Levain Bakery

There are many places in NYC that are on the "best of" lists and have a lot of hype surrounding them, and too often they don't live up to high expectations.  Levain, however, is one of the places that will without a doubt not meet, but exceed even the highest expectations.

The bakery is nestled on the Upper West Side in a busy area that consists of Jacques Torres, Alice's Tea Cup, and Magnolia Bakery, to name a few, so there are many options to choose from.  But, anybody in their right mind would rush past all the other options without even looking back and head straight for Levain.  They sell a lot of freshly baked bread items, but are most known for their monstrous cookies.  The owners created these cookies when they were training for the Ironman and needed a calorie/energy bomb to counteract the grueling workouts, and they hit the jackpot with these cookies.

When you first see them in the display case, you are in disbelief at the size of the cookie.  They look like huge scones, but way better.  You have four options to choose from: Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip and Oatmeal Raisin.  Each one of the cookies is about a pound in weight (I have read that they are 6oz, but they feel like a pound to me) so they are not for the faint of heart.  I have tried all flavors besides the Oatmeal Raisin, because even though I hear that the oatmeal raisin is amazing, I can't imagine making the trip there and not getting something with chocolate.  My favorite flavor, and the one I always order, is the Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, which is a chocolate lovers dream.  No matter what time of day you get there, the cookie is always served to you warm and fresh with the chips oozing.

After craving these cookies for weeks and dreaming about them, I finally made my trip to the bakery today and ordered the Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip.  Once it was handed to me, I split the cookie opened and was immediately overcome with the strong scent of chocolatey, buttery goodness.  Then, I looked down at the cookie and saw the oozing chocolate chips and the almost raw (in a good way) cookie center.

I took my first bite, and was in heaven.  The outside of the cookie has a nice crisp shell which works well with the soft gooey center and the melted chips.  I don't know how they get the chips to stay melted for so long, but it is just part of the magic of these cookies that can not be replicated anywhere else (in fact, I got my cookie about 5 hours ago and some of the chips are STILL melted).  You get a mouthful of chips in every bite, and the dark chocolate flavor is outstanding.  It is hard to put into words how amazing this cookie is (though I am clearly trying), but all I can say is that it is life changing.  While some could argue that it is more like a cross between a brownie and a cookie, I would take this over any other cookie any day.  While I had to limit myself to only eating half because I can't really rationalize eating an 8oz cookie, no matter how hard I worked out this morning, it was worth every last bite and calorie. 

 This isn't my first visit here, so I have gotten the chance to try their other flavors as well.  The chocolate chip walnut is also amazing and is more of the traditional chocolate chip cookie.  Even though they do get some grief occasionally for having walnuts instead of a traditional chocolate chip cookie, trust me you barely even taste them and it is SO worth it.  The dark chocolate peanut butter chip is also out of this world, and is a must for any peanut butter lover.  That being said, I will always stay true to my dark chocolate chip cookie and have to order that one every time I go.  

Lucky for me (health wise) I have to go out of my way to go to Levain, so I don't frequent here too often, which makes my occasional visits that much more special.  But, if you are in NYC visiting (even if just for a day) you MUST make the trip to Levain, even if it is out of your way.  Trust me, it will be worth it.  And, they also ship their cookies so you can get them no matter where you live!  Even though they won't be warm or oozing when they get to you, they will still be just as delicious.   

Mayhem & Stout

I am always in search of a new sandwich place because I love eating sandwiches for lunch but I tend to get bored of the same few options.  Pretty frequently I type into google "best sandwiches in NY," but am generally disappointed with what I find because a lot of them have ingredients that I don't eat.  So, when I discovered two weeks ago that a new sandwich place, Mayhem & Stout, was opening near my apartment, I was immediately intrigued.

The name sounded familiar from Madison Square Eats in May, and I remembered trying one of their sandwiches and loving it.  I had forgotten about them though because they didn't have a brick and mortar shop so there was really no way for me to have their sandwich again except for at a few festivals.  To find out that they were finally opening up a shop was exciting enough on its own, but to see that it was only 10 minutes from my apartment made me ecstatic.

Since it had just opened, I figured I had to try it out and make sure that it was as good as I had remembered.  In preparation, I looked at the menu online and starting thinking of the amazing combinations of sandwiches that I could make.  The menu is great because all the sandwiches are custom made to order, so you can really have fun choosing unique combinations.  For the meats, you choose between short rib & brisket, braised pork shoulder, braised lamb shoulder, braised pulled chicken, and braised vegetarian "meat" balls.  Next, you choose from a long list of unique sauces including dragon (which is asian bbq), blueberry sriracha, chipotle mango and black cherry mustard, to name just a few.  Then, you choose the toppings and the options are spicy slaw, pickled onion, pickled celery, potato chips, onion confit, tzatziki, roasted kale, pickled vegetables, and fresh scallions & chive. You also have the option of a half or full sandwich, which gives you even more creativity because you can create two entirely different half sandwiches rather than getting a whole one with the same combination.  After imagining all of the potential combinations, I ultimately decided to get the braised pulled chicken with black cherry mustard, roasted kale and onion confit (half).

This sandwich combination was so interesting and unique, and you really can't find it anywhere besides Mayhem & Stout.  Even though it sounds like an odd combination at first, all of the elements worked really well together and created a delicious and satisfying sandwich.  I have heard of places offering raspberry mustard, but I have never heard of black cherry mustard, and it was so delicious!  The sweetness and tartness of the cherry worked really well with the mustard and neither flavor was too overpowering.  My sister also got a half sandwich, and she opted for the pulled chicken with dragon sauce and fresh scallions & chive.  She loved hers as well, but found the dragon sauce to be a bit too spicy.

Mayhem & Stout is exactly what I have been looking for in a lunch spot.  They offer really unique, delicious, and fresh ingredients and allow you to create whatever combination you want, which gives you endless opportunities.  Since it is made to order, you know that what you are getting is fresh and it hasn't been sitting around for hours like at other sandwich places.  They take something as simple as a sandwich and elevate it to something more gourmet and artisan, which I really appreciate.  You can also come here everyday and never get the same exact combination that you had the previous day, which is great.  I will definitely be back here to try out some more unique flavor combinations!

Calexico

To continue my lunch adventures around the city, I decided to pay a visit to the Calexico Cart right near Madison Square Park.  I never used to be a huge fan of Mexican food, but lately I have been on a Mexican food kick, so after reading the countless rave reviews online I figured I had to pay Calexico a visit.

They have a few locations around the city and it is a mix between storefronts and carts.  Unfortunately the carts are stationary and are always in the same spots, unlike food trucks that change location daily.  Because of that, you don't really get the opportunity to try it unless you happen to live/work nearby.  Lucky for me, I had a pretty free day today so I was able to make the short trek over to the cart.  I went on the early side because I knew that it can get pretty crowded, and even at 11:50am there were a few people ahead of me in line.

The menu has a really great range of options including burritos, tacos, bowls, quesadillas, and sides like chips and guacamole.  I was having a hard time choosing what to get because I love tacos and burritos, and I always want to order a quesadilla but generally never do.  Since I knew that I was going to be going to a great mexican restaurant this weekend where I always get the tacos, I decided to spring for the Pollo Asado Quesadilla.  The quesadilla comes with cheddar and jack cheese on a flour tortilla and is grilled on the flat top.  It also comes with a side of, what they call, chipotle "crack" sauce.

After taking my first bite, I was so glad that I decided to order the quesadilla.  They are very generous with the amount of chicken in the quesadilla, and it is full of flavor.  The cheese was really melty and oozing from the quesadilla, but it wasn't overpowering the great chicken.  I'm not really sure how to describe the chipotle crack sauce, or what it really is for that matter, I just know that it was delicious.  It added a nice spice to the quesadilla which elevated the flavor of it, and was also really creamy.  I didn't use too much of it because I don't like a lot of spice, but you should definitely give the sauce a try.  

Since I am conscious of the fact that quesadillas are on the unhealthy spectrum of lunch options, I only allowed myself to eat half.  Half was pretty filling, but I could have easily downed the entire thing, because it was that good.  As I write this, the other half is sitting in my fridge and it is really a test of my self control to not open the fridge and eat it.  

Even though Calexico is not a full fledged "food truck," in the sense that it doesn't move around the city, I still put it in the category of the best food trucks in NYC.  The quesadillas are delicious, and the other options looked great as well.  I saw other people eating the tacos and burritos, and I will definitely be back to try the burrito.  I think they have a shop in Brooklyn and on the Lower East Side, in addition to a cart in SOHO and Flatiron, so if you are near any of them (or even if you are not!) you should give them a try for lunch.  

Num Pang Sandwich Shop

My lunches tend to be pretty boring and generic, since I usually have a basic turkey sandwich or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  For some reason it is always hard for me to make a decision about lunch and I am never particularly in the mood for anything, so it is easier to just eat the same thing everyday.  But, lately I have become bored with eating the same thing for lunch, probably because I have been expanding my horizons with dinner and my palate has become a bit more sophisticated.  Now that I have a lot of time on my hands because work ended and school doesn't start for a few weeks, I figured I would start experimenting with lunch places and food trucks in the city.

For me, a great sandwich is the most satisfying lunch option, so I did some research online for the best sandwiches in NYC.  One of the first ones that came up was Num Pang Sandwich Shop, which has a few locations in the city.  They serve gourmet, made to order cambodian style sandwiches which is definitely not your typical sandwich style.  All of the sandwiches are served on their fresh made baguettes with chili mayo, cucumber, pickled carrots and cilantro.  They have a few seasonal specialties that rotate in and out, but they have a few staples that remain on the menu, including pulled pork, peppercorn catfish, five spiced glazed pork belly, roasted chicken chimi and coconut tiger shrimp.  Because they are so passionate about the product that they make and are confident in the flavors, you cannot make any modifications to the sandwich.  As I said earlier, I tend to be pretty boring with my lunches and would usually choose the chicken option, but I decided to be a bit more exotic and opted for the Duroc Pulled Pork.

Since I am a bread lover, I was super excited when I opened the container and saw the warm crispy baguette that the sandwich was on.  Even for me, however, the size of the bread was a little too big for the amount of other ingredients that they put on the sandwich.  Since it is served warm, I rushed to find a place to sit (there is no seating) so that I could eat it before it got cold.  

After taking my first bite, I knew what all the hype was about.  There was a great combination of flavors with the duroc pulled pork, chipotle mayo, and the crunchy vegetables, and the bread completed it.  I usually don't like anything too spicy, or mayo for that matter, but the chipotle mayo was definitely necessary for the sandwich to add another dimension of flavor.  The pork itself was really tender and flavorful, and just what I had been craving.  As someone who doesn't eat spice a lot, I found it to be pretty spicy, but they have sides of sriracha sauce that they provide with the sandwiches so I guess a lot of people prefer more spice!  The other sandwich here that seemed to be the most popular was the pork belly, but I would recommend the pulled pork.  I gobbled up every last bite of the meat of the sandwich, and just had a lot of bread left over.

The location that I went to was in midtown, so naturally it gets super crowded around lunch time since there are tons of offices located close by.  Knowing that, I got there around 11:45 and my order was taken instantaneously and my sandwich was ready about a minute later.  If you come during peak hours, be prepared to wait a bit and take the sandwich to go, since there is barely any seating provided.  

Overall, my first experiment with a new and "exotic" lunch place was successful, and I will definitely be returning to Num Pang for their pulled pork sandwich!

David Burke Kitchen

Sadly, last night's dinner brought restaurant week to a close for me and my sister.   Our last dining location was at David Burke Kitchen, which we had been to for brunch in the past but never for dinner.  We looked at the menu online and were excited about some of the offerings, and were just hopeful that we would have a better experience at this David Burke restaurant than we did at Townhouse.

We had a reservation for 6:30 and it was already packed when we got there!  We got seated right away since we did have a reservation, but our designated table left a little to be desired.  Since they try to use every inch of space that they can for a table, some of them are very close to one another.  There was probably about 3-4 inches of space separating our table from the table next to us, but luckily they were rather quiet so it wasn't too much of a bother.

This was another restaurant that offered their entire menu for restaurant week, which shows that they really capture the spirit of the event (again, there were a select few options that required a small supplement, but not many).  For the appetizer, I chose to keep it simple and ordered their simple salad.   The other option that I considered was the  burrata, watermelon, and asparagus salad, which I ultimately did not order because it comes with proscuitto, which I don't care for.  My sister ordered the lobster dumpling soup instead of her usual pretzel crusted crab cake (which is a staple at the David Burke restaurants) because the crab cake requires a small supplement and she wanted to try something new.

There isn't really too much that I can say about the salad except that you get exactly what it says-- a simple salad.  It comes with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, fennel, and supposedly onion (but I unfortunately did not taste any), and it is served in a mustard vinaigrette.  Even though it was a very basic salad, I did like it.  The dressing was really nice, and it was a light way to start the meal.  But, it was a bit large and after a while it just got kind of boring.  Also, there was a bit too much dressing for my taste, but overall it was a good salad.  My sister said her lobster dumpling soup was really nice and was exactly what she was craving.  When it came to the table, it was just a bowl with 2 lobster dumplings so we were a little confused.  Then, we saw that there was a pot of hot broth over a flame and the waitress brought that to the table and poured it over the dumplings.  It was a very light, seafood based broth, which she really enjoyed.  Overall, she said this dish was a winner.

The main course here is really what I was looking forward to the most.  When we did our preliminary look through of the menu online, I was intrigued by the short rib.  I have never ordered short rib in a restaurant before, but something about it peaked my interest.  My sister was in agreement, and we both decided to order the short rib as our main course.  It came glazed in a peach bbq sauce with 2 cooked peaches on top in addition to some chopped veggies, and served over aged cheddar mac and cheese, peas, and some crispy onions on the outside border.

My first test of the short rib was to put my fork into it and see if i could rip off a piece without a knife, to see if it was tender like it should be.  It passed the test by a landslide, and I was very excited to try my first bite.  The meat was extremely tender and flavorful, and the bbq sauce put it over the top.  The mac and cheese on the bottom also did not disappoint.  I mixed it with the crispy onions so that it had a nice crunch to it in addition to the peas.  I really liked that the portion of mac and cheese with this dish was on the smaller side so you didn't end up eating too much of it, as opposed to at David Burke Townhouse where it covered half of the plate.  Every aspect of the dish was perfect, and all the components worked really well together.  My sister loved the short rib as well, and almost cleared the plate!  I should also mention that I was taking note of the various dishes that passed by me and went to other tables, and the short rib was the most popular dish by far.  If every short rib is like theirs was, I will definitely order it more often in restaurants!

The last course, which usually is my favorite, was the dessert.  I opted for the caramel chocolate tart, and my sister got the passion fruit meringue pie.  

When ordering it, I forgot to ask for them to omit the raspberry sherbet because there is nothing that I hate more than mixing raspberry with my chocolate dessert.  Luckily, it hadn't melted yet when it came to the table so I was able to easily push it off the plate without tainting the tart.  The pie shell itself was a bit thick for my liking, and I would've preferred that it had been a little easier to cut into.  The first bite wasn't the best because it mainly consisted of the shell, but once I got towards the middle it got a lot better.  The chocolate was super rich and decadent, and the caramel layer underneath the chocolate paired really nicely with it.  I honestly would've been happy if there was no shell at all because I mostly ended up just scooping out the chocolate and caramel.  The tart was also rather large, so I had to control myself and not finish it.  My sister wasn't too happy with the passion fruit meringue pie, but it was mainly because it didn't satisfy what she was craving.  It wasn't bad, it just wasn't worth the calories to her.  

Not only was the food here much better than at Townhouse, but the service was far superior.  I would even say that it was a bit too quick.  Our appetizers came out within 5 minutes of ordering, and each course thereafter came out within 5-10 mins of our plates being cleared.  We are generally quick eaters and enjoy being in and out of a restaurant within an hour, but most people would probably think it was too quick.  It was very crowded so I'm sure they were trying to turn tables over quickly, especially since people flock here to take advantage of the restaurant week menu.  If they could find a balance between the slow and inconsistent service at Townhouse and the almost too quick service at Kitchen, it would be perfect. 

If you are looking to go to one of David Burke's restaurants, I would definitely recommend coming here over Townhouse even though the location is a little more inconvenient.  The food and service were far superior to our last David Burke restaurant experience, and the short rib stood out in my mind as the star of the evening. 

Lavo

Tonight was one of the rare occasions where me, my sister, and mom were able to get together with my aunt and grandparents to have dinner all together.  It had been a while and we were celebrating my aunt's birthday, so I had to make sure that I picked a good place.  We usually tend to stick to the same few restaurants and I wanted to get everyone to try a new place, so I did my due diligence and researched a bunch of restaurants.  Everyone has their own different specifications that they need in a restaurant, so I tried to do my best to make sure that I picked a place with great food in a convenient location.  Ultimately, I decided upon Lavo which is an Italian Restaurant in Midtown East that also has a famous nightclub below it.

I made a reservation for 6 people with no problem, but I had to give a credit card number I guess because they tend to get busy and want to make sure you will actually show up.  I had only been here once for lunch during restaurant week last year, but I figured it was a good choice because they have a huge menu and are in a convenient location.

When you first walk into the restaurant, it is definitely a bit overwhelming.  The bar is right near the entrance and when we got there at 6:30 is was already packed with people in business suits.  Not only that, but the music was blasting and I was starting to sweat worrying that I may have made a huge mistake with the restaurant choice.  However, the main dining room is a bit further than the bar and the music is much more faint, so don't let the bar area in the front overwhelm and frighten you.  The restaurant itself is pretty big and had the decor of a classic old italian steakhouse.  Since it tends to get crowded, the tables were all pretty close to one another so prepare to have your chair bumped into a few times throughout the night.

As I said earlier, the menu is huge and they have tons of great options to choose from.  For the appetizers, they have a great range from italian classics like caesar salad, minestrone soup, and tomato mozzarella, to more interesting options like tuna tartare, kobe rice balls, and a meatball appetizer.  The main courses also have a great variety as well.  They had a bunch of different pastas, pizzas, chicken dishes, fish, and steak, in addition to a lot of options for side dishes.  It is perfect for a large group because there is definitely something here for everyone.  For the appetizer, I opted for the caesar salad and the other dishes ordered at the table were the beet salad, tomato mozzarella, and vegetable minestrone soup.  After you order, they bring complimentary garlic bread with marinara dipping sauce to the table which was delicious and the perfect way to start the meal.

Even though we did all order our own appetizers, the salads can definitely be shared.  The caesar salad was really delicious and one of my favorites that I have had.  There was just enough dressing on it without being too heavy, and there was fresh shaved parmesan cheese on top which I loved.  I couldn't finish it because it was so big, but it was a great start to the meal.  I also tried the beet salad, which I thought was delicious because I love beets, and the vegetable minestrone soup which tasted very light, fresh, and flavorful.  

For the main course, I had a really hard time deciding because there were so many great options on the menu.  I narrowed it down to the penne alla vodka and spaghetti and kobe meatballs, but since they are known for their kobe meatballs my sister and I decided to share that as a main course since we figured the portion would be big enough.  

When the dish came to the table, we were very happy that we decided to share because the portion was once again very generous!  Neither of us really like ricotta cheese, so we pushed that off to the side and then were ready to eat.  The kobe meatballs were super juicy and tender and had a great flavor to them. The spaghetti itself was served in a tomato/bolognese style sauce and it was delicious.  We split the dish and still had some left over because it was so filling!  It did not go to waste, however, as we passed it on to our grandpa who gladly finished it for us.  The other dish that got rave reviews at the table was the tuna main course that my grandma ordered.  Again, I do not eat fish so I did not personally try it but she loved the dish overall.  

Of course, a meal is never complete in our family until you see the dessert menus, and their menu definitely stood out to me.  Usually it is a pretty easy choice for me because I pick the one chocolate dessert, but they had 3 different chocolate desserts in addition to oreo zeppoles!  My sister and I were once again sharing, so we narrowed it down to the dark chocolate bread pudding and the oreo zeppole. The bread pudding said it came with butter croissants, dulce de leche, chocolate sauce, and a few other components which made it seem delicious yet also overwhelming.  Since we were pretty stuffed already and at a table with 4 other people, we decided to order the oreo zeppole because it came with 6 oreos which made it easy to share and also easy to control the consumption quantity.  

The dessert was so rich and awesome.  It was basically like a donut with an oreo on the inside, and you can't really get much better than that.  On the side, there is a little vanilla malt shake which pairs really nicely with the oreo and is reminiscent of cookies and milk.  You can't find any dessert like this at any other nice restaurant in the city, so that made it much more special and unique.  This is a great dessert to order when you are with a few people because it is a very satisfying and you can easily share it and control your portion size.  While we were eating, I also saw there 20 layer chocolate cake go by (no, that was not a typo, it is 20 layers!) and that looked sinful.  

Overall, the food here was delicious across the board and we barely had any plates left with food on them by the end of the meal.  Yes, it is on the expensive side but the portions are very generous which makes it easy to share with others, and the quality of the food is worth the money.  Each course did not disappoint, and every one of the six of us was satisfied with what we ordered.  Even though the restaurant got packed and every table was full by around 7, the service was great and moved at a nice pace.  Lavo is mainly known for the notorious crowd that it attracts and for the nightclub, but it is also a fantastic restaurant.  While it gets very loud and you may have to strain your voice a bit just to have a conversation with the people at your table, it is a great italian steakhouse.  The evening was filled with great service, delicious food, and lots of laughs and great memories with my family!  You can't get much better than that!

Hummingbird Muffins

After taking a week off of muffin Tuesday, the tradition lived on this week and the chosen muffin was Hummingbird muffins!  I love making these because they have so many different flavors and are very different than the other varieties that I make.  The recipe is adapted from an annies-eats post for Hummingbird Coffee Cake (http://www.annies-eats.com/2012/05/10/hummingbird-coffee-cake/), and I only made a few changes.  I chose to adapt it from a coffee cake into muffins so that I could control how much I actually made since I have no use for an entire coffee cake in my apartment!

Since the original recipe said it makes 16 servings, I quartered it and made 4 muffins.  The only other changes that I made were to use unsweetened applesauce instead of butter to make it a bit healthier, non-fat greek yogurt instead of low fat, and I omitted the glaze and opted to put the chopped pecans in the muffins instead.  Since it is in muffin form and not a cake, the timing in the oven was more experimental because I knew it would not need the 50 minutes that the cake needed, and it ended up taking about 20 minutes.

This is really one of my favorite muffins that I make.  I love the combination of banana, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, fresh pineapple and cinnamon, and even though it may seem like a lot of ingredients, the flavors work great together.  The muffin actually has a sort of buttery taste to it, which is amazing because there is absolutely no butter in them.  This variety is a lot more unique than the classic banana, blueberry or chocolate chip, and it is even more delicious!  When making these, you can choose to follow the original recipe a bit closer and include butter and the glaze, but I honestly don't think that you need to because they are great this way and a lot healthier!