“If your grocery store sells California nectarines, I beg you to get half a dozen. Holy hell, are they the shit.”
Levain Bakery in NYC
I've been hearing things about Levain Bakery for years now, so when I found myself on the Upper West Side the other day - I had to see what all the fuss was about.
And I get it. These cookies are three dimensional and crazy good. The kind of crazy good that takes you two days to eat to completion.
I got the chocolate-walnut one for myself and the dark chocolate peanut butter chip one for Nathan (which to be quite truthful, took three days to devour). The shop itself is small and vaguely reminded me of the interior of the soup nazi's shop on Seinfeld. There's always a line that goes out the door, but they move so swiftly that waiting in that line is hardly an issue.
Definitely try these cookies if you find yourself nearby!
A Love Letter To Martin's Potato Rolls
My love,
When we met in 2004, my life was permanently changed. It was on a warm, spring evening and I had no idea how my world would be altered forever. You were draped around my first Shack burger and I thought, "Good God, he's tender." My friends acted as though you were nothing special, but I knew that I felt something between us. I found myself thinking about you long after that initial meeting. And not because of your well-regarded popularity at the time (I knew you had many admirers), but because I felt that you were the heart of that establishment.
Oh sure, I'd been with your type before that night - brioche, whole-wheat, ciabatta and even an English muffin or two. But none of them compared to you. I don't think you ever ventured into Canada, so maybe that's why it took so long for us to meet.
I had you on my mind for many a night after our first time. Then came the day when I first spotted you in a supermarket and was blown away that you were available. I hadn't know that I could take you home with me whenever I wanted. Do you have any idea how difficult it was not to devour you right there in that aisle? With everyone watching? I knew I had to leave you at once. For fear of my own well being.
Recently, I finally decided to take you home with me so I brought you home to meet Nathan for turkey burgers. He didn't care for you at first (since he's trying to steer clear of the likes of you), but he allowed you in our house and we actually had a lovely night together, the three of us. He only requests that we don't make it a habit. Once in awhile is all I can get him to agree to. And maybe it's for the best. I don't know. I honestly don't make good decisions around you, you know that.
I love you more than you'll ever know. And when the day comes that I find myself in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania - you can be damn sure to find me walking up Potato Roll Lane, screaming your name in lust.
Forever yours,
Liz
(UPDATE: On August 30th, 2015, a dream came true.)
You can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
Nashville Highlights
I recently went to Nashville (and Franklin), Tennessee and here's what happened!
- I tried Nashville's famous "hot chicken" at The Farmhouse, which was all right. Honestly, they had this insane made-to-order cornbread with whipped honey butter that was way more memorable.
- I had brunch at the Loveless Cafe, where they make 5,000 biscuits a day.
- We drove past Dolly Parton's House!
- You know how I love my baked oysters, so we had dinner in Franklin at 55 South and had these gorgeous babies (below).
- Went on a chocolate factory tour of Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Factory Tour, which I mentioned the other day.
- And I can't forget one of the most epic dinners OF MY LIFE that I had at Red Pony.
- Found some insanely-good Georgia peaches.
- Ate some Tennessee-made Goo Goo Clusters.
- Explored Lower Broadway.
- Lest we forget, the awful Belle Meade Plantation day.
- Ate more biscuits than I should have at Biscuit Love.
- Saw the Grand Ole Opry.
All in all, it was a very Southern trip with definite highs and lows.
Bourbon Nib Brittle
This is some of the finest brittle I've ever had. It even won the award for the Best Confection of 2014 by the Specialty Food Association in New York. I recently went on a chocolate factory tour of Olive & Sinclair in Nashville (tours run on Saturdays and are only $5) and this stuff was, by far, the most delicious treat we tasted that day.
You can buy the brittle online from the chocolate company Olive & Sinclair and it's worth every penny.
Red Pony in Franklin, TN
Photo Credit: Red Pony
Photo Credit: Red Pony
I recently visited Nashville (more on that in an upcoming post) and this restaurant was definitely the highlight of my trip.
I don't know how to write about this place. I really don't. Everything I say will be superlative and you won't believe me since people don't often believe in magic.
Can I say with certainty that this is the best food served in Tennessee? Of course not, I haven't been to 90% of the restaurants here. But I can say that this was one of the top three meals of my life, thus far. If you find yourself ANYwhere near Franklin, TN - it would be considered a sin not to eat here. I went here for the first time recently with a loved one and our entire dinner conversation was based on what we ate. Is that normal? No. Is that what had to happen? No question.
We found ourselves thinking thoughts like, "How dare SHORTS be worn and allowed in the presence of this kind of food?" and "If there's a witch in the kitchen right now stirring an enormous caldron full of potions, I would believe it" and "There has to be drugs in here. What is happening."
The menu changes seasonally and if you go this season, I beg you to get the sausage pizza as a main, the Nutella mousse panna cotta, the crème brulee, the beef tenderloin, the burrata bruchetta, THE BEEF DUMPLINGS.
It's abnormal that people don't cheer or give applause on their way out the door. It's almost insulting that they don't, to be honest.
Fuck your Goo Goo Clusters, Nashville. This is the only place you need to visit.
Off The Hook in Astoria
This place has the absolute best grilled oysters I've had in years. Have you had grilled (or baked) oysters before? I usually will recommend them to someone who's never had raw oysters, since it's kind of like the gateway oyster. I know they look gross, but c'mon... grow up. They're fun as hell to eat.
Anyway, this is the place to get them in Astoria. I wish I could tell you how great their other menu items were - but to be honest, nothing quite stood out like these did.
And as a small sidenote, anytime I hear the word oyster I immediately think of the first square below of Joey and how much I laughed at that line. I was young.
Salad Dressing Chart
Photo Credit: Kath Eats
Photo Credit: Kath Eats
Do you have any idea how much garbage there is in 99% of all store-bought salad dressings? Go look if you don't believe me. Everyone, everywhere should be making their own. They take a few minutes to make and last up to a week (and in some cases, longer, depending on what's in it).
I use this chart (above) so much, I really should just print it out and put it on the fridge. Infact, I'm going to go do that right now.
SUCH a smart idea, this idea. Thanks for sharing it, KathEats!
Turkey Burger
Photo Credit: Health.com
Photo Credit: Health.com
I know that you know that I've been trying to eat better lately, but that doesn't mean you can't make a healthy-ish burger once in awhile. And this is absolutely the tastiest turkey burger I've ever had. I swear to God it tastes like a real burger.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 3/4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 4 sliced dill pickles
- 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted (or Martin's Potato Rolls)
Instructions
In a medium bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients. Then form the individual patties.
Broil for 5–6 minutes on each side or until done.
Place the burger on the bottom half of bun. Top with dill pickles and add no-sugar ketchup if you wish. Cover with the top half of bun.
This recipe was slightly adapted from Health.com.
“You know those kids who sell snacks that you don’t buy for a $1 on the subway for their sports team? Why not buy one for that $1, keep it in your bag, then give it to the next homeless person who comes around on the subway asking for something to eat?”