La Paella, Top Hops, Euro Market, Ray's Candy Store and Ferrara's

All in one night!

Michael and I went to Ferrara's last night to buy Easter bread.

Afterwards we ate dinner at La Paella:  Manchego cheese with apples; shrimp in garlic; pork chop with peppers and potatoes; grilled calamari.  1/2 carafe of red sangria.  Place is small but quaint. Service is good, attentive but no rushing, red sangria is really good (lots of fruit) and the grilled calamari was some of the best I've ever had. 

After that, we went to Ray's Candy Store for beignets.  They were amazing!

Then on to Top Hops (http://tophops.com/) where Michael loves their beer selection.  Cool place to drink there and take out in bottles or growlers.

Next on to Astoria to Euro Market (http://www.yelp.com/biz/euro-market-astoria) where they have a great beer selection too.  I also shopped for a while and got French Feta, Hungarian salami, Greek spanikopita, bread and spoon sweets (sour cherry) to put over their homemade Greek yogurt.  This is a great store with a wide selection of products from out of the country.  It smells like smoked meat when you walk in and the guys that work there are really nice and helpful.

Tonight it's Greek treats for dinner!

Happy Easter and Happy Passover!

Spring, Will it Ever Show Up?

Has this winter been sooooo long or is it me?  I can't get the chill out of my bones and I am longing for warm sunshine!

Easter is this Sunday and we always go to Glenn and Eileen's.  Such a special treat to celebrate and share delicious food with our close friends (Framily).  Glenn makes lamb soaked in garlic on the grill and the smell is amazing.  Tonight, as is our annual ritual, Michael and I will go to Ferrara's (http://www.ferraracafe.com/home.php) to pick up Easter Bread for Sunday.  Afterwards, we have a reservation at La Paella (http://www.lapaellanyc.com/) on East 9th Street.  Review to follow :)

Recently I've had Tom Yom soup from Asian Bowl on Queens Boulevard twice.  I ask them to add tofu and they do and it's pretty good.  The vegetable spring roll was so small it was cute, but not worthwhile.  Their Pad Thai wasn't too great either, but I am willing to try other things.

Michael and I were at Cronin and Phelan last week.  I usually order their Shepherd's pie, but changed to roasted turkey dinner instead.  It was yummy.  A bit salty (but I like that) and the gravy had the right color, consistency and flavor!

We've been to Oktoberfest on Yellowstone also.  Went with junior high school friends to hear a  band called Jagged Edge (good and fun) and had dinner too.  Pastrami Reuben, Caesar salad..just what you'd expect.  Fine for what and where it is.

A few weeks ago I was at the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side and afterwards we ate at Congee Village (http://www.congeevillagerestaurants.com/restaurant-village.php).  It is a staple New York Chinese restaurant that I've never been to before (odd, I know).  I've passed it often and somehow thought it was Vietnamese (not that it matters).  Anyway, got there at just the right time, huge line when we left.  Food was good, place is decorated in Chinese kitsch and servers are average.

And lastly, but certainly most importantly, announcing our new grandson CLAYTON:

Ferrara's and Shanghai Cafe

Yesterday afternoon I picked up Michael from work and we went to Ferrara's to get Easter bread.  It's our usual before-Easter run.  They make the best egg bread (think Challah) with whole eggs-in the shell-baked right in.  We bought a round seven egg bread to bring the Creutz' for Easter and three 3 egg breads-one for Denise, one for Barbara and one for Chris.  Other than the fact that the place was FULL of tourists and the line moves like a snail, it's always fun to be there.  Their pastries are beautiful!

After getting the bread, we walked to Shanghai Cafe at 100 Mott Street.  Our new place for soup dumplings.  So we had...soup dumplings, scallion pancakes, moo shu pork and veggie fried rice.  Next time no fried rice, too much food, and no scallion pancakes, almost no taste.  But those dumplings are yummy! $25 for dinner for 2!

We went to the Deluxe Meat Market after dinner at 79 Elizabeth Street.  They sell meat (really) and bags and trays of dumplings and mini buns and all sorts of everything Chinese.  They have bins of swimming eels, hopping frogs and other such delicacies (vomit). But I am sure there is a market for them...Stopped for decaf espresso and drove home.  Good day!!

Note:  Last weeks boring food:  Cutlets and salad turned into chicken francese and beet/goat cheese salad; and turkey something became turkey/sundried tomato meatloaf.  I discovered tubes of condiments from Amore in the back of my fridge and used them all:  Garlic paste, tomato paste and herb paste.  They were great additions. If I only remember I have them next time...

Happy Easter and Happy Passover!

So...

Once again, I am remiss in writing regularly. These things happen.

Since I have been home from Ithaca I have made:  chicken braciole in sauce over ziti with broccoli and cauliflower on the side; buffalo chicken sausage over salad with blue cheese dressing; borscht with matzoh balls.  We also ate take out:  Chinese; turkey burgers from tower diner. How exciting! Tonight will be turkey meatloaf.

Tomorrow night I am picking Michael up from work and we will head downtown to Ferrara's to pick up Easter bread which we always bring to Glenn and Eileen's.  While we are down there we will probably eat in Chinatown.  Saturday we are at Leslie's for Louis' 19th birthday and Sunday we'll be at Glenn and Eileen's for Easter.

Even though I am not supposed to talk about Jesse (at all) I want to say that he got into the frat he was pledging for last night and we are proud of his commitment, but glad that it's over!

The Past Week

Monday night was chicken cacciatore that was really good, if I do say so myself. Of course, I didn't eat the chicken, but the sauce was yummy!

Tuesday was BBQ brisket. Dry rubbed and in the oven for 6 hours, then cooled, sliced and sauced (homemade-of course). Really good. Shared some with Lenny too.

Wednesday was turkey burgers. Nothing exceptional. Just what you think. I sear them in the pan, then put the pan in the oven to finish cooking them through.

Yesterday, I drove to Brooklyn to pick up Michael, then we went to Little Italy to Ferrara's for our annual Easter Bread run. Came home and napped. No dinner made. Michael ate leftovers :)

Tonight it's Sato (really good Japanese) in Forest Hills with Jill and Lenny and maybe the Boyles and Spilkes.

Saturday it's dinner at my cousin Ellen's in New City and Sunday is Easter at Glenn and Eileen's.

Happy Spring!