Foragers Craft Fare

233 Eighth Avenue

(between 21st and 22nd Streets)

As what must have been a pre-show to the Summer Fancy Food Show, Foragers held its own food fare a week before the Javits show.

It was held on Saturday, June 21, from 12 noon to 3 p.m.

Foragers is known as a farm-to-table restaurant, which features a grocery at the front of the store. The fare showcased artisanal food companies whose recipes contain freshly grown or organic ingredients.

With a cotton candy machine:

 

Jeni’s ice cream, with salty caramel

 

And goat cheese with red cherries being my favorite. YUM!!!

 

But at $13.00 a pint, the price is a bit steep. YIKES!!! It’s not cheap to feed those grass-fed cows!

 

Nonna’s spicy tomato sauce was delish! And it’ good for you, too. It’s gluten free, dairy free, and vegan! Will definitely try with some spaghetti and meatballs once the weather gets cooler.

The liquor store connected to Foragers was offering a tasting of a mint and gin and Sorrel liqueur cocktail. Took one sip, and remembered that I don’t like gin and I definitely don’t like any alcohol that tastes like medicine.

 

My favorite tasting though was La Quercia’s Prosciutto Americano. I loved La Quercia’s backstory. The couple that started the company began by curing meats in their Des Moines basement. Ten years later they are still curing meats in their aging rooms in Iowa. I particularly appreciated their informational handout that illustrated the parts of the pig that their meats come from.

All in all, a great warm-up to the main attraction—the Summer Fancy Food Show!

Sullivan St. Bakery (Chelsea Location)

236 Ninth Avenue

(between 24th and 25th Streets)

Craving a sweet?

Run—don’t walk—to Sullivan St. Bakery for their Bombolino. It comes in three flavors: vanilla cream, chocolate cream, and seasonal jam. I asked the servers for their recommendation and they unanimously suggested the vanilla cream—even after I noted that I was sort of looking for something chocolaty. I went with their suggestion and my sweet tooth was happy I did. Amazing! Tasted like vanilla ice cream with fried dough topped with sugar.

 

 

To satisfy my chocolate craving, I ordered their Canotto Cioccolato as well. Glad that I had ordered the vanilla cream Bombolino, as well. The canotto tasted dry, but perhaps the mix of the dark chocolate and the pecan crumble created a dry, crumbly breading.

 

 

 

Pros:

Helpful staff.

Calm, relaxing atmosphere. Great place to have coffee and dessert and read a book on a summer afternoon as I saw many patrons doing.

Cons:

Had to replace TP myself when using their restroom. Though I probably should just be grateful that there was a basket full of TP under the sink.

Final Thoughts

Listed in this year’s New York magazine’s 101 Best Cheap Eats issue, so if you’re in Chelsea it’s a must-visit spot.

Asura Asian Bistro & Bar

235 West 35th Street

(between Seventh and Eighth Avenues)

Asura is the answer to three pressing questions that I’ve had for a very long time:

1) Where is a good place to go for dinner near Penn Station?

2) Where is a good place to go for dinner near the Javits Center?

3) Where is a good place to go for dinner near the AMC Loews 34th Street movie theater?

Asura is located on a rather seedy side street that is not trafficked much by pedestrians, and is next to (and part of) the Wyndham Hotel. The bar located at the entrance is rather deceiving as it makes the restaurant seem small as opposed to how spacious it actually is.

 

Went for their amazing happy hour special (from 5 to 9 p.m.): $4 beer; $6 wine; BOGO free cocktail; BOGO half-off special rolls. The specials are located throughout the restaurant and not only at the bar (which is good as the barstools fill up quickly with many happy happy-hour patrons).

 

At the suggestion of our waitress, we went for the Lycheetini: vodka, triple sec, and lychee juice. They fill the drink to the very tippy-top of the glass (so much so that you should not pick up the glass for fear of spillage, which I must confess is what happened to me!), so I recommend that you sip up the excess before you even dare try a toast.

 

Warning: The bartender is also very generous with the alcohol, so drink slowly and do not attempt to down the drink as if it were a shot or a glass of water.

For the rolls, we went with all of the suggestions offered by the waitress. The first plate contained the Manhattan Roll (top: shrimp tempura and cucumber, topped with spicy crunchy tuna, masago, spicy mayo, and eel sauce) and the Sakana Roll (yellowtail and avocado, topped with tuna and salmon). The Manhattan Roll was beautifully plated and the tempura was not greasy at all. Only small, minor complaint is that the shrimp came with its tail.

 

As we were still hungry, we ordered a second plate (again going with the waitress’s suggestion) consisting of the Salmon Dream Roll (spicy salmon, topped with avocado and salmon) and the Black Pepper Tuna Roll (bottom: spicy tuna, topped with avocado and black pepper tuna).

 

Of the four rolls, the Black Pepper Tuna was my favorite. I really appreciated the taste of seared tuna.

UPDATE:

Another excellent roll to order is the volcano roll (bottom roll in photo). Similar to the Black Pepper Tuna roll, but with salmon.

Not only are their rolls super tasty, their soups, are too! In particular the ramen noodle soup. The pork is delicious: sweet and the sides are seared for a crispy taste!

If you're a fan of pork, their harata bun is a must-try!

 

Pros:

Very friendly and helpful staff.

You can switch your cocktail drink choice for the BOGO free offer. We actually ended up sticking with the Lycheetini as our second drink as it was really good!

Cons:

Cell service does not work in the dining area, but there is reception at the hotel patio, which is easy to access.

 

Final Thoughts

Asura will undoubtedly become one of my new favorite dining spots, which I will be frequenting quite regularly.

Mira Sushi & Izakaya

46 West 22nd Street

(between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)

www.mirasushi.com

Dilemma! Had a lunch appointment, but I was craving both Mexican and sushi. Excellent solution to satisfying that problem is Mira Sushi in the Flatiron District.

In particular, ordering the Spicy Tuna Pizza is a must!

 

It’s guacamole, masago, kani, and furikake flakes on top of a crispy roti. Sooo good and really filling.

My dining companion ordered the beef sirloin bulgogi rice bowl lunch special. 

 

Sure, it looks like a salad, but there’s actually brown rice (it comes with white rice, but for $1 extra you may substitute with brown) in the bowl topped with beef sirloin, shitake mushrooms, sautéed vegetables, spicy bean paste, and a sunny-side up egg.

We accompanied our lunch with a teapot of Lychee Red tea, which is organic Yunnan tea with lychee, rose, and longan fruit scents.

 

 

The tea was a perfect complement to both the pizza as well as our Pinkberry dessert—yogurt mousse, lychees, blueberries, strawberry sauce, and candied orange zest. Though the yogurt and strawberry sauce were deliciously refreshing, the lychees tasted a bit sour.

Bonus: Our waitress was attentive and graciously refilled our teapot with hot water so that we could enjoy our tea without having to order another pot.

Warning: Restaurant gets crowded very quickly. Had an 11:30 a.m. lunch. The place became full in less than an hour. I cannot even imagine how busy the dinner rush must be.

Cafe Champignon: Part II

202 Seventh Avenue

(between 21st and 22nd Streets)

I am loath to discuss this gem of a restaurant again, but wanted to let frequent customers know that Café Champignon is still open. It just went through a major renovation.

It has now officially combined with what used to be its companion coffee bar next door. The coffee bar has been converted into a separate dining-room section, while what used to be the restaurant is now a bar-and-dessert area.

 

 

 

Along with retaining its former staff as well as its low-key, cozy atmosphere, the café still also offers the special of a complimentary cheese plate if you order a bottle of wine.

As it was a rather hot, summer night we ordered a bottle of the Sancerre La Craie—a dry, crisp white wine that made us feel as if we were in a bistro in Paris.

Final Thoughts

Still a favorite go-to spot for catching up with friends or relaxing alone while having a cup of coffee and dessert without feeling rushed.

Rose Bakery (at Dover Street Market)

160 Lexington Avenue

(30th Street)

www.doverstreetmarket.com

Dover Street Market is a must-be-seen-to-be-believed window-shopping experience. And I emphasize the words “window shopping” as most regular folks would not be able to afford the standard pricing of over $1,000 per item. (I confess though that I did find a scarf for $600.)

However, I think DSM encourages people to look and be inspired. The super hipster staff smiles welcomingly and understandably while folks take pictures of the more outrageous outfits and store fixtures. It’s not really a store; it’s an art gallery or costume museum, except without the information placards.

DSM is owned by noted Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo of Commes des Garçons fame (other locations can be found in London, Tokyo, Seoul). The New York DSM houses seven floors in a building that used to be a design school. The entrance is a bit tricky to find, as it is really a side-door entrance on 30th Street. Once you find it, it is guarded by a doorman (but more likely security), who is standing in front of a glass elevator. Recommend your beginning your tour of DSM by getting on the elevator and going to the top floor and working your way down floor-by-floor.

Once you’ve made your back to the first floor (DO visit the washroom—their toilets are automated with heated seats! and they have lovely smelling hand soap), hopefully you’ll have worked up an appetite.

Rose Carrarini’s Rose Bakery is located off to your left and is made up of four communal tables. They do have seating in the mezzanine, but only if seating is for a large party or if the tables are filled on the first floor.

Helpful Hint: Rose Bakery does not have separate signage or a separate entrance, so might be difficult to find if you were not in the know.

Since Rose Carrarini (sister-in-law of Rei Kawakubo) is a self-taught pastry chef, you MUST try one of the desserts. (Rose Bakery does serve lunch as well.)

I had to have a piece of their artistically created carrot cake. Glad I tried it, but once tasted, I found it to be rather ordinary. Still, it was great to look at. Also the plateware is pretty awesome. Impressive craftsmanship.

My friend ordered the linzer based on the server’s recommendation.  My friend believes the recommendation was made so that the tray in the display case would not appear full as if no one wanted to try a slice, as the linzer, too, turned out to be a disappointment. It tasted rather dry and bland.

What we did love was the coffee. She ordered the latte (which came topped with a heart made of foam).

I had the Piggy Latte, which was pretty much milk with coffee. Made just the way I love my coffee. And best yet it was served in glasses at room temperature. Delish!

Pros:

Incredible washroom.

Welcoming and friendly staff for both bakery and DSM.

Excellent opportunity to people watch.

Cons:

Price.

Bakery closes when DSM closes.

Final Thoughts

Perfect place to take an out-of-town visitor, as it’s not the usual tourist spot.

Grace Street

17 West 32nd Street

(between Broadway and Fifth Avenue)

In the hustle and bustle of Koreatown, Grace Street is located in an unmarked building. If you weren’t specifically looking for it, you would miss it. A regular passerby would mistake it for an artist’s loft or a hotel lobby.

 

Instead it’s Grace Street—a large, spacious café that offers coffee, tea, and dessert. Their specialty though is their ho-dduk, a Korean–style doughnut with melted brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts. You can order it alone or with a scoop of ice cream. Unfortunately, it’s only offered at specific times (1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m.).

As such, I did not have a chance to try one as I came in at noon before a lunch appointment, so I grabbed a quick coffee.
 

But I did get a chance to sit back on one of their comfortable couches and enjoy the view.

It’s almost as if you’re in a gallery.

The café features artists and photographers.

 

Pros:

Chill, laid-back atmosphere.

You can sit there for hours, as staff does not seem to rush you out.

Cons:

No physical receipts if you pay cash; you provide them with your e-mail and they can send a paperless receipt to your e-mail address.

No WiFi—could be considered a “Pro” as well.

Final Thoughts

Have to go back just so that I can try their famed ho-dduks!