Get Real Get Right

Alice, amazed at the aisles filled with the most ridiculous selection of Barilla; sticky figgy gelato from EATaly (it was gross and even Alice threw hers away)

Not pictured: the Stumptown baristas chucking newspapers while stroking their staches

Juicy lamb burger (side of cumin mustard) and charcuterie at the Breslin

Mac n cheese pancakes and ebelskivers from Shopsins

High and low: afternoon tea at Bergdorf with Jess, then late night Shake Shack

Cheesecake and pies

Ice cream galore to combat the scorching heat

Vegan "burger" and curry pan at the UES Japanese Soul Food Fest

OK, I didn't intend to spend more time and money on Mr. Chang, but how could I resist a $25 pre fixe power lunch with Wendy?? Spring rolls in particular were deceptively modern

Not pictured: wasabi-packed uni panini from El Quinto Pino, multiple stops for iced coffee at Ost and the Third Rail pop-up at Rapha, the feeding of 5000 at Madangsui, yet another depressing defeat at The Australian, and a feast of Chino Latino and congealed Joe Shanghai leftovers!

Looking forward to colder weather... it's starting to smell like fall!

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Kim + Mike

About a month ago, I started prepping for Kim and Mike's wedding pretty much right off the plane from Paris. Kim was an absolute delight to work with and really just the sweetest bride ever! She's also an extremely creative architect, and designed/drew the invitations and background herself, as well as the hanging decorations. You can check out her description of the wedding on the PW blog, and there are more photos on PW's featured wedding of the week. Once Wed also posted some photos of the wedding on their blog.

Of course, my friend Grace put the table together, and Jess kept the sanity and was a real savior/trooper. I really could not do anything without them! =)

Here's the menu:

Buttermilk panna cotta tart / lemon curd
Mini berry pies with lattice (time-consuming, but so cute it's worth it)
Lavender cupcakes / lemon buttercream
Mascarpone cheesecake / blackberry sage glaze
Chocolate mousse peanut butter bar
Chocolate chip cookies
Oatmeal cookies with cherries and pistachios
White chocolate citrus macadamia cookies
Watermelon (bride's favorite)
Earl gray chiffon cake / orange blossom buttercream (for cutting)

All photos are courtesy of Orange Turtle Photography

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All Delighted People

I've been eating out a ridiculous amount lately, but good food with good friends is never something to complain about. Another restaurant that opened on 10-Aug was Commonwealth, brought to you by the MSF team. We decided to forgo the tasting and went a la carte, where our favorite dishes were the marrow-stuffed squid (deliciously smoky), the hen which was cooked perfectly, and the "s'more" dessert that had a punch of cardamom. The space is comfortable even if our table was too small, and the casual atmosphere definitely made the "fine dining" experience more accessible.

I also had a meal at Limon Rotisserie, a more casual offshoot of Limon on Valencia. While the interior of the space looks like your standard trendy Mission restaurant, the food was actually REALLY CHEAP. My friend and I shared a whole chicken that came with two sides, and it was more than enough food so we packed leftovers. Even better, it was only $20. For the both of us. So ridiculous! If I lived closer I would definitely make it a ritual to have dinner there followed by trivia at Shotwell's.

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benu

The standout dish: "shark's fin soup" with a delicately silky truffle custard at the base

It's too early to say much about Benu, but I definitely appreciated how much thought and precision went into the food, space, and the service. I have mixed feelings, but again, it's only day 3! Any restaurant needs time to find its groove and get situated, regardless of the caliber of the team.

(R) Monkfish liver torchon was truly beautiful to look at, and the accompanying brioche was quite perfect

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Something Old Something New

Eiji miso cod and strawberry mochi (photos courtesy of she-rene)

Lots and lots of puff pastry dough and butter, pizza from Americano

Brussel sprout chips (the lemon really makes it sing!), ADD burger drenched in grease from Marlowe

Pork bun from Spice Kit (short ribs are pretty money), kouglof and pain au chocolat et pistache from Laduree

some dish from the lazy ox, burma superstar leftovers

heart attack from namu, santa ramen on easter sunday

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A Moveable Feast

Two weeks ago I was sent on a last minute business trip to Paris. While it sounds glamorous, trust me... it was ALL WORK and barely any play. I did manage to eke out a few meals at places I hadn't tried last time, and we had Bastille Day off and decided to take advantage despite our exhaustion. Fireworks behind the Eiffel Tower ain't bad after some long days.

One place I didn't get a chance to go to last time was Le Chateaubriand, which was just 2 blocks away from where I had stayed then. Since we weren't getting out of the office until after 8pm anyway, we decided to try for their second seating which is only for walk-ins (after unsuccessfully getting a table at Frenchie who was booked until mid-August). Although their reputation is as much about the trendy clientele as it is the food, the space was actually very comfortable and the staff really friendly (and English-speaking!). Waiting an hour with a red wine in hand on a warm evening with a good friend is not bad at all. The food was incredibly creative and exciting, and I eagerly anticipated the arrival of every dish, something I haven't felt since maybe Le Bernardin or Providence. I would definitely go back next time I'm in town, even if it means eating past midnight again.

Veau d'Hugo, navets, foie de morue

Fraises aux vin, safran / glace au lait ribo, herbes, beurre noisette mmmm

Despite how toursity Le Comptoir is, we managed to eat there twice, mostly out of convenience. The best part about this bistro is that they don't take reservations! It's difficult to plan your schedule when you are working unpredictable hours on an unpredictable business trip. The pig definitely reigns here.

Basket of charcuterie which included the most ridiculously large piece of andouille

Milk-braised cochon that was so tender the meat was at times indistinguishable from the fat; "fried shoes" according to Gigi's misguided translator... petit peas that were not so petit, mushrooms, and fava beans mmm

Here are some other random bits:

Maybe the best scrambled eggs I've ever had at La Maison de la Truffe

Veal carpaccio at Les Fines Gueles, where we discovered that oysters are only in season in the winter; L'as du Fallafel before the world cup final

No trip is complete without a little Pierre! Ispahan and Celeste ice creams, and of course, the ispahan croissant (which I wanted to bring back but we couldn't make it again). We also took multiple trips to Fauchon for proximity (they have a pretty good hazelnut bostock), and Laduree (mmm chocolate + pistachio croissant)

* Some photos are from Gigi's camera, and the ispahan croissant photo is actually from my sister on our last trip. Sometimes eating right away is more important than getting a shot, especially when it comes to this thing of beauty

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