it's actually chilly today

the weather this winter has been (for lack of a better word) "wonky."  while there have been a few chilly days here and there, it hasn't really felt like winter... until today. with the wind and the chill factor, today has really felt like winter/february-march weather.

of course, i could be feeling like this because i waited on line (yes, i'm from NJ; i say "on line" not "in line") for 2-that's right, 2- food trucks today. the whole process took about 30 mins, and that was 30 mins of being buffeted by strong cold winds.  when i got back to the office i promptly went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. this, in turn, required that i actually wash my coffee cup (in my attempt to be environmentally friendly). as i washed my cup in the sink, i noticed how bright red my hands were and then felt that familiar tingle in my fingers; you know, the one you get when you come in from having shoveled snow aka the pre-frostbite tingle. and welcome to winter. FINALLY.


so what would possess me to wait outside for 2 food trucks in this nippy weather? Korilla BBQ and The Real Good Truck, which both happened to be in the FiDi area today.  

i grabbed 2 Korilla rice bowls to bring home to the family in Jersey (1 pork, 1 bulgolgi). this is my 2nd time eating from the Korilla truck, and i always get rice bowls. now this could be a little blasphemous, but my Korilla experiences are always "meh."  maybe it's because i'm not a big bimbimbap fan. of all the items korean food has to offer, bimbimbap ranks low on my list compared to all the jigaes and bokkums and other exotic items. but don't get me wrong, Korilla is still good food. and for $8, the amount of food you get is reedonkulous. and that K'illa sauce is is a something i'd like to bottle up and take home for myself.  and while the food may be interesting because of the novelty of being from a truck, i will say the service is undoubtedly fun. they blare music while you wait in line, and it's pretty clear the people in the truck (there's always about 4-5 people in there. it's a veritable clown car because it just doesn't seem possible to fit that many people in food truck, yet they don't ever look "squished") are having a good time. and that just makes the process fun. 

not to mention there's always at least one guy who satisfies my desire for asian eye candy.

as for the Real Good Truck, which is relatively new, i was more intrigued by the novelty of their food offerings. waffles as a savory lunch? color my interest piqued. while there wasn't much of a line, there were still about 5-6 people just hovering outside the truck. when i approached, i found out that these people had already ordered and were simply waiting for their food. compared to the assembly line efficiency of Korilla (and the blustering winds), it was a little bit of a turn-off. but i forged ahead and gave my order: Waffle Dog with Jalapeno Cheddarwurst. interestingly, my order was complete within 5 minutes which was pretty satisfying. i had the choice of 4 toppings for my waffle dog: ketchup, honey mustard, relish...and i can't remember the fourth. i opted for ketchup and relish.

this was actually really good. the waffle isn't sweet like dessert but is a nice counterplay to the savory and flavorful jalapeno cheddarwurst. the relish and ketchup added an overall savory sweet taste to the whole shebang. and for $6 it wasn't horribly overpriced, although if i was starving i might have balked at the cost vs. size. but then again, we live in NYC so what isn't overpriced? while i'm not sure i will endure the blistering cold any time soon for it, it was definitely worth a try and worth the cost of satisfying my curiosity.

nobody nobody but you

my new favorite outdoor destination for chatting and relaxing is the High Line. i know, i'm a johnny-come-lately to the High Line party, but better late than never, right?

Kiddo and i had dinner plans at Park Avenue Summer and since the weather was hot and sunny, i decided to spend some time with ArrangedMarriage and kill 2 birds with 1 stone by arranging to go to the High Line together. coincidentally, AM's apartment is very close to the High Line so it all worked out well.

the High Line is a great park to walk along with a friend/date and enjoy the tall views and interesting architecture and design of the park itself. there's also various spots to lay down and sunbathe, rest, or grab a seat to talk/eat. the key point is that while the park itself is interesting conversation fodder for about 10-15 mins, you'd best go there with someone you can hold a conversation with.

otherwise it's just........awkward.......silence.......

where you're acutely aware that there's an uncomfortable lull in conversation and now you're just walking with someone beside you looking at stuff and not talking. if i'd wanted to do that i could've just gone to the High Line myself. at least then i could've stopped and sat to observe the views and contemplate lofty thoughts instead of frantically trying to think of something to talk about with AM. he seriously doesn't like to make my life easy.

luckily, at the end of High Line is a new space called the Lot. we purchased some drink tickets and beer at the Lot on Tap and grabbed a seat on the long bench tables placed throughout the outdoor space. and we sat directly in front of the Korilla BBQ truck. it was one of the hardest temptations i've had to endure. i knew i was going to eat a 3-course dinner with Kiddo so i didn't want to spoil my appetite but the truck kept taunting me with yummy deliciousness. one day, Korilla, one day you WILL be mine.

a return trip on the High Line led us to Chelsea Market, which i haven't been to in years since i rarely find myself on the west side anymore.  since i love all things food, it's no surprise i liked Chelsea Market. the trip also yielded gelate from L'Arte del Gelato, which, while pricey, gelato is always a treat.

i booked it uptown to meet Kiddo for our dinner reservation at Park Avenue Summer, which i was totally looking forward to. the last time i ate at Park Avenue was during the winter, and every winter Restaurant Week following that 1 time has had the same menu. come on now, really?! for a restaurant that's supposed to change with the seasons to serve the best food for that season, you'd think they'd also have a more innovative menu with each season. so you can imagine how amped i was to finally get to partake in a completely different tasting menu for the summer season.

i'm glad Kiddo is a seasoned RW eater like me so we know not to order the same foods if at all possible. that way we can get a wider range of options to sample. the meal was off to refreshing start when we were served with an amuse bouche of watermelon topped with goat cheese/creme fraiche foam. while the amuse itself was good, i wasn't overly impressed by the culinary prowess (aside from the foam part-i mean, i can cut watermelon too, but i admittedly cannot make flavored foam). but the presentation was adorable as little watermelon lollipops sprouting from a box of grass. 

we ordered the Salmon Tartar and Potato Gnocchi with Summer Corn and Truffles as appetizers. the tartar was a nice and light option to counteract the creamy potato gnocchi which was laden with butter and cream. i could seriously taste the insane amount of butter that  must've gone into that dish. but in that salty, buttery good way. i'm sure it's completely degenerate and unhealthy of me to say that, but i did it anyway.

as entrees Kiddo chose the Dr. Pepper Baby Back Ribs and i opted for the Scottish Salmon. the ribs were cooked to tender so you didn't really need a knife to eat it. and while it was good, i thought it was a bit sweet, but then again, that's why they're Dr. Pepper right? i was actually a bigger fan of the accompanying peach coleslaw it was served with which seemed a perfect summer side. and i love all things peach right now. the salmon was perfectly cooked so it was crispy on the outside but still moist and tender on the inside. i liked the accompanying cold cucumber side that came with it to help balance out the slight saltiness of the fish.

for dessert Kiddo smartly opted for the selection of sorbets, and there is quite a selection and you get to pick 2! i ordered the Peach Panna Cotta with Basil Foam which was pretty dense for a panna cotta but maybe what i think panna cotta is is not what it actually is. it was good, but Kiddo's dessert was clearly the winner, particularly on such a hot summer night.

afterwards, Kiddo had some time to kill before meeting up with (what would be) a very good date (wink wink, nudge nudge), so we went for drinks at K-town in K-town. this place has a seedy underbelly feel to it because it's downstairs with no natural light. but then you notice the giant projector screens are blasting kpop. i'm actually a big fan of this place because they do amazing soju happy hours everday. twice a day. Kiddo and i killed a bottle of soju and then parted ways.


speaking of kpop, as i was rushing towards my Park Avenue Summer reservation, i passed a slightly surly-looking but cute korean girl and did a double take. who to my surprise did i just walk past? Sohee of Wonder Girls! since she did not look happy and i was running late for my reservation, i didn't stop to gawk (too long), but i was super stoked and immediately had to Facebook the sighting for Stitch and GMW.