Mini Cakes at Black Hound

It's about time for a sweet treat and thankfully, Black Hound has plenty of mini cakes to go around. As soon as I saw the display or darling mini cakes from the window, I had to go inside and see what Black Hound was all about. I am so happy that a place like this exists because these are the most perfect mini cakes I have ever seen!

 

With flavors like Almond Apricot, Crazy Daisy, Chocolate Raspberry, Coconut, Carrot and Busy Bee, Black Hound has something for everyone. Not in the mood for cake? There are plenty of other scrumptious options to choose from like Chocolate Hazelnut Clusters, Sugar Spiced Pecans, Cookies and Chocolate Truffles. Check out the full menu here.

During my visit, I indulged in the 3" Chocolate Mouse Cake. It's "one layer of bittersweet chocolate mousse, one layer of milk chocolate mousse, and three thin layers of chocolate butter cake blanketed in white chocolate buttercream and decorated with bittersweet and milk chocolate polka dots." Ready for yours yet?

Black Hound  is located at 170 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10003 and mini cakes range from $7-$10 each. Mid-week blues got you in a funk? No worries. You can order Black Hound right from the comfort of your own living room and ship it to your house. It can't get much better than that folks so go get some Black Hound today!

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Nicoletta

As an avid Instagramer, one day I came across a photo of what appeared to the most fantastic looking meatballs ever. Naturally, I had to check the place out for myself so I took my boyfriend, Alex and my friend Little Leeron to see what all the fuss was about.

Alex- always happy to eat.

Little Leeron

Nicoletta is known for their "made fresh to order" pizzas but they are so much more than that. Although the pizzas I saw on the walk to my table did look amazing, I had to get my hands on those meatballs! Know to the chef as Polpette, these brick-oven baked Neapolitan meatballs topped with pomadara and bread crumbs are to die for!  We also tried the Stromboil and the Pollo alla Parmigiana: "breaded chicken breast fried to a beautiful golden brown, covered with Chef White's pomodoro sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese served with a side of spinach, sautéed with onions, garlic & chile flakes." Both were equally amazing. Check out the full menu here.

Polpette

Stromboli

Pollo alla Parmigiana

Nicoletta is located in the East Village at 160 Second Avenue, NY, NY. The menu is reasonably priced with appetizers starting at $5, pastas staring at $17 and pizza ranging from $17-$23. This is a great date spot and they have a nice outside seating area. For more information on Nicoletta, check out their website here.

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Some photos from Tasting Table

"So Jazzy, So Brooklyn, SOCO!"

Peter Best, Malissa Browne and Slim Walker are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to serving up some of the most mouth-watering Southern Fusion cuisine in Brooklyn. Half restaurant, half cocktail bar, SoCo has been described as "the Brooklyn Bridge turned into a restaurant." The designer Andres Aladin, cleverly incorporated things into the space so it feels "relaxed enough for casual lunches but sexy enough for dinner dates," and for that he will always hold a special place in my heart.

When you enter SoCo, it's as if life outside those doors do not exist. The atmosphere is relaxing yet chic and the menu is so creative and unique that it's hard not to order one of everything. SoCo describes their menu style as "a mixture of cajun/creole, barbecue and soul food dreamt up with everything else you can imagine."

 While keeping true to roots of Southern food, one of their most popular menu items is the Buttermilk Fried Chicken. This dish is two pieces of organic buttermilk chicken served on top of a red velvet waffle with Bourbon syrup on the side.  Another dish that will tempt your taste buds is the Mac and Cheese served in an iron skillet. From the B.Q.E. Salmon Burger to the Smoked Butternut Squash Ravioli you can't go wrong. Craving more? Check out the full menu here. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Mac and Cheese

Pecan Crusted Pork Chop

B54 Burger

Strawberry Shortcake

SoCo is open seven days a week from noon to at least 11pm, with a daily intermission from 3:30pm - 5pm. They are located in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Clinton Hill at 509 Myrtle Avenue and dinner for two will cost you around $50. What are you waiting for!? Grab a date and head on over to SoCo. You are going to love it!

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Some photos from: Brooklyn Bred Brooklyn Fed

Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Oven Pizza

While meandering throughout Brooklyn Bridge Park this weekend, I stumbled upon something I knew had to be delicious. From a quarter mile away I could see people lined out the door and around the corner anxiously waiting to get into Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Over Pizzeria. Naturally, I was very curious and  jumped right in line.

Look for the Rayban's and you'll find me!

 After an hour wait, we finally made it to the front of the line and a few moments later we were in the door. We sat at the bar and patiently waited for our half cheese, half pepperoni coal brick-oven pizza and admired the decor. The walls are filled with photos of famous celebrities that have dinned at Grimaldi's, the tables are cozy and the pizza's are hand crafted by their hard working team in the center of the restaurant.

To serve the loyal fans of Grimaldi's, the coal brick-oven must heated by 100 pounds of coal a day, with temperatures that reach 1200 degrees. That's one hot mamma.

The menu is pretty standard and simple. Choose your pie size: small or large, then choose your toppings. Some of the toppings they offer are pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, onions, basil and fresh mozzarella. Check out the full list here. The pizza's range from $12-$16 and toppings range from $2-$4 per topping.

Because the pizza is so good and the fans will do anything to experience this piece of heaven, they have some rules: no credit cards, no slices, no reservations and no delivery.

After every inch of our pizza was devoured, it was easy to understand why Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Over Pizzeria has been voted "Best Pizza" year after year by Zagat. Grimaldi's  has locations throughout New York City and Hoboken, NJ. Check out the full list of locations here.

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Frozen S'More at Dominique Ansel Bakery

Do you have a hankerin' for campfire s'mores but you can't get out of Manhattan? Fortunately, it's 2013 and we live in a city of very innovative foodies, so these days if you need a s'more look no futher than Spring Street. Oh, and did I mention the twist? They're frozen!

First Dominique Ansel Bakery took NYC by storm with the Cronut (croissant and donut mixed pastry), and now they have done it again with the Frozen S'More. This sweet invention is made up of marshmallow, vanilla ice cream and chocolate wafers all frozen together, then torched to perfection.

Time Out Magazine has named this the "Dish of the Moment" and I completely agree! You can get your hands on one at 189 Spring Street NY, NY for around $6.

S'Mores aren't your thing? No big deal. Dominique Ansel Bakery has plenty of other enticing options to choose from. Check out their full menu here.

The days of summer are winding down, so get your summer Frozen S'More before they are gone. On the bright side, I can't wait to see what fabulous creation they come up with for fall. Frozen S'Mores for life!

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Doughnut Plant

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting Doughnut Plant on the lower east side to pick up some doughnuts for our staff Birthday celebration at work. And then, I had the pleasure of trying to flag down a taxi with my foot, in the scorching heat, while awkwardly holding two boxes of three dozen doughnuts.  I'm just going to go ahead an pat my self on the back for that one. More importantly, let talk about how awesome Doughnut Plant is!

With recipes dating back to 1910, Doughnut Plant is pleasing the people of New York City one by one. Originally inspired by his grandfathers doughnut recipe, Mark, creator of Doughnut Plant, has been in the business of fried dough since 1994.  Starting from the basement of a tenant building gone kitchen work space, Mark and his team have come a long way now with two Doughnut Plant locations in NYC as of 2011 and locations in Tokyo and Seoul. I would like to personally thank Mark and his grandfather for their amazing doughnuts. Well done folks!

The doughnuts here are not so typical and that what makes it that much more interesting. They use all natural, high quality ingredients to make flavors like; Peanut Butter Jam, Black Out, Vanilla Bean, Tres Leches, Coconut Lime and they always have a fresh seasonal fruit flavor. Check out the full menu here.

Glazed and Peanut Butter Jam

 Cinnamon Sugar, Tres Leches, Vanilla Bean, Black Out

The Famous Peanut Butter Jam Doughnut

Doughnuts For All!

Doughnut Plant is located at 379 Grand Street and at 220 West 23rd Street in NYC. Grab a friend and go get some sugar at Doughnut Plant. You will be glad you did.


P.S. This is my favorite book right now and is the perfect accent to coffee and doughnuts. Get your copy now!

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ULYSSES' on Stone Street

Named after its cobblestone paving, Stone Street located in New York Cities Financial District, is one popular spot. Since 1996, the Eastern portion of Stone Street has been protected by New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission  and is pedestrian-only.  There are several restaurants and bars located on this street with beautiful outdoor seating.

 Last week my Aunt Sarah was in town for the day. We wandered through the winding roads of the Financial District and discovered Stone Street. We dinned under skyscrapers and took in all the sights. We sat at a long table under an umbrella and ate dinner at Ulysses' Folk House.

Ulysses' has draft and bottled beers from around the globe, along with a full bar. Check out the full drink list here. They have two menus; Pub Fare & Cocktails and the Dinner Menu. We indulged in some delicious choices. Check them out below!

Veggie Burger with Sauteed Onions

Lobster Fra Diavolo

Roasted Turkey Club

The food was great and the atmosphere was fantastic. Dinners range from $13-$26. This is a great spot to go to on a Friday night with a group of buddies, a Sunday afternoon for Brunch or for an after work cocktail. Ulysses' is located at 95 Pearl Street, New York, NY. They are open daily from 11 AM to 4 AM and their kitchen is open until 3:30 AM.

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 Some photos from: More Than Shipping