Explore New York : Soho Brunch at The Dutch

Since G was home and able to join me on my excursion to SoHo a few Sundays ago for my calligraphy workshop with Laura Hooper, we decided to make the most of our time and hit up The Dutch for a leisurely pre-class brunch. We chose The Dutch partly for its convenient location right next door to the workshop venue, The Lofts at Prince, but also because I had found in my where-to-eat-googling that Chef Andrew Carmellini's outpost for regional American fare—not Dutch, as the name might suggest—had rave reviews. It came up on many "best places to eat" lists in SoHo. (That's short for "South of Houston street," for you non-Manhattanites.) The accolades are well deserved.

Brunch is just breakfast without a cocktail, so we ordered up two drinks stat. (Plus, I was trying to shake off those workshop jitters.) I tried a Campari concoction and was pleasantly surprised to find it not too mouth-puckeringly bitter while the hubs stuck with what he knows: gin.

The brunch menu does not have an over-abundance of options but the nicely edited assortment is sure to offer something for everyone. A loyal fan of Eggs Benedict, I couldn't resist tasting The Dutch's take on the classic. Listed on the menu as poached eggs (fresh and organic from Feather Ridge Farms in Milton, NY), cheddar biscuit, ham, chipotle and tomato, the dish arrived deconstructed as such; the ingredients all separate but ready to mingle in a warmed, shallow bowl. Since I'm not a cheese lover (I know, I know), I asked to trade out the cheddar biscuit for the restaurant's signature honey butter variety. The kitchen kindly obliged and, thankfully, the dish was no less delicious. 

The eggs were perfectly cooked and I would have greedily consumed three more of those sweet, flaky biscuits if given the chance. But the star of the show, in my humble opinion, was the roasted tomato sprinkled with oregano. In adulthood, tomatoes have become one of my favorite foods and this particular tomato was not only the best I've ever tasted, but it was likely one of the most—let's say top 5 best—lip-smacking, mmm-mmm good things I've ever put in my mouth. And I informed my hubby of this revelation with every bite I took, my emotions a mix of total glee and utter despair as the ruby red juicy jewel of a tomato disappeared from my plate. Thank you, summer sunshine, and kudos to the cook who slow-roasted that baby to a heavenly place.

I can't wax poetic about G's meal, but judging by his cleared plate and happy face I'm going to say he thoroughly enjoyed his shrimp and kimchi fried rice topped with two impressively-cooked sunny-side up eggs, served with grilled pork belly. But we both agreed that if we return, he must order The Dutch's famous hot fried chicken, not just because of the hype surrounding it but because the couple next to us ordered it and we started to drool. (Turns out Carmellini has shared the recipe, but I'd rather have someone else do the cooking, and the 12-hour marinating.)

Unsurprisingly, there was a wait when we walked into The Dutch that Sunday and I'm glad we decided to take bar seats by the window, looking out onto Prince Street. It doesn't get much better than sipping on cocktails (and later, a glass of Gothic "Telltale" Pinot Noir Rosé), devouring some good eats and people-watching (SoHo offers a chic show)—all in air-conditioned comfort.

Now, this isn't exactly brunch related, but when I got out of my workshop around 5 p.m., the clouds were doing some amazing things. While crossing the street I finally looked up and saw what a lovely view SoHo has of One World Trade Center, the glistening building towering in the distance, piercing the sky. So I'll leave you with that pretty view—and probably a grumbling tummy.

Sip & Savor : Inspiration for a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

Happy Cinco de Mayo! While today is not really about eating great Mexican food and drinking too many margaritas, that is what the holiday has become to non-Mexican Americans, like me. One should know the history of the day, but, I have to say, there's nothing wrong with celebrating Mexico's vibrant culture and delicious cuisine. Growing up in Southern California, Mexican food was part of my family's regular dinner rotation and there are many truly great Mexican restaurants to choose from, especially in San Diego. 

Finding authentic Mexican eats in Florida is a bit more difficult, but Red Mesa Cantina is one solid option in downtown St. Pete. (Get the mofongo and fried sweet plantains. Yum.) More recently, after a shopping trip at Ikea in Tampa, we cruised over to Channelside Bay Plaza to try out Hablo Taco. It definitely has a touristy vibe, but the food and drinks were good. The hubs and I followed the restaurant's advice, written in the menu and on the walls ("Don't drink the water. The tequila is much better.") and quenched our thirst with frozen margaritas, both twists on the classic: the Sangria-Rita for me (stumbled upon this recipe for a similar sweet slushy concoction) and the Corona-Rita for him. Served in giant goblets, one was enough.

Never a man to pass up pulled pork, G ordered the Pork al Pastor tacos, which are topped with a pineapple salsa, cilantro and salsa fresco and served in Hablo Taco's signature puffy shells. In the mood for something different, I went with the Grilled Avocado plate. Two creamy avocado halves were char-grilled and then covered with perfectly seasoned ground beef, habanero salsa and sour cream, and drizzled with ranchero sauce. (I skipped the queso fresco.) Served with a side of Mexican rice and chips, it was a hearty and satisfying meal.

The grilled avocado is a dish that could easily be replicated at home. Tonight, even! I'd love to try this recipe for grilled avocado with charred red onion and scallions. You could top or stuff it with just about anything—meat, veggies, salsa. It's an easy and versatile dish that is a bit more interesting than your typical Cinco de Mayo guacamole. Now, granted, we don't have a barbecue but I'm thinking it could still be tasty (if less smoky) on an indoor grill pan.

The hubs recently made Hawaiian-inspired teriyaki pulled pork tacos at home (I told you he loves pulled pork!) but this recipe for Tacos al Pastor is a closer dupe to what he had at Hablo Taco. Sweet and spicy.

I'm not sure what our plans are tonight, but if we decide to stay in we're sure to turn to our favorite Assouline cocktail books to whip up some homemade margaritas. If you're in need of a little libation inspiration, check out the two recipes below.

Margarita

Recipe from Vintage Cocktails

Ingredients

2 oz. Don Julio 100% Blue Agave Blanco Tequila

1 oz. Cointreau (or Grand Marnier)

3/4 oz. fresh lime juice

1/2 oz. of simple syrup (if you like a sweeter margarita)

For garnish: Coarse salt and lime wedge

Directions

Combine first three ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

To salt the rim (optional): Frost the edge of the cocktail glass by rubbing a lime wedge on the outside rim of the glass, then dipping it into a saucer of coarse salt. 

Tommy's Margarita
Recipe from Celebrity Cocktails

Ingredients

2 oz. Don Julio Reposado Tequila

1 oz. agave nectar

1 oz. fresh lime juice

For garnish: Fresh lime wedge and salt

Directions

Place first three ingredients into a mixing tin, add large ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into a glass over fresh ice, garnish and serve.

To salt the rim (optional): Rub lime wedge on the outside rim of cocktail glass, then dip into a dish of salt.

Finally, a bit of margarita history, courtesy Celebrity Cocktails:

There are many legends about who invented the Margarita Cocktail. Many believe that Margarita Sames (Texan socialite) created it in Acapulco in 1948. However, a lesser-known legend is that a bartender in Tijuana created it to impress Rita Hayworth. Either way, it remains the number-one ordered cocktail in North America.

Personally, I like the Rita Hayworth version :)

Here's wishing you a fun (and safe!) Cinco de Drinko, err Cinco de Mayo. Cheers!


ETA: We ended up staying in! We made a healthy Mexican-style dinner and the margarita above. It was good and strong but, for a little fruity sweetness I splashed in a bit of OJ. Perfection.

(Papel picado source) 

Hello, Clearwater : An Evening at Sugar Sand Beach

This past weekend we happily dog/house sat for a couple of friends. After all, they watched Cali for three weeks while we were in California! The least we could do was take care of their (big!) beloved goldendoodle Nelson for three days. But before dog duty began on Thursday, the hubs and I journeyed to Clearwater for a midweek date night that consisted of a quick calligraphy photo shoot on the beach, a low-key dinner at Frenchy's Rockaway Grill, a look at some amazing sand sculptures at the annual Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival, followed by a moonlit walk on the shore.

Grouper is a local favorite here in Florida and Frenchy's is known to have some of the best around. The popular eatery has several outposts in Clearwater but Rockaway Grill is the largest, and right on the beach. Even though it was a Wednesday evening, there was a 20-minute wait to get a table and while we didn't get a spot on the open-air, beachfront patio, we did get front-row seats to the night's live band. (It would have been wonderful to see the sun set over the Gulf, but perhaps it was best we weren't on the patio since, while we waited outside the restaurant for a table, a gull pooped on my arm! That's good luck, right? Fortunately, there was a beach shower right next to us. Phew.)

When eating at a restaurant for the first time, I like to try what the establishment is known for, the house specialties. Having done a little research beforehand, I knew exactly what to order at Frenchy's. The hubs and I split a half-order of the Garlic Crab Fries, since Alton Brown described the beer-battered fries—which are tossed in garlic butter and parsley and topped with garlic aioli, Old Bay and snow crab—as "food crack." For our entrees, the hubs had the grilled Mahi Mahi Sandwich while I had to have the fried Grouper Sandwich (hold the provolone). I washed it down with the dangerously delicious Rum Runner, a frozen crimson concoction made with Virgin Island Dark and 151 rums, banana liqueur, blackberry brandy and tropical fruit juices. It was good and strong. While G and I often dine out at high-end restaurants and we tend to cook gourmet fare at home, it was fun and kind of refreshing in a strange way to eat low-brow grub like fried fish sammies.

After dinner, we headed over to Pier 60 for the main event: the Sugar Sand Festival, named for Clearwater Beach's nickname. The sand there is so white and soft and really does look and feel like sugar! But what's more impressive is what master sand sculptors can do with it. This year's festival featured a fairytale theme. As G and I walked through the 21,000-square-foot exhibit tent, we were in awe at the size and great detail of the sand sculptures, created with more than one thousand tons of sand. And, having grown up on Disney and fairytales, I truly enjoyed the enchanting subject matter. Because we visited after sundown, changing colored lights helped illuminate the sandy scenes; not always great for photo-taking, but it did add to the festival's fantastical feel.

I couldn't let us leave the beach without a quick moonlit stroll along the shore. Clearwater Beach is truly beautiful and I can see why it is such a popular place to live and vacation. 

Hopefully we can make one more trip to Clearwater before we leave to explore more of what Sugar Sand Beach has to offer.

Our First Married Valentine's Day

Did you have a nice long weekend? Ours was fairly low key, spent chilling on the couch watching TV when not running errands, but we did get dressed up and go out for a nice dinner on Saturday night, for our first married Valentine's Day. G surprised me that morning with a beautiful bouquet of pink- and peach-hued tulips, my favorite flower next to dahlias. (I may have dropped a couple hints over the past few weeks, ooh-ing and aah-ing whenever I saw a bunch of tulips at the store. He's a good man and picked up on my not-so-subtle cues.) He then made us a delicious lunch at home, a chicken pesto risotto, and we exchanged gifts. 

Though I told G that we should keep gifts small this year since we have lots of travel expenses coming up, he took to heart my longing for a new, large, sturdy purse and bought me a big beautiful bag—complete with fringe! He said he thought it would come in handy when I fly to California, since it can fit my laptop, kindle and wallet with ease. Men, always thinking about function and practicality. But it is truly a gorgeous bag and I was even more impressed to hear that he went downtown to browse small boutiques to find it. G's card also came with a sparkling layered necklace. He's such a good hubby. I, on the other hand, did keep my gift simple. To encourage his new hobby, I ordered him two unique, hand-forged guitar picks from UncommonGoods: a glass glazed stoneware pick (in ocean) and a ridged glass pick (in surf). G tried them out and was pleased with the look, feel and sound, so I'd call it a success. 

After opening presents, I finished one more surprise for him: homemade chocolate truffles. (I'll be sharing the incredibly simple recipe later this week!) We ate a couple that afternoon, and a few more after we got home from our Valentine's dinner at RumFish Grill in St. Pete Beach, and we finished off the plate by Sunday.

Photos from our day, if you'd like to see...

Weekend Eats : Tapas, Sushi & Brunch

[ Snapped from a parking structure: A view of the waterfront and pier in downtown St. Pete. ]

This is almost embarrassing to reflect on, but this past weekend was most certainly a weekend of eating. We sort of back-slid on our resolution to cut back on eating out. But sometimes, life comes in and changes your plans. When friends invite you to gather over a meal, who are we to say no?

On Saturday, G and I made our way downtown to the Saturday Morning Market to pick up some fresh veggies for the week. But let it be known: Don't go to the market hungry! Because if you do, you will want to eat and/or buy every delicious-looking thing in sight. Like a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie as big as your head. A homemade chicken pot pie for later. Garlicky jarred spreads. And then, finally, the veggies we came for. At least we can feel good about supporting local small businesses, yes? For the record, we did admire (and buy) non-edible things, too, such as handmade jewelry, wine glass charms, hand-thrown pottery and more. (I desperately wanted that gorgeous pink and green platter! But the hubby said we didn't really need it. Sad face.)

After our trip to the market, where we tasted a few things and ate half of the above-mentioned cookie, we decided to get ourselves a proper lunch. The hubs and I decided to give Ceviche another try, since the last time we were there we were fairly tipsy and somehow managed to order all the wrong things. But we had heard good reviews about the tapas restaurant and the outside patios are usually packed with people, so we thought it deserved another shot. We ordered up several small plates, and while we weren't a fan of Ceviche's shrimp ceviche, ceviche de gambas, the other dishes were good—just not great, and ultimately, we thought, not worthy of the price. The huevos rellenos, or homemade deviled eggs, were tasty, but nothing special. The patatas bravas, fried potatoes in a spicy aioli, were also winners but it is hard to mess up fried spuds. We were most disappointed with the chorizo y pimientos, five types of chorizo sausage in a tomato sauce with roasted peppers and onions. The description should have said five slices of chorizo sausage, because that's all we got. The gambas al ajillo, however, a plate of gulf shrimp tossed in a light but creamy garlic chili sauce that was delivered to us accidentally, was a pleasant surprise. If we were to return to Ceviche, I think we would just sit on the patio, sip sangria and nibble on the complimentary bread served with a yummy pesto dipping sauce, and take in the view and the people passing by. That's the best part.

While at lunch, we got an invitation to join our friends for sushi that night. We met up at Hook's, which is obviously a local favorite judging by the line out the door. I am not big on raw fish, so I ordered the Mexican roll (hold the smelt roe), which is filled with tempura shrimp, asparagus spears and avocado, and served with a streak of Sriracha. My dinner companions ordered much more elaborate and colorful rolls; they really looked beautiful! And everyone cleared their plates so I guess they were a hit.

On Sunday, the hubs dropped me off in downtown St. Pete for a girls' brunch at Lucky Dill. It was a lovely, cool day so we sat outside, sipped our free mimosas and noshed on the New York-style cafe's hearty breakfasts (fried green tomato bennys with avocado and bacon for Laura and I, and the day's special, an apple cinnamon french toast, for Blair).

So while I consumed far too many calories this weekend, I'm going to give myself a pass since it was all in the name of friendship and fun.

How was your weekend?

Girls' Night Out : Anise Global Gastrobar

Last night, Jen (of Letters & Pearls) and I left our handsome hubbies at home and met up in Tampa for a girls' dinner. A much-needed one, at that! It had been so long since I had some quality girl time... In fact, the only real one-on-one I've had with a friend here in St. Pete was when Jen and I first met, face-to-face, for a quick coffee date at the Oxford Exchange. So it was lovely to get together once again and have real talk. You know the kind: When you have a friend that you are so comfortable with that you just talk about anything and everything and the evening goes on for hours.. and before you know it, you've been at a restaurant for almost four hours! That was us last night. Even though we've only known each other a couple months, Jen and I just seemed to click instantly, and I'm so grateful that we were able to find each other through this crazy blogging world. Sometimes it's nice to get out of the house, leave your man and dogs behind, and enjoy the uplifting energy of a girl who just gets it.

Since she lives in Tampa and I'm in St. Pete, we had the task of figuring out on which side of the bridge to go to dinner. A bartender at one of G and I's fave St. Petersburg restaurants, BellaBrava, had previously recommended to us her other workplace, Anise Global Gastrobar. The hubs and I had actually walked by it when we were at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park for Oktoberfest, so I remembered peering in and thinking it looked like a cute place, and the perfect spot for a friend date. Unfortunately, I'm not terribly knowledgable about the Tampa food scene, so it was my one and only recommendation. But it worked out! Jen is currently on a vegan challenge, and Anise's tapas-style menu offers several vegan-friendly options.

We both started with a glass of Sangre The Blackbird, a refreshing, not-too-sweet white sangria made with blackberry, peach and elderflower. The cocktail's pretty hue perfectly matched the pink flowers on the table. As they say, on Wednesdays we wear drink pink! (OK, so maybe that's not a thing but it should be.) Jen and I then shared a basked of truffled tater tots with lemon parsley crème fraiche and an order of fried zucchini with crispy garlic "stinky bunz" (a kind-of Asian-style slider, for which Anise is known, from the restaurant's food truck days). 

The tots were delicious, of course, because, well, they are little golden nuggets of crispy fried potato, so how could they not be? And the buns lived up to their hype. We've already decided we need to return to try all the flavors (pork belly included). I'm pretty sure anything stuffed into those airy, pillowy bread buns would be good. I would have never thought to put a slab of fried zucchini in a sandwich but that's just was Anise did and I loved it.

Finally, for our entrées, Jen chose the Jap Chae noodle bowl, filled with gluten free noodles, sautéed veggies, tofu and sesame seeds while I decided to go light and fresh with the roasted beet and arugula salad with toasted pine nuts and a grapefruit vinaigrette (I held the goat cheese). All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. I just wish I had saved room for dessert! The deep fried sweet bunz, one with strawberries and nutella and another with bananas and a crispy cookie spread, sound out of this world amazing.

Good thing there's always a next time. And I know I'll have good company.

P.S. Many thanks to Jen for taking far better photos of our meal than I did! Stole a few for the above collage :)