Essex NYC

Way back in the spring, GMTT made her way into town. She selected Essex as the site for our reunion dinner. What an excellent selection! The group agreed that Oysters would be our first course.

These fresh bites were impressive when they arrived but even better once I ate them!  There were a couple of interesting items on the menu and they even made their way onto our table. The Potato Pancakes with homemade salmon gravlax, salmon caviar and sour cream was an interesting arrival.

I wasn't interested but it disappeared pretty quickly. The crisp potato pancake was surprisingly delicious with the salmon.  I couldn't resist the Scallops.

Four perfectly seared scallops over croutons, watermelon, roasted peaches and basil. Yum! I was a little hesitant because of the fruit, but the watermelon provided a juiciness that was quite refreshing. The croutons were crunchy goodness, but I could have done without the basil.  One of the better-looking dishes was the Grilled Shrimp & Avocado Salad.

The tail on shrimp was seasoned and grilled to perfection. The avocado salad and large slices of avocado were served on a bed of baby spinach.  The portion was just right for a starter and the avocado salad was my favorite part!  The Endive Salad didn't look quite as good.

Pecan and dried cranberries with Gorgonzola puffs and pear vinaigrette. Meh. I didn't eat it but Ms. P cleaned up the plate. I guess it's good, if you're into that type of thing.  The starter menu had a lot of appeal. G ordered the Chipotle baby lamb t-bone.

The lamb was cooked just right and tasted even better with the sauce.  The pear tasted good but I was not interested in the watercress.  I was a big fan of the Tilapia and Mango Ceviche!

The cubes of Tilapia were well flavored with cilantro and aji amarillo.  The big chunks of mango and avocado were splendid!  I ate way more than I should have but I savored each bite.   We eventually moved on to a few main dishes. The Papardelle was quite impressive.

Those huge fresh pieces of pasta were amazing. It tasted even better with the fresh seafood mix of shrimp, calamari and mussels.  I would definitely go back to try that.  I ordered the Cajun Spiced Catfish.

It was served over shrimp and potatoes.   Holy Deliciousness!  The fish was juicy and well spiced.  The shrimp and potatoes were spectacular.  I loved the blend of seafood and I'm a huge fan of potatoes.  Although my stomach was bulging at this point, but the meal had been so good I couldn't turn down dessert.

The Warm Chocolate cake with caramel and fresh fruit was the best way to close out the meal. We ordered a couple for the table and within a few minutes of them landing at our table, there was no evidence they ever existed.

This was a memorable meal thanks to the many dishes that provided satisfaction to my taste buds. There are a few dishes I'll definitely be revisiting. The meal was also incredibly affordable considering how much we ate.  Can't wait to go back!!

Hungry yet?

Penang Malaysian & Thai Cuisine

I love Thai food so any opportunity I have to try a new Thai restaurant is always a pleasure. This particular occasion was more joyful because we were celebrating the future Mrs. S. I was thrilled when her bridesmaids selected this restaurant. Tucked away on main street in Lodi, NJ this restaurant isn't much on the outside but has a very well decorated interior. The food at Penang was spectacular. We started with a few appetizers. The Chicken Satay was one of the favorites.

I usually steer clear of chicken satay because the idea of chicken on a stick doesn't really appeal to me. Also, the few times I've ordered it I've been terribly disappointed. This time, I loved it!! The chicken was tender and well seasoned. The peanut sauce was also unlike any I've ever had. Simply divine! The favorite appetizer at my table was the Roti Telur.

Everyone snatched the light pieces of roti as soon as it hit the table. The sauce was perfectly spiced. Potatoes make me happy and so does chicken so tasting both in one bite brought pure joy to my taste buds and my stomach. I was a huge fan. After overstuffing ourselves on appetizers, we were slightly overwhelmed when the entrees began to arrive...and wouldn't stop! The arrival of the Mango chicken immediately stopped the conversation.

The brightness of it was enough to make me oooh and aaah. Placement of the chicken in the mango was also quite creative. The taste did live up to the presentation. I've never had mango chicken before, but I'm certain this won't be my last time. The Thai Basil Noodle came out shortly after.

I expected this to be my favorite dish, but it wasn't. There was just a pinch of salt missing but it was evident in every bite which made it hard to ignore.The Vegetable Fried Rice also suffered from the same plight.

I understand people are health conscious these days and don't want to be shoving  spoonfuls of salt into their mouth, but geez give me a break. A little salt goes a long way! The Scallion Beef was a favorite of many at the table.

Obvs I didn't try it but it sure did look good! The Coconut Fried Rice was something special.

I can recall the taste quite vividly as I write this entry. The large juicy shrimp were perfectly cooked with the rice, coconut, ginger and a perfect blend of spices that was mouthwateringly good. I was thrilled when another plate landed on our table. The celebration was perfected with a beautiful cake.

I LOVE CAKE. Especially delicious Red Velvet. 

It was absolutely delicious. So good that I couldn't help myself and started eating it before I took a picture. Penang had a lot to offer and I was happy that the celebration included so many marvelous treats. I know there are other outposts of Penang more conveniently located and I look forward to sampling them soon.

Hungry yet? 

Devi NYC

Out of fear that I may not see her again before the year ended, I asked Ms. O if she had time to grab dinner last week.  Lucky for me, she said yes.  I suggested Dévi because I have heard great things and it was on Village Vines.  VV offers discounted dining at restaurants without brining in a coupon.  Just make a reservation through their website and you’re good to go.  The restaurant is nicely decorated but the décor could stand for an upgrade.

We sat on the main level and our server was pretty attentive though his tone at times sounded as though we had never eaten Indian food before.  If only he knew….  They started out by bringing out the chef’s amuse.

A delicate puff pastry filled with mushrooms and a nice level of spice that was well balanced by the fresh pastry. Ms. O and I started with two appetizers.  Tamarind-Chicken Wings and Shrimp And Calamari Masala Frito Misto.

The chicken wings were extremely flavorful and filled with tamarind, red chiles and garam masala.  There were certainly enough wings to go around so this appetizer is made for sharing, but the wings themselves were mostly small – must have used small chickens, maybe even Cornish hens!

The Masala Frito Misto was a little less impressive.  Not to say it wasn’t good, but I think the description on the menu was different than what turned up.  The plate was filled with as many peppers as pieces of seafood.  The few pieces of seafood were quite delicious. A plate of plump shrimp and delicious well-seasoned pieces of calamari.  The tomato-chutney mayo was also impressive.  As for the entrée, I had a harder time selecting than I thought I would.  I wanted to try something new, but in the end I ordered my tried and true favorite, Chicken Vindaloo.

This tangy spicy curry is made even more amazing by the potatoes and incredible amount of spice.  The seasoning was on point at Dévi, except they UNDERSALTED the chicken!!! How could they?!  Ugh.  I was disappointed but in the end it was still quite delicious just missing a little something.  Ms. O’s Abha Aunty's Baingan was perfect.

 Rich delicious baby eggplant mixed with tomatoes, onions and tamarind.  Wowee!  I’m so glad I added eggplant to my list of things to eat!  One thing I will note is that while their prices are *somewhat* reasonable (small plates more than entrée so average), they don’t serve their entrées with naan or rice!  Absurd.  Of course we ordered naan and it was perfect!  The only real mistake from the night was ordering dessert.

Our Mango Cheesecake was really lacking.  There was no cheesecake to be tasted and the mango flavoring was barely there.  Allegedly there was Mango-passion fruit sauce but again that didn’t really come through.  The pieces of “mango pate de fruit” were really not that great.  It was jellied rather than candied which made it less desirable.  Next time I'll stick to the food and skip the dessert.

Dévi was a great dining adventure and thanks to Village Vines it was a little less pricy than it could have been.  The menu has a lot of great options and is definitely worth exploring so I could see myself going back to try something else.

Hungry yet?

Red Snapper with Mango Salsa and Wild Rice

I first started thinking about this meal a couple of days ago but I couldn’t quite figure out exactly what I would make and how I would make it.  I’ve thought about making tropical salsa for a while but don’t really know what to serve it with or which fruit to use.  I finally decided to focus on mango and go from there.  I knew I would go with seafood but it wasn’t until I got to the fish market that the red snapper spoke to me.  I really wish I could have found a filet, but in the end I had to settle for the red snapper steak.  Here’s the recipe that ended up producing this.

Ingredients

2 Red Snapper Steaks (or filets)

1 tsp chili powder or cayenne

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp grated ginger

salt to taste

juice of half a lime

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Pat the fish dry and lay on individual large pieces of foil. Mix spices in a small bowl and squeeze half of lime juice in and stir together.  

Use the mixture as a rub for the fish.  If using steak, rub both sides.  

If filet, only rub on non skin side.  Squeeze remainder of lime juice over the fish then fold foil ends so they meet then fold down and secure creating a wrap.  Place fish on a baking sheet and bake for 10 – 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.  When you remove it from the oven, open up and this is what you get

I tried to capture the steam rising but couldn’t quite get it.  Mango Salsa recipe below.

Mr. G Makes Dinner

After my day in Jersey, I called Mr. G while he was in the grocery store and he agreed to buy a few ingredients and make dinner for us.  Oh boy! I was very excited but waited a while to get to his place because I didn't want to disturb the chef.  When I walked into his mid rise building, I could smell the deliciousness at the front door.  He prepared a multi-course meal that reminded me just how lucky I am.

 

To start, Mr. G served some fresh mango slices as an appetizer.  I was happy to have something light and cool to start with because I was still recovering from the 100+ degree day.

 

Next up he whipped out the Collard Greens with mussels!!

 

I was pleasantly surprised by this dish.  The mussels were married to the greens and it tasted so good that I ate an entree sized portion.  After taking a short eating break, I had enough room for the main course.

 

Mr. G served Rotini with fresh peppers and a sweet tomato sauce with chicken.

 

Mmm Mmm Mmm!! Mr. G can definitely throw down.  I was especially happy with the mussels because I truly did not expect it to taste as good as it did.

Oh and did I mention he made Garlic Bread?!

 

Hungry yet?

Friday Night Lite

After a failed attempt to meet up with Ms. K and Ms. S on the east side, I decided to eat in and make it a blockbuster night.  I ended up finishing the drunken noodle while I was at work, so I had to fend for myself.  Luckily, my mom had dropped up some food so I figured I would reheat that and call it a night. What did I end up eating?  White rice with some efo and red stew.  Not exactly what I was in the mood for, but it did the job.  And I had a juicy mango as dessert!

Stay tuned for my review of last Friday's dinner at Colicchio and Sons!