JCC Tomo-spiced karkana ribenes - the foodies' thread

I think I'd give that a miss. I'm afraid to ask how much you are charged for it.

 

I'm sure it's tasty, but it has very little to do with what we call spinach pie (spanakopita). This is what spanakopita looks like and you can buy a slice in any bakery for €1.5 max, so whatever they're charging for "destructured" spanakopita in Santorini is very probably completely out of this world.

 

Pretty sure I've had that somewhere along the line. Not in Greece though.

 

Crème Brule is my go to restaurant dessert these days. Simple and small.

 

If I lived in NYC, I would totally make reservations to the pop up Cheetos restaurant.

Here's the menu: http://www.thespottedcheetah.com/#about





Also...

 

^ LOL...geez all these celebrity chefs are doing junk food deluxe in NYC. Christina Tosi upped the ant for Kelloggs Cereal bar (I almost went there once and was annoyed they did not take cash. I tried the test run pop up about a year before this opened and created a big bowl of yum (I forgot what I ordered but it was definitely Franken-Bowl.)

Eventually, I am going to try some of fancy NYC restaurants even if I shouldn't be eating the food. I am jones to try super deluxe Chinese place Red Farm (yes, okay their Pacman and ghosts dumplings look awesome; but how can you go wrong with fried sweet potato pac man and shrimp dumpling ghosts?)


Almost every Food Network chef's restaurants in NYC have received bad reviews including Anne's new spot (Bobby Flay was the outlier )

Darn, now I am hungry!

 

Tried Underwest Donuts this morning. In two words: cloyingly sweet.

So much sugar the touted flavors did not come through besides their fragrance. So Blueberry Lemon was indeed purple blue but no lemon outside a candied peel and the faint blueberry flavor was vaporized by the sugar.

Ditto for Maple. The chocolate was even masked (how do you screw up chocolate?) For 3.25 per donut, I expect the flavors promised.

Note to self: try savory foods instead of sweet next time.

Definitely not worth the hype or price. Thankfully, I gave away most of them.

 

Don't you hate that? Nothing is as obnoxious to me as food that smells better than it tastes. I get it; smell is a big part of the whole eating experience, but food should not taste more bland than it smells or, as you're saying, less specific.

 

Yes. Smells like it could be good, but it is a fake out because the flavors are masked. I dislike being unable to taste the specific flavors. I like to enjoy each ingredient as well as the whole. I admit my sweet tooth has mellowed significantly, but I can taste everything in Pret's Blueberry coconut yogurt and it is sweet but not cloying. Funny, Pret is pretty bland and simple, but their sauces and such bring out the flavors in the rest of the dish.

Pretty sad that a chain can nail flavors, but a boutique shop selling one item fails epically. Oh well.

 

Coffee is like that for me. I love the smell of it brewing but to me it doesn't taste as good as that smell.

 

Remembered to take a picture today, Roasted Veggies and a bowl of cucumber, yellow pepper and avocado drowning in cayenne pepper. Roasted veg were purchased from the store where my mom works.

Again, have to post a link from another forum as I do not have a food photo related blog.

 

We love Underwest, but may have had different flavors.

Go try the new Sugar Factory donut shop at the UWS location. The whiskey charcoal bacon is pretty good...

 

My palette could only taste the sugar (I am more attuned to desserts where you can taste the flavor of what it is with a bit of sweet to finish.) I am glad you enjoy UWD though; they are quite popular. My thought was Yay! I can actually try some boutique food I keep reading about... because on the way to work. (Me getting off my butt to do anything out of my way lately has been very tough. ) I will say the donuts were very light and nice to eat (the texture, not greasy), so I was bummed when the flavors did not come through.

Charcoal is the only thing I have consumed on that donut you mentioned.

Lately, I have been missing Pure Food and Wine badly: especially their veggie lasagna and "mallomars" (Holy cow, those were so damn amazing. Salty, sweet, crunchy, creamy, chocolatey and freaking raw. I could mainline those easily.)

 

Right, I'm sorry -- I forgot you were vegan, and that is actual bacon (not fac-on). They have a bunch of other flavors you may enjoy, but that's the one that spoke to me most.

I suspect most of the others are at least veggie, but may not be vegan:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/f...y-opens-doughnut-shop-CHARCOAL-doughnuts.html

 

Now I really want donuts THANKS GUYS

We have a new cookie bakery here in Astoria, Chip NYC. They're making Levain-ish cookies, so big and gooey and amazing but in fun flavors too! I got a smores one last weekend and it was phenomenal. Really wanted to try the apple pie oatmeal (oatmeal cookie filled with warm apple pie filling) but showed some restraint. And according to insta they're releasing a Mexican Chocolate cookie today loaded with chocolate chunks, bits of what appeared to be pistachios, and filled with house-made dulce de leche.

 

I think people using charcoal in desserts is a little ridiculous (though it is a natural black food coloring.) It can pack an unpleasant surprise if you're not used it.

Oh, no worries, I am more pescatarian lately. I eat veggie a few times a week; I need some animal protein, but sugar can be a problem now unless fat buffers it. If PF&W was still around, I'd be more vegan. That said, mom and I are missing Raay-nors Fried Chicken and just found out they just hosted a pop up last week after a dozen years of closure. The hush puppies and salad were amazing alone, but the fried chicken and shrimp were awesome.

Gah, cookies like Levain chocolate chip...good gosh that Mexican chocolate chip... xblackout That sounds incredibly good.

So, yeah, I live vicariously through lucky souls that can eat this kind of stuff and be okay with it. Thanks for the vegan list of donuts. It was fun to give it a whirl despite my particular experience, and I look forward to trying more like foods that are popular somewhere along the way (if I finally hit Chinatown again next week I want to try the Almond Cookie Ice Cream made by Chinatown Ice Cream Factory - after something savory of course.)

 

True to my pescatarian eats lately, off from work today and mom needed a break. We called in from local Asian chain Wild Ginger. Got our usual, Wok Garlic grilled Shrimp and Bok Choy and their tempura shrimp appetizer with lemon cream sauce. The shrimp are big and meaty, not the sad little shrimp you often get going out to eat. They butterfly the shrimp used for the tempura (though it's panko crumbs so it is not the feather light nearly tasteless tempura batter one associates with that technique.)

The Bok Choy is nice with the slightly spicy brown sauce that comes with the Work Garlic Shrimp. Very good (especially delivered, which can be tricky with fried food. Timing is everything.)

 

I like garlic, so that shrimp dish sounds really good.

 

Well, back to work today after two days vacation and was promptly laid off. The home office's decision. YAY! <sarcasm> My two immediate supervisors were very upset and took me out for a goodbye lunch at Bill's Bar and Burger: Grilled shrimp burgers for the table (grilled shrimp, slaw, avocado and pickles now on a bigger fluffy bun) and fries. I prefer the smaller, sesame seed bun of yore, but the shrimp etc. were terrific. I remember when I introduced the department to the shrimp burgers at Bill's and everyone went nuts for them. They're still awesome several years later (but go back to the squishy sesame seed bun Bill!)

When I get back on track (very soon), there will be new places to eat and I look forward to celebrating new job with these two ladies. They did a lot for me, so I cannot wait to share that with them over something fun to eat.

 

Oh bummer. I hope your job issues sort themselves out soon Master_Lok

Your supervisors sound really nice though! People who like shrimp burgers have to be good people anyway Now you have three things to look forward to: a new job, lunch with nice people and good food.

 

Chyntuck Thanks. As a result of yesterday's news I am craving really good pizza. Unfortunately, my town has no idea what that is unless I want to walk an hour + and in heavy traffic. I am already looking forward to seeing these women again, a new job and eating somewhere else.

Was also drooling over Tao Downtown (upscale Asian food) after seeing a local food guy's show on this restaurant. Family is definitely going there when I am employed again.

 

*Gack* - ugh, this sustainable food trend is getting way out of hand... (The last sentence in that article.)

You know I'm all for making food from bruised or not picture perfect veg, fruits etc., but some of this stuff is just gross and ridiculous.

In more pleasant food yammering, I had a nice broccoli omelet at a diner today.

 

I've noticed that alot of the more trendy and/or fushion restaurants like to use pork belly in many of their signature dishes. I like it, as I'm a big fan of thick cut bacon.

Also, recently, I've tend to order things that are served on a skillet or clay pot, but I like being served a sizzling dish or food that is kept warm.

 

It's been a while since I last spewed my usual propaganda about clay pots, but Sith_Sensei__Prime just gave me a pretext

Clay pots make the best food, especially if you bake veeeeery slooooowly whatever you choose to put in them. #claypotpower