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?

incognito italian bistro

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a press dinner at incognito Italian Bistro in Chelsea.  It's an open airy space and the weather was still nice enough to open the floor to ceiling windows.  they recently started featuring live jazz on Tuesday nights so that could make for a very enjoyable dining experience.

Although Incognito bills itself as an Italian bistro, the cuisine is actually a mix of Italian and Scottish. Not surprisingly, my palette was much more pleased with the Italian dishes. The best thing I ate was definitely the Rack of Baby Lamb.

It was perfectly cooked, juicy and well seasoned. The accompanying creamed potatoes were a helpful way to soak up the rosemary jus.  I knew it was good because it was the last item to arrive and I still devoured it. Usually by then I'm turning away food and only taking a couple of bites.  The pasta tasting was also a plus and I wish we had received a larger portion.

Lobster Ravioli with saffron butter and Risotto with lamb ragu.  The ravioli was creamy and light but lacked complexity.  The risotto was an interesting twist. I don't think I've ever had a dish quite like this.  I definitely recommend it.  I would also come back for the margharita pizza.

I had to resist going back in for a second slice since it was at the beginning of our meal.  The crust was crispy and the sauce was light enough so as to not make the pizza soggy.  I was not impressed with the Highland Haggis.

Perhaps it's because I'm not familiar with Scottish food, but it just seemed like an odd item for a summer menu.  The turnip tasted great but the lamb sausage was odd.  It was like a poorly constructed shepard's pie.  I would say the same about the Crepes.

Stuffing haddock, bechamel and leeks into a crepe just did not do it for me.  The varying textures were not well defined and it tasted more like a pile of white than any distinct item.  The fish was well cooked though and that was salvageable.

The meal certainly ended on a high note because the desserts were fantastic.  The chocolate torte was rich and the caramel sauce enhanced the depth of the chocolate flavor.

Incognito has the right vibe for a post work hang out or even an evening dinner.  Their menu offers a lot of diversity but has several staples that are bound to please.  I recommend Tuesday night because I'm sure the jazz will add to a pleasurable dining experience.

Hungry yet?

The Mermaid Inn

On a snowy day earlier this year, I splashed through the puddles down to the East Village for dinner with Ms. O and Mr. M.  I was super excited to finally dine at The Mermaid Inn. We sat in the main dining room at the back of the restaurant. Although it was cold outside, it was quite warm in the nautical themed restaurant. Since the office closed early, our dinner was before 7 which means we were able to take advantage of the amazing happy hour specials! To kick off the night, we started with the Grand Platter. 

We are definitely seafood lovers so we were thrilled when the platter arrived. They oysters were fresh, the clams were flavorful and the shrimp were fantastic!  The lobster was a nice touch, but the star of the platter was the chilled bowl of Tuna Crudo. 

Holy moly! The sushi grade tuna was chopped in bite size pieces and mixed with avocado and jalapeño. It was like eating the best spicy tuna roll you've ever had but without the rice or seaweed. From that point on, it was non-stop food at our table. We were curious about the Lobster Knuckles Escargot, after all you can't combine two of the most delicious items without piquing our interest.

Le sigh. The tricked us! It was really lobster knuckles served escargot style.  Still delicious, but not as exciting as the advertisement would lead you to believe. The Mermaid Fish Tacos were as advertised!

Lightly fried beer battered tilapia in a tortilla filled with red cabbage for crunch, pickled jalapeños for spice, and pico de gallo for liveliness! The pickled jalapeños were the most powerful part, which was perfect for me. Definitely not for the uninitiated though. The biggest disappointment was the Boston Bibb Wedge Salad.

No surprises from me that generally, a salad is disappointing, but the specific complaint was the blue cheese. Too overpowering!! I suspected as much because Ms. O never lets her salad linger and this one lasted the entire meal. Mr. M ordered the grilled octopus which had some pork product that I couldn't eat.

Judging by how quickly the plate was emptied, I imagine it was quite good.  He also ordered the Mini Clam Chowder. 

The baby cup was done in no time. I of course ordered more oysters, because I just couldn't help myself. They were phenomenal.  We also ordered Steamed Maine Bouchot Mussels.

They were cooked with prosecco and although I liked them, because after all, it's difficult to be dissatisfied with mussels, they weren't spectacular. The fries that came with it were good, but with so many other choice items on the table, it was difficult to eat too many fries. Ms. O enjoyed her Fried Clam Slider.

I enjoyed The Mermaid Inn so much, I was back there within a few weeks, but this time I went to the upper west side location with MM and AAA. We had a glorious time. I ate too many oysters, but also sampled other items.  AAA tried the Shrimp Corndogs.

Too much Corndog, not enough shrimp. We also tried the Lobster Slider.

Yummers! It was filled with lobster, so much so that it was falling out.  Yessss! I hope they'll be at this year's Lobster Roll Rumble!  We also ate two orders of the Fried Calamari.

Yup, we were loving it. Lightly battered and lightly fried but heavily flavored - YUM! I also ordered the mini clam bake.

A bite size version that was well spiced - especially the potatoes!  The shrimp corndogs were a no go.  Stay away! 

The Mermaid Inn is high on my list of favorites of this year. I highly recommend their happy hour, because the specials are just too good to pass up. It also runs late enough that you don't feel like you're force feeding yourself early in the day.  The service was also incredible both times. They were very responsive and reminded you when happy hour was about to end. Although they have no dessert menu, I have no complaints because they serve everyone a little chocolate pot and a fish fortune.

Awesome.

Hungry yet?

Empire Steak House

I recently received an invite to dine at Empire Steak House down the street from my office.  I was a bit taken aback that a steak house would invite me to dinner. But the invitation was not one I could turn down considering it highlighted the many seafood options and the availability of chocolate desserts.  Since I have so many meat lovers in my life, it was easy to find someone to come with me.  Ms. A and I arrived on an otherwise quiet Wednesday evening.  The restaurant is in a space that seems to rotate restaurants, but Empire Steak House has been holding that space down since October 2010 and based on my experience I would say they are likely to be around for quite some time.  The dark carpet and dim lighting gives the space an old school steak house feel to it.  I had of course surveyed the menu prior to our arrival and was looking forward to all the seafood I could handle.  We started with  the Jumbo Lump Crabmeat.

I wish I had pressed record on my camera. The presentation was terrific and the server did just that, served! The cocktail sauce was perfect, but they provided us the ingredients in case we wanted to alter the strength.

It was a great way to start off the meal.  It was also quite large and definitely a worthy appetizer for a group.  Ms. A and I reviewed the menu and made our decisions.  She decided to go for the gold and ordered the Prime Rib.

As a non-beef eater, I was taken aback by the size of the monster. Ms. A went at it and made quite a lot of progress. The steak was cooked just as she requested, well seasoned and exceeded her expectations.  I was excited for the arrival of my Seafood Pasta.  It's arrival was preceded by a bib that the server was kind enough to tie around my neck.

The Seafood Pasta was filled with lobster, shrimp, crabmeat, clams and salmon (their fish of the day). I requested a spicy tomato sauce.  The presentation was stellar, but I must admit I was a bit overwhelmed by just how much food had landed in front of me.  The pasta was cooked al dente and the lobster was delicious, though I wish I asked for it out of the shell. Unfortunately, the shrimp was slightly overcooked and under salted. It was just enough to notice so that was a bit annoying.  Definitely not enough to ruin the meal though or even warrant a complaint, merely worth noting.  We were both stuffed after our entrees, but of course that didn't stop us from having dessert. I definitely had a difficult time deciding so the only solution to that is multiple desserts.

The crunchy crust of the Chocolate Mousse Cake was the highlight of dessert. It complimented the very smooth texture of the mousse. I loved it. We also had the creme brulee.

The greatest benefit of having two desserts is the balancing of flavors.  It means you never get sick of either and can accomplish your mission, which of course is to leave nothing uneaten.

I ordinarily would not select a steakhouse, but was pleasantly surprised by the experience at Empire. The food was delicious (save the undersalted pasta) and the dessert was amazing.  The service was also terrific and I noticed the bells and whistles were in place for every table not just ours. I look forward to returning this summer once the meal eaters arrive.

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?