Brooklyn Food Favorites 2011

Rucola

I was hoping to do a detailed Brooklyn Food Favorites post today, like the one I did last year. But then the holidays kind of took over and the last thing I wanted to do was gather images and come up with catchy text. Luckily, I already wrote about some of them so it's easy to reminisce about the good food I had at Brooklyn Commune, Dough, andAmple Hills. And while I'm at it, here are a few more places I really loved this year.

Rucola
This Northern Italian restaurant is on one of my favorite blocks in Boerum Hill. Open all day, it's good for a date, dinner with friends, or at 8am when top-notch breakfast sandwiches and bomboloni from Falai Bakery beckon.

Bien Cuit
It was very hard leaving my old block in Cobble Hill and all my favorite places along with it. Had Bien Cuit, a new bakery that makes some of Brooklyn's best bread been there back then, it would have been impossible to move.

Colonie
The Brooklyn Heights dining scene has needed some help for awhile and luckily, Colonie came to the rescue. I celebrated my birthday there this year and loved the rustic decor (and lush green wall!).

Kos Kaffe
This Park Slope cafe recently had a much-needed makeover. Spacious, full of natural light and decorated with soothing colors, it still roasts its coffee in-house and has cupcakes from Baked.

Roman's
A fun spot for dinner with friends, this place from the owners of Marlow & Sons is loud and fun. Start with the straciatella, a soft, stretchy mound of mozzarella and you'll fall in love fast.

Lot 61
Local wine and beer are a big draw at this Cobble Hill bar, but the snacks and small plates are what really impressed me. Their toasts are much heartier than they sound and I would happily eat the honey ricotta one with buckwheat honey and pistachio dust every day.

Kiwiana
Top Chef fans might remember Mark Simmons, the cute New Zealand chef from season 4. His reality TV days behind him, he's now chef and owner at this awesome addition to the Park Slope dining scene that showcases his country's signature ingredients.

Talde
This place hasn't even opened yet, but I'm betting it's going to be one of my favorites in 2012. The team from Thistle Hill Tavern are behind it and the food comes from Dale Talde, also of Top Chef fame. Its navy blue exterior and bright orange awnings add some sophistication to Park Slope's 7th Ave and I'm hopeful the food is going to make a big statement too.

Here's to more amazing meals in 2012. Happy New Year!

10-Year Anniversary Trip

To celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary in October, Daniel and I spent a weekend away in Greenport, Long Island. My mom held down the fort in Brooklyn and treated us to 48 hours all to ourselves, which is pretty much the best gift you can give any parent. We even lucked out weather-wise since it was unseasonably warm all weekend.

If you haven't been to the North Fork before, plan a trip soon. With lots of wineries, antique shops, beaches, and excellent restaurants, it's the perfect quick getaway. On our last visit, I was pregnant with Nico and missed out on all the good wine. This time around, we devoted an entire day to wine tasting. We let Vintage Tours do all the work since we didn't want to waste time figuring out where to go and how to get there. There were four other couples on the tour and everyone was a lot of fun, plus it was so nice to be chauffered from place to place. We went to Peconic Bay, Osprey's, Shinn Estate and The Old Field (our favorite) and had delicious sandwiches from The Piping Plover in Southold. After our tour, we ended our day at Mattebella, a vineyard run by a friend of a friend where we had a final flight while watching the sun set over the vines. It was the perfect ending to an incredible day. I'm already thinking about our next visit and can't wait to check out Croteaux, a winery that only makes Rosé (my favorite).

We stayed at The Morning Glory, a cozy bed and breakfast with gigantic, cloud-like beds, the softest towels and amazing multi-course breakfasts and homemade sweets. For dinner, we went to Luce & Hawkins in the Jedediah Hawkins Inn (which looks like another nice place to stay), and a month later, I'm still thinking about their ducks wings with a cucumber feta raita and chile garlic sauce. They rocked. If I lived on the North Fork, you better believe I'd be there on Monday nights for $1 duck wings. The restaurant also has a speakeasy in the basement with live music and I hear the chef likes to jam down there after hours. Our other dinner was at The North Fork Oyster Company, a new spot that seems to be working out some kinks, but was still pretty good. On the way home, we took the ferry to Shelter Island and discovered lots of cool furniture at Marika's and stopped for lobster rolls in Sag Harbor before heading back to Brooklyn.

Yesterday, (after a trip to the Central Park Zoo where we saw a sleeping snow leopard, polar bear, and The Polar Express in 4-D which was so cool), Nico asked when Daniel and I are going on another vacation so my Mom can stay with him and Leo again. We don't have anything planned, but it was a good reminder that trips like these are a win-win for us and them.

Pão de Açúcar and Urca

After two days of rain, we're back to blue skies here in Rio. It's winter in Brazil and today's weather reminded me of September in New York. Warm and sunny but with a nice breeze that sometimes called for long sleeves. Basically, the exact opposite of the oppressive heat back home.

Despite the few days of dreary weather, we've been keeping busy. Last night we had a delicious dinner at our friend Gisela's apartment. She and Daniel grew up together and it was adorable to see Nico and Leo play with her son Leon. I can already imagine myself telling Leon years from now how he sang me Beatles songs while staring at his reflection in the television a few weeks before his 5th birthday. Nico and Leo went to bed late and we crossed our fingers that this would somehow cause them to sleep in, but no such luck. By 6:15am, they were wide awake and ready to start the day.

We decided to be true tourists and visit Pão de Açúcar, knowing Nico would love the cable cars you need to take to get there.

He did, but it was a bit of an adventure at times with all of our gear and more than once, Daniel and I felt like the Grizwalds. Life is exhausting enough with two kids when you're in your own home, on your own schedule, but plop an entire family in another country and there will be some bumps along the way. And when your kids are 3 and under, I'm talking about both figurative and literal bumps. Nico bumped his forehead within seconds of getting out of the car at Pão de Açúcar and a few days ago, he crashed into a table head first while dancing in a restaurant.

Luckily, the lines at Pão de Açúcar weren't too bad and soon enough, we were sailing through the air, hopping from mountain to mountain and gazing at the stunning views of Rio.

After Pão de Açúcar, we planned to stroll through Urca, a beautiful neighborhood with pretty houses along the water. We were sure both boys would fall asleep in the stroller and I wanted to eat at Garota da Urca, the restaurant where I learned to love steak on my first trip to Rio. Nico fell asleep right away, but Leo, our little rascal with an enormous appetite, made sure to stay awake. 

We parked the stroller next to our table and while Nico slept, we stuffed ourselves with steak, collard greens with bacon, farofa, rice and beans. Most of the high chairs in Brazil don't have seatbelts which kind of defeat the purpose when you have a squirmy 13-month old, so Leo was on each of our laps most of the lunch, taking bites of anything and everything that came his way. A woman even stopped by our table to say how impressed she was to see a child eating collard greens. When it comes to food, Nico's the opposite of Leo. When he woke up, he dove into a plate of plain pasta topped with a mountain of cheese and wouldn't go near anything else on the table.

Afterward, while Leo slept, we looked at the boats in the harbor, ran around in any open space we could find, saw a Volkswagen commerical being filmed, and discovered a playground that had a view of the water. Even the statue of Christ on Corcovado Mountain was looming in the distance. On the way home, Nico said: "I have a question about Christ...Does he eat people?" I think he's a little weirded out that we keep seeing the statue wherever we go.

Daniel has to work for the next three days, so starting tomorrow, I'm on my own with the boys. I don't have anything specific planned yet, but the weather's supposed to be good, so for now, it looks like the beach is my best bet.

Wrap it Up

Last week, we had a special dinner at Del Posto with some friends who were visiting from Brazil. We started at The Lot on Tap, Tom Colicchio's new outdoor bar that's at the bottom of the new part of the High Line, right next to Rainbow City, a fun art installation that's open until July 5.

I think I'll always feel funny taking photos of my food when I'm out to eat, especially in fancy restaurants. At El Bulli, I made an exception since that was truly the meal of a lifetime, but at Del Posto, a place that's slightly stuffy (I could do without the piano player, for example), it just didn't feel right to snap pictures. So, a shot of Rainbow City, taken from the High Line with my (new!) iPhone, en route to dinner is all I've got.

I went to Del Posto when it first opened a few years ago for a work dinner and wasn't wowed. Now I completely understand why it was recently awarded 4 stars from The New York Times, the first Italian restaurant to get such a high honor in 36 years. It had been awhile since we'd seen our friends and they're expecting their first child in September, so we decided to go all out and order the 7-course tasting menu. It was incredible and each course was impressive and creative, but the sheep's milk ricotta nudi di ouvo, two wobbly balls of pasta filled with egg yolks, really stood out, both for flavor and presentation (they were served on top of shaved raw asparagus and looked like eggs in a nest), and the basil gelato that came with dessert was unbelievable. We had three types of fritters, including one with bacalao that rivaled the ones I've had in Brazil, lard butter and homemade foccacia, 100 layer lasagna, spiced ostrich, crudo with burrata and homegrown herbs, and so much more. Each course was finished off with a different type of olive oil and since I can't remember all the details, here's the full menu.

As you can imagine, about halfway through our meal, I was full. This led me to tell our friends about the time Daniel and I went to Per Se with my Mom and Daniel's Dad and had a heated discussion over doggy bags. Daniel's Dad is from Brazil and he and his wife live in Portugal, two countries where doggy bags are frowned upon, if not unheard of. Long story short, they were appalled when we asked to wrap up some of our food.

I know, I know, it's a cultural thing, but cultural divides aside, I just don't get it. Aren't there people starving in this world? Why is it better to throw expensive, high-quality food away than to take it home and turn it into awesome sandwiches which, I might add, is what we did with our Per Se leftovers the next day. Wouldn't a chef prefer to see his food come back into the kitchen and get wrapped up, a sign that their patrons loved it, but just couldn't take another bite because normal human beings are not built to eat multiple courses in one sitting? Or, would they rather see the food they worked so hard on get thrown in the garbage?

So, there I was at Del Posto with a plate of veal braciole in front of me and I could only take a bite or two. When our waiter came to check on us, he noticed that I hadn't finished my food. I explained that I was completely stuffed, and I'll admit I said it kind of dramatically since I was hoping he could take a hint. The fabulous Federico immediately whisked my food away and promptly returned to let me know it was safe and sound in coat check. (Oh, and you better believe I had no problem polishing off our next course—roasted nectarine with a grilled lemon cake and that intense, but refreshing basil gelato. There was no way I could wrap that up.)

When it came time to claim my leftovers, the guy in coat check looked at my ticket and asked, kind of gruffly, "Is this food?" At first I was embarrassed until I saw him reach into A MINI REFRIGERATOR to retrieve my doggy bag. And there it was. Proof that I'm not the only person in New York City who asks for them.

It was such a nice sight to see.

I'm curious to hear what others think about doggy bags. Would you take home food from a fancy restaurant?

Del Posto
85 10th Avenue (16th Street)
212-497-8090

South Brooklyn Pizza

When it comes to food in Brooklyn, I try my best to stay in the loop. Rarely do I just stumble upon a place, especially one that's been around for a few months and has a few locations. But that's exactly what happened last night.

Daniel and I were about to go to Moim, a Korean place we really like, when we noticed a bright red storefront on a nearby side street. Inside we discovered South Brooklyn Pizza, a tiny place with a lot of charm and unbelievably good pies and slices. It's pricey—$4 a slice and $25 a pie—but after trying a slice of margherita, a four-cheese artichoke pie, and two cucumber and tomato salads with an amazing pesto-spiked dressing that I wanted to sip straight from the bowl, it's clear they use high quality ingredients. The pizza's crust was crispy with just a few charred spots, and rather than being paper thin or ultra thick, it was somewhere in between.

We sat outside at a marble table with red chairs and had fun showering the owner, a jolly Italian man, with lots of compliments on his perfect pizzeria. Next to us, a big family shared a bunch of pies and through the window, I played peekaboo with an adorable baby girl. It made me think of Nico and Leo. They would happily eat pizza every day if we let them. With such a special place in our neighborhood, it's going to be hard not to.

South Brooklyn Pizza
447 1st Street (between 6th and 7th Aves)
718-832-1022

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

Brooklyn Commune

Vanderbilt Playground in Windsor Terrace is one of my favorite places in Prospect Park to take Nico and Leo to play. It was renovated last year and has lots of different structures that appeal to big and little kids. Occasionally, we stop at the pizza place across the street for slices, and for a while, I thought it was the only food option nearby. Then I read about Brooklyn Commune, a new cafe on Greenwood Ave. We tried it out last week and just a few blocks from the playground and right next to the Fort Hamilton subway stop, it's a wonderful, and much needed addition to the neighborhood.

Opened by a couple with culinary backgrounds, the cafe uses CSA-sourced produce and sells a small selection of local products. We went for an early breakfast on one of those days when it was sweltering by 9am and cooled off with some grapefruit juice mixed with mint before sharing a bowl of homemade granola, an egg sandwich with mushrooms and spinach on multigrain, and a blueberry yogurt muffin with an incredibly light crumb.

We picked up a jar of rhubarb rose petal preserves and have been enjoying it all week on buttered toast and I'm hoping to go back again for lunch to try one of their salads. They also sell prepared foods that would be perfect on nights when it's too hot to cook, and since Brooklyn Commune is BYO, it was nice to discover The Juice Box, a cool wine shop one door down.

Brooklyn Commune
601 Greenwood Ave
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
718-686-1044

Outdoor Eats

When I worked at Food Network, warm days often led to long lunches at La Bottega, an Italian restaurant with one of the best outdoor areas in NYC. The spacious patio's white and blue umbrellas, paper lanterns dangling in between trees, and a view of the hip Maritime Hotel soaring into the sky made it such a fun place to escape the daily grind.

Unfortunately, I haven't been there in a while, but I still included it in a list of my favorite places for outdoor dining on Mommy Poppins.

What are your favorite places for outdoor eats?

Image via The Maritime Hotel

Long Weekend

When you live in New York, sometimes it's better to stay home on a holiday weekend than go away. While others flee, you can spend three glorious days going on adventures and falling in love with your crazy city all over again. Take it from me, since that's exactly what we did this weekend. It is the way to go.

We started our weekend at home made bklyn, a sweet spot in Red Hook with comfy white couches and a serene garden. We sipped fresh lemonade, cubes of watermelon bobbing in each of our cups, and shared a big bowl of local yogurt with Early Bird granola and sliced pears. The sticky buns, almond croissants and other breakfast foods were tempting, but we had our hearts set on lobster rolls from the Lobster Pound, a place that brings fresh Maine lobster to Brooklyn. The rolls were as classic as they come, served on toasted hot dog buns with either a hint of mayo and some spices or tossed with butter, Connecticut-style. We tried both and agreed they were a million times better than the mediocre ones we ate at the Ditch Plains Drop-In at Brooklyn Bridge Park last weekend. After, we hung out in a community garden, met a woman who grows hops for homemade beer and a guitar maker who told us about Valentino Pier where Nico and Daniel played by the water and Leo napped in the shade. On the walk back to our car, we spotted a cool bar on a cobblestone street that we want to check out some day.

That night, Daniel and I had a date at Rucola, a new Italian restaurant in Boerum Hill where we split gnocchi, soft shell crabs, brook trout, an arugula salad with radishes, ricotta pudding with greenmarket strawberries buried at the bottom, and a second dessert—a warm rhubarb cake with a buttery toffee sauce—at Seersucker, another restaurant that was a 15-minute walk away. 

There was a family trip to a bike shop followed by jelly donuts, a fresh fruit tart and a bear-shaped financier at Colson and an afternoon visit to Rockaway Beach, where Nico dug in the sand and Leo discovered the ocean. Green smoothies with kale, granny smith apples and lemon from Veggie Island were sipped and stories about armadillos and a big, bad wolf were told while we waited on a long line for tacos (two with fish, one with chorizo), a bean, cheese and plantain quesadilla, and a spicy jicama, mango and cucumber salad at Rockaway Taco.

An air conditioner was installed, winter clothes were happily put away and summer ones were yanked out, loads and loads of laundry were done, tons of sunblock was applied, photos were taken, cameras and wallets were sometimes forgotten at home, Leo's bike seat was installed and yesterday, we rode to Pier 6, one boy on the back of each bike, helmets on, wind tickling our legs and the blazing afternoon sun stinging our eyes. We climbed, splashed, swung, dug and ran around, welcoming summer with open arms and happy for the place we call home.

Manic Monday

Yesterday, I took Nico and Leo to a Cookies for Cancer event at Moomah, a cool cafe in Tribeca (that happens to be owned and operated by Jon Stewart's wife, Tracey, who seems so down-to-earth). I'd written about the event for Mommy Poppins and wanted to show my support even though it started at 2pm, a tricky time for a baby and toddler.

I left home right around naptime, hoping both boys would sleep in the car and that I'd find street parking in the city. Of course, I had to fork over $31 for a garage, Nico never fell asleep, and Leo woke up the minute I tried to transfer him to a stroller. The event was crowded and even though there was an art project and a small play area, I felt like I'd made the wrong decision by schlepping them both there. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson about overzealous outings after the Gwyneth Paltrow book signing, right?

The funny thing is that they both had a great time. I was the one who felt frazzled, perhaps because I was trying to feed Leo in the Ergo while chasing Nico all around, a trail of crumbs marking my tracks. I also felt like all of the Moms around me seemed more put together and relaxed, perhaps because they chose to come on their own or with only one child. That's life as a parent, I guess. It's easy to feel like you're trying to do too much or not doing enough and even when you have the best intentions, guilt and doubt find a way in. The important part is that we helped raise money for a very good cause.

Oh and did I mention that I'd forgotten cash and couldn't even buy a cookie, the only food available for sale at the event? Tracey was selling some outside when we left and I sheepishly asked if Nico could have one, explaining that I only had some change before emptying about 84 cents straight from my wallet into her mason jar, adding that we'd come all the way from Brooklyn hoping that would somehow make me look less lame. She was sweet and gave us two.

Afterward, we went to Daniel's office since he was taking the boys home so I could meet friends for dinner (yet another reason for my guilt: "Here honey, you take our two tired little boys and deal with bedtime all by yourself while I enjoy a few free hours in the city!") Luckily, they were both on their best behavior for him.

My dinner wasn't until 7pm and I had an hour to kill, so I went by Sweet Lily. With big, cozy chairs, white buckets filled with fresh fruit, mint and water for ultra relaxing pedicures, plus a heavenly homemade sugar exfoliant and other natural products and polishes, it's been my all-time favorite nail salon for years. It's also the cleanest one I've ever been to with individually wrapped utensils that are disinfected using hospital grade procedures. I used go to Sweet Lily a lot when I was working in the city, but these days I rarely get my nails done and when I do, I just go somewhere close to home. Sadly, they didn't have any openings, but I found out that the owner hopes to open a location in Brooklyn some day and that she now offers complimentary glasses of wine in the evening. Which means I need to get back to Tribeca soon and finally use a gift certificate I got for Christmas. Columbine is a good lunch spot across the street from Sweet Lily whose lemon cake I love, but I noticed a new place, Grandaisy Bakery that I want to try next time, too.

After window shopping in SoHo, I met Karlyn and Alexandra at Osteria Morini, a lively (or should I say loud?) trattoria on Lafayette where we caught up over pasta (the one with braised mushrooms was the best), veal cutlet and a really vinegary salad flecked with mint before ending our night with dessert, digestifs and good ol' girl talk at Caffe Falai.

Talking to them helped me realize that I'll probably never learn my lesson about trying to do too much. What I need to work on is accepting myself for who I am: someone who likes to keep busy and try new things, even if I sometimes exhaust myself and those around me in the process.

It's About Time

I'm not sure what took them so long, but The New York Times finally reviewed the Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare. I wrote about the place in November, a few months after I celebrated my birthday there, and was not surprised that Sam Sifton gave it three stars. With an intimate 18-seat space and an incredible 20-course tasting menu, it was one of the best dinners I've had in Brooklyn. I went with a big group and would love to go back one day when I can really focus on the food. I still owe my Mom a special dinner to celebrate her 60th birthday, so maybe it's time to attempt another reservation.

The Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare
200 Schermerhorn Street
718-243-0050

Subways and Van Horn Sandwich Shop

Photo by Daniel Krieger

After a trip to the Transit Museum this weekend, we checked out Van Horn Sandwich Shop, a new Southern spot in Cobble Hill. The staff couldn't have been more welcoming and our server Erin made us feel right at home. Nico kept the questions and requests coming (Does the lemonade have agave? Do you have a microwave? I want one of those rolls!) and claimed an order of macaroni and cheese all for himself until he decided the pasta shells it was made with were too thick. Daniel, Leo and I were happy to pick up where he left off, loving its buttery bread crumb topping, and we also split a cornmeal-breaded fried catfish sandwich and a salad with fried chicken, pickles, slaw and buttermilk ranch dressing while drawing pictures of our favorite subways. Van Horn has cool navy blue walls, a butcher block bar and if you go right now, you'll have the perfect view of all the blossoming trees on Baltic Street. I hope we can go back again soon.

Van Horn Sandwich Shop
231 Court Street
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
718-596-9707

Dark beer, a bull and Britney

Admit it. This bottle of beer is very cute. It's from Pretty Things, a gypsy brewery in Massachusetts that I heard about through Nunu Chocolates, but once I saw a bottle up close, I had to buy some. The pretty picture influenced me a little. OK, a lot. What can I say? I'm drawn to beer companies that brew small batches and slap on sweet labels.

A strong 9% beer, Baby Tree is brewed with dried California plums and has a delicious dark-fruit flavor. I brought some to my friend Ali's bachelorette on Friday night, knowing she would appreciate it since she and her husband-to-be love beer and recently started brewing their own. It paired perfectly with a plate of ribs and beans from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and was just the thing to kick off a fun night with friends I've known for over 20 years. With Ali's three sisters leading the way, we bar hopped from the Upper East Side to the East Village, made Ali ride a mechanical bull, had an impromptu dance session to Britney Spears that involved both the running man and the Roger rabbit, and I laughed so hard I cried. I love when that happens. It's funny how nights like these, which once seemed so normal, almost routine, are now only justifiable for very special occasions.

10 years

Ten years ago today, Daniel and I got married. It was sort of a secret wedding since we had a bigger celebration seven months later and didn't tell many people about this one at first. I remember getting dressed that morning and how my roommate Marie urged me to wear something white. She even pulled out a curling iron and did my hair which was blonde back then. We took a taxi to my Mom's office and when we arrived, my brother was waiting outside. He'd flown in from California to surprise us and was holding a bouquet of flowers for me.

A few friends served as our witnesses and one even picked up a wedding band from a street vendor for Daniel. I remember us laughing a lot in the waiting room before it was our turn to go in. Afterward, they all had to go back to work, but my Mom took us to The River Cafe for lunch, an interesting choice since we moved to Brooklyn three months later and have lived here ever since.

We refer to our City Hall ceremony as wedding #1 and I'll admit I really like celebrating twice per year. This anniversary tends to be low-key and for our October one, we like to make a bigger deal. Since we're marking a big milestone this year, we want to do something special. We're dreaming about a trip to Italy, a place we both love, but have never visited together. But that's not going to happen for a while, and when it does, we'll have two little ones in tow. I really loved that bicycle wedding I mentioned last week, so last night, Daniel and I spent some time thinking about ten of our favorite places in Brooklyn—one for each year we've been married. We thought it'd be fun to visit all of them on one day, maybe for a special 10-year anniversary scavenger hunt with friends. On bikes, preferably. Here's what we came up with.

1. Superfine: A really fun restaurant in DUMBO where we've celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, played pool with our friends, and eaten the best breakfast burritos.

2. Vinegar Hill House: We've had some amazing dinners here—upstairs, downstairs, and in their small outdoor garden. I could eat a slice of their Guinness chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting every day.

3. Saul: One of our favorite restaurants on Smith Street that's perfect for a special occasion.

4. Bar Tabac: Before we had kids, we ended up at Bar Tabac for late-night foosball a lot. It'd be fun to go back and get a game going.

5. Robin des Bois: We love the secret garden, French food and quirky decor.

6. Franny's: An ideal place for a long, leisurely lunch with lots of wine, pizza, and some of the best salads I've ever eaten.

7. Trois Pommes: We discovered their jelly doughnuts while taking long walks when I was pregnant with Nico and have been fans ever since.

8. Brook Vin: We've had a few dates here since becoming parents. We like to sit at the bar and split a bunch of tartines and some glasses of wine.

9. The River Cafe: The atmosphere might be a little too stuffy, but nothing beats the view. It'll always remind me of wedding #1.

10. Bklyn Larder: If we lived closer, we'd eat their sandwiches more than we already do. The toasted almond gelato, too. And if Bklyn Larder existed back in 2001, and we'd had a big budget for wedding #2, it would have been fun to surprise our guests with baskets full of their amazing foods.

Little Piglet Links

It's been a busy few weeks. I haven't cooked much aside from some butternut squash soup and a simple bolognese sauce. At night, Daniel and I throw together big salads for ourselves or make really basic meals. We've been drinking a lot of smoothies. Our apartment search is taking up the little free time we have and I'm ready for it to be over. I want to know where we'll be living in a few months, especially now that someone else will own our apartment very soon. So, I don't have many stories to share right now. What I do have are some links. Recipes I keep meaning to make, a restaurant I want to try, and other random things. Hope everyone is enjoying the first few days of spring. It's amazing how uplifting some sunny weather can be. Oh, and how about that full moon on Saturday night? I was at my Mom's apartment for a girls-only get together with her, my aunts, two cousins and some friends who feel like family. She served her award-winning lasagna. There were eight of us. A group of wise women who have all had their fair share of struggles. They remind me to not sweat the small stuff.

Some links:

Remember how I said I didn't want to throw Nico a birthday party this year? Well, after discovering this adorable cake studio on Columbia Street this weekend, I'm starting to reconsider. After showing him some of the cook cakes on their website, he requested a vanilla one with chocolate frosting with a G train, digger, fire truck and snow plow on top.

Speaking of Nico, he's been rejecting most vegetables lately. But when I made him this kale, spinach and pear smoothie that was the same color of his beloved G train, he gulped the whole thing down and begged for more. Leo loved it, too. 

When I have more time to cook again some day, I want to make these homemade bagels and fresh cream butter.

If Daniel and I could plan our wedding day all over again, I'd love to do something like this. Riding bikes with some of our closest friends all over NYC would be so much fun.

I love how Aron and Ashley, the couple behind the blog Hither and Thither, take a photo each year while holding up how many fingers they've been married, a tradition they adopted from Aron's parents.

I've only been to Seattle once and wish Delancey, the pizza place opened by one of the best food bloggers and her husband, had been around back then. Molly recently wrote about their newest venture, The Pantry at Delancey, and now I'm dreaming about taking a quick trip to check both places out.

A Daytime Date

We've been busy selling our apartment and looking for a new one, but Daniel and I managed to sneak in a daytime date on Saturday. My Mom got us tickets for an off-Broadway play as an early present for our upcoming anniversary. Beforehand, we had lunch at Sfoglia, an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side that I've wanted to try for a while. It was so nice to relax, share two appetizers, a few pastas (ravioli with Italian kale, ricotta, brown butter and walnuts was our favorite), have a little wine and some time to ourselves. We both liked Sfoglia a lot, but I found myself even more drawn to the restaurant's rustic decor and little splashes of sophistication. I loved the chandeliers, the mismatched tables, and the bar's green and pink swirly marble and squares of antique tin ceilings. Oh, and for parents with rambunctious little ones, I think daytime dates are the way to go. You don't have to worry about getting home too late and you won't be tired the next morning.

Sfoglia
195 East 92nd Street (corner of Lexington)
Upper East Side, Manhattan
212-831-1402