Spring has Sprung!

OK, so I admit I have been on a bit of a blogging hiatus. First off, it was a cold, dark winter and I spent some serious time on the sofa. I did flex my cooking muscle a bit and made some interesting meals. Some I will make again and some I will retire. My latest invention involves chicken, lemon pepper panko, and of course, my sprouts. I love them so much!

Now that spring has sprung, I am back in full dining mode. I recently went with a large group to Ciano. WOW. WOW. WOWSER. It was awesome. I was a bit skeptic when I arrived - the front of house wasn't on its game. Once everyone arrived, we were taken to a private room on the 2nd floor. It was perfect. Wine all over and cozy. I started with the famous meatballs. Oh how much I want them again! Perfect size. I next had the burrata with toasted bread and an onion jam. Again, a great dish that was a perfect size. My final course was the veal with a veggie ragout. Lovely and I am not a huge veal fan. Nice size, not too much. I opted for another glass of wine for dessert! Overall, lovely. A great meal that is worth every penny.

Ciano, 45 East 22nd Street, (212) 982-8422.

Molte Bene!

Delicious Danji

I have worked in Midtown for over 12 years now...and I have always been on the West side. Consequently, I have hit almost every restaurant in a 10 block vicinity and have some battle scars to prove it. Recently on a review of the Dining section of the Times, I discovered a little Korean fusion joint that had just opened.

Danji is located on 52nd street between 8th and 9th ave...quite an unassuming block. I recently had the pleasure of sampling this place with a friend who was also up for a new dining adventure. The menu is a blend of modern and traditional plates that are meant to be shared. We ordered the pork belly sliders, the skirt steak, the rock shrimp tempura with flying fish roe, and the stir fried vermicelli with beef and veggies. The pork belly sliders were my favorite. Super spicy (my nose ran) but so lovely. The moist pork belly was served on top of a perfectly grilled brioche bun. 3 bites and it was gone! The rock shrimp were good, not the best ever. The skirt steak was tender and had the perfect blend of Korean spices...I wish they gave us more! The dish I wouldn't order again was the vermicelli. Too many noodles and not enough beef. We were much too full for dessert....sorry readers!

The prices were a little high but the food is definitely worth it! During the week you might not have a problem getting a table but book a resi on the weekend for sure!

Wise words from the U.S. Food Administration

A friend of mine from Florida posted this on her Facebook profile and I had to have it. It is so simple...

A Steeler Superbowl

Here we go Steelers, here we go! Here we go Steelers, here we go! OK, I had to say it one more time, actually twice before I let it go for the year. So sad for the loss, but I know they will work hard and be great next year. I had the lucky fortune of going to Megan's house for the great game. Megan and her boyfriend extraordinaire served quite a feast. 3 kinds of wings with blue cheese, chips, salsa, delicious chocolate chip cookies with peanuts, and the best bloody Mary's ever. Our friend Sarah made a spinach dip to remember. Apparently it was a Paula Dean recipe that I am hot to get! She is one of the best cooks I know and she gives all her dishes a farm to table feel. She never sacrifices flavor!

Congrats to Green Bay...

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!

Recent Adventures

I just came back from my first Nascar race in Darlington, SC. I must admit, I was hesitant. I had no idea what to expect but was comforted by the fact that I was surrounded by my co-workers. Much to my surprise, I really liked it! The people watching was FANTASTIC. The cars and drivers were impressive, and the Southern BBQ hit the spot. All in all, happy I did it once in my life!

I haven't had a bad dinner in NYC in a long time. Make that a really long time. Recently, I went to Fig & Olive on 63rd and Lexington with a friend. We started with an assortment of crostini. Upon first bite, I realized the bread was 1/2 stale, 1/2 yuck. Totally gross with a capital G. The toppings were flavorless and ice cold. Imagine eating freezing cold pesto! If that wasn't bad enough, we both ordered pasta dishes. I had the penne with shrimp, tomatoes, cilantro and garlic. My friend had the mushroom pasta. Both dishes had ZERO taste. It was basically a bowl of pasta with a few cherry tomatoes and some cilantro. The shrimp weren't even deveined. I didn't eat but one bite. My friend tried to eat her pasta but also felt that it was tasteless. We gave up on our dinners and ordered another glass of pinot!

Question to my readers....should I have complained? Sent it back? Asked for it to be taken off my bill?

Stuck

Dear readers,

I have been M.I.A. I know, don't get too upset. Life has been busy! I have surfaced though and want to begin anew. Lots of things have happened since my last post! I am considering changing my subject matter to focus on things besides food...yes, I love to write about food but it isn't exactly good for the hips if you know what I mean:)

I want to thank all my dear friends who have given me guidance on this project and have given me tons of positive support. You all made the negative people go away!

I'll be back real soon,

The Chick, formerly known at The Food Chick.