Tag Archives: truffle

Kingswood — Big Menu Changes!

I have to admit, parts of today’s post is going to make me sound like a hater. But, please note that I will also say some fairly positive things as well.

When one of your favorite restaurants makes some big changes to the menu, you can’t help but be rather hesitant about finding new dishes to replace the old ones you loved so dearly. That’s exactly what my boyfriend and I faced when we went to Kingswood for the first time in a few months. We used to pick Kingswood for dinner when we wanted a fun, West Village restaurant scene full of chic fashionistas and hipsters; and we always knew what we were going to order — at least, we knew what our main dishes were going to be. We always ordered their burger and their truffle mac & cheese. But, when we got a glimpse of the new dinner menu, we both became distraught and asked each other if we missed these two plates on the menu. Where the hell did they go? When something like this happens I rapidly scan the menu again to make sure I didn’t make a mistake and over look it. There have been times where I didn’t even look at the menu and I told the server, “I know what I want” and then they are the ones that have to break the sad sad sad news to me that my favorite plate is gone. Gone forever. 

With our favorite plates gone, we had to decide on what to order — or we had the option of going next door to get in line for a 3 hour wait (it was already 8 p.m. — that wasn’t going to happen).

For dinner, it was myself, my boyfriend, and my boyfriend’s brother — so naturally we decided to order a bunch of plates to share with one another.

Are you ready? Here we go…

Our first order was of the mussels — a fabulous pick! You know the most important part of ordering mussels is how good the broth is — and the chef at Kingswood hit this one out of the park! Made up of shallots, white wine, parsley and chili, the broth was full of flavor and spice that add the perfect kick to this appetizer.

kingswood mussels

Our next appetizer was mac & cheese. Note: this was NOT the original mac & cheese I was talking about. There was no truffle in this dish, and it was not prepared the same way the original Kingswood mac & cheese dish was.

I am a true believer that adding ketchup to food is out of this world disgusting. Eggs, mac & cheese, french fries… it’s so damn gross. The only time I put ketchup on something is when it tastes like crap. Ketchup is a tool to hide nauseating flavor, specifically for foods you don’t have a choice to eat. So, when I saw that this mac & cheese was served with a spicy tomato marmalade, I knew that it was just a fancier way of saying “this mac & cheese is going to suck, which is why we made a fancy homemade ketchup to go with it.” I know, that was kind of mean, but it’s true — this homemade ketchup was a replacement for the truffle and instead of just making normal mac and cheese it was deep fried and came out looking like a brick!

There are only a few times fried mac and cheese is okay — and this wasn’t one of them.

kingswood mac and cheese

What’s up next? I ordered the Maplebrook Burrata thinking that it would be a winner. My fault (hopefully my boyfriend doesn’t read this, because he’ll see I am admitting it was a major FAIL on my part). I was expecting a nice portion of creamy, savory cheese seasoned up perfectly all the while swimming in a pool of flavorful olive juice. The olive juice was there, not exactly the olives I would have picked as the perfect pair, but they were there. But, I was shocked that the portion size was so small and the consistency and taste was more like an average mozzarella. (I’m frowning behind my computer as I type this.)

burrata kingswood

Time to throw in some positivity…

I absolutely loved the Mushroom Risotto appetizer — made with yellowfoot chanterelle mushrooms, parmesan and chives, this plate was delish! All 3 of us knew that this might be the best appetizer we would come across, so naturally our forks entered a war…

I would order this dish again in a heart beat and it would be silly for them to take it off of the menu!

mushroom risotto

We did notice that their signature fries were still on the menu, so naturally we ordered them. We used to have these fries on the side of their fabulous burger that is now extinct.

They are super salty, perfectly cooked with enough crisp but still very potato-ey, and they are served with the best truffle dipping sauce. My guess is it’s a mayo sauce — and you can’t go wrong with dipping fries in mayo!

Don’t they look fabulous!?

truffle french fries

Next up was the broccoli rabe topped with homemade ricotta cheese and drizzled with honey. Overall the plate wasn’t lacking flavor but it was very difficult to chew. I had one bite of this plate and decided to pass because it was too much work to eat.

broccoli rabe

For our main plates we ordered the pancetta wrapped chicken breast truffle chicken nuggets, cauliflower puree and baby carrots. You all know I don’t eat pork, but I decided to eat it on this specific evening because it was hard not to. This plate was very good but the size almost categorized it as a large appetizer to me. We also ordered the day boat scallops which were also very tasty.

day boat scallops

kingswood nyc

Overall, the new Kingswood wasn’t horrible… But the reasoning to change the menu to the extent that they did didn’t make sense. Why take off your best selling dishes? Keep them on there and change the rest of the menu!

I did ask a manager about the changes and she said that they are now changing the menu at least twice a week now. Their reasoning behind all of this? I was told that they needed to keep up and evolve to keep people coming back. I find it odd that they feel this way because the restaurant used to be packed without a place to stand near the bar — and on this specific Friday evening there was plenty of space to stand, it felt rather empty in the bar area actually. So, I wonder how business is really doing if that’s the case?

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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Masa 14 in Washington DC

This past weekend I left the Big Apple and ventured down to Washington DC to visit friends — Brittany and Curtis. I can’t believe the two of them are moving all the way to the West Coast, so this was my last chance to see the two before they head off to LA.

Brittany is a big foodie just like me — I always look forward to her visits here in New York City because we always end up exploring the city and wining and dining. So, naturally I knew that Brittany had a restaurant or two in mind for my trip down to DC.

The night I arrived we went to Masa 14 — a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant with the perfect tapas servings. I can’t tell you how much I love tapas, it allows you to not only sample a little bit of everything but it also bonds everyone at the table because you are sharing the same food. Tapas is the perfect way to bring a group together.

We really chowed down — so get ready for lots of pictures (and I’ll be sure to keep the explanations short and brief).

food at masa 14

Lets start with the crispy shrimp — served with chipotle aioli, sesame, scallion and masago. The texture was perfect, exactly what you look for when you order crispy shrimp. And just take a look at this plate — it’s full of color, and when you see color I can guarantee you that the flavors will be bold!

flatbread recipe

There was a lovely selection of flatbreads so it was tough to pick which one would be best. We ended up going with the Wild Mushroom Flatbread that’s served with Oaxaca cheese, red pepper and avocado. The bread turned out perfectly crisp on the bottom and the avocado’s texture balanced out the bread’s crispiness.

best fried okra

The fried okra was actually the first thing that we ordered and it was gone in about 45 seconds once it hit the table. Perfectly fried means it was nice and crispy on the outside and flavorful on the inside. The dipping sauce made with ginger, basil, garlic and chilies added the perfect spice to the mild-fried okra. This is a must order dish if you go to Masa 14!

You might think that the last thing you should order from a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant is french fries — but you’d be a fool not to here! The fries were potatoey just the way I like them (I hate when fries are thin and crispy and there’s no soft potato left in them). They were served with one heck of a dipping sauce made with chimichurri, garlic and a lime aioli dipping sauce. This lime aioli dipping sauce has inspired me to experiment in my kitchen — I’m determined to recreate this! The lime brings such a refreshing taste to the fried potato.

Another winner on the menu was the Mole Dusted Tenderloin Medallion that was served with mustard potatoes that added a beautiful spice to the plate and mixed in with the potatoes were some edamame. The meat was placed on top of a cilantro-mint chutney — this was the highlight! I have never had such an amazing sauce on beef before. It wasn’t “rich” the way every other meat sauce typically is, it was light and fresh.

Another must-order is the crispy crab won ton rolls that are stuffed with cream cheese, corn, mushroom, shiso, truffle, and spicy ponzu. Need I say more? I think the ingredients do all the talking! I would have been happy to continue ordering these crispy won ton rolls all night long. Any one who eats at this restaurants MUST order these!

meatballs with beef and pork

I don’t usually eat pork, but I decided that one big bite of it wouldn’t hurt. We ordered the Angus Beef and Pork Meatballs. Perfectly moist and drowned in a delicious sauce, these meatballs were spicy and cooked beautifully. Served with cotija cheese, scallion and smoked tomato yuzu sauce, it makes me want to get into the kitchen at home to try to recreate these using all beef. But, I have a funny feeling I could never beat the recipe from Masa 14.

Overall our experience was unbelievable. Not only was every single plate we ordered perfectly prepared, but the service was fantastic and the ambiance was exactly what you’re looking for for a Friday night dinner. The restaurant was packed the moment we walked in at 8:15 — our reservation was for 9 but the host was so accommodating she sat us right away! When I go back to DC, I would love to eat out at this restaurant again — although I know the experience would never be the same without Brittany and Curtis.

Ravioli Round-Up

It was recently brought to my attention how much I blog about ravioli. So, when I typed in “Ravioli” in my blog’s search, I discovered my friend was right… I am obsessed with ordering this type of dish! So, I thought I’d do a round up of my favorites over the past couple of months so if you have a hankering or an obsession like I do — then you’ll know exactly where to go for the best plate!

1. The best ravioli dish I believe that I have had while living in New York City (and I recently ate it only a couple of months ago) was from my favorite Italian restaurant, Perbacco! Perbacco is in the Lower East Side and they change their menu seasonally, so you know that the food is going to be nothing but fresh and full of flavor! This ravioli — Ravioli di Zucca con Salsiccia which is kabocha squash ravioli sauteed in brown butter sauce and italian sausage served with amaretto foam on the side — is the perfect dish if you are after something both sweet and savory!

2. What other restaurant could have the ravioli plate down… of course it’s going to be Perbacco’s sister restaurant — Gnocco! I was able to catch this ravioli dish when it was listed as a special. Honestly there isn’t a better filling for a ravioli than either pumpkin or butternut squash… and pair that with some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese and I’m officially in heaven!

3. Here we go… exactly what I was just talking about. The Butternut Tortelloni with Roast Italian Chestnuts, Sage and Parmigiano from Crispo in Meatpacking is done perfectly! And you know that this will be available to you since it wasn’t on a special menu! Yum Yum Yum I just love butternut! Super sweet, savory, and in a way totally hits that spot the same way comfort food does!

4. And in fourth place is a more classic Ravioli Al Formaggio — a ravioli filled with cheese in a pink sauce. I loved how the small West Village trattoria cooked up this dish! Malatesta Trattoria doesn’t take reservations, but your 2 hour wait will be worth it — the prices are dirt cheap and you will be saying “yum” between every single bite!

5. A hot-spot where New Yorkers could spot the Kardashians while they were filming their latest season of Kourtney and Kim Take New York, the restaurant is also known as Asellina located on Park Avenue (and can be considered in the neighborhood of Murray Hill). But the chef at this restaurant put together one heck of a special featuring a truffled ravioli… can you see the truffle shavings? They weren’t cheap with the real-deal — forget truffle oil!

6. Bar Pitti was the most recent place I ordered a ravioli dish and it was the most perfect option I could have picked! The ravioli was light and fluffy and stuffed with spinach and cheese — poured over top was a tasty butter and sage sauce that had me licking my lips! It’s a no reservations and cash only type of joint so be prepared! The wait goes fast and you’ll love the pushy (/busy) Italian employees!

A Birthday Dinner in NYC

This week was my good friend’s (Kelly) birthday. Kelly and I were introduced through one of my best friends over a year ago right before Kelly officially moved to NYC. My friend Ken introduced us — Ken and I met when I was still in undergrad at Penn State. We met the summer we lived in NYU housing while we worked our summer internships (this specific summer was when I was an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine). It was the night before I started my internship and I was trying to put together my first day of work outfit and I realized there was no floor length mirror in the room! I then went knocking on doors asking if anyone had a mirror — when I got to Ken’s room I was shocked when he said he had a floor length mirror I could borrow! And that’s when our friendship began. It’s funny, you never know how you are going to meet someone in the great city of New York!

Ken and I the summer we met.

Well, Monday was Kelly’s first birthday in the city and of course that means we needed to celebrate! Kelly wanted to do dinner and an off-broadway show with his closest friends. Unfortunately, I could only do one or the other and I picked dinner because I’m an old lady and can’t be out too late on a work night (plus, shows some times can get rather pricey).

Kelly/The Birthday Boy at dinner.

This week also happens to be winter Restaurant Week! So, Kelly picked a restaurant (Thalia) with a Restaurant Week menu (you pick an appetizer, main course, and dessert for a flat rate of $35). I was originally going to order off of that menu, then I took a look at the regular menu and discovered a dish that called my name — Mushroom Duxelle Ravioli with asparagus, grana padano cheese, in a porcini truffle sauce.

Ravioli in a porcini sauce w/ truffle and asparagus.

I have to admit, I often stick my nose up to restaurants in Midtown Manhattan but every once in a while I am delighted when I experience a delicious dish in the heart of that neighborhood. And that’s exactly what happened at Kelly’s birthday dinner — boy oh boy did I order an unbelievable dish! The porcini truffle sauce was delectable! The creamy sauce wasn’t too heavy and the shaved truffle on top made the dish even better. You know that truffle is on someone’s plate when you can smell it the moment the dish is set in front of you. My friend Ken was sitting to my right (and the birthday boy to the left) and Ken immediately asked me if truffle was an ingredient in the ravioli dish I ordered. I also love asparagus, and the small slices of my favorite vegetable added a nice crisp texture that actually complimented the cheesy ravioli!

restaurant week NYC

Kelly's main course of tuna.

The birthday boy ordered for his main course a tuna dish. Even though I didn’t taste the tuna myself (I know, what a shocker, there was tuna on the table and I didn’t even eat a bite!) I had to show you all a photo of this gorgeous plate! Check out all the fantastic colors! It not only looks fantastic, but Kelly said it tasted great!

Again, it’s such a shock to me when I eat at a great midtown restaurant. But it’s great to know of a delicious spot to take friends to when they are in town for a Broadway show. The location is perfect for those who want to walk from their restaurant to the theatre. And not only was the food delicious, but the service was immaculate! They understand completely when a theatre-goer tells them they need dessert and the check asap because they have a show to run off to.

Asellina at The Gansevoort Park

My boyfriend and I have walked by Asellina numerous times over the past few months — at first we didn’t see much of a crowd but all of a sudden we would walk by at 9 p.m. and the place would be packed. I quickly put the pieces together — Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian were filming their current season of ‘Kourtney and Kim Take New York’ at the Gansevoort Park hotel (the hotel right above Asellina). So, my guess is their fans were piling in in hopes of getting a look of their favorite celebrity sisters. It’s a good thing people were congregating at Asellina because the food is pretty good. Whether or not you see the Kardashians, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your experience at this restaurant.

The first thing I have to tell you about this restaurant is that the service is impeccable. Our waitress was very attentive, energetic and exceptionally kind. My boyfriend and I are those types of people that always asks the waiter/waitress what they recommend, what are their favorite dishes on the menu, and what plates people typically enjoy the most.

With the help of our waitress, we started off with a couple of appetizers: The Ahi Tuna Tartare that comes with robiola cheese, black truffle and spring onions, and we also ordered the Veal Meatballs.

Asellina food at the Gansevoort Park

Veal Meatballs appetizer

The Ahi Tuna Tartare was tasty but it wasn’t anything extraordinary. I love tuna and I love to be wowed whenever I eat a new tuna tartare dish — this didn’t wow me. But the quality of the tuna was extremely fresh and the cheese added a fantastic flavor and texture to the fish.

I really enjoyed the Veal Meatballs (although I always feel guilty whenever I eat veal, can you blame me?) — they were nice and moist (exactly the way meatballs should be) and the cheese melted on top was very stringy and provided subtle but enjoyable flavoring. The red sauce it was marinated in was also very good — it was similar to a classic grandma’s red sauce, and you can never go wrong with that!

pasta dishes

Fillet filled ravioli & truffle, and a pappardelle dish

For our main plates we ordered one of the specials — ravioli stuffed with fillet in a light butter sauce topped with shavings of black truffle, and our other plate was the Pappardelle which was made with homemade sausage and porcini mushrooms. The ravioli was delicious! You can never go wrong mixing butter and truffle together. Over all the dish was very enjoyable although I do wonder what it would have tasted like if the chef added a bit of extra seasoning on the inside of the ravioli. The pappardelle on the other hand was disgusting. My boyfriend has said in the past that he doesn’t like something that he’s eating, but he’ll keep eating it because he’s hungry. This time, both me and my boyfriend put our forks down and decided we needed to send the plate back. The flavors did not go well together at all and if I was forced to take another bite, it would have been torture.

grandma red sauce

Spaghetti in a red sauce

Our waitress was so understanding and suggested that we get a spaghetti in a red sauce to replace the pappardelle. That’s exactly what we did and we loved our replacement. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the red sauce was out of this world.

Even though we had one bad order, we are excited to go back to try the pizzas and flatbread — both looked delicious and we couldn’t help but eye them down when they were ordered from near by tables.

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.

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)

Gnocco

Italy came to me for dinner last night — the funny thing about the evening was as soon as I got to Gnocco with friends for a feast, my boyfriend’s flight to Rome was leaving New York. When he returns from Italy, I’m going to take him back — minus the long transatlantic flight and bags of cheap pretzels.
Let me be clear, the food Gnocco is different than Gnocchi; but they are both sublime at this restaurant. Gnocco is a deep fried dough but is not the fried dough you are probably thinking about — it’s not super thick and has both a crispy crunch and a fluffy texture to it. The Gnocco dish comes with northern Italian cold-cuts and can be placed on top of the fried-dough if you’d like, but I enjoyed it without. In addition to the Gnocco as an appetizer, I devoured the Caprese di Bufala Campana (sorry, it was eaten so fast I forgot to snap a photo!), which is buffalo mozzarella with fresh tomatoes and of course — basil. What made this salad so divine were two things: an extra basil-pesto was on the side of the dish and the flavor of this pesto livened up the food even more, and the buffalo mozzarella was also the freshest and creamiest cheese I have ever eaten. The restaurant has their buffalo mozzarella imported to them (see, I told you Italy came to me for dinner). My friend ordered their Caprino Tiepido, honey and golden raisins with warm goat cheese on top of mixed greens, she offered me some salad and if I wasn’t already getting full I probably would have demolished her dish. Having warm goat cheese makes it feel like you are having a hot dinner but the greens and especially the honey make the salad feel light. Usually I don’t enjoy salads, I think they are for wimps, but this one isn’t for the typical little salad eater, it’s for those who want to say “yum” after every bite and not feel guilty over what they are eating.
For my main course I indulged in a gnocchi in a pesto sauce (the gnocchi and a pesto sauce are on their menu but they are not with each other, the kitchen was kind enough to put the two together for me — and I must say, I think they are a great match). Owner Gianluca Giovanetti explained to me the gnocchi consistency is all about the amount of flour used; too much flour is going to make them too hard, not enough flour and it won’t hold together well enough to be called gnocchi. Gnocco chefs have the gnocchi recipe down — it was the perfect texture, not too hard but also it didn’t fall apart when my fork scooped it up. I am extremely picky with gnocchi, I feel like I may have a great dish of it once a year if I’m lucky and I almost gave up the search for the perfect gnocchi — and then I tried Gnocco’s plate. Gianluca also told me how each dish truly is a taste of heaven (and Italy). His mother came over to the United States to teach the chefs her recipes. In this case it’s true — mother knows best!

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Following the gnocchi came the pizza! The thin and crispy crust didn’t make me feel full on pizza and the toppings were amazing! It was covered with the classic italian seasonings and ingredients that make the food scream “ITALIAN GODS/GODDESSES CREATED ME!” There are plenty of pizzas to choose from — this side of the menu is a bit overwhelming because there are so many pizzas to pick from. One thing I did not try was the Calzone; it’s something I must do when I return for another dinner.
Dessert, was what officially put me in my food coma.
The mascarpone ice cream with espresso poured on top was to-die-for. Every one at the table laughed when I took too big of a bite out of the ice cream glass. After I got the spoon full in my mouth I closed my eyes because I felt like I was in food-heaven and then I quickly realized brain-freeze was the outcome of too much cold in one bite. I will NEVER again have artificial coffee flavored ice cream. If coffee is to be with the frozen dessert it is to be done one way and one way only — and it’s this way.

Note: Gnocco is located at 337 East 10th Street (between A&B).
Warning: don’t look at the online menu, it will make you hungry!
P.S: it’s 2 p.m the day after I went to dinner at Gnocco and I’m still full! That’s what great food will do to you!

Megu

Through the front door, up the stairs (on the left), around the corner (to the right), down another flight of stairs, and to the left of the massive Buddha (and I think he was made of ice) — that’s where I found myself sitting in Megu contemplating which dish I wanted to devour. I’m not a big fan of Asian cuisine, but once I ventured to Megu I realized that there’s different ways for restaurants to cook and present this type of food. After reading and re-reading the menu multiple times, my order was finally placed in the kitchen: Tuna & avocado MEGU Style, MEGU Original Crispy Asparagus, the Grilled Lamb Chops, and a side of Parmesan French Fries. I enjoyed every bite of food. I was stuffed by the end of the meal, but I wanted to order another serving of the Tuna & avocado (I am currently on a bit of a tuna-kick and find the fish fresh tasting and insanely delectable). Wasabi was an ingredient mixed up with the tuna and avocado — the spicy factor made me a bit apprehensive to order it but it turned out to be mild and the flavor of the wasabi was delicious. The marinade on the Grilled Lamb Chops was divine — “gempei miso” is what it is on the menu. The glaze of marinade was sweet but with a zing I have never experienced. And the Parmesan French Fries had white truffle oil on it (if the words “white” and “truffle oil” appear side-by-side any where on a menu, I HAVE to order it! White truffle oil has never tasted bad in my mind.) The lighting of the restaurant, volume of the music, and the waiters/staff were perfection. Next time I return, I’d like to start off enjoying a drink at the bar upstairs before being seated in the main dining room for the meal.