wine food yum

as many of you know, we were in nyc this past labour day weekend (friday august 29 to wed sept 3rd) and also happened to get engaged - in central park with yummy foods from bouchon bakery (a la thomas keller) at columbus circle, just one floor down from per se. sadly, there was no per se on our itinerary, but alas, we share with you the rest of our adventures - through photos :)

but trust me - this post is most definitely NOT disappointing . enjoy the food porn!

to the left, giant chocolate milkshake for two (or four!) from Tom's Restaurant near Columbia University.











- fat little italian sausage from Tom's Restaurant that made Andrea frown :\
- "surprise" dish from Baluchi's Indian Food, something like fried potato balls with the usual toppings
- sweaty hot dog man at the blue jays vs. yankees game (and 12th last game at yankee stadium!) - be sure to notice the dripping sweat from his nose garnishing the hot dogs with wonderful salty flavours










- beautiful baked goods + cupcakes at Dean & Deluca, courtesy mainly of Two Little Red Hens
- cupcakes before (clockwise from top left) marble cupcake, brooklyn blackout cupcake, vanilla raspberry cupcake - damn good cupcakes, but at $5.50 each, it's no wonder
- cupcakes after being demolished by a few hungry torontonians looking for cupcakes worthy of being called cupcakes

a trip to nyc isn't complete without a visit to Nobu. pictured to the left is the $17 usd "Yellowtail Jalapeno" dish which is always top quality sourced and melt-in-your-mouth.

we went to "nobu next door" since it was a last minute thought - but the Uni here was the best i've ever had, even compared to the Nobu Las Vegas and Prince Hotel's Katsura in Toronto











- on the way back from Nobu, we found ourselves at the door of David Bouley's Bouley Restaurant and across the street with a green awning, Bouley Bakery. i went for a visit the next morning, especially after an honorable mention in Celebrity Chef Restaurants on Any Budget
- croissants galore and i had a Pain Pear au Chocolat with a latte watching the lower east-side joggers and dog-walkers go by
- picked up 2 packs of cookies (sugar cookies + another oatmeal type) for home but deeply regret not picking up a few more packs (my coworkers, family & mm also regret this ..)










- after a dinner in little italy, caught up with tianne and mike and we went to gorge ourselves at Max Brenner's - if you love chocolate, then this place will open your eyes, warm your heart, and awaken the child within you
- fondue for 2 that 3 of us couldn't finish (clockwise from top left): chocolate fondue warmed by candle; small table top fire for roasting marshmallows (hidden); bowl of strawberries, bananas, and marshmellows; creme fraische with tart strawberry sauce; chocolate vial to pour on all the goodies; peanut butter bar topped with chocolate; chocolate mouse topped with white chocolate clumps and pop-rocks; vanilla icecream with chocolate sauce drizzle; banana caramel waffle.
- part of the menu writes, "Our chocolate should be savored with all senses. Listed to the most romantic music, then watch it like a child's fantasty that turns into reality, smell it like the rarest of perfumes, dip your fingers into it and lick it slowly - and passionately. Make love to it. Enjoy to the Max."


the tastiest hot chocolate i've ever had - the "Choc-o-Pops" hot chocolate, served with small wafer/crisp chocolate pieces that warms you right up and gives you that feeling of pure chocolate ecstasy, served in a "hug mug" that you hug in your hands, that makes the experience just that much more comfy, go to Max Brenner's!













- my surprise picnic consisted of wonderful goods from Bouchon Bakery
- an array of baked goodness: Sticky Buns to Danishes, Loaves and other breads
- sandwiches, paninis, croissant sandwiches, mousses, foie gras in a cup - and, (not pictured here) foie gras biscuits for DOGS in the shape of dog bones - yes that's right. pretentious, much? well, we thought so, too - until a lady with two bald dogs purchased two right in front of us :)









- ah, lovely bouchon bakery + food on the grass for a picnic in central park!
- wagyu beef sandwich, warmed in a press - absolutely delicious, tender beef, perhaps just slightly overcooked from the re-heat
- a large "arnold palmer" drink, a lemonade-lime-orange refresher!









- a vanilla blueberry mousse - check out all the specks of vanilla bean, yum :)
- pecan sticky buns from bouchon bakery are famous and now we know why . ..
- (after our engagement) - a wonderful celebratory mixed berry tart to complete the perfect picnic and to reiterate that "in a new york minute, everything can change."

another post to come on Jean Georges :) Read the full story »

crepes a gogo, 18 yorkville avenue, toronto
just north of bloor and yonge

i finally *finally* got the chance to try crepes a gogo this past sunday, after 2 years of dwindling and trying to sink my teeth into this place. they claim to have crepes better than those you'll find in paris.

fantastic cozy little place, great patio. warm little cafe/bistro tables. espresso machine. crepes are fresh and made to order on crepe pans. all the staff speak french and speak to each other in french - which makes you feel like their crepes are even more authentic. they have savoury crepes, sandwiches, snacks, coffee. i got a chocolate crepe avec bananes - 4 dark chocolate sticks melted and folded with bananas. not too bad - but married with the cute paris cafe feel, it's just right.

cafe crepe, 246 queen st west, toronto
at queen and john, just across from citytv

now maybe i've crossed the line when it comes to crepes (is it more authentic to have chocolate sticks or heaps of yummy nutella), but there's something about cafe crepes spread of delicious nutella, array of hazelnuts or almonds, strawberries and vanilla - that is like music to my palette. serve it up with an illy espresso or latte, and it's perfection.

the feel's a little more modern/upscale, not as cozy as crepe a gogo, but is definitely a favourite. too bad they close so darn early! their crepes are a bit thicker than crepes a gogo, but crepes a gogo folds their crepes a lot more. i think the perfect crepe should be a balance between filling, flavour, thickness - all in a consistent bite-by-bite ratio.

in any case - cafe crepe is probably my favourite on my list so far of toronto crepe restos/cafes.

crepe it up, downstairs at st. lawrence market (95 front street) or 507 church street, toronto

is a great crepe restaurant story in toronto - owner's name is chris lee. him and his team make it out to a lot of events, and can be found weekly on thursdays at king street metro square farmer's market - where i like to pick up buttertarts :)

good savoury crepes, not usually overstuffed, can be a bit juicy/watery, but great for a light snack.

marche/movenpick, 42 yonge street, toronto (yonge and front)

always go to the movenpick downtown at yonge and front - everything tastes better and is done better. this goes to show that the franchise is not always consistent.

marche/movenpick was my first when it comes to dessert crepes - but is usually inconsistent, depending on the crepemaker. sometimes the crepes can be too thin, too burnt, too undercooked - but they fill with fruit/icecream and top with choc/vanilla sauce - the marche crepe is still part of my standard when it comes to enjoying crepes. Read the full story »