Craft and Kraft

Craft is one of my favorite restaurants in New York City.

Kraft Mac & Cheese is one of my favorite foods.

The only thing that makes them different is the K and the C...just kidding.

Craft is a wonderful restaurant from chef/owner Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame.  It has a great atmosphere -- low-key but elegant.  Really delicious food with fresh ingredients.  It's generous portions that you share in the middle of the table.

The whole menu is a la carte...so you pick a couple fish or meat dishes, plus some sides (that come in great copper pots), and appetizers if you like -- and wait for it to arrive.  It's the perfect place for a celebratory meal, a post theatre meal (even though it's not in the theatre district), or a random Sunday night dinner.  Also visit Craft Bar and Craft Steak for other really good meals.

# of dishes: 4.5 out of 5 dishes

What can I say about mac & cheese. I love it. I could eat it once a week, but I don't. My favorite is probably the Three Cheese shells, but i'll eat any kind -- any day.

I've tried to make homemade mac & cheese, but it doesn't come out as good as Kraft.

If anyone has a recipe for me to try, please share!

# of dishes: 3.5 out of 5 dishes - it's hard to compare mac & cheese to a real restaurant....

2 of NY's finest: Per Se and Daniel

From start to finish, every bite/sip at Per Se was delicious! I'll say off the bat that I give it 5 out of 5 dishes. Wonderful lunch.  I definitely have to mention that we ate (my mom and I) in the Salon part of the restaurant and not the main dining room.  It's the same food, but you can order a la carte, instead of the $275 prix-fixe meal. Lunch in the Salon area is served Friday/Saturday/Sunday from 11:30 am - 2:00 pm.  We arrived at 11:30 am and were the only ones there; only 1 other table filled up while we were there. And by table, I mean couches with coffee table like tables in front of you. We got the best table in the house - by the window overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. (see photo).  The staff was great -- friendly, but not too friendly, and very helpful with anything you need.  The menu changes daily -- our selections ranged from $28 - $46, with a variety of options: salad of spring onions (mom's choice), beef (my choice, see above photo), foie gras, pasta, sturgeon, lobster, and pork belly. You are told that you can order as many (or as few) courses as you want.  After we ordered, we were brought 3 different amuse bouche items -- all equally delicious. First, we each had 1 tiny cheese puff that had tons of flavor; then, we each had a cone of salmon tartare, followed by a good portion of warm celery soup, served with a beautiful presentation -- see photo -- where you can also see my $19 glass of Riesling which was delicious, and their pretty water glasses that look like plastic, but are thin glass.

We also had a beautiful bread basket with butter from Vermont.  Then our main course arrived. My beef was perfectly cooked as the chef recommends it - medium rare (my favorite anyway), with white/green/yellow asparagus and a 'pain perdu a la moelle' on the side - which I learned is french for: bone marrow french toast. Every bite had amazing flavor!!  My mom's salad was equally good, but very light -- and a very pretty dish as well.  After my beef, I decided we should try the Cheese Plate as well, which was sooooo good.  A selection of 4 cheeses (pata cabra, tilsiter, berkswell and asher blue -- I saved the daily printed menu -- I did not remember all of the cheeses from memory).  It was served with 4 little dishes with: orange blossom honey, onion marmalade, candied pecans, eggplant caponata -- and 2 selections of new types of bread. LOVED it. And, we still had room for dessert, of course. Was there any question?? We shared a 'Brownie and Malted Milk' dish that was a chocolate brownie with pecan 'marquise,' with caramel ice cream. It was a very pretty dish, but I didn't love it.  At least they also brought us a tray of other mini chocolates/candies to try, plus sent us away with a package of shortbread cookies with chocolate inside -- with 4 cookies in it -- for each of us. It was a fabulous long lunch, overlooking the park, and I can't wait to go back another time. While I left full, I wasn't too full at all. I was ready for a great afternoon at the theatre seeing Memphis! (highly recommend it; great new Broadway musical).....5 out of 5 dishes, definitely!! 

And now on to Daniel, which was another great dining experience in New York with my mom (not on the same day though). While I really really enjoyed it all, I must say I wasn't overwhelmed by it, and I do rate my lunch at Per Se higher than dinner at Daniel. Maybe I'm not comparing apples to apples, but I am comparing the flavor in the food, the staff/service, and the little touches that each of them made.  We ate in the Lounge area of Daniel, but it's not really very different from the main dining room, except for 2 things: you can dress casually (there was a man in jeans), and you have the option to order 1 or 2 courses, instead of the 3 course prix-fixe in the main dining room. While I still ordered 3 courses, my mom had 2 -- however, they brought her some soup during my appetizer -- so she 'didn't feel left out,' they said.  The Lounge area is a good size and our table was a 2-top where I sat on the bench with my mom across from me. Comfy pillows were there for me to use, and they offered my mom a mini ottoman for her purse - nice touch.  After ordering, we were brought a 3-tiered tray with amuse bouche to try. One was lobster, but I can't remember the others -- must not have made an impression. My first course was crab wrapped in delicious golden delicious apples  -- see photo above. While it was a pretty dish and tasted very good, it didn't have as much crab flavor as I would have liked. The bread they served tableside was also good, but not amazing.  On to the main course -- my poached chicken was really good -- flavorful and moist -- and a big dish - more than I was expecting. My mom loved her dover sole as well - well flavored and interested ingredients, it came with fava beans, onions, arugula and pink peppercorn sauce.  On to dessert, my favorite part of the Daniel meal.  I ordered the chocolate peanut butter tart and it was fabulous - I can still taste it.  Photo below..I wish I could have it again right now. My mom ordered coffee ice cream, which was good, but nothing too original, except for the pretty serving dish; plus they brought us another dessert from the menu to try -- rhubarb tart, which was just ok. I guess if you love rhubarb, you might have liked it more than me. Then they brought us AWESOME mini madeleines to try -- I probably ate 4 or 5 of them. Then they brought us a tray of petit fours with more wonderful bites of deliciousness. Then they brought a 4-part tray tableside and we got to choose 1 more piece of chocolate to try.  I was in chocolate heaven and was really full by the time we left.  A great experience with very good food and excellent desserts.  # of dishes: 4.5 out of 5 dishes.

Sweeney Todd at Signature Theatre

It's hard to tell in this photo, but those are 'body bags' hanging from the ceiling. To end the show, they came out of the ceiling -- several of them around the theatre -- and scared me! 

I'd never seen Sweeney Todd before -- not the show or the movie, and I didn't know the music either.  Rebecca hooked me up with a ticket (thank you!) and I was glad to go -- since I love seeing shows at Signature Theatre.   They do GREAT productions with talented casts in intimate settings (they have 2 theatres, which each hold a few hundred seats). Back to Sweeney Todd.  I enjoyed the cast overall, but the music was just okay.  A few songs stuck with me and were fun to watch, but for the most part, it's forgettable music in my opinion.  It's a show with lots of blood and gore, which isn't my favorite. 

# of dishes: 3.5 out of 5

However, I'd like to say that most productions I see at Signature (located in Shirlington) are 5 out of 5.  For example -- their production of Les Miserables was awesome. 

So great to see that big of a show in a small setting, with VERY talented cast members. I went on my birthday (well worth the ticket price, approx. $50) and went again when I was offered a free ticket.  I'd go again tonight if it was playing.

Iron Chef America

I am a big fan Iron Chef America on the Food Network. 

If you've seen it, you know why. It's fast-paced and fun to watch the chefs create what looks like great food. It's also a challenge, so you find yourself hoping one chef takes the prize over the other. If you haven't seen it, I'll briefly explain what it's all about.  It's a 60 minute food challenge where 2 chefs go head-to-head to make 5 dishes in 60 minutes, all which showcase one specific ingredient.  At the beginning of the show, they announce the 'secret' ingredient and the chefs quickly get to work. However, I've heard that they do tell the chefs 3 possible ingredients before the show so they can somewhat prepare.  Once the ingredient is announced (such as: squash, ricotta, potato, beef, fish, asparagus....), it's a fast 60 minutes of great cooking.  It's always one Iron Chef (there are 6 of them, as pictured above) vs. the Challenger (top chefs from around the country). Each chef has 2 sioux chefs helping them out.

I really enjoy watching them at work, chopping, frying, blending...all with the announcer announcing (cause that's what an announcer does) what is taking place to us, the audience.  I like all parts of the show --- watching them cook and watching the judges taste the food, and hearing who wins the battle, as they call it.  I don't love Iron Chef Mario Batali.  Cat Cora and Bobby Flay are my favorites to watch.

After the 60 minutes, the chefs have 5 dishes plated and ready to be tasted.  The 3 judges taste each of the 5 dishes and give immediate feedback to the chef....then they fill out a scorecard and a winner is crowned -- based on points given for taste, plating and originality.  Most of the dishes are usually beautifully plated and look delicious.  Yes, the show makes me hungry. 

You can read more about the show here: Wikipedia: Iron Chef.   Check it out if you've never seen it before!

My Guacamole 'Recipe'

I used to hate guacamole, but now I love it.  I've recently learned that Whole Foods has great, ripe avocados, and I made some delicious guac with them.  Here is my recipe, which isn't really a recipe, but an adaptation from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (best.cookbook.ever):

Guacamole:
Avocados (2 or3)
Red onion  (1/4 of a small onion)
Cilantro (1/4 cup or estimate)
Lime Juice  (1-2 tablespoons)
Garlic (1 clove)
Salt (to taste)

Put all in a bowl, mix it together, and add more of whatever you think it needs.  Not much of a science to it.  Sometimes I put tomatoes in it, too. Dip your chip and enjoy!  (side note and wish: I wish they sold cilantro in smaller bunches, or pre-packaged, like they do for mint/basil/chives -- because I hate chopping it, and I also hate wasting most of it, which usually happens...).

Use this recipe for Cinco de Mayo on May 5!

Homemade Pizza Co. & Flippin' Pizza

Homemade Pizza Co. -- recommended to me by Stacy last month, and I've had it twice.  It's a chain that is in Illinois (think pizza town Chicago), Minnesota, and now the DC area with 5 locations.  

I know, these photos are probably making you hungry for pizza. You pick it up and it's wrapped in plastic, and placed on parchment paper, which is the key to making it crisp up perfectly.  Bring it home and cook it up when you are ready (approx. 10 min) -- I loved the thin crust and their sauce. I've tried the Meisian (tomatoes/basil), the BBQ Chicken, and Pepperoni.  I loved them all.  Just be careful you don't burn it, like we did slightly.  If you open an account on their website, you will get coupons emailed to you -- at 4:00 pm on Friday, just in time for the weekend.  Great ingredients, great pizza. I realized I had been passing by their store in Arlington for months without noticing it...it's located in a small strip of stores on Lee Highway near Glebe Road, but the word Homemade is so big, and Pizza Co. is small, I never noticed it.  It's located right near a bakery, a wine shop, Starbucks, and some other shops. They also have good salads and chocolate chip cookies -- which you also bake like a pizza in your own oven -- we even cut it up in slices like a pizza.  why not?  It was really good, too. Prices are a little high, but I think it's worth it. 

Flippin' Pizza -- New York pizza by the slice. enough said. We don't have enough 'pizza by the slice' in this area, and I'm really glad this opened near us in Falls Church.  It's a tiny store, with 2 tables out front, right on route 7, and some tables inside. The name of the place is fun to say -- 'want some Flippin' Pizza today'?? -- and the price is right. They have a good selection of pizza -- i like the white pizza with basil/ricotta and of course the pepperoni.  Jeb likes that they sell beer -- specifically miller lite.

# of dishes for Homemade: 4 out of 5

# of dishes for Flippin': 3.5 out of 5

Sou'Wester in the Mandarin Oriental

The opera Porgy and Bess was excellent...and the cast party at Sou'Wester restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental in DC was a great follow-up.  I didn't get to try every dish that was offered, but what I had was very good.  Perfectly made (and large) hush puppies with honey butter on the side. (for you northerners -- hush puppies are a savory starch based food made from cornmeal batter that is deep fried or baked in small ball or sphere shapes - wiki definition).  Also on the menu -- Chicken and dumplings.  Risotto with broccoli tempura. And of course dessert: mini red velvet cupcakes, apple crumb bars, pecan tassies and turtle brownies. Each one was about two bites, so I had to try them all -- and they were presented very nicely, all on a cutting board looking wood slab and passed around.  A delicious celebration of a wonderful production and cast! 

# of dishes: 3 out of 5 -- but I'd like to return for a full meal to give another rating