breakfast and harry potter.. who could resist?

dont forget to enter my giveaway HERE!


went out to breakfast with my sweet neighbor, haley, who just got back from arizona to hear about all her adventures (and to talk about the recent harry potter convention in florida- did anyone go? im jealous! haha)! we went to a place downtown called mama's boy.. its homecooked somewhat southern food which im honestly not a huge fan of, but the breakfast is absolutely to DIE for! i got salmon cakes with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce on a biscuits. im drooling thinking about it again.. i actually had a meeting after and therefore wore nothing cute, but she looked adorablee.. how could i not take a picture?! she picked up the shoes on her trip and im not positive on the rest because i forgot to ask where she got everything (but hey, secrets are more fun anyway, right?)..





here's a few shots of the restaurant and food-



these pictures dont do much justice.. the place is WAY cuter and quainter in person. if you're anywhere near athens, this place is famouss for breakfast. hopefully i can draft a post of athens restaurants soon!



we both contemplated the peach french toast but neither one of us got it because we were too excited for the biscuits which i must say, did NOT dissapoint!




and chocolate cake for breakfast? this looks gourmet! next time ill get breakfast and box this up for dessert :)





these pictures are from a local food blog- thanks taylor!
(always)alanna

best ATL food.

heres the third edition of best ATL food. some of the titles have been copied as there may be more than one place that has the best burgers, mexican.. its a big city after all! enjoy the recommendations and be sure to send me feed back! and as always, let me know if theres anything you'd like me to research/add to the list. (many of these recommendations are centered around food and most of the food only reccomendations (not cocktails, taverns..) are recommended for lunch. however, if you're shooting for atmosphere, check out my first food post, "best big-city eats")

best meaty food:

Saskatoon
360 Pharr Rd; Buckhead; 404.891.1911

Take a shot at starters like wild game eggrolls or wild boar flatbread w/ alfredo & portobellos before attacking formerly water-borne eats like Fisherman's Pasta (littleneck clams, P.E.I. mussels & gulf shrimp in Chardonnay/vermouth/garlic sauce), smoky Idaho rainbow trout w/ plum BBQ sauce, or the oven-roasted, delivered-while-flaming "plank" salmon, whose indignity was doubled, as it wasn't even able to walk it. Bigger "Lodge Specialties" include an eight-ounce elk tenderloin w/ grilled portobellos, an ostrich fan filet w/ citrus-infused red wine demi glace, and double-rack venison rib chops; you can also nab four-week-aged Nebraska steaks (filet, sirloin, blue cheese NY strip...), and birds like the Remington roasted duck, whose dual-breast action is guaranteed to eat just as well as a blade, or your money back!
Sas's full bar boasts a wide selection of reds & whites alongside drafts like Guinness, Paulaner, Yuengling, and 420, also what made your eyes all bleary and bloodshot so you couldn't see the screen well enough, and this gun is totally broken anyway, dog.
check out the full menu here

best spanish food:

Auténtico INC Street Food
948 Canton St; Roswell; 770.998.3114

Commence stuffing yourself with cactus & yucca fries (w/ chipotle pico & Latin remoulade) or Salvadoran chicken pupusa (chicken-/queso-stuffed grilled white corn-masa), then move on to three-taco plates ranging from the standard-ish chili-rubbed skirt steak (w/ slaw, pickled carrots, chipotle crema) to more-adventurous BBQ octopus or veal cheek, which was lovingly pinched by that clock right before getting grilled on where it was going to college. Further Latin specialties include the Sonoran hot dog (bacon-wrapped, w/ black beans, cucumber slaw, queso & chili lime mayo), Cuban sammies, and stews like the red mole con carne (braised beef, corn-masa dumplings & Oaxacan mole sauce), and the shrimp, calamari, scallops, mussels, potato, tomato, corn-on-the-cob, and coconut-milk "Brazilian-Style", which goes through that pain every couple weeks just to keep you happy, and you'd damn well better appreciate it. Cause they read somewhere that people like to drink, INC's got 'ritas (e.g., Tres Chiles, w/ Thatcher’s liqueur & jalapeno candy), 34 tequilas, Dos Equis Lager & Amber on draft, and bottles like Abita Purple Haze, Presidente, and Spain's Estrella Damm -- the same thing you say after finally catching up with your other favorite food truck, and realizing it's out of King Kones.
check out the full menu here

best night club:

The Havana Club
3112 Piedmont Rd; Buckhead; 404.869.8484

When stuff happens you don't like, there's solace in knowing it was for a reason: when your hamster died, the little fella was old and not really enjoying himself anymore, and when the Buckhead strip closed, it was to keep you from being stabbed by visiting NFL players whose names rhyme with Ray Lewis. Reinventing an adored dance factory in a new, linebacker-free location, Havana Club.
After closing three dark years ago to make way for the safer-for-tourists, perpetually "Coming next year!" Streets of Buckhead project, Havana's officially back this weekend in a new, sprawling triple-room complex, where DJs'll spin top-40 rock, house, and salsa/merengue tunes among faux palms and 100-year-old recycled wood walls pulled from a Texas courthouse to provide "old-world ambiance" -- so...Texas, Spain? The entry-area "Stage" zone features cream leather couches and dark wood tables below an elevated level with a concrete/stained glass bar, a shiny red stage for bands & DJs, cabana-style beds, and a walk-in humidor/wine room next to a smoker's lounge with brown leather chairs and natural wood cocktail tables, who don't need no stinking pills! Keep it moving and you'll hit the "Studio", a red-lit, Latin-themed back area for merengue & salsa dancing (free lessons if you arrive early) with a high stage built into the wall for live Cuban bands; next up's the "Gallery", a glistening white expanse in the rear for house music, which'll also double as an event space for art exhibits, runway shows, and high-end dealers flaunting their new cars, which'll leave you wondering Who's Gonna Drive You Home.
Havana's hosting two huge events for this weekend's launch: complimentary hors d'oeuvres & an open bar from 9-11pm at "The Friday Night Escape", then the same deal from 8:30-10pm for Saturday night's grand opening -- which thanks to their "No Ravens Linebackers" door policy, doesn't refer to your throat.

best cheap food:

Lunacy Black Market
231 Mitchell St SW; Downtown; 404.736.6164

Just about everything on both the lunch & dinner menu's under $5, and along with soup and salads, the main attractions for midday eaters are sandwiches like Asian-style pork w/ ginger soy sesame sauce; chicken w/ spinach, tomato & goat cheese; braised beef w/ roasted peppers and Ricotta; and the crispy mushroom, which comes with "chunk" tomato sauce -- overeat, and you'll quickly become acquainted with Sloth. Dinner seekers can nab shrimp sauteed in olive oil and garlic, Mediterranean chicken leg w/ cinnamon curry cardamom, tangy mint-sauced pork ribs (also made Asian-style), or the four-person-satiating, marinated roasted whole mullet (and now you know who the Trans-Am taking up two spots belongs to).
For the manliest part of the meal, there're chocolate chip cookies w/ apple & caramel sauce, and the red wine-syrup-drizzled poached pear, a name that'll mislead diners to thinking it was illegally murdered by chip-toothed men in khaki hats.
check out the full menu here

best oysters:

The New Food: C&S Oyster Bar
3240 Cobb Pkwy; Cobb; 770.272.0999

The upscale seafood saloon's trucked in new wines like Spain's Basico Sav Blanc at nice prices ($6-$8/glass) and unveiled fresh house specialty entrees like Parm-crusted flounder and blackened swordfish w/ tomato dill butter & crab sweet potato hash, along with snackers like the veal & Ricotta-rolled Marie Anne's Meatballs, which you'll feel much more comfortable handling than the Skipper's.
check out the full menu here

best pizza:

950 Pie Pizza Tavern
950 W Peachtree St; Midtown; 404.881.8884

Pizzas're crafted with finely ground Italian "00" flour and San Marzano tomatoes, then wood-fire baked at 750 degrees for a charred crust; creations include the Bianca (olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, smoked provolone, feta, sun-dried tomato), the brunchy Bacon & Egg, the chorizo/Manchego/red bell pepper/garlic Matador, and the shrimp-topped Gulf Stream -- what top Citibank officials would order if Tim Geithner wasn't keeping them all poor. Chomp-ables outside the giant circle category include antipastis (zucchini fries, hand-rolled meatballs...), calzones like the Italia (mozzarella, ricotta, spicy Italian sausage, salami), paninis (chicken club, meatball, Caprese...), and gourmet salads like the red wine vinaigrette Tavern Chopped, with salami, chicken, Pepperoncini, garbanzos & organic "mesculin", like that stuff you tried last summer in Arizona, only with 17 fewer sagacious lizards.
The full bar's got gourmet milkshakes (Hazelnut, Key Lime Pie), Italian, Argentinean & Spanish wines, cheap drafts ($2 PBR, $4 Peroni & Abita Jockamo IPA), and 20+ craft bottles like Terrapin Sun Ray Wheat and Moretti La Rossa, brewed with aromatic hops that give it a slightly bitter aftertaste -- what Snooki was left with when the last guy she challenged proved he could flip her for real.
check out the full menu here

best caribbean:

The Village Jerk
1271 Glenwood Ave SE; East Atlanta; 678.705.4585

The gorging commences with apps like tostones a la criolla (Caribbean Creole/guava-simmered shrimp on crisp plantain) and batter-fried conch fritters with mango chutney, along with hearty bowl-based nourishment including sancocho (plantain/yucca/seafood/veggies) and a chicken-laden chowder called jerk soup, also what it's called when the Alpha Betas all jump in the jacuzzi. Things get more substantial with "planwiches" (jerk chicken/pork sandwiches with fried plantain fritters replacing bread), chicharron de pollo (chicken fried golden brown and drizzled with a warm tamarind apricot sauce), meatloaf covered in BBQ guava glaze and served with a side of yucca, and masitas de puerco: chunks of pork slowly baked then flash fried before losing all motivation to go to the gym.
Drinkables stay tropical, with Negra Modelo, Corona, and Red Stripe, along with sangria and mojitos; they've also got an uber-cute "Nino's" kids' menu plus a nice smattering of vegetarian offerings, in case you want your heart to continue to beat (as one).
check out the full menu here

best multi-faceted restaurant:

One Cafe & Yoeshi
Burritos, sushi & yogurt: unite!
171 Auburn Ave, Ste D; Downtown; 404.688.5344

Hit One for custom burritos (with free-range beef/chicken, shredded pork, or buffalo chili), burgers, soups, and pre-prepped, microwaveable to-go grub like mac 'n' cheese-sided pot roast, which you can grab at the self-service kiosk -- reminiscent of what you do with your own beef at Peek-A-Boo's video arcades. To get even fatter, stroll over to Yoeshi for sushi like deep-fried, panko-crusted Super Crunch (salmon, cream cheese, avocado), specialty rolls like the ponzu-glazed Electric Eel, or combos; froyo's all vanilla with frighteningly healthy toppings like blackberries, pomegranates, kiwi, plus dried fruits like mango and candied ginger, also the redhead kid into whose hair you used to grind Now and Laters.
Because studies show that people like booze, there'll be frozen margaritas on the One side, plus self-serve spots in both joints where you can pay for and pour your own domestic, micro & import beer, wine, and sake, so you "don't have to worry about tipping" -- the exact opposite of the classic sleepover move, "just the tipping".
check out the full menu here

best international pizza:

Piola
1080 Peachtree St, Ste 9; Midtown; 404.249.7019

Start with antipasti like Linosa (avocado, shrimp & pink sauce), or the Italia Unita w/ mozzarella, Parmesan, bread & sun-ripened apricots; pizza's 12" mozzarella-covered thin crusters like the Mantova (sliced raw beef, Brie, arugula, fresh tomatoes...), the smoked salmon/ricotta/parsley Rimini, or the Merano, with zucchini and Italian Speck ham -- unlike other prosciutti, it's "boned before curing", which proves that you're not the only pig that likes to live dangerously. There're specialty pies like the white-sauced Lipsia (shrimp, broccoli, garlic, fresh tomatoes), or the spicy salami-topped Napoletana Pompei, while there're also pastas like Fusilli Bianco Verde (chicken, broccoli, cream, Parmesan) and hearty meals including breaded beef cutlets, pan-seared tuna steak, and a chicken breast roll (try that on for size, Sean White!!)
For your imbibing pleasure, they've got bottled beers (Peroni, Stella, Corona...), wines, and mixed drinks like Caipirinhas or Kiwi Caipiroskas; dessert includes profiteroles and tiramisu made w/ Mascarpone cream, coffee, cocoa powder, and oval-shaped cookies known as "lady fingers" -- tell Zaza that he shoots like his hands are made of them, and he'll slap you like you just pulled him over for speeding.
check out the full menu here

best small plate caribbean:

Entice A
239 Ponce de Leon Ave; Midtown; 404.607.0101

The tapas attack begins with curried wings w/ mango salsa, pecan-crusted chicken fillets w/ sweet potato, and blackened tilapia, before ranging over to jerk chicken flatbread, sweet pepper shrimp & cheese grits, Guinness-marinated short ribs, and snapper escovitch w/ fried dumplings, which will eat themselves once they run out of Flaming Cheetos. If you enjoy food that used to swim, there's the Caribbean crispy fish salad or grilled jumbo sea scallops w/ mango rice; sides include garlic red potatoes w/ leeks, zucchini Parmesan pancakes, and Caribbean Ratatouille, the Pixar sequel that was way more awesome, since Billy Ocean did the entire soundtrack.
Once the mayor approves their liquor license (c'mon, Kasim!!), you'll be able to brighten up your life with the "Caribbean Twilight" martini (dark rum, GranMa, lemon, bitters), Caipirinhas, tropical L.I. Teas, or the 1800/triple sec/Chambord/sour/cranberry "Bite the Berry" -- something you pray you don't end up doing after discovering just how mighty-mighty your brick house really is.
check out the full menu here

best french food:

Moto Bistro
2257 Lenox Rd; Buckhead; 404.634.2828

Apps like the vegetable-basil or crab spring rolls (w/ tamarind dip sauce) and cucumber-/sweet pepper-sauced crystal shrimp dumplings cover the Asian side of the fusion; things swing French from there thanks to wine-sauce-steamed mussels, roasted quail w/ pimento plum sauce, flash-fried & rice flour-crusted oysters, and the garlic-buttered escargot au beurre, a favorite of popular French rapper Gucci Homme. Mainly-French entrees range from poultry dishes like roast-grilled hen w/ mustard sauce, to five-spice-sauced pork belly, to red-meaty meals like rosemary-herb rack of lamb, red wine ribeye steak, and the braised shortrib w/ mashed potatoes and natural reduction, which in a cruel twist, will lead to your own natural augmentation.
As for eats o' the sea, Moto's got the Bass Au Fenouil Et Poireaux (accompanied by fried fennel & leek), or the Pates Au Saumon, smoked salmon & penne -- the same thing you'll leave in Ma$e's collection plate, as that's about all his thoughts are worth these days.
check out the full menu here

best not-quite-bar food:

Young Augustine's
327 Memorial Dr; Grant Park; 404.681.3344


Snacks come small (Benton's Tennessee prosciutto on a toasted loaf w/ fried ginger mayo) and large (pork belly sliders, tomato/fundido/jalapeno-topped tater tot nacho "totchos"); they're also slingin' sammies like the short rib grilled cheese (w/ arugula, pickles & vine-ripe tomatoes), and the cured salmon Reuben, which enjoyed a new lease on life, until you ate it. More aggressive eating comprises brisket hash poached eggs (w/ mustard Hollandaise), fried chicken w/ stone ground grits & tomatoes, or the jasmine-rice pork vindaloo, all backed up by sides like truffled mac & cheese, scallion pancakes w/ oyster sauce, and fries cooked in duck fat (aka, Goldberg the goalie).
The bar's got a full arsenal of booze, but the main attraction's the additional 16 taps they've added to the 12 left from The Standard's still-standing bar, pouring everything from tamer crafts like the 4.5% ABV Blanche de Bruxelles to heavier hooch like the 12% Duvel Green -- guess which one would get Bob Jammin'.
check out the full menu here

best brunch:

Brunch House
1465 Chattahoochee Ave, Ste 100; West Midtown; 404.350.9665

Just opened off Chattahoochee, Brunch House is an everything-under-$7, relaxing southern-style breakfast/lunchery, decked with wall silhouettes of cats and flying birds, a central zig-zagging exposed brick sectional wall/coffee station, and a fireplace. Early pig-outage includes a biscuit & gravy w/ meat (Kentucky Pride sausage, honey baked ham...) and combos like the country fried steak platter w/ gravy, two eggs, and hash browns or grits, while lunching ranges from sammies (blackened garlic roast pork, Gogi steak...), to a bar for loading up baked potatoes, which are almost certainly couch potatoes.
check out the full menu here

best irish food:

Mac McGee's
111 Sycamore St; Decatur; 404.377.8050

Bite into apps like pork belly on bubble & squeak (pot roast veggies), and a smoked fish plate w/ gooseberry jam & blancmange, then step up to chips-sided Irish calzone-y "pasties" like beef brisket or seafood (clam, shrimp, fennel), lamb leg sandwiches, or the Dublin burger w/ Cashel Blue Irish cheese & house-made "rashers": strips of bacon, and less deliciously, the nickname for women at Myrtle Beach's Señor Frogs. Entrees include pies like steak & mushroom and smoked oyster, plus the always-available Full Irish Breakfast (eggs, bangers, bacon, black & white pudding, baked beans & roasted tomato); finish off your fatness with desserts like toffee pudding w/ whisky cream & brown sugar tuile, or the chocolate pot de creme, which comes with a "current scone", which will quickly turn into a former scone.
Meanwhile, the whisk(e)y stock focuses on varieties Irish (Jameson Rarest Vintage) and Scotch (Macallan 15 Fine Oak, Glenmorangie 18yr, Lagavulin 16yr), plus there're 16 bottled brews (Trappistes Rochefort, Highland Gaelic, Victory HopDevil), and 23 drafts like Trois Pistoles and Boddingtons -- named for owner Henry, whose grandson Ewart sold the company off in 1989, because he was too chicken to continue.
check out the full menu here

enjoy- and don't forget to eat enough for me as well ;)
(always)alanna

best NYC food.

heres the third edition of best NYC food. some of the titles have been copied as there may be more than one place that has the best burgers, mexican.. its a big city after all! enjoy the recommendations and be sure to send me feed back! and as always, let me know if theres anything you'd like me to research/add to the list. (many of these recommendations are centered around food and most of the food only reccomendations (not cocktails, taverns..) are recommended for lunch. however, if you're shooting for atmosphere, check out my first food post, "best big-city eats")


best pizza:

MaximoPino Cafe
504 6th Ave at, 13th St; Greenwich Village; 646.360.4143

Split between a quick-bite cafe and a white leather chaired lounge, MPC's granite counters and curved glass displays're stocked with homemade pies (based on a 50-year-old family dough recipe) topped with imported comestibles from fresh & smoked mozz, to Apulian artichokes, to 600-day-aged prosciutto; Italian-made cannoli, cakes, and confections; and 50+ ultra-high end flavors from the cafe's namesake gelato master, who goes so far as to make his Pistaccio from Sicilian nuts, which are es-Pesci-ally tasty.
check out the full menu here

best mexican:

Ofrenda
113 7th Ave S, at Christopher St; Greenwich Village; 212.924.2305

Dinner kick-offs include chimichangas with crab or pigs feet, sherry & garlic shrimp, and boquerones w/ warm potatoes, while mains range from chicken mole w/ ancho/mulato/pasilla chiles, to rack of lamb with poblano-radish sauce, to battered cauliflower-abetted shrimp balls, which you'll presumably have to eat by the thousands to get full. Sangria, Mexican suds, and wine're all present, but the standout's an agave spirit-heavy cocktail list that includes the jalapeno tequila/lime/cilantro Watermelon Tanteador, the mango-fied Ofrenda Mangorita (tropical tequila/Cointreau/agave), the Cerveza Azteca (ginger beer with mezcal & lime), plus non-Mexican action like the gin/apple cider/creme de cassis "Sargento Pepper", for when getting by requires more than a little help from your friends.
Early grubbing includes huevos-fueled breakfast, weekend brunch, and a lunch menu with everything from cemitas sandwiches stuffed with portobello, pulled pork, or grilled chicken, to a hamburgeusa topped with serrano ham, pepper jack, jalapeno strips, and chipotle aioli, all of which will contribute to your meteoric thighs.
check out the full menu here

best burgers:

Mikey's Burger
134 Ludlow St, btw Stanton and Rivington; Lower East Side; 212.979.9211

The hyper-focused menu boasts just four different, potato roll'd, six oz sammies (sided w/ jalapeno-cilantro slaw), with the namesake headliner a chuck/short rib/brisket concoction -- pressed with raw onions/corned beef hash, griddle crusted, and finished with pickled mustard seeds -- that "evokes the flavors of the coffee shops of yesteryear" (nothing says Small Town, USA like Asian-influenced condiments!). Off the beaten path you'll find a satay-style lamb job w/ spicy peanut sauce and fresh mint, a wasabi aoili/pickled onion abetted tempura-fried tilapia patty (w/ optional caviar topping), and a BLT burger rocking chinese bacon/sausage and Kewpie mayo, which is crazy considering some of those dolls are worth, like, thousands of dollars. You can also grub up on fries and spicy curry-chili smothered hot dogs, and while the beer-and-wine license pends you can slug down classic egg creams or exotic shake flavors from toasted almond, to black sesame, to tamarind caramel, to avocado -- if you don't like 'em, just send 'em on their way-ay-ay-ay-ay...ay-ay-ay...semi-ama-way.

best "mini food" (small portions):

Mini Bar
131 E 7th St, btw 1st and A; East Village; 212.358.7582

Plating up a full menu of salads and toasted sandwiches, plus pies from Key lime to sour cream apple, currently-BYOB Mini's decor does it up safari lodge style thanks to zebrawood tables and paneling, pillow-strewn green benches, and exposed ceiling beams, sure to help attract NYCs sexiest celeb: Gazelle Bundchen.

best whiskey and eats:

Vintry Wine and Whiskey
57 Stone St; Financial District; 212.480.9800

VWW’s a brown booze and vino temple that feels like the inside of a swanky tree thanks to a 23ft bar made of rare African "flaming bubinga" redwood; rainforest marble table tops; port-colored custom leather stools; and handcarved, bone-like maple "vines" snaking throughout the space...sadly not also made out of flaming bubinga. Using a life-extending dispensing system, more than 80 global wines typically available only by the bottle are broken down into 2oz & 5oz pours, including big time vintages like a '95 Carruades de Lafite Rothschild, an '07 Rochioli Pinot from the Russian River Valley, 1er Cru from Henri Gouges and Les Fremiers, and a '79 Chateau Talbot, unfortunately not accepting coupons from the Sunday paper. Whiskeys hail from all over as well, from Irish offerings like Knappogue Castle's '51 (the "oldest Irish whiskey in the world"), to Japan's Suntory, to America's Pappy Van Winkle, but most impressive are the 100-plus single malts broken down by region, including Speyside, Highlands, Campbleton, and islands from Skye, to Mull, to Orkney, where batches are set aside to help cope with the mental anguish of massacring hobbits.
There's also a bourbon-heavy cocktail list, plus quaff-enabling small plates including lobster stuffed mushrooms, lamb spare ribs, smoked salmon knishes, and veal meatballs, reminding you that maybe if yours weren't always hanging out on the couch you'd still have a roommate.
check out the full menu/drink list here

best montreal-inspired meat:

Mile End
Opens Mon, Jan 25th; 97 Hoyt St, btw Atlantic and Pacific Ave; Brooklyn

Known only as "smoked meat", the house specialty's a slab of Creekstone brisket, heavily spiced and cured for days (a la pastrami), punched up by a 10-hour smoker stint, and thrown in a steamer for good measure; the finished product's then hand-cut, piled between Orwasher's rye, and plated w/ full sour pickle and house-blended mustard that subs beer for water, suggesting the true pickle is you. Turkeys from Murray's get similar treatment, while other noshes include house-brined cabbage and spicy tomatillos; proper poutine made with Maine curds and drizzled-not-drowned with fresh-cooked gravy; and salami (also in-house) pressed into an onion roll that comes w/ mustard unless you pay a 10 cent charge to skip it (for a quarter they'll agree not to make your sandwich at all).
For those who may die before lunch, ME's flying in bagels from Quebec's St. Viateur and making their own Alaskan king salmon lox, plus stuffing breakfast sammys with the likes of egg, cheese, and smoked pork belly "chazzer", a phattening affair that'll make it easy for your girlfriend to tell why this can't be love.
check out the full menu here

best fancy american:

Recette
328 W 12th St, at Greenwich St; West Village; 212.414.3000

The constantly rotating American menu debuts with smaller "snacks" of curry chickpeas w/ cucumber & bottarga, pork belly with a grapes/tarragon/yogurt sauce, and crispy giant clam w/ chili compote, plus charcuterie like cacciatore, tete de cochon, prosciutto cotto, and foie gras parfait, proving that animal cruelty's so sweet it can be prepared like a dessert. Shareable "plates" offer the likes of hamachi crudo with uni and blood orange; duck carpaccio w/ chicken liver mousse; black cod abetted by smoked bacon, chanterelles, and shellfish emulsion; crispy sweetbreads on escarole; and Berkshire pork belly plated with rock shrimp, which are fresh off a European tour as part of Motley Stüe.
Along for the ride's a Per Se pastry alum who also was part of the private dining club, who'll drop roasted apple Napoleons w/ earl grey milk jam, and S'mores-inspired Graham Cracker ice cream w/ chocolate wafer/toasted marshmallow/hot chocolate sauce -- so delicious you won't even notice the throngs of mullets and mesh tank tops gathering around the table to watch you eat.
check out the full menu here

best beruit-style pizza:

Balade
Opens Monday; 208 First Ave, btw 12th and 13th St; East Village; 212.529.6868

The product of two Beirut-born buddies, Balade augments its more familiar Lebanese fare with a slew of traditional oven-fired pizzas known as "manakeesh", all served up amidst brick-and-tile walls, slatted wooden benches with deep red throw pillows, heavily grained tables, and an enormous mosaic of unvarnished tree trunks -- eat enough pizza and it'll be the only wood you can see. Starting with a special house-made dough, pre-set 'keeshes include the spiced ground beef/onion/parsley Kafta, a traditional-white-cheese-and-tomato job called the Jebneh, and a breakfast pie with thyme, sesame, sumac, and olive oil; other oven fare includes open-face pitas topped w/ familiar stuffings (e.g., sliced beef/onions/cucumber/tahini), and Sfiha Bjebne, aka "squares of cheese to your heart's desire", because there's nothing that hearts crave more than blocks of cheese. To abet your 'za there's mezze like hummus and zatar-blended cheese; lightly toasted pita pockets stuffed with grilled tuna and Lebanese-spiced sausage; and platters of chicken shawarma, falafel, and a lentils-and-rice blend called the Mujuddara Crush, a move the Iron Sheik could have used to pin Hulk Hogan if America wasn't so totally irrepressible.
All can be washed down with suds from Lebanon's Almaza, plus Bekka Valley vino from producers including Massaya and Chateau Kefraya, whose existence proves the French taught the Lebanese their most important culinary tradition -- getting richly stewed
check out the full menu here

best lebanese food:

Al Bustan
319 E 53rd St, btw 1st and 2nd Ave; Midtown East; 212.759.5933

Recently relocated to new classy digs (glossy dark wood, exposed brick & white fabric walls, crystal chandeliers...), the Lebanese pioneer's locking down a first-ever booze license to create imbibeables like the muddled oregano/vodka/chartreuse Rash Nicra and the limoncello-based Amrit. Meanwhile, the venerable menu's been updated to include feta-n-lamb stuffed phyllo cigars, grilled organic boneless Cornish hen, and spinach-and-chickpea stuffed ovals of pumpkin and cracked wheat, which totally ripped off Mad wheat.

best franco-italian bistro:

Bistro De La Gare
Opens Wednesday: 626 Hudson St, at Jane; West Village

Abetting green market goods with local ingredients from the likes of Murray's Cheese and Ottomanelli's, apps lead with roasted beet & tarragon goat cheese sformato, country-style pate w/ homemade pickled veggies, confit of rabbit salad w/ carrot vinaigrette, and grilled baby octopus w/ cannellinis & potato cake, or, as the Irish call it, cake. Italianate mains include corn tagliatelle w/ braised leeks, green market lasagna, and chicken cacciatore w/ homemade pancetta & polenta, while more Parisian joints run from braised rabbit w/ mustard sauce, to a cassoulet passed down through four generations, to braised lamb shank w/ winter vegetables; fish get Med-style with sauteed skate w/ French lentils, and even grilled barramundi, also known as Asian sea bass.
check out the full menu here

best sports bar-inspired food:

Bistro Vendome
405 East 58th St, btw 1st Ave and Sutton Place; Midtown East; 212.935.9100
Frog-tastic starters include garlic & parsley buttered snails, duck liver pate, and fish soup w/ Swiss, plus five variations on mussels, from the basil/ white wine/ garlic "Basilic", to the curry/ lemongrass/ coconut milk "Thai", to the "Normande", whose creamy chicken broth, shrooms, and truffle oil will have patrons' guts storming their britches. Heartier plates cut from Dover sole meuniere (floured and fried in butter), to broiled bronzini w/ artichokes a la barigoule (wine, mushrooms, pork fat...more butter), to grilled filet/ sirloin/ ribeye steak frites w/ green peppercorn or Bearnaise sauce; there're also a trio of winter specials: duck confit/ bacon/ garlic sausage cassoulet, beef cheek shepherd's pie, and intestine & calves foot Tripe A La Mode De Caen -- after getting baked for 12 hours, even Superman has trouble spelling his name.
Happy endings stick to crowd pleasing classics like Grand Marnier creme brulee, profiteroles, tarte tatin w/ creme fraiche, and Nutella Napoleon, named for the man who defined going for it all and coming up short.
check out the full menu here

best japanese food:

1 or 8
66 S 2nd St, at Wythe; Williamsburg; 718.384.2152

The adventure starts with sakizukes (snacks traditionally paired w/ the first sake order) like hijiki seaweed w/ cream cheese paste, and burdock root & carrot w/ sweet soy, then moves to ceviches of octopus with grapes/yam/vinegar jelly, and terrines from monkfish liver/grilled peach to rib-eye/onion/shiitake/egg; cooked mains include a chicken pot-au-feu (chicken/pork sausage/kombu broth/red pepper paste), Pork Belly Two Ways (a la plancha and cutlet), and something called "Flap Steak", a great new nickname for a body part you long to know better. Raw-wise, seasonal offerings abet a sushi menu that includes three kinds of tuna, bi-coastal salmon, sea bream, and sea urchin, while original concepts run from a salmon job w/ mozzarella/sun dried tomato/basil, to the Mushroom Tuna w/ red pepper & asparagus, to the meatless, tempura Vege-ten, though a true ten requires something more than vege.
To up your own risk taking there's beer & wine, a 30-strong sake list, and a bevy of original cocktails, from the rum/lime/brown sugar/shiso/yuzu juice "Shiso Mojito", to the sesame shochu/soy milk/white sesame "Goma Shake" -- drink too much of either, and you'll have to tell someone "SOOOORRRRRY!".
check out the full menu here

cheapest sophisticated dinner:

Dinner: Wall and Water
75 Wall St, at Water St; Financial District; 212.590.1234

The Andaz is just launching dinner in their rustic-glam dining room, where live-edge wood tables cut from a single tree are surrounded by plush leather seating, and weathered hardwood floors offset a slate ceiling cut with patterns emulating a dollar bill's watermark. The totally-open kitchen'll pump out American-brasserie starters like seared scallops w/ mussels and slow-roasted peppers, and lamb sausage w/ baked Jerusalem artichokes, plus bigger bites from venison filet w/ smoked bacon, to sweet & sour duck breast w/ rainbow chard, to braised veal cheeks w/ black cabbage -- also a British metal band that used titanic blues riffs and satanic imagery to get kids to eat their vegetables.
check out the full menu here

best bakery:

Village Tart
86 Kenmare, at Mulberry St; Nolita; 212.226.4980

The bakery's ready-made menu's divided between savory & sweet, with the former including tarts (shrimp pot pie w/ sherry cream, mushroom & Gouda quiche) and pizzettas (prosciutto & fig w/ walnuts, peking duck w/ hoisin sauce & scallion pancake crust), and the latter covering more than twenty bites from pistachio yogurt cakes, to grapefruit curd tarts, to a fresh squeezed lime & tequila Margarita Bar, which surely'll cause a jealous Margaritaville to exclaim "Son of a son of a bitch!". Meanwhile, on the cafe side the "upscale but uncomplicated" fare kicks off with snacks of spiced deviled eggs and wagyu beef franks in a blanket, and starters of hamachi ceviche and tuna w/ milk poached veal, while more substantial 'stuffs include polenta souffle, meat or vegetarian lasagna, apple cider short ribs, and mac & cheese made w/ Humboldt Fog, a phenomenon that curiously makes you crave more cheese, man.
Adult bevs're on the way, but currently you can slam back single origin drip coffees hailing from Nicaragua and Ethiopia; fresh-made, exotic frescas from pink guava to lychee; and variously flavored organic smoothies called Sassy Lassis, who're the very reason your mama told you not to come.
check out the full menu here

best country food:

Charles Gabriel at Aretsky's Patroon
Every Fri, 5-11pm, 160 E 46th St, btw Lexington and 3rd Ave; Midtown East; 212.883.7373
Harlem's czar of soul food's bringing his act downtown, where $25 will get you three pieces of his ballyhooed fried chicken (carefully done in a pan instead of a deep fryer), two sides (collards, candied yams, mac & cheese...), and banana pudding. Live honky tonk'll be busted out by pianist Ben Healy, who, unlike his Double Deuce-ing brother Jeff, can totally see who threw that beer bottle at him.
check out the full menu here

best diversity in the menu:

Eli Kirshtein at Solo
550 Madison Ave, btw 55th and 56th St; Midtown East; 212.833.7800
The Top Chef-testant's setting up shop as Executive Chef in Solo's kosher kitchen, personally creating daily-rotating 3- and 5-course prix-fixe menus, the inaugural iterations of which include persimmon w/ cacao nibs & yuzu, amber jack w/ tobiko gremolata, and duck breast w/ chicharrones and sunchokes, which are much less messy than Menendez Farms' sonshoots.

loveee is in the air

ahh the joys of scheduled posting.. hope all of you guys are in the midst of planning a romantic (fill in the blank according to mood). heres a little valentines outfit & collection of best couple-restaurants in the city post for you to enjoy while your lover takes a bathroom break. hope you have something totally hot planned. muahhhh!










Mari Vanna
41 E 20th St, nr Park Ave S; Gramercy; 212.777.1955

Sensually nibble traditional Russian fare like homemade blinis & caviar, sorrel soup w/ quail egg, and Kamchatka crab cake in red caviar sauce, as you bask in the cuteness of this jewel-box's crystal bowls, stacking dolls, and figurine "cheburashkas", fictional Russian "bear children" that should be seen but not heard wetly devouring salmon.
check out the full menu here

Bagatelle
409 W 13th St, at 9th Ave; Meatpacking; 212-675-2400

Believing their food sexy enough already, the Frenchmen behind Bag're offering their everyday menu of neighborhood bistro fare, including romance-compatible servings "pour deux" of Cote de Boeuf and Poulet Fermier Entier Rôti et Truffe, because nothing's more romantic than having no idea what the hell you're ordering.
check out the full menu here


Trattoria Cinque
363 Greenwich st, btw Harrison and Franklin; Tribeca; 212.965.0555

Cranking up their dual fireplaces to help you spark some love, TC's abetting their seasonal Milanese bites with special "aphrodisiacs" a la carte, including seared turbot w/ star anise, roasted rack of lamb in a licorice sauce, and a spicy chocolate oyster shooter that'll prove far more effective than your gummy tarantula/clamato boiler maker.
check out the full menu here


Matsuri
369 W 16th St, at 9th Ave; Meatpacking; 212.243.6400

Hit the seductive lantern-and-bamboo adorned cavern for their typical wealth of authentic small plates and sushi, plus sake cocktails like the hot apple schnapps/ cinnamon Ringo, who'll be horrified when you grab the octopus from its garden and eat it.
check out the full menu here

(always)alanna