The Sundry Tomatoes

DATE: August 14, 2015 LOCATION:  Dos Toros Taqueria 11 Carmine Street, West Village Hello Hello! I had a Trader Joe's salad waiting for me today, but then I was tempted by a much more appealing option (no offense TJ, I still love your pre-made lunches). My coworkers invited me to go to Dos Toros Taqueria, a Chipotle-like place that I have walked by twice a day for a year without ever going in to try it. The inside of the restaurant is very much like a make shift Chipotle, with lots of uneven wooden tables and none of the industrial metallic details that distinguish the competitor's locales. First I wasn't sure how to remove the snuggly fitted top of my card-boardy container. I know I sound stupid, but I envisioned me pulling too hard and ending up with a burrito bowl as a new shirt. Anyway, I anti-climatically removed the lid, took a quick glance and all of the food I was about to taste, snapped a photo and was on my way.  I ordered from the Carmine Street lo...

DATE: July 21st, 2015 LOCATION: Scarpetta 355 W 14th Street,  New York ,  NY   10014 I originally didn't consider writing about my dining experience at Scarpetta, not because it wasn't good, but because it was SO good, it almost doesn't even need to be mentioned.  Scarpetta is an Italian restaurant in the meat-packing district and has received many accolades.   If you've been to or even just heard of Scarpetta, then you know what dish I HAD to order, especially being my first time there.  I ordered the  Spaghetti, Tomato & Basil .  I was wondering how could such a simple, plain sounding dish be raved and reviewed as much as it has been?  Well, after one bite, I can taste why.  The texture of the spaghetti is very smooth and buttery.  The tomato is saucy and sticks with every forkful of pasta.  This pasta dish is very simplistic but flavorful! Spaghetti, Tomato & Basil These are not just cooks in Scar...

DATE: July 12th, 2015 LOCATION: UrbanSpace Broadway Bites @ Greeley Square Park 32nd-34th Street, between Broadway & 6th Ave My obsession with food markets continues.  The most recent haunt was at UrbanSpace Broadway Bites in Greeley Square Park.  For those that don't think they know where that is, it's that triangle block around Herald Square, below 34th Street, that splits Broadway and 6th Ave.  Since that area is usually teeming with tourists and a flurry of shoppers, it's hard to actually take the time to notice this nice slice of space.  Of course, it took a food feast to get my attention, when I'm usually swiftly weaving through the hoards of people.  I was excited to finally get a chance to check it out 2 weeks ago. Broadway Bites is a culinary pop-up shop, lined with various artisans showcasing their signature bests and innovative dishes.  Another reason for my obsession with food markets, it consists of popular restaurants lo...

DATE: June 11th, 2015 LOCATION: Chelsea Market 75 9th Avenue (Between 15th and 16 Streets), New York, NY 10011  I'm really discovering a love for the food market/hall type spaces... as is evident in places I've ventured to this year, such as City Kitchen and Philly's Reading Terminal Market .  I have a like-I-love-you affinity to these vast food options and deciding at the last minute what my stomach's craving.  Last month, for the first time, I went to Chelsea Market.  I didn't realize it was such a stylish and trendy market full of multiple stores, flea markets and food shops.  Whenever I've heard of Chelsea Market before, I just assumed it was one large famer's market or a type of Trader Joe's grocery store.  This is not your soccer mom's suburban mall, flanked by department stores and lower-grade food courts (although I admittedly do enjoy the free toothpick samples of chicken teriyaki & an Auntie Anne's Pretzel).  It is a tren...

DATE: May 8th, 2015 LOCATION: Intrepid, NYC When I heard there was going to be a food truck event, my taste buds were already salivating.  At first though, my wallet was a bit skeptical about attending The Village Voice Choice Streets Food Truck Event.  But I decided to go out of food-FOMO, since the rest of the Sundry Tomatoes & Co were venturing this food truck festival.  Held on the pier by the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, over a dozen trucks were slated to be there.  Before I go on about the experience of the event, let's go down the lists of trucks we got our munchies from: Domo Taco 5 spice braised pork served on toasted corn tortilla with miso slaw, pico de gallo, monterey jack cheese and sesame crema I don't know if it was because I was hungry waiting on the line to get into the festival and this was the first truck in our sights, but this taco was *THUMBS UP*   The pork tasted well seasoned and marinated and mel...

DATE: May 2015 LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA It is just disgraceful how far, far behind I am in food blogging & photo sharing again... This post is about my foodie adventure over the national holiday, and I don't mean the 4th of July weekend that recently passed, but back from when summer un-officially began over the Memorial Day weekend.  My brother & his wife were making a family trip down to Philly and invited the hubby & me.  (Yes, grammar-ites, it is "ME" not "I", as they have invited ME.)  Naturally, I jumped at the chance purely for the fact that I have never tried any of Philly's infamous and renowned cheesesteaks.  Being a New Yorker, the only likes of a cheesesteak I've had were 99 Miles to Philly and Carl's Steak, so I wanted to see if the authentic originators would live up to the reputation and surpass these imitators. It is the battle of the cheesesteaks... in one corner, we have Pat's King of Steaks.  In ...

RESTAURANT:  Jack's Wife Freda DATE: April 7th, 2015 LOCATION: 50 Carmine Street, New York, NY 10014 Jack's Wife Freda is an eatery as charming as the name sounds.  White tiled floors, marble counters and long tables with cushy seated benches makes this place an attractive date-night spot.  I was here back in April, but my taste buds still recall most of the dishes the girls & I ordered. Salt & Pepper Eggplant  — I love eggplant but I was afraid this would be a plain and boring dish.  It was a pleasant surprise that the eggplant had a nice crunch/fried texture to the outside.  I liked this eggplant dish so much, I've attempted to recreate that slightly fried texture when I cook eggplant myself but have been unsuccessful so far. Spiced Beet Dip —As somebody who doesn't usually have beets in my gastronomic vocabulary, I enjoyed this dip a lot.  And anything is better with crumbled cheese on top! Mint Lemonade ...