Cook & Go

As the weather starts to cool down, hanging out has become more of a challenge and I'm always looking for a fun and interactive indoor activity. When I received an invite to attend the press event at Cook & Go, I was pumped! Cook & Go is an awesome venue that allows you to do just what it says...cook, and go! The concept is brilliant. They have a short cooking class where you make an individual portion of a meal then you box it up and you take it elsewhere to eat. The set up is beautiful and I was super excited to get started.

Our chef was awesome and we had four fantastic dishes to make.  The best part of the process is that you make your own dish, so you can add a little flair.  My absolute favorite dish was the Ravioli with Pumpkin Sage Sauce.

We assembled the three cheese ravioli ourselves then cooked it…and of course I made a few extra pieces.  The chef was also kind enough to give me some sauce to go. YUM!  The panko crusted chicken bites were quite easy to make, and I have already replicated them at home.

Our entrées were restaurant worthy, and quite hearty! We also had not one, but two desserts!

The Chocolate Cranberry Tart tasted great but mine fell apart a little in the oven. 

The Maple Upside Down Cake was much more successful!

I truly enjoyed the experience, and you can also take advantage of it.  For a limited time, Cook & Go is offering my readers a chance to get a 10% discount! It’s totally worth it and I already have plans to return in January.  Register here and use the password: Lady.  Also not a bad idea if you're still looking for a list minute holiday gift! 

This is also a great place for anyone who is unsure about whether they can cut it in the kitchen. You'll have some easy starter recipes created by well trained chefs! I also got to walk away with a new apron. 

Hungry yet?

Thalassa - anew

It's been two years since I first reviewed Thalassa. In New York, two years is a lifetime for a restaurant.  Thalassa just celebrated its 10 year anniversary last November so it's holding stronger than a lot of other restaurants. The decor is still modern, simple and elegant.  I was excited to attend another press dinner. Although the last time was great, I was looking forward to a curated meal selected by the chef. We started with an amuse bouche.

The Zucchini Fritters were quite a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect that the crispy outside would be filled with well seasoned deliciousness. Our meal was served family style but I didn't realize that would be the case until the appetizers landed on our table.

The Zucchini & Eggplant Chips didn't just look good, they tasted great. Crispy and lightly battered, I just couldn't stop going back for more.  I must admit that I really did not realize I liked zucchini until that night.  The Horiatiki Salad was not very popular at the table.

It wasn't because it lacked flavor, the tomatoes were fresh and the feta was delightful, but with all those other options, it fell to the side. Speaking of options, I was thrilled when the selection of dips arrived.

The selection included Roasted pepper with feta, Taramosalata and Tzatziki. Yummers! Thalassa is definitely the kind of place where you can fill up on lots of little items. Thankfully, we were able to also enjoy quite a few treats from various sections of the menu. The Tartare Trio was not as exciting as I hoped.

The blend of royal dorado with taramosalata, tuna with tzatziki, and lavraki with garlic almond mousse, drizzled with truffle oil did not do it for me. The fresh tartare flavor was masked by the various ingredients that were mixed in. The use of truffle oil was a nice aromatic addition but did not highlight any flavors. The dish was accompanied by two Langoustines. They were worth every bite! The Diver Scallops are still a signature dish.

They are wrapped in filo which lends each bite a crunch taste you would not ordinarily get from scallops. Thankfully, they are presented in a clean and simple way so no one ingredient overpowers the others. By far my favorite dish was the Octopodi.

Everything you know about octopus goes out the window when you take your first bite. This is the opposite of rubbery. Each bite highlights the light flavors of the octopus. It is meaty but not exhaustingly chewy. I am a huge fan!! The chef was also impressive and showed some versatility with the Swordfish Crudo with fennel.

This item is not yet on the menu but I sure hope it lands there soon. I'm partial to Asian food so when I taste a delicious sushi like piece of fish, my mouth yearns for more. The slight tartness was surprising but definitely welcomed. The highlight of the entrees arrived twice. The Lavraki first appeared in whole form.

Then it showed up again filleted seasoned with salt and pepper with fresh lemon juice and a side of wilted greens.

I had stuffed myself silly on the previous courses so I could only take a couple of bites. I was so disappointed that I could not finish it that for the first time ever, I requested a to-go bag at a press dinner! I was thoroughly embarrassed. But thankfully the restaurant did not add to my shame by bringing a big bag to the table. Instead they gave me this discreet little note.

Cute right? Well later that night, I devoured the Lavraki and I'm happy to report it was equally delicious, if not more so! So you would think because I was unable to finish my Lavraki that would put me out of the running for dessert. Well then that means you have never seen Thalassa's dessert spread! As the various items started arriving, a second portal opened in my stomach and I was able to go all in.

The bite size Baklava was perfectly sweetened with honey and the filo was light and crunchy. The Yogurt cake was a different kind of taste and not really my speed and the Ekmek was not worth the hassle.

On the other hand, the Molten Cake was incredible.

The chocolate was rich and flavorful. Of course it also helped that it oozed out chocolate goodness when I cut my first piece!

The Ice Cream Medley got high points for presentation and also did quite well on flavor.

The cones were delicious and not too sweet. The chocolate deliciousness inside was also quite good. The overflow of desserts was the perfect way to end the night.

A decade (and in my case two years) later Thalassa is still going strong. The revamped menu has a lot of options for those who favor small bites, authentic Greek flavors and delicious seafood. The semi-private space downstairs is still an enviable location for a dinner or reception. They've even added live music, which is a classy touch to a top notch restaurant. If you haven't been, now is your chance!

Hungry yet?

El Toro Blanco

I haven't seen Z in for-ev-er!! I think the last time we hung out was post Vendy's!! Crazy right? I've noticed that we end up at Mexican spots frequently, but I'm a fan. So when we were deciding between two places, it was pretty easy to pick El Toro Blanco.  The space is well designed with a simple and clean look. It was pretty lively in there and had good energy but it's definitely not a space for quiet intimate dinners. Thankfully we were definitely more on the lively end that night. We of course started our meal with guacamole.

It was creamy delicious avocado with the right blend of spices. But the true winner in the starter column is the spicy habenero salsa in the trio that accompanied the guacamole.

We loved it so much we ended up asking for more to kick things up later in our meal. Although the menu had lots of terrific options, we both decided on the tacos. Z ordered the Baja  Swordfish.

The meaty taco included avocado, roasted jalapeño aioli and citrus slaw. She added some spice to kick it up but definitely enjoyed the tacos. I went with the Camarones en Barbacoa.

It was a good looking taco and definitely lived up to expectations. The roasted tomatoes were not as flavorful as I expected so I also spiced it up with the salsa. There was nothing left on my plate. Of course we had to try something else so we went with a side of poblano rice.

Although it looks tasty it was definitely the most disappointing part of our meal. The rice was undercooked and boring! We mixed in the queso fresca but still got nothing out of it. There was no kick or flavor. Overall a very disappointing side. I had to make up for it with dessert.

The Mexican Chocolate Cake was a notch above what I usually expect. The matchstick churros and dulce de leche ice cream definitely brought this dessert together. The rich chocolate was completed by the ice cream and churros. I was quite pleased and this was the perfect end to the meal.

Our service was definitely subpar but it didn't take away from the meal. I was a huge fan of the variety on the menu and loved the tacos as guacamole. The rice was a low point, but the cake was a fantastic end. I'll definitely be back to more thoroughly explore the variety of the menu!

Hungry yet?

Limon Restaurant - San Francisco

I had a great time my first time in San Francisco last year. This year I decided to visit my PIC and GMTT.  I was a little nervous about having my worlds collide, but food is a universal unifier so I figured it would be a great time.  GMTT gave me a few options and ultimately we decided on Limon.  It was quite the festive restaurant. Very bright and a little loud, but overall a great scene.  The menu is expansive and we had more options than we needed, but that didn’t stop us from over indulging.  The Truffle mac-n-cheese came out first.

Whoa. They were too rich for me. I took one bite and my eyes immediately rolled in the back of my head.  PIC and GMTT made sure to take care of the rest. The Sweet Potato Fries were more my speed.

They were the perfect combination of sweet and salty. I loved it! Since Limon is a Peruvian restaurant, it’s only right that we ordered Ceviche.

This Red Snapper Ceviche was delightful! It was slightly tart with a tangy finish.  GMTT and PIC also ordered the Lomo Saltado.

They really enjoyed the stir-fry of sirloin strips.  I ate a couple of the fries – couldn’t help myself. We also ordered the Chicharron de Pollo.

At this point, I was stuffed beyond belief but still managed a few bites of these crispy pieces of chicken.  The best part was as crispy as the chicken was the inside was moist and well seasoned.  My favorite dish was the Pescado Limon.

It was beautifully presented, but also tasted incredible. The crispy fried snapper was layered over crispy potatoes and spinach.  The sauce was excellent. I couldn’t quite finish the dish, but thankfully the next morning I was able to reheat it and enjoy it a lot! As stuffed as I was, I certainly couldn’t turn down dessert.  PIC and GMTT went with the Profiteroles.

Those sugar-dusted cream puffs were a big hit. I wasn’t interested though. I was a big fan of the Bandido.

The Warm Chocolate Cake was amaaaaazing. The caramelized apples and dulce de leche ice cream went perfectly with the warm chocolate cake.  I couldn’t help myself I finished every last bite. The worlds collide dinner was fantastic! I really enjoyed Limon and of course any opportunity to hang with GMTT and PIC. 

Hungry yet?

Mr. A & Ms. A are married!

It feels like it wasn’t long ago that I had the pleasure of spending a nice weekend with Mr. A & Ms. A (still not the same A). So how excited was I when their wedding day finally arrived! Everyone looked wonderful. Mr. A was swaggerific when he made his way up the aisle, and Ms. A was stunning and certainly wowed the on lookers in Battery Park.  While I was thrilled that everyone looked great, I was also excited about how great the food looked and tasted. The cocktail hour was filled with so many delightful appetizers.  The Seared Tuna was one of my favorites.

Served on a carved piece of cucumber and topped with a tropical salsa, I loved every bite.  I unfortunately found myself eating so many of these I may have actually eaten a ½ pound of tuna.  I stayed away from the Lamb Chops but they looked magnificent.

They also disappeared quite quickly. I wonder what they were topped with. Looked like chimichurri to me, but how can one really know if you don’t eat it.  Perhaps one of the guests will leave it in the comments. These little puffs were a pleasant surprise.

I was convinced they would be filled with mushroom, but instead it was duck confit.  OH heavens! I definitely popped a number of those in my mouth.  Where there is shrimp, I find happiness.

These shrimp sat on a dollop of guacamole and were served on a tortilla chip.  YUM! I had no objections to the selection at the cocktail hour and although I may have missed a few items, I was already feeling satisfied when I sat at the dining table.  A colorful salad was served.

I’m typically not big on the idea of having a bunch of cold leaves served, but on occasion there are a few ingredients that make the prospect of a salad more appetizing. On this occasion, the blood oranges were it! They were so sweet and juicy. I definitely wish I could have picked the oranges off of every plate.  Our entrées soon arrived.  The Beef apparently was out of this world.

I wish I knew more.  It was a beautiful looking dish. Plated on a bed of mashed potatoes and what looked like some nuts.  I opted for the Chilean Sea Bass.

It was magnificent. The rice was also a fantastic accompaniment. My only disappointment was that there was so little rice.  Eventually it was time for dessert.  They were very creative and decided to serve two types of desserts at every table.  The only problem with that is each person didn’t get both.  In my case, that was just not an option. I regrettably had to borrow someone’s dessert. Luckily he was fine with it.  The Chocolate Mousse was spectacular.

I licked my spoon several times until it was clear there was no more chocolate…just metal.  The other dessert tasted like custard but I can’t be sure.

All I know is I definitely finished mine.  And then of course there was the cake.  Regrettably I am missing an image of the full cake and them slicing it with a sword ..yes, a sword.  I did manage to get a picture of my second only slice. 

The cake was fluffy and incredibly delicious. It was definitely worth the wait.  Overall the wedding was beautiful and delicious! Congratulations to Mr. A and Ms. A!