6 days in Punta de Mita - Part 2 Visited 5/11 - 5/17/2018 4 Forks

Sea Breeze  St Regis Resort,  Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico                                                    4 Forks

I am normally not a huge fan of eating breakfast at the hotel because it's almost always overpriced and not great food.  But I must say that my breakfast meals at Sea Breeze were lovely and while still expensive for the region, not bad considering the quality of it.  

I won't review every breakfast that I had here but I'll say that unless you are super hungry, there is no need to get the buffet as I think it's like $45.  I was super full with just a breakfast entree and side for half the price.  Since I was in Mexico it only felt right to get a Mexican breakfast dish, so I went with the old standby of huevos rancheros (290 pesos) and a side of pork sausage (75 pesos).  A word to the wise, share the side of pork sausage as you get 6 links and it was a lot for 1 person to finish.  The huevos rancheros were great and super filling.  

When you actually sit down to have a nice breakfast it totally makes a difference on the rest your day but it's hard to do it when you're not on vacation and have someone who will make it for you.  Again, I don't know what other breakfast food places there were in the area but this was a nice choice if you're in or around the resort.  Total bill:  $32 for 2 people with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Starwoodhotels.com 

Blue Shrimp  Av El Anclote 10, Col. Punta de Mita, Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico                4 Forks

Blue Shrimp is another beach side restaurant on the other side of the gates right next to Tuna Blanca.  It's a little bit more laid back but it was a pretty similar vibe.   As you would expect, the menu is all about shrimp here (duh) but they also have a few other dishes like tuna, octopus, burgers and steak.  But it seems silly to come to a place with shrimp in the name and not get shrimp, right? 

Holly and I started with the tuna sashimi and I got the shrimp fajitas while she got the coconut shrimp.  The tuna sashimi was plentiful but it looked like it was frozen and then thawed as it was not super red but more of a pale pink color.  Totally fine but it's not like your getting melt in your mouth tuna from a Japanese fish market.  As for the shrimp dishes, jesus it was like shrimp on steroids.  They were the biggest pieces of shrimp I've ever seen.  They were very plump and cooked to the right temperature and texture - a bit of crunch but not too overcooked where it's too tough to eat.  I was very impressed with the amount of shrimp they gave us and it tasted quite fresh, not frozen.  The fajitas were great and incredibly filling.  It left no room for dessert but our really sweet waiter slipped us a free small sliver of chocolate cake which definitely hit our sweet tooth spot.  That's how you do it right in trying to get a bigger tip - they didn't try to guilt you on leaving a bigger tip because I did it anyways given how nice they were here.  Total bill:  $51 with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Yelp

6 days in Punta de Mita - Part 1 Visited 5/11 - 5/17/2018 3-3.5 Forks

Mita Mary Boat Club  St Regis Resort,  Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico                                 3.5 Forks

Ahhh, Punta de Mita.  If you ever get the privilege to spend some time at the St. Regis in Punta de Mita, don't hesitate to go!  I had a few weeks off in between jobs and needed a quick but super relaxing get away.  Mexico is always an easy choice because it's cheap and not that far.  I hadn't really gone to the Pacific side of the country and I was able to get a fantastic IATA rate at the St. Regis, so I figured why not?  I was a little worried that I would be bored because it's a resort with not much around it but honestly it's so relaxing that it didn't matter. 

The downside is that you don't have a ton of restaurants to choose from but the food at the St. Regis was pretty decent (although I heard some people at the resort complaining about it and one person said she got food poisoning but I was ok).   Holly and I got to the resort a bit early, so our room wasn't ready.  We were starving because we took an ass crack of dawn 6AM flight out, so we headed to their casual beach side restaurant for lunch.  I give them 5 forks for the scenery and service but I wasn't blown away by the food.  The menu itself is awesome - it's very seafood focused with things like octopus tacos, tuna tostadas, grilled shrimp and a variety of ceviches.  I got a shrimp quesadilla (140 pesos or $7), grilled corn (140 pesos)  and we split a ceviche (275 pesos or around $13).  Since we were on a resort and a fancy one at that, the prices were definitely not what I was accustomed to in Mexico but all things considered it's still affordable by US standards. 

The ceviche was a mixed seafood one and it felt more like they dumped some seafood in a bowl of pico de gallo.  It was too heavy on the pico (it could have been more acidic) and not enough focus on the seafood but overall it was a refreshing dish to have right off the plane and it was also already hot as hell outside.  My quesadilla was a bit on the small side - it looked like half a quesadilla and it wasn't super gooey but it's hard to go wrong with hot cheese in a tortilla (to be fair, I got this pool side later on the trip and I'm pretty sure it all comes from the same kitchen and it was bigger and tastier).  The corn was eh - it wasn't Mexican style corn with the mayo and cheese on it  It was literally a small piece of steamed corn with nothing on it. 

While this review doesn't seem super glowing, I would definitely come back here - especially given that the resort has very limited casual restaurant options.  It's the perfect place to roll up if you've been sitting by the pool and want a change of scenery.  One thing to note, I'm not sure if we were super tired or what but the welcome margarita and then the one here knocked me and Holly OUT.  They were delicious but lethal so watch out.  Total bill:  $70 for 2 people

Photo Credit: Yelp

Tuna Blanca  Av. El Anclote S/N, 63734 Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico                                  3 Forks

You may ask yourself why did you put a picture of a pot of flowers for this review?  I'll get to it a bit later but it was the favorite part of my meal.

As I mentioned earlier, the St. Regis is in a gated community and it's a far walk to the main gates, but once you get past the main gates there is a small town that has a few restaurants.  They catered to mostly to the people on the resorts and I wouldn't say it's a town you should hang out in otherwise as there isn't a ton to do.  We ended up taking a 140 pesos taxi ride to the restaurant - again, which isn't crazy expensive but when you think about it, it's a <10 drive="" for="" min="" nbsp="" span="">

Tuna Blanca is right off the main drag and it's a nice outdoor restaurant with a lot of turquoise blue decor.  It's a fairly eclectic menu with a variety of seafood and meat dishes as well as a tasting menu.  I learned my lesson from San Miguel and while I love a good tasting menu, I didn't see the need to indulge here.  Instead I got the suckling pig tacos to start and Holly got the mozzarella and heirloom tomato appetizer and we both got the lamb duo.  The tacos came on 2 blue corn tortillas and served with radish, guacamole and salsa with a square piece of suckling pig.  It was tasty but I expected the pig to be a bit moister and more tender since it was of the suckling variety.  It was definitely not like the ones I got in Mexico City.  Next came the lamb duo which was served as a chop and shoulder.  They insisted on the meat being cooked medium/well done which is not how I usually like my meat but I didn't want to offend them because it seemed to be the culture here.  The dish was served with cactus, polenta, baby corn and what looked like a grilled piece of oaxaca cheese.  Again the dish was fine, I am just not a fan of my chop being that overly cooked - I like some pinkness to it which this did not have.  If our meal ended here, I would have said it would be 3.5 forks but then we got dessert and it was hilarious and amazing.

We ordered the chocolate mousse to share and they bring out this giant flower pot that had real flowers in it.  The soil was all chocolate mousse and it was sprinkled with chocolate candies that looked like stone.  It was enormous, delicious and hilarious all at once.  They really mean business when they say it's to share but it's to share with like 5 people not just 2.  We barely made a dent in it before calling it quits.  The restaurant has very elaborate presentations here - the table across from us got some other giant dessert that had a large Eiffel Tower sculpture attached to it and another table got the pumpkin soup where they brought out this giant gourd and served the soup out of it.

If the meal had ended there I might have been included to give it 4 forks because of the dessert.  But when we paid the bill the waiter asked how much we'd like leave in a tip and I left around 12% and he commented how it's customary to leave 20% in Mexico which I know isn't true.  It made me feel like he was trying to rip us off because we were tourists and I did not appreciate that.  I generally tip 20% in the US and I am very empathetic to the fact that most servers rely on tips but to be called out on it was rude.  I noticed when I got home that he went ahead an applied a 22% tip despite what I told him - very uncool and really makes me want to move the rating down below 3 forks but I'll be nice this one time.  Total bill: $63/pp with tax and tip

Flats Fix Taqueria Visited 5/11/2018 3 Forks

Flats Fix Taqueria  30 East 16th St., New York, NY 10003

I'll keep this review short and sweet since there's really not anything complicated about this place.  Allison and I were going to go to Blue Water Grill because she had these gift cards for Be Your Guest but sadly we were told they were no longer valid there.  Oh well, at least we were told before we sat down and ordered.  So we walked around Union Square to figure out where to go - we wanted something super casual (clearly the opposite of Blue Water Grill) and easy and Flats Fix fit that bill exactly.  It's a small super casual place right around the corner - we picked it mainly because it had outdoor seating but the table and chairs are a bit wobbly so I wouldn't say you will be super comfortable. 

This is not some authentic Mexican place where grandmothers are hand rolling the tortillas and the pork has been sitting and marinating all day.  It's almost closer to a Chiptole style meal except you're sitting down.  You can get 3 tacos for $13, so I got the shrimp, mushroom and chicken tacos.   They were all very passable and got the job done but they certainly were not on the level of the mind blowing tacos you will get in Mexico City - but I don't think that's what they set out to be anyways.  While the size of the tortilla is the same as most places since they don't pile on the meat and toppings, it feels a bit skimpier and not as satisfying.  The yellow rice and beans weren't that great but since the tacos are a bit on the smaller side, they help fill you up.  It's a decent enough place  (the shrimp taco was the stand out in my book) if you're Union Square and need an easy bite but having just been in Mexico City, it's hard for me to get my mind away from high standard tacos.  Total bill:  $31/pp with tax, tip and drinks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

24 hours in New Rochelle Visited 5/5/2018 3 - 3.5 Forks

North End Tavern  1301 N Ave., New Rochelle, NY 10804                                                     3.5 Forks

While I still love NYC, every now and then it's nice to get out of the city and visit the 'burbs.  Two of Aarti and Will's friends, who later became my friends too, moved to New Rochelle a few years ago and we try to have get togethers out there every one in a while. 

We stopped by North End Tavern for lunch on a nice Saturday afternoon - the inside was closed for a private party and they said we had to wait for a table outside even though there was a free table.  After a bit of back and forth, we finally got seated but it really didn't have to be so difficult.  The menu is your standard bar/pub food.  Lots of sandwiches, salads, and bar appetizers.  After a bunch of hemming and hawing if I should be healthy and get a kale salad or say fuck it, I opted to get the French dip ($12) with a side of sweet potato fries.   The sandwich was pretty huge sandwich - it came with a hefty serving of thinly sliced roast beef on soft but toasted french bread, onion rings, melted gouda and served with a side of au jus.  I gotta say it was a pretty decent sandwich and the sweet potato fries were nice and crispy.  I was incredibly full and happy afterwards - I can see why people in the area come here if they are looking for solid casual bar food.   I wouldn't go as far to say it's was an amazing meal but it hit the spot and prevented me from being extremely hangry which was key.  Total bill:  $21/pp with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Kumo Japanese Restaurant    77 White Plains Rd., Scarsdale, NY 10583                                   3 Forks

One of my biggest food pet peeves is the invention of Asian fusion food - especially places that serve you every since Asian cuisine under the sun.  I mean a place can't be that good if they are serving you Japanese, Chinese and Thai food all at the same time.  That is a luxury you have in NYC, where you have 100's of great options for each of those categories - there is no need for 1 place to jam them all together.   But I guess when you live in the 'burbs and there aren't many choices,  they best to kind of lump them all together.  I'm also weary of places that have a 100 page menu a la the Cheesecake Factory.  So when Nat and Kinney suggested we go here, I was a bit skeptical.  I'll say it wasn't all that bad and I probably could have ordered better as some of the stuff on the menu did look/sound better good. 

While the menu isn't 100 pages, it is legitimately 20 pages long.  It has a mix of sushi, ramen, hibachi, stir fry, and anything else you can think of - you name it, they probably have it.  The prices of the sushi platters were surprisingly expensive - a sushi/sashimi combo was $32.  Instead of doing that, I decided to go with a sashimi bento dinner box which came with shrimp shumai, shrimp and veggie tempura, california roll, rice, and miso soup for $28.  The Asian in me thought it seemed like a more economical option.  In the end I should have stuck with my initial choice of something more sushi focused as the majority of the bento box was just ok.  There wasn't anything really creative or exciting about this dish.  While I wouldn't say that it missed the mark completely, it was just meh.  The sashimi itself was cut super thin so the point where I didn't really feel like I was eating sushi.  The same meh-ness can be said of our Yummy Asparagus appetizer ($6) - it was literally steamed asparagus with some kind of mustard sauce on it, how is that creative at all?

I will say that while I dislike places that mix and match ethnic cuisines, it does help when you have a large party of people with differing tastes.  While I got sushi, Aarti got stir fry, Kinney got ramen, Nat got some kind of teriyaki and unfortunately I can't remember what Will got but it was also something different from the rest of us.   I don't mean to crap all over this place as I could see that if I lived in the area coming here if there aren't any other good Asian places around - next time I'm here I would probably stick to a bunch of rolls or a sushi platter instead of trying to be cheap.  Total bill:  $34 with tax and tip (clearly we split the bill unevenly but I'm not really sure why!)

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Norman Visited 5/4/2018 4.5 Forks

Norman  29 Norman Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222

Ever since I went to Denmark and Norway, I have been obsessed with all things Scandinavian.  I'll admit that the food isn't for everyone and it's got it's own unique flavor palate but I really enjoy it.  So I was thrilled to check out Norman which is the ultimate hipster paradise in Greenpoint.  It's this enormous creative space in Greenpoint that is kind of like part WeWork, part cafe.  The entire aesthetic reeks of a typical minimalist Scandinavian design that I love.   There a tons of communal tables, lots of light and open space - perfect for the Brooklyn freelancer which there were tons of.   If I were some hipster freelancer, I would work here all the time. 

In the middle of the space is a cafe/bar/restaurant where you can order a variety of Scandinavian focused food - so think of grainy bread, smoked salmon and cured meats.  They also have a daily lunch special for $14 which comes with a vegetable side dish and freshly baked bread.  I was super tempted by the egg sandwich since I was there for lunch on a weekday but I opted for the daily lunch special which was a chicken kabob and cucumber salad.  I also got a side of rugbrod (Danish rye bread) which came with almond butter and a berry preserve ($5). 

The chicken kabob was fantastic - super moist and flavorful and came with marinated grilled chunks of onion in between.  The cucumber salad was enormous - it was chunks (not sliced) cucumber in a mild dill yogurt sauce.  It was refreshing and simple yet something I haven't really seen elsewhere.  Finally the bread.  What can I say except it makes me never ever want to go on a no carb diet.  It was warm and comforting and so so delicious.  The rugbrod was also fabulous - although I can see why it may not be everyone's cup of tea.  It's a thick cut of bread that has a lot of texture to it thanks to the heaping of seeds and grains in it.  The almond butter and berry preserve was the perfect combination to it.  It's very hearty and it was a bit of an overkill with the other bread I had but oh well.  

I walked out of this place feeling instantly cooler and hipper.  While I can't say I ever crave Scandinavian food, it has a very soft spot in my heart and I would bring anyone here in a heartbeat if they were looking to tip their toe into this new culinary trend.  Total bill:  $24/pp with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Ikinari Steak Visited 4/28/2018 3.5 Forks

Ikinari Steak  90 E 10th St., New York, NY 10003

This place had been on my list for a while not because I thought the food would be amazing but because of the kitch factor - it's a chain in Japan where you stand up while you eat your steak.  Luckily the East Village location added some chairs but it's still quite super casual and laid back.  They have a few different cuts of meat (ribeye, sirloin, and filet) that you order by weight - if you're a first timer, it's confusing to know how much to order but I got the 10 oz top ribeye and it was just the right size ($2.50 per oz).  I would recommend that you ask the waiter to trim off as much fat as possible since it adds to the weight and it's not worth eating.  The steak comes with onion, corn and another veggie side and Cicily and I added a side of garlic pepper rice ($8) because we thought we needed something else with our meal.   That is essentially the entire menu, so it's fairly limiting and if you don't eat meat, there isn't much to eat (unlike at a traditional steakhouse where you can make an entire meal out of veggie sides). 

The food comes out pretty quickly and let's just say that presentation isn't their strong suit.  It basically comes out in a hot skillet and it kind of reminded me of being in a cafeteria - not necessarily in a bad way, just a simple way.  The corn and broccoli were basic with nothing on it.  The meat was a pretty decent size cut and served simply too - seasoned with salt and pepper and not much else.  There is steak sauce on the table that you can use but I like my steak on the clean and simple side so I ate it as is.  I'll say that it was a decent cut of steak and I was very full afterwards but it had a lot of fat on it, despite me asking them to cut a lot of it off.   I usually don't mind some fat on my steak but this was too much even for me.  As for the garlic pepper rice it was literally white rice with black pepper and some sautéed garlic on it.   I thought it would be more along the lines of a veggie fried rice but nope it was just rice with pepper.  

Overall, it was an interesting experience and if you're a big meat eater or some who likes to eat a lot of steak, I would recommend it because it's very definitely reasonably priced compared to a traditional steak house.  Don't come expecting a blow out meal but it's a unique experience for sure (I can totally see why it's popular in Japan).  Total bill:  $42/pp with tip and tax

Photo Credit:  Yelp

St. Tropez Wine Bar Visited 4/27/2018 4.5 Forks

St. Tropez Wine Bar  304 W 4th St., New York, NY 10014

All I can say is SJP.   I had dinner here a few weeks ago and sitting behind me was Sarah Jessica Parker with some friends just having a casual dinner. This is why I love NYC.  I gotta say this is probably one of my better celebrity sightings in a while and in true NYC style, no gave a f*ck she was there (ok, except maybe me and Holly).  But I can see why she came here.  I know she lives in the West Village and this place is THE quintessential adorable West Village restaurant/bar.  It's cozy but not cramped feeling and it's just an all around relaxing place to spend some time.  It's primarily a French wine bar but they've also got a menu of yummy French dishes that you can easily make into a full dinner. 

The only downside is that there isn't really a happy hour but you get over that quickly.  Holly and I got there early (around 6ish on a Friday) and by the time we left at 9:30, there was definitely a wait.  The wine list is obviously French and they have a TON of amazing options - so brush up on your French wines!  The food menu also has a lot of fantastic items on the menu and they are all very reasonably priced with nothing more than $18.  I can't remember exactly what we had but I remember the beef tartare ($16), grilled shrimp ($12), beef stew ($18) and a cheese plate ($13).   The beef tartare was tasty but different than some of the other ones I've had since this one had mayo in it but I love mayo, so that didn't gross me out at all.  The beef stew was hearty and comforting but not overly heavy (in case anyone was curious this was the dish SJP had).  The chunks of beef were tender and perfectly executed in a red wine sauce.

I walked out of this meal so surprised by it because I randomly read about it on a food blog but it hasn't really gotten much buzz or press so I was expecting it to be ok but not great.  Maybe it's a good thing that it hasn't been written about in a bunch of places to keep the crowds away.  Although judging by the wait when we left, word has already gotten out - at least with the famous locals.  While I don't live in the hood, this is the kind of place I want to make as one of my go-to spots in the city.  Total bill:  $108/pp with tax, tip and lots of wine

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill Visited 4/21/2018 4.5 Forks

Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill 55 Water St., Brooklyn, NY 11201

When I first read about Sugarcane Raw Bar, it sounded like some douchey Miami transplant.  Afterall, there was one location in Miami and another in Vegas so I assumed it was some big party/club restaurant.   I guess this is what I get for judging a book by its cover because I had a shockingly great time there with Allison before heading to a show at St. Ann's.  It's perfectly located right on Water Street in DUMBO with great water front views.  I should caveat that I was only there for happy hour so I can't speak to what it's like for an actual sit down meal or after hours. 

Happy hour is at the bar area only and it's from 4-7pm but be warned you should get there as early as possible.  Allison and I got there around 5:30pm on a Friday thinking it was still early but it was jam packed at the bar (the actual restaurant was empty).  We managed to squeeze ourselves into a corner spot which ended up being fine but if you're looking for a nice open spot on the couches, go early.  The happy hour cocktail menu is extremely extensive and incredibly reasonably priced - the drinks range from a strawberry balsamic cocktail to caiprinha to 3 different prosecco cocktails and all for $7.  Plus they have wine and beer for $5-7 too.  Very dangerous.  As for the food, they have a decent seafood line up of oysters and sushi as well as grilled chicken, goat cheese croquettes, brussels sprouts, and edamame.  Nothing on the food menu was more than $6-7.  You can easily make a filling meal from the menu.  If you order these dishes on the regular dinner menu, they are easily twice the price. 

Allison and I ordered almost everything on the menu since we had a lot of time to kill and I had 3 different cocktails.  You'd think that for this price the sushi would be meh but it was shockingly fresh and good.  The oysters were also shucked well - unfortunately I can't remember if they were East Coast or West Coast ones but I remember thinking to myself that it was not bad.  If I had to pick something that was eh, it would be the grilled chicken.  It was basically a grilled chicken skewer with some glaze on it but if you need something with a bit more protein, it's not a bad nibble.  The cocktails were fun and refreshing, if not a bit on the sweeter side. 

The biggest downside is that it's so crowded that the service is a bit hard to flag down.  I feel for them given how many people they have to deal with and they were apologetic about some of the mis-steps (i.e. we didn't get one of our dishes and the bartender was super nice about chasing them down).    If I worked in DUMBO, am going to a show in the area or just wanted to take a field trip to DUMBO during happy hour, I would happily return here in a heartbeat.  Total bill:  $57/pp with tax and tip 

Photo Credit:  Yelp