Brunch at Maialino in NYC, New York

I had Maialino on my list of restaurants to visit for a while, the restaurant being suggested by one of my colleagues Dan. We decided to move it up the list when we saw their olive oil cake and chocolate croissant bread pudding on the show Unique Sweets. We chose to go to brunch, on a Saturday. The restaurant, located in the Grammercy Park Hotel is beautiful. 

It has three distinctive areas: the bar area with a few tables and communal tables, the cafe where you can order your espresso and some viennoiseries and then the dining room that had a very warm feel, casual but elegant at the same time. In the back, a wall full of Italian wines:

Because Maialino is an Italian restaurant, another creation from Danny Meyer who already spoiled us with Gramercy Tavern,  Eleven Madison Park and Shake Shack. 

Opened in 2009, this modern trattoria proposes Roman dishes. Maialino means piggy in Italian, so no wonder why this animal is drawn on the menu as well as well represented in the dining menu crafted by Executive Chef Nick Anderer. 

We had very good service there and the waitress asked us first if we wanted to start with a beverage, mentioning that they have a nice "coffee program". Being a coffee drinker, I got interested and ended up ordering a cortado that is between a cappuccino and a macchiato.

Not only did it look beautifully done with a leaf drawn in the cream, but it was also very good.

Revisit: Republic in Union Square, NYC, New York

Republic is one these little gem that Union Square has to offer: great food and reasonable prices. We go from time to time and have never been disappointed. We ended up there again. I admit that I forgot how loud this place is...and the fact that the seating is communal means that you will probably hear whatever people around you are talking about...

What I love about the decor is all these beautiful black and white photos where noodles will be present (their motto is "Think noodles"), with people most of the time. And, as it was close to Christmas, they saddled them with Santa's hat.

I love the diversity of their menu, that spawns from Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and China, sourcing quality ingredients. What I like is that they offer small dishes, perfect for sharing, as well as large ones if you want to go solo.

We started off with our favorite appetizer: sautéed mini dumplings.

Petit Déjeuner at Le Pain Quotidien in NYC, New York

If you recall, few weeks ago, I posted about a chocolate tour in New York City. Well, the tour started at 12pm and we decided to have breakfast in the city earlier that day. Our place of choice was Le Pain Quotidien, one of our favorite places. Don't be fooled: Le Pain Quotidien is not French but Belgian! This franchise is present all over the city and they have fantastic breads and viennoiseries such as croissants or pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant).

I love this place also because it has this rustic feel with all this wood and the communal table in the center of the room.

Jodi simply ordered a pain au chocolat:

I admit that the pain au chocolat at Le Pain Quotidien is one of my favorites in the city: flakey and buttery, it has a bit of crunch on the outside that is divine.

She had it with tea:

BBQ at Blue Smoke in NYC, New York

We finally made it to Blue Smoke, that I tried last June at the Annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party in New York! They have two places: the original on 27th that we visited and another one in Battery Park city. 

The place on 27th is huge with very high ceilings and an industrial feel, from the apparent air duct and the lightning.

But, contrary to place like Dinosaur BBQ, my nose was not overwhelmed by the smell of BBQ when we entered! 

They sat us in a booth and we were ready for a feast! At least, I was...

We started of with deviled eggs. They sell them by the half.

They were delicious, with a nice amount of mayonnaise and we could definitely taste some spices.

Then, we tried the corn bread:

Dinner at Craftbar in NYC, New York

After a delicious brunch few weeks ago at Craftbar, one of the restaurants from Chef Colicchio, we decided to go back for dinner with our friends Annie and Leif. Of course, before going, we did our homework: check the menu. I admit that I was a bit disappointed because they do not serve their burger for dinner...Well, it will give me an excuse to go back...

We went on a Tuesday and the place was crowded! I liked the atmosphere there, rendered by the impressive decor and all the candle lights. 

The menu is seasonal and apparently, the vegetables are coming from the green market, located few steps from the restaurant. What I like is that they propose small plates and large plates, the small ones perfect for sharing, with the possibility to make them the size of an entree. 

While we waited for the food, they served us some cheese sticks that were a bit spicy. 

Then the food came and I was thrilled to try one small dish that Leif shared with me: duck hearts and dumplings!

I never tried duck hearts; veal, chicken, yes. But not duck. And it looked like...a heart! 

It was served with small onions, bacon and a fried egg. Before trying the dumpling, I tried the duck heart. It was interesting and not what I imagined. The heart was so juicy that when I bit on it, the juice got released in my mouth leaving a sensation characteristic of a horror movie...Ok, I exaggerate a bit, but it felt weird! Then, the taste was not as robust as duck meat can be. The outside was also chewy. I liked it, but not as much as chicken or veal heart.

The dumpling was a bit dry and heavy; it was better eaten with the egg yolk. In fact, I am not sure what all these components were doing on the same plate.

Jodi got the Green Market vegetable salad, served with sheep's milk ricotta and a truffle vinaigrette.

Republic in Union Square, NYC, New York

One of my favorite reasonably priced fast serving restaurant in Union Square is Republic. I went few times and have never been disappointed! 

The pluses besides the prices?

- they have a nice selection of small plates that are perfect for sharing. 

- several menu items are vegetarian. 

- fast service. 

The minuses:

- the noise level, especially the music. 

The decor is very simple with amazing photos featuring noodles (they have several dishes made with it). There are only communal tables, but they usually sit you on your own table, except if it is too crowded. 

So we decided to order small dishes. 

We first shared the sauteed mini dumplings. 

It was the first time we ordered this and I was surprised because I was expecting a plate similar to what I eat in a Chinese restaurant ! It was served like a salad, with cabbage, ginger, cilantro and scallions. The sauce was oyster sauce. The dumplings, made with minced pork, were light and softer than I expected. I guess the salad made it look like an healthy dish! Great dish in fact!

Then Jodi ordered the vegetarian salad.

Brunch at Craftbar in NYC, New York

I have become a fan of Tom Colicchio: not for his personality on TV, but his food! We tried Colicchio and Sons and the famous TC Burger that is for me the best burger so far in New York City. So, last time, we were close to Union Square, trying to find a place for brunch and decided to try Craftbar as it was on my wish list of restaurants (trust me: it is a very long list). The place is gorgeous: high ceilings, dark wood with a gateway across the restaurant joining the wine cellar that you cannot miss.

Similar to Colicchio and Sons, although a bit industrial looking, there is this sense of space, modernity and warmth. 

For brunch, the menu offers pretty standard brunch dishes, but just reading their description, you know that it is different and you wish you could order everything! After a difficult time to make up our mind, we ordered our food. Jodi ordered the croque Madame:

Croque Madame is a croque Monsieur with a fried egg. It was served with mustard and pickles.