Restaurants Archives - Page 8 of 29

Manhattan: Cooking & Dining Around

May 8, 2022May 8, 2022 JWF Leave a comment

MOMENTOUS MOMENT

This has been a dramatic week with the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion upending Roe v. Wade. For many of us who were of age in 1973, contemplating a return to when abortion is no longer a legal right/option is positively medieval. It feels so very wrong. Pro-choice protests erupted in cities near and far. This one we noted in Union Square.

FUN WITH KIDS IN THE KITCHEN

Our granddaughters have both developed an interest in cooking and baking. After school one afternoon, the 6-year-old and I, at her request, made mini-muffin pancake bites from the latest issue of Highlights High Five. F knew where all the necessary ingredients were along with the essential mixing bowl, measuring cups, and muffin tin. She scurried around to assemble them and kept a close eye on the oven gauge as it proceeded to preheat to 350.

As we began the mixing process, she reported every few minutes, “It’s at 350 Fahrenheit, Grandma,” and then, “It’s still at 350 Fahrenheit,” always precisely including the word Fahrenheit. The mini muffins use pancake mix as the base with the addition of the requisite milk and eggs and then some cut up blueberries and strawberries. Once baked, they were served with maple syrup for dipping. A sweet success!

Her older sister, E is becoming an accomplished cook. Her current bible is Melissa Clark’s Kid in the Kitchen, and she has already tried several recipes. The other evening, she boiled the pasta and made a sauce of cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and slivers of garlic. After adding the sauce to the pasta, it was topped with dollops of ricotta cheese along with fresh basil and mint. Delectable and a pretty dish besides! The Chief Penguin and I were eager tasters for both creations!

Fusilli with cherry tomato sauce & fresh basil and mint

DINING AROUND—MOSTLY FISH

Seamore’s

Seamore’s on the Upper East Side is the newest location of a local restaurant chain. It’s an airy, two-level space with white walls and light wood tables. A blackboard on one wall outlines the shape and characteristics of some of the fish they serve. Once we were seated at a fine table (we rejected the hostess’ initial attempt to seat us in the back next to the restrooms), we were pleased with our friendly waitress and the very good service.

Since we’d had a large lunch, we stuck to the smaller items on the menu. Between us ordered the fried cauliflower appetizer, clam chowder, and the shrimp tacos on corn tortillas. A place to return to with an appetite!

Avra Madison Estiatorio

Friends introduced us to this upscale Greek seafood and fish restaurant. It has one of the most beautiful outside dining areas. Inside is an expansive two-level space with lots of activity and noise on the main bar level. Fortunately, we were seated downstairs where the tables were set apart, and we could easily converse.

Whole fish is their specialty, and the prices reflect that. We shared a bunch of appetizers: zucchini chips, spreads, and hummus, and we all ordered the fish of the day which was fillets of dorade accompanied by roasted Brussels sprouts. Everything was delicious. This is a great place for special occasions and expense account dining!

Disappointing Reprise

Tue Thai Food used to be a favorite West Village spot for an inexpensive lunch. We hadn’t been back since pre-Covid and were desirous of the same good food. This time the curries were thin and watery and somewhat bland, while the whole ambience was shabbier than we remembered. We wonder if they have a new chef or if a lack of business has made them lax.

Granddaughters, Fun & Food

March 20, 2022March 20, 2022 JWF 1 Comment

GOOD TIMES WITH OUR GRANDDAUGHTERS

Our granddaughters, Eleanor and Frances, had not been to Florida since February 2020 just before Covid. That year we celebrated Frances’ March birthday (she would turn 4) super early with a heart-shaped, pink-frosted cake. The Chief Penguin, aka Grandpa, is the resident baker and works his wonders to create memorable birthday desserts.

This year, the weather was lovely and sunny all but one day, and the girls frolicked for hours, and hours, in the pool. They became quite good swimmers last summer and refreshed their water skills while having oodles of fun. F dove for rings and swam underwater. Using a pink (what other color is there!) noodle, she created a mini zipline effect on the pool stairs railing. E jumped in the deep end, swam across the pool, and had timed races with her dad to see how fast she could swim.

Besides the appeal of the water, there was the matter of food. F loves strawberries and cherry tomatoes! She devoured a couple of pints of each. E, an increasingly accomplished baker and cook, loves all kinds of cheese, and helped with meal preparations and making pancakes, all with the occasional assist from Frances. It not being Maine, these pancakes were made special with the addition of mini chocolate chips.

The entire family likes pasta, so noodles and penne were featured in several dinners along with turkey chili, Italian Sunday sauce, and sauteed shrimp. Going to Tide Tables Restaurant, a cozy spot on the water with inside and outside dining, is a tradition so, one day we braved the crowds to arrive for an early dinner. Despite what was a packed parking lot, the elapsed time between arriving there, parking, waiting with drinks, and being escorted to a table was just 30 minutes! The staff deserve credit for efficiently organizing the whole process.

This is a family all of whom love clams. Lunch at the Cortez Clam Factory on Saturday fit the bill. A cousin visiting from Colorado joined us, and we were able to sit outside on the patio. While only one person ordered clams, the brisket Reuben, Cuban sandwich, shrimp, and fried haddock were very tasty. A true success!

On the home front, there were several opportunities for tennis, the girls and I kicked around a soccer ball, we did a fish puzzle, and we read books together and silently. The girls also played with a favorite dollhouse plus blocks, Legos, and Calico Critters. And we made time for going to Sarasota with a look at the boats in the marina and visits to two shops.

For the finale, we celebrated Frances’ upcoming 6^th birthday with a unicorn-themed cake and cupcakes made by you know who. It was a magical visit, full of fun for all of us!

SARASOTA TREATS

Most of my regular readers know that I am passionate about two stores in downtown Sarasota. One is Artisan Cheese Company located in the Rosemary District and source of an array of cheddar, Swiss, Camembert, and other delectable cheeses from here and abroad. The shop also sells distinctive butters and crackers, chocolates, Rancho Gordo beans, and unusual condiments plus homemade soups and delicate feta from Lesbos, Greece.

My other favorite is Bookstore1Sarasota, a marvelous independent bookstore with a great selection and a very helpful staff. They are now in a new location on Pineapple St. in The Mark, a new condominium building. The shop is spacious and attractive with big windows and a colorful tropical flower graphic naming the sections. From Staff Picks to the latest in fiction and nonfiction plus classics and books for kids, it’s fun to browse. I always find at least one new title to buy! There’s also have an upstairs area for events which might include a café at some point. Both stores are worth the trip!

SOPHISTICATED DINING IN BRADENTON

Chateau 13

Chateau 13, in our opinion, still serves the best, most sophisticated cuisine in the area. At a recent dinner there, the Chief Penguin and I were re-impressed with the caliber of service (the bread plates even came with a bread-and-butter knife, almost unheard of these days!) and the food. We indulged in historic Champagne cocktails followed by the charcuterie cheese plate for the Chief Penguin and the French Caesar salad for me. He then had the salmon rillette salad and the stuffed piquillo pepper appetizer while I savored the salmon en croute. To top it off, we shared an order of truffle fries, but no dessert. Everything was delicious!

Note: Photos ©JWFarrington. Header graphic courtesy localjaw.com

The Local Scene: Culture & Food

March 13, 2022March 13, 2022 JWF Leave a comment

CLASSIC THEATER

Our Town

George, Stage Manager, & Emily (heraldtribune.com)

Most everyone of a certain age has been exposed to Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in junior high or high school. I recall that we read it in English class and may even have acted out a scene or too. When we were young, many of us (theater folks included) found the whole business dull. Therefore, I approached the Asolo Theatre production with skepticism. To my surprise, I enjoyed it much more than I anticipated.

The staging is spare, and a diverse cast made the residents of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, come alive. The stage manager describes the layout of the town and introduces us to the main characters, then steps in and out of the drama to move things along or to go back in time.

Yes, the play is dated. It is set in the early 20^th century when milk was still delivered by a horse-drawn wagon, and mothers focused on preparing meals and raising children. But the themes of love, duty, and death it explores are universal. The last act, set in the cemetery with the dead talking to one another, delivers a gentle punch to the gut.

Unlike the stilted, formal presentations of this character I remember, Kenn E. Head imbues the stage manager with humor, verve and a bit of sass. He makes the role, and by extension the play, memorable! Performances continue through March 26.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

I’m currently reading The Rent Collector, a novel for our local book group. It’s by an author I hadn’t known. Like the nonfiction work, Beyond the Beautiful Forevers, set in a trash dump near the Mumbai airport, the setting here is also a dump, but in Cambodia. People live in shacks constructed out of paper and cardboard, and they pick through the trash for items to sell or recycle. This is a more hopeful work and is also based on real people.

Sang Ly, the main character is learning to read, and she and her husband Ki Lim and their sickly son Nisay eke out their existence midst this challenging environment. Winner of several book awards, this is an absorbing and uplifting novel. (~JWFarrington)

EATING OUT

BOUTIQUE RESTAURANT IN SARASOTA

A Sprig of Thyme

This cozy restaurant close to Sarasota Memorial Hospital offers an appealing menu of seafood and meat entrees which should tempt and satisfy any palate. Friends introduced us, and we were very pleased with our choices. I ordered Scallops and Shrimp Taulere on a creamy parmesan risotto with a chardonnay wine sauce. The scallops were large, the shrimp perfectly cooked, and the whole dish saucy in a good way. The Chief Penguin opted for Saltimbocca of Scallops (sea scallops) being a saltimbocca kind of guy.

Our friends each ordered the Mediterranean Shipwreck which was a grouper paillard, three jumbo shrimp, and a diver scallop all broiled on a cedar plank. Most entrees came with asparagus and yellow pepper strips plus a choice of the risotto or mashed potatoes. Other menu items range from a selection of salads to beef, lamb, duck, veal, and chicken entrees. Service was both professional and friendly. We’ll go back!

CASUAL LUNCH FARE IN BRADENTON

Central Café

It was several years ago when we last dined at Central Café. In the interim, they have expanded their dining room and still serve a great variety of salads, sandwiches, and fries to die for!

We were there with friends and shared a heap of skinny fries. Two of us had the Caesar salad with either shrimp or tuna while others ordered the beet salad and the Californication sandwich (made of ahi tuna, bacon, and condiments). We arrived before noon, and within about fifteen minutes, the place was full! A perfect place for as much lunch as you’d like.

Tidy Tidbits: Music & Food

February 20, 2022February 20, 2022 JWF Leave a comment

LIVE MUSIC

Last week for the first time in two years, we attended a symphony concert. It was such a joy to hear the music in person and not be glued to a small screen! This was the Sarasota Orchestra’s Be Mine concert, part of their Great Escapes series. Guest conductor Sarah Hicks was a lively and informative presence on the podium, and in honor of Valentine’s Day, the musical theme was love. We heard Gershwin’s Overture from Girl Crazy, two selections from Carmen, and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, along with several other works. This was a short concert, just an hour, and perfect for the pre-dinner hour.

ENGAGING DRAMA

The Gilded Age (HBO Max)

The reviews of Julian Fellowes’ latest series have been mixed. But, I like historical drama and am especially fond of the 19^th century so, I decided to subscribe to HBO Max to see The Gilded Age. It’s set in New York City in the 1880’s and is rife with snobbery, social climbing, and meanness, coupled with large fortunes. Newcomers, albeit wealthy ones, are not well received unless blessed by the formidable Mrs. Astor.

Young Marian Brook comes from Pennsylvania to live with her aunts, Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook, after the death of her father. She has no resources of her own, and in her directness and naivete, questions and challenges the ways of society. One fascinating aspect of this series is its inclusion of educated affluent Blacks. They are exemplified in Peggy Scott and her parents. Peggy befriends Marian and is hired as secretary to Aunt Agnes.

Overall, it’s a darker drama than Downton Abbey. Denee Benton as Peggy is very well played, and it is fun to watch Christine Baranski as the acerbic, dictatorial Aunt Agnes. There are four episodes, and it’s already been renewed for a second season. I’m hooked!

LOCAL EATERY

Pesto

I’m slightly reluctant to blog about Pesto since this neighborhood restaurant has become very popular! We dined there twice in the past two weeks, once with visiting family, and it’s now a favorite. There are three dining areas (the one in the back has a bar) plus tables and heaters outside. The food is Italian, and there’s a wide variety of pasta and meat selections.

We enjoyed the veal and chicken Milanese preparations and their veal scaloppini and have sampled the shrimp-cargot and several of the salads. The wine list is extensive, and several beers are also available. Prices are moderate, portions are substantial, and the food is good!

Note: Header photos of foursome dining out from istock.com.

Category: Restaurants

Manhattan: Cooking & Dining Around

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