Wednesday - June 2, 2010

Piola

305.374.0031

1250 South Miami Avenue, Miami 33131

(Corner of SW 13^th Street)

Check out the Menu!

Three years ago I left my hometown in Philadelphia and moved to Miami to start college. Besides the obvious differences between the two cities, there were also MAJOR differences in the food that took some getting adjusted to. However, as adapted as I have become to Miami cuisine, the inability to find good bagels and good pizza remains a serious frustration. So on the very rare occasion that I do finally come across a good slice of pizza, I get all sorts of excited and tell every one of my Northern friends about my new discovery (when I found Piola…I shouted it from the roof tops).

My boyfriend and I actually came across Piola by chance one night after a late flight back from Spring Break. We headed straight to Brickell from the airport to meet friends and decided to stop at the first open food place we saw. Thankfully, that place turned out to be Piola!! We sat up at the bar and each ordered our own pizza. Roberto got the Diavola, which is a standard plain pie with spicy salami…and let me tell you, their salami is spicy (we both loved it, but that’s a warning for all you spice haters). I ordered the Miami Beach, which is a plain pie topped with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and arugala (I also added garlic and kalamata olives to amp up the flavor). Both pizzas were incredible!! They are on a very thin crust, which is nice and crispy and the tomato sauce is great (not sweet, which is an odd new trend that my Italian side does not like). The pizzas are also large (about 12”) and really reasonably priced, even with the gourmet toppings (approx. $8-$10 per pie).

However, please note that I only give Piola’s PIZZA four stars, because tonight I ordered a couple salads for dinner and they were very disappointing. I asked for the dinner portion and they were as small as side salads!! Also, I added chicken to all of them and the chicken was so tough and clearly not freshly grilled, judging by the temperature…it was almost inedible. I have not ever tried the pasta dishes, but based on this experience tonight with the salads, I plan on sticking to pizza at Piola. Their tagline is “famosi per la pizza” for a reason, because pizza is what they do best. So order any one of their 40 or so pizza pie combinations and you will not be disappointed. I think that Piola is the best pizza in Miami along with Spris, which has locations on Lincoln Road and Miracle Mile.

Piola is open late and serves beer and wine. At the Brickell location that I go to, there is both outdoor and indoor seating…and plenty of it! Occasionally, they even have a live band or performer that is outside.

Tuesday - June 1, 2010

Vegetable Soup

By Alton Brown

After getting back to Miami from New York, I was craving some home cooked food. Don't get me wrong, I love going out to eat, but after a while I just start to crave something hearty, healthy, and homemade...and that describes Alton Brown’s garden vegetable soup perfectly. I have made this soup three or four times already and it is always delicious, although I do make some very minor modifications. The recipe below is my version, although you can find the original on the link at the bottom. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped leeks, white part only (from approximately 3 medium leeks)

2 tablespoons finely minced garlic

Kosher salt

2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds (approximately 2 medium)

2 cups peeled and diced Yukon potatoes (cubes)

2 cups fresh green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 quarts chicken broth

4 cups seeded, and chopped vine tomatoes (about 7)

½ cup frozen peas

1 ½ cups sliced baby bella mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, and green beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, mushrooms, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Add the frozen peas and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Serve immediately.

***I serve mine over ditalini pasta!

Check Out the Original Recipe

Tuesday - June 1, 2010

Corrado Bakeries

212.774.1904

They are located all over New York

Check out the Menu!

Before going to sleep on our last night in New York, I realized that I would want to pick up a quick breakfast before heading to the airport. I remembered that there was a great little bakery near the apartment and decided I would stop there in the morning to grab some food because as we all know, airport food is not only over priced but it is atrocious. So sure enough I got my butt out of bed extra early (which I would only do to satisfy my belly) and walked down to Corrado Bakery. I got an almond croissant, a ham and cheese croissant, and two fresh squeezed orange juices. The almond croissant was oddly disappointing, since I love their almond macaroon cookie (soooooo good). It didn’t have enough almond paste in the middle in my opinion so the almond flavor was lacking. The ham and cheese croissant was much better—I ended up eating it instead of my boyfriend. However, the best thing I have had from this bakery is the portobello and goat cheese sandwich, which sounds so simple but the foccacia bread that it is served on has a wonderful rosemary flavor and it is so much more flavorful than you would expect. If you like goat cheese as much as I do, then you have to try this sandwich. Also, the freshly squeezed orange juice is awesome…it just comes in the littlest cup so you have a couple of sips and it is sadly gone.

Monday - May 31, 2010

MXco

212.249.6080

1491 2nd Ave, New York 10075

(Corner of 78th St)

Check out the Menu!

It’s our last night in New York and after packing up the bags my boyfriend, Roberto, and I set out to find a late-night dinner spot. With no place in mind, we went walking around by his apartment basically looking for any place that was still serving dinner at the late hour of 11:30. We walked into one restaurant called Pil Pil (a Spanish tapas and wine bar) but it was so dark inside that we couldn’t read the menu. After using my blackberry as a flashlight, I discovered that I still couldn’t read the menu because well, it was in Spanish…with no translations! Although my boyfriend speaks Spanish, I wasn’t in the mood to hear him translate the entire menu and so the search continued. Next we found ourselves at a little Italian joint called Vero. Although they were running a great special—free Panini’s with the purchase of any drink (booze)—we were more in the mood for a real meal rather than a slice of bread to absorb our alcohol. The search finally ended when we sighted a couple munching on chips and salsa outside of a little place called Mxco. We decided to eat there since, as Roberto said, “you can never really go wrong with Mexican food!”

We ordered the Chicken Nachos to start and found ourselves pleasantly surprised by the combination of flavors. They used Chihuahua cheese (also sometimes called queso menonita) that was super rich and creamy, which kept all the nachos together nicely without making them soggy (soggy nachos are my pet peeve!). The nachos were topped with pico de gallo, a generous scoop of guacamole, and a drizzling of sour cream. But my favorite part of the nachos was the herb-pickled jalapeños, which had a really unique flavor when tasted on their own and added a great spicy kick to the dish overall (spice haters you’ve been warned). For our entree we decided to order two different types of tacos and share…we weren’t terribly hungry since our stomachs were still digesting our 5 O’clock breakfast. Each order came with two soft-shelled tacos so sharing was easy. First we had a Chorizo Taco, which had chipotle potatoes, salsa ranchera, queso blanco, and black beans. This one was undoubtedly our favorite of the two, and the flavors closely resembled those of Indian cuisine, almost like a samosa. It was unusual and unexpected but none-the-less delicious. Then we started on our Short Rib Tacos, which were simply prepared with pico de gallo and a tamarind-pasilla sauce. The meat was really tender and good, but not as interesting as the flavors of the chorizo taco. I must warn you though that the tacos were not, I repeat NOT, entrée-sized portions. They were more like tapas…I’m talking three bites and it’s gone!! Thankfully the nachos were rich and of a decent size so we left the restaurant satisfied, but we both agreed that the tacos, which ranged from $8-$10, were over priced for such a small amount of food.

As for the service at the restaurant...well it wasn’t that great. But I must remind you that we were seated at like 11:45 and they stopped serving at 12, and having been a waitress myself, I can understand that they were focused on closing the place. We did end up having to go inside to pay our check though because the waitress was MIA….annoying L

Overall, I would go back but only when I’m looking to have a light meal. I normally associate Mexican food with a full feeling afterwards thanks to Chipotle, which I love—I know it’s a chain, but I do love it—and Mxco did not have the portions to satisfy a hungry belly with just one entrée. However, the unique flavors were refreshing and all the ingredients were of high quality. I can only hope the service is better when they aren’t focused on closing at the end of the night.

Monday - May 31, 2010

The Coffee Shop



212.243.7969

29 Union Sq. West, New York 10003

(At 16th)

Check out the Menu!

This morning my boyfriend and I were supposed to go and see the Statue of Liberty, which he got tickets for as part of my birthday gift (note that I said supposed to). I have been wanting to go for a while and we thought it would be extra special since it was Memorial day and all. Well the tickets were for 12 O’clock in the afternoon, which is not early for the average person I suppose, but as we watched the sunrise that morning after my birthday celebration (in our going out clothes from the night before still drinking wine) we realized that waking up at 12 O’clock was just never going to happen…And it didn’t. It wasn’t until 5 O’clock in the evening that we finally found ourselves waking up and leaving the apartment to go grab our first meal. We headed to Union Square where we were meeting up with his brother again, and we decided to eat at a place called The Coffee Shop.

I had very low expectations for the food since the name of the place indicated that was more of a beverage spot, but I was very pleasantly surprised to enjoy a great meal. The place is decorated like a diner inside and there is some great outdoor sidewalk seating as well (so great that we couldn’t get a table!). My boyfriend was telling me that it is rumored that the waitresses are supposed to all be models or something…granted that many of them are anorexically thin, we did not think this rumor remains true there today, maybe just something of the past.

I ordered the Chicken Paillard, which was seasoned perfectly and enormous…I kid you not, it covered my entire plate (of course that didn’t stop me from finishing it all though!). It was topped with a very nice arugala salad with cherry tomatoes, tossed in a light red wine vinaigrette. My boyfriend had the Chicken Fajitas, which was also a huge portion and really good (a little oily though).

The food is pretty good here, nothing memorable or unique, but still good. You can tell from the menu that the place is definitely Brazilian because they serve Ropa Vieja, Tamales, Fajitas Rio Style, and Sopa De Piexe Bahia…so I would order that route. Ohh and the coffee is delicious!! I had one of the best cappuccinos ever after my lunch…now that was memorable! This place gets four stars because the food is so unassumingly delicious and the coffee is divine.

Sunday - May 30, 2010

Serafina

212.315.1700

210 West 55^th Street, New York 10019

(On Broadway)

Check out the Menu!

So tonight was my birthday dinner and all day my boyfriend kept asking me where I wanted to eat. Considering how much I love food and the occasion, this was a stressful and rather time-consuming process. I wanted to go somewhere delicious but also somewhere that had a party atmosphere because as a group of 6, I knew that we would get loud. I decided on Serafina; the one located on Broadway at the bottom of the Dream hotel. There are a bunch of Serafinas in New York and I believe that this is the nicest one…some are actually rather grungy so go to this one or your experience may be completely different than the one my review prepares you for. The one on Broadway is very modern and chic, with glass chandeliers and artwork projected on the walls. The indoor dinning room is very large and there is also some outdoor seating too.

Anyways, onto the food!! Serafina is Italian and the food is pretty good…actually, very good considering it is kind of a New York chain restaurant. The best thing on the menu is the Focaccia De Sophia, and my boyfriend and I always get one to start (my birthday was no different…except that we got two!) It is two very thin pieces of focaccia with a layer of melted goat cheese and truffle oil in the center. It is seriously dreamy! I love goat cheese and I love the flavor of truffles, so put them together with a carb and I’m in heaven! Everyone at the table went wild for it and all 16 pieces got finished.

For my entrée I ordered the Penne Alla Stolichnaya (penne vodka with prosciutto), which is rich, creamy and delicious. It is topped with fresh basil and of course I always have them pile on the freshly grated Parmesan! On other occasions I have also had the I Taglionlini “Di Cortina,” which is a pasta dish with chicken, mushrooms, and peas in a light cream sauce—very good, but nothing special. I have also had the Chicken Salad “Gold Gym,” which has grilled chicken, sun dried tomatoes raisins, pine nuts, and pesto dressing. However, I substituted the raisins for goat cheese and mixed the pesto dressing with balsamic vinaigrette (which makes for a fabulous dressing that you can easily make at home with leftover pesto sauce!). The one thing I would not order again from Serafina (in fact I even sent it back) is the La Zuppa Della Nonna, which is their terrible version of a pasta fagioli. It has absolutely no flavor and is served in a bowl so shallow that it goes cold in .25 seconds. All the freshly grated Parmesan cheese in the world cannot even remedy this bland soup.

Although the food is pretty good, the service at Serafina is not. The wait staff often forgets special requests for lemons, extra olive oil, ect…and they are usually very busy so you have to kind of grab at them to get their attention as they run by the table. My boyfriend, who is very particular about his whisky (he’s Venezuelan…enough said), always asks for his drink in a short glass. But EVERY time they bring it in a tall glass and he finds himself spilling his drink on the table as they later bring him a short glass to transfer the beverage. This time they really out did themselves and brought his whisky in a white wine glass…with drink straws, which was the greatest bartending fopaux I have ever seen! As far as drinks go, there is usual a problem but I play it safe with the Sangria, which is pretty delicious.

Overall, this is a great place for large parties because the atmosphere is fun and chic and the price is reasonable for almost every budget (average entrée is $20). The menu isn’t very interesting or inventive but the food is simple and good, however, there are a lot of service problems that take away from the dining experience.

Sunday - May 30, 2010

Le Bilboquet

212.751.3036

25 East 63^rd Street, New York 10021

(Between Madison and Park Ave)

Check out the Menu!

Ohh Le Bilboquet…There is just so much to say about this tiny French Bistro, which is packed with a big French attitude. We all know that a certain level of animosity exists between the French and, as they would say, “Filthy Americans,” but Le Bilboquet proves that you don’t have to be in France to experience it! The wait staff (all French…of course) are a group of beautiful (and arrogant) young men, who seem inconvenienced that they even have to take your order. Essentially, you have to call them over for everything and this past time my boyfriend even caught himself saying, “Excuse me sir, can we place our order?” That’s right, the customer asking the waiter if they can be served!!! A little backwards, no? Of course the supermodel looking man then put down his Sunday paper and came out from behind the bar to take our order, but it just feels weird. Ohh and if you have questions about the menu, which of course is all in French, don’t expect much help from the wait staff…I asked if they had tuna tartar and he was like “of course, don’t you see it right here on the menu?!” (pointing to something in French, while making me feel uncultured at the same time).

At this point, you’re probably thinking that I messed up my star rating because all that I have done is complain…but Le Bilboquet does in fact deserve five stars because the FOOD IS INCREDIBLE! The reality is that this place would not be packed with American patrons if it did not serve delicious food. I always order the Cajun Chicken, which is actually orgasmic. It is served in a delicious peppery butter sauce and is sliced down into small pieces, making it easy to eat. Ohh and there are no bones, which is a major plus in my opinion. It is served with a small mixed green salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and some of the most amazing french fries I have ever tasted. The fries at the bottom of the pile soak up some of the buttery Cajun sauce and WOW, eating those is an experience! I have also had the Ceasar Salad, which is very delicious. However, the Cajun Chicken is a must have and even better, it is a huge portion!!

So, if you walk into this place and find yourself annoyed by the arrogant wait staff and the difficult to read menu, DON’T LEAVE!! Just order the Poulet Cajun and I promise you won’t even be able to put down your fork to complain. When the food comes at Le Bilboquet, the table (no matter what size) goes quiet until everyone has finished their plates. Then to pull yourself out of the inevitable food coma, order a cappuccino or espresso (the cappuccino is amazing!!) and resume your table talk.

The prices are high (Cajun Chicken is $27), but the food quality can demand such a price in my opinion.

I have only ever been to Le Bilboquet for lunch, and the crowd ranges from youthful to elderly. Lots of people getting dropped off in character town cars and as New York Magazine says, tons of “trust fund women with their little dogs.” However, I have heard that the dinner scene is quite different and much more youthful because the restaurant plays loud “club music,” which makes conversations difficult. I’m young and that doesn’t appeal to me, so I will probably stick to lunches there!

Bon Appetitte!