Cheers!

We celebrated Ron's launch on CNBC's "Trading the Globe" at Imperial No. Nine located in the Mondrian SoHo Hotel. Lucky for us, our friend Leah is the head hostess there. She greeted our party as if we had arrived at her own home and escorted us to a low-lit corner, away from the bustle, but still in the heart of the ambiance.

The space is warm and enchanting, and fully enclosed under a glass roof. Leah told us that the décor was inspired by Jean Coucteau’s 1946 film La Belle et la Bête. She didn't have to tell us who runs the kitchen. We already know that: Sam Talbot of season 2's Top Chef. Even though we didn't see him, we had the chance to taste his much talked about dishes. Our favorite dish was the Cauliflower Fritters made with ricotta, sunflower seed-olive brittle and white balsamic. They literally pop in your mouth. Leah really outdid herself when she had the waitress bring us a selection of desserts-- on the house! How sweet! Spoons were passed around, glasses were clinked and smiles exchanged. The energy that evening was truly celebratory.

Kiss, Kiss, Madame....

Sometimes in New York, you just get lucky. Anyone that lives in the city has had their moments, searching Menupages, looking for "what to eat" tonight. The fridge is empty, the evening has escaped from us, we want something not too expensive, but delicious. And often, as New Yorkers, we choose something that we've regretted. Fortunately for Sara and I, we got very lucky this time!

Le Pescadeux is on Thompson Street between Prince and Spring. Its a place you've walked by a hundred times but never noticed. The sign outside looks like this business card. The restaurant is spacious, but has a warm and inviting feel. Deep blue velvet curtains, minimalist decoration and candles.

The food was incredible. The first thing that was us over was the warm bread and French butter topped with Hawaiian sea salt. Then, we got started with the frisee salad and mussels, which were perfectly stewed in a pot with chorizo and tomatoes. For the main course, they gave us a 1/2 portion of two fish dishes. Perfect for us, as we love to try a bit of everything. We got to try the pike, dorado, octopus and cod... and since we always share our plates, we each got to try all four things. Amazing feast!

As we headed out, the owner/head of the restaurant took Sara's hand and kissed it twice, inviting us back to their restaurant "any time", and telling us about the live jazz they have on Wednesdays. All of the staff followed suit and thanked us profusely. We left feeling full, buzzed, and well... loved.

Ballin' at Balthazar

I've had tons of reminders of Balthazar in my 8 years living in New York. Its the kind of restaurant that men respect and bring women to glee. It is certainly a Soho fixture and a New York City landmark. Its red awning is unmistakable and its next door bakery fills the street with the delectable aroma of butter and dough. I knew that one day, my day would come....

On this day, it was unexpected. We were, as usual, starving after a long day of work when we decided to meet up in Soho to run a few errands. As we passed by Balthazar, a smile widened on both of our faces and we figured "there is no way we'll get a table now".... but we thought we'd give it a shot. We walked in, beaming, and requested a table for two. They told us that there would be a long wait for the next table available table. Our smiles persisted; within seconds, they offered us a table near the bar which had vacated. Within two minutes, we went from defeat to ecstasy as we sat down. We shared laughs as we admired the bustling restaurant, its smells, vintage branding and impeccable design.

We decided to share the skate and branzini plates. The branzini was well prepared, but not very memorable. The skate, on the other hand, quickly turned into one of our favorite dishes of all time. Served with piquillo peppers and pine nuts, we believe the perfectly crisp skate was lightly pan fried in salt and butter. The result was soft, silky and delicious morsels of fish that are unforgettable. We capped off the meal with a caramelized ricotta banana tart which set us off into never-never-land.... and cemented the mystique of Balthazar in our minds forever.