Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Shop in New York, NY

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We were looking for a nice homemade ice cream shop and ended up at Van Leeuwen in the East Village. This ice cream parlor started its adventure selling ice cream in yellow postal trucks, before expending and opening a brick and mortar location, as well as...an Indonesian restaurant. Don't ask me how the two relates and let say that the common link is entrepreneurship. 

All the ice cream served at Van Leeuwen are made in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, with organic ingredients for the most part purchased at small producers. For instance, the milk is hormone and antibiotic free. They say that they use "ingredients celebrated by nature, not science", that is a welcomed statement in a world smothered with processed food. 

The place in the East Village is big and has an antic feel, probably thanks to the wooden floor, tables & chairs and counter, as well as the filament apparent bulbs. 

We were not sure what to get there as there were many yummy flavors proposed. They have of course the classic: vanilla, chocolate or hazelnut, but also some strange one: ginger, currants and cream, Ceylon cinnamon or earl grey tea. They also have a bunch of vegan choices made with coconut or cashew milk.

Jodi decided to order two scoops: coconut and salted caramel. 

Although I liked the coconut (Jodi who is the coconut pro did not like it), I thought that the caramel was a bit too salty, the saltiness becoming a problem after few bites. 

On my side, I ordered the classic Sunday. 

It was made of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, salted caramel and walnuts. 

That was big and pretty decadent, full of flavors considering the multiple ingredients they use. The ice cream was fantastic: creamy and tasty, with the strawberry one having this fresh fruit taste that definitely sets it apart. 

Although I did not like everything at Van Leeuwen, I would definitely go back to try some other flavors or maybe their banana split that seem to be fantastic. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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Brunch at The Brass Rail in Hoboken, NJ

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The Brass Rail is a popular restaurant located downtown Hoboken, in the historic part of the city. This place, built in the turn of the twentieth century is not only known for its New American cuisine, but also for its paranormal activity. It is said that the staff witnessed the apparition of a bride and groom who passed away there. It is said that, in 1904, on her wedding day, the bride tripped on top of the spiral staircase, fell and broke her neck. The groom, heartbroken, drank and, devastated by the loss of his new wife, hang himself in a room adjacent to the staircase, leaving a note saying:

"Now that my wife has been taken from me, there is no reason for me to live".

Other paranormal activity include trays falling on the floor, activity that only occurs late at night.

I like the place: the decor is fantastic, with its etched glass doors, red velvet banquettes and 1900s drawings.

Menu wise, as I mentioned before, they serve New American cuisine and their brunch, that we tried, offers a good deal: for $19 you get an appetizer (not just a salad as you will see) and an entrée. For $11 more, you get an alcoholic beverage, unlimited, such as a beer or a mimosa. As my drink of choice for brunch is either coffee or fresh squeezed juice, I went for the first option, similar to Jodi.

Unfortunately, they did not have any fresh squeezed orange juice, so I went for a double espresso that was a bit bitter.

They then brought us some chocolate chip muffins:

For appetizer, Jodi ordered the gazpacho:

It was made with tomatoes and cucumber. It was very refreshing and you could definitely taste the cucumber that gave an added cooling effect.

On my side, I ordered the falafel bites:

There were three regular size falafel (when I read bites, I thought it would be small), that have been cooked in the oven, rather than fried. Because of the cooking process, they were not as crispy as I am used too, but in fact they were very good: soft and not dry inside.

Then, Jodi got a goat cheese omelet.

The omelet was good, well cooked as the eggs were not dry, but I would have liked more cheese as it was mainly on one side.

I ordered the chicken and waffles.

I admit that when it came, I did not find the dish appetizing as the chicken had this grayish color. I also noticed that I got three quarters of the waffle and was wondering where the fourth one went. Anyway, the waffle was not good at all: dense, dry with an off taste. I mentioned it to the manager who saw that I barely touched it and she apologized and offered the cost of the double espresso as a compensation as I did not want a replacement. As for the chicken, it was ok, the crust being overcooked, but the chicken being moist inside.

Although I did not like the waffle, I enjoyed the brunch at The Brass Rail. Would I go back? Probably, but I'll pass on the chicken and waffle!

Enjoy (I did)!

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The Cupping Room Cafe in New York, NY

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I might have found my new favorite spot for brunch: The Cupping Room Café. Located in Soho, this spot combines a bar, a restaurant and a bakery. 

We arrived by the entrance on West Broadway and I thought that it was a tiny place, but then, they brought us to their main dining room, located passed the open kitchen. 

It is a warm place with a very rustic feel thanks to the tin ceiling, the brick walls and the antique pot belly stove proudly displayed I the back. 

Service was very nice, although a bit overwhelmed at times. 

So, you probably wonder why I think it is a great place? Well, as I mentioned earlier, it is a bakery, so a lot of items on their menu such as cakes, cookies, muffins are made on premises. Then, they have one of my favorite dish: eggs Benedict. But here, I am talking about customized eggs Benedict! You just pick what you want on it: salmon, fresh, not smoked, fresh tuna...This is the first time I go to a restaurant that offers that. So I decided to try and ordered the eggs Benedict with fresh salmon ($6 suppl.).

With it, I had a choice of fries, salad or fruits (for an additional $2). I went for the fruit salad, trying to keep it healthy...before dessert... I really like when restaurants propose fruits as a side, especially in the Summer. Regular salads? Too boring. Potatoes: not always good.

The eggs were perfectly cooked, the yolk being delightfully runny, and the salmon cooked as requested, rare and giving to the dish a new dimension. The only negative is that I would have preferred the fruits in a separate plate or a bowl as they soon foot submerged by the Hollandaise sauce.

Jodi got the cobb salad, without chicken and bacon.

Although there was a lot of it, it was way overpriced at $20.

So, this is a bakery, so we could not miss desserts. We therefore decided to go for their sampler that was a great deal for $8. 

The smiler was composed of:

Tiramisu:

Red velvet cake:

Brownie:

My favorite was definitely the brownie: it was heaven on a plate! It was very chocolatey, with the top being crunchy and the middle very moist. The tiramisu was very light and creamy. The red velvet: good, but nothing extraordinary for me.

With my brunch, I got a fresh squeezed orange juice that was not watered down:

And an espresso:

Although a little pricey, this is definitely a good place for brunch. If you go there, do not miss desserts!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Pierre Loti Wine Bar in New York, NY

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Pierre Loti is a wine bar with multiple locations across New York. In fact, I discovered that fact the hard way... We were supposed to meet for dinner in Chelsea where we had our reservation. I admit that I completely forgot it was in Chelsea and, before leaving work, simply entered the name of the restaurant in Google Map to get the directions. I ended up Irving Place, ten minutes earlier.

Pierre Loti in Irving Place

So I texted Jodi to let her know I was there and proceeded to take photos of the exterior of the restaurant. Soon after, I received a text from Jodi telling me that she would soon arrive, as she and our friends were across the street. I could not see them...Weird...I kept looking around wondering where they were, and, on her side, she went inside the restaurant to find me as I told her I already arrived and she could not see me outside. That is when we realized we were not at the same place! She was in the correct one, in Chelsea! It took me approximately 15 minutes to go there, promising that next time, I'll take the time to check the address.

The name of the restaurant is a tribute to the French novelist and naval officer (1850-1923), who published many novels throughout his travels around the world. 

It is a wine bar, so it is not surprising that they have an impressive wine list made of bottles not only from France, but also from Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Italy or Spain. They also propose some American wines from California, if you prefer drinking local...

The menu is mediterranean inspired, with a bunch of small plates to share, cold or hot, making it a perfect place to dine with friends or for a quick bite and a glass of wine. That is where we met with our friends Livia & Georges and Letizia & Scott for dinner.  

We first ordered bottle of Bordeaux - Chateau Les Rambauds 2009:

As we were waiting for our appetizers, they served us some olives and pita, that are, I guess, a reference to Greece.

Then, we got our appetizers. The first one was the phyllo cheese rolls:

As we were six people, we ordered two. They were filled with feta and blue cheese. Although I barely tasted the blue cheese (probably because its taste was neutralized by the feta), I really liked it, the shell being crispy and the filling, a bit hot, being delicious.

The second appetizer was zucchini pancakes:

Served with a thick Turkish yogurt, it was delightfully greasy, a bit crispy and comforting. 

The last appetizer was the grilled octopus that was sautéed with baby potatoes and carrots in olive oil.

I did not like it at all: it was mushy and tasteless. So sad, I love octopus and was so happy to find people willing to share that dish with me!

Then, we all got our entrees:

Jodi went for the pan seared salmon. It was crusted with shredded wheat and served with sautéed vegetables (in that case, beets and carrots).

That was delicious, the crust adding some texture to a perfectly cooked salmon.

On my side, I got the grilled quail with mushroom risotto:

Cooking a quail is tough because it is so small that it is easy to overcook it and it will be awfully dry. At Pierre Loti, they succeeded to cooked it properly, the little bird being moist and succulent. However, I did not like the risotto. It was as if it was made with beer...weird!

Last, we decided to share some desserts. The first one was a chocolate cake that I recommend if you love chocolate.

The second one was a berry tart that was very refreshing:

We had a good time at Pierre Loti: the food and wine were good, and the service welcoming. We stayed there a while, chatting, and they did not even make us feel we had to leave. For all these reasons, I recommend this place.

Enjoy (I did)!



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O MAI in New York, NY

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O Mai is a Vietnamese restaurant located in the trendy Chelsea. It is a decent size place with a warm decor and an interesting menu with unique dishes that can satisfy any palate. We went there on a Friday night and the place was packed. This is definitely the place to go if you like loud music, loud people and barely no light to see your food...Fortunately, the cuisine is worth it: delicious and packed in flavors. Each dish has a name in Vietnamese and there is always an hesitation to give the original name or the main ingredient; should I ask for Ca Bam or monkfish? Bo Luc Lac or beef sirloin? I tried the original names of the dishes, making sure I was pointing them on the menu so there would not be any misunderstanding, and I am glad to report that we got the dishes we wanted...thanks to my finger...

We started with the crispy vegetarian rolls (Cha Gio). Nothing extraordinary there, but still, good rolls, a bit hot as just made.

Then, I could not resist to try their grilled calamari, served with cucumber, tomato, mixed greens and fresh herbs.

I love calamari and was not disappointed at all: it was perfectly cooked, not rubbery and very refreshing with the salad.

Then, Jodi ordered a tilapia served with some vermicelli noodles.

The fish was deliciously spicy, flakey and moist.

On my side, I ordered the sugar cane shrimp:

It is as if the shrimp was put in a blender to create a thick paste that was then put around a sugar cane stick, before being grilled.

It was sitting on a sort of rice net and served with a rice crepe. The way I ate it was by putting some mint leaves, peanut sauce, peanuts, onions and of course shrimp on the rice crepe, and then roll it. It was delicious: I was expecting some sweetness from the sugar cane, but did not taste any. The roll was packed in flavors, the mint giving some freshness to the dish.

Last was dessert. We decided to order the warm banana bread with Tahitian vanilla ice cream.

It was just ok; the banana bread being a bit too dry, it would have been better served with a creme anglaise.

This was a nice dinner and the service was very good. I love the food at O Mai: packed in flavors that are original and surprising. Would I go back? Sure!

Enjoy (I did)!



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