RESTAURANT REVIEW: Bluesmoke

NYC is home to a lot of things but actual pit barbecue is not one of them. I'm talking about barbecue over a open flame, wet or dry ribs, and state crafted barbecue sauces. Living in NYC things are built into each other.... And an open roasting pit built into a restaurant? Not so much a good idea.  Restauranteur Danny Meyer, the man behind Shake Shack, the wildly growing burger cult, has done just this at BlueSmoke, a BBQ restaurant amongst his conglomerate of successful restaurants. I found myself in BlueSmoke for dinner one evening  I was excited ( and hungry!) just from viewing the menu beforehand. With words like fry bread, hush puppies, and shrimp corn dogs on the menu, as soon as we were seated, I had my fork an knife ready to taste everything! Surprisingly the drink menu was much larger than the dinner menu was.(WHOA for tasty drinks!)  Food wise let's just say our table was filled to capacity with...


~Crispy Chili Crusted Calamari w/ Charred Red Peper Mayo
~Shrimp and Organic Grits, House Smoked Bacon, Sauteed Cremini Mushrooms, Roasted Tomatoes and Scallions
~Creekstone Farms Texas Beef Brisket, Mashed Potatoes and Crispy Onions
~Texas Salt and Pepper Beef Ribs
~Sweet Potato Wedges with Maple Dip
~Macaroni and Cheese
~Fry Bread w/ Chipotle Butter

Dessert:
~Sticky Toffee Pudding w/ Warm Toffee Sauce, Toasted Pecans and Creme Fraiche
~Pie of the Day: Bourbon Pecan Pie


This is another GO HERE NOW restaurant and I will be a repeat offender of BlueSmoke! One word after a few minutes of complete silence: AMAZING! This food was delicious...literally all of it. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and the roasted tomatoes gave the shrimp and grits a nice new flavor to a old southern classic. The ribs were smokey but tender and the brisket melted in your mouth. The sweet potato wedges were nothing fancy which was a good thing because the natural sweetness of the sweet potato really came through. But lets discuss the new love in my life... the fry bread! These large pillow like pieces of bread were pipping hot, and when pulled apart the doughy texture of the hot bread took my breath away! LAWD! . The chipotle butter melted right into the bread and when combined my life was absolutely complete! I LOVE THIS FRY BREAD!

BLUESMOKE
116E. 27th Street {btwn Park and Lex.}
New York, N.Y. 10016
212.447.7733
http://www.jazzstandard.net/blue/index.html

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RESTAURANT REVIEW: Ed's Lobster Bar

In the past 2 years, lobster rolls have hit New York City as the go to staple for summer dining. Full of sweet, fresh lobster and a squishy bun, several restaurants in NYC claim they have the best lobster roll! I work next to Ed's Lobster Bar in Soho, and I pass by this small lively spot everyday, and I also notice it because, this was one of the places claiming their lobster territory. Seating at the bar , is the place to see everything at Ed's Lobster Bar, where you can watch all of your seafood cracked fresh for you right on the ice and right out of its shell. Freshness at its best.  I ordered take-out, but dining in will definitely be my choice for my next lobster roll, because trust me, Ed's Lobster Bar will be seeing me again. My take-out order consisted of : New England Clam Chowder, Lobster Bisque, the infamous Lobster roll, and a interesting Lobster Pot Pie. The chowder was filled with bacon(YUM!), potatoes, and seafood infused cream with clams... not my favorite chowder(I think Whole Foods makes a better heartier chowder) but good none the less.


The lobster bisque was rich and buttery also served with lobster tortellini, but the lobster roll and the pot pie is whats making me write this post. I'll save the best for last...the lobster pot pie was rich and hearty with mushrooms, haricot verts, and massive chucks of lobster. The dough was raised, flaky, and full of butter, combined made me smile, we all know how I like butter!

NOW! The lobster roll.... a party in my mouth. A classic and true lobster roll should consist of nothing but fresh lobster, mayo and salt an pepper, and a little lemon juice. Nothing more nothing less. Ed got this part right. Fresh succulent lobster cooked perfectly sitting in between a deeply buttered potato roll(so much butter you could taste it amongst all that lobster)... so much lobster in this roll, my jaw started hurting from constant chewing....and I dont regret the pain!  I must admit the lobster roll was market price and this was not a cheap take out order but, for food this good and for this freshness and quality, it is worth it! !

ED's Lobster Bar
222 Lafayette Street

New York, N.Y. 10012

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RECIPE: Honey Thyme Roasted Root Veggies

Being left to my own devices for a dinner special at work, a few things came to mind. The winter season was one of them. Eating in season is great, all of the seasonal ingredients are in abundance and flavorful...until you hit winter. It slim picking in the winter and my entree needed a side dish. Winter is the best time for root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, salsify and potatoes. Here is what my devices resulted in.

Honey Thyme Roasted Root Vegetables.
1/2 bag of carrots, peeled, cleaned and cut into quarters length wise
1/2 bag of parsnips, peeled, cleaned and cut into quarters lengthwise
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise to match the size of the carrots and parsnips
4 -6T. honey
1/2 bunch of fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper
olive oil

Toss all quartered vegetables with olive oil and salt and pepper and thyme in a bowl and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Place in a 400 degree oven and roast till vegtables turn brown and slightly crispy. Add honey to cooked vegetables and place back in oven for 5-7 minutes longer. Serve as a side dish along with your favorite meat, or eat just as they are.

~sweetness can be adjusted to your liking~



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The Food Court 2.0

Remember the times when the food court was the place to be? Some type of pizza, a sandwich, and maybe some weird greasy Asian combo was all you and your friends needed for a great weekend. We have embarked on foodie greatness (and better friends) and now the food court has done a full circle. Chefs have taken note on the European style of a food court and created these food meccas if you will....Its one stop shopping and delicious dining......grab some gelato or sip wine while walking through the halls decked with pasta,fantastic vegetables and interactive seafood stations....Chat with and watch a chef prepare your meal, or pick up some handmade pasta and some vine ripe tomatoes on your way home for a delicious dinner. The quality of the food in these food courts are amazing, and the actual sit down meal part of these food courts maybe the best part. I recently had the dining pleasure to experience Chef Mario Batali's new mega food complex EATALY and The Plaza Food Hall by Chef Todd English.  Both were amazing and the food was delicious, but the experience is what made it a exciting and new dining experience. Talking to the chef and having him customize my meat at the The Plaza Food Hall has made me want to go back literally every day(!)  and the wine experience and lamb's heart dish at EATALY I can talk about for days.  Try these new food courts as a new dining option or spend a sunday after noon in them to become the ultimate foodie!


http://www.nycgo.com/?event=view.article&id=245850 Pin It