Dinner from Wild Ginger

After an evening of shopping with my mom and my sister, we were hungry and in need of sustenance. Both of them are vegetarian so when we got out of the subway, we headed straight for Wild Ginger (112 Smith Street, Between Dean St. & Pacific St., 718-858-3880) to get some takeout. The space is really nice though, and I'd like to go back to have dinner there. It's very tastefully decorated, dark and cozy with dark mirrors that make the space feel twice as big as it is. Within minutes we were on our way home with dinner.

I chose the Satay Tempeh, cubes of tempeh grilled in a satay sauce. It was really good, but I was a little disappointed as I was expecting a peanutty satay sauce - instead this was slightly BBQ flavored.



My mom ordered the Hijiki Salad - marinated black seaweed with edamame peas. Slightly salty, peppered with edamame - it was a lovely dish.



She also got the Tofu Salad because it was described as being made with beets. That was just a little misleading. Little strings of shaved beet sat atop big, pale chunks of tofu and mixed greens. It was good, if on the plain side. A citrus-ginger dressing came with.



We got an order of the Cold Noodles for my step-dad, which are made with green-tea noodles and topped with a sesame sauce. This, too, was on the light side, subtle and a bit disappointing if you were hoping for a more peanutty crunch. Not that it was bad; it was very good, but not your typical cold noodle flavor.



We love our appetizers, so my mom also got an order of Shumai stuffed with spinach. These cute little green packages were very tender and tasty, especially dipped into the soy sauce that accompanied them.



I ordered the Singapore-Style Mei Fun noodles, cuz, how can you resist that name? Thin, angel-hair noodles in a slightly curry-flavored sauce, with nicely cooked strips of tofu and slices of mushroom and bell peppers were tasty and quite filling. I ate half of the dish and it looked like I had barely made a dent!



My sister got the Vegetable Yaki Udon, sans tofu, as it's her favorite but she hates tofu. This was the best dish of them all as far as I was concerned. It was the most flavorful and had lots of different veggies (peppers, cabbage, mushrooms) packed in.



So, a big Thumbs Up to Wild Ginger. I'd definitely go back here for dinner sometime as the food was good and the space was lovely to be in.

New Restaurant: Rockin' Raw

Last Friday I went to the Grand Opening of a new restaurant in Williamsburg called Rockin' Raw, (178 N. 8th Street, between Bedford and Driggs, 718-599-9333), a spot that will feature all live, vegan, raw, organic food along Peruvian/New Orleanian lines. The awning is bright purple and was lit with very bright lamps which did not set a positive first impression. Thankfully the interior is much softer. The space is long and narrow with mostly white walls accented by a few red walls and a dark floor leading to an amazingly large and lush backyard.



First they sent around trays full of their "crabcakes" with dill sauce; made with spelt, they were really dense and crunchy (maybe a little on the dry side though) and the bright green sauce was flavorful and very garlicky.



There were also Nori Chips with Sunflower Seed Pate and topped with tomato which were really good. Nori is made from seaweed so these were nicely salty and had a good crunch to provide some texture. I was impressed with these.



They also passed around some sushi rolls with various stuffings like jicama & cauliflower or mango, cucumber & parsley. Both of these were tasty, crunchy and complex. It's amazing what you can do with food when you change the consistency and texture of a few ingredients.



So, if you're vegan or want to live the raw food life, this place makes really creative, good-tasting food. If you're not either of those, you still might like trying Rockin' Raw out for a change and to experience simple ingredients like sunflower seeds and spelt in a whole new way!

Breakfast at 'SNice

I met a friend at 'SNice (315 Fifth Ave., at 3rd Street, 718-788-2121) for breakfast last weekend and had such a lovely morning sitting in their garden patio. There are a bunch of wooden picnic tables outside where the sun reaches around 10am. It's a great spot to people watch as well, since it's right on the corner. They're forecasting sunny & warm this weekend, so if you're in the area check it out! It's an all vegetarian, mostly vegan restaurant with lots of great stuff on the menu, but even if you're not a vegetarian, the food is really good and tasty.

I got the Tofu Scramble Wrap with black beans and salsa which was substantial, delicious and fairly spicy. The tofu had a nice consistency very close to real scrambled eggs and the wrap was densely packed with the filling. I ordered an apple juice to wash it down with.



I've written about the cupcakes before which are quite yummy as well, and while I didn't write about it, the Vegan Tempeh Reuben was fantastic. They also have smoothies, salads & other baked goods.

Seasonal American Fare at Buttermilk Channel

I finally got a chance to try out Buttermilk Channel, (524 Court St., at Huntington Street, 718-852-8490), the newest addition to dining on Court St. A few months ago, owner Doug Crowell set up a tasting table at the Carroll Gardens Farmer’s Market to give locals a sneak peek at what kinds of dishes would be available. I was excited to learn that he’d be highlighting local, seasonal fare, as well as locally raised organic meats. Buttermilk Channel is described as American Bistro, which includes Southern dishes (Fried Chicken with Waffles), Duck Meatloaf, an alternate take on an old stand-by and homemade pickles.

Walking into the restaurant you’re immediately welcomed by the cozy warm glow of the lighting and the dark wood of the floors and bar area. It’s a big dining room, but it feels friendly instead of cold and while it’s decorated with Stoop Sale finds, it’s not cluttered at all. We were seated at what I think was the best table, in the back corner by the window. On the sill sat a big glass vase with cranberries on the bottom in which a tall candle was nestled. The only thing that would’ve made it better was if it had been snowing outside.

The wait-staff was friendly and attentive and the owner himself stopped by to see how we were doing. We ended up chatting a bit about the neighborhood and other such topics. Then there was the delicious food. The menu is extensive, offering snacks, sides, appetizers, main dishes, or sandwiches (two types of sausages on a roll with onions, peppers & mustard). There is also a separate, just-as-extensive Vegetarian menu!

I chose two starters because I couldn't decide what to get. The Delicata Squash Tart comes with house-made ricotta, brown butter and organic greens. The ricotta was super creamy and slightly tart, a nice balance to the sweet and savory squash. The tart itself was a bit doughy, when I expected it to be flakier. It was delicious though, and could easily overlook the chewiness of the dough.



I also ordered the Spice-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs which came with a Winter Vegetable Slaw and Cider Glaze. The slaw was fantastic, made with slices of kale and shredded carrot and cabbage. It was a wonderful new take on a boring stand-by. The meat was also fantastic - it was so tender it easily fell from the bone. Four ribs made for a very filling appetizer!



My boyfriend picked the Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Pasta, which comes with black olives and rosemary butter. The olives went surprisingly well with the other flavors which made it delicious. The rosemary butter ended up being a little oily though, which brought the dish down a notch.



We were too full to order dessert but I'm definitely going back to try the Chocolate Bread Pudding! I was very happy with my food at Buttermilk Channel and am happy to welcome this newest member to the local dining scene.

Vietnamese Sandwiches from Hanco

The Banh Mi craze of the last few years is one of my new favorite food trends. I love these little delectable treats, stuffed with whatever your heart desires - shredded chicken, pork, sardines or Tofu, pickled veggies and sauce.

We placed an order from Hanco's (85 Bergen St., between Smith and Hoyt Streets, 718-858-6818) and within half an hour our meal arrived. We started with an appetizer of Garden Rolls (lettuce, cucumber, mint, Chinese chives and rice vermicelli wrapped in rice paper) which come with a yummy peanutty sauce. They're light and fresh and the lettuce provides a lovely crunch. Delish!



My favorite is the Tofu Sandwich, the only totally vegetarian option on the menu as far as sandwiches go. It's SO good with pickled veggies, creamy chunks of Tofu and a savory sauce on a flaky French baguette. Every bite is enjoyable.



My boyfriend chose the Shredded Chicken Sandwich, with the same pickled veggies as well as "fresh boiled chicken". The chicken was nice and moist, if a bit bland, but the veggies and sauce make up for any missing flavor. You can get these little babies either not spicy at all, mild, medium or hot. I'm fairly sensitive to food spiciness, so I stick with the mild which has an ever so subtle burn to it.



To wash this all down we got an Almond Bubble Tea. I have a sort of love-hate feeling towards these tapioca pearl-laden drinks. I love anything Almond flavored and this milky drink is scrumptious, but I only eat a few of those 'bubbles'. Too many and I start to feel ill. That's why it's perfect to share.



Yay Hanco's!

Cookies & Cupcakes

I'm a big baked-items fan. Cookies, croissants, cake, cupcakes, scones. I'm always on the search for the best of the best. Cookies are my favorite though, and I'm always looking for a place where I can get a reliable, satisfying cookie.

This first cookie was purchased at the Carroll Gardens branch of Naidre's (502 Henry St. at Sackett St., 718-596-3400, www.naidres.com). They get their baked goods from a number of spots around town, some of which are great, some, not so great. This cookie, the Oatmeal, Dried Cherry & Pecan, was great. It was chewy, packed with plump, tart dried cherries and nutty pieces of pecan. Sweet, but not too, and the oatmeal made me feel like I was also eating healthy.




This second cookie was purchased at the newest incarnation of the space at 264 Clinton St. at Verandah Pl. It's called Ted & Honey (718-852-2212) and is located where the big, red Delicatessen used to be. I actually worked there for a brief time in the early months of 1998 and loved it so I'm happy to see it up and running again as an eatery. This Macadamia Chocolate Chip cookie was so crisp and full of melty chocolate chips and pieces of Macadamia. YUM, so good. I took it home and ate it with a big glass of cold milk.



Then there's this cupcake I tried from S'Nice (315 5th Ave. at 3rd St., 718-788-2121). Woah, what a cupcake. It's the Carrot Cake Cupcake and was SO dense and the frosting SO rich, I had to eat it in two sittings. S'Nice is a vegan & vegetarian restaurant, with really surprisingly good food. It's great, despite that lame-o name.