East Village - Spina

I love Spina's tasting menu and they usually have different ones during the year. So when they had a special tasting menu for Valentine's Day, my boyfriend made sure to secure a reservation spot.

We've dined here before so there wasn't anything new except for the menu itself.

We got seated and as always, was given fresh focaccia bread and house-made ricotta cheese.

Started off with the Amuse Bouche, it was interesting and delightful. What we did not enjoy were the oysters. They were frozen, still covered in ice when served. Extremely poor dish. I'm surprised it was even served.

The appetizers were alright. The Winter Salad tasted light a ball of shredded lettuce, not much flavor or texture going around, very bland. The Lobster Risotto was a bit better, had chunks of lobster and the risotto was creamy.

I thought the American Red Snapper was done pretty well. The entire entree as a whole was executed nicely. On the other hand, the Spice Rubbed Filet Mignon was kind of a mess. Too much going on in that dish, spinach, mashed potato, crispy onion and sauce - it was too overwhelming and the taste was kind of confusing.

Dessert was subpar. I honestly expected more but both dishes were simple and tasted no different if I were to make it at home. Feels like they stopped trying.

Overall, I always loved Spina but this meal was one of the worse I've had. And sadly to say, Spina had closed down as of May 2015. Don't think I'll ever get the chance of eating there again.

Spina Restaurant - CLOSED
175 Ave B
New York, NY 10009
(212) 253-2250

Spina - Riesling Wine Tasting Dinner

J and I are back once again. I feel like we give a lot of love to Spina.

Riesling is my favorite type of white wine and once I knew that Spina was going to do a tasting menu with this specific type of wine, I immediately checked my email every day to see when they might host this event.
I made the reservation right away when I knew the date. The manager of Spina remembered J and I, excellent memory and customer service.

J got a tattoo for the event. Hahahaa
Actually, the manager, Matthew, gave us a temporary tattoo so we can be in the "spirit." I have to say, it was a pretty nice tattoo there.

There were 4 dishes on the menu, each paired with a Riesling that was carefully selected by Matthew.

First was the Tuna Tartare, I absolutely love this dish. J and I really enjoy anything tartare and this was one of the better ones. There was a sweetness to the dressing and the pepper flakes on top really balanced out the entire dish. The chips were a plus, wish there was more!

The next dish was a more refreshing, a nice palate cleanser. The Watermelon & Ricotta Salata Salad was really light. Watermelon was sweet which balanced the bitterness of the arugula, the brined watermelon rinds was really appetizing, a little sweet, a little bitter, a little sour...perfection.

Ricotta Cavatelli reminded me of gnocchi. Ever since I had the gnocchi at Spina at the last visit, I just couldn't stop thinking about it. This was so similar in texture but made with ricotta cheese. So delicious! The pasta was dressed with some fennel sausage and broccoli rabe, excellent texture and taste.

The last dish of the tasting menu was the Oven Roasted Chicken. It was over a bed of fregola and corn, lovely texture. The chicken was very moist with a nice crisp skin, that doesn't happen often when you roast chicken. Also seasoned really well, a great dish to end the meal with.

But we didn't exactly end at that, which we should've.

Tiramisu was a bit dry, too much cocoa powder on top. Definitely should pass on this.

Otherwise, the entire meal at Spina was ever so perfect. I'm actually looking forward to their red wine tasting menu if they're thinking of having one...I should probably email Matthew...

Spina
175 Ave B
New York, NY 10009
(212) 253-2250 

Spina - Rose Wine Tasting Dinner

J and I never had a wine tasting dinner before and this was a first that definitely didn't disappoint. Spina was one of the places we loved and when I got an e-mail from them about a tasting menu with wine, I immediately made the reservations.

We came a bit earlier than our reservation, but the manager of Spina was extremely nice and had us seated right away. He also asked us if we would like to start and we eagerly said yes.

Starting off...

Each dish was paired with a delicately selected rose wine to match the taste of the dish. I wasn't able to take a photo of each glass but know that it was paired perfectly. Rose wine is one of the more difficult wines to pair because it's a mix of white and red.

Delicious foccaccia that was made in-house along with the ricotta cheese. I never love cheese this much and this is on the top of my list. Creamy and light, I can eat this every day.

First up was the Fluke Crudo. Simple but extremely well done. Thinly sliced fluke with olive oil drizzled over, the sea salt really brought out the freshness of the fluke and the chives added a great crunch. Love anything crudo.

Second was the Heirloom BLT Salad. Pretty much what it is is what it sounds, fried tomatoes, bacon and some arugula. Tomatoes were really fresh, there was two kinds - heirloom and regular.

Third, the Goat Cheese Gnocchi got me a little worried because it was gnocchi and it had goat cheese. I had a bad experience with gnocchi and I'm not a big fan of cheese in general, mix them together and I start to get a bit skeptical and panic a bit. But, surprisingly the dish was really good. I can find myself really liking goat cheese gnocchi...haha

Fourthly, the main entree was the Scottish Salmon. Got some mushy peas there and more bacon! I can really learn to love these kind of tasting menu if majority of the dishes got bacon in it. Salmon was a bit bland but it was good, since the bacon totally offsets that with its saltiness.

Ending the rose wine tasting dinner was the Passion Fruit Panna Cotta. Absolutely perfect to end the meal with. Had a nice melon puree around the panna cotta and it was paired with a sparking rose, one of the hardest to pair.

It was a great evening and a superb meal. Spina can definitely host a fantastic wine tasting dinner. The manager was extremely knowledgeable about his wines and the staff was attentive and friendly. They know exactly when to bring out clean glasses and help us move onto the next dish.

J and I came to Spina the first time with no high hopes, but Spina seems to surpass our expectations each time. I can see myself really loving this restaurant.

Spina
175 Ave B
New York, NY 10009
(212) 253-2250

Sunny and Annie's - Pho #1 (aka Pho Real) Sandwich

So, I know you can basically turn anything into a sandwich but a Pho Sandwich? Pho real now? (hahahahaha)

Post workout with J, I told him we should stop by Sunny & Annie's for a sandwich. I read and saw about the pho sandwich a while back and knew we just had to try it. We've had pho many times, but in sandwich form...never.

S&A is a corner deli. Really tight and cramp inside but boy, they have a lot of stuff. Sandwiches being freshly made is one of them. They have a load of other different sandwiches which I'd love to come back and try, especially with funky names like Joe Bama and MonaRisa.

The Pho Sandwich ($6.99) tastes just like a bowl of pho in sandwich form. Yummy roast beef, onions, bean sprouts, thai basil, avocado, tomato, hoisin sauce, and sriricha was quite bomb. That's actually better than any Vietnamese sandwich I've had. This was different and quite clever. You can get this cold or hot, we tried the latter and will be back for the former.

Sunny and Annie's
94 Ave B
New York, NY 10003
(212) 677-3131 

Spina - a little spot that holds a lot of goodies

Spina was a spur of the moment dinner date with J. It was one of the place we saw when we were walking to Kasadela that had a good deal on happy hour. Sure enough, a couple of months later we remembered about it and went there spontaneously.

Spina was empty when we arrived about 7pm. Got seated pretty quickly and was given the wine list. I was a bit puzzled because I didn't see the menu until a god 5 minutes later...started to get a bit worried haha.

I really like how big the wine glasses are. Because it's so much bigger, it looks as if there is a lot less wine but that's not the case. It's just how you perceive it. I rather have a bigger glass because then I can take a good sniff at the wine every time I drink it.

Their in-house Focaccia and Ricotta was amazing. Different than your average bread and butter which can get quite boring. The focaccia was soft and fluffy and the ricotta was just so dam good. Creamy and light, I can use this spread every day if I can.

We ordered our appetizer which were both on their happy hour. Spina's HH starts at 5:30 and ends at 8pm, love the time! They also have $6 glasses of wine which is really affordable.

The Meatballs ($5) are only worth it when it's HH because they're so tiny. The flavor is great and I don't remember when was the last time I had meatballs. Let's just say it hit the spot and it would've been great with a plate of spaghetti.

Our favorite was the Mussels ($5) and during HH, these suckers were only $5 which is a total steal! Flavor was good, be great if we were given some bread to soak up the yummy broth. Mussels were tender and plump, really like the little cherry tomatoes in the dish also.

At this point, we were really satisfied already. As our entree, we ordered pasta. Spina has a pasta bar where fresh dough of pasta is made on the spot. It's pretty amazing knowing that your pasta isn't frozen.

The Asparagus Fettucine ($18) was really light. The asparagus were cut thinly but still held that crunch, the duck confit was a bit on the chewy side but still quite flavorful.

J's Squid Ink Fettucine ($22) was different than what I had imagined. The pasta was made of squid ink and it wasn't covered in squid ink sauce, nice! There's a slight tingy and spiced taste to this dish which makes it that more interesting and quite addictive. Certainly do recommend this one.

The portions might look small but when you're dealing with pasta for one, you don't want to serve too much. Plus, there's actually a lot under that bundle of pasta.

For dessert, we had the Chocolate Souffle ($8) which was not what I expected. I'm starting to think that souffle has a whole new different meaning to it. The chocolate souffle was good, chocolate-y and warm with a light thin crust on the outside. Pair it up with some cold vanilla ice cream and nothing can go wrong.

Spina has 1/2 off their wine bottles on Sundays and Mondays which is another reason to come. J and I adore this place and just couldn't wait to return for another round of date night.

Spina
175 Ave B
New York, NY 10009
(212) 253-2250

Whitman's - A suprise that will leave me speechless

I know J has been wanting a Juicy Lucy for the longest time. The idea of having melted cheese in a burger is just something we can't pass up on. Plus, I was totally in the mood for a burger and something fried...

J ordered a Negra Modelo ($7) beer. I'm not a big fan of beer so I just stuck with my water.

The Fried Pickles ($4) were alright. I didn't like them as much just because I thought they were too thin and weren't crunchy enough. The dipping sauce was delicious though, I'm sure it's not cheese but J keeps telling me otherwise. I prefer a thick and crunchier crust, but I still can down endless bowls of this.

I was the normal one that ordered the regular Juicy Lucy ($10). The patty might look small but it was a delicious ball of goodness. I was trying to flatten the burger but forgot about the cheese in the middle until J was like "omg it's squirting from the other side."

The cheese were actually all situated in the center, I wished it was more all over the patty. You can actually have your choice of cheese but I just went with the pimento cheese since that was the regular one on the menu. The pickle was ginormous though and spicy. So good and fulfilling.

J's crazy Juicy Lucy ($10) with bacon ($1) and fried egg ($2). I know he just had to do it. I have to say that it looks absolutely beautiful when it came out. The egg was so perfect and I wanted his greens! Anywho, his was less messy than mine. Odd, cause my plate was filled with meat juices...hahaha

Whitman's
406 E 9th St
New York, NY 10009
(212) 228-8011

Brunchin' @ Cafe Mogador

Ever since I tried hummus for the first time (thanks to my beloved J), I absolutely fell in love with it. Yes I was skeptical at first but it's one of those time where it was love at first taste. J and I visited Cafe Mogador for dinner before and it was definitely memorable. The food was amazing even though there was a bit of a wait.

As for brunch, we did wait for a table for about 10 minutes. Not so bad.

The reason for returning was definitely the hummus. I just couldn't stop thinking about it.

Started off with a Bloody Mary ($7) and Blood Orange Mimosa ($7). I'm not crazy about the Bloody Mary, never was and never will be. The Blood Orange Mimosa wasn't so great, tasted a lot of citrus than alcohol.

The perfect plate of brunch. The Middle Eastern Eggs ($10) included hummus, tabouli, salad and eggs any style you want. I love me some sunny-side ups. This was the perfect portion for a hungry Asian girl that was craving for some hummus.

J had the Moroccan Eggs ($10), with 2 poached eggs in spicy tomato sauce and home fries.

The eggs looks like it was poached in heaven or something. It didn't lose the consistency of the whites at all and the yolk was spilling out perfectly.

I really enjoyed the homefries. Crispy skin and soft flesh, seasoned really well with salt and pepper. One of the best homefries I've had in a long time.

I've been here twice and the food has yet to disappoint. The wait might be long but it's definitely worth it.

Cafe Mogador
101 St Marks Pl
New York, NY 10009
(212) 677-2226

Kasadela

Kasadela was definitely quite a walk for J and I. He wanted to take me here because he heard that their wings are pretty good.

When we got there, the place was pretty empty. Afterall, it was a Wednesday evening in the middle of practically nowhere. I wanted a glass of Lychee Sake but they were out, bummer. Instead I decided on something else and started ordering our food for the night.

The interior looked small but it can definitely fit a lot of people. On the other side was the bar and the bathroom. The restaurant is suppose to be Japanese based but the atmosphere doesn't give me that feeling. Felt more like a southern Asia place, like Thai or Cambodia or even the Philippines.

Ordered the Yuzu Chu Hai ($4.00) because it was still Happy Hour. Tasted really fruity with the slightest alcohol. Wasn't really impress with the drink cause it tasted like Japanese soda.

I saw Agedashi Tofu ($6.50) on the menu and suddenly felt a craving taking over. The tofu was nicely fried and the dashi soy was seasoned well. A great dish to start the meal with and also very refreshing.

Ah...the infamous wings which they are known for. The Tebasaki Wings ($10 - Happy Hour w/ drink) was really different. Fried and then covered in a teriyaki/soy sauce glaze and some freshly ground black pepper on top. Very flavorful. But I do find that with our second order, the pieces of chicken were getting a bit dryer and harder, probably been in the fryer too long.

The Salmon Tartar ($10.00) was a great disappointment. Definitely not worth the price that it was at because the chips were getting stale and the tartar was lacking in flavor. Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing special. I just tasted mayo and wasabi which is such a weak combination when it comes to making tartar.

I swear, the night has been a roller coaster ride with these dishes. Takoyaki ($8.50) was up next and surprisingly, it was really good. Perfectly cooked with the perfect amount of sauce. I think I might just like this more because they don't have that extra mayo on top.

Last but not least, an order of Grilled Squid ($10.00) to munch on with our Sake Sangria ($4.25). The squid didn't have any seasoning on it whatsoever, no salt no pepper. But, I like that because the freshness of the seafood came out. It was boiled and then placed on the grilled for the nice charred appearance and aroma. Very meaty as well.

So, the experience was just on the so-so side until the bill came. We got charge an extra $7 for something we didn't order. I personally didn't remember too well so asked the waitress to explain to us and even clarify it. Apparently they admit that they made a mistake and offered to pay us back the $7 in cash since they "apparently" can't void the previous transaction.

Besides that incident. Kasadela has 20% for students from Monday through Wednesday. I admit that it was our fault for not showing them our student ID before they printed out the bill but first of all a) why did you need to see both our IDs and b) you couldn't void the previous transaction and make a new one. It was funny because the waitress said we both have to be NYS resident in order to get the 20% off and when I whipped mine out, she says she can't run the bill again. Really? The service was really unacceptable and I don't know if I would want to come back again. Food was just mediocre and the service wasn't so great.

A good one-time only visit but do be careful of your bill towards the end for some "extra miscellaneous" charges.

Kasadela
647 E 11th St
New York, NY 10009
(212) 777-1582