If you’ve been following me for some time now, you know what happens when friends and family come to visit us in NYC….lots and LOTS of good eating! And my wonderful cousins arrival to our Brooklyn apartment was no exception. Not only did they just travel from Toronto…they drove 10 hours after a long day of work to visit with us for the weekend. After a long drive and a late night, a good and hearty brunch was in order. My first brunch experience at Rosewater was fantastic so I thought a return visit with my hungry visitors would be a good way to kick off our long day of walking ahead. And for the most part, it lived up to expectations….for the most part….
Poached eggs, turnip cakes, sauteed greens, goat cheese, and chipotle/tomato sauce
Lemon ricotta crepes...beautiful light coming in from the patio window
Apple pancakes with meyer lemon butter and toasted hazelnuts
Housemade veggie burger on a pretzel bun with feta, arugula, jalapeno mayo, and fries
The egg dish with the chipotle sauce…my plate was wiped clean. And let me tell you…every pancake dish, or even every piece of bread for that matter, should come with lemon butter. But those crepes…huge fail. Very dry and tasteless. Still a very enjoyable brunch and I would still keep it on the list of go-to brunch places. Belly’s full and body’s fueled, we spent the rest of the day walking through the city…and I literally mean the WHOLE day was spent walking. After a much needed rest and a quick change into evening wear, we headed off to give the pizza at Co a try. In our pizza eating tour of NYC, Adam and I have sampled Keste, Motorino, and Paulie Gee’s. So, after reading the latest Bon Appetit, featuring Jim Lahey’s (the owner of Co’s) no knead pizza dough, Co seemed like the natural next step.
Pizza bianca with coarse sea salt, olive oil and fresh ricotta
Upon arrival we were told it would be an hour wait, which we all agreed was worth it after we saw and smelled the charred pies. But after we hit the 1 1/2 hour mark, we were four very hungry and not very happy patrons. But Co’s service was spot on…bringing a complimentary order of their pizza bianca with homemade ricotta. Adam said this was some of the best bread he’s ever had…and the man knows his bread! Off to a good start and still starving, we ordered four pizzas to share (so if you’re counting, we actually ate FIVE pizzas…I did say we were hungry!)
Margherita: basil, mozzarella, parmesan, tomato
Stracciatella: crushed tomato, stracciatella, arugula, black pepper
In front: Mushroom and Jalapeno Pie: bechemel, pecorino, gruyere, garlic confit, seasonal mushrooms, shaved jalepeno, fresh dill
In back: the popeye: pecorino, gruyere, mozzarella, spinach
Co can definitely bake pies with the best of them! We all agreed the spinach and stracciatella were the best and definitely threaten to take the pizza crown from Keste. I’ve never had a spinach pie before where the spinach was actually baked in the oven (normally it’s thrown on after)…what a delicious idea! Fantastic food, great service, nice atmosphere…an overall win!
The next day we got our culture on and visited the Moma to take a break from all the walking and eating. Museums definitely work up an appetite because by 5pm we were all ready for an early dinner. And lucky it was early, because Cafe Habana in Soho fills up fast! We just got in before the dinner time rush. What a cool spot…we literally couldn’t stop looking at the funky wall paper and even funkier dressed waitresses. This restaurant visit gave me a chance to try another item featured on my fave show, “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.“
Grilled corn Mexican style served with chili powder, lime, and cojita cheese
With Chavela’s corn fresh in our mind, Adam and I both agreed this was a better version of the grilled yellow husk. With a squeeze of fresh lime, a perfect summer street food!
Ensilada de Jicama: Jicama salad with queso fresco, mango, dried cranberries, and raspberry vinaigrette
Tiacoyo de Tres Marias: Corn masa boat stuffed with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, black beans, and served with rice and beans
Grilled Shrimp Taco: shrimp marinated in thyme, oregano, chipotle in adobo, garlic, citrus zest, salt, pepper, and olive oil served with rice, beans, guac, and pico de gallo
Everything we had was just good, fresh, and spicy food. I think the salad was actually a favorite…definitely to be re-created at home! There may have also been some un-pictured Ample Hill and Big Gay Ice Cream consumed over the weekend…no visit with me is complete without some (or a lot) of ice cream! A fun family weekend!
mmmmmm. to every single thing!
[...] the honey mustard in the dressing for a new salad I created. After absolutely falling in love with Cafe Habana’s jicama salad, I decided I needed to have it again, STAT! And not wanting to make a trip to the city and wait in [...]
[...] your head at the title…but just you wait!) After our most recent pizza dinner out at Co a while back, I knew I had to re-create that pizza experience. I’ve had success with Jim Lahey’s no [...]
[...] Best Pizza: The stracciatella and spinach pizza from Co (review), the margarita from Keste (review), the overall experience and uniqueness from Pauli Gee’s, [...]