Hungry for Neapolitan-style pizza? Porto is the real deal.

As most of you readers may already know, Ryan grew up in New Jersey so we’re often in the North Bergen/Edgewater area (right across the river on the hills), where my in-laws live. The restaurants in these neighborhoods are pretty amazing. My in-laws told us about a new pizza place that just opened up, Porto. A tiny little BYOB spot serving up true Neapolitan-style pizza. I’ve been to Italy several times so my expectations were high. 

The menu is predominately pizza with some great appetizer/salad options and a couple pastas. We decided to stick with apps and then enjoy the pizza as the main event. They had fresh Burrata on the menu which made my life. I naturally added Prosciutto to this dish. Best.combo.ever. Ryan ordered the Kale Salad which was awesome. The Kale was crunchy but not bitter in the least. The dressing creamy, like a ranch or caesar and the salad is topped with tangy grated parmesan and thick pancetta. Heaven. The pizza...ahhhhh the pizza. It’s exactly like what you would have in Italy. A soft, thin crust with just the right amount of cheese and toppings. The flavors are beyond fresh. The chef/owner Antonio has worked in NYC and traveled Italy studying different forms of pizza making...hence his insanely authentic flavors. 

Unfortunately we were too full for dessert but FYI, they have Fried Oreos on the menu. I’ll def be saving room next time...

Anyone for a trip to NJ? ;-) 

My to-die-for Prosciutto De Parma & fresh Burrata with cherry tomatoes. I could eat this every day.

The best Kale Salad, like, ever. 

Real, Neapolitan-Style pizza from Chef Antonio. Welcome to Jersey!

Eat Up!

The Goods at The Gander NYC

Ryan was working late last Friday so I decided to join a few friends of ours for dinner at Chef Jesse Schenker’s, The Gander.  I’ve read several reviews, all of which were pretty good and noted this new American restaurant served a dish called Brisket Tots, like brisket tater tots...say whaaaatt?! I was so down. 

I loved the space. Nice long bar, simple but chic decor, I was feeling the vibe. Although I stuck to wine, the cocktail list looked super fun. My friend ordered the Cider 75 and loved it. The food menu is a la carte or you have the option to order their $65pp prix-fixe menu. You get a choice of appetizer, pasta, main and dessert. Looking at the price points, the prix-fixe seemed link a bargain so we went for it. As expected, the food was fantastic. 

The Brisket Tots were served with a heavenly, horseradish cream sauce. They were nice and crispy and filled with tender shaved brisket. Order them. 

My Calamari Salad was one of the best salads I’ve had recently. The calamari was divine but the stand out ingredients were the sweet grapes and creamy ranch dressing. Ranch. Dressing. The most underrated condiment in the north. Us southerners know all about the awesomeness & importance of a good ranch dressing. I almost asked for extra but refrained.

Chef Schenker’s pastas are delightful. I ordered the Spaghetti and Clams as a friend of mine said it was one of her favorite dishes...in life. It was pretty amazing. The sauce gave Rao’s a run for it’s money. Delicious. 

We’d heard the fish dishes at The Gander were top notch. I ordered the Potato Crusted Cod. It’s their “lighter” version of Fish & Chips. I would get it again. My friend’s Roasted Branzino looked pretty out of this world as well.

In regards to dessert, I have 3 words for you...Creme Brûlée SemiFreddo. My espresso martini finished off the meal perfectly. Enjoy...

Crispy Calamari Salad with Ranch. Yes. Ranch.

Brisket Tater Tots with Horseradish Cream. So good. So genius.

The Spaghetti & Clams. One if the best pasta dishes I've had in a while. Fantastic. 

Potato Crusted Cod, Pommes Mousseline (like fancy mashed potatoes), Onion Jam. Their version of Fish & Chips. The cod was crusted perfectly. The pommes mousseline was velvety, buttery goodness. The onion jam gave the dish a nice tang and a much needed acidic note. 

Creme Brulee SemiFreddo. Very good idea and also tasted very good...but so full...

Eat Up!

Major Food blesses the UWS

Parm has been around for some time now as a small Mulberry street sandwich shop with all the standard Italian staples. Parm is part of the Major Food Group (ZZ’s Clam Bar, Carbone & Dirty French (blog post to come!!!)). Due to the restaurant's overwhelming popularity, our friends at Major Food decided to bless the upper west side with Parm uptown. A full service restaurant and bar with an expanded menu and lots of Italian charm. The menu? Pastas, sandwiches, salads, a full charcuterie counter...you name it, they have it. Everything my fictional Italian heart desired. The restaurant is quick large and was packed at 7pm on a Friday night.

I suggest ordering a lot and sharing. Get several apps, the made-to-order mozzarella is a must and the prosciutto is to die for, then sharing a platter and a sandwich. One of those options needs to be a “parm” ie. their chicken or meatball (get the meatball!!!). I also hear their sides are amazing, specifically the Smashed & Crispy Potatoes. Sadly we were to full to get a side dish but I noted this info for my next visit. If you’re an ice cream lover, save room for dessert. They have monstrous ice cream cakes and a plethora of other dessert options.

Make your reservations now & enjoy the following Italian inspired food porn...

...And dinner begins...

Parm’s Made-to-order Warm Mozzarella served with perfectly crisped garlic bread. Unreal. 

Freshly cut Prosciutto. Perfection with the warm mozzarella. 

Chicken Francese platter with baked ziti. Ahhhhmazing. The ziti is a must-try.

The Meatball Parm Roll. If you get one thing at Parm, one must try the meatballs...on a roll, the platter, whatever. Just try them. They’re the best. Ever.

The Almond Joy ice cream cake. Very good. My least favorite part of the meal if I had to pick one but still good. 

Godere! (Enjoy!)

Mario Batali’s Del Posto Impresses

Del Posto has been on our list for quite some time. Our 4 year anniversary was coming up so we figured an evening at Mario Batali's elevated flagship would be the perfect way to celebrate. We were correct.

Upon arrival, we immediately felt grateful we dressed up. The place is legit fine dining. I find many restaurants in NYC have strayed away from the buttoned up, jacket required dress codes. At Del Posto, I suggest dressing to impress. The space is large. Much larger than expected. To my dismay we had to wait about 20 minutes though we had a reservation. We didn’t mind so much as there was room in the bar & lounge area. A large glass of wine was calling my name. As we waited, we enjoyed our wine and people watched. A slightly older crowd but a nice mix. Lots of suits. Very different from Babbo, our other Batali fave. 

When we finally sat, we were happy to discover our table was one of the best in the house. A table for four even though we were only a party of two. This is a big deal especially in NYC where space is always limited/non-exsistant.  What followed was nothing short of a phenomenal dining experience. Everything from the food to the service to the ambiance was exactly what we wanted and expected. We opted for the Captain’s Menu. 8 courses at $179 per person. Pricey yes, but very worth it for a special occasion. 

When making your reservation, do so waaaaay in advance for a table at a prime dinner hour. I would not suggest making plans afterwards. Not only will you be unbelievably full but you will have just sat for about 3-4 hours. We were there for four. This is an experience so plan your evening accordingly. 

Continue reading for more details & mouthwatering images...So good.

Homemade breads with fancy, flavorful butters. A delightful way to start the 3+ hour meal.

One of the top 3 best bites of 2014. A tender steak tartare with black truffle and crispy chips. Ridiculous.

A little taste of fresh pasta. Mushroom, truffle...yep, it was truffle season.

Veal steak wrapped in bacon. A true carnivores dream. This was Ryan’s favorite course...

A plethora of beverages...drink up!

Happy anniversary to us!

Eat Up!

Start 2015 Off Right!

Hi friends! My apologies for dropping off the face of the earth! The holidays in my profession are insane. That, combined with traveling and being sick with the flu the last week has put me a little behind.

Anyway! Moving on to the good stuff...I've decided to make my first post in 2015 count. I’ve had several people ask me about my fruit & veggie smoothies. I posted the recipe for my morning ritual last year BUT have made a few changes. Ryan and I also received a fantastic new kitchen toy for Christmas! The Nutri Bullet. I have to say, this thing rocks and is the perfect companion for my smoothie making. It blends in seconds and you can drink straight from the cup. They even provide handles you can screw on for easy sipping. My favorite part is the super easy clean up. Major plus. 

Please see below for my new and improved, Start Your Day Right Smoothie recipe... 

BTW keep reading up...Ryan and I have had some major food adventures this past month and I am beyond excited to share them with you! Stay tuned!

Juanina's Start Your Day Right Smoothie

1/2 banana

1 c of your favorite frozen berries (you can also use fresh but frozen gives your smoothie a nice icy texture)

1 or 2 heaping handfuls of spinach

1 big splash of fresh OJ (regular OJ is fine too, I like Simply Orange)

1 scoop Amazing Grass Super Food (AMAZING STUFF!)

1 tsp Chia Seeds

Enough water to blend...

Blend all the ingredients above in a blender and enjoy!

BUY ONE! You can make smoothies, dips, soups & more!

Drink up!

My Weekend Food Porn: Boston, MA

Ahhhhhh Boston...how I love thee. I’ve only been a few times and it’s never been for long enough. It’s one of those places I go to and think, “I could totally live here!”. Thankfully the food scene does not disappoint. I have to been honest in that I’ve only gone for weekends at a time so I have a lot more Boston eating to do. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to comment for my next visit!

I was there this past weekend visiting a friend. For my first meal I wanted nothing more than fresh, raw oysters and lots’o chowder. She took me to our first stop...The Barking Crab. They’re sadly doing construction around the restaurant which makes it difficult to get to...but that didn’t stop us. I ordered both the oysters and a bowl of clam chowder. Outstanding. The chowder was the best I’ve ever had and that says a lot. What really made it was the Crab on Fire hot sauce they serve. A little drizzle of that fiery goodness set off the entire dish. Get the chowder. Bonus: This place also serves lobsters and crabs the size of a couch so it’s basically a seafood lovers dream come true. After The Barking Crab we went to a place called Pour House...this is where the drinking up began...

The next day for brunch we wanted copious amounts of food and bloody marys (due in part to our visit to Pour House). Another friend suggested The Living Room. This place was fabulous. There was a dining room but they have a huge lounge with couches and low tables...like a living room! It was so cozy. There was even a fireplace. For sports fans...TV’s galore. They have an amazing cocktail list and the food looked even better. We proceeded to order the following...

Spinach and Artichoke Dip: Basic but good. 

Buffalo Chicken Dumplings: Fantastic. Order them.

A Dozen Oysters: Very fresh and only $1 each!

A few of my friends got the Chicken and Waffles: The fried chicken was pretty amazing. Cooked perfectly and full of flavor. 

I ordered the Breakfast Flatbread: It was huge! Topped with cheese, eggs, Chorizo (I think this was just regular sausage:-() and arugula. It was tasty but I would suggest sharing as an appetizer and it’s quite filling.

Side note: They do 35 cent wings during football football games. Score.

I didn’t think we’d be hungry after our massive brunch but surprise! We made room. Off to Sweet Cheeks we go...Sweet Cheeks is a Texas BBQ joint by Chef Tiffany Faison. It’s good. Like really freaking good. Big portions and even bigger flavors. The biscuits with honey butter are a MUST! And the pork belly is melt in your mouth. The broccoli casserole...oh the cheesy deliciousness. Do NOT do what we did and go after a big brunch. Bad idea. Drink green juice all day and prepare your belly and body for a gut busting meal. Definitely plan to hit the gym the next day. It’ll all be worth it. 

Thank you Boston!

The Barking Crab Chowda with Crab on Fire hot sauce. YUM. 

Crispy Chicken and Waffles from The Living Room.

My cheesy, yet somewhat fresh (thank you arugula) Breakfast Flatbread. 

Homemade Biscuits with HONEY BUTTER!!!

Our tender Pork Belly Tray with pickles, onions, mac and cheese and Sweet Cheeks signature broccoli casserole. 

EAT UP!

Start your day with Super Foods!

I have never been a big fan of green powder. I’ve tried many brands and they always taste like grass (and I love green juice), they can be expensive and often times the powder can have other not-so-great stuff mixed in. You always have to read those labels.

If you’re going to use a green powder, make sure of the following...

1.) It’s organic and non GMO

2.) It’s vegan (there’s no reason for a green powder to have animal products)

3.) It’s raw (again, no reason for it not to be...)

It short, all natural green goodness.

I recently found the mother of all green powders - Amazing Grass Green Superfood. It’s literally amazing. It not only has all of aforementioned qualities but also tastes not horrible and can be purchased on Amazon for only $20. I have to say, I would not recommend mixing with just water. The taste is still pretty off-putting. It is however quite tasty when mixed with juice and even better when in a smoothie. I now put one scoop every morning in my fruit & veggie smoothies. It’s these healthy little tricks that allow me to balance those big dinners out...:-) Drink up!