Best Pork Ever is really really far away

Porchetta who? This might be the best pork I have ever eaten. I made the trek up to 174th st in the Bronx to assist a client with an appointment there. I passed a standard looking Spanish restaurant but knew I had to stop by after seeing "lechon asado" advertised and getting my "I have a good feeling about this place" feeling. Once I got there I skipped on the platter and went straight for the gold- half a pound of pork for three fitty. I sat down at an empty table and dove right in; it was everything I could have hoped for and more. The perfect fall apart succulent pork and fat balance. The skin was crispy but easy to chew (unlike Porchetta's) I got half way through and realized that to make matters even more gorgeous, they including a container of garlic dipping sauce. Have mercy! Why o why is this place so very far?

El Nuevo Despertar
920 E 174th St
Bronx 10460

Congee and Cambodian

I had been meaning to check out Kampuchea since I tried their ribs at the Village Voice 1st annual Choice eats, one year ago. Since I am an enthusiast of multiple stops when going out for a meal and in order to keep the prices down by filling up for cheap beforehand, I went to Congee Village for part I of dinner. I love the over the top decor and learned they host karaoke parties in rooms downstairs. We were seated at a tiny table in the little room in the back. The menu is huge and the prices are low low low. They also have a decent drink menu with cheap drinks and an even cheaper happy hour at the bar. I usually go for the mushroom and chicken congee here, but my friend does not care for mushrooms and we went for the high roller chicken with abalone instead. The congee was huge and satisfying as usual, a fair sustitute for chicken soup if feeling under the weather. We also ordered a squid dish with cashews and onions that we gobbled down quickly.

100 Allen st


We walked over to Kampuchea and had no wait- it was a Friday night but before the dinner rush. The long tables are communal and the seats are bar stools, my back was not happy about that. The corner location of the restaurant and many windows allow for great people watching. We shared the ribs, which falls under the category "hot small plate". It was a larger portion than I thought it would be. With the meat falling off the bone, the strong porky flavors, and the addictive cilantro sauce these ribs are a must order. The ribs come from duroc pigs, which are apparently very aggressive piggies that taste amazing. We stuck with the duroc theme with our other order- duroc pork num pang, a vibrant sandwich with all those fixins (cilantro, carrots, etc) that make people crazy for the Vietnamese banh mi and more recently for this Cambodian alternative. Such sandwiches are now available at Kampuchea owner's Num Pang.

78 Rivington St

Boston Trip: Seafood and French Food

For breakfast on our second day of traveling in Boston, I wanted something well balanced and nutritious to start my day... clam chowder. I walked down the waterfront to James Hook & Company. Their clam chowder was completely loaded with clams, no excessive filler here, this was the real deal. We also took back some delicious lobster salad for a snack later on. This is the perfect little seafood shack with the freshest seafood to eat on the spot or take home to cook up. Eight pound lobsters maybe?

15-17 Northern Ave

Boston, MA 02228

Later we took shelter from the rain at Ye Olde Union Oyster House, a place we have frequented before on visits.

We shared more clam chowder which was very flavorful but not as clam-filled as James Hook. The seafood chowder here did not have as much flavor, much better off sticking with the clam version. We enjoyed a side of baked beans. I was very pleased with my order of steamers, fresh with the right amount of briny taste. Besides the fish chowder, I would recommend all the dishes we tried. Service can be mixed here, on this visit our waitress was a big grump, but I do remember have pleasant waitresses on past trips.

41 Union Street

Boston, MA 02108

For a change of pace we went to Brasserie Jo for dinner located in the Colonnade Hotel. (Warning: the valet parking costs a fortune!) Marinated carrots were served at the table and refilled. Our Senegalese waiter was utterly charming. For an appetizer we ordered the sizzling hot and tender escargot, served traditionally with loads of garlic.

I loved my duck confit, the skin was crisp and the flesh was succulent; the dish was completed with came lentils and salad. The massive braised lamb shank, delicate but satisfying salad nicoise, and the decadent strip steak with bearnaise sauce also impressed us. Unfortunately the restaurant was out of the fish special of the day, despite this we loved our choices. We gobbled the fluffy "floating island" dessert, the lightest meringue with almonds and a vanilla creme sauce. Besides that pesky extra parking fee, the prices of the main dishes were reasonable. We were pleasantly surprised by this French brasserie.

120 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02116

And before I left I made Tracey take me to have some J.P. Licks ice cream! They have such a creative selection. Yummy!

Boston Trip: The Achilles/Persephone Project

For our first dinner on our family trip to Boston we chose Persephone, a trendy restaurant in the less trafficed area of Fort Point, which happened to be walking distance from our hotel. We were hesitant to enter, thinking we were in the wrong place, because the entrance is a clothing boutique. But thats all part of the gimmick. As the owner of this year old establishment explained, the idea behind the "project" is that everyone has an Achilles tendon weakness, whether it be shopping, eating or drinking and this allows for all to be stimulated? Did I get that right? And something about Persephone being a symbol of spring and springtime ingredients being a major element of the food... ok something like that. The restaurant displays local art on the wall, and there was a captivating series displayed at the time of our visit.

The menu is divided into categories based on size: small, medium, large, extra large. The menu highlights ingredients that are local, seasonal, sustainable, etc., if you are into that. We didn't bother with the "small" menu, figuring the portions would be way to tiny to share. We

went with a scallops with mushrooms in a light soy vinaigrette from the medium dishes. For 2 scallops, it cost $17.... yea a little much, me thinks. They tasted lovely, but that barely matters.

We were more dis appointed with the squid salad, the squid being mushy and not adding

anything and

the salad consisting of parsley. Thankfully, things got much better from here. I ordered an Arnie P drink that was made with lavender lemonade vodka, vermouth, st germain, mint, tea, and lemon- quite a take on an Arnold Palmer, it was an amazing well balanced refreshing drink, thought I could have handled a bit more of an alcoholic taste, but thats just the boozer in me speaking. Persephone offers a Bin wine list on a chalkboard in the back with wines they are phasing either out or into their menu for only $24, a great bargain, and the only real bargain in this place. The choices are all oddball choices that are not mainstream whatsoever and I cannot for the life of me remember which one we selected, but I do know we liked it. A highlight of the meal came when a bread plate was offered, which we quickly rejected due to it being Passover. (so what we eat

shellfish but not chamatz, don't judge)

The bread dude looked at us uncertainly and asked in a Boston accent "matzah?" YES please. A very thoughtful gesture, we really appreciated it and took advantage of the nice butter. I split the goat "large" dish. I was hesitant to chose it because I do not love an overwhelming gamey taste, but luckily this was not the case. The goat was braised and very tender and the tomato sauce was balanced nicely by preserved lemons and olives. The whole roasted fluke for 2 was expertly prepared and filleted at our table. It was very fresh tasting and light and the portion size was generous. It came with a side of delicious roasted carrots and golden beets. Somehow we managed room for dessert and split the clementine sorbet with sweet cream, the intense dairy flavor worked well with the citrus. They brought the check out with pomegranate truffles that rocked. I would recommend this place for a date you want to impress or a girl's night out, but even for a family night it worked for us.

283 Summer St

Flavor Tripping

So we finally got our hands on the "miracle fruit" tablets. I was really hoping to get the actual berry, but that was not in the cards. Little sister brought home some tablets so we could experience them as a family. Dad was adorable and set up little ramekins of fruit and other foods to try out. We also put out all the sauces in our cabinets. We let the tablets dissolve in our mouths and it left an odd taste. I was afraid that it was not going to work, that my hopes and dreams of tricking my taste buds would never be realized, luckily I was wrong. You gotta go for the bitter/spicy/sour/alcoholic to get the full affect.

Our favorite items:
limes tastes sweet
spicy szechuan leftovers tasted like chicken soup
horseradish
strawberries dipped in very very low fat cream cheese tasted like cheesecake
mixed alcoholic drinks- the alcohol was barely discernible (that could get dangerous, luckily this was a family event)


Very fun little experiment, I certainly recommend ordering some tablets online and saving them for a rainy day.

The "Tell it like it is" Passover Cake

So last night we had a dual Passover seder and Happy Birthday to my 16 yr old cousin. Mom purchased a kosher for passover cake for the occasion. Instead of a standard cake message like "Happy Birthday" or " Happy Pesach" is said this...

I laughed myself to tears.

P.S. You wish your mom's matzah balls were this good...

Baoguette Fail + Deli News

Delivery orders are done by text messaging, that should have been my first clue. Texted my order at 11:50 and received no confirmation, call, etc. The restaurant phone number when straight to voicemail; I left a voicemail and an email. By 1:20 I sent them a text retracted the order. NOT OK TO STARVE PEOPLE, especially not me- I get cranky!! BOOOOO Baoguette how could you do this to me. Especially after tempting me at the Village Voice Choice Eats with your sloppy bao-goodness.


This forced me to go get my pre Passover sandwich craving elsewhere. I went to Best of the West Deli on 371 w 34th st, right on the corner of 8th. I had a very passable chicken parm hero, which was large for under $7. But more importantly I noticed this sign out front hawking roti with curried meats!!! OOOO Apparently they are experimenting with this Wednesdays and Fridays and you must call ahead to place your order. The number is 212 290-0048. I am intrigued... must attempt next week when Passover ends.