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Two Delicious NYC Restaurants

This was one of those weekends that I’m just not ready to finish. From start to finish, it was the perfect New York City weekend.

Now that both Bo and his sister Meg live in New York City, his parents try to come up at least a few times a year to enjoy New York and catch up with us. This weekend included some delicious food and a Broadway show. It was a perfect way to spend a rainy weekend in the city.

Friday night Bo’s parents invited us to bring friends to dinner so Theodora and Laura, Meg’s roommate, joined us for dinner at one of our favorite hidden secrets, BLT Fish. I call it a hidden secret as even though it’s over 10 years old the food and service are both always amazing and normally you can get in upstairs as long as you book a few days in advance.

As normal the food did not disappoint and both Theodora and I were thankful for ordering the scallop special. My favorite part of the meal was the raw bar tower and the amazing candied Brussels sprouts! Oh, and just like any BLT restaurant, their signature bread course was delicious. The cheddar biscuits were were divine! IMG_2849

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Yesterday we made the best of the rainy day by heading to Broadway for a matinee showing of Cat on A Hot Tin Roof with Scarlett Johansson and Benjamin Walker. Bo and his father headed to the TKTS booth in Times Square around 10am which allowed them to buy tickets at 50% off! This is one of the best TKTS deals we’ve taken advantage of in ages! As the only Tennessee Williams I read in high school English was A Streetcar Named Desire I didn’t know what to expect from the show other than that it came highly recommended, Scarlett was supposedly amazing, and it was long. The show was so powerful that it left us talking about it for 2 hours afterwards. While I love musicals and other light hearted Broadway shows, there is something to be said for a show that leaves you thinking and talking about the plot.

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We took a break from dining out last night and instead wined and dined at home, sipping some of our favorite wines (Domaine Serene Pinot Noir and Cakebread Chardonnay) while chatting, relaxing, and enjoying a delicious meal cooked by Bo. Meg and I helped with prep but Bo truly owned the delicious meal which included a cheese plate, Caprese salad, hazelnut gnocchi, sautéed mushrooms, and veal chops.

Then, last but not least, we ended the weekend with a late brunch at ABC Kitchen. After a morning filled with working out and errands, Bo’s parents wanted to find a lunch spot near our home that would allow us to relax and enjoy one last, delicious meal before their flight back to Savannah. It’s always hard to think of lunch or brunch places as Bo and I rarely dine out for brunch or lunch, especially in this area. After being at a loss for a moment I suggested a few local restaurants, unsure whether they served brunch. Luckily, ABC Kitchen, one of my all time favorites, only had a 30 minute wait; just enough time for a mimosa before brunch!

This was the perfect brunch spot for our group as we were able to enjoy the beautiful interior décor in a relaxed environment and dine on the top notch food without feeling rushed. We took over two hours fro brunch, enjoying the dishes as they served them as we shared 3 small plates as appetizers before our main courses. I would highly recommend 3 of our items: roasted kobucha squash toast, raw diver scallops, and the chicken salad.

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Overall, our only complaint would be the hit and miss service. Our waiter went from being overly attendant to invisible. We were seated right at the 30 minute point but then once we were seated it took 10 minutes to see our waiter again.

What a wonderful weekend it was. While I’m not quite ready for the weekend to end, at least I can go curl up with a glass of wine and the Oscars!

Have a great week everyone!

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BLT Fish Shack: Fifteen Bottles of Beer

There is nothing better than an evening of beer and delicious food after a long run.

After a relaxing afternoon with Bo, we headed over to the Galway Hooker to meet Theodora and Tina for a drink.

IMG_2143 (640x480)Luckily, the bar was pretty empty, so we were able to snag a booth and hear ourselves talk without having to scream. This is a rare find in New York City during football season so we were all pleasantly surprised!

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Per Theodora and Tina’s suggestion, I started with Sam Adams Octoberfest since the bar was lacking on pumpkin beer selections.

IMG_2144 (640x480) IMG_2141 (480x640) It was absolutely delicious! Drinking regular beers is still a very novel idea for me as I used to be the “light beer” girl who would never fathom drinking a full, malty beer. This beer was malty with a little bit of spice,  luckily lacking on the hop flavor that I don’t normally like. This may become my go to beer this season since Sam Adams is normally available in most bars.

After a round of drinks and lots of laughter, we headed downtown to meet Gabriella, Rebecca, and Clare at BLT Fish Shack.  Even though this is one of our favorite spots in Flatiron, we hadn’t been to BLT Fish Shack since our Memorial Day weekend date night.

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IMG_2150 (640x480)Bo saw on Twitter that BLT Fish Shack was celebrating NYC Beer Week with a special prix-fixe beer paired menu for $40! I quickly sent the suggestion to Theodora and Tina, originally hoping we could go Friday night before I left for Philadelphia. Luckily the stars aligned and we were able to enjoy the evening together last night!

IMG_2148 (480x640)Upon arriving, we were quickly seated towards the back of the restaurant. Luckily, unlike many NYC restaurants, they were willing to seat us even though only 6 of the 7 people had arrived. This is just one of the many ways the service out did their self last night.

I love the Shack’s cute decor details such as the lobster placemats and dish rag napkins.

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IMG_2155 (640x480) Within minutes of sitting down, our waitress graced our table with their famous garlic cheese bread. It’s easy to enjoy too much of this bread at one sitting as it’s so delicious. Luckily, I was forced to share last night and therefore limited myself to only one piece.

IMG_2156 (640x480)Bo was craving raw bar and quickly asked the group if anyone could help him enjoy some oysters, clams, and shrimp. Clearly we were all more than happy to oblige his request but were taken by surprise when the large seafood tower was presented!

IMG_2157 (480x640) The shrimp were absolutely divine and could have been a meal alone!

Everyone except for Bo chose the pre-fixe special for their meal since it was such a great deal and most of the items aren’t regularly on the menu.

The first round of beers were delivered to our table within seconds of us ordering!

IMG_2152 (480x640) Our first course was a rich but delicious corn & crab chowder, paired with Blue Point Toasted Lager. This was my favorite beer of the night, going down very smooth and paired perfectly with the rich soup. The chowder was delicious but the crispy bread, especially when dipped in the chowder, was the real winner. I only finished 1/3 or so of the bowl since I knew I still had two more courses coming.

IMG_2161 (640x480) IMG_2164 (640x480) The second course included tempura fried branzino served atop braised Swiss chard and lemon jalapeno aioli paired with Lagunitas IPA. Now I know why I stick to grilled or broiled fish. While the tempura was quite as heavy as other fried options, it really took away from the flavor and was too heavy to enjoy the whole serving. The Swiss chard was delicious however and thoroughly enjoyed!

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IMG_2168 (640x480) The final course of the evening was my least favorite unfortunately.  I was excited for donuts when I saw it on the menu but disappointed to find that they were churros instead. Furthermore, the final beer was Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, a very heavy beer that I could barely swallow. The rest of the ladies were very excited to happily pass my bottle around to share.

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The conversation flowed just as easily as the beers all night long! In fact, we may have hazed Tina at one point in the evening tempting her to double fist in true champ style!

IMG_2173 (640x480) IMG_2174 (640x480) Such a great time with wonderful food and wonderful ladies, plus Bo! He was a true champ!

After dinner I went to a friend’s house for a farewell to summer party but was in bed passed out by midnight! Beer+heavy foods+long runs=exhausted Ashley!

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BLT Fish: Fresh, Delicious, Simple Flavors Impeccably Executed

I hope you all have had a great weekend. In case you missed it, we’ve been busy this weekend. Our fun has included
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Other highlights include drinks at the Standard Beer Garden with great friends, dinner at Garage, my first acupuncture experience, finding a great summer dress from Ann Taylor Loft for FREE thanks to a gift card, and a wonderful catch up chat on the rooftop with Melissa. Now we’re curled up enjoying How to Make It in America (great recommendation Lauren). Parts of it are similar to Entourage but based in New York City and more about real, scrappy people versus lucky people. The theme song is fabulous as is the cast. You can check the video out here– How To Make It In America intro theme song – I Need A Dollar By Aloe Blacc http://youtu.be/cvfIGPiZL-g
 
Gorgeous night in NYC
But, now I want to back track to Friday night. I mentioned that Bo wanted to keep it just the two of us and enjoy a date night. He surprised me with reservations at BLT Fish. Located between on 17th street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue this little unassuming nook was the perfect date spot. Downstairs is a separate restaurant, BLT Fish Shack which is a casual raw bar that specializes in fresh shellfish and staples like shrimp in a bag and chowder.
 
Bears like fish.
We loved the feel of the downstairs portion and hope to come back soon once we’re in the area. But, Friday night they quickly escorted us up to the third floor for our meal. The second floor of BLT Fish is dedicated to private dining special events. Upon exiting the elevator we felt like we’d been transported to another restaurant. There is a retractable glass roof that makes the restaurant feel open and adds to the dimension. It has a classic open kitchen design with both table and booth seating. The focus point of the restuarant was a huge, gorgoeous floral centerpiece that broke up the room. After being escorted to a perfect corner nook table we were served fresh biscuits. They come out warm with maple syrup butter, and a cute little card with the recipe on it.  Since they shared the recipe with us I thought i’d pass it on to my readers:
Makes 8 biscuits.

1 1/2 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper
3 T shortening

3 T butter
1 T chopped chives
1 C sharp cheddar
1 1/4 C cream
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne.
Cut the shortening and butter into the flour mixture. Do not overmix
Do leave the butter and shortening in small piece
Toss in the chives and the cheese.
Toss in cream, just until the mixture comes together. Do not mix too much.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-17 minutes.

After the biscuits we chose a delicious wine to complement the meal. The next taste was a tuna herb amuse buche and was better than any simple tuna salad i’ve ever tried! Based on these two tastes alone we were definitely excited. Having never been to BLT Fish before we didn’t know what to expect but based on the service, wine and first two tastes alone Bo had decided that this may be one of the most underrated restaurants he’s seen on Zagat.
 
We both had two different appetizers in mind and decided ahead of time that we would NOT be going 50-50. 🙂 I have a crazy love of octopus and rarely have the opportunity to enjoy it. Therefore, I chose the grilled Portuguese Octopus with chickpeas and roasted red peppers. It had nice chunks of tender grilled octopus  surrounded by a vinagrette and mache. The vinagrette complemented the smoky charred flavor versus covering it.
Since Bo has a soft spot in his heart for gnocchi, Bo chose the ricotta gnudi with seared rock shrimp morels and spring peas. The translucent rock shrimp were melt in your mouth tender while the gnudi was sauteed perfectly- browned on the outside but soft inside.
Everything on the menu sounded delicious but I knew I didn’t want a whole roasted or salt encrusted fish for my main course. Lately everytime we’ve enjoyed fish it’s been crispy (red snapper on the honeymoon, the huge fish at Butter, our last dinner Esca). We took our waitress’ advice and went split two of their most popular dishes for our main courses: Acacia Marinated Alaskan Black Cod and the Belgian Dover Sole.
I was a bit apprehensive of the cod as it seemed very typical due to it’s Japanese flavors. However, what I tasted surprised and delighted me. The cod was as tender and moist as any I’ve had, with the sweetness of the honey as a nice gentle additional flavor. As described by our server, it melted in our mouthes. The second I put my fork into the tender filet it flaked into perfect pieces.  The dover sole was the best browned butter caper sauce we’ve ever had.
We would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a special dinner destination which will delight their date with wonderful service, simple flavors which are impeccably executed, and a treat of sweet apple cotton candy as an after dinner treat!

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