Ninety Acres at Natirar
April 12, 2011
I spent Sunday afternoon taking in the fresh air of a countryside farm and indulging in some fine dining all at the same time. Having the honor of getting the full tour of Natirar, a 500-acre property in Somerset County, New Jersey, I certainly kept myself busy in an attempt to explore and taste as much as I could. An ongoing project that will include not only dining, but spas, pools and accommodations, the first phase is currently complete and ready for diners. At the restaurant known as Ninety Acres, Food & Wine’s Best new chef of 2011 for the New York area, David Felton, prepared what seemed like endless amazing dishes until we couldn’t eat anymore. Aside from the food, I couldn’t leave out photographs of the old manor house, with it’s classic antique decor, it’s the perfect venue for an elegant wedding or event.
The farm at Natirar
Natirar Beet Salad with baby lettuces, goat cheese, hazelnut granola & cocoa balsamic and tomatoes growing in the greenhouse
Paprika Rubbed Grilled Octopus with meyer Lemon, baby romaine, parmesan & garlic confit
The Dining Room
Organic Risotto with saffron, sundried tomato, crispy porchetta & fried herbs
Wine & Dine
Imperial Wagyu Steak Tartare with chimichurri, picked red onions, two-hour yolk & frico
Interior of the Manor House
Wood Fired Pizza special of the day-Parmesan flat bread, prosciutto & arugula
Griggstown Quail with chili-apricot compote & brown butter brioche
Farmer's Plates on the menu
Sushi Saturday
April 11, 2011
Sushi is by far one of the most beautiful food presentations out there, rich in color, textures and just so visually appealing (and of course tasty). Stopping through one of my favorite city spots, Momoya, they kindly prepared their selection of the best sushi/sashimi for me to photograph before bringing it home for friends to enjoy.
During preparation
The Sushi/Sashimi Platter
Salmon Crunchy Roll- spicy salmon, mango, avocado & crunchy rice
Sharing plates with friends
Kaz An Nou
March 27, 2011
After leaving an opening yesterday for Jane Talcott and John Lloyd’s, Prospect Park Landscapes exhibition in Park Slope, the girls and I ventured down to Kaz An Nou, an intimate little French Caribbean restaurant in Prospect Heights. The food was delicious, the atmosphere home-like and the chef/owner Sebastien, came out himself to take our orders and give us the full description on how every dish was made uniquely with the flavors of the French Caribbean.
Poire et Bleu, maple roasted pear with bleu cheese
Dombrés Crevettes, traditional Guadeloupe shrimp and dumplings and Ratatouille Exotique, squash, zucchini and eggplant in spicy pineapple tomato sauce, served with plantains
Poulet l'Estragon, smoked jerk chicken breast with goat cheese, tarragon and honey sauce
One of the dessert specials for the evening, spicy chocolate cake with coconut frosting
Alto Cinco
March 23, 2011
If you happen to be strolling through Syracuse, NY, and are in the mood for some Mexican cuisine, I highly recommend making a stop at Alto Cinco. Located near the university, on the eccentric Westcott Street, this small-sized, yet full of character Mexican joint is one of my favorites around town. It’s always top of my list when I’m in the area, and their menu never gets old.
Chicken Burrito
Chips & Salsa with a Chicken Burrito
A Daytrip to Italy
March 13, 2011
Well almost. At least as close as I’ve ever come to Italy without actually hopping on a plane. A few friends and I ventured to Arthur Ave in the Bronx on Saturday. I have heard great things about the authentic food selections available, but have yet to make the trek uptown. And it was well worth it. We quite possibly may have eaten enough in that one afternoon and evening to compensate for an entire week’s worth of food. Hence why this post has an overabundance of photos, I couldn’t bare to leave anything out. After carting back as many bags as possible, we prepared a meal of some of the best cheeses, meats, calamari, pasta and desserts.
Fresh Bread
Cosenza's Fish Market
Oysters on the half shell. We only bought 3 rounds. They were that good.
Casa Della Mozzarella. After purchasing 2 1/2 pounds of cheese, they gave us more fresh mozzarella in case we couldn't wait until we got home. Amazing,
Biancardi Meats behind the scenes where all the prep goes down
Biancardi Meats
Borgatti's prepping some fresh pasta for us
Arthur Ave Market
Provolone, Mozzarella, Sliced ricotta cheese, bread and tomatoes topped off with fresh basil from the farmer's market
Focaccia and fresh mozzarella
Canolli from Egidio's
Tomatoes and Ricotta
Frying up some calamari from Cosenza's
The Barrel
February 20, 2011
I briefly mentioned The Barrel in a post not too long ago, but unfortunately didn’t tag my camera along with me. We loved it so much though, we had to go back yesterday afternoon. Located down in East Village, it’s a quaint little tapas bar that serves a great brunch menu and has the sweetest waitresses making it all the more welcoming. When we asked for tea to go, they went next door just to get disposable cups for us to take with us.
House Club Sandwich with chicken, homemade berkshire bacon, tomato, red onion, lettuce, american cheese, served w/ mix fruits & mixed greens salad
Plum Tomato & Avocado Salad with avocados, plum tomatoes, palmito, & mixed greens tossed in balsamic dressing
Superbowl Sunday
February 6, 2011
Cheers to a fun and safe Superbowl Sunday. I couldn’t resist picking up these adorable cookies from Citarella to bring to tonight’s party!
Citarella's Football Sugar Cookies
Robert’s Brunch
February 6, 2011
A weekend brunch at Robert, above the Museum of Arts & Design overlooking Central Park and the lovely Upper West Side.
Ricotta Cheese Pancakes with apples and whipped creme
Love the floral accents on the tables
Grilled Vegetable Wrap with Sweet Potato Fries
Smoked Salmon Benedict with Petite Bagel, Dill Hollandaise and Potato Rosti
Fish Friday
February 4, 2011
In the middle of a snowstorm, my roommates and I, along with some friends from our building enjoyed a local meal at Kefi. Pictured below is the Pan Seared Striped Bass. Flashing back to another amazing fish dinner, check out a home cooked Wahoo evening in Aruba not too long ago.
Pan Seared Striped Bass, String Beans, Potato, Capers, Olives
Local Aruba Fish Market
Wahoo
Cooked and ready for dinner on the ocean
Wahoo Tacos
Café Gitane & Last Week’s Highlights
January 25, 2011
I learned tonight that one of my favorite spots, Café Gitane, tucked into the West Village’s Jane Hotel, not only has a fantastic brunch, but evening menu as well.
Apple, brie and bread
And as a side note, in the past week I’ve gone on way to many unplanned dining excursions that I’ve learned to start carting my camera around with me at all times. I apologize for the lack of photos, but these places were too cute to be left unmentioned. Saturday, while making an attempt to go to the popular East Village brunch hang out, The Smith, a typical 2 o’clock crowd was pulling in a 45-minute wait, so we opted to head down the street and found the much quieter, Barrel, which I highly recommend. Seated immediately in what resembles an actual barrel, I ordered a simple eggs and toast, but it was delicious with homemade bread. Although I haven’t tried the rest of the menu, their extensive list of European tapas looks like something I’ll have to go back for.
Other meals from last week I’d recommend include Organic Veal meatballs from The Tangled Vine, the Egg Casserole with spinach, parmesan and smoked bacon from The Mermaid Inn, and of course I made my way back to Kefi yet again to fill my Greek cravings.
a camera in the kitchen 