Tag: foodie

[Brunch] Al Vez

1 Comment

Al Vez Enchiladas - Cristina Nogueras

“Let’s have brunch in the financial district!” is not quite what would come out of my mouth any given Sunday. What’s great about New York is that if you look close enough, there will be an amazing spot anywhere you need to be. That’s how I ended at Al Vez on a Saturday morning.

One of my good friends was visiting and he wanted to go up the One World Trade Center. I used my trusty Urban Daddy app to find a brunch place worth taking a tourist, a balance of quality and excitement. Al Vez for the win!I had been to Al Vez in Philadelphia and had a really nice dinner. Sure, their dinner was nice, but oh boy, their brunch I dare say is even better.

Al Vez Brunch Breakfast Quesadilla - Cristina Nogueras The breakfast quesadilla was toasted to perfection, filled with scrambled eggs, black beans, pico de gallo, cheddar & jack cheese.
Platains Al Vez Brunch Cristina NoguerasWe ordered a side of plantains con queso or like we Puerto Ricans like to call it, amarillitos. They hit the spot.
Al Vez Huevos Rancheros Brunch Cristina Nogueras  My friend ordered the huevos rancheros. The combination of the two eggs sunny side up, chorizo, black beans, guacamole and salsa ranchera over a crispy tortilla was the perfect mix. Topping any bite with the plantains was just glorious.

On top of the great food, it had a really nice vibe for a Saturday morning. Looking forward to trying this spot for dinner some day.

What brunch spots do you recommend around the financial district?

[Brunch] Bareburger Hoboken

2 Comments

It’s no surprise that I love food. Like, I really, really love food. A fun part of the process when I share things here is that I like to take the time to learn more about where I went or what I ate. Sometimes it’s just a simple Google search, but even that gets to be really fun.

I love Bareburger, not just because I love burgers in general, but they really do serve some really good quality stuff there. Last weekend, I did the unimaginable, I went to Bareburger and I did NOT eat a burger. I know, crazy. Instead, I opted for their brunch and boy, was it delicious.

My boyfriend went for the Hungry Bear, a plate with 3 eggs, french toast, Canadian bacon and sweet potato wedges. The sweet potato wedges were something in between regular sweet potato fries and home fries, perfect for brunch. I obviously had a few myself.

Although tempted by the sound of such a plate, I ordered an avocado toast with a sunny side up egg and a side of their quinoa hash. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this quinoa hash, was it going to be a mashed potato situation or more like regular quinoa? What did I get? Two delicious hash brown-like patties with quinoa and some other amazing things that made it the best companion to an otherwise quite simple (yet fresh) avocado toast.

Bottom line, there’s more to Bareburger than burgers. Those guys can nail a breakfast meal too. However, if it’s your first time going, definitely get a burger. It only makes sense.

Komeeda Chef Showdown #3

Leave a comment

 
(Photo from Komeeda)

Comida, Komeeda, Food.

A while ago I got the chance to meet the great mind behind Komeeda, a community that is passionate about discovering and tasting new food. I remember being immediately sold on the idea and I’ve been happy to see Komeeda keep on growing and evolving from group dinners to the most recent Chef Showdown series. Komeeda, just like me, believes that food makes people come together and through food, we can all have new and exciting experiences.

This month, I attended the 3rd Chef Showdown at District CoWork. It was a night buzzing with flavors and excitement as 3 chefs faced each other, providing delightful plates for everyone to taste and judge. My kind of evening, if you ask me.

(Photo from Cristina Nogueras)

Before even getting to the three main judges, we were welcomed by some delicious treats from the past chef showdown winner, Chef Flo from Eemas Cuisine. I’m sad I missed his first round of sweet potato & apple gyoza, but his pumpkin & mushroom bolognese on cornbread was delicious, pictured above. Seriously though, that cornbread was on point. I really enjoyed the Hawaiian cuisine twist he brought into the mix. Which makes me thing, I think I want to explore more Hawaiian cuisine, something else to add to my list.

(Photo from Cristina Nogueras)

Then the action began. The clock started ticking and we were tasked with tasting and judging everyone’s food. First for me was Chef Brandon Walker. He had a fall squash custard and a turkey confit croquette, pictured above. The croquette was DELICIOUS. I’m used to the classic Spanish croqueta, but I like the twist that Chef Brandon brought into the mix. I could have easily eaten a full plate of those croquettes dipped in a variety of sauces, no problem at all.


(Photo from Cristina Nogueras)

Next came Chef Amy with her beautiful, colorful plate. As she describes it, she made “delicata delights” for the vegetarian portion of the dish, delicata moons on rosemary skewer sprigs with sun dried tomatoes and collard greens, drizzled in a cashew aioli. For the meat dish, she made “squashta ragu”, baby bella mushroom cap stuffed with spaghetti squash “squashta” with lamb ragu, topped with homemade dehydrated onion crisps and freshly sliced basil. I wish the spaghetti squash with the lamb ragu had been a bigger portion because it was delicious.

(Photo from Komeeda)

Last but not least, Chef Paula delighted us with her winning plates. For the meat plate, she prepared a delicious adobo braised porkbelly over pork fat red bliss mashed potato, garlic sautéed spinach topped with adobo sauce and garlic chips. Again, another moment when I wished I could have kept on eating beyond what was on my plate just because it was so good. For the vegetarian plate, Chef Paula served Kare-Kare- Japanese eggplant, green beans, baby bok choy and onions on top of bibb lettuce drizzled with peanut sauce and topped with toasted “bagoong” peanuts. All of this was vegan, which to me, is quite impressive! Learned a lot by just reading more on each of the ingredients chosen which is almost as fun as eating the food itself and one of the reasons I like to go to events like this.

After a busy tasting session, we got to meet some of the sponsors of the event. I was especially intrigued by The Foodstand, a food community that not only shares good dining spots, but helps you find the freshest ingredients and more. I just joined the community this week and already I have discovered some new great food lovers to follow and new spots to try in the city.

We all got to vote and Chef Paula was crowned the Chef Showdown winner! Seriously, everyone’s plates were flavorful and down right delicious. Excited for Komeeda’s next culinary adventure, Friendsgiving! Be sure to follow them on Instagram or Twitter for more information.

Buen provecho!

Congrats again to Chef Paula! (Photo from Komeeda)

[Puerto Rico] Orocovis: Roka Dura & Casa Bavaria

Leave a comment

Orocovis Casa Bavaria

As you may have seen earlier this week, I was recently home in Puerto Rico and while I was there I got to do some fun zip-lining. Toro Verde Adventure Park is located in Orocovis, right in the middle of the mountains of Puerto Rico. A lot of people don’t think of mountains when they think of Puerto Rico, they just focus on the beaches but it really is a beautiful area. I mean, we do have amazing beaches, but our mountains offer a very different kind of beauty.

Orocovis Roka Dura

On our way down from Toro Verde we made two nice stops. After a morning filled with adventure and thrill, we were obviously starving. Locals to the area recommended we had lunch at Roka Dura, just a few minutes outside of the park. They said food was delicious and portions were generous.

Orocovis Roka Dura

They were not lying. This mouthwatering “mofongo” filled with chicken was even more delicious than it looks. The plate below is chicken with garlic cassava, better known as “yuca al mojo”. The chicken was nothing special, but the “yuca” was on point. I love “yuca” but have never ventured to cook it myself, I’m not even sure if I would be able to buy some around here so it’s always one of those special plates I treat myself with when I’m visiting home.

Orocovis Roka Dura

This spot had really nice views. It was early Friday afternoon and you could see the little bars around or “chinchorros” starting to get busy with people celebrating the weekend’s arrival. Although I was on vacation, I also joined the celebration admiring the killer view.

Orocovis Roka Dura Medalla

Second stop was Casa Bavaria. This one holds special memories for me. With a fusion of Caribbean and German traditions, Casa Bavaria was founded by a German couple who fell in love with the island and decided to make a life here. Its claim to fame has been their great Oktoberfest celebrations, that’s how I first got there. It is (or was?) tradition to organize “party” buses to take groups of people up the mountains and bring Oktoberfest to life in Puerto Rico. Each bus had different t-shirts and unique stories, often captured and plastered on Facebook. It was, well, a hot mess. Ahh, memories.

Stopping by this time with a fresh (and sober) pair of eyes, I was able to find so much more beauty in this place. People are so nice and the views are to die for. We only had drinks here, but a lot of people were enjoying a full meal around us. Oktoberfest or not, definitely worth the stop.

[Brunch] Jane Restaurant

Leave a comment

I admit I’ve been slacking on brunch posts. Don’t you worry, this in no way means I have been deprived from the wonderful glory that is breakfast food at what some people call lunch time. I think winter is getting the best of me and going anywhere outside of my radius has been somewhat of a challenge. You know that you’re in the midst of winter when 40 degrees inspires you to go out.

I know I am super late in the game, but I’ve finally discovered the wonder that is Open Table. I have used it before and it’s always been great, but I had never used it for brunch and let me tell you, it’s amazing. You really feel like New York royalty when you walk into a crowded restaurant and find a lovely table open and waiting just for you.

IMG_9630

Before I even get into the wonder above, I must say the Jane Restaurant has some sort of strawberry butter and it is delicious. Anyways, let me just say I have never thought of seafood as breakfast. The thought is still a little weird for me, but I decided to give Lobster Eggs Benedict a chance (or Lobster Benny as it’s called in the menu). Excellent decision. I would have liked more lobster, but it’s ok, I wouldn’t have been able to eat more anyways because I stuffed my face with bread and strawberry butter.

FullSizeRender

Classic, but good, you can’t go wrong with this Farm House Popover – scrambled eggs, smoked ham, gruyère and caramelized onions.

What’s nice about this spot is that you get a complimentary cocktail with each entrée. What’s not so nice is that NY laws prohibit the serving of alcohol before noon on a Sunday, so remember that. I obviously forgot and sat down at 11:30 am, needless to say I took my sweet time admiring the menu. 🙂

Cheers!

Otto Strada Brunch

2 Comments

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

It’s been a few weekends since I’ve tried a new brunch place. Ideally, I would love to try a new one every weekend, but that would leave no space for me to return to the ones I already love! Yes, I know, #firstworldproblems.

That’s why I was excited to find out that Hoboken restaurant Otto Strada was introducing a new brunch menu. A place I already visited and liked, together with a new brunch experience? Of course I was in.

I was delighted to see so many options on the menu and I was even more excited to be there with my boyfriend because that meant we could order a few things to try and eat it all together! You know I get very excited for food.

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

I ordered the Frittata di Asparagi, an egg-cake made with potatoes, asparagus, onions and topped with basil pesto and parmesan.

Processed with VSCOcam with c3 preset

I forgot the name of what my boyfriend ordered and the brunch menu is not up yet, but you can see it’s quite a breakfast pizza!

I loooove breakfast pizzas and this one did not disappoint.

 

Best Places to Have Lunch in SoHo

1 Comment

This list should actually be called: “Best places to have a delicious and “ok” priced lunch around my old office in SoHo”. I’m no expert, but I know what I like and I know what my wallet doesn’t.  Below are my favorite places to have lunch in SoHo, this list has been in development since I started working in SoHo almost two years ago. Some places are cheaper than others, but one thing they all have in common is they can provide a delicious lunch in less than an hour. This list has been evolving since I started the post, since sadly some places closed.

La Esquina

My all-time favorite is the “Pepito” and fries with chipotle mayo. Note that the fries do not come with chipotle mayo, but I highly recommend you order it for the ultimate experience, you can thank me later. If you can’t really sit down they also have the option to order to-go on the outside, slightly different menu, still amazing.

la esquinaPhoto from La Esquina Facebook

Delicatessen + MacBar 

Every time I go to Delicatessen I fight the urge to order cheeseburger mac and cheese, because why not, right? Their special mac and cheese plates are to die for and honestly, totally worth it. If you are feeling like going against your heart’s desires, then I recommend the award winning pan roasted chicken thigh sandwich with cerignola olive pesto, sweet pepper aioli, burrata cheese & french fries.

macbarSome of the delicious mac and cheese plates offered on the menu! Photo from Delicatessen Facebook

SoHo Park

I’ve been here over 10 times and I always order the same thing, classic cheeseburger. It’s that good. The extra fun thing about SoHo Park is they have an amazing selection of dipping sauces for the fries, roasted pepper aioli is my dipping sauce selection. This place is also fun for outside seating and actually feeling like you’re in a park, so creative of them, right?

soho park nycPhoto by Cristina Nogueras

Salud

This place recently opened and although I have only been there once, I’m planning to return soon. I love their tagline, “a Latin-take on organic”. It’s really what Salud is all about. I had the quinoa veggie burger and I never expected it to be that amazing. The owner was very nice and even treated me and my friend to some homemade brownies that I believe were made with a chocolate he prepares himself. Salud also has a brunch menu, which obviously, I need to try.

saludnycPhoto from the Salud Instagram, the veggie burger I had at Salud looked so delicious, I totally forgot to take a photo!

Cafe Habana

I’m Puerto Rican, so I love everything our neighbors in Cuba have to offer in terms of food. Cuban food hits close to home and always makes my soul happy. This spot offers a variety of Cuban food, with some other Latin American touches as well, including tacos. If I could, I would always go for the skirt steak, but their Cuban sandwich is also delicious and rumored to be one of the best ones in the city. See for yourself!

habanaGrilled corn, so delicious. Photo from Cafe Habana’s Facebook

Emporio

If you don’t like pizza don’t bother coming here, or being my friend, for that matter. With a nice selection of brick oven pizzas, this place is a great place to go with a few coworkers and share some slices during your break. You can also eat the pizza all by yourself, no sharing required.

emporioMy choice of prosciutto and cheese, classic & great – Photo by Cristina Nogueras

Bread

This cute Italian restaurant is as charming during lunch as it is during dinner. I’ve been able to make my way through the menu and I must say, I can’t get enough of it. If you are having lunch there, the tomato soup is a must. Oh, and in case you were wondering, they do have bread and it is very delicious.

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 presetPhoto by Cristina Nogueras

Parm

If you go to Parm, you get the parm. The folks there are extremely good on making these chicken parm sandwiches, so ordering anything else seems like a crime. I have, however, ordered the garlic bread knots and they were very good… followed by a chicken parm sandwich, of course.

parmParm from parm – Photo from Parm’s website

Grey Dog

Looking for a quick, yet nice place to sit down and have lunch? I’ve only been here once, but I had a very delicious sandwich that left me feeling satisfied.

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 presetQuite frankly, I forget what this sandwich was all about, but the pesto was absolutely amazing. – Photo by Cristina Nogueras

Spring Natural

To be honest, this one is making the list because I wanted to reach to 10 and I figured I had to get in a place that was healthy overall, just to ease my guilt. It may be a little overpriced for certain simple items, but after all, it’s SoHo. Their salads are really good (yes, I said that) and the bread they start you with is really good as well.

spring street I’ve tried to kept my photos to what I have tasted, but this looks delicious, could not overlook it! Photo from Spring Natural Facebook

 

What are your favorite SoHo spots? Share them with me below!

Follow @peaceloveanddietcoke on Instagram for more.

¡Buen Provecho!

Look mama, I can be healthy too

4 Comments

Veggies are good for your health and French fries are good for your soul.

You can imagine how excited I was to hear there were new prepared frozen veggie fries available in a freezer near me. You may think the idea is a little gross, but it’s actually quite delicious. As you know, I am no chef, but I can get creative.

Thank you to Veggie Fries for sending a variety of bags for me to sample and experiment with, definitely made my Monday night more interesting!

veggie fries

Here are some combinations that I tried out, nothing too complicated here, but my tummy was happy and that is what matters. Mind you, while I was waiting for the chicken to cook, I basically ate all of the veggie fries… hence the small samples (they are that good).

  • Blue cheese and honey – Veggie fries topped with blue crumbs and honey, this was my personal favorite. My roommate loved this one, and ended up just dipping her veggie fries with honey. Let me tell you something, they are addicting

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

  • A side to the classics – Chicken and mushrooms, with a side of veggie fries. You can’t go wrong with that and if you do, just add bbq sauce

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

  • Just dippin’ – Edamame hummus is my current personal favorite, but of course the night that I want to make all of this happen, there is no edamame hummus at my local grocery store. You can also dip them in good old bbq sauce, as I said, you can’t go wrong with that

image (11)

I’m all for finding that perfect balance between healthy and delicious, although I usually go for the delicious side, let’s be honest.

To learn more about Veggie fries, visit their website. If you’re too lazy, here’s a little bit more about them here:

Veggie Fries are made from all natural USA grown potatoes, carefully selected real farm-grown vegetables, beans, spices and herbs to provide the most authentic and delicious flavors. Each batch follows a unique patent-pending process to give you the perfect fry texture – crispy on the outside, fluffy and tender on the inside. Each variety contains at least 25% of non-potato vegetables and beans for a substantial amount of extra vegetable nutrition in every delicious serving. Every ingredient is all natural, non-GMO and contains no gluten or wheat.

Disclosure: Veggie Fries provided me with free product for review. All opinions, ideas, and stories are 100% my own.

 

I Love Brunch.

Leave a comment

I especially love Sunday brunch.

There’s something magical about having no rush to get breakfast and the security of knowing you will be able to get bacon no matter what time you are seated at your table is simply delightful.

I know it’s only Monday, but the idea of a good breakfast can make me happy at any point of the week.

Cheers to good food and a new week!

photo (17)

Classic scrambled eggs, baked pancakes & an exquisite oyster omelet.

Sunday Brunch @ Prune in NYC  – Totally recommend this place!