The Lot at the Highline
July 29, 2011
New Yorkers love their food trucks, and what could be better than a selection of the best all in one locale? Last night I met a few friends underneath the bridges of the High Line park for food and drinks. Changing daily, there’s a taste to satisfy everyone from Red Hook’s Lobster Truck to Rickshaw Dumpling, Korilla BBQ and Eddie’s Pizza. They’ve also got a pop-up bar serving local wines and seasonal beers from Brooklyn Brewery. It’s like a summer-long fair or a cafeteria for adults, so be sure to stop by before the cold weather comes!
Lobster Roll from the Red Hook Lobster Pound Truck
Rickshaw Dumpling Truck
Eddie's Pizza Truck
High Line Park
The Lot on tap
Remember When You Were 5
July 27, 2011
Who doesn’t love a good old fashioned candy shop? Flashing back to Red Lodge, Montana, this nostalgic emporium in the heart of town has every type of treat imaginable. Stepping inside is like a time machine to your childhood, and you can’t help but splurge to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Milk chocolate with almonds
Milk chocolate with almonds and chocolate covered pretzels
Raspberry truffle
Pig Roast
July 26, 2011
Although not the most beautiful looking food shots, pig roasts have become such a tradition in today’s food culture, I just had to post it. This past weekend, two wonderful friends of mine got married in Ellicottville in Western New York, and to keep the festivities going all weekend long, had a pig roast at the family camp Sunday afternoon. Other highlights included picnic favorites– the famous salt potatoes of Syracuse and steamed corn on the cob.
Preparing the pig
Pulled Pork Sandwiches with homemade BBQ sauce
Bartaco
July 22, 2011
When the sun is shining and the afternoon is young, Bartaco’s outdoor patio is a perfect option for lunch. Catching up with a friend, I enjoyed some tacos, a margarita and cheese quesadillas. Tucked against the river in Port Chester, NY, its part surf shack part Mexican vibe does just the trick to make you feel as though you’re on a beach holiday without a care in the world.
Have a great weekend! x
Pork Belly Taco
Bartaco Margarita
Chicken taco
Pool Party
July 20, 2011
Back in a New York state of mind, I recently had some girlfriends over for poolside entertaining at my parent’s house. While my dad took care of the sliders with mac & cheese, I had fun throwing together some dips and bruschetta from Wegman’s, a regional favorite supermarket here in the Northeast. I spread asiago cheese & artichoke dip on the pita and topped with tomatoes and fresh cucumber. And then just plain bruschetta on bread slices, followed by a taste of good old fashioned grape licorice.
Artichoke & Asiago Cheese Dip, Bruschetta, Pita bread and Cucumber
Grape Licorice & Grilled Pita Bread
Sliders with mac & cheese to go with the appetizers
Lunch in Bozeman
July 18, 2011
Bozeman was one of my favorite towns we visited in Montana. With its young and eccentric feel, it gave off a different vibe than the others– the perfect combination of western lifestyle with a hint of a trendsetting city. I heard good things about dining at Plonk Wine, so figured I would try it out for myself. While enjoying our salads, pizza and quiche, we admired the back garden filled with colorful flowers, paintings and sunshine.
Capri Salad
Pizza special of the day with steak and feta
Quiche
Family Homestyle Cooking
July 14, 2011
Sometimes the best meals are the ones shared within the home. In between our daily Montana excursions we relaxed at my aunt and uncles, cooking in the heart of the country. We had steak nights, pierogi nights and sometimes just leftover nights. My favorite though, was when my father prepped his classic Greek-American grilled vegetables and chicken spiedies. For the veggies, he threw together a marinade with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic, thyme and oregano, and let tomatoes, yellow squash, green zucchini, fresh mushrooms, red sweet peppers and large vadalia onions set over night before tossing on the grill. When finished, topping with feta cheese adds just the right extra flavor. As for the chicken, he let it set in a similar marinade of olive oil, crushed garlic and plenty of dried oregano, put on skewers and grilled to perfection.
Prepping the marinade
Fresh thyme
Prepping the marinade and table
Grilled vegetables ready to go
Grilled chicken spiedies
More of the veggies
Some of my aunt's rustic decor
Fresh lemonade on the porch
A grilled steak kind of night
Kitchen condiments
Cooking up Grandmother's pierogies recipe
Cooke City
July 12, 2011
After spending a morning driving 11,000 ft above sea level through the winding roads of Beartooth Highway through Montana and Wyoming, we stopped for lunch in Cooke City. A tourist destination for those traveling to Yellowstone National Park, there’s nothing more than a few restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops, but it’s certainly full of character with a picture perfect backdrop.
Cooke City General Store
Chicken and tomato wrap from the Ore House Saloon at Soda Butte Lodge
Burger & Fries
The Juicy Lucy Burger stuffed with cheese and peppers
Paws Up
July 9, 2011
One doesn’t often combine the words luxury and camping into one sentence, but that’s exactly what you get from Paws Up, a ranch resort about 30 miles outside Missoula. Stopping through for an evening, I was treated with impeccable service from the strawberry lemonade upon arrival through my next morning’s breakfast wrap with fresh produce. These chefs have the fine rustic cuisine down to perfection as they prepared some of their specialty dishes including Elk Loin and Quail Breast.
Aside from the dining, the resort offers anything you could possibly imagine to make your Montana holiday fulfilling. Due to my time constraints, I didn’t participate in their endless list of activities, but I certainly wouldn’t hesitate venturing back for another visit. Who could complain about waking up in an outdoor luxury tent, followed by a hot air balloon ride at sunrise and an afternoon horseback riding in the mountains? And of course you can’t forget ending your evening with their infamous rustic ranch cuisine.
Seared Quail Breast, Huckleberry Bread Pudding, Roasted Baby Turnip, Sautéed Spinach, Pan Jus
The dining room at Pomp
Pan Seared Ono, Cauliflower Salad, Fava Leaves, Baby Squash, Mint Oil
The terrace at Pomp
Iron Seared Elk Loin, Fregola-Mushroom Stew, Baby Fennel, Asparagus, Black Currant Puree
Outdoor dining and camp fire pit
Moulard Duck Breast, Potato Croquette, Orange Braised Fennel, Asparagus
Huckletini; 44 North Huckleberry Vodka, Huckleberry Syrup, Turbinado Sugar Rim
Homemade infused liquors
Village Entrance
Morning Hot Air Balloon Ride
Montana Breakfast Wrap, Scrambled Eggs, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Bacon, Peperzella Cheese
Sunrise Scrambler, Ham, Scrambled Eggs, Crisp Potato Croquette, Brewer's Grain Toast
Breakfast at Tank & Trough
Babcock & Miles
July 6, 2011
Tucked around the corner from Red Lodge’s Main Street, Babcock & Miles is a quaint specialty food shop that boasts fine wines, herbs and pastas to contribute excellent flavor to any gathering or dinner party. I could have very easily spent all afternoon sitting on their front patio soaking up the sun. A perfect place for souvenir shopping, I picked up dried basil and hibiscus flowers for a true taste of Montana luxury to share with friends back in New York. I’ve been looking up fun recipes to make summer cocktails and desserts with the dried hibiscus, so will be sure to share what we come up with soon!
Dried organic basil
Storefront
a camera in the kitchen 