Category Archives: Pizza

Bareburger Burger Joint

I’m not really a big fan of salads…

I feel like you have to eat a lot of salad in order to fill up. And the flavors are typically so traditional it gets boring very quickly.

But lately I have managed to come across two salads that I love and I can’t seem to get enough of. One of the salads is from Vezzo (the thin crust pizzeria that I’m in love with, and their apple salad is very tart and tangy and is full of flavor), the other is from Bareburger (a fabulous burger joint that has quickly expanded to a large burger chain throughout Manhattan). Bareburger’s Mexican Salad was such an unexpected surprise. This salad has every type of flavor, texture, and even color! From the smooth, rich, creamy texture of an avocado — to the crunch of mini tortilla chips, every bite will be different. I’m also a major fan of the pepper jack cheese that’s diced up and thrown into the salad!

Tomatoes + Avocado + Onion + Lettuce + Pepper + Pepper Jack Cheese + Tortilla chips = the best salad ever! (what kind of dressing do they use… I have no clue! All I know is it’s nothing to feel guilty over and it’s a subtle tang that brings out all of the vegetables’ flavors! And did I mention how fresh every single ingredient is? I have ordered this salad countless times and never have I experience a plate that wasn’t made with perfect, fresh vegetables! The avocados are never bruised, the ingredients never come out soggy — I love it!)

I could actually eat this salad for a meal! That’s if my boyfriend and I don’t have a fork-war over every bite!

Italian Food — Good for the Soul

For me, Italian food is probably the most comforting food I could ever feed myself. When studying abroad and missing home — I would head to a tasty Italian restaurant to comfort me. The best thing about cooking this style of cuisine for yourself at home is it’s pretty darn cheap, flavorful and very basic to make (at least most dishes are).

Now that I have been to Italy — all over the place actually, this past fall I got a true taste of the country my ancestors came from — I can truly say that the sister restaurants Perbacco and Gnocco here in New York City are better than 99 percent of the restaurants I ate at while visiting the homeland. That other 1 percent is actually a random sandwich shop that I fell in love with in Florence called Antico Noe. And even Perbacco and Gnocco restaurant owner Gianluca Giovanetti says that the bread in Florence is the best — the bread = one of the reasons why Antico Noe’s sandwiches are to die for.

food at gnocco in nyc

I’m sure you are all used to by now my raves on these two restaurants… The truth is, I’ll never stop blogging about them because 1. They truly are the best Italian restaurants I have ever been to in my entire life, 2. The menus change and the specials are always blowing me away, 3. I’m not the only one that loves these restaurants, reviews all over the internet says fantastic things!

So I blogged last week about Perbacco and that means this week I am writing about Gnocco, again! The other night I went for dinner with my Penn State friend Alexandra and her father who also lives here in the city. Her father actually introduced me to Gnocco — so I can blame him on my addiction for the food.

What did we order? I ordered the special — a pumpkin ravioli which was both comforting, light, and full of flavor. I was surprised at how much more potent the ingredients became once the ravioli began to cool. The flavors stood out more! It came with long gorgeous parmigiano reggiano cheese shaving on top. And yes, I ate every single bite. It would be a sin not to.

But first, we ordered for the table an unbelievable burrata cheese special for an appetizer. The burrata was probably the best burrata I have ever had in my life — the cheese was so silky, fluffy, and perfectly seasoned. The plate came with fluffy, crunchy bread that was toasted with (most likely) olive oil brushed on top. And of course there was the tomato and basil seasonings as well. In all honesty, you can’t find better cheese in any other restaurant.

Alexandra ordered my favorite pizza — the Tartufata — which includes fresh mozzarella, a truffle sauce, mushrooms, and speck. Alexandra is a vegetarian so she ordered it without the speck. The first time I had this pizza I ordered it because the table next to me ordered 2 of the pizzas (for two people) and the smells of the pizza were so divine they floated over to my table and I became a huge fan instantly without even having tasted the pizza.

The evening was filled with spectacular cuisine, amazing company, and fantastic wine. The atmosphere is so cozy and you honestly can’t get any better than Gnocco (and Perbacco of course).

Beauty & Essex

The LES has become such a trendy place to wine and dine, and of course party. It’s also turned into a “hip” place to live, although if you venture to the neighborhood during the day you’ll see that it’s still in pretty rough shape and needs some cleaning up. I know way too many people that used to live in the Lower East Side that experienced bedbugs. So, I would rather just go there for a drink and/or dinner every once in a while. I’m way too happy living in Chelsea.

My boyfriend and I ventured to Beauty & Essex this past Saturday night for a birthday party. Just take a guess what street this restaurant/bar/lounge is located on… that’s right, Essex! When you enter, you have to walk through a pawn shop before being greeted at the actual door to the restaurant. “Are we in the right place?” my boyfriend asked me when we first arrived. And if I hadn’t googled this joint before heading downtown I probably would have been confused myself.

pawn shop outside beauty and essex

The pawn shop that you must go through to get into Beauty & Essex

Once the bouncer opened the door for us, we stepped into a place completely different than the pawn shop. (This is one reason why I love living in New York City, you never know what you’re going to find.) Immediately when you step inside you see a luxurious curved staircase that takes you up to the second floor — this is where we were seated with friends. Beauty & Essex is a fabulous combination of a bar, lounge, and restaurant. If you can’t get a table to eat at, then the next best thing is to order some appetizers at the lounge-section. I actually enjoyed sitting in this seat because it felt more cozy (perfect on a cold winter night) and it allowed more people in the group to move around and chat with everyone.

beauty and essex menu

Instead of ordering dinner, we ordered a ton of appetizers and snacked on those until we were filled. The plates we ordered were primarily fish dishes, something I would never complain about. Some orders included: the tuna poke wonton tacos, lobster pizzetta, lobster tacos, wok fried mushrooms, classic pan con tomate with fresh burrata, creamy parsnip ravioli, and oven braised chicken meatballs.

The tuna tacos were so tasty! The fish was fresh and the tacos added fantastic texture to each bite. Lime wedges were provided to squeeze on top, and usually I consider this a have-to-do but this time there was so much flavor in the dish already it wasn’t a necessity. We ordered the lobster pizzetta without bacon, and I loved the flavors on this plate too! Loaded with tasty chunks of lobster, and lots of cheese on top, you’ll never want your pizza made any other way. I was also surprised with the creamy parsnip ravioli — it was a vegetarian ravioli and I swear I thought there was meat in it! Those vegetarians sure can trick you!

Overall I really enjoyed myself here. The night started with some music playing in the background and as it got later the music was turned up for more of a “club” feel. The energy at this place was also so much fun — I can’t wait to go back!

(photos courtesy of Yelp)

Artichoke Basille’s, Chelsea Pizzeria

Every single time I go to the Chelsea Market, I walk by Artichoke Basille’s pizzeria. I’ve heard a lot about this restaurant and usually I hear all great reviews. That’s why I figured I would bring my mom here when she came to visit me the other weekend. My thoughts were: I always hear good things about this place, I love artichokes, the prices aren’t that bad, and it’s only a 5 minute walk from my apartment… SOLD!

We went rather early (about 6 p.m.) because I got out of work and all I could think about was eating dinner. Plus, my mom is an early-to-bed type of person and going to friday night dinner at the usual 9/9:30 time slot would never fly with her. When we arrived there weren’t that many people there so it was easy for us to get a table (I didn’t expect anything else). But I was rather surprised when I sat down and looked at the menu… The prices on the menu did not match in any way to the prices that were available online. I told the waitress this and she said that she would tell the manager. I mean, for an appetizer it was about a 4 dollar difference online vs the print version at the restaurant! I have never had this happen to me before, it’s seriously such a disappointment. I’ll tell you why too — because I was planning on having us order a few things so we would get a nice sample of what the menu had to offer. But, with the surprise of price increase we opted to order just a simple “half pie.” We easily picked the Artichoke Pizza option since it was our first time there and that’s what the waitress recommended.

pizza from Artichoke Basille

I was happy that the “half pie” sort of option gave us the perfect amount of food — two slices each. The slices were also fairly big so it was definitely a filling dinner. I guess I wasn’t prepared for the style of pizza even though I read the menu… “Artichoke hearts, spinach, cream sauce, mozzarella & pecorino romano cheese.” My eyes must have skimmed over the cream sauce. I love cream sauce, especially on my gnocchi or pasta but this was the first time I’ve ever had it on my pizza. It was delicious! My one complaint: the cream sauce wasn’t spread over the pizza evenly — so I had several bites that had way too much sauce, which was actually a bit unappetizing. Other than that all of the ingredients went beautifully together! I love spinach and love putting it on practically everything. And I love artichokes! What else should I have expected since the name of the restaurant is called Artichoke Basille’s?

Happy New Year 2012

I hope everyone is off to a fantastic New Year! How did everyone spend their New Years Eve? Hopefully with a glass of champagne in one hand!? (I love this photograph from Red Haute and Bothered on Tumblr. I just had to share it with you).

Instead of going into all of the stereotypical New Year’s resolutions… I want to share with you a few of my favorite posts from 2011. I’ve discovered so many fantastic restaurants here in New York — and I hope everyone is able to try some new and interesting cuisine in this upcoming year!

For the overall tastiest dish in New York City — Al Di La Trattoria in Brooklyn, New York — fits the bill! I never go to Brooklyn, but I would happily go any time if it meant I would be eating at Al Di La.

My favorite meal while out of New York City was from — Antico Noe — a sandwich shop in Florence, Italy. I never imagined that a sandwich could be this delicious! I plan to go back to Florence one day, just so I can eat here!

The best burger award goes to — Minetta Tavern — their Black Label Burger is the reason why you need to make reservations one month in advance! And do not offer to share this burger with anyone. Trust me, you’ll want it all to yourself. (*and eat it the way the chef prepares it, do NOT add ketchup.)

For an affordable, yet trendy and sophisticated menu, the award award goes to — L’Artusi — I love that the menu changes seasonally, and the portion sizes are fantastic!

The most exotic restaurant surly is — Ventanas — this Spanish-Moroccan fusion restaurant has mastered the tastiest dishes and has an incredibly entertaining ambiance.

The fastest and tastiest restaurant award goes to — La Esquina’s Taqueria in Soho — it’s hard not to stop here for some tacos and grilled corn whenever I am shopping downtown! Plus, it’s a great place to take friends to when they visit, no one dislikes their food!

The best comfort food award goes to — The Meatball Shop — the unfortunately long wait keeps me from going back, but the food is delicious and insanely cheap! Who wouldn’t want a bowl of spicy pork meatballs?

Pizza may have been around for centuries, but Co. in Chelsea knew what to do to have people re-discovering it again. Even though it’s a bit pricey for pizza, you’ll love every bite!

The best South American food goes to the 24/7 joint in Hell’s Kitchen — Empanada Mama. The avocado salad is to-die-for but all of the empanadas are fantastic! This is obviously what they are known for, so you must order a bunch when you go (plus, they are wicked cheap!).

Vezzo Thin Crust Pizza in Murray Hill

I’m not a big fan of the neighborhood of Murray Hill. To describe it to a non New York’er, the neighborhood is filled with college frat boys who have graduated yet can’t seem to leave behind the obnoxious sports bars. All of the neighborhoods in New York City ultimately make up the city that I love so much — so if Murray Hill didn’t exist then I think that would mean those obnoxious former frat boys might be in my family-oriented, charming neighborhood of Chelsea. I just cringed as I wrote that.

But since my boyfriend has yet to move out of Murray Hill (hopefully that will happen in the spring time, he might be a former frat boy but his behavior is nothing of the sort), we spend a lot of time in the neighborhood. What’s good about Murray Hill? There’s a fantastic AMC movie theater on 2nd Avenue (there’s also one on the west side right above Chelsea in the Herald Square area, and there is a Bareburger (which has also recently opened in Chelsea as well… I love their salads and I promise to write about them soon). So really, there’s nothing keeping my boyfriend in Murray Hill since everything you could want (and more) can be found in Chelsea.

But, a new discovery we have made in Murray Hill is a pizzeria called Vezzo. This small, packed restaurant has probably the best thin crust pizza I have ever had. Perfectly cheesed and seasoned, the toppings are put on top of the best crunchy thin crust! What was my favorite? While my boyfriend opted for the classic cheese pizza, I order the “Shroomtown” that included: marinara sauce, cheese, portobello, shitake, button mushrooms, and white truffle oil.

If you didn’t already know, the flavoring of truffle is a million times better when it is paired with a dairy product such as cheese. I also don’t know why, but I love the pairing of mushrooms and truffle oil. I’m also not a big fan of truffle oil, but it is more common for a restaurant to sometimes use a truffle oil since it is much cheaper. But, if you ever see “white truffle” as an ingredient you should know that that type of truffle is the best. There are two types of truffles: black and white. Personally, the white is my favorite!

It’s rare that we go to a restaurant to sit down and have pizza. But I would do it again any day at Vezzo! They do deliver as well! Since there was about a 45 minute wait at the restaurant, we will probably end up ordering delivery the next time we want their pizza. But delivery never tastes the same!

Co. Pizza in Chelsea

It’s always nice to eat at new restaurants in Chelsea… especially since that means the restaurant is probably a quick walk from my apartment. (Who wouldn’t love that?) Recently, a friend took me to a pizza restaurant and I apparently have been walking by this place every single day. I had no clue that Co. existed! A gourmet pizza joint that is always crowded no matter what day of the week it is.

The first time I went I split a salad and pizza with a friend (sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the salad). I ordered the Artichoke salad, which includes: olive oil poached artichokes, arugula, capers, shaved parmesan, and lemon oil dressing. This is probably the most delicious salad I have ever eaten. The combination of the ingredients was superb! I was surprised at the saltiness of the dish, but that was what made it so tasty. The combination of the capers and artichokes was brilliant — I have never had the two together. I also loved the thin shavings of parmesan cheese — it added a rich sophisticated flavor to the saltiness and the lemony flavorings.

Last week I went with my friend Stef to Co. She’s a foodie as well, so when I told her about how amazing the pizza is at this restaurant, she was excited to join me! We both ordered different pizzas. I ordered the Popeye, which includes: pecorino, gruyere, mozzarella, spinach, black pepper, and garlic. When my pizza first arrived it looked a bit intimidating. The spinach was cooked yet the leaves were still fluffy on top of the rest of the pizza. It looked like a big pile of spinach. But once I cut into my personal-sized pizza I could see all of the other ingredients… especially the cheese! It’s best to eat these pizzas with a fork and knife. This is the first time I have ever had gruyere cheese on my pizza, and I have to say, it’s a winner! It’s so easy to make pizzas like this at home, but first you need the inspiration. I’m looking forward to baking my own pies at home that are made up of the same ingredients! Yum!

For dessert, we ordered the vanilla and chocolate gelato. Since I just came back from Italy, I have to say that I am a very tough judge on gelato now. The vanilla wasn’t that tasty to me, but Stef actually preferred it, and I enjoyed the chocolate the most, although it didn’t really have the consistency of gelato. The chocolate “gelato” tasted more like a fudgesicle. (If you have never eaten a fudgescicle, please do so… you really missed out on the best childhood chocolate popsicle.)

If you’re looking for a fun, upbeat pizzeria that has more to offer than the average-joe pie — then you should definitely be eating at Co. If you arrive before 8 p.m. you won’t have a problem getting a table. If you arrive and the restaurant is packed then you may have to eat at a “communal” table, which means you’ll sit at a long table that you will share with other parties but you’ll still be sitting with those you came with.


(click on the photos to see the Popeye pizza close up!)

What On Earth Did They Do To My Pizza!?

After visiting Rome, my family and I headed for a day trip to Pompeii. It’s only a few hours away from Rome, so the drive wasn’t too bad. But along the way we stopped at a little cafe that was also similar to a “rest stop” that we would have here in the U.S. Except our rest stops don’t have Italian cappuccino makers and tasty food. The “fast food” that we ordered for lunch wasn’t exactly high in trans fat — rather it was made from fresh ingredients! For lunch we ate pizza, typical I know, but what they did to our pizza sparked a brilliant idea for me to incorporate in my kitchen at home.

Our pizzas were “pre-made” but they were probably made not even an hour before we ate them. Instead of keeping the pizzas in a circular shape, they folded the pizza over into more of a triangular shape. Doesn’t sound like a big deal, but instead of heating up the pizzas in an oven they popped them right into a panini maker! Since the pizza was folded over, the cheese didn’t stick or get ripped off by the panini maker. Instead, it was perfectly heated and all of the ingredients were kept safe.

I’ve always loved the idea of having a panini maker, but lets face it, I will probably rarely use it. It’s not that often that I want to make paninis. But if I was able to put the device to better use for multiple things, I think I would be more interested in buying one! This “panini maker used to heat up my pizza” idea made me think of all of the other things I could do with a panini maker… make grilled cheese sandwiches, paninis (of course), heat up pizza (duh), maybe even cook veggies, I could grill chicken, make quesadillas, and I could even grill up some Portobello mushrooms and peppers! (Damnit, I wish I bought a panini maker in college!)

So, thanks to the Italians and the way they “folded” my pizza, I have now realized that a panini maker might be a great addition to my kitchen.

Pizza In A Tuscan Town, Lucca

I actually never heard of Lucca, Italy until my recent trip last month! Actually, I read the book ‘Sarah’s Key’ on the plane ride over to Italy and one of the main characters actually lived in Lucca. Why this character lived in this specific Italian town would have made much more sense to me if I knew what Lucca was all about. But anyways, this hidden gem of Italy (and I’m sure Italy has plenty of them) is now becoming an “it” destination.

Why is Lucca all of a sudden becoming this popular place to visit, you are probably wondering. Well, first of all it doesn’t feel like a city so it’s not too overwhelming, it’s also not beach-side, but there is a lot of shopping to be done, lots of restaurants to eat at, and this town is so idyllic even movies have been filmed here (movies including: ‘The English Patient’ and ‘The Portrait of a Lady’)…. even Andrea Bocceli leaves right near Lucca (I hope you all know who he is). But what is so fascinating about Lucca is the entire town is surrounded by a fortress. Yes, the entire town. I originally thought that if an entire town had a wall built around it, then it probably wouldn’t be that big of a town. I was completely wrong! There were large piazzas and high-end shops (even Armani!) and practically everyone was biking or walking every where. Actually, the fortress used to close off the town from outsiders, but once a day the door would be opened and any outsider could come in. But before entering, any weapons would be taken away so the town was incredibly safe.

While we visited we had time to grab some quick, on-the-go, lunch. What’s perfect to grab when you are in a hurry? PIZZA! (Duh! we’re in Italy, of course it’s going to be pizza!). Since I was on a sausage kick on my trip, I got a slice of pizza with sausage. Ugh this pizza was so tasty I am starting to crave it right now! The pizza was much more thick than the other slices I had so far, and the bottom was nice and crispy. The perfect amount of red sauce and cheese were complimented with the chunks of ground sausage added to the top. The sausage was perfectly spiced, adding a bit of kick to the flavor. It was so tasty I wouldn’t have minded if there was more! I should have ordered two slices…

We didn’t have much time in Lucca, unfortunately, but I have decided that I will return again one day and spend some quality time in this magical Tuscan town.

Food (Pizza & Pasta) in Capri: Part III

There is something about Anacapri that has me obsessed with everything and anything Capri. It was interesting to learn that those working certain jobs in Capri are able to be working only because they were born and raised in Capri. For example, the guy that rowed our boat into the Blue Grotto had to have been born and raised in Capri otherwise they weren’t able to have that certain career. This is brilliant because it keeps the locals in business and the greedy money making, destroyers of all things authentic off and away from the Italian paradise.
While walking the streets of Anacapri in the early evening, my family and I had to pick a place for dinner. We came across this gorgeous square and the main part of the square was the church. Actually, after vacation I soon discovered the E! News host Giuliana Rancic got married in this exact church a few years ago… I am officially jealous of G! Right next to this square was a pizzeria/pasta restaurant and of course we thought the menu sound fabulous!
We sat outside, perfect for people watching. But when I peeked my head into the restaurant I saw a gorgeous pizza stove and an adorable little old man tossing pizzas. Naturally my mom and I immediately headed inside to take pictures of him making pizza, but before I knew it I was behind the counter top spreading dough myself! The pizzaman also ended up being the owner of the restaurant! He didn’t speak a lick of English, but he flirted with me as if he was a 25 year-old guy. He was just too cute, I couldn’t even get him to turn to face the camera for a picture, so I stared right back at him.
We sat down for dinner and had a few delicious dishes! My dad always goes right for the red sauce plates, for some reason, and he never really tries anything new. I guess what works for him is what he sticks with. I usually laugh on the inside because I feel like he’s missing out on some of the most delicious foods, but this time he was right on by ordering the spaghetti in a red sauce. I have never had a more delicious red sauced pasta dish before in my entire life! Italians cook their spaghetti just right, Al Dente = the best way to prepare pasta! The pizza was also delicious, it was filled with salami, mushrooms and olives! I was surprised to see that my pizza came with separations, the toppings weren’t all mixed together. I actually enjoyed this because the extra crusty separations added more texture and crispness.
Another aspect of Italian restaurants that I adore is how almost every restaurant I ate at has their own signature bottle of wine. Not just a wine that the restaurant thinks is the best, but they typically have their own label and possibly even their own vineyard. This is incredible because no restaurant is going to create a wine that tastes bad with their food!

food