pasta for breakfast

Groupons will probably be the bankruptcy of me. 

even though i've curbed my addiction, i still have a giant pile to get through (which is probably why i related so well to the episode of Happy Endings where Alex attempted to use up all her expiring vouchers. and if you've never watched Happy Endings, you should get on that).

and so i found myself at Spina during one of the nicer Saturday mornings to meet Pal for brunch. it's a small restaurant in Alphabet City that is easily overlooked due to it's proximity to some other more hyped restaurants, but it has a nice neighborhood/comfort feel to it. it also never seems to be packed (when Pal and i arrived, we were the only people who chose to sit inside the restaurant). i could imagine that on a summer evening this place could be a nice romantic spot.

part of the offer allowed each of us to order a brunch cocktail, although the $10 bottle of Prosecco offered regularly on their brunch menu was tempting. however, Pal, recently discovering she's allergic to gluten and recovering from a minor surgical procedure, smartly opted not to drink alcohol so i drank both her drinks.

we ordered the PEI Mussels (white wine, black pepper, cherry tomatoes, and chive oil) to start. holy these were good. the sauce packed a peppery punch while still remaining light and the portion was a good size for sharing. if only they served bread with the appetizer...

for entrees, Pal decided to "man up" and try Steak and Eggs for the first time. it was kind of adorable how she thought a 6 oz steak, eggs and potatoes was a "manly" breakfast meal. i didn't try it but it looked good and was a sensible portion for brunch e.g. enough to feel satisfying but not make you want to go home and go to sleep right afterwards.

i was waffling between ordering a breakfast item or a pasta. in the end, on the waitress's recommendation, i ordered the Malloreddus (saffron gnochetti with veal and pork tomato ragu). best decision ever. tiny little gnocchi pieces topped with a rich and flavorful meat sauce. i was in breakfast pasta heaven. and again, sensible portions so that i felt satiated at the end of the meal, but not like i had eaten a ginormous bowl of carbohydrates.

the Groupon deal was $29 for an appetizer, 2 entrees, and 2 drinks which made our meal a good deal but even without it, i would probably go back. the prices are reasonable and the food is good. plus, with so many other restaurants in the area touting 1+ hour waits, it could be a good place to go in a pinch.

St. Patty's Day

i've never been a big St. Patty's Day fan. i just don't get what the hallubaloo's all about. as far as i can tell, it's a day to wear green and drink a lot. 

but i can do that any day of the weekend (or the week, to be honest).

so i don't get it.

i didn't even realize it was St. Patty's day until Sully and i went out for dinner. we used a Groupon to go to Masak, which i've been wanting to try based on on good reviews of their burger and oxtail noodles. on our walk over to the restaurant, we were bombarded with NYU-ers wearing a multitude of green. 

Masak is a cute little restaurant that serves Singaporean fusion cuisine. it's got a great casual vibe to it and upon entering, it felt like i had walked into my local neighborhood restaurant, even though i don't live remotely close to it.

it's a small restaurant, so be ready to be within eavesdropping and voyeuristic distance of your neighbor, which isn't a bad thing because they have some very unique dish presentations which makes it fun to see what others ordered.

the Groupon allowed us to each get an appetizer and entree so we started with the Chili Crab Dip and Mantou ($12) and the Black Pepper Manila Clams ($12).  as Yelp will tell you, the crab dip is the way to go. i wasn't a big fan of the dip, it was a little too sweet and the sweetness didn't really mix well with the strong seafood flavor. however, the fried mantou that accompanies the dish are perfect. freshly fried and scalding hot when served to you, the outside is crisp and crunchy while the inside stay soft and fluffy with just a hint of sweetness-the kind that comes from frying bread. the amount of mantous they give you will not even make a dent in the dip, so make sure to get another order for an additional $2.  the clams were essentially clams with black bean sauce and a better version can be found in Chinatown.

for entrees, i opted for the Rendang Burger w/fried egg, bacon, and fries ($19). this is a monster behemoth of a burger. the brioche bun provides a subtle sweetness to the burger which is juicy and full of south asian flavor. i couldn't tell you what spices are in it, but it has a cumin, turmeric kind of flavor that isn't overpowering but is definitely original. if you order this, keep in mind that your hands and mouth will be a sloppy mess. but in a good way.

Sully ordered the Babi Assam (tamarind braised pork belly, fried black rice, sweet potato) ($21). the pork belly was tender and i liked the tamarind flavor which packed a nice punch. the black rice was less a fried texture and more of a risotto consistency, but it was a good counterbalance to the strong flavor of the pork. 

overall, it was a good meal, although i'm not sure i would come back if it weren't for the Groupon. 

My Little Muensters

every year i find myself at the Union Square Holiday Market. i just can't resist outdoor markets, and thanks to global warming, i can survive an outdoor market even in December.  

i'm not going to go too much into about the market. if you've been there, you know, and if you haven't, you're missing out. it's just a bunch of unique and interesting items that are worth going to look, even if you don't purchase.

i will mention 1 item though: LED light-up t-shirts. the concept was intriguing and cute, but even better was the vendor's set-up.  in a darkly lit (oxymoron there) booth, they blasted Gangnam Style and other fun dance tunes to best demonstrate the t-shirt's reactivity to sound. if the music didn't catch your attention, then the shirts did.



although i was supposed to meet Sully for dinner after the market, i was temporarily delayed when Egg and She decided to stop at the Wafels and Dinges stand for a delicious waffle. their choice of fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce as toppings was a little too sweet for me. when i later (weeks later, not later that night) introduced the wafel to Sully, i liked his topping combination of spekuloos and fresh strawberries better. 

after sufficiently satisfying myself with a few bites of wafel, i booked it over to meet Sully for dinner. for the life of me i can't remember the name of the place, except it was a japanese lounge that we went to because of a Groupon.  afterwards, Sully was still hungry, so we yelped for other food options nearby and found ourselves at Little Muenster. 

this adorable little shop was relatively empty when we passed by, and due to the cold weather, the idea of a warm and toasty grilled cheese and tomato soup sounded like a perfect after-dinner snack to fill our tummies. 

i admit that i've seen this vendor at many a street/food fair and have opted to stay away, mainly because, it's just grilled cheese. and no doubt it's delicious, but why would i pay $7+ for something i can make at home? i mean seriously.

but here we were, and with the $10 special of any sandwich + tomato soup, we found ourselves settling down to a tray of hot and creamy tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich containing chipotle chicken, jarlsberg, cotija, and cilantro crema.

both were freshly made (ok the soup might have already been pre-made, but you know what i mean). the soup was rich and creamy providing a touch of acid to the crispy cheese sandwich with a slight kick from the chicken.  as i ate it, it reminded me of how this combination, although simple, is a true classic and complement each other perfectly.

so, after tasting the food, i have to admit, given the right circumstances and the right temperature, i probably would pay more than $5 for their sandwich. as long as it was paired with the tomato soup as well.

David Burke Kitchen

i've had the pleasure (i use this term loosely) of dining at David Burke Kitchen twice: once for Summer Restaurant Week and once for brunch. 

for those that are wondering whether to go to David Burke Kitchen for RW, i'll cut to the chase: it's not bad and you leave feeling full, BUT the experience is food is "meh." so if you were hoping for some mind-blowing experience, DBK will probably leave you disappointed.

ironically, i went to David Burke Kitchen with GI during the summer of 2012. however, our experience is still pretty relevant since the menu options haven't changed too much. when we arrived, we found the restaurant packed which meant we were seated dangerously close to our neighbors (so much so that our neighbor commented to us when our entrees arrived).  also, due to the high ceilings, get ready for a high noise level, although not as bad as Delmonico's Kitchen.

for appetizers, GI and i split the Tuna Tartare Tacos and Lobster Dumpling Soup with Coconut Fennel Creme and Red Watercress. i noticed the current RW offering doesn't have either of these on the menu although there are variations of both (Canal Street Lobster Dumpling Soup and Tuna Sashimi). the soup was the clear winner of our orders. it was beautifully presented, with the bowl placed on the table with the dumplings nestled inside it then the soup poured from a pitcher table side. the flavor was delicate and pleasant, which is what you really want an starter for a 3-course meal to be.  the tacos on the other hand were simply tartare inside a crispy taco shell. no surprises there.

for entrees, GI ordered the Pork Chop with Cumin Bacon, Mango Chutney, Parsley Onion Rings. if you decide to get this, be prepared because this thing is a monster. DBK definitely does not skimp out on portions just because it's Restaurant Week. the mango chutney was refreshingly sweet to counteract the savory pork chop.  however, the pork chop was a little dry, and to battle through such a large dry piece of meat isn't fun. 

i ordered the Short Rib and Cavatelli with Wild Mushrooms and Truffle Cream. again, this is a hunking piece of meat atop a generous serving of pasta. the truffle cream is a cool dollop served atop the dish, which is thoughtful, but i barely tasted any truffle flavor and unfortunately the temperature of my dish was not hot, and the addition of the cool cream didn't do the temperature any favors.  flavor-wise, while this dish was pleasant to eat, it wasn't memorable and there was no impact to it's generic flavor profile.

for dessert, i opted for the Red Velvet Cake in a Jar. this was exquisite. not too sweet, the cake was airy as was the whipped cream layers. a nice end to the meal. the Chocolate Cream Cheese Bar with Hazelnut Whipped Cream was what you would expect of a chocolate dessert, although not too sweet.  btw, if you do decide to go to DBK for RW dinner, definitely get the molten carrot cake. that is to die for delicious. 

so there were highs and lows to our RW dinner. and while the highs were good, i'm not sure it was come-back-again good. 

but then i found myself at DBK again due to a Groupon brunch purchase Sully made. 

walking into DBK during the day was a whole different experience.  although this restaurant is downstairs, there was plenty of natural light and the blue-checkered table clothes gave it a quaint feel. 

due to the Groupon we were confined to a prix-fixe menu. shortly after we arrived, the restaurant was packed with people waiting at the door. our waiter service suffered because of it with a long time before receiving the coffees we ordered or giving our brunch orders or receiving our first course. 

for the starter we both ordered the Yogurt Parfait (our other option being oatmeal). this took forever to come out. and when it did, while the fresh fruit was nice as was the tiny little jar they served it it, the yogurt wasn't particularly cold and it was mighty tart without any fruit to cut it.

for mains, i ordered the Kitchen Eggs Benedict. the twist is that this is served on Crispy Italian Sausage Polenta. this was a good rendition, but nothing special. basically it tasted good and filled me up.

although i was pretty well-fed at this point, since our Groupon included dessert, we ordered the Himalayan Rock Salt Sundae with Milk Chocolate Malt Ice Cream and the above-mentioned Molten Carrot Cake with warm vanilla bean-cream cheese center, cinnamon walnut ice cream. the sundae was way too sweet although when they serve you they do this cool thing where they take out the himalayan rock salt and drip warm caramel off of it onto the sundae table-side. the carrot cake on the other hand was perfect with the cake being not too sweet, then revealing the warm cream cheese center.  the accoutrements help to mellow the dessert out so it's not too sweet, simply comforting.

Bits and Pieces

after finally jumping on the Groupon/Living Social/Lifebooker/Gilt City/Rue La La/Google Offers bandwagon, i have become a discount adventure queen. which is how i found myself with NannyDiaries and Bubby completely buck naked sitting in a scalding hot tub surrounded by 50+ women of all age ranges in a similar state of nudity.

i've always been  curious about the korean spa/bathhouse experience (찜질방), which i've only experienced through watching korean dramas.  but the whole culture fascinates me. why does everyone have to wear a uniform in order to enter? how do you fold a tiny towel to make those Princess Leia buns on the side of your head? those boiled eggs look really tasty. can you really stay there all night? these were questions that were burning through my inner brain which had to be answered.

so when King Spa  in Palisades Park, NJ offered a Groupon, i jumped on the opportunity.  of course, there was no way i was going to do it alone. which posed a very crucial and serious question: who would i be willing to be completely nude in front of? and who would be willing to be completely nude in front of me? in moments like these, you really run through your catalog of girlfriends in order to assess who you're truly comfortable with. and Bubby and ND won the friendship lotto.

why the focus on nudity? if you're not aware, and it's definitely daunting as a first-timer who doesn't speak korean, but King Spa has private shower/hot tub/steam room areas that are separated by gender. and it's pretty much mandatory that you attend these areas completely bare-ass naked. we actually saw a girl who had chosen to wear a bathing suit be forbidden from entering the scalding hot cauldron/hot tub because she refused to wear her birthday suit. 

Yelp reviews offer a great guide for how to approach and navigate King Spa if you're a first timer but i'll offer a rundown based on my experience anyway.

1. There is valet parking and a parking lot (valet service) directly across from the premises.  No charge for parking if you deliver the car to the lot yourself.

2. Enter the premises and approach the cashier at which time she will ask for ID/credit card and then provide you and each person in your party with a wristband that contains your locker number and key.  This also acts as your means for paying for services and food while you wander throughout the premises so don't lose it!

3. If you're a male, pick up your white uniform and head to the men's-only level on the third floor to change and enjoy some steamy hot/cold water time. if you're a woman, proceed directly to the right of the cashier and do the same.

4. Enter the locker room and change either into the pink uniform you've picked up and head up to the second floor to enjoy various dry sauna rooms to relax. interesting point: unlike the scene portrayed in korean dramas, there is no talking allowed inside the sauna rooms. however, there are many large spaces to sit with friends and chat outside of the sauna rooms. 

5. After you've sufficiently tried out each sauna box, head to the water area. there you'll find standing shower areas or seated shower areas as well as complimentary shampoo, conditioner, and soap.  if you're really comfortable with your friends, bring your loofahs and body scrubs and give it a go. before entering any of the pools it is mandatory that you shower.

6. there are 3 pools to try out: (1)  filled with an herbal bag (it kind of feels like you're being brewed like tea) and is moderately temperatured to be bearable; (2) scalding hot and really stretches the bounds of human tolerance (if you're white/pale-skinned, get ready to look like a cooked lobster); and (3) freezing cold. although it'll try your fortitude, i highly recommend bearing down in the scalding tub and then fully immersing in the freezing tub immediately after. it feels amazing.

7. once you're too prune-y for comfort, head to the restaurant level for some decent korean food, drinks, and desserts.

ND, Bubby and i did all of the above (not exactly in that order).  we'd made it a point to leave NY around 11:15 and stayed at King Spa until about 3:30, although the place is open for 24 hrs. when we'd arrived the place was at a tolerable capacity without seeming too empty or too full. however, when we left, it was a zoo at the reception area so i can't imagine the spa experience would be much fun with that many people. i absolutely want to do it again because it truly is relaxing once you've gotten the hang of it and gotten over the initial i'm-totally-butt-ass-naked awkwardness. plus my skin still feels really soft more than 24 hours afterwards.

Highs and Lows

life can be a little funny: sometimes when you expect something to be bad, it ends up being better than expected. then, when you expect something to be good, it turns out to be awful.  life, you've got one helluva sense of humor.

i had a date with Sully to go see The Amazing Spider Man at the Times Square Regal theater. the movie itself was "meh" (even in 3-D) aside from the fact that Andrew Garfield is worthy eye candy. that Emma Stone is 1 lucky lady. it wasn't as witty as its predecessors, though it tried to be, but the action was pretty good and the chemistry between Garfield and Stone was fun to watch. i don't think the story was as great as the movie itself which resulted in my lack of interest at times.

the surprise of the night was actually dinner. and a Groupon dinner at that. i'm quickly jumping on the Groupon bandwagon, although it's just such a commitment to purchase something in advance. but i digress.

Sully had gotten a $60 Groupon for dinner at Destino. although i wouldn't call Destino a destination restaurant, if i lived in the neighborhood, i might consider it a worthy local italian spot that i could suggest to friends and family who were visiting. it's not a big restaurant, and if you're in a party of 2, be ready to sit thisclose to your neighbor. i could feel (and hear) the awkward atmosphere of the table to the left of us: it was an older gentleman with a younger woman and they barely said 2 words to each other the whole night. and we arrived right when their entrees arrived and they sat through dessert and coffee. AWKWARD. i could also hear (and sympathize) with the table to the right of us: a guy and a girl who were clearly "just friends" but through the conversation you could tell that the girl clearly liked the guy but the guy was either not interested/oblivious. they kept talking about bad dates the guy had recently been on.  these flaws (or not flaws since they were pretty entertaining) aside,  the Groupon deal for Destino was very impressive.

for $60 you had the choice of 1 appetizer, 1 entree, 1 dessert, and 1 glass of wine per person. and they didn't skimp on the options. with the exception of a few items, you pretty much had the whole gamut of the menu to choose from.

to start, the restaurant provided us with bruschetta as a sort of amuse-bouche. while a little bit heavy for an amuse, it was definitely refreshing (as it was 90 degrees outside). the crostini was a little too crispy, but then again, who disagrees with gratis food?

as appetizers, i chose the Polpettine di Mario ($14) while Sully chose the Insalate di Mare ($16). don't let the picture fool you: this is 1 whopping meatball. yes, it's only 1 per serving but it is 1 big serving. i ate about half of it and let Sully eat the rest. and i definitely recommend you order it; it's a balance between light and dense, and the sauce is hearty enough to give it some flavor but light enough so it doesn't overwhelm the meatball taste itself. i don't think i've ever had such a complicated (and pretentious) sounding meatball. just get it.  the seafood salad was also light and refreshing, and a nice counterbalance to the heavy meatball appetizer.

for entrees, Sully ordered the Vitello Milanese (veal pounded thin and breaded, topped with arugula, tomato, red onion, and buffalo mozzarella) ($24.50). i ordered the Dentice Marechiaro (red snapper sauteed with white wine and a touch of marinara)($26) since i wasn't that hungry and figured that a white fish would be lighter than the alternative, which was pasta. both the fish and the veal were fine, although slightly overcooked. however, Sully seemed very satisfied as he finished off both our plates after i had gotten full.

for dessert we opted for the Tiramisu ($11) and the Ricotta Cheese Cake ($11). both were nice and light, although if i had to choose a winner i would go with the tiramisu. it had a more dessert feel to it, most likely because it was slightly sweeter.

so, as is the irony of life, i had expected great things from the movie and very little from the restaurant, only to have the reality turn out completely opposite.