Foodies Rejoice at TechMunch in NYC!

Posted on June 12, 2011 by

TechMunch Lives up to It’s Name…

TechMunch's Babette Pepaj and Nichelle Stephens

It might have been a cloudy day outside, but there were plenty of smiles and cheers inside the Astor Wine Center for TechMunch NYC 2011. Babette Pepaj from BakeSpace and Nichelle Stephens from Cupcakes Take the Cake produced a great event packed with educational panel discussions and food glorious food.

TechMunch Panelists Including Marc Matsumoto from No Recipes

I had the pleasure of seeing familiar faces such as Michelle Judd of Taste As You Go and Marc Matsumoto from No Recipes who I met at a previous foodie engagement. But I also met a few folks who I have only communicated with online and finally had a chance to shake hands in person. I also was in the company of an eclectic group of people including an attorney and HBO executive as well as of course food bloggers, all coming together for that special mutual love of food.

Highlight tweet: @constancek Excellent panelists throughout the day here at #TechMunch Valuable takeaways that transfer over to many different industries not only food.

Although being a foodie is a hobby of mine, I found myself picking up tidbits of information that transferred into other business areas. One panel discussed the elevator pitch and I found the singing chef Jackie Gordon hitting this right on the nail.  She said to create curiosity first, as in saying “I am a singing chef”, let them want to hear more and gear/modify the pitch depending on who is in the conversation.

Then there was the food! We kicked things off with the Chobani yogurt sponsored breakfast. I have never had Chobani before, and I have to say I am sold. I already went to my local market and stocked up on some strawberry banana and pomegranate flavored greek style yogurt.  Later on that day we were treated to refreshing and delicious yogurt based smoothies (I am told the recipe is on their website). Being a peanut butter and banana lover, I chose this one over the berry. It was fantastic!

Snack Time! Chobani Yogurt Smoothies

Lunch was sponsored by Tom Colicchio’s sandwich place wichcraft. The assorted sandwiches were displayed so nicely wrapped in the signature logo paper.  I grabbed the pole caught tuna sandwich and continued on my way to some salad, sun chips, a couple of foodie cookies and a Berkley and Jensen Orange drink.

Lunch Time!

The sandwich was lovely packed with the flavor you would expect to receive from a Tom creation. The fennel gave the sandwich a unique flavor and if it wasn’t for the dessert trays, I would have been back to the display table for more.

Wichcraft's Pole Caught Tuna Sandwich

Dessert was provided by Robicelli’s that included cupcakes and whoopie pies. While my partner in crime for the day Peter Davison of Our Man in Shanghai there representing chef David Marteau, enjoyed the Maltz, I enjoyed my foodie cookies from Tasty Morsels and a berry dessert.

Cupcakes and Whoopie Pies!

Foodie Techie Cookies by Tasty Morsels

At the end of the day, there were drinks and more dessert items from Jacques Torres and goodie bags from Driscoll’s Berries. Unfortunately I had to run out pretty early, as my husband pulled up to the curb doing a last minute favor for me and drove into the city because of my winning prize.  I was one of the lucky participants to win a KitchenAid appliance, my pick, the 5 Quart Stand Mixer in Cherry Red!

KitchenAid Giveaways!

First Mix of The Shiny Red Stand Up Mixer by KitchenAid

My husband and I just had to try out the new toy. So for a perfect Sunday Brunch, we made crepes with Driscoll’s Berries and whipped crème!

Crepes Made With My New KitchenAid Toy!

Yesterday was really quite an exciting day and went by so fast.  Kudos to Babette and Nichelle and to all the sponsors and food providers that made the day a remarkable experience.

Thanks to my husband Michael Korol for not only picking me up in the city saving the day, but for editing my foodie images as well.

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Cotton Candy and All That is Pink

Posted on April 16, 2011 by

Four Food Studio for LI Restaurant Week

The line of cars was almost backed up to Route 110 when we arrived at Valet for Four Food Studio. It was a Friday night; right after work and the place was hopping.  The bar was crowded with smiles and laughs while “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” played throughout the restaurant (perhaps in honor of our local American Idol star Pia Toscano, the last song she sang on this season’s stage).  My husband Michael and I were one of the few to sit down a bit early to enjoy a meal in honor of LI Restaurant Week. This was not just eating to stabilize my tapeworm like appetite from training for a triathlon, this became quite an experience. This was our first time in the Melville office populated area restaurant and I really didn’t know what to expect. Certainly from the initial vibe, we were off to a good start.

We were seated in the Autumn section of the restaurant, which was dead center, a great way to experience all in one visit. Maureen our superstar waitress immediately greeted us and educated us on the lay of the land. She mentioned that they try to get most of their food from local markets and farmers, supporting the local community and providing the customer with freshness and flavor. The restaurant architecture concept is based on the four seasons, with 4 separate rooms that represent that season.  We were borderline in the winter section, with big half moon shaped tables and a sleek modern faux fireplace in the middle. The place was pretty groovy, and I mean that as an ultimate compliment. Looking around the perimeter of the place, I notice very high ceilings, a tall beautiful wood wine cellar, funky colors and overall a fun atmosphere. I know, I didn’t even get to one single food item yet.

Enter Winter!

Great Wall of Wine!

I appreciated Four for having a full Restaurant Week menu on their website, which really helped in choosing a place. So I had a pretty good idea what I was going to order beforehand even before I stepped into the place. Maureen encouraged us to try the suggested bottle of wine for the evening Northstar Merlot from Washington state. This was an excellent full body red with depth and cherry notes.

Northstar Merlot

Michael started with the market salad that didn’t look all to exciting on the plate.  For such a bright place, it was a plate of all green. I thought oh boy, that is going to be bland. But no! This salad was packed with flavor and seasoning, the right amount of tangy, sweet and salt. It was really a surprise.

Market Salad

My mozzarella and tomato flatbread was simply wonderful with fresh cheese and pesto sauce that literally tasted like someone picked basil from the backyard an hour prior to serving and stomped on some handpicked olives to make extra virgin olive oil.

Mozzarella and Tomato Flatbread

Maureen came over several times to check in and continued to pour our wine when the glasses started to get low. It was a flawless service that screamed experience and passion for her job and for the people she worked for.  It is not something you see too often, especially on this level.

Maureen Superstar Waitress

Never a Glass Empty

The main dining area became more and more crowded as happy hour came to an end and the happy folks continued to be happy at their seating. A quick glance at other tables I see a peel and eat shrimp plate with a lighted sparkler in the middle as to say, “I don’t care it’s not the 4th of July, we are going to party like it is!  A couple of tables down I see a big pink ball in the middle of their table with two adults gently peeling pieces and popping it in their mouth with big grins on their faces. Could that be…cotton candy??? My husband concurs, and I am immediately jealous.  No longer are the lobster tamales on my mind, I want to feel like a kid at Disneyland too! They were even getting this on camera.

Smile Your on Camera!

At this point, my husband is trigger happy as the SD card racks up with images, one of his grand steak knife.

I Simply Call it "Steak Knife"

Suppressing those kid in a candy store thoughts for a bit, our entrees arrive hot and gorgeous. My husband ordered the 12 oz rib eye and I the lobster tamales.  His first cut and he was impressed, it appeared cooked to his liking. A bite, yep he was happy. Maureen comes over to see if we were ok and made sure to point out their specialty onion rings that were served with the rib eye. My husband said they were hands down the best onion rings he has ever had. OK, pass one over hubbie. With one bite, I nodded my head in agreement. For someone who doesn’t care for fried foods, this was clearly made with love picked fresh from the garden.

Rib Eye and Primo Onion Rings!

My lobster tamale had a punch of fresh garden flavors of peppers, corn and avocado.  The food stayed true to the story, representing that local fresh taste throughout the experience.

A Bit of Lime for the Lobster Tamales

Dessert was over the top as I was tempted to lick my plate of last little bites of my guiness cake. This was a decadent chocolate cake that was perfect, offering a taste of nice deep savory chocolate in every bite, not too sweet, not too rich. Michael had the cheesecake which he loved as well.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

With almost 100 photos taken and completely satisfied tummies, we were ready for the check from the great night. But wait, not so fast. Four was not done. With a big grin on my face and one more image taken, the cotton candy was delicately placed on our table to put a final stamp of fun to our evening.

It is Cotton Candy!

Four is Pretty in Pink

Thanks to Michael Korol for the images!

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I Am Glad We Were Hungry

Posted on April 8, 2011 by

Meza Table

When you go to Anise, be prepared to have a full on meal!

I was speechless when our lunch order for two arrived in several trips as my colleague and I looked at each other and said “thank goodness we are hungry!”

Last week it was just around lunch time when a tweet came in from @eastofnyc mentioning the opening of Anise in the town where I work, Great Neck. It could be considered fate as I had tweetdeck minimized on my desktop but this was the tweet that popped up in my preview pane. Now if you also follow my personal blog on posterous, you may know that I am in the midst of training for a triathlon. Some moments in time I am completely ravenous, and this was one of them. I just finished I’ming my colleague that we need to get lunch as we go through our list of per usual. Rugby season just started for him so the both of us were looking for a good hearty yet healthy meal.

We quickly read the East of NYC post and jumped in the car. Anise is a new pan-Mediterranean restaurant, by Chef Michael Ginor (now on ABC TV’s “Neighborhood Eats” with Lauren Glassberg.) Quite honestly, this restaurant is hidden and a ways down from the more popular section of the town of Great Neck. Ginor’s other Great Neck restaurant “Lola” is gaining popularity and located in the heart of the town. In other words, if it wasn’t for this @eastofnyc tweet,  I am not sure when, or if I would ever get there.

The restaurant itself is quaint with a sleek modern look. The two main walls were chalk boards that were used to list specials, as well as wine and beer options. I loved our high wooden table that was located in the sunny window corner. Outside were a few tables, but it’s still chilly here in NY. In a couple more weeks, those two tables are going to be prime real estate.

OK now for the food. Where do I start? We figured that the best way to experience the menu was to choose the “Meza Table”. The description was “Mediterranean Spreads, Cheeses, Soups, Salads and Appetizers”. Sure we are game.

Our waiter was so friendly and took the time to go over all the food items that were on our table:  Hoomos (humus), Warm Feta Cheese Dip, Shoshana Eggplant, Roasted Cauliflower, Falafel, Cheese Cigars, Pastels (Lightly breaded croquet of mashed potatoes and herbs) Green Lentil Salad.

Let me just say that we both really loved everything on our table.  All the food dishes were packed with that unique Mediterranean flavor plus some really great surprises like Jalapeño in the Warm Feta Cheese Dip.

The Hoomoos was spectacular. Again it had a nice kick of flavor with just amount of tahini. It was hard for me to stop dipping the Armenian bread right into this pool of decadence, but I had to move on. So many other things to eat!

Hoomoos

Anise is a “highly recommend” from me and I can’t wait to go back. I am looking forward to a dinner meal paired with a wine or possibly one of their beers. Thanks @eastofnyc and thank you @anise613.

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Graffiti Circa 2011

Posted on February 20, 2011 by

Petite Chicken Meatloaf

Twenty years ago a local friendly diner type place opened up in the Woodbury Commons. A place where I would meet up with friends for lunch or perhaps a light dinner. Nothing fancy, nothing over the top, but reliable and consistent food.

Twenty years later is a rebirth with aesthetic renovations, menu changes and staff changes. A pastry chef comes on board and rocks the house. It is now a beautiful and serene, modern look with a full separate bar area for the Happy Hour folks. It has dim lighting, comfortable seating and in the back is a large open window to the kitchen that displays fresh baskets of breads on the sill. I can’t remember for the life of me how it used to be, and it’s not necessary at all.

The name is the same, but the new Graffiti rocks with Basil infused martinis. Yea baby!

I dined here several weeks ago with friends and shared a meal of the Roast Beet Salad with toasted walnuts and goat cheese as well as the Thyme Scented Yellow Fin Tuna with a delicious creamy white truffle mushroom risotto. The meal was good and quite unexpected. Some places go all out to change the décor but not the food. This appeared to be a complete overhaul.

While tuna and truffle risotto tend to be up there in the favorite category of entrees, the Petite Chicken Meatloaf stuck in my mind as if I was tempted to take it to go and perhaps have it for lunch the next day. After a beautiful cup of herbal tea and shared birthday dessert, I kissed my friends goodbye and said I will be back for more.

The full moon this past Friday, on one of the warmest days we have had in NY for sometime, set the tone for a good evening out. My husband and I left the house without jackets on, giddy with excitement that we didn’t have to wear snow boots or hats or gloves. It was 7pm and it was in the 60s. This winter has been brutal; it’s time to celebrate with a little Spring Fever.

We were seated immediately, but we were lucky. 5-10 minutes later, we would have been waiting. Our waitress Erika greeted us with announcing some specials. I was tempted, but I had a plan for weeks now, I had to stick with the Chicken Meatloaf.

I was all set to order a crisp glass of Savignon Blanc to go with my meal when we both noticed an intriguing drink on the bar menu, a Basil Infused Martini. Hmmm, we both looked at each other and decided to give it a shot. I loved it after my second sip, but it’s not a drink for everyone. Erika came over and asked how we liked our drinks, and my husband Michael was honest as he didn’t care for it too much. Erika graciously allowed us to order something else with no problem. Major points to Graffiti for not forcing us to pay for something when we were adventurously ordering.

Michael ordered the Espresso Chili Rubbed Skirt Steak served with frites and I the Petite Chicken Meatloaf served with maple sweat potatoes and a cranberry compote. I couldn’t resist after taking one bite grabbing the iphone and foodspotting this delicious explosion of Thanksgiving in my mouth. My husband loved his meal and his new martini as the steak was cooked and seasoned perfectly. He thought it was a better steak than what he got at some well known steakhouses in the area. The entrees were terrific, we both resisted not licking the plates and were shocked when none of us saved a bit of a treat for our two Jack Russells at home. Oh well, they will be getting snausages for their evening snack.

About this time, after our meal, the waiter usually comes over and asks us if we would like coffee and dessert and then we smile, nod and say no thank you as we are usually too full. Well, Michael looks at me and says we should order dessert. OK, no argument from me, and thank goodness. Erika’s assistant comes over to let us know of the dessert specials. The first one he says made us stop him right there. Two Cinnamon French Doughnuts served with Chocolate Sauce. Yes, two forks please!

Cinnamon French Doughnuts dipped in chocolate sauce

This pastry was out of this world! They were two fluffy cakes packed with flavor and then the dipped chocolate simply completed the decadence. Erika comes over giddy as can be as she was so happy we ordered the special dessert. She let us know that they just hired a new pastry chef with her first day on Valentine’s Day. She is a keeper folks at Graffiti, don’t let her go!

My last words are simply go check out the new Graffiti and make sure you order dessert. Bon Appetit and thank you to Erika for great service.

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