Fiesta Fiesta!

Thank god for the holidays otherwise I’d have no excuse for the bender of drinks and all things delicious I’ve managed to inhale these last few weeks. You may think I don’t eat anything other than Italian or pizza from the looks of it (I swear I do)! 

With that said, I must give a shout out to another one of my favorite pizza joints in the area Arturo’s Pizza.  Arturo's is the perfect place to have a date or go out for a night with friends without any fuss. It’s old school, classic NYC coal oven pizza served with a side of jazz music in a down to earth setting. I especially like to sit outside in the summer and people watch. They offer many other delicious Italian dishes and apps besides pizza including a fab calamari and an arugula and parmigiano salad (a few of my favs). But don't be fooled pizza is the main event here.

This visit I opted for the special appetizer…macaroni and cheese balls. Let me tell you…these were delish! Creamy mac and cheese with a hint of truffle oil deep-fried in a crispy breadcrumb crust did not disappoint! WE devoured them so fast I didn't even manage a pic:(

As usual I convinced my girlfriend to get the fiesta pizza with me. It’s an absolute must and the best pizza choice on the menu. Sausage, peppers, onions and mushrooms with no substitutions allowed…for a reason people! The crust is crispy and the toppings always fresh. We split the small and there wasn’t a slice left. 

Once again Arturo's you didn't let me down, with the good service and great food...Little Star gives it 4 solid little stars. Definitely a must try in NYC!

Happy Eating!

oxox

Little Star

Burgers and Barrel...Oh My!

In case you haven’t noticed yet..I am a meat lover.  There really isn’t any kind I won’t try. In fact at my holiday staff dinner last night there happened to be Elk on the menu.  I actually had every intention of ordering it until my co-worker suggested that it sounded so close to “reindeer”, it would be sacrilegious to order it during the holidays. I certainly don’t want to be anyone’s Grinch so I went without. 

There, now that we’ve got that introduction out of the way and I’ve scared my vegetarian friends for life, let’s move on to what I’m actually writing about which is Burger & Barrel. B&B opened a few months ago in the ‘hood and I’ve been wanting to try this wine pub ever since! Wine on tap?What a fab idea!  I went when it was raining and it was just our luck, as we were able to sit down right away.  I started with the Merlot from the tap which I was told is locally made in Brooklyn with grapes from the North Fork of Long Island. It was very good although I couldn’t taste the difference between a "tap wine" and a bottle wine...but it’s all about sounding cool anyway.

Started the evening with the B&B Chopped Salad which was made up of romaine, hearts of palm, asparagus, corn, radish, feta and olives tossed in a creamy dressing which sounds like a smorgasbord of ingredients but I must say really worked well together. It was a perfect way to start the meal.

Deciding on which burger to get was difficult. I had heard of the  $45 dollar white truffle burger which sounds to die for, but after much consideration I narrowed it down to the good ol’ fashion  classic for $13 bucks. Lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, american cheese, special sauce atop a perfectly cooked, medium, juicy patty enclosed by a pillowy bun and served with 2 onion rings on top..D-E-L-I-S-H! 

I also managed to finish the whole thing and not feel like a morbid obese whale after. Portion size was on point! Def recommend opting for the sweet potato fries which were some of the best I’ve tasted. 

Burger & Barrel makes a fantastic burger by any measure and I give it 3 ½ Little Stars.  Can’t wait to go back again…perhaps they will have an elk burger by then.

Happy Eating!

oxox

The Daily Dish

And the Golden Globes Nominees are…

Hollywood has been abuzz since the golden globe nominations were announced in tinsel town today.  I’m super excited as the "best picture" nominees usually make up my wish list of movies to see whilst at home for the holidays.

No big surprises in the best picture-drama category with nods for:

a. Black Swan
b. The Fighter
c. Inception
d. The King’s Speech
e. The Social Network

I saw Black Swan this past weekend and I have to say the jury is still out. I wanted to really love it but I’m still confused and not sure how I feel about it. If I had to rate it right now I’d give it 2 ½ Little Stars. Everyone who has seen it..you know what I'm talking about...right!?

If I had to choose from the few I’ve seen, I think Inception was by far the best movie of the year.  It was innovative, exciting, a terrific cast (who doesn’t like staring at Leo for 2.5 hrs) and really unlike anything else I’ve experienced in a long time. In fact I’d give the movie my first ever official FIVE Little Stars.  

My only gripe is that I think my man Leo got robbed of a best actor nod and deserves to be up there this year with Marky Mark. Besides I think I'm still really bitter from his Titantic snub years ago. Come on!

So looks like I’ll also be making time for The Fighter, The Social Network and The King’s Speech in the next few weeks. Bring on the movie theater popcorn!

Happy Eating!

oxox

Add another one to the 'hood...

Congrats to every NYC pizza lover I know…say hello to my little friend and newest kid on the block, Artichoke pizza. The Staten Island bred brother duo, opened their 3rd slice joint a few weeks ago in my hood on MacDougal Street. I had the late night craving this past weekend and was finally able to try what everyone has been talking about since the original opened in 2008.  My girlfriend and I decided we had to try the infamous spinach-artichoke slice and since we were in the gorging mood, get a margaritha slice as well and split them.

Let’s get to the the not so good news first. After the initial few bites of the artichoke slice I was really liking it, creamy sauce, infused with garlic, butter, wine and chucks of spinach and artichokes, who wouldn’t love that? But by the time I reached my 4th bite it felt like I had eaten a huge tub of spinach-artichoke dip in one sitting and I’m not saying that in a good way.  At $4.50 a slice, I’d maybe try it again and split it among at least 3 people, giving it 1 ½ stars.

Now, moving on to the good news. I was pleasantly surprised how delish the margaritha slice really was! I’ve had my fair share of NY style pizza slices and I must say this has to be one of the best I’ve tasted. Chunks of basil, gooey cheese, tomatoes that taste like they’re from san marzano on a crisp crust that held its form really rocked my world (and it had nothing to do with the booze inhaled prior to my arrival, if that’s what you’re thinking). 

Needless to say a second round of slices were needed to top off the night, and I went to bed a happy camper. You wanna know the best part? It’s open from 11 AM – 5 AM every day. All in all, Little Star gives the margaritha slice a big 4 1/2 stars. Let me know what you think!

Happy Eating!

oxox

Shhhhh.....

Can you keep a secret? I’m about to disclose what I know is one of NYC’s best-kept secrets and no we’re not talking about the location of the Louboutin sample sale.

Ladies and gentlemen say hello to Crispo.  It seems rather fitting actually, to visit this fine establishment this week as I'm starting my blogging journey. Needless to say it didn’t disappoint.

Crispo has all the makings of a great restaurant, from the delicious Northern Italian cuisine to the décor, friendly service and probably my favorite public restroom (yes I said restroom), I don’t know why it’s still flying under the foodie radar.

As usual I requested to sit it what might be the best kept secret of Crispo…the absolutely adorably back yard garden. 

In the summer they open the top so you feel like you are actually back in old world Italia. This time of year it is decked out in holiday style with the fireplace, old school meat slicers covered in white lights, cast iron and steam beams you cant help but get that warm, cozy feeling inside.  The only negative I can really say about the patio is that the chairs aren’t the most comfortable…but believe me once you start eating you wont even notice. Our waitress was great; she was informative, friendly and actually knew what was in every dish I asked about! As for the awesome bathrooms, i'll let you see that for yourself!

To start I shared the calamari and zucchini fritti…crisp and fried so good I ate the parsley on top. Everything is golden brown and breaded to perfection. We also ordered the prosciutto, crispo mozz cherry tomato & arugula, that was also delicious. The prosciutto tasted so tender and I love the arugula for that extra bit of zest and flavor it brings. We didn’t splurge the extra $4.95 to sub buffalo mozz for the house made and really let’s be clear anytime buffalo mozz it available, get it!

Moving on to our main courses, after much consideration, I opted for the ricotta gnocchi lamb bolognese and my boyfriend got the butternut agnolotti. Both were delish! My ricotta gnocchi were so juicy and cooked to perfection the only thing better were the chucks of lamb bolognese with the fresh tomato, diced carrots and parmigiano flavors on top…YUM!

The agnololtti is a type of ravioli stuffed with butternut squash, sage and roast chestnuts for that added texture. Doesn’t that just sound like winter on a plate to you? Well that’s just how it tasted. The pasta was cooked to perfection and just the amount of brown sugar to satisfy the warm hearty feeling I was looking for. 

Desert was a scrumptious panna cotta with fresh berries and amaretti nuts on top…I had no issues stuffing my face with that one. It was creamy and just sweet enough and the best way to cap off the evening.

All in all Crispo gets a whopping 4 Little Stars from this girl! From the romantic setting to the fab menu and stellar service you really can't go wrong. So what are you waiting for…go and check it out but just remember to keep it between you and me.

Happy Eating!

oxox

Little Star

Pleasure to Meet You!

Hey Hey! My name is Emily and I am a restaurant enthusiast (all together now--Hi Emily)!! I live in the amazing city of New York in Greenwich Village possibly the coolest area of NYC. I love eating and REALLY love great food. That being said I don't discriminate...from the shadiest street truck or taco joint to culinary greats of Le Bernardin, I know a good meal when I eat one.  

So before we get started...like any good first date we should set some ground rules. First and foremost this is all MY opinion and probably not always terribly fair. Restaurants, bars, coffee shops get one chance and one chance only to impress and if doesn’t...to the left…to the left.  You never get a second chance at a first impression and frankly there are too many fabulous establishments to waste your hard earned cash. I base my opinions on the restaurant as a whole. Food and service are the two most important things (equally important, I think) -- ambiance doesn’t hurt either. But if one overpowers the other you will know. 

Oh also the only things I don’t really eat are oysters…other than that I’m open to most anything.

So there you have it.

Those are the rules.

They are subject to change at any time.

Stay tuned for food news, restaurant reviews and tales of my culinary escapades. Happy Eating! oxox