CLOSED: Dinner at Mia Dona

Tucked away on a relatively quiet, yet restaurant-heavy, block of East Midtown is Donatella Arpaia’s “Mia Dona.”

Mia Dona was chosen because of its proximity to a venue for a fundraiser/gala. Alice, Allie, Emily and I, decked out in our “formals,” arrived a couple of minutes shy for our 8pm reservation and were seated within minutes. As we followed the hostess to our table, I’m still not sure whether guests were gawking at our beauty or our attire, but I think it’s safe to assume the latter. When one of the ladies in my party belted out, “I’m so excited for our senior prom tonight,” we all chuckled. Mia Dona was certainly more casual than we had imagined.

Housed in a “railroad car” space (long and narrow), the interior is kissed with dark blonde wood paneling and furniture, dim lighting and baroque/contemporary design elements. The distance between tables and chairs makes both private conversation and space a reality.

Once the waitress had taken our cocktail orders, a large bread basket arrived that was filled with moist slices of tomato focaccia and crusty country baguette. As I reached for a hunk of focaccia, I noticed a large halved roasted garlic bulb. My heart fluttered with excitement as I lathered the two clove’s worth of creamy goodness (when garlic is roasted, its cloves become soft and spreadable) all over my bread. With a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt, I could not have been more content.

To begin my meal, I ordered the appetizer portion of Mia’s Meatballs. Four golf-ball sized balls arrived in a shallow pool of marinara sauce topped with a light snow dusting of parmesan cheese. Each meatball was perfectly seasoned, shaped/sized and cooked. The precise ratio of veal, beef and pork yielded a smooth and silky texture. The tangy warm tomato sauce and spicy cheese allowed, not overpowered, the moist and delicate meat to take center stage. I must admit (though I hate to) that in comparing every meatball I taste to L’Artusi’s, Mia Dona’s version has now taken first place.

Within 15 minutes of finishing the appetizer, my entrée arrived. I was shocked to see a milky-white (instead of a deep burgundy colored) sauce atop my plate of Pappardelle Bolognese (which is typically tomato, not cream, based). Wide ribbons of pasta were kissed with a creamy (though not as heavy as Alfredo sauce) gravy that was delicately laced with ground veal, small cubes of speck and parmesan cheese. While I enjoyed my entrée and appreciated the sauce’s components, I don’t think I would order this dish again. The real star of Mia Dona’s pasta menu is the spaghetti & meatballs.

From the great service we received, to the menu’s delicious stars (halved roasted garlic bulb for the bread basket, perfectly cooked meatballs), I had a wonderful experience at Mia Dona. Though it’s not located in my dining neighborhood of choice, I hope to return in the near future.

CLOSED: Brunch at Bar Breton

Bar Breton, a brasserie featuring Breton galettes (savory crepes), is Chef Cyril Renaud’s newest contemporary French concept. The restaurant’s “T-shaped” front room evokes the feeling of being inside of a narrow railroad car until you make your way towards the larger space in back. Two and four-top booth-seating is reserved for smaller parties, while mismatched tables and chairs are available for groups. The restaurant’s space is comfortable and casual, and the sexy French background music is both transporting and charming.

In hopes for a leisurely Sunday brunch, Di and I met at Bar Breton at 11:30am and were promptly seated in a cozy 2-person booth. From the two hostesses to our waitress, everyone was friendly, patient and accommodating.

On the premise of saving both money and calories, I chose to forego my usual 2 glasses of Bellini’s and drank water instead. For my entrée, I ordered a bowl of granola with fresh berries, honey and Greek yogurt; something so simple, yet it always tastes much better at a restaurant than at home. Thick, unflavored yogurt was topped with stewed berries (blueberries are what I remembered seeing most of), perfectly toasted plain granola and a drizzle of honey. The texture of the crunchy granola blended with the juicy fruit and creamy yogurt was playful.

I wish Bar Breton much success and hope to return for a more substantial meal sometime in the future. I can’t stop fantasizing about what their Mont St. Michel galette (savory buckwheat crepe filled with sunny-side-up eggs, black forest ham and gruyere cheese) and Brioche French Toast (stuffed with caramel ganache...are you kidding me!?) would taste like!

Brunch at Freeman's

What better way to begin Valentine's Day than with a scrumptious brunch?

Freeman's address is simply "End of Freeman's Alley." Though I've been for dinner, I was with friends who knew exactly where to go. Today I was on my own, as Meghan would meet me at the restaurant for our 11:30am brunch date. After failed attempts to find Freeman's exact location via Google maps and hopstop.com, I was able to pinpoint some neighboring cross streets. I used "191 Chrystie Street" as a destination point, but when I approached this address, I found myself in front of an apartment building. I called "411" in a last ditch attempt for help, but was told by the operator that there was no listing for "Freeman's." Frustrated and nearly in tears, I decided to turn left on a random side street, and luckily, I saw the tiny "Freeman's Alley" sign. Phew!

If you're lucky enough to find Freeman's, you're in for a treat. As you approach the restaurant at the end of a wide pedestrian alley, you may think that you're one of a few patrons privy to a member's-only/exclusive establishment. However, once inside, you realize that the secret of Freeman's is "out."

In a space with multiple dining rooms and nooks, the restaurant evokes a homey, warm atmosphere. From the unfinished plank wood floors and taxidermy on the walls, Freeman's successfully transports diners from the concrete jungle to an apres ski hut.

Upon being seated, Meg and I noted how lucky we were to not have waited for a table. For 11:30am on a Saturday morning, the place was already packed. Typically, this is strange for a trendy restaurant located in a neighborhood where brunchers don't usually get moving until well after noon.

After perusing the menu, both Meg and I ordered the Poached Eggs with roasted tomato, cheddar cheese grits and buttered toast. A blanket of creamy grits sprinkled with sharp white cheddar cheese was topped with two perfectly poached eggs. The roasted tomato that accompanied the entree reminded me of the unsuccessfully executed Tomatoes Provencal from this week's episode of "Top Chef." Though roasted and seasoned nicely, I would have preferred that the tomato was halved while cooking, thus creating more flavor and caramelization. Texturally, the entire dish was too soft and creamy, especially for one who doesn't bother with the accompanying crispy buttered toast. However, I did enjoy the symphony of flavor from the eggs, roasted tomato, and salty sharp cheddar cheese.

Brunch at Freeman's is a great way to start your day. There's something both magical and mysterious about the restaurant's location and interior space that intrigues me.

Deals & Steals: Sushi Samba

Happy Hour Menu

EVENT: Happy Hour Menu (available at bar only)
WHAT: $2 - $3 - $4 food menu items & $5, $6, $7 drink specials
HOST: SUSHISAMBA 7, SUSHISAMBA park
TIIME: 4:00pm – 7:00pm, 10pm – close: Sunday – Thursday (only available at the bar)
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Happy Hour Drink Menu

Caipirinas & Mojitos: $5
Select beers (only 12 oz, excludes Gingo Kogen) $5

All still wines by the glass: $6
Sake’s by the glass: $7
(Excludes: Kasumi Tsuru Kimoto Honjozo, Kamoizumi Junmai Daigin)

Happy Hour Food Menu

$2

• Soy Glazed Edamame
• Shishito Peppers
• Assorted Vegetable Tempura
• Chicken & Aji Amarillo Anticucho

$3

• Spicy Crunchy Tuna Roll
• Salmon Avocado Roll
• Mini Chichaarron de Calamar

$4

• Japanese Chicken Wings
• Chilled Oyster Sampler
• Mini Yellowtail Seviche
• Crispy Yellowtail Taquitos

Dinner at Dok Suni

It had literally been months since I last saw Brette, and a dinner date was long overdue. “I really think we should go to Dok Suni. It’s a Korean restaurant located in my old neighborhood and the food is great.” After perusing Dok Suni’s menu online, I agreed to meet Brette for a bite after work.

The casual restaurant is located in the heart of the East Village. As I approached Dok Suni, a man who had clearly broken out of a mental institution asked me if I could spare some change. From head to toe, he was decked out in all-white scrubs, white gloves, white slippers and a white cap.

The restaurant’s space was nothing fancy, yet it evoked a warmth that made me feel at-ease and comfortable. ¼ of the tables were occupied with patrons and overhead, that Sinatra-wannabe, Michael Buble (who I loathe), was screaming from the speakers. Luckily, after alerting a waitress that the music was piercing, my ears got a bit of a break from the terrible re-mix of “Summer Wind.”

Since Brette had previously dined at Dok Suni, I let her take the reigns on ordering a shared appetizer. The D’uk-Bo-Ki, a traditional sticky rice-cake sautéed in a spicy red pepper and garlic sauce, was not at all what I had imagined. What resembled doughy “tubes” (with a texture similar to gnocchi), roughly the size and width of your thumb, arrived drowning in a thick, vegetable-laden sauce. I was pleased with the dish, but observed that the gravy was made with too much cornstarch, thus resulting in a large congealed glop. Simultaneously, a complimentary plate of sliced cucumber arrived with a delicious soy-based sauce that was topped with salad onions. As an entrée, I chose the monkfish, stewed in spicy chili pepper sauce with rock shrimp, bean sprouts and watercress. Served alongside was a bowl of white rice and mid-ban-chan (a variety of marinated vegetables). I immediately noticed that my entrée’s “spicy chili pepper sauce” looked vaguely familiar to the “spicy red pepper sauce” that came with the rice cakes. After one bite, it was confirmed: The sauces were the same, indeed. As my fork swam through the plate in search of protein, I was alarmed at the appearance of the fish. Gristly to the taste, and bruised to the eye, the monkfish was nearly inedible. If it weren’t for the complimentary vegetables and white rice that accompanied my meal, there’s no doubt that I would have walked away starving.
Perhaps I ordered wrong? In any event, I’m willing to give this restaurant one more chance.

Product review: Quaker Oats "True Delights"

After attempting numerous crash diets, meal delivery services, lemonade cleanses and weekly meetings with weigh-ins, I think I’ve finally figured myself out. As a last ditch effort to drop the pounds, I decided that I would no longer restrict myself from any particular food group. Can I eat carbs? Yes. Can I drink alcohol? Damn right. The only catch is that I’m counting every single calorie that I intake (down to the sticks of 5-calorie/piece sugarless gum that I chew). It may sound like a nuisance to have to write down everything consumed, but doing so has really changed my focus and opened my eyes to how much I was eating before.

Since this is now a number’s game, I’ve been able to broaden my horizons beyond snacking on low-fat cottage cheese or veggie sticks. While I’m not a big fan of protein bars (I think they’re a huge waste of money AND calories), I do have a weakness for granola bars. Quaker Oats recently launched “True Delights” granola bars, which are made with premium ingredients (as apposed to peanut butter chips and marshmallows). Think along the lines of dried fruits, honey, 45% cacao dark chocolate and whole nuts. Flavors include: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond, Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry and Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut. Having sampled all three flavors, I must attest that my favorite was the Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut. For just 140 calories per bar, each sweet and salty bite transported me to Hawaii.

Quaker “True Delights” are now available country-wide. I highly recommend buying a box of this guiltless indulgence!