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.