A Valentine's Trip to NYC

Well, we left before Valentine's Day, but we went for a long weekend. Of course, it was one of the coldest weekends this Winter, so we tried to stay indoors as much as possible and enjoy some long, leisurely meals.

A NYC Valentine

Upon arrival we headed to Maysville for cocktails and dinner. After imbibing a Kentucky Redbird (a bourbon and fruity concoction), I then decided to move on to the Willett Pot Still, neat. Mmmm! The food highlight was the seared beef with radish and apple. The bartenders were friendly, especially since we arrived right as they opened. We ate in the dining room for our meal and the restaurant filled up quickly. Coordination of courses proved to be a bit bumpy leaving us with multiple plates jockeying for position.

An awesome bar shelf

Kentucky Redbird

Seared beef with radish and apple. A wonderful dish from Maysville.

Walking back to the hotel we stumbled upon Eataly. Wow! a bit overwhelming. We couldn't resist ordering the Nutella Affogato.

Decadent after dinner dessert/coffee from Eataly.

The next morning we headed to The Met. The museum is big and contains a wide variety of art and artifacts. We were particularly enchanted with the vibrancy of the Thomas Hart Benton paintings and delighted by the Oceanic exhibit.

Thomas Hart Benton - July Hay

Crocodile Ceiling Panel

For lunch we visited the Petrie Court Cafe. Tasty food, lovely service, and a decent people-watching experience.

The blue hat is awesome

A wonderful Cab from Paso Robles

Enjoying a French Dip sandwich at The Met

After lunch we saw armored knights and Dutch masters.

The armor collection is impressive

Govert Flinck - Bearded Man with a Velvet Cap

Back to our tiny hotel room for a rest before dining at Perry St. This was our dinner splurge. A five course tasting menu with wine pairings. Unfortunately, it was way too dark to take decent photos. The highlight was a Lobster Thermidor with mushrooms, Gruyere, and tarragon. A perfect melding of flavors paired with a white Burgundy. Luscious, decadent, delicious.

The following day we attempted to walk around the city and enjoy a few outdoor sites. The frozen fountain at Bryant Park was really cool (actually frozen). And we wandered around Rockefeller Plaza.

The frozen fountain was fascinating

Billowing flags at Rockefeller Plaza. No wonder we were cold.

We ended up at Columbus Circle with half a mind to venture over toward the Hudson River to view the Intrepid when we realized the cold weather was winning. It was near noon and we needed a place for lunch. Robert came to our rescue. Located on the ninth floor of the Museum of Arts and Design, the place is colorful and modern with a spectacular view of Central Park and NYC. We settled in to enjoy drinks, wine, food, and restaurant patrons. An indulgent spot to warm our bones. The staff treated us very well, despite the lack of reservations.

Bright colors and funky furniture at Robert

What a view!

Wine splurge

Potato and Watercress Soup. The right starter on a frigid day.

Steak Frites

Fur coats and shorts - NYC style

Diners at Robert

 After lunch we did wander over to see the Intrepid from the outside. In the late afternoon we headed to MoMA to take advantage of free admission night. Wow! What a freakin' zoo! Busy and chaotic. The line for the coat check was at least an hour long! It was tough to enjoy the art because we were constantly jostled by other Friday night freeloaders. I was pleased to see a couple of Klimt paintings. This was the highlight for me.

Waiting to check coats. We carried ours.

Gustav Klimt - Hope II

As we left MoMA we ran into a cat head. We appreciate this kind of art, too.

Cat Head

After chaos we needed to relax a wee bit before dinner. A glass of sparkling at the Morrell Wine Bar did the trick.

And then we plunged right back into chaos visiting Don Antonio for pizza. Crowded, loud, and busy, but delicious wood-fired pies.

The crowd at Don Antonio.

Margherita with Sausage. Wood-fired Deliciousness.

The next morning we boarded the train for home. Fun trip despite the cold temps. Lots more still to do on future visits.

NYC - Fun Times

Yumminess from Camden's Dogtown Market

I don't get over to Manchester as much as I should, but when I do I try to hit up Camden's Dogtown Market for delicious food in a relaxed atmosphere. Last week it was time to try the Caprese Press with fresh mozzarella, roasted red pepper, and house-made pesto on grilled foccacia. Served with a heaping pile of frites and homemade pickles - delightful.

The other great thing about Camden's is the wine. Any wine from the market can be served with a $10 corkage fee. The current pinot noir line up is mighty impressive.

Great food; great drink.

The Urban Farmhouse in Scott's Addition

We had lovely Country Ham and Egg Sandwiches for brunch at The Urban Farmhouse in Scott's Addition. A simple, yet satisfying meal accompanied by an iced coffee.

We loved the open airy space and the patio for outside dining. So glad to have this Farmhouse in the Scott's Addition neighborhood.

McCormack's Big Whiskey Grill

Yes, go to McCormack's Big Whiskey Grill. The converted Texas de Brazil dining room is a bit cavernous, so the the next time we go we plan on cozying up to the bar. Another reason to be at the bar - gazing at all of the offerings and obtaining knowledge from the bartender. While our waiter was very nice, he was not familiar with most of the bourbons and whiskies. I grant you the menu contains a goodly number, but the waiter indicated that there wasn't, as yet, an educational program for the staff (I hope that changes). I would love to be able to pair some of the whiskies with the food options.

Putting aside my picky observations, we enjoyed our outing.

Western touches add to the atmosphere of the restaurant.

As I pondered the dinner selections I enjoyed a Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, neat. Smooth with delightful vanilla tones. My kind of bourbon.

I ordered a Nashville Style Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich. Get your mouth in line because the bird was hot! and crispy and delicious.So nice to see (and taste!) that extra touch of grilling the bun.

Hot and awesome!

Great food. A whiskey for every taste. Saddle up and go west people for some whiskey and grub. Anyone want to be my designated driver?

Lucy's Brunch

Lucy's is a cute little spot in Jackson Ward. We had brunch there about a month ago and enjoyed Mimosas

and the Two Street Club.

The club sandwich came with housemade mesa chips and pickles. Very satisfying. And I loved the bright and colorful bouquet gracing the table.

South of the James Market

Time for another round of South of the James Market photos.

Enjoy!

Romano Beans

Beautiful Red Pepper

Colorful Flowers

Squash Blossoms

Peaches

Banh Mi Sandwich from The Hungry Turtle food truck

Two Market Regulars

Looking forward to seeing you at the market!

New Restaurants Need to Step Up Their Game

Yesterday we decided to grab a late lunch/brunch at the Southerly. We were efficiently seated. At least half a dozen folks on the wait staff passed by us. We waited. Another couple was seated at the next table. We waited. A waiter came by to take the other couple's order. We waited. We waited another couple of minutes and then left. The dining room was not that busy. Very poor impression for a new restaurant whose theme is Southern hospitality.

By that time it was getting late so we decided to try Travinia Italian Kitchen in Willow Lawn. If they stopped serving lunch, we could at least find something else in the area.

We were efficiently greeted and our waitress promptly took our drink order. Yeah! After our disappointment at the Southerly we rewarded ourselves with a Sidecar. Sugared rim and a tart taste. Yes, an adult SweeTart with a cute lemon curl.

Sidecar with a Cute Lemon Curl

For lunch I ordered a Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich (no tomatoes) with Garlic Parmesan Fries. The sandwich was good (decent pesto), but it did come with tomatoes. The kitchen needs a little work. The fries were fries. The garlic was extremely mild. While I could see it, I couldn't really taste it.

Chicken Pesto Sandwich After the Removal of the Tomatoes

My hubby ordered Uncle Tony's Pizza. The pizza was supposed to come with pepperoni, Italian sausage, roasted garlic, and onions. There was no sausage in evidence. But there was an extra ingredient, two pieces of blue plastic. The kitchen definitely needs some work. While we did let the waitress know, no one from management addressed the issue. Hubby also said that the crust reminded him of the boxed Chef Boyardee pizzas from the '70's.

Is this really Uncle Tony's favorite? No Italian sausage and a couple of blue surprises.

While the service was better than the Southerly, the kitchen requires much more training and supervision.

River City Smokehouse Sandwich at Lunch

River City Smokehouse Sandwich a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

Lunch serves up a pile of BBQ for their River City Smokehouse Sandwich. Enjoy with a Guinness on draft.

Fat Tony at Lamplighter

Fat Tony a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

Lamplighter on Addison features the Fat Tony for your lunching pleasure: spicy Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, grilled onions, roasted red peppers, and basil on focaccia. Enjoy it with cold pressed iced coffee. Yummy!

Falling in Love with Merroir

My hubby has always been the oyster fan, generally, fried oysters. If fried oysters appear on the menu, he gets them. No chance for me to share an app or a small plate. For the most part, I give in because he enjoys these Virginia delicacies so freakin' much. He can tell whether those babies are sweet or if they remind him of the "dirty water" shellfish he grew up eating.

Raw oysters are another matter. He will eat them, but won't go out of his way. I could pretty much leave them stranded. We did have some truly kick-ass tiny pink ones when we were in Oregon that I continue to rave about and we tried some Anderson Neck cuties at Dutch and Co which were small and sweet. I was surprised at how good they were. So was hubby.

On a mellow and sunny Sunday in August we decided to drive to Topping, VA to check out Merroir. Yes, lots of folks around here have raved about them. But raw oysters? and particularly on a hot summer (or even spring day)? No way. Well, the stars aligned and we arrived. Great setting along the Rappahannock. Everyone was eating outside (including some frisky little dogs). We could have our pick of sun or shade. We chose shade. The menu was short, but featured many tempting dishes, including sliders for non-seafood eaters.

We began by ordering a Picpoul de Pinet. The crisp, slightly grapefruity white from France was a nice choice for the feast to come.

Of course we started with raw oysters. Merroir offers three varieties that they harvest. We chose the sweet Rappahannocks. I (and hubby) were impressed. I would order these again. We also shared some steamed shrimp that weren't too shabby.

We then progressed at a leisurely pace into a second course. I gravitated towards the Sunday brunch special - crabcake, fried green tomato, bacon, and fried egg sandwich. So yummy! My partner selected the tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad along with some steamed clams. We both were able to satisfy our seafood cravings while sitting back and watching the river scene. Yes, love at first bite.

As the fall gets into full gear, the river setting should just get even better.

Enjoy these photos of the food and scenery at Merroir.

The entrance to the outside dining area. Merroir also offers a few inside bar seats during in-climate weather.

A couple with their pooches enjoying the sunshine.

A refreshing white wine for brunch

Swallow the Leader

Sweet raw oysters. Not slimy.

Steamed spiced shrimp. Ask for extra napkins.

An Oysterista ready to take an order

A perfect brunch offering - fried egg, crabcake, bacon, and fried green tomato

A salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar

Steamed clams with lots of summer flavor

A beautiful water view