Pie Face in NYC

I've seen Pie Face locations around the city, but I never bothered to go in until my former roommate hit it up first! She was here recently arranging her wedding (August!! eeeee!) and popped into the location on 53rd street.
For Americans, I don't think the phrase "meat pie" is super appetizing at first. That itself probably put me off the place for a while, even though I have eaten more than my fair share of meat pies (and 'meat' pies) in visits through Europe, Russia, & South America (and let's be real: New York, too!)

Pie Face, however, has completely converted me! Pie me!

Each pie's mouth is different to reflect the filling. The pulled pork has a "Q" for the mouth, ie BBQ. This was hands-down our favorite in the savory samplings. Tender, seasoned, and an excellent filling-to-crust ratio!

We also tried the beef & mushroom (just ok to me, but I'm not big on the 'shrooms) and the chicken curry, which I loved (curry wasn't overpowering) and Ann did not so much. It was like a creamy pot pie with extra kick.

I went back the next day to get some sweet pies and came back with this gorgeous trio: L-R, pear ricotta, lemon, and apple pie.

The apple pie was my least favorite: more crust than filling. True, the crust is delicious, flaky, & tender but I was hoping for more apples and cinnamon and whatnot.

So much lemon!!

The lemon meringue was delicious and it had a mountain of sweet but tart lemon filling. You can easily share this with someone, or save the other half for the next day (which I did--still yummy!)

The sweet pie winner for me was the pear-ricotta pie. Not too sweet, the ricotta was light and fluffy and the pears were super tender. I'll be back this week for a pulled pork & a pear ricotta pie, and no, I won't be sharing!

Pie Face

1691 Broadway

New York, NY 10019

(212) 247-9065

Visit their website for more locations!

Follow @Lkpnyc

Foodbuzz: Nabisco Fruit Thins

While it's true that free stuff is fun, that doesn't mean it's always tasty. However, the free samples of Nabisco Fruit Crisps I received as a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher were quite nommable!

I wouldn't equate these exactly to a cookie, and they're not so thin that I think they're like a crispy flatbread. The best summation I can give is that these taste and feel like animal crackers for grownups. Remember those delicious, vanilla-y bites that came in the cardboard box (shaped like a railcar? #datingmyself)? Yep, these are quite snackable, with chewy, sweet-tart bits of dried cranberries in them.

I shared these with a friend and we both agreed they were tasty, not too high in calories (a serving size, 3 cookies, is only 140 calories), and are great on their own or with a shmear of low-fat yogurt, cream cheese, or cheddar! Add a handful of grapes or sliced apples and you have a yummy snack.

The cranberry version was good, but in a quick search of the web I see they have other flavors, including fig & honey--gotta find some of those. I would definitely pick up another bag or two--these are great to keep on hand when you want something crunchy and tasty, but don't want to raid the candy bar section at the office vending machine.

I actually hadn't noticed any commercials or print ads for Nabisco Fruit Thins before the tasting, but now I see them everywhere--even in magazines I'd leafed through already! I wouldn't have expected these to be so tasty, and would never have tried them on my own, so I'm glad Foodbuzz came to the rescue!

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Samantha's (Super-Awesome) Smoothie

You may remember my post on the delicious Samantha Sandwich (have you tried it yet??) A lot of my friends tried it, too, and raved about it, so next I had to try the Samantha Smoothie, aka Samantha Heller's Get Well Good Morning Smoothie (go HERE for the recipe and more of her delicious ideas!)

My day starts pretty early--around 4am to be exact--and I have to admit I do NOT usually feel like eating at that time. If I DO eat, I have to have something quick and ready to go, because I am determined to sleep as long as possible. I love that I can whip up this smoothie the night before and have it ready to go--in fact, it makes two servings, so I'm set for the next two days! Also, I bought everything you see here at Trader Joe's--affordable and healthy!

I often think of smoothies as sugary, not-very-filling drinks, not substantive meals or snacks. This smoothie packs some omega-3 and fiber-rich walnuts and flax seeds (ground in my coffee grinder).

And while walnuts are good for you, make sure you measure--especially if you don't cook that much. You may think you know what a tablespoon is, but do yourself--and your waistline--a favor, and measure out just to be sure.

This blended up in less than 30 seconds. It makes about two servings, so I sampled some right away (DELISH!) and then portioned it out into two glasses: a standard juice glass, and then, just for kicks, a fancy-schmancy cocktail glass that came with my Chambord bottle.

Why not have fun with breakfast?

This is not like just downing a glass of juice, which might taste nice but isn't filling you up at all. This has serious flavor (berrytastic) and fiber, and a serving of this will actually stay with you. I now have the next 2 mornings' breakfast ready to go, so I can sip a healthy drink while I get ready in the (very) early hours.

Thanks to my favorite Registered Dietitian for yet another 'healthy' recipe that is also fabulous!

You can learn more about Samantha and get this recipe (and others) here!

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Argo Tea Tasting!

My coworker Patty put her business card in the jar for an Argo Tea giveaway and actually won! She was gracious enough to share her tea tasting with her coworkers, and the Argo Tea folks (really, Devonte) brought the snacks and drinks to our weekly editorial meeting--win!

Along with some pastries and hot coffee, Devonte also brought us a pesto sandwich, muffins, and their latest seasonal drink, Red Velvet, which is a hot red tea, white chocolate, and raspberry. I think everyone in the room really enjoyed this drink--it's sweet but not too sweet, and it has unexpectedly delicious layers of flavor. Wow.

The pesto sandwiches were really good. The bread was pleasingly soft, the sundried tomatoes were tangy, and the pesto was cracktastic--I couldn't get enough of it. I found the Swiss cheese a little off-putting myself, but not enough to stop eating.

These were perfect little snacks!

I shared a chocolate croissant with a coworker, but I wasn't crazy about it.

I also had a bite of the chocolate chip cookie, and it was okay, but not for the almost 500-calorie count!

My favorite item by far is one of their newest: the green tea muffin.

This has a strong matcha flavor--which you might guess by its bright green appearance. It had a crunchy top and fluffy insides, and I not only shared one with 2 coworkers, I also shared more of another. I'm coming back for some piping hot Red Velvet and a green tea muffin!

Argo has several locations in NYC and Chicago (where they're based)--visit here for more info!

Lime-Cilantro Shrimp

ABF (Awesome BoyFriend) & I put together this lip-smacking shrimp dish on New Year's Eve, and I can't wait to make it again.

You know I like it simple--and here goes: get a pound of cooked, frozen shrimp and let it thaw. Overnight in the fridge is the easiest, but if you're in a hurry, put it in a bowl of cold water and let it sit for 30 minutes.

There's an App(etizer) for That!

I think I just found my next new favorite snack, and it's about as simple as can be. You just need 2 ingredients and 5 minutes!

Favorite Fruit

Have you ever had champagne grapes? They are one of my favorite fun fruits. My mom started using these when she did catering decades ago, and I remember thinking she was quite the trendsetter then. Everyone (okay, the women) would ooh and ahh over these cute little grapes that pop in your mouth, much like champagne bubbles (hence the name).

One warm August night, I assembled a yummy plate of snacks to nosh on while ABF & I made dinner at his apartment. Everything you see on this plate is from Trader Joe's! Iberico cheese, multigrain crackers, and champagne grapes (packed on my birthday-ha!)

The wine came from one of our favorite spots, Duckwalk Vineyards in Long Island. A nice glass of 'grownup grape juice' with our grapes and cheese!

Gosh, I love being a grownup sometimes. And for good measure, one more shot of ABF's beautiful tile backsplash in his lovely kitchen!

Snacktacular!

What's this, you ask? Oh, nothing...just one of the most delicious snacks I ever made. Nutella spread on Trader Joe's High-Fiber, Whole Wheat bread (5g fiber per slice!), and fresh, local strawberries. Holy freaking YUM.

Note: Nutella is not low-cal. 100 calories per Tablespoon--use sparingly and savor every morsel!

Argo Tea (and Coffee)

An Argo Tea outpost opened up recently in the lobby where I work, and it seems to be doing a bustling business, as it's almost always packed. Most of their items, from quiches to sandwiches, include tea infusions of some kind, and they offer a dazzling array of beverages, too. I'm in this building enough that I'm starting to learn the off times, and will slip out of the studio just long enough to refuel with some iced coffee and a snack. Here's a sampling of MY samplings:

Green tea yogurt parfait--strong but not off-putting green tea flavor to the yogurt. I don't LOVE green tea, but I like it, and I liked this parfait. I wish they made a slightly smaller size as I couldn't finish this all, but it was still a good purchase. 5 bucks is a bit pricey for a parfait, but when you're stuck all day in a studio and packing a lunch just didn't happen, this is a better option than spending 15 bucks somewhere else on not-so-healthy portions/fare.

Iced coffee and raspberry-almond rugelach. I had high hopes for the rugelach, which promised a mix of two of my favorite flavors, but it was pretty bland. Hardly any taste of almond to it, and the pastry dough itself was a bit gummy and just yuck. I like my rugelach to have the tang of cream cheese in them--this bite was just lifeless and disappointing. The iced coffee, however, was bracing and strong--just the pick-up I needed in the middle of yet another 16-hour workday.

And my most recent try? The Chai Curry Chicken bowl. I was at the end of a 12 hour day and needed FOOD. Not a snack, not a nibble, but a MEAL. My coworker Jenna recommended this bowl, which comes with sliced grilled chicken (only 3 small slices, but it ended up being enough), a chai sauce, quinoa and spinach leaves. This has almost the same amount of calories as one slice of (lousy) rugelach, and yet is so much more filling (and good for you).

I also tasted way more chai than curry, so don't let the idea of curry frighten you--the flavors were pronounced but not too strong, and deliciously interesting.

So far the items (except the rugelach, sigh) have been consistently delicious. Every other one of my coworkers has reported having rude or inattentive service, but this hasn't happened to me. Sometimes the wait is a bit long, but I think that's due to customer volume. So far I've been fortunate enough to have smiling, nice people help me! Argo has locations in Chicago and NYC, so if you're in either city, stop by and check them out--might be worth a taste!

Ann's Guacamole

I visited my old roommate Ann months ago, and I had barely set down my bags in her Houston home before seeing she'd bought the fixings for her world-famous (at least in my world) guacamole. Oh my my is this stuff tasty. I realize there are a million recipes for guac, as many as the day is long, but this is one of my favorites--and there is no garlic!

Ann takes 2 ripe avocados (press the skin--if it leaves a dent, it's good to go) and mashes them up in this lovely molcajete--a birthday gift from someone awesome (me)--but any bowl will do.

Then she puts the mashed avocado to the side, and puts a tablespoon or two of diced white onions and jalapenos back in there and smushes them up a bit with the pestle.

Then everything goes into the molcajete: diced fresh tomato, tons of cilantro, and 3 or 4 generous shakes of the Tabasco bottle.

Look at those colorful, delicious ingredients! Que rico!

A hefty dose of freshly-squeezed lime juice finishes off the yumminess with a nice dose of acidy goodness.

There are never any leftovers.

And adding a watermelon margarita never, ever hurts.

Ann's Awesome Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
1/4 onion, diced
1 roma tomato, diced
1 jalepeno (remove ribs & seeds for less heat)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Mash the avocados in a bowl or molcajete and mash to whatever consistency you like (I like some chunks still in it). Gently fold in the remaining ingredients. Finish with a blast of fresh lime juice. Enjoy!