New York City: Social Eatz

We went to NYC to attend our niece's Bat Mitzvah.  Keep in mind that Ryann doesn't feel well and my SI issue has been literally confining me to bed so we were  I was nervous about an entire week away, but it turned out to be a good trip.

Angelo Sosa's Restaurant in NYC

I am a huge fan of Top Chef and have watched all 9 seasons faithfully.  Tom Colicchio, the head judge, owns several restaurants in NYC including Craft.  On our last visit my brother-in-law mentioned he had eaten there and it was only around $35 for an entree.  While that is expensive, it is far less than I imagined it would be to eat food at such a well respected restaurant owned by such a picky chef.  I love a good meal, so I decided I wanted to eat Top-Chefesque food on this trip.
New York City + high-end restaurants=reservations wait-lists.  The difficulty getting a reservation, and not knowing how Ryann and I would feel each day made it too difficult to plan ahead and get reservations before we stepped off the plane.  I also didn't want to make reservation in a restaurant that was a $50 cab ride from our hotel.  Since I knew that getting a reservation would be nearly impossible at establishments run by big name chefs like Jean-Georges or Daniel Boulud so I decided to hit up the New York restaurants owned by some of the Top Chef contestants.

Angelo Sosa, Top Chef

What makes Top Chef food so special?  Over 9 seasons, I have listened to top chef's use words like confit*,  yuzu*, pork belly* , roulade*, and cerviche*…words one NEVER RARELY sees at a restaurant in the Midwest.  I wanted to read menus that used all the words that I would then pretend to understand.  Sounds reasonable right?  My husband was on board- in theory at least.  The problem then became the kids.  Would my kids eat yuzu and confit?  Hard to say.  Chase is a pretty adventurous eater- he recently ate blue cheese by picking it up and taking bite after bite- but once he decides he doesn't like something there is no turning him around.  Ryann is a pain to feed.  She avoids diary and gluten and can't eat late because she gets horrific reflux.    So horrific that she comes into my room gagging, wakes me up, and demonstrates vomiting.  No meal is worth another demonstration….especially in a hotel room.

Top Chef contestants….close to hotel... I had a plan and couldn't wait to pull it off.  As we flew to NYC I dreamed of the amazing food I would be eating.  We arrived on Friday night-much later than expected after our plane was delayed.  Everyone was hungry as I sat down and tried to find something close and Top Chef-ish.  I found Social Eatz, the restaurant of Top Chef 2x contestant and one of my favorites, Angelo Sosa.  It was even within walking distance.  We called and found that if we arrived close to 5pm we could get at table without a problem.  Score!!!!

Strawberry Shortcake

The restaurant is almost exactly a year old.  Prior to Top Chef Angelo, owned a sandwich place called Xie Xie, which by all accounts, people loved.   If you watched Top Chef you know that Angelo cooks with Asian flavors.  It was never really clear on the show if he was a great guy or he was a shrewd, quick-to-throw-someone-under-the-bus kinda player.  One thing I did notice was he used Yuzu in EVERYTHING.  What the hell is Yuzu?

Ok…so we showed up, followed the hostess to a table, sat down, grabbed out menus.  Hmmmmm, such odd choices…we looked….we ordered drinks….we looked some more … what to get…oh what to get.  Ryann went all dramatic about the smell in the place (her father agreed- I didn't smell anything).  Finally she chilled out we placed our orders.  We waited.  and waited.  and waited.  and waited.  Did you remember Ryann needs to eat early?  It was quickly becoming "not early".  I figured if we sat down at 5pm, then "eating early" wouldn't be a problem.  Think again.  What I failed to consider was the aptitude of the waitress.

Social Eats

Let me paint a picture for you…the restaurant is in NYC, AKA it isn't much bigger than my dining room/kitchen.  Using the  picture at left note exactly how WIDE the restaurant is or rather how wide it isn't. You can see the walls on both sides of the restaurant.   Just past the bar is a little alcove with 4 tables.  See the row of tables on the right? We are sitting in the last table in that row directly across from the alcove.  Notice the brown wall (all the way in the back of the alcove).  The cash register and entry to kitchen are directly behind our table across from the brown wall.  The waitress had to walk by us every time she went to the kitchen or the cash register.  The manager had to walk by us every time he went to and from the kitchen.  Angelo had to walk by us every time he went to and from the kitchen.  I can't imagine how a waitress could NOT realize our food was taking too long was never given to the kitchen.  We watched people sit, order, eat and leave.  My kids are completely losing it.  Ryann swears she can't at or she will throw up.  She's too hot.  She's too cold.  It smells bad.

Suddenly she perks up and says "what does HE look like?  I think he is standing right there".  I admit I got a little stupid but resolved to NOT make a fool out of myself so I DIDN'T ask for an autograph.  That wasn't true of everyone in the restaurant.  There was a table in the alcove that took pictures with the man.  I will say that Angelo flits around, seemingly without purpose, at least when he is in the front of the restaurant.

We are still waiting for our food.  Finally, after close to an hour, we flag the waitress.  She plays it off with the standard "let me check on that" and "it is almost ready".  Right!  We were tipped off to the fact that she never placed our order when she came back to ask Rick how he wanted his steak cooked and what did I want to eat.  Huh? I ordered when everyone did and she never asked him how he wanted his steak cooked the first time.  She promises to bring drinks on the house.  We wait some more.  and some more. Until suddenly food arrives and keeps arriving.  We still didn't 'have the second round of drinks.

Fish and Chips

Okay the service sucked but how was the food?
I ordered Fish and Chip to share with Chase.  The "chips" were seasoned with Tograshi.  Rick and I agreed they were spectacular.  Perfectly deep fried and the Tograshi added a nice flavor.

Ryann had Porkchop and Applesauce (with sweet and sour cabbage; asian pear applesauce).  Initially she was scared of the plate.  The pork chop was actually sliced off the bone and looked odd but it was drizzled with the pear applesauce which was amazing.  She ended up eating all of it.

Rick had Steak Frites (Kalbi style, King Royal mushrooms).   He enjoyed his as well.

We had our food but here is where the story takes a truly odd turn. When they dropped off our order they also gave us a Bibimbap Burger (slow cooked egg, Korean Pickle on a BUN)  which is one of their specialties.

"Yeah, um we didn't order that?"

"Yes, it is our compliments"

That would be a nice gesture if they had delivered it early as an appetizer.

Ironically, chase has been talking about trying a hamburger all week, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity.   Of course this  was certainly not a normal hamburger  but he loved it.  I tasted the slaw and it was unbelievably good.  Rick took a bite or two and found the twist tie- from the buns- in the burger.

Panna Cotta

Can this experience get any worse?  I quickly deduce that a twist tie is better than a hair.  We tell the manager who winces.  I suspect she mall was said and done they didn't tell Angelo ANYTHING about this disastrous meal since he never stopped by our table as he whips past us numerous times.

To make up for the monuments failure that started when we sat down they bring us all 3 desserts they offer.  And the drinks promised before the food arrived.  The 3 desserts are Strawberry Shortcake in a jar (Sake marinated strawberries lemon cake, black pepper whipped cream in a cute bell jar), Chocolate cake (smoked cardamom, dulce de leche), and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta (Yuzu blueberry compote, Thai basil). 

Chocolate Cake 

The Panna Cotta was D.I.V.I.N.E.  So silky….so smooth….. and so delicious.  I am in love.  I think I ate most of it.  Chase devoured the Strawberry Shortcake and we all the cake.

We had spectacular organic sodas but I cannot remember the name of it.   It was very interesting and delicious.

Would I go back? I don't know.  I love Angelo and I know he is very talented.  He came in 3rd place Season 7 Top Chef and he returned for the next season as an All Star.   The food was great, but he never did stop by the table to say "Hi" or "Sorry".  In the end they didn't charge us for the desserts or the extra drinks, but frankly they should have knocked off some other items as well.

My hubby, always the comic, served me a delicious, Social Eatz-inspired meal after we got home.

While he stuck to traditional flavors we know, he did add a little "twist".


*Pork Belly- it is NOT the fat one gets after eating too much bacon.  Literally the belly of the pig.
*Confit meat cooked slowly in its own fat
*Yuzu an Asian citrus fruit
*Roulade A dish cooked or served in the form of a jelly roll, typically made from a flat piece of meat, fish, or sponge can with a soft filling and rolled into a spiral.

*Cerviche marinated raw fish
*Twist Tie something that should NEVER be served with a hamburger

Social Eatz wasn't the only Top Chef restaurant we hit.  Come  back to read about the most amazing food I have ever eaten.  Oh and I still have an amazing story to tell.  Any guesses why I did in NY that MADE MY YEAR?  I'll give you a hint….I used her ideas to make my own wedding cake and even some sweet heart-shaped cookies dipped in pale pink icing.

Laters Baby...

Inspiration

While I still plan to post my trip to NYC- I have a super cool experience to share- I wanted to post this picture of my inspiration.

This is my 96-year-old maternal grandmother, Geraldine,  making aprons a few weeks ago.  She hasn't been doing much crafting in the last 10 years but she has picked up the sewing needle a few times and this just amazes me.

This woman has created her entire life and like me, used all sorts of media.   I mentioned before that she is an excellent seamstress.  She made the bridesmaid's dresses for my wedding and dozens of gorgeous square dancing dresses that she wore over the years when she danced with my late grandpa.   She decorated amazing Fabrge- type eggs back when it was difficult at best to find supplies.  I recently asked her how in the world she found the eggs and the ephemera in the days before Hobby Lobby or Michael's.  She told me that the local craft store had the eggs and would order what she wanted.  I marvel at what type of glue she used since we have seen such an explosion of glues in the last few years.

She made many Christmas ornaments for me which I still have and put on my tree every year.  Grandma worked in ceramics, fabric, and needlepoint.   She also made beautiful ceramic items including Christmas trees (the kind with the plastic light pegs that go in the end of the branches and light from light bulb attached to the base).  She also made my mom a gorgeous antiqued gold Nativity Scene that looks better than most anything I have ever seen in a store including those that cost thousands of dollars.  Her work was always sophisticated and her ceramic work was no different.

I would love to see what she could have made if she access to the supplies and media we have today.  My grandfather made beautiful stained glass items and produced great things with wood in his wood shop.  The two of them together would really have produced spectacular projects if they had what is available in 2012.  Can you imagine what grandma could do with metal clays or what grandpa can do with different types of woods that are so really available, even at Home Depot, today?

Grandma will always be my inspiration and its does my heart good to see her working on a project at 96.  I have tried very hard to provide her lots of homemade decor for her room in the faculty where she lives.  I have sent her wreaths for each holiday and several banners.  I think it is about time I sent her something new.

Laters Baby…..

Easter Eggs

Happy Easter

These pretty little Easter eggs are made from Wooden eggs- from Michael's- and scrapbooking supplies.  

I used rub ons, adhesive-backed rhinestones & pearls, and glitter.  That's it!  But oh what an impact these simple supplies make on a basic white egg.  

I used Basic Grey brand rub ons because they are so detailed and the colors are beautiful.  Any floral-ish or flourish-y rub ons will work for this project.  I prefer to cut the rub ons apart and apply them in a haphazard new pattern.  This gives me a unique... one-of-a-kind... look from a mass produced product.  You don't need to go to this extreme....it's just the way I roll.

The nice thing about this technique is you can take it from sophisticated…to charming…to whimsical...to cute...to outlandish.  Whatever fits YOUR aesthetic. Find the rub on that fits your design ideas and go for it.  

Keep in mind that this technique relays on rub ons.  You can decorate eggs using stickers, decorative paper cutouts or tissue paper but they give a very different look. 

I don't always cut apart the rub ons.  Sometimes even I use them as intended.  

The bunny and flowers came off the same sheet of rub on and I applied them as is…no scissors involved.  

The same for the jellybeans egg.

Another cute- and very simple- egg is decorated with a monogram and crystals. I used a Making Memories alphabet sticker with my daughter's initial and added adhesive-backed rhinestones as polka dots. How cute would this be used as a place setting card using the initials of each guest?  Set the egg in the center of the plate with a pretty napkin or a circle of shredded paper (or edible grass) forming a simple nest.  You could also put the egg in an egg cup .  A simple white egg cup like the one pictured is relatively inexpensive ($2 online) and widely available.  Simply set it on the plate or centered above the plate on the table.

This egg is sort of a hybrid of the two techniques using rub ons. I kept the butterfly and bee intact but did some minor plastic surgery on the flowers to make my own design. 

I love the way the eggs look when clustered together.  The center egg (below) was made by making polka dots using a product that I cannot for the life of me remember what it is called.  I thought it was water-droplet-something-or-other but I cannot find it.  You could get the same effect using adhesive backed rhinestones/pearls or rub on circles.  

There is a new product called Candi which would be cute as well.  

The little paper dots are applied using little pop-dot type adhesive squares but you could use Glossy Accents.  I would use Glossy Accents on the top to make the little dots shiny before I used them.  Though the idea of a paper circle seemed silly to me I thought the little dots were actually fun when I used them on the pennants on a project for this  Things Crafty   

The blue circles with the silver stars are Candi.

The eggs are pretty clustered together like this but would also be pretty if all, or some, where in egg cups. 


A word about rub ons.  I have found, much to my dismay, that Michael's and Hobby Lobby aren't carrying them as much as they used to.  In fact they only carry a few and they are usually themed out- wedding,family, baby.   I assumed the companies were no longer making them.  Not true.  Rub ons are available online and there is no lack of designs or variety. In fact I think there are more interesting designs today than last year.  The Frantic Stamper has a HUGE inventory of rub ons from a wide variety of companies.  Christy at Scarlet Lime carries a number her favorite designs. Two Peas in a Bucket carries a good variety as well and I scored a ton of Basic Grey rub ons on Ebay a few months ago.  You may have to go searching but you can find rub ons that fit your design. 


Laters Baby….