Misi Visited October 2018 4 Forks

Misi  329 Kent Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11249

Ahh Misi.  So much controversy over this place.  It's by the same people as Lilia  so obviously this means getting a reservation here is also impossible.  I don't understand how certain places just consistently no have openings and/or only have 11pm slots available.  You basically have to log on to Resy as soon as they open up their reservation slots and book right away.  You thought you were buying tickets to see Radiohead, not get a table at an Italian restaurant. 

But the good news is that I liked this place much better than Lilia.  I don't know what it is about that place but I just could never get on the bandwagon like everyone else.  Don't get me wrong, it's not bad but people obsess over it.  So I was going in with slightly low expectations here and if I had to go through a painful reservation process, I would much rather do it for a table here instead. 

Lav and I went for her birthday and we started with the roasted tomatoes with chili and the charred peppers for appetizers.  The peppers were not what I was expecting at all.  While the menu did say that it was served with ricotta, what it doesn't mention is that it's served separately with a plate of way too crusty bread topped with almost foam like ricotta and then you get a plate of peppers.  I wasn't really sure how to eat it - I guess you put the peppers on the bread?  In any case, it was good, just very unexpected presentation.

But the stars of the show here are the pasta dishes.  It's so freakin hard to narrow it down but I ultimately went with the pork fettuccine but honestly after seeing all the other pasta dishes other tables were getting, I don't think I could have gone wrong with any other of the dishes.  The pasta was simply fantastic - perfectly al dente and really enjoyable. 

They are also known for their gelato so we got the chocolate one and while it's not like the ones I had in Italy, it was pretty damn good. 

Overall, I would say skip the appetizers so that you can leave room for most pastas and dessert.  It's definitely a step up from Lilia in my opinion but others probably feel differently.

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Oxomoco Visited October 2018 4 Forks

Oxomoco  128 Greenpoint Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222

Oxomoco has been part of the trend of super hot restaurants popping up in Greenpoint.  I've always loved Greenpoint but it's certainly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the dining scene.  I had been wanting to try this place out and met up with Paige there on a random weekday night.  It was packed but luckily we were still able to get a table there without much of a wait. 

The menu is high end but still relatable Mexican food.  Of course as with any Mexican meal, we had to get the guacamole ($15) - which by the way, when the hell did guacamole become so crazy expensive?? Thanks Trump.  Every time I get guacamole I feel the same way, it's good but never feels any better than the kind I can make at home myself.  But it just feels wrong to be eating Mexican food without smashed up avocados.  The tacos are the main stars here and we got the shrimp, pork cheek and barbacoa (you can get them in twos or threes ($15-$24) - since we were getting so many we opted for the two's version, which I think is the better way to go if you want some variety).  They were all excellent - the meats moist and juicy and all served with really fresh ingredients and salsa.  The tortillas tasted like the homemade ones I got in Mexico City and made with blue corn.   No sour cream or rice and beans to be found here (although don't get me wrong, I love them on the right kind of Mexican food).

It's no wonder this place is so popular.  I should also give a shout out to their cocktail list - my Paloma was excellent.  While Greenpoint isn't always the easiest place to get to, it's places like this that show why it's a great food destination to check out. 

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Speedy Romeo Visited October 2018 3.5 Forks

Speedy Romeo  63 Clinton St., New York, NY 10002

My friends and I were originally going to a Cuban place for brunch in Bed-Stuy but sadly they had been broken into the night before.  While I always tout how safe Brooklyn is and how bougie it has gotten, it was still a sign that you never know these days.

So we had to quickly pivot and luckily Speedy Romeo was not too far away and it was early enough that we could get a table for 6 super easily.  While I love pizza in all forms at any time, my experience here lead me to believe that maybe I don't like breakfast pizza as much as I do regular pizza.  But I love a good runny egg and I wanted to try something different.  The breakfast pizza ($21) reminded me a bit more like a white pie as it didn't have all the best parts of a red pizza pie - namely the cheese and red sauce.  Instead, it was kind of like a dry pizza crust with an egg baked on it with ham, provel and some hot sauce.  I was just missing the moist, gooey factor for me.  It was have also used a lot more hot sauce for me to make up for the lack of tomato flavor.

Even though we got there pretty much right when the doors opened the service was still super slow and the table we got was a high top and it was kind of uncomfortable.  All this being said, I would still come back - maybe more for dinner and try out a regular tomato based pizza instead.

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Estancia 460 Visited October 2018 3.5 Forks

Estancia 460 460 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013

Estancia is a nice neighborhood type place and not a destination dining place.  But sometimes you just need good classic joint as not every meal needs to be some crazy fancy night out.  Since two of my friends live in the Tribeca area, I met up with a few of my B-school friends here for a long overdue catch up.   The place is perfect for a casual meet up as it's not too crowded and it's not very loud. 

The menu has got a little bit of everything - salads, sandwiches and several eggy dishes for brunch.   I got the Milanesa sandwich ($14), which was a breaded chicken breast, arugula, tomato, mayo on a toasted baguette.  Overall, it was pretty tasty but I felt like they could have used a bigger chicken cutlet.  But the best part of the meal were the french fries.  They were like your classic MacDonald-like fries - perfectly salted and nice and crunchy. 

Like I said, we came here because it was low key and allowed us to have some good food and cocktails while not having to deal with lines or crowds.   I don't see myself running back here if I wasn't in the area but if you need a solid casual place in the Tribeca area give it a look-see. 

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Industry Kitchen Visited October 2018 2.5 Forks

Industry Kitchen  70 South St., New York, NY 10005

I know it's been an extremely long delay in between posts but I've been traveling a done and it's been difficult to keep up with the blog now.  I've been thinking of scaling back or changing how often I update it, but I'm going to try my best to at least get as many reviews in now.  As a result, the next batch of reviews might be more on the minimalist side - sorry!

Randomly, I ended up going to Industry Kitchen twice in a week but totally by accident.  The first time, I picked it for a  team lunch and the 2nd time a work client picked it for a work dinner.  I guess I'll start with the good part is that the views are lovely and it's right by the water near the South Street Seaport.   The area has really come back to life post-Sandy.

On to the bad part, the menu looks great but the execution of the food was not good.  For lunch I got a calamari salad ($17), which turned out to be 2 pieces of grilled squid on a bed of quinoa with some avocado.  While it was a super healthy meal, I kind of expected more from a salad.  I just left me feeling super underwhelmed and still hungry.  I ended up nibbling on some garlic bread which was drenched in some kind of sauce and fried potatoes that were also drenched in garlic ketchup.

The lunch was a meh experience and I probably wouldn't have wanted to go back again until literally the next day our client picked this place too.  I couldn't say no but the dinner meal also re-affirmed by suspicions.  I got the steak ($26) and it was incredibly heavy handed on the garlic and salt.  Plus the potatoes were super soggy and soaking in the meat juice - in a very unappealing way.

It's such a bummer because the location and view are great here (which is really what's keeping this place from getting an even lower fork rating) but I can't say that I would come back anytime soon after 2 straight bad experiences.

Photo Credit: Yelp

James Hook and Co Visited 9/28/2018 4 Forks

James Hook and Co  15-17 Northern Ave., Boston, MA 02110

I was in Boston for a partner event and of course you can't go to Boston without getting a lobster roll.  It was a bit challenging because I was really only there for 24 hours and most of the time I was at a partner sponsored event so there wasn't much time to skip out to eat.  But Farzana and I managed to squeeze in 1 lobster roll in the morning before our 12pm flight.  Yes,  I had lobster at 10am but it was definitely worth it. 

We calculated that if we made it to James Hook right when it opened at 10am and ordered right away, we could still make it to the airport in time for our flight.  If I had more time (and if it wasn't before lunch time),  I would definitely have stayed longer and ordered a lot more food.  It's not really a restaurant but more of a seafood market that serves up a few eat-in dishes.  I could spend all day eating lobster, shrimp, chowder, clams and everything else they had there but I was on a mission for the lobster roll.  It's $20 and it's extremely  simple - huge chunks of lobster lightly dressed with mayo and nothing else.  It's served in a hot dog bun - not a potato bun which I docked .5 fork for (personal preference) but overall it was a really solid and tasty roll.   You could definitely taste the fresh lobster meat and it was a good mix of tail and claw. 

When we started to leave at 11am, it was already starting to get busy.  For this price point and for the other variety of food, I could definitely see myself coming here fairly often if I lived in the area. 

Photo Credit:  Yelp

1 Week in Amsterdam 9/15-9/22/2018 Part 3 - 4.5 Forks

Bird Thais  Zeedijk 72-74, 1012 BA Amsterdam                                                                      4.5 Forks

Who knew there would be delicious Thai food in the middle of the Red Light District?  But there is!  This place was super crowded with tourists and locals alike but it's definitely worth waiting for - especially if you've been eating kind of mediocre Dutch food for the past few days.   My usual go to food when I get home from any work or personal trip is a visit to my local Thai place, so this was a nice early detour to get some much needed Asian flavors and spices into my system.

The menu is extremely extensive and has all the usual suspects but they also have a lot of unique dishes too.  I opted to go for a red curry with squid (16 euros) and Farzana got a lychee curry.  We started with some fish cakes for the table, which were super tasty and some chicken thighs wrapped in bamboo leaves which were great too.  My squid curry was excellent - spicy but not to the point where you can't taste anything.  The squid was also prepared nicely and had a nice bite to it.  The usual blandness of the squid absorbed all the flavors of the red curry really well.  I tried the lychee curry and you know what?  It was actually really tasty - it was the perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness.  I wonder why more places don't play with these two flavors more?

Sadly the only bummer of the night was that they ran out of mango sticky rice for dessert.  I saw another table get it and it looked amazing.  Waa Waa.  This place was definitely a great find and highly recommended if you're looking for a reprise from the chicken and potatoes that you usually find in Dutch restaurants.

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Water and Brood  Nieuwe Kerkstraat 84, 1018 EC Amsterdam                                                3 Forks

I'll give this place props and say that it's super cute and very Instagram worthy - which seems to be very important to restaurants these days.  It looks like the kind of place where a lot of students go to hang out or study but it is tiny so I wouldn't recommend going relax and chill out with a cup of coffee.  The staff is incredibly sweet here so the only bummer is that the dish that I ordered wasn't especially delicious (although now I see that they have taken it off the menu on their website, so maybe they knew that too). 

The menu is a combination of sandwiches, burgers and all day brunch-y food like omelet's and breakfast burritos.  For some reason, the Philly Cheesesteak was calling my name. I know, how good could a traditional American sandwich be in Amsterdam but I had to try it out. 

The steak wasn't thin stripes like in a traditional Philly way, but more like chopped up cubes of meat  and there wasn't enough melted cheese to it.  On top of that, the bread was med and dry.  Overall, I took a risk and that risk didn't pay off.  I took a small bite out of Farzana's omelet and it was pretty tasty - so I guess the lesson to be learned here is that you should stick to the basics in a cafe in Amsterdam and leave the cheesesteaks to the guys in Philly.  Total bill:  30 euros

Photo Credit:  Yelp

1 Week in Amsterdam 9/15-9/22/2018 Part 2 3-4 Forks

Kantjil and de Tijger    Spuistraat 291-293, 1012 VS Amsterdam                                               3 Forks

One thing I didn't really realize about Amsterdam before I started going for work was the plethora of Indonesian restaurants.  It's not the type of SE Asian cuisine that you see a lot of globally - it's usually more Thai or Vietnamese.  But since it used to be a Dutch colony it all makes sense now.  I haven't really eaten Indonesian food since I was in Bali but there's only so much Dutch food I can take.

I hadn't seen Vik in a really long time and through the power of social media I found out he was in Amsterdam at the same time.  We picked a local Indonesian place that was near my office and met up for lunch.  We split the lunch Rijsttafel - which is basically a sampling of a bunch of different small dishes for 2 people (17 euros each).  It's a great deal and it allows you to sample a little bit of everything.  It included white rice, chicken satay with peanut sauce, beef cooked in a "spicy" coconut sauce, green beans in black sauce, steamed vegetables with "spicy" peanut sauce and shrimp crackers.  I put the word spicy in quotations because none of it was spicy at all.  Most of the food was simple but tasty but we both commented on how it could have used more flavoring and heat to it.  I wasn't sure if they dumbed it down for us or if it was not spicy in general but it was definitely missing something to it.

While there wasn't anything specifically to complain about the food, it reminded me of why Indonesian food isn't the most popular.   It just doesn't pack the same flavor punch as the other SE Asian cuisines but if you're tired of meat and fries, it's worth checking out while you're in Amsterdam.

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Restaurant de Utrechtsedwarstafel   Utrechtsedwarsstraat 107-109 1017 WD Amsterdam      3.5 Forks

Yes, that is quite the Dutch restaurant name.  I feel kind of bad that all my reviews lately have been pretty lukewarm but that's kind of the way things have been in Amsterdam food-wise this 2nd go round.  While I love the city and think it has a lot to offer, only on very rare instances have I been absolutely blown away by the food here.  Most of my experiences on this 2nd trip were honestly adequate at best. 

We came here for a partner dinner and we pretty much took up the entire space.  It's quite cozy and seemed like it was family run - the owner clearly took a lot of pride in the food and wine. 

It was a pre-fixe meal given how many people there were, so I didn't get to choose my meal but most of dishes that came out were dishes that I probably would have ordered anyways:  duck rillette (quite good and the best part of the meal),  sliced tuna steak with beefsteak tomatoes (well balanced) and veal cheeks with kale (cheeks were too thinly sliced).   The food itself wasn't bad but what was not great and brought the rating down was the wine.   I felt so bad because the owner was clearly super proud of his collection and brought out this one red that was just so funky that none of us could put it down. My client, who isn't shy about things, made a clear icky face while drinking it.  They ended the meal with a meringue dessert that was a good palate cleanser but also not anything super creative.

This place is definitely a bit more local and off the beaten path, which I totally appreciate.  Maybe it's all these pre-fix meals I've been having with large groups that skews the experience but it's still didn't feel up to the level of food I am normally used to in NYC.

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Tujuh Maret  Utrechtsestraat 73, 1017 VJ Amsterdam                                                                 4 Forks

This isn't a normal place I would give 4 forks too but I feel like I've been super harsh lately and needed to give some love.  Comparing this place to the other Indonesian restaurant, I definitely enjoyed this meal more.   

We walked in right at noon and the place was just being set up for the lunch hour.  There was literally one man doing everything - and when I say everything I mean everything.  From taking the chairs down, to taking our order, cooking the food and then finally serving us.  It was kind of crazy and as much as we complained about the slow service, it was very understandable.  A few people actually did walk out because they couldn't take it.  But once we finally ordered, the food came out relatively quickly.  I got a hard boiled egg in a sweet soy sauce as an appetizer, split the shrimp skewers that came with the same sweet sauce and then got as my entree chicken in a coconut sauce with green beans and fried noodles.  Similar to the other Indonesian restaurant, the dish was too mild but it still had better flavor to it, which is why I'm not going to ding it as much.  It honestly felt like I was eating in someone's living room (in a good way) and it was just nice to eat some white rice and Asian food for a change.

Photo Credit: Yelp

1 Week in Amsterdam 9/15-9/22/2018 Part 1 3.5-4 Forks

Omelegg Nieuwebrugsteeg 24, 1012 AH Amsterdam                                                              3.5 Forks

Another work week means another week back in Amsterdam (there are definitely worse places to be).  I had heard about this place from co-workers and didn't get to try it out last time, so I figured I would make a pit stop this go around.  It's exactly what you would expect from a place called Omelegg - it's a cute cozy brunch spot serving mostly students and young folks.  Also as you would expect, the menu is pretty focused on eggs.  It's actually a pretty impressive and extensive menu of omelets (some combinations I've never heard of before) and if you like breakfast food, this is definitely the place to go.

I kept it simple and got the Popeye with egg whites.  Not surprisingly, this was filled with spinach, mushroom, onion, farmer's cheese and oregano (7.95 euros).  All the ingredients were sauteed nicely, especially the onions.  It was served with toast and a small salad.  The food was totally fine and comforting.  It's a cute place to have breakfast and the service was surprisingly fast for Amsterdam.  If you're in the mood for a good old fashion egg breakfast, I would definitely recommend this place but it's also not going to be a life changing meal by any stretch. 

Restaurant Red   Keizersgracht 594, 1017 EN Amsterdam                                                          4 Forks

Do you like steak? Do you like lobster? Do you like french fries?  Who doesn't?  You can get all of this at Restaurant Red for a very reasonable price.  

This place was also recommended by one of the managers on my team - she said it's one of her go-to's in Amsterdam because it's near the office and in budget.  The prices are all very reasonable with a steak costing 22 euros, lobster for 30 euros or you can get both for 36 euros (you don't get a full lobster with the surf and turf - just half).  That's pretty much all they have on the menu except for a few small starters like steak tartare and caviar.  I felt like it was my duty to get the surf and turf but at the price point I wasn't expecting much.  The steak was surprisingly good - very juicy and nicely cooked.  It was a bit on the small side but enough for 1.  The lobster was only half and it was kind of skinny - with the claw being pretty non-existent.  Maine lobster this was not.  I actually don't like it when they cut the lobster length wise because you don't get the same feel from the tail that way.  The dish also comes with steak fries (my favorite part of Dutch meals) in case you're still hungry.  They were a bit dry, so I had to dunk them in mayo to keep them moist. 

The atmosphere is super dark and sexy and with the jet lag were were all about to fall asleep in our food.  But if you can stay awake, it's worth checking out if you're in the mood for meat and seafood. 

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Zuivere Koffie  Utrechtsestraat 39, 1017 VH Amsterdam                                                            4 Forks

This is one of those reviews where if I had written about it after my first experience I would have given it 3 forks.  But after having been there a few times afterwards, I've started to warm up to this place.  You just never know when you are going to catch a restaurant at a bad moment. 

So my first experience was bad only because of the super rude service - which I later learned is really just the Dutch way.  I know they are direct which I like in the business world but in cases like in the service industry, I prefer for them to be more warm and fuzzy.  I had ordered the 2 fried eggs on toast with roast beef (it's really prosciutto) and arugula but instead the waitress brought out another dish with fried eggs on it - it was fine, just not what I had ordered.  I told her that wasn't what I ordered and she was extremely adamant that I was wrong.  WTF? How did I not know what I ordered? After going back and forth unnecessarily several times, she brought me my food but I was so annoyed. Luckily, the food was quite delicious.  It's 2 perfectly fried eggs with cheese, thin slices of prosciutto and some salad on top.  The eggs were beautiful - they were these dark orange yolks and looked very organic/farm to table instead of the bright yellow yolks you see at home sometimes.   The orange juice there is also amazing - it's the freshest juice I've ever had.  You feel as if you're drinking 3 whole fresh oranges.

There's also a super cute cafe cat that hangs around the front tables.  She's super cute until she starts to step all over you and your food but if you nudge her away, she will generally comply. 

I've been here several times afterwards and while the service is still super slow, I've had different waitresses there each time and they're all been much nicer.  It's a convenient place for breakfast in the city centre if you're hotel doesn't serve it and it's one of the few places that opens before 9am, so you're able to get a good meal in and still get to the office at a reasonable hour. 

Photo Credit:  Yelp

72 Hours in Orlando Visited 9/10-9/13 3.5 Forks

Ocean Prime  7339 W Sand Lake Rd., Orlando, FL 32819

I'll keep this short and sweet because it's Orlando and let's be honest, there's not that much to write about here.  In fact, I'm not even going to review the other places I went to for dinner during the trip because that's how unmemorable they were and not worth my time.  Plus they were group dinners, so those are usually not indicative of the general experience. 

I had just gotten off the plane from Italy and turned around and headed straight to Orlando to meet my team for our annual America's meeting.  We were staying near Universal Studios and as I've mentioned before, most of the places in the city are big chains catered to tourists. 

Ocean Prime is also a big chain but it's slightly more upscale than a Margaritaville or TGI Fridays.  It's a steak and seafood house so they have a pretty decent line up of food options - steaks, sushi, crab cakes, etc.  I wasn't super hungry so I got the Cobb Salad ($22) while the rest of my team indulged in a 3 course meal for only $35, not bad and under budget!  The cobb salad was fine but it was mostly iceberg lettuce and the bacon was overly sweet but it had a decent line up of shellfish and other seafood.  I didn't try my team's 3 course meals but it included a steak which they all seemed to enjoy and the dessert was a huge hunk of chocolate cake.  

Overall, it was actually a slightly above average meal that you would expect from a larger chain restaurant.  I would gladly come here again vs. going to a Hooters any day of the week.  If you're tight for budget, the 3 course meal is definitely the way to go!  

Photo Credit:  Yelp

48 Hours in Varenna, Italy Visited 9/7-9/9/2018 3.5-4 Forks

Osteria Quarto Pass  Via XX Settembre 20, 23829 Varenna, Italy                                            3.5 Forks

If you've never been to Lake Como before, I can't high recommend it enough.  It is one of the most beautiful places I've been to in the world.  In terms of sheer natural beauty, there is nothing more spectacular than a view of the gorgeous lake on a clear sunny day where you can see across to the other cute towns.  Simply stunning.   I recommend staying away from the madness of Bellagio (way too many tourists and was my least favorite part of the region) and stay somewhere slightly less crowded like Varenna.  It was perfect there - a few shops and restaurants but overall super quiet.  The best part is that the train station is located in town, so it's easy to get back to Milan from here.

The only downside to Lake Como is that I would say the food scene is not as great as it is in other parts of Italy.  Let's face it, you're coming here for the scenery and not the food.  That being said, the food is decent, just not spectacular.  We went to this local joint our first night in Varenna as it was recommended by our Airbnb host.  It's a quaint neighborhood restaurant with a few local specials.  Every restaurant in town boasts about their "lake fish" entrees - I believe it's literally fish they pluck from the lake.   I'll be honest and as someone who loves fish, lake fish isn't the tastiest. 

I started off with a basic beef tartare - it's was pretty good except there weren't any capers or raw egg with it.  It was very plain and simple but good enough.  Next I got the mixed grill of lake fish - it was a variety of different grilled fish fillets prepared a few different ways.  None of it was really mind blowing.  Kinney got the fish pasta and it is actually wasn't very good - I have never really been a huge fan of mixing fish and pasta but this one just had that extra fishy taste to it.  Others at the table got the special ravioli with ricotta cheese, which I was told was pretty good.  So while I would usually tell people to get the local delicacies, I'd maybe steer people away from the lake fish and stick with the pastas in Lake Como.  As with everything in Lake Como, prices are a bit higher than in other cities because of the high influx of tourists.  Total bill: $344 for 6 people with tax, tip and wine

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Hotel Restaurant Azalea   Via Portici S. Pietro, 1, 22019 Tremezzo CO, Italy                         3.5 Forks

The best thing about Lake Como is the ability to hop around the lake and visit a bunch of gorgeous villas.  I now know why so many people get married here and why George Clooney has a house here.  We decided to take a boat ride to the town of Tremezzo to visit one of the villas and then stopped by this place for a leisurely late lunch. 

There aren't a ton of places to eat in this area so when we spotted an outdoor restaurant with a lake view we were sold.  It's attached to a mid-scale hotel, so we weren't expecting great food.  It was just nice to sit outside and enjoy the scenery.  I was feeling like I needed something healthy so I got the shrimp salad but then for an entree all they really had were pastas and pizzas, so I went for the 4 cheese pizza.  I actually hadn't gotten pizza on this entire trip so I felt like it was ok to finally get it.  The shrimp salad felt like it was defrosted frozen shrimp and it came with strawberries and balsamic vinegar which was kind of a weird combination but it strangely worked for me.  The pizza was actually really tasty - nice thin crust and it was super super cheesy.   Yumm! Everyone else also got some kind of pizza and Will got the rabbit which he said was really good. 

The service was a bit off - although there was only 1 guy there so I did feel bad.  Several people came after us and even sat down with menus but then he told them that there was no more food? or that the kitchen was closed?  Either way, we got there in the knick of time.  Again, similar to our meal the night before, the food wasn't some culinary wonder but it did hit the spot after a long day wandering around the lake.  Total bill:  $186 for 6 people with tax, tip and wine

Photo Credit:  Discovercomo.com 

Hosteria del Platano  Via Statale 29, 23829 Fiumelatte, Italy                                                      4 Forks

This was the most surprising restaurant of the trip.  It was our last meal of the trip (sob!) and I'm not really sure how we even found this place but it was a bit of a hike outside of Varenna.  While it was beautiful to watch the sunset while we walked along the road, it was along the highway and it wasn't really the safest of walks but if you're in a group, it's not too bad.

The restaurant is in this random place off the road, not near anything.  We walked in and it felt kind of weird - there weren't a ton of people there and it didn't have this cute cozy feeling that we had in a lot of other places and at first glance the menu was less than inspiring.  But this is where looks can be deceiving because the food was excellent.   The clientele is definitely much more local and there wasn't a single American tourist in sight which is always a good sign (although there might have beens some European ones around). 

We started with a vegetable puff pastry, sort of like a spanakopita, that was a nice palate starter.  We then had the fried zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta which was sadly kind of meh - it didn't have a ton of flavor to it.  Luckily the main entrees made up for the lack luster appetizers.  Despite proclaiming I was sick of pasta, I split the deer ragu pasta and it was fantastic.   The pasta was perfectly al dente and the deer was not gamey tasting at all.  For my other main, I got a beef fillet and it was perfectly pink and tasted fantastic as well.  In the end, you can never go wrong with a pasta and meat dish, even if they aren't the most creative of dishes.  The dessert here was also shockingly delicious.  We got a refreshing mango and blueberry gelato - two very unusual flavors but really good at the same time.   The cream brulee was also a nice end of the meal - a good glazed top and creamy sweet inside. 

The service was painfully slow but it was just 2 women managing the entire restaurant and they were incredibly nice and sweet to us, so it was hard to be mad at them.   While it wasn't a fancy blinged out way to end the trip, it was all about being with friends in a cozy environment that made it a great night and fitting way to end our trip.  Total bill: $342 for 6 people with tax and tip

Photo Credit: TripAdvisor

Day Trip to Modena Visited 9/5/2018 3-4.5 Forks

Hosteria Giusti  Via Farini 75, 41100 Modena, Italy                                                                 4.5 Forks

I will fully admit that I was a total sucker for all the foodie scenes in Master of None (second season).  And yes, I made a special trip to come to Hosteria Giusti based on that first episode where Aziz goes and eats at this adorable and magical place that only has 4 tables and is behind a salumeria.  If there was any place I wanted to go to more than any place on this trip, this was it.  And it did not disappoint in the least bit. 

The place is exactly how it's presented in the show - gorgeous exterior store front, cute but tiny deli and then you walk through the meats and cheeses to a small room with 4 tables where you will dine on the most amazing food.  I was shocked that the place wasn't sold out - maybe because it was random weekday in September?  In any case, the waitress was super super sweet and walked us through the menu.  There are about 4 appetizers, 4 pastas, 4 entrees and 4 desserts to choose from.  Everyone online raved about the fried dumpling with cold cuts (12 euros) and when we said that Aarti was a vegetarian the waitress kindly said they could make a cheese version instead.  Why not?   Will and I split the pork cheek pasta (18 euros), duck pasta (18 euros) and suckling pig in room temperature with onions and aged balsamic vinegar entree (26 euros).  It's a little pricey compared to a lot of the meals we were having but I guess all this press as allowed them to really charge a premium. 

I know the fried dumplings with cold cuts sounds weird but believe me when I say it's amazing.  The dough is like a fluffy pocket and it's pulled right from the fryer because it's super hot and then they layer on delicious and fatty sliced charcuterie.  They really do a disservice when they call it cold cuts because most people would envision these gross slices of deli meat but these were mouth watering, elegant local delicacies.  The cheese was also outstanding because the cheese was practically melting on top when we got it.  As for the pastas, they were also fantastic.  The pork cheek one came in a red sauce with thick chewy pasta called strozzapreti.  The sauce was spot on but the dish could have used some more meat to it.  The duck pasta was my favorite- perfectly cooked served on a bed of al dente thin sheets of macaroni.  It's definitely not your Kraft macaroni.  

The one slight disappointment was the sucking pig.  Yes, I know it said it was at room temperature on the menu but it still seemed a bit cold. But the onion sauce was incredible and made up for the cold pig.  

While I didn't give this place 5 forks, it was definitely a highlight of the trip and well worth the extra planning.  Modena is a cute, small town that is super close to Bologna (1 hr by train) and is definitely off the beaten path.  So much so that it was a bit boring in that there aren't really any sights to see and we kind of ended up walking around aimlessly.  Note, this place is only open for lunch, so definitely make a reservation early!  Total bill: $156 for 3 people with tax and tip

Franceschetta 58 Via Vignolese 58, 41124 Modena, Italy                                                            3 Forks

Ugh, this review breaks my heart because it had potential to be a real winner.  Obviously, when I knew we were going to Modena, I tried to get a reservation at Osteria Francescana, the #1 restaurant in the world.  But sadly, even after waking up at 4am to try to get seats, we couldn't snag any reservations.  So we did what most people do when they can't get in and got a reservation at it's sister restaurant Franceschetta 58 instead.  Financially, it's probably for the best since Osteria Francescana is like 400 euros a person.  As much as I love food, it's really hard to justify spending that kind of money in one sitting.   

Franceschetta 58 is in a really random part of Modena, almost in the suburbs.  We walked there and it was fine but it's definitely a trek.  Upon walking in, you realize that EVERYONE there is a tourist (not surprising).  It felt like I was eating in America.  Also a bit displeasing was that the decor was super modern and not very Italian feeling - again, I felt like I was eating at some fancy bistro in NYC.  But the good news is that prices are much more reasonable - nothing was more than 16 euros. I got the famous burger (9 euros) and the grouper as an entree (16 euros).  

The burger is a slider served in a cardboard box and it's actually really tasty.  In fact it was the best thing I had from the menu.  It was moist and had a tangy green and brown BBQ like sauce to it.   I believe the regular order comes with 2 burgers but you can get just 1.  As for my entree, my grouper came with a yellow tomato puree, eggplant, olive juice and sage.  The fish was tender and the skin nice and crispy.  It was a fine dish but nothing super memorable.  Unfortunately, everyone else felt like their food was meh.  The pasta Aarti had was super hard and was surprisingly the one place where we didn't enjoy the pasta. 

But where this place really suffered as the service.  It was slow AF.  I read about how slow it was online and I got nervous when I realized that our reservation was at 8:30 and the last train back to Bologna was at midnight.  You'd think a 3 1/2 hr window was enough time but it really wasn't.  In fact, we got so nervous about the time that we finally gave up and had them call us a car to drive us back to Bologna because there was no way we would have made it back to the train station in time.  Plus by the time 11pm rolled around, we were just tired and weren't enjoying ourselves anymore.  

I'm still glad we went, even though I wouldn't recommend it as a place to go out of your way to.  Maybe it's better for lunch when you won't feel so rushed to get back to the train station or at the very least book an early dinner reservation so that you're not on pins and needles like we were.   Total bill for 5:  $225 with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Yelp

48 Hours in Bologna Visited 9/4-9/6/2018 4-5 Forks

Salumeria Simoni   Via Pescherie Vecchie 3B, 40124 Bologna, Italy                                       4.5 Forks

Bologna is one of my most favorite cities in Italy - it's slightly off the beaten path from all the touristy places but is hands down the culinary capital of the country in my book.  The food there is second to none and way more affordable.  I was here in 2016 and fell in love with the city and was excited to be back even if it was just for a short stint. 

As soon as we got off the train, we made a beeline for this salumeria.  It's right in the center of town along with a bunch of other salumeria.  I was really bummed last time I was here to not have gone to one, so I made it my priority to check one out this time. 

If you like cheese, meat and Lambrusco, you will be in heaven.  We got the Board Royale (18 euros) and also a bunch of other side meats and cheeses along with a bunch of freshly baked focaccia bread.  As you can see from the picture, the food did not disappoint.  The meats were sliced thinly and cured to perfection.  The cheese were a combination of sharp hard cheeses and some stinky blue served with jam.  I could eat this all day long.  Plus the waiter was super sweet and really nice - it made for a really enjoyable lunch. 

The only downside of a place that only serves charcuterie and cheese boards is that you have to eat a lot of it to get full (which we did) and sometimes it is also nice to have some greens (they do have a small salad but it's really not enough).  This is a great place for lunch or an afternoon snack but probably not for dinner.   Another plus to this place is that it's shockingly affordable for the amount of food we ate.  Total bill: $66 for 5 people and tax and tip

Cremeria Funivia  Piazza Cavour 1D, 40124 Bologna, Italy                                                        5 Forks

I can't even begin to explain how amazing this place is.  Hands down the best gelato of the whole trip.  I usually wouldn't review a gelato place but (A) it's Italy, so I feel like it's my duty to report on amazing gelato places and (B) this place is beyond anything I've had before.  Even our adorable Airbnb host, who barely spoke any English, she pulled out a map and circled this place immediately and said it was a must visit.  We managed to squeeze it in twice in 2 days and would have gone a 3rd time if we could have. 

There is always a line but it moves fast.  It's a mix of locals and tourists jamming up the place but everyone has these really big smiles on their faces when they are there.   All the flavors are super natural but still creative.  The first time I went I got a granita, which is basically like a slushie or Italian ice.  I got the grapefruit and lemon ice and it was amazing.  Super refreshing and very tart - I can see how this is the perfect snack on a hot summer day.  

The next time we went, I stuck with gelato and got the yogurt flavor mixed with the dark chocolate flavor.  OMG, mind blowing.  The consistency was nice and thick, like a soft serve and the yogurt was super tart but cut perfectly with the chocolate.  The chocolate tasted exactly like chocolate pudding.  I was craving this so badly the next day but we didn't have time for it.  I swear, there is crack in it or something that is super addictive as I couldn't get it out of my mind all day.  If you are in Bologna this place is an absolute must visit.  

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Da Cesari  Via dè Carbonesi 8, 40123 Bologna, Italy                                                                  4 Forks

Most of the team was exhausted and full from lunch and a gelato run but Aarti and I decided to live it up and still go out to dinner.  I mean, it's almost a sin to be in Italy and not be eating 3 full meals a day.  We checked out this place near our Airbnb and it was adorable.  Super traditional place with really sweet waiters. 

We started with a green salad, which at 5 euros we felt was a bit overpriced for what it was.  But the pasta experience made up for it.  The famous dish in Bologna besides bolognese is the tortellini in brodo.  I hadn't had it last time I was in Bologna, so I felt like it was my duty to get it here.  If you're not starving, it's the perfect pasta dish for you.  The beef broth was light but flavorful and the small pieces of tortellini were stuffed to perfection.  Perfect bites of pasta with ham, mortadella, parm and nutmeg encased in a soft pasta shell.  Aarti got the pumpkin ravioli which was a sweet and buttery delight.  The menu had so many other amazing sounding dishes but we just couldn't bring ourselves to eat anymore.  While the food, wine and service were great, it was a tad bit more expensive than most of the places we went to in Italy (but still super cheap compared to NYC prices).  Total bill $66 for 2 people with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Da Nello  Via Monte Grappa 2, 40100 Bologna, Italy                                                                  4 Forks

We spent most of this day on this epic Italian food tour, complete with a parmesan cheese factory tour, parma ham factor tour and balsamic vinegar tour and topped with a 3 hour lunch on a Tuscan hill top.  So we clearly weren't starving for dinner.  But again, when in Italy, you have to take advantage.  Nat had gone here the night before with a friend and had such a good meal that she wanted to go again. 

Since I had eaten my body weight in cheese, meat and pasta for lunch, I kept it very light and got the barley soup and the roast beef carpaccio.  I know it sounds like kind of a lame and a weird combination but it was all really very good.  I felt like I had to get off the pasta bandwagon for a bit but the soup was very hearty and carb-y but in a different way.  The carpaccio was lovely - thinly sliced and served simply with a squeeze of lemon and salt/pepper.  Nat got the porcini risotto which was excellent.  The mushrooms were meaty and earthy in flavor. 

The service was a bit gruff but in the end they were nice enough.  It felt like a pretty local place as it was filled mostly with Italians and you could tell that the waitstaff didn't love speaking in English, but I can't really blame them for that.  Total bill:  $136 for 3 people with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Yelp