Peanut Butter & Co.

A college friend of mine was visiting NYC with her family, and ABF & I decided to meet them in the West Village for a kitschy and tasty lunch at Peanut Butter & Co., a family/tourist/tastebud friendly spot that's been around for quite some time.

Tourist & Family-friendly fare! 

It's a small space, but we managed to snag some seats in the back for our group of 6.

Peanut Butter & Company makes their own peanut butter, as well as peanut butter spreads, and they will make just about any sandwich concoction you want. I ended up going with my standby: creamy peanut butter with raspberry preserves on whole wheat bread. My only mistake? I forgot to ask them to cut off the crusts (yes, they will do this)!

I also ordered a coffee milkshake because, well, I wanted one! It was creamy, with a strong coffee flavor and lots of sugar in there. This would later come to haunt me...but we'll continue. You can also get a glass of milk if that's your thing (I will MAKE that my thing next time).

ABF got the Elvis: peanut butter, bananas, and bacon, all fried in a pan. I wasn't feeling too adventurous, so I declined his offer of a bite. However, this is one of their most popular sandwiches-- I'm just an odd duck.

As we finished our sandwiches, we decided to all get some sweet treats to end the meal. Here's where caused myself some trouble- quickly forgetting the liquid sugar bomb of a shake I just had, I thought it would be a GREAT idea to have the brownie sundae and share it with ABF. What was I thinking!? Clearly I was all hopped up on sugar. Well, that sundae was SO good that I kept taking 'just one more bite,' unaware that I was bringing myself ever closer to the stomachache of a lifetime.

Everything we ate was quite tasty-- like comfort food without having to do your own dishes. However, if I had a do-over (and how I wish I did), I would have skipped the shake and saved room for the sundae instead. Sometimes you really CAN have too much of a good thing.

Peanut Butter & Co.
240 Sullivan Street
New York, NY 10012
(212)677-3995

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Food Truck Friday: Gorilla Cheese

Now that it's truly starting to feel like Fall (yay!), what could be better than a delicious grilled cheese?

The Gorilla Cheese truck was parked outside my office recently, and I decided to try one of their gooey delicious sandwiches.

I chose the number seven: smoked turkey, cheddar, tomatoes on multigrain bread, with a chipotle aïoli for good measure!

For a few extra dollars, I could make it a combo, with a drink and a side of their tater tots. Yes please! 

The sandwich was done perfectly: crunchy but buttery bread, warm gooey inside, and the smoked turkey went so well with everything inside that sandwich.

The tater tots were outrageously good – crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and very salty, but I liked it that way. And yes, I do like to individually put ketchup each tot on its own! 

They have several sandwich options of different kinds of cheese, fillings, and bread. They even have sweet sandwiches, including a Smore's melt. I'll be back for that one!

To find out where the gorilla cheese truck will be, follow them on Twitter @gcnyc1!

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Food Truck Friday: Mtblls!

Welcome, new visitors, to Stuff I Ate! I'd love for you to like my Facebook page (click HERE!) and share the fun!

No, I didn't skip any letters-- that's how the Mtblls truck spells its name! You won't care about spelling though when you get a taste of their product--what's not to love about meatballs?

You can choose from beef, chicken, or veggie meatballs, and get them on baguettes, slider rolls, or with focaccia bread. The sauces are tomato, francese (lemon), or romesco (tomatoes/red peppers). Nothing is more than 10 bucks at this truck, so file this baby under Cheap Eats!

I ordered the 'pair of balls' (You're welcome, Mom) for $7-- two beef meatballs with tomatoc sauce, ricotta and parmagiana reggiano cheese, normally paired with focaccia bread. It comes in a nice, leakproof box, and was still warm by the time I got back up to my desk.
They were out of focaccia, so they gave me a slider roll instead. I was disappointed at first, but that slider bread is FAB! Soft, chewy, so good! I ate every last bit of it, and used it to sop up the deliciousy zingy sauce, which had a wonderful heat in the background but was not overly hot.

I thought the meatballs were great-- chewy but not tough, well-seasoned, and just enough to tide me over before going out to a fancypants dinner later that night. Follow them on Twitter- @mtblls to find out where they'll be each day.

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Food Truck Friday: Carl's Steaks

Welcome to a new segment on Stuff I Ate: Food Truck Fridays! Every Friday I'll bring a new food experience from one of NYC's many delicious mobile meal options!

Carl's Steaks used to be a last-stop on many an evening out-- it was located on 2nd ave near many bars and dance spots, so we often went there for a late night snack to soak up some of our celebrating.

Well, the brick & mortar location might be closed, but Carl's is still serving up their cheesy, delicious sandwiches-- on the move! (And at Yankees stadium, but as a lifelong Mets fan I won't expound too much on that....)

Even a Mets fan has to eat! 

A 6-inch cheesesteak runs 6.50-- an excellent bargain, if you ask me. I'm a fan of the Cheez Wiz (this is the ONLY time I eat Cheez Wiz) and onions version, but you can also get peppers, hot peppers, and other toppings. There is also a 10-inch for not that much more, but the smaller sandwich is always enough for me.

I've had the same sandwich twice now-- the bread is fresh but with a decent crust (not crispy per se, but not soggy either) the meat has been tender, and they don't skimp on the Cheez Wiz! My sandwich yesterday could have used more onions, but that didn't stop me from devouring the whole thing.

 I'll be swinging by next time to pick up a sandwich AND some bacon cheese fries. Yeah, you heard me. Several of my coworkers have already volunteered to help me finish them-- they're team players like that!

The best way to find out where the Carl's Steaks truck is each day--- Twitter, of course! Follow them there @carlsteaks.

I'm not a board-certified cheesesteak expert, but I know good meat, good cheese, and good bread, and Carl's Steaks has all three! Track 'em down and tell me what you think!

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Scratch Bakery: Sandwiches (Maine)

My friend JM knows good bread when she tries it. She highly recommended Portland's Scratch Bakery, even above the more-publicized, centrally-located bakeries in the downtown areas. (The folks at Food & Wine magazine agree with her-- they named Scratch one of the country's Best Bread Bakeries!

You need a car to get to Scratch, and thankfully, we had one! ABF & I drove out on a rainy afternoon to get some sammiches, and Scratch put some outstanding food in our happy pieholes!

(sweet stuff post HERE!)

The freshly-baked bread smell in Scratch is so intoxicating, you almost lose focus. When you step inside, you'll see the breads of the day to the right. Pace yourself! I wanted to lose myself in soft dinner rolls and crusty boules, but keep going around the bend to the sandwich corner!

This is clearly off the beaten path for tourists, and I had no idea how/where/when to order. (Skip the register at the front of the store and go right back to the sandwich counter to order, then pay at the register).

We figured it out eventually, and the helpful folks behind the counter were quick to help us out further. I went with the pulled pork sandwich, and ABF got the roasted turkey. They wrapped them up for us while we wandered over to the bakery area.

We also picked up some Maine sodas (root beer for me, sarsaparilla for ABF)--these were great! Not too harsh with the bubbles, a nice bite to the root beer, and a sort of vanilla/cream soda taste to the sarsaparilla.

Here's my stunning sammich: the tenderest, most melt-in-your-mouthiest, succulent pulled pork-- you could almost eat it with a spoon. Normally I'd pick off that red cabbage, but I left the sandwich untouched and ate it as is.

The crunchy cabbage, the slightly sweet pickles, and the softest, freshest bread all came together in a crazy wow tasty explosion.

There's another beauty shot of ABF's sandwich-- roasted turkey, Romaine lettuce, caramelized onions, and their 'exotic' mustard. I don't know what makes it exotic, but it was render-me-speechless good.

We had some very good food during our stay in Portland, but Scratch Bakery was hands down THE BEST. We actually tried to go back another day to get some sandwiches for dinner, but we got there 15 minutes after closing (o, the gnashing of teeth and weeping we did!) If you're staying anywhere near there, zip over for some sandwiches, sweet treats, and wicked strong coffee!

Scratch Baking Company

416 Preble Street

South Portland, ME 04106

(207) 799-0668

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Beach Pea Baking Company (ME)

Long story short: Facebook is fab. I met my friend Jeannie via various social media, and she mentioned that we should meet up sometime near her city. It just so happened that we did that on our recent vacation up to Maine.

Jeannie suggested Beach Pea Baking Co, a cozy spot in Kittery (Maine) known for their sandwiches, cookies, croissants, eclairs (oh we'll get there in another post--click here for that story!) and above all, their bread.

We met on a rainy, dreary Sunday afternoon--in fact the very first Sunday that Beach Pea was open! How fortuitous!

I ordered a dark roast drip coffee for ABF and an almond latte (vacation!) for me. They were rich, bold, and not a bit of bitterness to either brew. Ahh, perfect on a cold, rainy fall day.

Jeannie ordered their roasted veggie salad, which looked so fresh and good. It had roasted vegetables on a mix of field greens and spinach, topped with pine nuts, goat cheese, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I'll have to come back to sample that!

ABF had the curried chicken salad sandwich, which had white breast mean from Bell & Evans chickens, celery, golden raisins, curry, tomato and romaine on multigrain bread which I'm sure was made that morning. I didn't get a pic but he loved every bite.

My sandwich was the roasted turkey, topped with Vermont-raised turkey, cheddar, avocado, poached red onion (so the sting was gone), and tomato with chipotle mayo(mmmm chipotleeeeeee) on a soft but crunchy baguette. Oh that bread.

I ate the first half and let the second sit there while we talked (and my goodness did we talk! We caught up like crazy--so much fun). I figured maybe I'd save the other half for later...until I decided it was too crazy delicious and I had to eat it right now! Omnomnomnom!

In fact, it was so good, we stopped there the NEXT day on our drive home! By then they had stopped serving lunch, so ABF & I picked up some sandwiches made that morning, plus some tasty-looking potato salad.

I had the cured ham with tomato, red onion, roasted apples (!) and a mustard/mayo mix I would normally NEVER consider but ended up loving. Ok--I could have lived without the apples (texture wise), but overall, what a thoughtful, refreshing combo!

I did save the other half for dinner that night (when it was still super yum)-- you know, so I would have room for cookies.

ABF had the sliced steak with horseradish mayo. His was delicious. And I mean delicious. But I liked mine even better. Woo hoo! No order envy for either one of us---we both loved our choices.

And that potato salad? Red bliss potatoes and a few whole, real, easy-to-pronounce/recognize ingredients. Holy moley-- that was absolutely ambrosial! I could have easily put that away all by myself, but I managed to make myself share. SO. GOOD.

Everything was so fresh and delicious, the portions were satisfying but not huge, and each bite tasted like Mom just finished baking up a storm. And their desserts? Oh, honey...just you wait.....

Thanks again, Jeannie--and your fabulous husband--for being such fantastic, fun hosts (and collaborators in carb consumption)!!

Beach Pea Baking Co

53 State Street

Kittery, ME

03904

207-439-3555

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Arno's (Nantucket)

A short time into our day trip to Nantucket, ABF & I stopped for lunch at Arno's restaurant on Nantucket's Main street, a short walk from the Steamship Authority (where the ferry docks when you arrive). It was late afternoon so the main rush was gone, and they sat us immediately near the bar.

It was a hot, humid, super-summery August day. I started my meal with a Sea Breeze, a cocktail with champagne, grenadine, and cranberry juice (of course!) This was light, refreshing, just a touch of sweetness. Cheers!

ABF ordered the fish & chips, made with fresh haddock. This was a good-sized portion and smelled pretty amazing. He gave it two thumbs up and then some.

I also ordered haddock, but in a fish sandwich version. I haven't had a fried fish sandwich in a good ten years, and this was a great way to get back into the game.

Fresh, flaky fish, fresh lettuce, soft bun, and a deliciously zingy tartar sauce. Fantastic.

Service was very friendly, even with a big party upstairs keeping the small staff busy. They were in no rush to move us out of there, so we had a little extra time to catch our breath and cool off before heading back out into the humidity.

Arno's is on the main drag of Nantucket and a good, solid spot if you're looking for a bite!

Arno's

41 Main Street

Nantucket, MA 02554

(508) 228-7001

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Linda Jean's (Martha's Vineyard)

A great hotel deal & some stunning weather were more than enough to lure ABF & me back to Martha's Vineyard this April. A favorite spot of ABF's on MV is Linda Jean's, which is in the Oak Bluffs area(home to the gingerbread houses and more). We didn't make it there last trip, so we made sure to stop by this time!

They'd stopped serving breakfast, but I had just heard (via my Facebook page--go there and like me, won't you? Aww, thank you so much!) that their chowder was some of the best on the Island. Done! ABF & I each got a bowl. I am always impressed how such a simple dish can be so vastly different from place to place. This WAS good, but I think my heart still belongs to the chowdah at Newes from America pub, at least in a MV chowdah ranking.

ABF ordered Linda-Jean's steak sandwich, a play on a philly cheese steak. This was a lot of food and chock full of delicious mushrooms (yes, I said MUSHROOMS--and delicious--in the same sentence!). I took TWO bites of this. The roll was perfectly soft and everything--tender beef, melty cheese, yummy mushrooms, was seasoned just right.

I ordered the grilled Rueben on rye bread. I love me some sauerkraut and it just jumped out at me. I was glad to see it was not a ridiculously huge serving (like you might find here in NYC). This was a normal person's sandwich--and I still couldn't finish it. But oh was it yummy. The bread was perfect, the meat was easy to chew but not mushy, and the melty cheese and sauerkraut were the perfect combo of gooey and crunchy. I didn't really use the Russian dressing on the side (very sweet and kinda not my thing anyway).

The fries were good, too--I ate more than I planned to eat!

Linda Jean's is open all day--next time I'm aiming for breakfast, because I remember having some pretty fantastic pancakes there a while ago. They're located smack in the middle of Oak Bluffs...and let me know what you get there!!

Linda Jean's
25 Circuit Avenue
Oak Bluffs, MA 02557
(508) 693-4093

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