The Soft Serve Fruit Co.

25 E. 17th St.  New York, NY
**there are several locations**
www.softservefruitco.com

Price: $--reasonable in comparison to frozen yogurt shops.
Favorite flavor: Banana

On our way to lunch yesterday, Nicole, Whitney, Jess, and I passed by the The Soft Serve Fruit Co., and I couldn't help but realize that I had heard of this place before, and that I had been wanting to try it. We made it our mission to head back over after lunch to get some refreshing "soft serve fruit" to help us cool down on such a hot NYC afternoon.
The concept of the Soft Serve Fruit Co. is really unique and neat, as it offers a healthier alternative to conventional frozen yogurt. The soft serve is made with solely three ingredients: real natural fruit, water, and a touch of organic cane sugar. That's it. The soft serve was DELICIOUS and incredibly refreshing. The chocolate and banana flavors mixed together tasted exactly like a chocolate covered banana straight out of the freezer. The tangerine flavor tasted like a perfect citrus sorbet. The soft serve is 100% gluten free, fat free, and low in calories. Now does it get any better than that?

Just a preview of the many toppings that are offered for your soft serve fruit.

Banana soft serve fruit with strawberries, sliced bananas, chocolate chips, and peanut butter on top. HEAVEN in a cup.

 ^^happy friends

It's hard to believe that such great flavor and sweetness can come from just THREE INGREDIENTS. Try it out, and you'll see what I mean.

XOXO,

Danielle

Taralluci E Vino

15 E. 18th St.  New York, NY
www.taralluccievino.net

Price: $$ --Everything was pretty reasonably priced. Each panini was only $10, and the salads ranged from $10 to $14.
Favorite sandwich: Grilled eggplant panini

For Memorial Day, some of my besties from school came into the city. After over a WHOLE month of being apart (yes, that is a long time), I finally was reunited with my Chi O sistas (shoutout Nicole, Jess, and Whitney) and it feels sooooo good. The weather in the city was absolutely beautiful, apart from the searing hot sun that made us sticky and disgusting. Nevertheless, I would say that we definitely still had a successful Memorial Day. After walking and searching for a cute "trendy" restaurant to have lunch, we stumbled upon Taralluci E Vino, which had a really cute and, for lack of a better word, trendy feel to it. It was the perfect way to officially start off my summer in the city.

Here's what we got:

Jess ordered the Carpaccio salad, accompanied by thinly sliced pieces of beef, shaved mushrooms, arugula, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Couldn't have been too bad, as Jess ate her plate clean. WAY TO GO JESS!

Whitney went with the mozzarella and tomato panini,  coated with olive spread and basil on crispy ciabatta bread. Mmmm.

Nicole and I both ordered the grilled eggplant panini (we're twins, duh), with ricotta cheese and tomato slices on multigrain bread. Super delicious.

It finallllly feels like summertime. Great food with great friends! 

XOXO,

Danielle

Bondst

6 Bond Street.  New York, NY
www.bondstrestaurant.com

Price: $$$-- The food was a little bit expensive based on the amount of food that is served in a portion. Portion sizes are pretty small, so you end up ordering more.
Favorite Dish: Tuna Tart

Last night, we decided to try an upscale Japanese restaurant for dinner. The restaurant, Bondst, sounds and looks nothing like what it serves. It is definitely one of the nicer Japanese restaurants I've ever been to, with the dimmed lighting and candlelit tables. The menu selections were really surprisingly unique and different, and they all seemed delicious. I was excited to try out some of the cool things they were serving.

We decided to share everything that we ordered, since most things were smaller portions and were served "tapas style." Here's what we ordered:

Our love for grilled calamari led us to order the grilled baby octopus, with caramelized onions, jalapeños, avocado, radishes, and dashi poached potatoes. At first glance, the look of the octopus kind of scared Jaynie and me off, since they were served with scales--we steered away from those pieces. The safe-looking pieces were actually delicious. They tasted great paired with the citrus and avocado.

For our next appetizer, we ordered the red snapper tacos, with mentaiko (fish roe),  a sudachi vinaigrette,  and yuzu avocado spread. These tacos were AWESOME. The taco shell was super crispy, and the yuzu avocado was excellent on the taco. I'm not a huge fan of fish, but the snapper was really tasty. Loved this dish.

While we were ordered, our waiter mentioned how their Big Eye Tuna Tarts are their most popular dish by far.  Raw tuna is my least favorite of all raw fish, but this tart was AMAZING. The tart had a creamy ponzu sauce, white truffle oil, and micro shiso. It must have been the truffle oil that pushed this dish over the edge and made it so memorable. I definitely understand why the tuna tart is Bondst's most popular dish!

The next dish we ordered was the Main Lobster rolls, served with Japanese mustard, a steamed bun, and brown butter ponzu sauce. After having tried steamed buns for the first time last year in Los Angeles, I think they are just so delicious, so I was really looking forward to trying this dish. The lobster rolls were really good. I loved the lobster mixture--it was super flavorful and tasted great in the bun. I wish it could've been a bigger portion!!

As our first entree, we got the grilled rack of lamb, with a shiso and mint sauce, yuzu potato gratin, and Asian pear. The chops were SO juicy. These were great lamb chops. I love the combination of lamb and mint, however I couldn't really taste the mint in the sauce. But truly, I don't think it really needed it necessarily. Again, I would've like a little more, since we each only got one chop.

Jaynie wanted to order the Kamo Ramen, with a soft poached egg, duck confit, and tokyo negi (Japanese onion). The soup came with seaweed pieces to go alongside the dish, and a spice tray to add extra flavor to the noodles. The ramen was a bit bland without any of the spices, which is difficult for eaters who aren't fans of spicy foods. However, I, being a huge fan of spicy foods, loved the ramen with some of the added spice. The egg was a great addition, and the duck breast was super tender, and great paired with the noodles.

For our sushi fix, we ordered two different rolls: the hot eel dice, with eel, sweet soy sauce, and slice almonds, and the spicy yellowtail, accompanied by a red pepper sour miso sauce. Both rolls were great, but my favorite of the two was definitely the eel dice. The eel was quite tasty, and beat the yellowtail in terms of prominent flavor. The sweet soy sauce was delicious, and almonds added an unexpected crunch that I really enjoyed.

After a meal like that, we really felt the need for something sweet. After debating whether to stay or go somewhere else for  dessert, the amazing dessert menu helped us make our decision. We ordered the banana milk chocolate dim sum. Now seriously…how bad can THAT be? The answer: not bad at all. It was served with hazelnuts, and a sweet sour cream dipping sauce. Ugh..these were just so good. I only got to eat one because of the small portion, but that one bite of banana, chocolate, and sweet cream was perfect.

Jaynie and I are obsessed with chocolate lava cakes, so we just had to order the chocolate meltdown, with coffee ice cream and fresh cream. This cake was comparable to Morton's chocolate lava cake--it was that good. The sweet chocolate sauce, the chocolate cake, a little bit of coffee ice cream, and a dip of the cream: the ultimate bite. 

The aftermath...

A great place to go for a delectable Japanese meal.

Keep checking back…there are more amazing posts to come!!

XOXO,
Danielle

Il Laboratorio del Gelato

188 Ludlow St. (at E. Houston)  New York, NY
www.laboratoriodelgelato.com

Price: $
Favorite flavor (so far): Fior di Latte


Ok…so I have an obsession for gelato. I would eat it over ice cream any day, so when I see a good-looking gelato place, I am always down.
There were so many flavors to choose from, so I had the hardest time making a decision of what to get. After taste-testing over 5 flavors, I decided I had to make my decision. I got two flavors: strawberry and fior de latte. At first, I had no idea what fior de latte was, but it looked something like vanilla, so I tried it. I ended up absolutely loving the flavor. It was very simple and creamy, and had a very plain and refreshing taste. It tasted great mixed with the strawberry, and it was perfect for a hot NYC afternoon.
My dad ordered the turkish fig gelato, Jaynie got a caramel gelato mixed with chocolate, and my mom ordered a grapefruit sorbetto. I tasted all of them, and there was not one of those flavors that I didn't like.

YUMMY!!!!!!
Sweeet, refreshing gelato.

XOXO,
Danielle

Katz's Deli

205 E. Houston St.   New York, NY
www.katzsdelicatessen.com

Price: $$-- Not way too pricey, but still may be a little more expensive than your average deli.
Favorite sandwich: Pastrami on Rye

   When deciding where we should go for lunch for our final day in the city as a family, my dad gave us a few choices, one being Katz's Deli. I had heard of Katz's multiple times, including very recently on The Food Network's show The Next Food Network Star, so of course I had to try it. When we arrived, we were expecting to see a long line out the door, but we sucked it up and waited, and thankfully, it wasn't too long a wait. The inside of the restaurant is ginormous, and yet it was still extremely crowded. Some people were lined up at the counters to order their food, and some people immediately sat down at a table to be waited on. Thee pictures along the walls of people who had visited in the past, the crowds of people, and the amount of selections on their menu set the perfect ambiance for a classic New York Deli.






Here's what we ordered:

On The Next Food Network Star, Katz's pastrami sandwich was featured, so I decided that if I was going to order one thing, then that would have to be it. After just one bite, I was addicted. The pastrami was so soft and it was so incredibly easy to eat. The pastrami had such amazing flavor, and smoked perfectly that it was so juicy and delicious. This  was definitely the best pastrami sandwich I have ever eaten…

My mom ordered the Katz's brisket, served on rye bread with gravy on the side.  I took a bite of hers and it was super flavorful and tasty. Although I claim my sandwich was the best of all of ours, my mom still thinks hers takes the cake. 

My mom ordered a bowl of matzo ball soup with her sandwich. The matzo ball was huuuuuge, but so fluffy and tasted great! The broth was also super flavorful and tasted like the perfect homemade matzo ball soup.

My dad ordered a corned beef AND pastrami sandwich. Could it get any better than that?

I will definitely be going back to Katz's very soon. I am craving another pastrami sandwich right about….now. If you haven't been here, you MUST go and try it soon! But seriously…go.

XOXO,
Danielle

Amy's Bread

672 9th Avenue (between 46th & 47th)    New York, NY
www.amysbread.com

Price: $ --Inexpensive: easy to walk and in and walk out quickly with a quick bite to eat. Most of the pastries sell for no more than $3.75 each.
Favorite pastry: Cinnamon Challah Knots

     On our way to the theater last night, we decided to pick up something small and quick for dessert. Although we were originally looking for frozen yogurt, my dad spotted Amy's Bread across the street and immediately decided we were going there. After making our way past the crowd of people trying to exit and the people inside, there were so many different types of breads that my mouth was watering. I have a weakness for sweet pastries, and everything that was there seemed delicious.
     Jaynie decided she wanted to try the chocolate chip twists, which she claimed would be "better without the chocolate" (what is wrong with her)?  I tasted it and I thought it was so good, so I don't know what she was thinking.  My dad and I both got a cinnamon challah not, which was PERFECT. With the challah already being a tad sweet, the cinnamon sugar added a touch of sweetness and flavor that was just delectable. I could've kept eating more of these. Finally, my mom decided to go a different route and order a lemon bar, another one of my weaknesses. I tasted it and it was also so good. It was sweet and tangy and very lemony, It had a great crust on the bottom, and was gooey and absolutely scrumptious.


Here is a preview of what Amy's Bread has to offer:

I definitely need to head back over soon, since there are like 65 other things that I need to try. Amy's Bread also features house made muffins, with the selections changing regularly. There are also other breakfast pastries, scones, cakes, cupcakes, biscotti, bread, and even savories, such as pizza, sandwiches, and salads.

I'm looking forward to my next excuse to head back to Amy's Bread...
Keep checking in…much more to come!!!

XOXO,
Danielle

44 & X

622 10th Avenue  New York, NY

www.44andx.com

Price: $$$

Favorite Dish: Spicy Salmon Tartar

Last night, my mom, dad, Jaynie, and I were going to see the Broadway musical "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert," so beforehand, we planned to grab a quick bite to eat in Hell's Kitchen. After eagerly reading all of the online reviews, my mom found 44&X, which fortunately is located in Hell's Kitchen, and is also not too far a walk from Times Square. The restaurant was a nice little place, and it was a comfortable and enjoyable place to eat at. I enjoyed the majority of the meal at 44 & X--I thought the food was pretty good and there were some fun dishes offered on the menu. 

Here's what we ate:

Because of our absolute love for anything and everything with goat cheese, we decided to order the goat cheese and pistachio soufflé, served on a bed of thinly sliced asian pears, and a pomegranate jus. This dish was good, but tasted a bit more like ricotta cheese than goat cheese. In fact, I couldn't really tell that it had goat cheese in it at all. However, the pears were ridiculously sweet and juicy, and the cheese was yummy paired with the pistachios. Pretty good.

As another appetizer for the table, we ordered the spinach and wild mushroom raviolio, with Maryland crabmeat (my fav),  gruyere cheese, and a coconut poblano emulsion. I had really high hopes for this dish, considering I absolutely adore a good ravioli, but I didn't end up loving it. I thought the pasta was good, but I wasn't crazy about the sauce that it was served with. 

Jaynie's main course: roasted rack of lamb, with an artichoke and wild mushroom gratin, grilled asparagus, and pan juices.  It was also served with some kind of potato quiche…Jaynie and I aren't exactly sure what it was but we really enjoyed that. 

I was having a lot of trouble deciding what to order as my main course, so I decided to order two appetizers as my entree. My first dish was a Maine lobster taco, with a charred tomato salsa, avocado relish, cilantro, and an herb salad. I really liked this dish. The lobster was cooked perfectly and it very flavorful. It tasted even better inside the flour tortilla, with a little bit of the avocado relish (basically guacamole). The dish could've gone a little lighter on the tomato salsa, since there was a ton left-over at the end once I was finished eating; however, all-in-all it was really tasty.

For my other main course, I ordered the spicy salmon tartar, with daikon radish, seaweed salad, jalapeños, salmon roe, and a soy dressing. this tartar was delicious, but a little bit too much for one person. Raw (sushi) salmon is one of my favorite things to eat, and so this dish was perfect for me. I really liked the combination of the tartar and the salmon roe, and the seaweed salad on the inside pulled it all together. The kick of the jalapeños was a great flavorful touch.

My mom ordered the parmesan crusted tilapia, served with creamy polenta, baby spinach,  a wild mushroom salad, and a lobster reduction. 

My dad's main course was the braised short ribs, served with basil mashed potatoes,  and a black truffle port wine reduction. I tasted a bite and the meat was really delicious, but my favorite part of the meal was the basil mashed potatoes. They were really creamy and tasted great with the short ribs.

Although the dishes were pretty good all-in-all, I'm not sure if I would say the restaurant was one of my absolutely favorites. The service was very slow, even though we, along with other customers, had to get to the theater on time for the show at 8. However, the food was tasty, once it arrived, and there were many interesting dishes on the menu that we didn't try that also sounded like they could be good. 

Until next time…

XOXO,

Danielle

Fig & Olive

420 W. 13th Street.   New York, NY
**there are several locations**
www.figandolive.com

Price: $$$-- Although the items on the brunch menu weren't way too pricey, the dinner menu becomes a bit more expensive. However, not too unreasonable.
Best dish from this meal: Fig and Walnut Pancakes


After searching the web for a great place for brunch with my family and our good family friend, Sami, I stumbled upon Fig & Olive. I knew this name seemed familiar, and it turns out its one of my best friend's favorite restaurants (shoutout Arleigh). The menu seemed absolutely amazing and right up our alley, with all the great flavor combinations and interesting dishes that are offered. The brunch menu looked so good that I was reading through the lunch and dinner menus, already trying to figure out the next time I could come by and try it out without having even trying it yet. Turns it out was just as good as I was hoping!

Here's what we ordered:

My dad's (half eaten) housemade granola bowl with fresh fruit and mint, served with yogurt (or milk, if you prefer). Simple, but delicious.

My mom and I both ordered the "South of France" poached eggs with salmon. The eggs were served inside a toasted olive oil bread "bowl," with marinated salmon on the inside, and oranges. It also came with ricotta cheese, avocado, scallions, tomato, and potato wedges. AKA the perfect breakfast combo. The eggs were poached perfectly with a runny yolk, which was great with the bread, and a bit of everything on the plate. I really enjoyed this dish!  

My dad's truffle mushroom fontina scrambled eggs, with cremini and black trumpet mushrooms, mascarpone cheese, fontina, scallions, and white truffle oil. YUM. 

Sami's fig and walnut pancakes. I have to say, she definitely ordered the best dish out of all of us. These pancakes had to be some of the thickest, fluffiest looking pancakes I had ever seen before, and they tasted just as fluffy. They were filled with walnut and fig pieces, topped with a perfect coating of powdered sugar, and of course, more figs. Even the syrup was fig-infused (what else can you expect from a restaurant called Fig & Olive?) I couldn't help myself and I just had to try them, and they were so good...

Jaynie's goat cheese gnocchi with poached eggs. The gnocchi was mixed with chives,  gorgonzola fontina cheese, and covered with poached eggs. I was debating ordering this too, so I was so glad Jaynie ordered it. I loved the concept of having gnocchi served with an egg on top, so I definitely had to try it. I thought it was really good, however I think the gnocchi could have gone a little lighter on the gorgonzola and a little heavier on the goat cheese.

I cannot WAIT to head back to Fig and Olive in the future. There are so many dishes on their menu that sound unreal, so I am looking forward for my next excuse to eat here. I highly recommend this restaurant!

XOXO,
Danielle