Tag Archives: Spinach

Pepe Rosso on Sullivan Street

My first summer living in Manhattan I lived down in the village, actually I lived in the heart of the village right by Washington Square Park. It’s a neighborhood of students — both under grad, graduate level, and even law students, not to mention there are loads of families that live in the neighborhood. Walk into the East Village and the mood will go from collegiate to hipster. Walk into the West Village and you’ll find yourself sitting in a sophisticated bistro. I love that I can walk for five minutes and feel like I’m in a different city!

Last night I met up with a friend who also happened to help me find my first New York City apartment, Sam. We met up on Sullivan Street right below Houston Street at a restaurant called Pepe Rosso. Typically you will walk into this little restaurant and take your food to go. I’ve done it numerous times on a beautiful spring or summer day and then I would take my food to Washington Square Park and people watch as I ate. But tonight, Sam and I snagged two of the 12 seats available!

pasta at pepe rosso

Pepe Rosso chefs know how to make a tasty pasta dish and the Caesar Salad is truly incredible. Plus, the prices on the menu are so cheap, I guarantee you’ll do a double take your first time eating at the restaurant. $10 or less for pasta! Incredible! But don’t expect for service if you sit down in the restaurant. There’s a water cooler that is self-serve and when you’re food is ready they will literally pass it to you over the counter. Customers sitting closest to the kitchen will even pass down plates of food in an assembly-like line to others that are sitting close to the window. And when you’re done, you clean your own table and pass your plate and cutlery items back to the guy at the register. Totally different than any other restaurant you’ve been to before, right? If the food is as cheap as it is, there’s no need for high-end service! But the guys working this joint are ridiculously friendly. Their warm smiles and peppy attitudes remind me of the Italian locals in places like Florence, Rome, and Capri.

The food also comes out so fast, it’s clear that the chefs are a well-oiled machine in this eatery! I ordered a very basic Penne Al Vodka that was insanely flavorful, creamy and rich. Of course I bathe the pasta in cheese! Sam ordered a lemon chicken and spinach dish that he nearly devoured within 5 minutes. There are so many choices to pick from on the menu, it would be nice to order for 5 people and sample a bit of everything!

When I compare Pepe Rosso to other Italian restaurants like Perbacco … well, there’s just no comparison. While Pepe Rosso is very tasty, Perbacco still blows me away! Pepe Rosso has very basic cuisine that hits the spot. And if you’re looking to have a picnic in Washington Square Park, I strongly suggest you order from here!

Have you ever walked Sullivan Street between 4th Street and Houston Street? If not, do it. There are so many gorgeous town houses that will have you day dreaming. It’s the heart of the Village, no tourist heads here — they are missing out on such a charming, sophisticated, and insanely intriguing neighborhood.

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?

Labeling Junk Food!?

I eat an orange every day at work!

After stuffing my face over a five day period at Thanksgiving time, I returned home and made what I think is a fantastic alteration in my diet. My day begins with some sort of protein and something whole grain. I have to have a full stomach when I get to work other wise my brain just doesn’t function.

When it comes to lunch in New York City it can get a little annoying. I work in Midtown Manhattan and everything is over priced and kind of unhealthy (Midtown Manhattan is also the 5th Avenue shopping area and Times Square… so yes, if you are a tourist and decide to never leave this area, you will be ripped off and honestly you probably won’t experience good food). If I want to get a healthy salad that hardly fills me up I will be paying at least $13! How outrageous! So, I have discovered if I eat a filling breakfast, I will find myself getting a little hungry around 2 p.m. or so.

I always carry in my bag a 100 calorie bag of popcorn. When I am ready for a snack I just pop it in the microwave in the little kitchen in my office. (Yes, I’m the d-bag that makes a good portion of the office smell like tasty popcorn. Sorry!) But I am also eating one banana and one orange every afternoon. Honestly, I hate bananas, I used to gag over them. But as an adult I do realize how healthy bananas are so I have learned to eat them.

And from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. I am drinking nothing but Green Tea. I keep googling “benefits to green tea” and I am always shocked (and excited) over the facts and stats of what I find.

When I get home I have been eating a fairly healthy dinner. It’s always loaded with green vegetables. I’m obsessed with spinach, I love artichokes, asparagus, squash, and cauliflower. I often go to the grocery store twice a week so I can pick up fresh vegetables and fruit — it also helps me never waste… I find if I buy in bulk, food will end up spoiling before I get to it and it goes to waste. Of course I splurge on whatever I eat for dinner on the weekends — but obviously I eat the proper portion sizes.

Before Thanksgiving I was drinking maybe 2 Coca Colas a day. I love Coke, it’s so refreshing and tasty. In college, if I had a hangover, I would drink one Coke and feel immediate relief… no joke! But I cute soda out of my life and I miss the fizzy carbonation. I now drink only mandarin orange seltzer water to get my fizzy fix. There are no artificial anything in it and there isn’t a single calorie! I love it!

When I read an article on Packaging Digest, I was pretty shocked at what the text said. “Health experts are calling for junk food and fizzy drinks to have ‘exercise labels’ on their packaging to inform people how much physical exercise would need to be taken to burn off the sky-high calorie and fat content.”

This made me think: if this label was on my Coke can, I probably would have stopped drinking soda a long time ago. Have you ever seen that commercial about how if you drink one soda a day for a year, you are technically consuming 50 pounds of sugar! WOAH! That’s a lot of freakin sugar!

What is everyone thinking about this article and what it says? Do you think that it will help children (and adults) break away from their junk food habits? And do you think that this labeling rule will eventually be a requirement for all junk food companies?

Joe’s Crab in Chicago

On the Saturday night after Thanksgiving, my boyfriend and I went to Joe’s with his family in downtown Chicago. This restaurant was packed and apparently it’s always like that and it’s been open for years. We had so many amazing appetizers and side dishes. Sadly, my iPhone crashed on the way back form Chicago and I lost the majority of my pictures from the weekend. But I managed to save a picture of the crab because I tweeted about it while at dinner! I loved the appetizer of spinach and cheese stuffed mushrooms — and everyone loved them too! Perfectly cooked mushroom caps were stuffed with a creamy spinach and topped with a flavorful stringy cheese.

My boyfriend ordered the cold stone crab and of course I ordered my favorite — scallops. The scallops were breaded — I have never had scallops prepared like this before. I didn’t dislike them but I found them to be very different. I squeezed lemon on top which add more flavor and the citrus always goes well with seafood. I had a taste of the steak at Joe’s as well and it was so delicious — very flavorful, perfectly cooked and a big hit at the table.

When we first got to the table though, everyone quickly chowed down on the raisin bread. I had no clue until I took the photo of the bread that the bread actually has a lot of sugar on it. The mix of the sugar with a little bit of butter on top is extraordinary! If I had realized there was sugar I may not have added butter to it. But the tastes combined together are such an experience! (For a picture of the Raisin Bread, click here).

Stay tuned for more on my Thanksgiving!

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!)

Antico Noe: Sandwich Shop In Florence

I was given a recommendation from my boyfriend’s brother (who studied abroad in Florence) to go to Antico Noe for lunch. It was only a short walk away from the museum we were touring in the morning, so it was very easy to get to. At first I thought he was suggesting us to go to the mother restaurant right next door, but when I read his email again he told me to get the #9 on the menu (and the main restaurant didn’t have the food labeled by numbers). But right next door was a small sandwich shop that had it’s sandwiches labeled by the number. We ordered a few sandwiches, including the #9 of course. Written on brown paper and practically stabled outside of the front door were our panini choices.

The #9 included: turkey, brie cheese, roast onions, and a spicy sauce. I was hesitant at first because I am not a fan of brie cheese, but I went with his recommendation and ordered it. Just one bite in, I knew I owed him big time! The baguette was so fluffy and crispy I realized that all of the baguettes I have ever had in the U.S were crap. (Here’s what I thought a baguette was really like: hard, difficult to chew, mostly thick crust, difficult to slice… so not what it really is.) It was also fresh right out of the oven so it was perfectly warmed but not soggy. I was also happily surprised when I realized that I really do enjoy brie cheese when it is paired with other ingredients. Would I ever buy a brick of brie and slice it and put it on crackers? No way. But since I returned home to the U.S I have bought brie and added it to my sandwich for lunch.

Another sandwich that we ordered included: pork sausage (yup, I ate pork), spinach, egg plant, and pecorino cheese. It took a bit longer for them to prepare this sandwich because they cooked the pork sausage nice and fresh. But I was surprised when I admitted that this one was my favorite sandwich out of them all (the #9 was almost tied for 1st place). The spinach was perfectly cooked and the pecorino cheese added a powerful flavor when mixed with the pork.

When I go back to Florence, I plan to eat all of my lunches here at this little sandwich bistro. Located right under this small arch-way, we sat outside in the shade and people watched as we waited for our paninis to be prepared. Until I return… I’ll dream of the decadent (yet simplistic too) ingredients held together between the most heavily, crispy, soft, fluffy, warm baguette.

antico_noe_florence

Egg Yolks Transform Numerous Dishes

fried_egg

Nom! These eggs eventually made their way onto some sauteed spinach!

The other week I asked everyone if they’ve ever cracked an egg shell open and found not just one egg yolk, but two.
Today I am wondering what people are putting their eggs on? I never knew until I moved to NYC that egg yolks/fried eggs can transform an ordinary dish into something exquisite! For example, whenever I go to Spitzers on the LES I have to order the burger with a fried egg. My mom gets grossed out by the “texture” of uncooked egg yolks — she says it feels like she’s eating boogers but I think that’s ridiculous! (Love you mom, but you’re totally missing out.) I recently experienced SD26‘s ‘Uovo’ which means “egg” in Italian. This dish is one big ravioli stuffed with truffle, cheese and egg yolk. As my friend Stefanie says, “NOMMMM!!!!!”
Burgers, ravioli, crostini, pasta, spinach… these are only a couple of things that I love putting a fried egg on. What’s your favorite dish to pair eggs with?