Stepping out during my January hibernation...

I am really optimistic that 2011 is going to be a great year for everyone. As I continue on my foodie adventures this year, I am going to challenge myself to get healthy while never sacrificing flavor. Food with flavor and taste does not need to be bad for you! Since the New Year, I have had a few dining adventures worth telling you all about...

Riverpark: Tom Colicchio's new place on 29th and 1st ave. I went twice over NYC restaurant week. My first trip was an A+. I went with a dear friend and lucked out to get a nice table by the window. For starters I had the pork belly and it was out-of-this-world! Served with a Korean BBQ sauce and pickled veggies, it was absolutely lovely. Perfect size! I decided to channel Miss Piggy a little longer and I ordered the pork chop with a brussel sprout-apple hash and parsnip puree. Every bite was better than the next. Not too much food either. We paired our meals with the Claud La Chapelle Merlot/Cab blend. So nice and very affordable. We ended our meals with a cheese plate...and this was no ordinary cheese plate! Riverpark served 3 different cheeses - Meadow Creek Grayson, Cayuga Blue, and a Ossau-Iraty Vielle. Each piece was paired with pear jam, quince paste and honeycomb. I highly recommend!!!

The Lamb's Club: Chef Geoffrey Zakarian's new place on 44th between 6th and Bway. This place wasn't on my radar at all until I had a lunch date there. The menu is a great example of how you can serve many different palates. I had the Chicken Cobb Salad with maytag blue cheese, tarragon, and tomatoes. The dressing was lite yet creamy. I am not a bacon and avocado on salad kinda girl so I held both and it didn't compromise the salad at all. Truly a delight. I hope to try for dinner one evening!

I have also hit a few of my regular haunts....Kefi, Houston's, and Company. If I wasn't so carb conscious I think I would eat pizza for every meal. I love it, especially when it is dressed up with something unusual;)

Here's to hibernating in this cold weather! Lucky me has a little Florida sun in the near future to get excited about!