Hamptons Part 2: B. Smith’s, Sen and Round Swamp Farm

If you read my part 1 Hamptons post, you know that going out to the Hamptons is a favorite pasttime of mine.  To continue my culinary adventures out East, last weekend I ventured to a few popular (and tasty) spots including B. Smith’s  and Sen in Sag Harbor (also the sister restauant to Phao Thai Kitchen in my part 1 post) and ended my journey at the renowned Round Swamp Farm in East Hampton.

B. Smith’s at Long Wharf at Bay Street in Sag Harbor is a long time favorite of mine, especially because the view is spectacular as it’s right by the water where the million dollar plus yachts dock.  My friend Kris and I enjoyed a lunch after the long traffic in, complete with some of the best East Coast oysters I’ve ever had (if you know me, West Coast Kumamotos are typically my first choice), grown right from the bay, along with a fresh watermelon margarita (super refreshing) and mussels.  If you’re in the mood for people watching, great views, and of course, some of the best seafood around, this is a must stop!

View from B. Smith's in Sag Harbor

Oysters at B. Smith's

Watermelon Margarita at B. Smith's

Mussels at B. Smith's

The second stop on our journey was dinner at Sen at 23 Main Street in Sag Harbor.  If you referenced my part 1 write up on its sister restaurant, Phao Thai Kitchen, you can imagine that the food here is just as much up to par. We enjoyed a starter course of Tuna Tartare with nori chips and sweet chili mayo to share and then moved to a collection of sushi rolls including the Rainbow Roll, Jalapeno Roll (warning: this one is very hot as expected) and the Garuda Roll (spicy tuna) which was a favorite among the table.

Cool tidbit: According to the site, Sen uses a Tensui Water Perfection System which means that all water used in food preparation, drinking and cleaning is filtered through a state-of-the art Tensui Water Perfection System to ensure the freshness and purity in everything that’s served.

Tuna Tartare at Sen

Sushi rolls at Sen

Rounding out our weekend, we made it just in time before the popular Round Swamp Farm market at 184 Three Mile Harbor Road in East Hampton. This market basically on the side of the road looks humble from the outside, but inside you can enjoy fresh, local produce, sauces, homemade pies and more.  It’s on the pricier side, but once you taste it, you can not only see the home grown love that goes into the food, but really the flavor of the ingredients grown right in their 20-acre backyard. And if the line is too long for you (or you’re trying to occupy the kiddies), you can say hi to the cute bunnies outside and the chickens running around. I enjoyed the guacamole and blue corn tortilla chips and sesame noodle salad.

Round Swamp Farm

Guacamole from Round Swamp Farm

Sesame Noodle Salad at Round Swamp Farm

Alas, another amazing weekend of eating out East.

This Little Piggy Went to Market

Last week I had the opportunity to dine out at one of the trending hotspots, the Breslin at the Ace Hotel -16 W. 29^th Street (between 5^th and Broadway).  As they don’t take reservations, I was hoping the wait wouldn’t be too long and lucky for us they got us right in.  Urbandaddy calls it the “magical lovechild of the Spotted Pig, Jane Ballroom and the Campbell Apartment,” but whatever you want to call it, these venues all have one thing in common – notoriety (and good PR). 

The dimly lit restaurant features a variety of pig accoutrements, from framed wall hangings to ceramic pigs.  The menu is quite adventurous and diverse, featuring everything from chicken liver parfait and caramel popcorn for starters to mains such as seafood sausage and veal stew.  [Note: Unfortunately as the room was so dark and I didn’t have a proper flash on my camera phone, I was unable to capture any pictures that reflect the restaurant and food].

My colleague and I started off with the beef and stilton pie – an amazing, rich combination and perfect for whetting our appetites.

 We also enjoyed selecting from the gin-based cocktail menu, although I opted for the “Love Deluxe” which featured pisco, white wine, red grapes and fresh lemon juice. My colleague chose a more gin-inspired drink, the “Lust for Life,” (a.k.a the gin mojito) featuring gin, lavender syrup, fresh mint and lemon juice.  

For dinner I munched on the much hyped lamb burger with feta, cumin mayo and thrice cooked chips (fries) and my colleague enjoyed the mussels.  We topped off the meal with the can’t pass up ciabatta doughnuts topped with a raspberry cognac glaze and served with a side of banana ice cream.

If pigs aren’t flying, this is sure to give them wings enough to do it.  At least I thought it was a pretty heavenly meal.

Getting Served L.B.I. Style

This weekend, I went with the girls on a roadtrip to Long Beach Island (AKA “L.B.I.”) in New Jersey (not be confused with Long Beach in Long Island).

Sure, it was the Jersey Shore, but it didn’t come without its charms including local eateries like The Ketch and Chicken or the Egg which were both within walking distance of our condo.

Saturday night we enjoyed dinner and drinks near the water at The Ketch at 529 Dock Road in Beach Haven.  They serve a variety of seafood including the usual suspects like mussels and calamari, as well as maine lobster and other delicacies. We opted to start with the calamari and coconut shrimp and then worked our way to the sesame-crusted seared tuna.

Fried calamari at The Ketch

Coconut shrimp at The Ketch

Sesame-crusted seared tuna at The Ketch

After you’re done dining at The Ketch, it turns into a nightclub, so it’s a nice spot if you’re looking for a good meal and a good dance. We enjoyed grooving to the beats of The Following, a local band with a Reggaeton feel – very cool.

Following a breezy Saturday evening with dinner and drinks by the bay, we opted for something a little bit more low key and local and stumbled upon The Chicken or the Egg at 207 North Bay Avenue, also in Beach Haven.  This local eatery is also open 24 hours (for all you NJ party people) and serves up everything from omelettes to sloppy joes and wings. 

I enjoyed the Eggs Chesapeake, a throwback to a similar dish I enjoyed at Bondi Road (reference this post), which featured poached eggs served atop jumbo lump crab cakes and bacon on a toasted english muffin, which I ordered with a side of sweet potato fries. The restaurant also boasts cute chicken-themed decor and seemed to satisfy children and shore kids alike.

Eggs Chesapeake at Chicken or the Egg

Sweet potato fries at Chicken or the Egg

Chicken or the Egg

Chicken or the Egg

Even if “the shore” isn’t your scene, you’re sure to find some good food on the island. And if you’re feeling really adventurous, I’m told Atlantic City is only 30 minutes driving distance.

Perfect Paella

Following a lovely performance of Taylor 2 at the Joyce Theater,(http://www.ptdc.org/about-artists/taylor-2-dance-company) and thanks to my new obsession with Foursquare, I got a tip from a friend that there is “can’t miss” paella at Socarrat Paella Bar around the corner at 259 W. 19th Street and 8th Avenue ( http://socarratpaellabar.com/). Paella, why yes!

Socarrat Paella Bar

According to the Web site, Socarrat, named for the “quintessence of the perfect paella, is the delectable, sensuous crust that forms on the bottom of the paella pan when the liquid is rendered and the rice reaches its peak of succulent.” And I can safely say my crew certainly enjoyed the socarrat, scraping the bottom of the pan until the last rice morsel! 

The paella is served to order per person ranging from $22-24 (minimum two) in a variety of options from Arroz Negro (which the waiter recommended given the unique taste from the squid ink) to the traditional Socarrat Paella with chicken, beef, mussels, cuttle fish, shrimp, green beans and clams.  We opted for the Paella de Pescado & Mariscos which included similar ingredients to the Socarrat Paella with shrimp, cuttle fish, mussels, clams, squid and scallops.

Look at this beauty!

Paella de Pescado & Mariscos

Socarrat also serves up an excellent aray of tapas to whet your appetite for the delectable paella. I chose the Croquetas del Dia (before I read the NY Times recommendation on the wall behind us which also noted these in particular) filled with creamy cheese (tastes bleu in nature), the Patatas Bravas – spicy potatoes with garlic aioli and the Almendras & Aceitunas – Marcona almonds and mixed Spanish olives. 

Croquetas del Dia

Patatas Bravas

Of course the evening wouldn’t be complete without a pitcher of sangria ($34 = bargain!) and softly playing Spanish music to prompt my desire to pack a bag and take off to Espana to really enjoy that socarrat. 

Chef/owner Jesus “Lolo” Manso puts it perfectly – “I am passionate about food…to me, eating is like a ritual; an expression of one’s soul.”

Cherry Blossoms (Sakura Kanji) a Bloomin’

This weekend I had the chance to enjoy the few remaining cherry blossom trees (translated sakura kanji in Japanese) while visiting friends in D.C.

On Friday night, my friends took me to the Capital City Brewing Company on 1100 New York Avenue Northwest (http://www.capcitybrew.com), D.C.’s first “brewpub” since 1992 which offers signature brews including Amber Waves (haha, get it?!),  Capital Kolsch, Pale Rider and Prohibition Porter. The idea is that dedicated brewers use fresh yeast and select malts to create and brew ales, lagers and pilsners and as they are able to closely oversee the brewing process, the result is a fresh beer brought to your table a few hours after completion. I opted for the Capital Kolsch, a 2002 Gold Medal Winner at the American Beer Festival and a German ale with 10% wheat malt which was quite hearty. My friend chose the seasonal Cherry Blossom Ale – interesting:

Cherry Blossom Ale at Capital City Brewing Company

Capital Kolsch at Capital City Brewing Company

For my meal I selected the black bean burger which comes with an avocado aioli on the side and topped off the evening with a HUGE strawberry shortcake:

On Saturday, we dragged ourselves out of bed for the 2010 Cherry Blossom Festival Parade (http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org) along Constitution Avenue featuring the typical – marching bands, floats and balloons – as well as some local media including the hosts of WJLA-TV and News Channel 8 and a handful of B and C-list celebs including Justin Guarini, Deborah Cox and Miss American Caressa Cameron.

Miss America Caressa Cameron

Justin Guarini

Following the early morning, we were starving for lunch, so we popped into Fado’s Irish Pub on 808 7th Street Northwest (http://www.fadoirishpub.com) for some good ol’ pub food. True to my egg loving brunch pattern, I chose the eggs benedict served with rashers (the Irish term for bacon). My friends enjoyed the corned beef sandwich, blue cheese salad and RLT (that’s rashers-lettuce-tomato).

After goofing around and taking some pictures with the Obama Family, Johnny Depp, Madonna, Brangelina and Babe Ruth at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum at 1025 F Street Northwest (http://www.madametussauds.com), we headed to Pennsylvania Avenue to check out the 50th Annual Sakura Matsuri Japanese Fesitval (http://www.sakuramatsuri.org) put on by the Japanese-America Society of Washington D.C. Although crowded, this was certainly worth exploring for the Japanese wares, food and drink. I tried a carbonated melon soda called Ramune and stocked up on some Matcha Lattes (tip: all you have to do is heat up some milk or soy milk and mix these packets in – a delightful treat!) While I didn’t wait in the long lines for the noodles and other Japanese fare, it looked and smelled great. We also ventured to the McDonald’s sponsor booth for some free (and cute!) reusable Japanese-inspired tote bags and to spin the “McWheel” for a chance to win toys, surprises and McD’s gift cards – fun stuff.

After being sufficiently worn out from an early morning and long walking day, we opted for an early dinner at Mai Thai at 6 King Street in Old Town in Alexandria, VA (http://www.maithai.us) which is nestled right on the waterfront by the Potomac. I chose the Pra Ram Long Song (chicken with peanut sauce over a bed of steamed spinach) and a lychee martini.

Following some much needed sleep from the long day, we decided to sleep in and go for a late morning brunch at Whitlow’s on Wilson at 2854 North Wilson Blvd (http://www.whitlows.com) in Arlington, VA which seemed to be a popular choice following the 10 mile Cherry Blossom run. This place offers a $15.95 brunch with choices like mussels, popcorn shrimp, homemade mac and cheese, crab legs, an omelette station, fresh fruits and salads among other delights, so was perfect for sufficiently indulging before my long bus ride back to NYC.

Whitlow's on Wilson

Quick tidbit for the culinary adventurers: Cherry blossoms and leaves are edible. In Japan the blossoms are flavored with salt and umezu which is used for bringing out the flavor in different Japanese sweets served with tea such as red bean paste and mochi. They’re also used in hot water called sakurayu and drank at festive events like weddings in place of green tea. Note: As the leaves contain coumarin, it is not recommend to eat them in large amounts. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_blossom)

New Year’s Resolutions and a Side of Greek

Okay, okay, I realize it’s been way too long since I’ve updated and I’m sure you’re waiting with bated breath to hear about my next culinary adventure. All joking aside, while I am not big into New Year’s resolutions, I figured I should at least set one: to update Mojitos & Florentine at least once a week.

Now that that’s settled, I had the opportunity to kick off my new year with a great cuisine adventure outside of the city – yes, I ventured to Astoria, Queens for some delicious, authentic Greek food at Mezzo Mezzo. It also helped that my culinary experience was paired with some great company as I had a chance to meet up with some fellow alums from my alma mater (Ohio Northern University). It’s become an annual tradition for our theatre department to take us to this wonderful establishment (thanks Prof. Reiss!)

For the appetizers, they served up one of my favorites, Saganaki, A.K.A. “Greek flaming cheese.”  It’s super tasty and all you need is 1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, 2 tbsp. butter, 2 tbsp. brandy and 1/2 lemon. Once the cheese is broiled over heat until it’s light brown, you just pour the brandy over it and ignite! (Extinguish with a lemon). Check out the full instructions at: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1718,159166-255206,00.html

Another suprisingly good appetizer was the octopus. Believe it or not, it’s very mild and tender:

And of course, you can’t go wrong with the grilled calamari:

For my main course, I opted for the seafood pasta – a perfect combination of clams, mussels and scallops in a creamy sauce:

Definitely worth the trek out of Manhattan. www.mezzomezzony.com.