Dinner at Vinegar Hill House

FINALLY! I made it over to Vinegar Hill House (72 Hudson Avenue, between Front & Water Streets, 718-522-1018) for dinner. What has it been, years? I've been reading at hearing about how great this place is - I even have a friend who lives in Manhattan, uptown no less, who list VHH as her favorite restaurant in the city! That speaks volumes. And we were not disappointed. I went with my husband, and my parents, and we sat in the backyard on a warm night. Thankfully they have baskets full of cans of bug spray to help ward off the mosquitoes that are unfortunately part of any outdoor summer dining. After a few sprays, we settled in and ordered.

I do have one criticism - the chairs were not comfortable at all. The garden is a sweet spot full of blooming shrubs and concrete turtles, but the tiny, metal chairs did nothing to add to the ambiance. Anyway, the food made up for it. We started out with a corn salad with basil and red cabbage that was tender and crunchy and so flavorful, all topped with a sprinkle of paprika that added a little bite.



We also ordered a salad made with Bibb lettuce and Beets that was delicious. Bright colors, bright and soft flavors, topped with tangy grated cheese.



The Oven Roasted Octopus Salad was one of the best dishes though, with zesty octopus, lemon and olives. It was fantastic. The octopus was tender, not chewy at all, and the citrus provided a good pop of astringent flavor.



We also had a Zucchini Tart that was excellent, topped with crunchy frisee and made with creamy ricotta. The crust was wonderfully flaky too.



For a main dish, we ordered the breaded Cod with green and wax beans. The fish was very good - fresh, flaky and tender, with lightly buttered beans for a hint of decadence.



The only disappointing item was the side of potatoes. While nicely flavored with fresh thyme, they weren't what I was expecting. I imagined crispier potatoes, and these were big chunks of creamy potato - not bad, just not what I was wanting. Plus they looked weird.



I really liked the whole experience. Our server was nice and competent, the garden was pretty, the dining room cozy. I'm definitely planning to head back in colder weather to take advantage of the fireplace!

Lunch at Superfine

Over the years, I have tried to go to Superfine (126 Front St., at Pearl St., 718-243-9005) a number of times. It was either closed for vacation, there was a private party, or some other weirdness that prevented me from trying it out. Well, everything changed this past weekend, when the stars were aligned and Superfine was open when I went to have lunch (Brunch is only served on Sundays). We were given the Bar Menu which is limited - some soups, a sandwich or two, but no salads. The light is gorgeous with the late afternoon sun pouring in, and the space is interesting, with a bar right when you walk in, and seating up a few stairs to your right and at the rear.

We started with some Butternut Squash Soup. A rich orange color, it was thick, creamy and nicely flavored - a little earthy & nutty.



We then ordered two plates of assorted goodness to share. The Antipasto Plate came with segments of cauliflower, marinated slices of red pepper, Soppressata and the most amazing slices of portobello mushroom I've ever had! Three crusty slices of bread accompanied the plate as well with assorted olives in the middle.



The best however, was the Cheese Plate. Large slices of Manchego, dry, sharp Cheddar and the most buttery, creamy Brie in the world. It was heavenly. Slices of apple and pear joined the cheese and bread, as did a dollop of honey, which I thought was a nice touch. In the center sat a ramekin of roasted almonds. It was wonderful and easy to share.



I'm eager to get back here for the famed brunch, and maybe even for dinner. The bar looks like it'd be a fun spot to have a drink or two as well. Yay Superfine!

More Cookies!

I seriously love cookies. I think they are my favorite sweet snack, if I can go so far as to name something my favorite. But really, a good cookie is the best way to have a bit of dessert without committing to a major situation. Chocolate Chip Cookies are the absolute best, if and when they are made well, and I'm always on the lookout for good cookie.

I recently tried the Chocolate Chip Cookie from Jacques Torres in DUMBO (66 Water St., between Main St. & Old Dock St., 718-875-9772). It was incredible, almost as big as my head and loaded with huge, dark chocolate chunks. It was a bit underdone and overly sweet for me, almost uncooked in the middle. It was still a fine cookie though, and I didn't have a problem finishing it.



Then, one day recently walking in Greenpoint, I stumbled upon Cookie Road, (94 Franklin St., at Oak St., 718-383-8094), a new coffee/sweets/sandwich shop run by it's very friendly owners. They have colorfully painted the outside of their corner shop in bright orange hues which already has got opinions flying. I liked it and liked the seats outside under the awning, perfect for all the rainy days we've been having. I tried two of their cookies, but there are many other options. One was Peanut Butter and really tasted like Peanut Butter, not some imitation, or flavoring, but real peanut butter. It was flaky and dense, and really good.



I liked the Rocky Road cookie more though, I think because I prefer chocolate. This was a double chocolate cookie with pecans & chocolate chips and sprinkled with mini marshamallows on top. This was a good cookie! Chocolately and moist, it went excellently with a glass of cold milk.



I didn't try their coffee, which has had mixed reviews, but am definitely happy to go back to support them and my cookie habit!

Pizza & Ice Cream!

While I tend to steer clear of places that have long lines outside them, Grimaldi's Pizza (19 Old Fulton Street, between Front St. & Water St., 718-858-4300) is so good, I might have to make an exception more often. If you arrive at 11am, you can be sure you'll be a part of the first wave to be seated when they open at 11:30am. Inside, it's a bustling place, with red & white checked tablecloths, photos and newspaper clippings about Frank Sinatra lining the walls in frames, and about 8 waiters, all running this way and that, trying to get everybody's orders in. The huge oven can be seen from all the tables and you can watch while your pizza is made to order.



There's a lot of hype about this pizza, but I believe it stands up to all the hyperbole with delicious, well-made, tasty pizza. The crust is perfect, crispy & thin, but still just doughy enough, and never soggy. The cheese is so fresh and has the best melty consistency, and the sauce is well-seasoned and not sweet at all. This pizza has pepperoni slices on it which are the smaller version, but slightly thicker than usual pepperoni slices and spicy enough to add a little heat. Fresh basil leaves dot the entire pie. Of course, they have lots of options for other toppings. Also, if you can't stand the lines, you can call in your order and pick it up to go.



Afterward, if it's a nice day, take a walk down to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory at 1 Water Street (or 2 Cadman Plaza West, depending on your map) for dessert (718-246-3963). There are usually 6 or 8 flavors on the menu and all are available on a cone, in a cup or made into a milkshake. It's some of the creamiest, most delicious ice cream out there, made even better by the lovely views of the Brooklyn Bridge from the pier.



These cones are displaying a single scoop of the wonderful coffee ice cream on sugar and wafer cones. Deeee-licious!

Fish Tacos and Grilled Corn

I finally made it down to the new segment of Brooklyn Bridge Park at Pier 1 this weekend (www.brooklynbridgepark.org). It's located just south of the Bargemusic barge and the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. The entrance is at the end of Old Fulton St. where you walk through a little opening in a fence that leads onto a concrete walkway with little "hills" of grass. At the end is a fantastic view of the Harbor where you can see all four of Olafur Eliasson's Waterfalls. There's a great breeze, and a little cafe set up by Rice that sells Fish Tacos, Grilled Corn, and other such treats. You can sit at the bar or at tables under festive blue and yellow umbrellas.



The Fish Tacos were great, filled with a substantial amount of fish, cabbage and cliantro. There are a variety of sauces on hand to spice it up a bit and I found it to taste like a Thai version of Fish Taco. The corn was great too; crunchy and tasty with cotija cheese all over it, and the chips and guacamole were good too. The chips were an interesting V-shape, and while I initially felt the serving was paltry, paired with the other items I was glad it wasn't bigger. The watermelon juice was kind of bland, and I wished I had ordered the Ginger Lemonade.



Overall it's a really cute spot; perfect to take a break at while you're walking around the Heights, DUMBO and Downtown. And hopefully a little glimpse at what's going to be a truly awesome park, running the length of Furman St. and beyond. It will be open through Labor Day.