The Sundry Tomatoes

Before I start this entry, please be advised that t his post is more of a story of food, a diary entry of my taste buds. It's  not a review of a restaurant you can go visit and it's not a recipe I'm going to share, mainly because I don't have it, and secondly because if I did I wouldn't give it to you because family recipes are private! Don't be nosy.  Growing up, I hated yellow or white cakes. If the bread inside wasn't chocolate, I wasn't going to eat it, no matter how much my parents wanted me to "just have one bite." Yellow cake - no ; Chocolate cake - yes .  Something else I don't like about cakes in general is frosting or icing, it's thick and gross and sugary.  With time I slowly added other desserts to my short list of non-chocolate (N.C.) desserts that are acceptable for consumption. Pumpkin pie being the main contender on the N.C. list, and then I eventually accepted the blueberry muffin, and the slice of banana bread in to...

RESTAURANT:  Gyu-Kaku LOCATION:  805 3rd Ave, 2nd Floor,  New York, NY 10022 Happy with the food and prices at Gyu-Kaku. Smile and eat with friends. Trendy yet homey. Sauces and snacks to lunch on, Yakiniku too. Ok, sorry for the really lame haikus but I've been too excited to share this gem of a lunch spot in Midtown East.  Although only a block away from my office, I've been eyeing this place for years, salivating over the smell of the grilled meats each time I walk past this Japanese bbq.  But like most typical midtowners, I usually grab & go the proverbial S's for lunch... soup-salad-sandwich-sushi-street meat-simply anything fast & easy.  (Somebody say Seamless?)  I've considered going after work for dinner but never felt like paying the premium for their dinner menu.  So I was really glad when a friend who works nearby called me up for an impromptu lunch.  Wow, a full lunch hour out together?  This...

RESTAURANT:  Clinton Street Baking Co. DATE: April 8, 2014 LOCATION: 4 Clinton Street New York, NY 10002 Considering I am not a morning person and it takes me at least 20 minutes to even roll out of bed, the thought of making breakfast or even sitting down for a bowl of cereal is almost an impossible feat... not that I don't enjoy a good breakfast, I just I cherish my sleep time even more.  So I was really anticipating this month's food pick... instead of our usual dinner, we were going to have brinner - breakfast for dinner. I'm just going to jump right to the main entree first before I give my take on the starters & sides.  I ordered the Chicken & Waffles.   I never tried this odd but interesting pairing of chicken and waffles, so I thought I'd try out this Southern/Soul classic.  I liked the chicken, loved the waffles - but nothing to blow my mind on the whole chicken AND waffles concept.  The chicken was a nice crunchy fried ...

RESTAURANT:  Clinton Street Baking Co. DATE: April 8, 2014 LOCATION: 4 Clinton Street New York, NY 10002 This month’s restaurant selection was up to me, and I decided to go to Clinton Street Baking Company. Known for their pancakes and baked goods, I ordered the Shrimp and Grits, because I do things like that. But let me backtrack, because before my shrimps came out we had about 100 other plates of food on the table. Okay, let me start from the real beginning. I arrived and 3 of the usual suspects were already drinking some french Rhône white wine. Vivian had guessed before I arrived that “Esther doesn't drink wine,” but unknowingly I accepted a glass anyway because who says no to booze? Not this girl. So I take one sip, immediately regret it, and then state “I don’t like this.” Shocker. I like my wine saturated with fruits, and other possibly other liquors, this was not that. Shortly after stating I didn't like the wine, Vivian knocked it over. A bit drastic, I thoug...

RESTAURANT:  Umami Burger LOCATION: 432 6 th Ave, New York, NY 10011 Date: March 13, 2014 Like music, food can stir up memories. Some are good memories and some are bad (I have a orange sorbet story that I will share at a later time..). Burgers in my case, reminds me of my parents, public school, and summer – the smell of burning coal, of ice cold beers, pool parties, friends and laughter. All these great memories continue to find its way back to me each time I bite into a burger. I started eating burgers since I was a little kid. My parent’s idea of this good ‘ol American classic was taking “Wonder Bread” brand hamburger buns, frozen beef patties (cooked on the grill), ketchup and maybe a tomato or piece of lettuce when we wanted to get a little fancy ..  This was still a treat in me and my brothers eyes. No Chinese food for dinner tonight? YESS! My next burger was the public school burger. I have a confession to make… (I loved this burger…). I don’t know what it wa...

Hi! First things first, I’m Vivian. Born and raised in Queens, NY. Living in New York allows me to experience food from many cultures – boy am I lucky! Simply hopping on a subway or bus, I can enjoy pho at Pho Bang in Elmhurst, pizza at Di Fara's in Brooklyn, or Sri Lankan at Sigiri in the East Village, just to name a few places I adore and frequent.  I am a lover  ~ of all things that tease and stimulate my taste buds ~ of treats that are so beautiful they are almost too beautiful to eat ~ of cooking and trying to recreate dishes from my favorite restaurants  ~ of food trucks  ~ of bacon! ‘nuff said  ~ of sharing food, laughs, and drinks with friends and family and now you   I am excited  ~ by farm to table restaurants  ~ by exotic meats – discovering “feel good” proteins  ~ by quinoa! Not what you expected me to say right? Me neither! But this nutritious grain has found its way into my diet and my tummy is smiling for it :)...

RESTAURANT:  Mason Jar DATE: April 5, 2014 LOCATION: 43 East 30th Street New York, NY 10016 Okay folks, winter is finally OVER and Saturday was the first gorgeous, no-hat day in what seems like FOR.EVA! So, to stretch our legs and start curing our cabin fever, the boy and I went into the city to try out a new barbecue place, mostly because he loves pulled pork and because I'll eat anything. So for this particular gastric excursion we hit up Mason Jar on east 30th street.  First off, a drink:  This is a  Kentucky cooler (Bourbon, orange, grenadine, Dark rum) Delicious, but weak. Tasted mostly like orange juice with a only the aroma of bourbon hitting you at the end of your sip. Secondly,  The pictures of the appetizers are totally horrible because we were starving and we inhaled half of it in about 2 minutes after the waitress set it down on the table. Half way through I finally took my phone out to take a photo of it. ...