La Fonda Del Sol

JS, C, and I went to check out the JapanWeek booths at Grand Central Station in the hopes that we could scrounge up some good food samples. Unfortunately, none were to be had, and the single takoyaki balls didn't keep them full. So we recruited JC and walked around the corner to fill our stomachs at La Fonda.

WARNING: Strong sangria.

TAPAS...
Meatballs pork meatballs, pimentón, Manchego cheese
Artisan Cheeses selection of Spanish cheeses
Potato Bravas chile aioli
Empanadas beef rib, mushrooms, blue cabrales
Chorizo Basque chorizo, cider, croutons
Croquettes chicken, Manchego cheese, Serrano
Flatbread Romesco, smoked vegetables, goat cheese
Pork Belly Sliders bacon onion marmalade, pickles

DESSERTS...
Chocolate Milhojas Chocolate Cream, Roasted Almond Wafer, Vanilla Ice Cream
Buñuelos/Cinnamon Fritters Salty Caramel, Maracuya Peppercorn, Orange Chocolate
Sorbets and Ice Creams Pineapple, Passion Fruit, Mango

YUM.

La Fonda Del Sol
MetLife Building
E 44th Street & Vanderbilt Ave

Avenue (Brunch)

When you're brunching aside the ocean on a warm, sunny winter's day with family, it's easy to recognize happiness in the everyday. And when you have good food and overabundant service, Sundays are just that much more fulfilling.
The food, described as Parisian brasserie, isn't exactly crave-worthy nor perfectly authentic. However, Avenue does have consistently tasty food and an expensive, yet earthy, ambiance (which is memorable enough to crave). Being by the ocean doesn't hurt one bit. Parking in the summer is positively impossible, but in the winter? Easy Peasy. The Pain Perdu, made with brioche (!), apples, and hazelnut butter (!) is definitively delicious, and the titular, Avenue Breakfast, is perfect for the hungry (wo)man who enjoys a sampling of foods for brunch. Be sure to share a pot of pomme frites (cause the French seem to do this best!) as the perfect accompaniment to round out your meals!

And then there's always room for dessert. Well, not always, but room will be made; space created! We shared the pecan pie, pineapple cheesecake, profiteroles, and chocolate crepes with pistachio. Yum!



Avenue Restaurant
23 Ocean Avenue
Long Branch, NJ 07740

10 Downing Street

I'm talking NYC, not London.

If you've never had chicken pot pie, this one will spoil you. If, like me, the only way, shape, or form you've had one has been from the frozen food/tv dinner section of the supermarket, you're in for a treat! Their signature dish was a Curry Spice & Coconut Pot Pie with chicken & vegetable, kaffir lime, topped with puff pastry ("coconut" and "puff pastry" being the key words here). It came steaming hot out of the kitchen, so as much as I wanted to gobble it up, it was almost impossible to eat. The dish was HUGE - looked like I took about 3 bites out of it before calling it quits. Surprised no one jumped me for the leftovers on my bus ride home. The smell was intoxicating.

While I was savoring my pot pie, everyone else at the table was picking at their Filet Mignon. NOT that the filet mignon wasn't yummy (cause they all said it was), but we'd stuffed ourselves on the apps and Duck Fat Sage Fries (which didn't have the slightest duck taste, but were scrumpcious nonetheless). E & J must not have gorged themselves with the tuna tartare, potato leek soup, and sweet shrimp & cheddar grits, cause they somehow polished their dishes (go family, go!). Everything was a hit, except the mashed potatoes. How they messed that up, I have no idea (hell, I can even make mashed potatoes), but unanimous complaints heard around the table said they were too soft and bland. Eek.

Dessert? Of course we saved room for dessert. The prix fixe menu came with the Lemon Panna Cotta, but $5 more and we could choose off the regular menu. 6 panna cottas? Uh, no. We compromised with three, and added the "Peanut Butter and Jelly" (peanut butter mousse, chocolate ganache, grape-jelly sorbet), Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Holes (marmalade, mocha sauce), and Sticky Toffee Pudding (dates, cream, warm toffee sauce). The PB was heavy and the J was tart - a good combo eaten together, but too extreme when not. Good, but I probably wouldn't choose this again. Especially not with doughnut holes dunked in toffee pudding to eat instead! Oh, HEAVEN. The toffee pudding was, by far, the best dessert of all, and if you don't like toffee then... you're right up there with the non-Harry Potter, non-Ryan Reynolds fans of the world. Just... *gasp*.

If you're a lover of good food, you should pay a visit. If you don't have three hours to sit... maybe another day then.

ps. The door is on Downing Street... just like their address says. justsaying.
pps. It's REALLY hard to take photos by candlelight. Especially with an average ole point-n-shoot. Time for an upgrade? :)

10 Downing
10 Downing St (...duh)
@ 6th Ave.

sweetRevenge

Met up with C for a little preparty C&E style.

Fleur de Sel: Valrhona Chocolate Cake, Salted Caramel Center and Salted Caramel Buttercream with Pecans and Salted Caramel Drizzle.

gimme more.

MUST go back and try all these flavors.


Sweet Revenge
62 Carmine St.

Jingle Mingle...6?

Every year, the "kids" uphold the tradition our parents started many years ago. Their parties have gotten too big for us, and so...we've started holding our own. Though we don't do presents, our renditions have included video games, rocking out to xmas songs, watching concerts, ELFing it, and most importantly - EATING.
This year, the party moved to good ole Hobo (thanks M!)...

May all your christmases be just as merry & filling :)

Merry Christmas!!

(Todd English's) Olives

I've been eying this place after its numerous mentions on the FoodNetwork. With the holidays around the corner, it was the perfect time and place (even if you do feel like you're sitting behind a shower curtain) to meet up with friends (whom you haven't seen in I-lost-60-pounds-since-I-last-saw you months!) for the holiday season. The service was in no way top-notch, but who cares when there's WOW!me food in front of you?

Pictured above is the pork chop, which as you may already know (yes, it was so good I have been raving since) was one of the tenderest cuts of meat I've ever had. A pork chop! What a notion! I am more familiar with the thin, dry-with-a-side-of-sauce chop types. So, I rave now.The dessert plate ('for two' they say) speaks for itself. Can I make all of the items on the plate? Yes, probably (no, not bragging), but each item was still excitingly delicious. Those are the most expensive fried oreos and apple fritters I've encountered, but they are without a doubt conversation stoppers. And there were leftovers! To share with the family!

Oh, and did I mention the free pumpkin mini-cakes that came with our check?




Todd English's Olives NYC
in the W Hotel
201 Park Avenue South

happy K day!

Happy Birthday K! ^^

Casellula

I hardly ever see J. And by 'hardly ever', I mean about twice a year. But our outings are always happy occasions where we play catch up over really good food.

Neither of us know how to choose wine, so we opted for red, answered a few of the waiter's questions, and ignorantly agreed to a glass of his recommendation: Terra Andina Reserva, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile (2008). I actually loved it.

Their tapas menu isn't large, but it's still difficult to choose. We didn't even attempt the cheese menu, but cheese lovers would probably have a ball. In the end, we settled on a "medium" and two "large" dishes: Chicken Liver Paté, Meatloaf Shepherd's Pie, & BBQ Chicken Sliders. I highly recommend the paté - if you like paté, that is. It was topped with crème fraîche, with a side of fig marmalade. The fig was so refreshing against the paté, making the contrasting combination completely delectable.


I'm not a meat-eater, but the mashed potatoes completely lured me in, and I had to at least try the meatloaf. It was so soft, it really was like pie. The beer braised onions gave off somewhat of a sour taste though, that I didn't entirely love. I was most surprised that the sliders were easy to eat. They were neat, with just enough bbq flavor to make a civilized burger. Loved the jicama slaw. The only thing I was kinda upset about was the fact that there was a big ole bone in one of my sliders. That puts quite a bummer in the eating experience. ps. I attempted to try the pickled jalapenos (first bite of the meal!), but one little nibble of a slice burned my mouth until dessert.


Which brings me to...dessert! Our tummies had just enough space to share a plate of the Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwich. Pecan Crunch. Bourbon Caramel. Cinnamon Wafers. Uh yeah, you should try this.

The place is tiny - smaller than my living room - but luckily we didn't have to wait for a table. They don't take reservations, so it's probably best to go on a random weekday, with a really small crowd.

Thanx N for the great recommendation!

Casellula
401 W 52nd St
(btwn 9th & 10th Ave)