"For those past the age of Trick or Treating, 42BELOW has a sweet alternative for Halloween festivities with playful cocktails for the young at heart. Those crazy Kiwis have whipped up some tasty cocktails with all natural ingredients to ease the embarrassment of being one of about thirty people dressed as Michael Jackson at the party. Available exclusively at gothic New York City hot spot Cellar Bar at the Bryant Park Hotel, the 42Zombie has already become a favorite among the tastemakers and fashion elite.
The 42Zombie
Tsp brown sugar
1 part lemon juice
1 part Bacardi Oro
1 part Bacardi 151
1 part 42BELOW Passionfruit
1 part unsweetened pineapple juice
1 part fresh lime juice
1 part Passionfruit syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
Method: Dissolve sugar and lemon juice, then add all other ingredients and shake well with crushed ice. Pour entire
contents into a Collins glass and garnish with lime wedge.
Garnish with a pineapple leaf
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( 3 / 194 )A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to get invited to a wine tasting for Luce Wines, a fabulous Italian vineyard. Luce was the first wine ever produced in Montalcino by blending Sangiovese and Merlot. I was able to tast a bunch of different vintages, from a smooth 2006 to an amazing and seductive 1997, this was some of the best Italian wines I had ever tasted. I definitely recommend heading the your nearest wine store and picking up a bottle!
www.lucedellavite.it
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( 3 / 170 )Last night I was invited by a gal friend to have birthday cocktails with her and 7 of her girlfriends at Yerba Buena (Perry St.), the second outpost of Chef Julian Medina's (Toloache) Latin restaurant. I was very excited to say the least for 2 reasons: 1. I have not been to the first Yerba Buena in the East Village, and have been wanting to go for a while, and 2. I would be having cocktails with 7 girls.
I got to the restaurant and the place was packed! There really was not much decor to the place, a few cool looking edison light bulbs was the extent of it. But, you don't come to Yerba Buena for the decor, you come for the food and drink! I took a seat at the bar and was taken care of by Alex, a gracious bartender who would concoct different and unusual off-menu cocktails for me throughout the night. (I would be meeting the girls at their table for dessert.) I started with the Chupa Cabra; Herradura Blanco, cucumber, lime, mint, and Cholula (hot sauce). The drink was refreshing and great, and the addition of Cholula gave it the perfect kick to start off my meal.
I ordered the arepas ($13), fish tacos ($13), and red jalapeno fries ($6).
The arepas came with coffee glazed pork belly and cabbage slaw. I must tell you that they were amazing! The sweetness of the pork belly balanced perfectly with the tartness of the slaw. The slaw gave a great crunch to the dish as well. These arepas were some of the best bites I have put in my mouth all year!
The fish tacos came with tilapia Baja style and chipotle-mango slaw. They too, were quite excellent, delicious, and amazing!
The fries were fine, but really nothing special, so I sent them back and ordered the manchego cheese croquettes with pickled jalapeño, and salsa verde ($8). This was a smart move because these little croquettes were small bites of deliciousness! They were extremely addictive and the perfect snack to go with one of Yerba Buena's great cocktails.
After this great meal and a few drinks I stopped by my friend's bday table filled with ladies and desserts. It was pretty much heaven- especially when I dipped my spoon into the Yerba Buena Dulce De Leche Sundae ($9) with bananas, candied pecans, and dulce de leche. I only had one spoonful, but that was all I needed to give me a culinary orgasm. I couldn't tell which I enjoyed more- that sundae or all the women.
Yerba Buena is an amazing place for great cocktails and great Latin cuisine. I will tell you that it is extremely loud inside, the acoustics are awful, and I had to scream throughout the night. So, I recommend not talking, just drinking and eating, and you will be one satisfied customer. I know I was.
Yerba Buena (Perry St.)
One Perry St. (at Greenwich Ave)
New York, NY 10014
212-629-0808
www.ybnyc.com
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( 3 / 180 )Last Thursday I grabbed a bite at Scuderia, an Italian Trattoria in the West Village. One of the owners of Scuderia is Leyla Marchetto, whose father Silvano owns Da Silvano across the street, which has been around since 1975!
We sat outside on 6th Avenue and began our meal with a few appetizers chosen by our waiter. He sent out fried olives stuffed with pork ($10), a Bibb lettuce salad woth gorgonzola ($10.50), roasted jumbo artichoke ($12.50), and a Baccala -Salted Cod and Potatoes ($11.50). My tablemates and I agreed that the highlight of these appetizers was definitely the Baccala, which was creamy, tasty and addictive!
A Picante pizza ($17.50) with spicy pork sausage, taleggio, and rucola was absolutely wonderful! In fact, it was one of the best pizzas I had ever had! There was a beautiful balance between the spiciness of the sausage and the sweetness of the taleggio and olive oil on the pie.
Next we had two pasta dishes: Orecchiette “Norcina” ($28.50)and the Gnocchi di Patate all’Aragosta ($22.50).
The Orecchiette came with prosciutto, rucola, peas, and truffles. It was a rich and decadent dish.
The Gnocchi came with lobster and a light lobster sauce and was truly fabulous! There were hunks of plump, juicy lobster which were great. My two dining companions and I could not stop eating this dish, and I know one of them was having fantasies about it the following day!
For our entrees we had the Mix Seafood Grill ($32.50), Braised Short Rib ($23.50) and the Veal Shank ($29.50)
The grilled seafood with fish, calamari, and lobster came dressed with olive oil and herbs was simple, fresh and fine.
The braised beef short rib came with a nice polenta. The beef was extremely tender and there was a nice sweetness to the dish.
The veal shank with a saffron risotto was amazing! The meat was cooked so perfectly, it fell right off the bone. It was juicy, tender, and delicious! One of my dining companions stated it was the best he had ever had! I thought the addition of the saffron risotto was a unique complement to the veal, and I enjoyed it.
Scuderia is the perfect spot to come for a glass (or a few glasses) of wine, have some Italian bites, and watch the world go by.
Scuderia
257 6th Avenue (bet. Houston and Bleeker)
New York, NY 10014
212-206-9111
www.scuderianyc.com
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( 3 / 275 )Last week I had the pleasure of receiving two boxes of Chipn'etzel cookies from the Sara Snacker Cookie Company. The Chipn'etzel is "a sweet and savory cookie made from everyone's two favorite snacks - potato chips and pretzels!" I tried ones hand dipped in dark chocolate and hand dipped in white chocolate and I loved them! The combination of the sweetness of the chocolate and the saltiness of the potato chips and pretzels makes this a truly addictive cookie! I came home one night and ate 10 in a row - by accident. If you crave a sweet and salty snack, the Chipn'etzel hits the spot. Just be careful, cause I bet you can't just eat one!
www.sarasnacker.com
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