Macondo - Funky, Inventive Tapas

Macondo - 157 East Houston Street, New York NY 10002
212.473.9900
V/F Train to 2nd Avenue
www.macondonyc.com

After reading a compelling review about Macondo, Lisa and I decided to check it out. We both love tapas so it was an easy sell, and when Lisa spotted their enticing Happy Hour offering, we were that much more excited about it.

Atmosphere:
I'd describe Macondo as cheery and festive. The interior color scheme is bright with greens and earthy browns. Interesting touches such as nets that hold little trinkets and a "green room" with wild ivy are found here, giving the space an element of surprise.

The front of the house is a lot more casual than the back--people sit on long stools and high tables inside and there's a small outdoor seating area that faces the bar. The music is a tad loud but you get used to it fast. Overall, the vibe is fun and celebratory--I'd suggest it for a casual birthday dinner or an impromptu get-together. I would not however come here if you're looking for a romantic meal.

Food:
Consisting of small plates (or tapas), the menu offered many options that piqued our interest. We were first drawn to the less expensive Happy Hour food menu but in the end, mostly ordered from the regular menu due to better choices and bigger portions.

Calamares Crujientes (Crispy Calamari) - These weren't your ordinary fried calamari and both Lisa and I agreed that they were exceptional. Dressed with rocotto honey aioli, they had a sweet/tangy essence. Slightly crispy on the outside but nice and chewy on the inside, the squid tasted deliciously fresh.

Mofongo with Shrimp - Part of the Happy Hour menu, this dish included a small mound of mashed green plantains with spicy shrimp on the side. Both Lisa and I loved the kick from the salsa that dressed the shrimp. Once again, the seafood was fresh and very tasty, the only regret being that the portion was small. We would've preferred more of the mashed plantains--they were slightly smoky and had nice texture.

Pork Tacos - Although it was our least favorite dish of the night, it was still pretty good. The pork had a mild flavor and wasn't too fatty. We both thought that the tacos needed some creaminess or a sauce to bind it together. Unfortunately, it was hard to eat and it could've used a heavier hand with seasoning.

Bacalao Arepa - The stand-out dish of the night, it was both innovative and magnificent to look at. The egg that rested on top of the arepa with cod, tomatoes and peppers was a gorgeous sight, not unlike a bright, happy sunflower. Once we broke the yolk and let it marry with the rest of the ingredients, it brought our senses to attention. The salty cod had a pickled taste and the earthy arepa provided a wonderful base, soaking up the spicy salsa and the creamy yolk.

Churros - The mini churros and dipping chocolate were a great way to end our meal. Boasting great consistency, the churros were crunchy on the outside but soft and doughnut-like on the inside. Dipping them into the chocolate was fun but I wished that it was a bit thicker so it'd adhere to the churro better. But all in all, a yummy treat.

Drinks - In addition to the sangria (which was delicious), we were served a small pitcher of an inventive concoction called Porron--a mix of beer and Fresca. It was complimentary with our tapas and the way it was encouraged to be drunk was through the small spout of the hand-sized pitcher. Our waitress demonstrated how this was done (without getting our clothes dirty). We both tried it with mild success and in the end, resorted to pouring it into our glasses--cowardly, I know. The taste was sweet and citrusy and overall very pleasant.

Service and Cost:
Our waitress was a slightly off-beat yet nothing to complain about. All dishes came out quickly and service went off without a hitch. The only weirdness was when I gave the waitress my cash, asked for change and she didn't provide it until I reminded her. A bit shady but maybe she forgot in the midst of busy Happy Hour--I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

Costs are moderate with most tapas in the $8-$10 range. Happy Hour tapas are in the $4-$6 neighborhood but portions are significantly smaller. All in all, four tapas, one dessert and two drinks set us back about $35 per person, including tax and tip.

2.5 Mmmms

Astoria and LIC Greenmarket Now Open

Image by www.cenyc.org

Earlier this week, I mentioned the importance of eating good-quality, organic food and I wanted to provide you with some resources for where to get it.

Starting this week, the Astoria and LIC Greenmarkets will be open, operating once a week from now until November. I'll be frequenting the LIC Greenmarket more than the Astoria location since it's open on a Saturday. See below for details on locations and times, not only in Astoria and LIC but across Queens.

Astoria Greenmarket - July 8 - November 25
Wednesdays from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
14th Street at 31st Avenue

Long Island City Greennarket - July 11 - November 21
Saturdays from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
48th Avenue at 5th Street

Jackson Heights Greenmarket - June 7 - November 22
Sundays from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
34th Avenue at 77th Street

Sunnyside Greenmarket - June 6 - December 19
Saturdays from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Skillman Avenue at 43rd Street

Corona Greenmarket - July 10 - November 20
Fridays from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Roosevelt and 103rd Street

Atlas Park Greenmarket - June 6 - November 21
Saturdays from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Cooper Avenue at 80th Street

DBGB - Funky Downtown Kitchen

DBGB Kitchen and Bar - 299 Bowery, New York NY 10003
212.933.5300
F/V Train to 2nd Avenue
http://www.danielnyc.com/dbgb.html

I'm a fan of Daniel Boloud but haven't dined at his restaurants because they're obnoxiously expensive. However, when Lisa told me about the newly-opened DBGB downtown kitchen, I was intrigued and the two us went to check it out. A pleasant experience it was--we were especially impressed by the burger and will definitely bring our meat-eater counterparts (the hubbands) with us next time.

Atmosphere:
Located on the ground floor of an upscale apartment building on Bowery, DBGB has a modern, industrial feel. It seems slightly out of place on the Lower East Side, but the vibe is friendly and non-pretentious, and you feel compelled to stay and explore it.

I like that the space feels very open, with high ceilings. The whole look in one word is "mirrored," meaning that there's a lot of reflectory furniture such as silver shelves, tables and long mirrors with writing on them.

It was fun to sit in the open space, which contains smaller tables and open booths in the middle, and more private booths against the wall. We sat near the kitchen, which is semi-exposed and provides a way to peek in and see how things get done.

Food:
The menu was extensive and it was tough to make a decision. While I wanted to try a couple of small dishes, Lisa didn't mess around and went for their work-of-art burger.

Tomato Bisque - I started with the soup because a). I was cold and b). I adore a nice tomato broth. The presentation was impressive, as the soup came in a modern, asymmetrical bowl with mozzarella foam on top and a roasted red pepper crostini on the side. Once I tasted a spoonful, I couldn't be happier with my choice. The broth was super light and it felt fluffy, probably due to the cheese foam. I loved the hints of fresh basil and despite the big portion, I had no problems finishing it. Lisa tried it too and agreed that it was stupendous.

Polonaise Sausage - My second dish was slightly disappointing. While it looked nice, the portion was small even for an appetizer plate. I guess that I was caught off-guard because the soup was so generously portioned. I liked the gentle flavor of the veal kielbasa but I thought that it needed something to spice it up. A bed of red cabbage was the kielbasa's complement, which was nice but again needed more zing. It was neither sweet nor spicy and I prefer a carameley, sweet red cabbage, just like my mom makes. Overall, I'd say this dish was meh...underwhelming.

The "Piggie" Burger - This was the show-stopper of the night. It was presented impeccably with a jalapeno on top, speared with a "DB" tag. But even as great as it was to gawk at, it tasted even better. Topped with legendary Daisy May's pulled pork, it was smoky and comforting. The bun consisted of cornbread and cheddar, which made it even more indulgent, and the burger patty itself was cooked to perfection--as juicy and flavorful as it should be. Lisa saved the remainder of it for her hubby Jay and he loved it.

Service and Cost:
Not overly impressed with the waitstaff, I think they're still growing in this area. While there was nothing terribly wrong with our waiter, he wasn't relaxed and seemed to disappear when we needed him most. We had to ask the manager for the check, which was a bit strange and slightly uncomfortable.

The costs are moderate and for a Bouloud establishment, downright reasonable. The entire dinner, which consisted of two small dishes, one main one, a glass of wine and a glass of beer set us back about $35 per person including tax and tip. It's nice to know that you can share dishes and no entree is priced above $26.

2.5 Mmmms

Clean Your Plate When Eating Out

Image by www.cleanplatesnyc.com

My friend Katie and I saw the movie Food Inc last week. It was an eye-opening film about the food industry and the many, unfortunate corruptions that go along with it. While I'm not going to preach, I believe that the message of eating healthy, organic food has hit home. I recommend the film to everyone!

While waiting to be let into the movie theater, we ran into a man selling a book called Clean Plates NYC. Initially, I wasn't going to give it much attention until Katie grabbed one, looked through it and immediately bought it. Intrigued, I flipped through it as well and liked what I saw. The book, (pictured above) features a guide to "the healthiest and tastiest restaurants in Manhattan." This means that the restaurants use a combination of local, organic ingredients that are grown through humane efforts (i.e. grass fed steak, pesticide free produce, etc).

I grabbed a copy for myself and started reading. Loving the variety of content, the book features 75 Manhattan restaurants that pass a "health test," serving good-for-you food. Running the gamut from popular sandwich chains such as Le Pain Quotidien to upscale seasonal establishments such Blue Hill, Clean Plates NYC is useful for virtually any dining-out experience.

A small book with rounded corners, it makes for easy transport and I now carry it in my bag daily.

If you're interested in purchasing it, it's a modest investment at only $11. Check it out! I hope that a Queens version comes out soon.

Vesta's Hangover Cure

Vesta - 21-02 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102
718.545.5550
N/W Train to 30th Avenue
www.vestavino.com

My friend Crystal and I had the most enjoyable brunch at Vesta yesterday. I wasn't surprised by how much I adored it (as I love everything in this restaurant) but I must give Vesta additional praise for always reinventing the menu, making their dishes appropriately seasonal. Below are some of the foods we tried:

Hangover Pizza - I was extra eager to try this, especially after last week's post, comparing my hangover pizza to theirs. The texture was excellent, with Vesta's signature flaky crust--I loved the smokiness of the pancetta pieces on the thin layer of spicy tomato sauce. But my favorite part was the fried egg that broke apart when bitten, infusing with the rest of the ingredients. It was a fabulous way to "recover" after a long weekend of eating and fun.

Whole Wheat French Toast - One of my all-time favorite brunch dishes, I ordered it as my main meal. The toast was crunchy on the outside but soft and moist on the inside. It was super thick-cut and once slathered with the sweet apricot/orange marmalade, it was bliss. The pieces of toast were topped with sweet butter, which was a nice complement but I think there was too much, so I removed most of it.

Buttermilk Pancakes - Crystal chose this as her main brunch entree and also loved it. The pancakes were thick and fluffy, topped with juicy, fresh fruit such as bananas, blueberries and strawberries. A gorgeous dollop of fresh whipped cream lay on top and while it looked impressive, Crystal was conservative about eating it. After all, we still had a whole Hangover Pizza to get through.

Dessert - Although our tummies were nearly full, we saved room for dessert, which consisted of grapefruit sorbet and affogato. Both were decadent and super tasty but we had a strong preference for the grapefruit sorbet, which was so refreshing that we nearly polished off the entire thing. We loved the fresh fruit served with it, including sliced peaches, grapes and strawberries, making this the perfect summer dessert.

The affogato was fantastic as well but more on the indulgent side. I enjoyed pouring the fresh espresso over the vanilla gelatto and the peanut brittle softened slightly after making contact with the warm liquid. It was a very different flavor than the sorbet, but equally delicious.

Service and Cost:
You always feel pampered when you come to Vesta. The servers are so warm and attentive that you have a hard time leaving. I could confidently say that they treat all the customers, well...like family.

Costs continue to be a great value with brunch entrees ranging between $5.95 - $10.50. Coffee and a morning cocktail are priced separately but you get what you pay for--excellent quality. They use local, fresh ingredients supplied by a local farm in Greenpoint, which happens to be on top of a building. Wowza!

3 Mmmms

Creme Fraiche Salmon - A Summery Dinner

After eating like a total pig this weekend, with all the BBQing and whatnot, it's time to focus on healthy food again. The below recipe for creme fraiche salmon is not only simple, it uses just four ingredients. The side of polenta is a nice complement but you can just as easily substitute it with cous-cous, potatoes or even fresh greens--the healthier, the better.

Creme Fraiche Roasted Salmon - Click here for the recipe, which came from Bon Appetit's June issue. In addition to the salt and pepper, I sprinkled it with classic Italian seasoning, which added more earthiness.

Zesty Polenta - I improvised a side of simple polenta (or corn meal) to go with the salmon, mixing it with sweet and savory ingredients such as green onions, golden raisins and fresh lemon zest. The lemon really gave it something extra, injecting it with strong fragrance. I'd recommend this side dish with a pairing of any kind of protein - chicken might be nice for example.

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 cup of polenta or cornmeal
1/4 cup of chopped green onions (you can add more if you want)
1/4 cup of whole golden raisins
1 tsp of fresh, grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook polenta according to directions on package. After you remove from flame, add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Make sure to let the other ingredients (especially the raisins) sit in the polenta for a couple of minutes to soak in the flavors. Serve warm with the creme fraiche salmon.

You'll feel satisfied but not overstuffed after this meal--it's a great dinner dish for hot summer months. Enjoy!