#beccammendations

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Beccammendations: Volume 50, Tortaria

NOT ONLY is this the 50th Beccammendations post- but it’s also my birthday post! I cannot believe I have shared 50 posts with all you guys (I also can’t believe I have eaten that much food in the past hear and half). Yesterday my co-workers and I ventured down to University place for some tacos and margaritas. We found ourselves at the eye-catching Tortaria, enjoying some incredible Mexican cuisine.

I will say I am a sucker for anywhere that has a la carte menus. I love having the option to mix-and-match dishes and try everything. We split a large order of the guacamole and chips (which was enough for the 3 of us) - let me not forget to mention the extensive serve your own salsa bottles available, which also complimented the chips quite nicely. One of my absolute favorite meals when at a Mexican restaurant is chimichangas, because let’s get real, EVERYTHING tastes better fried, especially a burrito. Tortaria serves an order of 2 mini chimichangas, if you can picture 2-taco-sized chimichangas, that was basically what they were. Perfectly crunchy on the outside, stuffed with steak, beans, cheese and rice. It was topped with pico de gallo, crema, and salsa verde. If I had to think of an ideal chimichanga, this was it. Though the portion looked small, personally I was satisfied.

Now let’s talk about the margarita’s. $40 for a pitcher of some STRONG margaritas. I won’t lie I was a tad bit tipsy leaving Tortaria, but they tasted delicious!

If you’re looking for a fun, informal, casual Mexican experience with authentic food and drinks - that also won’t break the bank - look no further. Thank me after you try the chimichangas and margaritas (as long as you don’t drink too many and forget, then you’ll just have to go back!).

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Beccammendations: Volume 49, Dutch Kills Centraal, LIC

*BECCAMMENDATIONS BRUNCH ALERT! 

As summer winds down, my friends and I find ourselves sticking to the city on the weekends and trying new brunch spots. Most recently we ventured out to explore a borough we have neglected in the past, Queens! We found ourselves at Dutch Kills Centraal in Long Island City, described on their website as “more than a pub”, offering a great brunch deal.

$14.99 for a brunch entree with your first brunch drink is an awesome deal in my book. I ordered the Omelette of which I had the option of ordering 3 toppings. I went with goat cheese, mushrooms, and spinach and chose sausage as my side. This omelette was very filling, the ingredients were fresh and the french fries were SO GOOD. There was even a little side salad included. I felt a little bit better about ordering a whole bottle of the sparkling wine to split with my friend since I hit all the main food groups in this meal. My friend Jenn went with her go-to biscuits and gravy order. This was a huge portion (you can see if peeking in the background of the picture of my omelette). Of course I insisted on tasting hers and it was so savory and delicious. Not only was the food exceptionally satisfying, our waiter was so friendly and the service was great!

Whether you’re looking for a good brunch spot or perhaps somewhere to grab a drink in Long Island City, I highly recommend Dutch Kills Centraal. Awesome food, amazing service, and an aesthetically pleasing ambiance.

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Beccammendations: Volume 48, Chef’s Club NY - Summer Restaurant Week 2016

This is quite literally the freshest beccammendations post in beccammendations history. Since it is 2016 Summer Restaurant Week here in NYC, I find it only fitting to present you all with my insanely delicious dining experience last night at Chef’s Club NY. Nestled in the hip NoLiTa/SoHo neighborhood on Mulberry Street - just South of Houston, the food paired with the ambiance allowed for a truly unique escapade.

A little background on Chef’s Club, “Chefs Club by Food & Wine is a restaurant in New York City’s NoLiTa where guests can experience the spectacular signature dishes of greatest chefs from around the country and the world paired with fabulous wines. The seasonal, innovative menu is a one-of-a-kind blend of recipes by select winners of the prestigious Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs Award as well as other brilliant chefs, including Chefs Club’s very own Culinary Director Didier Elena, Executive Chef Matthew Aita and Executive Pastry Chef Jared Sexton. The dishes are all prepared by the talented Chefs Club team in the open kitchen, which is ringed by counter seating so diners can get an up-close view of the action. The kitchen also provides a dramatic focus of the spacious  Rockwell-designed brick-walled dining room.” I knew right away this was the restaurant I was going to for restaurant week.

One of my good friends who has turned into somewhat of a beccammendations “PIC”, Jenn, accompanied me during this endeavor. We both started with the Calamari A La Plancha - served with hummus toast, the calamari tossed with dill, mint, giardiniera, and smoked paprika. I’m not even sure how to describe the flavors that were coming together in this dish. The spicy, crunch of the chopped giardiniera vegetables combined with the freshly and perfectly cooked calamari was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. When I put the calamari on the hummus toast it was just amazing. As Jenn and I said last night, the word of the night was “wow” because that was what we said after every first, second, and third bite of all three courses. Incredible.

For my main course I ordered the Spicy Beef Ribs, created be Chef Bryant NG. They were made with a chili glaze, basil, and cilantro and accompanied by large lettuce leaves with mint. Meant to be eaten like a lettuce wrap. I asked for my ribs extra spicy, as I tend to be a heat seeker and love a good spicy beef. Chef’s Club delivered on the spicy. It was PERFECT. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, literally fell off the bone, and shredded into a delicious lettuce wrap, my plate was cleaned. I should also note that this was an exceptionally large portion. Some restaurants skimp on portion sizes during restaurant week, but not Chef’s Club! For Jenn’s main course, she ordered the Crispy Florida Grouper - yuzu slaw and shiso emulsion. A great size cut of grouper paired with a refreshing and zesty slaw, gently swimming in the shiso emulsion. This dish had some tangy-ness to it and was nothing short of amazing.

For the third and final course, dessert, I ordered the Panna Cotta, a delicious gelatin, sweet cream mold with raspberry sorbet on top and angel-food-cake-like cubes surrounding it accompanied by fresh rasperries and sugar coated blueberries. This was just out of this world. It was so different, the combination of flavors hitting my tastebuds was overwhelming. Again, “wow”. Jenn ordered the Chocolate Pretzel Whoopie Pie which was pretzel ice cream, peanut, whipped cream, and stout-caramel sauce wrapped up in two chocolate whoopie pie pieces. This was intense. The pretzel ice cream tasted like salted vanilla, with the crushed peanuts, the sauce, and the chocolate pie pieces it was also a “wow” moment. So many flavors, brought together in 1 bite that made up some new, never before-like experience.

I had to make sure I posted this today as Summer Restaurant Week comes to a close on the 19th which is this Friday! Get your reservation at Chef’s Table RIGHT NOW and take advantage of tasting one of the best restaurants in New York City at a cheaper price than normal! If you can’t make it for restaurant week, you should still make an attempt to visit, regardless of the price tag.

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Beccammendations: Volume 47, Pete’s Tavern

As we all know, New York City has copious amounts of fine dining, eateries, cafeterias, pubs, lounges, bars, wine bars, restaurants every other (or some blocks every single) store front. Since working at my new job at Hogarth, 2 of my coworkers and I have made it a point to get together for a sit down lunch every 2 weeks or so on Friday, depending on our availability. Most recently, Whitney, Dan, and I ventured to Pete’s Tavern on East 18th Street and Irving Place. We had heard rumors of the restaurant being haunted, since according to their website, “Pete’s Tavern is the oldest continuously operating restaurant & bar in New York City.” We also heard their burgers were pretty good.

Since I was in the mood for a good burger I chose a traditional bacon cheeseburger with fries and coleslaw. My go-to cheese for a burger is cheddar (unless there’s some sort of house blend advertised), I always opt for my burger to be cooked medium-rare, and my bacon to be crispy. Now first off, this burger was massive. The burger patty itself was at least an inch and a half thick, topped with melted cheddar cheese and crunchy bacon, lettuce and tomato. The french fries were like steak fries and they were crispy on the outside, potatoey on the inside. I have to note that I like when I get french fries that are not overly seasoned, giving me the option to put on as much salt and pepper on my own. Now, can I say this was the greatest burger I have ever eaten? No. But it was pretty damn good for $10.95 at a sit down lunch. Unfortunately, no ghosts were spotted but Pete’s Tavern was definitely decorated with the history of the bar and New York City, having been open since 1864.

If you’re looking for an old fashioned, traditional New York City restaurant to bring some out of towners to, or to just relax with your friends or coworkers over a delicious meal and a cold beer, look no further than Pete’s Tavern! You won’t leave feeling hungry or thirsty, and make sure you let me know if you find any ghosts!

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Beccammendations: Volume 45, Union Fare

Hi Everyone! Sorry for the lack of weekly posts. Summer is one of my busiest times of the year! Recently I stopped into a new “eatery” that just opened in Union Square called, Union Fare. On their website they describe themselves as, “a contemporary marketplace and restaurant with two iconic bars. Spanning a full city block”. I stopped into this hip new spot for lunch with my sister when she was visiting.

Let me start off by saying this is EXACTLY what this area needs. An upscale-feel with traditional cafeteria flare. We went to the marketplace area and were immediately drawn to the Union Fare Poke counter. For those of you who don’t know what Poke is, it’s basically like a sushi bowl or a “fish salad”. I ordered the Hang Ten bowl which is made up of salmon, yuzu, edamame, cilantro, pickled mushrooms, and sesame seeds served over a bed of greens and rice. Both my sister and I were extremely impressed with this bowl. The salmon was fresh, edamame was perfect, and the pickled mushrooms offered so much flavor and a little bit of a bite and gingery taste which truly tied the entire dish together. The sesame seeds and cilantro are the perfect garnish, adding an extra pop of crunch and flavor. These bowls cost $12 and they are packed, I remember saying when I picked mine up, “Wow, this is heavy!”. It felt like a substantial salad. I was satisfied with my decision.

Other counters you can choose from are the salad bar, the bakery, the roasts & soups (sandwiches here!), the street food (tacos here!), the cafe & wine bar, and raw bar. The happy hour starts at noon and there’s a lovely sitting area you can enjoy plentiful people watching opportunities. So next time you are indecisive about what you want to eat for lunch, head over to Union Fare! The options are endless!

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Beccammendations: Volume 44, Posa Posa Restaurant and Pizzeria

This week’s beccammendations holds a very special place in my heart. I’m going to start with a bit of a backstory for those of you who may not know me personally. My mother is Italian and Russian, and my father is Irish and Swedish. Basically, this makes me a European mutt, A.K.A. an American. However, the two cultures that I felt the strongest influences from were Italian and Irish. In regards to food and cooking, specifically Italian culture. When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to make her Sunday sauce weekly, my mother then took over making quarts of sauce on Sundays after my grandmother passed away. If you ask my parents, I always had my hands in some sort of ingredient to assist my mother in any cooking or baking that was taking place. Little did I know as a kid, I would eventually work in an amazing family-owned Italian restaurant and pizzeria. Posa Posa Restaurant and Pizzeria, the best in Rockland County, NY, where I grew up. I will always feel like they are an extension of family, and I always know I can find an incredibly delicious and reasonably priced meal here.

I started working at Posa when I was 14, before I worked there my sister did, and my mother currently hostesses there on weekends, and my younger brother, who is now 14, will begin working there this summer. Obviously, I’m not just here to tell you about my family, but about the absolutely amazing food and pizza Posa pumps out seven days a week! I honestly cannot narrow down the best dishes here, because literally everything is incredible. From the fresh ingredients, the homemade house dressing, the pizza, the garlic knots, pasta, chicken, seafood. The list quite literally does not end. Aside from the extensive menu that is offered daily, they also serve up a list of daily specials. You may wait an extra few minutes for your food, but you are getting made-to-order dishes in a cozy, warm environment.

Ok, time to talk about my go-to orders. For pizza, you will not find me ever missing a Roman slice from Posa’s pizza counter. Similar to a stromboli, this stuffed square pizza is made up of 2 pizza crusts filled with potatoes, cheese, onions, pepperoni, and sausage. Dip it in some warm, homemade marinara sauce and it tastes like you’ve transported to pizza heaven. Undeniably my favorite pizza. For pasta, I would say my all time favorite dishes off the menu are the Ziti Aum Aum and the Rigatoni Modo Mio. The Ziti Aum Aum is made with ziti pasta, diced eggplant and mozzarella cheese, in a light tomato sauce. This is a traditional Italian pasta dish, head to Positano, Italy and you will find yourself the same dish served up in most restaurants. The Rigatoni Modo Mio is a newer dish, added to Posa’s new menu a few years ago. Rigatoni pasta, with grilled chicken, crumbled sausage, fresh tomatoes & fresh spinach in a pink sauce. I would personally recommend splitting this dish with a friend, family member, or significant other if you’re not absolutely starving. Don’t get me wrong - I have finished a whole dish on my own, but, I did need a nap immediately following. It is honestly one of the tastiest dishes.

While I could write a novel on all the incredible meals that Posa offers, I will leave you all with these “beccammendations”, so that you can visit and set out on a flavorful journey of your own. Tell them Becca sent you and make sure you look for Joyce, my mom, the hostess! Buon appetito!

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Beccammendations: Volume 43, Fatty Crab

As a food blogger, the lifestyle can get expensive. I have no shame in getting deals when I can find them. One way to try new restaurants is through sites like Groupon or LivingSocial. One Sunday, my weekend warrior and Sunday dinner companion, Jenn, and I found ourselves on Groupon, looking for a good deal at a cool new restaurant. We stumbled upon Fatty Crab in the West Village. This place IS my newest obsession.

We really did our homework with this one. Jenn on groupon, me on yelp, cross-referencing reviews, checking menu items, really making sure we made the right move. This adorable little restaurant has so much to offer and should not be overlooked by any means. If you like asian food like me (and Jenn), you will NOT be disappointed. We started with the shrimp chips and the shrimp and belly, found on the “snacks” and “small bites” section of their menu. The shrimp and belly was AH-mazing. So good, we didn’t even have a chance to snap a photo since we immediately devoured it. Crispy chili glazed shrimp, lardons, onion, cilantro. Literally life changing experience. We were sitting at the bar, and the bartender told us that the noodle dishes could be shared, as they were larger portions. So, we split the Wet Wonton noodle soup. Shrimp & pork dumplings, char siew, broccoli, noodles, broth. This was seriously delicious. The flavor of the broth alone was incredible. I would drink it everyday. The noodles were perfectly cooked, dumplings were juicy, everything complimented each other exquisitely. I’m sure most of you are wondering what char siew is, as was I when I was there, it is a barbecued pork that is popular in Cantonese cuisine. There was a lot going on in this soup and it was amazing. Our meal did not end there, our kind bartender offered us their homemade pickle juice, pickle back shots. THEY WERE SO GOOD. I love pickles, I love whiskey, I love asian food, all around fantastic experience. We do have to go back though, as the one small plate we wanted to try was not available at the time, the quail egg shooters described on the menus as slow-poached quail eggs, tasting of sambals. Stay tuned for the update on that one!

All in all, the Fatty Crab is a major contender for some of the best noodles I’ve ever tasted. Flavor, exoticism, and a great environment to enjoy them in. Next time you find yourself wandering around on a lazy Sunday, looking for a good, hearty, and delicious meal look no further than the Fatty Crab!

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Beccammendations: Volume 42, Carroll Place

Do you find yourself looking for a new, affordable, cozy place to grab dinner or drinks with your friends? Maybe you’re looking for a new date night spot. My good friend was looking for a restaurant to have her birthday dinner and elected me to choose one (common occurrence due to the whole ‘food blogger’ thing I have going for me), I knew just the place. Over the winter, a good friend of mine introduced me to Carroll Place near NYU. Located on the corner of Thompson and Bleecker streets, I find it easily accessible as there are plenty of subways nearby and the PATH is a few short blocks away. Whenever I try a new restaurant I ask what they are known for. Carroll Place did not disappoint.

This rustic-chic, intimate establishment has hands down some of the BEST wings I have ever had in my life. Wood fired rosemary chicken wings. If you’re sitting at the end of the bar you can see opening of the wood fired oven where the pizzas and wings are on a constant rotation. The smells is intoxicating. The wings are crispy, juicy, meaty, exploding with aromas of rosemary and garlic. Every person I have brought here after has agreed, these may be some of the best wings they’ve ever consumed.

Carroll Place also offers an insanely good cheese and charcuterie selection as well as amazing small plates, main courses, and sides. I am guilty of pretty much devouring as many wings as possible when I do go there. I feel wrong not ordering them. My favorite side is either the sauteed broccoli rabe or the truffle fries, and for the sake of being fair, I usually order both (go big or go home, peeps!). Make sure to ask what wine’s are on tap, yes, I said wine on tap, the perfect compliment to the chicken wings, in my opinion is a nice, dry, Chardonnay.

Next time you find yourself looking for somewhere to dine, scrolling through yelp, remember where you heard about Carroll Place, and remember to order the wings when you get there. If you’re lucky, there may even be live music in the back room when you get there!