Biscuits and Bacon Baby!

I had been to Back Forty a few months ago and loved it but I have no idea why it's taken me so long to go back. It's delicious!
That said it's not the lightest lunch on the block but it hit the spot that morning.... or actually afternoon. I had the most amazing cocktail, the Black and Red, which is fresh strawberries and tequila with a black pepper sugared rim, it was stellar! For food we tried the corn pancakes, which were ridiculous I have to say! Their texture was unlike anything I've ever had. They were topped with some serious bacon and smokey bacon infused glaze (sort of syrup) on top! The burger is a staple there, good. The biscuits are nice too, a bit more of that dry (scone almost) kind and Clarence got especially nostalgic because his grandmother's used to make ones that were very similar. All in all a rockin brunch, we sat out in their back garden which was really private and casual.

Back Forty
190 Avenue B (nr 12th)
New York, NY
(212) 388-1990
backfortynyc.com

Rooftop Burgers

We BBQ-ed on my rooftop with my new mini BBQ from Target... it's so cute and we were desperate to try it out! It started to ran so we had to fix our burgers under the table. so sad :( Brian, my very tall neighbour, helped out with grillin'... the burger looks so tiny compared to him :) and Jesse came over to join us in the eating festivities! Hopefully the weather clears up and gets warm again so I can do a proper BBQ before the summer ends!

Beer and Pretzels!

Nothing like a cold beer and a giant pretzel after work on a hot summer day! that's how we celebrated last week after a long day at the office... The pretzels are huge, chewy and delicious! The beer looked great, although I had a few glasses of Sancerre instead ;) They have a bunch of sausages too, none of which I found to be amazing... I guess the one stuffed with cheese was the tastiest of them all. Luckily it was early in the week so the crowd wasn't too terrible, but I can only imagine it on a weekend. Stick to weekdays is my recommendation.

The Standard Biergarden
at the Standard Hotel
848 Washington St.
New York, NY

It's All About The Trout!

I've been obsessively eating at Westville Chelsea, since it's delicious and close by our new office. I had to throw up this salad since I'm in love with it. It's the almond-crusted trout over greens... perfect light and healthy meal with yummy roasted almonds with fresh lemon! Federico's chicken salad was pretty kick ass too. I tried the all natural beef Niman Ranch hot dog the other day and I almost died it was so good. Make sure to order that puppy with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on top!

Westville Chelsea
246 W 18th St (btwn 7th + 8th)
New York, NY
(212) 924-2223

Oh My!

So the place I am working at moved offices last week and we have been exploring the neighbourhood. I finally had the chance to try Omai, this Vietnamese resto that I've had my eye on for a while now. It's now officially my favourite spot for beef Pho! That being said, it's not cheap but rather a higher end, high end ingredients kind of Chelsea spot. Lunch luckily is a bit cheaper, but still miles away from the idea of a cheap bowl of pho! All in all I LOVE it, and I intend to go at least every week while I'm in the hood. The ambiance of the place is sirene and it's more like you're in a spa getting a massage that a restaurant for lunch. All the fresh rolls and appertizers were great. The beef Pho, was insane! I honestly haven't had a bowl this tasty in my 3 years in NY! The cold bun was wonderful. Basically everything we ordered was good! Guess that's the reason it gets a critic's pick on NY magazine's website.

Omai
158 9th Avenue (nr 20th st)
New York, NY
(212) 633-0550

The Sweet Taste of Summer

Summer in New York is so amazing. It's hot and wonderful and perfect for outdoor BBQs. Our boy Mario celebrated his birthday in McCarren Park in Williamsburg and it was the perfect Sunday afternoon. There were yummy burgers, cooked by Julien (as usual) and lots of drinks and snacks. We busted out the hula hoops and laid out on the grass. Happy Birthday Mario! I'm looking forward to BBQs all summer long!

Serious Szechuan

Last week we got a crew of us together at work and heading up on the train to midtown to experience some serious Szechuan food. It was insane and so delicious! It's pretty busy at lunchtime so we had to book a big table for us all. The food was so good and spicy! We tried great stuff, the dan dan noodles, a sea bass dish, classic mapo tofu, a beef and chicken dish and these read dumplings to start. I can't wait to go back for more! And at the end of the meal, we all ate a Szechuan Pepper, (pictured here in the bowl) and it was seriously a life-changing experience. If you haven't tried one, I highly recommend it. It's like nothing I've ever tasted and it left us all stumbling back to work and a bit high... can't explain it!

Szechuan Gourmet
21 W 39th St, New York 10018
(Btwn 5th & 6th Ave)

One Love

Nike threw a street party called 1-Love this weekend to celebrate some shoe launch at their Sportswear store in Soho. It was pretty nuts, free BBQ from Hillcountry. So enjoyed some ribs and a taste of their famous sides. There was also free beer and ice cream. Lots of people filled the block of Mercer between Canal and Grand. The food was tasty and the music was bumpin'!

All Meat, Less Bun!

The burger at Westville has always been pretty famous. I frequent the East Village location from time to time but the cramped environment always bugged me. The newest Westville just opened a few months ago in Chelsea and it's great! It's more modern and spacious, with a eat-in bar and big windows in front. The best news is that is it located on the same street as our new office, so it's bound to be my every other day spot :) I had never their buger but last week I went with a friend and we both had it. It was awesome! Make sure to get it medium rare for full juiciness. The bun is the special part, it's on a Portuguese muffin, which is really too thin for the thick patty, but the challenge is to eat it fast enough before if falls apart! It's delicious! I can't wait to go back this week! Their vegetables and salads are great too.

Westville
246 W 18th St (btwn 7th + 8th ave)
New York, NY
(212) 924-2223