The 10lb Weight Gain Vacation…with a side of snow

Morbid Obesity

RMK and I finally had our vacation, our only one for the year (as in until July 2012) that is together.  It was a much needed break, from people and civilization.  We holed up in Rocky Mountain National Park for 3 days, snowshoeing, hiking, watching movies, visiting nearby breweries, fly fishing (which RMK did by himself), etc.  It was so nice to be without phone and internet in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.  Sometimes it really bothers me when people go on vacation and then do that Facebook thing where they check in at some location every few hours.  If you’re really on vacation, go enjoy it and come back and tell me how it went.  A really cool mobile pic is good every now and then…if  you’re gone for more than a few days.  Otherwise, what’s the point of a vacation if you’re always on your phone checking in?  Or if you check in somewhere, make it awesome like: I checked in on a yacht with Jay-Z…or the Artic Circle…

Did I add that RMK had this grand idea to build a fence in this 6 day time frame?  Now just any old fence, but the modern horizontal plank ones that I have been eyeing.  Now, I was all for hiring someone, but he said he feels like he hasn’t put his fingerprint anywhere on this house and that it has mostly been me and my sister.  I say your fingerprint would be best imprinted by signing the check to let the fencing guys do it.  I mean we only have 6 DAYS out of the whole year of uninterrupted time together.  SIX FREAKING DAYS.  Well let’s just say, I teach by saying “I told you so.”  3 days were spent hauling lumber and 80lb cement bags in 40-50 degree weather with my dad.  We now have 1/2 a fence, of which at the end of the weekend he states, “honey, you know the other 75% of the perimeter…maybe we should hire someone to finish.”  I guess that was a big enough fingerprint for him.

Anyways, we went traveling and exploring around Colorado, and especially Denver.  We have been here almost 6 months, and we have this huge lists of restaurants we wanted to try, place to go see, etc.  We crammed in the best of the best in 3 days.  Let me tell you, thankfully we hiked a whole bunch and snowshoed like madmen because otherwise I would be scaling from the obesity to morbid obesity.

I wouldn't linger here again

Here’s the list:

1. Linger in Denver

The only best part of this meal

We have tried to get a table at this restaurant for almost a month.  On anyday of the week from 6:30pm to 9pm, you need reservations or be a risky gambling man to get a table here.  It’s from the creators of Root Down, and let me tell you, don’t linger too long.  The food was crappy.  The atmosphere is posh and uppity, and RMK spent the whole dinner making fun of the fur vest wearing females to our left (I don’t necessarily have anything against the fur vest except you wear it when it’s cold…but these chicas wore it with the shortest man-made skirt in town, which really beats the logic of the whole thing) and putting his pinky in the air with upturned nose at the uptight fools on our right complaining about the “hints of urban vibe” in the restaurant’s music.  WTH does that mean, no idea.

Anyways, the Korean BBQ-a heap of mushiness that made Korean food look and taste mostly unappetizing.   The Meze plate is a hodge-podge of trying Middle-East or Indian but could be mistaken for dog food.  Okay, that was a little harsh, but RMK loves all the ingredients on this plate, it had the potential, and just never hit any marks.  The Doner Kobb salad I could have made at home.  The Maple Leaf Duck Wings was probably the only thing I would try again, but still, just didn’t taste awesome.  The service sizes are larger than Root Down, and when you get there, the best thing you will get is their appetizer starter popcorn: a heated mix of sugar and spice.

A Normal Cobb

2. Seoul Korean BBQ

Kimchi and Bulgogi. I'm good.

What vacation I tell you would be without a feast of Korean BBQ meat.  Bulgogi.  Kim Chi.  Spare Ribs.  Let the gluttony begin.  Seriously, the reviews on this place were out of this world AND totally worth the 25 minute wait on any weekend night.  Just follow all the Koreans.  My parents and RMK got drunk on Soju…Korean rice wine but more like rice vodka.  Delicious.

3. Beatrice and Woolsey

Such cool seating!

Can I just say: the coolest place.  The restaurant is lined with trees from floor to roof, and the atmosphere is relaxed and dream-like.  AMAZING food.  Expect to charge that card though.  This is the place for romantic dates, anniversaries, etc.  Every dish hit the spot right on, perfectly cooked and marinated.  I highly recommend the Crawfish Beignets (I know!  Very interesting combination but so good) and the Artichoke and Chickpea Fritters.  Delicious!

Beignets1 Powdered Sugar with crawfish...delicious I tell you!

4. The Rock Inn Mountain Tavern

A little out of the way but well worth the beer, music, and food.

A really nice steakhouse in Estes Park that had bad ass reviews.  Figs wrapped in bacon dipped in aoili.  The seared fish was perfectly done and RMK had the greatest peppercorn medallion.  The menu is typical steakhouse in small vacation town, but everything was cooked to perfection and delicious.  Live music on the weekends.  Enjoy!

Figs, with a hint of endives, wrapped in bacon. Need I say more.

5. Nepal Cafe

Our first take on Himalayan food and it was delish!  RMK and I ate until we were almost sick.  It is very similar to Indian food, sometimes even a bit spicier and sometimes a bit blander.  But delicious Naan bread and the best mango lassi I have had in a long time.

6. Shish Kabob Grill

RMK makes amazing hummus, but this place makes the best hummus I have ever had.  There rice and lamb is to die for.  It looks like you might get robbed in the place, but so worth it.  If I could only learn their secret to the hummus!

7. Frasca

Sigh with longing

I saved the best for last.  Truly.  Italian food at it’s best.  Absolute best.  Worth the price, I say yes!  If you like wine pairings, this is food and wine mated at it’s best.  And I don’t even like alcohol.  First of all, despite winning 5280 magazine’s top restaurant this year and Food and Wine awards annually, it has none of the snobbishness we saw at Linger.  It’s a cool crowd with the most amazing, down-to-earth waitstaff.  And the food makes you wish you lived in Italy.   Can’t understand the menu…just means it going to be awesome.  Besides, the waiter never minded that we had tons of questions.  What do I recommend: everything.  You just can’t go wrong.

The best wanna-be-foodies vacation we have ever had.  We were living the high life with our time of leisure.  And I already miss him again.

Forget the rolls: Buttermilk Popovers

I was very worried this recipe due to the elevation.  Here’s the thing about being a mile high, some things rise normally and don’t need the extra flour: cakes, rolls, muffins, etc.  And some things I haven’t figured out how to fix: cookies, ALL freaking cookies, brownies, and sigh: my pate a choux.  But I had the itch to make these the other day, and was so worried they wouldn’t pop!

Needless to say, they did just find.  I would suggest however to not add the pepper.  The flavor is overwhelming at times.  I used a muffin tin so just fill halfway to allow for rising.  Also, bake for a lot less time since this recipe was made for popover ramekins.  And whatever you do: DON’T open the oven!!

Buttermilk and Chive Corn Popovers (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Makes 6 popovers in a traditional popover pan or in ramekins; will likely make 9 in muffin tins

1 cup buttermilk (or if you don’t have any: 1tbsp of white vinegar in 1 cup of milk, wait 10 minutes)
1/2 cup corn kernels (from most of one cob)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground black pepper (I wouldn’t add this!)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives

Place buttermilk and corn in a blender together and blend for just 3 seconds — you’re looking to break up the corn a bit, not puree it. Add the eggs, one tablespoon of the melted butter and blend for one second more. Add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, a few grinds of black pepper (I used four, not that you asked or that I’d expect a normal person to count) and the chives and blend again until barely combined, some lumps are fine.

Set the batter aside to rest while you preheat your oven to 375 degrees, about 15 minutes. Brush your popover, muffin or ramekin cups with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Fill each cup slightly more than halfway with batter (see top of recipe for cup estimates).

Bake popovers 30 to 35 minutes (less if you’re using a muffin tin).  Don’t open the oven!  Use the oven light if you need to peek!

Denver Restaurants: Snooze Fest

Their Sticky Bun French Toast Masterpiece!!

When RMK and I have a rare 1-2 hours in the morning, we hit up the popular Snooze in Denver.  And of all the breakfast places we have tried, it’s our favorite (though we haven’t tried that many because this place is SOO good we keep coming back).  Everything on the menu is just amazing.  I mean amazing.  Their hot chocolate is to die for!  It’s definitely worth the extra 10 miles of running, because it’s heaven.  You must try their triple selection pancakes, where you select any 3 flavors because it’s really difficult to just choose one: Lemon Blueberry, Upside Down Pancake (my favorite), Sweet Potato, on and on.  I could go on and on.  The Upstream Benny is just amazing.  I have yet to try their oatmeal, but even that looks soo amazing.

I just LOVE this place!

The Most Decadent Hot Chocolate ever!!

 

This is the Breakfast Pot Pie: Totally worth the cellulite

Do you see the butter? Each one is specifically crafted for the pancake. Yummm.

 

Hello Fall…Pumpkin Spice Cake!

Ignore the icing damage from me trying to save the cake from sliding to the floor while driving. Gotta get me a cake carrier!

One of the most enjoyable things about living in Colorado other than the other bazillion things: season changes.  Fall is officially here, and the air is crisp and brisk.  The leaves are changing, and it’s time for Ramesh to get the out the rake.  Our front and backyard looks like shit.  When we moved it, we had them fix the sewer line, of which they had to rip out our sprinkler system.  And if you didn’t know, Denver is a arid, desert terrain.  So grass dies here without a sprinkler system, and the city cracks down on watering you lawn at certain times.  Therefore, with two people who are rarely home, the grass has died in certain spots giving it look of a dog with Mange.  Gross.  Added on top that everything needs trimming and to be redone, we have our work cut out for us.

RMK and I decided next year, we’re going to rip out the back of our house to add a master bath and re-do the patio.  He wanted to do this ourselves.  Psh.  He’ll change his mind over the next year because his first project of changing out our doors is still not done.

I love the peeling of the baking paper and seeing a perfectly smooth cake!

Anyways, one of my friend’s birthday was a few weeks ago.  And she put in a request of something pumpkin with ganache.  I look far and wide, and let me tell you, there is not a lot of recipes out there with pumpkin and chocolate.  They rarely go together well.   I think dark chocolate is the best companion, but even then, pumpkin is sweetly dense, and chocolate can be too.  Plus, ganache is amazing with things that are light and airy, something pumpkin is difficult to do with other.

But pumpkin cake, there are an astounding number of recipes.  I decided on Food and Wine Pumpkin cake just because of the ingredients: ginger, nutmeg, cloves, oh my!  It’s a multi-dimensional cake: lots of spice and still sweet, just not hurt your teeth sweet.  And the icing, I ran out of time for the Caramel Icing, which caramel can easily be messed up if you’re in a hurry.  I made a maple syrup/brown sugar icing that went just as well.  Enjoy!  Happy Belated Birthday RainbowBrite!

And ignore the terrible icing job.  I need to get a cake carrier because I carried this thing on my one pedestal in my lap while driving.  Let’s just say abrupt braking was not a good idea, times 2.

The crumb layer

Pumpkin Spice Cake With Maple Frosting
Cake from Food and Wine
Frosting from Smitten Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

• Cake
1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3. 1 teaspoon salt
4. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
5. 1 teaspoon ground ginger
6. 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
7. 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8. 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
9. 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
10. 4 large eggs
11. 3/4 cup vegetable oil
12. One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
13. 1/2 cup whole milk
• Frosting
1. Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2. 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3. 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4. 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, nutmeg and cloves.
2. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar and eggs at medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the oil, then beat in the pumpkin puree. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk in 3 batches, beating well between additions.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cakes, then invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Place one layer on a plate and spread with 1 cup of the caramel–cream cheese frosting. Top with the second layer and frost the top and side. Refrigerate the cake for 2 hours before serving.

Frosting

In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. To assemble the cake, frost the top of one cake, place the other cake on top. Frost the sides and top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set up frosting.

The Best Olives Ever

A little dash of this and that...

I grew up hating olives.  I would hate them touching my plate.  I would never try them at parties.  And I especially hated them on pizza.  And then something happened, around the time I discovered Brie…olives.  RMK and I will come home from a long shift, and just lay down with some french bread, a wheel of brie, and some amazing olive oil with olives.  That’s dinner.  It’s that or cereal.  I am a terrible wife…but gosh after 15 hours of work and freaking out…I could care less about food.

My recommendation of awesome olive oil!

So I got this idea from Barley Swine in Austin, where I had the BEST, hands down the BEST olives of my life.  They’re given to you as a appetizer that comes just by coming in.  And I am olive master by now…but these were so amazing.  (have I said that already?)  But the waitress told me a few secrets: good olive oil, rosemary, and some garlic.  And then some time.

Chug Chug. It already looks so good!

So, I got these special olives from World Market and Whole Foods.  I highly recommend: Manzanilla olives.  They’re a Spanish green olive that is light in flavor.  Most come seeded…which I like.  Pitted ones are usually in a heavy brine solution with additives so they destroy the natural flavor.  A bottle of good olive oil.  Expensive does not equal good.

I had all these leftover Mason jars so I added the olives without their liquid, chopped garlic, some dried chili pepper flakes, dried rosemary, and some sea salt.  Then fill with olive oil.  Wa-la!

I let it sit for a week, and then couldn’t resist anymore.  A loaf of bread, some brie…and dinner was so good.  Use the oil to dip the bread and the olives have just amazing flavor!  Enjoy!

My Amazing Creation

Denver: The Best Ice Cream Place

Cherry Mash! Chunks of cherry and dark chocolate

So it’s very hard to say best…but I think this place will be hard to beat. Bonnie Brae!  I found the 500 something Yelp reviews must reflect some type of goodness.  They make fresh cones and fresh icecreams in so many flavors I held up the line for a good 15 minutes.  Bring you pets, chill outside, and enjoy some lickin fun!  It seems pretty popular because the line just stayed long the whole time we were there, and it was a weekday at that!

The servers are so nice!

The cow in the alley...

It’s also really close to Smith Lake-approx 4-5 blocks west of the ice cream parlor.  So grab a cone and start walking!  RMK had the root beer float, and he inhaled it in under 5 minutes.

It was caffeinated ice-cream...

The Best Meatloaf Ever…(and I don’t like meatloaf)

Meatloaf Goodness

I stole this recipe from my sister-in-law.  She made meatloaf over the holidays last year, and I cringed on the inside because I have never had good meatloaf.  Ever.  The word just makes my mouth go parched-dry and thing nasty thoughts of ketchup.  But amazingly, I took a bite and it was creamy, full of flavor, just plain delicious.  This recipe is fast, healthy-think turkey meat and feta, and super good.  You have to at least try!

We had it with a green bean salad and a side of limonade outside on OUR porch.  Can you believe it?!  Our porch!

What are those little bits you say? Spam Lite...it's fast and easy. Don't hate!

A little lime. A little sugar. A little water. Ta-da!

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sundried Tomatos (Foodnetwork-Giada)

Ingredients

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
• 2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Put on a serving platter and serve.

Well Shit, There Goes My 6-Pack Abs.

Barley Swine gives you the most amazing olives in the world. Dipped in olive oil with a hint of garlic, rosemary, and red peppers.

Well actually, there goes my 1 pack abs.  Ha!  I was working my way to that 2-pack, you know the abdomen with that trace of a mid-line.  That dress must fit like a glove, but I will tell you, armpit fat is a bitch to get rid of.  I think it comes from my mom’s side, because apparently my sister says she has armpits like my dad.  Hahaha, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing.

RMK and I went to Austin to run some errands for the wedding, and it was so nice to visit the property.  We got our excitement back for why we chose this place.  I think with all the “whirlwind” doing on, we started feeling like our original idea of eloping was a good plan indeed.  But once we walked on property…ahhhh.  It was just right.

The Grilled Carrot Salad is Unbelievable at Barley Swine. It was my favorite by far!

But of course, we wanted to explore Austin (the city where he proposed to me)  before we have to leave Texas.  It’s an awesome, gorgeous city with amazing food, cool people, and just a young, fun-loving feel.  It will be missed!  But if you are visiting, you must visit the following!

The seared lamb with baby artichoke. Perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Barley Swine

On the weekend, this place opens at 5pm.  I suggest you be there at 5pm.  We got there at 4:45 before the doors were even opened, and the line was incredible.  I highly suggest the grilled carrot salad (which has the best feta cheese ever) and the fried brussel sprouts with capers.  RMK loved the potato fritters and special of the day: seared lamb.  Only in Texas do you have to put on your menu: “Small serving sizes,” but the serving size is perfect for 2 people who are not Texas-sized.  The combination of flavors are amazing, and every bite is just worth it.  Don’t expect to spend less than $50 per a couple here though because it all starts to add up, especially with their impeccable beer selection.  So just sit back, enjoy the ambiance with good food and beer.

Its called the White Rascal...an unfiltered, light beer so you can see the yeast.

Gourdoughs

Grannys Pie Goodness. It was soo delicious. Heaven in each bite.

I have seen it featured in several television shows on the Food Network and magazines and blogs.  Their name is everywhere as having the best doughnut, if not a meal in itself.  Across from it is the Odd Duck also, which has it’s own cult following.  I highly recommend both.  The doughnut has the perfect crispy edge with a hot, doughy center.  They put high quality toppings too: the best bananas, the best candied nuts, and hot caramel.  The menu at Gourdough’s is unbelievable, and you just stand there and have no idea what to choose.  All I know is get ready to work-out harder, with a side of cold milk of course.

Other Austin restaurants here and here and here.

The Best No-Knead Bread

Sally Lunn Bread

Fourth year has allowed me to bake and cook to my hearts content, well in between traveling, wedding stuff, and buying a house.  So actually I have baked less this year than 3rd year.  Ha!  Still, my new addiction has been trying out bread recipe.  The first one could have killed a person it was so hard.  I also go tired of cleaning my kitchen after all the kneading excursions.  So I decided to try no-knead breads.  They’re usually more chewy and dryer.  UNTIL I found the perfect recipe.  Smitten Kitchen will always be my go-to.  She is my kitchen goddess.  The Sally Lunn bread is simple, quick, and delicious.  Chowchow made the honey brown butter which is delicious with just about anything.  I am going to quit buying bread until we move and just bake a loaf that’s about the perfect size for 2.

If this is your first time baking bread, I would read her article on baking bread.  There are some really good tips.

Batter Up!

Sally Lunn Bread (Taken from Smitten Kitchen with a few tweaks)
Adapted from Maida Heatter’s Cakes

This recipe makes 1 9×5×3-inch loaf of bread. For a more traditional shape, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9-inch (10 cup) tube pan.

2 cups (250 grams or 8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (25 grams or 7/8 ounce) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt
1 1/8 teaspoon (1/2 packet or 1/8 ounce) active dry yeast
3/4 cup (177 ml) milk
4 tablespoons (57 grams or 2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

In a large bowl, mix 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt and dry yeast by hand or with an electric mixer.

In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter together until the mixture is warm (105 to 110 degrees); don’t worry if this butter isn’t completely melted. Gradually pour the warm ingredients into the dry mixture and mix with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or stir vigorously by hand with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk and another 1/2 cup flour and beat again for 2 minutes by machine or 3 by hand. Add the last of the flour and beat or stir until smooth.

I love the smell of rising dough!

Scrape down bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour or until doubled. (I suggest letting it rise in an unheated oven, and it took over 2 hours to double for me.) Meanwhile, butter and flour a 9×5×3-inch loaf pan. Once the dough has doubled, scrape it into the prepared pan. Cover with buttered plastic wrap and let rise for a total of 30 minutes. (I increased the time to 1 hours because the more rising time gives it a much more dense taste.)  After 15 minutes, however, remove the plastic and preheat your oven to 375°F.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Heatter says the bread should make a hollow sound if tapped with your fingertips but I haven’t weathered mine enough yet that I didn’t find it unpleasant.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out to a rack to cool.

Just to note, Heatter suggests that the bread be cooled out of the loaf pan but upside down on the rack, I presume to square off the loaf, so this is an option for more perfectly square bread.

Yummy Brown Butter

Salted and Honeyed Brown Butter Spread

1 stick (4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, divided
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (use less for lightly sweet, more for a more traditional honey butter)
Few pinches flaky sea salt

(I added a touch of cinnamon and vanilla for the flavor.)

In a small saucepan, melt half your butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. While it is cooling, leave the other half of the butter out to soften slightly (semi-firm is fine).

Whip softened butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the room temperature browned butter, honey and salt continue whipping until combined. Chill butter in fridge until a nice spreadable consistency, or until needed.

NYC: The Food Edition with a Side of Soup Dumplings

I would suffer the soup kitchen nazi for this. Yum.

Chinatown

Oh dear, the choices.

One word…Joe’s Shanghai.  Zagat, The New Yorker, Food and Wine, New York Times, etc.  We were lucky to only wait about 20 minutes, but word of the wise: they rush you to order, eat, and get out because there is always a line!  The soup dumplings were amazing.  The pork and the crab were just short of a masterpiece.  There is a quote from the Zagat “It’s better than sex.”  Hahaha.  Don’t come here expecting awesome service.  First of all, they’re Asian, and second, they don’t care.  They’ll always have customers!

Chinatown has all these bakeries that have to die for pastries.  I love the pork buns with a hint of honey on top.  And this drink that Linh discovered: basil seeds with mango.  I love basil seeds, and I know most people hate the texture or the look of them.  But they’re so good with a hint of honey and whoever thought to add mango was a genius!!  And they’re good for you!

Kitchenette! The ultimate girls breakfast place

Kitchenette

Kitchenettes Apple French Toast...delicious

Chowchow found this little cute place.  All pink and polka-dotted.  Perfect for a girl’s brunch of creme brulee French toast and homemade turkey sausage.  I had the apple-crunch french toast, and each bite was yummy.  The creme brulee French toast is almost cake-like it’s so good.  Their peach tea was not that good because they don’t add any sugar, and I wouldn’t recommend the turkey burger.  It was dry, and you don’t come to this type of place to order a burger.  They do breakfast brunch perfectly though.

Amazing Sangria from Cocotero

El Cocotero

Warning, without reservations, or if you’re like us and show up 20  minutes late because we always get lost, the wait is up to an hour.  But so worth it for the arepas.  We each had our favorites but I loved the reina pepiada.  We also all dug into the pabellon criollo.  The plantains are perfectly cooked and delicious.

Udon Fabulous...A little too salty, but the customer service was amazing.

Robataya in the East Village

We originally planned to go to Yakitori Taisho (which specializes in Japanese meat on a stick) but they were closed!  Bummer!  So we went to Robataya instead.  This is where the Japanese go to eat home cooked Japanese food.  There isn’t any sushi or sashimi–you know what Americans mostly know about Japanese cuisine.  They had the most perfectly cooked fish with a side of sticky rice.  And the edemame was somehow sweeter and denser.  We couldn’t stop eating it.  They give you free boiled eggs with salt, pepper, and pickled vegetables.  A very cute restaurant.