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Yet another reason we wish we lived in the Cobble Hill-Carroll Gardens area…JakeWalk. We went here for brunch today, and I’ll admit that I was pretty skeptical for a lot of reasons, but we left very satisfied.

Back in March, JakeWalk came up on Groupon for a free fondue. I must’ve had a hankerin’ for cheese at the time because I bought the Groupon without much research first. I figured, “Hey, free cheese fondue! Why not?” Later, I checked out the restaurant’s website and realized it wasn’t a fondue place, but rather a bar with a menu that was entirely upscale bar snacks with not much else. Eh, we’ll go at some point. But as time passed and I checked my list of Groupons left to use, I started feeling a little buyer’s remorse.

About two months ago, I decided to check out their menus again and stumbled across the brunch menu that looked pretty decent. So, I decided we’d go for brunch instead of lunch or dinner, and we could enjoy more or a meal instead of a pre- or post-dinner snack. With our busy schedules, we didn’t get a chance to visit JakeWalk until close to the expiration of my deal, but we made it just in time.

From where we live, getting off at Hoyt Street is the best way to get to this place, but it’s still a hefty walk. On this cloudy day that looked like rain, I was hoping this would all be worth it. Again, going with the “this place is close to another great place” proximity restaurant rating estimation, we had high hopes.

We were quickly seated and handed menus to peruse. While the main menu is full of charcuterie, the brunch options all looked so good, and we had a hard time deciding. Upon ordering, Deanna had the French Toast while I had the hash; we started with the fondue, of course. D got a glass of freshly squeezed OJ, and I had a Bloody Mary while we waited. The doors and windows were open letting in lots of sunlight against the backdrop of a pub from yesteryear, kind of like Clover Club. We wondered why more people weren’t at the restaurant, but we enjoyed the quietness of the morning.

When the fondue arrived, it came with apples, salami, and bread and was delicious. Deanna isn’t the biggest fan of cheese fondue, but I’m pretty sure she devoured more than her equal share. When our entrees arrived, they were simple but well executed: basic brunch items, but very tasty making for a place I wish we lived closer to.

It’s a little out of the way, but I could definitely see us going back for the cheese and meat trays if we’re in the neighborhood, and another brunch option to consider the next time we have guests in town.

http://thejakewalk.com/

This week, we’ve been enjoying an easy Crock-Pot recipe that I’ve been eating for years. It’s a variation on Taco Soup that my mom came up with which I ate it growing up, and because it’s so cheap and easy to make, I still make it a few times a year.

Like seriously, this is the absolute easiest meal to put together. You take three cans of different types of beans and three cans of stewed tomatoes. I try to find Mexican-stewed tomatoes or at least ones with chilies to maximize the flavor. Open all the cans and add to the slow cooker, then add one Ranch mix packet and one taco seasoning pack. Stir, set on low, and dinner is ready in eight hours.

It doesn’t get much easier, and the taste is great. Also, it’s fairly healthy, and it yields tons of servings for leftovers and more you can freeze and have again another time. Deanna and I usually add some shredded cheese and enjoy with tortilla chips; I also add some Tabasco to kick it up a notch, and it’s great.

With our busy schedules, using the Crock-Pot has become a staple at our house. And like I said before, this recipe is so easy because you don’t need to use the stove, and you can add things like corn, cilantro, or other ingredients to change it up. De-lish!

Ahhh, another favorite spot of ours that I get to write about: tree bistro. This past Thursday, we headed to Tree for the third time because we had another Scoutmob to use. We first went there for my birthday last year, then again earlier this summer. It’s a great little French bistro in the Lower East Side with a beautiful garden out back where we always sit. This particular occasion, the restaurant was much more crowded than usual, so we were glad to see their business is doing well.

Like always, we had a hard time deciding what to get. It’s one of those places that everything on the menu looks great, and we always have a hard time narrowing down the choices. For this dinner, we shared a tiger prawn and gorgonzola flatbread, and I also had the rabbit pate. Both were good, but I was especially pleased that the pate came classically served with pieces of a French baguette, whole grain mustard, and cornichons.

For our entrees, Deanna had the scallops over a frisee salad with bacon, and I had the steak frites. Upon the dishes arriving to the table, I’d forgotten that I had ordered the steak frites last time, and I remembered because the steak comes sliced in a unique way. Also, the last time I ordered the dish, I had to send it back because it was medium well instead of medium rare, but this visit, it came out right the first time. It comes with too many fries, so I’m glad Deanna is willing to help out. For dessert, we shared the Oreo panna cotta, which we also had last time, and it was just as delicious as we remembered.

Overall, the meal was very good, the drinks were tasty, and we like the variety and peacefulness of the atmosphere. We’ll definitely be back soon.

http://www.treebistro.com/

Two Fridays ago, Deanna and I decided to go out before the feared hurricane hit New York. Even though we never lost power, you’d think I would’ve taken the time to write about this great restaurant we went to, but laziness overcame me, so I don’t get to it until 10 days later. Oh well, better late than never.

Mile End Deli is in Brooklyn on Hoyt Street in an area of Brooklyn we really like to hang out in. We’d been there twice before, but not before I created this blog, so it deserves some recognition.

As many people know, a staple of the New York food scene is the classic Jewish Deli. Mile End is a Montreal Jewish Deli whose specialty is Montreal Smoked Meat. It looks like pastrami and presented on rye bread with mustard like you might find elsewhere in the city, but instead of the meat being steamed as part of the cooking process, it’s smoked. Although the sandwiches at Katz’s can’t be beat, the preparation here is a nice change of pace and equally delicious. Each time we go, Deanna and I split a plate of the delicacy.

In addition, Mile End has a pretty stable menu of other Canadian or Jewish traditional dishes, but a nice rotation of specials as well. This particular trip, we had their special charcuterie board as a starter which was excellent. It included a turkey rillette, duck prosciutto, and another meat…hmm…this is why I need to blog sooner. Argh. Oh well, it was definitely good, and the board also featured an apricot compote that accompanied each item nicely. We then had our usual large plate of smoked meat, sans frites this time, and we were glad because we became quite full. Before we had even left home, D and I killed a bag of Cooler Ranch Doritos, so needless to say, we were pretty stuffed after dinner. The kind of don’t-feel-like-moving-loosen-up-your-belt stuffed, but we made it home ok.

I really love Mile End because while it’s a small restaurant that can only seat around 16 people at any one time, so the feeling is very cozy, very relaxed, very Brooklyn, and always tasty. And, another great staple on the menu is $3 Labatt Bleues. Three bucks for a beer in this town? That’s a bargain for this patron saint (shout out to Southside).

http://www.mileendbrooklyn.com/

Tonight, we had one of those dining experiences I try so hard to avoid. With the abundant restaurants in this city, I try to do my research in looking at reviews and menus as to not be let down, but with the abundance of restaurants in this city, I’m bound to be disappointed every now and then.

Yesterday, we decided we’d go to dinner and a show since our weekend plans had fallen through. I went to TKTS for tickets and consulted my iPhone apps to try to find a specific thing Deanna wanted for dinner: Italian flatbread dishes or tapas-style something. I also had the task of finding this restaurant in the Theater District or nearby so we could have an easy time getting to our theatre. What I found was Nizza which I had been meaning to try because it came up in previous searches, and the menu was priced lower than a lot of places I’ve come across lately. And while I wasn’t that impressed with their menu, it suited Deanna’s tastes, so a reservation was made.

When we arrived, the place was packed, and I’m glad we had a reservation. It was a half block away from Marseille, a favorite French restaurant of ours, so Deanna hoped that their foody goodness might drift down 9th Avenue. And while there was nothing particularly wrong with the service or the restaurant, the food really lacked.

We decided to split the Gran Cru pizza and also the Farfalle pasta. Both were sub par. The pizza tasted like it had been prebaked, then the toppings thrown on and baked a little longer. To make matters worse, they had pre-cut the pizza before putting the toppings on, so we had to cut it again ourselves with a lousy dinner knife, and the toppings promptly fell off as soon as we picked up our slices. That’s like pizza suicide. And, there was too much raw flour underneath the pizza which leaves a chalky-floury taste in my mouth. Next, the pasta wasn’t as bad, but it wasn’t really good either. It tasted like each ingredient (peas, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and prosciutto) was cooked separately then tossed into the pasta water before being strained with the pasta. It just really fell short, and I feel I could’ve made it 10 times better.

We were so disappointed that we really didn’t even consider dessert; we just wanted to leave. And because the food came out incredibly quickly, we were walking out the door at 6:25, just 25 minutes after our reservation. We decided to go to a nearby bar for drinks before the show since we still had an hour and a half to kill.

In the reviews I’d read before going to Nizza, Yelpers raved about the gluten-free menu as well as other dishes, and I was really looking forward to this place. I wish we had tried other things, but with the abundance of restaurants in this city, I’m not going to waste another meal there.

Last weekend, Deanna had a two-day workshop, so we didn’t see much of each other. I decided a nice dinner out should be in order, and I’d been jonesing for some sushi, so we ventured further into South Brooklyn to go to Kumo Sushi. I had very recently purchased a Groupon for this place, and so this food story was set.

I had read positive reviews of Kumo prior to my Groupon purchase, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sometimes as you head deeper into the boroughs, restaurants can be hit-or-miss, but we were pleasantly surprised. For a Monday night, I didn’t expect them to be busy, so I didn’t call ahead, and when we arrived, we were seated right away. Although small, the restaurant felt inviting and open with some subtle Japanese decor – exactly what I was hoping for.

We ordered the sushi and sashimi combo for two along with an extra roll, and we each got a salad as well. When our platter arrived, we marveled at the large assortment of fish, but one part of the presentation was unique to us. The sushi chefs had taken two champagne glasses and filled them partway with dried, thin white noodles (used mainly for decoration) and then took a piece of sashimi and wrapped it around a small piece of fish to look like a rose. Very pretty.

Everything was very fresh and appetizing which I’m sorry to say is a pleasant surprise compared to some sushi joints we’ve been to here. Deanna’s not a fan of spicy tuna, so I got to have that roll all to myself. We had also ordered an additional salmon roll made with cilantro and lemon that was very bright and tasty, a nice alternative to a standard salmon option. Plus, with the large quantities of everything else on the platter, we both left very satisfied. To my surprise, Deanna didn’t even order mochi for dessert. Oh well, next time.

Our dinner was very good overall. With the vast quantity of sushi restaurants in this town, it’s hard to say if we’ll go back, but if we’re ever in that part of Flatbush with a hankerin’ for sushi, I’m sure we’d go again.

http://www.kumony.com/

I sometimes get a little behind with my restaurant reviews, but the restaurant we went to tonight was too good for me to wait.

I saw Beacon Restaurant and Bar on Scoutmob a little while back, and while the open fire cooking style intrigued me, I wasn’t sure if it’d be a place we’d get a chance to try. But recently, I’d read some good reviews and they were participating in the extended Restaurant Week, so I decided to give the place a shot especially after perusing their menu online.

Inside the restaurant, I noticed there are several sections in which to dine – the bar, a lounge area, the downstairs dining room, the upstairs dining section, and the chef’s table surrounding the kitchen. Each section features a slightly different menu at different times throughout the week. I had made our reservations for the dining room, and it was a nice evening that was quiet and not overly crowded.

Even though their RW menu was still being offered, we ended up ordering a la carte. I had the wood roasted bone marrow (big surprise) while Deanna had the beefsteak sliders. We also ordered a side of fries to compliment D’s burgers which both came with a smoked barbecue sauce. While the sauce was a little too smokey for Deanna, both the appetizers were very tasty. I really liked their take on the bone marrow which had a nice flavor from the wood and a little citrus, a nice change from the last two bone marrow dishes I’ve had recently.

For our entrees, Deanna had the roasted leg of rabbit (I had a feeling she would) while I had the duck confit. Again, both items were prepared in the open fire pit which produced fabulous dishes with the meat falling off the bone goodness. And while Deanna still isn’t a fan of duck, she did like it better than other duck dishes she’s tried over the years. And, we both agreed her rabbit was exquisite. At this point, we were both a little full, but I had already pre-ordered my chocolate chip souffle; the lady had the butterscotch cheesecake with strawberry-bananas foster.

As we waited for our desserts, we noticed that two nearby tables had received a large plate of a white and fluffy cloud. Was…that…cotton candy??? Indeed it was! Apparently, children can visit the kitchen to make their own cotton candy, and the results seem to bring some pretty big grins to those kids’ faces. Deanna lamented to one of the servers that she wished she were a kid again so she could make her own cotton candy, and our waiter must’ve heard because our own white could soon appeared at the table.

Meanwhile, I had ordered a cappuccino and was sipping that as Deanna inhaled her treat. I posted a picture on Facebook to display her excitement. We also discovered that cotton candy melts rather quickly in a hot cup of coffee, good times indeed.

Soon after, our last course arrived. My souffle was light and decadent while D’s dessert was rich and full of flavor, but it was too rich for us to finish. Suddenly, we wished we were in Park Slope instead of Midtown as we dreaded having to schlep all the way back to Brooklyn on completely full tummies. It took us several minutes to muster up the strength to depart our chairs, but we left full and very satisfied. Highly recommended!

http://www.beaconnyc.com/

My blog posts thus far have mainly consisted of restaurant reviews of places we’ve been to in New York, but I do intend to write about things I cook as well.

This past week, I made the Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe from Rocco DiSpirito’s Now Eat This! which we’ve found to be a great cookbook for healthy meals. As much as we love going out, we try to eat more healthy meals when we cook at home…well, sometimes…not always.

Anyway, Chicken Cordon Bleu is a classic recipe that I love but haven’t had in a long time. I can’t remember the last time I saw it on a menu, but the dish is very tasty with not many ingredients or difficult culinary techniques. Rocco’s recipe consisted of multiple steps, but all were fairly easy to complete. Further, all the basic elements of the dish are used (rolled up chicken cutlets with ham and a swiss cheese sauce), but this preparation is entirely baked with a good breadcrumb coating that came out surprisingly moist. I needed to use more toothpicks than originally called for to hold my chicken together, but we thought the dish came out great.

Like many recipes in this cookbook, Rocco finds good substitutions to make sure flavor isn’t sacrificed for healthier options, and this is definitely a recipe I look forward to making again. I’ll also post a review this week of his beef fajitas that we also tried recently which were equally as enjoyable.

http://www.facebook.com/RoccoDiSpirito?sk=app_4949752878

I love going to the Irish bars here in New York. The long, wooden bar and comfortable decor are inviting to me along with the Irish brogue of the bartender all bring a big smile to my face. However, the food at some of these joints can widely vary, so we usually don’t make one of these stops our dinner, but I like to seek out the exceptions.

Once again, I had a Scoutmob and the outlook of the Albert Hall Tavern as a gastropub caught my attention. The pictures of the food and menu on their website appealed to me, and so I booked the reservation for a post-movie dinner on our date night. Unfortunately, this was one of those occasions where we left disappointed, and this Irish bar didn’t live up to my expectations.

I started with the bone marrow (to compare with a recent appetizer I’d enjoyed) while D had the beer tartare. Mine was similar in preparation to Blue Ribbon’s, but the marrow wasn’t properly seasoned. BR gave a much bigger portion with a more in-depth marmalade accompaniment and overall was much, much better. Deanna’s tartare was missing its quail egg (a fancy presentation as showcased on their website) and the waiter informed us they were out of the eggs. Major let down, especially since the last couple tartares we’ve had have fallen short.

For dinner, I had the striped bass evening special while Deanna had the roasted half chicken. While not totally disappointing, the crispy skin on my fish was burned beyond char and D’s chicken dish seemed to be missing the thyme from the promised sauce. They also burned the lemons on her chicken yet still served them on the plate (really?). And on the topic of sauces, the liquid underneath my fish wasn’t very tasty to a citrus imbalance.

We were glad to save $20 off our bill, but unfortunately, that was the highlight of the meal. In retrospect, I wish I would’ve read a few more reviews on Yelp, but oh what can you do?. I’ve found that some 3 or 3.5 star restaurants are still really good (i.e. City Crab, Marseille) while others like Albert Hall Tavern are not. Win some, lose some, I suppose.

http://www.alberthalltavern.com/

This past Sunday, Deanna and I decided to try Dram Shop in Park Slope since I had a Scoutmob for it, and we were look for a laid back place to eat. It seemed like there were a lot of burger places on Scoutmob at the moment, but this one had board games, so off we went.

The place has a bar feel but with some big booths to enjoy a meal. On a Sunday night, it was easy to find a place to sit, and we were greeted by a nice waitress. After ordering a couple drinks, we ordered the mac ‘n cheese bites and a pair of burgers. While we waited for our food, we decided to battle it out over a couple of games of Candyland. We split the games 1-1 in time for the food.

Everything was pretty good, satisfying, not particularly memorable, but we were enjoying ourselves. However, when we were ready to signal for the check, our waitress appeared to be trying to avoid us. I think she saw that I had a discount and didn’t want to come over. That kind of put a damper on the evening.

Ok, I get it, some people use a discount and don’t tip on the full amount of the bill, but some people do. That’s why when I go to a restaurant with a discount, I don’t show it until it’s time to pay because I don’t want sub-par service. I always intend to leave a good tip, and I always tip on the pre-discounted amount, but our waitress got less because we had to wait at least ten minutes to receive our bill as she stood and chatted with another waitress.

We still saved $20 on our bill, but I won’t be giving that place my business again.