Birthday Weekday Evening @ NWBB

I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day weekend!  Even more so, I hope you extended it (like we did). 

Speaking of celebrating, we at Cap2Cap celebrated BOTH of our birthdays this spring (early and late) at New World.  We love N. Dubz.--it's not that there are never any misses, but I'd argue that the clear majority of dishes hit the mark and some are simply divine.  Plus all the local, seasonal, organic, etc stuff that I like AND servers who are knowledgeable and seemingly excited about aforementioned zazz.  I learned a bit about how they source their salmon!  [Also: we can walk there.  Let's be honest for a second about how big of a factor this is.]

We started with an okay, probably-not-worth-$10 appetizer: the duck prosciutto bruschette.  I easily peeled the fat off mine, since I didn't really understand why it was there.  I'd prefer just the crispy duck part!  The duck prosciutto itself was dark and salty and had a good bite, and the fig jam was fun, but I felt like it all could have been put together differently.  The bruschette situation wasn't best.  Let's be honest, I just want to crunch that duck all over a giant salad and dollop the fig jam on it.  J wished we had gotten the blackened green beans instead; they are famed.

Now on to DELICIOUS, totally on the mark: Thai Italian Love - Panang curry bolognese.  Look at that papardelle!  A little spicy, but the heat kept me on my toes.  It wasn't overwhelming, and it didn't last very long on my tongue.  I could move on and enjoy myself.  I want this again today right now.

J had a special, the South Indian Fish Fry, which was light (I know, for fried fish!) and tasty, with some friendly veggies and a bright sauce of mild yellow curry.  
 
New World Bistro Bar
300 Delaware Avenue
Albany, NY

We skipped dessert because I hustled my booty over to Cheesecake Machismo after work before carpooling home with the birthday gentleman.  I proceeded to take the menu I nabbed out of my pocket right in front of him once we got home...I'm smooth.

Cookies and Cream and Smoked 'Smore.I reallllly liked the 'smore situation, but J felt like one bite was enough.  He didn't dig the char flavor, he said "I don't want to feel like I'm eating a fire."  To me it was like eating a super toasted marshmallow, one that has been charred.  AND I LIKED IT.  Different strokes, etc.

They have no web site. I usually am against this, but meh Facebook, they are a dessert place, I'll let it slide this time.  Also, their name is basically amazing. 

Cheesecake Machismo
 293 Hamilton St
 Albany, NY

Guest Post from Denver

Now WE were in Denver a little over a year ago.  Even though D-town was the last little piece of our trip, it was memorable for both it's adorableness and an epic brunch line (that yielded delicious results).  When EG (not to be confused with EM of Harry Potter fame) went to Denver on business, she came back like any good friend/relative of mine would--armed with photos, descriptions, and serious opinions about the chow and the experience.  Thanks for sharing EG!  Have a great holiday weekend, everybody (if you aren't gone already)!

Dining alone can be a great experience.  Some places did it well, others didn't.

Best Meal: Sam's No. 3.  Found it on Yelp, got a vegetarian skillet.  Was amazing: potatoes, cheese, peppers, onions, a little kick.  So delicious.  Have photos for you.  Got to sit at old school counter, the staff was fast, attentive, and gave me a full carafe of water for myself. 

[Ed. note: I want that.]

Worst Meal: El Chile Rojo.  Food wasn't terrible (wasn't great either), and took forever and they sat me AT THE SAME TABLE AS A COUPLE!!  So awkward for them.  I just read my book and drank my Corona. Later met up with friends and walked to this old school taco stand that looked like a MUCH better choice.  Our buddy had tongue tacos and they looked amazing.  I have photos of this place, because it was funky and memorable, although I sadly did not dine there.  Why did I not Yelp that night?!

Most Overpriced Omelet: Marlowe's.  Started at $6.50 and then they charged me for every veggie they added!  And I ordered a side of potato latkes (which tasted like the McDonald's breakfast potato things) and they charged me extra for the sour cream!  A reasonable breakfast for one person should never be $22.  The worst part was they didn't mix anything in the omelet!  All of the avocado was in the middle and I took one bite that was all onion.  Yuch.

Best Salad: Appaloosa Grill.  Felt like I was eating crap all week, so when the waiter mentioned their special that day was a shrimp salad with mushrooms, avocado, tomatoes and oh-so-much-more I got excited.  Except it was made with shrimp, and this girl doesn't do shrimp.  But I asked if the chef thought it would be good with chicken and he made it for me and mmmm there was nothing left on my plate (this is a rarity for salads in my life).

Best Ballpark Meal: Coors Field Helton burger and chocolate milkshake.  This isn't really a fair category because I only ate one ballpark meal and I asked the usher where the best food in the stadium was.  Not only was the Helton burger delish, but the line wasn't too long and it only cost me $7, which is totally a stadium bargain.  (The yummy milkshake was $5!  I bought a $40 ticket that included $10 toward food, which I first used for a $6.50 Blue Moon.  Cheapest stadium food I think I've ever had!)

Best Cheese: Osteria Marco.  Gorgeous place.  Not too expensive at all.  And ready for this, iEat? They make their own cheese!  I had to order it.  Amazing caprese salad that I gobbled up so fast, I had no room for the huge pizza in front of me.  (Luckily, the friend I brought with me, who I hadn't seen since 1995 happily took it home!)  The waitstaff was great - and thrilled that we were having a 15-year-friend-reunion - they knew the menu really well and made recommendations. This place is not crazy expensive, but you'll still feel like you had a fancy-schmancy meal.  (I have photos of this meal too!)

Best Vegetarian Meal: Leaf (Boulder).  Trying to find a place where your vegan friend, your Kosher friend and your meat-eating friend (me!) can all enjoy a meal is tricky, but Leaf hit the spot.  My portabello burger and sweet potato fries were yummy and the waiter knew everything about the menu, what he could make vegan, whether or not something has honey, what was in EVERYTHING.  I had to tell him "brother, I'll eat anything here, it's all good!"  I was actually FULL after the meal for our "hike" (read: shpatzir) around Chautauqua and it sustained me until I ate crap at the airport.

 (Chautauqua in Boulder)

Salty & Sweet Weekly Roundup

Mmmm salty and sweet.  Just delicious.

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the gorgeous, the wonderful, the sweetest, Inkpad Chocolate.  The "sweetest" part was a pun.  Attempt, anyway.  ANYWAY, this week I noted the following:

Guacamole & salsa may kill you (jk, it'll just give you food poisoning, maybe).

Are menu items masculine and feminine?

NY Mag brings you the 25 Best Food Trucks in NYC, along with an adorable picture of what each one looks like.  My trustworthy Seester likes to send me photos from her adventures, including the ones above from The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck.

Are we in a cupcake bubble?  [My answer: YES! Burgers, too.] (h/t MM).

The Most Beautifully Fun Birthday Cake Ever (via brunch and the city).

My Baking Addiction brings us an interview with Adam Gertler about Kid in a Candy Store (h/t LB).

D.C. Named Most Veg-Friendly City via DCist.  Hmmm, disagree.

Have a great week guys!

NYC is my lunchspot: CRISP & Macaron Cafe

Lunchtime in NYC.  It can be as simple as a hot dog or maybe a bit more fancy (hey, you can get a deal mid-day!).  On a recent trip, there was no subsequent suggestion that would steer me away from the original proposal: CRISP.  With two locations in Midtown, this environmentally- and health-conscious eatery is servin' up some quality falafel sandwiches that are delicious, filling, and downright good-looking.  Keep in mind that only the one at 3rd & 43rd is open on weekends--that information might come in handy, folks.

How adorable is the packaging?  My falafel is IN there!

That rogue lettuce leaf is too cute.

I had the Parisian: tomato spread, goat cheese, roasted peppers, and red onions.  GORGEOUS.  DELICIOUS.  I'd never really had flavors like this with my falafel, because usually it's a tabbouleh/tzatziki kind of situation, a Mediterranean vibe.  Suspicions confirmed: goat cheese makes everything better.  The falafels here are nice and light, crispy on the outside, and airy on the inside.  My sandwich is HUGE: these pitas have 4 or 5 balls in 'em! 

This is sister's falafs, the Africa: North African peanut sauce, sweet potatoes, corn salad, green onions, cherry tomatoes.  A little spicy, so if you like it hot, the Africa may be for you.  You can have your contents in a pita, or served OVER a salad but still with a pita (whole wheat or white) on the side.

And by the way, the fries are great.  Also: the menu notes for you which house-blended tea pairs best with what meal.  For serious!

I can't get over it.  I love lunch. 

CRISP
110 W. 40th Street (btwn 6th & Broadway)
684 3rd Ave (corner of 43rd)



So I needed to bring something back for the old man (sorry about not bringing you back anything from Bouchon).  So macarons it is!

That's pistachio, nutella, coconut, caramel, and two dark chocolates. Yum.  These were pretty good, but they had nothing on Bouchon's ganacheyness.  The cookie part was a little chewy, and the filling didn't make me want to shout praises from the rooftops.  But a cookie is a cookie, and I'd eat them again.  This joint also has some good looking lunch options, but the seating is Sparse with a capital S.

P.S. A note to my friends on the Bolt Bus: Sorry I didn't share.  That was mean.  I know you saw the cookies.

Macaron Cafe
161 W. 36th St

If you can't make it to Java Green for lunch, then go for dinner.

Recently my frequent dinnermates and I had a strange situation--we could not find any Friday or Saturday night for our monthly gathering.  Even a weekend morning brunch was out--everybody was traveling at all the wrong times.  So we settled on weekday happy hour, which obviously turned into a trip to Java Green.  Speaking of Java Green, Cafe Green recently opened, and it already has some raves (and rants) on Yelp. 

Back to our dinner.

Here was my line of thinking:  You can't go wrong with an old favorite.  I had the rice and beyond.  The new, updated menu renamed the orange chicken to be "sweet and sour," but I assure you, it's the same.  E was with me on this.  The best part of R&B (not that R&B) is that you get so many different items and (most importantly) textures!  Smooth, rough, gummy, crunchy, sweet, spicy, and I could go on.  It's all there.

Mmmm, "chicken" sandwich.  M's choice.  She seemed to like it, but I was suspicious about the ratio of bread to guts. 

 B had a lot of the same contents as rice and beyond, but also some bulgogi.  And no potsticker/dumpling guy (which I think was missed).  Otherwise, yum yum contents!

C's ramen was pretty good.  It was ramen--it didn't knock my socks off, but it was hot and noodley, and full of veggies.  If that's what you need, it'll deliver. But I'd prefer pho.

Ready for the bummer part?  If it's a nice day, maybe you want to take a little walk for some dessert.  Guess what?  Hello Cupcake closes at 7 Mon-Thurs.  Don't worry, I can bring cupcakes into any conversation.

Java Green
1020 18th St NW
Metro: Orange and Blue Lines to Foggy Bottom or Farragut West; Red Line to Farragut North

Java Green

We need to talk about Java Green. I have days where the only thing that gets me up and brushing my teeth is a promise to myself: You can have JG for lunch. The phone number is saved in my cell, and I often call from work to pick up lunch on my "way" to school (OK, it's three blocks out of the way--like I care).

I'm not a vegetarian, but I used to be. But I'm still recovering. That makes me susceptible to cravings for fake meat products (some of you may think this is super weird), like the orange chicken from JG. Although JG isn't vegan, they have everything available to make your meal vegan (like soy cheese instead of the real thing).

You know I'm not a fan of just a sandwich, or just a salad. I like a bunch of things all mixed together (or at least in the same container or on the same plate). That's why Java Green's RICE AND BEYOND is the best thing ever. First of all, rice is just one of many things, so it's a lot more BEYOND than rice.

1. Slaw-like cabbage/carrot
2. Green veg (kale, maybe?)
3. Purple rice
4. Jobche noodles - these clearish, happy noodles have a little bit of heat!
5. Surprise! Sometimes "meat" on a stick, sometimes a little potsticker
6. Topping. This is your protein, people. I'm a HUGE fan of the orange "chicken."

JG can be a little expensive, but they love the Earth (with their fancy recycled and recyclable containers and utensils) and this food will fill you up. I don't know about you guys, but I eat a turkey sandwich at Potbelly's (skinny wheat, turkey, lettuce, tomato, mustard = 4g of fat) and need a snack in a few short hours. And it's great that Potbelly sandwiches are cheap, but for $11 (or $9ish if it's a daily special) that Rice & Beyond will last me hours and hours. Depending on the size of my breakfast, I've stretched the old R&B to be lunch and dinner, followed by a late snack.

We'll see if my obsession continues into the spring. I know part of the cravings is the whole "hot bowl of steaming happiness in the freezing weather" thing. Yummmeeeee.


Java Green
1020 18th St NW
Metro: Orange and Blue Lines to Foggy Bottom or Farragut West; Red Line to Farragut North