Trader Jacques

Thanks to Trader Joe's, we don't need to go to a patisserie in Paris, or even leave the house to have freshly baked croissants.

JULiETTE

This past Sunday we went to Williamsburg to see Kristen run in the NYC Marathon. We cheered her on from Bedford Avenue, and spotting her among the thousands of runners felt like an accomplishment in and of itself. As she approached us there were mutual squeals of excitement, and even after she continued on, we couldn't shake the pride we felt from her amazing achievement.


All that cheering made us hungry so we decided to eat lunch in the neighborhood. We happened upon JULiETTE, a quintessential french bistro filled with red flea market chairs, vintage metal signs and Ricard Pernod bottles. How could we resist? There was a bit of a wait, but after one sip of their deliciously spicy Bloody Mary we were pacified. We ordered the Banana Stuffed French toast, and while it was good, it just couldn't stand up to our favorite recipe. We also had the Omelette of the Day, filled with kale & jack cheese. The crispy potatoes cooked in extra virgin olive oil were the highlight of that dish... Oh and another highlight, they served Stumptown coffee.

Our New Stumping Ground

As an alternative to the numerous Starbucks in the city we decided to check out Stumptown Coffee last weekend. It's located in the Ace Hotel just a short stroll from our apartment. Originating in Portland, the Stumptown brand has thankfully made it's way to NYC, bringing along its charm and its beans.

It was particularly brisk last Saturday, so even though the line was long we were happy to step into this cozy cafe just to escape the cold. Stumptown has a 1940's vibe, with baristas wearing vests and newsies-style caps. Once we realized that we could be served from the hotel lobby we parked ourselves there, shed our coats, and absorbed the mid-century atmosphere. The coffee was rich and smooth and we agreed that once we're out of Peet's, Stumptown will become our new home staple.

Gone Pickin'

Last weekend Rachel, Fabien, Claire, Jenny, Erik and I spent the afternoon apple picking at Melick's Farm in New Jersey. Ellis and Théo came along for the fun as well. We filled or bushels with golden delicious, granny smith and jonagold apples while eating a few right off the tree.

Sadly, Ron wasn't feeling well so he had to stay home in bed... though he was able to partake in the experience later on in the form of a homemade apple-raspberry crumble.

New York à la Provençal

For my 30th Birthday Ron took me to Mas (Farmhouse) tucked away on Downing street in Greenwich Village. I had just recently become acquainted with the word "Mas" while doing hotel research for our trip to Provence, and was ecstatic that Ron happened to find the urban equivalent in New York City.

The restaurant was very elegant with rustic textures and simple lines. We sat next to each other at the long communal table and enjoyed taking in the scenery from our central perspective. The menu was seasonal and organic with tantalizing ingredients that made it very hard for us to come to a decision. To make it a little easier we assured each other we would share everything. The lighting was too low to capture decent photos, but I think the descriptions below do the trick.

Sweet Corn Soup with Seared Sea Scallop
Greenmarket Corn, Parsley & Hon Shemiji Mushrooms

Liberty Gardens Tomato Tart
Caramelized Onions, Parmesan Sablée, Toasted Pinenut Dressing

Medallions of Halibut Wrapped in Leeks
Summer Squash & Zucchini Sautéed with Onion Brulée, Chanterelles

Roasted Wild Striped Bass
Green Cauliflower Purée, Baby Leeks & Ragout of Corn & Cranberry Beans

Concord Grape & Apple Cider Sorbet
Honey & Caramel Ice Cream

Savoring Summer

This past weekend our friends Max & Joanna invited us to the Hamptons for a little getaway, and to bid our final farewells to Summer. We never got out our swimsuits, but instead our sweatshirts, and embraced the crisp autumn air and traces of campfire smoke.

On our way out we stopped at one of the many farm stands and stocked up on fresh sweet corn. As soon as we got home we ate the first couple of ears with butter and black truffle salt. Delicious. The remainder of the corn I combined with ingredients from the Union Square Farmers Market and made a Corn Chowder with homemade bacon bits. It may have been the first homemade soup of Fall, but it still had all the flavors of a beautiful Summer.

A Very Nice Dinner

Bonne-Maman prepared the perfect meal before our send-off to Nice: A classic salade nicoise (with potatoes), bread, cheese, and red wine.