Barbetta in NYC

Barbetta, having celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2006, is the oldest restaurant in New York that is still owned by the family that founded it. I went here recently with Harmeet mainly because of the fact that they list their menu items with the year that they were first introduced at the restaurant. Is it just me or is that neat as hell?

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I mean... that's fucking cool.

Not only was the food fantastic, but our waiter was the best. We couldn't decide on what to get for dessert, so he literally brought us two different desserts each (the panna cotta was the very best, in my opinion). 

Also? There's no music in the restaurant. I looked into why this is and it's because they didn't have a sound system when they first opened (obviously) and they decided they didn't need one as the years went on. There's something so strange and nice about only hearing people speak inside a restaurant, it was definitely foreign - but a welcome kind of foreign.

Go!

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Harmeet & I outside the coat check

Butlers Chocolate

Are you aware that North Americans don't know a damn thing about how to properly make real hot chocolate? I've never really given it a lot of thought, but it is kind of strange that we're so comfortable using mysterious powdered substances to mix into water or milk. What the hell is in that powder? And why did I not ask that question sooner?

Look at how these Irish geniuses are doing things.

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Full Disclosure: I treated half of these Butlers chocolates like regular chocolates and just ate them whole since they were so decadent - but the other ones that I used for actual hot chocolate? My fuck. I don't know how to accurately describe how insanely good it tasted. 

I got these as a birthday gift from my friend Andrew who lives in Ireland (thankyouthankyouthankyou, Andrew!) and Butlers has even open chocolate cafes that sell their products exclusively. So if you're ever in and around Dublin (or Cork, Galway, New Zealand, Karachi, Lahore, Pakistan or London), you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to go and try them out for yourself. 

Sidenote: Happy Birthday, Mom! There's no one in the world I love more than you. You do everything for everyone and I hope today was lovely as hell. Love you a stupid amount.

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Mom, killin' it.

Le Train Bleu

There's a restaurant hidden in Bloomingdale's (on the sixth floor, to be exact) and it RESEMBLES AN OLD-FASHIONED TRAIN CAR! 

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There's even an overhead compartment for your purse! Is it just me or is this place adorable? I'm a little shocked that I've lived in New York for as long as I have without knowing about it. 

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Harmeet & the menu

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Outside the washroom

To be quite honest, the food was just okay. But honestly, the fact that it wasn't terrible is the reason that I'd want to come back here. Does that make sense? The really great part about the whole place is, obviously, the surroundings. I was also struck by how quiet it was - in a good way. It's kind of nice to know that this little tucked away spot is still a bit of a secret in this city. Definitely the kind of restaurant I'd want to take my parents to if they came to visit me. The next time you're near Bloomingdale's, you should definitely check it out. 

*UPDATE: it closed in 2018! Noooooo!

The Best Burrata I've Ever Had

Di Palo's is an Italian specialty foods store located just east of Soho and Little Italy in NYC. And if you've ever been overly (or even slightly) into meats and/or cheeses, this is the only place in this city that you have to visit. 

I'm kind of thankful that I only discovered this place recently since, well, I have gluttonous tendencies at times. I've tried a few of their cheeses (if you've got a nice face, they'll offer you samples of whatever they're slicing for other customers) and they're insane tasting. And the pepperoni? My god. 

But the biggest winner here? Their burrata. It's better than any burrata I've had at any restaurant in this city. (Do you know what a big statement that is to make?) 

How do they get it so creamy on the inside but so sturdy on the outside? I can only assume it's magic. And it's under $10, which is madness. If you visit me in the next few years, this will be the first stop we make together whether you like it or not. 

Best cheese OF LIFE.

Herb Freezer Tray

These can hold up to four different kinds of herbs and would be crazy helpful to own if you've ever found yourself throwing away old herbs that have gone bad in the fridge. There's a flat surface on each top so you can date it and label what's inside.

“If you’re sprinkling cheese overtop your cooked pasta dish, before you put the noodles on the plate – put a dusting of grated cheese on the plate before you add the pasta. Hidden cheese on the bottom of any pasta dish IS AMAZING.”

Blue Cheese Croutons

When I own an oven again, these are getting made SO HARD.

Fitness Beees

This is a safe space, right? 'Cause I have something to tell you.

My boyfriend and I... started a fitness/health joint-Instagram account. Try to reserve your judgement here, okay? I know how it sounds when couples do certain things that make their friends roll their eyes, I really do. I roll my eyes at a lot! Well, I don't actually, but I understand the eye-rolling. We really just wanted to start it 'cause we've been talking about doing it since we started making juices two years ago and it seemed like it might be helpful in even a small way to try and maintain. 

So far we've only posted recipes of what we've been eating that's healthy, but soon I want to start posting short videos of what we do at the gym or maybe other kinds of things that would fall into the category of trying to be a balanced, functional adult. I'm in no way saying that we're even remotely qualified to be telling anyone what's healthy and what's not. If anything, having this account has only encouraged us to do more juices and different kinds of smoothies since it's fun to take photos and share the stuff that you're proud of. And maybe "proud" is a stupid word for it, but personally it makes me feel good. (I don't know why I think I need to justify this so much, to be honest.)

If you've got any interest in following us at all, you can check it out over here. 

Bob's Burgers Cookbook

Remember that guy I told you about who makes the burger recipes from Bob's Burgers into real recipes? HE'S GETTING A BOOK OF HIS RECIPES PUBLISHED. Why is this a big deal? 'Cause I feel like it's kind of rare these days to have someone actually good get a book deal when so many untalented nothings seem to dominate the book world. It's irritating and and a whole other topic, really. But this guy? Cole Bowden? Good for him! Such a great idea and even greater that the show's creator, Loren Bouchard, is so on board with it, too - he's even supplying the cookbook's illustrations, which seems cool as hell. 

Can't wait for this to come out. It comes out March 22nd!

McDonald's Pizza STILL AVAILABLE

If you're ever in Pomeroy, Ohio or Spencer, West Virginia  - I beg you to go to the local town McDonald's, order a pizza and then do the following.

1. Photograph it.
2. Savour it.
3. Call me up and let me know if it's the same pizza from the nineties.

How is this happening? How do they possibly have the same ingredients as the pizzas from twenty years ago? HOW!? It kind of seems like a trap to get people to come to these towns, in my opinion. But that's just a theory.