Casellula

I looove wine and cheese and I've heard that Casellula is one of the top places to savor this amazing pairing in the city. W and I dropped in on a weekday and it was a 1+ hour wait! We put our names down and went to to a super cute Italian wine bar nearby for a drink while we waited. Everything we had was yummy but I particularly loved the ricotta toast. I also really enjoyed the unique cheese pairings such as shiitake mushrooms and chocolate. While I had a great time here, I don't think I would come very frequently as the wait is quite intense! But I would definitely come again when I am craving some delicious cheese pairings and other small bites!

Casellula

401 W 52nd Street

New York

NY 10019

Sausage egg and cheese

The carts in New York have some of the best sandwiches for a great bargain. It's kind of like eating fishballs and gai dan zai in Hong Kong . I LOVE biting into a piping hot croissant filled with gooey cheese, sausage/bacon, and eggs. Clearly, some carts are superior than others, and this one from one outside Columbia's Medical Center up in 168th street is amazingggg.

Keen's (Visit #2)

I haven't been to Keen's in a long time but W was craving prime rib and A was visiting so M booked a fun group dinner excursion for us. I liked my meal here so much more than when I had it the first time. I was just not super impressed the first time but really liked the prime rib this time. I was still pretty whatever about the mutton chop even though I know it's one of their most famous dishes. However, I went back to Keen's again a few weeks ago and once again was not blown away. I guess there are some consistency issues which is a shame but I do love the thick bacon and the creamed spinach.

Keen's Steakhouse

72 W 36th Street

New York

NY 10018

Victory Garden

I stumbled upon Victory Garden when I was searching online for rose flavored ice cream. Unfortunately I was unable to try it since it was a seasonable flavor and no longer available when I went, but the ice cream that I had there was absolutely delicious anyways. A and I went here after our lunch (previous post) and loved our sweet treat. But seriously... best day ever: SoulCycle, brunch, then ice cream?!

Victory Garden has very unique flavors of goat's soft serve and frozen yogurt and I highly recommend everyone go try it out! We ordered the seasonable flavor of pumpkin pie with ginger (?) cookies and it was divine.

Victory Garden

31 Carmine Street

New York

NY 10014

Joseph Leonard

Hi guys! Sorry I've been on sort of a hiatus recently. I've been dying to try Joseph Leonard for a while after seeing many yummy brunch photos on Instagram. I finally got the chance to try it with A after a Justin Bieber theme SoulCycle ride (best day ever?). The hostess was super sweet because I put my name down before Soul and she said she can't guarantee anything but will definitely keep my name there and would let me know! The restaurant is tiny and it was bustling!

Avocado Toast - Two Eggs Any Style, Country Bread, and Baby Lettuce 
I never order avocado toast when I am out because I eat it every morning at home but A seemed to enjoy it!

Hashbrown
Probably one of the most impressive and beautiful hash browns I've ever seen! I think if you were to come here for a specific dish, this would definitely be one of them! The outside is so crispy and the inside is tender and fluffy. Delicious!

"Benedict" - Pain Perdue, Smoked Salmon, Smoked Salmon, and Scallion Cream 
I was quite curious about the savory pain perdue but ended up not liking it too much. It was too eggy and not particularly flavorful. I would have preferred it on a regular english muffin or crusty bread. The eggs were poached perfectly and the smoked salmon was very flavorful, and I particularly loved the scallion cream which was creamy and luscious. I actually loved putting the scallion cream with the hash brown! However, as a whole dish everything was too soft and mushy and it was just missing that crunchy factor. I think the switching the pain perdu with some warm crusty sourdough would be absolute perfection. 

I think this is a super cute spot for a brunch date but I probably would not be coming back any time soon as there are still many other spots for me to try! I think if the wait time is not too bad and you are in the area you can definitely give this a try! Their monkey bread and pancakes also looked awesome so I could be tempted to come back to give those a go!

Joseph Leonard

170 Waverly Place 

New York

NY 10014

Zz's Clam Bar

This was one of my dining highlights of 2015! There are a couple of dishes in my lifetime that I will remember and the trout roe toast has made it on the list! Zz's is known for its delicious tropical drinks and fresh and indulgent seafood offerings, but is also known for its notoriously high prices and strict reservation/dining time issues. Luckily I did not suffer any drama regarding our reservations or getting kicked out (thank god that would have been a mess), but I did experience the sky high prices (but worth every penny in my opinion!). The drinks were yummy but I would rather spend my money on the food when I visit next! I loved the interesting flavor combinations but they were a tad sweet for me (I like a stiff drink).

Cutest pineapple cup! I am obsessed with these. 

Uni Toast
Oh yessss... this is basically porn for Asians haha. The uni was very fresh and the crunchy toast held up perfectly to the perfectly creamy mountain above. 

Trout Roe Toast
OH MY GOD. This was a toast sent from the gods above. The trout roe was so incredibly sweet and savory and the crème fraîche below was the perfect complement. There was also a lovely aroma of truffle that was not overpowering at all. This dish was just out of the world and both Y and I were completely blown away. We got seconds and I think I could eat this toast forever if I could. 

Seared - Live Scallop, Sicilian Pistachios, Brown Butter
The scallops were once again very fresh and I loved the sweet nuttiness of the pistachio and the brown butter. It was not a must order dish but I definitely enjoyed it. 

Carpaccio - Tuna, Foie Gras, Bone Marrow
Mmmmmm this was so good with the buttery bread. The beef was melt in your mouth tender and the grated foie was very fragrant and flavorful. The bone marrow was not very pronounced but it definitely added another level of indulgence and creaminess to this dish. 

Another angle because it's so prettyyyyy 

Super cute seashell case for the check! 

It's too bad that the menu only has raw items because as much as I love oysters and raw seafood I do like to have a little bit of warm and cooked items. There is also a noticeable lack of carbs which makes it hard to feel completely full (especially for dinner). Y and I decided to have more wine and some small bites at Boqueria later and we definitely had quite the perfect night catching up over amazing food!

Zz's Clam Bar

169 Thompson Street

New York

NY 10012