Welcome to the Club

No membership is required, although a reservation is highly recommended for the newest club on Park Avenue South. The Hurricane Club, a Polynesian inspired theme restaurant in the heart of Gramercy recently opened to mix reviews. I decided to check it out with some old friends last week and wasn't impressed. Although we got seated right away, our waiter was aloof and distant and the food was just OK.

I give it credit for trying to be the next Tao, but it's just not cutting it. There is no fortune cookie dessert and the prices are high for the quality of food. I really enjoyed my cocktail though and if you're into the fruity Caribbean style drinks, this is right up your alley. I started with a #21, a cucumber and vodka martini and saw some other interesting drinks on various tables. There were these huge watermelons probably filled with a mix of alcohols with foot long straws for everyone at the table. It reminded me of freshman year of college and the fishbowls that made everyone feel sick the next day.


The menu is extensive and most things are meant to be shared so we started with a pu pu platter. This was the best thing we had all night. It came with coconut shrimp, Peking duck sandwiches, deviled eggs, snapper civeche and bbq chicken cones. The shrimp and Peking duck were the best. Both pretty simple in concept but the shrimp were really interesting looking - like little circular haystacks with a shrimp inside.


We moved on to order a crispy calamari salad that was pretty good and had a good kick to it and the crispy chicken spring rolls. It was recommended to spread your sauce of choice on a piece of lettuce and then wrap your spring roll around it. It made it a lot less messy to eat and according to Polynesian tradition it's considered the polite way to eat.

Next we ordered the golden chicken that was a little dry and smelled like chocolate for some reason. It was supposed to be in a spicy peanut sauce but we all tasted peanut butter instead. We also got the Hawaiian fried rice and the lobster noodles fra diavlo. The rice came in a hot stone bowl resembling a guacamole mortar and it was made at your table. A semi cooked egg was placed on top and was mixed in at your table. The bowl is so hot that the egg becomes fully cooked by the time the mixing is complete. Quite a cool concept and the final product was tasty as well. The lobster dish was missing some chunks of lobster and I didn't really understand how an Italian dish ended up on the menu, but it was tasty nonetheless.

We decided to skip dessert even though the menu options looked good and instead ended the night down the block at the new Gansevoort Hotel. All in all the company was great but the service and quality of food could have been a lot better! Go for the scene and creative cocktail menu but maybe wait a little so their servers can get their act together.

Piggin Out

What else is there to do during Thanksgiving break besides eat? Not only did I gorge myself Thanksgiving day with my homemade butternut squash risotto, corn souffle, brussels sprouts, stuffing and a little bit of Turkey, but I ate non stop throughout the whole 6 day vacation. Friday night we left our comfortable suburban hideaway in Alpharetta and travelled down to my new favorite Atlanta neighborhood, Decatur. A little city inside a city, Decatur is slowly becoming the new hip area for up and coming restaurants. There's Leons, Cakes & Ale and many others all surrounding a cute little square and a courthouse.

We decided to try the fairly new restaurant owned by a fellow 25 year old, Iberian Pig. Spanish inspired tapas, entrees and desserts - you can't get much better than that after a day full of eating meat and potatoes.

We decided to do a lot of sharing so we started off with a meat and cheese platter of course and round 1 of their amazing bacon wrapped dates stuffed with manchego cheese. You've never had a salty and sweet combination like this. We were so in love with them, we ordered another batch. The meat and cheese was also delicious. We had to try the jamon iberico - from the Iberian black footed pigs from Spain and known to be one of the most prized cured meats in the world. We added some semi sweet sheep's milk cheese similar to a brie but a little harder. The jamon was thinly cut and fabulous, I was even eating it without a bite of bread and cheese.

The tapas kept on coming after that. We got:
Slow braised pork belly with granny smith apples, candied walnuts in a yogurt sauce
Pork cheek tacos
Eggplant fries
BBQ octopus
Wild boar sausage meatballs
Jonah crab croquettes
Handmade tortoloni with drunken goat cheese, manchego in a pistachio creme freshe

and a main entree of Spanish lamb ribs and sausage

The only thing I wouldn't suggest getting again were the crab croquettes. They just didn't have much flavor. The bbq octopus was a little too fishy for me so I stayed away from that but the rest of it was great. The sauce that came with the eggplant fries was spicy, just the way I like it and the meatballs and tacos were probably the favorites. All of the tapas allowed the five of us to get a substantial bite or two and by the end of the meal I couldn't have eaten another thing.

Of course we got dessert though and opted for the churros with chili infused chocolate sauce and the bomba which was a white chocolate ball with four different sorbet flavors inside. Neither desserts were super heavy minus the fried part, and the servings were pretty big and great for sharing.

Obviously, if you keep Kosher or don't eat meat (especially pork) Iberian Pig might not be the best option for you. However, they do have a great cocktail list and a very reasonable wine list with some easy options of wine starting at pretty darn good to quite good and then damn good.

Decatur is a must visit if you live in Atlanta or are just visiting and you can even make a night of it and visit Eddie's Attic for some live music and dance off all the food you just ate.

Thousand Dollar Breakfast

When I think of hotel dining, images of dark and dingy bars filled with drunk businessmen come into mind. Of course this image doesn't pertain to NYC hotel eating. Thus I introduce you to Norma's at Le Parker Merdian hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The waits are long, the crowds are big and the prices are astronomical. Ever heard of $1,000 brunch entree? Yup they have it at Norma's. It's just your normal lobster frittata with 10 oz of caviar sprinkled on top. Don't worry I've never tried it and wouldn't dare ordering it but I do like to frequent Norma's whenever I have a family member fronting the bill.


Located just off the lobby of the hotel, the atmosphere is bright and welcoming. The tables aren't too close together and the service is pretty good considering the crowds. They always have a shot glass sized sample of the smoothie of the day to start you off and they offer free refills of their fresh squeezed orange juice. The coffee is strong (2 splendas for me in each cup) but they leave the pot on your table which is nice.

This past Saturday I don't even think I was hungry and I was probably still half asleep but still couldn't resist their Norma's egg Benedict. Instead of the usual english muffin, their poached eggs are served over buttermilk pancakes and grilled asparagus is added into the mix along side the Canadian bacon and hollandaise sauce. The dish is rich and so filling.


Not as rich as the crispy french toast and Belgium waffle covered with berries that we also got. We didn't go overboard and get the chocolate decadence french toast or the PB&C Waffle 'wich (peanut butter and toffee crunch) but it did cross our minds. The french toast wasn't very crispy but it was covered with a warm caramelized sauce that did the trick.


The options to go crazy are endless at Norma's and their dishes are super creative - a big thing that I find refreshing. Usually nothing stands out from one brunch place to the next but Norma's is the exception. They serve the same menu daily but they're only opened until 3 so get there in time. But if you happen miss the breakfast cut off or find yourself hungry when you leave (I doubt that will happen) hop in the Burger Joint line across the lobby floor.

East River Views

More family was in town this past weekend so large amounts of eating ensued. Friday night's reservation was at restaurateur Tom Colicchio's new project, Riverpark. Situated on the bottom of a new modern and sleek office building on 29th and the river, the place was first and foremost hard to find. 29th street does not go east under any circumstances, until now. For future diners, please note that to find Riverpark, you need to enter 29th street at 1st avenue and a driveway headed east will appear. Walk/drive all the way down the driveway until you hit the restaurant and office building.


After a slightly confusing cab ride, we found our destination and arrived only slightly late for our reservation. Unfortunately, we weren't able to score the one table for large parties next to the windows to enjoy the east river views, but we did have a great round table in the middle of the floor. The restaurant is beautiful, with high ceilings and funky architecture. It will be even better when it gets warm again because they have a huge deck for outside seating.


The menu changes almost daily so there were no specials and I was extremely disappointed when I saw that the pumpkin tortellini had already been switched out for something new. It's not even Thanksgiving yet, how can you take something pumpkin off the menu? Instead I started with the lobster and artichoke salad and shared the hamachi crudo with Lindsey. The crudo was great with pomegranate seeds on top and fresh pieces of hamachi (yellowtail). The lobster salad was good but not the favorite of the night. Maybe if it was served with different lettuce I would have liked it better, but I'm not a fan of frisee I guess.

Next we did a three way share with the duck, scallops and sturgeon. It was our first time trying sturgeon and it's just a flaky white fish but thicker like a swordfish. It was served with sunchockes, fig and some raddichio. The combined taste was interesting and good. The scallops were delicious with hen of woods mushrooms, butternut squash cubes and a kale chutney. It was perfect for the windy evening on the river. The portion was usual for scallops, 4 large scallops and the kale chutney was something different but also good. The duck was my favorite, cooked medium rare served with mushrooms and more pomegranate seeds. Pomegranate seeds add a great flavor to any dish in my opinion. They're perfect for the fall, healthy and tasty.

Dessert was amazing, credit to their dessert chef. We got the beignets served with two dipping sauces. A cranberry compote and vanilla custard. They were lightly fried and airy but definitely don't compete with the beignet masters down in New Orleans. We also got the apple crumble that melted in your mouth.

Our waitress was great, and for being so new my only complaint was that our drinks took a little longer than expected.

I should also note that if you're in the mood for some delicious food by the water but don't want to break the bank, Riverpark also offers a cafe type menu featuring burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, lasagna and other less expensive menu items. You get to experience the same dining room, service and views but with a cheaper bill at the end!

Bubbles, Birthdays and Babbo

Yes you read that title correctly. I finally made it to Babbo! Who cares that it was 10:30 on a Saturday night, I still had an amazing dining experience and even gained an hour of sleep on the same night!

After two hours of busy signals a month to the day prior, a reservation was made to celebrate Robin's birthday at Mario Batali's first NYC restaurant and still an impossible reservation and impeccable pasta menu.

After reading all the reviews and talking to friends who had been before, we decided against the alluring pasta tasting menu. For first timers, we needed to create our own tasting menu and get a feel for everything on the menu, not just my favorite - pasta.

We started with the grilled octopus - a first for almost everyone at the table, including myself. Although the looks are a bit intimidating, it wasn't chewy like I thought it was going to be and actually was quite tasty.

Next came the most exciting part -- 4 pastas for 4 people. It was an extremely difficult choice as we heard of so many good ones but we decided with the garganelli, beef cheek ravioli, gnocchi with braised oxtail and the mint love letters. The garganelli was outstanding with home made pasta rolled into their own version of a penne with mushrooms, light garlic and olive oil sauce and your choice of parmesean or goat cheese shaved on top. I think we all agreed that a couple bites of the garganelli was not enough to satisfy all of us.
Next up, the beef cheeck ravioli - was a bigger portion for sure and served with shaved parmesean as well. I really enjoyed this pasta and it just tasted like a slight rendition of a finely ground meat sauce.
I think my 2nd favorite next to the garganelli was the gnocchi. It was the only pasta served with a tomato sauce so it added a little more flavor and the oxtail was delicious. It reminded me of pieces of brisket, tender pieces of meat that wasn't gamy in the slightest.
We had to order the mint lovers as it's a staple on the Babbo menu but I wouldn't order it again. It was interesting to say the least. Picture a normal looking ravioli, but inside is all green and has a mix of mint and spice. I don't love a strong taste of mint unless it's mint ice cream, but it was worth a try. The mint taste was a little too overpowering for me that I didn't get a good taste of the spicy lamb sausage either.
My favorite thing about the pasta course was the different cheese pairings they choose to shave on top. You can't thoroughly enjoy pasta without cheese and they do it up right.

Next time we score a reservation, I'm hoping to try the pappardelle bolagnese, the pappardelle with wild boar ragu, the pumpkin lune and the goat cheese tortelloni. Or of course, the $120.00 pappardelle with white truffles shaved on top.

We didn't stop at the pastas and decided on the lamb chops and side of brussels sprouts for our third course. One order came with 5 chops, plenty for us girls filled up on pasta goodness. The lamb was grilled medium rare with sunchokes, onions and a delicious yogurt sauce. Brussels sprouts are a must if they show up on a menu. I'm even tempted to try to cook them myself, but they won't be as good as these were. Crunchy to the center served with pancetta, it was the perfect compliment to our main course.

We finished it off with a glass of dessert wine and a chocolate hazelnut cake which was better than expected. It was slightly gooey on the inside with crunchies of hazelnut throughout.

I have to give a big thank you to the Engel family and Gina and Jenna for their alcoholic contributions to our dinner - it wouldn't have been the same without it! I also wish I remembered our amazing waiter's name because without him, I don't think our dining experience would have been the same. I thought the service couldn't have been better (before our waiter left us at 12:30 before dessert). The courses were timed perfectly and I honestly didn't feel overly stuffed. We closed the place down at 1:30 in the morning, fought the cold to a cab, rolled into bed and dreamt about our exciting adventure at Babbo.

Wine on Tap

Hello long lost readers! After a delicious meal last night I have decided to bring the blog back! Pictures might be slim and far between because I think restaurants are starting to hate seeing flashes on their food every five seconds, but you'll hopefully be able to get the gist.

Michael White, chef of ultra expensive, chic and fancy restaurants such as Marea, Convivio and Alto recently opened a more casual eatery which he calls a true Osteria in SoHo. An osteria is foreign to most Americans but it's basically "a place that serves simple food and a place where there is wine."

Not only does Osteria Morini serve wine, but it's by the barrel - a new technique that is slowly gaining popularity throughout Manhattan. Two beautifully designed oak barrels with taps on the bottom sit behind the bar for easy access and refills. There are only two choices, red and white and it comes by the glass, carafe or bigger (one and a half bottles) for cheap! Only $36.00! The menu is more creative than basic Italian but has the same feel. We got a meat and cheese platter, meatballs and a seafood salad to start. The meatballs were some of the best I've had in a while, covered in Parmesan cheese and in a light tomato sauce. They weren't gigantic - probably 3 girl bites and 2 guy bites. Seafood salad was lightly dressed with shrimp, scallops, calamari and maybe some others that I didn't notice.

Then three home made pastas emerged - the garganelli, cappeletti (ravioli filled with truffle Parmesan cheese in a light butter sauce) and the pappardelle bolognese. All three were delicious but I agree with my sister that you can pretty much get pasta bolognese anywhere and this one didn't stand out as much as the other pastas did.

Finally we got the short ribs with mashed potatoes. I honestly could only take a bite because I was too busy munching on cheese and meat throughout the courses, but it was soft and seasoned well. To top it all off, we had to get a dessert and it had to have peanut butter and chocolate in it as well. Our menu choices covered almost every section there was, except for the grilled meats per person that we couldn't have fit in our tummies if we tried.

The scene at Osteria Morini is great, casual and rustic. The tables were a little close together but it wasn't too loud and a sighting of Michael White himself was definitely a plus.

36 Hours in Rhode Island

I was on an unofficial eating tour this past weekend as it was a family reunion in Providence/Newport. Big congrats were in order for many family members so Melissa and I rented our first car in NYC and drove to Newport all in one piece! Below you'll find all the stops on the tour and I suggest to try at least one of them if you're ever in Providence or Newport. Definitely go in the summer though, the waterfront is beautiful!

1:00 pm arrive for lunch at The Clarke Cook House Restaurant on the waterfront of Newport RI.

Must get the obvious choice - lobster roll with fries. It comes with HUGE chunks of lobster on a toasted bun. The fries weren't greasy and perfectly crisp. For $21.00 it was a little on the small side but worth it.

The gazpacho was also excellent, but the special tuna burger with jalapenos was missing something flavorful for sure.

2:30 pm a stop at The Cookie Jar across the street. I think we tried every single cookie. Ones that stood out were definitely the mint chocolate chip (melted mint chips in a soft chocolate cookie), the snicker doodle (was much harder but still delish), the chocolate peanut butter (not a huge hint of peanut butter but still right up my alley). We also got an m&m cookie and normal chocolate chip that were both soft and melty - in my mouth not in my hand.

5:00 pm another snack at Rhode Island original Dels. Picture frozen lemonade/shaved ice combined. You can suck it through a straw or eat it with a spoon and it could not be more refreshing on a hot summer day. According to their Web site, they have various flavors but I only tried the lemon which had chunks of lemon in it too.

Don't worry we got a little exercise in between meals by walking the Cliff Walk to check out the mega mansions previously owned by families like the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. My NYC apt is just as nice of course.

8:30 pm we finished off day 1 with an amazing meal at Gracie's. Having family in the restaurant business really does pay off because we were treated like royalty with our own room in the wine cellar downstairs. They didn't charge us for opening our 3 bottles of amazing wine and they brought us so many extras like the ricotta cheese with blueberry served on a spoon, the seared scallop served with lemons and fresh prosciutto and home made chocolate macaroons in addition to our dessert.

Gracie's perfects the pre-fixe dinner by allowing you to choose your appetizer, entree and dessert for a base price of $30.00. Some items have an upcharge from 4-12 dollars but otherwise you can't get a better deal.

They also offer 5 or 7 course tasting menus up to the Chef's discretion. My brother and soon to be sister in law have never gotten a bad meal.

My sister and I shared our appetizers, starting with the lobster gnocchi (you can never have enough lobster) and the poached Zephyr Farms egg with grits and braised pork belly. Both portions were large in comparison to some NY restaurants and were unbelievable. The gnocchi were light and airy and again there were huge pieces of lobster spread throughout. I didn't have one bite that wasn't delicious.

The poached egg dish was probably my favorite though. The pork belly had a sweet taste to it and the grits were super creamy.

For my entree I just wasn't in the mood for fish, so I went big and ordered the boneless ribeye. It was probably 9 oz and I ate 4 of it but it was amazing. Cooked a perfect medium rare but charred on the outside and full of flavor. There was herb roasted potatoes and broccoli rabe on the side. Don't worry the other 5 oz didn't go to waste on the plate, but were finished off by the family.

The duck was also a hit Saturday night as well as the olive oil cake, lemon tart and a chocolate mousse with toasted marshmallows.

We made ourselves walk the 3 blocks back to our hotel and somehow woke up hungry for another delicious meal.

10:30 am breakfast on Federal Hill at Caffe Dolce Vita. Federal Hill is Providence's version of Little Italy but with a bigger mobster feel and presence. The street is lined with Italian flags and a huge pineapple hangs at the entrance as a sign of hospitality.

Caffe Dolce Vita is in the middle of a huge courtyard with other Italian restaurants as its neighbors. The coffee was strong and the menu extensive. I opted for an egg and cheese sandwich on wheat toast and a side of a single vanilla pancake. The pancake was fluffy and delicious. The lemon poppy seed pancakes were also very good. No one was daring enough to order the bananas fosters french toast of the pancakes served with gelato on top.

Soon after breakfast, we said our goodbyes and headed back to the city that never sleeps. A fun-filled eating adventure that expanded my waistline for sure.

Marvelous Minetta

The first weekend back in the city since July 4th was an exciting one! Not only did I get some quality beach time out in Long Island, but I also visited Keith McNally's hot spot Minetta Tavern. We scored a reservation easily for a Saturday night, but each table was filled and there were many people waiting at the bar. My first thought when I got out of the cab and saw the bouncer standing outside the door was "I'm definitely not cool enough to be in here." But once he smiles at you and opens the door, a wave of casualness comes over you. The vibe is reminiscent of what the place looked like back in the 30's when it was a Italian restaurant in the Village. Old photos grace the walls with wooden tables and chairs back to back to each other in the main dining room. Black and white checkered tiles line the floors and you wonder, why is this such a hot spot? Then you take a glance around the room and spot Brooke Shields and Juliana Margolies chatting with each other like no big deal.

We knew going in that we had to order the Black Label burger but the rest of the choosing was so hard! An asparagus salad stood out under the appetizers, but there were too many yummy main courses that we turned the za za pasta into a starter. It was easy enough to share and wasn't too creamy or heavy. Very lightly seasoned with thick pieces of fatty pancetta, sage, Parmesan and a fried egg on top.

Then we ordered 2 black label burgers cooked medium one with fries and one with a salad. A special striped bass served with summer vegetables and a side of the anna potatoes.

The burgers were juicy and delicious. There was no cheese necessary because they had caramelized onions on top. The bun was fresh and soft and my first bite definitely made juices go running down my hand. The fries were thin and salty, think similar to McDonald's but not as greasy. The fish was lightly seasoned with a little olive oil. It wasn't fabulous but it was cooked well and wasn't too heavy. I liked the vegetables best about that dish - grilled bell peppers and eggplant. And then the side of anna potatoes - everyone must get them when they go. They are thinly slices new potatoes fried in duck fat. They come out so crispy and delicious it was hard to save room for dessert.

But good thing we did, because 20 minutes after we ordered an amazing chocolate souffle came to our table. Light, fluffy, full of flavor and they didn't even need to pour anything in like they sometimes do. I went back for seconds even though my stomach was beyond expansion.

The service, scene and food were all seriously impeccable. They didn't treat us any different than the celebrities sitting a few tables away. Now that I've been there once, I'm not rushing back so I'll give you all a chance to score a table.

I also suggest trying one of their signature cocktails. The prices are steep, but the one I had (something Sophie) was perfect for a summer night.

Can't Stay at Keste

A pizza hot-spot for some time now, I finally got to experience what the hype has been about. Keste in the West Village was one of the first true Neapolitan pizza places to come about since the pizza craze. It's oven was even made from people who flew in from Naples. We thought that on a Tuesday night in the Summer we would have no problem arriving late and getting a table. We were wrong. People were lined outside on Bleeker Street waiting for their turn at the pizza gods. We then had a genius idea to take the pizza to-go and sit in Washington Square Park for their Music in the Park Tuesday nights. The heat had finally broken and you could be outside for more than 5 minutes without sweating.

Ten minutes later and a trip to the next door bodega for utensils and refreshments, we had our two pizzas and salad and made our way over to the crowded park. The heat was rising from the boxes throughout our detour filled excursion and were still hot when we found our place near the fountain.

The pies are on the small side with 4 average size slices in each. We got a four cheese and one with butternut squash cream, mozzarella, red and yellow peppers and artichokes. Even though neither pie came with my favorite ingredient, tomato sauce, both were delicious. The crust isn't super crunchy but still has that burnt taste to it and there is no grease in sight. I found myself eating the end crust first and then delving into the middle. The butternut squash cream added a sweet taste to the pizza but didn't overpower the other vegetables at all.

We also got a caprese salad with red and yellow tomatoes. The mozzarella was incredibly fresh as were the tomatoes. I decided last night that I'm a bigger fan of yellow tomatoes because I feel like they're a little firmer and not as gushy as red. It could have used a drizzle of balsamic but when eating in a moonlit park, you make sacrifices.

Our night didn't stop with pizza and salad, you have to eat dessert right? We were a close enough walk to Spot Dessert Bar on St. Marks so we headed on over. Our waiter was famed pastry chef Pichet Ong and the menu is heavily Asian influenced. They even have a Omakase (chef's tasting) for $49.00. After numerous questions we decided on the crowd pleaser Yuzu Eskimo and a chocolate chip coconut cookie.

The Eskimo was extremely creative and different. Three cheesecake looking rectangles made of yuzu (a citrus fruit) with an Oreo crust on top of a passion fruit foam. On the side were chocolate shavings with chocolate crunchies, fresh strawberries and a brush stroke of chocolate sauce. The plate was beautiful and it tasted good too! The yuzu was creamy and tangy and the passion fruit was a little too overpowering. All in all it was refreshing and I would recommend it to others to try.

The cookie was great also. Crunchy on the sides but warm and soft in the middle, chocolate was all over my fingers. The coconut was barely there but since I knew to pay attention, I could taste it.

The staff was extremely friendly and the prices aren't out of control for being a sit-down dessert restaurant.

I went to bed last night a happy camper, being able to cross two great places off of my list. Try our method of skipping the long waits at Keste and venture around the East Village for more dessert places I'm willing to admit I've tried.

My Fair Amy

When I was thinking about lunch at about 10:00 am today, never did I think that I would be traveling up to Harlem to check out the Soul-Food staple, Amy Ruth's. Checking out the event space for work also allowed me to do a little taste testing, just to make sure the food wasn't poisonous of course!

Walking up to the decade old establishment, I expected to see lines out the door. Given it was Wednesday at 2:00 pm, I walked right in. There are only 12 tables and no waiting area, but a counter for take-out orders. The staff was very friendly and all the tables were full enjoying their heart attacks on a plate.

Unfortunately, I couldn't stay and enjoy my order so I didn't get to try the homemade corn bread they serve all the tables but my meal was great as is. They also have sweet tea for all you true Southerns out there. Probably the only place in NYC that makes it right.

Famous for their chicken and waffles - George W. Bush, Alicia Keyes, Rosa Parks and others are all big fans - I knew that I was ordering the "Rev. Al Sharpton" with all white meat.

The to-go box stayed hot all the way from W 116th street to my office and I even snuck a piece of the waffle in the cab ride back. It was hot, greasy and everything you could except from a place like Amy Ruth's.

The chicken was extremely hot and greasy as well. The meat fell right off the bone and I found myself eating with my fingers more than with a fork and knife (sorry mom)! They even included butter and syrup in my doggy bag that came in handy for my mini waffle, chicken syrup sandwiches.

My office still smells like fried chicken hours later and my stomach will be full until tomorrow. Right off the 2,3 train stop and blocks away from Central Park, definitely make a trip up to Amy Ruth's for some chicken, waffles, collard greens, mac and cheese and so much more.

Chinatown Express

A must have New York experience is traveling down to Chinatown and going for Dim Sum. You either go there in a hangover coma or leave there in a food coma, but either way you are in for an amazingly unique experience.

I was lucky enough to go to Jing Fong on Elizabeth Street with a co-worker who grew up in Chinatown, he speaks the language and really showed us a great time. You enter Jing Fong on the bottom floor and are immediately directed up an escalator and brought into a HUGE banquet hall. When I mean huge, picture the size of a football field with just tables upon tables ready for tourists, locals whoever. There were only four of us but we sat at a table for 8 and braced ourselves for what was to come. Slowly but surely the dim sum carts started making their way to our table and soon enough we had 10 or more small plates in front of us. Pork buns, shrimp shumai, glass noodles filled with cilantro or chicken or shrimp, spring rolls, sticky rice and more of the like. I was brave enough to try everything that came to our table and thank god for our translator because it's pretty much impossible to communicate with the ladies behind the carts.

Everything was pretty amazing especially the pork buns. They were different than any kind I've seen before. The buns didn't look like little sandwiches and the pork was injected into the dough so it was kind of like a jelly doughnut when you bit into it.

I even was brave enough to try two dim sum standards and I don't think I will ever try them again. Tripe and chicken feet. I have to say, that if the chicken feet didn't look like what they are, they would have been a lot easier to try. The marinate was good, a little spicy but very oily. You don't really bite into them, but rather nibble off the skin. Just not for me but I'm proud of myself for trying.

Tripe was also on the strange side and I will steer clear from it from now on. I have been seeing tripe on menus for quite some time now and I always just assumed it was a kind of fish. Well - I was way wrong. Tripe is basically intestines from various animals. The texture is gross, it's chewy in all the wrong ways and it looks like it came from the insides of an animal straight to your table. I can't imagine how any high-end restaurant can make tripe look edible but some people have to be liking it.

The whole dim sum experience was so exciting and fun. I'm so happy I got to experience it with someone who knew what they were doing and eating. He even took us for some secret Chinese ices that you had to walk through a tunnel to get to.

Beware that we got to Jing Fong at around 1:00 pm on a Friday and the cart ladies were slowing down. I suggest trying to get there much earlier to higher your chances to try all the dishes.

Scoutmob has landed!!

My Atl friends have been bragging about the amazing Web site for months on end. They talk about what an amazing deal they got at this restaurant and the 50% rate they got at another place and to be honest I just stopped listening. But now I can join in on the fun, because starting today Scoutmob has officially launched in New York City! They definitely have their work cut out for them because the deal Web sites around town just keep on getting better but Scoutmob is special in their own way. They give you these amazing deals, 50-100 percent off of great restaurants, boutiques and more without you having to pay a dime!

Sign up for the e-mail, click to get the deal then you automatically get to use the discount until it expires weeks from now. If you're really cool, unlike me, and have an Iphone, you can download the Scoutmob app and get the deal directly on your phone. Otherwise Scoutmob easily texts you your deal code and you're on your way.

Everyone should sign up asap because who doesn't like discounted prices, especially on great restaurants?

I think they did today's deal especially for me. 50% off at Hill Country BBQ. Hill (Hillary) BBQ (I'm from Atlanta) get it? Make sure you get the ribs and mac and cheese to make a true southerner proud.

Take me home country roads..

A trip to Atlanta isn't complete without a trip to my favorite southern comfort restaurant, Greenwood's on Green Street(sorry I can't find a Web site!). I've been visiting this place since I was 5 years old and the quality hasn't changed. It's gotten more popular over the years and sometimes the waits can be endless but the food is worth it. Located in an old transformed house in the middle of downtown Roswell, GA, each room boasts tacky decorations and mismatched furniture that fits in with the quirky, outgoing and southern staff.

I've been so many times now that I don't even have to look at the menu but I'll give you the rundown of what you HAVE to get when you visit Greenwood's. Hopefully you've arrived in time to order one of their amazing ducks served with this unreal finger-licking good plum sauce (I tend to dip everything in it). They sell out almost every night so go there early to secure yours. Their trout is also so good, served with a lemon butter sauce, boneless and there are always two huge filets on the plate. The roasted chicken is also always moist on the inside and crispy on the outside served with their plum sauce also. You can get the chicken with all white meat, or half white and half dark in 1/4 size or a 1/2 size portions. Their fried chicken is also outstanding but it takes 30 minutes to prepare just right so be ready to wait a little while.

Each entree comes with two sides, and these are my favorite things. Home made apple sauce, creamed corn, honey glazed carrots, broccoli casserole, green beans, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, black eyed peas and the list goes on and on.

This past Friday night my family and I shared the trout and duck and got two extra sides (for a total of 6). Every bite was as good as I remember from when I was five years old - even though I only ate chicken back then.

Don't forget to save room for their home made pies that change daily. I happen to love their peach and chocolate mouse. It's okay to share one slice because they're huge. And if you're super special and know Bill Greenwood like I do, call a day in advance and request their angel food cake with home made chocolate sauce because they took it off the menu years ago. However, it is my FAVORITE thing of all time so sometimes I'll call in a special favor. I sometimes wish I could lick the plate.

Greenwood's is perfect for a down-home southern cooked meal. The staff is ALWAYS friendly, food is ALWAYS great and on a nice night you can even sit on the back porch listening to the grasshoppers and watching the sun set.

Truffle in Tribeca

I don't venture down to Tribeca very often, it's not close to the 6 subway line and I don't really have any friends that live there - so when I do take the $15 cab ride down it better be for something good. Locanda Verde is worth the trip. Located in the Greenwich Hotel off a cobble stone street two blocks from the water, Robert DeNiro hit the jackpot with this place. Try calling for a reservation two weeks ahead of time for dinner and the hostess might laugh at you. Ever since it opened back in 09, it's been a hot spot.

I was lucky enough to have a savvy sister who got us in for dinner right around the start of the hype (back in September) and it was awesome. Must order items are the mini lamb sliders and sheep's milk ricotta cheese.

However, this past time I visited, it was for Father's Day Brunch and the experience was just as good. We didn't have to wait at all to get our table (unlike our dinner visit) and the food was phenomenal.

Like dinner, they have the sheep's milk ricotta cheese appetizer, but instead of adding salt and herbs, they add truffle honey in the center and serve orange zested toast on the side. I couldn't stop eating it. Everyone knows how much I love truffle and cheese and they're even better together.

We also got the pastry basket to start which was on the small side for a party of 6, the the contents were awesome. There was this warm blueberry doughnut that melted in your mouth, a buttery scone that went great with the rhubarb jam and some other breads.

I moved on to the polenta waffle that didn't have the taste or texture of polenta topped with fresh strawberries and marscapone cheese. Melissa got the ricotta pancakes that were light and fluffy with some blueberries. They don't even bring you syrup for this dish and when you ask for some they suggest you to try the pancakes without them first. The chef swears you don't need it -- and he's right.

Everyone at the table got something different which was a first and no one had any complaints. I left a little too full (thank you truffle honey and ricotta cheese) and actually made a trip to the gym on a Sunday.

Keep on trying to get into Locanda Verde for dinner because it's worth the trip and don't forget about it for brunch. It's definitely easier to get into and the food is just as delicious.

Match Well Played

It only seemed fitting that I would finally try the ESPN Match Truck today after a great win from team USA. I saw the truck early this morning on my way to work and saved up an appetite. The line wasn't long, especially because it was 2:00, but there were a few stragglers watching the soccer games from the flat screen TV on top. The menu is limited and stays the same every day but everything sounded great.

I have to admit that today was my first experience with "street food" and I'm glad that I chose this certain truck for my first. My co-worker and I shared the rice balls, I got the lamb gyro in support of Greece and my urge to be on a beach in Mykonos right now, and Jen got the carne asada burrito.

It was hard to pass up the fried pork dumplings but I had to stop somewhere. They also had sliders and Bunny Chow (a South African chicken curry on a toasted bun) on the menu for lunch. Since the games can start as early as 7am, they also serve breakfast at the truck, silver dollar pancakes, huevos rancheros and a tortilla espanola - Spanish omelet.

We carried our food back to the office and dug in. I tried the rice balls first and have to admit that I wasn't impressed. They were seared instead of the usual breaded and fried which was nice, but there wasn't much taste to them and the green bean, tomato and mozzarella salad underneath was so oily that it soaked through onto my desk.

I moved onto my gyro and was much happier. The pita wasn't too thick and the lamb was tender and seasoned well. There was also onions, tomatoes, some lettuce and a great tsaziki sauce. For $6, you can't beat it.

Jen's burrito was also really good. Filled with pieces of strip and flank steak, pinto beans, and salsa. There was a hint of garlic but it wasn't too overpowering and the size was huge.

Check out the Web site or follow them on Twitter to find out where the ESPN Match Truck is going next. Stay away from the rice balls, but everything else is fair game.

Get your Tail to Dovetail

It was an UWS kind of day on Saturday with a stop at the New York Historical Society to check out the Grateful Dead Exhibit, a walk through Strawberry Fields, lunch at Isabellas, cookies at Levain (they deserve a whole post to themselves), some pool time at the Empire Hotel finished off with a true fine dining experience at Dovetail. I didn't leave a 10 block radius except for a quick shower and change and fell in love with a whole new area of the city.

Dovetail, a recent creation of John Fraser, has been gaining quick notoriety and even received 3 stars from the New York Times. The ambiance resembled my grandma's living room for some reason, it was very 50's/60's inspired.

The menu was far from a steakhouse, with very thought out dishes that were presented beautifully. My sister elected to do the 5 course tasting menu which allowed to her get a great sense of the menu for a great price. Her tasting consisted of a chilled onion soup, a soft poached egg, the trout, pistachio crusted duck and a dessert. Even though she was the only one who got the tasting, we all tried all of her dishes and they were amazing. Poached and fried eggs are definitely a new trend in the dining scene and this dish did not disappoint. Out of her 5 courses, I liked the duck the best. It was cooked to the rare side and even though it said it came with a curry sauce, no one at the table could taste it.

My brother and I splurged and got the lobster and it was amazing. Already cracked of course, it came with a tail and two claws with a side of ratatouille and was lightly drizzled with an olive vinaigrette. My dad got the trout which was light and summery and my step mom got the halibut (her fav) which came with a side of potato gnocchi that were crispy and delicious.

We finished it off with a chocolate souffle that I could only take a few bites of because I was so full.

It was an amazing meal with impeccable service. If you don't think you can afford the real menu, Dovetail also has a great Sunday Suppa dinner. Two courses for $42.00 and most of the items on the menu are on the original dinner menu as well. Also, if you're a vegetarian like my friend Meghan, make sure you check out their Monday night Veg Special that is 3 courses plus dessert for only $38.00!! They even have some vegan dishes as well.

It's great to see such a high scale restaurant like Dovetail broadening their horizons and trying to find ways to expand their clientele. Not everyone can afford the best of the best but with their Sunday and Monday night specials now you can!

Food Fest Continues...

Being rumored for being one of the best steak houses in the city, Melissa and I had to take our dad to Strip House last Friday night. My dad loves a good steak and potato and apparently so does Amy Poehler and Will Arnett because they were sitting right next to us.

The restaurant itself is super dark with a lot of red lighted accents throughout and it had a very Russian burlesque type of feeling. Our waiter, Nigel, was amazing and was totally opposite of all the bad reviews on Menupages. We didn't have a problem with the service at all and had a great dining experience.

We started the meal with some martinis and red wine of course and a Caesar salad, tomato and mozzarella salad and this amazing warm garlic bread served in a melted Gorgonzola fondue. One of the best things I've ever eaten. The fondue wasn't too overpowering and the garlic bread was covered in melted butter.

I knew I had to share a steak that night, because above everything else the sides are my favorite. Black truffle creamed spinach, ripped potatoes fried with parmesan cheese, macaroni and cheese and creamed corn with pancetta. Obviously not the healthiest options of sides, but they were worth it.

As for the steaks, Melissa and I shared a special of the night, a bone-in Filet. I didn't even know that was an option in the steak category, but it added so much flavor. The chef cooks the meat to the rare side so make sure to make a note of that. Our medium temperature was pink to reddish throughout. My dad got either a strip or a rib eye, I honestly can't remember and I really don't know the difference, but he loved every bite.

We even had some leftovers to take home to Lexi and Chandler, who can polish off a steak bone pretty well.

For dessert we got some sorbet and their famous chocolate cake. It was recently featured on "The Best Thing I ever Ate" - Michael Psilakis, famed chef of Kefi and Anthos absolutely loved it. However, it was not the best thing I ever ate, especially not the best chocolate cake I've ever had. It was a little too cold for me and just didn't melt in my mouth. I do give it credit for being extremely well made, with almost 20 layers of chocolate and mouse.

A great start to an amazing Father's Day Weekend. Strip House is great for any type of occasion and I hear it's popular for Bachelor parties - so single ladies, Opentable is up and running now.

Getting Social on Stanton Street

My family is back in town so you know what that means -- food frenzy! Last night we took my dad, step mom and little brother to Stanton Social. It's always guaranteed for great food, fun atmosphere and a crowded bar and dining area. Stanton Social is one of those restaurants that is great to bring people from out of town and just screams New York night life. It's perfect for sharing and the menu is super creative and has been the same for as long as I've lived here. They never have specials, but they obviously don't have to -there are enough choices to please everyone at your table. Chef Chris Santos has recently increased his fame by starring as a judget on the new television "Chopped" as well.

You might need a candle to read the menu it's so dark inside, but we managed and ordered the usuals: onion soup dumplings, goat cheese and potato Pierogies with caramelized onions and truffle creme fraiche, apple and brie quesadilla and the red snapper fish tacos. But we also tried some things I had never gotten before: tuna sashimi, the baby back ribs, grilled corn on the cob, lobster pizzette with more truffle and marscarpone cheese, a lobster roll, phillysteak with kobe beef and goat cheese and some kobe beef sliders.

They are extremely accommodating and served every dish with five items of each instead of the usual 4 servings. I didn't eat a bad thing and loved all the new dishes I tried. If you plan on going to Stanton Social, you cannot leave without trying the onion soup dumplings. They come 6 to a serving in a little escargot dish covered with melted cheese. Each dumping is filled with soup and caramelized onions and has a crouton on top. They are scolding hot and I always have to cut mine up to eat it, but they are not to be missed.

We didn't leave there without trying their warm chocolate doughnuts with three different dipping sauces, a red velvet Twinkie with a cream cheese filling and two "milkshake shots" with makers mark and caramel ice cream.

If you can get in on a Friday or Saturday night, hit up the bar scene upstairs after or before and make a whole night of it. Any night you go, be prepared for loud conversation and innovative food that has been perfected throughout the years.

Don't forget to try out the brunch as well for their mini eggs benedict, baby belgium waffles, ricotta fritters and the bloody mary and bellini bar.

Taste of New York

You know you're in for a good lunch experience if you actually leave the comfort zone of Manhattan and venture out to another borough. I was privileged enough to head up a trip to Queens one afternoon to Sripraphai, one of the best Thai restaurants in New York. Before trying almost everything on the menu that day, my knowledge of Thai food didn't go past pad Thai and maybe some noodle bowls.

On this special day, I was willing to try anything. We started out with enough appetizers to feed an army. Thai catfish meat with papaya salad, Thai catfish meat with mango salad, roasted duck salad, bbq beef with chili and lime, and ground beef (larb) with chili lime and mint and a shrimp tom yum soup. The catfish meat was pretty strange I'll admit. You would never know what you were eating because it looks like a blob of fried air. It's crunchy and slightly chewy and worth trying if you've never had it before. The bbq beef was heavily rubbed in chili and was pretty spicy. The larb was probably my least favorite - I didn't think it had such a great flavor and I had way too much food on my plate to eat something I didn't love. The tom yum soup was delicious. It was spicy as well with huge pieces of shrimp, and mushrooms. It was a clearish broth and my only gripe is that the tails of the shrimp were still on. Made it kind of hard to eat when you had to take the tails off first.

I could have stopped eating right then and there, but couldn't because we had SO much more food coming. Dark stewed beef tendon soup, drunken noodles with beef chili and basil leaves, fried soft shell crab, crispy pork, green curry with chicken and red curry with beef, and two whole red snappers. And of course sticky rice and coconut rice for the table.

Like I said earlier, I was willing to try anything that day, and that included the dark beef tendon soup. If you want to know what makes the soup dark, ask me because I don't to stop people from trying it. I liked the broth, it was a little sweeter than I imagined but I learned that I do not like beef tendon. It was really chewy and just not for me. The drunken noodles on the other hand were awesome. They were big flat noodles and ground beef and basil leaves. Kind of like a Thai version of pasta bolognese.

I started the lunch thinking that I didn't like curry and wasn't even going to try it. But I changed my mind. Turns out I don't like red curry, but I do like green curry especially with some coconut rice. And of course, what can be bad about fried soft shell crab? It wasn't overly fried and you could just keep on eating and eating it. The best part of soft shell crab is that there is no cracking involved. With real crab like king crab legs, there is too much work involved it's not even worth it.

The adventure in Queens wasn't complete without a trip to the Lemon Ice King of Corona. Corona, Queens - not the beer. The flavors aren't as creative as Ralph's, but these ices are all non dairy. My favorite was the raspberry, cotton candy and coffee.

My advice is to go to Sripraphai when you can take a nap afterwards because you will definitely be in a food coma for the rest of the day. If you're not as adventurous as me, they have your basic pad thai and a whole vegetarian menu also.

Viva SudAfrika!

Hopefully by now, you all have realized that the World Cup has started and will continue in South Africa for a weeks to come. With a lucky goal, USA tied against it's rival England and the games go on. Whether you're watching the games on your couch, at bar or even on your work computer (I won't tell anyone) be sure to make a trip to wherever the ESPN Match Truck is stationed throughout Manhattan.

Food trucks are quite popular these days, and this truck is no exception. There are only two, one in NYC and one in LA and the menu features food from participating countries. Silver dollar pancakes in support of Team USA, Rice Balls for Italy and Mandoo Dumpings for South Korea. All made by the one and only chef Roy Choi, who was voted one of the best new chefs by Food and Wine Magazine. He also knows the food truck business well as he has his own truck (Kogi) on the streets of LA serving Korean Mexican fare day and night.

I haven't been privileged enough to stop by the Match Truck yet, but it's on my to do list and will hopefully hit it up at it's most convenient stop, 23rd street and 5th avenue. Be sure to follow them on twitter for all the recent updates, including its daily locations @ESPNWCTruckNYC

Be on the look out for a more detailed food review, but for now you might need to try this one on your own.

Buena Comida

Summer is sadly flying by and I haven't had a chance to blog about my recent adventures! Bikini season has definitely not stopped me from eating out on countless occasions. Last week I met some friends for dinner at Yerba Buena Perry. A sister location to the original Yerba Buena in the East Village, this restaurant is smack in the middle of the West Village. For a Tuesday night it was pretty crowded but thanks to Opentable, we got seated promptly at our 8:00pm reservation.

My two friends hail from South Florida, so they know their Latin food well so I knew I was in for some good menu choosing. We started with some botanas, which I learned (or googled) are snacks/appetizers. We got the arepas with coffee glazed pork belly and the empanadas with cheese, spinach in a fig vinaigrette. The main selling point for the empanadas was that it also came with Peruvian corn. This isn't just a normal kernel, but one on steroids. The are probably 5 times the size of a normal kernel and delicious. Both dishes were great, the arepas had a strong bbq taste and was super crispy. The empanadas were cheesy and salty - but in a good way.

Not sure why these pictures are turning sideways, I can't figure out how to fix them!

Next we ordered two entrees and the most exciting thing of the whole night - the trio of fries. But I'll get to those in a few. We ordered the shrimp dish and the glazed duck confit. The shrimp were massive with a tomato salsa and hearts of palm on the side. There was a hint of olive in the salsa as well so it turned off a member of the group. The duck was great. It had two pieces, one on the bone and one off and there was a fried duck egg on top. I'm sensing a trend here in the eggs for dinner but I'm liking it.

Now for the trio of fries. These weren't your normal potato fries at all - but a trio of avocado, hearts of palm and watermelon fries. Can you even imagine what a watermelon fry would look like? I couldn't either and that's why we had to order them. Each item was panko crusted and flash fried and served with a bbqish ketchup and another dipping sauce that tasted like a spicy mayo from a sushi restaurant. The watermelon were my favorite, mostly because it was so original. I didn't think it was possible to fry a watermelon and still be able to taste it.

We definitely got some unusual dishes at Yerba Buena, and they didn't disappoint. Without drinking or dessert involved, it was a very reasonable dinner and next I want to try their brunch which I hear is also great!

Trek on over to Tenth Avenue

One of my missions while planning brunch is to pick a place that's near something fun that I can do after I eat my heart out. Saturday's brunch came in mind when we decided that we wanted to spend the day at the Frying Pan, a docked ship/bar on the Hudson River. There's nothing like day drinking in the sun on a boat in the river. Unfortunaely, the Frying Pan is all the way on 12th avenue - quite a schlepp for most east siders like me. But the good news is that there are actually a good amount of restaurants popping up on Tenth Avenue in Chelsea. With the Highline and Frying Pan right around the corner, these places have become more and more popular. We decided on Trestle on Tenth after reading about it in this year's Vanity Fair Summer Guide (if you haven't received it yet - let me know!) and it got my attention because it has a back garden.

Although two of our friends slept through our 12:30 reservation, the rest of the group arrived at the restaurant a little too sweaty to sit outside. We opted for indoors and ordered ice coffees right away. The menu had a lot of things I was unfamiliar with, but the waiter explained them well and they all sounded interesting but good! Many dishes are Swiss inspired and we ordered almost all of them. I got the "Bure Rösti", which was basically hash browns with onions covered with cheese and two fried eggs on top. The potatoes had an interesting spice in them and every other bite or so had a huge kick. The eggs were runny and the dish on a whole was filling.

Lindsey got the other Swiss influenced dish: duck confit hash with poached eggs in a Bearnaise sauce. Duck for breakfast was kind of intense but it was something different and we had to try it. One egg was a little overcooked, but the other was perfect.

Jenna was a plain Jane that morning and just got 2 eggs any style with the same hash browns as me, toast and bacon on the side. Nothing special to report there.

As a side we were deciding between the paprika dusted french fries that looked pretty good and the pizokel. Having never had pizokel, we decided on that and it wasn't our best decision. If you're not familiar with pizokel, it tasted kind of like gnocchi without the potato filling. There was little taste unless you got a bite with the caramelized onions and it was supposed to be with Gruyere cheese but I couldn't taste any.

Overall, it wasn't the best brunch I've had in New York. I give it some points for being different than the standard and some more points for having outdoor space but I'm not rushing back there. Dinner might be a different story, but if you're heading towards Tenth Avenue, I would go to Cookshop instead.

My new BFF Ralph

The best part about having a long weekend is not only do you get a three day weekend, but you also get a short work week! It's already Thursday and my weekend plans are underway. But I can't forget the great Memorial Day staycation I had just a few days ago. I ventured out to New Jersey for one day and Long Island the next for some sun, food and drinks. The hospitality was amazing - I could have closed my eyes and imagined I was back home in the South.

My trips weren't complete without a trip to Ralph's Ices. I think people who grew up living down the street from them take it for granted, because I am obsessed with this place! Any time I'm outside the city I try my hardest to get driven to a Ralph's and my friends and I even made a special trip to Brooklyn last summer.

Ralph's is a standard water ice establishment with the normal fruity shaved ices that you find "down the shore" and other beach towns. But they also have amazing creme ices (that do contain dairy) that are out of this world. Flavors like rainbow cookie, mint chocolate chip, chunky monkey and of course peanut butter and chocolate. I love it because it's not as heavy and rich as ice cream but the taste is just as good.

Saturday I changed my normal routine of getting two creamy flavors and got half peanut butter chocolate and half watermelon. It was a hot day and perfect for the ride back into the steamy city. The worst part about Ralph's is that it's only open in the summer and they only have locations in New Jersey, Staten Island, Queens and Long Island. Me being a New Yorker without a car makes it hard to get my Ralph's quota before the summer ends.

Hopefully I'll be getting some Ralph's this weekend again if a trip out to Long Island occurs and I will be a happy camper.

Hottest Table in Town

Seriously, how hot was it yesterday? Not only outside, but also at the new 5 star restaurant, Torrisi Italian Specialties. Last night's dinner was one for the books. After reading Adam Platt's review my sister and I knew we had to go ASAP. Last night was the night and I rushed out of the office at 5:30 on the dot to make it down to Mulberry Street in time for the first seating. They almost closed the doors on me, but I made it just in time to get a table at the 18 person restaurant. If you haven't heard of this place, then you don't read NYmag, NYTimes, Serious Eats or any other food blog because they have been raving about it since it opened. Just recently they started serving a pre-fixe $50 a person Italian/American dinner and the menu changes daily. Their made to order mozzarella and one of a kind gnocchi drew me in, but everything else I tasted made it one of the best meals I've had in a while.

There's no need for a menu at Torrisi because there is no choosing necessary, except for your entree (meat or fish). They first bring you the mozzarella drenched in olive oil and crunchy garlic bread with a hint of oregano to go with. So fresh I ate it by itself first. Then the antipastis keep on coming. A green bean salad, escarole salad with aged goat cheese, cucumber salad with aged tongue that tasted just like corned beef and these things called salami bread. I'm still not sure if it was actually salami or not but it was topped with a salt cod and cured lemon. It was a little too salty for me but was a favorite for Jenna.

Next comes the gnocchi made with Dancing Ewe Farm's sheep's milk ricotta they get from the Union Square Market every Friday. They only make this kind of ricotta five months out of the year so its solely a summer pasta. It's topped off with asparagus, cheese and a light cream sauce. Each bite melted in my mouth. The portion is small but it's filling and after finishing it off, it was hard to think about 2 more courses. But they came and we ate them - starting with the entrees. The options were a cod or a pork chop served with vinegar peppers. I ordered the fish and it was delicious. Cooked to perfection obviously in a light tomato broth. I didn't think I liked pork chop until I tried this one though. It was amazing and I don't even know how to describe it. The sauce was light and roasted peppers covered the dish and you had to have the first bite with a slice of the pepper to really get a taste. But once we saw the dessert plate at the table next to ours, we stopped eating the entrees to save room. A plate full of all different kinds of home made Italian cookies came to our table. Rainbow cookies (my favorite), a nut/popcorn cluster, a hudson bourbon puff pastry, a orange riccota waffle cannoli and a piece of Mast Brothers chocolate.

The line for the next seating started forming at 7:30 so we didn't linger to allow some other people the joy we just had experienced. Everyone needs to try to get into Torrisi at least once while they live in New York. If you can't get there before 6:00 when it opens for dinner, then I suggest getting there at around 7:30 to ensure you get a table. The staff is super nice and even held a table of four for an incomplete party. They also post the menu that day on their Web site, so you can start getting excited hours before! I'll admit that New York Mag does a better job at describing the greatness so below is the link: http://nymag.com/restaurants/reviews/underground/65478/