vegetable appetizers.

• Insalata Barbabietole: roasted beets, warm goat cheese, walnuts & mache
• Bruschetta: creamy cannellini beans, arugula & white anchovies
• Gnocchi alla noce: potato dumplings, walnuts & gorganzola cream
• Salmon
• Polenta Fritti: crispy polenta & parmesan

olives for the table

roasted beets salad

Bruschetta

Gnocchi Salmon Crispy Polenta

Now I know what the American proverb, "Don't judge a book by its cover," means. Despite my poor judgment of the restaurant from its outer appearance, the food was delicious. There really isn't anything special about bruschetta, roasted beets salad, or even the ever-popular salmon at Italian restaurants. But, all the dishes at Barbuto had a unique flavor to them. It definitely wasn't your everyday Italian cuisine. The bruschetta with cannellini beans, arugula and white anchovies was divine, and the walnuts in the roasted beets salad helped compliment the simple dish. If it wasn't for the walnut in the gnocchi dish, the pasta would have been a typical gnocchi entree covered with cheese. I like Barbuto's Italian cuisine...it's one of a kind.

My Love for Cheese @ Artisanal

2.26.10 I don't know if I ever told you how much I love cheese. I love cheese so much, that I dream of living in a cheese paradise with a never-ending supply of every cheese you can imagine. You get the point. I'm obsessed with cheese. So, it's amazing how long it's taken me to visit Artisanal, the French cheese bistro, when I've lived in New York for over 3 years. Anyway, my bf and I braved through the blizzardy snow storm on Friday and had dinner at Artisanal. We actually reserved the place in advance to get our free cheese plate, compliments of Blackboard Eats (wonderful discount service). Despite the snow storm, the restaurant was packed. Immediately upon entering the dining area, my nose was going crazy, trying to pick up the various cheese smell. After breathing in the delicious cheese aroma, I calmed myself down. I was in heaven. After perusing through the menu, I decided on the fondue special and my bf settled on the fish. We ordered...

• Three Seasonal Cheese Plate
• Fondue du Jour (cheddar cheese served with bacon lardons)
• Maine Diver Scallop
• Pomme Frites

Maine Diver Scallop

Fondue du Jour

Fondue du Jour

side of bread for the Fondue Pomme Frites

I definitely got my cheese fix for the month. If it wasn't for their exceptional cheese selection, I wouldn't be going back to Artisanal. The fondue was tasty, but there wasn't anything special about their fondue in particular. Not sure if it was the type of cheese or the bacon in it, but I wasn't fully satisfied. Even with the scallops, it was tender and the size of each scallop was pretty decent, but they were slightly little lukewarm. Next time, I might just go during happy hour for a cheese plate and wine pairing.

Sangria Date at Tia Pol

2.16.10 There are several tapas place in the city, but Tia Pol is one of my favorite small plate restaurants. I always enjoy the sangria, the food and the people serving us. This time was no different. The waiter was extremely friendly, the food was superb as always, and the sangria was delicately made. What I love most about tapas places is that you can taste several different dishes without breaking your bank account. Here are the dishes we tried...(not specifically in this order)

• Brandada- salt cod and potato puree
• Croquetas de jamon- ham croquettes
• Txipirones en su tinta- squid in ink with rice
• Pulpo la ideal- galician style octopus terrine
• Huevos rellenos al pimenton de la vera- deviled eggs
• Seared sea scallops
• Veal bone marrow baguette
• Goat cheese & beets salad

Red Sangria Goat cheese & beets salad Seared Sea Scallops Veal bone marrow baguette galician style octopus terrine Ham croquettes Squid in ink with rice Deviled eggs Salt cod and potato puree

Everything we ate was savory. I had high expectations for the veal bone marrow baguette, but it was mediocore. On the other hand, the squid in ink dish was exquisite. It has always been my favorite dish at Tia Pol, and it still is. The other tapas places have similar menus, but the squid in ink with rice is unique to this restaurant.

Brunch at Belcourt

2.15.10 With the launch of Belcourt's brunch menu, Tasting Table NYC was offering a 30% discount off the meal, giving us an incentive to wake up early on President's Day. Although we didn't wake up early, there were tables available around 2 pm. As always, we were starving, so we ordered a handful of dishes to share. We settled on...

• Vanilla and bourbon French Toast with house made ricotta and New York State maple syrup

• Pani Frattau, music-paper bread lasagna with house made ricotta, creme fraiche, parmesan and poached eggs

• Grilled Cheese and Sage Sandwich with organic tomato soup and mixed green salad

• side of Pork Sausage with Dijon mustard

side of Pork Sausage

Vanilla and Bourbon French Toast

Grilled Cheese and Sage Sandwich

Pani Frattau

My favorite was the french toast. It wasn't soggy nor was it eggy. It was a real french toast. I loved that the house made ricotta added a little kick to the overall taste. It helped neutralize the sweetness in the maple syrup. The tomato soup was also really good. Most places make watery tomato soup, but Belcourt's tomato soup is smooth and creamy. I can actually taste the tomato flavor. We ordered a lot of food, but we ate everything (including the sauce on the plates). If I was a chef, I think I would like to see empty plates return to the kitchen, not half eaten plates.