MBG burger at Madison Bar and Grill in Hoboken, NJ

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Madison Bar & Grill is a very popular Bar / restaurant in Hoboken, New Jersey. We went there couple of times and had mixed experiences about it: their Sunday brunch buffet is fabulous! They serve a wide range of dishes that can satisfy any palate: from seafood, with fresh shrimp and oysters, to meat, to the fantastic creme brulee French Toast! If you have a good appetite or want to try plenty of delicious dishes, this is a good deal.

Then, we went to their first seating menu: for a little over $18, you get an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. When I went, I had the crab cakes, the free range chicken and the cannoli. This was a very average experience: the crab cakes were just ok and a bit greasy, with lots of filler; the chicken was dry and bland and the cannoli not good. 

But this time, I went specifically to try their burger! It is called the MBG signature Blue Label Burger. Such name is an invitation to indulge! 

As you can see on the photo above, they branded the brioche bun! So, the burger comes with skin-on French fries. I asked for the patty to be cooked medium and picked cheddar for the cheese (they also proposed Swiss, provolone or American).
The meat (dry aged beef) was perfect: medium as requested and very juicy, it had a bold taste making me think that they do not use any filler in it. There was a perfect ratio bun to meat and the bun was deliciously toasted. This was definitely a great cheeseburger! They just need to perfect the French fries that were good, but did not have anything extraordinary (you know what I mean if you went to Minetta Tavern).

On a healthier side, Jodi ordered the Warm Herbed Goat Cheese Salad:

It was made of mixed greens, carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and dressed with an oven-roasted tomato vinaigrette. I liked the fact that it was a different take on a classic salad: it was not just goat cheese put on top of the veggies or on top of a piece of toast. It was like a croquette and a good one in fact: not greasy, it added a nice crunch to the dish. Perfect!

We finished the meal with the Chocolate Molten Cake:

The presentation was very appetizing! It had three components that worked perfectly together: the chocolate cake, a tahitian vanilla gelato and a strawberry sauce. It was good, but I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting the chocolate to ooze in the center; the cake was probably a bit overcooked! 

I did not regret giving another chance to the Madison Bar & Grill and was pretty satisfied at the end of the meal! It is definitely a good spot for brunch or for a good burger!

Enjoy (I did)!

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On the way to a food exhibit at the Museum of Natural History

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We decided to go to the Museum of Natural History to see their exhibit, Global Kitchen. I really wanted to see it because this exhibit is about food, culture and nature: it not only explains the food chain, but also give a glimpse about the food in other cultures. Of course, we could not go to this exhibit with empty bellies! So we first stopped by Sapporo Ramen that was recommended by our cousin Jessica. Yes, I know: ramen again? I love it, what can I say!

We tried in fact to go to Sapporo ramen last Friday for dinner, but the restaurant was packed and we ended up at Pho 66 for a different kind of noodle soup (but this is another post...). So we decided to show up early on Sunday to avoid the crowd and were lucky because the restaurant only started to get busy after noon. 

Similar to other ramen restaurants we went to, we could sit at a table of the kitchen counter to see the cooks making these succulent dishes. We chose the table. What I liked first is that they propose different types of broth and explain what they are on the menu, so you can decide if you would like a traditional one, a salty one, etc. They also have, for $11, a lunch special, where you can pick your ramen and an appetizer: pretty good price I would say. 

So we started off with pork and vegetable gyoza (dumplings):

They were 3 of them and they were fried on one side. It was very good: the meat was not dry and the shell was thin, soft and perfectly cooked, with a bit of char that gave them some delicious crispiness. We ate them with some soy sauce.

Jodi ordered the Shoyu Ramen, the most traditional style of ramen - a light, soy sauce based flavor, and added a boiled egg and bamboo shoots.

I ordered the Shio Ramen, a clear, salt based flavor that uses a mineral rich sea salt and is infused perfectly with chicken stock. I added a boiled egg and some pork shoulder.

The noodles were thin and perfectly cooked. The boiled eggs were also perfect: the yolk was slightly runny with an amazing orange color. In terms of broth, I preferred the one Jodi picked as it was more flavorful, with bolder flavors. The shio broth was good, light and not too salty, but I would have liked a bit more chicken taste. The pork however was fantastic: tasteful, it was very tender. 

I definitely liked Sapporo Ramen that is in my top 3 ramen restaurant after Ippudo and Momofuku Noodle Bar so far!

As the day was kind of nice, we walked back up and went to Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Building, on Columbus Circle, as I heard that they were serving Kouign Amman, a very buttery specialty from West of France that I tried at Dominique Ansel Bakery recently (Check out my review of the Kouign Amman at Dominique Ansel Bakery). For those who never had Kouign Amman, imagine a croissant with much more butter and sugar. 

The one from Bouchon Bakery was incredibly good! Flakey, it was very, very buttery. I think I prefer the one from Bouchon Bakery than the one from Dominique Ansel Bakery just for that reason!!!

Walking further uptown, we ended up at the Museum of Natural History. Before going to the Global Kitchen Exhibit, we wanted to see the butterflies (no link between the two exhibits although I am sure that butterflies are delicacies somewhere...). I could resist to post few photographs of them: they were beautiful!

After that, we went to the Global Kitchen exhibit:

I liked the introduction that said:

"Food is not just about nourishment. It helps to define us, as we share meals with family, friends and communities - to give thanks, remember the past, celebrate the present and look to the future."

This is so true! 

The exhibit was well laid out, giving you information about certain facts that many of us ignore. For instance:

- India produces nearly 30% of bananas, more than central and South America combined. 99% of its production is sold and eaten in India.

- More Brazilian sugar ends up in the gas pump than in groceries as it is transformed in Ethanol.

- over 2,000 species of insects are eaten worldwide. 

- There are 40,000 bean varieties.

- The Aztec used cacao beans as a currency. You needed:

• 3 cacao beans to buy a turkey egg.
• 300 cacao beans to buy a large turkey
• 1 cacao bean to buy a ripe avocado

They even displayed a replica of an Aztec market:

And all over the exhibit, you had the possibility to smell different scents: cinnamon, lemon, garlic,...

At one point, there was a kitchen, where they served us a tiny sample of coffee with condensed milk.

The website of the Museum gave the impression that there would be some food tasting from all over the world ("join us for tastings of seasonal foods—in the exhibition kitchen"), but it was not the case. This was a bit disappointing I have to say as we were expecting it and the tiny cup of coffee was a bit ridiculous!

We continued anyway through the exhibit that had some interesting facts about how food has been transformed and bred. For instance, they showed a square melon from Japan. 

It was not the result of any breeding, but because the farmers grow them in glass boxes!

I also discovered some variety of potatoes that I have never seen before!

It was pretty interesting and fun! I am sure Adults and kids would be interested, but I just wish that it was included in the price of the ticket for the Museum that was not so cheap! This exhibit runs until August 11th 2013.

Enjoy (I did)! 

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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Cheap Lunch at V{IV} A Thai restaurant in NYC, New York

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Usually, for a cheap delicious lunch, I am thinking about eating Thai or Chinese as most of the restaurants serving these types of cuisines offer lunch specials or lunch menus that are usually good deals. Viv is no exception, although, entering in the restaurant, you would think that you are in a fancier version of most of the Thai restaurants in NYC or even in a lounge! The decor is splendid with black everywhere: from the walls to the ceiling, to the granite tables. It is a great choice to make the colors of the food stick out!

So I went for the lunch menu that offered an appetizer and an entree for less than $8. What was interesting is that they proposed choices for the appetizers; usually, you only get a spring roll. At Viv, you could get:

Spring rolls:

Edamame:

Or Fried Calamari:

I ordered the fried calamari that were fantastic: not rubbery and not greasy, it was crispy and the sweet chili sauce with it made it scrumptious!

For the entree, I ordered my usual Chicken Curry Massaman:

There was a nice quantity of it and as you can see, they were generous with the avocado that was ripe. The sauce was divine and had just a bit of kick. The only negative was that the pieces of chicken were too big. Otherwise, it was a very tasty dish.

Viv is for sure a great place for a cheap lunch: definitely an address to keep in mind!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Brunch at Market Table in NYC, New York

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We went for brunch on a Sunday with some dear friends to Market Table in the West Village. This place was packed: that was a good sign! When we entered, we could see the kitchen facing the entrance and there was a fantastic buttery smell coming from it. We sat at our table and asked for some coffee and tea, before ordering what would hopefully be a great brunch!

The menu was a normal size for brunch, that I always appreciate as sometimes you end up with a big menu and do not know what to pick. On top of that, I prefer a restaurant that executes well a short menu than a restaurant that is all over the place and serves a bunch of average dishes. 

I decided to order one of my favorites for brunch: the eggs benedict!

The poached eggs were served with prosciutto on delicious buttermilk biscuits. I can tell you that these eggs were perfectly cooked! I hate when poached eggs are overcooked!

The yolk was perfectly runny! There were also few homemade potatoes that were very good. I have to confess that I was surprised at first by the small quantity of potatoes on the plate. But in fact, the biscuits fill you up pretty quickly.

Jodi ordered the bacon, spinach & fontina scramble with whole wheat toasts.

The eggs were perfect too: moist, not overcooked, they had a nice quantity of fontina cheese in it. Pretty nice dish.

Market Table is a nice choice for brunch, although a bit overpriced for the quantity served (the eggs benedict were $16, same price as the burger). I might go back to try their pancakes or braised duck possole though...Oh, and I forgot to mention that you can leave a comment or note on the notebook they use to bring you the bill!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Brunch at Locanda Verde in Tribeca - NYC, New York

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Tribeca is a splendid neighborhood in downtown Manhattan: quiet, it is known for its Film Festival thanks to Robert De Niro, celebrities (Robert De Niro - again- with his restaurants) and its luxurious lofts that I unfortunately only saw on TV shows! 

Jodi and I wanted to go for brunch and I got the idea of Tribeca from my last visit there, to review Thalassa (check the review of Thalassa here). I looked up for restaurant and found Locanda Verde, where Chef Andrew Carmellini serves Italian cuisine. It is a gorgeous place with high ceiling in the tradition of Tribeca, wood everywhere and leather banquettes. There was definitely a warm atmosphere mixed with a feeling that it is the hype place to see and to be seen. In fact, couple of minutes after we came, we saw Katie Holmes and Suri!!!

We decided to share an appetizer and then have each an entree. We started off with the Sheep’s Milk Ricotta:

It was served with some toasted bread (burnt orange as they say, but not sure I tasted the orange flavor), truffle honey and herbs. It was very light, refreshing and delicate. You could definitely taste the truffle and I loved the sweetness of the honey that was accentuated by the cheese, ricotta being not very tasty if eaten alone. It was the perfect appetizer to share. A bit more honey would have been better considering the generous amount of ricotta they give you.

Then, Jodi got the zucchini frittata:

It was served with roasted tomatoes and goat cheese. This was just ok for me: the eggs were well cooked and moist, but the zucchini could have been cooked a bit more. I also expected more goat cheese and there was only a tiny portion of it!

I ordered the Soft Scrambled Farm Egg Crostino:

It is in fact scrambled eggs, served on a piece of toasted bread, accompanied by some speck and a salad made with leeks and mushrooms. The scrambled eggs were perfect: not overcooked, they were fluffy and moist. However, the salad was way too salty! A good dish though!

We skipped dessert as we wanted to have it somewhere else...

I enjoyed my dish and the appetizer, but the frittata was just ok. It is a good place though, but a bit pricey, that is not surprising for Tribeca...

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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French Vegetarian at Table Verte in NYC, New York

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Before you read this, please note that this post is about a press dinner: understand that the restaurant knew who we were and this was a complementary dinner.

Going to a French Vegetarian restaurant sounds like an oxymoron so I was extremely curious to go to a Press Dinner at Table Verte, located in the East Village. I had vegetarian experiences previously either in true vegetarian restaurants like Gobo, Zen Palate or Angelika Kitchen, as well as Asian restaurants where vegetarian dishes are always available (think about Indian, Chinese or Thai)! But French? I was excited to see what it was all about!

So, here I am, walking to this place, passing the crowded Saint Marks Place, and ending up on the same block as Caracas, the Venezuelan restaurant that serves delicious arepas! Fortunately, I always rely on the address because I could have passed next to Table Verte without noticing it: no extravagant lights or outside decoration. The place is tiny with its 38 seats (each table is green, matching the name of the restaurant) and I retrieved there the type of atmosphere that I was used to when living in Paris, especially at La Butte aux cailles, in the 13th district, close to Place d'Italie. La butte aux cailles has these small restaurants, very casual, warm, where the food is the star and where you feel so comfortable, you tend to forget you are in a restaurant and are just enjoying the moment you share with others at a meal. In fact, the press dinner was on a Tuesday and the place was packed. I did not notice though that they were rushing people so they had to eat quickly and free their tables for other customers as it is customary in a lot of restaurants in New York. 

I did not meet with the owner, Chef Didier Pawlicki (Taureau and La Sirène), but had a quick chat with Executive Chef Ken Larsen. Chef Larsen was classically trained at the French Culinary Institute, and spent few years as a Chef in France, near Nancy. There, he discovered that French people attach a lot of importance to food and that everything on the plate has to be good, including the garnish.

Later, being himself a vegetarian, he decided to make these garnishes the star of the dishes, without trying to recreate proteins with tofu or seitan, crafting a menu with not only vegetarian, but also vegan and gluten free dishes. I was pretty intrigued, of course as a Frenchman, but also because vegetarian has not always been successful in the past (Angelika kitchen was terrible!).

We started the dinner with a medley of salads that the Chef proposes on his menu - Le plat froid:

• Celeri rave remoulade: shredded celery root marinated with lemon juice and dressed with homemade mayonnaise.
• Lentils vinaigrette: lentils served with a brunoise of carrots (carrots are first julienned and then turned a quarter turn and diced again, producing small cubes), celery and leeks with Dijon vinaigrette.
• Beets with horseradish seasoned with shallots, tarragon and herbs.
• Assiette de carottes: carrots, chickpeas, leeks and raisins in a lemon spiced vinaigrette.

I really liked it: rustic, pretty traditional, it easily reminded me of a dish my family would serve at the beginning of a meal (in France, the entrée is the appetizer). I truly liked the flavors and appreciated the fact that it was not overdressed. The assiette of carottes had definitely a Mediterranean influence thanks to the raisins. The salads were served with some delicious homemade onion focaccia bread that I could have eaten entirely!

The next dish was the cassoulet vegetarien, served with yam cake.

I would not have associated the yam cake with French cuisine, but the cassoulet is definitely one of the most famous French specialties from the South West and I could hardly imagine what the vegetarian version would be! If you never had a cassoulet, know that it is made of white beans with different meats: pork, duck or goose. This one, that was vegan and gluten free, was made with mixed beans that were stewed with roasted shallots. Normally, the restaurant serves it with wild rice, that is not how you would serve it in France. This time, it was served with a yam cake that was delicious! It was made of layered sweet potatoes seasoned with nutmeg and cinnamon. This was smooth and sweet, and paired very well with the cassoulet: going from sweet to salty was fantastic. We even told Chef Larsen that instead of serving the cassoulet with wild rice, he should always pair it with the yam cake! He told us that he would definitely consider it and that in fact, he likes to have feedback from the diners: that is how he came up with some ideas of items, such as the vegan chocolate ganache cake!

I loved the cassoulet because it was very hearty with great flavors: it was definitely a surprise, because it stood up on its own and I did not miss any meat in it! I was also thinking that this is the type of dish that people could try to make home.

The next dish was the Gnocchi Parisien au gratin: Chef Larsen's own version of Mac & Cheese. 

It was made with truffles, white sauce and Swiss cheese. This dish was fantastic! First of all, they used real truffles and not truffle oil: you could tell the difference. Then the gnocchi were very light and not potato-y. This dish was very rich, but it was so good that I finished the side portion they served us; I cannot imagine eating the full size by myself...although, knowing me...

As Table Verte is a French Vegetarian, they could in fact stay true to their theme and call the gnocchi "vegetarian quenelles"!

Last, came dessert!!! We started off with the long awaited Tarte au chocolat vegetalienne et sans gluten (vegetarian and gluten free chocolate tart):

As mentioned above, it was based on the suggestion of a diner. The crust is made of overcooked rice, raisins and almond flour. The chocolate ganache is made with chocolate and avocado (not surprising as avocado can sometimes replace butter because of its fatty content). I liked the crust that was crunchy, but did not really like the ganache where the dark chocolate taste was a bit lost.

However, the next dessert was amazing! It was a banana brulée!

This was a great way of finishing the meal! It was made of banana, nilla crackers, Crème Pâtissière (custard) and had a caramel crust similar to a creme brulée. The crème was smooth and definitely tasted banana. It was not too sweet and perfectly set, like a fusion of banana pudding and crème brulée! Definitely a dessert not to miss!

This was an incredible and sensational dinner! I did not know what to expect, but this concept not only makes sense, but works! I really liked the passion of the Executive Chef that really came through his food. Apparently they started to serve brunch, so I will have to go back to see what they have!

In conclusion, Table Verte can satisfy any type of diner: vegetarian or not! 

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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