Enjoying the Food of New York City During Our Most Recent Visit

On July 7, 2022July 7, 2022 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn New YorkLeave a comment

There are many cities around the world that are truly food destinations and New York City is definitely one of them. During our most recent visit to Manhattan, we ate at several different restaurants, all with completely different experiences. Whether casual or fine dining, at the end of the day it is all about the food. Of course, the ambiance matters, but if the food doesn’t make you want to come back than it isn’t worth the money that you spend. From pizza and pasta to brunch and even afternoon tea, we had a wonderful variety of food during our short stay in Manhattan.

There was one location that we went to multiple times during our trip, Angelo’s Pizza, partially due to its proximity to our hotel on 57th street as well as the friendly staff who went out of their way to take care of us. There was even one evening where they were closing early, but still let us come in and have a couple of glasses of wine after a long day of walking throughout Manhattan. We had the Antipasto one evening and certainly enjoyed an “Old School Round” Pizza with mushrooms, olives, and Italian sausage. On our last evening in Manhattan, we returned once again to have the Spaghetti Pomodoro. The other Italian dinner was at Pazza Notte where we enjoyed a Caesar Salad followed by Pappardelle di Mare, which is pasta with lobster, crab, shrimp, asparagus, and tomato in a sherry shallot cream sauce.

On our first day in Manhattan, we went to Rue 57 for a quick lunch with a French Dip before heading into Central Park. We had the Pulled Pork Sandwich at the Trinity Place Restaurant and Bar, which is located inside of an old bank vault. Brunch at Jonathon Waxman’s Jams restaurant was definitely another highlight with its walls lined with ivy. We were very happy to return to Pepolino Restorante to have Insalata Dei Medici, which is a beet, carrot, and zucchini salad. We had gone to Pepolino’s during our visit to Manhattan seven years ago. The final place that we ate was at the Russian Tea Room (they were extremely clear that they were very much against the war in Ukraine) where we enjoyed an afternoon tea with sandwiches and sweets. It is a very famous restaurant located next to Carnegie Hall that many people put on their list to visit when spending time in Manhattan.

Pulled Pork at the Trinity Place Restaurant and Bar

All in all, we had so much wonderful food during our short stay and now that we’re located on the east coast, we’re looking forward to going back sometime soon. Regardless of where we travel to, food and drinks are often central to the overall experience. We would definitely recommend any of these restaurants if you have the opportunity to visit Manhattan.

Good Old-Fashioned Pigs in a Blanket at Rue 57

Variety of Sweets to Go with the Champagne and Tea

Savory Crab-Stuffed Flounder with Hollandaise Sauce

On June 9, 2021June 9, 2021 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn RecipesLeave a comment

Crab-Stuffed Flounder

Flounder is a mild, flat fish that is often stuffed. Lump crab meat makes for an excellent stuffing as it just adds to the flavor of the fish. In order to ensure that the fish isn't dry, we made a quick, homemade hollandaise sauce to accompany it as well as the asparagus that we served with it. This is really a fairly simple dish, but is certainly something that could be made for an elegant dinner or even to feed a crowd.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Equipment

Skillet
Oven

Ingredients

4 Flounder Filets approximately 2 pounds
1 cup Lump Crab Meat
1/2 cup Panko or Bread Crumbs
1 large Egg
2 tbsp Red Onion finely chopped
2 tbsp Celery finely chopped
1 clove Garlic minced
6 tbsp Butter softened
1 tbsp Thyme finely chopped
2 pinches Old Bay Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the celery and onion and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
In a bowl, combine the lump crab meat, panko, egg, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, and a pinch of Old Bay. Use your hands to make sure that the stuffing is fully mixed.
Heat an oven to 375 degrees.
Lay the flounder flat and put 1/4 of the stuffing in the center of each filet. Roll the flounder around the crab stuffing and place on a baking sheet with the ends of the fish, where it overlaps, facing down. Spread butter over the top of the fish and sprinkle with a pinch of Old Bay seasoning.
Cook the fish for 30 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Serve with prepared hollandaise sauce and vegetable of your choice.

Keyword crab, flounder, stuffed

Greek Lamb and Rice Dinner

On June 2, 2021June 2, 2021 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Greece4 Comments

Greek Lamb and Rice Dinner

We enjoy many different types of lamb dishes and one of our favorites are lamb chops. Although they are delicious simply grilled with garlic and herbs, this one pot dinner is an excellent alternative. We used a tajine to cook the dish, but it could just as easily be entirely cooked in a skillet. Finishing the lamb chops in the rice and tomatoes keeps it moist and tender. Similar to cooking with wine, when cooking with olives it is always important to use an olive that you would eat on its own without adding it to a dish.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

Servings 2 people

Equipment

Skillet
Tajine

Ingredients

1 lb Lamb Chops
1 cup Uncooked Rice
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 14 1/2 oz Can Diced Tomatoes
2 cloves Fresh Garlic minced
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/3 tbsp Fresh Rosemary chopped
1/3 cup Kalamata Olives pitted and halved
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parsley for garnish

Instructions

Boil the rice for about 8 minutes, drain and set aside. The rice will continue to cook in the oven.
Season the lamb with salt, pepper, and 1/3 tablespoon of rosemary.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown the lamb chops for about 2 to 3 minutes per side (including the fat side).
When you pull the lamb out of the skillet, add the garlic and cook for about a minute just allow it to release some of its flavors.
Either in the skillet or in a tajine, mix the rice, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary.
Nestle the lamb into the rice mixture and sprinkle the olives around top of the rice. Cover with a lid.
In an oven heated to 325 degrees, cook the lamb and rice mixture for about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the lamb reaches about 145 degrees for medium-rare.

Keyword lamb, olives, rice