The Spotted Pig

After rating a few French fry places it was time eat some real food & what happened to be around the corner?  The Spotted Pig...yum!!  We settled for a burger with Roquefort cheese on top, it was delicious but towards the 3rd bite it became a little overwhelming.  

I would love to go back and try a few more of their dishes like their Pan Roasted Striped Bass with tomatoes & saffron, Fried Zucchini Blossoms with cherry tomatoes & basil and/or their Walnut, Chocolate & Amaretto cake for dessert.


It's a great place to grab a beer or wine with your friends & an excellent place to people watch.  Look out for their regular clients like Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Kate Hudson, SJP, & Jay-Z (he own's the building, btw)


The Spotted Pig
314 West 11th Street
New York, NY  10014
tel: 212.620.0393


-S&B

Savanna's - Southampton

Savanna's Restaurant in Southampton is absolutely delicious. B and her friends dined there before they went out on a Saturday night.

We sat outside which was beautiful since they have this patio/garden feel but in the middle of the summer it was too hot and buggy...note to self: always ask for a table in doors at night in the summer :-). They accommodated a group of 20 which can sometimes be overwhelming but they did a good job. I definitely was not expecting Savanna's to be as great as it was. I was thinking more Southern food, but it wasn't; here's what we ordered:

Starters:

T-Bar Chopped Salad w/hearts of palm, beans, tomatos & cucumbers

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Entrees:

Breaded Chicken Milanese

Spice Crusted Tuna

Spaghetti "Chitarra" w/veal meatballs, basil, & marzano sauce

Dessert:

opted for nothing :-(

It was hard to choose from the menu since they have some very tempting items to order. They served the whole table a bread basket that had a mix of rosemary & olive bread, my two favorites. The Spice Crusted Tuna was mouth watering and a definite must if you go there. The meatballs in the spaghetti were to die for and definitely made the dish. We could have lived without the spring rolls since they weren't up to par with the rest of the food. I wish we could have ordered dessert, maybe next time!

Savanna's - delicious, foodies will enjoy, great place for groups

-S&B

La Esquina

La Esquina is one of our favorite places to eat. Conveniently located in SoHo La Esquina offers 3 different locations the Taqueria, Cafe, and their secret downstairs location, the Brasserie.

They have so many delicious things at each location but the Brasserie offers the complete menu. Our favorite things are the sopa de tortilla, ceviche acapulco, tostadas contramar, taquitos de pollo rostizado & La Esquina mole negro. They recently acquired a new chef, Akhtar Nawab, and he's added more delicious fish options to the menu, like last night's special Sea Bass wrapped in banana leaf, yum! Sadly our favorite salad was taken off the menu, ensalada de nopales, which is a cactus salad w/jalapeños, onions & cotija cheese. He also fixed the dessert menu, THANK GOD!! He added a mouth watering pastel de chocolate - cafe de olla, it's a must have.

Overall it's a fun experience walking into the Taqueria & being greeted by a bouncer & doorman then walking downstairs in what feels like a storage unit. After walking down the stairs you give your name again to the hosts, walk through the kitchen and wala...the bar!

Spotted @ in the downstairs dungeon: Alicia Keys & John Mayer


Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart
John Mayer - Clarity

La Esquina - Must Try, NYC Hot Spot, Fun Experience walking into a the Taqueria.

106 Kenmare Street

New York, NY 10012

-S & B

Philippe

"She's thinking Philippe, I'm thinking Wing Stop" Rick Ross (Ft. Gucci Mane) - MC Hammer

Okay no! We obviously prefer Philippe's chicken satay to Wing Stop's wings, sorry Rick Ross.  Philippe is one of our favorite places to dine in the city and Hamptons.  Mr. Chow's chicken satay is to die for, the creamy sauce loaded with calories, makes you want to down 5 of these delicious skewers.  Another must have are the chicken lettuce wraps, yummy.

What we enjoy:

B - Crispy Beef & Philippe's House Salad

Justinien - Chilean Sea Bass

Hamptons House - Crunchy Duck Salad, Vegetable Dumplings, Beijing Chicken, & House Me Mignon

Spotted @ Madison location: Shawn & Marlon Wayan and Jerome Bettis with crew

Spotted @ East Hampton: Chris Bosh

Philippe - Hot Spot, Must for the Hamptons, Group for Groups

33 East 60th Street

New York, NY  10022

East Hampton 

44 Three Mile Harbor Road

East Hampton, NY  11935

you'll be dreaming about Philippe's chicken satays; you're welcome

-S&B

*Hit - if you're in the East Hampton location pop into Lily Pond after for some dancing & house music

NYC Restaurant Week - July 12th - 25th

B finally had the chance to experience restaurant week. She made the trip down the financial district to the uber famous Delmonico's. A little history about this restaurant, it opened in 1837 as America's first fine dining restaurant and it is the birth place of Delmonico Steak, Delmonico Potatoes, Eggs Benedict, Lobster Newburg, & Baked Alaska dessert. The menu was off the hook and definitely worth $35.

Starters:

-Grilled Asparagus & Frisee Salad w/summer citrus fruit, poached egg, black truffle vinaigrette

-Chilled Sweet Pea & Roasted Corn Soup

-Torchio Pasta w/broccoli rabe, roasted tomato, red chili & aged pecorino

-Seared Sea Scallop w/corn pudding, ham & basil

-1867 Lobster Newberg w/brandy, cream & caviar (additional $10)

Entrees:

-Delmonico Steak Frites w/butter & twice fried french fries

-Classic Chicken a la Keene w/butter noodles

-Pan Roasted Cod w/crisped tomato leek fondue, capers, black olives & spaghetti squash

-Filet Mignon w/vegetables

-Delmonico Steak w/potato hash & brussel sprouts (additional $15)

-1867 Lobswer Newberg (additional $20)

Dessert:

-Meyer Lemon Tart w/pine nut brittle & lemon curd

-Chocolate Mousse w/salted caramel creme fraiche

-Classic Baked Alaska w/walnut cake, apricot jam, banana gelato & meringue (additional $5)

Wine:

$28 bottle or $9 glass - White wine from Chile or Red from Argentina

Review: I had the grilled asparagus salad...delicious. The dressing was the key to this dish. KL & I ordered the filet Mignon and it was cooked to perfection. The potatoes below the filet add a heavenly taste to the dish. NW had the cod, yum! The fish dissolved once your fork hit it, the only side note is that the fish is covered in butter, obviously that's what makes it so delicious. For dessert we each ordered something different and shared. I personally enjoyed the banana gelato & meringue from the Classic Baked Alaska, I could have done without the walnut cake & jam. The chocolate mousse was surprising. It tasted like a peanut butter cup and each bite included a crunch. The lemon tart was good if you are into the citrus desserts. The environment was very old school and you could smell the hedge fund and investment bankers in the air.

Delmonico's - NYC Must, Bankers, Old School Feel

56 Beaver Street

New York, NY 10004

tel: 212.509.1144

-S&B

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Blue Hill is spectacular!! There are currently two locations Greenwich Village & Tarrytown, NY. All the produce is brought in from surrounding farms & their farm.

The Greenwich Village location allows you to choose from a menu of wonderful things like Wild Striped Bass w/string beans, currants, curry & pine nuts and This Morning's Farm Egg w/fava beans, dandelion greens, pancetta, & almonds.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown is completely different. You are given the option between 8 course tasting menu or 5 course tasting menu. The waiter describes the menu as be up to the chef and really your dislikes and likes, aka if you do not eat pork none of the dishes will have pork. Each dish will wake up your palate and hit you with flavors you've never eaten before. We were served fresh veggies on a stick, mini-pea burgers, zucchini fried w/sesame seeds, summer vegetable salad, wild striped bass w/artichoke dressing, potato & ricotta gnocchi, homemade bread w/butter and vegetable salt, grass fed beef, strawberry chilled soup w/sorbet, and....honeycombs w/chocolate covered almonds. It was truly a culinary experience and an experience that can not be written about. You have to enjoy it for yourself.

We almost forgot to mention how romantic this place is. Imagine pulling up to this gorgeous brick farm at night surrounded by candle light and bright stars in the sky! The bar has this old school feel yet modern at the same time. Also, the staff knows their stuff! They know the produce, what's in season, the right wines, and they listen to your dietary constraints, they also order your car once your meal is over! How amazing!?!?

Blue Hill at Stone Barns - Must go, Foodies will enjoy, long long dinner, $$$$, go early and walk the farm

630 Bedford Road

Pocantico Hills, NY 10591

tel: 914.366.9600

Blue Hill Greenwich Village

75 Washington Place

New York, NY 10011

tel: 212.539.1776

Book reservations at www.opentable.com

-S & B

Try This!

Tastes of Summer @ Rockefeller Center is a must and it only lasts until tomorrow, July 22nd ending at 3pm!!

Vendors such as Magnolia's Bakery, 'witchcraft, Tri Tip Grill, Cucina Co. & others have special deals during lunch time. Ben & Jerry's has $1 scoops and Bill's burgers are 5 bucks.

Three tables you have to hit are Bill's, since they aren't open anywhere in the city yet, Ben & Jerry's, and Brasserie Ruhlmann for their $9 kobe beef burger.

Also, check out House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year by Jeff Lewis, it's gorgeous!

If you work in Midtown get out of your office & hit Rockefeller Center!!

-S&B

Vive La France!

Setting: Smith Street in Cobble Hill Brooklyn

Invited: Only the besties of S&B (and a couple hundred others)
Occasion: The Celebration of Bastille Day!

Every year Bar Tabac is the hot spot in Cobble Hill to celebrate Bastille Day (actually observed on July 14th) and of course S&B were in fashionable form this past Sunday. We were surrounded by French music, feasted on French food, watched a little bit of the petanque tournament (and oddly the skateboarding competition) and wore our finest Frenchy outfits! S totally donned a pink handkerchief on her neck - vintage, of course.

Nate Bowley, manager of Bar Tabac, was absolutely the savior of the day - he hooked us up with a huge table and ensured that our server was on point - even on their busiest day of the year! Yes - it was crazy, but we had more Ricard, Lillet and Rosé to keep us occupied even if they did skip a beat.

What did we eat you ask?! Everything! From Steamed Mussels in broth and Baked Clams saturated with garlic, parsley & butter to traditional crepes with Nutella from the street vendors - the day couldn't get any better! Bastille Day in Brooklyn has now become one of our annual events - fantastique!

Courtesy of our friends at Brooklyn365.com, you can view photos from the event here!

See you next year Francophiles!

- S&B

Just a side note, Bar Tabac also has free live Jazz and an amazing brunch on the regular. Check out their website for more details! www.BarTabacNY.com

Bino Brooklyn

One word: Amazing. B's 2nd birthday celebration was enjoyed with her girlfriend LZ . B chose Bino Brooklyn after she purchased a Groupon from them a month ago. A short train ride on the F led to B Carrol Gardens, which is so cute. All the streets are lined with brownstones & trees and Smith Street holds some of the cutest restaurants she has ever seen. Both of B & LZ started off with a glass of Biano “San Vincenzo" Chardonnay, it was sweet and exactly what they needed to cool off. LZ and B together = multiple glasses of wine or maybe bottles :-).

On Tuesdays they offer a prefix menu for $36 which includes an app, entree, and dessert, naturally we chose this option. I have to say it was hard decision.

LZ's dining option:

Roasted Beet Salad - watercress, orange, walnuts & crumbled feta cheese

Bucatini - walnut pesto, cherry tomatoes, ricotta salate

B's:

Fennel & Baby Arugula – pickled red onions, balsamic vinaigrette, shaved Asiago cheese

Roasted Cod - wild mushrooms & crushed cauliflower, truffle brown butter

LZ's roasted beet salad was savory except for the fact that too many beets can get overwhelming. LZ ended up enjoying B's salad; it was so fresh and light. Our entres were rich with flavor. LZ's pasta was al dente and you could tell it was homemade. The walnuts with the pesto added the perfect crunch. B's fish was sensational with the mushrooms, YUM! Dessert - whoa! Tiramisu and cheesecake...let's just say we finished every bite.

Bino Brooklyn - foodies will love, Brooklyn must, chill, romantic, perfect place to catch-up

276 Smith St

(Between Degraw St & Sackett St) Brooklyn, NY 11231

-S&B

B's Birthday @ The Lion

Happy Birthday B!

After a 2 hour massage at Bliss B was surprised to find her BFFs waiting at her house with Magnolia cupcakes, Baskin Robbins ice cream cake, and Miss Field's cookies...there goes the diet. B was also surprised by Justinien with reservations at The Lion, she was impressed and quickly asked how he did managed to make ressies at the hottest spot in the city, "Who did you bribe?," his response "I'm fly like that." Cocky...

The Lion reopened May 10th with John DeLucie from Waverly Inn as the chef. They were dropped off by their cab at West 9th and 6th Avenue to find a doorman who quickly asked if they had a reservation and their names. B could not believe he asked who she was...like he didn't already know...geez!

Picture a dark room with warm woods. It has this old library feel and reminded B of playing Clue, no idea why. As they walked in, they sat by the bar and people watched for a moment. The bar is located right next to the kitchen. The aromas emanating from the kitchen were so overwhelming; they began to salivate on cue. As they sat down, B noticed sitting to her right, Steve Nash with two other friends. It was a private affair except for the random patrons that would introduce themselves to Mr. Nash. she was sure they all wished he signed with the Knicks since he does reside in Tribeca.

For starters they ordered Artichoke Fritters, currently she is obsessed with artichokes. They are tiny balls of artichokes mixed with potatoes and baby leeks, she popped a few of these delicious treats into her mouth...yum. Dinner was a hard decision. B chose the Blue Fin Tuna Tartare after her girlfriend W recommended it and Justinien had the Sea Bass, they ran out of the halibut :-(. Perfect piece of fish and Justinien got upset when B put her fork on his fish and took a massive bite, well to B it was little nibble.

They opted for no dessert since B had a dozen cupcakes at home and whole ice cream cake.

The Lion - trendy, hot spot, perfect date spot, $$$$, scene

Dress - to impress

New York Times - Hot Spot

Urban Daddy

Esquire - Must Go

-S&B

Sunset Beach, Shelter Island, NY

Sunset Beach! Just gorgeous! Located 100 miles east from NYC, it is the perfect place to sip rosé, people watch, and enjoy the breeze from the water.

A quick drive from our Hampton's house and fun 5minute ferry ride, it is definitely worth going.

July 4th was definitely a scene. Everyone B knew was there popping bottles of André Balazs Signature Rosé, it was delicious especially after 3 bottles, enjoying the delicious food, and socializing. The boardwalk was packed with beautiful people looking for a good time. The beach, a little rocky, consisted of girls in bikinis, bottles of Moet & Rosé, and men smoking cigars.

The sunset was absolutely amazing.

-S&B