Broadway Bound

I’ve walked past Insieme in The Michaelangelo Hotel many times on my NYC visits and have always wanted to eat there. Last week it was our lunch spot before seeing Jersey Boys on Broadway (the fabulousness of this show is a discussion for a whole other time!!!)



My appetizer, which was a pretty salad of delicate lettuces and shaved pieces of colorful baby vegetables, was bland and needed salt and pepper. Unfortunate. The main course of veal lasagna was more enjoyable. The thin sheets of homemade pasta were light as a feather, the veal ragu was flavorful, and the bright red tomato sauce was sweet and fresh. The sprinkling of fresh herbs on top added even more zest.


There are a billion NYC restaurants I'd like to try so I don't think I would run back here. The restaurant’s name (pronounced een-see-EM-ay) is the Italian word for together and if nothing else, I’m glad “E” and I could be together eating lasagna on a weekday afternoon.

(interior photo from Eater.com)

Wedding Reminiscence

Just ate at 32 Church (Creative Cooking) in Montclair. There are a ton of reasons I should have adored this restaurant. (1) it is on Church Street - one of my favorite charming streets; (2) you can dine outdoors; (3) it is owned by a restaurant group that owns a restaurant in Westfield that I used to frequent and loved; (4) the menu was interesting; (5) the restaurant interior is very attractive ; and (6) it is BYO!

Sadly though I didn’t love it --- I only LIKED it and was hoping for more. 32 Church brings a bit of a SOHO vibe to Montclair, has an eclectic cool menu, and is right next door to Amanti Vino wine store (making for very easy BYOing). It is the latest endeavor by the Creative Cooking teams from Theresa’s, Isabella’s and Mojave Grill of Westfield and Theresa’s South of Bay Head (where I've been wanting to eat).

My eggplant pancake with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers and tasty roasted garlic cream was quite enjoyable and rather filling for an appetizer (I had it as my lunch). My mom’s frittata special was again a generous portion and light and fluffy, just the way a frittata should be.




So what was my problem? I was served good food and yet I wasn’t thrilled?! Honestly, 32 Church occupies the space of former Montclair restaurant, Taro, where my dear friend ALJ was married. It made me so sad that Taro was gone that I probably could have been served perfect cuisine and still wouldn’t have been happy. All I could think about was ALJ’s wedding, how much fun we had that day, and how delicious the food was at Taro.

In fairness, I guess I’ll give this restaurant another try when I have a clear head and my brain isn’t fogged out with lovely wedding memories.

Pepe's

C’mon people.....did you really think I’d be able to stay away after all that pizza blogging last week??!



And yes, it was as delicious as ever.

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread

I don’t really love to bake but I’m all about homemade cookies. That’s why I get excited about how easy Claire Robinson’s Shortbread are to make. They are beyond simple (with only 5 ingredients) and I like that you don’t have to get involved with rolling pins and cookie cutters.

Her recipe calls for the addition of earl grey tea , but I prefer the shortbread dipped in chocolate instead!

Ruhlman and Cheesecake

Do you know Michael Ruhlman? If not, you should!!! Mr. Ruhlman has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and is best known for his many books authored in collaboration with American chefs like Thomas Keller and Eric Ripert (double gasp). If that isn’t impressive enough, he is also a good friend of Anthony Bourdain and has appeared in some episodes of No Reservations with him. I’ve loved Ruhlman since seeing him with Bourdain on TV a while back and reading his blog. But what really makes him hold that special place in my heart is that he loves the Miso Salmon at Cheesecake Factory and admits it.

You see, last year Ruhlman made fun of author and journalist Kelly Alexander for writing an article in praise of Cheesecake Factory and she quickly issued a challenge to him via email: Go to Cheesecake, order the miso salmon and if you don’t think it is totally awesome, I will not only pay for your salmon but will personally buy 15 copies of your book Ratio. Ruhlman took the challenge and the rest is history. (You can read all about it here and here.)

To quote Ruhlman exactly, he describes the miso salmon like this: “The salmon was delicious–juicy, flavorful, excellent miso glaze, just the right amount of sweetness, the sauce was buttery/creamy...”. I 100% agree and so does my husband, who was ordering the dish long before I was.

On my recent lunch trip to Cheesecake Factory with my mom, we didn’t order the miso but rather some salads and an item from the new small plates menu (*LOVE*). I’m never let down at this mega chain restaurant. The food is always flavorful and something inside me just can’t resist the casino like grandeur of the restaurant’s interior.





P.S. – Attention Mr. Ruhlman or Mr. Ruhlman’s peeps if you are reading this, maybe you and Bourdain would like to join us on our next Cheesecake Factory trip?!? We always order the salmon and it could be like one big giant miso party!!!!!!

Think about it!

Weekend Indulgence

Mondays are never easy and are certainly made more difficult after a weekend where a fab meal was eaten outdoors in great company. This weekend we had beautiful weather for our BBQ with friends from NYC. Catching up was wayyy overdue and our evening together flew by faster than I would have liked.

I would be remiss if I didn’t credit my husband for his spot on preparations of both appetizer and main course and for his mad grilling skills. Michael grilled Halloumi as an appetizer and served it over fresh summer tomatoes drizzled with a garlic oil he made. We had something similar at this restaurant a while back and I must say my hubby's version was even better!


The main course was his crispy lemon chicken with rice pilaf. The chicken was seasoned and cooked perfectly and his lemon sauce always draws rave reviews. He even arranged the platter meticulously.



Dessert was bought by our guests from here and was super scrumptious.

Megan and Rajeev - Thanks for trekking all the way from The Big Apple to spend Saturday night with us! We had a wonderful time and look forward to our next get together (which will hopefully involve Mr. Waxman).....

Fresh Produce

I just discovered the Montclair Farmer’s Market at the Walnut Street train station (open from the end of June through November on Saturdays from 8 am to 2 pm). It features a wide variety of fresh regionally-grown produce (including organic), as well as cut flowers, homemade cheese, pickles, organic bread and more. The colors and textures of the fresh produce were so inviting that I couldn’t help but snap these delicious photos.

What’s better than summer in the suburbs?