Coffee + Champagne

Brinkley’s Station

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Coffee and Champagne| 1 Comment

~ Eggplant and Chickpea Burger — Lettuce, Spicy Tahini Dressing, 7 Grain Bun, Choice of Fries ~

Brinkley’s Station is an awesome little after work bar adjacent to Bloomingdale’s in a landmark building on the Upper East Side.

~ “Instead of getting his paws caught in a beehive, Brinkley drinks the flying wasp. It’s just sweet enough” ~

While Brinkley’s Station appears to be a bar for the gentlemen, women, don’t be shy, when I was there, there were as many women as men. And, as I mentioned, it is right next door to Bloomingdale’s. So yes, Brinkley’s is great for after work AND AFTER SHOPPING! If not a beer, grab a cocktail!

~ ” Jaegermeister is for cubs, bears drink fernet branca” ~

THE FOOD IS GREAT! I absolutely loved my Eggplant and Chickpea Burger. The appetizers were delish, and people were stealing my fries left and right—well, both technically from the left.

~ Lobster Club Sandwich — Avocado, Crispy Pancetta, Arugula, Choice of Fries ~

So, loosen your tie, sample a flight, and then order the right beer and not just a beer—or an awesome cocktail! CHEERS!

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Posted in Drinks and Bites, EATS, Restaurants

Il Tesoro

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Coffee and Champagne| Leave a comment

~ Scallops “Antiqua”, Blood Orange Balsamic, Grilled Radicchio & Micro Arugula ~

Il Tesoro Chef AJ Black and wife Jolie recently invited my husband Franklin and I over for dinner. And what a great dinner it was! From the fantastic glass of Frascati wine all of the way through to the absolutely incredible White Chocolate Cappuccino Mouse with Bamoloni dessert, our experience was truly a wonderful one.

~ Brasato di Short Ribs, served over homemade gnocchi ~

With a traditional atmospheric vibe and delicious food, Il Tesoro is a welcome new addition to the Upper East Side!

One of my favorite food experiences is when a chef creates a playful twist on a classic dish. Chef AJ Black does this exceptionally well. A simple meat and potatoes dish is transformed into a fall-off-the-bone short ribs over potato gnocchi. LOVE IT!

~ Striped Bass Toscana, Roman Artichoke Heart, sun dried Tomatoes, wild Mushrooms over risotto ~

When noting the flavors, I was surprised by the seafood. On it’s own, the scallops and sea bass were a tad fishy; however, when mixed with the sauces—THE HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE IS INCREDIBLE, it made me want to order a pasta dish just to have more of it—or risotto, the flavors meld really well. Curious. I’m not sure what to extrapolate from this except for that all of the ingredients find a wonderful synergy together.

~ Left: White Chocolate Cappuccino Mouse with Bamoloni. Right: Chocolate Chip Cookie ~

THE DESSERTS ARE ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! I’m a bit obsessed. After being completely stuffed from a delicious dinner, I still happily enjoyed dessert. When the cookies were presented to us as a complimentary addition, we shared one. It was so good that I—in true gourmand style—took it to go and ate it the following night.

Thank you for having us! We look forward to dining with you again soon! CHEERS!

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Posted in Dinner, EATS, Restaurants

Milk & Honey

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Coffee and Champagne| Leave a comment

Milk And Honey

Milk & Honey is an awesome low key speakeasy. The experience is both humble and rich.

Humble in that the space, while lovely, is very simple. It is clean and as open as you can get when being inside of a speakeasy. Calculation here is key. Everyone gets a seat. There are no standing crowds which enhances the low key vibe.

The low key environment allows for the focus to be on the cocktails. Please don’t be confused, there isn’t a drink menu. Rather, your drink is based on your mood, your likes, your allergies, and your server and bartender duo. As can be expected—predicted—I asked our awesome server Bobby Hicks, for a champagne based cocktail where the champagne truly stands out. Neither too sweet nor fruity. Then, the wonderful bartender, Alicia Leslie, mixed up an amazing rendition of a 1937 Ambrosia—a champagne cocktail with whiskey, bitters, and ohh you’ll have to just go try it! IT’S INCREDIBLE!

AND FUN! Bobby really catered to our little group. He allowed us to describe random situations and then extrapolate—very well I must add—a drink. A memorable—albeit, a bit demented—example that came from our table was: I want a drink that depicts a child burning his house down, running outside crying, and it made me smile. Lo and behold, out came a smokey Islay scotch based drink; shaken with angostura bitters for tears; and for a twisted smile, a maraschino cherry rinse.

You have the idea. GO GRAB A DRINK! I know you will have no problem enjoying it.

CHEERS, indeed.

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Posted in Drinks and Bites, EATS, Restaurants

Pounds & Ounces

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Coffee and Champagne| Leave a comment

~ Mac & Cheese Croquettes…white wine – gouda fondu ~

Pounds & Ounces is a Chelsea based restaurant with such an appropriately Chelsea styled vibe. The mural on the back wall says it all—you’ll know what I mean when you see it!

~ Caesar “Un-Classic”…arugula + gnocchi croutons + tomato – asiago dressing ~

The food is a fun adaptation on traditional bar food. I ordered the Caesar “Un-Classic” which is a play on the Caesar salad. Instead of Romain, Arugula was used. Instead of the Caesar dressing was Asiago. The croutons were replaced with deep fried gnocchi. It made for a truly delicious dish! As someone who loves a classic Caesar salad, this was a fun way to comfortably eat a dish I knew I would like while also trying something new. FUN!

~ Duck Tacos…caramelized onions + figs + hoisin bbq sauce + cilantro + roasted lime ~

Before moving forward, I have to say, THE BATTERED FRIES ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! When you go to Pounds & Ounces, you must get them. MUST!

~ Short Rib…caramelized onions + bleu cheese + pickled green tomatoes + pineapple braising jus ~

I can’t speak for the main dishes as we didn’t order any—AN EXCUSE TO GO BACK—but the appetizers and salads were all fun, fresh, delicious and worth going back for on their own! Go and try it! Apparently they are open late night. And with cocktails like their “Judy Garland”—of which I had two and highly recommend—I suggest you peruse the drink menu! CHEERS!

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Posted in Dinner, EATS, Restaurants

A Gift for the Host(ess)

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Coffee and Champagne| Leave a comment

A Gift for the Host(ess)
When going to an event, party, or dinner, it is always nice to bring a gift for the host or hostess. Well, chances are they aren’t going to want something that they have to keep in their place forever. So don’t bring a vase that you “absolutely know that they are going to love”—unless they have specifically asked for it. No, instead, bring things they can use, enjoy, remember, and not have cluttering their home for years to come while only pulling out on the occasions that you come over.

As the host or hostess of an event, collecting thoughtful items like these and putting them in a nice gift bag makes for an incredible goody bag! LOVE IT!

A Gift for the Host(ess)
Remember to always be thoughtful with your selections! In this instance—for my wonderful cousin’s bridal shower—I spent a couple days finding the perfect items that really spoke to me, for her:

HONEY (from Le Pain Quotidien): because much like her loving marriage, honey lasts forever.

A HOMEY CANDLE (handmade by a street vendor. My cousin loves that unique handmade feel): a candle always transforms a house to a home. Now that she is getting married and thus starting a family of her own, her house is her home.

HOMEMADE FIG JAM (from the Union Square Greenmarket): For all those breakfasts in bed between the happy couple.

And, CHAMOMILE TEA (from an up-and-coming company): to ease away any pre-wedding stresses.

Much love and thought was put into this gift and judging by the “thank you” and beautiful “thank you” note, much love was received.

It’s all about putting thought, love, and effort into your gift that makes people feel special. Presentation counts for a lot, so put it in a gorgeous box—this one was from Paper-Source. And make it items that will be used and then remembered fondly. And there you have it, an extremely thoughtful gift.

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Posted in EVENTS

Mini Zucchini and Pepper Jack Quesadillas

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Coffee and Champagne| 1 Comment

Mini Zucchini and Pepper Jack Quesadillas

These Mini Zucchini and Pepper Jack Quesadillas are little bites of Mexican food heaven. ¡QUE DELICIOSO!

Wanting to make delicious mini quesadillas, I looked to Martha Stewart and was a little more than inspired by her Zucchini Quesadillas. I should say, I adapted her larger quesadillas into cocktail sized ones.

Mini Zucchini and Pepper Jack Quesadillas

Here are the NEW MEASUREMENTS that you will need:

{ Makes 60 }

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
15 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
12 (12-inch) flour tortillas
2 pounds, grated pepper jack cheese

Utensils

2″ round cookie cutter
large baking pan
parchment paper (optional to line the baking pan)
silicone brush (or any brush to spread olive oil)

Mini Zucchini and Pepper Jack Quesadillas

Using your cookie cutter, cut twelve circles out of each tortilla—if you have the arm strength, you can stack a pile of tortillas before cutting to expedite the process.

Now, go ahead and line your baking pan with parchment paper and then line up as many mini round tortillas as you can. Lightly brush your olive oil on the upward facing side.

Once these are all set, go ahead and chop and shred all of your remaining ingredients. I suggest starting with the pepper jack cheese so that you can begin to pile ingredients onto the tortillas as soon as they are ready.

Mini Zucchini and Pepper Jack Quesadillas

Once everything is chopped and shredded, it’s all really easy and much like a conveyer belt process. Pile them on one by one making sure to evenly sprinkle each ingredient so you don’t—for instance—get a huge bite of onion right in the middle of your quesadilla.

The order is: tortilla round, really light coating of olive oil, pepper jack cheese, garlic, onion, zucchini, pepper jack again, then a lightly oiled tortilla round again (oil side down this time). Press it down so that everything mushes together a bit.

Now, BAKE! 325 degrees for five minutes. Then plate and serve immediately—they don’t keep their warmth too long. Don’t worry though, they are absolutely delicious at all temperatures!

Mini Zucchini and Pepper Jack Quesadillas

SERVE AND ENJOY—and make sure to put a few aside for yourself because they go quickly!

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Posted in Drinks and Bites, EATS, Recipes

Arabesque

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Coffee and Champagne| Leave a comment

~ Spicy Hummus: Puree of Chick Peas, Tahini & Jalapenos ~

Arabesque is a Mediterranean Tapas and Hookah restaurant in midtown. My awesome husband Franklin took me and a girlfriend of ours there last week. I will say, I was skeptical at the idea of eating in a restaurant with hookah in the air; it wasn’t that at all though. The hookah is in a back room and truly, there wasn’t a hint of cloudy flavorful smoke tampering with our food experience.

~ Chicken Apricot Cigars: Phylo Stuffed with Chicken, Apricots, Caramelized Onions, Cinnamon & Ginger ~

THE TAPAS WERE DELISH! They were far more flavorful than I had expected upon ordering them. The Chicken Apricot Cigars were by far my favorite. The apricot dipping sauce is sweet and powerful in flavor which melds beautifully with the warm chicken making for a comfort food feel.

~ Charmoula Calamari: Grilled Calamari with Charmoula Sauce ~

I also really loved the Salmon Brochette; it was highly seasoned which I rarely—if ever—find with fish. I’m used to eating extremely clean tasting fish, the types with the lemon juice coating when out at restaurants. This was not that. It was it’s own entity. This salmon skewer was transformed into comfort food without being fried or greasy.

Wonderful food aside, the service was lovely! Such great, happy, and gracious people work at Arabesque. When leaving, it almost felt as though we were leaving a family gathering where we made sure to say “goodbye” to everyone.

The next time you are looking for comforting flavors to share, Arabesque is the place to try! ENJOY!

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Posted in Dinner, EATS, Restaurants

Penelope

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Coffee and Champagne| Leave a comment

~ Summer Rosé Mimosa ~

Penelope is a quaint and wonderful brunch! It’s cozy, intimate, and easy going. I LOVE IT!

What is even more refreshing is that it isn’t over priced—which in this city proves to be a rare find; a diamond in the rough.

~ Salmon Wrapped Poached Eggs: Two farm fresh eggs wrapped in smoked salmon on toasted black bread with green goddess dressing. Served with a side salad. ~

THE FOOD IS SUPER DELICIOUS! I had the Salmon Wrapped Poached Eggs which was a really lovely and unique take on a Nova Lox Benedict. They truly made it their own. And it all made perfect sense! The eggs were directly on top of the bread so that when they break and the yolk pours out, it is immediately absorbed into the bread. DELISH! Then comes the lox which is coated by their extremely flavorful and creamy Green Goddess Dressing which is a refreshing and welcome change to the consistently used hollandaise sauce.

~ Abuelo’s Egg Sandwich: Eggs over medium with swiss cheese, grilled ham, and balsamic-mayo with black pepper on somun bread. ~

I love the homey presentation of the food. It’s simply just the food—no frills. The wonderful thing is that all of the food is so pretty on it’s own.

Much like the food and presentation, the restaurant is homey, warm, and cozy with unique details popping up all over the place. Our table had a painted graphic of the restaurant on it—which you can see in the first photo—there were flowers in vases by the windows, a magazine rack for those dining alone, and different table styles. It had an asymmetrical feel that gave it that mismatch homey feel that I love! Such great restaurant! I CAN’T WAIT TO GO BACK! CHEERS!

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Posted in Brunch, EATS, Restaurants

The Wright

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Coffee and Champagne| Leave a comment

~ Eggs Florentine sauteed spinach, hollandaise sauce, english muffin ~

The Wright is the Guggenheim Museum’s restaurant and the absolute perfect way to start your Sunday! Such a romantic idea—a delicious museum brunch followed by a cultural tour of whatever exhibit has over taken the famous building.

A little factoid: The Guggenheim was designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright which is where the restaurant’s name is drawn from.

~ Brioche French Toast strawberry compote, chantilly cream, maple syrup ~

THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS! The flavors are both bold and straight forward. The Brioche French Toast illustrates that most clearly; it is powerfully strawberry flavored while at the same time still maintaining that bread-y deliciousness that is French Toast.

~ Organic 3 Egg Omelet wild mushrooms, swiss cheese, home fries ~

The presentation is clean, simple, and beautiful. With very few frills and simple white dishes, the food stands out and speaks for itself. This truly lets the colors jump out at you! Needless to say, we all dove right in and devoured our brunch meals. WHAT A LOVELY SUNDAY!

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Posted in Brunch, EATS, Restaurants

Cafe Rhonda

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Coffee and Champagne| Leave a comment

~ Mejillones Al Ribeiro: prince edward island mussels steamed opened in a warm broth of shallots and crisp ribeiro wine ~

Cafe Rhonda is a great little wine and Argentinean tapas and small plates restaurant on the upper west side.

Between the four of us that went, we ordered way too much food and somehow ate it all! That in mind, the first round of food which included my order of the absolutely delicious Croquetas De Bacalao—a crispy creamy cod fish croquette—was demolished before my camera ever had a chance to take any photos. This is my excuse to go back, and soon!

~ Albondigas spiced: lamb-veal meatballs simmered in tomato sauce ~

All of the tapas were homey, comfortable, flavorful, and extremely delicious! Many of them are comfort food-y. By that I mean fried, creamy, and relaxing to eat.

Much in the style of the cuisine, the restaurant is very laid back. Not in terms of service, but no matter the amount of people waiting, they want you to enjoy your experience. There is no rush on their part. We sat there for about three hours chatting and eating and loving life. I highly recommend you go and try it!

~ Calamares Fritos: crispy fried squid with chipotle mayo ~

And don’t worry, if you find yourself to be a less adventurous eater, they have some classics, too. Calamari for one. A massive wine list for another. CHEERS!

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Posted in Dinner, EATS, Restaurants