Posts Tagged ‘dinner’
Fig & Olive in Midtown East
By Munia Islam
Fig & Olive in midtown
It was one of my dear friend’s birthdays and it was her first time celebrating it in the U.S., so we needed a perfect New York City restaurant to start the night. Since most of the guests were vegetarian (just two of us are meat-eaters), we had to pick a place that had enough vegetarian options to make this a special dinner for the birthday girl! It was Saturday night and a packed crowd filled Fifth Avenue, but we planned ahead and made reservation at Fig & Olive, which fit the bill.
The ambiance of the restaurant was very romantic, but the gorgeous bottles of olive oils lining the walls of the restaurant were just divine and truly lit up the place. For starters, we started with the Cheese Assortment, including fromage de chevre (goat), gorgonzola dolce (cow), Robiola (cow/sheep), manchego (sheep), rocchetta (cow, sheep, goat), with an addition treat of sweet additions of Fig & Olive Walnut Tapenade, as well as Marcona Almond. My favorites were definitely the goat cheese—you can never go wrong with goat cheese, I say—and the tapenade, which allowed for a sweet and savory combination, all just in the first appetizer.
Chicken samosa
Tiffin Wallah in Curry Hill
Tiffin Wallah
A couple weeks ago was one of the first times in a while that I went to an Indian restaurant. It’s not that I don’t like the food of my peoples (au contraire, I love), it’s just that I don’t really think about going to a restaurant to getting my hands on some chicken tikka masala. But you know, I live away from home, and (clearly) I don’t make enough time to cook at home. When my friends suggested we get dosas for dinner, I was game for once so we headed over to Tiffin Wallah in “Curry Hill” (that’s a totally non-official name for you non-NY’ers, but it refers to the desi-restaurant laden area of Murray Hill).
Papri chaat
We broke fast with papri chaat (crisp fried dough, chick peas, tamarind sweet yogurt and date chutney) kinda like how I would at home (did I mention I miss home?). My friend Miral ordered some Indian naan-pizza thing which we can’t remember the name for the life of us…I think it was the Chili+Cheese Dosa they have (they say it’s their version of a quesadilla and that sounds about right).
It's like an Indian pizza...
Cooking brunch for dinner with Simply Orange
Simply Orange ambassadors
Last week, I was invited to cook “Brunch for Dinner” at an event hosted by Simply Orange. I already think brunch is the best meal ever, but to have it for dinner was a first (spoiler alert: it totally works!). Simply had the right idea by setting up a communal table out in front so we can first cook, then all sit together right after to enjoy our food.
Dinner table
Pre-cooking fruit and cheese
La Esquina in SoHo
What to do on a warm summer evening in NY? I’m practically allergic to indoor dining on nights like these, so last week after the CoverGirl/Pat McGrath party, I decided to crash Archana and Eaman’s date join my friends for dinner at La Esquina in SoHo. It wasn’t my first time there, but it was my first time eating in their outdoor area. La Esquina pretty much has three parts to it: the taqueria, which is a small, to-go lunch counter; their cafe, which encompasses their sidewalk seating and their indoor space that serves the full menu; and their downstairs brasserie and bar area in the basement, where they have even more extensive menu, a DJ, and a (sometimes pesky) reservations-only list.
La Esquina
It took us about a hour to get seated once we got there, but we dove right into the queso once we did. Layers of baked cheese with roasted pumpkin seeds, served with plaintain chips was pretty much heaven on earth.
Queso
I was crossing my fingers that it would set the standard for the rest of the meal. I can’t even remember the last time I had tacos, so I decided to go for some steak tacos this time (why not?). The anticipation for the main course wasn’t worth the results…the steak was bland at best.
Steak tacos
Pastas at Patsy’s – Greenwich Village
If you ever need a quick solution for a group dinner, the family style portions of Italian dishes Patsy’s (a chain in NYC) are not only generous but just so delicious. On a recent visit, my friends wanted to order the Penne alla Vodka, but I was rooting for the Pappardelle alla Toscana (pappardelle with sun-dried tomatoes, wild mushrooms, aged parmigiano and pecorino cheese in a creamy sauce). I lost over a game of rock, paper, scissors though and we ordered the penne. I was actually surprised at how tasty the seemingly simple dish was. I normally find some of the Italian restaurants to be more of the same, but here, I think the brick-oven pizzas and pastas are quality, not too expensive, and FILLING. A great combo.
Penne alla vodka, $33
Spinach ravioli, $33
Dinner at Emporio and dessert at Balaboosta in Nolita
Candle lit back room at Emporio
I actually found out about the quaint Roman-style trattoria Emporio in Nolita through my friend Archana’s blog at LettuceVeg.com. She took much better pictures than I did with my camera too, but I’m glad I went on her recommendation because everything we had was delicious. Plus, I was obsessed with the candle-lit back room where we had our little girls night. The middle of the space has communal tables. Though, if you want more privacy, the booths along the sides have curtains you can pull on either side so you block out the distractions.
Ricotta Ravioli, $16
