Update #2 for August - December 2011 Event Calendar

Welcome back foodies! Today I have some upcoming events to add to the calendar. Enjoy!

Long Island, NY   Huntington        (Book Revue - 313 New York Avenue)

Meet the winner of “Food Network Star”

Book Signing

Date & Time:

8/ 17/ 2011
Starts at –7:00 P.M

Contact:

631-271-1442

For more information visit:

http://www.bookrevue.com/FoodNetworkStar.html

New York, NY   Tribeca         (Barnes & Nobles - 97 Warren Street)

Meet the star of “Heat Seekers” and “Chopped”, Aaron Sanchez

Book Signing

Date & Time:

10/ 5/ 2011
Starts at –7:00 P.M

Contact:

212-587-5389

For more information visit:

http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/72528

  

New York, NY   Union Square    (Barnes & Nobles - 33 East 17th Street)

Meet the chef/owner of Babbo, Otto, and Del Posto, Mario Batali

Book Signing

Date & Time:

10/ 25/ 2011
Starts at –7:00 P.M

Contact:

212-253-0810

For more information visit:

http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/72616

New York, NY   Columbus Circle  (William Sonoma – 10 Columbus Circle)

Meet the star of “Heat Seekers” and “Chopped”, Aaron Sanchez

Book Signing

Date & Time:

10/ 28/ 2011
Starts at – 4:00 P.M

For more information visit:

http://authors.simonandschuster.ca/Aaron-Sanchez/76274818/author_appearances

New York, NY   Union Square    (Barnes & Nobles - 33 East 17th Street)

Meet the Food Network Star and owner/chef of Mesa Grill and Bar Americain, Bobby Flay

Book Signing

Date & Time:

12/1/ 2011
Starts at –7:00 P.M

Contact:

212-253-0810

For more information visit:

http://www.randomhouse.com/book/50258/bobby-flays-bar-americain-cookbook-by-bobby-flay-stephanie-banyas-and-sally-jackson#events

All of these events have been added to the calendar. Hope you all find this event information useful. Bon Appetit!

-Mike 

NYC Restaurant Review - Gramercy Tavern - Dining Room

Hi foodies! Yesterday I ate at Danny Meyer's restaurant, Gramercy Tavern, for lunch. I had a spectacular meal along with great service which I find a pattern with all  Danny Meyer restaurants. Check out my review below.

Gramercy Tavern - Dining Room                   42 East 20th Street,  New York, NY 10003

(Lunch -  July 2011)

Gramercy Tavern was AMAZING! The service was incredible. My waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable. I had asked her if Danny Meyer was at the restaurant but he wasn't. She had told the Assistant General Manager, Scott Reinhardt. Scott came over to my table and greeted me and the rest of my table. We spoke for a while and he then offered to give me a tour of the kitchen when the meal was over. Shortly after he left, the Executive Chef, Michael Anthony came over and spoke to us for a while. He told some stories and explained how so many chefs in other Danny Meyer restaurants originally had their start in Gramercy Tavern. At the end of the meal, Scott came over to give the tour. I visited the kitchen at the very end of lunch service so all the lunch service chefs were leaving and the dinner service chefs were finishing up prep. The kitchen was very big and very cool. After Scott showed us the kitchen, we got to see the private dining room which was really beautiful. Next, we went downstairs to all the offices and prep area. Scott told us that when Danny Meyer opened Union Square Cafe he didn't have a lot of office space. Because of the little office space, they made sure to have a lot of office space when they opened Gramercy Tavern. Overtime, Danny Meyer moved out of this office space to another location. Scott gave a great tour and made this meal an unforgettable one. Now moving on to the food! Gramercy Tavern is split into two restaurants. The tavern is more casual and the dining room is more upscale. I ate in the dining room. For the first course my favorite dish was a special. It was a fettuccine dish with duck confit and corn. It is one of the best things I ever ate. The duck was delicious and the whole dish was perfect. I also loved the Smoked Trout which came with a cipollini puree and pickled onions. It was irresistible. This dish was smokey and also went well with the acidity from the raspberry vinaigrette. Another appetizer that was delicious was the Open Ravioli of Duck and Carrots. It was sweet and very flavorful. I thought this dish was very good. For the second course, the best dish was the Pasture Raised Chicken. The chicken was sous vide (sous vide means to seal food in an airtight plastic bag and then cook it in a water bath) and then the skin was crisped. This chicken was so moist and it was sitting on sugar snap peas, pickled ramps and almonds. This nutty mixture went amazing with the chicken.  A unique and scrumptious dish, was the Pork Croquette. The croquette itself was delicious. Accompanying the croquette was red cabbage, aji dulce peppers and a spiced port sauce. On the lighter side, the Striped Bass was amazing. The striped bass was in a great beet broth also with turnips, radish, and bacon. For dessert my favorite dish was the Lemon Pudding Cake. It was refreshing and delicious. It came with fresh raspberries, raspberry ice cream, and toffee crumbs. It was fantastic. My second favorite was the Apricot Upside Down Cake. Beside it was sour cream ice cream which was so good with the apricot cake. One more dessert that was good was the Roasted Almond Panna Cotta. It didn't stand out to me but was still good. For a more decadent dessert, my favorite was the Peanut Butter Semifreddo. It came sandwiched in between two scrumptious chocolate macaroons. Another delicious, decadent dessert was the Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding with cocoa nib ice cream. The ice cream was amazing and very unique. My only complaint was the bread pudding was too soft for me. Gramercy Tavern was the complete experience. I definitely recommend that the next time you go out to eat make your reservations at Gramercy Tavern.

• Sevice was great. The Assitant General Manager, Scott Reinhardt, gave me an unforgettable tour of the restaurant.
• Food was fantastic.
• Incredible fettuccine appetizer special.
• Delicious Pasture Raised Chicken
• Unique Pork Croquette
• The best dessert ever: Lemon Pudding Cake

Gramercy Tavern was great. Check back soon for some more restaurant reviews as well as more foodie events in New York City and Long Island. Bon Appetit!

-Mike

2011 New York City Summer Restaurant Week has extended!

Hello foodies! Yesterday, New York City Restaurant Week extended until September 5. Only some of the restaurants that participated in Restaurant Week will be participating in the extension. Click here for a full list of all the participants that extended their Restaurant Week menu.

Also you may have noticed the restaurant reviews have been slightly changed. The Restaurant Review page has become three separate pages which are NYC Restaurant Reviews, Long Island Restaurant Reviews, and Out of Town Eats which are restaurant reviews out of New York. I also decided to get rid of the Specialty Review page. I hope this makes things more organized and more enjoyable for all of you foodies out there. Bon Appetit!

-Mike

NYC Restaurant Review - Maialino

Welcome foodies! Two days ago I had a spectacular meal at Danny Meyer's restaurant, Maialino. The whole experience was wonderful. I am very excited to share my review of this restaurant.

Maialino           2 Lexington Avenue, New York,  NY 10010

(Lunch - Summer Restaurant Week 2011)

This restaurant is absolutely in my top three favorite restaurants ever. Maialino was so spectacular. Not only did I have an incredible food but I also had amazing service which made a perfect overall experience. To start off, I must talk about the incredible service. I don't always spend a lot of time in a review to talk about the service but with the service I had, it must be expressed. To start off our waitress was great. Se was personable and knowledgeable. I had asked my waitress if Danny Meyer happened to be at the restaurant and she said unfortunately he wasn't. About ten minutes after I spoke with her, the general manager walked over to our table and said that Danny Meyer was not in town. He explained that if he was available Danny Meyer would have been happy to come by and visit the table. He said he was sorry about that and if there is anything I needed, just ask him. Already I was pleased to know that both the waitress and general manager made an effort to make my experience the best it could possibly be. Then it got even better. The dining room manager, Irulian Dabbs, walked over and apologized that Danny Meyer wasn't there. After that she offered to give me a tour of the kitchen. I was very excited. I met the sous chef, Joe, and he showed me the preparation for their signature pig dish that marinates over night. He said he was getting ready to cook it very soon at a very slow pace. This pig is served at dinner. I hope to get to try that soon. Also I got to visit the pastry section where I met the head pastry chef, Rachel Binder. She was very nice and when I returned to my table she brought over two Brioche Caramellato (brioche with a toffee glaze; like a sticky bun) that weren't on the menu. They were delicious. The service was truly great from the wait staff, the chefs, and the management. Now on to the food! My favorite appetizer was the Carciofini Fritti which was fried artichokes and an anchovy bread sauce. This dish was delicious. The saltiness from the anchovy sauce gave the artichokes even more amazing flavor. My second favorite dish was the Polpetti Affogati which was seared baby octopus with black olives and scallions. It was very flavorful and very refreshing. My favorite entree was the Chicken under a Brick. The chicken was very moist and full of flavor. Also there were little chilies in the dish that gave the dish some heat. They actually grow those chilies on the roof of there building. My second favorite dish was the Bombolotti all’Amatriciana which was with a spicy tomato sauce and guanciale. I also enjoyed the Malfatti al Maialino which is a suckling pig ragu with arugula. It was very delicious. For dessert everything was incredible. My favorite would be the Blueberry Tart. It was a great dessert that was just perfect. My second favorite dish was the Panna Cotta which is a buttermilk custard that came with a strawberry compote. I also loved the Brioche Caramellato that I mentioned earlier. Those are normally on the brunch menu. Everything was incredible. I recommend to check out Maialino very soon.

• Service was so amazing from the waitress to the managers
• Chicken Under a Brick was the best
• Blueberry Tart was amazing
• Brioche Caramellato was scrumptious

Definitely eat at Maialino! Also NYC Restaurant Week has been extended to September 5. Check back soon for a post with more details on the that, which will include the 200 participating restaurants. Bon Appetit!

-Mike

NYC Restaurant Review - The Modern - Bar Room

Welcome foodies! Two days ago I went to Danny Meyer's restaurant, The Modern, for dinner. The meal was amazing. Check out my review below!

The Modern - Bar Room        9 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019

(Dinner - Summer Restaurant Week 2011)

The Modern was incredible.  I am already planning my return the restaurant. I ate off the Restaurant Week menu. For the first course, my favorite dish was the Braised Tripe (Tripe is most commonly known as the lining of a cows stomach). This dish was outstanding and unique. It came with chickpeas and harissa aioli spread on a little slice of toast. The chickpeas added a different texture and taste to the dish. I absolutely loved it all. My second favorite dish was the Wild Mushroom Soup with a toasted chorizo ravioli. The soup was very good but what truly made the dish incredible was the toasted chorizo ravioli. It was full of flavor and when dipped in the mushroom soup it is even better. Another dish that I enjoyed was the Spicy Steak Tartare with a quail egg an toast. It tasted delicious and I enjoyed the softness of the steak tartare and the crunch from the toast. One more dish which I thought was very good would be the Upside Down Tuna Tarte. This dish was basically a tuna tartare with fennel, Japanese cucumber, and aioli. My least favorite dish was the Alsatian Country Soup. It was cooked with Benton's ham which gave the soup a very hammy taste. I liked it but out of all the other dishes I tried it didn't compare. For the second course my favorite dish was the Duck Confit a l'Orange. The duck was delicious and it came with cauliflower and fingerling potatoes that were scrumptious. A very close second to this dish would be the Beer Braised Pork Belly with sweet pea puree and a ginger jus. This dish was incredible the pork belly was very tasty and the ginger jus cut through some of the fat which gave the dish a perfect balance. Plus the sweet pea puree was delicious.  My third favorite dish was the Homemade Alsatian Country Sausage. This dish was based off the chefs family recipes. It came with an amazing whole grain mustard sauce and delicious sauerkraut. I also liked the Maine Lobster Pappardelle au Poivre. This also had spinach and tomatoes in it. The lobster was very fresh and I thought it was very good. Another dish that I enjoyed was the Scottish Salmon with a horseradish crust. The salmon was not too fishy and went great with the cabbage and Riesling. For dessert, my favorite dish was the Dark Chocolate Tart. It was so delicious. It had a strong and decadent chocolate flavor and had a very smooth texture with a little crunch on the top. I could of definitely had a second slice of this tart. Another spectacular dish was the Coffee Caramel Dome. This little dome left a huge flavor impact. It came with vanilla ice cream and an amaretto gelee. My third favorite dessert was the Modern Cheesecake. It came with  an almond crumble, raspberry and fromage blanc sorbets. The cheesecake itself was delicious and the almond crumbles plus the sorbet was a bonus. This was seriously good. One more dessert that was quite refreshing, bright and scrumptious, was the Citrus Carpaccio. It was sliced orange and grape fruit with a sugar and lime mixture, lemongrass gelee, and a green apple basil sorbet. When it all combines, the flavor's mesh to create a great dessert especially on a hot day. The service was impeccable and the decor was very modern and beautiful (what else do you expect). I will definitely be back at The Modern and hopefully in the near future.

• Service was fantastic, the waitress knew exactly what she was doing, had great recommendations, and was always checking on the table and on the ball
• Decor was beautiful
• Food was perfect
• INCREDIBLE Braised Tripe. It is a must get!
• Dark Chocolate Tart is delicious and be warned, you will be dreaming about it for days

This meal was incredible. Check back very soon for more restaurant reviews and a few more events going on in New York City. Bon Appetit!

-Mike

NYC Restaurant Review - Gotham Bar and Grill

Hi foodies! Yesterday I had a great meal at Alfred Portale's restaurant, Gotham Bar and Grill. The food was great and the restaurants decor was beautiful. I was very lucky and had the opportunity to meet Alfred Portale. He was very nice, especially since he came up in the middle of service to meet me. He signed one of his three cookbooks for me. The book he signed was called 12 Seasons Cookbook. It is a very interesting book since it offers different recipes for each month. It was definitely a great experience to end a great meal with meeting the incredible chef who prepared it.

Gotham Bar and Grill        12 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003  

(Lunch - Summer Restaurant Week 2011)

 

Gotham Bar and Grill was really good. I ate off of the Restaurant Week menu. For the first course I had Chilled Potato Leek Soup. On it's own the soup was good but then you get a spoonful with their house-made bacon and the shallots and a slice of the golden zucchini this dish was outstanding. For the second course my favorite dish was the Pan Roasted Day Boat Haddock. The fish was cooked to perfection and the potato puree was delicious. The white wine lemon emulsion was outstanding and brought the whole dish together. I also greatly enjoyed the Sweet Corn Tortellini. The broth that the tortellini was in, was really good and the pecorino pepato was a great subtle addition to the dish. I also tried the Grilled Hanger Steak which was good but was very basic and had nothing very special about it. I would much more prefer the other two choices because of how unique and delicious they were. The hanger steak came with sautéed spring squash and crispy fingerlings with a red wine bordelaise. Everything for dessert was scrumptious. My favorite dish was the Carrot Cake. The cake itself was really great. It came with a cream cheese mouse and  blueberry sauce with hazelnut ice cream on the side. The whole dish was really decadent and delicious. I also liked the Gotham Chocolate Cake. It was served warm and was very rich but very good. My least favorite dish (which I still liked a lot) was the Frozen Lemon Verbena Parfait. It came with macerated greenmarket berries. This dish was refreshing and tasty. Overall, I liked Gotham Bar and Grill a lot and recommend it.

•  Pan Roasted Day Boat Haddock is an unforgettable and amazing dish
• Carrot Cake was scrumptious
• Decor was beautiful and elegant

That concludes my review of Gotham Bar and Grill. Unfortunately I was not able to download my pictures of the incredible food I had at Gotham Bar and Grill. If I can I will update the post with the pictures. Bon Appetit! 

-Mike

NYC Restaurant Review - Aureole

Welcome foodies! On Friday I ate at Charlie Palmer's restaurant, Aureole, for Restaurant Week. Everything was incredible from start to finish.


Aureole                 135 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036

(Lunch - Restaurant Week 2011)

Aureole was incredible. The food was out-of-this-world. To start, the bread selection was delicious. The choices were a cheese biscuit, a baguette, a brioche role, and a focaccia. All the breads were amazing and didn't need anything like butter or oil to accompany it. It was incredible. Out of both Restaurant Week Appetizer choices I liked the Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho. It had basil croutons, avocado, and extra virgin olive oil. The combination of all these flavors was perfect. I also enjoyed the Pan Roasted Shrimp. The kimchi under the shrimp was delicious. The only entree I ate was the Grilled Skirt Steak. It came with green asparagus, fingerling potatoes cooked in bacon, and a peppercorn sauce. The potatoes can not be described with words because it was just so damn good. The steak was great and the peppercorn sauce elevated the dish even higher. Out of the two Restaurant Week Dessert choices I thought the fig tart was better (but trust me, both desserts were scrumptious). It came with toasted almond ice cream and a balsamic caramel. It was amazing. The other dessert, which was also delicious, was the Chocolate Mousse Cake. It was really yummy and decadent with a peanut butter ice cream and triple chocolate sauce. Off the Restaurant Week dessert menu, the Vanilla Creme Brulee caught my eye. This dish is on the regular bar room dessert menu. Can I just say this was by far the best dessert and maybe one of the best creme brulee's I have ever laid my taste buds upon. This creme brulee was unique. On the bottom was the creme brulee and on top of that were a few raspberries followed by a layer of a candied sugar wafer. Then to top it off, two little scoops of mixed berry sorbet and basil sorbet sat on top of the layer of the candied sugar. This dish is heavenly. It was an amazing meal and I feel Aureole completely utilized Restaurant Week to its advantage because everything I ate was so delicious I feel compelled to go back to Aureole very soon as I already begin dreaming of another flawless and scrumptious meal (with lot's of creme brulee). 

• All the food was delicious
• Service was friendly 
• On the Grilled Skirt Steak Dish (Restaurant Week Menu), the fingerling potatoes cooked in bacon were drop-dead delicious
• The Vanilla Creme Brulee (regular Bar Room Dessert Menu) was so unique and crazy good

 

 (Above) Vanilla Creme Brulee

 (Above) Fig Tart

 (Above) Chocolate Mousse Cake

Aureole was incredible and I highly recommend this restaurant. There will be a lot more Restaurant Week restaurant reviews coming up this week so check back soon. Bon Appetit!

-Mike

NYC Restaurant Review - Neely's Barbecue Parlor

Welcome back foodies! On Wednesday I went to the Neely's Barbecue Parlor which was the restaurant's first day opened to the public. The food was very good but I was shocked and slightly disappointed that Pat and Gina Neely were not at their restaurant for opening day.

Neely's Barbecue Parlor         1125 First Ave. New York, NY 10065

(Dinner)

Overall, Neely's Barbecue Parlor is a very good restaurant. The food was very good. My favorite appetizer was the Fried Green Tomatoes. They came with an onion relish and all the flavors and textures worked so well together. I also liked the Candied Thick Cut Slab Bacon. This bacon had so much flavor and had an amazing spice blend. My favorite entree was the Pork Sampler Platter. On that platter my favorite was the Spare Ribs. The flavors were incredible and very smokey which I loved. Also on the platter was the Pulled Pork and the Baby Back Ribs. I liked the Pulled Pork better but both had a very one note flavor profile. Another delicious entree was the Texas Style "12 hr" Smoked Beef Brisket. The brisket was so smokey and flavorful. I also liked the KC Style "Sweet & Sticky Ribs. These ribs were fun and messy in a good way. I liked this dish a lot. My favorite side dish was the Spicy Pinto Beans With Burnt Ends. It wasn't very spicy at all but I still liked the taste. I also tremendously enjoyed the Molasses Baked Beans. It tasted delicious and had a mild sweetness to it. One more good dish was the Cole Slaw. It was very refreshing and tasted good but it wasn't the best Cole Slaw ever. For dessert the best dish was the Red Velvet Cake. This was probably the BEST Red Velvet Cake I have ever had. The cake was so moist and the cream cheese frosting was delicious. One person that was with me hates all cheese which includes cream cheese. The cake was so good, she ate all around the cream cheese even though the cake was touching the cream cheese. The portion was also pretty nice. The funny part was that I was never going to order the Red Velvet Cake but then one of the managers came over with the heavenly cake and asked if we wanted it since he had an extra. Of course we said yes cause it's free! And that is how I stumbled across the best Red Velvet Cake ever. Another good dessert was the Pecan Pie a la Mode. It was nothing special but tasted good. One more dessert that I tried was the Mississippi Mud Pie. It was too rich for me so it was probably my least favorite dessert. I truly liked the Neely's Barbecue Parlor and I definitely plan on returning to the restaurant.

• Food was delicious
• Great Spare Ribs
• Best Red Velvet Cake ever!
• Service was friendly but a little slow (Then again it was their first night and everything ran fairly smooth besides the fact that the drinks took forever to come)

 

That is my review of the Neely's Barbecue Parlor. I can't wait to go back. Check back very soon for more restaurant reviews ( I just went to Aureole yesterday, for Restaurant Week, and it was DELICIOUS). Bon Appetit!

-Mike 

Update #1 for August - October 2011 Event Calendar (plus two July events)

Hi foodies! I have some more foodie events to add to the calendar. I hope you find this useful.

Long Island, NY   East Hampton    (Guild Hall – 158 Main St.)

Meet the host of Avec Eric and owner/chef of Le Bernardin, Eric Ripert

Lecture/Book Signing - Stirring the Pot: Conversations with Culinary Celebrities

Date & Time:

7/ 24/ 2011
Starts at – 11:00 A.M

Ticket Price:

Members - $13

General Public - $15

Contact: 631-324-4050

To Sign Up Click Here

For more information:

http://guildhall.org/calendar.ihtml?id=1446

Long Island, NY   East Hampton    (Guild Hall – 158 Main St.)

 Meet Food Network Star and owner/chef of Mesa Grill and Bar Americain, Bobby Flay

Lecture/Book Signing - Stirring the Pot: Conversations with Culinary Celebrities

Date & Time:

7/ 31/ 2011
Starts at – 11:00 A.M

Ticket Price:

Members - $13

General Public - $15

Contact: 631-324-4050

To Sign Up Click Here

For more information:

http://guildhall.org/calendar.ihtml?id=1498

New York, NY      (The Beard House –167 West 12th Street)

Enjoy a fabulous meal prepared by Top Chef: All Stars runner-up, Mike Isabella

Dinner Event

Date & Time:

8/ 23/ 2011
Starts at – 7:00 P.M

Dinner Price For:

James Beard Foundation Members - $130

General Public - $170

Contact: 212-627-2308

For more information and to see the menu visit:

http://www.jamesbeard.org/?q=node/2905

  

New York, NY – Flatiron           (Eataly – 200 5^th Ave.)

Watch and meet Owner/Chef of Felidia’s, Becco, Del Posto and Esca, Lidia Bastianich

Lidia will prepare:

1. Poached Eggplant with Vinegar, Garlic and Mint
2. Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Salad
3. Paccheri with Seafood
4. Skillet Gratinate of Zucchini and Chicken 

Date & Time:

8/ 29/ 2011
Starts at – 2:30 – 4:00 P.M

Demo Price: $275

Contact: (212) 229-2560

 To sign up visit:

http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=981106

New York, NY – Flatiron           (Eataly – 200 5^th Ave.)

Watch and meet Owner/Chef of Felidia’s, Becco, Del Posto and Esca, Lidia Bastianich

Lidia will prepare:

1. Poached Eggplant with Vinegar, Garlic and Mint
2. Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Salad
3. Paccheri with Seafood
4. Skillet Gratinate of Zucchini and Chicken

Date & Time:

8/ 29/ 2011
Starts at – 6:00 – 7:30 P.M 

Demo Price: $275

Contact: (212) 229-2560

 To sign up visit:

 http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=981113

And those are all the events I have for today! As always these have been added to the event calendar. Bon Appetit!

-Mike

NYC Restaurant Review - Kin Shop

Hi foodies! A few days ago I had a spectacular meal at Kin Shop. The executive chef at Kin Shop is
Harold Dieterle, Top Chef Season 1 winner and also the owner/chef of Perilla in New York. I cannot wait to go back to the Kin Shop.

Kin Shop           469 6th Avenue New York, NY 10011

(Lunch)

Chef Harold Deiterle really knows how to make amazing Thai food. At Kin Shop the food is full of bold flavors and some dishes has heat that can truly pack a punch. My favorite appetizer was the Spicy Duck Laab Salad. On the menu it shows how hot the dishes are and this dish was the spiciest. To me, the spice in this dish was not overwhelming at all. The initial bite had a lot of heat but rather than the heat lingering, the heat almost completely disappeared in less than a minute. To me this is the perfect amount of heat to a dish. My next favorite appetizer  was the Garam Masala & Tomato Soup. This soup was a very close second to the Spicy Duck Laab Salad. The taste was very bold and unique. Another dish that was delicious was the Fried Pork & Crispy Oyster Salad. It had peanuts, celery and a mint and chili-lime vinaigrette. I liked all the flavors as well as the texture the oyster and pork gave to the dish. For the entrees my favorite dish was the Stir Fried Wide Wonton Noodles. There was also chicken sausage inside which was delicious. All the flavors worked really well together. Another dish that I liked a lot was the Fresh Egg Noodle & Maitake Mushroom Broth. I loved the poached duck egg on top with the noodles and mushrooms. I also tremendously enjoyed the Crispy Roti (Roti - South Asian unleavened bread). It came with three different condiments which were a Chili Jam, Coriander Nam Prik, and Plum Chutney. Moving on to desserts, the menu was very small but very delicious. Kin Shop only serves ice cream, sorbet, and a root beer float. The root beer float was incredible. It had Galangal Ice Cream, which is similar to ginger. On the side there are ginger snap cookies. These ginger snap cookies were unbelievably amazing. Besides the root beer float I also tried Thai Coffee-Chocolate Ice Cream, Calamansi Sorbet, and Lychee sorbet. They were all good and my favorite out of the three would be the Calamansi Sorbet which is a citrus fruit that taste like a cross between a lime and an orange. Overall Kin Shop was very good and is definitely a place I plan on returning to.  

• Service was good
• Atmosphere was great
• Food was outstanding

 

 That is my review of the Kin Shop. It was really spectacular. Anyway, Restaurant Week starts tomorrow which means a lot of restaurant reviews coming. Also check back for more food event and festival updates. Bon Apetit!

-Mike