The Frying Pan

In the midst of an oppressively hot week, we got a glorious break in the stuffy weather, and the breeze was even cool. So help me, it was cool. I was thrilled, because I had a friend's birthday party at a popular outdoor spot on the Hudson.

The Frying Pan is a docked boat right along the West Side Highway, not far from Chelsea Piers. This place is HUGE...and some nights (most in summer), so is the line. If you don't like waiting in line, this is not the place for you. I don't normally bother with lines that long, but this was a special occasion..and it ended up being worth the wait, too.

The line was astronomical when our group arrived around 7pm on Thursday night, but it moved pretty quickly. We got inside, ordered some drinks, and took up the daunting task of finding a table in that massive, bobbing, breezy space.

I couldn't get over how huge this place was! A teeming mass of suits, sundresses, and super-loud conversations. The view of the sun setting over the Hudson was a striking backdrop to our evening, too.

We started with a bucket of Coronas and lime. I don't think I've ever had more than a sip of Corona before (not really a beer person), but with a spritz of lime juice, this was bright and thirst-quenching.

We also got a pitcher of white sangria for the birthday girl (SM) and her crew. This was refreshing and light, but it was also really watered down. I think it was more seltzer than wine for sure. The fruit, at least, was delicious and super fresh.

The Frying Pan also offers food, but I'd had a late lunch, so I skipped this part. Food is not exactly cheap ($12-$22 from what I saw) but it looks delicious. One gal had the mussels and loved them--the birthday girl had the grilled salmon and was equally happy. Doesn't it look yummy? Next time!

I may have pilfered some fries, though.

Don't be this idiot, showing off to his equally-drunk friends. Security came over a few times to tell him to knock it off--I left before the inevitable kicking-off-the-boat part.

The Frying Pan is loud, crowded, and generally a bustling place with a long damn line before you ever get inside. However, if you have the time and the weather is right, you can't beat the scenery.

The Frying Pan
205 12th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
(212) 989-6363

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Otto

My friend Heather R was taking a staycation--enjoying some time off from work and also enjoying our city. She had read an article on cool treats for the summer in NYC, and Mario Batali's Otto is home to one of them.

We started with some savory stuff first--it's been a while since I've been to Otto (the pizza is just, well, okayyyy to me), so I'd forgotten everything I had before but the truffle honey (wait for it) and olive oil gelato (no, srsly, stay with me).

We ordered a starter of pepperoni. I was envisioning maybe 3-4 pieces each...not the platter that arrived moments later. Holy overserving--this was for 2 girls! Yes, Heather R took home a boatload of it.

I used my first FourSquare special---by checking in on FourSquare (a free app for smart phones) I got a free glass of Flor NV Prosecco. This was very dry and a refreshing quaff on the hot, humid, sticky muggy day. Did I mention how hot, humid, sticky and muggy it was that day?

We also ordered a cheese plate, and every time I get this I revel in the truffled honey. Dear Otto--please never stop serving this!

The cheese also comes with amarena cherries and dried apricots--wonderful complements to the cheese, especially nice, tangy, goaty ones!

The Cacio e Pepe (Salt & Pepper) pizza was next ($11). It had mozzarella, pecorino, and parmagiano cheeses, with a hefty dose of salt and pepper. This was a bit greasy, and while it was salty and sort of tasty, I wasn't wowed. I always expect to be wowed by their pizza and I'm just...not. Am I missing something? Why do I keep getting so-so pizza here? Is there a must-try that I haven't...well, tried?

Here's what I go to Otto to devour: their olive-oil gelato. If it sounds hinky to you, bear with me--it's just a vanilla flavor with an olive oil base. Not so scary, right? They sprinkle sea salt flakes on top for a salty, tangy finish. Holy moly this is good. I mucked it up by getting pistachio, too ($7.00 for 2 scoops)--I should have just stuck to the vanilla. It is smooth, rich, with a grassy note from the olive oil, and just a fabulous balance of sweet and salty.

HR ordered their ice cream sandwich--a brioche roll with strawberry-buttermilk ice cream in the middle and a shmear of Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread). These are $5.00, and according to Heather, worth every single penny!

The cheese plates and the olive oil gelato are the winners to me, but I'm still not wowed by anything else. Please let me know if you've had noteworthy pizza there--I'm game for a return!

Otto
One 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 995 9559

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Mugginess & Margaritas

On an overcast, muggy July Friday, Mel & I wandered over to the Dos Caminos on 3rd Avenue, in Manhattan's Midtown East area. It was a summer Friday and time for a margarita!

Mmmm... an icy-cold margarita on the rocks, with salt, is just what the doctor ordered.

We sat outdoors and started with their trio of salsas: mild, tangy tomatillo, smoky chipotle, and super-spicy red on the far left. Delicious, especially with their thin, crispy, and perfectly salted chips.

Mel is a fan of their frozen margaritas, so she got a fruit-flavored one--I can't remember the flavor but she was quite happy with it.

I opted for a more traditional rocks/salt combo. Tart, smooth, and just the sweet/salty combo for a hot summer day.

Dos Caminos is famous for their guacamole, which they make fresh to order and often at your tableside. We ordered medium, but this was barely past mild. Still, fresh, creamy, and deliciously cooling.

Mel & I split the soft chicken tacos. I wasn't expecting these to be so good, honestly--just wanted something to nibble on while drinking. The chicken was citrusy and tender, surprisingly flavorful. What could have been a throwaway item was impressively executed.

As I've mentioned before, Dos Caminos is not cheap, but it's not outrageous either, and you definitely get quality. Salud!

Dos Caminos
825 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10022-7519
(212) 336-5400

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Hudson Valley: Lucky's Chocolates

LP hosted a bunch of us last weekend in the Hudson Valley area, and we had a great time, despite lots of rainy, rainy weather. LP remembered these delicious chocolate chip cookies from Lucky's, which used to have a random outpost out near Woodstock. When we checked it out, we found that that spot was gone, but there was a brick and mortar store SIX MINUTES AWAY in Saugerties, New York. To the cookiemobile!

Lucky smells like one big chocolate rainbow. They have their own chocolates, from truffles to brownies to cookies, but we were there for one thing and one thing only: chocolate chip cookies!

They carry plain chocolate chip, choc chip with walnuts, and oatmeal raisin. I was happy Laura picked the ones with walnuts--I was in a nutty mood.

We took in a few minutes to enjoy the sparkly, colorful interior--it's a fun place to sit and enjoy your sweets--but we had to get back on the road and head home for dinner.

Of course, we weren't so rushed that we couldn't take some sample bites in the car. This cookie was every bit as good as it looked/smelled--you would swear your mom or grandmother was in the back, baking away.

Oh yeah, that's a good cookie. That's a GREAT cookie.

LP took me on a short drive around the downtown area before heading home--it's very cute and has a lot of great stores.

Downtown Saugerties is quite picturesque--it reminds me of parts of downtown Attleboro from when I was a kid. Lots of storefronts, colorful paint, thoughtful storefront displays.

Worth a stop if you're nearby or even just passing through on your way somewhere else. And pick up a half-dozen cookies or so. One is not enough!

Lucky Chocolates
115 Partition Street
Saugerties, NY 12477
(845) 246-7337

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Balsamic-Strawberry Jam (make this NOW)

Forget the jars, the tongs, the mess. THIS is the jam recipe you need in your life. While relaxing upstate with LP & friends, Laura mentioned an Epicurious recipe that was allegedly dead simple--just a handful of everyday ingredients. And the combo? Irresistible. Strawberries & balsamic vinegar? Yes, please!

We doubled this recipe and had about 4 pounds of strawberries to hull and quarter (our adapted recipe is at the bottom of this post). I found this part very relaxing--we just sat at the table, sang along to some music, and all pitched in on the berries. These were done in no time. Yes, I sampled a few... you know, for 'quality assurance.'

These were so sweet that we dialed back the sugar to about 1 1/4 cups instead of two, also mixing brown/turbinado sugar instead of just white. We added this, 4 teaspoons of freshly-cracked black pepper, and the water and vinegar to the pot, dissolving everything before adding the bright, luscious berries.

A boil turned to a slow, steady simmer, and 30 minutes later we were sampling the delicious result. Wow. Talk about layers o' flavor! First you get the sweet strawberries with a rich undercurrent of the balsamic, and a tickly, tingly heat from the pepper.

We used some jars from the pantry--just old jam jars and whatnot. We didn't bother with boiling the contents and sealing the jars--this was for immediate consumption!

We put this on generous spreads of goat cheese, a topping of fresh mint from the garden, and we had culinary ecstasy! I can also attest to the deliciousness of it atop vanilla ice cream. Trust me, it won't be around long enough to worry about 'preserving!'

Ingredients:

2 cups strawberries (about 1 pint), trimmed and quartered
1 1/4 cups sugar (we used white & turbinado)
6 Tbs balsamic vinegar
6 Tbs water
4 teaspoons cracked black pepper (we ramped up the pepper, and how!)
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest

Add everything but the berries to a large saucepan on low heat, stir until sugar dissolves. Add berries and coat completely. Bring mixture to boil, then quickly bring down to steady simmer for at least 30 minutes stirring from time to time. It's ready once it starts to thicken up, but it will still be mostly liquid. Try to avoid scarfing the entire mixture right then and there. I dare you.



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Hudson Valley: Jack & Luna's

While visiting my friend LP upstate in New York's beautiful Hudson Valley area, we stopped for lunch at one of her favorite spots: Jack & Luna. This Stone Ridge spot offers sandwiches, soups, wraps, baked goods, and often features live music (and free WiFi)!

It was an incredibly rainy Saturday when we stopped in for a quick bite. We each ordered the soup/sandwich combo for just under seven dollars. The soup: a tangy, soothing and generous serving of their tomato-basil bisque.

This was creamy, crazy hot (blow on it for sure!) and was the perfect balance of flavors. It was garlicky, but not overly so, and the mini crostini they gave us were still soft enough to break apart and chew.

We also got a half-order of the Fontina cheese melt, which had mixed greens and red tomato pesto (sundried tomatoes, I think). I enjoyed this more than LP, who thought the cheese was a little bland. It was perfectly melty, just the right amount of crunch, and the salty slice of pickle on the side was a nice topper.

If you're near Stone Ridge or even just passing through, do yourself a favor and stop by for some delicious and comforting food, not to mention polite, efficient, and friendly service!

Jack and Luna's Café
3928 Main Street (Route 209)
Stone Ridge, NY
845-687-9794

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