Wafels & Dinges

It was an unusually warm evening in October when I decided to take a few minutes to slow down and enjoy the city.  I am normally very happy in my relationship with the city but I’ve been feeling a bit stifled in the relationship lately.  I was really feeling like I need some space and some time away- that the principle of reciprocity was off balance.    And then I got some perspective in the form of cool and creamy ice cream over a soft and crispy warm waffle.  I had passed the Wafels & Dinges truck the day before and although it looked and smelled amazing and it seemed to live up to the publicity that it has been getting in the foodie pages but the long line in front of it was the only deterrent.  Tonight was the night.  There weren’t mobs of people passing by and through the Time Warner building and there weren’t too many people polluting the air with cigarettes outside so I became the third person in line at the Waffle truck.  The guy in the truck served me with wonderful attitude and he gets an A-plus in customer service.  I had a ton of questions and when I asked what was in the Spekuloos spread, he said, “Rainbows, magic, and a little bit of James Franco,”  as he handed me a sample of it.  ”Wow, James Franco is really hot and this spread is really good!” was what came out of my mouth.  The waffle came hot off the iron and the Spekuloos (Belgian gingerbread-cinnamon) spread melted gorgeously over it.  It was topped triumphantly with raspberry-vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.  I got it in a mini size which was perfectly sized and proportioned so that  in my mind I didn’t have to convert the calories into time on the treadmill.

I did say something about perspective earlier so here it is, as promised.  There was a question posed to me last week at church: Are you a consumer who takes from the city or do you seek the peace and prosperity (Shalom) of the city and it’s inhabitants?  I had been taking for granted that the city is about people and culture, not necessarily about places and things.  Yes, this was an amazingly delicious wafel that I was enjoying but it represented something more than just a food product.  Someone who is passionate about food was able to turn that passion into a wonderful experience that brings smiles to people’s faces, that brings foodies, families, and friends together, and that serves as an ambassador of Belgian culture.  Why does that song say, “New York, New York.  If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere?”  What makes the city unbearable to me sometimes is exactly what makes it a cultural influencer.   It’s feels crowded and dirty, the weather is fickle, and there are always groups of people speaking their mind (or playing loud instruments badly) whether solicited or unsolicited.  But the thing is, the more needs that arise, the more creativity and resolve rise up to meet them.  While I feel the need to go someplace that resembles nature, I feel more compelled to go down to Wall Street to help Occupy it.  I need to check in on those friends that I haven’t heard from in a while.  And I should find a way to use my talents for good instead of complaining that my talents go unnoticed.  And yes, all this came out of a wafel.

Wafel & Dinges

 

Crème Brûlée Cappuccino

This post begins my homage to California.  Some people may think of California as the land of Arnold Schwarzenegger, SUV’s and surfer dudes but as a California native, I especially appreciate California as an agricultural and culinary oasis.  The freshest fruits and vegetables all year around, perfect weather, mountains and ocean in one scene, and people who are generally laid back, casual, and friendly.

I was reunited with a good friend during my vacation to California.  We hadn’t seen each other in years and I was amazed when she asked me if I would be in California at the exact time that I planned to be there!  We managed to see each other the morning that she flew back to Indiana with her husband and two young daughters.  Her husband was kind enough to let me take her for a couple of hours.  We ended up at one of her favorite coffee shops.  This was no ordinary coffee shop.  Barefoot Coffee Roasters serves a Crème Brûlée Cappuccino that I am craving as I write this post.  I have yet to find another coffee shop that will sprinkle fine sugar over your cappuccino and take a torch to it.  You get the thrill of breaking through burnt sugar without the guilt of eating a cream custard along with the reward of a seriously delicious cappuccino!  Perhaps I can find this drink somewhere in New York City.  I’ll have fun trying, at any rate.

Creme Brulee Cppuccino from Barefoot Coffee

Magnolia Bakery S’more Cupcakes- Absolutely divine

This month’s featured cupcake at Magnolia Bakery was certainly worth the wait.  It was like heaven on a plate.  Graham cake injected with chocolate ganache and topped with marshmallow meringue.  It is my go-to for the month if I have a bad day at work.  I’m sure they would also work as bribes, apologies, or used for buttering someone up before making a request.  I had the S’more and my friend had the Orange.  I hope they have these cupcakes in heaven!

The S'more Cupcake

Orange Cupcake

S’mores Cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery

I received inside information from a former employee regarding S’mores cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery (69th and Columbus).  They are only produced on Fridays.  They are graham cracker cupcakes filled with chocolate ganache and topped with marshmallow.  I missed yesterday’s and now I wait in great anticipation for next Friday!

Everything Frosted- Chinatown cupcakes

This post on Everything Frosted is overdue.  Time to give it it’s due.  I had just come from dumplings on Mosco Street when this blackboard caught my eye.  Even though I was stuffed from the dumplings, the cupcake flavors were irresistible.  I just had to go upstairs and take a look.  I was greeted warmly by the owner.  He was passionate about his creations and offered to freshly frost a cupcake with less frosting than those that were already in the case.  The choice was hard to make but I finally decided on a green tea cupcake with jasmine vanilla buttercream frosting.  He packaged it in the cutest single cupcake box.  Unfortunately my box took a tumble before I got it home so I couldn’t get a decent picture of it but check out their website (link above).  And go try the cupcakes for yourself.  The cupcakes would be great paired with ice cream from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory!  I’m going to try that next time.

Cupcake Cafe

The picture of the cupcakes from Cupcake Cafe on 9th Ave between 40th and 41st are over a year old but their cupcakes are still good.  And gorgeous!  Out of all the cupcake shops I have visited thus far, I think my favorite is still Cupcake Cafe.  We were hosting a dinner and prayer meeting for our Grace and Race events and after the order from Carmine’s didn’t work out, we had to rustle up dinner in Midtown on short notice.  Chinese food from 38th and 8th it was, and then we looked up Cupcake Cafe on the iPhone since we had heard they were good but never tried them before.  Needless to say, they were a hit!

Cupcake Stop (truck)

I had just struck out at the Wicked lottery and it was a wicked hot day today.  I headed up to Columbus Circle to take shelter at the air conditioned Borders when I spotted the Cupcake Stop truck parked at the corner of 58th and 8th.  Diana and I split a Vanilla Latte Cupcake.  The cake was nice and dense without being dry.  Ratio of frosting to cake was absolutely perfect.  Definitely recommend it if you pass by.

Watermelon Pinkberry- Summer in a Cup

I hadn’t been to Pinkberry in quite a while. Molly and I were supposed to go Speed Dating last week but the event was canceled at the last minute. We decided to go shopping instead, have a nice dinner and catch up (stay tuned for the Frankie and Johnny’s post). We went walking up the West Side Highway from West 4th Street to 14th and since it was such a muggy night, we set Pinkberry as our destination. I sampled the watermelon yogurt and although it was absolutely delicious, I stuck with the original flavor. I did change it up, however, as I had strawberry, mochi, and watermelon (instead of blueberries). I was delighted to see that the pricing structure had changed. Toppings are no longer charged individually. The summer special looked awesome, though I’m not sure about the cucumber combo. I’ll try it next time. Anyways, it’s seriously summer in a cup. Go get yourself some!

Obscene cookies from Levain Bakery

“Those cookies are downright obscene!”  That’s what Tim said about the cookies from Levain Bakery on the Upper West Side (74th and Amsterdam).  I was in charge of the reception for a set of classical music analysis lectures this year.  I decided to get something special for the reception for the last lecture of the year.  Their cookies come in four varieties and I chose the chocolate chocolate chip.  I brought the leftovers to work the next day and the comment was, “That’s not a cookie, it’s a brownie!” while people’s eyes widened while biting into them.  Don’t get caught up in the technicalities.  The cookies are exceptional.  I tried one of their oatmeal raisin scones, as well.  Mild and delicious, extra scrumptious with jam on top.

Chocolate chocolate chip cookies from Levain Bakery

Pinkberry

I was introduced to the phenomenon of Pinkberry while working in Midtown.  My colleagues and I would walk to 32nd street to get a fix of this frozen yogurt.  And I really mean frozen yogurt- yogurt that is frozen, not an unsatisfying substitute for ice cream.  My usual Pinkberry order is original or green tea yogurt with berries and mochi.  My friend Dave and I stopped in at Pinkberry before our friend’s performance on Theatre Row.  I decided to try the Pinkberry Parfait because it looked so pretty.

Pinkberry Parfait

If you are wondering if the word phenomenon is an overstatement for a frozen yogurt product, you can read about it in the LA Times.  Pinkberry has become a staple in many Manhattan neighborhoods.  You’ll probably see me in line one of these days.

A Classical McDonald’s

There’s no playground at the McDonald’s on 56th and 8th Ave but Molly and I walked into this one and were struck by the decor and the classical music playing over the loudspeakers.  There were prints of classical looking paintings (insert comment by Art History majors here) on the walls, across from the giant Angus Burger signs.  I would have taken some pictures but I had an ice cream cone in my hand.  They’re only 150 calories, by the way.  No Less guilt!   If you’re in need of a little zen, stop by Mikkee Dee’s.

The Met Museum

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is quite large and impressive.  You will most likely become hungry at some point in your visit.  There are actually many dining options available at the Met.  If you are there on a Friday or Saturday when the Met is open late, they have live classical music playing at the Great Balcony Bar between 4 and 8pm.  I ended up at the Cafeteria eating a cupcake from Crumbs. The prices are a bit on par with the food stands at Central Park (read ummm…how much for that?) but considering that admission is pay what you will to see incredible art work, I guess you can’t really complain.  What do you think?  I happened to be there on the last day of the Francis Bacon exhibit.  I’m glad I got to see some of it because a lot of people are talking about it.   He was trying to paint the perfect mouth.  I must admit, though, that the whole time I was looking at the Francis Bacon exhibit, I kept hearing the Beggin’ Strips commercial.  You know, the one with the puppy dog begging, “Bacon…bacon-bacon-bacon!!!”

Breakfast at Tiffany’s Per Se

My version of having Breakfast at Tiffany’s is getting a Pain au Chocolat from Bouchon and then going one floor up to look at what’s on the menu at Per Se.  I never really liked diamonds until I walked into a Tiffany’s and I’ve never thought of food as poetry until I looked at the menu at Per Se.  OK, listen to this:  TERRINE OF HUDSON VALLEY MOULARD DUCK FOIE GRAS- Tellicherry Pepper-Scented Yogurt, Strawberry Gelée, Watercress and Balsamic Reduction with Toasted Brioche.

Or this: MUD PIE- Dark Chocolate Mud Cake, Liquid Caramel, Chocolate “Crémeux” and Caramel Parfait  with Sassafras Ice Cream.

Did you read it aloud?  Is not the alliteration just savory?  Just reading it makes me feel elegant.  Like I could be so Audrey!

Peanut Butter & Co and Elvis

Another Elvis reference I found recently is at the adorable and ultra-fun Peanut Butter & Co in The Village. Yes, some people may scoff at the idea of paying $6-8 for a peanut butter sandwich but the peanut butter that they make is pretty darn good. It is a peanut butter paradise. They serve The Elvis, which is a “grilled peanut butter sandwich stuffed with bananas and honey.  Try it with bacon for extra indulgence.  Long live the King!”  I ordered The Heat is On with chicken and pineapple. It was really good, actually. All sandwiches are served with chips and carrot sticks. PB & Co is also featured in the Scavenger Munch Hunt that Watson Adventures runs in the Village. An especially great hunt for any foodie at any level and you pick up great trivia bits along the way!

Burgers & Cupcakes

Burgers & Cupcakes on 9th Ave at 36th.  Not much explanation needed, though this location was also serving pizza.  I had a crispy chicken sandwich, my friend had a turkey burger and we ordered a basket of chili cheese fries.  Warning, the baskets of fries are large and quite salty.  It was otherwise all really well done using fresh ingredients.  There’s nothing I hate more than being served wilted lettuce.  I get served wilted lettuce fairly frequently in New York and that has become a pet peeve of the Californian in me.  So kudos to Burgers & Cupcakes!  They also gave us our cupcakes gratis after our meal.  I had a carrot cupcake and it was yummy!  The cake was nice and moist (and not too sweet) and the cream cheese icing was smooth.   The meal lifted my spirits and got me pumped up for my job interview the next day!

Crispy Chicken Burger

Carrot Cupcake

TGIF

OK, so I went to Friday’s on Wednesday.  Molly said that she felt like having a burger but we didn’t feel like going to Johnny Rockets.  We were out in Forest Hills where there are plenty of chain restaurants (but they are not overpriced like they are in Manhattan).  It brought me back to my high school years, probably also because they were playing Savage Garden when we walked in.  My friend Lea called TGIF Guy Fieri’s restaurant, haha.  He does make TGIF look really good.

What I really liked was that they had a “Perfect Portions” menu.  ABC reported that portions have increased in size by 23-52% over the past 20 years and that in their study, every person who was served a larger portion size ate more.  I have gotten into the habit of eating only half of my entree at restaurants nowadays.  My perfect portions meal was the perfect portion and although I managed to substitute broccoli for the fries, I finished my ribs and then managed to finish Molly’s 5 cheese macaroni.  Now that dish was so good with bleu cheese on it!  Mmm.  I would have been just perfectly full except that we had been talking about relationships all night and we just couldn’t leave without having dessert.  There is a law in New York City that all chain restaurants must include the calorie counts on their menus, which I find to be really helpful when deciding what to order but I was really wishing they hadn’t shown the calorie counts on the dessert menu that night!  Didn’t stop me from sharing it, though.

Chelsea Market

It was my first time at Chelsea Market and besides being excited about seeing Melissa d’Arabian, I had fun walking through and seeing what was there.  I missed the period when Food Network was selling tours of their studios, darn it!  I’ve been trying to figure out how to get my foot in the door there.  Anyways, there were some fun places like The Lobster Place, food markets (Italian and others), gelato, bakeries, and a sample sale going on.  Oh, Sarabeth’s was looking for counter help.  I may just apply if I don’t find some steady work soon!

Pizza for lunch at Chelsea Market

Hamburger Cupcakes

Max Brenner

Max Brenner (Chocolate by the Bald Man) at Union Square has set out to create a chocolate culture.  I must admit I’m a believer in his campaign.  Just look at his Sweets menu and you’ll understand.  I think that this would be a great place to go on a date but I’ve only been to Max Brenner with girlfriends, which is indeed a fantabulous way to spend an evening.  The waffle fries were a winner, dusted with chili and cocoa powders.  We had dinner before having dessert, although I wouldn’t have been opposed to skipping dinner whereby leaving more room for dessert.  They used to serve my favorite “Chocolate Mess” which was chunks of moist chocolate cake topped with 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, strawberries, and sprinkles, all encased in an 8 inch round cake pan served with spatulas instead of spoons.  It’s not on the menu anymore but there are plenty of other fun items on the menu.  What I love about the desserts is the interactive element to them.  The sauces come in tiny flasks and you get to drizzle it on your own dessert, or especially fun are the chocolate covered pop rocks that pop in your mouth!  There is an almost cubist feel to the desserts, the way each element of the dessert is broken down.  And the serving mugs are absolutely adorable.  I love the dark chocolate mocha that you can also get to go at the counter and is served in the hug mug in the restaurant.  There is the Alice cup, the hug mug, and others.  There may be richer, smoother chocolate around but I haven’t found a place yet that provides such a fun experience.  Be sure to peruse the chocolate shop in the front.  It also houses a barrel of molten chocolate which is also quite a spectacle.

Max Brenner Entrees

Max Brenner Banana Bread and Chocolate Banana Crepe

Union Square Farmer’s Market (Greenmarket)

Union Square Greenmarket

It was storming for a while so my friend and I decided to take cover at Barnes & Noble at Union Square since we were meeting another friend for dinner at Max Brenner later.  There was a break in the weather so I had to walk her through the farmer’s market.  By the time we walked the block, it started raining again.  There were flowers, fruits, vegetables, fresh baked breads.  I didn’t realize that there was a fish vendor until I smelled it.  At about 6pm there was a bakery that was selling their goods for the reduced price of $1.  We tasted the local honey but I was more fascinated by the piece of the hive they had on display, complete with bees and enclosed in a plastic case.  I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the vegetables as they looked so vibrant, nutritious, and delicious!

The market is a source for many of the surrounding restaurants.  My friend told me, “I saw Mario Batali a few years ago at Union Square—he was with an underling, or so it appeared, and they were picking out produce. He is not a small man, and looks just like his photos.”

I’ve been reading Danny Meyers’ Setting the Table and he talks about the experience of opening his first restaurant, Union Square Cafe, in the mid 80′s.”I had just been to Union Square once or twice since I began living in New York, so I was only vaguely aware of its green-market–then a small twice-a-week outdoor gathering of cash-crop farmers and a specialist in heirloom apples…The farmer’s market was intriguing, and according to Ellen Giddins, the real estate executive who first urged me to follow my instinct on Union Square, this was precisely where the advertising and publishing industries would soon be relocating to escape the escalating rents in midtown…I was no expert in New York real estate , but I understood on a gut level that if I handicapped the location correctly, and could successfully play a role in transforming the neighborhood, my restaurant, with its long-term lease locked in at a low rent, could offer excellence and value.  This combination would attract smart, adventurous, loyal customers, in turn giving other restaurants and businesses the confidence to move into the neighborhood until a critical mass had been reached and the neighborhood itself changed for the better.”

I often see protests and rallies being held at Union Square Park.  There’s a lot free stuff being offered there, as well, with signs that read, “Free tickets,” “Free Newspaper,” “Free Hugs,” and “Free Tibet.”  The free samples at the Greenmarket are pretty darn good.

Dim Sum at Golden Bridge

Dim Sum is a Hong Kong style breakfast or lunch that could be considered the Chinese version of Spanish Tapas.  Dim Sum is the Cantonese pronunciation and in Mandarin it is Dian Xin.  It literally translates as a little bit of heart.  The only few words I know in Cantonese are, in fact, Dim Sum dishes.  Because Dim Sum is served on small plates, it is best enjoyed with a larger group of people so that you can order a greater variety of dishes.  I’ve had a couple of birthday celebrations at Golden Bridge on Bowery and Canal Street.  The other place that I like in Chinatown is Grand Harmony on Mott St.  They still have the nice (relative) ladies who push around the carts  of the steamed, fried, sauteed, and dessert carts.  There is also a congee cart and sometimes there is a nifty cart that  they grill savory diakon radish cakes on.  Be aggressive when ordering your food and don’t be afraid to ask specifically for anything!  Once you get a dish from the cart, the ladies stamp your bill and at the end of your meal, a waiter tabulates your bill on the spot without the use of a calculator.  It’s best to pay cash, as they add a percentage to the bill for credit card payments.

Clockwise from the top: Spareribs, Crispy Fried Shrimp, Sesame Balls, Chinese crullers wrapped with rice noodles (my friends always tell me but I can’t for the life of me remember the name), Har Gao (shrimp dumplings), Dan Ta (custard tarts), more Har Gao, Steamed Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce, and Chinese Greens with Hoisin sauce in the center (You Cai in Mandarin).  Missing from this photo are every man’s favorite, Siu Mai, and we also ordered the Fried Rice with Chicken and Salted Fish.  Dee-lish!