New York Part II: More fatty adventures

Hello folks! Hope everyone is having a good weekend. I was unfortunately stuck in bed last night with the most annoying headache ever, but luckily I'm feeling a lot better today and am ready to take advantage of the last day of the weekend! I feel like there is a bit of pressure on me to deliver now that my blog has been exposed at work, though this is more of an error on my part by volunteering such information on my CV. I've been told to hurry up and start talking about food in New Zealand – and I will eventually – you will just have to wait for about three or four more updates to pass by! Sorry that it has been a bit of a wait between updates, I've been a bit busy! Thanks to M visiting me for a week, I've also been to a few more new places in Auckland and I can't wait to tell you all about it.

Today's update however, will be a continuation of my fatty adventures in New York City. As I look back at my time in the US, it really seemed like all I did in Manhattan was...well, eat. I can't tell whether my stomach enjoyed my three months of gluttony or not. Yes then. Now maybe not so much.

Mesa Grill

102 5th Avenue (between 15th and 16th St), New York, NY 10011 (Closest subway: 4th St - Union Square)

Before leaving for the US, I asked my brother whether he wanted me to bring back anything for him. Knowing my brother, he would have a list of things to request. One of the things he requested was for me to buy was a bottle of Mesa Grill's Mango Habanero Hot Sauce. Mesa Grill is one of Bobby Flay's restaurants in the US, which specializes in Southwestern cuisine. Buying a bottle of this particular hot sauce actually required me to go to Mesa Grill because the cost of buying it online with shipping was double the cost in person, so I figured I should probably try out their food too. I knew about Mesa Grill through my love and avid watching of the Food Network channel, as I used to see Bobby Flay's face everywhere. I must admit that I had a bit of trepidation about going to Mesa Grill because the reviews were pretty mixed online and didn't really want to be on the 50% side of having an unhappy experience. I dread being on that side.

In the middle of my Christmas shopping and waiting for my friend, R to finish work, I decided to go to Mesa Grill for lunch. As I gave a quick look at the menu, one of the waitstaff placed a bread basket on my table – a blue corn jalapeno muffin and a couple of cornmeal dusted bread rolls. Luckily I read Bourdain's book after I left the US because bread baskets are so common in the US and I'm now feeling a bit scarred about them. Thanks, Bourdain. Luckily in my naivete, I really enjoyed the bread basket. The bread was warm and the blue corn muffin was especially delicious.

I can be rather systematic in my approach to eating out if I know where I'm going to eat the night before. However, most of the time my systematic approach fails as I always order something different than what I originally intend to order. Whoops. I asked my waiter (excellent and not at all pushy) what he could recommend and he mentioned that if I'm into breakfast, Mesa Grill's take on eggs benedict would be a good, popular choice. So I ordered their take on eggs benedict – spicy chicken and sweet potato hash with poached eggs and green chile hollandaise ($14 US). The hash had the right amount of heat with the mellow egg yolk counterbalancing the heat from the hash and the sauces, but I found there to be more sweet potato than anything so I had a bit of hash left on my plate. I wanted a bit more chicken. It was pretty good though!

I was pretty full and I knew that I was going to meet my friend La Burdick for hot chocolate, yet I knew I had to try some dessert. I decided to go for the toasted coconut layer cake with coconut cream sauce ($10.50). I really wanted the churros on the menu but had to go beyond my natural cravings, a choice which I did not regret at all. It wasn't overly sweet as I thought it was going to be and the cake itself was very light. Coconut rules.

The only thing left to say is that they really need to update their interior decor. The front dining area looks so painfully odd. Wish I had a picture to prove my point.

Beauty & Essex

146 Essex Street, New York, NY 10002 (Closest subway: Delancey Street)

A visit to Beauty & Essex was spurred on as a result of a friend of mine, A, who had been living in New York for a year and is someone that I have known since the good old days of high school. She told me to come and visit her work, so for one night my fiancé and I decided to treat ourselves to a nice night out in New York. When guests enter they firstly walk into a pawn shop, but the back door leads you to the front of restaurant (ground floor) and bar/lounge (upstairs). It was so dramatically different, I was taken back by how lush and glamorous the restaurant looked once I stepped inside. Immediately impressed.

Our waitress recommended that we order 4-6 savoury dishes as their dishes are meant to be shared. Both of us don't have the usual American appetite so we went for three. My lovely friend recommended a few dishes to us (although she pretty much told us essentially everything was good), a couple which we followed through with and ordered. When our waitress arrived with two cocktails – thanks to A! – I knew I was in trouble. One being that M doesn't really drink cocktails. Two being that my face immediately turns to a tomato after one measly glass of wine. While the 'beauty elixir' cocktail (gin, cucumber, strawberry, sparkling rosé; $14) was good, the 'blood orange-jalapeño margarita' cocktail (jalapeño infused tequila, blood orange juice, lime, cointreau; $14) was even better. I could have done with two of those. Actually with my alcohol tolerance I couldn't, but in my head I'd like to think I could have consumed two. Or three.

Top: Amuse bouche of red beet tapanade on a corn crisp
Bottom: Delicious cocktails and the pulled pork tamale

Throughout the duration of my meal, I tried to sip both of these slowly and casually.

To start our meal, one of the waitstaff presented us with an amuse bouche – some type of red beet tapanade on a corn crisp. If you've read my blog, you'll know I'm not into beets. However this was  pretty small and almost the size of a swollen finger that it didn't really taste too much like beets for me. (This, if you hadn't already figured out, is a compliment). M and I decided to share the lobster tacos ($19) which A recommended, the 'carnitas' pulled pork tamales ($13), oven braised chicken meatballs ($16), and a side of broccolini with garlic, soy and chile ($9). The highlight was definitely the lobster tacos. I could have eaten just a plate full of those tacos and it wouldn't have bothered me. This statement in my head actually matches up with my stomach. But actually everything tasted pretty good. I don't know if I would ever go for the chicken meatballs ever again, but they still tasted good to me.

For dessert, we ordered the black bottomed butterscotch pot de creme with coconut chantilly ($11) which was also recommended by A; but when our dessert arrived, dessert became desserts. Next to the pot de creme was a box of doughnuts (half of them filled with chocolate hazelnut creme and the rest filled with raspberry jam; $13). We initially thought it was a mistake until A told us that it wasn't (see A, you spoiled me with dessert and cocktails. I can now feed you with some cupcakes!). That pot de creme was, without a doubt, awesome. The only adjective I can adequately use to describe the pot de creme would be sinful. And goddamn delicious. We were really full by this point, so we cheekily took the rest of our doughnuts home (which we ended up finishing in the train and in our apartment by the end of the night). The doughnuts were pretty finger-lickin'-good as well but not as good as that pot de creme.

Top: A side of broccolini, chicken meatballs, pot de creme, doughnuts
Bottom: Delicious lobster tacos, man

By this point we were pretty full. I was pretty warm. Before leaving for the subway to get back to Penn Station in order to get to our train back home, I asked A to lead me to the bathroom. As we were walking, she asked me if I knew what was down there. I exactly knew what was down there but I was reluctant. I was reluctant because I pretty much consumed two cocktails and I was feeling warm. What does that even mean? What does that have to do with feeling reluctant? Well in the ladies bathroom, there is free champagne available. It's probably the coolest and worst idea ever wrapped up into one. Despite my reluctance, I eventually took a glass and brought it upstairs with me. M was hoping for champagne when he went to the toilet, but unfortunately guys don't have the same privilege in their bathroom. 

I had a really good time at Beauty & Essex. During my three months in the US, it was probably one of M's favourite dining experiences we shared. Not only was the food great but the service was first class too. Very attentive and knowledgeable staff.

I'm not going to tell you what happened on the trip back to Penn Station. Let's just say that I had to make a detour e.g. W 4th Street subway stop. Sipping cocktails slowly doesn't work with my tolerance level apparently. I've given you enough clues. /shameful. 

Madison Square Eats / Union Square Christmas Market

I love markets. When there are markets dedicated to food only, it's even better. During the Spring, the outdoor market brings together NYC's most popular restaurants (apparently) around the Madison Square Park Conservancy. The best thing I ate was a peking bun ($4) from Hong Kong Street Cart. The steamed bun was killer. The beef empanada ($3.50) from La Sonrisa was also good, as well as Graffiti | Mehtaphor's garlic fries ($3). The most average dish I ate was a pulled pork slider but I can't recall the stall I bought it from. Too bad. At the Union Square Christmas Market, they had limited food stalls, but I did try four of Macaron Parlour's macarons ($2.50 each) including their Candied Bacon with Maple Cream Cheese flavour. It wasn't as good as Bosie Tea Parlor's one though. Not as delicate.

Vanessa's Dumplings / Tasty Dumpling

118A Eldridge St, New York, NY 10002 (Closest subway: Grand St) / 54 Mulberry Street, New York, NY 10013 (Closest subway: Canal St)

My oldest brother told me that if I had a craving for dumplings, I should go to Tasty Dumpling because they have the best dumplings around Chinatown. Even though, I always have that craving for dumplings, that was my plan after brunch out at Clinton Street Bakery (fatty right?), except that R, told me to go to Vanessa's Dumpling House instead. Which I did, with the false promises of my friend that she would help me eat a dumpling or two. She made me eat them all. :( I ordered the pork and chive fried dumplings (4 for $1, see the pic above) and they were really good. So good that I bought a 50 pack of frozen ones for $9. They pretty much helped M & I through the first few days of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Those dumplings kept us alive and kicking!

About a month or so later, I eventually made my way to Tasty Dumpling and tried their pork and chive dumplings (5 for $1.25, photo not taken sorry). A combination of aloof service and temperamental dumpling wrapper at Tasty Dumpling made me deem Vanessa's Dumpling House the overall favourite. I know you shouldn't expect much service at dumpling houses, but the reception I received at Tasty Dumpling was pretty cold and unappreciative. Plus the dumpling wrapper was way too flimsy. I still liked them though because who doesn't like a dumpling?

Chikalicious Dessert Club

204 E 10th Street, New York, NY 10003 (Closest subway: 3rd Ave)

After an early dinner one night, R took me to Chikalicious Dessert Club which was a nice 20 minute-something stroll coming from the West Village. We had just finished dinner and were quite full, though we (okay maybe it's just me) always seem to think there's always room for dessert. On one side of the street there's the Chikalicious Dessert Bar, which was (and still is) the better looking Chikalicious of the two from a completely interior and exterior decor point of view. Literally on the other side of the street there's the Chikalicious Dessert Bar, sort of a hole-in-the-wall kind of place with limited seating and counter service only.

After endless amounts of flip-flopping, I ended up ordering the Hot Apple Cinnamon Crisp ($7.95, bottom right corner in the photo next to Madison Square Eats) which was pretty much an apple crumble-like dessert with a perfectly round scoop of vanilla ice cream. R ordered the Tres Leche Tiramisu ($7.95) which also had a scoop of vanilla icecream on the side too. I also decided to take home a four pack of macarons ($2.50 each) – flavours consisting of salted caramel, strawberry, chocolate and green tea. Thought I should bring something home for later (little did I know that they would mostly be consumed by two tall Polish boys as soon I'd arrive back to New Jersey). Everything that we purchased was pretty solid. I really enjoyed the warm apple crisp in conjunction with the cold ice cream. The fact that it was warm made a good dessert even better. The macarons were consumed back in New Jersey without complaints ("interesting" is as good as it's going to get with guys consuming small, petite macarons in their large gobs) - I particularly enjoyed my green tea one, though I enjoy anything with matcha. Yum!


Other bits in bobs in Manhattan:

• Cornelia Street Cafe 29 Cornelia Street, New York, NY 10014 - I had brunch with R and her friend here at Cornelia Street Cafe on a cold winter's day. Both R and I ordered the Eggs Benedict ($9) which also came with a side of garlic rosemary roast potatoes, whereas R's friend ordered the mushroom risotto. My eggs were perfectly cooked, runny just the way I like my yolks to be, though there was a bit of an annoying long wait for our food. We kept ourselves occupied with warm drinks and a lot of annoying ranting (mostly by myself if you asked my brunch companions). Potatoes could have used a small pinch more of salt, but otherwise it tasted pretty good and was perfect in size (at last!).

• Malatesta 649 Washington Street, New York, NY 10014 - I was taken to Malatesta by R as a result of the restaurant being recommended on Yelp. I normally follow her Yelp recommendations. We initially arrived too early – arriving before dinner service started – but once we got there, it was smooth sailing. I ordered the ravioli al formaggio (ricotta cheese ravioli with pink sage sauce, $13.50). I had never tried pink sauce until I had it at Malatesta. It still sounds quite scary to me from its name (just like the thought of shrimp cocktail scares me), but the sauce was luscious, creamy and not at all scary. Service was prompt and the setting was quite relaxing to dine in. Cash only, which sucks for those who do not like carrying cash!

• Shake Shack 691 8th Avenue, New York, NU 10036  - While the burger philosophy might be a bit different between the two (yes, I just made up the term 'burger philosophy'), let me tell you that Shake Shack is no Burgerfuel in terms of taste. This is notwithstanding that both are still pretty good burger joints without the comparison. I had a few different burgers in the US though (unfortunately no In & Out) and Shake Shack was the outright favourite. They're known for their massive queues that end up reaching outside, but luckily after massively conquering The Met, there wasn't a huge line to wait. I ordered the single ShackBurger ($4.60) and a hand-spun peanut butter shake ($5) and M ordered Shack Stack (a combination of a Cheeseburger and the 'Shroom Burger, $8.85). My burger was simple and not too fussy which is the way I like my burgers and the shake was especially fantastic. It wasn't for M's taste but if you're a peanut butter addict you'd definitely enjoy it. M's burger was huge with the portobello mushroom almost being the size of two normal beef patties, but he enjoyed it as well. I ended up going to Shake Shack a few weeks later to have a try of their cheese fries ($3.70) and they were good...minus the cheese. Which sort of defeats the point of having cheese fries I know. I guess I don't like cheese sauce. 

• Cafeteria 119 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10010 - A ended up bringing me here for lunch, which ended up being my second meal ever in New York. I learned on this day that being 40 minutes late is nothing really in New York. I was grateful for this catchup as she gave me an advanced warning of how huge the portion sizes are here and the inevitable doom of eventually being able to eat more then you thought possible. It's true, unfortunately. I was able to eat a lot more at the end of my three month visit compared to when I first arrived. Anyway, I went for Cafeteria's Mac & Cheese with Smoked Gouda and Bacon ($10). They had a few different Mac & Cheese dishes, and I'm not going to lie that I went for this one in particular because it had bacon on it. I love bacon. Luckily the portion size was not too big – I was feeling a bit guilty that I was ordering comfort food for lunch on a warm day in New York City – but it was just what I needed. Good stuff!

Conclusion: New York is a food blogger's dream. I can't wait to go back during the Christmas holidays and stuff myself silly.