Category Archives: Cuisine

Cupcake Truck for a crummy day

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Dear Food Diary:

Yesterday started off as a crummy day. I was really exhausted in the morning, my eyes were super puffy, and as usual i spent a long time trying to figure out what to wear. Got on the bus to work and couldn’t stop yawning, i was soo sleepy that tears were starting to come out, yeah it wasn’t a good look.
Work was fine… bla bla bla… ok, fast forwards to lunch time. I walk to the farmers market with my coworker and there it is, Cupcake Truck right infront of my face. How can I say no to that? I looove cupcakes, specially red velvet (from Magnolia’s or ButterCup). But this truck had more creative flavors in mind, like key lime pie, rocky road and strawberry shortcake! and as if that wasn’t awesome enough, they sold mini cupcakes for $1 each! Were they reading my mind?

Sympathy for the Kettle

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Dear Food Diary:

Strolling around the other day, we were cold and in desperate need of a hot drink. I refused to spend a lovely afternoon inside a Starbucks, so we kept walking, and unexpectantly found this cute little place Sympathy for the Kettle.

It was a pleasant surprise, as we walked in, the aroma of the teas danced with our senses. The place is tiny, cozy and adorable, with a distinct personality of its own. We sat down at one of the tiny tables and ordered different pots to share. My favorite was our White Tea and Kyoto Cherry Rose Tea. But the varieties are endless, and you’ll surely find one that suits your mood. From Traditional Black Teas, Oolong, Chinese Black and Puerh to Flavored Black Teas, Chai, Green Teas, Flavored Green Teas, Jasmine Teas, White Teas, Herbal Teas and even Mate.

You don’t have to be a tea connoisseur to enjoy ur time there. It’s just a great place to grab a couple good friends and chit chat while sipping some very delicate and aromatic tea. Let’s not forget the sweet treats, small and delicate with tons of flavor. These little pastries were sweet indeed.

It was a great afternoon of good company, conversation, tea and treats. Just thinking about it brings this relaxing mood. * Smiling*

P.S. Chubby’s RATING:chubby rating 4

www.sympathyforthekettle.com/
109 St. Marks Place (East Village)
212.979.1650

Sympathy For the Kettle on Urbanspoon

Basta Pasta: Japanese doing Italian

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Dear Food Diary,

Being a true fan of Iron Chef, I just love the ambiance and concept of Basta Pasta. Open the door and enter a mini version of the infamous Kitchen Stadium. A squeeky clean open kitchen, with steel appliances, pots and pans of all sizes and shapes, condiments, fresh ingredients and chef and su chefs in white working away like bumble bees. There’s no battle between chefs, but a mission to satisfy every diner, while a mix of apetizing aromas fill the space.

Ed’s Lobster Bar: Fresh Of Boat (FOB)

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Dear Food Diary,
You know I love sweet juicy and fresh lobsters. Well, the lobsters are indeed FOB (FRESH of boat) at Ed’s. Sources say they come in all the way from Maine every day. And by how popular and crowded the place was on a tuesday night, I doubt there were any left overs for the next day. They were being sold like hot cakes.

Ed’s doesn’t take reservations, so the trendy new spot have enjoyed a great opening and days that followed with food enthusiasts eager for a table and willing to wait. No seating until the whole party arrived, tables at the back were limited. So we settled for the stainless steel bar, squeezed into our high chairs and began our lobster feast.

Mara’s Homemade: It’s like comfort from a southern mama

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Dear Food Diary,
There’s nothing like walking into a restaurant, and feeling like your going to a friend’s for dinner. Mara greets you as you walk in the first of two very small and cozy dinning areas. Sometimes you’ll see her husband and daughter helping out and the waitresses are always super friendly and helpful.

The menu includes Cajun Style Seafood, BBQ & Southern Comfort Food. For the more adventurous, the fried gator bites are marinated in Cajun spice, crunchy and tender, if you’ve never had them, i’ll say give’em a try. It’s sorta like a cross between fish and chicken. I’m no Andrew Zimmern (host of my beloved Travel Channel’s, Bizarre Foods) when it comes to food, but I’m open to trying new things and i really love the texture and flavor of these bites.