Burgatory

I will surrender to creative failure, but there is absolutely no way I could come up with a better title than Burgatory.  I also apologize for the long hiatus! The combination of thesis-writing, grad school applications, and a full course-load left me a little too preoccupied to write, but, don't worry, I have definitely been eating.  Superbowl Sunday marked my second, albeit first successful, visit to Burgatory.  A few Saturday nights before, I ventured out of my (comfy) Pittsburgh neighborhood only to discover that--fun fact: Pittsburgh-ers LOVE red meat--there was a two-and-a-half-hour-long wait.  Thanks, but, no thanks.

Despite being peeved by my initial Burgatory experience, I didn't give up on the place.  I cooled down, waited a few weeks, and went back.  This time, a friend and I strategically planned to go on a Sunday, during one of the biggest sporting events, and at 4 o'clock.  This time, we were seated within 20 seconds of walking through the door.  Burgatory was also surprisingly less empty than I anticipated, which only excited me more.

Obviously, I was at a slight disadvantage in terms of menu selection because of my dietary restrictions, but I had heard good things about the veggie burger.  Burgatory has a number of signature sandwiches, but I thought it would be more fun and exciting for my tastebuds if I whipped up my own concoction with all of my favorite toppings and condiments.  Our waiter also convinced us to each get a milkshake by telling us: "Everyone gets one before their burgers come... and they always manage to finish both." That second part was a lie, though.

I opted for the Caramel Pretzel shake, which was definitely a great decision.  Our waiter had described it as "the best one on the menu," so I really couldn't ignore his wise words.  Burgatory also lets any 21+ guest add a shot of liquor to their shake.  While the additional alcohol was tempting, the smart side of my brain told me to refrain.

Caramel Pretzel Shake

For my entree, I ended up ordering the Phat Patti Veggie with some Bayou Cajun rub on a brioche bun.  I topped my creation with romane, tomato, red onion, pickles, jalapeños, and avocado.  I also requested some of the Chipotle Sour Cream on the side.  The veggie burger was really good; definitely not your average semi-tasteless Morningstar patty.  The burger had a good consistency and it wasn't trying to be a burger.  The veggie burger know that it wasn't made out of beef and it embraced its lentil-cashew-and-cracked-wheat-filled identity.  Additionally, the cajun rub added a little spice.  My entree also came with some homemade sweet potato chips, which were great.  The chips were not too oily and it was easy to identify the sweet potato taste in each chip.  The only downside was really the Chipotle Sour Cream.  I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting, but it was pretty bland.  My dining partner ordered the House Sauce, which was more flavorful, but it basically tasted like a version of Thousand Island dressing.  On my next trip I'd like to try the Bourbon BBQ or the Banana Ketchup--if you get there first, let me know how it tastes!

My Veggie Burger Custom Creation and Sweet Potato Chips

Visit Burgatory:
(412) 781-1456
www.burgatorybar.com

Give me Zama that sushi

I was first introduced to sushi at age 11.  A once semi-picky-eater, I refused to eat any type of fish whatsoever, and I would separate the seaweed from the rice before eating my sushi.  I'm not quite sure when my affinity toward fish (and especially raw fish) developed, but over the past decade, sushi has become one of my preferred dishes.  I've eaten sushi around the world: in Israel, China, the Caribbean, in various European cities... and of course, all over the US of A. 


There are a number of sushi places that I frequent in Philadelphia, but my favorite is hands down a small restaurant in Rittenhouse called Zama.  I was first introduced to Zama in the summer of 2010 and in the past year, I think I've eaten there about half a dozen times.  I've also recommended Zama to countless friends and to my knowledge, no one has left unhappy.  


One staple of any Japanese restaurant is the edamame.  It's not hard to make (anyone can buy frozen edamame in the supermarket, steam them, and sprinkle some sea salt on) and I don't know that I've ever had edamame that's really superior to other edamame.  Zama has a cool twist on this class dish: it offers flavored salts that you can put onto your edamame.  In my career as a Zama eater, I usually order the wasabi sea salt because I like the kick that the wasabi gives the edamame.  In my most recent visit, however, my dining partner and I chose the Edamame with yuzu salt, something that I probably wouldn't have thought to order on my own.  Yuzu is a traditional Japanese citrus and the taste definitely came through in the edamame.  The pods had a nice combination of salt 'n' sour and tasted like a slightly more intense line had been squeezed onto the hot green beans.  

Yuzu sea salt edamame

After we finished our edamame, the array of sushi that we ordered arrived.  All of the sushi was fresh and delicious.  The shitake maki was just as I expected.  The shitake mushroom is a sweet and chewy mushroom, more like a gummy than other mushrooms.  I find that it's a great maki to get when you order others with lots of flavor because the mushroom tends to act as a palate cleanser.  

Shitake maki

Our second maki was a super crunchy salmon maki.  This maki was also available with tuna or yellowtail, but we chose salmon because... well... we like it the best.  The aspect of the dish that makes it "super crunchy" are the little balls that tasted like a mixture of Rice Crispy cereal and rice cakes that layered the outside of the rice.  The super crunch salmon roll was definitely super crunchy.  In fact, I thought that the crunch was genius because its texture balanced out the tenderness of the raw salmon perfectly, while its bland taste didn't distract from the salmon at all.  

Super crunchy salmon roll

Next up was the classica salmon avocado maki.  This is my absolute favorite maki that Zama offers.  I would equate it to the smoothness of butter, but it's actually completely different.  Yes, the salmon avocado roll melts in your mouth and rolls down your tongue through your throat seamlessly, but butter leaves you feeling heavy and bloated after eating it, whereas the salmon avocado roll does not.  It's perfection in a roll.  

Salmon avocado roll

Next to the salmon avocado roll sat the impressive and somewhat intimidating yellowtail jalapeno mango maki.  As a lover of jalapeno, I imagine they use large jalapenos in this maki because the pepper wasn't at all hot, which was a little bit of a disappointment as I was looking forward to having sushi with a kick.  Additionally, as a fish, yellowtail doesn't exude much flavor.  It's mild and not very fishy at all, which was great for this roll because the mango, which added a nice crunch, definitely took over.  If you aren't a fan of mango flavor, this isn't the roll for you.  But, if you're an adventurous sushi-er, I give you my blessing to go for it! 

Yellowtail jalapeno mango maki

Our final maki was the classic Philadelphia roll.  The Philadelphia roll consists of [Philadelphia] cream cheese (hence the name), cucumber, and smoked salmon.  In my opinion, cream cheese in sushi is brilliant.  The creaminess of the dairy and the thickness of the rice blend together in a beautiful way that my tongue enjoys.  Plus, in my mind (and according to the rules of Jewish food), cream cheese and smoked salmon are meant to be.  The Philadelphia roll is a must for any sushi lover, especially when eating in Philadelphia.  

Philadelphia roll

Even though we were stuffed by the end of our sushi marathon, my dinner date and I couldn't resist ordering dessert... especially once we heard that all desserts at Zama are mini and guests get three to a plate.  After a lot of deliberation we settled on the Yuzu Creme Brulee, the Double Chocolate Bread Pudding, and the Strawberry Marscapone Cream Cake.  The creme brulee was similar to a passion fruit creme brulee.  It had a custard made from yuzu and caramelized sugar on top.  The double chocolate bread pudding is as it sounds: warm, chocolatey, and brownie-like.  The final and most interesting dessert was the strawberry marscapone cream cake.  Strawberry was definitely the most prominent flavor of the small cake.  The "strawberry" was sandwiched between whipped cream on top and sponge cake on the bottom.  It had a good ratio of plain to extremely flavorful content. 

(l-r) Yuzu creme brulee, Strawberry marscapone cream cake, Double chocolate bread pudding

As always, Zama was a delight.  The service was great, the ambiance serene, and the food superb.  There are countless sushi spots throughout Philadelphia, but if you find yourself hungry in Rittenhouse, I highly recommend stopping in for a roll or two... or three or four.  


Visit Zama: 
(215) 568-1027
http://www.zamarestaurant.com/

Prego!

Despite the intended freedom that summer is supposed to give a college student, my time is being dictated by a part-time job and my senior thesis (I live, sleep, and breathe Middle English).  And after running into an old friend today who commented on my blog, I decided that I deserved a treat.  So, even if I haven't been able to blog, rest assured, readers, I have continued to eat!

My summer started off with a fantastic two-week trip to Italy.  Two high school friends and I visited Florence, Venice, Cinque Terre, Palermo Sicily, and, of course, Roma.  I had extraordinary meals in every city we visited (see my mobile upload and Gelato a Day albums on Facebook), but our meal in the Jewish Ghetto of Rome was particularly special.  Not only was the food delicious, but it was Roman food with a Jewish twist.  Since we went to Nonna Betta for lunch, we couldn't eat everything that we wanted, but we figured that an appetizer and a pasta dish would be a good sampling of what the Ghetto had to offer.

Even though it was about 90 degrees outside, we were drawn to the sidewalk seating at Nonna Betta because, how cool would it have been if we had found someone we knew? In Rome?! Of course we didn't end up seeing anyone we knew after all. Right before we sat down, though, we noticed a New York Times article that proclaimed Nonna Betta's fried artichoke the best in Rome.  So, it was decided for us: our appetizer would be the fried artichoke.

According to Wikipedia, the carciofi alla guidia, aka Jewish style artichokes are a staple of Roman Jewish cuisine.  I grew up eating artichokes, but not of the fried variety.  When artichokes are served in my parents' house, they are usually steamed atop the stove for a few minutes and served warm.  We eat the artichoke by peeling off the individual petals and scraping the meat of the flower with our teeth.  Since a steamed artichoke has a pretty bland flavor, some people serve it with mayonnaise, melted butter, or a yogurt and dill blend (my personal favorite).

The Roman artichoke, however, was completely different.  The oil transforms the artichoke by a) making the whole flower edible and b) altering the taste and texture.  Unlike a normal artichoke, the Roman artichoke is totally edible -- leaves and choke included -- and like most things that are deep-fried, the Roman artichoke is delectable! The leaves taste like terra chips and the artichokey taste is overshadowed by the salt and oil, which is perfection.  Also, in contrast to the crunchiness of the leaves, the heart of the Roman artichoke is much meatier.  Perhaps our artichoke was just bigger than the ones I'm used to eating in America, but it felt like there was a lot more to the Roman heart.

Roman artichoke

My second course arrived cooking, literally.  I ordered gnocchi because I hadn't yet had it in Italy and how can you be in Italy and not eat gnocchi? I was thrilled with my gnocchi (after it cooled down and my tongue stopped swelling from the third-degree burn that it suffered).  I eat a lot of gnocchi in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but my local Italian restaurants of choice don't even come close to what Nonna Betta put in front of me.  When I say that the potato dumplings melted in my mouth, I'm not exaggerating in the slightest.  As you can see from the picture below, the tomato sauce was still boiling as the ceramic bowl was brought to my place setting.  The cubes of fresh tomato in the sauce added richness in taste and texture that I have encountered few times in America.  Finally, I have to comment on the mozzarella.  I was initially skeptical of a kosher dairy restaurant because I didn't want to experience kosher-cheese-syndrome.  In America, when you bake kosher mozzarella, it solidifies into a semi-hard (my boyfriend categorizes it as plastic) coating over the pasta and tomato sauce.  When my gnocchi came out, though, the first thing I noticed was that the cheese had the gooey mozzarella consistency that unkosher cheese has.  Yum.  Attention Miller's cheese: Find out what Nonna Betta puts in its mozzarella.

Gnocchi

Our visit to the Jewish Ghetto of Rome was spectacular.  The synagogue was beautiful, it was incredible to hear Hebrew interspersed with Italian in the streets, and as we ate, we talked about how proud and humbling it felt to be sitting in the Roman Jewish Ghetto as Jewish women in 2011.

Visit Nonna Betta -- Cucina Kosher:
+(06) 6880-6263
http://www.nonnabetta.it/il-ristorante/

Barbuzzled

In an attempt to escape the miserable March weather, a friend and I ventured to 13th Street, also known as Marcie Turney-and-Valerie Safran-land, to "visit" the Mediterranean... via food.  Barbuzzo, our restaurant of choice, had a nice atmospheric change from the gray cloudiness that was quickly becoming a Philadelphia staple.  Nonetheless, even though we were seated next to a large window, we immediately forgot about the freezing outdoors because Barbuzzo's ambiance was perfect.  The dark lighting and close seating gave off the familiar vibe of an Israeli restaurant, in which all of the tables are crammed together and everyone is basically eating off of each other's plate.  To be honest, at first I was a little taken aback by how close the tables at Barbuzzo were.  But, after only a few minutes of seating, I realized how great the close tables were for the overall feeling of the restaurant.

The menu's extensive offerings and descriptions further emphasized the vibrant Mediterranean feel of Barbuzzo.  No two things on the menu sounded similar, which made the process of ordering rather difficult; everything sounded delicious! Finally, though, we settled on four dishes to share -- it's tapas style -- and our waitress assured us that we had made good selections.

The first dish that came to us was the Goat Cheese Board.  In addition to the five cheeses, which I will discuss in a moment, the board -- literally a piece of wood with a handle -- arrived with an assortment of condiments for our cheese.  The condiments (is that even the right term to use here?) included pomegranate molasses, fig jam, Marcona almonds, quince paste, dried cherries, and pieces of baguette.  Even though we had these delicious additions to our cheese board, the main ingredient was decadent enough to enjoy by itself.  Furthermore, each type of goat cheese was so different in taste and texture that it seemed unnecessary to add even more flavors to what was already so new and unique.

Before I elaborate on the individual cheeses, I feel that I owe it to you, dear reader, to explain the method to my madness.  I. Love. Goat. Cheese. Period. It might even be one of my most favorite foods and for that reason, I give you permission to skim this section if deep cheese analysis isn't your thing.  I don't judge.  Or take offense.

Ok, so if you're still reading, you know what you're in for and I won't feel the need to hold back.  The first cheese that I tried was the Young Honey Goat Cheese from Belmont, Wisconsin, which was like the typical goat cheese with which I was familiar.  As I write and reminisce, the Young Honey Goat's light texture and sweet taste linger, leaving me yearning for more, but knowing that I can never have enough to fully satisfy myself.

The second, more interesting cheese, was the Mont Cabrer from Catalunya, Spain.  This cheese was tangy and bitter, but creamy inside a charcoal-rubbed tough exterior.  The Mont Cabrer was especially good atop a piece of baguette lined with pomegranate molasses because it absorbed some of the bitterness that a sweet-tooth like myself doesn't especially love.

Next, I tasted the Hubbarston Blue from Westfield Farms, Massachusetts.  This was a chevre-type cheese that is easily spreadable and salty.  I enjoyed it spread on a piece of apple because the crunch from the fruit enhanced the creaminess of the cheese.

After the Hubbarston Blue, I went for the Pantaleo from Sardegna, Italy.  The menu describes this cheese as a "unique aged goat cheese with a sweet, clean, floral finish." Interestingly, my perception of the Pantaleo was not at all similar to the menu's description.  Perhaps my taste buds aren't refined enough to decipher a "clean, floral finish," but I tasted saltiness from the Pantaleo.  Nonetheless, as all goat cheeses are delicious, the Pantaleo didn't let me down.

Finally, it was time for the cheese that I had been waiting for: The Verde Capra from Lombardi, Italy was staring up at me from the wooden board waiting to be devoured.  I put a little bit on my fork, lifted it to my lips and pursed them around the cheese.  Yum.  Before I could think about what was happening, my whole body was enveloped by a chewy, slightly salty, and tangy paste.  I added more to a baguette and chomped my teeth down.  Mmmmmm.  I couldn't get enough and basically ate all of the Verde Capra before my companion was able to get any, oops.  She understood and it was totally worth it.

Goat Cheese Board

Once we licked our board clean, our Roasted Heirloom Squash and Parsnip Salad arrived.  This dish included arugula, shaved grana padano (which is similar in texture and flavor to the common parmesan cheese), spiced pumpkin seeds, and was dressed with vincotto and lemon.  The salad had a nice balance of sweet and spicy, the pumpkin seeds gave it some sweetness, while the cheese added a slight kick.  The heirlooms and parsnips were roasted and soft, which gave the salad a heartiness that filled us up, but didn't leave us full and heavy.  Finally, the dressing was simple and light, but cohesive, as it tied the entire dish together.

Roasted Heirloom Squash and Parsnip Salad

Next up were our entrees: Casarecce and Grilled Bronzino.  The Casarecce is a fat, curly noodle that is filling, but bland.  The menu said that the dish was served with olive oil, wood fired hen of the woods mushrooms, arugula, preserved lemon-walnut pesto, and ricotta.  All of these ingredients were in the dish, but it was surprisingly tasteless.  For one, the temperature was a little weird.  The noodles were warm, but the ricotta-pesto-arugula-mushroom mixture was cold.  The juxtaposition between the warm and cold components were distracting and not necessarily pleasant.  Had I not be distracted by the confusing temperature, I probably would have enjoyed the dish more; all of the ingredients were clearly fresh, but the lemon-walnut pesto could have been more flavorful.  The next time I eat at Barbuzzo, I probably won't order the Casarecce again, but the Chestnut Ravioli sounds like it could fill the void...

Casarecce 

In contrast, our second entree, the Grilled Bronzino, was perfect.  The plate comes with arugula pesto, wood roasted mushrooms and artichoke farro, oven dried tomatoes, and salmoriglio.  In terms of the fish, the salmoriglio, which is an Italian condiment consisting mainly of lemon, really influenced the flavor, but the the way the fish was seared really enhanced the dish.  The other components that made the dish interesting, were the farro and the salmoriglio.  Farro was a cool ingredient because it was new to me.  After going home and researching it, I learned that farro is similar to rice, as it is the grain of a certain wheat species in whole form.  However, there is a lot of speculation about what farro actually is, though I would argue that it's similar to barley in texture and composition.  The farro also absorbs flavors interestingly.  This particular dish was served with artichokes and mushrooms, but it somehow had a coconut-y flavor that mixed with the vegetables imbedded inside of it.  Yum.  One bite of the farro and bronzino together quickly made up from anything that the Casarecce was missing.

Grilled Bronzino

Just when we thought we were stuffed, our waitress brought out the dessert menu and it was impossible to resist a peek.  The first item on the menu is the Salted Caramel Budino, which has a dark chocolate crush, vanilla bean caramel, and sea salt.  Naturally, after eyeing a dish like that, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to eat it.  As I've probably said already, dessert is my favorite part of any meal and I usually spend close to 15 minutes staring at dessert menus, weighing the options.  At Barbuzzo, there wasn't anything to compare the Budino to.  Sure, the other desserts sounded good, but, when chocolate, caramel, and sea salt are grouped together, it's pretty hard to make another selection.  So when our waitress handed us the menu, I skimmed the paper, looked my friend in the eyes, and knew that we were on the brain wave.  When the Budino came we instantaneously knew we had made the right decision.  This dessert was heavenly.  The texture was mousse-like and every component was a dichotomy: sweet and salty, gooey and crunchy... If you need one reason to go to Barbuzzo, this dessert is it.

Salted Caramel Budino

I don't know if I would classify Barbuzzo as "Mediterranean tapas," as it's advertised, but I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for an intimate meal with unique dishes.  And... you know how I feel about the cheese and dessert.

Visit Barbuzzo:
(215) 546-9300
www.barbuzzo.com/barbuzzo/

Viva la Aguaviva

Since our cruise left from Puerto Rico, we decided to sandwich the oceanic part of vacation with a few days in San Juan.  During the weekend leading up to the cruise we didn't eat anything particularly interesting, but we did scout out the area of Old San Juan and decided that we would eat our final meal of the vacation there.  So, when the cruise ended and we disembarked in San Juan for the final time, we spent the afternoon walking around Old San Juan, perusing menus in search of the perfect way to end spring break.

All of our dinner "research" was making us quite hungry and when a friendly Puerto Rican waiter approached and invited us into his restaurant for lunch, we decided it might be a good time to nash.  As we ordered, we talked to the host of the restaurant -- the same friendly guy who had attracted us into the eatery in the first place -- and learned about him, life in San Juan, and most importantly, potential dinner spots.

After lunch and another bit of exploration, we decided on Old San Juan hotspot, Aguaviva, for dinner.  As its name alludes, being inside Aguaviva (literally: live water) was like being inside water.  First of all, everything was blue. And there were octopus lamps! The whole atmosphere actually kind of reminded me of a lamaze class (or what I imagine a lamaze class would be like) because the blue lights darkened the room and emphasized a hip, yet serene atmosphere.  Plus, there was mellow music playing throughout the room.  It was clear from the get-go that Aguaviva is a highly popular and trendy eatery in San Juan.

Interior of Aguaviva 

After gazing lovingly at the octopus lights, we remembered our growling stomachs and turned to our menus.  The options seemed obvious.  We were in a Puerto Rican fish restaurant (read: ceviche central) and we had been eating salmon everyday for dinner on the cruise (read: tuna tartar was extremely appealing).  Thus, the process of ordering was quick and easy and we waited eagerly for our food to come.

While the octopus lamps continued to dominate our conversation, our waitress approached us and asked if we minded moving closer to the bar - IE to sit directly under the octopus lamps! Obviously we agreed and eagerly changed tables.  

Within moments of being re-seated, our ceviche arrived.  The dish, titled chillo y aguacate fresco, consisted of fresh read snapper and avocado, and came with plantain tostados.  The plantain tostados are similar to a cracker, but made out of plantains that are cut into thin strips and then baked.  The tostados are used as a utensil for the ceviche, which you place on top of the tostado and then bite into.  The tastes in this dish were magnificent.  The plantain tostado had relatively little flavor -- over the course of the trip we learned that green plantains are bland and sweet plantains are more like bananas -- and it absorbed the citrus of the ceviche perfectly.  In addition to the red snapper and avocado in the ceviche, the combination of tomatoes, onions, and limes added a piquant flavor and texture to the dish.  The fish was perfectly tender and the meat almost melted in our mouths.  Additionally, the avocado added a soft texture to the chewy fish and the crunchy onion-tomato salsa, all of which was consumed in the same bite as the firm plantain tostado.

Chillo y Aguacate Fresco

While we were knee deep in our ceviche, the restaurant manager approached us with a waiter carrying three drinks.  The manager explained that she was so sorry to have inconvenienced us by moving our table, that they wanted to provide us with complimentary drinks.  The beverage of choice, watermelon sangria, is Aguaviva's house speciality. Flavored sangrias seemed to be a trend throughout Puerto Rico because on our first day in San Juan we were given samples of cinnamon sangria at a bar in Old San Juan.  Aguaviva's watermelon sangria was very good though.  The base was a standard white wine sangria, but there was a subtle watermelon aftertaste that lingered in my mouth.  There was also a splash of lime somewhere, but I couldn't place whether it was more of a lemon spritz in the white wine or the acidity of the watermelon.  Regardless, when my cup was empty, I wished that there had been more.

Watermelon Sangria 

Soon after our complimentary drinks came out, so did our entrees.  We all ordered the same dish: Blackened tuna steak, which came with amarillo agnolotti truffle scented vegetables and bok choy.  I discovered bok choy while I was in China with my family a few summers ago and absolutely fell in love.  It is such a good staple vegetable to have on a plate because its leafy texture cleanses the palate nicely.  My tuna was perfectly medium-rare and the crunchier-spicy outside complimented the perfectly cooked inside of the fish.  A sweet sauce, which was a hybrid of barbeque sauce and eel sauce was drizzled over the fish.  Additionally, and most surprisingly, the tuna itself was cold.  This created an interesting temperature dichotomy because the truffles, which were underneath the tuna, were warm.  So, when I took a bite of tuna-truffle goodness, I was greeted with a fusion of warm/cold-spicy/sweet-chewy/meaty heaven.

Blackened Tuna Steak

Aguaviva was a spectacular way to end spring break.  If you ever find yourself in San Juan, I highly recommend you check out this transcendent dining spot.

Visit Aguaviva:
(787) 722-0665
http://www.oofrestaurants.com/

St. Martin: A Tropica(naca)l Island

I spent my spring break cruising around the Caribbean.  Our final destination was St. Martin/Sint Maarten, a half-French, half- Dutch island located in the northeast Caribbean.  Since it was our last stop -- we had already been to five beaches -- and we only had about five hours on the island, it was pretty easy to decide that we wanted to spend our time on the French side doing French things (like eating good food and "shopping" for $150 bathing suits).

St. Martin's commercial area isn't humongous, but there was enough to do and look at that we were preoccupied for the entire day.  Around noon, after seeing multiple kinds of miniature shoes, we got hungry for lunch and started evaluating the surrounding restaurants' menus and ambiance.  After much deliberation, we settled on Le Tropicana, a quaint eatery next to the harbor.  The maitre 'd immediately took a liking to us -- I mean, who can blame him? -- and promised the "best table in the house" (or, out of the house, as we learned when we were seated next to the water) and a fabulous lunch.

The menu was great.  There was a lot to choose from and all of the dishes had unique personalities and ingredients.  We decided to share an appetizer salad and frites, and then to each get her own entree.  We wanted a cheesy salad, since we were going to take advantage of the fresh seafood in our main dishes, and decided on a warm goat cheese salad.  The salad was scrumptious! The goat cheese was warm and it was covered in a crunchy sesame seed coating.  In addition to the goat cheese, the salad featured lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and -- SURPRISE! -- a hard-boiled egg.  I'm not usually the biggest fan of eggs in salads.  Eggs are given a bad rep, especially by children, and when they are incorporated in an unexpected dish, like a salad, the egg really needs to be earned.  If it isn't earned, the egg falls short of all expectations and sits, blandly in the salad, absorbing the color from every other vegetable and/or fruit that it touches.  In this situation, however, the the coupling of the goat cheese, egg, and veggies was perfect.  The crunch of the cucumber, the squirt of the tomato, and the softness of the cheese, were all brought together by the egg's simple texture and taste.  I would even go so far to say that had the egg not been part of the salad, I would have felt like there was something missing.

Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Next came our entrees.  I ordered the marinated fresh salmon with lime and basil.  It was a carpaccio/tartar type dish, which means that the salmon is thinly sliced and spread over the entire plate. Carpaccio dishes are usually served as appetizers, but I had been craving the lime marinade that I associate with ceviche, and I thought the carpaccio might satisfy my craving.  Boy, was I right! Not only did this dish resemble Alma de Cuba's salmon in their Rainbow Ceviche (if you don't remember what that tastes like, now would be a good time to review), but Le Tropicana's salmon was so fresh that the thinness of the fish made the dish even more delicious.  The texture also gave the dish a light and airy feeling, which left me full, but not stuffed.  In terms of the taste, it was everything that the menu description said it would be.  Prominent basil and lime flavoring tied the fish together, but the fishiness of fresh salmon was certainly the star of the show.

Salmon Carpaccio

Our side dish, the epitome of French food, added some salty goodness to our otherwise healthy meal.  It was spectacular.  In fact, I think I can sum up the frites, literally French Fries, in five words: Salty, hot, fresh, oily, heaven. Yup, that sounds about right.

French Fries

I said this before, but the thing that made this food so great was that we left feeling light.  Having been on a cruise for five days leading up to this epic meal, the airiness of the food was a nice contrast to the dense, heavy mass-produced goods available on the ship.  We knew that we couldn't order dessert at Le Tropicana because we had passed a bakery filled with macarons that we wanted to eat! But before we left Le Tropicana, our beloved maitre 'd indulged us with complimentary shots of Banana Rum, which tasted like chocolate covered bananas.

Banana Rum

Le Tropicana was without a doubt the best meal I had on the cruise.  If (and when) I return to St. Martin, I will be sure to dine there again and I hope that you do too! 

Visit Le Tropicana: 

+(590) 590-877-907 

One bird, two bird, Blackbird, blue bird

Kosher vegan pizzeria? Named Blackbird? I bet you're really confused.  It's okay, I was too.  But, as I'm sure you remember from my Dock Street post, when it comes to pizza, I can't say no.  Therefore, when a friend mentioned he was having a reunion at Blackbird, I decided to crash the party and see what vegan pizza was all about.

My spur of the moment decision to go to Blackbird didn't leave much time for menu research, a prelude to most meals I eat out, but I also couldn't go into the restaurant blind.  Thankfully, my iPhone saved the day and I was able to skim Blackbird's menu on the drive to the restaurant.  As I read about Blackbird's unconventional approaches to pizza-making, I was thrilled that I had decided to indulge my impulsive side. The pizzas sounded amazing and unlike anything I had ever heard of before.  While some featured vegan cheese and seitan meats, most of the pizzas separated themselves from the stereotypical marinara/mozzarella duo and formed new identities with ingredients like garlic butter, fennel, and barbeque sauce.

The anticipation of what Blackbird's pizza would taste like had me salivating as the cab pulled up to the restaurant.  The ready-made pizza selection wasn't spectacular--I wished that there had been more pizzas available--but it was still good.  I ended up ordering a slice of Nacho Pizza, which was comprised of avocado, caramelized onions, jalapeno peppers, and cheddar style daiya cheese.  I was definitely not disappointed by my pizza, though it was different than I had expected.  I kind of wanted the pizza to taste "vegan" and to have mysterious elements that separated it from regular pizza.  Instead, the nacho pizza kind of tasted like a regular slice of pizza, with unusual ingredients.  Regardless of the un-vegan tastes, the pizza actually tasted like nachos! It was very cheesy and the jalapenos gave it a spicy kick.  Surprisingly, the pizza was quite doughy and soft.  The only un-nacho-like thing about the pizza though, was the thickness and moistness of the crust.  Had it been thin crust pizza, it might have felt more like a pile of nachos than a piece of bread with nacho ingredients on top of it.

Nacho Pizza

Regardless, the Nacho Pizza was good and I would likely return to Blackbird to try something else.  Maybe next time I'll be a bit more adventurous and go for the South Philly (seitan sausage, broccoli rabe, fennel, eggplant, red sauce, and daiya cheese).

Visit Blackbird Pizzeria:
(215) 625-6660
http://www.blackbirdpizzeria.com/