The Red Cat

227 Tenth Avenue

(between 24th and 23rd Streets)

A friend called at the last minute about getting together for a Saturday brunch.

Had always wanted to try the brunch at The Red Cat, so decided this would be a good opportunity to go as it is not one of those Chelsea “brunch hotspots” where you go for bottomless drink specials, and therefore a good place to go if you’re looking for someplace where you can have a long, civilized chat with a friend.

Helpful Hint: Do make a reservation. I believe it was because I made a reservation that I was seated at a corner booth.

The dining room ambience is bright and open and airy, and I loved the lanterns on the ceiling. Must be lovely at night!

 

For our cocktails, my friend had ordered the pineapple ginger fizz (you might be able to see a bit of in the photo below--it is the yellow drink on the left), which she was not a fan of—it tasted like medicine to me. Luckily, I had ordered the fragola—macerated strawberries with sparkling wine. So I gave her my drink and our waiter kindly did not charge her for the ginger fizz. Classy!

I ordered a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc de Sant-Bris 2012. You know you’re in a classy brunch joint when you order a glass of wine and your waiter arrives with the bottle so that you may taste it before he pours you the entire glass. I confess that I did end up saying no to a glass of red to accompany dessert, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

 

The Sauvignon Blanc was perfect for a hot, humid summer day. Citrusy, light and crispy, and absolutely refreshing!

 

For appetizers we ordered their signature appetizer dish—light tempura of green beans. My friend found them rather tasteless and she had to add salt (which they have in a small dish on the table so that the customer could flavor their dish to their personal taste), but I found it to be perfect paired with a honey-mustard dipping sauce. It was sort of like eating fried edamame. Sadly my photo is a bit out-of-focus, but thought I would include anyway.

We also ordered a side of their sautéed corn (another touted customer favorite), which was really good and buttery!

As well as a side of herbed fries, which came with a Dijon mustard-type dipping sauce. With that we definitely satisfied our salt fix!

We both ordered the schmaltz fried egg for our entrée, which was served atop a potato pancake, brisket, spinach, and maple jus. Everything tasted super fresh and the fried egg was cooked perfectly.

Loved mixing in the yolk with the potato pancake. Awesome!

Only complaint is that the maple jus made the dish a bit too sweet for my liking.
 

For dessert we ordered the peach crostada with blueberry ice cream and ginger sauce. Lovely presentation, and the perfect light and flaky dessert to have on a summer afternoon.

 

As I had earlier mentioned, the red wine that I originally chose to accompany our dessert, I ended up rejecting (so the waiter offering a tasting really does pay off!). Instead, after hearing that I wanted a non-tannic wine, our waiter suggested that I try the Pinot Noir from the Becker Estate. Smooth!

 

Final Thoughts

It is a definitely a dining experience. So it’s a perfect place to go to if you’re looking for someplace special to catch up with a friend you don’t normally see of if you’re celebrating a special event. But it is a bit pricey to go on a regular basis.

Spice (Chelsea Location)

263 Eighth Avenue

(corner of 22nd Street)

Tasty and affordable lunch special!

Spice has various locations, but I am writing specifically about the one indicated at the above address.

For an appetizer and an entrée, the pricing varies from $8 to $10 depending upon selection. As opposed to many lunch specials, the options are quite varied.

For our appetizers, we ordered the pot stickers—dumplings wrapped in house skin with chicken, scallion with sour ponzu sauce. Salty goodness!

And the signature shrimp fritters—ground shrimp and chicken with honey chili sauce.

 

Warning! High-heat alert. Needs to cool down before you make the mistake of popping it in your mouth.

 

For our entrees, we chose the Hawaiian ginger and pineapple dish with chicken. Glad we tried it, but wouldn’t order again as there wasn’t anything that I would consider a standout.

 

One dish that I would order again and again would be the seafood rice bowl. It comes with scallops, shrimps, squid, mussels, bamboo shoot, scallion, mushroom, and Thai gravy sauce all over jasmine rice. All of the seafood is cooked to perfection and this is a meal that you can order for lunch, and then finish for dinner as the portion is that generous. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

The other highlight of the meal, were the non-alcoholic drink specials for $4. I ordered the Pink Lady with Pearls (image on the left), which tasted like candy. My friend ordered the Iced Chrysanthemum Tea (which brought back childhood memories of my mom making me chrysanthemum tea whenever I had a cold sore—not only was it supposedly good for you, but it was like drinking honey!).

Pros:

Big, open space with booth seating available.

Nice, large restroom.

Attentive service.

Cons:

Wish they offered dinner special pricing.

Final Thoughts

Will definitely go back for their seafood rice bowl lunch special, and to try their other specialty lunch drinks.

As  a side note:

I did return a few days later to try their takeout. I ordered the duck wrap appetizer. (Note to self: don’t every order again for takeout as it turns into mess in the container by the time you get it home!)

 

And for the entrée, I went for the black noodles (broad rice noodle with egg and broccoli) with tofu. They also were kind enough to lightly fry the tofu for me, as it is usually served soft. The black noodle is basically chow fun, but it seemed sweetened with what tasted like duck sauce. Would order again, but it definitely does not measure up to the seafood rice bowl!

Red Cooking Pork and Chestnut

Grand Sichuan International

229 Ninth Avenue

(corner of 24th Street)

A friend of mine raved about the red cooking pork and chestnut entrée at Grand Sichuan. I finally worked up the nerve to order it for takeout.

First, I did have to ask what “red cooking pork” meant. It turns out it’s the literal English translation for the Chinese word of “braised.”

In essence, it’s similar to a beef stew, but instead of beef, braised pork. And chestnuts (which are braised with the pork) are used, instead of potatoes. A bed of spinach lay beneath the pork and chestnuts.

I served it over white rice that came with my order. It is a hearty meal that would be good for a cold, winter’s night.

Final Thoughts

Glad I tried it once, but won’t order again. It’s similar to a dish my mother makes—braised pork and white turnips. I prefer my mom’s version, as the chestnuts taste rather dry. Now, if they can substitute the chestnuts with white turnips, that’s another story!

7-11 Doritos Loaded

Various Locations

Another fast-food option, which was just launched this July, is 7-11’s Doritos Loaded. It comes with four pieces in a box for $1.99.

I was excited to try as I had heard good reviews regarding its cheesy goodness (a mix of Romano, cheddar, and American cheese), and I am a fan of Doritos original chips.

Perhaps I should have eaten them as soon as the box was removed from the heat lamps. By the time I got home, they had already hardened and I felt like I was eating dusty cardboard.

 

Not sure that I’d want to try them again, but it just goes to show that not all junk food taste good.

 

McDonald's Double Jalapeño Burger

Various Locations

For those in search for a quick and snack, McDonald’s new Double Jalapeño burger is surprisingly and amazingly satisfying.

Just launched officially nationwide, in July, the sandwich is comprised of two beef patties, white cheddar, ranch dressing, and jalapeños served two ways (fresh and crispy) between a sweet bun.

 

And for $2 it can’t be beat!

 

Helpful Hint: It does pack a spicy punch, so be wary to those of you who do not like jalapeños! For those looking for extra heat, request packet(s) of habanero sauce.

 

San Marzano (Best Jarred Tomato Sauce!)

A friend gave me a package of spaghetti when she returned from a trip to Rome, Italy.

I wanted to serve it with the best jar of spaghetti sauce that I could find. My friend did e-mail me a recipe for a homemade sauce, but as I decided that I was going to cook it over at a friend’s house in New Jersey, I didn’t wish to be carrying tins of canned tomatoes on the long New Jersey Transit train ride!

She did inspire me though to try San Marzano’s Marinara Sauce.

 

All of the instructions for cooking the pasta were in Italian, but I was able to make out that I was to cook for 9 to 11 minutes.
 

My friend grilled some wine-and-cheese sausage, which we then mixed in with the marinara sauce. We flavored the sauce with some crushed garlic and tossed in some fennel and stirred all. We then served the sauce over the cooked pasta, rather than mixing it with the pasta in a big bowl. We finished the plate off, with some sprinkles of Romano cheese.

 

Delicious! The pasta had a sweet, fresh tomato taste. Sometimes with other jarred sauces, they come with a dry, cardboard-y aftertaste. The San Marzano sauce was also not too thick and not too watery—it was just perfect.

 

Accompanying our meal, my friend opened a bottle of white Chateauneuf du Pape that had been purchased on a trip to France. VERY nice!

 

My friend also made a caprese salad by slicing up a tomato, some fresh mozzarella, and some fresh basil. Topped off with Modenaceti balsamic glaze. A MUST buy!!

 

Before our meal, we did have a cheese pairing—bourbon washed pie d’Angloys (which tasted like Epoisses, but cheaper!) and a medium-ripened Fontina.

 

And, yes, it was a very CHEESY meal!

 

Pepe Giallo

253 Tenth Avenue

(between 24th and 25th Streets)

Amazing $9 lunch special!!

With a choice of either soup of the day or mixed green salad and a choice of a select pasta dish or sandwich the serving portions are excessively generous.

I ordered the soup of the day (minestrone), which could have been my meal on its own. It was hearty and the vegetables were fresh and plentiful!

My friend ordered the mixed green salad. The dressing was a simple vinaigrette.

I selected the penne tomato basil dish (my friend chose the same, but added grilled chicken for an extra $3).

I must admit that the penne was a bit undercooked, but it’s a minor complaint in comparison with the rest of the meal.

As soon as I sat down, they placed a basket of bread along with a bottle of water on the table. They also provided olive oil with olives in a small dish to dip the bread in.

To accompany our meal, my friend and I ordered a half-carafe of the house trebbiano (cost was $15). It was light and crisp and enough for two glasses each.

For dessert, we selected their homemade torta di cioccolate (a flourless chocolate cake) with vanilla ice cream. Moist and melts in your mouth!!

Helpful Hint: Some of their desserts are made fresh daily, so be sure to ask!

The restaurant itself is like a hidden gem. On the far west side of Tenth, it’s easy to miss, but once inside it has a very homey and comfortable atmosphere. Definitely want to return for dinner and to try out their pretty back garden.

Update:

Here are photos of the garden! Super cute and a must-try in the spring or summer!