Friday, February 25, 2011

Scouts Honor



Did you know that you could make your own Girl Scout Cookies??? I sure didn't. Where the heck have I been?!

I absolutely love me a thin mint, so I'm going to try to make these this weekend. Scouts honor!


(Photo courtesy Chow.com)

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Big City, Big Burger

We all know that Heartland Brewery serves up hefty, crowd-pleasing pub food at reasonable prices. But their menu at HB Burger might be even more appealing! Things like the fried chicken sandwich, the blackened tuna sandwich, and homemade tater tots stuffed with bacon and jalapeno cheese all sound appealing, right?

I'm sure those items are all delicious but my standing order at this place includes:
1. The prime steak burger (a blend of hand-selected dry-aged prime beef)-AND
2. The world’s smallest hot-fudge sundae for dessert.

The burger is the best I have tasted following Minetta Tavern's, which ranks first on my list. Juicy, perfectly cooked, highly flavorful and beefy. And the mini-hot fudge sundae? Well, isn't everything just cuter when it is in a teeny tiny size??? I personally can't resist miniature anything.




P.S. - Their homemade sodas are awesome too!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Shopping and Sustenance

If you have never been to Mitsuwa, then I'd advise getting in your car and going there ASAP. It might just be my new favorite marketplace.

This Japanese superstore is located in Edgewater, NJ and is a one-stop shop for produce, prepared foods (think sushi and bento meals), a huge sake selection, thinly sliced meats for shabu-shabu (Berkshire pork and wagyu beef!), and even Japanese desserts. It is a mini-mall full of authentic Asian food and groceries - how cool is that?

They have a food court within the store (did you hear my heart skip a beat?)! After carefully weighing all my options and inspecting the numerous plastic food displays show in the photo below, I settled on the Gyoza and fried rice with crab combo from Sanuki Sandou Udon:



Doesn't Mike's ramen soup look good? The broth tasted like bacon. UH - YUM.


Sure my plate was a total carb overload, but ya know what? I'm not sorry because it was delicious and I can't wait to go back.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Flavorful Fridays

Ok, I love Greek food. No, I mean I really really love Greek food. I guess it is because of this reason that I find myself at the same restaurant EVERY FRIDAY night!

Located on Bloomfield Avenue in the heart of Montclair, Greek Delights offers dinner specialties straight from the Greek isles. The restaurant is a comfortable and relaxed space catering to adults with varied dishes at moderate prices. Some of our favorite menu items include the eggplant dip, the Saganaki cheese broiled with lemon, the grilled seasoned chicken steak with Greek Salad - and - Mike's personal favorite, the Greek salad topped with gyro meat. Their gyro meat is beyond tasty, shaved thin and seasoned to perfection making it a terrific salad addition.




Oh, and I love their warm pita bread (made even better dunked in tzatziki).

Monday, February 14, 2011

Dinner Meeting

Remember Top Chef Masters? It is undoubtedly one of my favorite shows on TV. Soooo, when I met this guy, I thought my head would explode. Fellow fans of the show (and good friends) M&R agreed after watching Mr. Waxman's performance on TV that we must all try his restaurant, Barbuto, together.

It took us some time to make it happen but it finally did. Not only was the food that Saturday night beyond delicious, but my meeting and two minute conversation with Mr. Waxman himself still has me floating on air.

If you watched Mr. Waxman on Top Chef Masters then you know he earned himself such nicknames as - Chef Kenobi, the Jedi, Chef Obi-Wan, and my personal favorite, the Silver Fox. You would also know his food is simple (he is known for his basic roast chicken). No razzle dazzle, no wacky ingredients....just the pure flavors of the freshest possible recipe components.

Our Barbuto dinner couldn't have been more representative of this awesome Chef and his food style. Fresh creamy polenta with flavorful lamb ragu, perfectly crispy roast chicken entrees, charred brussel sprouts, and crunchy potatoes with pecorino and rosemary were all very simple and VERY delicious:





My only Barbuto regret? Not photographing the Silver Fox :-(

Monday, February 7, 2011

Old-Fashioned Goodness

I love a New York-style deli, don't you? I mean seriously, what's not to love when an establishment offers fantastic foods like knishes, blintzes, matzoh soup and juicy (yet lean) hand-sliced pastrami? If those items don't tempt you, then how about the bowl of sour pickles that are served promptly upon seating?


Irving's is set in a strip mall in Livingston and it is indisputably in the suburbs. But when you taste the great sandwiches, it will make you feel like you are in New York City smack dab in the middle of an old-fashioned deli.

Their health salad was tart, tangy, crispy and sweet all at the same time. Outstanding version:


Michael loves chicken livers. He liked this sandwich but said it didn't quite measure up to the Kosher Nosh's version.


My pastrami was heaven on rye:

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Stress Relieving Satisfaction

Sometimes before work (my day starts at 1:30pm) I need to clear my mind and just relax. Usually that involves food! I have a deep love for Neiman Marcus, not only for the gorgeousness stocked on their racks, but also for having a place to nosh tucked away right in the store.

The Rotunda is a hidden gem on the top floor of Neiman's in Paramus. Their complimentary popovers are outstanding alone...but can be made even better with the strawberry butter accompaniment. Lunch was a bowl of low-cal pasta fagioli soup. The rich tomato-y broth and high flavor made it hard to tell this soup was good for you! Love that.




It is comforting to know I can always count on Neiman's for the perfect amount of destressing before heading to my office. I guess that's why I've mentioned them several times before (examples here and here)!