A Year Ago Today...

Mr. Broad and I got hitched! And a day after that (because I was super crazy) I moved to New York City. As I told my father, it was the best going away party ever...

Mr. Broad and I have big plans for our first anniversary. In 6 weeks we are going to Brazil! Don't worry you'll hear plenty about that. But time to celebrate in the meantime.

And on a "smaller" scale we decided to go out for a nice sushi dinner. Mr. Broad and I haven't found a good quality sushi place. Suggestions?? And because we have yet to get a gift card to Masa (at $500 a person I'm not holding my breathe...) we went to one that is just as good and more practical. And actually Frank Bruni, New York Times food critic, in his last post commented on it as some of the best sushi to get in the city.

It's been a year and Mr. Broad and I are so ahead of the times here.

Sushi Yasuda

204 E 43rd Street

We sat down and the attentive waiter asked us if we would like to pick out our own sushi or would we like the chef to plan our meal for us. Umm. I looked at Mr. Broad and gave myself a "Just try it" pep talk. We went with the omakase (chef's choice!) option. We gave the waiter a run down on our likes but moreso our dislikes. Me- no mushrooms. Mr. Broad- no oysters! (He's allergic.) And definitely no cream cheese. Our waitress laughed. Have no fear, this was definitely no place that served a salmon/cream cheese roll.

So what did the chef provide us with??

Flash fried soft shell crab

On the side was green onions and a sweet sauce to dip it in. Or sea salt and lemon if you preferred. Oh we were in business.

Next up sashimi.

From top left to right.

Clams. Yellow tail. Fatty tuna.

(2nd row) Scallops. And Yellow Tail (again).

Holy freshness. This was awesome. I put on my brave face and went for the clams first. A bit tough but pretty good. The scallops were a bit on the crunchy side surprisingly. They were from a different part of the scallop than what I am normally used to. Mr. Broad was way into this. The yellow tail was hands down amazing. Followed by the fatty tuna which made Mr. Broad close his eyes so he could savor it all.

And here we go. Sushi.

Two of each, starting at the top left.

Eel, Mackarel, Red Snapper (imported from Japan), Super fatty Tuna

Bottom Rows- Sea urchin, What WAS that?? Mr. Broad informed me later Tasmanian Trout, and Yellow Tail

Okay. While I have far graduated from the california rolls of sushi I was a bit nervous for some of these rolls but tried them all. And could not get over how much I enjoyed every. last. one.

Starting with eel. Really?? I equate eels to snakes. And snakes scare me. So I don't like eel. Well, wrong. I love eel. I HEART eel. Note. I still do. not. like snakes.

Other highlights included: the mackerel (it's not fishy!), the "super" fatty tuna. Apparently the tuna is done in grades and this was a Grade A. No really, that's what they told us.

The sea urchin- was one of Mr. Broad's favorite and from what we were told it's soo good that they export this sea urchin to Japan!

Okay we get it it's quality stuff.

And another picture of the pretty fish. Don't they all look alike after awhile?

The waitress stopped by again. "Would you like the chef to prepare you a couple more rolls? Maybe 2 - 3?" It was like my Jewish grandmother trying to get us to eat more chopped liver. Oh chef. We'll take two.

Artic Char in the front. And in the back. Sardines. I gave a gulp but my brain pushed my stomach ahead to try it. So I tried a bite of the sardine and it wasn't that bad. I still gave the other bite to Mr. Broad though. But the artic char, which might I remind you is not salmon. Was just awesome.

We were completely stuffed but I might have told our waitress that it was our anniversary. And nothing like blowing out a candle on your anniversary.

Kiwi, pineapple, and payapa.

Hmm does even the fruit taste better??

Review

Well, Mr. Broad and I finally found a top notch sushi restaurant. The fish was extremely fresh and the sticky rice was like little pillows that stuck to the fish. Mr. Broad couldn't stop talking about the uni (sea urchin) and I now have a whole new appreciation for eel. If we were to go back- which we will- we'll definitely ask for a reservation at the sushi bar. But we'll still let the chef pick our dinner, without a doubt. As long as they hold the mushrooms.

Rating 10

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Oh... and because we decided to keep the night going strong, we went to a tequila bar. Talk about really pushing myself to try something new. Tequila and I don't get along that well. Outside of the occasional margarita, there was this one night when we got into a really bad "fight." I was in Atlantic City and let's just say that black escalade never knew what it had coming. And no I'm not referring to driving.

Mayahuel

304 E Sixth St.

This is one of those bars where everyone wants a table to sit. And because of it, there was a 30 minute wait. We finally get in (after a quick starter drink) and survey the menu. I'm easily overwhelmed. There are some food items but really the main highlights revolve around tequila. I let the waitress know that I would like something fruity. And floral. That's my way of saying girly.

Mr. Broad went straight for a tequila which came with a shot of sangrita. Sangrita is pretty much like non alcoholic bloody mary that cleans your palette. Mr. Broad was a fan all around.

My drink was amazing. And quickly one drink turned into two... And tequila and I made amends.

Review: After talking with the bartender I exposed my tequila naiveity and told him I'm only aware of Petron. Why is it not on the menu I asked?

Bartender: "Because we don't serve crap tequila." Well said. A schooling on the different varieties of tequila later ("If you want an awful hangover with a crazy night- go get yourself some Cuerva), Mr. Broad and I were big fans of this bar.

Rating: 10

Until finally one of these were uh, maybe ordered later at night.

Oh corn dog, How I heart thee.

PS- Happy Anniversary Mr. Broad!! To my favorite eater of all things weird. I love you.

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When You're Here, You're Family...

If there is one cuisine that hasn't gotten a fair representation from Mr. Broad and me, it's Italian.

I'm a fan of Italian, but Mr. Broad has other thoughts-- he equates Italian food to Olive Garden.. and well, the unlimited salad bowl. However, we're in New York. You can eat out for 365 nights a year without eating at the same restaurant twice AND without going to a chain restaurant.

And Mr. Broad and fresh homemade pasta, proscuitto, sausages... Well, that's a whole other different class of Italian food.

L'artusi

228 West 10th Street

This place had the good ol' critic's pick rating and all of our research showed we would have a good night. We got there and the atmosphere pointed to a trendy/hip scene but have no fear, Mr. Broad and I fit in just fine. We're really adjusting to New York just fine.

The menu was separated out in six sections that roughly translated to appetizers, fish, entrees , pasta, vegetables and side dishes. Our waiter explained to us that you should order one from each section. Whoa. What is this tapas? Don't tapas typically have cheaper prices??

We ignored his advice but decided to order a couple things to share.

Hamachi with Fennel, lemon

We tried for the scallops but they were already sold out for the night. Grr. The hamachi, however, was a very welcome order. A small plate of fresh fish on top of some creme (what was that??) with a small fennel salad on the side. The presentation was clearly part of the price.

Bruschetta

I was a little disappointed that Mr. Broad wanted this dish. There were so many amazing items on the menu, we've had brushetta before, let's get something different!! (Oddly, yes, this came from me...) But out neighbors at the restaurant ordered it and well, Mr. Broad had big eyes.

Wow. The fresh tomatoes were soaked in olive oil and put on a thick crust of bread. It was the type of brushetta that did better with a fork and knife. I exclaimed to Mr. Broad- "Wow, you forget that these are tomatoes on top and that they are good for you!". Mr. Broad politely reminded me how much olive oil they were soaked in.

Too good and too pretty to not take another picture...

Orchiette with lamb sausage and swiss chard

Oh how I love orchiette pasta. This is one of those pastas I haven't been familiar with until I came to New York. It looks like small shells but tastes like... well, amazing pasta! And added with lamb sausage and the swiss chard, it all came together very, very well. Mr. Broad and I had one of those conversations where we were kinda joking/kinda serious about licking the bowl. But really, I think we were more serious.

Hanger Steak with crispy potatoes and Salsa Bianco

Then came our steak. In the center was a big glob of what looked like sour cream until we tasted it. Definitely homemade, we consulted with our waiter who told us it was creme fraiche with horse radish mixed in. And it was good. The potatoes were a bit too salty but the creme fraiche cut that salt nicely. And the meat was a nice red medium-rare just like we like it.

Review:

L'artusi was a wonderful welcome back to Italian food for Mr. Broad and myself. A restaurant that had some "scene" to it but the food fit the atmosphere just perfectly. We have already talked about going back with friends or well just ourselves. If not to try the scallops. The service was excellent and because the waiter noticed our picture taking and thought I was doing a serious write up (I like to convince myself that's why) he hooked us up with two glasses of dessert wine which was a nice ending to a true Italian evening.

Rating: 10 (Mr. Broad agreed with me and did not think I was inflating this. So there).

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Just like Mom used to make. Kinda.

It's funny in New York you can get a restaurant around anything. I've blogged about a store dedicated to Rice Pudding and even Macaroni and Cheese. Now what about all things Peanut Butter. We got it.

Because only in NYC, can they take the cheap PB&J sandwich, include potato chips/carrot sticks and charge $7 for it. Marketing rocks I'm telling you!

Peanut Butter & Co.

240 Sullivan Street

Mr. Broad and I wanted simple and well, you can't get any more simpler than this! Their menu is mainly varieties of peanut butter sandwiches, intense peanut butter desserts, and yes some "regular" deli sandwiches. But why bother.

I became a deer in headlights looking at the menu, completely overwhelmed and spurted out the first thing that I could see. If given a second chance I think I'd spring for the Elvis.

Dark Chocolate Dreams Sandwich: Chocolate Peanut Butter and cherry jam, stuffed with shredded coconut. I'm telling you they put a snazzy name on it and added coconut. It was good, however I could have used more of the chocolate flavor. Couldn't I always...

A close up with the coconut

Might Maple

Obviously Mr. Broad had no problem narrowing down his sandwich. Peanut butter with bacon. He enjoyed it and mentioned that the bacon had crystallized sugar. uh, YUM.

The anatomy of a peanut butter bacon sandwich.

Review:

It's PB&J but jazzed up. What's not to like?? Mr. Broad mentioned that the shop definitely catered more to females. True.. women do get into the speciality shops. But the shop really has something for everyone. All of the sandwiches come with a bag of chips and some carrot sticks. A cute touch if I do say so. And the sandwiches are actually pretty large but not as thick as I would have liked. Cause I really can smear on some peanut butter. They really thought of everything here on this menu. A pregnant lady sandwich (PB with pickles) or ants on a log (PB on celery with raisins)... Creativity at it's peak. They of course sell their own peanut butter with lots of varieties (white chocolate PB, spicy PB...). I'm only surprised they don't offer a peanut butter sandwich with no crusts. All in due time.

Rating: 6.5

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Maybe I should read the manual to do this restaurant justice

If you do know how to take better food pictures please feel free and let me know.

Anyway it's not often that I write up about a restaurant more than once.

Okay except for maybe him. There have been only a handful of restaurants that Mr. Broad and I have gone to a second time because there really are so many options here.

BUT we had Mr. Broad's father and sister in town and we wanted to take them to a restaurant that we had already tried and make the grade.

Perilla

9 Jones Street

Last time we went to Perilla, we had imbibed quite a bit beforehand. We knew it was good but it was time Mr. Broad and I really appreciated the food and not let the alcohol talk.

Mr. Broad's sister had a keen observation that the descriptions were long when really she was getting steak. I guess that's part of the charm, knowing the specific fresh ingredients all part of the dishes.

The place itself is a small typical Greenwich Village restaurant where your tables are close to your neighbors. And it's dark. So that's my excuse why my pictures look like crap. And I thought Apple products would solve everything but alas. There is only so much "enhancing" you can do on an already crappy picture.

Raw Hamachi: Fresh water chestnuts, laksa leaf, crispy taro & spicy passion fruit dressing

The fresh hamachi was on the bottom with the taro chips on top. This dish was extremely refreshing... the only complaint I think was that it was too small...

Duck Meatballs

mint cavatelli, water spinach & quail egg

This was slightly spicy but extremely tasty. A meatball for each of us with the sauce just extremely decadent, we all were dunking our table bread in it.

Striped Bass special.

It wasn't on their menu and I forgot all the other ingredients but it looks damn good and tasted even better. Don't you just love plating and what they do with the sauce bottles?

Roasted Duck Breast

Duck Fat Popcorn, Purple Yams, Pluots, Massaman Curry

Aah I like to think I got the best dish at the table but I know that everyone else would disagree. My friend in DC reported recently that popcorn was the new trend in the restaurant scene. I had not seen it up in NYC until here. I don't know if this was the popcorn she was refering to but wow. How amazing. All of the flavors came together really well (such a Gail Simmons term). And Pluots! How can you NOT like Pluots!! A plum/apricot cross for hybrid novice.

Grilled Prime Creekstone hanger steak

Sunchoke creamed spinach, Red Shallot Puree and Au Jus

I helped Mr. Broad's sister pick out this dish, explaining what Au Jus and Sunchokes are. I really am a good entree chooser if I do say so myself. Although it came with roasted mushrooms. Which are good if you like that sorta fungus.

Tasting of 3 Little Pigs

Berkshire Tenderloin, Crispy Wild boar belly (sausage), Spicy Hampshire Pork Booty Pate

Guesses who got this one? Right. Mr. Broad got his fair share of the swine. Mr. Broad enjoyed all of them making one of those "I'm in heaven" faces. The tenderloin (the one in the middle) was one of his favorites, and from my fork stealing I must agree.

Review

Perilla, take two. The pictures are still the same crappy quality but the food was better than I imagined. Innovative with seasonal ingredients. Mr. Broad's sister exclaimed it was one of her better meals she's ever had. And still no Harold Dietrich siting. Which makes you wonder... How often are the chefs actually at their own restaurant?...

Rating: 10. Again.

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I'm an Izakaya Sensei. Self Proclaimed.

Living in NYC, we regularly have visitors. You'd think that going on the Staten Island Ferry would get old but honestly it doesn't. There's nothing like seeing the skyline of Manhattan on the ferry. And it also gives you a whole new perspective.

Father in law (FIL) and my 15 year old sister-in-law (SIL) were in town visiting and SIL had mentioned that she wanted to try something different and was up for anything.

Uh oh.

You do not tell that to Mr. Broad.

I pulled the reigns in a bit on Mr. Broad and we decided that Izakaya would be a good place to go due to their variety of food. When most people think of Japanese food they think sushi. Or Maybe a Benihana steak house. A very popular Japanese food-type is an Izakaya which is considered pub food. Some of the food they serve at Iazakaya's are Yakatori. It's like small kabobs. Can't get more simpler than that. You follow?

We've been to the two other sister restaurants in NYC of this place so this was the last one we tried.

Sobo Totto

211 E 43rd street

We ordered a lot. There were four of us so we went a bit crazy. Plus the portions were real small. I swear!!

First up, pickles and pickled radishes.

You know how sometimes you try things based on appearance?? Yeah I passed on this one. The other three of them had no problem with this one. Although I remember the radish received comments that it was a bit bland.

Fried Wonton Cheese- deep fried wontons filled with cheese

This sounds a lot better than it was. Basically an Asian take on mozzarella sticks. I'd stick to the American version.

Jidori Karaage- Japanese Style Fried Chicken

I was a bit disappointed in this chicken. I've had karage (which I normally heart) before but there was nothing Japanese to this. It was moreso just American fried chicken and didn't have any tang or tenderness I'm used to.

Tuna Sashimi marinated in Garlic Soy Sauce and Wasabi

One of the best dishes of the night.

The tuna was extremely fresh and I appreciated the thickness of the cut. A bit deceiving sashimi which is normally served paper thin. But you could actually taste the tuna this time.

Mori Soba served with cold dipping sauces.

It's really just cold Asian noodles. But don't tell that to Mr. Broad...He was happily slurping away!

And now for the Yakatori. The Kabob-like portion.

Asparagus wrapped in a slice of bacon. Can't get much better than this. Also ordered was an asparagus wrapped in chicken. You can guess which one was better.

Kobe beef tongue. This was ordered by Mr. Broad's father. Just in case you wonder whom he gets it from.

Hatsu. It means Heart. Ordered by Mr. Broad because he had to one-up his father.

Japanese Green peppers served with bonito flakes

I looove japanese green peppers. They really aren't spicy but have lots of spice and flavor.

Chicken Thigh and scallion.

Tastes much better than the quality of the picture.

A view of a bunch of stuff from Mr. Broad's side

Japanese peppers... A chicken meat ball with a quail egg.

Right around here we were doing the "should-we-or-shouldn't-we" game. Do we go for one last small dish. Well what do you think we decided.

A medley of tempura.

Pretty good if not typical. Do you see that white clump on the botton left. That's not tempura, it's daikon. Was soft, mush and quite possibly the oddest texture. And tasted uh, not good. How's that for specific-ness?...

Review:

Gotta love Izakaya. It's like tapas so it allows you to sample many different varieties. And don't be fooled by the "large" pictures with this post. They aren't. All of the "kabobs" are no longer than 3 inches. The camera definitely added some weight to these. (The myth is TRUE!) And they serve the dishes out as they are ready so it's a nice rolling dinner. Lots to chose from, lots to share, and Mr. Broad gets his Japanese fill. Again.

Rating: 7.5

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The Last Flea Market I was at was in Florida. This was way different.

Leave it to New Yorkers to come out with a trendy/hipster flea market. I've been to the ones in Florida that has many senior citizens driving around in their motorized scooters... eaten a knish, gotten a fake watch or two.

So I was interested to see what this one would bring.

Brooklyn Flea Market
Clinton Hill/Fort Greene

The flea market was outside, although I hear come winter they move it inside? (Will have to investigate.) Not completely ginormous (compared to the Florida ones) but they really manage to pack a lot into small spaces. It is NY after all.
Full of plenty of craft vendors, food vendors, and random dare I say, Junk?
But even the junk looked COOL.

They had bracelets made out of old vinyl records.
Hand crafted Jewelry.
Furniture that likely was found on the side of the street but was now called vintage. You know the scene. And I loved it.


Scenes from the crowd:



And of course we got some eats there.
I took some pics of the bakery goods. But being limited in cash we only looked.



Another view. It was like an upscale bake sale.





Until of course Mr. Broad came to this. Hot dogs with numerous toppings. The stand was from Asiadog. And because as we all know Mr. Broad was Asian in a former lifetime, he had to get one.





Mr. Broad went for the Wangding. No, I'm not kidding. The wangding consists of bbq pork belly with onions. He was in a happy place, exclaiming "Onions on hot dogs rock." I'm telling you we're really big on the adjectives.




And because one hot dog is never enough for Mr. Broad, no matter the toppings. He had his eye on a pizza. A brick oven stove that they had brought in from SOMEWHERE??





And the Pizza. Mr. Broad went for the classic. This was a huge pizza that could have easily fed the two of us and that would have been it. Of course we can't do that though. A brick oven pizza for $7 is unheard of here. It got high marks.






I don't know what it is here in New York. Maybe it's because we are so close to New England... But lobster rolls are all the rage right now. I think it's the season? Even our grocery store is selling them. So I finally splurged for one. And by splurge, it was um, $15. The verdict? This one was not so bad. If just small. Ugh. Pricy and small. The bread was a white bread that I detected heavy on the butter/oil/grease. The lobster part was good.. but like I said small. In a word. Overpriced.





And for dessert. We had ice pops. Not pictured but with creative flavors I went with the sugar plum and tarragon while Mr. Broad had the blueberries and cardamom. Both good, mine was a bit more tart than I had expected. And they also had a guy with an ice luge shaving the ice off and the put in a sugary concoction that looked good. Because when I see an ice luge, that's what I think of doing....





Review:
It's a flea market but with a Brooklyn twist. And maybe this is how all flea markets are but I have a Floridian stereotype perspective to it all? Aah, it was fun regardless. Crafts borderlining on junk. Junk borderlining on crafts. And the food. Upscale food carts and vendors. I'd definitely be hitting this up again. If nothing else to buy a vinyl bracelet or some homemade granola.
Rating: Worth a trip for sure. (How do you give a number rating to a flea market??)

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This ain't your Kentucy Fried...

So it's only been what, sixteen posts since I have last written about him.

Yes I counted.

David Chang.

We completed our last Momofuku restaurant, completing the foursome of the Chang restaurants.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

171 1st Avenue

Just a little run down for my new readers of his restaurants...

Momofuku Ko-- the "upscale" prix fix menu that only serve about 14 people a night. Reservations only obtained over the internet.

Momofuku Ssam Bar- no reservations accepted, serves American food with Asian influences

Milk Bar- casual bakery with some savory items. Pushes the creativity limit

Lastly, Noodle Bar- capitalizing on the Ramen craze, also has other Asian influenced food and a bit more casual than Ssam Bar.

In a marketing effort to get people to their restaurants chefs are coming up with new creative ways to get people in the door. That and they are really, really smart and creative. Enter the latest craze that Chang introduced -- A fried chicken night.

Absolutely genius.

Yes for $100 total for your entire party (serves four+) you get TWO HUGE fried chickens. This is a NYC BARGAIN.

1) A Southern kind

2) An Asian kind.

... and some sides.

In typical Chang style, you need to get reservations online and we got lucky. Mr. Broad, myself, my cousin, and cousin's friend head over ready for the chicken. We sit down and they tell us it's going to take a little bit for our dinner to be ready-- do we want to start with some appetizers? Oh boy I sense an upsell. Suuure.

We start with the 7 spice potato chips:

Light, airy with a bit of kick. All I could detect was paprika of the 7 spices.

I felt like one of those Top Chef shows trying to figure out what is in the dish.
(PS- Top Chef new season starts Wednesday night!) Note- Mr. Broad looked up the actual 7 spice recipe. Aah Paprika wasn't even one of them. Oh I try.

Rice cakes with something??.... (WHY is the Momofuku website not working for me to consult it??)

These are soft, chewy ... and like little pillows of goodness, extremely addicting. This dish was a big conversation piece.
My foodie cousin pondered: What IS this sauce on the rice cakes?

Me: What ARE rice cakes??

Mr. Broad: How can I make these?!

And then the hostess were setting us up for the main feature. First up came a vegetable platter that reminded Mr. Broad and I of our travels to Thailand (don't I sound so cultured??) when they put greenery in front of you because you are about to eat very spicy food.

mu shu pancakes (no pictures, but come on google it- it's like eating peking duck) a vegetable platter. And spreading sauces for the pancakes.

Sauces:

Hoisin

Ginger-scallion

Jalapeño-garlic

Bibim- the same sauce used in the rice cakes. (OH!, that was what that sauce was in the rice cakes...)

Other sauce shots:

And the chicken. The picture really does not do it justice to HOW much chicken this was. Mr. Broad and cousin discussed that both chickens were brined. I'm telling you, the foodie talk was in full swing.

On the right- Southern style-- a buttermilk and OLD BAY seasoned fried chicken. All white meat. Mr. Broad doesn't typically like white meat but he was chowing down on this. Quite possibly the juiciest white meat we've ever had.

On the left- Korean style fried chicken. It was thrice fried. wait. repeat. THREE TIMES FRIED. Marinated in the bibim sauce which is my new favorite. And some more stuff I'm sure to make it extra tasty.

A blurry picture

Review:

Another review of another Chang restaurant. I mean, how much can you say? First off, we received stellar service. We were constantly being attended to from refills on the sauces to extra pancakes, the staff had their A game on. The quality of the food was top notch comfort food. What my pictures don't show is that with the mu shu pancakes you took some chicken off, some sauces, some veggies and made a little (or big) crepe roll. Because eating the fried chicken straight up would be too normal. Comparisons were made to other fried chicken we've had and this one took the prize. While there is a NYC price attached to it and yes, you can get the KFC bucket for $9.99... indulge. It's worth it. And tastes just as good the next night as leftovers.

Rating: 10

PS- And don't think they just do food. This was some type of watermelon vodka goodness.

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