American Cut, Atlantic City

Gramercy Guy's birthday is in the summer and I know a few things will happen on his birthday. We will go to Brigantine, NJ that weekend, we will have a couples massage (I'm not complaining at all) and we'll go to a steakhouse for dinner. If you're not familiar, Brigantine, is a barrier island off the cost of NJ, just north of Atlantic City. The beaches are really wide and quiet compared to many others in NJ. 

This year, the plan was to check out the new Revel hotel. After seeing it being built for years, it was nice to be able to go inside. This is not your typical casino without windows so you don't know if it's day or night, it's bright and airy with lots of outdoor nooks, pools and bars and views of the Atlantic. The gaming area, downstairs is typical casino, except it lacks proper signage so the employees spend a lot of time escorting lost guest...I know because we were some of those guests.


Massages were at Bask Spa which is really a special spa. They have 30 or so treatment rooms, a helpful and talented staff and some coed space so Gramercy Guy and I were able to relax and unwind together even more after our massages.There was a salt grotto which is exactly what it sounds like, a room of salt bricks that are supposed to be curative; they help detox, open nasal passages and provide a calming effect, or so they say. I'm not sure we stayed in the room long enough to be healed, but I found the yellows and oranges in the room to be very relaxing. The hot tub was nice until too many other guest joined and it got over crowded. The mineral pool felt great, but could have been been a few degrees warmer for me, I'm sure it's that cool for a reason. 


After a steam and a shower, it was off to win some money at black jack and win we did. The pit bosses were friendly and talkative and the dealers were also very personable. We took the money and ran to dinner. 

American Cut is a modern steakhouse by Marc Forgione. The bar area has great views of the beach. The rest of the dining room is very steakhouse with the big tables and leather chairs. The Senator was in town and was able to join use too. He started his meal with a bloody Mary which was great, with lots of mustard seed. Gramercy Guy and I shared a bottle of Curvature (which is a partnership with one of our favs, Pride Mountain).


Dinner was really good. Our waiter helped us navigate the fairly large appetizer menu and the specials. We shared apps for the table and went with the Wood Fired Octopus

 

And the Hiramasa Tartare (yellow tail). What's cool about this is it's designed for your first bite to be a sechuan button which creates a tingling in your mouth, followed by some fish in this order, you're pallet is supposed to be more sensitive and the fish will take on a pop-rock-like effect. Not sure I had the fish flavored pop-rocks but it was certainly tasty. 

The Senator is a vegetarian so he had the Sea Scallops

And Gramercy Guy and I split the Porterhouse for 2, which could have easily been for 3 or 4. I think we had 2 sandwiches with the left overs

For sides, we all shared the Rosemary Garlic Cottage Fries and White Asparagus that was a special that night. 

 

And no birthday dinner would be complete without dessert. We got the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and salted caramel ice cream. They were warm and gooey and delicious. 

The service was great and the food was really good. We even wanted to bring our bone home for Studley, but porterhouse bones splinter so our waiter got us a bone from a rib eye. I would certainly go back to American Cut, but will try some of the other restaurants first. I've heard great things about Amada.

Back Forty, NYC

Going to college in Maryland was a great experience for me; I learned a lot, met amazing people, and developed a deep love for Maryland crabs. Anyone who has been with me while eating crabs, they know I can sit at a table and pick through shells and claws getting every last ounce of meat for hours. So when the Senator alerted me to the Back Forty crab boil I didn't hesitate. 

It turns out that every Tuesday in the summer the entire place becomes a giant crab feast. Reservations are made online and prepaid the Wednesday prior. The prime outdoor seating doesn't open until Friday. I was having some trouble with the system and Donnie called me back to alert me that he was opening the outdoor seating and I should try then, it worked like a charm and I snagged seats for Gramercy Guy, the Senator, and me.

How the crab boil works...

You have your seat at a communal table for up to 2 hours. 

 
First up was a hearty piece of corn bread that came with some pickled veg on the side and a nice jalapeno butter. The bread was good, but the plate only came with one knife so it was odd sharing the same utensils with total strangers. 

Then comes buckets of hot seasoned crabs thrown on the middle of the table

along with some potatoes and corn.  

While the crabs are not all you can eat per se, they sort of are. Seasoned in Back Forty's take on old bay (it wasn't as spicy as old bay and had a hint of cumin), the crabs were large, meaty, and delicious. I ate until my neck hurt from looking down for so long and the cuts on my finger from the claws were in need of attention, which by the way has always been my signal that I've had enough crab. 


I can't really talk about the corn or the potatoes, (2nds, and 3rds are also available for these, you just have to ask) other than they looked nice because I don't like to fill up on other things when there are tasty crabs to be had. 


For dessert, the newspaper is rolled up and all remnants of shells and mallets are gone. You're given a hot towel to clean up and brought a piece of cobbler. 

I loved the wait staff who got our sarcasm, I just hope none of them went home to look for crab carcass jewelry on etsy.com. My only issue (and it's minor but I believe in full disclosure) our reservation was at 6:30 and we weren't seated until about 6:45 and still asked to wrap it up by 8:30. In hind sight, I didn't need the extra time for crabs, but did feel like we couldn't bask in the sweetness of the cobbler and stretch our aching necks and I might have. Is is a deal breaker for next time, absolutely not.

I must admit, I was skeptical, how would a cool NY joint do an authentic crab boil, but having been, I can tell you they can do it well. It's worth it ($59.99 including tip and tax). And I can't wait to do it again.

A gorgeous night, a cold beer, crabs, and great friends, besides a manicure, what else can a girl ask for?

Pete's Tavern, NYC

Pete's Tavern is a New York institution that has evolved from bar to speak easy and back. It's slogan,"the bar O'Henry made famous," as the story goes, he wrote the Gift of the Magi in one of the front booths. In the 15 or so years that I've been going to Pete's, nothing has changed and that's the way I like it. Their menu is fairly simple, Italian and American and very reasonably priced. I have never had a bad meal there, but often times, their delivery is sub-par (they have found themselves on my do not order delivery list--lucky from me, I'm only a few blocks away.)

This was a two time Pete's week for me so I've consolidated both experiences.

As you may know, Gramercy Guy and I recently adopted a rescue dog, Studley McGoo (if you see him being walked near the park, be nice to him, he's still getting used to his new life). So when my mother, the queen yenta came from Yenta-ville to spend the day with me, I thought Pete's would be a good brunch choice as they are dog friendly in their outside seating, you can see Studley is enjoying the shade and was given a bowl of water. 

Pete's is across the street from Friend of the Farmer, which always has a long line for brunch. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy Friend, who doesn't like their eggs served in a skillet, but I don't need to wait in line for them. Pete's is just as good, even if my eggs come on a regular plate.

For brunch, I had the eggs Benedict Florentine (hold the hollandaise). It was excellent. The yolks were perfectly runny when I sliced into the egg. 

 Gramercy Guy had one of his favorites, the mushroom and artichoke frittata

And the queen yenta had the cobb salad with chicken (she says the salad didn't need the chicken because it was chock full of other stuff like bacon and eggs and blue cheese).

This was a great outing, and Studley was well behaved. This may have been his first time at Pete's but it certainly won't be his last. 

A few days later, the Girls of Burger Club (TV Doc and Georgia Peach and me) had girls night planned. No boys allowed. They came over to meet Studley and then off to Pete's Tavern we went. Once again, the food was as good as the company. We started off with a mesclun salad (need some greens). 

For dinner, there was spaghetti with veal meatballs all around. Pete's meatballs are big but not heavy and very flavorful. A nice touch that not too many places do, it's served in a meat sauce. I'm not sure which is older, the place or the recipe, either way, I hope they both never change. And the portion is so large, that I barely touch my pasta.

 

Have you been to Pete's and what your favorite dish there? Who's going to say burger and a Pete's Ale?

MNPC: Nicoletta

There are lots of restaurants in New York that open to much fan fair that I am often left wondering why. Being a huge fan of Chef Michael White, I got nervous with all the hoopla around his opening of a pizza place. Early reports were nothing short of amazing, so it was with excitement and a little trepidation that I went to Nicoletta with MNPC tonight.

Having just opened last week, I wondered, have all the kinks been worked out? I've also read a lot about the dough still being perfected. That being said, it's Michael White after all, what could be bad?

The menu of pizzas is short (10) but you can also get a classic and add your own toppings. The hardest part was deciding only four. Taking the advise of our waitress, we narrowed down our choices and ordered. 

I have to say that for being open less than a full week, all the kinks seem to have been worked out from my perspective. Our waitress was knowledgeable and friendly. She helped steer us toward some great choices and our pizzas were timed perfectly. (We ask for them to be staggered so they don't get cold as we eat.) I also liked that we weren't rushed when it looked like we might have been finished. For 'just a pizza joint' the service is on par with his high end restos like Marea or Ai Fiori. 

For pizza, we got the Tartufata

mozzarella, crema di tartufo prosciutto cotto, roasted wild mushrooms

Calabrese 

thick-cut pepperoni, homemade fennel sausage red onions, pomodoro, mozzarella

Brocolo

broccoli rabe pesto, smoked scamorza cheese cherry peppers, spicy bread crumbs

Classica

 pomodoro, mozzarella, basil

In the words of LGFEO, the first bite was "god damn delicious," as was every subsequent bite. No law of diminishing returns here. The dough is a little dense so definitely order less than you think you need (or not and take home the leftovers), but it's really tasty, chewy and crispy and not too sweet, the perfect vehicle for toppings. 

Everything seems to be taken into account here too. We all noticed sliver press able dots on either end of the table. What are they we asked our waitress. They are the spots where the pizza trays go in to. No metal tray holders taking up valuable table space here.

If you're looking for classic New York or Neapolitan style pizza, this isn't your place. If you're looking for really good pizza that's different, make this a must.

HIghlands, NYC

It seems like there's been a recent boom of British gastropubs in New York lately. I've been lucky enough to try most of them with Georgia Peach and Copy Gal. Tonight, we went to Highlands. We got there early, even for a Tuesday, so it was pretty quiet, I think the place would feel really cozy as it fills up. 

The menu is small but so inviting, even Copy Gal had plenty of choices (she's picky). Outside of the haggis, I would eat everything on the menu. 

We started with a scotch egg, good spot on that on GP, I would have missed it. This egg in the rank of the 3 I've had is 2. The sausage had a nice spiciness to it and I liked the seasoning in breadcrumbs. It was served with a side of a tangy barbeque sauce, but really, who needs it with the creamy yolk goodness. I think the scotch egg might have to be on the table at my last supper. 

For entrees, I had the Atlantic cod with bubbles and squeak (veggies in potatoes) and a rocket (arugula) salad. Everything was light and easy, perfect for a hot summer night. 

Copy Gal had the Wild Mushroom Shepard's Pie. 

Georgia Peach had the Fresh Blue Crab on Toast and seared scallops. She has a new thing for cauliflower puree.

Which British gastropubs in the city have you been to, and which is your favorite?

Happy Father's Day

This was the prefect weekend, the weather was amazing in New York and I got to spend some time with friends on Saturday and family Sunday. Gramercy Guy and I hosted a BBQ for the fathers in honor of Father's Day.

We started with grilled pizza for appetizers. The dough is the same I've made before, you can get the recipe here. For toppings, we went with caramelized onions and mushrooms with goat cheese.

The other had ricotta cheese, arugula, lemon zest, prosciutto and shaved Parmesan cheese.

The pizzas were great (my favorite dish of the day), they had a delicious char from the grill and the crust was really chewy. If you have a grill and have tried making your own pizza, I highly recommend cooking it on the grill.

For entrees, we used the June issue of Food & Wine for inspiration and cooked the balsamic marinated flank steak.

Shrimp (hold the scallops) with lemon soy.

For sides, we grilled some eggplant, zucchini, broccoli, and jalapenos.

And Napa cabbage salad.

Dessert was easy but was gone before I could get a pic, assorted flavors of Ralph's Italian Ices and my first watermelon of the season. Everything came out really great. I can't waiting until I can make these again. I just hope the fathers (and mothers and siblings) enjoyed it as much as Gramercy Guy and I did.

Risotteria, NYC

To my loyal readers, I am sorry for the long delay in posts. In the past month, I have been in DC, Paris, Boston and Atlanta. I do have to say that the mini Beta Phi reunion was a great time. I'm now back in NYC and up to my old tricks. I will fill you in about my trips (there are some great highlights) as my schedule gets back to normal, but for now I will tell you about my dinner with the Georgia Peach.

As you know, I see the Georgia Peach on a regular basis, but haven't seen her in ages due to my schedule. We were supposed to go to Little Owl, but it seems they are closed for renovations until later this week, thanks for the alert via twitter, so we went to plan B, Risotteria. This place is exactly what you'd imagine it would be, a restaurant that specializes in risotto. I had been there a long time ago, when they first opened, but I think after 10+ years, I can consider this my first time. For those with food issues, everything here is rice based so it's gluten free, and the menu is coded for dairy and vegetarian options as well. They don't take reservations and seating for only about 20, but if there is a wait, there is no shortage of places to grab a drink while you wait, it's on Bleecker Street.

We started with a romaine lettuce salad with beets, shiitake mushrooms, onions, and truffle oil with a Chianti dressing.  The salad was clean tasting and very refreshing. A perfect start knowing that next up was risotto.

For dinner, the Georgia Peach got the parsley and truffle oil risotto. Which was creamy goodness with truffle oil and the freshness of the parsley. When I tasted hers, I was a little jealous.

I had the asparagus and safron. This was creamy and satisfying without being too heavy. It's a great alternative to a bowl of pasta. 

I enjoy a good risotto and order it out because I know risotto can be time consuming to cook, now that I've been back to Risotteria, I know how easy it is to head to the West Village and order up any type I want. And of course, spending an evening with the Georgia Peach is worth the trip to any part of the city (and maybe NJ).