Smith Canteen

The owners of Seersucker, a really good southern restaurant on Smith Street, just turned a century-old pharmacy on the same block into a cafe. I checked it out on Monday and fell in love on the spot. Outside, pretty plants line the sidewalk and rest on marble-topped tables, while inside, they kept the original tile floor, tin ceiling and wood shelves, and added pale blue cabinets and more marble. The space is really bright and sunny and gave me good ideas for my own kitchen.

I went in the afternoon when most of their pastries, such as homemade strawberry pop tarts and strawberry rhubarb muffins, were long gone, but the chocolate chip cookie I tried was excellent, with big chunks of dark chocolate and a touch of sea salt. They started rolling out their lunch menu this week and I'm curious about the duck confit banh mi. Coffee and espresso is from Counter Culture and they also have sweet tea and hand-squeezed lemonade.

There are only a few small tables, but Carroll Park is right across the street. If you tend to travel with a bunch of kids like I usually do, get your treats to go and enjoy them over there. The F train stops on the same block and it's absolutely worth the trip from other parts of Brooklyn. Since Smith Canteen opens bright and early every day every day, I'm planning to go again soon for breakfast.

Smith Canteen
343 Smith Street (at Carroll)
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
7am to 7pm, daily

Mondays at Eataly

I have a few things to tell you today, but not much time, so I'll be quick.

1. If you haven't been to Eataly yet, it's time to change that.

2. If you haven't heard of Eataly, I'll assume you don't live in NY. It's been called an Italian emporium. A temple. A foodie mecca. A culinary funhouse (my favorite). Intrigued? Catch up here.

3. If you plan to visit, here's some advice. Go on a Monday night. I've spent a few Mondays there and it's always been somewhat calm and easy to float from place to place. From what I've heard, the weekends are Crazy with a capital C.

4. If you can't decide which restaurant to try once you're there, start at Le Verdure. Don't let the all-vegetable menu scare you. Order the bruschetta. Piled high with roasted Brussels sprouts or acorn squash with sage and butter, each piece will be brawny and require a knife and fork. Le Verdure's the closest thing to this place that I've found in New York. 

5. If you're a food blogger, remember to take photos at the beginning of the night. If you forget your camera, make sure to go with a friend who has an iPhone and make her take photos for you. If possible, make her take pictures when you get there, not at the end of your night.

6. If it's late and you're full and should be going home, end your visit at Caffe Lavazza. Trust me, even if I drink mostly decaf and recently admitted to not knowing much about espresso.

7. If you're lucky, you'll meet Mike, one of Manhattan's friendliest baristas and after you order a cappuccino, a torinese (espresso with chocolate and foam), and a teeny tiny apricot pastry to split three ways, he'll surprise you with samples of hot chocolate that's so thick you'll need a spoon, homemade whipped cream and a cross between a semifreddo and sorbet that you think was called an espressocrema.

8. If you're really lucky, a lady will walk by with a samples of chocolate panettone.

9. If you're crazy, you'll chase after her and ask for seconds.

Eataly
200 5th Ave at 23rd Street
646-398-5100

Nespresso CitiZ, You Complete Me

When our French press broke in November, we started considering a fancier machine. Daniel suggested something from Nespresso. I shot down his idea on the spot. I'm not even a big coffee drinker. I mostly drink decaf and have no problem downing a latte after dinner. Still, I can be picky about these things. Nespresso just seemed so mass produced. I didn't want to buy coffee in capsules for a machine called the CitiZ. That uppercase Z totally weirded me out. It still does. I cringed as I capitalized it for the title of this post. Oh, and George Clooney is Nespresso's brand ambassador. He's very handsome and all, but come on.

Then we spent Thanksgiving with our friends Doug and Karlyn. After dinner, Doug made each of us a homemade cappuccino using his cool Illy machine. They were wonderful, but he spent about a half hour on them. After cooking for us all day. It looked like a lot of work. Daniel just needs a quick jolt of caffeine in the morning and I'm happy with a cold glass of milk.

When December rolled around, Daniel hadn't replaced his French press and I was trying to think of a good Christmas present for him. Secretly, I started reading Nespresso reviews online. Almost everyone, people who seem to know a lot about coffee than I do, gave it rave reviews. One former barista turned food blogger even proclaimed: "The Nespresso CitiZ produces a perfect cup of espresso, one that rivals the depth and quality of the product that is served in European restaurants." Say whaaaaaat?

He went on to explain that the key to perfect espresso is the amount of pressure produced in the process. Most machines produce 15 bars while the pump-driven Nespresso produces 19. The result? A perfect cup of espresso with a golden layer of crema. Educating myself about the machine helped me swallow my pride. Quickly.

I decided to buy the Nespresso CitiZ D120. When Daniel tried to slip a small stovetop espresso maker into our cart at Ikea a few days later, I convinced him to put it back on the shelf. Dreaming about cappuccinos on Christmas morning, I forced him to open his present on Christmas Eve. We've been treating ourselves to fancy-pants drinks ever since.

Our mornings start early and are almost always a three-ring circus. Making a latte or cappuccino with the touch of two buttons is soothing. The milk frother is my favorite part of all and it's magical. It comes with two attachments: a whisk that makes a thick, puffy froth that needs to be scooped out with a spoon; the other one produces warm, foamy milk that's perfect for lattes or a cup of tea. Even Nico's a fan. I made this syrup the other day now that he regularly requests hot chocolate. There's also a cold froth option that will get a lot of use this summer, I'm sure.

I still don't know much about espresso, but during a rare moment of silence yesterday while Nico and Leo were napping, I started flipping through a manual called The Art of Espresso that came with our machine. I have a long way to go, but slowly, I'm learning a thing or two.