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.

The Grey Dog

 

     The Grey Dog is one of NYC's hidden gems. Alex and I discovered this fantastic little restaurant a few months ago and haven't stop eating their since. Since opening in 1996, The Grey Dog now has three locations in New York City. Their motto is; "everyday you come to drink our brew, sit in our shade and fill your bellies with our fare… And the dog is happy."   

      There are so many things that I love about this place. First off their menu is not only filled with unique items but it is displayed in such a great way. If you're 80 years old and usually carry around a magnifying glass, leave it at home when you come here. The menu is displayed on the wall. It's huge and bright lettering is visually appealing and easy to read. The menu is simple and everything is laid out for you. To make it fun, a patterned bandana is placed on your table instead of a number, so they know where to take your food when its ready. The lighting is low and the space is tight but the homemade food is worth it. The staff is also super friendly and genuinely want you to have a great dining experience.

Break me off a piece of that!

The menu contains breakfast everyday till 3pm, salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, veggies, sweet treats, wine, beer and coffee drinks. Check out the full yummy menu here. Some of my favorites are the Hummus and Feta sandwich on their freshly baked olive bread, the cheese fries and the Bacon Cheese Burger on an English muffin. I'm sure I will discover more favorites because I pretty much want to try everything on the menu. 

Now, doesn't that look like someone who is thoroughly enjoying themselves?

I love this place so much that when my friends Danyell and Nate came up for a visit, I just had to take them there. Danyell is a professional when it comes to a good cheese burger because they're one of the 10 things that she will eat, thankfully she loved it as much as I do!

Happy, happy!

The Grey Dog has three locations in NYC: 242 West 16th Street, 90 University Place and 244 Mulberry Street. For more information check out their website. Now, go get happy with some Grey Dog.

Some photos from: amazonaws, nitrolicious and openingceremony

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

Do you tango with mango?

     This past Saturday was very eventful. One of the highlights of the day was when I saw the mango lady at Union Square. This fantastic Spanish women peels and slices fresh mango, bags it up and sells it on the corner and it's such a hit. I have bought mango from her so many times and every time I go to Union Square I am on the lookout for her. She peels, slices and bags the mango right in front of you then you hand her three dollar bills and enjoy. The mango lady make this city so much sweeter.

Panera To Go

     After we picked up some mango, we made a pit stop at Panera Bread to get some Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Bread Bowls for our picnic at Central Park. I know everyone knows how amazing these things are so I don't need to tell you again.

    After we enjoyed some delicious food in Central Park, a really nice lady offered to take our picture saying: " you never know you might frame this one day!"

Móle Mexican Bar & Grill

     Two years ago I discovered a little Mexican restaurant called "Taco,Taco" and it quickly became one of my favorite spots on the Upper East Side. When I lived in that area, I swear I was dining there once a week. Eventually I moved back to Pennsylvania and had to learn how to fight the Taco, Taco cravings.

     When I moved back to NYC last October one of the first things I wanted to eat was some Taco,Taco. Alex and I took the hour long subway ride from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side and the whole way all we could talk about was how delicious this was going to be! Little did we know, the original Taco, Taco location was CLOSED! I was almost in tears.

     After we stood on the street corner pondering what could have possibly happened that the place would be shut down, I turned around and there was a Mexican restaurant called Móle across the street that looked quite similar to Taco,Taco. We ventured over and- ta-dahh!- it was Taco,Taco with a new name and a larger space. Hallelujah!
  
     So, since discovering that Taco,Taco got a name change, we have also discovered they have four locations. One of them is in Brooklyn, and whats even better is it's only a few stops away from our house!

     You have got to check this place out next time you are in the mood for some Mexican cuisine. It has a intimate feel with dim lighting and close seating.

 The fresh guacamole is a must!  Choose one avocado or two and they bring all of the ingredients on a tray to the table and make it right in front of you. It's so, so delicious!

      The menu has standard authentic dishes but my favorite is the Chicken Chimichanga. It is enough food for two days but it's fanatic. It's similar to a burrito but it's fried and topped with lettuce and sour cream, then served with a side of homemade green sauce. I  just can't get enough of Móle!


For more information check out http://www.molenyc.com/.

Go get ya Mexican on!

Eileen's Special Cheesecake

   I wandered into Eileen's Special Cheesecake last week because I have walked past it about thirty times now and figured I should probably stop drooling from the window and go inside. One of the best decision I have ever made. 

      After I weaved through the crowded front entrance, I was greeted by a very friendly, passionate-about-everything-in-the-shop employee. After she gave me a description on almost every kind of cake they offer I finally made a decision. "Blueberry cheese cake it is," I said. Then I looked up and saw some amazingly delicious looking chocolate macaroons. After much debate I decided to just stick with the cheesecake because this girl can only run so many miles a day. She packaged up the cheesecake and I headed home.

     When I got home I couldn't wait any longer and I dove right into the mini cake. It was really creamy and tasty. I loved that it was a mini cake and just the right amount. Next time I'm going to try a chocolate cheesecake because I prefer chocolate over fruit most days- this was just an off day for me. But I still thoroughly enjoyed the blueberry!

Eileen's Special Cheesecake makes these delicious cakes for any occasion. Not in NYC? Don't worry! You can get her cheesecake delivered anywhere in the Continental US by calling 1-800-521-CAKE.

Look at all the fantastic cakes you can order. Send me one too as a thank you for telling you about this place. ;)

Eileen's Special Cheesecake is located in SoHo at 17 Cleveland Place, NYC and has been open for over 35 years. They offer so many sweet treats such as: pies, cheesecake, cookies and brownies. It's guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.

 Check out their website for more information: www.eileenscheesecake.com. Get you cake on!

Grandma's Cookin' Sure is Good

   
   This past weekend Alex and I took an adventure to St. Michales, Maryland. We met my family in the historic Easter shore settlement that has quickly become a tourist destination for an Easter weekend getaway. After our four hour bus ride from NYC to Baltimore, we picked up my car and drove 85 miles to St. Michales. We had no idea what to expect but quickly fell in love with the area and the lovely four bedroom house with the Miles River in the backyard.

     Obviously, I was even more pumped about eating Grandma's cooking for the whole weekend and she definitely did not let me down. Upon entering the house I could already smell Grandma's famous Spaghetti sauce AKA: Mary's Rockin' Sauce and  my mouth started watering. This stuff is so good so I just had to tell you about it so you can make it at home too.

     To make this delicious spaghetti dinner start with making pasta of you choice as normal and then follow the steps to make Mary's Rockin' Sauce. If you want to get fancy you can also make a tossed salad and some garlic bread! The tossed salad that we had was topped with tomato, mandarin oranges and carrots. YUM. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Its quick, easy and delicious. Enjoy!

Mary's Rockin' Sauce

-brown hamburger meat with chopped onion and green pepper
-drain all juices
-add garlic salt, onion salt and oregano
-add one 16oz can of Ragu
-add two cans of 8oz diced tomatoes
-mix it up heat to perfection

Yummy Garlic Bread

Snaps for Grandma!

Chef is in the pink!

After dinner Grandma had a surprise in store for all of us. In the spirit of Easter and her love of crafts, she brought us tools to make a Easter bunnies. So have a laugh and check out the funny bunnies we made!