The CRONUT

189 Spring St.  New York, NY
www.dominiqueansel.com

Price: $$ ($5 per cronut)

   Cronuts seem to have become the latest trend in food, and I constantly heard about and seen the donut-croissant hybrid creation all over the internet.  The cronut was created by renowned pastry chef Dominique Ansel, of the Dominique Ansel Bakery, which I visited and blogged about last summer, long before the cronut was announced and became such a hit.  The cronut has caught the attention of many New Yorkers and beyond, and being the foodie that I am, I absolutely made it my mission to try out the delicacy before the end of my summer in NYC.
I arrived at the bakery at around 6:30 a.m. on a Friday morning.  I was expecting there to be a line formed, but I was not expecting a line that spanned down the block and around the corner! It was good I arrived when I did, as the line got much longer in the hour following my arrival.  The bakery opened its doors at 8 a.m., and I was let inside the bakery at about 9:30.  I was out by 10, making this at least a 3 hour process.  Despite the long line, the cronut was COMPLETELY worth it.

[the line in front of me around the corner at 6:30 a.m.]  

[the line behind me at around 7:15 a.m.]

Apparently, I am not the only crazy one who would wake up at the crack of dawn for a fried sugary pastry.  The bakery lets in around 10 customers at a time to purchase their cronuts.  Once I got inside, the smell of the bakery was incredibly mouthwatering.  I ordered two cronuts (you don't wait that whole time and only order one…), and they looked and smelled just as good as they sounded.

The flavor of the month for July is blackberry.  When I first found out the flavor, I wasn't completely thrilled about it, but after the first bite, I just could't get enough.

The cronuts looked and tasted exactly how it sounds like it would.  It had rich and flaky thin layers of dough they well resembled a croissant, but also had the delectable fried and sugary taste that resembled a very fresh donut.  Between the layers of the cronut was an unexpected cream filling.  The cream was light and not too sweet, but a perfect addition to the flavors of the cronut.  It was also filled with a blackberry jam, which was a surprisingly nice addition to all of the flavors.  It was topped with a blackberry icing, which I ended up removing, as I personally thought it was sweet enough, and tasted just good enough on its own.  When cutting into the cronut, the layers could easily be pulled apart, just like you could do with a croissant.  It was unbelievably delicate and delicious.

After trying the delicacy firsthand, I can honestly say that the cronut is not all hype.  It truly was worth every calorie and every lost minute of sleep waiting in line.  The cronuts continue to get more and more popular, and the lines have been getting longer in the mornings as time passes.  I am extremely happy I got the opportunity to try the cronut, and I would definitely wake up and do it again in a heartbeat.  Basically.. everyone should make time to go and get your own cronut!!


XOXO,
Danielle

Jack's Wife Freda

224 Lafayette St.  New York, NY
www.jackswifefreda.com

Price: $$
Favorite dish: Matzo Ball Soup

After a long but unforgettable school year in Ann Arbor, I am finally back in the city and back to blogging! I have been compiling and even longer list of restaurants to visit this summer, and I cannot wait to try them all.  After the amazing places I visited last summer, there is only more amazing things to try.

Within the first week of being back in NYC,  I made sure to visit Jack's Wife Freda, a restaurant my dad has highly recommended to me several times.  We went together after my first day interning at Helmut Lang, and it was definitely the perfect atmosphere for a fun after-work meal.  The restaurant is small and neighborhood-y, with open sunny spaces and a simple and friendly ambiance.

What we ordered:

Matzo ball soup

Special: Sweet Potato Dip served with feta cheese and pita bread.

Jack's Burger with grilled tomato and fried onion, served with hand-cut fries

(Jack's Burger)

Peri-Peri Chicken served with a diced vegetable salad

   I really enjoyed our meal at Jack's Wife Freda and definitely feel like this would be a great place to  come to meet up with friends for a nice but not too pricey meal.
   The Matzo ball soup was perfect and, in my opinion, was certainly all that it is cracked up to be. The soup was super homey, and tasted just as fresh and amazing as any good matzo ball soup should.  The special for the evening was sweet potato dip, which was something I had never heard of before.  It resembled almost mashed potatoes, but was obviously a bit sweeter.  The texture was creamy, and tasted great paired with the feta-- my dad and I scraped the plate clean.  The burger was cooked perfectly and also tasted great. Although it was nothing super out of the ordinary, it was, however, tasty and satisfying.  My dad's Peri-Peri chicken was fabulous.  The meat was super tender and the flavor was deliciously addicting.
    The brunch menu at Jack's looks amazing, so I plan on coming back soon to try out the breakfast as well.  Jack's Wife Freda is also a hotspot for celebrity spottings, another reason to make my way back ASAP!

XOXO,
Danielle

Bianca

5 Bleecker St. #1  New York, NY
www.biancanyc.com

Price: $$ --everything is extremely well priced… but cash only!
Favorite dish: Artichoke Salad

Sara and Frankie went to dinner at Bianca one night and couldn't stop raving about how good it was afterwards. So, for a nice, fun, middle of the week dinner, I decided to drag the two of them back to Bianca so I could get a taste of what was so good.
After arriving, I noticed the vibe at Bianca was loud and trendy. The restaurant is set up to look almost like a kitchen, so we would feel right at home. Because they don't take reservations, we did have a little wait for a table, being that the restaurant is not all that big and super crowded.
After looking at the menu, I found so many things that I wanted. But what I really noticed was how reasonably priced everything was. That must have been the first time I had thought that since I got to New York. Main dishes for no more than $15? Yes please!

Here's what we got:

My favorite!! Fresh bread and olive oil. 

For a starter, Sara and I shared the Carciofini, or in other words, an artichoke salad. It was thin slices of artichokes  with fresh parmesan and a lemon dressing. I absolutely adored this dish. It was so light and refreshing. The artichokes were super delicious and I loved how it was something I'd never really seen before. I have been craving this sole dish ever since I ate there, and I am yearning to go back for it.

An unobstructed view of the salad. yuuuummmyyyy

The Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. This was probably my favorite of the pasta dishes. The meat sauce was really flavorful and was enriched with lots of tomatoes and mushrooms. You could taste how the pasta was homemade and so perfectly cooked. Deliciousness!

The Ravioli di Ricotta con Burro e Salvia. Translation:  a fresh ricotta ravioli with butter and sage. Again, this ravioli was so light and deliciously handmade. It was a bit bland, however, and could've used some salt. But from subtle flavors I tasted I really liked them.

The Gnocchi con Formaggio, or gorgonzola cheese sauce. This gnocchi was so awesome. I am not a huge fan of gorgonzola but the creaminess of the sauce overtook the gorgonzola. It was, however, very heavy, so after eating some of it I felt like I could be done. The pasta's texture was really good and it was really super tasty.

This restaurant was totally adorbs and a good time. The only small detail that you should be aware of before heading over is that it is cash only. Not the biggest deal in the world, being that you really are getting great quality food, delicious flavors, and a fun atmosphere without breaking the bank. This is definitely going to be one of my go-to spots for any future visits [or perhaps for when I live here ;)]

XOXO,
Danielle

Cafe Habana

17 Prince St.  New York, NY

www.cafehabana.com

Price: $$

Favorite thing: Mexican Grilled Corn (is that a question??)

You might have learned from my previous post about Dos Caminos that I am a huge huge huge fan of Mexican Grilled corn. Also known in Spanish known as 'elote,' Mexican Grilled Corn is a very common street food found in many parts of Mexico. One of the absolute best places to get an amazing and authentic version of this goodness is at Cafe Habana in Soho. After grilling each ear of corn to perfection and quickly jamming it on to a stick, they smother it with a lime-y mayonnaise rub, cover it all over with Cotija cheese, and then top it all off with some lime juice and cayenne pepper. Voila! Now is that not the best looking/sounding corn in the entire history of the world?

One ear of corn for my mom dad and I. Not nearly enough…….

The first bite. HEAVEN

Not too shabby.

Well hello beautiful

Goodbye :(

I have never gone to Cafe Habana before for anything other than the Mexican Grilled Corn, but from what I have heard, they're mexican food is delicious and very authentic. However, first and foremost, I highly recommend stopping in and ordering like 5 ears of Mexican Grilled Corn for yourself, because they are perfectly hot and flavorful and creamy and zingy and salty and, well, simply irresistible.

XOXO,

Danielle

Rice to Riches

37 Spring St.  New York, NY

www.ricetoriches.com

I have been waiting sOOO long to write this post. Since I've been in NYC, I've been sitting, waiting, wishing for when I would find time to go to Rice to Riches. Being an avid lover of all things rice and pudding, Rice to Riches creates the ultimate and absolutely perfect rice pudding for those who crave a unique and incredibly tasty treat. Rice to Riches serves their rice pudding frozen yogurt style, giving customers a huge selection of different fun flavors, like "Cinnamon Sling," "Coconut Coma," 'Fluent in French Toast," and "Hazelnut Chocolate Bear Hug." Then you can select toppings, or as they call them, Jesus Droppings, to top your rice pudding. There is literally nothing better than this.

In addition to the fun and witty flavors and names, the shop's signs and sayings are another factor that helps attract as many customers as they do.  A few of my favorites:

WORD.

Clearly my new motto: "Never diet on an empty stomach."

So true.

At least they're honest!

Ya! Seriously!

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

yuuuuuum

Flavors on flavors on flavors on flavors on flavors.

My favorite. Simple, creamy, original vanilla.

Here's what we shared:

Here it is. Our masterpiece. Looks too good to eat, right? WRONG. Obviously I dug right into this baby. We got the Understanding Vanilla topped with oven roasted strawberries. Um seriously, hello heaven. The rice pudding was so thick and rich and creamy and absolutely scrumptious I couldn't get enough. Even though we got the small to share amongst all of us, it was still plenty to get my fix. 

Toppings galore!! 

I've come to the conclusion that if you think you don't like rice pudding, you're wrong. Everyone likes pudding. That's basically it. There is absolutely nothing not to like about this genius of a snack/dessert. If you have never tried it, you must. Even if lumpy rice pudding sounds a tad unappealing, you'd be surprised how unbelievable it can taste. You MUST see for yourself.

This pretty much says it all.

XOXO,
Danielle

Jane

100 W. Houston St.  New York, NY
www.janerestaurant.com

Price: $$--Portion sizes are pretty generous.
Favorite dish: Vanilla Bean French Toast ( :O )

The fact that I am so behind on blogging is not ok…so SORRY to all my devoted readers!! ;)
Last weekend, my friends and I decided to be cute and go for a nice Sunday brunch. We wanted to try Jane, which supposedly has a really good brunch menu, and so we thought ahead and made a reservation so we wouldn't be caught waiting in the blazing New York heat for a table. We still ended up having to wait, being that Whitney, Jess, and Arleigh were so late, but hey, Jane was not to blame for that!
Jane is a casual American bistro on the edge of Soho. It has upstairs and downstairs seating, and the atmosphere is sleek and inviting. The restaurant was packed on a Sunday morning. After reading through the extensive brunch menu, I was completely perplexed and had absolutely no idea what to get but was so excited to try everything.

What we got:

Whitney and Sara both got the mushroom omelette, with baby portobello mushrooms, tomato, fontina, and herbs, served with a side of potatoes. Whit and Sara both claimed it was "sooooooo good!"

Jess ordered the egg white omelet with sautéed spinach, goat cheese, and mixed greens. Although the omelet features goat cheese, she said it tasted kind of bland, but not bad!

Arleigh and I both ordered the homemade granola, with low fat yogurt, honey, bananas, strawberries, and dried cranberries. I had been craving granola so I was sooso excited to eat this. We both thought that the the granola had far too many sunflower seeds mixed in it, which overtook the actual flavor of the granola.

One of the most intriguing items on the menu was the vanilla bean french toast, made with brioche bread, dipped in a creme brûlée batter, and served with maple syrup. Frankie ordered this for her meal, and the rest of us got a half order to share for the table. The french toast was delectable…I absolutely loved it. The inside was really soft and gooey, and the outside was nice and crunchy.

My side of plain scrambled eggs. yes I know…boring. but yummy!!!

I understand why Jane gets so busy for Sunday brunch; they have a really lengthy menu listing a variety of different good breakfast options. When ordering off the brunch menu, you also receive a complimentary cocktail, including alcoholic beverages, or fresh squeezed juices. What a deal! I would definitely come back to Jane to try something new--they had a lot of good looking egg scrambles that I'd love to try. All in all, a good, fun, not too pricey meal to share with friends.

XOXO,
Danielle

Emilio's Ballato

55 E. Houston St. (between Mulberry St. & Greene St.) 
New York, NY


Price: $$$$
Favorite dish: Pasta E Fagioli

For an extremely delayed post, this one certainly will not disappoint. For my dad's last night in town with me, he took me to a little Italian place that he claimed was quite amazing. After we walked in and were walking back to our table, I couldn't help but notice the array of photographs of famous people on the walls. Ummm celebrities….my favorite! This place couldn't be too bad, then. Emilio's Ballato serves solid old school Italian food. I am sucker for good Italian, and this restaurant hit the spot.

Here's what we got:

At the beginning of the meal, we were served two types of fresh bread. There was a basic, probably homemade, bread and then Pancetta bread. 

My dad couldn't stop saying to me how much he LOVED the Pasta E Fagioli soup the first time he came here, and this being one of my favorite Italian soups, I definitely wanted to try it. He was building it up so much that it had to knock my socks off, and it absolutely did. This was hands down the best Pasta E Fagioli soup that I have ever tasted. It was so thick and full of delicious beans, pasta, and vegetables. OMG my mouth is watering.

As an appetizer to share, we ordered the grilled octopus, served with a small green salad. This calamari was unlike any that I had ever had before in the way that it was served, but once it was cut up to look less scary it was really good. 

I ordered the Gamberi Oreganate, which is baked shrimp, with garlic, bread crumbs, and linguine. These shrimp were packed with flavor. They were topped with such a flavorful mixture of the bread crumbs, a ton of garlic, and other seasonings. The sauce was great mixed with the linguine, which was cooked to perfection.

For my dad's entree, he ordered the Vitello Alla Milanese, which is breaded veal, with arugula, tomatoes, and extra virgin olive oil. It was also served alongside a small portion of potatoes. 

My dad ordered a side of fresh linguine with tomato sauce. At a restaurant with amazing homemade pasta there was no way we could skimp on that…

So basically, everything my dad and I ate here was excellent. I was so full walking out, but left 100% satisfied. The space is small and cozy, and the food made me feel as though I may have been eating in Italy. Although I've never been, I imagine this might be as close as it gets in NYC. Come here for a wonderful and traditional Italian meal you are sure to love.

XOXO,
Danielle

The Dutch

Sullivan St. (at Prince St.)  New York, NY
www.thedutchnyc.com

Price: $$$
Favorite dish: Eggplant dip with savory crackers

My dad constantly travels to New York on business, and this week I was lucky enough to get to spend some time with him while he was here doing work. Obviously if he's here, we're going to eat somewhere fabulous, so he decided to take Arleigh and me to The Dutch, a restaurant he had visited and enjoyed before. We were able to get a table right away on a Monday evening. The decor was cozy and intimate, and had a loud and fun New York atmosphere. The menu is not especially large, but of what was offered, there were certainly many different things I wanted to try.

Here's what we got:

At the start of the meal we were served a nice warm loaf of jalepeno cornbread, with soft butter. This was definitely a more fun way to start off the meal as opposed to traditional bread and butter. The cornbread was moist and spicy, and it was really tasty. 

The first thing we ordered as an appetizer was the eggplant dip with savory crackers. This dish was fantastic. I loved the chips first off--they were coated with wonderful herbs, sesame, and salt. Then the eggplant dip was so delicious. Once we ran out of chips I was serving the dip to myself plain and eating it with a spoon.

For another appetizer, we got the american burrata, with white cherries and sourdough. The cheese was super soft and tasted similar to a fresh mozzarella. It was really good paired with the white cherries, and dipped in the sweet cherry sauce that it was served over.

My dad got the steamed snapper, with crispy rice and a mushroom yuzu broth. Being that I am not the biggest fan of fish, I didn't think I'd really love this, but after tasting it, I definitely changed my mind. The fish did not taste very fishy, and the crispy texture of the rice made it really unique. The mushrooms were also so good and fresh, and tasted great paired with the fish. 

Arleigh ordered the herb roasted chicken, with oregon morels and and charred leeks. The presentation was beautiful, and since it looked so good I also had to try it. The chicken was really tender and delicious, and had a really distinctive, memorable flavor.

For my dinner, I got the smoked ricotta ravioli, with tomato, and soft herbs. Oh my God these ravioli were so good. They were obviously homemade and the ricotta filling was amaaaaaazing. The tomato sauce was perfect, and all in all this dish was just beyond. I finished off scraping my plate clean.

As a side dish we got Franca's potatoes, with mustard and dill. Usually this dish is also served with bacon, but we decided to pass on that addition. The potatoes were really firm, and all of the different flavor combinations were really great on the potatoes.

We started off with the lemon meringue pie, which
is made fresh daily. It was SO GOOD. Super lemony and
super flavorful. The meringue had the perfect texture
and it all tasted fresh and delicious.

Unfortunately, we couldn't skimp on dessert--there were too many delicious looking options!!

We also shared the devil's food cake, with black pepper
 boiled icing, fudge sauce, and white russian ice cream.
This dessert was also SO GOOD. The cake was moist, and
it was really good paired with the ice cream. Being a
huge fan of chocolate cake, this dessert did not disappoint.

There was not one thing at this meal that I did not enjoy. Everything was outstanding, and everything was definitely memorable. The service wasn't bad and I thought it was a nice enjoyable place to spend a weeknight evening. Would love to go back sometime!

XOXO,
Danielle