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.