This summer we’ve tried to be adventurous and go to new places, which is how we ended up on Shelter Island not too long ago.  If you’re unfamiliar, Shelter Island, which sits at the end of Long Island between the North and South forks, is a quiet and quaint little beach community.  We hadn’t ever been there before, but we discovered that it’s fairly easy to get to even for us New Yorkers who don’t have a car:  you take the Long Island Railroad as far along the North fork as it will go to the town of Greenport, then walk just a few steps from the train station to a ferry that takes you to the island.  We ended up spending an entire weekend there, which means we sampled all different kinds of food that we’re going to share  with you today.  But just as a warning, there are some images of meat in this post.

The first place we went was actually in Greenport (so yes, the title of this post is not 100% accurate).  If you get off the train and stroll into town you’ll see some pretty good attractions and restaurants, including the popular and buzzy breakfast and lunch spot Crazy Beans (which also has two other locations on Long Island).  We started off our meal these with two of their fun and creative cocktails:  an Irish iced coffee for Cyril and a frozen mudslide for Miriam.

Then Miriam had an order of their cookie dough pancakes …

… plus some avocado fries.

Meanwhile, Cyril decided to try an egg sandwich with some lobster hash added to it:

He also got some loaded home fries.

Once we made it to Shelter Island, Cyril desperately wanted to try some seafood, and since we heard that Commander Cody’s was the best place around we decided to go there.  Cyril ordered a bunch of different things, starting with the fried combo platter, which comes with clam strips, shrimp, crab balls, calamari, fries, and a slice of cornbread.

Then came an order of fried chicken, some steamed shrimp, and for Miriam sides of red potato salad and corn nuggets.

The next day for brunch we walked to Maria’s Kitchen, which operates out of a small convenience store but has a sunny backyard area where you can sit and eat.  The menu is simple Mexican food, so for a breakfast bite Miriam got the chilaquiles:  homemade tortilla chips topped with queso fresco, sour cream, chopped onions, and spicy green salsa on the side.

And Cyril had the huevos rancheros, which also comes with with chorizo, refried beans, avocado, plantains, a slice of queso fresco, and homemade tortillas.

And finally, we heard rumors that a local pizza place called Piesano’s made something called a “piezone”.  Intrigued, we took ourselves down to this spot and discovered that while it’s not officially on the menu, you can ask and they’ll bake you up one of these creations, which is a calzone on one side and a pizza on the other (we got ours topped with eggplant) plus a row of garlic knots separating the two halves.  As you can see, it’s pretty impressive:

We were pleasantly surprised that this small, sleepy island had such diverse food:  a great seafood shack, but also some excellent Mexican food and a pizza place that makes it’s own delicious Frankenstein of a pie.  And if you head into Greenport, you can also get some cool drinks and brunch eats at Crazy Beans.  We went to Shelter Island for the beach vibes and seaside setting but left having really enjoyed everything we got to sample.  So if you’re looking for a cool summer getaway, Shelter Island is an excellent pick not just for it’s surf and sand but also for its unique culinary scene.

Where We Ate: Lions and Tigers and Squares & Farida

Even with all the cooking we do around here, we enjoy taking a break sometimes and getting out to try some interesting restaurants around our city – after all, we live in New York and there’s so much excellent food here.  So today we’re going to highlight two spots we visited recently that are both in midtown Manhattan but which serve some very different cuisines.  We enjoyed each for what they offered, and they represent just how diverse and interesting New York City’s food scene can be.  So without further ado, here are our two recommendations for today.

First is Lions and Tigers and Squares, which is probably the most cleverly named place we’ve ever seen because what they serve up is square Detroit-style pizza (if you’re still struggling with the name, just think about what teams play professionally in that city).  Each pizza there is individually-sized, so we got a sampling to try out – here’s their classic, with just cheese and sauce:

This one is made with a vodka sauce:

And this is topped with sausage and onion:

Lions and Tigers and Squares is excellent for take-out food, but if you’re looking for more of a sit-down experience, and one from a very different culture, you can head just a mile north to Farida, which serves up all manner of Central Asian food.  Most likely you’ve never had food from Uzbekistan, or Ukraine, or Kazakhstan, so you’re in for an interesting treat.  When we visited, we started our meal with this mini umka puff pie, served with a tomato sauce dip – ours was stuffed with spinach, but you can also get pumpkin, chicken, or steak varieties.

Then Miriam had the vareniki, filled with potatoes and cheese and with sour cream on the side.

And Cyril had an order of manti, which are steamed dumplings stuffed with either meat or pumpkin.

Pizza and Central Asian food definitely don’t have a lot of overlap in terms of flavors or ingredients, and yet in the heart of Manhattan you can find these two different cuisines just a short walk from each other. That’s what we love about New York:  the abundance of different types of food and the diverse cultures whose dishes are on offer.  We think both Farida and Lions and Tigers and Squares are excellent examples of these two types of foods, and if you get a chance you should visit both – after all, there’s plenty of room in this city for both pizza and Uzbek dumplings.

Where We Ate: Adda & Sofra

Looking for more great restaurant recommendations around New York?  Lucky for you, we spend some of our free time exploring the city and hunting for good, unique, vegetarian-friendly places – and we’re going to share two with you today.  Both of these spots cook up different cuisines, but they’re less than a mile from each other in northern Queens and they’re excellent examples of the diverse foods this borough offers.  So here’s what we got at each – just be warned that we are going to show you one image of meat here.

Over in Long Island City is Adda Indian Canteen, a cozy restaurant with a menu of lesser-known Indian dishes.  This place is small and pretty popular, so if you want to visit you’ll probably have to make a reservation several weeks in advance.  Many of the foods offered here are not items you’ll typically see at mainstream Indian restaurants – for example, here’s one of the appetizers we started our meal off with:  the dahi batata puri, which are spiced potato puffs served in a chutney and yogurt sauce.

We also got an order of the aloo chana chaat, made with potatoes and chickpeas in another chutney sauce, topped with crispy bits.

Then we shared two entrees:  first, the paneer khurchan, which is cubes of Indian cheese in a spicy pepper and tomato sauce …

… and then an impressive Lucknow dum biryani.  This dish is usually made with stewed goat and rice in a bread bowl, but if you ask they’ll make a vegetarian version that subs vegetables in for the meat.

And of course we had to get some naan – this is the cheese and chili variety.

Now if you head west on Queens Boulevard, one neighborhood over in Sunnyside is Sofra Mediterranean Grill, which serves up Turkish food.  There we started our meal with a cold appetizer platter, which features patlican salatasi (a smoked eggplant and pepper dip), cacik (a mint, garlic, and cucumber yogurt dip), white bean salad, babaghanoush, tabbouleh, and hummus – all served with some homemade bread.

We also got an order of falafel with more hummus.

Our favorite part of the meal there was this kasarli pide, which is flatbread stuffed and baked with cheese.

And finally, Cyril got a kebab for himself:  this one is the adana kebab, made with spiced lamb grilled with tomatoes and peppers.

As you can see, the food that we got at each of these restaurants is pretty impressive.  At Adda we were able to try some Indian dishes that were new to us, and we most enjoyed the Lucknow dum biryani.  Then at Sofra we had our fill of all different kinds of Turkish food and were introduced to a wonderfully cheesy pide.  By some measures Queens is considered to be the most diverse area of the United States, and that cultural richness is reflected in many kinds of different cuisines on offer there.  Adda and Sofra represent just two of the communities that have made the borough their home, and they’re great examples of different food traditions – so if you happen to be venturing into Queens, give these place a visit.

Where We Ate: Nora Thai & Mekelburgs

There are so many amazing restaurants we’ve visited around New York lately, so we’re going to dedicate today’s post to highlighting a couple of places we’ve been recently.  The two spots we’re writing about today serve very different cuisines in very different settings, but they’re both in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood.  Williamsburg has a lot going on and many different options for food, but we liked both restaurants enough that we’re going to show you what we got at each.  Just be warned, we are showing some images of meat here.

First, in northern Williamsburg is Nora Thai, a new spot that just opened up a few months ago.  As you might be able to guess, this is a Thai food place, and their space is pretty impressive:  not only is the restaurant huge, but it’s also interestingly decorated with relics and statues from Thailand.  We decided to start our meal there with the roti with massaman curry – the idea being that you dunk the flaky bread into the spicy curry:

Nora Thai has an extensive vegan menu, so Miriam ordered off of that – this is the red curry with tofu, eggplant, bamboo shoots, and red bell peppers.

Meanwhile, Cyril got the Japanese eggplant with shrimp in a basil-chili sauce.

Nora Thai was pretty great, but if you’re looking for something more casual you can head a little farther south to the Brooklyn waterfront, where you’ll find the Williamsburg location of Mekelburg’s (there’s also an outpost in Clinton Hill).  Mekelburg’s is many different things at once:  a specialty grocery store selling all kinds of interesting food, a craft beer distributor, and in the back of the store you can find a small area serving up food and drinks.  We decided to try a variety of things on that space’s menu, starting with these spicy Sichuan peanuts:

Then Miriam had the mac and cheese, made with Parmesan, raclette, and Gruyère cheeses.

Cyril tried their signature Mekelburger, served with fries on the side …

… and also one of their famous salt baked potatoes, this one topped with slab bacon, sour cream, and raclette cheese.

And for dessert we had their chocolate babka bread pudding, with a slice of vanilla ice cream and apples on top.

Thai food and pub food don’t really have all that much in common, but these two places go to show just how unique and diverse Williamsburg is in its restaurant offerings.  You can get some excellent Thai dishes in a new and fancy space, or you can head to the back of a grocery and beer store for some interesting, tasty comfort dishes. Each place is good in its own right and has unique food and settings to offer – so if you happen to be in Williamsburg and you’re searching out something to eat, give these two spots a try.

Where We Ate: Via Carota & Morandi

Amid all the recipes we post here, you might be wondering what we eat when we’re not cooking – and considering that New York has such a wealth of great food on offer, there’s a lot for us to try!  Today we’re going to highlight two Italian places we visited recently, which happen to be just a few blocks from each other in Manhattan’s West Village.  Both are places we think are worth checking out, so we’re going to show you what we got at each – just know that we feature some images of non-vegetarian food here.

First up is Via Carota, an insanely popular spot that’s meant to look like a rustic Italian cafe.  If you’d like to eat here there’s a strict process you have to follow, because they don’t take reservations.  Instead, you have to show up and get on their list for the night, but if you want dinner they won’t take your name down until 5pm (11am for lunch) and then it might still be a few hours before you’re seated.  It’s not an easy way to go about getting into a restaurant, but we wanted to see for ourselves why this place was so popular so we got ourselves in one Friday night.  We started out with one of their more unusual appetizers – charred leeks, topped with goat cheese.

Of course we had to try some pasta too – for Miriam, it was the tortelli stuffed with smoked ricotta.

And Cyril tried the tagliatelle with prosciutto and Parmesan.

Now if you head just a little ways down 7th Avenue, you’ll come to another Italian spot called Morandi.  Morandi is also a pretty well-known restaurant, but fortunately they do take reservations – although like Via Carota, the space can also become pretty crowded at times.  Their menu has a focus on seafood, so you can get things like this fritto misto di pesce – fried shrimp, fish, and calamari – that Cyril enjoyed.

Also, this lobster spaghetti was one of the specials on the night we went:

Don’t fear for vegetarians, though – Miriam was able to get one of her perennial favorites, cacio e pepe.

So there you have two interesting Italian restaurants in downtown Manhattan to try – if you can manage to get in and deal with all the other people who also want to try these places.  Both spots serve up good pastas and other unique dishes, and it’s worth checking them out if only to see what the hype is about.  You can make your own judgements about the wisdom of the crowds, but we did enjoy certainly the food at Via Carota and Morandi.