Lon really knows how to make a girl happy. I've been talking about how I want to be a judge on Iron Chef, so for my birthday, he called up a few restaurants to find out who would make a salmon tasting menu just for me. I would get to taste and judge each dish. The idea alone made me feel special enough, but Chef /Owner Jeremy Marshall at Aquagrill Aquagrill came up with quite an impressive menu, which was then executed almost flawlessly by his Chef de Cuisine John, only I'm pretty sure it... Read Full Story

Randazzo's Clam Bar Randazzo's Clam Bar doesn't look like much, no table clothes, no host, and water comes in a disposable plastic cup, but they've got extremely fresh seafood, and that's enough for me. Little Neck Clams on the half shell were super fresh, pink, and meaty. The Oysters were the best, served on the half shell, I've ever slurped down. The liquor was so clean, like a quick cleanse for your tongue, right before the slippery oyster slides across. The fat and juicy Steamers were... Read Full Story

I'm still as in love with Sushi Yasuda as the day I first tasted their sushi. I'm still getting new pieces on each visit and it's exhilarating to know such a place exists. On our 8th visit, we had tamago, the omelet, so this time, we tried the Custard, which Chef Tomura described as having shrimp and potato. The texture is still smooth like Tamago, so you will not find pieces of shrimp and potato but you will taste it, in the very tender custard. If you like Fatty Tuna, you must try the... Read Full Story

During the Bike Tour on Sunday, we took a little detour for lunch, and headed to Carmine's Pizzeria Carmine's Pizzeria, a regular looking pizza joint, a bit cleaner, possibly newer, than most. They've got something for everyone, thin crust, thick crust, Sicilian, stuffed, chicken, pepperoni, and spinach rolls in large and small, pastas, and salads, desserts, I'm probably missing some stuff. On Scott's recommendation, I got the Grandma, a Sicilian slice with tomatoes and cheese. The sauce and... Read Full Story

Waldy's Wood Fired Pizza & Penne Waldy's Wood Fired Pizza & Penne is what you get when you attempt to turn thin crust pizza into fast food. The prices are lower than the other thin-crust, sold-by-the-pie joints, in return for busing your own tables and a lower quality of food. We tried the Classic Margherita which was uninteresting in flavor. The dough is crispy but has zero elasticity, which basically makes it a cracker with sauce and cheese. The Braised Lamb, Roasted Lemon & Oregano Pizza... Read Full Story

I'm not Korean but boy do I love Korean food. I get serious cravings for Kalbi-Tang and Duk Mandoo Guk when I'm sick. Unfortunately, my favorite place, I called the Secret Korean Grandma shop, closed, so I figured I had better learn how to make this stuff. I read a few Kalbi-Tang recipes on-line and ended up making it like this. Kalbi-Tang 2 pounds Beef Short Ribs with Bone10 black peppercorns4 liters of water3 cloves garlic2 scallions2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce1 tablespoon sesame oil1/2... Read Full Story

There's always a line at Artichoke Basille's Pizza Artichoke Basille's Pizza and I've been meaning to check it out. They don't deliver and they don't have seats, barely enough counter space for 3 people to eat standing, they don't even have set hours. What is the draw? If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'd know that there isn't any really good pizza near 14th Street so my hopes were high. I NEED a good pizza place near me. So Angie, Angela, Kasi, and I bought 2 large pies, one... Read Full Story

I call myself an athlete, having been actively involved in sports since I can remember. Gymnastics, Tae Kwon Do, years of figure skating, track & field, 2 years on a dance team (hip-hop/break dancing), ran my first marathon in October, and I'm signed up for a triathlon this fall. When Lon and I first started dating, my mom was a little concerned that he wasn't the active type and occasionally friends ask too, if it has affected our relationship. Amazingly it never has and he has been more... Read Full Story

We just went to New Yeah Shanghai New Yeah Shanghai last night for my dad's birthday. It was my favorite place for soup dumplings for a long time but the reign has ended. Sadly, the dough is now thicker, the meat a bit stiffer. The dough on the pork and chive dumplings has gotten too thick as well. The other dishes we got were mostly too salty but still meets the average Chinatown standard, which is pretty good. But in the end, without the super soup dumplings, Lon and I agreed, they were no... Read Full Story

It's Cinco De Mayo and my dad's birthday, occasion enough to make a cake. My parents are like most Chinese parents, not fans of most American desserts. They find them too sweet, too dense, and too heavy. I tried to make a cake that was more suitable for my dad's taste buds, a simple Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake. It's deceivingly light because the cake is actually a high fat cake but everyone was fooled, and loved it. Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake 1 recipe of any 9" butter cake (I used... Read Full Story