Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Orlando

Wolfgang Puck is my favorite chef because his personality is upbeat and his food is unpredictable. He makes eating an enjoyable experience which is why I always visit his restaurant in Florida.

When I go there for dinner, the menu offers sushi, specialty pizzas, pastas and meat dishes... but my absolute favorite isn't a main dish, dessert or appetizer... it's his side dish!

It seems so simple but his Garlic Mashed Potatoes are just: SO YUM. They're creamy (no lumps!) and topped with chives; you get a taste of garlic each spoonful, but it's not overwhelming at all- I swear. And with each bite you just want more. Usually this comes with the Rosemary Roasted Chicken, but whether I choose the chicken dish or a pizza or a plate of sushi... I will order garlic mash on the side.

Sometimes I'll just get garlic mashed potatoes as a main dish at the Wolfgang Puck Express next door (which is basically an in & out version of the actual restaurant).

There are tons of these express restaurants all over the US, so it's great for people who are in a hurry, want to take out or don't want to/ or have time for a sit down meal. You can get a majority of the same dishes that are being served at the restaurant... priced a little less...to go! To find the closest one to you, just google www.wolfgangpuck.com ;)

And as much as I love the FL restaurant, I cannot wait to go to Vegas and eat at Spagos one day. Actually I'd love to eat at all of his restaurants but I've heard great things about Spagos. So... when I get the chance to fly out to Nevada, that's where you can find me  :)

Baci e abbracci <3

PS- Sorry I didn't take a picture of the mashed potatoes... I ate them before I realized they were all gone...

PPS- Don't forget to "Take the time to LIVE LOVE EAT!" - W. Puck

re-MEMORABLE: reVISITED

This week I read the TOP 100 places to eat in NYC by NY Mag; it was very informative, but very intimidating to read as a fellow foodie blogger. When I created this blog I'm not exactly sure what my expectations were... maybe I thought it would turn out to be something great like the Julie/Julia project; but after reading the professional reviews and the access they have to all of these credible restaurants... I just knew I had to change my objective/mission statement/whatever.

So from this point on, re-MEMORABLE is just a way for me to share my thoughts on eateries I've visited and would like to revisit; a place for me to organize and categorize places I've been; and at the same time, benefit anyone who cares to read this thing  :)

Matzoh Ball Soup: 2nd Avenue Deli, NYC

In honor of Hannakuh, this Sunday I'm featuring a Jewish favorite- not latkas, not babka, not hamentashen (can you tell I grew up in 95% Jewish community??)

... I'm talking about matzoh ball soup people!

Matzoh ball soup is basically chicken broth (noodles, carrots- varies place to place) with one or two gigantic matzoh balls , which are made from matzo meal (ground matzo). I guess it's an acquired taste but I've always loved them. The actual matzoh ball is soft, but it has a lot of texture; it soaks up all of the soup and it just makes you feel good inside. Now, I've had quite a few bowls of this soup... and I have say, 2nd Avenue Deli is my favorite.

Photo Borrowed from: Amateur Gourmet

Why?

Well I remember the first time I went to 2nd Avenue Deli (at their original location)... I was about 17 and had a flight to California to visit my sister. Since I was flying out of JFK my Mom told me we could do dinner in the city. Initially I was craving a hot pastrami sandwich, so she told me we were going to 2nd Avenue...

When we walked through the door a short woman, who looked younger than a grandma and older than a mom with a round figure sat us down at the table. We knew what we wanted so I said "two hot pastrami sandwiches please" (BTW that could feed four people)... and she said, "What, no soup? Have you ever tried our Matzah Ball Soup?" And when we shook our heads no... she said, "OMG! You have to try our soup- it's delicioussss!"

My Mom and I were totally sold just by her enthusiasm alone! And to be honest...  I don't know if I fell in love with the soup or it was her love for the soup, but the bowl was completely empty by the time I looked down :)

So, if you're in NYC stop by and take a seat at their new Murray Hill location on 162 E 33rd St.

OR

You can order from the deli counter for take out... just tell Mohammed I sent you, he'll hook you up with some pastrami while you wait ;)

OR

If you're feeling lazy, sick, tired, grouchy, whatever... don't fret. As long as you live near the area, you can order a bowl of matzoh ball soup (and whatever else you want) right to your apartment door- just call: (212) 689-9000... and leave a nice tip! L'chaim!

PS- Be careful when you open the soup container, they fill it to the brim

Baci e abbracci <3

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie: Levain Bakery, NYC

Photo Borrowed From: Cookiemadness.net

If you want to try the best cookie in the world, try the Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie from Levain Bakery in the Upper West Side of NYC.

NYC Address:
167 West 74th St
New York, NY 10023

Hamptons Address:
354 Montauk Hwy
Wainscott, NY 11975

Each cookie weighs about 6 oz. and you can pretty much substitute this $4.00 masterpiece for dinner. They're crunchy on the outside, soft inside and packed full of flavor! If I had the authority to rate it, I'd give it 5 stars.

And don't worry... if you're not a fan of chocolate chip cookies, I would suggest the Oatmeal Raisin and/or the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies... I usually get one of everything... (and don't give me that look!) I only get to go once in a blue moon so I HAVE to make up for lost time!! But you're right... I could get them whenever I want (even in Italy) since Levain offers to ship their cookies now :) 

Just check out their website: www.levainbakery.com

BTW, I truly am sorry for those of you who are allergic to any of the ingredients in these cookies... but if you want to try the best cookie ever, you might have to suffer... and I'm pretty sure you won't even notice your reaction... unless it's the feeling of complete bliss <3

Baci e abbracci <3

An Invite for Your Appetite

WHO: Hi everyone, I'm Justine and I LOVE to EAT.

WHAT: Today I was wandering around the downtown area in NYC, wondering which direction I should take... I thought to myself, "If I go right, I'll head into SoHo and I could probably find a good cupcake; if I go left I can head into Chinatown and get some inexpensive yet delicious dumplings..." and that's when it hit me.

You're probably thinking, "What, a dumpling?"

No, friends... I finally figured out a solution that will satisfy both my ever-growing appetite and mind...

WHEN: So starting today, I will begin blogging about different types of food/restaurants around the globe that are recommended by both YOU and ME :)

WHERE: We all know that there a thousands of restaurants all over the world waiting to be discovered... and the best places are discovered by word of mouth! So... we might as well share our wealth of foodie knowledge, right?

WHY: I'm always searching for the "BEST", nothing in particular, I just want to be "WOW-ED". Each time I dine, I'm on a mission to have a jaw-dropping, mouth watering experience. When I taste something amazing, it feels better than opening presents on Christmas morning! It just makes me feel happy and giddy inside :-D

Overall, my goal for this site is to prevent any upsetting dining experiences... I plan to share my best foodie experiences with you, and you can reciprocate the favor by sharing yours :)

HOW: Ideally I'd like to organize this by country, location, type of restaurant, brief description and recommendation. However I'm not sure if blogger is capable of that type of organization... so for now I'll just start blogging my favorite treats/places every Sunday!

RSVP: How are you going to be involved in the project? Well your job description requires: commenting after each post with questions, comments, concerns, recommendations, etc. Consider yourself a food critic here, because the more feedback, the merrier. And if you would, e-mail me places to try... I work, so I can EAT :)

BTW this will be an on-going project that will benefit anyone and everyone who LOVES food. Hopefully it'll satisfy your cravings and link your tastebuds to new textures and a variety of flavors.

Enjoy it, experience it, love it- buon appetito!

RE-MEMORABLE: Is that even a word?

Nope. But I didn't make it up out of thin air... today...

During Winter Restaurant Week NYC 2008, I was at Dos Caminos in SoHo for dinner with my sister and a friend. I started off the night with their Frozen Margarita (FYI- I'm not a heavy drinker but they are known for their tequila-infused masterpieces) and I have to admit, I liked them A LOT. So 2 margaritas later, I was enjoying the delicious guacamole and the wonderful table service.

At the end of the meal they requested us to fill out a dining card and I was happy to oblige. I started writing about my dining experience, however I stopped mid sentence utterly confused... so I asked my sister how to spell "rememorable" LOL and well, yeah... that's how it began! You can either thank or blame it on the tequila, but it was a MEMORABLE dining experience and I couldn't wait to RE-peat it :)

When the selection is overwhelming...

How do you pick the right item? Over time- through research, recommendations and mostly... trial and error, which is why I want to create to this site; to prevent any and all poor dining experiences.

Most times I'll research a restaurant through the internet if I know I'm going there in advance, however there are many times when I just dine spontaneously. So when I take a look at the menu, sometimes I'll spot a couple of items that I might be interested in (but I'm usually open to ANYTHING as long as it's AWESOME), and then I'll resort to my closest resource: the server. I'll ask the server for their recommendation, because they're the ones who should know (and if they don't have a recommendation they're not very good waiters)!!

If my picks match up with their recommendations, I feel like I won the raffle prize; if my picks do not line up with theirs... I'll asks for a few minutes, review their choices and decide: mine vs. theirs. The waiters usually do not disappoint with their choices but you have to remember... everyone has different taste buds, so you can't rely on every recommendation- sometimes you just have to go with your gut!