Spice it is not

Eggplant Holy Basil

Pad Thai

I first went to Spice a few months ago for a company lunch and was surprisingly disappointed after hearing so many positive things about it. So when it was picked for another company outing I was hesitant, but optimistic. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing? Maybe it was just an off day?

In the spirit of this, I ordered the Tom Yum soup again- even though I thought it was pretty gross the last time. It paid off- the soup that arrived was nothing like the soup I had last time. It went from a flavorless, pale broth with a couple of token shrimp, squid, mushroom, and tomato pieces, to a bowl chock full of seafood and seasonings. I discussed this phenomenon with a coworker and he shed some light on the subject. He revealed that he never orders the Tom Yum that comes with the lunch special and always orders the one of the regular menu. He was surprised to see that I got the regular menu version of the soup. My theory is that they ran out of the lunch special batch so were forced to use the good stuff today. Nonetheless, things were off to a promising start.

Then my Eggplant Holy Basil with Tofu stir fry arrived. Basically, chunks of eggplant & tofu, slices of green pepper & onion sloshed around in some oil. Despite it being starred on the menu to indicate a spicy dish, I thought it lacked spice and flavor.

However, The Mr and coworkers are still fans, so don't just take my word for it.

Perilla- was the tastiest thing there

Met up with an old college friend who picked Perilla for dinner. I did my prep work and became excited after reading lots of great reviews about the restaurant of Top Chef Season 1 winner Harold Dieterle (even though it was a spoiler for me... but I guess I can't get upset about spoilers to reality TV shows that aired 5+ years ago...)

Drink: For my pre-dinner drink I ordered the Perilla 75. Delicious! Loved the minty yet spicy leaf, which I learned is the herb that is the restaurant's namesake: perilla.

Food: I ordered the duck breast with sweet potatoes, chinese broccoli rabe, huckleberries & spiced cashew sauce. It was good, but I wasn't blown away. My dining companions on the other hand loved their entrees.

Atmosphere: Simple & unpretentious with plenty of room (a nice change of pace from the typical Manhattan cramped eateries).

Service: Had a few times where my water glass sat dry for a while, but they were nice about squatting around and having a long leisurely catch up (and yes, there were other empty tables, so no we weren't being those people)

Bottom Line: If you live nearby or find yourself in the area you should definitely try it out.

Won't you take me to Stumptown

During our apartment hunt we found ourselves in the nether region around the late 20s/early 30s between 7th & 5th Avenuess which the apartment buildings love to call Chelsea, isn't quite Flatiron/Gramercy, but also isn't midtown. It is here that we found the famous Stumptown Coffee Roasters in the lobby of the Ace Hotel. It was love at first site. Both the hotel and the coffee bar are meticulously decorated to achieve a charming old-timey feel, down to the baristas clothes and jaunty hats. A lot of the reviews off-handedly refer to them as just being 'hipsters', which yes, I am sure they are, but look closer. Their outfits are carefully crafted to match the decor and each other, I am certain that these are their uniforms which are picked or approved by management.

There was a bit of a line, but it moved very quickly. Especially since we were fascinated by watching the making of the coffee. Now, I'm no expert, but they were much more precise than the baristas at your typical chain. The piece de resistance were the foam designs which they quickly did with expert little flicks of the wrist as they added the milk. Amazing, I always assumed these were done post pour with add of a coffee stirrer or other such instrument.

I heard they have an amazing Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding, but unfortunately they didn't have that variety on this day. Instead, it was a nut & fruit variety, still very yum. Stumptown was a little trip to a magical place and left us energized and refreshed for the day ahead. 

Solid Thai at Pongsri

While we were out apartment hunting we were cold and hungry so asked one of the building leasing agents where she recommends in the area. Without hesitation she said 'Do you like Thai'? And gave us a glowing recommendation for Pongsri as well as the instructions "order the main dish with the peanuts & shrimp paste. This seemed to be the Pra Ram Long Song.

We started with some hot soup to warm us up. Good solid versions of these Thai staples. Then we split the Pra Ram Long Song with pork. Tasty. Again, just some no frills solid Thai food. They have several locations around the city, so if you are in the mood for Thai I would recommend Pongsri as a safe bet.

Tom Kha Gai

Tom Yum Goong

Pra Ram Long Song

Blue Ribbon for The Spotted Pig

I've been hearing about The Spotted Pig for years and I was starting to feel like we had no right to talk about NYC burgers without visiting this establishment. However, like most popular New York restaurants, the wait time kept us at bay. Finally, one evening The Mr was in a burger mood and we weren't starving, so off to the West Village we went to put our name on the list.

Since we had plenty of time to kill, we went around the corner to The Otheroom for a drink. We really loved this bar for its simplicity. They just have beer & wine and comfortable seating with low volume music. It's like a friend's living room where you can enjoy your company and have a nice conversation.

To the magical upstairs land. This is where we spent the
majority of our wait time.

After our beers, we went back to The Spotted Pig to see how the wait was coming along. Oh boy, not good. By the time we were seated, about an hour and a half after putting our name down, we were definitely hungry, and a little cranky. We were shoved into a tiny table in a corner and were thinking "no way is this going to be worth it". Dubiously, we ordered the Deviled Eggs & Chicken Liver Toast to start as they had the most impressive user reviews.

Deviled Eggs

Chicken Liver Toast

The Deviled Eggs were quite good, making them worth the $3 price tag if you've got it in the budget to spare. As for the Chicken Liver Toast, well, we don't eat a lot of liver, chicken or otherwise, but we were glad we gave it a try. It was very rich and we enjoyed it, even as liver noobs.

Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestrings 

Aaaaaaand the verdict on the Burger & Shoestring fries?? Worth it. Yum, Yum, Yum!

Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Gnudi with Basil Pesto

But what really stole the show was the Ricotta Gnudi. The gnudi were the softest, cheesiest, fluffiest dumplings offset by the very rich sauce. Even though this was on the small plates menu, I ordered it as my main and was more than full. It was so good we butted in and suggested it to the couple who was seated next to us and were discussing what they should get.

What really impressed us to was the wait staff. They were very hipster-ish (and I mean that in all the best ways), but instead of a "we're so great, you're lucky to be here attitude" they were extremely nice, attentive, and helpful. They really tipped this place over into the realm of great dining experiences.