Allow me to introduce...Georgetown Cupcake!

A step-and-repeat.  Famous photographers & flashing lights.  A live DJ!  Free-flowing pink Moet...

Was I at a fashion show?  A movie premier, perhaps?  No, and no.  I was invited to Georgetown Cupcake's pre-opening soiree at their first NYC location (111 Mercer Street, between Spring & Prince Streets).  Now, if you're not familiar with the latest cupcakery to plant itself on Soho's sugary landscape, here are a handful of facts that make GC (Georgetown Cupcake) legit.  Because, after all, there's some heavy competition in the NYC cupcake game, and you have every right to be skeptical of the new guy:

• Opened in February 2008 as Washington DC's first cupcakery
• Started by two sisters, Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne, who traded in their corporate careers for full-time baking gigs
• ...and have done SO WELL, in fact, that they now have a cookbook and their own TV show, DC Cupcakes!  C'mon, you gotta love a sweet success story!

Between sips of pink bubbly, I made a point of trying at least one bite of every mini-cupcake that was offered.  My favorites?  Without a doubt, the "Lemon Blossom" (light lemon cupcake with *actual* nibs of lemon peel throughout, topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting and a candied lemon) and the "Cookies & Creme" (Madagascar-bourbon vanilla cupcake baked with Oreo crumbled and topped with an Oreo crumble-infused buttercream frosting).   

The step-and-repeatNote the cupcake motifs in the background!All of the table cloths were black sequined!A row of champagne glasses waiting to be filled......and for those who didn't drink champagne...

A delicious assortmentInside of the pink gift boxes...NYC-themed cupcakes!!!~

This was one of the most brilliantly-orchestrated preview parties that I have had the pleasure of being invited to and attending.  From the step-and-repeat, live DJ blasting today's hottest tunes, free-flowing pink champagne, and an endless array of cupcakes, GC certainly made a sassy, splashy and, most importantly, delicious debut on the NYC cupcakery scene.  Welcome to the Big Apple, ladies!

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

The last girl in NYC to...eat at Public

• Restaurant  Public
• Cuisine  American, eclectic
• Location  210 Elizabeth St. (between Prince & Spring Streets), Manhattan
• Phone  212-343-7011
• Directions  Hopstop
• Atmosphere  spacious, cabin/après-ski chic, sexy
• Attire  smart/hip casual
• Ideal for  group dining, 1x1, foodies, open late, date night, private parties, brunch, dine at the bar
• Price  moderate - expensive
• 

She's the kind of house guest that you really want to impress.  Because her idea of a blood pressure-raising clusterf*ck is New York City.  "It's just so cold.  And dirty.  And the buildings block all of the natural light.  And why is everything so expensive?  Ughhh!"  See folks, I take these negative comments/word-vomit as a personal challenge.  Why?  Because I happen to love New York City and, apparently, want everyone else to feel the same way.  So when a certain Southern Californian yogi/hipster with a diva-like sass made her annual East Coast appearance recently, I was hell-bent on taking her to restaurants - bars - neighborhoods, etc. - that I thought she would *actually* like.  Places that had the potential of changing my little sister's "hater" view of my beloved city.

I only had Leila in town for a handful of days and, having already done the brunch and shopping thing in Brooklyn, the pressure was on to find something/somewhere equally as "rad" (...as they say in Cali).  The East Village came to mind, as did the Lower East Side.  But, ultimately, Nolita won.  And what better neighborhood restaurant than Public, which has a menu as eclectic as my sister's personality and taste.  Plus, it would be my first time dining there, too!

~

Although we had arrived at 2:15pm, Public was slam-packed!  "Who the hell eats brunch this late?"  I quipped, while anxiously looking around the space.  Luckily, we didn't have to wait very long to be seated.  "This place is awesome!"  Leila squealed, as we settled in to our seats.  She was right; going on looks alone, the restaurant certainly was awesome.  After all, the space is the brainchild of parent design/concept firm, AvroKO.  Think:  exposed-brick walls, garage-door floor-to-ceiling "windows," industrial lighting, copper and walnut-wood finishes, polished cement flooring, multiple dining rooms/nooks.

Photo: courtesy of Public's websiteWith a decent-sized brunch menu, it took Leila and me quite some time to figure out what we wanted to order.  For those of you that think I'm indecisive, you ain't seen NOTHIN' yet.  She takes the cake!  Ultimately, we decided to order individual courses, with the exception of splitting a plate of the Coconut Pancakes.

After a wild night on the town, we decided that it would be smart to begin our meal with something healthy - natural - and nutritious.  Surely, fruit salad would fit the bill.   

Tropical fruits - including mango and pineapple - plus red grapes and citrus segments, sat in a shallow bath of rosewater and their own sweet juices.  The dish was finished with a dollop of sweet tahini yogurt and a single sprig of mint. 

I found this salad delightful and refreshing, but probably would not order it again or recommend it as a "must try," unless you're on a diet.

Per our server's recommendation, I ordered the Turkish Eggs as my entree course.  Mounted atop a bowl of Greek yogurt and a pool of liquid kirmizi biber (a Turkish pepper) butter were two perfectly poached eggs.  Slices of crusty, grilled bread accompanied.

Honestly, the ingredients had me baffled and...nervous.  How were poached eggs - tangy Greek yogurt - and spicy butter supposed to marry?  Would this combination be the trinity of terror? 

I cut a slice of the bread in half and topped it with equal amounts of egg, yogurt, and butter.  My hand shook a bit as I trepidatiously guided it toward my mouth.  Crunch.  Chew.  Savor.  Wow!  The tang of the yogurt took a backseat to the mild, smoky spice from the butter.  The creamy yolks dissolved in to the other components "like buttah," allowing the firm egg whites to take a textural "center stage."  The grilled bread proved to be the perfect dipping accessory.  Bravo!

To balance out the savories (Leila ordered the Venison Burger for her entree), we split an order of the Coconut Pancakes.  A thin drizzle of ginger-lime syrup acted as a pseudo glue, anchoring two golden, buttery, grilled Coconut Pancakes.  A dollop of house-made ricotta, mango wedges, a lime quarter, and toasted coconut shreds topped the 'cakes.

I loved and appreciated that the pancakes, themselves, were laced with an ample amount of coconut nibs.  This created a dense and hearty bite/texture.  I was a bit perplexed by the addition of the ricotta cheese and felt that it did absolutely nothing for the dish.  I was hoping that there would have been more syrup - granted, I could have asked - as I found the 'cakes to be lacking that special sweetness and moisture that traditionally accompanies (pancakes).  In terms of coconut flavor and texture, however, the pancakes were spot-on.

To conclude:  having never been to Public prior to this meal (embarrassing, I know), I walked away very impressed and axious for a return visit.  The space, service, price and, most importantly, the food were all fantastic.  After 8-years, I very well could be the last girl in NYC to eat at Public!

P.S.  As we put on our jackets and grabbed our purses upon exiting, Leila exclaimed, "This is my favorite restaurant in NY!"  Progress.  I love it.

Big sister tested, lil' sister approved.  :)

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

Best $52 I've ever spent: "Bo Ssam" at Momofuku Ssam Bar

Reason #1,276 why I don't keep kosher...

It was one of those meals that I'll always look back on and wonder, "Was there life before the Bo Ssam?"  Or, "Why did it have to take 31+ years for me to experience something so utterly delicious?"  Yes, folks, I can attest that the Bo Ssam extravaganza/pig-out at Momofuku Ssam Bar is that good.  So much so, in fact, that it changed my life.  True story.  As a self-proclaimed "foodie," I honestly had no idea that anything on planet earth could taste that good.

OK, I know what you're wondering.  I can read minds, after all.  "What the heck is a Bo Ssam?"  Here's the answer, straight from Momofuku, themselves:  "The bo ssäm (ssäm is Korean for "enclosed or wrapped") includes a whole slow-cooked pork shoulder, a dozen oysters, white rice, bibb lettuce, ssäm sauce (Korean bbq sauce), kimchi and ginger-scallion sauce.  Guests are encouraged to make wraps with the pork and condiments or eat as they please."

Momofuku (Noodle Bar and Ssam Bar) does not take reservations, except for "large format" groups ordering one of the respective restaurants' sharable meals.  At Noodle Bar, it's the Fried Chicken Dinner; at Ssam Bar, it's the Bo Ssam or Rotisserie Duck.  Easy enough, right?  Wrong.  While the simple-to-use reservation system is electronic, scoring your ideal date and time is a bit of a crap shoot.  Luckily, I did not have to handle any of these administrative nuances for my recent feast.  I merely had to show up.  Thank you, CY & Julie!  I'm not sure who it was that cancelled or came down with the flu/fake-e-itis last-minute, but...man, I hate to say this...I'm so happy they did!  After all, he or she is the reason I got to experience the best meal that I've had, to date, in my 8 years in NYC.

Look, I'm not going to go in to detail about MSB's (Momofuku Ssam Bar) hip and modern space or its service - I'd rather just get down to business:  I began my meal with a refreshing - and very hard to find in NYC, I might add -  Mexican Coca Cola which, if you've never had the fortune of sampling this amazing product, is made with *real* sugar.  Not corn syrup. 

15-20 minutes after we received our beverages, the Bo Ssam arrived...    

This 6-8 lb. slow cooked (ahem, 8 hours' worth of slow cooking!), brown sugar-lacquered pork shoulder was fork-tender and oozed with sweet and savory juices.

With the force equivalent to that of a toddler, we were able to gently stab the tongs in to the Bo Ssam as a pseudo resting place between helpings. 

The meat had the texture of very moist pulled pork.

Accompaniments:  bibb lettuce to make wraps, 2 types of kimchi, ginger-scallion sauce, Korean BBQ sauce, and sticky white rice (not pictured).

1-dozen Long Island oysters accompanied to be enjoyed inside of the ssam or individually.

That's a wrap!  A ssam constructed of bibb lettuce, pork, rice, and Korean BBQ sauce.

~

For $200, the Bo Ssam will feed between 6-10 (and only 6-10, per MSB) guests.  Not included?  Additional food, drinks, tax, and tip.  The 6 of us ordered a couple of sodas and split an order of 3 "pretzel cake truffles" for dessert.  The per-person total, including tax and tip, came to $52.  While that number may sound steep, it was worth every single one of my hard-earned dollars.  Without a doubt or question in my mind. 

MSB's Bo Ssam is delicious, unique, plentiful, and engages the entire table in conversation and interaction.  Unless you have dietary restrictions, this meal is a "must try."  Make it a point to experience this feast NOW!

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

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     

Three unique dining experiences to try NOW!

Afternoon Tea at BG (Bergdorf Goodman) ~ Stare out at Central Park and catch up on gossip as you enjoy this fancy and sophisticated - yet relatively affordable - afternoon snack/late lunch.

For $35/person (or $50, if you opt for a glass of Veuve Clicquot), afternoon tea at BG - Bergdorf Goodman's gorgeous 7th floor restaurant - includes:  your choice of one Dammann Freres teas, freshly-baked scones (fruit preserves & Devonshire cream), a variety of petit fours, and an assortment of tea sandwiches and savory tartlets.

Perfect for:  girlfriends, mothers and daughters, ladies who lunch, tourists in-the-know, homesick Brits, the fashion-forward male

Check out the rest of my pictures from this meal here!

~

A cozy, eccentric, and boozy brunch at Calyer ~ Make a Saturday or Sunday out of boutique'ing (boutique shopping) in charming Greenpoint, Brooklyn!  And when you've worked up an appetite, head over to Calyer for brunch.

Situated in a cozy space that evokes "apres-ski," take comfort in the restaurant's eclectic food and drink menus.  During brunch, most items on each menu are $10 and under!  What a welcome relief from Manhattan! 

I recommend:  roasted beets salad, hangar steak & eggs w/ tostones, and the wickedly delicious "La Bebida de los Dioses" cocktail:  tequila, lime, maple syrup, chili, and xocolatl mole bitters.

Perfect for:  duos, foodies, small groups, cocktail snobs, quality dining on a budget   

Check out the rest of my pictures from this meal here!

~

"M & I Mexican Monday's" at Goat Town ~ When I got wind that Julie Farias, Goat Town chef and San Antonio native, was serving up a special "Mexican Monday" menu for homesick Texas expats citywide, I knew I had to get over there ASAP.  So I recruited two of my favorite El Pasoans to come along for the ride.

Is this NOT the best thing you've ever seen??On Monday night's only, Goat Town, a farm-to-table American restaurant, gives diners the option to order from an additional menu, chock-full of Tex-Mex favorites.  Think:  puffy tacos stuffed with spicy braised lengua, American cheese enchiladas smothered with chile con carne and even more cheese, and a barbacoa salad. 

Mmmm...cheese enchiladas!While we enjoyed the savory portion of our Tex-Mex feast, it was the dessert we shared - located on Goat Town's everyday menu, thank god - that was worth writing home about.  Served in an old fashioned malt glass, the "Goat Town Ice Cream Sundae" was a sweet and salty concoction of salted cajeta ice cream, pretzels, caramel cakes, caramel sauce & whipped cream.  It would be fair to say that this is Manhattan's most delicious dessert.  Easily.  It will change your life, folks.  This sundae is capable of mending relationships, creating world peace, and making everything better - if only for the short, but sweet, amount of time that you get to savor it.  And best of all?  It's available EVERY DAY, not just on Monday's. 

This sundae will change your life.Perfect for:  homesick Texans, duos, foodies, small groups, date night

Check out the rest of my pictures from this meal here!

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

(Restaurant Week) Dinner at EN Japanese Brasserie

• Restaurant  EN Japanese Brasserie
• Cuisine  Japanese
• Location  435 Hudson St. (between Leroy & Morton Streets), Manhattan
• Phone  212-647-9196
• Directions  Hopstop
• Atmosphere  grand, modern, spacious, tranquil, sophisticated
• Attire  business casual
• Ideal for  groups of all sizes, 1x1, traditional Japanese dining, foodies, bar scene
• Price  moderate - expensive

I find Restaurant Week to be a lame rip-off that totally dumbs down the participating restaurants' food.  For a $35 prix fixe dinner, there's a strong chance that you will not be offered the establishment's signature item(s).  And I guarantee that you will end up spending more on a Restaurant Week meal versus ordering a-la-carte.  Don't let that $35 price tag fool you...

With all of that being said, I went against my own advice upon dining at EN.  That's right, folks, I succumbed to Restaurant Week.  <<shudder>>  Why?  Here goes:

• The starter course on the Restaurant Week menu was EN's homemade tofu and, according to everyone, it was a dish that I *had* to try.
• The main course on the Restaurant Week menu listed "lobster tempura."  I LOVE lobster tempura.
• I wanted to order everything on the a-la-carte menu...and was afraid that I would actually do so.  I had to be stopped.
• My dining companion preferred the Restaurant Week menu to the a-la-carte menu.  

From the address, I didn't put two and two together that EN is situated in one of my favorite neighborhoods - hovering on the border of the West Village and Tribeca.  There are so many fantastic places, within walking distance, to go for post-dinner cocktails!  Think:  Hudson Clearwater, Little Branch, Employees Only...just to name a few.

Although I arrived just minutes prior to Michelle, I made my way over to the bar to sample one of EN's highly-recommended shochu-based cocktails. 

As I plopped on to a stool, I couldn't help but dive right in to the tranquil aura and modern, sophisticated space surrounding me.  Spatially, especially by NYC standards, EN is very expansive.  The restaurant is comprised of various dining areas and private nooks that are divided by paneled glass walls reaching up to the mile-high ceiling.  Larger-than-life paned windows frame the perimeter of the space.

Breathing a sigh of calm, I asked one of the bar tenders to recommend a shochu-based cocktail - to which I ordered the "Ginger":  homemade ginger ale, rice shochu, lime juice, and soda.  A couple of delicious sips in, Michelle arrived. 

Once I closed my tab at the bar, the two of us formally checked in with the hostess and were promptly led to our table.

Photo: EN's interior space, courtesy of the restaurantUpon sitting, we were presented with cocktail, a-la-carte, and Restaurant Week dinner menus, in addition to chilled towels to wipe the "city" off of our hands.  How lovely and sophisticated! 

Our empty glasses quickly became filled with ice-cold water as our adorable Japanese waiter inquired about additional beverages.  Michelle followed my lead and ordered a "Ginger," while I decided to switch things up and try the "Seppun":  shiso leaf, grapefruit and yuzu juices, shochu.

As satisfied as I was with the "Ginger," the "Seppun" knocked my socks off.  The contrast of the muddled shiso leaf with the two citrus fruits was pure magic.  Sweet, sour, and herbaceous notes sung the most lovely chord, leaving me wondering if the shochu had ever been added in the first place.  After one more round, however, there was no doubt that the Seppun was one highly addictive and very deceptive cocktail (I could not taste the alcohol...but after two, I certainly felt it.).  In other words, it was perfect.

It didn't take Michelle and I long to know that we wanted to go the - gasp - Restaurant Week (menu) route.  Hell, it had me at lobster tempura, after all.

The first course to arrive was the Handmade Tofu.  Now, had I not read so many wonderful things about this dish, there is no way in hell that I would have EVER ordered it for myself.  To me, tofu has always seemed like a tasteless, gelatinous mess that is eerily formed in to a perfectly bite-sized square.  And it's white.  And it has human facial-like pores.  And it wiggles.  No thanks. 

However, what was presented before Michelle and me was the farthest thing from a stark-white square.  No, this was custard-like.  Hand scooped!  In the shape of a cloud.  Surrounded by a shallow pool of "wari joyu," a sweet/salty blend of soy sauce and fish broth, and topped with a light dusting of green onions.  

"Is this really tofu?"  I asked Michelle.  "I mean, it tastes more like a savory custard.  It's actually really good!"  Believe it or not, folks, I cleaned my "box" (see picture below).

First Restaurant Week, now tofu?  This certainly was making for a big night. 

We didn't have to wait more than 5-minutes for our next course, the O-Banzai, which is the chef's selection of two Kyoto-style appetizers, to arrive.  This was my least favorite portion of the meal, as we were presented - albeit beautifully presented - with two bowls of rather bland Japanese "mountain" vegetables.  Although hard to distinguish, I believe that one contained mushrooms and the other, some type of green bean.  Yawn.

As perfectly-paced as the prior two were, our entree course arrived within 10-minutes of our completion, if you will, of the vegetables. 

A bright red, halved lobster carcass was presented next to tempura-battered chunks of its own meat.  A single green pepper plus a small mountain of wasabi and yuzu salts accompanied.  As barbaric as all of that may sound, it made for quite an artful display.  All but a couple of chunks of the lobster yielded fresh-tasting meat; unfortunately, the pieces which came from the tip of the claw were very fishy and mushy. 

On a separate plate came flower-shaped onigiri, which was laced with sesame seeds and some sort of green.  Since we felt the need to dip, drizzle, and dunk, Michelle asked for a side of soy sauce.  In addition, a bowl of miso soup accompanied, though I couldn't tell you what it tasted like.  I hate the stuff.  

The final course to arrive was a single, perfect scoop of black sesame ice cream.  Unfortunately, I did not snap a picture of dessert, though I can tell you that it was fantastic.  Black sesame anything reminds me of Hong Kong, which conjures up very happy and delicious memories.  This particular flavor of ice cream tastes similar to peanut butter, with a texture almost like cookies n' cream, due to the sesame nibs.  It's truly one of my favorites.

To conclude:  what can I say?  I mean, I walked away from EN having done two things I swore I'd either never do again, or never attempt.  Ever.  The Restaurant Week experience was just as I thought it would be in terms of price, but with a menu that actually featured a signature dish.  In this case, the tofu.  Something I swore off until last night.  

With the exception of a couple of food-related misses (the vegetable course and some of the fishier pieces of lobster), I enjoyed every aspect of my experience at the beautiful and tranquil EN.  I look forward to returning, first and foremost, for that oustanding "Seppun" cocktail and, second, to try the a-la-carte menu.

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle