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Sunday Game Plan – NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2025

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NYC Summer Restaurant Week is back!! This year NYC Restaurant Week will be begin on Monday 07/21/25 to 08/31/25; not all restaurants will participate over the five week period. To date, 610 restaurants from the five boroughs will be participating. The price points for this season are $30, $45 and $60 for lunch/brunch and/or dinner depending on the restaurant.  What I will be doing differently this time is recommending restaurants according to neighborhoods where realistically I’ll be dining in based on convenience unless it’s something special that I’d go that extra mile (stay tuned to the end of this post).

LOWER MANHATTAN

To date there are 14 restaurants that are participating in this upcoming restaurant week. I’ve personally dined in 10 out of the 14 participating restaurants where 7 of those 10 restaurants were for restaurant week.

Before COVID-19, my friend and I dined in Morton’s The Steakhouse on World Trade Center for Restaurant Week dinner. Entrees were generous because I actually recalled my friend ordering the pork chop and only ate a third of her dish and took the rest home. What I appreciated it about this restaurant is their transparency of their portions by posting the calories next to each dish. One day, I’ll return to check out their power hour.

I’ve been to Manhatta twice for restaurant week, the first time was five years ago for lunch and the second time was last year when my friend treated me to an early birthday lunch. Both times I have had the privilege to dine with a view. Service, and ambiance was off the charts. Unfortunately, this restaurant week, the menu offers a variation of dishes that are served on their regular menu, which is not the same. Below are the dishes we had for lunch during restaurant week last summer; everything tasted so good and we got the olive oil cake for dessert, which I took home for the hubby because I had to head back to the office.

Hamachi Crudo
Beef Tartare with sunchoke and Asian Pear
American Wagyu with cabbage
Green Circle Chicken

I have dined in Le Gratin several times, one for French Restaurant Week, after work to try their monthly special and more recently their golden hour. This restaurant is owned by Daniel Boulud and they like to change things up. The menu for this season’s restaurant week is a continuation of their menu for French Restaurant week.

Meal for One

Schilling – $30 pp lunch Monday thru Friday – Wiener Schnitzel/Apple Strudel

La Marchande – $45 pp lunch Monday thru Friday – Shrimp Cocktail/La Marchande Burger

My first visit to La Marchande was back in 2023 for lunch during restaurant week. Service was very slow given there were only three diners (including myself) in the restaurant during lunch. I was excited to try their popular French onion dumplings, but I was disappointed due to the portions being cut in half and not rich as I thought it would be given that it had truffles and gruyere. The French onion dumplings are going to be offered as a supplemental appetizer for this season’s restaurant week. Given the slow service, by the time I got my main entree, which was huge, I had to take it to go so I can get back to work within the hour lunch break. This salad took two day to finish. I’d like to return for another restaurant week lunch meal, but given the slow service, I need to plan it out where my I can stretch my hour lunch break.

Ginger Rouge mocktail
French Onion Dumplings
Nicoise Salad

Crown Shy – $60 pp dinner Sunday thru Friday until August 17th – Kibbeh Nayah, Lavash/Grilled Citrus Marinated Chicken and Hot Sauce/Satsuma, Toasted Marshmallow, Honeycomb

Almost four years ago, I have had the privilege to dine in this one-star Michelin restaurant under the leadership of the late Executive chef James Kent. I was seat in front of the open ended kitchen to watch all the action. I was blown away by the service, bread, appetizers and dessert that earned this restaurant a one-star Michelin back in 2021. Unfortunately, the pictures I have taken from this dining experience are in my old phone which I no longer have access to, but I did a Yelp review of this great dining experience. I’d like to return to indulge in the dining experience under the new leadership.

Vino & … Eataly NYC Downtown – $30 pp lunch Monday thru until August 17th – Insalata Cesare/Linguine al Pesto Genovese e Stracciatella

Meal for Two

Temple Court – $45 pp lunch Monday thru Friday: (1) Wild Arugula Salad/Leg of Lamb (2) Heirloom Grains Salad/Roasted Salmon

Two years ago my friends met up with me for a group dinner inside Temple Court. During that time, only the restaurant week menu was offered so everyone that dined had to order from that menu. Everyone was satisfied. I had to order the agnolotti after learning the techniques on MasterChef, the dish hit the spot and the roasted chicken was a huge portion, which resulted in leftovers for the hubby the next day. I ended the night with the blueberry cheesecake semifreddo. This time, this restaurant will also be offering agnolotti as an appetizer and the roasted chicken as a main entree for dinner. Personally, I may dine here for lunch, thankfully I have time to plan as Temple Court will be participating thru the end of August.

Complementary soup
Agnolotti
Roasted Chicken
Blueberry Cheesecake Semifreddo

Felice 15 Gold Street – $30 pp lunch for two Sunday thru Friday until August 17 – (1) Zuppa Contadina/Paillard de Pollo/Tortino al Cioccolato (2) Bruschetta/Fusilli al Ferretto e Burrata/Tiramisu

Felice 15 Gold Street – $45 pp dinner for two Sunday thru Friday until August 17 – (1) Zuppa Contadina/Pollo Milanese/Tortino al Cioccolato (2) Ricotta/Salmone/Tiramisu

Almost six years ago, I have had the privilege to have brunch at this restaurant. Portions were huge and I had to take leftovers home. Unfortunately, the pictures I have taken from this dining experience are in my old phone which I no longer have access to, but I did a brunch review on Yelp. In addition, I’ve dined in this restaurant two additional times for the holiday party also back in 2019 and 2021. After COVID-19 the quality of food and service was not the same as it was six years ago, which is why I have not yet returned.

Delmonico’s – $60 pp lunch for two Monday thru Friday – (1) Yellowtail Crudo/Faroe Island Salmon/Chocolate Symphony (2) Caramelized Bacon/Risotto/Cheesecake

Earlier this year, my friend and I met for a meal and the dining experience was great. It’s definitely worth the experience even though the clientele would be different. Personally I had the yellow crudo and chocolate symphony, both of which were very good. If I do dine, I’ll definitely try bacon, salmon and most likely I’ll take the cheesecake home.

Meal for four

Stout NYC Financial District – $30 pp lunch with pint of Stella/soda/juice Monday thru Friday – (1) Chicken Pot Stickers/Rustic Chicken Pot Pie (2) Vegetable Pot Stickers/Stout Burger (3) Sweet & Spicy Crispy Cauliflower/Double Stacked Stout Burger (4) Mac and Cheese Bites/Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Personally I have dined in Stout during my lunch break and there were no more than three diners there. I definitely had the Stout Burger, which was good. Service was very quick and I always came home with leftovers.

Meal for five

Brooklyn Chophouse – $60 pp dinner (1) Chicken Lettuce Wraps/Filet Mignon & Broccoli/Vegetable Fried Rice/Chef Choice Dessert (2) Vegetable Lettuce Wraps/Salt & Pepper Shrimp/Bok Choy/Chef Choice Dessert (3) Bacon Cheeseburger Dumplings/Sweet Black Bean Beijing Chicken/Vegetable Fried Rice/Chef Choice Dessert (4) Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce/Ginger Beef and Scallion Noodles/Bok Choy/Chef Choice Dessert (5) Edamame Dumplings/Vegetable Flat Noodles/Bok Choy/Chef Choice Dessert

I’ve dined at this restaurant several times over the past six years. This was the last restaurant I have dined in right before COVID 19 shutdown in 2020. When the restaurants started reopening, an ex-colleague of mine and I would meet to dine outdoors. Last summer right after a successful accreditation inspection, we had a celebratory dinner for restaurant week. The chef choice dessert for the evening was a slice of red velvet cake.

Appetizers
Entrees
Dessert

THE SEAPORT

To date there are 8 restaurants that are participating in this upcoming restaurant week. I’ve personally dined in 6 out of the 8 participating restaurants where 5 of those 8 restaurants were for restaurant week.

Meal for One

Malibu Farm – $45 dinner – Homemade Ricotta/Chicken/Olive Oil Cake

I’ve dined in this restaurant for Winter Restaurant Week dinner and the options for that season is definitely better. I’ve also dined in for lunch two years ago and I got to watch the filming of a scene for Law & Order SVU.

The Fulton – $45 pp lunch Monday thru Friday – Crispy Calamari Salad/Simply Prepared Salmon

I’ve dined in this restaurant for Winter Restaurant Week lunch and they offered a 3 course meal for $60. Service was slow where I had to take my dessert home, which was ice cream and unfortunately I could not enjoy it as it melted during my long commute home. However, I did enjoy the Yellowtail Tuna Tartare and Ume Sesame Crusted Salmon that I devoured the entire dish. I also dined three more times to try their gruyere cheeseburger au jus, shrimp burger and spaghetti alla vongole. All three dishes were overall delicious and hit the spot. This season, only two courses are being offered and I have to plan according if I want to dine here for lunch.

The Fulton – $60 pp lunch Sunday thru Friday – Seafood Plateau/Branzino/Housemade Ice Cream/Sorbet

House of Red Pearl – $45 pp dinner Sunday thru Friday – Crunchy Lettuce Hearts/Glazed Shrimp/Mango Sago Pudding

Meal for Two

The Tuck Room – $45 pp dinner Monday thru Friday – (1) Short Rib Bao Bun Sliders/Lobster Mac and Cheese/Concord Chocolate Cake (2) Crispy Shrimp Spring Roll/Salmon/Fresh Fruit Tart

The Tuck Room, located inside the iPic theatres was my fun go to spot for happy hour over 6 years ago. The first time I went was at the holiday party for work in 2017, but I was not impressed with the food. My friends took me out to celebrate my engagement for happy hour/pre game after work in 2019. I may come for happy hour and a restaurant week meal.

T. Brasserie – $30 pp lunch Monday thru Friday – (1) Country Pate/Faroe Island Salmon (2) Endive Salad and Snap Pea Salad/Gruyere Cheeseburger

Two years ago I saw a photo of the gruyere cheeseburger and I just had to try it for lunch. This burger took a while to make so even though I enjoyed every bite of it, I actually only ate half of it and took the rest home for the hubby to have for dinner. He loved the burger despite the richness because it was different.

The Frenchman’s Dough – $30 pp lunch Monday thru Friday (1) Caesar Salad/Chicken Parmigiana (2)Fried Mozzarella/Bolognese

Industry Kitchen – $30 pp lunch Sunday thru Friday until August 17 (1) Atlantic Salmon Ceviche/Miso Glazed Atlantic Salmon (2) Truffle Potato Wedges/Pan Seared Chicken Francese

Whenever I dined in Industry Kitchen, I have to order the truffle potato wedges. The first time I had these wedges, there were to die for because of its curly texture with the parmesan cheese and truffle oil. Over time, the wedges changed shape which now look like steak fries but the texture and taste is still there. I’ve also had the lamb chops and I did not care for them because they were unevenly cooked.

Truffle Potato Wedges
Lamb Chops

Meal for Three

Carne Mare – $45 pp lunch Monday thru Friday (1) Crispy Calamari/Ora King Salmon (2) Brooklyn Burrata Con Panna/Sweet Corn Agnolotti (3) The House Wedgini/AC’s Famous Prime Rib Sandwich

I actually had the Brooklyn Burrata Con Panna as my appetizer for winter restaurant week lunch where they offered a 3 course meal for the same price. This appetizer was so filling that I was only able to enjoy half of my main entree (I took the other half home) and for dessert, I only had two bites because I was so full.

During my commute since 07/17/25, I’ve developed a bucket list of restaurants I want to dine and support new restaurants especially the ones with the best deals. Unfortunately, I won’t be participating as much as I would have liked due to the life and priorities. Here’s the my wish list for this season’s restaurant week outside of Lower Manhattan and Seaport neighborhoods.

  1. Tuome
  2. Ishq
  3. Naks
  4. Golden K Burger
  5. Park Ave Kitchen by David Burke
  6. Dhamaka
  7. Nuet-Et Midtown
  8. Momofuku Noodle Bar
  9. Koloman
  10. Cafe Boulud
  11. Baar Baar
  12. Central Park Boathouse

I may hit up other restaurants in Queens because it’s more convenient and definitely worth exploring. I’ll definitely be hitting up at least three of the restaurants on this list. Stay tuned.

Sunday Game Plan – French Restaurant Week

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Starting tomorrow, French Restaurant Week returns with participating restaurants offering prix fixe menus at $30, $45, $60 and $75. French Restaurant Week will run from July 7th thru July 20th. Last year there were 12 restaurants participating and this year there are 19 restaurants participating. What’s interesting is that two of the restaurants that participated last year are not participating this year. In addition, Le Gratin, who participated in French Restaurant week lunch last year and is only doing dinner this year. I reviewed 18 menus to date and developed my restaurant picks for French Restaurant Week. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that I will end up dining in any of these restaurants due to life priorities. Meanwhile, I will continue to support my restaurant picks for French Restaurant week.

Meal for One

Lafayette – $60 pp dinner – Sugar Snap Peas/Rotisserie Chicken Estragon/Gateaux Marjolaine

Le Rock – $60 pp dinner – Carottes Rapees/Rotisserie Chicken/Baba Aux Chartreuse

Loulou – $60 pp (Sunday thru Thursday) dinner – Frisee/Steak Au Poivre/Mousse au Chocolat

Cafe Boulud – $75 pp dinner – Salad Nicoise/Dorade Mediterraneenne/Cerise en jubilee

Paris Bar – $60 pp dinner – Farmers Market Salad/Lobster Bucatini/Apple Tart Tatin

Meal for Two

Levant on Smith – $60 pp – 4pm to 9pm dinner – (1) Sesame Tuna Tartare/Steak Frites/Creme Brulee (2) Crispy Goat Cheese/Seabass/San Sebastian Cheesecake

La Sirene – Soho – $60 pp – Cash/check/AMEX only dinner – (1) Escargots a la Bourguignonne/Braised Rabbit Diijonnaise/Croquant au Caramel (2) Ravioles de Royan a la Crème/Oven Roasted Cornish Hen/Choux Chantilly

La Sirene – UWS – $60 pp – Cash/check/AMEX only dinner – (1) Escargots a la Bourguignonne/Braised Rabbit Diijonnaise/Croquant au Caramel (2) Ravioles de Royan a la Crème/Oven Roasted Cornish Hen/Choux Chantilly

Margaux by La Sirene – $60 pp – Cash/check/Amex only dinner – (1) Escargots a la Bourguignonne/Braised Rabbit Diijonnaise/Croquant au Caramel (2) Ravioles de Royan a la Crème/Oven Roasted Cornish Hen/Choux Chantilly

La Pavilion – $75 pp – lunch – (1) Salade a la Grecque/Grilled Arctic Char/Tropezienne (2) Corn Veloute/Ratatouille/Café Cocoa Sundae

Loulou – $45 pp – lunch – Monday to Friday – (1) Gaspacho/Chicken Paillard/Mousse au Chocolat (2) Classic Bibb/Loulou Burger/Crème Brulee

Le Petit Village – $60 pp – dinner – (1) Wagyu Steak Tartare/Spring Chicken/Crème Brulee (2) Salad du Jardin/Le Burger/Raspberry Sorbet

Paris Bar – $30 pp – lunch – Monday to Friday) – Goat cheese croquette/Roasted Organic Half Chicken (2) Scallop Ceviche/Bucatini Printemps

Personally, I have solo-dined at La Sirene Soho four years ago. had their Ravioles de Royan a la Crème and the Oven Roasted Cornish Hen. Both dishes are definitely worth getting at either La Sirene location.

Ravioles de Royan a la Crème
Ravioles de Royan a la Crème
Oven Roasted Cornish Hen

Recently, I dined at the Paris Bar and ordered the goat cheese croquette doused in lavender honey. This unique dish is definitely worth ordering as the honey and lavender balanced the strong goat cheese flavor out.

Goat cheese croquettes

Meal for three

La Sirene – UWS – $30 pp lunch – Cash/Credit/AMEX – Monday to Friday – (1) French Onion Soup/Prince Edward Island Mussels (2) Fresh Roasted Beet Salad with Brie/Croque Madame (3) Homemade Pate de Campagne/Jambon Brie Sandwich

The Supper Club by Le Petit Parisien – $60 pp dinner – This restaurant is only offering the French Restaurant Week Menu (there will be no a la carte menu). (1) Poached Shrimp/Pan Seared Salmon/Apple Torte (2) Pate de Campagne/Atlantic Cod/Crème Brulee (3) Belgian Endive and Fennel Salad/Ravioles Comte/Crème Brulee

Lafayette – $45 pp lunch – (1) Frisee Salad/Rainbow Trout (2) Heirloom Tomato Salad/Rotisserie Chicken Salad (3) French Onion Soup/Omelette

Cheers to another year of French Restaurant Week!! Bon Appetit!!

Traditional Tuesday Game Plan – Sunnyside Restaurant Week

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Happy Easter!! Another restaurant week!! With the recent successes restaurant weeks and restaurants months over the course of 30 years, Sunnyside Restaurant Week is back again!! Sunnyside Restaurant Week starts on April 22 and will end on May 4th. Based on their website, 49 restaurants are participating and their prix fixe price is $35 and/or other deals/discounts. This restaurant week actually will last two weeks, below is my best bang for your buck list of places I’d like to go.

Restaurants for meal of one:

Ariyoshi NYC – $35 pescatarian meal: seafood salad/shrimp tempura/flounder ginger/ice cream

Chihuahua – $35 dinner: chicken nachos/tilapia y camarones/flan

La Pollera de Mario – $35 dinner: Guacamole and Tostones/Plato Aguacatala/Flan

Sanger Hall – $35 dinner: Cheese curds/Rasta Pasta/Funnel Fries

Takesushi – $35 dinner: Ankimo (Monkfish) Liver/6 piece sushi and one roll/Nama Choco

Restaurants for meals for two:

Bajeko Sekuwa – $35 dinner: (1) Riesling/Timmure Chicken/Bengali Fish Curry/Rasmalai (2) Merlot/Chicken Tikka/Goat Rogan Josh/Lal Mohan

Bar 43 – $35 dinner: (1) Sheet Pan Nachos/Sizzling Chicken Fajitas/Bailey’s Cheesecake (2) Pretzel Bites/Steak Baguette/Turtufo Truffle

Costa Y Mar – $35 dinner for one: Papa la Huancaina/Lomo Saltado/Tres Leches (2) $28 Seafood Duo: Fish Ceviche/Jalea

Restaurants for meals for three:

Cardamom – $35 dinner: (1) Chicken 65/Tandoori Chicken/Kheer (2) Samosa Chaat/Chicken Sheekh Kabab/Gulab Jamun (3) Lasuni Gobi/Chicken Tikka/Rasmalai

Tito Rad’s – $35 dinner: (1) Lumpia Shanghai/Beef Mechado/Leche Flan (2) Ukoy/Grilled Tuna Belly/Ube (3) Fresh Lumpia/Chicken Adobo/Cassava

Zirve Turkish Grill – $35 dinner; (1) Piyoz/Manti/Tres Leches Cake (2) Lentil Soup/Chicken Adana Kebab/Baklava (3) Chicken and Vegetable Soup/Kofte Kebab/Rice Pudding

Personally I have dined in three restuarants listed for Sunnyside Restaurant week on different occasions. I’ve had the grilled tuna belly from Tito Rad’s and it was very good. It’s actually one of my go to dishes if I dined in this restaurant. I’ve also ate at Cardamom which is listed on Michelin’s Bib Gourmand list but the dishes I had in this restaurant are not participating in this restaurant week. More recently I’ve dined in Bar 43 for brunch and their pretzel bites will be sold during this restaurant week.

Realistically I don’t know if I’ll be able to dine in one any of the restaurants listed above due to my current work schedule. In the meantime, I’ll be check their social media pages and hopefully I’ll be able to repost on my stories as my way of support small businesses and another restaurant week concept.

Traditional Tuesday – Game Plan – NYC Winter Restaurant Week 2025

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NYC Winter Restaurant Week is back! Starting from 01/21/25 to 02/09/25, 597 restaurants have signed up to participate in this dining promotion that started 33 years ago. What I can’t believe was that I didn’t blog a NYC Restaurant Week game plan since becoming a mom; my last game plan post for NYC Restaurant Week was in 2022 right before I became a mom. Since I returned to work, I’ve taken advantage of dining in restaurants during lunch and early dinner to avoid eating late due to the long commute. The price points for this season are $30, $45 and $60 for lunch/brunch and/or dinner depending on the restaurant. Below is a list of restaurants I’ve dined in the last two years:

January 2023 – I dined in Malibu Farm for dinner after work where I had their Helene’s Long Island Fluke Ceviche paired with their Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Then I had their seared Faroe Island Salmon, which was generous (I recall eating half and taking the other half home for the hubby/baby to consume). Finally I ended dinner with chocolate cake and I just ate the ice cream and took the cake home. Malibu Farm is also participating in this season’s Restaurant Week but their menu has not been posted. In the meantime, the ceviche is still on their regular menu. The salmon that is currently on their menu is roasted and contains different vegetable. The chocolate cake is not on their current menu, but may appear in the restaurant week menu.

Helene’s Long Island Fluke Ceviche
Seared Faroe Island Salmon
Chocolate Cake

The following day I dined in The Fulton for lunch. This was a three course lunch so I had the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare and Ume Sesame Crusted Salmon with a yuzu mocktail. Service was slow and the main entree was the perfect lunch portion, which I devoured. I had to take my Whiskey Pecan Ice Cream and Coconut Sorbet to go because I had to head back to work. By the time I got home, both desserts were melting so I had to refreeze it to consume it. The Fulton will be participating for dinner only in this season’s restaurant week.

Yellowtail Tuna Tartare
Umi Sesame Crusted Salmon

I also dined in Carne Mare for restaurant week lunch. This was another three course menu. I started my lunch with the Arnold Palmer along with the Brooklyn Burrata Con Pana. I recall loving the burrata and pesto but not the bread. Portions were generous. I was starting to get full after finishing the appetizer. Once the main entree came, I was able to only eat half of the Mezzi Rigatoni and took the rest home to be devoured by my husband who approved this dish. When the dessert came, I was way too full to even attempt eating it, but I did consume all the fruit, which was refreshing. Unfortunately, this dish is not ideal to take to go. Carne Mare is also participating for lunch and brunch for this season’s restaurant week and they are offering the same dishes I ate this time around.

Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Brooklyn Burrata Con Pano
Brooklyn Burrata Con Pano
Mezzi Rigatoni
Mezzi Rigatoni
Panna Cotta
Panna Cotta

February 2023 – I had a girls night dinner on the last day of restaurant week two years ago at Bar Boulud. We ordered a bottle of the 2021 L’effet papillion IGP Cotes Catalanes Pinot Noir red wine, which was the sommelier’s choice for Restaurant Week. For appetizers we ordered the Pate en Croute and Escargots Persillade, I recalled enjoying the pate and my friend enjoyed her escargots, but had better version of the French dish at other French Restaurants. For the entrees, we ordered the Coq Au Vin and Rainbow Trout, portions were perfect. The trout was the better entree of the two because the sauce had so much alcohol in it (not all of the alcohol burned off) that someone who does not drink will get drunk off this dish. We ended the dining experience with the Passionfruit Cheesecake which was beautifully presented and Gateau Basque. Both dishes were delicious, I personally liked the cheesecake slightly better than the Gateau Basque. Bar Boulud is also participating for lunch and dinner for this season’s restaurant week. Bar Boulud will be offering a variation of the trout and gateau basque along with the escargots.

Fast forward a year later or rather a year ago, January 2024 – I had a work reunion dinner at Vallata Unfortunately I don’t have the photos for this dinner, but I did write a review on Yelp about the dinner and experience. This restaurant will also be participating for restaurant week dinner. For an extra charge, Vallata will be offering the foccacia, chickpea salad, skirt steak and cannoli bombolone.

February 2024 – I did two restaurant week lunches because they were on the Michelin list. The first spot I dined in was Gramercy Tavern. I got the first reservation of that day and I took a long lunch break (2 hours) to dine in this restaurant. The dining room area is only used for dinner service. So for restaurant week, the restaurant week menu for lunch was only served. The restaurant week menu showcased dishes that are usually served on their dinner tasting menu. To start, I received a complementary bite along with a sweet potato roll, both items were amazing. The complementary bite set my palate for the three dishes that I ordered. The sweet potato roll and butter were amazing. I don’t usually eat rolls before my meal because it is filling, but I definitely devoured this roll. The restaurant week portions are smaller than what would you get if you were to dine here on a normal night. For the appetizer, I ordered the sweet potato agnolotti, which was amazing from the texture of the freshly made agnolotti to the butter sauce. I made sure that every piece of agnolotti was drowned in the sauce, so the plate would be perfectly cleaned. For the entree of the roasted duck and it was a perfect portion. The duck was cooked medium, and it was lean. I still enjoyed that agnolotti dish. For dessert, I had the Meyer lemon tart, which was a perfect ending to my amazing lunch experience. This was one of the best overall meals I’ve had for restaurant week. Everything was to die for. Gramercy Tavern will be participating for lunch only during this season’s restaurant week. The menu is completely different and it appears that there are more options offered on this menu. The marinated scallops, golden tilefish, butternut squash lumache (lasagna for dinner), roasted duck breast and bacon, apple & quince tart and dark chocolate cake will be part of this season’s restaurant week lunch.

Complementary bite and sweet potato roll
Sweet potato agnolotti
Roasted Duck
Meyer Lemon Tart

For another restaurant week lunch, I went to Le Jardinier, which had a one-star Michelin rating during the time I was there. I was running late and the staff was very accommodating as I arrived towards the very tail end of their lunch menu. I recall their portions were huge that I ate half of both my appetizer and entree and took the rest home for dinner. I ordered the chicory salad with green apples and pine nuts as my appetizer and for the entree I had to get the infamous Carolina gold rice risotto with mushroom and cheese. The risotto was too pretty to consume and one scoop of all the components together was to die for. Unfortunately, both dishes are no longer listed on their current menu and they are not participating in this season’s restaurant week.

Chicory Salad
Carolina Rice Risotto

On the last day of last year’s winter restaurant week, I had a girls night dinner at The Consulate Midtown. The restaurant was very pretty. I started with the Ginger Optional Cocktail, which was refreshing. We ordered a variety of dishes such as the blood orange salad, octopus carpaccio, burrata, cauliflower and parsnip soup. The appetizers were good. The entrees could be better, I think the dishes that were served were rushed because there were components that were undercooked. The steak frites had more fries than the steak, rabbit tagliatelle was good, scallops and risotto (risotto was undercooked), salmon with bernaise sauce. I enjoyed the salmon dish. The desserts of bread pudding and blueberry panna cotta were good but not memorable. The Consulate will be participating in this season’s restaurant week. They will be offering the octopus carpaccio and both desserts.

Ginger Optional
Octopus Carpaccio
Blood Orange Salad
Cauliflower and Parsnip Soup
Burrata
Steak Frites
Scallops and Risotto
Salmon with Bernaise Sauce
Rabbit Tagliatelle
Bread Pudding
Blueberry Panna Cotta

During my commute since 01/07/25, I’ve developed a bucket list of restaurants I want to dine and support new restaurants especially the ones with the best deals. Unfortunately, I won’t be participating as much as I would have liked due to the upcoming Lunar New Year, Long Island Restaurant Week, life and priorities. Here’s the my wish list for this season’s restaurant week:

  1. Al Fiori
  2. Delmonico’s
  3. Jiang Nan
  4. Lincoln Ristorante
  5. House of Red Pearl
  6. Great Jones Distilling
  7. Metropolis
  8. Hav & Mar
  9. David Burke Tavern
  10. Luigi’s

I may hit up other restaurants in Queens because it’s more convenient and definitely worth exploring. I’ll definitely be hitting up at least three of the restaurants on this list. Stay tuned.

Meatless Monday – Walnut Rice with Cream Cheese, Mushrooms and Spinach

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Wow! It’s been awhile since my last post, which was my game plan for French Restaurant Week in June. There are officially 99 days left in 2024! I’ve been cooking a lot and replicating recipes using techniques rather than ingredients because I had to work with what I had. Over the summer, two months ago, I came home early enough to utilize the ingredients that are in the refrigerator before they went bad. After surveying the content at that time, I had leftover vegan cream cheese, spinach and unopened mushrooms that needed to be cooked or it would have been a waste. Therefore, after my child went to bed, I did a basic search on dishes containing cream cheese, mushrooms and spinach. The first thing that popped up on my search engine was the recipe from RiceSelect. After reviewing this recipe, I discovered I had all the ingredients: cooked rice, walnuts, butter, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. I gathered up what I had and here is what I had to work with:

See these ingredients I realized that I have a healthy comforting vegetarian dish in the works.

Butter from grass fed cows have good sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, chromium, copper, iodine, manganese, and zinc. For this recipe I used Vital Farms Unsalted Butter, has been labeled as on the best butters according to taste tests from Serious Eats and and Healthline. Personally I like using grass fed unsalted butter because it makes dishes taste a little richer while consuming the fat soluble vitamins essential for bone health. For this dish, I melted less than 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter.

Then after the butter is melted, I added the mushrooms and let it cook for approximately 4 minutes.

One cup of mushrooms contain multiple cancer fighting antioxidants such as “polyphenols, polysaccharides, ergothioneine, glutathione, selenium, and vitamin C”, These antioxidants fight off oxidative stress, and prevent tumors. The presence of polysaccharides in mushrooms help regular blood sugar and insulin production. Mushrooms also contain a specific type of polysaccharide called beta-glucans. Beta-glucans has been shown to activate macrophages and natural killer cells to stimulate the immune system, which will inhibit further tumor growth, reduce proliferation and metastasis. In addition to the prevention of tumor production, beta-glucans in its soluble form is capable of forming a “gel on the mucosal surface of the bowel”, which will reduce cholesterol levels. The presence of glutathione and ergothioneine in white mushrooms display their respective roles in getting rid of potentially harmful substances and keeping the DNA safe from oxidative damage. Ergothioneine acts as a bioactive agent to prevent plaque development, which reduces the risk of early cardiovascular disease. The presence of Vitamin C and selenium also adds another layer of anticancer properties by respectively blocking specific enzymes responsible for spreading cancer and prevent cancer development. Finally, white button mushrooms have prebiotics, which is beneficial for intestinal health and gut health.

After the mushrooms are cooked, add the vegan cream cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and reduce the heat temperature to medium-low.

Vegan Cream Cheese

Add cooked brown rice (leftover brown rice – a day old), stir to blend and heat with the mushroom cream cheese mixture (3-4 minutes).

Brown rice has been advertised and promoted as a healthy carbohydrate ingredient because it is considered a whole grain. Four years ago, a three prospective cohort study covering self-reporting, follow-up questionnaire with supplemental questionnaires covering a period of 33 years (1984-2017) was published. The results from this cohort study showed that higher consumption of whole grains, which includes brown rice was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes among the “158,259 women and 36,525 men who did not have type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at baseline”. However, in 2023, there was an article that was published revealing that there is more arsenic found in brown rice versus white rice. The article addressed that arsenic is considered an environmental pollutant that has contributed to higher risk of arsenic-induced metabolic syndrome whose symptoms include “a large waistline, high blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, high triglyceride level, and low HDL cholesterol”. These symptoms often lead to cardiovascular disease in the long term. Ultimately, based on these two studies, more studies and research need to be completed to validate the health benefits of brown rice. In the meantime, we should limit food and products containing arsenic due to more consistent findings.

Add spinach to the rice mixture and stir until wilted.

Spinach is one of my favorite vegetable because of its versatility but more importantly this vegetable contains a large amount of health benefits. I have shared recipes in past blog posts containing spinach:

Recent research reveals another another component that is found in spinach called Betaine. Betaine has been known to help regulate homocysteine levels in the blood, which may contribute towards disease prevention such as heart disease, and stroke, Betaine has also been shown to with endurance, reduce fatigue and improve muscle power and strength.

After the spinach is wilted, remove pan from heat and add walnuts. Walnuts usually adds another layer of flavor and texture. They are great for garnishes. I personally like to include them when baking banana bread or incorporating them in a salad. There have been recent research showing that walnuts are beneficial for improving cognition and reducing the risk and/or progression of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. In additions the properties found in walnuts may provide protection against neuroinflammation.

Happy National Rice Month! I hope to continue to blog more successful dishes before the year ends!!

References:

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Streit, L and Kubala, J. The 12 Best Butter Brands for Every Use. Healthline. 2022 Jun 30. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-butter-brands

Lang, A. White Mushrooms: Nutrition, Benefits, and Uses. Healthline. 2020 Jan 27. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/white-mushroom-nutrition

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Yang S, Yan J, Yang L, Meng Y, Wang N, He C, Fan Y, Zhou Y. Alkali-soluble polysaccharides from mushroom fruiting bodies improve insulin resistance. Int J Biol Macromol. 2019 Apr 1;126:466-474. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.12.251. Epub 2018 Dec 27. PMID: 30594618; PMCID: PMC8593897.

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Kalaras MD, Richie JP, Calcagnotto A, Beelman RB. Mushrooms: A rich source of the antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione. Food Chem. 2017 Oct 15;233:429-433. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.04.109. Epub 2017 Apr 20. PMID: 28530594.

Chambial S, Dwivedi S, Shukla KK, John PJ, Sharma P. Vitamin C in disease prevention and cure: an overview. Indian J Clin Biochem. 2013 Oct;28(4):314-28. doi: 10.1007/s12291-013-0375-3. Epub 2013 Sep 1. PMID: 24426232; PMCID: PMC3783921.

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Return to work game plan

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After 3.5 months of mostly working from home, I am officially returning to work on-site full time. This is going to be interesting. I have lots of reservations about taking the bus and subway once again despite reports that it’s immaculately clean. This is a four day week, so we have options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I absolutely did not prep anything, however, this week, I am going to finish my leftovers: Savory Mushroom Bread Pudding that I froze because I made surplus of it. I am also defrosting my homemade Beef Broth, shrimp and pork chops. I have lots of carbs including English muffins, whole wheat bread and rice along with eggs, cheese wraps, chicken sausage, garlic, ginger, lemon, tomato paste and mushroom stock. We also have pantry items like pasta sauces, sardines, canned tomatoes, pasta and chips.

This week I am going to tackle the freezer, which is filled with a bunch of frozen foods, making egg breakfast dishes and building my immune system as I will be hydrating myself to last 10 hours wearing a N-95 mask.

Stay tuned as I try to post this week’s meals on Instagram: tablespoonsandteaspoons.

Stay healthy, stay safe and stay happy.

“COVID-19 Lockdown” Game Plan Week 2

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Happy to say that Week 1 of the COVID-19 Lockdown was about 80% successful. I have been able to keep up with the steps which is essentially my meal schedule rather than food prep because my brain was not there to organize my meals. Part of that is just getting back into the groove and gaining momentum to eventually food prep for bigger and better meals.

Here are my pictures from last week’s game plan meals including the Rye French Toast:

Rye French Toast
Alpha Food Pot Pie Beefy Chedd’r (vegan)
Kodiak Cake Chocolate Chip Protein Waffles
Lentil Stew
Fettuccine with Mushroom and Steak Sauce
Fishpeople’s Cod with garlic parmesan potato bacon topping
Bacon wrapped carrots
Parmesan Bacon Orzo with Roasted Carrots and Onion

We have entered week 2 of the COVID-19 Lockdown and things in New York City has gotten worse. The lock down has now extended to another two weeks. There will be no Holy Week services, which I look forward too. However, I have been spiritually more involved in watching live streaming services online.

Given all that is going on I feel lucky and blessed. I am very thankful to God and the good spirits that I have a roof over my head and a job at least for two months. So making every effort to work for the glory of God because HE controls our fate.

In order to stay in compliance, my other half went to the supermarket while I worked from home. This week’s game plan also has ingredients from last week because there were some changes to the steps from last week.

We would love to hear any feedback regarding this week’s game plan. Stay tuned for pictures of my journey through this game plan. Everyone stay safe and may God Bless America!

“COVID-19 Lockdown” Game Plan

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There is so much hysteria to the point that we are on the brink of becoming a martial law country. This lockdown game plan to “flatten the curve” is set up by NYC mayor and governor to hopefully reduce the number of new COVID-19 cases. As a result, I will be working my paid job, which funds this blog remotely. What does this mean?

This means I get the opportunity to hopefully reset and continue where I left off writing this blog. During the past few months I feel like I am getting ghosted by social media platforms such as Instagram. The only silver lining is that businesses and owner have liked my posts but there are so few of them.

When I launched this blog back in 2016, I had a vision that it would progressively grow and turn it into a career that is fulfilling and rewarding. Unfortunately I have experienced a lot of downfalls due to the lack of support and continuously fighting the powerful establishments and potential haters from the past who feel that they are entitled to any achievement on my own through emotional blackmail and spreading rumors by framing me as the evil, crazy and toxic person because I am finally free.

Still fighting the good fight as these people from the past who knew everything about me inside out are using it against me and taking credit for everything I have worked for including my degrees from Fordham, Hunter and University of Illinois. These same people are bragging to other people that without them I’ll never succeed. Ok..I’ll stop..

Given the circumstances that occurred the last month, normalcy on this end has come to a pause overall. However, I am very thankful to God and the good spirits that I have a roof over my head and a job at least for two months. So making every effort to work for the glory of God because HE controls our fate.

With the exponential increase of COVID-19 cases in NYC and in Long Island, and the origin of this debilitating and mysterious virus came from China, there is also an increase in hate crime against Chinese and Asian Americans because people are ignorant. I am thankful that I have not had that experience personally but given the fact that I am a first generation Asian American born in America with a background in public health and health communications that is passionate about food, culinary medicine, health, and research.

While COVID-19 is still hot press it is also an important public health issue because through health promotion, advocacy and communication communities are actually complying with the progressive martial law mandates such as social distancing, limiting store hours, working remotely and shutting down non-essential businesses. While these measures are implemented, the long term effects will be the disappearance of human social interaction that is essential to survival.

In order to stay in compliance, we went to the supermarket two days ago and brought 1-2 weeks worth of groceries. So without further ado and after hours of planning here’s the weekday game plan based on what’s available in the present moment:

We would love to hear any feedback regarding this week’s game plan. Stay tuned for pictures of my journey through this game plan. Everyone stay safe and may God Bless America!

Meatless Monday – David Burke Tavern

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Last week I decided to make solo trip to David Burke Tavern in the Upper East Side in Manhattan. The former Fishtail location will be one of the participating restaurants for the upcoming NYC restaurant week starting tomorrow.

One of the entrees that will be offered during restaurant week is the celery root ravioli. The dish consists of grapes, pickled celery and winter black truffles. This homemade dish is well balanced especially when all the elements are combined.

Celery Root Ravioli

Stay tuned for the Restaurant Week Game Plan.

Throwback Thursday- 14th Annual American Cancer Society Taste of Hope

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On May 23, 2019, I had the privilege to attend the American Cancer Society 14th Annual Taste of Hope event in New York City. I purchased my VIP ticket in person at $300 which included a gift bag and early access to food and drink. This year’s event had four honorees: Dana Cowin was this year’s Survivor Honoree. She served as Editor-in-Chief for Food and Wine Magazine from 1995-2016. She recently launched “Speaking Broadly”, a podcast that focuses on highlighting and linking amazing women in the food industry. There were two culinary honorees: The first honoree was Ralph Scamardella, Partner and Chef of the TAO Group. The TAO Group consists of restaurants such as TAO Uptown, TAO Downtown, LAVO, Dream Downtown, Dream Midtown, and Legasea in New York City alone. The Group also have restaurants in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The second honoree was Michael Lomonaco, Chef/Partner of Porter House Grill and Bar and Center Bar both located in the Time Warner Building in Columbus Circle. Recently, he opened the Hudson Yards Grill in Hudson Yards. Finally, we had a corporate honoree. This year’s honoree was Otto Cedeno founder of Otto’s Tacos. Otto’s Taco has been part of the American Cancer Society community for the past three years and is known for his awareness for Breast Cancer Month every October by selling “pink” tacos.

There were lots of food especially lobster which I am allergic to. Since I had a heavy steak meal the night before I went pescatarian for this event. Therefore, here are my favorite savory and sweet tastings from the event:

Sen Sakana – Nikkei Ceviche
Nobu Fifty – Seven Salmon Pastrami
Delicatessen – Tuna Tartare
Boulud Sud – Cured Faroe Island Salmon
Jora Restaurant and Bar – Quinoa Solterito
Drunken Fruit Products
Magnolia Bakery – Mini Banana Pudding Cups
Loi Estiatorio – Yiaourti Me Meli
Sarabeth – Chocolate Mousse
Serendipity 3 – Frrrrozen Hot Chocolate

For an event that was held at the beginning of Memorial Day weekend, it was a success. Personally I cannot wait for next year’s 15th Annual Taste of Hope event scheduled to take place on Thursday May 21, 2020. Stay tuned for more details for details.