Umami Burger

Umami Burger known for their many locations in California. They have now moved East and opened a location in NYC, so last weekend my friend Jill and I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Umami Burger is "The art of creating that perfect mouthful...Experience it for yourself..After one bite you'll accept no substitutions." They like to call it "What you wanted before you even knew that you wanted it...Where YUM is the new WOW!" I couldn't agree more.

After a short wait we were seated and started studying the menu. After reviewing all of the unique burger combinations, I decided on a bacon cheese burger called Manly Burger. Jill went with the Umami Burger that was topped with shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted tomato and crisp Parmesan. To see all the delicious burgers click here.

MANLY BURGER

UMAMI BURGER

yummy fires!

Jill and I enjoyed these burgers so much! Umami Burger is located at 432 6th Ave. NY, NY 10011. Go get your burger on!

Rob and Tessa's Tacos

     I recently took an adventure to Queens to visit my new friend Tessa. She was hosting a house warming part at her new pad and the apartment was amazing! It is one of the largest apartments I have ever seen in NYC but, the food was even better! I was having such a great time that I forgot to snap photos of most of the food but I really wish I would have because the display of fantastic food looked like it was straight out of a magazine. Snaps for Tessa!

     Tacos were the main event on the menu and these tacos were like nothing I have ever experienced. These tacos took me to a new level of Mexican and I couldn't stop raving about them after my first bite. The recipe was created by Tessa's boyfriend Rob, who owns multiple burrito shops in PA called Roburritos, and they were bursting with flavor. The ingredients are as follows:

•  braised spring chicken, shredded
•  black butter grilled green beans
•  cojito cheese
•  pico
•  roasted garlic
•  jalapeno salsa verde
•  blue corn tortilla  

All of these flavors together were fantastic and I cannot wait to eat this again! Now you have the ingredients so make it at home and let me know what you think.

Milkshake Madness

     Summer is just around the corner and you know what that means...camping! Well in PA we go camping, I think the camping equivalent for New Yorkers might be a weekend at the Hamptons- both equally great in their own way. Camping reminds me of summer and roasting marshmallows. Since I haven't found a place that I can roast marshmallows here in the city, besides in my microwave, I had to look elsewhere to satisfy my craving. That's where Bill's Bar and Burger comes in.

     Bill's Bar and Burger has been a hit with New Yorker's for years with their locations at Rockefeller Plaza and in the Meatpacking District. Their food is know to be fantastic, especially their burgers, but where they really excel is in their milkshake making skills.

Introducing the Campfire Milkshake. It's a little piece of heaven for only $6.95.

     The Campfire Milkshake contains vanilla ice cream, milk and marshmallows. The best part of the shake is at the top- a thick layer of toasted marshmallow. YUM. They use a fire torch to make the marshmallow gooey and delicious. It's the perfect topping for the most perfect summer milkshake. If you don't have time to sit down and enjoy the goodness, you can take it on the go by ordering at their fast and friendly take away counter. I am a huge fan of that option.

The exact locations for Bill's Bar and Burger can be found on their website: billsbarandburger.com. Why are you still sitting there? Go get that milkshake!








Some photos from: foodspotting

Korzo Haus's Mindblowing Burger

  
  
      The self proclaimed "Most Unique Burger Joint on TOMPKINS SQ. PARK" Korzo Haus, lives up to its title 100 percent. Last Friday I got to work and my friend Angela said "I'm on Spring Break this week. Lets go out to eat tonight!" Naturally, I agreed. Little did I know 12 hours later I would be feasting on one of the most delicious and unique burgers of my life. 
   
     Two subways and a short walk later, Alex and I arrived to meet Angela and Aislua. The outside of the restaurant blended into the night so well that we almost walked past it. We walked in, past the six bar seats that over looked the cooks station and to the back where there was only a few tables. Talk about limited seating. In typical NYC fashion we were close to our neighbors and there was one server running the show, but I didn't mind because all I could think about was Angela's previous description of how amazing these burgers were.

Korzo Haus, Tompkins Square Park.

     In the dim lighting we quickly all decided that we wanted to try the "Original" burger. The burgers here are so amazing because the bun isn't a typical burger bun. Our burgers were wrapped in Hungarian sweet bread, stuffed with cheese, bacon and celery and then deep fried. I have never seen anything like it. 

     After we all got over the amazing presentation we dug in. The burgers were so flavorful so it was easy to understand why they won "BEST BURGER in NYC 2011 - Village Voice."

    Now, we all know that you cannot have a burger without some fries so, we pretty much ordered all the fries on the menu. They come served in a bowl to share with your friends. 

One of three different kinds of fries we ordered.

Happy, Happy!

      We all had such a great time chatting over burgers at Korzo Haus and I cannot wait to go back. They have two locations in NYC: 667 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215 and 178 East Street, between Avenues A&B Tompkins Square Park, NYC. For more information visit their website: http://www.korzorestaurant.com/haus1.html. Go get a burger already! 

Pommes Frites Is Where It's At

   Pommes Frites is a place that I just cannot stop telling people about. Anytime I am talking to someone about the absolute best places to eat in NYC, Pommes Frites is always at the top of the list. It's not necessarily what most people would consider a typical meal but if french fries are in a separate food group in your book, like they are in mine, it makes an amazing Saturday night fourth meal.

Ta-dah!

The Double. Amazing.

Sweet chili with mango sauce.

     I discovered the Belgian fries at Pommes Frites about two years ago. I had just moved to NYC to start an internship at NBC and I was craving fries. My boyfriend and searched all over the area where I was living and couldn't find any satisfying fried potatoes. Lucky, I used my trusty friend Google.com and after a quick search for the "best fries in NYC" I stumbled upon Pommes Frites. And I have been a happy camper ever since.

     Pommes Frites is amazing for precisely three reasons. 1.The fries are hand cut and delicious!      2.They have over 26 hand made dipping sauces to choose from to make your fries even more fantastic. My favorite is mixing sweet chili with mango...AMAZING.  3.The menu is simple and its cheap.

Its a great place to go on a Sunday afternoon date or after going out dancing on Saturday night. Also when you get a craving at 3 AM don't fear because they are open till 4.

     Pommes Frites is located at 123 2nd Ave. New York, New York 10003. What are you waiting for? Go get some fries!

Milk & Cookies Hits The Spot

Milk & Cookies in Greenwich Village has quickly become one of my most favorite sweet treat spots in NYC. I was introduced to this delicious bakery a few years ago when I went on a Foods of New York Tour and I haven't been able to stay away since.

Inside Milk & Cookies.

In the shop that is probably as big as your studio apartment and with enough seating for almost nine people, all of the products are made fresh daily. They sell all kinds of freshly baked sweet treats. The cookies are to die for. With unique flavors like Bacon Smacks, Dark Chocolate Toffee, and my personal favorite Salted Oat Surprise, they keep people coming back for more.

Salted Oat Surprise

Annie and I thrilled about cookies in the rain.

Not only does Milk & Cookies have the most amazing cookies, they also have fantastic ice cream. If you want to enjoy the ultimate sweet sin you should indulge in an ice cream sandwich. You choose the cookies and the ice cream and then prepare for a flavor explosion.

If you've tried all the cookies in house and can't find exactly what you're craving- don't fear because you can design your own cookie batter! First you choose your base- peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla, oatmeal or sugar, and then your toppings: marshmallows, cappuccino chips, mint chips and almonds to name a few, then the friendly bakers mix it all up and bake your cookies for you or pack your mix up to take home. Taking home the batter is brilliant because if your anything like me you need a cookie at the oddest hours of the night and its always good to be prepared.

So head on over to Milk & Cookies at 19 Commerce Street, NY, NY 10014 and treat yourself, don't cheat yourself. Can't get to NYC right now? You can buy the Milk & Cookies Recipe Book and bake their amazing recipes in your own kitchen. Enjoy your cookie break!




Some photos courtesy of: Cupcakes By Amelie and NYC Food Crawl