food and friends: Coconut Shrimp and Sweet Potato Fries!

Baked Coconut Shrimp with a Spicy Orange Marmalade Glaze (sides of Sweet Potato Fries and Sauteed Spinach)

What I love more than anything is having the time to cook a good old fashioned home cooked meal with a friend. These past couple weeks, Sam has been my cooking partner-in-crime in making super delicious meals for dinner. This particular night, we decided to try our hand at a healthier alternative at a restaurant classic-- Baked Coconut Shrimp! When thinking about what to pair with this, we kept healthy by baking some yams to make fries and sauteing spinach. We had a couple problems along the way with breading the shrimp, but in the end they turned out alright. Overall, it was a delicious treat!

Great ingredients= Great Food: The Lobster Place

Red Chile Crusted Sea Scallops with Mango Tortilla Salad (sorry for the poor quality!)

Up until this point, I've only talked about places I go to eat, which is super awesome for me... IF I had an unlimited budget. But, as a jobless college student, I have to find ways to get my gourmet on without spending outrageous prices (yes, I just said that). A simple solution? Cook for yourself! Any time you go to a restaurant, their prices are based on the price of the ingredients plus a profit, so cooking for yourself cuts out a big cost and can provide you with multiple meals! Here's one of my more favorite meals of recent: red chile crusted sea scallops with mango tortilla salad and a citrus vinaigrette! Scallops are one of my favorite things to eat, so I'm a bit biased in saying that anything with them in it is automatically fantastic. But with seafood, especially, its really important to get fresh, well preserved fish, which is part of made this great. This meal was especially delicious due to the amazingly fresh sea scallops I got at the Lobster Place after work, right in Chelsea Market (of coursee). They have all types of seafood from fish to clams to live lobsters! They also have super yummy soups, sushi, salad, and sandwiches if you want to grab something quick (I recommend the spicy tuna wrap!).

If you'd like the recipe for this dish, head on over to foodnetwork.com! (link will go straight to recipe). It was lots of fun to make the tortilla strips, and corn tortillas normally come in pretty large packs so you can make extra to snack on. The viniagrette was delicious, and the salad was great for a second day meal. This recipe is definitely good ol' Bobby Flay at his best.

Other than that, midterms are over! I've been a bit quiet in the past week as a result of locking myself in my room to study, but expect a lot more reviews and cooking posts soon! Restaurants/Recipes up to bat include: Baked Coconut Shrimp, Sauteed Shrimp, Artichoke Pizza from Artichoke, and the God of sandwiches, the #4 with eggplant from Tino's. Get excited!

Oh My Thai! Chelsea Thai Wholesale

Pad See Ew: stir-fried flat noodles with beef, egg, and vegetables

On one of our many lunchtime hunts for good food in Chelsea Market, Andrea and I decided on Chelsea Thai Wholesale, a seemingly hole-in-the-wall that cranks out awesome looking thai food on a daily basis. The menu is pictures of each dish on a wall with a short description, so if you are wary of what to get by the name, hopefully you'll find some guidance in this type of point and choose menu. I love trying new things, but when it comes to thai I usually just go for good old Pad Thai-- I know what it is, I know what it tastes like, and I know I won't be disappointed. But this time, I chose the Pad See Ew-- stir fried flat noodles with beef and egg on Andrea's recommendation (she is quite well versed in Thai food, if I may say so myself). I don't quite remember the name of the dish she got, but it was the same type of noodles with beef and a spicier sauce. Here's what went down:


What I liked: I really loved my entire dish-- the noodles had a great texture to them, the meat was cooked well, and for under $10, you can't beat this dish! The portions were huge as well, so I had some to take home :) I tried some of Andrea's dish as well, which was equally tasty-- I'll definitely go back another time for lunch!

What I didn't like: Like a lot of the little eateries in the market, it becomes veryy crowded at lunchtime, and with limited seating/standing room to wait for your food, it can bring down the overall experience quite a bit. I also wish they took credit cards, because I really don't like carrying cash around. Meh

Rating: 8 out of 10. I would substitute my regular tino's sandwich for this any day (well, I would have to be in the mood for thai, but you know)

I definitely encourage everyone to check it out!! I talk about Chelsea Market a lot because I work there, but honestly its one of my favorite places in New York City-- If you've never been, its absolutely a sight to see!

Bar Americain: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Wild Sea Bass with Roasted Corn Sauce, Cockles, Summer Squash, and Thyme

After a week of contemplating and self-reflection, I have decided to finally post my true feelings on Bar Americain, Bobby Flay's modern american restaurant in midtown Manhattan. I will preface it with one disclaimer: I really do love Bobbly Flay, I love his recipes, I love the different shows he's involved with on Food Network (and I'm not just saying that because I work there) and I would love to grab a beer with him. Well, he would have a beer I assume, but I would probably have a cosmo. ALRIGHT-- other than that, here we go. To start off, I went all out for this meal-- My main course was wild striped bass, with a roasted corn sauce, cockles, summer squash, and thyme with a side of asparagus... all things I love. It had been a rough week and I needed some me time and a splurge on my meal. I had met up with my friend Thea who also has a very picky palate, so I knew regardless of what I thought, I was in for a treat with her review as well. She chose to have the Filet Mignon, which came with a house made steak sauce, and an order of the cauliflower and goat cheese gratin (which the waitress highly recommended, deeming it the best side on the menu). We hit this meal home with banana, walnut, and hazelnut crepes with a clementine butter. Any time with Thea is a good time, so I would say we definitely left with good spirits. Here is how the night panned out:

What I liked: If you ever have a chance to peek inside Bar Americain, I suggest to do so as it is beautiful inside. Its very dimly lit, with warm lighting and unique lighting... it almost had a sort of fancy modern hotel feel, but I was okay with that. The service was great as well--  I get nervous going into some restaurants as a college student, as I have had experiences before where the waiters get quite snoody and stand-offish because they automatically think they won't tip you well or that you'll be obnoxious... yet our waitress was very helpful, nice and informative throughout our meal. As for the food, the bread they bring you is AWESOME-- some sort of cornbread with spice in it-- the cornbread was always warm coming out, and the spice was very subtle and gave you a peppery afterthought almost-- a good combination. I really loved the sauce the seabass was in, and the flavor of everything was quite good. Finally, the crepes for dessert were excellent. I wish I had gotten a picture. They were presented as three mini crepes surrounded by the clementine butter. I loved the butter as it gave the crepes a sweet yet savory touch that is unlike anything I've ever had before. I would definitely recommend them.

What I didn't like: Oh jeez here we go. If you are going to put your name on a restaurant, like Bobby Flay has with Bar Americain, I expect an almost unquestionable level of quality-- like the man himself is back there grilling up a steak for you. This may be naive of me to say, but in a restaurant where you are paying that much to eat such a caliber of food, the socks of every customer should be blown of by how good the food is. For me, this was not the case. Yes there were a few stand out items, but overall, I was sorely disappointed. The bass was fine, but the way it was prepared (skin side super crispy) made it difficult to cut and eat-- something I don't want to have to deal with. Maybe I just don't like the way it was prepared, I don't know. The fish was fine, but there was nothing that really blew my mind with it. Also, the menu advertised the "summer squash" as part of the dish, which was almost undiscoverable in my dish. The vegetable had been chopped so finely that I could barely taste it. I understand that there is an artistic quality to presenting the food, but if I can't taste part of the dish, it was a fruitless attempt. The cockles were cockles, very small, but overall couldn't complain about them I suppose. My side of asparagus was undercooked for my liking, and the green peppercorn sauce that came on them didn't do really do anything either way to help/hurt them. Overall, my main course, which is the most important part of the meal, was just kind of on an "eh" level. Thea also had some comments about her steak, which was extremely over charred on the outside (she asked for it medium or medium well I believe) and the "highly popular" cauliflower and goat cheese gratin left something to be desired. We both decided it would have done much better with some parmesean added to it and a bit more seasoning-- it was very bland for something that should have been so awesome. 

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10-- I mean I'm being a bit harsh on my critique, everything was okay, and was definitely better than a microwave meal. On a scale of tinos sandwiches, though, I would rather have the 6/7 #4's from tinos for the same price I paid for my one meal at Bar Americain. 

I suppose thats about it. Regardless of my opinion on the food, I still had a great time with a great friend. And we milked our approximately $130 paycheck for all it was worth, asking for more bread to take home, multiple boxes of matches, and filling out the survey in which they ask for your birthday (which I hope brings a discount to Bobby's restaurants?! maybe?!) The restaurant is convinient for theatre go-ers that are grabbing a bite before a show, but otherwise, I would say Bar Americain is over-priced and overrated. After reflecting on my splurge, I probably wouldn't go again and spend as much money for such a mediocre meal, which I'm really sad to say because, like I said before, I love Bobby Flay. I guess I'll just have to stick to Mesa Grill on Union Square. 

Bowery Eats: pop-up sandwich shack!

Frencheese Sandwich: Bowerey Eats (notice the watercress forest)

Alright, so it wasn't really a pop-up shack, but its a hidden jewel of Chelsea Market known only by workers on their lunch break... Bowery Eats located inside Bowery Kitchen Supply! Amidst plates, wine glasses, and cheese graters, Bowery Eats a lunch-only hotspot serving sandwiches, wraps, and salads! Needless to say it was quite an experience... The store itself is cluttered from wall to wall with kitchen supplies, and the food counter is squeezed in near the back of the store. All of the sandwiches sounded delicious, but I finally decided on the "Frencheese" sandwich-- there were four different types of cheese on this thing (brie, morbier, and two others I'm blanking on at the moment) with cucumbers, pickles, watercress, and dijon on a white baguette. Ultimately, the sandwich and a drink cost me $10, which isn't horrible (and the sandwich was huge! I saved half of mine for later :) )! Here's what I thought:

What I liked: The cheese. You could put four kinds of cheese on anything and it would be infinitely better than it was before. The pickles/cucumbers added a really nice crunch to the sandwich that I didn't expect. I also really like that you can pick your bread for the sandwich and even make it into a wrap!

What I didn't like: The dijon mustard was very potent, and I often got bites of the sandwich that were wayyy too mustardy... Also, there was a small forest of watercress on my sandwich, which kind of detracted from the sandwich overall (not because it made it taste bad but it was just annoying and I ended up having to take it off and rearrange my sandwich contents multiple times). Finally, this was a cheese sandwich. No meat, some veggies, four different kinds of cheese. That being said, I wrongly assumed that my cheese sandwich would be toasted in some way. It wasn't. I put the cheesey bottom of the bread in the microwave to melt it, which did help, but I wish it had been melted in the first place. Sigh.

Overall, I liked the sandwich, but I wasn't in love. I'm not counting Bowery Eats out yet, as maybe I just didn't pick one of their best sandwiches. I've heard nothing but good things from others so I'm definitely willing to give them another chance.

My overall rating: 6 out of 10. I would maybe trade one tino's sandwich for it. Maybe.

Thanks to my fellow intern Andrea for the suggestion!

Ronnybrook Dairy Farm: the perks of being an intern

Egg, cheese, and tomato on a croissant with roasted potatoes from Ronnybrook Farm Dairy

First off, let me preface this with some background-- I am so thankful to have gotten the opportunity this Fall to intern at the one, the only, Food Network! Crazy, right?! One of the BEST parts working at their offices is working above one of the best culinary hubs in the city, Chelsea Martket. The market is filled with completely unique restaurants, shops, and bakeries that will fit anyone's tastes.


My first review encompasses one of my favorite lunch spots I go to when I'm on my break at Food Network-- the Ronnybrook Farm Dairy retail store and cafe. The farm produces and distributes all local, organic dairy items such as milk, yogurt, ice cream, butter, and cheese. The best part about this is the fact that they incorporate these items into their dishes at the cafe such as sandwiches, salads, breakfast dishes, and pasta specials. I've tried their sandwiches before (which come with a side salad!) but today I chose one of their amazing breakfast options-- the egg, tomato, and cheese on a croissant with roasted potatoes.

Let me tell you, I've had my fair share of egg sandwiches-- bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant is one of my go-to breakfast options. But after this egg sandwich I have honestly tasted the difference between organic and free-range ingredients as opposed to non-organic. The eggs were ridiculously fresh-tasting, the cheese was creamy, and the croissant (which I assume came from Amy's Bread across the way) was to die for. It was one of the most perfect combinations of a breakfast sandwich that I have ever had. To add onto that, the roasted potatoes were so incredibly flavorful, I didn't even need any ketchup! They were roasted in olive oil with some sort of garlic I believe, and it was a perfect end to a pretty exquisite lunch. To top it all off, my meal (including a diet coke) was only $12 with tip! Not bad for dining in the city :) I'm going to Bar Americain after work tomorrow with my friend Thea, and I cannot wait to try the cuisine!

PS: Sorry for the super up-close picture, it was my first time eating alone AND taking a picture of my own food (with my phone none-the-less) and I tried to take it as fast as I could! Eek! I'll get used to it eventually... I hope.

No more pizza! No more ramen!

Remember those years of pizza at 4am, hungover breakfast of bagels, omelettes, AND bacon in one sitting, and ordering from take out menus at least once a week? Welcome to college. Many students complain about gaining their "freshman 15", and believe me I've probably gained that and more. But I am making the pledge, right now, that the age of stereotypical college cuisine (if you can call it that) is over in my book. I am here to make a pledge, as a junior at Fordham University, to push the crappy late-night food aside and have respectful meals. My mission will be to find the best food, the best value, and maybe even the worst food in New York City... and attempting this on a [semi]-college budget. I'll try to include some of my own culinary excursions as well. So take the journey with me! If I'm going to spend money on good food, I might as well eat for a purpose! CHEERS!