Food Truck Friday: Moshe's Falafel

The warmer weather has led me to thaw out the Friday Food Truck segment! I realized the other day that the lunch 'hour' had ended a while ago for most people. It was much closer to 3pm and I found that the first few trucks I wanted were all out of food. Denied!

The workers at Moshe still had a good crowd going, their workers were keeping up a friendly banter, and holy moly were their prices low!

I got the 5 falafel with 2 pickles, tahini dipping sauce, and hot sauce for three dollars. THREE. DOLLARS.

These are hands down THE lightest falafel I've ever eaten. They're fluffy, crunchy on the outside, and pretty tasty, too. The tahini and hot sauce go together quite well, but that hot sauce does creep up on you!

I enjoyed the friendly and fast service and would definitely swing by that cart again!

Moshe's Falafel
Corner of 6th Avenue and 46th Street
Manhattan

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Butter Midtown

While LaShauna was in town for her birthday, we wanted to find a fabulous spot for a celebration dinner. Alex Guarnaschelli's Butter Midtown had opened recently, and it was on the top of my proverbial List.

We got a reservation for 7 and showed up pretty early. They weren't able to seat us right away (nor did we expect them to), so we got a seat at the spacious, welcoming bar. These bar seats are fabulously comfy, and we could take in the whole restaurant, which features communal seating as well as luxurious booths.

Our bartender, Devon, set us up right away with drinks: the Anjou & Forelle for me (pear liqueur, pear vodka, and a pear garnish) and the Calamansi (Grey Goose Vodka, fresh watermelon 'ice cubes,' mint, and Calamansi lime juice) for LaShauna. Cocktails are $15 each.

That pear cocktail was so delicious-- not too sweet, full pear flavor, and a perfectly crunchy slice of pear on the outside. I could easily have had another, but then we saw Devon make a mojito with elderflower liqueur-- and that was our second round.
Devon was great-- attentive, while working with a lot of customers, and he makes a perfect cocktail.

It was about 20 minutes past our seating time and we hadn't been called to our table, so we checked in ourselves. They sat us a few minutes later at a booth. This is when service went from stellar to sadly spotty.
We eventually got some bread and butter (herbed and salted--both stellar), and just about pounced on that.

We ordered one more cocktail (oh be quiet), another Elderflower mojito. The young woman taking our order asked if we wanted the Mount Gay mojito. I clarified that it was the one Devon made with elderflower. She looked a bit confused, but nodded...and came

back with 2 Mount Gay mojitos. We took a sip and decided that these would not work. We actually sent them back to the bar-- something I've never done!

They replaced our drinks quickly, and we tore into our appetizers.

I went with the Welsh Rarebit, which at Butter Midtown, is a toasted pullman bread with melted Wisconsin cheddar & ale sauce. The wholegrain mustard was strong and in the forefront, but it didn't overpower the delicious cheese and ale flavors, either.

LaShauna's app was the ricotta crostini-- 3 crunchy bits of bread with housemade ricotta, hen of the woods mushrooms and toasted, crackly brussels sprouts leaves. It was a small portion, but LaShauna still shared it with me. I could have eaten a bowl of those leaves, and I'm still wholly undecided on brussels sprouts in general!

LaShauna had a pork chop special for her entrée, and she loved every last bite of it.

My entrée was the wild boar, over toasted fregola (a Sardinian pasta similar to couscous, but even better, I think) and sautéed kohlrabi, which I'd never had before, but enjoyed. I tried cutting into the meat and it felt incredibly tough, but I kept sawing away. It took me a few seconds to realize the twine was still tied around the meat. Oops! Once I removed that (it was a bit tricky/messy), I cleaned my plate. Squeaky clean. I hate to say the boar tasted 'gamey,' because that's a word that normally has a negative connotation in my book, but it was definitely different from my usual fare and quite tasty. It was supremely tender (minus the twine) and expertly done.

We also had an order of fingerling potatoes ($10), and there was more than enough to share for 2. These were so delicious and craveable that I kept eating even when I knew I was getting full. The perfect texture, seasoning, and size. Bravo.
We pushed through and MADE room for dessert. I ordered the Dobosch torte: multiple layers of sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with a caramel drizzle that gave it a buttery flavor and a fabulous crunch (with a little sea salt to boot). The textures alone kept me coming back for bite after bite. I'd probably share this next time, but I would definitely order it again.

LaShauna's dessert was the house made S'more. This one definitely was NOT very shareable, but she still gave me a bite. It was FLAWLESS. My only wish is that there were more of them!
I had mentioned in both OpenTable (online reservation program) and to our server that we were celebrating LaShauna's birthday, but they still forgot a candle or sparkler or whatever they normally do for a special occasion. I was definitely more disappointed than LaShauna was, but I still wish the servers paid a bit more attention overall. This was not a cheap meal, and I definitely felt like we were getting service that was subpar compared to the on-point food and drinks.
TL;DR: Service is spotty- we actually wish we'd stayed at the bar. Despite my mentioning it twice (in Open Table and to the server), they still forgot about LaShauna's birthday, and we waited a long time for placing orders, getting food, and getting the bill. Everyone was nice, it just seemed a bit.. off. I'd go back at least once more, but I'd definitely eat at the bar.

Butter Midtown
70 W 45th St
New York, NY 10036
(212) 253-2828

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Jazz Brunch: Langan's

Back when I worked in the TV news world, my coworkers & I passed many a happy hour at Langan's, steps away from our office, subway stops, Times Square, etc.

My friend LaShauna was visiting that weekend and had just scored tickets for After Midnight (starring Dulé Hill of Psych fame- GO SEE IT!) It was pouring rain, cold outside, and she went to the nearest spot, Langan's.

It just so happens they also have a lovely jazz brunch on Sundays: 15.95 for an entrée and a drink (mimosa, Bloody Mary, champagne)! And all the while, you enjoy the lovely, soothing sounds of jazz. Not the erratic up-and-down jazz that isn't really my style, but the soothing, rhythmic type.

A bread basket came out right away, and the chocolate-chip studded slices were just as tasty as you might suspect. I toyed with the idea of getting more, but decided to remain mature and civilized.

LaShauna ordered their French toast, which came with fruit compote and nothing else. She asked for maple syrup (which they quickly brought), only to take one bite and say "Wow, this doesn't even NEED syrup." High praise, indeed!

I ordered the Eggs Benedict. It came with the usual Canadian bacon & Hollandaise sauce, and a side of home fries that had onions aplenty (I love onions), and a side of mixed greens with just the right touch of dressing. The Hollandaise sauce was very lemony, which was different from what I'm used to, but still good. The greens were amazing, and the eggs were perfectly poached!!

Times Square is famous for having lots of overpriced, overrated food, but you can't really beat brunch (and a drink!) for less than 20 bucks (don't forget to tip)!

Langan's

150 W 47th St

New York, NY 10036

(212) 869-5482

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Downton Abbey-- in Midtown Manhattan!

Are you a fan of Downton Abbey, the delightfully soapy PBS series? If you're anywhere in NYC, there's a fun little tea truck making stops all this week, offering tea, biscuits, and peeks into the series!

My fabulous coworkers & I walked a block away from our office to have some hot tea and a biscuit (what we Yanks call cookies) with a little British touch.

Servers dressed in period garb (okay, covered up in modern coats- it's COLD out this week) were there to serve us hot tea and Biscoff biscuits (have you had these? They're SO GOOD), and they all seemed to be having a grand old time.
All of this fun fuss is to remind fans (as if we actually NEED reminding!) that the fourth season of Downton Abbey airs in the US on January 5th. Set your DVRs, people! This is British entertainment at its most genteel, and genuinely entertaining.

I believe this tea is the English Rose Tea, sold just for Downton Abbey and described by the Republic of tea thusly: "This vibrant, ruby-red infusion of rose, raspberry and hibiscus has fruity, floral notes and a touch of sweetness. Inspired by traditional British desserts, this caffeine-free, luscious tea is perfect as an afternoon treat." (You can order it here!) It is very fruity, and we drank it plain, no sugar needed. I'm still more of a black tea person, but this was fun.. and free!

Do I look proper yet??

There was, shockingly, no real line. We got our tea in seconds, and had a few minutes to linger and pose for cheeky pics and whatnot. Is it high tea, with finger sandwiches and sweets and cloth napkins? Of course not-- but it certainly was a fun break in our day, as we are all quite excited about the upcoming premiere!
Hang in there, fans-- not much longer until we find out what happens with Mary and the rest of the Downton clan!

Thursday, December 12th
The New York Times Center, 41st St. between 7th & 8th Avenue

Friday, December 13
Broadway between 66th and 67th Street

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Thalia (or That Time I Ate 5 Oysters!)

I went with a group of friends to Thalia, a Hell's Kitchen restaurant where they specialize in seafood. I heard we'd be indulging in oysters, which had me a bit apprehensive.

Texture-wise, oysters do not normally appeal to me. Fried? Sure! Raw and jiggling in their shell? Shudder! I would never discourage others from indulging, but I just never really "got" the appeal.

However, I do like to push myself to try and do new things now and then. I did mention my hesitation to my fellow diners, and they couldn't have been more encouraging and supportive!

Thalia offers $1 oysters (Chef's choice) from 7p-close, so we got 2 dozen Blue Points from New Jersey. They came with 2 portions of cocktail sauce (deliciously heavy on the horseradish) and a malt vinegar/shallots sauce.

I tried my first one, a small sample with a dollop of the cocktail sauce. Meaty, not slimy at ALL, and refreshingly tasty! THIS is something I could enjoy eating. In fact, I had 4 more! I hadn't eaten that many raw oysters in all my LIFE before then. Gold star for me!

We moved on to main courses- my entrée was the pappardelle with lamb ragu, ricotta cheese, broccoli rabe and mint - dusted with a nice layer of shredded Manchego cheese. Broccoli rabe is almost always a deal-breaker for me, as I'm not a fan of bitterness, but this was perfectly cooked, mild, soft and tasty!

My friend and former news colleague (I've left the biz-she's still in it and just won an Emmy!) ordered the squid ink capellini, which she loved. 

I sampled it- delightfully delicious with the perfect touch of the sea.

Thalia also has sushi, which looked delicious - I was already too full to try this, but everyone else raved about it.

 
We had excellent service, fun conversation, and the whole meal was a lovely time. I'm glad I finally popped in to the restaurant I've been walking by for so many years!

Thalia
828 8th Ave
New York, NY
(212) 399-4444

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Lexington Brass: Happy Hour

I enjoyed a lovely brunch the Lexington brass just a few months ago (post here!), and I said I'd happily return. Not long ago, a friend I happened to be nearby right around happy hour. We exchanged the 'shall we?' look and popped inside. We found 2 seats at the gorgeous marble bar and had the same server (Mishaya-- I am sure I'm spelling that improperly--sorry) as Brad & I did last time. She's friendly, helpful, and mixes a mean drink.

Our drinks were not only beautiful to look at, they were absolutely delicious. The Anjou was light, sweet without being overly so and absolutely refreshing.
The Anjou ($13) for me: with pear vodka, spiced pear, lemon & ginger fizz.

The Sweet Savannah ($12) for my gal pal: Absolut wild tea vodka, white peach, crushed mint. Aren't they lovely?

The cheese plate was delicious with a chewy raisin bread, rich fig chutney and a sensational thick, delicious honey to go with the blue cheese and other harder cheeses.

This is not a cheap eats, per se, but it's definitely a bargain. Perfectly mixed drinks with refreshingly welcome service and a great atmosphere where we could actually hear each other talk -what a nice change!

Fig chutney, bleu cheese, manchego drizzled w/honey

There's a good after work crowd, and of course visitors staying at the attached hotel. It's a sorely-needed spot in that bit of Midtown East.

Lexington Brass
517 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017
(212) 392-5976

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