Opening TODAY! The Hummus & Pita Co.

• Restaurant  The Hummus & Pita Co.
• Cuisine  Mediterranean/Middle Eastern
• Location  585 6th Avenue (near 17th St.), Manhattan
• Phone  212-510-7405
• Directions  Hopstop
• Atmosphere  fast casual, spacious, eat-in or take-out, modern
• Attire  casual
• Ideal for  small groups, 1x1, foodies, take-out lunch or dinner
• Price  affordable

There are many perks about being a food blogger.  But, if I had to choose, I'd have to say that getting invited to incredible events, restaurant previews, and tastings would be numero uno. 

Last night, I was sent to a restaurant preview party in my own neck of the woods:  The Hummus & Pita Co.  This isn't your typical "fast casual" Mediterranean, folks.  Think an "assembly line," of sorts, a-la-Chipotle, where you build your own dish from the following delectable ingredients:  handmade regular/whole wheat pita and laffa breads (laffa is a flatbread) baked fresh in the tandoori oven, in-house taboon-roasted meats, falafel, original and flavored hummus varieties, bourekas (my personal favorite), gyro, shawarma, schnitzel, 23 different salads, soups, and handmade desserts!  Additionally, there are 6 types of domestic and international (think Morocco, Greece, and Israel) beers available.  Whew! 

With all of these decisions, there's still one more that guests need to make:  dine-in or take-out?  Should one choose to stay put, they will certainly enjoy viewing the culinary acrobatics behind the glass enclosed open kitchen.  Natural stone walls and eco-conscious design elements create a warm and inviting atmosphere.  Oh, and did I mention that there's *free* Wifi?

And, now...the fun part!  Please enjoy my captioned photo collage, below:

Tandoori ovenSpit-roasted gyro and shawarma

Seasoned pita crisps!Warm, freshly-baked pita breadHalf and half: (left) pita bread, (right) laffa flatbreadHummus love!Assorted hummus varietiesAssorted veggiesHerbed carrotsChopped Israeli saladI had a fantastically delicious evening at The Hummus & Pita Co.  From the lovely space to the incredibly fresh, handmade food, I am confident that this single operation on 6th Avenue will soon become a multi-location franchise.  As far as fast-casual Mediterranean goes, there's nothing on the landscape quite like it in terms of space, variety, ingredients, and a commitment to making and baking and roasting everything in-house/from scratch.  I'm so thrilled to be able to tell you all, with enthusiasm, to get over to The Hummus & Pita Co. and experience this delicious concept for yourselves!

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle     

I'm back! Plus, my arsenal of NYCentric Thanksgiving websites

Can you all believe that Thanksgiving is almost one week away?  Seriously, where has the time gone?  This year will be the first time, since 2006, that I will be "home" (with my family in Texas) for my favorite holiday.  And you know what?  I can hardly wait to board that south-bound plane and escape the rat race for a handful of days.  God knows how badly I need this break. 

And speaking of the rat race/being crazed:  For those of you who read The Lunch Belle on a regular basis, I want to apologize for my dramatic lag in posting.  Since the beginning of the fall, I have had my hands completely tied, due mostly in part to accepting an amazing leadership position where I plan events for an "extracurricular" volunteer organization.  This role is in addition to my 'day-job' at an investment bank - The Lunch Belle - and volunteering for yet another non-profit.  My life is happy and full - I'm *not* complaining or whining - but I do realize that I've been molasses-slow to post, and I'm sorry about that.  Additionally, I owe you my iPhone/iPad application, which I hope will be completed very soon.   

So, on that note - and with the impending arrival of Thanksgiving - I'd like to know, what do you have planned? 

• How do you and your family celebrate my favorite holiday of the calendar year? 
• Do you have any wacky/quirky food traditions?
• Is watching football a big deal at your house/celebration? 
• What time do you eat Thanksgiving "supper," during lunch or dinner?

*And, last but certainly not least, I wanted to share some of my favorite informational websites with those of you who are staying in/coming to the NYC area next week:

• Looking for a restaurant that serves Thanksgiving supper?  Click here for a full list and to make a free table reservation!
• Looking to stay-in and have someone else do all of the 'dirty work?'  Click here for a list of Thanksgiving take-out options/prepared meals.
• Click here for pertinent information regarding Macy's Thanksgiving Parade 2011
• Too busy to bake that pie yourself?  Then order one from critically acclaimed M. Wells Diner's pastry chef, Brenna!  You know it'll taste way better than your version, anyway.  My dear friend, "Flywheel Christine," highly recommends the Coconut-Cream.  Click here to view the menu and place your order today!  But hurry, because after November 20th, prices will rise dramatically.  

 

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Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

Fall 'nom nom noms' at Num Pang Sandwich Shop

...because it's about time that someone incorporated the Fall season in to their everyday 'fast casual' menu.  Props to you, Num Pang Sandwich Shop!

Beverage: Hot ginger-apple cider with bourbon-infused Roma apple chunks

Platter: Maple BBQ turkey wings with spicy papaya slaw

Sandwiches: 

• Oven-roasted turkey breast with ginger-cranberry jam
• Spicy boneless pork spare rib with tamarind glaze
• Roasted kadota figs with bacon and chilis

Soups:

• Lemongrass beef stew w/ pickled soy sprouts
• Roasted pumpkin with coconut cream and basil croutons

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

'Falling' for Fall: celeb-signed cookbook contest + Marc Forgione's cobbler recipe

From pumpkin lattes on the menu at your local Starbuck's, to the visibly crisp chill in the air, Fall has officially made her debut.  The 3-week countdown to Halloween begins on Monday and, just beyond that, Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the entire year, follows just a short 3.5 weeks later. 

So, in anticipation of 'the annual day of gluttony,' I wanted to spotlight the brand new cookbook from Macy’s Culinary Council, aptly titled, "The Macy’s Culinary Council Thanksgiving and Holiday Cookbook."  Comprised of more than 80 holiday recipes written by the Council's thirteen highly esteemed, all-star chefs (think Marcus Samuelsson, Emeril Lagasse, Cat Cora, to name a few), the cookbook also includes the history of Macy's legendary Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will celebrate its 85th anniversary this year!

**CONTEST**  Being that the cookbook will not be released to the public until mid-October, I wanted to host a contest for you, my dear readers: the winner will receive a SIGNED copy of The Macy’s Culinary Council Thanksgiving and Holiday Cookbook!  To enter, please send me an email (Lindsay@TheLunchBelle.com) with the subject, "Macy's Thanksgiving."  The winner will be lucky email #6.

~

Just to whet your appetite and give you a little tease, I wanted to include this mouth-watering recipe from Council member, Marc Forgione.  By the way, if you think this dessert sounds amazing, check out some of the cocktail recipes (courtesy of Marcus Samuelsson, Emeril, and Marc Forgione) leaked from the cookbook over at Betty Confidential!  Score.

Honeycrisp Apple and Dried Fruit Cobbler

“This is a lighter take on the traditional cobbler. Instead of baking the fruit for a half hour to crisp the topping, I bake the topping separately, and then gently sauté the fruit for just a few minutes to make a warm compote.”  Marc Forgione

Serves 6 to 8

TOPPING

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 1⁄2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

FRUIT

• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, halved, cored, and sliced or chopped
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1⁄2 cup dried cranberries
• 1⁄2 cup dried cherries
• 1⁄2 cup dried figs, stemmed and halved lengthwise
• 1⁄4 cup fresh mint leaves, cut into thin strips

Vanilla ice cream for serving

Freshly cracked black pepper for serving (optional)

METHOD

For the topping: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a food processor, combine the flour, both sugars, and the oats and pulse a few times to mix. Scatter the butter cubes over the flour mixture and pulse just until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Sprinkle the mixture in a thin, even layer onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir in the cinnamon, and then return to the oven. Bake until the mixture holds together in clumps and is beginning to brown, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from the oven. (The topping may be prepared up to 24 hours in advance; let cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Just before serving, return the topping to the baking sheet and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm, 6 to 8 minutes.)

For the fruit: While the topping is baking, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and cook just until it begins to brown and smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Add the apples and brown sugar and toss to combine. Add the water and all of the dried fruits and stir well. Bring to a gentle boil, adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook until the apples begin to soften and the liquid in the pan is reduced to a syrup, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and fold in the mint.

Transfer the fruit mixture to a large gratin dish and sprinkle the topping evenly over the surface. Alternatively, divide the fruit mixture evenly among 6 to 8 compote dishes and sprinkle an equal amount of the topping over each serving.

Serve immediately with the ice cream. If you like, offer black pepper at the table to sprinkle on top.

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

Exciting news + an iPhone/iPad app coming to 'The Lunch Belle'

Dear readers,

The time has *finally* come for a bigger, better, and much more user-friendly 'Lunch Belle.'  When I began this website in July 2007, I was a computer novice in every sense of the word.  Hell, I thought that HTML was an abbreviation for "hot male."  Luckily, those days are behind me; I've come a long way, and I'm proud to say that I've single-handedly managed every aspect of 'The Lunch Belle'...until now.

This past July, I celebrated my website's fourth birthday.  However, for the past three of those four years, I've stumbled around wondering, "How do I take 'The Lunch Belle' to the next level?  How do I keep up with the pace of technology?  How can I make this site as user-friendly and as helpful as possible for my audience?"  After plenty of unsuccessful Google searches and other failed attempts, I decided to take a back seat, hoping that it, whatever "it" may be, would come to me.

Well, sometimes, things just fall in to your lap.  And, in my particular case, something very recently fell in to mine.  As in one-month-ago, recently.  An old colleague, who just so happens to be a software developer, propositioned me about the idea of creating an iPhone/iPad application for my website.  "Of course!"  I exclaimed.  We met up in person and discovered that after scrolling through my website together, aside from just creating these applications, there was so much more that we could do to and with 'The Lunch Belle!'  Pretty exciting, right?  

Just so you know, there's a lot of work going on behind the scenes here at 'The Lunch Belle.'  I am so thrilled to say that I will finally be able to bring you, my dear readers, an iPhone and iPad application, in addition to a much more user-friendly website.  I've been waiting for a long time to see this day near.  Now, before I let you go, I have a couple of questions:

• What features would you like to see on 'The Lunch Belle' mobile application?
• Do you own an iPhone and/or an iPad?
• In general: what, in your opinion, would make this website more user-friendly/easier to navigate?
  • Are you able to find what you're looking for in a reasonable amount of time?
• Do you have any other questions/comments?

Please let me know your thoughts/answers.  I'd love, love, love to hear from you!  Thank you all for keeping me going for the past 4+ years.  Here's to many, many more!  Cheers!

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

The Amazing PIZZA Race: get your *discounted* tickets here!

On Sunday, September 25, at 12:30 PM, Neighborhood Eats and POGO Events are teaming up to present The Amazing PIZZA Race - an exciting and delicious contest taking place in the busy streets of NYC.  Teams of hungry New Yorkers will race around Manhattan, following a set of clues leading to various pizzerias all over town.  At each location, the teams will get to sample a variety of mouth-watering pizza pies, all while having an Amazing Race and adventure!  As an added bonus, all participants will receive a one year membership to the Neighborhood Eats dining program!

Best of all?  Because you’re a loyal ‘Lunch Belle’ reader, use this code to get 50% off of the original ticket price upon checkout: lunch1.  So, what are you waiting for?  Buy your tickets (and get more info) HERE!

To find out more about Neighborhood Eats go to http://www.neighborhood-eats.com

To find out more about POGO Events go to http://www.pogoevents.com

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle