By Giorgio's I think we've got it!

Amuse Bouche

Fresh Oysters 

Maine Lobster Linguine

S'more Bread Pudding

Back when we lived in the Flatiron/Gramercy area I purchased a Groupon for Giorgio's of Gramercy since it was on my list of restaurants to try out. Somehow though we never quite got around to checking them out- so much food, so little time! But I hate to not use coupons, so we finally set a date and made our way over to our old neck of town. What a gorgeous place! Luscious reds & golds, set the elegant tone, but modern elements help keep it casual chic. We started our evening with Roasted Oysters with Shallots and black truffle butter. It was every bit as delicious as it sounds. Our appetites whetted, we moved on to Linguine with lobster, shrimp, tomatoes, haricots verts, and pomodoro sauce, topped with parmesan. We split it, so the above picture is a half-order plenty of delicious pasta with nice big chunks of lobster in very fresh tasting tomato sauce. Dessert was pretty much a no brainer since we are suckers for bread pudding and the S'more Bread Pudding is kind of their house specialty. Chocolate-marshmallow, caramel sauce, and vanilla gelato served with a graham cracker was the perfect end to an absolutely lovely meal.

A dramatic lunch at Don Giovanni's

Spinach with Bruschetta & Fresh Mozzarella… 9.95

Went with some co-workers for a lunch at Don Giovanni Ristorante and had a mixed experience. The waitress was abrupt, but she was efficient and the only one there, so we let this pass. That is, until we finally pointed out that one of our group didn't receive her order and she snapped at us that we should've told her sooner. We all just sat there with our jaws open for a moment as the shock set in, and then found ourselves giggling at the ridiculousness of it.

As for the food, I was pretty happy with my salad, which was really 4 pieces of bruschetta with a bit of spinach, mozzarella and roasted red pepper in the middle. I skipped the provided dressing in lieu of some balsamic vinegar, since it tasted fatty and somehow tasteless.

I didn't try their pizza, but something tells me it wouldn't beat out Patsy's which is around the corner and an avenue away.

Newbie Foodies v Food

We've been watching Man v Food recently with a mix of jealousy and horror and have become fans of the adorable Adam Richman. When we found ourselves with a free afternoon off of work and no plans, we decided to make the pilgrimage to Brooklyn to visit his hometown favorites.

Stop 1: Vito's Bakery

Ok, this wasn't one of Adam's picks, we were just thirsty and needed a snack, but it was good enough that it definitely warranted a mention.

Cookie

Strufoli 

Ahhhh a classic New York Bakery full as far as the eye can see with all kinds of wonder. My personal version of heaven. They also had a deli in the back which looked good, but we got our seltzer and a cookie and were on our way, sadly without a plate of strufoli- which looked divine.

Stop 2: Brennan & Carr

Brennan and Carr

Started with our roast beef sandwich at Brennan & Carr. A good solid roast beef dip, definitely a good neighborhood favorite, but not worth going out of your way for. Enjoyed the old school wood panelling and laid back friendliness of the staff.

Stop 3: L & B Spumoni Gardens

We preferred the sicilian over the regular, but L & B Spumoni Gardens falls into the same camp as Brennan & Carr. A great pit-stop if you are in the area, but not worth going out of your way for.

Dai-oh-kay

Sushi Sashimi Combo

Gallery Roll

A friend and I were having a girly movie night and wanted to start the evening with sushi. Daioh Sushi is down the block and came with a recommendation so we figured what the heck. We wound up being indecisive, so we decided not to decide and let the sushi chef pick for us with the Sushi Sashimi Combo. We also liked the sound of the Gallery Roll of spicy white tuna and avocado topped with golden abiko and snow crab. Everything was good, the service was great, and it was your typical little sushi place decor. I am alarmed to see some negative reviews though, and given that nothing screamed 'I have to come back here', I am going to have to do some more investigation before I return. That being said, we had a very pleasant dinner with absolutely no issues.

This Pizza Ain't No Patsy

Patsy's has been our go-to pizza place since we've been living in NYC. When we lived in Gramercy, and outside of their delivery zone, we would walk the mile to pick up our pie. Now that we live in Chelsea we are thrilled to be only a few blocks away. I don't have much more to say than it is great, local New York style pizza, but I just couldn't believe that we don't have a post up for them- so here it is. We'll make sure to pull out the camera on our next visit/delivery!