#EmpireDiner EMPIRE DINER

I ordered Pork on Pork Chop and Pease on Pease Panzenella.

Catchy order you'll never forget.

I get ideas on preparing my next meal at home by asking the ingredients and pretty much getting an idea how it was done.

Above are several pease family items - pea shoots, cut up pease and snap pease with pease purée and croutons made with rye bread toasted and with Parmesan cheese.

Above is fried thick pork chop with fried crisp pancceta in top served on delicious beans with some baby kale.  Imagine gourmet pork and beans.

This is a gourmet upscale diner.

Excellent Anerjcan food!

EMPIRE DINER

220 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10011

1-212-596-7523

RED CORN

Today I went to a Specialty store in SoHo and picked up red corn to try:

This red corn was covered with attractive lime green husk.  I couldn't wait to try it.

I removed the husk and boiled it in salted water for about 10 minutes.

I tell you, it's one of the sweetest corn I've ever tasted!

Red corn is supposed to have more anti-oxidants. 

Ruby Jewel® sweet red corn gets its marvelous color straight from traditionally bred, heirloom style seeds. The color is a plant pigment called anthocyanins, part of a family of health friendly molecules called flavinoids. 

Anthocyanins are flavinoids that may help increase the antioxident capacity of the blood and may help maintain good brain function. The tissues of all higher plants contain anthocyanins, which is one more reason why fruits and vegetables are an important part of a good diet.

SOFT SHELL CRAB

It's in season! It's also more expensive now.  But it's so easy to make and so delicious!

You can use any seasoned flour, cornmeal, or even packaged breadcrumbs. 

I used olive oil to fry it in this time which I normally don't but I felt like having the Mediterranean flavor tonight.

For my vegetable, I made dandelion greens (also in season) sautéed in thick bacon pieces (preferably without preservatives), minced shallots and garlic,  some white wine, organic raisins and some maple syrup to balance the bitterness seasoned with sea salt flames at the end.

 I had to have a cup of mini organic arugula with balsamic glaze and oil.

Before dinner, I warmed up some baguette crisp and had some cheese and Iberico chorizo without sodium nitrates.

OSTERIA MORINI

Can't stay indoors on such a beautiful sunny day in the 60s!  What started as an open house to see in Greenwjch Village ended up snacking and going around in SoHo with some friends.

They wanted to drink - but I'd rather find a good place to snack without eating sugar.

What started to be a wait at a restaurant nearby (another favorite of mine) turned out to be instant seat at Osteria Morjni.

We sat by the bar because they wanted to drink. Here's my order:

I ordered 3 crostinis. 

From left to right:

Parmesan Cheese "Gelato" - pure aged Parmesan cheese grated then whipped I suppose served drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Middle: farro and peas purée

Right: lamb crudo

The bread was slice, brushed with probably olive oil then toasted in the oven.

It was a satisfactory meal all it's own.  Enjoyed it!

OSTERIA MORINI

1. 218 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012
2. (212) 965-8777

   
   

EL PRESIDENTE #Mexicanreataurantnyc

My long awaited new restaurant in the Flatiron area turned out to be like a copy of Tacombi in SoHo.  They charge pretty similar but the crispy fish  taco at El Presidente is a little larger without the Volkswagen Wagon order station and the outdoor feel.

Although El Prediente makes an awesome crisp fries mahi mahi taco, I miss the unique sauces at my more favored SoHo taco place which is why I rate this lower. 

This place is more accessible to me  though. 

And El Presidente has more variety of tacos.  I liked the gringo which tasted like Mexican pizza.  

Their menu above, and our tacos below:

This is a pretty big piece of mahi mahi - like a nice tempura.

I had to order the kale taco for a balanced diet

Their condiments upon request - usual Mexican sauces unlike at Tacombi in SoHo.

  And if you want a watermelon drink called watermelon sangria - it has alcohol.

But we ordered the watermelon SANDRIA - which is plain watermelon drink. I wonder if it had agave because it was sweeter than what I normally make at home with my Vitamix.

I will be coming to this branch more often if they start serving their tacos with my 4 favorite sauces at Tacombi.

Cafe El Presidente 
30 West 24th St., Flatiron 
646-429-8284 
cafeelpresidente.com 

ORIENTAL GARDEN #Chinesefood

I have added Oriental Garden as my new favorite Chinese restaurant in New York City.

The place is clean (including the bathrooms) and the food is good.

They offer both dim-sum or food from the menu.  Some dishes are not found in the menu but if you've attended a party using their "party menu",  you could describe it like playing "charades" and may luckily be able to order them a la carte that day.

One of those dishes look like this:

I still don't know what it's called. But they are tiny almost invisible fish coated in light batter and deep fried.  I try to avoid fried foods but I do like this one on occasion.

When you make a dinner dinner reservation that can seat an entire table, they will set the table pretty elegantly.

They have fish tanks at the entrance with live shrimp for them to cook ordered by the pound, or geoduck clams also weighed by pound prepared for you.

Above are the geoduck clams.

Below looks like eel in the tank:

ORIENTAL GARDEN

14 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013

BETONY #Betony

Last week I treated myself to a wonderful lunch and even conversed with Chef Bryce Shuman who was very helpful and informative about the dish I ordered:

Poached lobster perfectly done and need I mention a work of art.

After he explained what he did to my poached lobster, I've decided to just come back to this restaurant and have him prepare it.  It's my joy to eat out and eat such a dish!

I chose the pate above as my appetizer served with the gelee on the side that complimented the pork pate with minced parsley. 

Home made buttered bread with flakes of salt was crisp and a perfect choice to eat my appetizer with.

A good cup of macchiato was a perfect ending for a good lunch.

I love this restaurant because the food had a clean taste and aesthetically presented at the right price!

BETONY

41 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019

(212) 465-2400

BEECHERS #Beechers

Love their cheese so I ordered their grilled cheese sandwich and their beet salad:

The grilled cheese comes with a small salad. But I wanted more vegetables so I ordered their beet salad. (The waiter have me a tip that I should choose the beet salad because it more roots than salad. And he was right 

It was a treat. Orange segments with red and orange quarters of cooked beets with caramelized pecans and chopped apples and rounded into mini balls of herbed goat cheese.

This place is known for their Mac & Cheese. 

BEECHER'S

900 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

(212) 466-3340

#AMPLE HILLS #Ice Cream

Being from Manhattan, it's always a treat to find outstanding food outside Manhattan. This is worth breaking my diet after a taste:

Strong burnt caramel flavor with chunks of chocolate toffee bars in it. 

My photo doesn't do it justice - I took it haphazardly to join my friends at the recent Rioja Tapas Feat 14 I attended yesterday.

Simply put, a treat not to avoid.

Nearest available place to Manhattanites is at the Brooklyn Bridge Oark near Pier 5.  They will surely see me there some time.

SIMPLE LOBSTER #Lunch

Using my left over lobster claws, #EricKayser's croissant:

Season it with Craig's lobster love seasoning or a little Old Bay Seasoning drizws with melted unsalted butter.  A delicious quick lobster sandwich lunch!

Also eating my left over white asparagus that I trimmed, and boiled (not steamed) for about 8-10 minutes which I dip in my aioli mayonnaise.

To make Aioli Mayonnaise:

Just get a garlic through a garlic press and mix well with good mayonnaise.

You can use the same mayonnaise for cooked mini cooked potatoes.