To All The Foods I've Loved Before...

If you’re looking for a great pizza, check out Pizza Works (www.pizzaworks.org) - they do it right!  Great wings too…

Try out their online ordering system and see if you can figure out why they’d ask you if you wanted your toppings on the left or right hand side of the pie!?  I mean, how would you know which side they put them on?  JUST CRAZY!

Location:  Fifty South, Ballston Spa, NY

Dish:  Gemelli w/ garlic, olive oil, grape tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, snow peas, asparagus and blackened shrimp

Beverage:  Bombay Hot n’ Dirty Martini (Appetizer drink), Widmer Rotator IPA (w/ dinner)

Words:  BA and I are in absolute lust with Fifty South.  We love the food, the drinks are phenomenal, the atmosphere is perfect, and it’s only 3 minutes from our place - a perfect 10 all around IMHO.

This dish was perfect!  Gemelli cooked al dente, fresh vegetables, and some damn good blackened shrimp.  I can’t say enough about this restaurant…all Farm to Table, local ingredients, always a pleasant atmosphere, and a great wine list and beer selection.  

I highly recommend checking it out!  Breakfast is also pretty kick arse…

Location:  House of DF & NF, Harmony Mills Lofts

Dish:  Or shall I say, Menu… :)

Beverage(s):  

App:  Fridge Beer

Main Course:  Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde, Gallo Family Vineyards Chardonnay 

Dessert:  Otter Creek Alpine Black IPA

Words:  After a very hectic couple of days for my BA we had the pleasure of hanging with our friends, and newest married couple, DF (formerly known as DP) and NF.  They invited us to their new place for dinner a few weeks back and we were glad we were able to pull it all together and make it!

We started with a beer or two while we chatted and enjoyed NF’s Fresh Mozz Bruschetta served on a lightly toasted, sliced garlic loaf.

Truly a fantastic appetizer!  The bread was super fresh, as were the Mozz, tomatoes and fresh herbs.  I couldn’t believe the cloves of garlic that were baked into the bread!  I was looking forward to the Main Course - the kitchen was smelling great and I had a small pants tent starting to build…BRING ON THE CLAMS!

NF chose to serve the unbearded clams with his linguine tonight, thankfully, because I didn’t really want to pick short and curlys out of my teeth all night…

WOOOOOOO!  It was time to feast…and that we did!  DF was nice enough to uncork and pour the Vinho Verde for dinner.  The linguine was cooked al dente, which is just how I like it…a little toothy - which on the contrary is the exact opposite of how I prefer other things…

…anyways…

The clam sauce was seasoned just right with a hint of red pepper, butter, and some lemon; it had a little bite at the end that made it different from other white clam sauce I’d had before - definitely delicious!  I had a full on pants tent going at this point…DF uncorked the Chardonnay and we settled in for some conversation and a bite or two more.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, the Mets were beating the Yankees as well!  HAHAHA!  Can life get any better?!  I think not.

We are greatly appreciative to our hosts this evening, and there was mention of a dinner club beginning sometime soon - I hope this plan comes to fruition, would be spectacular.  More ammo for the blog is always good!!  

Thanks again guys!  See you at Brewfest, if not sooner!

Location:  Da Nico Ristorante, Little Italy, NYC

Dish:  Eggplant Parmigiana

Beverage:  Peroni

Words:  YES!!!  This place was perfect!!!  Great company, a secret outdoor garden dining area, sunshine, fresh air and EGGPLANT!  

I was totally pumped to be in the city with my BA and a few of our friends for the day.  We started out in Little Italy at Da Nico - a choice made by chance, and the fact that it had an outdoor dining area; one of which took us completely out of the city and into another world.

The Eggplant was superb!  Very thinly sliced, breaded, and fried to perfection - smothered in sauce and a layer of mozzarella.  So delicious that I nearly pitched a tent right there…in Little Italy, you sick bastages…food excites me, but come on…there’s no boobs in food.

I could have eaten this all day, but we had a Mets game to get to.  After a beer or two we were off to Citi Field for batting practice and hopefully a Mets victory!

This baby came off the bat of Andre Ethier of the LA Dodgers during BP and was smoked right at me…went at it barehanded and it went off my hand, but I recovered it.  

First ball at a game AND a Mets WIN!  A great day indeed!

So I was driving around today for work, like I do every day, thinking about what I’d have for dinner…little did I know that it was my lucky day!

I spotted a guy in a field with a paper bag picking something and I immediately thought of fiddleheads; it was either them or magic mushrooms - but the cows were up the road a bit, so it had to be the fiddleheads!  :-/

I drove up the road a piece, made a call at one of my stores, and came back around about 20 minutes later hoping the guy was gone…AND he was!  I pulled in to a little dirt road and stepped out into a field only, maybe, 30-40 yards wide.  I picked about a pound of these guys and returned to my car excited about my bounty!  I haven’t eaten these in a few years and I’d never picked them myself!  Usually growing in wetland areas between April and May, they really are a treat to find!

Once I got them home I snipped the stems off and rinsed them in a colander under cold water, put them in the fridge, and relaxed until it was time to cook ‘em up!

Once BA made it home, I sauteed the fiddleheads with some chopped turkey bacon and minced garlic in a little extra virgin olive oil for about eight minutes.  I served them with local Quail Eggs over toasted English Muffins.  

Breakfast for dinner is one of our favorites, and even better when part of the meal comes from Mother Nature’s Grocery Store!

Location:  The Wedding of DP and NF, Glen Sanders Mansion, Scotia, NY

Dish:  

First Course - Seared Diver Sea Scallops served over English Pea Risotto, Asparagus, Morel Mushrooms, and Ramp Butter

Second Course - Buckhead Ribeye Steak, Carmelized Shallot Smashed Potatoes, Tempura Onion Rings, Thyme Roasted Carrots

Beverage:  Amstel Light

Words:  The evening started with a beautiful ceremony in the quaint hall at The Mansion.  After the ceremony we were invited outdoors for some bubble blowing and a group shot with the newly married couple (Congrats again guys!!!).  This reminded me of an old joke which I whispered in BA’s ear; I promptly received a snicker and a smirk that only she can give me - I knew I should probably keep it to myself…until now…goes a little something like this:

“Did you blow bubbles when you were a kid?”…

“Yes…”

“Next time you see him, let him know I said Hi…”

…badoomp chishhh…

Anyways, back to the food…

We milled around during the cocktail hour and enjoyed some delicious hand passed appetizers, most notably, the short rib flatbread…hands down, best appetizer at this soiree…

Soon after downing a few beers and some apps we were ushered into the dining room and were treated to some spectacular food (and more booze!!!).

The First Course Diver Scallop Risotto is amongst the finest appetizers I’ve ever eaten - the Scallop was perfectly cooked, the risotto was rich yet complimentary to the sweetness of the Morels and Asparagus that were drenched in Ramp Butter; I could have eaten this as an entree given it were entree size.

The Second Course came after another round of mingling and crushing beers.  I was ready for a steak - and I asked for the rarest piece I could get, not really expecting to get it at an event with so many steaks being prepared.  But, I was pleasantly surprised when I cut into it to find it was cooked exactly to my liking!  That’s a well prepared staff/kitchen!  The steak was great, the potatoes will go into my repertoire - they were delicious, the asparagus made my pee smell funny, and the onion rings that were served on a huge platter really made the dish!

All in all a fantastic meal, a fantastic evening, and a fantastic couple!  Thanks for having us share your special day with you!  Congrats once again!