Second Weekend Trip to NYC

One of my best friends, Joyce, was coming from Berkeley to visit the East Coast so Ruth and I decided to go up to New York for the weekend. It was a brief trip- two long bus rides for less than 24 hours in the city, so we had to make it worth it by naturally squeezing in as many meals as possible.

We arrived past midnight on Friday due to a four hour back up at the Delaware Bridge, but fortunately I wrote down the name of a restaurant that was near where we were staying and was open until 3 am. Inoteca is a trendy Italian restaurant in New York that caters to the late night crowds. Their menu has a variety of original paninis, salads, and bruschetta (with fun toppings such as fig mascarpone, truffle oil and eggs, and fennel pepperonata). We all ordered paninis- Ruth and I had a prosciutto, mozzerella, and arugula pesto paninis and Joyce had a Mushroom, Spinach, Fontina Cheese, and Truffle Oil Panino. Perhaps it was from starvation from not being able to eat for 9 hours on the bus ride, but these paninis tasted like the best thing we had ever eaten. My panino came with a tomato and onion jam that went so well with the mozzarella, and Joyce's came with a cauliflower mixture that was also very delicious.

Prosciutto, Mozzarella, and Arugula Pesto Panini Mushroom, Spinach, Fontina Cheese, and Truffle Oil Panini

For dessert I ordered an Affogato (vanilla gelato with espresso poured over it), and Joyce ordered a Nutella Panino. Inoteca hit the spot- this place was fantastic, convenient, and everything we were hoping for.

Affogato (Vanilla Gelato with Espresso) Nutella Panini with Apricot Compote

The next morning, we woke up and headed over to the Lower East Side for brunch. I read about a place located in the Essex Market called Shopsins, which is known for it's never ending menu. We arrived and noticed a long line wrapping around the wall, which was of course for Shopsins. This brunch place had literally five tables, hence the line, but everyone around us assured us that the wait was worth it. One hour later, we were seated. I ordered the "Moe 2", which consisted of two pieces of French Toast filled with maple glazed bacon and topped with two fried eggs. It was insane- I think that meal goes into my top 5 brunches of all time. Shopsins had real Vermont Maple syrup and I happily drenched the sandwich in it. Joyce ordered the "Auntie" Omelet which came with blue cheese, avocado, spinach, and whole wheat toast. I had a bite of this, and the eggs were perfectly cooked. Ruth ordered their famous pancakes, with chocolate chips and toasted coconut. Some of the best I've ever had! Overall this place gets 5 stars. It was definitely worth the wait.

Moe 2- French Toast Sandwich with Maple Glazed Bacon and Two Sunny Side Up Eggs

"Auntie" Omelet with Blue Cheese, Avocado, Spinach, and Whole Wheat Toast Chocolate Chip and Toasted Coconut Pancakes

Shopsins happened to be two blocks away from the famous Il Laboratorio de Gelato, and I've always wanted to try it- so to make the day worth it we ignored our calorie limits and walked over. They had a range of unusual flavors, and I decided to try Cinnamon based on the recommendation of the worker there. Absolutely delicious! I finally got to see what the hype was all about. Ruth ordered Chocolate Amaretto Crunch and Mango Sorbet, and Joyce ordered Vanilla Saffron and Rosemary Ice cream.

Cinnamon Gelato

After doing some shopping in Soho, we stopped at the touristy but worth it Rice to Riches. This place is fun because instead of being an icecream shop, it is a rice pudding shop. There are dozens of different flavors of Rice Pudding, ranging from Rocky Road to Banana Coconut to the classic Cinnamon Raisin. Joyce had never been, so we went and all split a cup of the Pecan Pie. Yum!

Mascarpone and Chocolate Chip Rice Pudding

Retro To-Go Containers Rice Pudding is served in

After Rice to Riches, Joyce went to the airport to go back to California and Ruth and I headed up to Central Park. We ordered the most expensive latte I have ever had at Via Quadronno, and wandered around Central Park until making our way to dinner. After our nine hour bus ride, we justified an expensive dinner on the Upper East Side. My friend Maddie once recommended Park Avenue Winter, so we decided to go.

This restaurant was adorable with comfy white chairs, candles everywhere, and leafless trees inside. This restaurant changes the entire menu, name, and decor every season. We caught the restaurant on it's last night of Park Avenue Winter, because the following day they were going to remodel for Park Avenue "Spring". We sat down, and immediately received complimentary Parmesan Fritters which were cheesy balls covered in bread crumbs that melted in your mouth. The waiters were very friendly and made a bunch of recommendations until we finally decided what to order. I had the Scottish Salmon with Parsnip Puree and Pickled Red Onions, and Ruth had the Seared Yellow Fin Tuna with Avocado, Grapefruit, and Ginger.

Scottish Salmon with Parsnip Puree and Pickled Red Onions

A side dish was recommended because the fish plates were small, and one immediately caught our eye- Broccoli and Cheetos. It sounds like the strangest, and most disgusting, combination but the waiters assured us it was worth it. We figured an Upper East Side restaurant would not serve Cheetos unless the dish was perfected, so we were intrigued and ordered it. Every part of this meal was superb. The fish was so moist, and the parsnip puree had a unique flavor that worked very well on the plate. Now for the Broccoli and Cheetos.. they were unbelievably delicious. The broccoli was sauteed in garlic, white wine, and with some Gouda cheese. They were topped with the Cheetos, and frankly I could not stop digging in for more. Overall, this restaurant was incredible. It was worth the huge dent in my bank account.

Broccoli Sauteed with Garlic, White Whine, and Gouda Cheese topped with Cheetos

The number of meals we squeezed into this 24 hour period made the trip worth it! We had a fantastic time.

Week in California

My Spring break was this past week, so I decided to go home to visit family and friends in California. I went to two new restaurants-Three Seasons and Calafia.

Three Seasons is an upscale Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, which I wanted to go to for years but never had the opportunity. My dad and I went and split a number of different dishes. To start, we ordered the Summer Roll Spring Roll. This Vietnamese roll comes with crab, avocado, a ginger soy vinaigrette, mint, cilantro, and lettuce. It was a cross between a California Sushi Roll and a traditional spring roll. It was light and refreshing- perfect for an appetizer. We also ordered a Honey Quail Satay, which was seasoned with lime juice and pepper. I thought it would be fun to try something new, but alas quail tastes exactly like chicken. Nonetheless, the satay plate was very tasty!

Summer Spring Roll with Crab, Avocado, and a Ginger Soy Vinaigrette
Honey Quail Satay

For the entree, we split Pork Ribs and Tamarind Prawns. The pork ribs were small and fried, with a thick tamarind and green onion sauce. They were crispy and covered in the sweet but tangy sauce. The prawns were sauteed with pineapple, scallions, chili peppers, and a special tamarind sauce. They came with brown rice, and were crunchy and succulent although the sauce was on the sweeter side which was slightly overwhelming. The pineapple and shrimp went very well together.

Pork Ribs with Tamarind Sauce Tamarind Prawns with Pineapple and Brown Rice

Overall, Three Seasons lived up to my expectations. I hope to go back to try their famous Roasted Crab with a side of garlic noodles.

I also had the chance to go to Calafia, which recently opened in Palo Alto. I was excited because it was started by the former Google chef, so eating at Calafia partially fulfilled my dream of eating at the famous Google cafeteria. This restaurant prides itself with its "slow food" cuisine, which is quality local organic food. Calafia was adorable, with wooden floors and clean white tables. My little sister and I went for lunch, and we ordered Duck Dumplings, a Chinese Chicken Salad, and the Daily Omelette.

The Duck Dumplings were recommended by the waiter, and they exceeded our expectations. We enjoyed them so much that we ordered a second plate to split. The dumplings were fried, and were filled with shredded duck, shitake mushrooms, scallions, garlic, ginger, sake and tamarin.

Duck Dumplings with Special Sauce

We split the Chinese Chicken Salad, which was a deviation from the typical Chinese Chicken Salad. It came with a five spice chicken, toasted almonds, crispy rice noodles, pea shoots, and shredded lettuce. The dressing was a very light rice wine vinaigrette. The salad was light and crunchy, with the nuts and rice noodles. The dressing was very plain, so the focus of the salad was on the fresh ingredients.

Chinese Chicken Salad

We also split the Daily Omelette, which came with ham, mushrooms, and swiss cheese. The omelette hit the spot, as it was packed with the creamy cheese which complemented the smokey ham. The omelette came with a side citrus salad, with blood oranges and a tangy vinaigrette.

Swiss Cheese, Ham, and Mushroom Omelette with Side Citrus Salad

Calafia was great from the ambiance to the fresh food. It is a great option for lunch.
Overall, my week in California was a success!

Rasika Indian Food

It was Ruth's birthday, so she decided to go to an upscale Indian restaurant named Rasika to celebrate. The restaurant got excellent reviews, so I was excited to go. There was an overwhelming number of people on Yelp who raved about the Palak Chaat, so we decided to split that as an appetizer. Ruth then ordered the Tandoori Chicken Tika kabobs, and I ordered Gohbi Mattar which is a vegetarian dish consisting of Cauliflower, peas, and spices.

Gohbi Mattar (Cauliflower, peas, and spices) with fresh Naan bread

The Palak Chaat was incredible and lived up to the reviews. It was crispy spinach with a sweet yogurt, date chutney, and tamarind. The flavors worked together so well. I was scraping the bottom of the bowl! If you go here- you HAVE to order this. It sounds a little strange to mix spinach and yogurt, but Rasika perfected the recipe. Ruth's chicken kabobs were delicious (I stole a piece), and came with a mint chutney. My Gohbi Mattar was delectable, but extremely spicy. The waiter had to fill up my water glass every two minutes to keep up with me! The naan was fluffy and went well with the cauliflower.

Overall, Rasika was a great experience. The service was excellent, as was the ambiance and the food. Be warned- it is very expensive, so save this restaurant for a special night out.

Weekend Trip To New York City

For less than 15 dollars each way, Tyler and I decided to take a little trip up to New York to visit his sister. It was nice to get away from DC for a bit, and naturally I was very excited to explore the restaurants because the crowded, cultured city has every kind of food you can imagine!

Upon arriving, we decided to check out Chelsea. There is a building called the Chelsea Market, which my friend Maddie recommended. This building has a variety of shops, all with different specialities such as bread, juices, cheese, or soup. It is similar to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. We decided to stake out at Amy's Bread for an hour. This place had so many different breads, pastries, and treats.

Freshly baked breads at Amy's

We had a mini feast that consisted of Almond Brioche Toast, a Brie and Tomato Baguette sandwich with a little spicy mustard, ham and cheese grilled on a fresh cheese biscuit, and focaccia twists filled with anything from chocolate, to Parmesan, to herbs. It was a feast of everything you could come up with bread- but everything was absolutely amazing. The focaccia twists, for one dollar each, and the almond brioche toast were my favorites.

Tomato, Brie, Spicy Mustard on Baguette Sandwich

Almond Brioche Toast

After the Chelsea Market, we headed to Soho to do a little shopping and exploring. Next, we headed up town to his sister's work- which is at Fortune magazine!! It was really cool meeting the staff, exploring the building, and looking at the archives which goes back the the 1930s. We headed to the Upper West Side, and decided to do a casual night at one of Jessica's favorite places- Shake Shack.

Shake Shack is a casual burger joint known for its quality burgers and creamy frozen custards. I ordered a hamburger with the works and the Shake Shack sauce, with a chocolate frozen custard. The Hamburger was juicy, and the special sauce was delicious (for you west coasters- it was similar to In-N-Out's special sauce). The frozen custard was just like a chocolate milkshake, and I slurped it down quickly!

Shake Shack Hamburger

The next morning, we woke up and stood in line at Good Enough to Eat for brunch. The food was well worth the wait. The restaurant was adorable, as the tables were set inside a white picket fence and there were wire heart sculptures hanging from the ceiling.

Good Enough to Eat tables

We ordered a plate of eggs with onions and potatoes for the table, then we each ordered individually. Jessica had cinnamon raisin swirl french toast, Tyler had waffles, and I had the special of the day- Banana, Blueberry, and Granola Pancakes. The best part of the meal was the freshly made biscuits with homemade strawberry butter on the side. My mouth still waters thinking about this meal. The restaurant was true to it's name- as everything was (more than) good enough to eat!

Onion and Potato Omelette with a side of Biscuits and Strawberry Butter
Banana, Blueberry, Granola Pancakes with Strawberry Butter and powdered sugar

After brunch, we decided to wander around the busy streets of New York. We went to the Met, walked around Central Park, then headed down to the East Village. We stopped at a little cafe called Sweet Revenge to get some coffee and to avoid the cold. Then we ended up at a place Jessica heard of called Supper.

Fresh Ciabatta Bread served with a cannellini bean, olive oil, and red pepper flake sauce

Supper is a cozy Italian restaurant with communal tables. It was almost entirely lit by candle light. The kitchen is visible when you walk in, so you get to see them making all the pasta and various dishes. We sat down and pondered the menu for a while until we finally decided. For the table, we got an arugula, fennel, and Parmesan cheese salad with a lemon vinaigrette. For dinner, I had the Salmon Tagliata that came with a fresh pea relish on a bed of arugula. The relish was sweet and fresh, and perfectly complemented the salmon. Tyler ordered tagliatelle with prosciutto, tomatoes, and cheese. Jessica had bucatini with a pancetta tomato sauce with a mint garnish. Both loved their dishes.

Tagliatelle Pasta with Tomatoes and Prosciutto

Salmon Tagliata, with a seasonal fresh pea relish

Bucatini Pasta with Tomatoes, Pancetta, and a Mint Garnish