Tag Archives: Lunch

S’MAC — Sarita’s Macaroni & Cheese

I call them “comfort foods” others might call it a “food trend” — both are correct. It seems to me that comfort foods have been popping up on menus for several years now, but individual restaurants are now putting all of their concentration on one specific comfort food and selling it pretty darn well. When I say “one specific comfort food” I mean they are specializing in a type of food like, grilled cheese, cupcakes, popsicles, and mac & cheese.

S'MAC

This weekend wasn’t the first time I went to S’MAC, although  it was my first time at the Murray Hill location. I headed to this spot with my out-of-town friend, Brittany.

After eying-down the menu for several minutes we couldn’t seem to pick what we wanted — then the guy behind the counter suggested that we do the sampler which would allow us to taste 8 of the mac & cheeses on the menu. We were also told that this was perfect to split between 2 people… SOLD!

We paid, and the guy behind the counter handed us a laminated piece of paper that told us exactly what we would be eating and where it was in the cast iron skillet our mac & cheeses would be served in.

We couldn’t help but study the menu to see what exactly was in each and every one of the 8 samples we would be eating.

S'MAC menu

We were lucky enough to have gone to the restaurant during a slow time of day, because our skillet came out so quickly! After we pierced the surface of each section and let the mac & cheese cool off, we were ready to dive in. We decided to go section by section together so we could sample the same thing at the same time. (Wouldn’t this be such a cute lunch date?)

We started below the handle with the All-American — which I was surprised at how delicious it was. I thought it was going to be the most boring, after all it was made with only cheese… no herbs, no vegetables… I admit it, I poorly judged this basic cheese combo thinking it was going to be the same-ol’ same-ol’ sort of thing. What was even better? The Four-Cheese mac & cheese. Made with cheddar, muenster, gruyere and pecorino — this was probably my favorite out of the 8 samples we tasted.

Another favorite was the cheese burger. I am always impressed when a dish can hold the same flavors a completely different food owns. Like Serendipity’s frozen hot chocolate, or Empanada Mama’s Cheese Steak empanada. Yum!

Over-all, S’MACK has a very casual atmosphere and very tasty mac & cheese. It’s an experience to go to any restaurant that only offers one type of food on the menu in numerous ways. Would I go back? Maybe for lunch with another out of town friend, but most likely not with a local friend who wouldn’t think anything of a restaurant dedicated to mac & cheese.

Easy & Healthy Salad Recipes

You have all heard me say that salads are not considered lunch in my book. I don’t think they are filling, while I have had some tasty salads with chicken/meat in it I still don’t like salads to have any sort of animal meat, and in all honesty I feel like salads are deceiving. When I say “deceiving” I mean they can be so fattening! You hear someone say “I’m eating a salad” (as their meal) many will assume that they are one of those people that are conscious about healthy eating. But that’s such a lie! If I eat a salad every day, while at the same time stuff my face with the same foods I’m already consuming, will that make me shed a few pounds? Hmmm — probably not.

But, I am truly not a salad hater. I think salads can be very healthy and be loaded with flavor. While I won’t eat a salad as an entire meal, I will enjoy one in addition to something else I am gobbling down.

My most recent salad fetishes include what I like to call my “Greece, Meet Capri” salad and my “Wally the Goat”. I’m strange, I know. I make up strange names, but who cares — it’s just me creating these fabulous salads. After you read below how to make these salads of mine, you’ll agree that they are both fairly healthy and they were created off of inspiration of other salads I adore.

My father and I chatting with a local in Anacapri, Italy.

My father and I chatting with a local in Anacapri, Italy.

Greece, Meet Capri

I am totally my father’s daughter — I love olives! So naturally, I’m happy to throw them into my salad. Oh, wait, there’s already a salad that does that!? Actually, the salad I have created is a spin off of a Greek Salad; I love the combination of flavors, the color and of course the healthy ingredients are a plus! But, I am not a fan of thick salad dressing. It makes me feel like I have ruined my salad — turning it from a healthy snack or side dish to a fatty one, and who would want that? I have also come to love cooking & baking with lemons. Lemon juice, lemon zest — you name it, I love it. I was actually inspired by the world of lemons when I went to Capri with my family back in 2010. The citrus flavor can be used in recipes in countless ways — there’s also nothing unhealthy about it!

Close to Capri, in Pompeii, you'll see tons of drink stands that rely on their citrus!

Close to Capri, in Pompeii, you’ll see tons of drink stands that rely on their citrus!

What You Will Need:

  •  Romaine Lettuce
  • Red Onions
  • Kalamata Olives
  • Tomatoes (cherry or vine)
  • Feta Cheese
  • Sweet Peppers (or spicy, if you’d like!)

For the Dressing:

  • Olive Oil
  • Lemon Zest

Directions:

  • Everyone has a different preference as to how much of what ingredients they would like to use, so please feel free to throw in lots of tomatoes if they are your favorite (or lots of olives, I love those!)
  • Chop up the lettuce
  • Slice a few (or a lot) slices of red onion
  • Slice a tomato or multiple cherry tomatoes
  • Throw the ingredients into a bowl including the olives!
  • Crumble the feta cheese over top
  • Combine a cup of olive oil and 1 zested lemon into a bowl or salad dressing shaker if you have one, once shaken add over top of the salad and toss the salad!
My lovely "Greece, Meet Capri" salad!

My lovely “Greece, Meet Capri” salad!

Wally The Goat

I will admit, lots of folks out there may not be a fan of some of the overwhelming flavors of many of the ingredients in the first salad. Which is why I depend on my “Wally The Goat” recipe, which I have been making for years! It’s actually probably the first salad I ever fell in love with eating. Years may have gone by, but I still to this very day love every bite of this salad! A few years ago, I was trying to get a family friend’s child to taste-test this salad; the little girl asked me what the name of the salad was but I didn’t have an answer for her. So, I told her if she tried the salad, she could name it! We settled on “Wally The Goat” because two main ingredients are goat cheese and walnuts. What a smart (and cute) cookie she was!

What You Will Need:

  • Fresh “Spring Mix” of greens (or Spinach if you prefer — I like to take turns with these)
  • Chopped Walnuts
  • Plain Goat Cheese
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
  • Dried Cranberries

Directions:

  • Toss the Spring Mix, chopped walnuts, crumbled goat cheese, and dried cranberries
  • Add the dressing and toss well
  • BOOM! YOU’RE DONE! Stuff your face, and love the salad as much as I do!
A view from the Viceroy in Anguilla!

A view from the Viceroy in Anguilla!

Want to go a little crazy? Try this wicked fabulous salad I had once at The Hearst Tower cafeteria as an intern at Food Network Magazine. I later had it when I traveled to Anguilla for a vacation with my boyfriend. Who knows what it’s called, but I guarantee that several people reading this will think it sounds nasty — I promise you, it is not! So, for the sake of naming all of the salads in my life strange names… I’d love to hear from you — WHAT SHOULD I CALL THIS SALAD!? Tell me below in a comment!

 

What You Will Need:

  • Cubed Watermelon
  • Kosher Salt
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
  • Crumbled Goat Cheese
  • Chopped Basil (optional)

Directions:

  • Pour the cubed watermelon on a plate
  • Sprinkle lightly with some Kosher salt
  • Sprinkle with goat cheese
  • Drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette (or, for a more intense taste, just drizzle *lightly* some balsamic vinegar. I love this!)
  • Add some chopped basil for some extra flavor — not necessary though!

I hope everyone enjoys some of my favorite salad recipes! I promise, next time I make these, I will take more photos to share them with you!

Mele Kalikimaka

This Christmas holiday was filled with just pure excitement — great food, amazing friends, and loving families. After spending a spectacular holiday with my family, I was surprised with a last minute trip to Hawaii. Or, I should say, Hawai’i.

Long story short, every year for the past 15 years my boyfriend’s family goes to Hawaii for the holiday but for the past 5 years my boyfriend hasn’t joined them because it’s a crazy time of year for him at work. But this year he pulled a huge surprise for his family and for me — we flew to the South Pacific for some fun in the sun and quality family time.

Over the next week I’m going to post a few times about our trip to Hawaii — it was a short 3-day trip because we both needed to get back (for him he needed to get back for work, for me I wanted to get back to my family). I hope you enjoy the posts — be sure to keep a look-out for an exciting recipe that will tell you how to make my new favorite mojito! I promise you, you won’t be disappointed!

four seasons wailea

Above you’ll see a view of our hotel’s beach in Wailea. The side of the Maui island we were on had calm waves — the perfect water for snorkeling, paddle boarding, and other water sports.

hawaiian green turtle

We learned some rowing techniques on a traditional Hawaiian canoe called The Canoe of the Red Sea. Rowing with 2 other locals, we were able to learn some interesting history of the island as well as see some gorgeous wild life. Above, you’ll see a photo I took of a Hawaiian Green Turtle. I was able to capture this picture at a spot the locals call “The Cleaning Station” — it’s where the turtles swim to to have their shells cleaned by the fish. If their shells don’t get cleaned, the algae acts similar to mold and will destroy their shell by making it too soft.

fish tacos

Nothing is more satisfying for lunch than some fish tacos! The flavors came together beautifully — especially once we squeezed the lime juice over top of the fish!

hawaiian sunset

I can’t wait to get back for more Hawaiian sunsets! Everything about the island was so magical — it truly is paradise!

ahi tuna tacos

These Ahi Tuna Tacos almost look fake — don’t they? The fish was so fresh — I don’t think any of us ever saw such exquisite seafood! The taste on these tacos was fresh and savory — look closely and you can see the sesame seeds on top and the drizzle of a special sauce that added the perfect kick to the tuna.

Be sure to check back next week for more Hawaii posts and that mojito recipe I told you all about!

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Cafe Gitane in Soho

A very good friend of mine from Penn State (Alexandra, who goes by her middle name, Kizia) lives in New York — she was actually one of those rare “born and raised in Manhattan” folks. I say it’s rare not because she was born and raised here, but because she actually returned to the city to live and work after college. She’s actually about to go on the most amazing life journey anyone could ever go on — which is why we got together for lunch to talk about her upcoming trip. For several months in 2013 she will be living in India to study yoga and meditation. After working in PR for a few years, she’s ready for the physical and mental break (I wish I could do the same, but she’s just more daring than I am to actually go through with it). To me, the thought of packing just a backpack and traveling more than half way around the world to discover more about yourself in a few months than some do in a life time is very admirable — and I wish nothing but the most amazing experiences for her.

So, Kizia picked our lunch date location — Cafe Gitane in Soho (could be considered Nolita). I had never been before and I did exactly what I always do when I have never been to a restaurant … I stalk the online menu, I read reviews, and I pick out what I’m going to order before I arrive. Although this time I only eyed-down one thing I was going to order before arriving at the cafe, and Kizia helped me pick out my main dish.

cafe gitane avocado bread

The cafe was packed — even in the middle of the day after the typical lunch rush was over. There were even a few seats outside and they were full (it was a dreary cold day too!). So, we waited about 45 minutes before we were seated at this petite, round cafe table in the very center of the restaurant. Kizia ordered her caffeine-fix-of-the-day, then we ordered our food. Going off of Kizia’s recommendation I ordered the Moroccan couscous with red peppers, raisins, toasted pinenuts, hummus and eggplant. I had the option of ordering it with chicken but passed when she had told me it was a very large portion to begin with. We also ordered the most unusual starter to share — a seven grain toast topped with avocado, lemon juice, olive oil and chili flakes.

When the avocado toast came we split the bread and didn’t bother cutting it up for individual bites. It was hearty and full of flavor and the avocado was at it’s prime to eat (not too hard, not too mushy, perfect in color). The lemon juice was subtle, but present in every bite. And those chili flakes added the perfect amount of heat to the mild avocado. The ultimate conclusion was a mix, we were: confused as to why so many people were raving about it on various food reviews online, and we also figured these were basic flavors anyone could combine in their own kitchen so why would it be so fabulous at this little cafe? It was funny though, because we both left the restaurant ranking it out as a good plate but nothing out of this world, but a few days later we were chatting about how it grew on each of us and we really enjoyed it!

cafe gitane couscous

My couscous was a tower of unbelievable fabulousness. Piled high on my plate in the most perfect molded shape, I was afraid to pierce it with my fork knowing I would destroy the gorgeous presentation. After taking a not-so-devastating bite to the tower I couldn’t hold back — I tore through it for larger forkfuls of food. All of the flavors meshed beautifully well and the hummus was also a great ingredient to hold everything else together; it made picking up couscous with raisins, pinenuts and red pepper easy. I also really enjoyed the golden raisins in the mix of everything — it added the perfect sweetness to the savory plate.

Ready for something embarrassing? This was the first time I have ever ordered couscous at a restaurant. Yup, I’m mortified to admit it. This dish is a MUST to order if you go to Cafe Gitane; I actually enjoyed it so much I would love to attempt to make a similar plate at home. I guess I was shocked that I enjoyed the plate so much and it didn’t involve cheese as an ingredient. Actually, I got through an entire meal without eating cheese! #success

I hope to see Kizia again before she ventures off to India. Our food adventures together are always fantastic — I sure do hope she makes a few memorable ones while she travels in the upcoming year!

The Grey Dog on University Place

I used to live down in the Washington Sq. Park area the first summer I lived in New York City. I can’t tell you how many times I walked up and down University Place going from my apartment to Union Square. I loved living down in that area of Manhattan — there wasn’t anything more special than to walk outside in the morning and walk right out into the park. There’s something about The Village that just brings back so many memories, my initial memories of the city. If you are only in the city for one day I say skip Times Square and Central Park and head down to Washington Square Park and wander the village, walk in and out of boutiques, eat at some great restaurants and call it a day. I could honestly sit on a bench in Washington Square Park and people watch for hours and hours.

My friend Blaz asked me to lunch and since he works down in the Union Square area I offered to meet him in the neighborhood. He suggested we go to The Grey Dog. I have never even heard of The Grey Dog before but of course I said yes. It also gave me the perfect opportunity to wander around a few of my favorite blocks in the city and sit in the park on a lovely spring afternoon.

While I waited for Blaz tons of people came in and out of the restaurant, and I knew I was going to have a great experience when people would walk by and rave about the food to their friends or family, and tons of people also would point to the restaurant and tell their friends, “I have heard amazing things about that place.” So, clearly I was waiting impatiently while waiting for my friend to arrive for our lunch date.

Once he arrived, we went inside and waited to order. The way the restaurant works is: you walk in, view the menu on a big chalk board, stand in line, and order your food when it’s your turn. If you want to sit down after ordering someone will ask you while you’re in line and he will tell you where you’ll be sitting and you can sit down once you’ve ordered. There’s no table service, so when they call your name you need to get up and get your food, especially if it’s a crazy day. If you want a refill on your drink, sorry to say but you’ll have to stand in line again. So be sure to order everything you want before sitting down.

I ordered the grilled chicken press with fresh mozzarella, pesto and roasted tomato. Such a simple sandwich and even though it was unbelievably delicious, I wished that I ordered something a little more exotic — like the sliced granny smith apple with turkey, brie and raspberry mustard. I guess I will save that order for next time! The chicken meat in my sandwich was nice and moist and the pesto really hit the spot. Pesto is one of my comfort foods and I love putting it on all sorts of things. Served with my pressed sandwich were sweet potato fries. Have you ever put mayo on your sweet potato fries? Do it! And you’ll be hooked on the combo!

In addition to my sandwich, my friend Blaz told me I had to try one of the raspberry iced teas. I wasn’t too sure about the unsweetened iced tea, I love having something nice and sweet because it really quenches my thirst! So, instead, I ordered the raspberry lemonade — and I am beginning to crave a glass of it right now as I type this post. The lemonade reminded me of what I used to drink growing up. As I sipped down my lemonade I remembered how I used to go bare-foot in the middle of summer time, and how I used to love to run barefoot through the grass (something I sadly I can’t do here in the city). I probably thought about this because I used to drink pink lemonade all summer long when I was a teenager. The raspberry flavor only added the most perfect sophistication to the very sweet lemonade. You can’t go to The Grey Dog without ordering one of those drinks — Raspberry Lemonade or Raspberry Iced Tea.

It was such a nice day, we probably should have ordered the food to-go and then sat down in the park. It’s something to keep in mind for next time, especially if there are no tables available to sit down at!

Steak n’ Shake burger joint

I was thrilled when my foodie friend, Stef, asked me to join her for lunch one day. Not only did we have some major catching up to do (the night before was her first culinary school class) but since our lunch date was in the middle of the day I knew I was going to be starving… I knew a burger was going to hit the spot!

Steak n’ Shake in Midtown Manhattan is the perfect place to go if you need to get off of Fifth Avenue or out of the Time Square Area, and it’s the perfect place to grab lunch to go if you’re looking to do a picnic in the park. Unfortunately it’s too cold for a picnic and during the week there isn’t enough time to squeeze that into my schedule. So, Stef and I grabbed one of the few booths to chow down at. This is something I found frustrating, there weren’t enough places available to sit and eat at. People piled into a very small space to wait for their food and moving around to grab your food from the counter was annoying! Then it was a mad-dash to try to scoop up a seat or two in order to eat lunch. And forget eating alone, the people who did this and took up a table that really seats two people became the enemy. Nasty glares were given to these solo burger eaters until they gobbled down their food quickly and made a run for the door. (No, Stef and I didn’t give nasty glares although we did stand with our food in hand waiting for a table to open up for at least 10 minutes.)

I’m not a big french fry person, so I was shocked when I fell in love with the perfectly seasoned thin fries from Steak n’ Shake. I love fries that have that potatoey sort of texture — not the type that are more crispy than anything. And a great fry can be eaten without any dipping sauce like ketchup or mayo.

When it came to the burger, Stef went for more of an “All American Burger” sort of style burger and I went for the Guacamole Burger. Piled on between the buns and above the hamburger patty was insanely fresh guacamole that would make Whole Foods wonder what their secret ingredients are, cilantro, pepper jack cheese, squeezed lemons & limes, and topped with a spicy chipotle mayo. I couldn’t believe how fresh the guacamole was — it couldn’t be more clear that they make their ingredients fresh. The guacamole added a delicious fresh flavor while the spicy chipotle mayo and pepper jack cheese infused a fantastic kick of spice.

I was pleasantly surprised at how cheap the entire menu was! For my burger and fries the total came to $4.99 — prices like that in the city will put a smile on a local’s face!

Stef and I are both burger lovers and ultimately we came to the conclusion that Steak n’ Shake was fantastic but the major thing missing was a house made “special sauce.” Shake Shack has a special sauce and it’s the most beloved ingredient! It’s an art to be able to create a sauce that makes all different types of burgers taste delicious and more importantly unique to other burger joints. On a side note — I couldn’t help but notice that Stef couldn’t sip her shake through a straw, and when I looked around at other diners they were all eating their shake with a spoon! A spoon! No, that’s not good. A shake should have a thick consistency but is easily drinkable through a straw. If a shake was supposed to be eaten with a spoon then there would be no lid and no straw given to customers.

I dont’ think I will be going back to Steak n’ Shake when the weather is cold outside. I will probably wait for the sunny warm spring weather to arrive so I can eat my burger outside on a bench rather than fight the hungry crowd for a seat.

Lunch Outside, in Winter!

I couldn’t believe it — this afternoon it was 61 degrees in Manhattan! Oh, and it’s February 1st. Either that’s unbelievable, or insanely freaky.

shake shack hamburger

I pack my lunch every… single… day… and after doing this several weeks in a row, I needed a break. So, I took myself out for a $4.50 burger at (can you take a guess?) Shake Shack. There’s a Times Square location that is only a few blocks from my office and the line here is surprisingly short! I gobbled down my burger and then strolled through Times Square to get some “fresh” air. (The air was as fresh as you could get in the middle of New York City.)

I always avoid Times Square because of the packed streets and tourists who don’t look where they walk. It takes forever to get through the crowds. But today, it was either fairly empty or I was just so happy to be in 61 degree weather in the middle of winter.

pepsi ad

I rarely take a lunch break. But today, I just couldn’t miss out on such an unbelievably beautiful day!

Check out a few Times Square (and lunch) photos I took. Some are rather dark, but who cares — just take a look at the gorgeous blue sky above the buildings!

Grilled Cheese with Lemon Pesto

There are so many things that I miss about the warm summer months… one thing is the food. I can never get enough of the cheap in season fruits and veggies that are sold at various grocery stores and farmer’s markets. One of my favorite herbs that is really only in season in the summer time is basil. I can do so many fabulous things with basil! I actually make a killer pesto! My pesto ingredients include: pine nuts, basil, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and parmigiano reggiano cheese. This week I was able to snag a nice sized container of pesto for $3 (I felt like I won the lotto, kind of). But my excitement still hasn’t died down from the thrill of finding this fresh basil. The other night I decided to make some pesto and for kicks I threw into my recipe a bit of lemon zest. The lemon zest actually added a sweet/sour kick to the sauce.

Now that I have a basic pesto made and put into an air tight container to keep it from spoiling, I have so many things I am looking forward to cooking up over the next week or so. There are so many things you can use pesto in/on: bruschetta, caprese salad, grilled cheese, pasta, salads, gnocchi, ravioli, and it even makes a fabulous marinade for chicken! The best part about pesto is, just a little bit of the sauce goes a long way. Seriously, never use too much pesto on something because 1. you don’t want to waste your cherished pesto, and 2. the flavors will be very overwhelming.

My boyfriend claims he doesn’t like pesto. But, recently I decided to sneak some into an appetizer I made for us. Instead of using basil leaves on a simple yet delicious caprese salad — I used pesto. I swear, the pinenuts do so much for pesto and it does so much for the flavors in a caprese salad made of bufala mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and pesto sauce. So, I snuck it in on him and he loved it! I actually never told him that I used pesto and when pesto came up in a conversation over dinner with some friends he had to say to everyone “I hate pesto” and I looked at him and said, but you’ve eaten it before and you never complained. He turned right to me and said “WHEN!?” and “WHERE!?” … I am such a sneaky girlfriend.

So after making this lemon pesto at 10:30 at night, I had to eat some of it! But how? I didn’t want to cook up an entire dish of pasta, I just wanted a near-midnight snack. So, I lightly buttered some bread on one side of each slice (lightly buttered people, we don’t want to get type 2 diabetes like poor ol’ Paula Deen), put them on a skillet, but a very light layer of pesto on one side of one of the slices, laid down some very basic american cheese, and toasted up a grilled cheese. The resulted flavors were spectacular! It was such a fabulous savory snack I have had in so long!

fun grilled cheese recipes

A Lemon Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich, made in 15 minutes or less!

It’s really true, just a bit of pesto goes a long way!

Note: when making grilled cheese, as I said above only use a little bit of butter to butter one side of each slice of bread (the side that goes on the pan). I have found that butter really is better to use than olive oil because you want that crispy breaded texture and you want your cheese to melt inside. I have found that if I spray my bread with a bit of olive oil, my bread turns that perfect golden brown way too fast and the bread burns before the cheese melts.

how to make a grilled cheese

Perfect golden brown grilled cheese bread.

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.