Tag Archives: Arugula

Melt Shop Grilled Cheese

Let’s get right to the point — Little Muenster has some major competition. Just like cupcakes, grilled cheese sandwiches aren’t just a food trend — they are a classic comfort food that has been pleasing many for generations. Which is why it isn’t a surprise to me that grilled cheese shops are popping up all across town.

The credit here goes to my boyfriend who found Melt Shop just around the corner on West 26th Street. That’s the first major plus, I didn’t have to go all the way downtown like I did for Little Muenster. Convenience is key. I also appreciated the speediness of the service and the wide selection of sandwich choices.  What’s even more exciting? They offer a breakfast menu as well — something that I need to try out! To see the entire menu, click here!

Knowing what types of food I love… take a wild guess at what I ordered.

truffle grilled cheese

Yup — I went for the Truffle Melt… a grilled cheese made up of havarti, arugula, and cracked black pepper that has truffle oil drizzled on top, all melted together in between two pieces of sourdough bread. Did you know, if you add truffle to dairy the flavor really pops? So, what could be better than cheese and truffle? Hmmm, probably nothing.

The sourdough bread had the perfect crispiness after it came out of the sandwich press, and the arugula added the perfect greenery to the grilled cheese.

Looking for something with a little more substance? Melt Shop offers grilled cheeses made with meat — chicken, pork… you name it!

So, I leave you with this thought — what could be better than a warm grilled cheese on a cold winter day? These sandwiches really hit the spot and take the grilled cheese food trend to a whole new level.

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Malatesta Trattoria in the West Village

Okay, lets just say the obvious. The name of this trattoria is kind of strange. I’m not fluent in Italian, but I do know a few words… In college, one of my best friend’s last name was “Testa” and oddly enough the translation to Italian she told me means “head.” (Like, the head on top of your neck… just needed to clarify that.) And “mal” means “bad” (correct me if I’m wrong). So this trattoria means “bad head”? Kind of strange.

On Friday night my good friend Erica and I headed down to the West Village for some classic Italian cuisine. Located right in the heart of the West Village on the corner of Christopher Street and Washington Street, we knew that this restaurant was going to be fabulous. The annoying part was, we had to wait an hour and a half for a table — and no, they don’t take reservations. So while we waited we went to a near by bar, ordered a drink and caught up. The hour and a half flew by (thank goodness, because I was starving). We returned to the restaurant and we got what we called “the ‘it’ table” in the restaurant which was located right in the front corner where we were able to see everyone around the restaurant.

Erica is fluent in Italian so it was a ton of fun to listen to her speak Italian to our waiter. After she had a few chuckles and they exchanged a few words I told her how I was actually able to understand everything they said. I was shocked! She told me that Northern Italians speak very clearly and he was most likely from the North. I wasn’t surprised when he told us he is from a little town in Tuscany (of course he is, they all are. ha ha).

We both ordered a different starter — me, the calamari and Erica the mussels.

When the calamari arrived it was very obvious it wasn’t the typical breaded and fried calamari you usually get, it was a million times better! The fish had a beautiful grill flavor and with the lemon squeezed on top and the earthy flavor of the arugula leaves the tastes really came together nicely. Usually starter dishes make me feel guilty because most of them are fried, full of cheese and very filling; but this was the perfect appetizer, nice and light and I didn’t feel guilty eating it!

For my main dish I ordered just a classic Ravioli Al Formaggio — a ravioli filled with cheese in a pink sauce. I wasn’t in the mood for anything fancy, I just wanted some good ol’ classic Italian comfort food. With a light sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano on top, I devoured my ravioli dish in a flash. The best part about Malatesta Trattoria is that you don’t feel insanely stuffed on food — instead, you’ll experience the perfect portion of food that won’t fill you up where you feel like you ate too much but you will be totally satisfied on your dinner.

The ambience of Malatesta Trattoria was spectacular — a busy restaurant filled with people gathered for great food and exciting conversations. It seemed to also be a perfect date night for some couples — although an intimate conversation without talking loudly to one another seems impossible.

I don’t usually talk about prices on the menu, but since this trattoria was so cheap I just have to share with you all! I had a glass of wine, the calamari appetizer, and a cheese ravioli — all of this totaled $33. What a beautiful price that is, especially in such an expensive city like Manhattan!

Houlihan’s in Hershey, Pa.

I know you are probably wondering why the heck I am writing about Houlihan’s. I actually didn’t know until recently that there aren’t very many really good Houlihan’s restaurants out there. And when I heard about this, I was shocked because their restaurant in Hershey, Pennsylvania always blows me away.

Houlihan’s restaurants across the country might be judged as a joint similar to a TGIFriday’s. But on the contrary, I find it to be a higher end restaurant with spectacular food — that is, the one in Hershey.

Houlihan's in hershey

Wild Mushroom and Arugula Flatbread

No matter what day of the week it is, it’s packed! And I noticed something new when I went home to visit with family and friends this past summer, the restaurant added a new section to the menu with new dishes as well as the old favorites. It was the “small plates” that really caught my eye. Insanely inexpensive mini dishes of my favorite appetizers (like the jumbo stuffed shrooms and goat cheese and artichoke poppers) and of course the new discoveries like the wild mushroom and arugula flatbread with white truffle vinaigrette (pictured above) is now a new favorite of mine. How can you go wrong when something that fills you up and blows away your tastebuds costs only $6!?!

The food is made perfectly every time, and I know my experience at Houlihan’s in Hershey will always be a good one.

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!)

A Seafood Dinner in Venice

Our Italy trip ended in Venice, so sad that everything had to come to an end. Instead of staying in the heart of Venice, we stayed on an island of Venice called Isola Di San Clemente. It was such a treat to stay at such a luxurious hotel and on a private island! The hotel felt more like an Italian palace but the charm of Italian tradition could be see throughout the property — like in a courtyard with a Virgin Mary statue and an old individual stone “hut-like” place to pray in.

We arrived in the late afternoon and we had a few hours before dinner. I showered and expected my luggage to be delivered to the room quickly (like it had been done in all of the other cities and towns we stayed in) but I soon realized that the stereotypical European tardiness was about to shine through. Not a single person in the group received their luggage before dinner. If I had known, I would have gladly brought my bags up to my room myself. So sadly we had to put our casual travel clothes back on (gross) for our lovely dinner at an upscale Venetian restaurant. How embarrassing.

It was a rainy night so we had to stay inside on our short boat ride over to the main land of Venice. We also had to buy umbrellas upon arrival. We quickly walked through Piazza San Mark (St. Mark’s Square) and through small, narrow alley ways in the back of Venice before we arrived at our restaurant.

The vibe was very similar to New York City’s Minetta Tavern in Greenwich Village. The lights were dimmed, the crowd was sophisticated (except us in our travel clothes), and the deep booths were inviting to all who came into the restaurant.

Of course we ordered our starter, entree, and dessert.

For my starter I ordered something that honestly surprised me. The way it was described on the menu wasn’t what I had expected to eat, but I was pleasantly surprised with the flavors. My dish was beef sliced extremely thin and placed over a warm arugula and shaved parmesan reggiano cheese. It was such a brilliant combination of ingredients. If the beef was sliced any other way the dish would have been a disaster. And the warming of the arugula leaves added a surprising feeling to the tongue. I am such a fan of parmesan reggiano, it’s truly the best cheese on earth. If you are to splurge on anything in the grocery store, it should be this. I can live without truffles, I can live without red meat, but I seriously could never live without this type of cheese. Very little parmesan reggiano goes a very long way.

Next I had a pasta and seafood plate. I slurped up my pasta so quick. It’s surprising how much lighter pasta is on your stomach in Italy compared to the way it is here in the United States. I don’t know what it is, but I never felt guilty when I ate a plate full of carbs. And no I never once said “it doesn’t count when you’re on vacation.” I hate that saying.

For dessert I had a rum cake and I swear I got drunk off of it. One bite was like taking a shot of rum. The fluffy cake was dense and tasted like it was soaked in alcohol. If I could order all over again I probably wouldn’t have ordered the rum cake. I even passed my plate of cake around so everyone could take a taste for themselves — even the people at the table that were indulging in loads of wine even commented on how much alcohol was in such a small piece of cake!

Over all I really enjoyed this meal. I didn’t enjoy the rainy trek through Venice to get to the restaurant, but the company was fabulous and the food was memorable.