Don Antonio

W is usually not a big pizza fan but she saw an episode of "Diners, Drive-throughts, and Dives" about this crazy deep fried pizza from a place named Don Antonio in New York and wanted to try it out. I was a bit skeptical at first even though I usually love fatty indulgences but agreed to go with her. The pizza was delicious! It sounded so soggy and greasy at first but I was so pleasantly surprised. The crust was fluffy and extra crispy but not too greasy at all! The restaurant also has a great lunch menu where you can get smaller personal pizzas. We ordered the fried pizza and also a pizza with pistachio on top. Both were delicious! We also got the burrata but it was very dense and not creamy as you can see from the photo below. The arancini was also very good and I would recommend ordering that.

I was really glad that I tried this place out and would love to return when I have a pizza craving!

Don Antonio

309 W 50th St

New York

NY 10019

Raku

I am so incredibly excited to share this new restaurant with you guys! I met my dear friend J in Beijing and we've had many fun and crazy adventures in the motherland. He moved to NYC from Toronto a couple months ago and switched from his consulting job to opening up the best udon shop ever! I'm so happy to see all his hard work come together and hope you will all check out this place!

I initially came for the soft opening and noticed that there were some small tweaks that needed to be adjusted. I've been here twice after the official opening and everything has been STELLAR. The shop has hand pulled udon delivered from Japan 3 times a week and it's some of the best udon I've had. I know I'm not the only one who thinks so as you can see from these Yelp reviews! Apart from the delicious bowls of udon, the appetizers and rice dishes are also delicious! Please excuse the discrepancies in lighting - I combined photos from various visits!

Kiriboshi Daikon - Simmered Dried Radish 
The daikon is crunchy and seasoned perfectly. It is such a nice refreshing start to the meal with its sweetness and umami flavor. 

Chicken Tatsuta-age - Marinated Fried Chicken
The fried chicken is super juicy and the exterior is very crispy and not greasy at all. The kewpie mayo dipping sauce also has a nice kick to it! 

Agedashi Tofu - Deep-fried Tofu
An extremely Japanese appetizer done right. Soft and silky tofu inside with a fluffy and crispy coating. 

Atsugiri Bacon - Thick-cut Bacon
The bacon has such an incredible flavor. It has a lovely smokey element and also bursting with umami. I did not eat the fat but J said that it tastes great when you eat the entire piece with the fat and the leaner portions. I think it would be even better if it was grilled more to render out the fat and perhaps achieve more crispy bits (I love everything extra crispyyy)

Katsudon - Deep-fried Pork Cutlet and Egg Rice Bowl
Mmmmmmm I love this rice bowl. The onions are cooked until they are soft and sweet and the egg is creamy and perfectly incorporated into the sauce. The katsu is also able to maintain its crispy exterior and is lean but still tender. 

Niku Udon - Beef Short-ribs and Tripe 
Ok yes finally I talk about the udon. The soup for the niku udon is BOMB DOT COM. The soup for the other udons (except the egg and curry I think) is a clear dashi broth that is also delicious, but this beef soup is just next level. It is so rich without being heavy and has such depth of flavor. The short ribs are cooked over night and melts in your mouth. The udon has the ideal texture of being chewy and silky smooth. This dish is definitely a home run! 

Raku is definitely a must visit! Especially in these chilly winter months. You will be so satisfied and I can not recommend this place more!

Raku

342 E 6th Street

East Village 

New York

NY 10003

Morandi

After my mediocre review regarding Cherche Midi, I'm happy to say that I can now add one more of Keith McNally restaurants to my love list! Morandi is a popular Italian restaurant in the West Village and I can definitely see why! Y was visiting from SF which made this dinner even more enjoyable because I have not seen her for almost a year and I was definitely looking forward to some catching up over delicious food and wine. The space is quite large and very cozy, which matched the hearty and flavorful food offered.

Calamari alla Griglia - Grilled Squid with Peppers, Capers, Olives
I am usually partial to deep fried calamari so would not have ordered this if Y didn't pick it out. But thank goodness we did because this was absolutely divine! It may have been some of the most tender and brightly flavored calamari I've ever tasted. The texture of the squid was amazing, the peppers were sweet, and the capers and olives provided the perfect kick. I could eat this all day. 

Fritto Misto di Pesce - Fried Calamari, Shrimp, Fish
Yummm! A perfectly executed dish. All components were fried perfectly and not greasy at all. The shrimp was very generously sized and I also devoured the head. 

Burrata e Pachini - Burrata Cheese with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes “on the vine”
If you've been reading my blog religiously, you may have noticed that I've been having some bad burrata luck recently. Luckily this finally ended that streak of bad luck. The burrata was luxurious and creamy and the tomatoes and balsamic was the perfect simple accompaniment. 

Pici al Limone - Hand-rolled Spaghetti with Lemon and Parmesan
I heard amazing things about this pasta so it was on my must order list when I came here. This did not disappoint and I recommend everyone order it! It might sound a little strange but it was absolutely dreamy. The lemon flavor was distinct but not overpowering and very refreshing. the hand rolled spaghetti also had such and incredibly chewy texture. One of the most memorable pasta dishes ever! 

Polpettine alla Siciliana - Meatballs with Pinenuts and Raisins
This was probably our least favorite dish of the night. It was by no means bad, but just not as stand out as the other dishes. The meatballs were very hearty and I loved how the sauce was slightly sweet. But I felt that they were a bit dense and could be more tender. I also did not care for the raisons but that could be due to personal preference. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts 
These were so tiny and cute! They may have been a tinssyyyyy bit too soft but still very good. 

I loved my meal here and would definitely return to try their other dishes and also re-order some of my favorites from this time! I also was eying the Veal Milanese but it looked humongous so that's definitely something to order when you have a larger group! 

Morandi 

411 Waverly Place

New York

NY 10014

Lady Mendl's Afternoon Tea

I love afternoon tea but never really get around to planning it for some reason. I found out that two of my girlfriends share the same (or even more!) enthusiasm as I do for afternoon tea so I finally secured a date with them at Lady Mendl's. The tea salon is absolutely lovely and I adored all the girly and pretty decorations. I ordered the lychee rose tea and it was delightful. Instead of bringing out each course on a tray in the traditional manner, each course is brought out like a proper meal. I really enjoyed every course and our server was very polite which made our experience very pleasant. I particularly loved the fig finger sandwich. I believe you are allowed to ask for extras but we did not this time. It may not look like a ton of food but it definitely fills you up! I think I liked the scones at the Ritz better but these were still very good. I also love how they serve Lady M cakes as that was definitely a plus. I had to rush to SoulCycle after so had to leave early but I wished that I was able to stay longer to have a nice girl chat!

Lady Mendl's Tea Salon

56 Irving Place

New York

NY 10003

Cherche Midi

Cherche Midi is the newest French brasserie (opened in June) from restauranteur Keith McNally and since I love his other restaurants (Balthazar and Minetta Tavern), I had certain expectations for this restaurant. Unfortunately I was not impressed with my meal and will definitely stick to the my usual two in the future.

Steak Tartare - Toasted Baguette and Market Greens 
I liked how the tartare was not too minced and it was nicely seasoned. However, it's better at Balthazar. 

Pot de Fromage - Parmesan Custard with Anchovy Butter Toast 
I really liked the cheesiness of the custard but it was a bit too eggy and the texture got a bit weird after a few bites. I loved the anchovy butter toast though. 

Steak Frites with Béarnaise Sauce
The fries were good but the steak was incredibly mediocre. Just a very meh piece of steak... quite chewy. 

Roasted Cauliflower with Sauce Gribiche
I was really excited for this dish because I heard so many great things on the Yelp reviews but once again while the flavors were delicious... there was also an issue with the texture with this dish. The cauliflower was way overcooked and very mushy. I get that cauliflower is in general a soft vegetable but it was just much too soft. I loved the sauce gribiche though, it was tangy and very yummy. 

Bone-in Skate Wing Meuniere with an Onion Fennel Soubise
This may have been the best dish of the night.  The skate was seasoned perfectly and had a perfectly crispy exterior while maintaining a wonderfully delicate interior. 

It is a shame that I was not too pleased with my meal as I love discovering new delicious french brasseries (hello Lafayette!). I hear that their prime rib is actually a big hit but I probably will not be back to try it out!

Cherche Midi

282 Bowery

10012