Fika Coffee: The Perfect Drug

FIKA [fee:ka] = Swedish verb that roughly translates into “take a coffee break”

I love a good cup of coffee and in a world filled with Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts this can be hard to find. Now before I come off as a pretentious douche let me explain something: I go to Starbucks and DD all the time. I’m not above it. In fact, I use to drink about 3 cups of StarB’s addictive gruel a day when I worked at Morgan Stanley due to the insane work schedule (mental note: never work for an Investment Bank again). But just because I drink their coffee out of necessity, doesn’t mean I love it.

I decided to make my way over to Fika after sampling some of their fine chocolates at this months NYC Chocolate Show. The chocolate was so delicious, the coffee HAD to be at least a notch above mediocre. I walked into the somewhat small cafe and ordered myself a mocha.I had planned on ordering a sandwich but the lack of a bathroom in this cafe made me change my mind. With one sip I was sold. It was smooth, creamy, and hot without being scalding. Finally! A cup of java that doesn’t initially burn my tongue. The coffee needed no addition sweetness and had the most lovely layer of ‘crema’ ontop of it. Divine. The only thing that might turn someone away (besides the lack of a bathroom) is the price. A mocha is about $4.25 – which I’m sadly ok with given NYC prices for..uhh…anything. Think it’s too much money? Think of it this way: a Starbucks grande mocha is the same price.

Location #1
41w 58th st.
between 5th & 6th avenue
New York, NY 10019
Tel: +1 212.832.0022

Location #2
407 Park Avenue south
between 28th & 29th st.
New York, NY 10016

Double Crown

Double Crown has an interesting theme. It explores the culinary dualities of Indian and Southeast Asia after the the British Empire’s influence. What could that possibly mean you ask? Well it means Bowery’s got a hip new spot (relatively new) that features Bangers and Mash, Butternut Squash Curry and Braised Pork Belly with Ginger-Lychee dressing. Confused? Dont be – Brad Farmerie (thats right the one currently on The Next Iron Chef) executes it well.

We started the meal with the spicy pork stuffed lychees. These were delicious  – I highly recommend ordering them even if you’re going in just to have a beer or two. The sit in a light coconut sauce and hit all the major tastebud flavors: salty, sweet, spicy, and a light sour. Keep in mind, they only come 3 in a plate so if you’re in a group order at least 2 or 3 plates. They will FLY!

Then we got the entrees: Twice Cooked Chicken, Bangers and Mash with WOW WOW sauce, and the Butternut Squash Curry. The Twice Cooked Chicken was so incredibly moist – I mean incredibly. I didn’t have to use a knife at all for my entire meal. Granted, the broth was a bit watery but the chicken itself was flavorful and in the end I guess thats what counts. The Bangers and Mash was very vinegary due to the wow wow sauce, which I happen to like but some people might not. The bangers were also a bit dry (emphasis on ‘bit’). The Butternut Squash Curry was a great vegetarian entree, meaty consistency, flavorful, and filling. All in all – the entrees were solid – especially the chicken. In terms of

Twice Cooked Chicken

side dishes we ordered the brussel sprouts and the pickled cucumbers. Both were great choices. The brussel sprouts were a little more charred than I usually like them but the flavor – OH the flavor – was excellant. Spicy and slightly sweet with that delicious mini-cabbage taste I’ve grown to love over the years. The pickled cucumbers with yogurt sauce were an excellant contrast considering most dishes had an element of heat.

Now its time to discuss the desserts. We chose 2: the panna cotta with goat milk ice cream and the hot fudge brownie sundae with shitaki ice cream. The panna cotta was delightful but I had a problem with the hot fudge sundae..mostly because it WASN’T HOT! DO YOU HEAR ME DOUBLE CROWN? I’m sorry, a cold brownie and cold chocolate sauce do not a hot fudge sundae make. Its ice cream with chocolate sauce at that point..which is ok…just don’t call it a hot fudge sundae. So when you visit Double Crown make sure you DON’T order the sundae.

In summation the dinner was a delight. The flavors weren’t quite Indian, or Southeast Asian, or British – which is exactly why I enjoyed it. If you are in the area make sure you go AND don’t forget the awesome gin joint next door. You have to go through a ‘hidden’ door in the back of the restaurant (pretty koooooool) and then you can enjoy the latest cocktail to enthrall NYC: gin and jam. Housemade jams, served in a little teaspoon alongside gin and lemon over crushed ice.

316 Bowery
New York, NY 10012
(212) 254-0350

http://www.doublecrown-nyc.com/

Aquagrill

I love oysters. They are briny, salty, and silky. Mmmmmm – even better? 6 oysters are about 1 point on Weight Watchers. I’ll repeat that because its worth repeating: this means a dozen oysters are only 2 points. Luxurious and diet worthy.

Aquagrill boasts an extensive oyster menu so I went there for brunch one day. The critics were right – the oysters are wonderful and they have over 25-30 different types to choose from on any given day. One day I plan on getting the $70 one-of-every-kind platter just because I need an excuse to have 3 dozen oysters to myself. Since I didnt have the cash to fulfill this dream, I decided to stick with a mix of blue point and malpeque oysters and they were amazing.

Next comes the actual food (although I could have easily dined on oysters alone if I had the cash), I had the warm chicken salad with artichokes, bacon, and a roasted potatoes. Sounds delicious right? It was good – but I have to admit I was expecting a chicken breast…not fatty chicken thighs. In my opinion, thighs have their place on a menu and it generally isnt in a leafy salad. That kind turned me off to the whole plate. Also, my husband got the shrimp fettucine with pesto. The shrimp was cooked well but there was no pesto; it was chopped basil. Fehh..

Verdict: come here for the warm complimentary scones/muffins and the oysters. Skip the rest.

Smorgas Chef

Smorgas Chef was one of my first experiences with Scandinavian cooking several years ago and I fell in love with it.  The food features vibrant herbs and delicate flavors. Cloudberries, lingonberries, herring, house-cured gravlaks, and Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese are all over the menu and its fabulous.

I’m particulary fond of their brunch menu – which features delicious skillet baked eggs. Whats a skillet baked egg?  Two pan fried eggs in a cast iron skillet with ham, Jarlsberg cheese, spinach, tomatos, and hollandaïse. Amazing. So amazing. You wont need to eat anything else for the rest of the day. They also have one with just mushrooms and veggies and one with baked cod, tomatoes, spinach, and parmesan. They also make very light and fluffy vanilla waffles with clouberry sauce. Mmmmmm..

Brunch not your thing? The swedish meatballs with chive mashed potatoes and aquavit cured gravlaksare awesome. Go here, try some of the food, and let me know just how much you liked it.

Wall Street Location:

53 Stone Street New York, NY 10004
(between Broad Street and Hanover Square; 2 blocks south of Wall Street)

Top Chocolate Shops

I spent many years walking around the streets of Manhattan looking for a new chocolate shop. Searching for new flavors and concoctions, hoping that amongst the mediocre chocolate factories I would find gems. Indeed I did find some divine chocolate shops and now I can share my findings with the world!

1 – Jacques Torres

There is something so delightful about the combination of chocolate and chiles. Spicy and sweet at the same time – its definitely addicting. A lot of chocolate shops/cafes make spicy hot chocolate but Jacques makes just about the best one I’ve had. Its thick and creamy without being overly sweet – its also doesnt have just cinnamon and chiles in it. The Wicked Hot Chocolate Try the Wicked Hot Chocolate features allspice, cinnamon, ground, sweet ancho chili peppers, and smoked, ground chipotle chili peppers!   Their french kiss cookies are so sinful – I can’t resist. Also, Jacques still mans his stores – I’ve seen him in them working solo. Man that guys got class….

 

2 - Vosges Haut Chocolat

If you are really into exotic flavors – you are going to love Vosges. Katrina Markoff pairs chocolate with just about everyone and gets wonderful results. Boring chocolate combinations are a thing of the past with her Exotic Truffle Boxes. The Absinthe truffle shines with chinese star anise, fennel and pastis, the Black Pearl pops with ginger, wasabi, and black sesame seeds, and the Naga delights with a mix of coconut and curry. She even has truffles mixed with Taleggio cheese, Wild Tuscan pollen, Balsamic vinegar, and first pressed extra virgin olive oil. Katrina, my tastebuds love you.

 

 

3 - Maribelles

Maribelles also boasts a lot of exotic truffles but my favorites by far are the Caipirinha, Cardamom, and the Saffron. So good! Maribelles also takes hot chocolate one step further than Jacques and Vosges with 4 different flavors: Aztec Original, Aztec Dark, Mocha, and Spicy (cinnamon, nutmeg and chipotle). They are all fantastic and you could do so many different things with them! They even have mixes for Iced Hot Chocolate – in Regular‚ Spicy and Cardamom. Mmmmmmm Cardamom….

4 - Chocolate Bar

There are a lot of things to love about the Chocolate Bar. They have a different spin on truffles called ‘ The Atomic Collection’. These are like truffles but bigger and have more fillings. Examples: the Elvis – which is homemade banana marshmallow & crunchy peanut butter enrobed in dark chocolate. Mmmmmm. They also have delicious biscotti caramel clusters – chocolate biscotti/creamy caramel enrobed in dark chocolate. So good. The only thing that gets me angry is that I can never find the place. Is it just me or are they ALWAYS moving?

 

5 – Evelyns Chocolate

This is quite possibly the oldest chocolate shop in the Financial District. I worked 3 blocks away from this place for about 2 years and would visit Evelyn and her team about once a week. You could not find nicer people. Plus, they have an awesome selection of treats. Classics like peanut clusters, coconut clusters, grand marnier truffles, caramels, orange peels, etc are positively delightful. Looking to purchase a box of chocolates for a loved one? Come here. Ya I know its in the Financial District…just come on your lunch break ok?

6 – La Maison du Chocolat

If you’re looking for super rich chocolate La Maison is for you. The ganaches are scrumptious, the pralines are yummy, and most importantly fruit pastes are divine. These are what I come here for – they taste just like the ones I got the last time I was in Paris. They arent super sweet and are made from untreated fruits. They come in 5 different flavors: red fruits, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit and mandarine.

Argo Tea

If you are going to Chicago and love tea like I do – go to Argo Tea. I make a point to go to one everytime I’m in Chicago or Evanston I stop by and grab yummies. Its like the Starbucks of tea but only in Illinois (for some ungodly reason!). Why arent these hear? C’mon! Vosges Haute Chocolat branched out to NY. Why can’t Argo?? They literally have over a dozen locations in Illinois so find one wherever you’re going. If they arent near by – grab a cup while you’re at O’Hare…cuz odds are you’ll be there for awhile (shakes fist in anger at O’Hare Airport).

My Favorites

Iced Pom Tea^TM – pomegranate juice and iced red tea. Simple and Delicious.

Red Velvet^TM – red tea, raspberry and white chocolate. What a surprising combination – I love it!

Chocolate Mint Tea – a mixture of chocolate milk and mint tea. It sounds weird but this is the best tea drink ever. I crave it monthly.

Mojitea - mint tisane with lime juice over ice. Probably the most refreshing thing to drink when its warm

 

 

 

 

 

 

Casa Mono…Brava

Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali have scores of restaurants scattered around NYC but this one is a tad bit different from their others. Instead of focusing on regional Italian cuisine, Casa Mono takes us to Spain with their delicious tiny tapas plates and delectable wines. Don’t be held back by the idea of ‘small plates’ here  – you WILL leave full.

My husband and I were debating where to eat the other night and I suggested Casa Mono since I wasnt in the mood for a huge dinner and was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. Thank goodness for the huge yellow and orange ‘CASA MONO’ sign ontop of the restaurant, because the place is a shoebox. I mean, its not the smallest restaurant I’ve ever been too but I didnt expect it to be so cramped. Maybe the cramped feeling had more to do with how busy it was then anything else? I dont know.

We opted to sit at the bar instead of waiting for a seat and ordered 3 plates to share since we saw they were tiny: Foie Gras with Cinco Cebollas, Sweetbreads with Fennel al Mono, and the Bone Marrow with Radishes. We also asked for some Jamon Iberico to start with since the pig leg was STARING us in the face. The jamon was obviously delicious but the crusty bread and olives they gave as an obligatory snack was lacking. I’ll rephrase that: the crusty bread was lacking – very hard and kinda tasteless. But at least it was the only ‘BOOO’ factor for the entire meal.

The bone marrow came out first and it was magical.  Silky, salty, and meaty - the texture of the bone marrow can only be described as etheral. Served on chewy, crusty, buttery bread it was positively perfect. The foie gras was combined with different types of onions and it was utterly delicious. In fact, my husband thought it was the best thing her had ever eaten. The sweetbreads were crunchy and juicy – but they werent the best sweetbreads I’ve ever eaten (where were the best sweetbreads? MAZE).

 In summation: eat here. I know I’ll be back.

Egg: A Brooklyn Staple

First I want everyone know, I didnt just want to like Egg – I wanted to love it. It has all the makings of a ‘Vicky Top Ten’. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day (and theyspecialize in it), most of their ingredients are from local farms, and the foods got southern flair. Unfortunately it didnt live up to the hype.

It was around 2pm on a Saturday and the hubs and I were more than peckish. We originally planned to eat at Relish but of course they were filming a movie IN the diner for the entire day. So we wander around Berry and saw Egg…and thought why not.

We didnt really wait to be seated since it was already past 2. We did however wait for the food. I ordered the Grits and Eggs with a side of homemade sausage. My husband went for the pulled pork sandwich because he wasn’t in the mood for breakfast. We waited almost an hour for our food and we were STARVING when it arrived so we started scarfing it down. After the first few bits it hit me – the sausage was bitter and dry and the grits were bland. Not to mention the fact that my eggs were runny. Ugh. I was so sad. My husbands sandwich was also dry. Seriously? This was the famous Egg??

Once again – since I love Egg in theory I promise to give it another chance.

I Want Macaroons!

The best part about NYC is how easy it is to walk around and find a gem. One day while I was wandering around West 36th street looking for a decent cup of coffee and I found the Macaron Cafe. Here’s my review:

They have dozens of macaroon flavors:  Vanilla, Bourbon Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Pumpkin, Caramel, Pistachio,  Raspberry, Strawberry, Apple Spice, Lavender, Earl Grey, etc. The flavors change for the season and can be either fruity, floral, citrus, nutty, and/or chocolately.

The sandwiches are also really delicious. The ‘Paris’ has thick slices of ham, homemade mayo, gruyere, and cornichons. Add 2 macaroons and a cafe latte and you’ve got an amazing lunch for under $15.  If you’re lucky, you’ll arrive right when they’re making a fresh batch of the delightful namesake cookie. Watch them while you’re waiting for your java.

 

161 W 36th St (between 7th Avenue and Broadway)
New York, NY 10018 

Boston Tea Stop

I spent many years in and around Boston. Not because I went to school at Harvard or MIT (although sometimes it feels like I have) but because I spent 4-5 years of my life as a college recruiter for an Investment Bank. Boston, Chicago, Philly, New Hampshire, and Montreal were some of my regular destinations.

As you’ve probably guessed I adore tea so I automatically look for a great tea spot wherever I am – lucky for me Boston is FILLED with tea cafes. Boston Tea Stop just happens to be my favorite so here’s my review. Ask any local college kid walking around – they’ve got the best bubble tea ( or ‘boba’  as its called) in the neighborhood. Way better than Lollicup. Its also really conveniently located in Harvard Square.

The taro slush is great and the black tea with rose flower and lychee jelly is a deliciously different beverage but perhaps my personal favorite is the hot green apple tea. Its sooooo gooood and perfect when you’re wandering around the area in early December waiting for your Internship presentation begins. They also serve dumplings (which I haven’t had) and mochi ice cream (which I have had).

In summation: if you love tea and/or bubble tea, and you’re in Boston. GO HERE!

54 JFK STREET
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 945-0017

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