Craigie on Main – 8 Course Tasting Menu

The one and only Woo Bear, my favorite NYPD PoPo/Detective/Bodyguard/Bestie came to visit me in Boston and being so busy with work lately we FINALLY got a chance to meet up, rant, chat, laugh and just have a jolly awesome time.  I picked him up from his hotel and even though we got there early they had a table for us already set for us.

Woo Bear & Peep Peep unite!!!!!

AKA

He’s the Gru to my Agnes

I told him we had to go to Craigie on Main.. it’s farm to table and seasonal and just one of my favorite places MUST GO TO EAT AT places in Boston… well it’s in Cambridge but same difference. I adore their open kitchen. And everyone there is SO friendly and awesome. PLUS every time you get the tasting menu you get different and new things it’s NEVER the same.

After careful, not so careful thinking we decided to order the everything 8 course tasting menu.  We started off with a champagne for me and a “manly” scotch drink for him. I think the waitress said it was a scotch rimmed with absinthe?!… I thought it was delicious!!!!

We also ordered a bomb ass bottle of French Burgundy Pinot Noir – mad $$ but soooo worth it

I asked for them to write out the menu for us so I could have it when I went home… obviously so I could blog!!!

And then it began….. as we sipped our yummy drinks, the food started flowing….

Trio of Amuse Bouche

Citrus Cured Striped Bass, Avocado, Red Onion, Pickled Pine Nuts

This was Woo Bear’s favorite… mainly cuz of the avocado he said.  It was good and reminded me of tuna tartare, I think mainly cuz of the color, would’ve never thought it was striped bass – but I guess it was cuz of the citrus cure.  You couldn’t really taste the citrus but it was a good bite.

Razor Clams, Uni Vinaigrette

Texturally wise, this was my favorite of the three. It was obviously clams… and I LOOOOOVE razor clams.. I’ve never had it sliced before and it was amazing.  Need to start taking my razor clams not whole on a shell… hehe…

Smoked Bluefish Rillettes, Hackleback Roe

Taste-wise this was y favorite. It was a beautifully soaked fish… and with the caviar and everything it was pretty divine.

The waitress loved that I had a champagne glass tattooed on me haha..

Sea Trout Pastrami
Winter Chicories, Blood Orange, Pistachio Vinaigrette

I actually expected a smokier tasting salmon, from the looks of it, but the taste was impeccable.  The texture of the salmon was of smoked salmon but it definitely had that “pastrami” kick to it.  With the added crunch of the chicory and pistachio it was heaven in each bite.  It actually would’ve been an amazing salad with more chicory and pistachios but deeeeeelish!!!!!!!

Roasted Sturgeon à la Poêle
Camargue Red Rice, Red Onion Soubise, Beurre Rouge

When the last dish came out we finally finished our first drinks and got to get into the the wine, which paired PERFECTLY, as waitress said it would, with the food… It was salty was soooooo gooooood.  Not sure what the greens were but the rice was just barely el dente and chewy and amazing, I almost thought it was wheat berries…the surgeon [this was the first time Woo Bear ever had it, but I have] was soooo buttery and beautifully cooked.  Like I said, it was salty but it still tasted awesome….

Delicious wine with an amazing friend!!!

Spice-Crusted Striped Bass Kama

Wait. What? KAMA? UM, I LOVE YOU CRAIGIE.   I love Fish Collar Bone [aka Kama]

Even the waitress told me to make sure to take a pic – I think she saw me taking pictures before… and probably assumed since I was asian HAHA

It’s all about this:
the Tuscan Olive Oil, Citrus Vinaigrette

And cuz we were “her friends” she poured it on for us. AWWWWW I felt so loved….!!!! She even said “Of course Tiff, you’re my friend” hahahaha… maybe she remembers me from my past eatings there…. LOLOLOL… I always eat SO much here

This was my piece… Woo Bear and me both picked our pieces CLEAN!!!!!… We ASIAN YO.  We waste NOTHING!!!

House-Made Red Beet Conchiglie Pasta
Boudin Noir Ragoût, Fava Leaves

This was beautiful. Fucking beautiful. BEET PASTA? It’s like taking a veggie I love with a pasta I love and combining the two.  When I first looked at it, I was like UHHH.. meat? blah? WHAT? But it was delicious.   The sauce didn’t overwhelm the beet taste in the pasta and the lava leaves added a nice green freshness to it.   Will definitely try to make a beet pasta in the future… altho I’ll probably make pappardelle or gnocchi.

Slow-Roasted Veal Sweetbreads
Wild Mushrooms, Farm-Fresh Egg, Chorizo Sauce

This may have been my favorite dish of the night, minus the bone marrow later, but I can never not LOVEEEEEEEEEE and orgasm with bone marrow.  But the poached egg was SOOOO beautiful.  The sauce, the mushrooms and of course SWEETBREADS.  I really need to find a place that sells sweetbreads so I can start cooking them.  They’re one of my favorite delicacies.. even more than bone marrow and foie gras cuz I can never find them to cook them myself… and because of that, I ALWAYS ALWAYS have to order sweetbreads when it’s on the menu.. well I guess the same with the other two but still….

And then when we thought it was all over….

Axis Venison Two Ways: Spice-Crusted Leg, Crepinette
Mustard Spaetzle, Hakurei Turnips, Red Cabbage Purée

And obviously we got it with the BONE MARROW!!!!

Can you believe they asked us if we would rather have duck fat roasted carrots OR bone marrow? UMMM… we didn’t even look at each other and Woo Bear and I both screamed BONE MARROW!!!

It was all so freaking delicious….  the crepinette was SOOOOOOOO delicious. It was a yummy venison meatball!!!… and the venison leg, sliced and cooked rare was just SOOO tender and delicious.  I ended up eating the marrow on toast and then the rest of the marrow all over my veal dish and licking it up. The spaetzle was crunchy and divine and while it was from “mustard” it had almost a delicate “cheese” taste to it.  Definitely some of the yummiest spaetzle I’ve had.  The turnips were great.. I thought it was daikon – which I guess is basically a turnip/carrot – and just all of the items combined was ORGASMIC. We had SOOOOOO much bone marrow it could feed a family of 10.

Palate Cleanser
House-made Lime Frozen Yogurt
Basil Seeds

Delicious. Refreshing. YUM.

We got this amazing Bourbon:
Michter’s 20yr Cask Strength Single Barrel 114.2°

At 67$ a glass it better be fucking amazing and it was… smelled like caramel and was soooooo tasty. Yeah disgustingly expensive but also disgustingly delicious.

Dessssert time.. so it was definitely more than just 8 courses….

Moroccan ‘Upside Down’ Carrot Cake
Goat Cheese Sorbet, Dates, Caramelized Almonds

I told them no goat cheese but they gave me some anyways.  I ate it anyways.  But the cake was super dry, even though I loved the look/concept of the cake.  Next time I make carrot cake I’ll have a beautiful slice of carrot on top.  It didn’t go with the goat cheese even tho I tried it together to make it “wetter” and neither did the sauce.  It was kinda sad to see such a fantastic meal end so badly.

Chocolate-Fernet Branca Crémeux
Roasted Lemon Puree, Tarragon Ice Cream

I don’t really think that was what we got… it tasted like mint ice cream on chocolate mousse and crunchy sticks hahahaha…. it was good but didn’t feel like a FULL dessert, like a side to a dessert…

BUT AT LEAST THIS SAVED THE NIGHT

We had a special complimentary Hot Cocoa to warm us up… there was definitely some chilies and cardamum in it <3

Everything was talked about, we definitely spent a good few hours there… and in the end we realized:

Love you Woo Bear. Can’t wait to play again soon!!!!! Miss you dearly already!!!!

Another FAILED Perm, Tea Time & another dinner at Din Tai Fung

They FUCKED up my perm last time. Yes. Perm. Embarrassing YES. But they fucked it up, so they should be embarrassed.

You know the bigger the boot…

The bigger the foot!

Tea Time @ Afternoon Tea in Sogo

Delicious Corn Chowder….

Duck Risotto with Poached Egg and Salad

Spicy Spaghetti with Grilled Prawns

Chicken Sandwich Salad [yes with buttery toast]

Tons of Espresso alllll for meeeee…

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Banana/Kiwi/Walnut Roll

Lemon Angel Cake

Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Cake

Delicious

… I went back for a nap…and to rest my poor twisted swollen ankle…… afterwards I met up with all my aunts and mama at Din Tai Fung for dinner…

Woodear Fungus with Goji

Dan Dan Noodles – mmmm Spicy and Peanuty

Meat Buns

All this food, ALLLLLL consumed by us ladies…

Xiao Long Bao <3 The loves of my life

I ended up in food coma with Mr. Piggie staring at me til I fell asleep…. icing my ankle

Crazy Good Italian Book Signing for Top Chef Mike Isabella

After Brunch, I went shopping with J and W went home to rest a bit.  After a fun relaxing afternoon, we headed over to Graffiato to W’s buddy’s book signing at Graffiato. You might know him.. Top Chef Mike Isabella.  The booze were flowing and the snacks were a-coming. Even saw a quick glimpse of other Top Chef Bryan Voltaggio.

Hahaha YESSS.. I’m a “celebrity tweeter” ;]

[BTW this cook book is pretty awesome, you should totally go out and get it. NOW!  EVEN has his pepperoni sauce in it ;] YUM]

After a super fun party W and I decided to sit down and eat there. I’ve never ever had a bad meal at Graffiato. SO FREAKING GOOD.  We ordered a few things and we got surprised with a few items as well.

Crudo

Light, fresh and perfection.  A perfect way to start a meal.

Pig’s Head.

As soon as I saw this on the meats&cheeses part of the menu, I KNEW I had to have it. DIVINE.  Fennel, apple, SOOOOOO good. Thinly sliced and pure scrumptious.  I like the bit of cartilage from the ear in it. NOM.

Burrata with asian pear, walnut, & pickled cauliflower

My MUST get here.  W already knows so he doesn’t even have to ask and I don’t need to say and he knows I want it.  I love it when a man knows exactly what you want to eat without asking.  He never gets me wrong.

Crispy Veal Sweetbreads with Fried Green Tomatoes and Coffee Aioli

Who would’ve thought a coffee aioli would be good.  It was SOOO good.. light coffee flavor.. creamy.. paired SO well with the tender crisp fried sweetbreads. BUT.  I must say, the star of the show was the fried green tomatoes!!!  W and I were digging for them. SOOOOO good.

W’s must get: Roasted Cauliflower with pecorino, mint

Delicious, per usual. We both adore Cauliflower.

Sweet Corn Agnolotti with Pinenuts

I forgot what the other stuff was. Olive?  Not sure. But these were tender and pillowy. YUM.  The creamy innards were bursting with sweet corn flavor.

We always get the Porky’s Revenge so I wanted to try another one.

Countryman Pizza with black truffle, fontina, farmed soft egg

Sexy Egg… our waiter popped it and spread it for us, but I secretly wished I did it instead haha…

Although it was just truffle oil, it was delicious.  BUT… I think Porky’s is still my favorite… still need to try some others. HEE HEE. But I love my pig.

Charred Octopus with potato, black garlic, olives

Another dish we always get.  It’s SO tender and delicious. YUM.

Crispy Lamb with yogurt, cucumber, tapenade

You guys know I’m not a huge fan of lamb but W loves this. NOM NOM NOM.

Complimentary Desserts from the Book Signing Party before.. SOOOO GOOOOD

Nutella Pudding and Tri-Color Italian Cookies

SOOO GOOD.. and the nutella.. OH MAN, I licked the shot glass cleeeean!!!! And I may have kept the cute little spoon ;]

SHHHH

I don’t remember why I was doing this and why W took this pic of me. But apparently I was NOT amused.

SDLT Family Brunch

I love my brunch, as does my parents. We LIVE for brunch.  We try to eat out at least a brunch or dinner every week, as a family.  We headed to SDLT since I had to get some stuff at Sephora and my mom wanted to shop around.  I was feeling SO sick and just couldn’t get up AT ALL.  So reservation for 1pm changed to 2pm and we barely made it.  I can’t tell if it’s allergies or something else but appetite was low, as was energy. Must. Keep. Going.

Bread Basket
Foccacia, Whole Grain & French Bread
… delicious, fresh baked and super creamy butter. MMMM….

Kelly loves her bread basket from SDLT ;D

Soup Du Jour —
White Bean & Kale Soup

It was filled with corn, squash, carrots, celery, other veggies, and obviously white beans and kale… altho not very much of the kale, SIGH. and a yummy garlic crostini YUM.  This was SUCH a good soup and I devoured it!  I reluctantly shared with my parents, not cuz I didn’t want them to try it, but cuz I wanted to swim in a TUB of it. It was super filling too since I got full real fast after. YUMMMMMM… Totally making this on my own next time I make soup. Hurry up and come fall.

Chock full of sexy goodness…

My FREE Rosemary Pommes Frites that I get everytime I sign into Foursquare there. BAD. ASS. Thin, crispy, some were overfried – which I LOVE, and of course a yummy herb-y taste NOM. Salty happiness!!!!

Mesclun mixed greens, soft boiled egg, smoked bacon, toasted focaccia, apple cider vinaigrette with Grilled Shrimp and Grilled Chicken

I usually ask for dressing on the side and a side of hot sauce. They gave me a smidgen of hot sauce on the side, and mixed in the dressing.  Good thing it was a pretty light apple-y one :] YUM.  I was hesitant at first but it turned out to be delish.  I demoished the whole entire thing.

Poached Egg Perfection = SEX

Mommy got this: Mushroom and gruyere cheese omelette and Applewood smoked bacon

It comes with home fries but mommy opted for bacon instead – with my suggestion.. :] She loved it, and she’s not a huge cheese fan.. she’s never had gruyere so I’m glad she liked… daddy like it too, WOOT.

Daddy got the special of the day… Why? HE LOVES THE PIG – he and bf are gonna get along FINELY

Peach Glazed Pulled Pork Shoulder with Grilled Watermelon and Potato Salad

First time my parents had GRILLED watermelon. YUM.  The pork was tender, and altho not really pulled, it’s fell apart easily.  The potato salad was chunky and lightly mayo’d YUM. Also came with flowers.

Leg legs leggs

ROAST: Detroit just got SO much better, thanks to Iron Chef Michael Symon

Finally found a great place in Detroit aside from Slow’s and W’s cooking haha… and W’s cooking doesn’t count since it’s not really THE restaurant but HIS food hahahaha anyways… we’re also both lazy creatures of habit so we like to eat at the same places over and over again… as you can tell by my Detroit posts we eat a lot IN the hotel restaurants, the food court in the hotel, room service, Slow’s BBQ and the diner at Motor City.

We headed to the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit Hotel which is the home of Roast, something I didn’t know about until W mentioned it to me just a few days before….  I’m a fan of Iron Chef Michael Symon and have wanted to go to Lola in Ohio for AGES…. anyways, I had reservations at 9 and we were promptly sat at a nice big booth tucked away near the bar and by the wine case…

We were greeted by the nicest, most well informed waiter, who actually used to be working at Lola…  we ordered – the booze list actually came on an ipad haha… and we were quickly served

Bread + Soft Creamy Butter

Pork Crackling 

sea salt, lime, chili powder

SO good we got some to go.  Squeeze of lime, slight bit of grease, tons of crunch and a nice heat to it.  Delicious spices and amazing.  These were like CRACK.

Soon we were out :[ Sad

I was so sad I looked at it upside down and the paper and crumbs fell all over me.  I may or may not have yelped like a puppy. OOPS.

A beautiful Chilean red wine we ordered.  It was on the Somm’s list AND it wasn’t pricey at ALL – the others were $$ and this was not only on the low end of the price spectrum, it was Chilean, I looove Spanish&Chilean wines!

Miguel Torres, Santa Digna, Cabernet  Sauvignon, Central Valley, Chile 2009

A darkly pigmented wine with an intense, full and very fruity aroma. The palate is majestically structured – velvety, meaty and with elegant body. Its smooth, fine tannins, outlined by new oak, ensure a long evolution in the bottle.

Produced exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon, that king of red varieties, which achieves its fullest varietal expression in the privileged climate of the Chilean Central Valley. This is a great example of the heights to which Cabernet Sauvignons produced on the Pacific coast can rise.

It had a bit of a bite to it but got creamier as the wine opened up, like most Cab Sauv’s…

Our first three courses…

Today’s Charcuterie Plate

A lot of everything.. headcheeses.. lomo, prosciutto and such.. everything was delicious and fatty and perfectly delicious.  There’s nothing like a bad charcuterie plate, but this was a really good one!  This was the plate for ONE too… since we got so much other food.. I could’ve had more :] FO’ SHO’

BBQ Pork Belly

apple, watercress, almonds

The Pork Belly completely melted in your mouth and not just the fatty areas… okay it says apple on the menu but W said it was peach, but whatever.. the slight tang, the slight sweetness.. a bit of crunch with all the veggies and a TON of creaminess…

Beef Tartare

cold poached egg, avocado, lime & crostini

W mixed it all together and it was surprisingly good.  I was iffy about the cold poached egg but it was quick yummy.  Usually, as you hear me say in the video, I only have raw yolk in my tartare… but this was delicious.. esp with some added greens and avocado – which we didn’t mix in just added it with the crostini in each bite.  We DID end up putting some grainy mustard in from the charcuterie plate to add a bit of tang/spice to the tartare. YUM.

Grilled Octopus Salad

basil jalapeno pesto, cucumber, mint, kalamata olive

Super tender and delicious. Tons of tentacles which I loved and a nice char to them.  There was a slight heat and a slight tang to the dish.

Bone Marrow

sea salt, oregano, capers & chilies

The chilies was put on as a form of salsa verde. Delicious.  The charred herbs and the fatty marrow… SOOO GOOD and there was SO much of it!  I didn’t actually taste capers so not sure if they changed it on me from the menu but it was really good and perfectly seasoned.. super creamy and just divine, as ALL bone marrow should be and is.

Southern Fried Sweetbreads

slaw, spicy buttermilk and garlic sauce

It was on a creamy bed of homemade ranch with a beautiful veggie slaw that was tangy and sweet.  The sweetbreads were SO super creamy and dissolved on our tongues into an orgasm.  This may have been the best sweetbreads dish I have EVER had. I love love love sweetbreads and while I’ve had MEH ones I’ve thankfully never had a bad one.  These were ones that I’ll dream of. PLUS….. RANCH?! I’m not even a fan of ranch, but this was SO GOOD.

Bacon Creamed Corn

Super creamy and super sweet corn.  This was SOOO GOOD and DUH you add bacon and everything becomes better!

Roast Beast of the Day: Suckling Pig

Deeeeeelicious… soft, tender with nice crisp skin and some pickled onions and parsley.. and methinks a nice light salsa verde.  I mainly had it as leftovers the next day but this was SO good.  Needs to be a MUST on the menu.

Beef Cheek Pierogie

horseradish & mushrooms

“Pierogi (Polish pronunciation: [pjɛˈrɔɡʲi]; also spelledperogi, pierogy, perogy, pierógi, pyrohy, pirogi, orpyrogy; juvenile diminutive form: Pierożki Polish pronunciation: [pjɛˈrɔʂki] also in use) are dumplings ofunleavened dough – first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions – traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit.

[…]

While dumplings as such are found throughout Eurasia, the specific name pierogi, with its Proto-Slavic root “pir” (festivity) and its various cognates in the West and East Slavic languages, shows the name’s common Slavic origins, predating the modern nation states and theirstandardized languages, although in most of these languages the word means pie. In English, the word pierogiand its variants: perogi, pyrogy, perogie, perogy, pirohi,piroghi, pirogi, pirogen, pierogy, pirohy, and pyrohy, are pronounced with a stress on the letter “o”. The Turkish word börek for a kind of pie or stuffed pastry may be a borrowing.

Pierogi are small enough to be served several or many at a time, so the plural form of the word is usually used when referring to this dish. In Polish pierogi is actually the plural, pieróg being singular. In Czech and Slovak pirohy is also the plural, piroh is singular. In Germany, this type of dumpling is called Pirogge in the singular and Piroggen in the plural, although sometimes the Polish name Pierogi is simply used.”

Ah yes.  Peroigies always reminded me of when I dated a Polish guy, I mean what other kinds of peoples loves white bland food and potatoes so much?! Hahaha, I kid.  But I do remember the one and only time I ever really ate ANY Polish food or learned about it was with him HAHA. This is SO not what I remember. Sooooooooo tender.  The skin was super doughy and almost potato-y like….. they were like gnocchi dough as skin hahaha…. and a bit undercooked.. at least the ones I ate were… but sooooo good..

The beef cheeks were super tender, like they should be, super flavorful.. and while the sauce they were in were a bit on the sweet and rich side.. the bland super doughy skin totally counteracted it. MMMM stuffed gnocchi.. that’s totally my next experiment. W beware.

Me in a obligatory bathroom camwhore shot!

The next day for lunch, while I worked, I feasted on leftover cracklings, creamed corn and suckling pig.

DEEEEEEE-LISH!

The best part?…. W cooked for me the following night… and while we both LOVED the dinner at Roast together, I freaking fell in love with his food all over again when he cooked for me the next night…. sorry suckling pig.. even if you weren’t leftover, you still can’t beat my baby’s cooking ;D

Brunch at Gaslight

Dim Sum? Gallows? Gaslight?  W wanted to try Gaslight awhile back so I figured why not plan a fun brunch there!  I’ve only had their food at several Boston food events soooooo…. why not try the real deal?!

So bring on the Bellinis and let’s get eating….  I picked up my W from the airport and soon after we headed over to Gaslight. YUM.  Brunch time with W’s friends :]

We all started off with some Raw Local Oysters on the Halfshell.. DELICIOUS!!!

Sexy sexy…. East Coast oysters make me sooooooooo happy :] Talk about aphrodisiac.

“Oysters

Ah yes, good old oysters, the cliché of all aphrodisiac foods. Oysters have long been thought to have aphrodisiac properties, but very few studies have been conducted on the matter.

One thing that brings credibility to the oyster myth is the fact that these slippery critters are full of zinc. Zinc controls progesterone levels, which have a positive effect on the libido. Zinc deficiency can cause impotence in men, so any food rich in zinc is considered an aphrodisiac in that respect, and oysters happen to be loaded with the mineral.

Many believe that oysters were originally labeled “aphrodisiac” because of their shape. Upon close inspection, they somewhat resemble the female sex organ. This could be a reason why people in the past associated mussels with sexuality. Sexual appetite, more often than not, starts in the mind rather than in the body, so oysters could have a psychological effect on the libido.“

[Source: Ask Men]

Me being creepy and taking a pic of W taking a pic of his soup… MMMMM….. [and I’m MMM-ing at eating his brains AND eating his soup!] HEHEHEHHE… W thinks I’m so creepy… but I just smile and stare.

French Onion Soup with Truffled Beef Short Rib

I actually don’t remember if I could taste the truffle or not, but the soup was rich and intense… the cheese was ooey and gooey… YUM! OK so it wasn’t no…… My Bone Marrow Short Rib French Onion Soup with 3 Cheese Croissant….. *cough*

Enjoy!

A’s Truffled Scrambled Egg Tartine with Roasted Asparagus

These were beautifully fluffy, super truffly, smelled delicious and just were happiness!!! I’m SUCH an egg person so great eggs are a big deal for me.  These were great.

My Poached eggs Vigneronne with red wine sauce, ham and mushrooms
I also got bacon on the side.. the bacon was disappointing.. seriously Gaslight?! Did you guys go to Stop&Shop and get ghetto skinny lame bacon and make it for me?!  Missing Resto’s and Publican’s…. I LOVE BACON. DUH. I need it nice and thick and amazing.  Not flimsy and chewy. Sorry.

My entree dish on the other hand was amazing.  The poached eggs were a bit ovedone for my liking but I loved the red wine sauce.. the mushrooms and the thin matchsticks of ham.  I’m not a huge ham person but it was quite tasty!

A’s Fiance got the Steak & eggs with rosemary black pepper biscuit and gravy [top, the guy Nomming!] and W got the Sandwich Cubano with roast pork, tasso ham, gruyēre, pickles and frites
The cubano was really good :]  W gave me half cuz we decided to order more food. What can I say?! I’m a hungry girl.  Makes me want to go back to Miami… And I love the pickles.. When I’m in South Beach I always ask for extra pickles in my cubano HAHAHAHA… AND WTF! The frites are AMAZING.

Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels with Pernod, Coriander and Frites

Hehehehe we ordered Mussels but W doesn’t even eat them. I’m fat. I ate most of them :] I do share tho.. even tho I never learned how to ;] I’m obsessed with mussels.. but you guys know that already. I’m always down for mussels & frites. WOOOO!!! I’ve eaten several buckets of the stuff.

We also got some Caramelized Banana Crépes with Almond Cream

These were amazing.  W is a great feeder, altho each bite would be like a whole crepe… hahahahahah… I’m a Tiffie and I neds to be fed.

And then A and her boo, J, got the Vanilla French Toast stuffed with sweet fromage blanc and maple syrup

They shared and it was SOOOOOOOOO GOOOD!!! I don’t think I’ve had French Toast since the disasater at Masa…. this was FLUFFY and amazing. Makes me want to eat French Toast again. Thank you for regaining my confidence in French Toast :]

Afterwards we headed over to the New England Aquarium where we had the most amazing fun time!

Pooping Penguins!!! I’ve named them after me and and W :]

PEEKABOOBOO.. the Sea Turtle!!!

And since we were nearby… we actually ended up at Mike’s Pastry buying cannolli’s and Lobster Tails in the North End.

And I’m gonna end this post with this:

BIGGGGGER THAN MY HEAD!!!

YES BITCH. This is in me!

W, come back to me and Boston soon ♥

Constantly Craving Bone Marrow aka Meat Butter

This is going to be a crazy long Food Memory post – I already know it.. I tried to think of ways of narrowing it down but there really isn’t any way to go about it. I love bone marrow – I was eating Bone Marrow long before I even REALIZED it was bone marrow… sucking on bones that people usually tossed away – being asian, I ate a lot of amazing body parts before it was “popular” to do so. PLUS there are so many ways OF eating it.

Example A: Spicy Beef Noodle Soup [Niu Rou Mian, 牛肉麵]a la Mommy

She’s been making this for me as far as I can remember and I’m sure before that as well. It’s pure comfort food.. silky slowly cooked beef broth.. like a stronger beefier Pho broth, tons of scallions, my favorite flat chinese noodles.. some sort of veg – I love Bok Choy and Spinach the most with it – and of course, the star of the show, the BEEF. Not JUST chunks of beef, but tendon, fatty beef and oh yes… Bone Marrow.

SO, after my mom takes… — blank blank — long to make her special beef broth and cooked down oh so tender tendons and beef chunks… she scoops out the bones and the ones with bone marrow and actually SCOOPS OUT the bone marrow INTO the soup.. OMG brilliance!  Now what I didn’t know was that she usually ate about half the bone marrows >_<;; hahahahah… This was before I knew and SHE knew how obsessed I was with this meat butter decadence so now she lets me suck them out ;]

Proof!!

Now that you’ve had a slight taste for what this post is gonna be about… I’m guessing if you love Bone Marrow even HALF as much as I do you’re drooling and have a boner.. yes if you’re a girl you probably have a female food boner… this post is gonna make you hungry. Real hungry.. for Bone Marrow.

From the pure.. roasted and scooped from the bone to in pastas, sauces, etc…. Freaking A I bet it’d be amazing in desserts, skip the lard and use bone marrow instead *HMMM* may try that soon.

How it all began….

The real obsession started here —

Chef’s Table at L’Espalier

Beef bone marrow with baguette crostini and whole grain mustard

Yep. One of the most amazing meals of my life… one of my favorite restaurants… def my favorite French resto…. this was when I realized. Yes. I need more whole bones to suck the marrow out of in my life.  This dinner made me realize, this HAD to be apart of my last meal.

The Basics

The sexiest way, and messiest to eat bone marrow

No bone goes unlicked and sucked. After scooping it all out and putting it on my crostinis… EVERY bone gets a good suck and lick. TMI? PG13? Wait.. do I need to child-proof this blog post now?! OOPS. Tough cookies!

My lovey, Chef Rick Gresh of Chicago’s Prime House’s Roasted Bone Marrow

Toasted baquette, roasted garlic cloves & green city market cherry mostarda

How FREAKING sexy is that?!

Have you seen the blog post title I wrote for this next one? It’s the THING TO GET here… [other than their AMAYYYYYYYYY-ZINGZINGZING Frites]

Eastern Standard

Roasted Bone Marrow w/ Germolata and Sea Salt

Look at that sexiness. Beautiful herbs… Four beautiful hunky chunks of bone marrow and delicious toasted crostini… what can get better than that?!… Such a delicious perfect simple dinner.. obviously that wasn’t my whole dinner, I’m a fatass remember?!… but on simple nights I like just a few self-roasted bone marrows on toast with a great sea salt sprinkle and a big bottle of red.  Ah the single life.

There had been a short break of getting bone marrow every other day… and one of the more recent adventures was on my latest Birthday dinner.. #1? #2? with my parents :] at AKA Bistro
Os à moelle, fleur de sel aromatique,pain de campagne grillé

Bone Marrow, aromatic sea salt and toasted country bread

While most of the dishes were… argueably.. okay NOT arguably, less than subpar… you can’t really eff up Bone Marrow!  Unless undercooked? Frozen in the middle? – ew – but you can’t. This was good. Small. But good.

Craigie on Main

What I love about this is that it’s completely off the menu and you have to be in the know and order it on your own.  It’s delicious, plentiful, and just *lip-smackingly* delicious. Simplicity at it’s best.

Home Cooked

Yep. I miss the days where I’d go to Whole Foods or my nearest neighborhood friendly butcher shop and buy some Bone Marrows… I’d sear both sides and then pop it into the oven til they got gooey in the middle.

PS. As I warned him beforehand, and Z was taught a lesson when he made them, I suggest NOT telling the butcher to cut them horizontally – see Toro pic below – for some reason when homecooked they just… melt awayyy.. and YES you can cook steaks and toast bread int he butter.. but I love the chunkkkkkkkkkkkk – PLUS I love scooping it out of the circle :]  I save the cut ones for going out.  Unless you’re a super skilled chef…/cook/master of Bone Marrow – I’m not, just keep it simple and scoop it with a spoon :]

So now… Things get more Complicated

Okay maybe not yet… this is bone marrow.. but it comes with OXTAIL. And.. all I can say is.. FUCK YEAH OXTAIL – Oxtail is up there [and on my todo list of food memory blog posts] of being a super heavenly decadent food.  So pair the two together?! HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY – btw, ever try Oxtail Curry?! YES. DO IT. It’s AMAZING.

Toro Asado de Huesos

Roasted bone marrow with radish citrus salad and oxtail marmalade

It never gets old here… I keep coming, I keep ordering.. and this and the corn… and the uni sandwich are my must haves. MUST HAVES. Like, I get freaking CRAVINGS for Toro because of these three heavenly divine things.  It’s so simple. Tender stewed meat on crostini – add roasted bone marrow – put a nice refreshing salad on side. GENIUS.

Kin Shop’s Roasted Bone Marrow

Crisp Taro Root, Radish Sprouts, Roti & Yellow Bean Sauce

Z and I came here BECAUSE of their bone marrow.  He had found an article about them and they were soooooo good….. props to Top Chef OG Harold D. :] OG yo. OG.  SOOOOOOO much going on – thought I’d hate it, was curious, but it was AMAZING.  Creammmmmmmmy sauce with crispy fried taro root and then a refreshing crunch of the sprouts. We had Roti Canai on the side but I ate it as is. HAPPINESS in a bone :] XOXO

Custom House’s Prime New York Strip

Bone Marrow / Oyster Mushroom

Such a simple dish with simple ingredients, but one of them SUPER BOMB ASS amazing!  While the steak was perfectly cooked and I ADORE Oyster Mushrooms, I do, the sauce, subtle but oh so delectable and decadent, made the dish… gave it that extra oomph and pushed it to a whole new level.

EEEEEEEEEE-TAL-EEEEANO

I love Chef Michael White. I need to make a food memory post just on HIS food. LOVE LOVE LOVE. And I LOVE his bone marrow dishes. This man can do NO wrong and is my absolute favorite go to guy for Italian food XOXO

First up, my FAVORITE Italian Resto, Ai Fiori…..

Ai Fiori’s Mare e Monte

Diver scallops, celery root, black truffles, bone marrow, thyme

How. Freaking. GENIUS.  Silkyyyyyyyy scallops… subtle celery root.. thinnn but flavorful truffles.. and BONE MARROW – freaking BONE MARROW. Just LOOK at the dish. FREAKING-TABULOUSIOUS <3 Is this even LEGAL? OH.. but it gets crazier

His biggest baby is Marea… and oh is it his baby…. upscale Italianoooooo by Central Park… OHHH MAN.

Marea’s Uovo

Poached Egg, Spring Garlic, Bone Marrow, Baby Eel, Passatelli, Barley Brodo

Nothing in that description makes me not want it. Boner-licious. POACHED egg?! Perfectly poached!… – looking at it right now makes me want Momo Ramen. BONE MARROW?! Freaking BONE MARROW?!.. I know the egg is the star of this show but it’s the bone marrow that makes it that much more popping..

&

Marea’s famous Fusilli

Red Wine Braised Octopus, Bone Marrow

This is what this place is KNOWNNNNNNNNNNNN FOR! BOMB ASS Bone Marrow in the sauce.. cooked just perfect but not overly so.  DELICIOUS strands of homemade fusilli and PERFECTLY cooked tender Octopus totally enhanced byyyyyyyyy yes yes yes BONE MARROW YO!

And two of the top notch food guys I ADORE approve. Yep

Tony Bourdain approves

As does Zimmern

SEE?!?!?! PROOF! I back up what I say. Not that you guys wouldn’t believe me. *sticks fists up*

And most recently, although most unpure form…

Roasted Garlic Bone Marrow Butter from Mooo…

Here’s another shot of Bone Marrow Butter from my first time at Mooo…

And I’ll leave you with my famously silly NFNS Audition Video when I make my delicious French Onion Short Rib Soup with 3 Cheese Puff Croutons – WHICH WAS SO MUCH more delicious than Breslin’s…. but inspired by Fruition – freaking Breslin trying to steaaaal my steeeeeeeze ;]

Marea, Chef Michael White is the best for Special Occasions

“Watching people eat my food is like watching people have sex”  – Michael White

Sunday was Z’s birthday and is, like I’ve mentioned numerous times, obsessed with Chef Michael White [who isn’t right?] and his pasta….  Both of us haven’t been to Chef White’s baby, Marea yet so OBVIOUSLY, taking him here was the obvious choice.  We got there a few minutes before our reservation and was promptly seated in a nice cozy table.

Yep Marea. THE Marea. “Seafood Porn” Marea.. [or so says Tony Bourdain]

And yes, we did eat those uni lardo crostinis :]

After two glasses of some delicious cold bubbly… I picked out a delicious bottle of Red, VERY delicious… seeee… Italian but with a hint of German… I like a good looking bottle… :]

To be honest, it took a long long time just to get someone to take our order, let alone give us bread or refill our water glasses.  Our “waiter” actually went to tables that sat way after us and took their order, helped them out and gave them bread – WAYYY before us. Sad. And it’s a shame too, the sommeliers actually ended up giving us the most service and we barely saw our waiter until after Z complained towards the end of our meal, when they were getting orders wrong and serving us the wrong dishes at the wrong times.. and taking a long time. Nevertheless… we finally got our order in… towards the end of dinner we got our apology and yes we got bread. OH and everything was delicious. FYI, Manager and all the sommeliers are SUPER nice and attentive.

Breads…  Foccacia, Muti-Grain and Sourdough

They were delicious.  Chewy sourdough… a dense but full of flavor ansd still managing to be light, multi-grain…. BUT OMG the Foccacia was amazing… CHUNKS of huge green salty, flavorful olives in it.. and all the breads were even more delicious when dipped in the olive oil – which was super grassy, fresh and delicious – to be honest I was ready to make like an Asian and steal the bottle for consuming at home hahaha.. no worries, I didn’t find my inner Asian ghetto :]

Amuse Bouche
Spring Pea Soup Shooter

I even got a delicious fat spring pea in my soup – super sweet, naturally of course…. blended to a creamy smooth consistency and a lightly tart foam on top.  It was a nice change up from the usual asparagus soups that I’ve been tasting lately… speaking of which I kind of miss autumn/winter pumpkin/squash soups :] Hehehehe….

Ricci
Sea Urchin, Lardo, Sea Salt

This is actually one of the sole reasons that I’ve been wanting to come to Marea.  I love Michael White‘s food and pasta, but before I really fell in love with him and his food, I knew about these…. oh oh oh joy.  These were everything and MORE than I ever could dream about. SOOO rich and decadent.  You have the creamy creamy uni.. not one, but TWO lobes.. [and according to Andrew Zimmern and Michael White on the newest epi of Bizarre Foods those white splotches you get on Uni means it’s EXTRA good.. it’s also Sea Urchin sperm haha] Layered on top is a large fat thick delicious piece of perfectly melted lardo. MMM pig fat makes EVERYTHING taste better. Even the freaking crostini on the bottom holding two of the most delicious morsels in the world is perfection.  Crisp, chewy, toasted to perfection – just enough bread to hold up to the richness.. but not overly so that all you get is extra bread.

PERFECTION in a bite [well for me three or four haha, I like to savour]

Sidenote: You also may remember the Top Chef All Stars team who went to White’s restaurant to eat and “mimic” the restaurant’s food… yep, those guys ate this[Team Marea: Stephen, Tre, Blais, Spike].. [and remember, Tre doesn’t like uni and Stephen was saying how THIS dish would change his mind? Haha.. Yes I’m a Top Chef Trivia nerd]

I couldn’t help it… I made it so fuggggg but that’s the best part :D OMG am I a nerd that I just tweeted about this pic I drew and can’t stop laughing at myself? I’m such a dork!

Okay while I just totally ruined the whole classiness that I wanted this blog to exude… OOOOOOZEEEEE… EXUUUUUUDE… I’m tired and delirious :] And it’s my blog so in the words of Cartman “I do what I wannnnnnnttt!!!!”

Assagio Di Tre – Tasting of Three Crudo

Ainame
Japanese Greenling, Pickled Ginger, Charred Celery

The second favorite of the crudos, we tried first… which was perfect. It was SO delicate, sweet and light – the perfect way to start off the appetite.  Like an aperitif. I’ve never had Japanese Greenling before but it’s such a pure clean tasting fish…. the pickle in the ginger could’ve been a little stronger, but since the char and the celery flavors were also very light and just adding that little bit of needed texture, this was the most delicious bite.

Seppia
Cuttlefish Tagliatelle, Soffrito Crudo, Bottarga Di Muggine

This was the most anticipated but the most disappointing of the three.  It was missing acidity and oomph.  The cuttlefish was REALLY tender and had that milky texture to the slight rubbery chew to it [just think raw squid which I eat all the time as sashimi at Japanese restaurants]  The Soffrito was really refreshing and delicious… the slight salt, barely noticeable was from the Bottarga.. but like I said, totally missing acidity. :[

Sgombro
Pacific Jack Mackerel, Olives, Marcona Almonds, Mushrooms

This was definitely the winner of the crudos.  A perfect balance of the sweet silky fish, the salty olives, the soft mushrooms and the crunch of the Marconas [which was funny because when the server brought it over they said Walnuts, HELLO, HUGEEE difference there!!!]

Braised Snails with Mushrooms, Croutons and Fennel

This was simple and complex at the same time.  When I first saw this on the menu, Z showed me a pic of whole briased snails – kinda freaky looking – but these were cut into small pieces and perfectly braised to a tender chew.  Full of flavor, and the lightly cooked fennel added SO much flavor to the dish.  The croutons were buttery and crunchy while the mushrooms, also braised with the snails were tender and full of flavor. I LOVE MUSHROOMS!

Uovo
Poached Egg, Spring Garlic, Bone Marrow, Baby Eel, Passatelli, Barley Brodo

This was totally not what I expected.. probably because usually when I get these sortrs of Uovos they look foamy or creamy or thick. And they’ve been like that in multiple restaurants that I’ve been to – not just Michael White’s.  Le Cirque. Per Se. Le Bernardin. Bouley. This was SO beautiful. A perfectly poached egg not hidden in anything but with a nice broth poured around it.  Deliciousness surrounding it but the star was most definitely the creamy warm yellow yolk that spilled out after slicing through it.

BTW, Passateli is a sort of pasta formed out of breadcrumbs. Yep, *the more you know theme song plays*

Of course I had to do an after picture :] It was DELICIOUSNESS and I totally could have made do with another bowl or two of this :] ALL to myself too… haha but then again #sharingiscaring.

Since they had gotten our orders wrong and had actually took the pastas out before we got the snails and uovo, they comped up a few dishes :] And some chamapagne.. but the waiting for the next course was KILLER – it took forever.. and because of the super slow service, we were slowly getting “full” fast….

Fusilli
Red Wine Braised Octopus, Bone Marrow

After seeing this on Bizarre Eats, Z & I KNEW we HAD to get this.  The fusilli were cooked to a perfect al dente, maybe slightly under… the sauce, while not very “original” tasting, was very very homey.. and while the waiter said it was a heavier richer sauce, I thought it was a lot lighter than our second pasta.  The octopus was also cooked to perfect – very very tender and full of flavor. MMMM… CHUNKS of bone marrow were in the sauce – YES, like VISIBLE chunks of soft delicious buttery fatty bone marrow surrounded the pasta and of course the nice crisp sprinkle of bread crumbs on top. Amazing.

Eel, Sage … delicious a little less than al dente pasta… looked like unstuffed tortellini.. totally forgot what they’re called and can’t find it on the websites :[

I hate myself for not remembering then name of this pasta.  It was such a unique shape and while it was undercooked  The sauce was definitely unique tasting so I didn’t know what to think upon first taste.  But the sweet sauce paired perfectly with eel [I mean how often do you eat eel aside from Unagi at Japanese restaurants?]  While a bit on the heavily sauced side, the basil gave that nice pop of herby flavors – maybe a bit TOO much… but in the end it somehow worked and balanced each other out – maybe cause the pasta was so dense.

And after another long wait….

Bistecca
Grilled Creekstone 50 Day Dry Aged Sirloin, Braised Romaine, Bone Marrow Panzanella

Not Black & Blue like Z asked for but the aging and the marbling was beautiful. I could smell the aged meat from across the table and the meat was delicious, so so tasty…  the Bone Marrow Croutons were to DIE for… and there were two pieces of braised [which looked just kind of like grilled cooked down] Romaine.

Roasted Beets, Ricotta Salata

Super super sweet and perfectly roasted beets.  Deliciously red… and a creammmmmmy delicious ricotta salta shaved on top.  Looked like heaven… looked like dessert. MMMM.. so delicious.

Roasted Black Bass, Roasted Eggplant, Fava, Grilled Ramps, Apricot Mostarda

By the time I got this, it was so late.. it was past 11 and I was really full already.  The fish was delicious, cooked brilliantly.. soft, flakey.. and yes, my favorite word, tender…   The skin as crisp and had the most amazing crunch to it.  Then there was the grilled ramps, YUM.. and thin slices of eggplant.. MMMMM, so delicious.  So refreshing… tasted so seasonal.

Panna Cotta
Formage Blanc Panna Cotta, Mandarin Orange, Pink Peppercorn, Thyme

The most creative way I’ve ever been served Panna Cotta.  The Pink Peppercorn crunchy meringue pieces were SOOOO delicious and dotally made the dish.  A bit of everything, all textures, tastes, flavors, sensessss of all sorts – and the pop of thyme – OMG I’m so in love [yes now I have Usher stuck in my head]

Bomboloni
Fried Doughnut Holes, Lemon Cream, Prickly Pear Sorbet, Cassis

Fluffy but still dense, but not overpoweringly so.  They reminded me of the fried doughnut holes you get at Chinese buffets.. yep, those really ghetto ones :] No, I totally mean that in the best way, the ghettoier the better.. probably because of the extra “flavoring” in the “AGE-ED” hot penaut oil they fry it in hahahah… come on, us Asians waste not ;D

But no, these doughnuts tasted super fresh, piping hot, melted in my mouth but tasted VERY clean [no dirty oil!]

Petit Fours
Apricot Bonbon, Berry Pate de Fruit, Financiar, Salted Caramel

Started with the bonbon, next came the cookie/cake and then the pate and lastly – save the best for last – salted caramel… DELICIOUS!  Full to the point of popping… we decided to call it a night and watch Hangover back at home to end the birthday celebration.

Happy Birthday Z.

Ai Fiori’s Chef’s Tasting – Oh Michael White…

Back in February I won the auction for SOBE Wine&Food Festival for a Chef Tasting for 2 with wine pairings at Michael White’s baby Ai Fiori.  You guys should know by now that I rarely go to the same restaurants again… so when I do, it really means that the restaurant [and Michael White] made a huge impact on me.. my stomach… which basically is where my heart lievs.

Delicious soft gooey butter with black pepper to go with my olive bread!!!

And then began the Chef’s Tasting… I marked all the add-ons we really wanted to try/eat that ended up being complimentary with a “*” :] Seriously, Ai Fiori has some of the BEST service and staff and everything everrrrr *ALL SMILES*

Amuse Bouche…
Steak Tartare, Tuna Tartare and Salted Cod Croquette
The tartare was super tender, very very clean tasting with a nice crunchy buttery crostini on the bottom… er, crouton?  The tuna tartare was just as clear, light and refreshing as the tartare.. and the croquette, which I had last, wasn’t overly salty, or fishy… definitely heavy on the potatoes… all three were an excellent start to the meal.

Chilled Asparagus Soup Shooter

Tasted like my favorite, BPC Green Juice :] Very very refreshing, clean and healthy tasting.. not very much on the asparagus taste but definitely full of fresh veggies…

Ricciola
amber jack tartare, cara cara oranges, cucumber, uova di trot

The cleanest tasing amberjack… SOOOO fresh… the caviar was SO delicious – popped in my mouth but wasn’t overly fishy or salty… perfectly complimented the raw fish. NOM!

The sexy version…

Uovo *
slow poached egg, lobster knuckles, crispy veal sweetbreads, nuage layon

Delicious and foamy… delicious chunks of lobster and sweetbreads with the most amazing cheesy tasting foam… all which complimented the ever rich, smooth and creamy perfectly poached egg… gooey amazingness.

Wait wait, what is this?

Vellutata
lobster velouté, périgord black truffles, chervil

Definitely the most TENDER lobster I have EVER eaten. SUPER SWEET… sooooooooooooo perfectly cooked.. and I’ve eaten a LOT of lobster… raw, cooked right, cooked wrong, overcooked and undercooked, but this was perfection. To be honest, better than the last time we had lobster here.

Agnolotti
braised veal parcels, fava beans, black truffle sugo

I LOOOOOOOOVE Michael White’s Agnolotti.. I literally daydream about these things everytime I crave pasta… SO tender, perfect dough….. MMM creammmmy veal center… I also adore fava beans, tastes like spring – and this whole dish was completed and complimented with delicious black truffle sauce… all of the elements, while perfection all on they’re own, just totally brought the dish together as whole

Vitello
amish veal chop “au four”, asparagus, peas, spring onion blanquette
They gave me the “man” dish…

And they gave Z the girl dish.. hahaha

YESSSS… I gots the bone :D

I’m a sexy bitch when I eat aren’t I? NOT!!! But it was SOOO tender and delicious…. YUM! Ever since my Resto Veal dinner I’ve been in love ever since.. OKAY, to be honest I never would fully seek out veal.. I do now… hahah thanks to Resto… and YUM YUM YUM was this good.  The bone was soooo fatty, delicious and FULL of amazing flavor.  Once you go veal, you never want regular again.. OKAY, that’s a lie.. just wanted to think of something clever to say.. hahaha

Gnocchetti *
semolina saffron gnocchi, blue crab, sea urchin, tomato, fresh herbs

Yeah, okay, we had this before, but we were still hungry so we decided to add to our order… we EACH got our own dish – YUM! The portions were so much larger too.. amazing, delicious, licked the bowls clean. YUM! YUM! YUM!… Michael White and his PERFECT pasta and sauces.. so balanced… chewy tender, perfectly al dente, creamy uni, melt in your mouth crab… OH FREAKING MAN… and then the crunch of the buttery breadcrumbs on top – so heavenly its like a dirty dirty secret.

And because we were super curious about the lamb dish that was usually on the Chef’s Tasting….. Chef gave us some to try :D

Agnello *
rack of lamb en crepinette, swiss chard crochetta, sariette

Yep, Chef got me to eat lamb. Lots of lamb, this was delicious.  SUPER SUPER tender and PERFECTLY cooked.. it wasn’t too gamey or “lamb”-y in my words, at all. Just plain deliciousness.  The swiss chard was cooked down and also super tender… the sauce was soooo flavorful.. yum yum yum.

Panna Cotta ♥

This definitely had a light light goaty or sheep flavor but I found it absolutely amazing.. DEVOURED… Super creamy and delicious – not too sweet definitely to die for.  I ate it up SO fast… crunchy, creamy, cold, amazing.

Okay, I honestly don’t really remember what was in this.. I remember there were SO many layers of tart textures and flavors…. there were candied walnuts and it was SO interesting.. so refreshing and new. Delicious nonetheless…

Thanks Chef Chris Jaeckle.. He was SO nice and charasmatic… we got to chat with him for awhile and I couldn’t stop praising the food… nom nom nom. Ai Fiori, my favorite place for pasta in NYC :] And probably ever… When you have time PLEASE try the Chef’s Tasting and definitely go with the Wine Pairings as well.. absolutely BRILLIANT!!!

Spring is here, Ramp Tasting Menu @ Marc Forgione

Last time I was supposed to come eat at Marc Forgione the day I got back from Miami… I met Marc at the Let Them Eat Cake Party in South Beach for the SOBE Wine&Food Festival 2011 earlier this year… SUPER nice guy!!!!

Totally rocks the fauxhawk!.. I think Z might want to get one too now haha PLUS the newest, and super BAD ASS Iron Chef!!!! :] Who knew even though he’s all sorts of awesomeness, fame and DELICIOUS cooking that he was SO down to earth and so hands on, still, at his restaurant – SO awesome. RESPECT! I love it when a chef still cooks at his own place!

He’s freaking ONLY 32 years young and already has accomplished SO much….

“Marc was most recently coveted with a single Michelin star in the 2011 guide, making him the youngest American-born chef and owner to receive the honor in consecutive years (2010, 2011). In addition, Marc received a two-star review from Sam Sifton of The New York Times.^[5]

The restaurant also earned the distinction of being named “Key Newcomer” by Zagat Guide 2009, “Top 25 Restaurants in NYC” by Modern Luxury magazine and “All Star Eatery” by Forbes magazine. Marc was awarded “Star Chefs Rising Star of the Year Award 2010,” named “Rising Star 2008” from Restaurant Hospitality magazine and mentioned “New Formalist” by Esquire magazine in 2008.”

Anyways I was sad I missed last time’s reservation due to a super delayed flight *sad face* – BUT he wasn’t gonna be cooking there that night anyways so I hoped he would this time. I tweeted him and soon got a tweet back! WOOHOO!!!…

Look how freaking excited I am. I’ve been SO busy with work lately and been working til around 730 every night, so I made some resos for 845. NOM NOM NOM. So freaking excited.

LOVE the ambience.  We got a nice corner table in the back and just loved the rustic coziness of the place. It was late and it was PACKED. On a weekday – amazing!!!!  I also freaked out the table of Southerners next to me, I couldn’t stop talking to them and asking them about their food :] Silly me….

Bottle #1… and #2 — yeahhh we got two bottles of this :D It was really really good!!

As soon as we sat down we ordered a delicious bottle of red… and while we had planned on ordering from the regular menu and the special [spaghetti] as soon as I saw RAMP TASTING on the bottom of the menu, I KNEW I had to get it…. RAMPS RAMPS RAMPS… I love Ramps, now it really feels like Spring is here and Summer is coming *swoon*

We got some delicious Hot Rolls.. buttery salty tops and some butter…

Tasted like a soft soft pretzel, the skin wasn’t chewy like a pretzel – in heaven! LOVE! Look at that glistening crust… an the little specks of salty crunchiness, YUM!

Amuse Bouche —
Local Fluke Crudo, Shaved Ramps, Ramp Oil
White Asparagus Gazpacho, Ramp Chips
Hangtown Fry, Ramp Remoulade

We were told to eat the Local Fluke Crudo, Shaved Ramps, Ramp Oil first.  Just wrap up the fluke in the ramp leaf and chew chew chew. Cheers and down the hatch. So much flavor. The fish was so fresh and perfectly seasoned. MMMM, the ramp had so much delicious flavor. Simple and yummy.

Next up was a nice cooling “shot” aka spoon of White Asparagus Gazpacho, Ramp Chips… a slight crunch with the nice cooling gazpacho. Delicious. The asparagus flavor was definitely very subtle but great.

OH EM GEE.  The Hangtown Fry, Ramp Remoulade tastes like Honey BBQ Frito Chips!!! NO LIE!!! And I mean it in the best way.  The top is an omelette and underneath is delicious fried goodness. Creamy remoulade on the bottom – OH EM GEE x 100 So much texture and flavors.

Yep, after this course I had serious ramp breath, ALREADY — delicious!!!! So satisfied and yet still craving more and moreeee…… I even tweeted about it.. yep, my delicious RAMP BREATH.. so SEXY!!! Come on guys, you know you love a girl with stinky ramp breath…. no? NO? :[ Not even an Asian one? Any yellow fever guys raising your hands? HAHAHA.. jk jk :] My mommy loves me for who I am… sometimes, but my puppy always loves me and my stinky ramp breath. As does Z [hopefully teehee]

So for the next course…

You take the Sechuan Button, which is like a chinese mint leaf but has a numbing effect like a sechuan peppercorn….. AMAZING and TOTALLY opens up your palate!!! And then you take the spoon, which is basically the “first bite”

Hiramasa, Ramp Essence, Avocado, Sechuan Buttons, Saratoga Chips, Pinenuts

Amazingly fresh fish atop HUGE chunks of beautiful vibrant green avocado.  The sauce was a bit on the sweet side, but unlike the last time I was faced with a sweet sauce, I really adored this dish. The chips also paired SO well beause it gave a needed crunch with the tartare.  This was SO refreshing and the Sechuan Button, I COULD NOT GET OVER IT!!!!

~~~~~

Sechuan buttons, a trade name for Brazil’s native “Toothache Plant,” don’t actually taste like much, but chew a few petals and the tongue tingles fiercely for a few moments, and then a curious half-numb, half-effervescent feeling spreads through the mouth. 

Source: Esquire

~~~~~

Still Attached Diver Sea Scallop, Ramp-Roe Vinaigrette, Marcelli’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, American Caviar

Up close, sexy and personal!

The scallop was just QUICKLY cooked, like SUPER quickly so it’s basically JUST cooked on the outside but raw on the inside.  It was warmed through perfectly and the salty caviar added SO much flavor to it.  The ramp wasn’t as pronounced as the other previous dishes but it was extremely delicious.  I love scallops as simple as possible! #scallopaddict

And then came what we really wanted… okay not the finger bowl, but as soon as the finger bowl was brought out we KNEW what it was..

This wasn’t part of the Ramp Tasting [obviously] but I had been daydreaming about trying Chef Forgione’s FAMOUS Chili Lobster for awhile now….

Chili Lobster, Texas Toast

Chef brought it out to us himself! OMG. So awesome. Even more points added to his fantastic-ness!!!! MAD PROPS!!! RESPECT x 100

While I wish there were more lobster in it the lobster was SO perfectly cooked. PERFECTLY COOKED. Now, mind you, I’m SO picky with my lobster and usually ONLY eat it steamed… and I also avoid lobster from NYC and tend to just go back to New England [Boston or Maine] to give in to my lobster cravings. OMG. This stuff is CRACK. This SAUCE is AMAZING.. and the Texas Toast?!?!?!… We had to order another plate of it.

This sauce is NOT going to waste!!!! Sopped it up with the delicious toast – NOM!

Ok, after licking the bowl CLLLLLLLEAN…. onwards with our Ramp Tasting…

Ramp Ice Cream, Shaved Foie Gras

This would be an AMAZING dessert… the saltiness with a, kid you not, SWEET ramp ice cream. I mean who would’ve thought… totally should put this at the end of the meal, ALTHOUGH it’s a nice creamy cool “palate cleanser” of some sort hehe. YUM!… I love shaved foie!!

Ramp Spaghetti, English Peas, North Country Bacon, Morel Mushrooms

This was like a Carbonara… except even richer and super delicious!  The night “meaty” morels were amazing.. the pasta was cooked al dente – perfect and was just SO delicious… the peas were SO fresh and a vibrant green color… unlike last time we ate [or didn’t eat because they looked mush narsty] some peas – I could’ve eaten a HUUUUGE bowl of this stuff, what a tease… so creamy and succulent. Totally naughty :] In the best way possible…

“Steak & Eggs”, Yellowfin Tuna, Dickson’s Tasso, Feather Ridge Farm Egg, Grilled Ramps, Ginger Ketchup, Koppert Kress Pea Shoots

PERFECTLY cooked egg. This was a freaking 40 minute egg – INSANE… cooked at a low temp… OOOOOOOMG. Z’s came out a little bit more cooked than mine, but still yolky just a little more solid than mine:

Isn’t it so freaking sexy?!?!!?… I usually don’t like Seared Tuna [unless in Nicoise Salads] but this was really good…, definitely cooked a little more than I’m used to… all the flavors and textures weren’t even overwhleming…. the plate looks like SO much but it all went together SO well.  The crisp tasso.. the silky egg… the egg whites were so creamy… the grilled ramps and a nice solid tuna. YUM!

Ramp Crusted Lamb Loin, Green Garlic Croquettes, North Fork Asparagus, Ramp Sea Salt, Natural Jus

I must admit, this was pretty delicious. Rare and not lamb-y [gamey] at ALL!  Z adored it and thought it was perfectly cooked. Demolished!

But since I’m not a huge lamb eater, I asked to replace my main entree with the Monkfish. Chef did suggest either the Steak or Duck course [I guess since it’s all red meat] but I was pretty set on Monkfish before we even got to the restaurant that night haha.

Maine Monkfish, Satur Farms Carrots, Currants, Walnuts, Thai Red Curry 

… I spy with my naked eye, some ramps in there, Chef, you clever thing you :D SO delicious. I LOOOVE red curry, it’s my favorite type of Thai curry, in fact [other than Jungle curry hehe] the carrots were glazed and super sweet, yum.. cut right through the curry sauce and the SUPER succulent monkfish. Monkfish is amazing, why don’t I eat it more?  I don’t remember walnuts in here… but I got the description off the website haha…  but yes let me talk about those sexy ramps again <3 RAMPS!!!!

Bottle #3

Kitchen Tour after the savory courses…

It’s pretty small, SO insane that SO much food comes out of it and such a good pace and absolutely delicious! Props!!! MADDDD props :] We talked to the sous Chef, SO nice and then he said that it was NOT even CLOSE to the end yet.. wait what?! We didn’t even look at dessert menus.. but they have it prepared for us already ;D I don’t know if it was on the house or not but they were amazing choices.. and I was already onto our third bottle of wine… but this is good.. its’ always so hard to make choices for myself when it comes to dessert… and lushed up. I want ike 10 of everything at that point.

Jameson Ice Cream Cones

If I wasn’t such a lush I TOTALLY would’ve gotten drunk off of these. HOLY MOLY. The most amazing Jameson infused ice cream. Creamy, sweet [but not too sweet] and BOOOOOOOZEY!!!.. What’s NOT to love. Ice cream always makes me happy :] When I’m sad, an ice cream cone always puts a smile on my face. [and rainbow sprinkles of course hehehe… but I forgive you Chef, you didn’t know haha]

Blueberry Cobbler Sundae, Candied Walnuts

I saw Chef’s tweet about this just recently.. and OMG… this was amazing. I don’t even remember breathing inbetween bites of this deliciousness… nom nom nom nom nom… all sorts of textures and the crumble, the blueberry.. the ice cream OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG… even just thinking back on it makes my brain turn to mush. THAT good! Get it while you can!

Cooked to Order Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Shot of Milk

YES. YOU HEARD ME RIGHT.  Cooked to F-ing ORDER! WARM, GOOEY, delicious. And the shot of milk – GENIUS. Dip dip in the WHOLE FAT milk [hahaha as you can see I was deprived as a kid, I’ve only ever drunken skim milk]

AND THEN… OK.. I was pretty tipsy by now… Z and I both think this was some sort of Toffee Brownie Bite… it’s like if a BLONDIE and a Brownie had babies… but definitely more of a Blondie taste :D NOM!

I feel like I’m cheating on Resto… but SHHH don’t tell Bobby, I’m in love with Marc’s food tooooooooo :D We were still drinking and nibbling when Marc left for the night, and he even came over to say byeeeee… and during the dinner he even said he saw my tweets *blush* I’m such a #twitterwhore HEHE. OMG coolest chef!!!

MUST. COME. BACK. ASAP!