Brunch: Stone Park Cafe

I'm ashamed to say that I'm pretty much a newbie to restaurants in the Outer Boroughs.  Brooklyn though - I'm totally loving Brooklyn lately!  Other than my one bad experience, I've been having some amazeball meals in Brooklyn.

This past weekend, I stopped by Stone Park Cafe in Park Slope for brunch.  First sign that it was going to be a fabulous brunch - a bulldog puppy was waiting outside!  Second sign that it was going to be fabulous?  A 45 minute wait even at close to 2pm.  Must be good if people wait!

And so, a walk to Prospect Park and 45 minutes later, we were finally seated and ready to get brunch started!  Stone Park Cafe offers a simple yet all encompassing menu.  So much to choose from!

kin shop

kin shop has been on my list of places to try for a long time, probably over two years.  It serves contemporary Thai cuisine with really powerful flavors.  No ordinary Pad Thai here! They definitely pack a lot of heat in their dishes, so be warned that this is not the best choice for the mild spice lovers. 

Located in Greenwich Village, the decor of the restaurant seemed washed out and dull, which doesn't reflect their vibrant flavors at all.  The service was mediocre - nothing glaringly bad, but our waiter seemed a bit grumpy, and at times borderline unfriendly.

For starters, we had the Spicy Duck Laab Salad and the Fried Brussells Sprouts with Chinese Sausage.  On the menu, the Spicy Duck Laab Salad has with not one, but 3 asterisks next to it denoting its level of spiciness.  They're serious about this! It has some serious heat.  The first few bites were enjoyable, especially because we love spicy food, but after that our tongues started losing all sense of feeling and soon everything we ate (the brussells sprouts, water, our cocktails, etc.) tasted like the intensely spicy duck.  The dish started out great, but it quickly became overwhelming.

I was disappointed in the Fried Brussells Sprouts, and it wasn't only because all I could taste was the spicy duck (though that didn't help...).  I was expecting to have nice crispy sprouts with lightly browned leaves.  Unfortunately these were soggy, and they just got softer as they bathed in the sauce.  There were a handful of crispy ones which I enjoyed very much, now if only there were more...

Fried Brussells Sprouts || Spicy Duck Laab Salad

Pulqueria and Apotheke

On a small street deep in Chinatown, there exists a hidden Mexican restaurant called Pulqueria and its sister cocktail bar Apotheke. 

Doyers St in Chinatown - can you find Pulqueria?

Not sure what you are looking at or where you should be looking?  Well that's because there are no signs outside that tell you which door leads to where (for you Chinatown savvy readers, Pulqueria is on Doyers St).  A bit Alice in Wonderland if you ask me as you try each door until you find the right one...

Apotheke is on the left and Pulqueria is on the right!

Where Doyers St starts to curve, you'll notice the two entrances above.  The wooden one on the left leads to the cocktail bar Apotheke and the blue and white entrance to the right leads down to Pulqueria.  The stairway down is also touch sketchy and when you get to the end, you again face a choice of a couple ominous looking doors.  Pick the one on your right lol.

Locande Verde

Some days, the only way to make it through the work day is to stare at my calendar and schedule things that I can look forward to.  Usually, that means I make dinner reservations and schedule my friends so that I'm not the only one getting plump.

Locande Verde is one of those spots where it usually works in your benefit to make a reservation as early as possible.  And so, one of those days at work, I counted 30 days in advance and made my reservation!

Usually a full house every night, Locande Verde was no different on the Friday evening my friend and I went for dinner. 

Its a gorgeous space with lots of seating available and a decent bar space for drinks while waiting for your table.  In the back, you can look right into the kitchen.  Oh how open kitchens seduce me!

Colicchio & Sons (Main Dining Room)

I originally declared last Friday night "off duty".  The plan was to enjoy a dinner without my obtrusive picture-taking and mental note-jotting.  But as the night went on, I wound up being more and more impressed by Colicchio & Sons that I gave in! Out came the iPhone, and I managed to snap some pictures of the entrees and dessert. 

Set in trendy Chelsea, Colicchio & Sons is decorated beautifully, with high, open ceilings and an impressive wall of wine.  From the moment we walked in the door, we were not only wowed by the decor but also the friendliness at the hostess stand.  We were greeted warmly and cheerfully, quite rare in NYC!

Our server also did her part in continuing this friendly environment.  As we each gave her our order, she in turn told us how each of our dishes were uniquely prepared.  The additional descriptions were welcomed and made us feel great about our choices.  If we weren't sold on them before we ordered, we certainly were then!  Throughout the meal, she was very attentive, but in a quiet manner.  The service was unpretentious yet refined.

Unfortunately I was still sticking to my "off duty" bit when appetizers came out so I don't have pictures.  But take my word for it that everything was delicious! Among my group, we ordered the Hamachi, the Roasted Octopus, the Lobster Salad, the Butter-Poached Oysters, and the Beet Pappardelle.

For second courses, we went with the Halibut, and the Roasted & Braised Red Wattle Pork.  Both were amazing, A+ on both!

Halibut with Truffled Celery Root Agnolotti & Glazed Rutabaga

For the Love of Grandma's Dumplings

Hi Piggy friends, have you missed me? I know I’ve missed you. I’ve been off the radar lately and took a hiatus from my Piggy duties to focus on my #1… my Family.

It’s been a roller coaster month of loss and heartache, but also of love and fond trips down memory lane. You see, I come from a long line of piggys whose favorite pastime is busily whipping things up in the kitchen, and it all comes out of love. I dare say that the food we create may be the thing that some of us (especially my Grandma) are most fondly known for.

I’m so fortunate to have learned how to cook with my family throughout my life, even when I wasn’t tall enough to reach the kitchen counter. As a child, I remember my dear Grandma would take over the kitchen and make big batches of wontons or dumplings at a time. I have memories of Grandma teaching me how to make these lovely specialties. Our hands would be dusted with flour, egg wash and meat filling. I was always amazed at how quickly and effortlessly Grandma’s fingers moved, folding and pinching the dumplings and wontons closed in such a beautiful way. I was never able to recreate her perfect pleating, but her face always lit up in approval anyway and she would hand me another dumpling to work on. Slowly but surely, we would fill up tray after tray of dumplings. As they steamed, the kitchen would brim with a savory smell that left you hanging on each minute until they were done.

This post is dedicated to my Grandma. She dedicated her life to family and making the most extraordinary buns and dumplings. I’m so grateful she gave me this gift that I’ll never forget. Here is my recent attempt at carrying on her legacy…

Cooking: Mussels, Clams, and Shrimp in Spicy Broth

My new thing seems to be making Sunday dinner at home.  Is this a sign that I've been watching too much Jersey Shore? 

Either way, I've come to enjoy scouring recipes during the week and planning my menu for Sunday dinner.  Most recently, I stumbled upon an excellent seafood recipe on Food Network courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis.

Mussels, Clams, and Shrimp in Spicy Broth

Super easy and super impressive, I'm pretty sure this dish is going to become a new Sunday dinner staple in my kitchen.  I hope you will enjoy it too!

Mussels, Clams, and Shrimp in Spicy Broth
Recipe from Giada de Laurentiis at Food Network

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
24 small Littleneck clams (about 2 1/2 pounds total), scrubbed
24 mussels (about 1 1/2 pounds total), debearded
20 large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled, deveined, butterflied
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
Warm crusty bread