Brunch & Trunk
May 24, 2012
A couple weeks back, my friend Leslie hosted a little “Brunch and Trunk” gathering for Mother’s Day. It was a great setup of gifts that are not only perfect for Mother’s Day, but any time of year– from soaps to jewelry and bags. My fantastic flower friend, Jess also had some of her lovely potted plants for sale. And the food was just as great as the gifts. Leslie’s delicious menu consisted of a peach, tomato and mozzarella salad, a broccoli pasta dish and chicken pesto sandwiches. As for dessert, she put out chocolate covered saltines and strawberries. A perfect springtime meal and quick and easy enough to make when you’re expecting a large crowd!
Peaches
Jess’s Potted Plants
Peach, Mozzarella and Tomato salad
Jewelry
Chicken Pesto sandwiches
Chicken sandwiches and tomatoes
The Restaurant at Elderberry Pond
May 11, 2012
Not too long ago my parents and I spent an afternoon in Skaneateles, a favorite small town of mine, situated in the Finger Lakes region. There are plenty of great spots for dining on the lake, or stopping through the nearby vineyards, but a few miles into farmland and you land yourself at the quiet Elderberry Pond for a relaxing afternoon lunch in the country. A certified organic farm, the fresh seasonable fruits, vegetables and pasture raised meats are right aside the restaurant with a delicious menu showcasing their homegrown fare.
Happy Friday! x
Grilled organic chicken sandwich served on a fresh bun with swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms and rosemary mayonnaise
Freshly cut certified organic spinach, free range eggs and fresh garden herbs prepared in a savory quiche style and served in a freshly baked tart shell
Vegetable Soup
Crab cakes served on a bed of greens prepared with tropical blue crab and served with chipotle mayonnaise
Salad
Skaneateles Lake
Say Cheese
May 9, 2012
New food surprises are constantly popping up around the Upper West Side, and my latest favorite is Say Cheese, another one of those farm-to-table concept places I love so much. Stopping by this take-out stand to do a little taste test one afternoon, we tried three of their gourmet grilled cheeses including the candied bacon/gruyere, the parmesan/swiss/truffle and the swiss/gruyere/apple compote. All perfect combos for a killer sandwich. For dessert, they were kind enough to bring out a toasted marshmallow and nutella, and lastly, we couldn’t leave without trying the snow cone flavor of the day: organic strawberry with balsamic glaze. Run by the catering company, Scoozi Events, I was a huge fan of their decor, feeling like I was just transported to a family-owned country stand on a farm, far from the middle of Manhattan.
Candied Bacon Grilled Cheese
Rosemary Lemonade
Marshmallow & Nutella
Truffle Oil Grilled Cheese
Strawberry Snow Cone
Best of Portland, ME
May 5, 2012
If only given one night out in Portland, my top suggestion would be to spend it at Fore Street Restaurant in the city’s Old Port District by the waterfront. Although I went sans camera that Friday night, I still had to give it a shout out. Situated along a cobblestone street by the water, it’s a warehouse chic loft space that follows the farm-to-table concept with an open kitchen. Certainly worth stopping by. Saturday morning we popped into Local Sprouts Cafe for breakfast. Known for their local and organic food that comes fresh from farmers and fisherman around the state, it’s more than just a cafe, but rather a center for Portland’s creative community. Paired up with Bomb Diggity Bakery, I was able to enjoy an amazing egg and goat cheese sandwich with some english muffins for the road. Lastly, we couldn’t leave Portland without grabbing some handcrafted micro roasted coffee from Coffee by Design. In the mood for a smoothie instead? Check out Maine Squeeze!
Harbor Fish Market
Harbor Fish Market
Triple mango, coconut with yogurt, honey, orange juice and soy smoothie
Local Sprouts Cafe English Muffins
Local cage-free egg sandwich with housemade pesto, goat cheese and tomato
Local sprouts cafe
Vanilla Latte from Coffee by Design
Donna D Goes to SmorgasBurg
May 1, 2012
While I ventured Upstate for the weekend, Donna D stayed local, and spent her Saturday taste-testing Williamsburg. Check out her great shots!
Every Saturday on the Williamsburg waterfront between North 6th and North 7th St., from 11am to 6pm, Smorgasburg brings together food entrepreneurs and established purveyors from New York City and across the region selling both packaged and prepared foods, fresh produce, and other food-related stands. The market is open rain or shine, and man-oh-man, did I get my eat on this past weekend. As you can see from all the photos, I sampled a lot of food. I think I managed to hit up 50 vendors. Some of my favorites were the Lime-in-the-Coconut candy bars from Liddabit Sweets, the S’morgasm from S’more Bakery, braised Pork Belly with sliced cucumber, pickled jalapeno, scallions and hoisin from Bite Size Kitchen, and a shot of Vichyssoise soup from Sea Bean Goods [they are a micro-soupery which I’m dying to try their soup subscription]. If you don’t already know, I have an obsession with carbonated water – so obviously Brooklyn Soda Works‘ Apple Ginger Soda was a major hit to my taste buds. I also picked up some of Grady’s Cold Brew which is a New Orleans–style coffee concentrate and the best staple for a girl that doesn’t have a coffee maker.
Barnacle Billy’s
April 29, 2012
Sipping a Barnacle Billy’s lemonade was a flashback to my childhood summer holidays to Maine. A casual port-side hotspot to get your fresh lobster rolls and sit out admiring the fishermen charm of Perkin’s Cove, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon. Not into seafood? The burgers are a simple but tasty alternate. To burn off the calories, Marginal Way– a scenic trail along the rocky coast– is a great post lunch activity.
Lobster Roll
Lobster Roll & Marginal Way
Lobster
Burger
Fresh lemonade
Perfect for a Picnic
April 19, 2012
When I was back in Syracuse browsing through Wegmans, I discovered a combo for the perfect snack. Their fresh apple cider bread, with actual pieces of baked apple throughout, is amazing enough eating it alone. But topped off with brie and a nut/raisin spread made it complete. Easy enough to pack in your picnic basket the next time you’re looking for an outdoor snack.
I’m off to Maine for a few days to shoot those beautiful New England coastal towns and delicious local seafood fare. Be back next week! x
Apple Cider Bread
Brie and nuts spread
Apple Cider bread with brie and nut spread
Time for a BBQ
April 16, 2012
After a gorgeous summer-like weekend, how can you not be in the mood for rooftop and backyard barbecues. One of my top picks for quick and easy recipes on the grill are these chicken spiedies marinated in Lupo’s Original Endicott Style Spiedie Marinade. A local Upstate favorite that has an amazingly tasty flavor, if you aren’t in the neighborhood you can check their flavors out online.
Happy Grilling! x
Chicken Spiedies
Twice baked potatoes
A Day in D.C.
March 20, 2012
This past weekend I had a wonderful time visiting friends in Washington D.C. Saturday was spent partially at Clyde’s, a pub in Georgetown to cheer on my alma mater, Syracuse, in the NCAA basketball tournament and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and the other half was spent enjoying the beautiful sunshine around the neighborhood’s quaint streets. We started off the morning with delicious chive and goat cheese biscuits from Baked and Wired, followed by their best-selling cupcakes, a vanilla cake with fresh strawberries folded in the batter and finished with a swirl of pink buttercream. It’s never too early in the day for one of these! We filled our appetites in the afternoon at Clyde’s with their top recommendations– wings, Bloody Mary’s and a crab tower. Lucky for me, with the early spring temperatures, I was even able to catch a glimpse of the beautiful cherry blossoms around the city’s sites.
Chive and Goat Cheese Biscuit
Georgetown
Chive and Goat Cheese Biscuit
Baked & Wired
Best-selling strawberry cupcake
Baked & Wired
Cupcakes & the Capitol
Cherry blossoms and the Jefferson Memorial
Strawberries
An afternoon snack
Wings from Clyde's
Is it Summer Yet?
March 14, 2012
Last night I was strolling around the neighborhood in short sleeves after I thoroughly enjoyed a dinner at the New York Historical Society. The streets were buzzing, the restaurants overflowed onto the sidewalks and the smell in the air was that of a summer evening. Whether it’s here to stay or not, I’m daydreaming of the months to come, especially for those weekend trips out to the Hamptons. Here’s a little taste from Donna D…
Last April the bf, babies, and I headed to the Hamptons for a weekend of rest and relaxation. It was one of our first times experiencing the far East-end of Long Island and it was the perfect escape from the craziness of NYC. I am quite happy that we chose April because it saved us some major money and it wasn’t crowded with all the cool kids that come during the summer. The weather was also perfect despite forecasts of rain. We stayed at the charming Hampton Beach House and spent the weekend playing on the beach, eating good food, and touring the many dog-friendly wineries. Some of the highlights of our trip included breakfast at the Mexican inspired Estia’s Little Kitchen, sampling wine at Paumanok, Duckwalk, and Pindar vineyards, shopping for our picnic lunch at the The Village Cheese Shop, and watching the beautiful spring sunsets on the beach.
Paumanok Vineyards & Pindar Vineyards
Owner, Rosemary, putting together the cheese for our picnic at the The Village Cheese Shop
The Village Cheese Shop
Owner, Rosemary, preparing a sample of cheese at the The Village Cheese Shop
The Village Cheese Shop
Lunch
Duckwalk Vineyards
Paumanok Vineyards' wine & Bread, goat cheese, fig jam, and olive
Blueberry Port at Duckwalk Vineyards
Bread, goat cheese, and fig jam
Pindar Vineyards
Picnic Lunch
The Cook at Estia's Little Kitchen preparing our breakfast
Sophie’s Crab ‘n’ Eggs with avocado on an english muffin at Estia's Little Kitchen
Guacamole, chips and salsa at Estia's Little Kitchen
Morning coffee at Estia's Little Kitchen
Spring sunset on the beach
Sunset
a camera in the kitchen 