Flex Mussels - Delicious Mussels + Donuts!

I am so happy that Flex Mussels opened a downtown location in the West Village.  Located on the ground floor of a townhouse, the interior of Flex Mussels is part club (the bar), and part urban beach. The main dining room has a great lighted painting/mural of a New England landscape that takes you right back to the Eastern seaboard. 

Onto the food!  Mussels galore!  All sourced from Prince Edward Island - all served in a variety of delicious broths.  Anything from curry flavors, to Italian, to Mexican, to Portuguese, to Mediterranean. Try the Parma -  parmigiano cream, meyer lemon, scallions, toasted garlic and shallots or the Maine -  lobster, smoked bacon, corn, white chowder, parsley (and don't be afraid of getting cheated - the Maine includes big chunks of lobster).

If you aren't into Mussels, definitely try the lobster roll - huge chunks of lobster (1lb) in a light citrus aioli (much lighter than most lobster rolls!) or the fish of the day....

Don't forget an order of the flex fries to dip in your mussel broth....and DEFINITELY save room for DONUTS!

Best part of the meal - order 4 for $9 bucks.  And definitely make sure the fluffernutter is one of them, or two, or all four. 

This place was so good I went two weekends in a row! 

Flex Mussels
154 West 13th St. Between 6th and 7th
212-229-0222

Fatty Crab Chili Crabs!!

Chili Crabs at Fatty Crab UWS

Warning - do not take someone here for a first date!  It will make for quite and awkward meal.  And most likely will not result in a second date.  For these chili crabs are messy messy messy!

Then again, there are plenty of other things on the menu at Fatty Crab that one could order.  And strangely our waiter kept pushing us to them.  But hey, why would you go to Fatty Crab and not order crab??  Isn't that kinda like going to Luke's Lobster and ordering the shrimp roll?  (Wait, that happened to me last week when I went there and they didn't have lobster!  I digress, but how do you call yourself "Luke's Lobster" and then proceed to run out of lobster at 5pm in the afternoon?  Before dinnertime????

Ok- back to Fatty Crab.  I went here with my two bosses last week for a late lunch on the upper west side.  Now, we went strictly for the crab after being inspired by a recent food network show where Emeril cooked up chili crabs.  I'm not afraid to admit that's what put the idea in our heads!

 After being seated, we asked our somewhat loopy waiter how we should order.  We made it known we were here for the crabs after he spent some time selling us on the duck and what not.  What duck?  When we said we wanted three orders, he made sure we understood they cost $48 bucks each.  Ok.  We get it.  Shouldn't you just shut up and hurry and put in the order before we could change our minds?  This is a pretty big payday for a lunch table, no?  Just go with it....

While waiting for the crab, we did start off with the steamed pork buns.  Delicious way to start off the meal!  Fatty, juicy - a pretty good rendition.  Maybe not as perfect as the Momofuku ones, but a close second.  The soft boiled egg and crisp salad was a nice touch though.

Onto the main event.  Chili crabs!  Served with thick style texas toast - the crabs were smothered in a thick spicy tomato sauce.  Not exactly what I pictured - the sauce was much thicker and almost had a soup/pasta sauce type of consistency.  Delicious no matter.  But definitely messy!

They should serve these things with a bodysuit.  Ok - well at least a bib!  Don't wear your finest for this one (again, another reason not to take a date!)  This is something only meant to be eaten with family.  You can use the crackers given, or you could go animal style and just use your hands.  Which is pretty much what we all did.

Ate in silence.  Didn't look at each other.  It would be too much.  Frankly - this is a meal to enjoy in peace and not when the restaurant is too crowded.  I cannot imagine doing this with everyone watching!

All parts of the crab are up for grabs - legs, insides, anything you can dig out.  Eat it!  Don't be bashful!  The slimiest parts are always the best!

All in all - the crabs were delicious.  If you are willing to do the work.  And I think we are all willing to do so.  Maybe this will be a quarterly tradition?

See you there soon!

Fatty Crab

West Village
643 Hudson (between Horatio and Gansevoort)
212-352-3592

Upper West Side
2170 Broadway (between 76th and 77th)
212-496-2722

Joe's Stone Crab - Las Vegas - Sooo good!

I went to Vegas over Christmas - a yearly family tradition circa 1990.  As I have seen Vegas grow and change over the years - many new restaurants have opened and failed - sometimes within the same year!!

This year we tried Joe's Stone Crab - located in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. And boy did it impress!  Ever since Joe wanted to fly Victory down to Miami for a lunch crab date on Lipstick Jungle - I've been wondering what the fuss was about!

Since I haven't had a chance to hit Miami...Las Vegas was the next best place to try the delicious stone crab!

Cracked perfectly - served chilled - the crab claws were enormous!  And oh so fresh!  Possibly the best crab claws I've ever had.  No tools necessary - the shell just fell off.

For dinner I ordered the lump crab cakes.  At $28 bucks - they sounded a bit pricey.  But once I saw them - it was a great deal!  Huge chunks of crab!!!  These were two extremely meaty and dense crab cakes - a huge change from the normally overloaded breadcrumbed crabcakes.....

$28 bucks is a steal for these cakes!!!!

Just be prepared from a little stiffness from the service - black tie!  Does anyone else do that anymore??!?!

Joe's Stone Crab
Forum Shops
@ Caesars
3500 Las Vegas Blvd. S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-792-9222

Lobstah Feast Fridays at Rocky Sullivans through the end of the year!

So everyone knows how much I love Red Hook Lobster Pound.

And that's why I am so excited that they will be showing up at Rocky Sullivan's in Red Hook every Friday night through the end of the year!

From 6pm to 9pm every Friday, Red Hook Lobster Pound will be boiling up the freshest lobster in NYC in the courtyard and you can enjoy the feast on the  roof deck or inside, rain or shine.

Neighbor Red Hook Winery is breaking out some of its first production white wine for the occasion.

Other local edibles will be featured in upcoming weeks.

The Deal:

$23.00 gets you a 1 ½ lb lobster, farm fresh corn, coleslaw or potato salad/

Jonah Crab claws will also be available. Bisque, soups and other delectables will soon follow.

If lobster is not your fare, Rocky Sullivan's will be serving its wood fired pizzas, along with libations including the extraordinary Six Points ales.

Lobsters are first come first serve, so shoot a quick email to redhooklobster@gmail.com to let them know you are coming - and reservations are required for parties of 6 or more.

Yay for more lobster!!!

Rocky Sullivan's
34 Van Dyke St. (at Dwight)
Brooklyn, NY
718-246-8050

Fish Tacos - Another reason to go to the Brooklyn Flea

So I have definitely written loads about the wonderful lobster rolls from Red Hook Lobster Pound at the Brooklyn Flea.

Worthy of a 2 hour wait, they are even better at just a 15 minute wait.

With a much bigger staff to keep the line flowing - expect only minimal waits for the best lobster roll in town.

No scratch that - perhaps the best lobster roll ever!

Yesterday I tried the fish tacos at the flea. They were wonderful! The Brooklyn Flea is really quickly becoming a mecca for food lovers! Not that the flea doesn't offer some interesting shopping, but the food choices are quickly becoming the #1 reason to go on over to Dumbo on Sunday afternoons.

I had a "green taco" with mahi mahi. Fried mahi mahi + red onions + guacamole (the green part!) + red cabbage and cilantro = delicious. Perfectly crunchy, the fish was nicely cooked and tasted super fresh. Definitely squeeze the lime onto it for some extra acidity to balance out the creaminess of the guac and dressing.

Add a People's Pop to finish off the day or a stroll down to Jacques Torres Ice Cream Parlor for a chocolate chip ice cream sandwich and you'll feel like you are on a mini vacation away from Manhattan!

Brooklyn Flea
Sundays under the Brooklyn Bridge
11am - 6pm
Subway
A/C to High St.
F to York St.
2/3 to Clark St.

Ooh - DIY Lobster Roll Kits from Red Hook Lobster Pound

Update on Red Hook Lobster Pound  -

From their website it says the line maxed out at 20 minutes last weekend, but you have to get to the flea before 3pm otherwise they may be sold out.

Lobster rolls only sold at the weekend fleas, not at their store in Red Hook.

However, in other exciting news - make your own lobster roll kits now being sold!

Notice on their website:

$45.00 = 1lb of lobster (enough for 4 rolls), homemade mayo, a package of JJ Nissen Top Split Rolls (the original lobster roll bread they truck down from Maine) and suggestions on making lobster salad.

Lobster Roll kit must be ordered by Wednesday 9pm for pick up the following Friday, Saturday or Sunday at thepound on Van Brunt St.

Sounds delicious!!

Red Hook Lobster Pound
284 Van Brunt St.
Brooklyn, NY
646-326-7650 

Mara's Homemade - Louisiana crawfish brought to the East Village

Mara's Homemade is a very unassuming little restaurant down in the east village.

Everything is homemade - Mara herself is there almost every night with the kitchen serving up specialities from the South.

Everything is as fresh as can be with crawfish flown up from Louisiana daily during season.

Mara's Homemade offers both "land selections" such as chicken fried steak and a delicious tangy version of mac'n'cheese.

There is also an Arkansas BBQ menu offering up smoked meat platters as well as St. Louis and Baby Back ribs.  Order ahead for party orders - why do the work for your next BBQ when you can pick up a party platter from Mara's??

As for seafood selections - this is where I think Mara's Homemade really shines.

Crawfish stuffed bread is one of the specialities of the house - when we were there almost every table ordered it!  At $16 bucks it's not the cheapest, but you get a fresh baguette stuffed with crawfish and cheese - all gooey, pouring out of the bread.  Enough to definitely feed 4-6 as an appetizer.

If it's crawfish season - order by the bucket, but get ready to work for your dinner.  Crawfish are kinda like tiny lobsters - requiring a lot of work.  If you're lucky like me you have a boyfriend who loves digging out these critters.  It's worth it - tangy and delicious, there are certainly not many places you can get fresh crawfish like this in the city!

If you don't want to do the work - go for the crawfish potpie - spicy and served piping hot with a wonderful flaky top, it beats most lobster pot pies around the city.

While the lobster roll was good, it didn't hold a candle to the Red Hook Lobster Pound roll.  Served with delicious onion rings, the lobster roll was nice and fresh- one of the better ones in Manhattan if you aren't prepared to trek across the bridge on Sundays for the sometimes long wait at the Brooklyn Flea.

Sides should not go unnoticed here.  I usually get the corn pudding which is decadent and creamy with a nice crust, and the mac'n'cheese - served bubbling hot with an extra kick of spice.

Be prepared to wait a bit for your food - it's well worth it since everything is made to order and comes steaming from the oven.

As for dessert, there are seasonal specialties - if they have the strawberry almond pie - an almond graham cracker crusted pie, order it!  Everyone loves it.  Another go-to choice is whatever the fresh cobbler of the day is.  I especially love it when it's peach.

Be prepared to undo your belt buckle after a visit to Mara's.  I always go home stuffed to the brim and with leftovers to boot!

Make reservations on the weekends - it's a tiny place and it sure does fill up quickly.

Mara's Homemade
342 East 6th St (Between 1st and 2nd Ave)
212-598-1110

Fish & Chips- A Salt and Battery and The Chipshop

For some reason since it's July 4th I've been thinking about good ole British fish and chips. I know - 4th of July is Independence Day - why am I thinking of the brits? hehe.

In any event, there are two great options in NY - A Salt and Battery in Greenwich Village and The Chipshop in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Both offer classic fish & chips - battered haddock is my favorite, and deliciously plump chips.

To be honest I think both are very comparable which is why I wanted to mention them here - for me I just think it's great one is located in Manhattan and one is in Brooklyn - more the merrier for everyone!

A Salt and Battery is a tiny shop - not much seating, save for few precious counter seats or if you are lucky and score the bench outside.

Next door to its sibling Tea & Sympathy, A Salt and Battery serves up fried haddock, sole, cod and scallops and shrimps too.

While I love scallops and fried shrimp - in my opinion its the haddock that gets me good. Perfectly light and flaky paired with the homemade tartar sauce - mmm.

Don't be afraid of the oil marks it leaves behind - I mean what do you expect from fish & chips?

For dessert - gotta try to deep fried mars bar right? Well, maybe share it with a friend...it's quite rich and maybe too much of a good thing can be bad...yep.

The Chipshop has two locations in Brooklyn. Always super crowded - be prepared for pretty long days. Or you can be like me and go in the middle of a rainy day at 3pm and not wait! :)

Here I would also go for the fried haddock or cod and chips - I mean that is why you are going right?

Oh, never mind - maybe you are going for the fried macaroni and cheese!

That's why I keep coming back. Imagine your childhood favorite mac'n'cheese - deep fried! Deliciously decadent...so bad yet so good. Maybe limit it to once a quarter. For dessert if you are still going - do the fried twinkie. You won't be sorry. Indestructible!

A Salt & Battery
112 Greenwich Ave. (Between 12th and 13th)
212-691-2713
http://www.asaltandbattery.com/

The Chipshop
Park Slope, Brooklyn
383 5th Ave. (At 6th)
718-832-7701

Atlantic, Brooklyn
129 Atlantic Ave. (Between Clinton & Henry)
718-855-7775
http://www.chipshopnyc.com/

Crab Salad and Potato Salad Ideas for July 4th

Yesterday I decided to make potato salad - and since I had so much leftover dressing I used it again tonight with fresh crab meat to make a tasty crab salad.

I think either dish would be a great addition to a picnic or bbq this weekend!

I don't necessarily recommend serving them together like I did since it is a lot of the same sauce for one plate.

Lets start with the dressing since it is super versatile.

• Whisk together
• 1cup of mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup of milk (nonfat is fine)
  
• 4 tablespoons of country grain dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon of salt and pepper
• Add chopped red onions (about 1/2 an onion)
• 4 celery stalks
• Sprinkle some rosemary and thyme

This is enough sauce for either 3 pounds of potatoes. We just used approximately 2 pounds of small red potatoes and the rest for the crab salad.

Prepare the potatoes

• Use small red potatoes - don't peel
• Boil potatoes with salt for 15 minutes
• Drain and then replace it over the pot with a cloth over to steam for 15 minutes
• Chop into small pieces

Pour the sauce over the potatoes to your taste...

Crab Salad - use the same sauce over fresh lump crab. Can easily buy fresh crabmeat from your grocer - already cleaned and ready to go!

Serve with buttered grilled or pan fried bread.

A refreshing addition to any picnic or bbq!

Lobster Rolls from Red Hook Lobster Pound - Actually worth the 2 hr wait

After getting up a bit late this morning, I didn't make it over to the Brooklyn Flea until around 1pm.

And, I didn't get my lobster roll until about 3pm. Wow - I can't believe that I actually waited for 2 hours!

I don't think I have waited that long for anything before...not even Shake Shack...although that's come very close.

The line I must say was partly in due to the very slow process - since the buttered lobster rolls are made to order the line does not move as fast as you would expect for a pretty simple dish...

By the time we got our lobster rolls - I was ready to hate it. I was ready to say "yeah, it isn't worth the wait."

But...actually it was totally worth the wait! Served both New England style (your traditional lobster in mayo and celery) and Connecticut style - basically just buttered lobster...you can't go wrong with your choice.

After waiting 2 hours - I of course got both! While the New England one is definitely more refreshing on a hot afternoon - the buttered version is deliciously decadent.

Grilled to order in butter and served with scallions on a smothered butter grilled roll - it was like I died and gone to lobster heaven! Huge chunks of lobster, very rich and pure...

But you really can't go wrong with either!

The New England style has just the right amount of mayo to give it that light creamy goodness without overpowering the lobster.

Red Hook's lobster rolls are in my book definitely the best ones in the city. Maybe even in the state of Maine! They are that good.

At $13 bucks a roll - they aren't cheap, but worth it as they give the most generous chunks of lobster I've found in the city.

Next time I'm thinking I will go earlier on Sunday morning and then maybe I can cut down on my wait time...

Brooklyn Flea - Lobster rolls on Sundays
Sundays at the Brooklyn Bridge
Subway
A/C to High St.
F to York St.
2/3 to Clark St.

Red Hook Lobster Pound
284 Van Brunt St.
Brooklyn, NY
646-326-7650

Lobster Rolls from Maine + Brooklyn Flea = Perfect plan for a Sunday

Starting this Sunday the Red Hook Lobster Pound will be serving fresh lobster rolls straight from Maine at the Brooklyn Flea from 11am to 5pm.

Current prices for hard shell lobsters straight from Main are $10.25/lb if you want to order a couple and make it at home. Place orders via redhooklobster@gmail.com.

For me, I think I will check it out tomorrow - nothing beats a Sunday afternoon of Maine lobster rolls while strolling through the flea market. Just hope the weather holds up!

Brooklyn Flea
Sundays at the Brooklyn Bridge
Subway
A/C to High St.
F to York St.
2/3 to Clark St.

Red Hook Lobster Pound
284 Van Brunt St.
Brooklyn, NY
646-326-7650

Yummy@Home Mussels - $5.99 for 2 lbs at Whole Foods!

Tonight my boyfriend and I decided to do something a little exotic and try our hand at mussels!

Our menu was mussels in a tomato and white wine sauce with chorizo and french fries of course! Need something to sop up all the leftover soupy deliciousness...

Step 1: Clean the mussels

• Bought a bag of 2lbs mussels for $5.99 at Whole Foods. Is is just me or does that seem cheap? Not sure, I mean I don't buy mussels everyday so it could be normal?
  
• Took a tip from Barefoot Contessa and dumped the mussels into a big pot with water and some flour (1/3 cup)
• The flour is to take help separate the dirt and clean the mussels...
• Let them soak for about 25 minutes
• Drain the mussels and clean the "beard" off each mussel
  

Step 2: Make the broth (you can adjust the ingredients as you wish for taste - every chef has their own particular taste!...)

• While waiting for the mussels to clean, start working on the broth
• chop one head of garlic
• two shallots
• handful of parsley
• handful of thyme
• 2 tablespoons of butter or heavy cream if you desire
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 can of tomatoes
• 1/2 bottle of white wine (we just went with a cheap recession white - use less if you are afraid of getting drunk!)

Heat the butter/heavy cream and olive oil on medium. Cook the shallots first and then add garlic (since garlic burns quickly). Add everything else and bring to a boil.

Add the mussels - stir and then cover for approximately 10 minutes. Serve with fries (we just used the frozen ones - baked them for 25 minutes) and chorizo - toss on a pan...and you're good to go!

A super super delicious meal - very easy to cook...but be prepared for quite a mess in the kitchen and a long cleanup.

Grilled Shrimp and Pork - Perfect Summer Dinner in Los Angeles

Last night my friend Luis cooked dinner for a group of us - going all out with meaty slabs of pork on the grill and skewers of shrimp done up with orange glaze.

Set upon a gorgeous view of Los Angeles from a house high in the hills of Los Feliz - it was the perfect meal! It's only on nights like that when I sometimes wonder why I live in rainy old New York.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from dinner as I forgot my camera! But hopefully the description is good enough...

The pork was marinated with a sweet glaze and cooked right on the grill - love those dark grill marks you get - and we rarely get to grill in New York so this was quite a treat! The shrimp was seasoned with pepper, lemon and an orange glaze giving it a tangy & sweet complement.

As for the side dishes - they were no slouch either. Orzo with turkey sausage, a fresh colorful salad of tomatoes and red peppers, and finally a salad with apples, tomatoes and avocados. Avocados + apples is a great flavor combination that I was first introduced to at Aki Sushi on West 4th in their tuna mille feuille and I look forward to seeing it on a lot of restaurant menus this summer.

For dessert we were treated with something we were all convinced had to be store bought. Caramel cream cheese flan. I had never had cream cheese in flan but it is delicious! It adds a richness and creamy texture to the flan without the tartness of traditional cheesecake.

I looked up a quick recipe for it from Food Network.

Ingredients:

Caramel:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  

Cheesecake base:

• 1 pound 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• (can also add sweet condensed milk)
  

Directions:

Caramel:
In a heavy metal saucepot combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Over high heat cook the sugar to a deep caramel color and pour out into a round 9-inch cake pan, turning around the perimeter so as to cover the sides and bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool completely while you make the cake.

Cheesecake Base:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, on low speed work the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Continue to mix for 2 minutes until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and scrape down after each addition.

On low speed slowly stream in the heavy cream. Scrape down every 30 seconds. Remove from bowl and pour out into prepared cool caramel pan.

Bake in a hot water bath for 1 hour. When finished the cake will be slightly firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator. Make sure to cool down for at least 4 hours before flipping over. The cake can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Flip over by placing a 12-inch flat plate over the top of the cake pan. Hold with a firm grip and flip cake upside down. Let the pan sit on top for a second. Lift pan off the cake and serve on its own or with berries.

The John Dory - Interesting vibe, great food

Not being a huge fan of April Bloomfield's over hyped  The Spotted Pig,  I was a bit weary of The John Dory - but I was pleasantly surprised.

The John Dory is April Bloomfield's seafood inspired restaurant located on the far west side of Manhattan.  Seems like an awkward location for the Irish, seafood shack vibe of John Dory.

With neighbors like Craftsteak, Morimoto and Del Posto - Bloomfield's more humble seafood shop seems like a small fish in a big pond.

That being said - the vibe of The John Dory is very unique and interesting and surely attracts a wide diversity of diners.

Very colorfully anointed with a beautiful fish tank behind the bar, the restaurant has a decidedly casual beach like feel to it, yet somehow also manages to feel a bit stuffy with an older and buttoned up crowd.

Sitting next to a table with older gentlemen sporting bow-ties and their women in cardigans, I felt like I had been transported back to English tea-time.  Quite strange. It's almost a trip in a time tunnel or travel machine to old Ireland...I guess you'll have to go to see what I mean.

As for the food - I ordered the artic char with spiced shallots and lentils - the flavor combination was interesting and quite potent with a spicy/tangy taste and the fish was cooked nicely. The char was tender and flaky, cooked without any of that fishy scent - and we all know how hard that is.

My friend ordered the grilled octopus and runner beans and was very delighted with the flavor and texture of the octopus - no rubbery taste here!

The restaurant does somehow feel like you should try to their version of classic fish and chips - deep fried fluke. Next time I suppose.

Overall, I think The John Dory is a nice choice for seafood - there doesn't seem to be a big difference between dinner and lunch prices so next time I would shoot for dinner - maybe the crowd then will be a little bit more my style...

The John Dory
 85 10th Ave. (Between 15th and 16th)
212-929-4948
http://www.thejohndory.com/index.html

Mermaid Inn - My Vote For Best Lobster Sandwich!

No need to travel all the way up to Maine for tasty lobster rolls - Mermaid Inn delivers in a big way both downtown and uptown.

With locations in the East Village and the Upper West Side, Mermaid Inn is the go-to place for fresh fish, oysters, and of course the lobster sandwich.

Chunks of lobster in light mayo, overflowing on a grilled bun (smothered in butter I think) + old bay fries - in my humble opinion Mermaid Inn bests both Pearl's Oyster Bar and Ed's Lobster Bar.

Given the lobster roll is a lobster sandwich here - the larger bun means more room for lobster!

If you aren't big on lobster - go for the sauteed skate or the pan roasted mahi-mahi. Both are quite light and flaky - and most all Mermaid Inn succeeds in eliminating the dreaded "fishy" taste.

If you are an oyster fan - Mermaid Inn offers both East and West Coast oysters.

Finally, interestingly Mermaid Inn does not have a dessert menu.

Before you have an outburst of rage at the idea of no dessert...the restaurant surprises you with complimentary homemade chocolate mousse. Delicious and perfectly sized in tiny espresso cups.

For fun - Mermaid Inn leaves you and your partner each with a little red Fortune Teller Miracle fish that curls at the ends depending on your mood. A great conversation starter for a first date :)

I know I'm probably not describing it well - you'll just have to go see it for yourself!
(picture from NYpost)

The Mermaid Inn
East Village
96 2nd Ave. New York, NY 10003
212-674-5870
http://www.themermaidnyc.com/index.php

Upper West Side
568 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10024
212-799-7400
http://www.themermaidnyc.com/uws/index.php

Brooklyn Surf Bar - Chowder Only Please.

Surf Bar is located in Williamsburg on North 6th street off of Bedford.

A quick and easy ride for Manhattanites off the L train at Bedford.

While, I am somewhat on a Brooklyn binge right now, I don't think Surf Bar lives up to its hype.

Having been featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay - I had high expectations going in. Always a problem.

Surf Bar is a somewhat kitschy surf shack that instantly time travels you to the laid back dogtown days of LA in the 70s. Duuuuude...

The restaurant has a sand floor with surfboards hanging from the ceiling and that standard shark movies, a.k.a "Jaws" playing on the flat screen. Cocktails come in the requisite coconut with a tiki flair. You get the idea, right?

Food wise - I would say only the chowder is worth noting. The corn and crab chowder was not to thick, not to thin...the corn being the actual standout ingredient. The monkfish chowder is Surf Bar's claim to fame and is worth a try.

However, the lobster roll is quite small, and the freshness of the lobster is questionable. Fish tacos are not bad, but not great either.

One last seemingly obvious piece of advice - Ordering something called "lobster pappardelle" probably isn't a good idea at a seafood shack.

Unfortunately, my boyfriend didn't get the memo and the pappardelle came out exactly as one would expect. Watery, bland...to put it bluntly - forgettable would be a generous description of the dish. And where was the lobster?

All in all- I think there are definitely better options within the city including Mermaid Inn, Pearl's and Ed's Lobster Bar.

Come for the conversationalist inducing ambiance - the decor may be worth the trip, but don't expect much more than standard mahi-mahi burgers that reference more diner than oceanic.
(picture from freewilliamsburg.com)

Brooklyn Surf Bar
139 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-302-4441
www.brooklynsurfbar.com

Extra Virgin - Just for the Girls?

So I went to Extra Virgin last week with a girlfriend. I was not the only one with the same thought...

Everywhere I turned, the tables were full of girls on a date. Not that kind of date...the Sex and the City kind of date - girls going on a "girls only" date.

Is this place destined to be a girls only hangout?

What is it about this place that attracts us in droves? It definitely is chic, has a lot of fish dishes with a Mediterannean flair (so that has to mean it's more healthy, right?)...And every so often you do get the celebrity sighting.

After all, it is right in the heart of the West Village.

Overall, I thought the food was pretty good - definitely above average. The monkfish in lobster chowder was particularly nice. The ambience was casual, yet trendy.

Just make sure you have on your latest purchase from shopbop.com and you are all set to go!
(picture from Nicolas Goldberg for The New York Times)

Extra Virgin
259 West 4th New York, NY
212-691-9359
http://www.extravirginrestaurant.com/