a san francisco treat

there are so many restaurants in san francisco (plus the bay area), that sometimes it's hard to choose. it's much easier when somebody tells you exactly what they want. so when i was taking my mom to lunch, it was her choice, and she wanted lobster. san francisco isn't exactly known for lobster, so i was pretty thrilled to come across the North Beach Lobster Shack.

north beach is san francisco's little italy, and it's absolutely adorable (although parking is close to impossible). and the lobster shack, with its kitschy maps and decor, fits right in.

i was disappointed that it was close to empty when we stopped in during lunch, and maybe more disappointed when the only guy that came in while we were there ordered a grilled cheese.

but the food was great! the new england-style clam chowder was creamy, clammy and delicious. and the naked lobster roll, although on the small side, was meaty and great. perfect fries just added to the wonderful meal. my mom had the lobster louie salad; it was good, but it could've used more lobster and more avocado.

i was pleased to have found this hidden gem on a quaint street, but even more pleased when i was craving fro-yo and ran into Swirl Culture right up the block. going with the frozen yogurt craze, swirl culture is the pinkberry of san francisco. and it completely hit the spot.

north beach lobster shack
532 green street btwn grant/columbus
san francisco, ca 94133
415/829.3634

swirl culture
1400 grant avenue at green
san francisco, ca 94133
415/397.9475

genuinely delicious

i'm not really sure why i even bothered to leave laguardia airport, since 11 hours after i was picked up, a car dropped me and my S.O. straight back to American Airlines, but this time, i was headed to Miami.

i have been looking forward to this trip for a while solely because i've wanted to try michael's genuine food & drink. it's been on everyone's chowhound radar, and then frank bruni wrote it up in his "restaurants that count" 4-part article a few months ago!

we made a reservation (sunday, 5:30pm - i prefer to eat early, if i can), and during my downtime in china, i researched the menu (non-chinese food was on my mind a lot), the reviews, even the wine list, so by the time we arrived at the restaurant, i was ready to go.

the restaurant is located in an up-and-coming neighborhood, the design district, which, verified by our waitress, isn't the safest neighborhood at night. the little plaza, however, where michael's also has outdoor seating, is adorable, with the feel of belden lane in san francisco or stone street in new york. the interior feels like it should be warm as you enter, with a long dark bar and open kitchen with even some counter seating, but the high ceilings (which we generally love), white walls, modern lighting and the stoic hostess gave me more of a stark, cold vibe.

service was attentive, especially because of our early reservation. i liked our server jeanne (i think) who was sweet without being annoying or intrusive. the busboys cleared, provided and were polite and not bumbling.

the food, as it should be, was the real star. we ate so much; i'm just going to list it out:
-cheese of the week: brunet from piedmont, italy, served with a port-wine reduction, honeycomb and raisin-walnut bread - delicious creamy, runny goat's milk cheese; the bread was also perfect with it.
-the crispy hominy - i could've eaten 1000 of these lightly spiced snacks, they tasted like homemade puffed cheese doodles, without the cheese; great with a squeeze of lime
-deviled eggs - these were good, creamy, but i wouldn't need to order them again
-potato chips with caramelized onion dip - i was disappointed that the chips weren't crispy and that the onion pieces were so long - it was hard to pick up the dip and get some onion because all the onion strings were intertwined
-fried pork belly & watermelon salad - this was the best dish of all - i don't know how but the red onion, watermelon, pork belly, pepitas and dressing married so beautifully (so creative... i would never think of adding watermelon)
-crispy beef cheek - this reminded me a bit of tender chicken-fried steak (which i love), and i loved this too - the celeriac was very mellow, and i had no idea there was chocolate in the sauce - it looked more like a whole-grain mustard sauce
-blt salad - i wanted this to be more like the fried pork & watermelon, with chunks of pork rather than a slice, but the tomatoes were so seasonal and delicious, and the frisee was, visibly, so lightly dressed, you wouldn't know it was dressed unless you tasted it. the blue cheese, although tasty on its own, killed the taste of my wine (a bottle of the Etude 2006 rose), so i probably would not order this again.
-homemade fettucine - our night had wild mushrooms in addition to the artichokes, chunks of house-smoked bacon, fiore sardo cheese; the pasta had amazing texture. this is exactly what i needed to satisfy the food cravings from being deprived of western food in china.
-slow-roasted pork shoulder - perfectly tender, but there's a spice on the outside crust that i didn't like - i haven't yet determined what it is. my S.O. loved this dish though. tasted great with the pickled onion and cheese grits, and a sprinkling of salt.
-wood-oven roasted grouper - i didn't need this dish, but it was really so good, i'm so happy we got it. the accompanying roasted brussels sprouts with pancetta were slightly sweet, firm but so yums. and the lemon aioli was a wonderful dipper.
-french fries - i don't usually give credit to french fries, but my S.O. loves fries, and we get them almost everywhere, and he said these were one of the best fries he's ever had - perfect medium thickness, dark and crispy with some skin - so that says a lot. paired with the lemon aioli from the grouper, mmm.
-candy bar special dessert - i wish we had gotten the lemon pot de creme on the menu instead, but our server highly recommended this dish. it was ok, but i wouldn't order it again. or take a bite, even if someone else got it and offered me some. just not worth the calories, when there are so many other delicious things.

so i really enjoyed this restaurant. i wish they had michael's genuine in new york... this would be a HUGE HIT! plus it wasn't even that expensive... i mean, our bill was kind of pricey, but only because my S.O. let me indulge and order everything i wanted (besides the chicken liver crostini and sweetbreads, but i know he doesn't like either of those things, and it would've been outrageously indulgent for me to order those just for me, in addition to all of the above). so if you live in or near Miami, or if you're visiting, this is a must-try.

michael's genuine food & drink
Atlas Plaza
130 NE 40th Street btwn NE 1st/2nd Aves (Design District)
Miami, FL 33137
(305) 573-5550

20 hours in shanghai

i had another night in shanghai on my way back from xuchang for work, and this time, there was no time for massage, eyelashes or dumplings!!

instead, i met two english speakers as i was checking in at the lobby of my hotel, and out of the blue, one called me for dinner. i suggested jishi restaurant, this wonderful shanghainese spot that i went to last time, but when we arrived (without reservation), they weren't taking any more diners - it was overflowing with patrons and waiting guests!! upon cauvin's (the new lobby friend) recommendation, we ended up at grand gateway mall in xujiahui at a cantonese restaurant (average food, not worth writing about) in their crazy food court maze on the 5th floor!

cauvin's two friends (both shanghai residents, one an actual local) met us, and we decided to try xintiandi for after-dinner cocktails. the raucous crowd at luna (a mix of chinese and western faces) drew us in where there was a chinese cover band playing mostly american songs.

my friend malcolm texted me to meet him at velvet lounge, but instead of finding him in the crowd of non-asian faces, i met a slew of italians!! they were hilarious, welcoming and just a load of fun (two chefs who talked italian cooking to me... mmmm, i do love food, especially italian food), and after a few too many cocktails (evidenced by my pounding headache this morning), i headed back to my hotel around 3:30am. talk about making good use of my few hours here!

this morning, i'm checking out and going for DVDs - i've missed too many talked-about films (ironman, indiana jones), and annually, it's cheaper to buy them here than to continue my netflix subscription!! hopefully i'll also get some dumplings or street food en route!

i miss my massage and i really could've used a manicure AND eyelashes, but shanghai this way was pretty amazing as well.

the UES isn't that bad...

usually thinking about heading to the upper east side makes me grimace: there's always traffic due to the number of cars slowly hunting for street parking (is the UES the densest neighborhood in manhattan??), it's far (always more than a $10 cab) and it's generic (have you been the to restaurant pudding stones - spots like that are what make the UES so horrific). plus considering the diverse group that lives there (from super rich to 20-somethings sharing a 1-bedroom amongst 3), it lacks a relative number of good restaurants and bars. everything east of lexington ave (i wanted to say park, but i remembered lex bar & books) is pretty much Frat Party USA (one could say the same about my neighborhood, murray hill - but i live west of park ave).

yet, i spend an inordinate amount of time up there.

fine, two of my favorite people live there, but in order for me to continue traveling north, i had to find some redeeming factors about the UES (and obviously they're all drink... and food).

accademia di vino - the food is good, it's casual and cute, they have great wine and it's not expensive. my kind of restaurant.

gael pub tuesday night trivia - dave the quizmaster is quick-witted, the questions are actually hard, and the bartenders on tuesday night (shane & finn) are pretty attractive. note: the food is terrible.

the nook at dylan murphy's - dylan murphy's is a good bar, but the bar they created downstairs (called "the nook") is GREAT - it's cozy and has personality. plus they introduced me to the double espresso - delish. the owners (jack/blake) are the best.

trinity pub - it's a total irish pub dive, they redid it and now there's less standing room, and i hate their cocktail glasses, but for some reason, it's comforting (gavin's the best bartender - it used to be terry, but he's no longer with them).


accademia di vino
1081 third avenue at 64th street
new york, ny 10021
212/888.6333

the gael pub
1465 third avenue between 82/83rd streets
new york, ny 10028
212/517.4141

dylan murphy's
1453 third avenue between 82/83rd streets
new york, ny 10028
212/988.9431

trinity pub
299 east 84th street between 2/3rd avenues
new york, ny 10028
212/327.4450

momofuku ko

sometimes i try to think of creative titles for my posts, but i think it's better to go straightforward with this one. i FINALLY got a reservation at ko (note, it was sunday of labor day weekeend). i was overwhelmed with excitement, but i made one mistake: i went out too late the night beforehand and was properly hungover and tired that day.

that said, the meal was really quite amazing. because i was hungover, i fully admit, my memory is not perfectly clear. but here's the general gist: inventive, creative, interesting and uncomfortable.

our first course, which i remember fondly, was a mini-english muffin topped with whipped pork fat and side of chicharron (pork rind). we did the premium wine tasting, and this was accompanied by a rose champagne. the english muffin... i could eat that every day of my life. it was moist and buttery, without, obviously, the butter. the chicharron was slightly stale. i've had non-stale pork rinds before so that was disappointing.

our next course was a long island fluke sashimi in some sort of poppy-seed buttermilk sauce. the fluke was amazing, but it does happen to be one of my favorite fish raw.

now it all gets jumbled for me, so i'll just list out for you what we had:
-sliced matsutake mushrooms in a bacon dashi broth - paired with a jinmai sake -- this was unbelievable, so many flavors exploded in your mouth!
-poached chicken egg, with caviar and pickled onions - i don't like egg, so this was just 'eh' to me.
-sweet corn ravioli - 3 little pillows - great flavor, but a little sweet.
-pan-seared halibut - perfectly undercooked, quite good.
-2 styles of duck - breast with crispy skin and the leg, cooked sous-vide.
-foie gras torchon (i asked if it was sawdust!) - i thought this was just WOW, but i love foie gras, with lychees and pine nut brittle. it melted in my mouth.
-kiwi sorbet as a palate cleanser
-yellow cake ice cream with peanut butter shavings and strawberries - paired with ximienez 1927 sherry -- a dessert i never would've thought i liked, but absolutely loved.

really, everything was very good, but i thought it would be more mind-blowing, and i was expecting more pork fat!! i'd like to go again (if i can ever get another reservation!), now that i know it's not mind-blowing, but interesting and delicious. also, fall and winter bring more hearty, savory foods, which is more my style.

my least favorite part was the seating. my butt HURT and legs were sore after the meal. the music was a little loud (they adjusted multiple times), and the AC was blowing intensely from under me. i was cold. the server/hostess - the one who poured our wines and took our dishes, was absolutely adorable and informative... and fun. she helped round out the meal. the chefs were not chatty at all. maybe it's just me?

momofuku ko
163 First Ave btwn 10/11th Sts
New York, NY 10003
no phone - reservations online only.

steak club #1

there are so many steakhouses in NYC that i've tried and haven't tried, and my S.O. and i always have this argument as to which steakhouse is best. so we've decided to eat at every steakhouse in NYC (even the boroughs!) until we have a definitive winner. we call it "steak club".

we had our first steak club dinner on friday with four of our friends at Old Homestead Steakhouse, which makes sense, since Old Homestead is supposedly the oldest steakhouse in NYC. (i'm not planning to eat at the 2nd oldest steakhouse next.) i actually chose Old Homestead because i see it all the time, i've heard so many mixed reviews (mostly less than stellar) and we've actually takeout from Old Homestead while working across the street, but it was sorta eh.

so i went with less than the highest expectations on the food... and Old Homestead definitely surprised us. the crabcake was full of large, tender chunks of jumbo lump crabmeat. the manhattan clam chowder (soup of the day) was clammy and flavorful. even the chef's special bread appetizer (toasted garlic bread with a parmesan sauce) was different but yummy (suggestion: try dipping the onion bread in the parmesan sauce - mmmm). a plain old tomato and mozzarella salad had seasonal and juicy tomatoes, although the mozzarella was unmemorable. the biggest disappointments were the salads: the signature salad was barely chopped, tossed or good; and the iceberg wedge was blanketed with dressing.

the steaks also blew us away. one of my fellow diners thought the gotham ribsteak was one of the best he'd ever had. my prime rib had that delicious aged aroma. i didn't like the whole peppercorns crusting the prime rib; i'm not a fan, and i wish i had some warning. we aren't generally fans of filet mignon (it's just so lean - fat is flavor!), but Old Homestead's filet mignon on the bone actually had flavor and fat; that bone really makes the difference. and everything was perfectly cooked.

the one entree we didn't like was the american kobe burger. at $41, it was dry (REALLY DRY), crumbly and tasteless. the accompanying sauces were no addition. the entire thing was unfortunate.

of the side dishes, we loved the creamed spinach (really creamy, really spinachy, no competing flavors) and the super crispy hash browns. the steak fries made me sad - there were so few, and they weren't even good. we also had asparagus with hollandaise, which was fine.

they had a very varied and interesting wine list, which has been awarded a Wine Spectator award of approval. we went with an inexpensive malbec as well as a portuguese red (double the price of the malbec, but not as drinkable). i liked that the options were available.

if you have room for dessert, which we really didn't, the cheesecake is good and so was the key lime pie, but really, who needs those calories???

finally, the service and room... it was loud (it may have had something to do with the table next to ours that continuously toasted something or other throughout their entire dinner) and i didn't really care for the layout (or location - meatpacking district, ugh) of the restaurant. plus, they tried to seat us at a table right next to the waiters' station (i asked for a different table; it's so difficult to enjoy a meal in the midst of the thoroughfare). the service, considering the number of waitstaff - which was almost 1:1 with the number of diners, was pretty crappy. there was a lot of running around, and not so much actual serving.

overall, the food, particularly the meat, was excellent, but the experience was only good. i would think the oldest steakhouse in NYC would have gotten rid of the kinks by now.

Old Homestead Steakhouse
56 9th Ave
New York, NY 10011
212/242.9040

first time to maine

last weekend, one of my dearest girlfriends was married in Kennebunkport, Maine. having never been to Maine, i thought this was a perfect opportunity to enjoy a lot of LOBSTER and see these quaint seaside towns that i had envisioned my entire life. i did some research, and found spots close to Kennebunkport to enjoy meals.

we flew into Portland International Jetport (PWM) on Delta (i HATE delta - more on that later), rented a car and headed south to Kennebunkport. once we arrived, i couldn't believe that on a Thursday afternoon we were stuck in 15 minutes of TRAFFIC, just driving through the town of Kennebunkport. we arrived at and checked into the Nonantum Resort, the hotel where we were staying AND where the wedding/reception was held.

the Nonantum is pricey (during high season $350+/night). we stayed in a regular room (double or queen bed) in the main building (Carriage House Inn), and i don't think we've stayed in a crappier room EVER (#210): faded 1980s, Laura Ashley-esque wallpaper, wicker furniture and a sagging mattress... not to mention, we were right next to the ice and vending machines AND the housekeeping station. but the two worst offenses were a) the room was uneven - walking from the bathroom to the wicker day bed was 14.0% grade incline, to the point that if you didn't hold open the closet door, it would slam shut due solely to gravity; and b) the walls were so paperthin that when the cellphone of the girl in room 208 would ring, both my S.O. and i would look at our phones to see if it was our phone ringing!

enough about the rooms (which all of my friends and i couldn't get enough of - it was sadly the main talk of the weekend), because the view and grounds for this hotel are beautiful. my suggestion is to get married there, but stay ELSEWHERE.

kennebunkport seemed so picturesque, but each time i went to town via car, it really took minimum 15 minutes (and sometimes up to 30 minuutes) to get through a 5-block town, that it sorta ruined the experience for me. also, it's so TOURISTY - there are at least four gift shops on each block, which takes away from the quaintness.

we did eat a delicious meal in Kennebunkport at The Clam Shack. it's literally a stand, with outdoor, picnic-style seating, but the fried whole clams were AMAZING. the clam chowder was pretty good (somewhere between creamy and watery). but i was disappointed with the lobster roll, which was small and on a hamburger bun! the bun was good, but the entire thing was a bit too chewy and cold.

friday we decided to drive around Kennebunk, Wells and Ogunquit to really get a feel for southern Maine. unfortunately, every beachside town involved 20-30 minutes of major traffic to get through town. plus, state law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians at all times, so cars would suddenly brake even if the pedestrian was still a ways off, taking the law quite seriously.

for lunch we tried Barnacle Billy's in Ogunquit. it's a bustling restaurant towards the end of a small beachy street, with outdoor patio seating overlooking the dock. i loved the location, despite the traffic getting there. our food took a while to come out, and once it came, we were, again, not thrilled. the clam chowder was the most impressive - creamy and very clammy, this was a really delicious bowl of clam chowder. the lobster roll, on a hot dog bun, was too wet, which took away from the large chunks of lobster in it. and there wasn't much lobster in it anyway. the garlic bread (which my S.O. ordered) was made from frozen bread and had not a hint of garlic. and finally, the 2lb lobster that i devoured... it would've been better had it not been slightly overcooked to chewy rather than tender. but it did have a huge stick of roe inside which was a lovely surprise. mmmm.

on saturday, we checked out a sandwich spot on the fringe of Kennebunkport (not in the town's main drag) that we had passed the day before. there was a sign outside that said "Award-Winning Sandwiches", and of course i wanted an award-winning sandwich. unfortunately, my dress for the wedding was fitting snugger than i'd hoped at this point, with all of the food i'd consumed, so i had to suffice with splitting a large cheesesteak from Bennett's Store with my S.O. oh my - this sandwich was absolutely delicious. the bread was crispy on the outside, doughy, yeasty and wonderful on the inside. the meat was finely chopped and not too greasy, with the perfect meat to provolone cheese ratio. this is where i would certainly return.

on sunday, we drove to portland for the day to see what portland had to offer us. it turned out, there wasn't much. my friend mike, with whom i went to university, suggested a breakfast spot Bintliff's for great pancakes, so that's where we headed. mike's suggestion was FANTASTIC. a crowded spot, with incredibly friendly host and servers, i had what was the best lobster roll i'd encountered in Maine! it was tender, oozing in butter, with a hint of tang from a light touch of lemon mayonnaise on a warm, toasted hot dog bun. i could've eaten 8 of them. plus their ranch dressing (which i experienced with the side salad that came with my lobster roll) was OUT OF THIS WORLD. my S.O. had the buttermilk pancakes (ginormous, yet light and fluffy and wonderful) with a side of applewood smoked bacon which he said was the best bacon he'd ever had (unfortunately, he gobbled it up so quickly, no one else could try). i wish i'd tried so many other things, but first on my list for next time is the corned beef hash - huge chunks of real corned beef - i was drooling as they served it to the table next to ours.

finally, on route to the airport, i got a little lost, but luckily found this soft-serve ice cream place (which wasn't on my list of places to try, but i'm so happy we practically drove into this spot), Red's Dairy Freeze, which had some of the best soft-serve ice cream i've ever tried. not to be mistaken for the yogurt-flavored frozen yogurt spots that have been sprouting everywhere, this was good old-fashioned soft-serve ice cream. you could even get chocolate Magic Shell if you wanted, or a Nor'Easter - a McFlurry-like concoction. But i'm generally a purist. the vanilla was exactly what you wanted it to be.

supposedly i missed a great lobster roll at Mabel's Lobster Claw in Kennebunkport right up the street from our hotel, and from what i've heard, it actually is rustic in areas north of Portland. so maybe, Maine deserves another chance? for now, i'm perfectly content devouring the fantastic lobster rolls at Pearl Oyster Bar, which is an $8 cab ride from home, instead of having to suffer through Delta's $300 flights to Maine that are always oversold AND delayed over 2 hours just because there's too much flight traffic.

those aussies...

i've probably not mentioned this before, but one of my best friends is australian. she's been in NYC on & off since 2004. it's funny because i didn't know many australians before her. but now it seems australia is taking great strides to be in the spotlight. not only do i have this aussie best friend, but one of my good friends is dating an aussie model. i recently read an article about the culinary explosion in sydney. and saturday night, i had an australian wine that is my favorite wine of right now.

much to my S.O.'s dismay, the bottle is a screw-top, but the wine is outstanding (and inexpensive!!). it's super crispy, light-medium bodied with citrus, green apple and floral flavors and minerally finish that's just yum. i haven't mastered the wine pairing with food, but this went just fine with my artichoke salad (good not great), braised veal breast (loved the mushrooms and sweetbread, veal was good but overly rosemaried) and potato gnocchi side dish (amazingly delicious and light) at hearth. so a shout-out to our waitress who highly recommended it.

ps - we also tried this amazing cheese grayson from virginia - i'll have to find more and try it again. of the desserts - the buttermilk panna cotta was quite tasty (the pink peppercorns really gave it a zing), whereas the mango tarte tatin was left in the dust.

kaesler old vine semillon 2006 (barossa valley, south australia)

hearth
403 east 12th street (at 1st ave)
new york, ny 10009
646/602.1300

staying in the borough (restaurant now closed)

everyone remembers rocco dispirito - the arrogant chef who partnered with legendary restauranteur jeffrey chodorow to open rocco's - aka "the restaurant" from the TV show that documented its building/opening. other than leaving behind the legacy of mama's meatballs (which really are delicious), rocco kinda dwindled away (probably for the best - his boyish good looks couldn't live up to his ginormous ego, and he's short).

since rocco's, the space hasn't garnered much attention. it transitioned to another restaurant, caviar & bananas, i think was the name - whatever marketing person thought of that name should be fired.

more recently, it became borough food & drink. i believe the idea was to serve NYC-style cuisine using local ingredients as well as sell those same favorites. i think it even had a market at some point. i'm not sure if the local ingredients have been a success, or if the restaurant is a success at all, but there's something about it...

let's start with my likes (besides the fact that you can always get a reservation and it's not outrageously expensive):

1. our server was actually passionate about some of the dishes. when the guy we had dinner with ordered the borough steak, our server actually said, "it's just your average strip steak," to dissuade him from ordering it (our dining companion still ordered the steak, and he said it was good). he recommended a salted caramel sundae that was delish.

2. the cocktails on the front page are not that creative (especially in this era of creative cocktails), but they're good.

3. it's bustling without being crowded. and the music is good.

4. the host - he's hipster-dorky (that should say it all).

my dislikes:

1. it took 23 minutes for my passionate server to bring me my cocktail.

2. the pool table area in the back.

3. the hipster-slow service (what is sorta hot in the host is completely unattractive in a server).


but i still would go back. it's close enough to my apartment. the burger is good. it has mac n cheese as a side dish (the first time i had it, it was really good; this time, it needed salt). and i like a server who's really into the dishes... it helps an indecisive person like me.

borough food & drink (CLOSED)
12 east 22nd street btwn broadway/park ave
new york, ny 10010
212/260.0103
note: this restaurant is closed.

first time in miami

i've never been to miami before last week. everyone seems surprised when i tell them this. i don't know why. the thing is... i always had the impression that miami was, well, cheezy. don't get me wrong: i have good friends from miami who aren't cheezy. i think 'miami vice' and 'CSI: miami' (i can't stand horatio) ruined miami for me.

however, when my S.O. told me that he had a meeting in miami, i decided i couldn't let TV influence my life forever, and i decided to tag along. i wanted to stay at the mandarin oriental, but they were booked. very unfortunate.

here's a list of what i did in my 36 hours in miami:

the conrad hilton - a crappy hotel dressed up to be nice. incredibly rude and poor service. PROs: comfortable beds, decent fitness center, near my S.O.'s meeting. CONs: pool and tennis courts are on the rooftop of the building across the street, did i already mention the rude service?

matsuri - pretty good japanese restaurant not really close to downtown. PROs: semi-friendly sushi chef, masa; mostly fresh sushi; nice atmosphere. CONs: it's pretty far, it's in a strip mall, their omakase is done like a sushi/sashimi combo platter.

kami - i needed a manicure. random beauty salon full of cuban customers and employees. PROs: inexpensive, super friendly staff, family environment, there's a sweet hairdresser named daisy. CONs: if you don't speak Spanish, you may not understand what's going on; there may be a wait without an appointment (i waited 40 minutes).

michy's - amazing restaurant from acclaimed chef michelle bernstein in an up-and-coming part of miami. i was very impressed with her food, and the restaurant was cozy and nice. the hostess was a doll, and our waiter was professional without being obnoxious. PROs: gnocchi, green curry fish, pork belly, white gazpacho, pasta carbonara. CONs: heirloom tomato salad, ceviche (not bad, but not exceptional).

here's a list of what i wanted to do (in addition)

puerto sagua - i can't believe i didn't have cuban food while i was in miami! this restaurant would've killed two birds with one stone: a good cuban spot in south beach!

joe's stone crabs - i've had joe's stone crabs at events in NYC, but i thought it would be nice to have them at the original outpost. next time.


matsuri
5759 Bird Rd
miami, fl 33155
305/663.1615

michy's
6927 Biscayne Blvd
miami, fl 33138
305/759.2001

kami hair boutique
5746 SW 40th St
miami, fl 33155
305/661.6022

why i love chinatown

i needed some fresh veggies because my S.O.'s recent check-up discovered that he MUST shed some pounds, so i headed to chinatown to pick up a few things. i usually do all of my grocery shopping at Stew Leonard's and FreshDirect, but my resolution for 2008 was to be more frugal and what could be more frugal than chinatown?

sometimes i just can't deal with the bustle of mott street - especially on chinese new year's eve! - so i headed to grand street between bowery and chrystie... it's sill pretty crowded, but you can get pretty much everything you need on that little block. there are multiple vegetable/fruit stands, fish markets and even small chinese markets for meat and pantry staples!

but my really huge discovery was Hua Du Dumpling Shop. this little dumpling counter sits immediately inside the entrance of Tan MyMy Market, and they have an assortment of frozen dumplings for sale. i LOVE dumplings, and my absolute favorite are steamed pork & chive dumplings. for a bag of 50, it was $8. this is a little bit more than some of the other dumpling places in the neighborhood, but after cooking some up as soon as i got home, i understand why: these are MUCH BETTER. the skins are thinner and less doughy, and the flavor of the dumpling is delicious, with pronounced pork AND chive flavor. it doesn't taste greasy nor dirty, which some dumplings have a tendency towards. i didn't even need the soy/vinegar dipper! i also purchased pork soup dumplings (50 for $8.50) which i've yet to try, but i hope will be delicious!


Hua Du Dumpling Shop
249 grand street between chrystie and bowery (closer to chrystie, almost on the SW corner of chrystie and grand)
new york, ny 10002
212.965.9663

shanghai in a day

i just spent 2 1/2 weeks in china, and most of my stay was in the jinjiang/quanzhou/huian area of china, but i really spent the bulk of my time at our factory. there was so much to do, which provided very little free time and very late nights at the factory. so unfortunately, there's nothing i can write about jinjiang, except it seems like an amazing untouched city: it bustles without being crowded with tourism. i would like to go back again with someone who speaks mandarin and actually spend some time there.

that said, i did get to spend one full day (plus a few hours) in shanghai on the tail-end of my trip. this is my 4th trip to shanghai, and i was able to have my ideal day:

1pm: checked into cute motel 268 on yan'an lu near panyu lu - checked work email, followed-up (in a perfect world, i would just be able to relax and not deal with, ugh, work)

walked over to my favorite massage place, yili (shirley) massage center at 3 xuan hua lu near jiangsu lu. 1.5 hour massage = 75rmb ($10.40) - no tipping in china!

hopped on #2 subway (3rmb = $0.42) at jiangsu lu and yuyuan lu and go to nanjing lu west. walked through wujiang lu, a small pedestrian-only street parallel to nanjing lu between maoming lu and shimen lu (#1). there are tons of little food stalls and restaurants with everything from preserved dofu to grilled octopus to my favorite on the block: Yang's Fry Dumpling (2 stalls with seating inside), where they have delicious pan-fried shengjian.

i wasn't hungry at this point, so i walked through wujiang lu just for memories' sake, and walked to shimen lu, where i headed south to dagu lu to my next stop: movie star (#407), the home of the best DVDs. for only 12rmb ($1.66), you can get practically any movie on china's DVD-9, their version of HD. even somewhat new movies are available on regular DVD. i purchased 'i am legend', which i believe is out in the theatres now, and the friendly staff assured me the quality was good.

stocked with movies, i walked down chengdu lu to my favorite fashion mall on the SE corner of huaihai lu and chengdu lu, down the escalator. there are lots of little booths that sell jewelry, clothing and services, but my trip would not be complete without a visit to 57 where i get eyelashes! you lay down, they tape your eyes shut, and they spend 45 minutes delicately attaching individual eyelashes to your lash line so they blend in with your natural eyelashes. i ALWAYS get the longest lashes, and they usually stay on 3-5 weeks, depending on how careful i am when washing my face. and the best part: it costs only 99rmb ($13.73). in nyc, the cheapest i've found is J Sisters, and most salons charge upwards of $250.

my next stop is xintiandi, a very westernized (and expensive) section of shanghai, where they do have my favorite upscale restaurant: din tai fung, located on the 2nd floor of that mall in xintiandi. it's a chain, started in Taiwan, spread mostly thoughout Asia, but also with a branch in Los Angeles. everything i've had is good: i love the hot & sour soup (they told me last time it contains duck blood), and i love the chopped tofu and pea shoots. but this time i came only for the steamed xiaolongbao with pork and crab. i ordered 10 with a pot of oolong tea, and i savored and enjoyed every one. here i always get the one with crab, because at other delicious xiaolongbao spots in shanghai, they never put as much care into deshelling the crab, so you'll see chinese folk eating their crab and pork xiaolongbao, but spitting out the crab shell remnants, which i feel takes away from the transporting experience of the soup dumpling. yes, they're expensive, for china, but sometimes it's nice to just sit and relax and be served.

after a completely satisfying dinner, i walked along huaihai lu in the direction of my hotel and enjoyed the fervent atmosphere of well-to-do youth walking the streets, bridal stores advising young brides, workers stopping at food stalls to pick up dinner... the whole thing is so shanghai. i stopped in H&M at sinan lu to check out shanghai's newest fashions, but since nothing fits me properly in china, i left disappointed. i grabbed a taxi back to the hotel.

i watched DVDs, spoke to my S.O. and slept and woke up to repack (to distribute the weight of my bags more evenly). i checked out, but asked the hotel to hold my luggage while i spent my remaining few hours in shanghai.

i got another massage, and today, my favorite masseur, #111, was in, so i had the best massage ever. he knows me and knows my aches and pains.
refreshed, i walked to Fuchon Xiaolong Shop at 650 yuyuan lu, a few blocks east of jiangsu lu (a recommendation from shanghaiist). this place is no DTF, but everything smelled and looked heavenly. no one spoke english, so i just asked for an order of xiaolongbao with pork. for 8rmb ($1.11), i received 12 delicious dumplings, each with thin skin, tasty soup (that i happily slurped), and tender pork filling. i hope to go back with a mandarin-speaker and either a group or a heartier appetite - noodles looked yummy too.

with that happy meal, i walked back to the hotel, grabbed my luggage and jumped in one of the cabs waiting for an airport fare to leave for pudong airport. my stay in shanghai was short, but it was a perfect 26 hours.

a plumpjack christmas!

i spent christmas week at squaw valley in lake tahoe, and it was a real adventure. we stayed at plumpjack, and this is what happened:

since we were celebrating Christmas in tahoe, my S.O.'s mom ordered the centerpieces of our Christmas Eve dinner from Smithfield Hams. Smithfield sends their perishable orders via UPS 2-day air in disposable styrofoam coolers, and his mom sent the order to Plumpjack. she had called Plumpjack prior to ordering to ensure a smooth delivery and she was informed it was no problem.

on Friday afternoon, they checked on the delivery, and according to the front desk, it had not arrived.

on Saturday morning, there was still no delivery, so they called Smithfield, who confirmed that the order had been delivered and provided some delivery details, but not the tracking number. when we arrived in tahoe around noon, my S.O.'s mom was agitated and nervous since the package was nowhere to be found.

i'm pretty determined so i returned to my room at Plumpjack, tried to call Smithfield again (with no luck) as well as trying a number of other hotels in the area. i also tried UPS' main 800 #, but they claim that they couldn't help me without a tracking number.

i really wanted to find the number for the closest UPS distribution center (the place where you have to pick up the package if you arent there for delivery), but i couldn't find the number and UPS would not give that out. So I called the UPS Store in Carson City, NV, and Brad, the manager, gave me the number for the UPS distribution center in Sparks, NV, where I spoke to Brooks who tried to track the package from there, but after doing some research, gave me the number to call the UPS distribution center in Tahoe.

at 255pm, Helmut answered my call, and I explained my predicament. He was the nicest guy EVER. He did some research and told me that there had been 233 packages delivered in that area, and that he'd have to check every one to figure out which one it was.

We got the call at 545pm from Helmut - he found the package by looking up Smithfield's account number, and looking at all of their shipments to zip code 96146 (how smart!). The order was from Smithfield Mail Order, and had been delivered on Thursday, 12/20, to my S.O.'s mother's husband at PLUMPJACK, 1920 Squaw Valley Road! So with Helmut on the phone, I went to the front desk, where Helmut gave me the 3 tracking numbers (the order came in 3 large styrofoam coolers), and Audrey at Plumpjack's front desk began to assist me. They looked everywhere, but couldn't find it. When I explained to them that it was coolers, they told me that it may have gone to the kitchen refrigerators, since the items were perishable. She then tried to blame ME for the problem (she tried to claim the package was addressed to the hotel and not to us). I was appalled.

On our way to dinner, I stopped at the front desk to speak to Audrey again, and she told me they had not found it, and she AGAIN tried to place the responsibility of this on us by telling me that it was only addressed to Plumpjack, and there was no guest name on it, which is why it went straight to the kitchen.

The General Manager, Mike Murphy, called me at 615pm. the items had been delivered to Plumpjack, but they had been "opened and dispersed", and they weren't sure where the items were. I thought it was ridiculous that they'd OPENED A PACKAGE ADDRESSED TO A HOTEL GUEST. He said they would monetarily replace or have their baker replace any items that were missing

To be helpful, I called Audrey and told her the contents of our order (2lb Smithfield ham, 1 whole smoked turkey, 2 orders of cream cheese biscuits (48), 1 order of sweet potato biscuits (24), and 1-2 Paula Deen gooey cakes so it would be easier for them to find.

Mike Murphy called me back at 709pm to tell me that EVERYTHING was gone except the Smithfield ham. After discussing with the family, we asked Mike at Plumpjack for a replacement meal as well as a bottle of wine or 2 for our trouble. We also told him we were having dinner at Plumpjack the next night, and that we hoped to meet him. Mike said it was his day off, but he would make sure we were treated well.

When my S.O.'s mom went to Plumpjack to pick up the ham the next day, Audrey accused her of lying about the contents of our order; she had spoken to Smithfield that morning to check our order with them. she also brought up the address issue and said that OUR ORDER was addressed to their chef at Plumpjack. This was the 3rd or 4th time she tried to bounce the responsibility of this onto us, and her behaviour of accusing us of overpadding our order as well as misaddressing the package when UPS had already clarified that it was properly addressed was absolutely outrageous and just adding insult to injury.

the dinner at Plumpjack that night was a debacle, and instead of comping our meal, they offered us complimentary desserts.

to make matters worse, the "replacement" items they provided for our holiday dinner were completely inadequate (instead of a whole smoked turkey, they sent us an $8.75 turkey roll from honey baked hams - no offense to HBH, but it was disgusting), but fortunately my story made its way to hilary newsom (sf mayor gavin newsom's sister!), as well as some of the investors in plumpjack, and i received an extremely kind email from hilary:

"I am deeply sorry to hear that the situation was not resolved. We pride ourselves in exceptional customer service and clearly we have not succeeded in this instance. I have taken the liberty of reversing the charges for three nights of your stay. Squaw Valley Central Reservations has credited 3 nights ($309.00), ($309.00), ($389.00) total: $1007.00 with tax: $1117.70. This should appear on your next credit card statement.

Again I am deeply sorry and assure you that we have addressed this situation internally in order to ensure that it never occurs again. We apologize that this affected your holidays in any way. We wish you a very happy New Year and hope that you will have the opportunity to return to our hotel so we can work harder to ensure that you have an exceptional stay. Should that opportunity arise, let me know and I will personally handle the reservation.

Sincerely,

Hilary Newsom

THE VERDICT: if you're going to squaw, definitely stay at plumpjack (the bedding is plush, the toiletries smell amazing!), but keep away from audrey (if she still works at plumpjack) - she's the rudest person in the entirety of lake tahoe (everyone else is friendly and kind). and request a room on the 2nd floor; i felt the windows on the first floor caused a security and privacy issue. plus you can hear every creak and step above you.

and i'm all for UPS after the awesome customer service i received from every place i contacted!