Spanish Tapas

Growing up can sometimes mean siblings grow apart...but not my sisters and I. We are still as thick as thieves and even with families of their own, enjoy the occasional sister outing. Last Tuesday my sister Shellyanne and I made plans to sample the offerings of Spain.
We chose Sangria Tapas Bar, located at 95-41 Sutphin Blvd in Jamaica Queens. I've always passed by this place, wondering what the inside and the food was like but never with enough time to stop in and check it out. We met up at 5pm that afternoon and were pleasantly surprised to see the sign outside that said it was happy hour.

There's a most intriguing curved, wooden door that opens to a warm, cozy and romantically lit dining room with a bar to the left. After being seated by the polite hostess, we took a moment to look around and soak it all in. Rich red velvet drapes flowed from the window panels, Medieval chandeliers hung from the ceiling and blue bottles of crisp water were on every table. I liked the pops of color in the decor.
We reached for our menus and made our selections. With a glass of red Sangria in hand, baby black olives and a basket of bread we chatted about life and made plans to have another sister session. 

First up was the Grilled Calamari in an Olive Oil and Garlic Sauce (Homemade Marinara on the side). It was perfection. The fresh parsley brightened up the flavors and it was a pleasure to cut into the perfectly tender and slightly charred squid.

Chorizo Plancha and Pinchos Morunos were served next. The slightly roasted slices of Chorizo were served with crisp Pickled Vegetables. The Sausage was good but could have used a bit more time in the flame. The Vegetables were a delight however and the combination of salty Chorizo and tart Veggies worked well. Pinchos Morunos were tiny Pork Kababs drizzled with Balsamic Vinaigrette andserved on a bed of Mixed Greens. Delicious! Tender Pork Medallions were grilled to perfection. We were savoring the offering before us when 3 golden spheres appeared on a plate carried by our waitress. I love fried food. I can't help it. So showing up with Fried Codfish Fritters made the server my she-ro. The Salted fish was mixed with Potatoes and Fried to gentle gold perfection. A must have if you visit this place.

We decided to share a dessert of Creme Catalana which is much like Creme Brulee. The caramelized sugary top was a delight to crack into, revealing a smooth, silky custard underneath. Not too rich but just right. A good way to end the night.

Thankfully after all this good food I was headed to the gym as all this tasting can do a number on a girl's waistline :)
For great atmosphere, splendid tapas and polite staff, Sangria Tapas Bar gets a solid A. A great date night spot and FYI Happy hour's from 3pm to 6pm and the selections are great.
   

Mangú Anyone? Tasting The Dominican Republic

A chilly, moonlit New York City night found me craving hearty food and big, rich flavors. Feeling a bit lazy, I wanted to stay close to home this time. No 2 or 3 bus rides to find my dinner would do, so I took out my trusty rusty GPS and found a little Dominican (Domincan Republic that is) restaurant less than 30 minutes away.

With plantains on the brain, I arrived at El Rey located at 147-13 Hillside Avenue, Jamaica NY. I was directed to seat myself, as usual I found a little cozy corner and got comfortable. The waitress came over a few minutes later and offered me the menu. While looking it over I couldn't help but be a bit distracted by the men at the bar. I don't need to dine in silence but this was a bit too much noise for me.
Some moments later I  decided on my appetizers. Alcapurrias and Pastelillos made their way to my table in all their golden brown deliciousness. Although I always associated Alcapurrias with Puerto Rico, I was willing to try it the Dominican way. Fried mashed cassavas encased tasty ground beef. It was good but not the best I've had. Next to face the pallet was the Pastelillos. These pastries are quite similar to empanadas and were also filled with tasty ground beef. I really enjoyed the slightly crispy crust and sweet, meaty inside. My compliments to the chef for that offering.

Mangú with Red Sauce, Pernil (Pork-Roasted) with Salad and Tostones rounded out the entree selections. I wasn't quite sure why Mangu (a dish of seasoned mashed green plantians) would be served with a side of Tostones (crispy fried green plantains) but since I am a plantain lover, I couldn't have enough.
The Mangú was delicious. The taste of fresh garlic was wonderful and when the sauce was added to it an even more delicious bite was created. The pork was both tender and crispy. Mild in flavor, it complimented the bold flavors of the mashed plantains and it's savory sauce.

Halfway through the meal, I found myself full and unable to take another bite. The double serving of plantains were my undoing.
It took some time to get my server's attention but when I finally did I paid the bill and made my way home. This little place is good for a quick bite, meal on the go or to catch up on Baseball scores via the tv over the bar.
For good food but average service and an overly loud dining room, El Rey gets a C+ for this trip.

To Greece...

Ahhh...November, the month of my birth. A festive time of year for myself and a few other great ladies who also celebrate their birthdays. On this particular Friday my friend Dionne and I stumbled upon the most unbelievable deal. Too good to pass up, we made our plans to meet and venture deep into Whitestone Queens. Ninety minutes and three buses later we arrived at our destination. Tasty Grill located at 14-22 150th street, Whitestone NY is nestled in a quaint part of Queens that made us feel we were in a Long Island town.

At the front of restaurant is a grill area that's flanked by a counter for diners and to the right of that, a drinks and salad refrigerator. We made our way past it all and followed our host to the seating in the back. The furniture's bright reds, blues and whites caught our attention and so did the large families gathered for dinner. We settled for a table in the corner of the room so we could enjoy the art on the walls. Old and new photos of cities and artifacts of Greece were everywhere and we got a bit lost in their beauty.
 Finally taking our eyes off the surroundings, we looked at the menu to made our selections. This Greek establishment's menu was a bit on the diner side of food so we asked our waitress to help us choose the more Greek foods on the list.

Avgolemono Soup and Friend Calamari  were chosen for the appetizer round and the Greek Burger, Gyro Trio Platter served with Grilled Vegetables won the vote for entrees.

The soup was a winner. Bits of chicken, carrots and perfectly cooked orzo danced happily in a thick chicken broth. The Calamari was disappointing however. It was definitely not the freshest seafood and quite under seasoned. We put it to the side and ate the warm pita slices and the tossed salad (Romaine lettuce, red onions, feta cheese, tomatoes and cured olives).

Our dinners were served and I was delighted to see that my burger was cooked to a perfect medium-well. It was served with feta cheese, onions, tomato, tzatziki sauce and shoe string french fries. The Gyro platter did not disappoint. Succulent shaved beef, pork nuggets and chicken strips crowded the plate. We caught a whiff of all spice as the plate was set before us. The grilled vegetables (Eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and mushrooms) were well received but believe it or not the star of the night was the pita bread so a third basket was ordered.

We ate, laughed, sipped on our iced tea, toasted  to our birth month and enjoyed the native Greek that was spoken by the patron at a nearby table. It was a good night. We paid the bill and left to start our long journey home.
Tasty Grill  made for a nice outing and the neighborhood was charming as well. Credit was given for good service, tasty food (the pita was awesome!) and a great environment but deducted for less than fresh calamari. We then gave Tasty Grill a B. Recommended for a family night.

Our Turkish Lamb Patties with Raisin Rice

The Turkish Lunch Special won your vote and you challenged us and our kitchen to recreate this simple but succulent dish from Western Asia.
The thing that stands out about that review was the use of various spices. They enveloped you as soon as the dish was presented. The taste of cumin was so alive. So, when it came to our version of this remake we chose to keep it simple but spicy.


Lamb Patties
1 1/4 lb fresh ground lamb
3 tbsp olive oil
1 med egg
1/4 tsp all spice
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs (optional)

Raisin Rice
1 cup white rice (Basmati or Jasmine if your prefer)
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup dried raisins
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon


In a medium sauce pan, heat oil and melt butter into it. Add rice and stir until coated. With heat on medium-high, add stock, raisins, cinnamon salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

For the patties: Combine meat and spices and mix well with a wooden spoon. Crack egg in a separate bowl and remove any pieces of shell. Add egg and mix well. Use your hand to form meat mixture into 6 oval patties. Prepare non-stick grill as per device instructions or heat skillet with 2tbsp oil then add patties and cook for 3 minutes on each side for medium well or 4 minutes on each side for well done.
Remove from pan and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Plate your creation and serve with an assortment of fresh or grilled vegetables and fresh mint. This is sure to be a winner at your next dinner party

The Turkish Lunch Special

After an early appointment with a client my tummy began to cry. Since I have the terrible habit of skipping breakfast an alarm goes off at about 12pm, signalling the desperate need for nourishment. I quickly resorted to my trusty, rusty GPS to point the way to food. Feeling the urge for something Middle Eastern, I went with The Turkish Grill located at 42-03 Queens Blvd, in Sunnyside Queens. This would be the first review that I'd be doing on my own and I felt a bit guilty but hunger won and I hoped on the N and headed to Queens.

Thankfully the restaurant was a short walk from the train and I was the only customer when I arrived. Perfect! That meant I didn't have to wait while they slaved over other orders.
The server greeted me promptly and I liked his pleasant face and neat appearance. After being seated I was given the menu that read "Lunch Special". I love a sale of any kind so I was happy to see what I would be served for $8.95. As I browsed the menu I took in the clean, modern decor and I must say...I liked it a lot.

I asked my server for his recommendations, then I ordered Smoked Eggplant in White Sauce With Roasted Red Peppers as my appetizer and Kofte Kebab (Grilled Ground Lamb Patties served with rice, pickled cabbage and spiced onions) for the main.
He returned with a basket of bread, my appetizer and a cup of hot tea and my belly did a little dance. The flavors were magical. As an Eggplant lover it doesn't take much to make me happy with this vegetable but they took this dish to another level. The mild garlic flavor, sweet tomatoes and peppers were wonderfully combined to make a great sauce. Mmm...the contrast of warm bread and cold salad was heavenly.

Next up were the Grilled Lamb Patties (Kofte Kebab). They were visually appealing and flavors were also great in this dish. I especially liked the onions with the Turkish spices and tart cabbage. My only concern was that the lamb was a bit undercooked for my taste. However, the flavors were so good that I was willing to overlook this little snafu.

Overall this was a great meal at a great price and I was very pleased with the offerings of Turkey. I was thankful for perfect timing as the place began to fill up as I was leaving.
For big, bold flavors, clean and modern design and attentive wait staff this place gets an A. Will definitely be visiting again.

A New Taste of China

Most of us have had Chinese takeout at some point in our lives. If we are alike, you also associate Chinese food with Fried Rice, Lowmein, Wontons and Egg Rolls. However, there are many kinds of Chinese food that come from the North to South and East to West. For this review we decided to eat our way through North China.

On a bright, sunny Saturday we ventured out to Flushing Queens to see what China had to offer. Passing by many restaurants, one in particular caught our eyes.  Fu Run on 40-09 Prince Street, Flushing NY was the choice this time. It wasn't any special sign or decor that did it but a simple sign that said we could expect Dongbei Cai which simply means comfort food from Northeastern China. We were very eager to find out for ourselves just what this new cuisine was all about.

The menu was pretty extensive so it took us a while to make our selections. We ordered the Lamb Meat Soup (serves 2-4) for starters and for our entrees Spicy Sliced Pork, Scallops with Hot Garlic Sauce, Chicken Lowmein, Sauteed Fried Fillet of Fish and Pork Fried Rice.

Thankfully there were four of us for this tasting as we were forced to entertain ourselves while we waited about 35 minutes for our food. There wasn't much to look at except a small tv and people watching out the large ceiling to floor windows. The decor was basic; boasting wooden lacquered tables, chairs and the necessary utensils.

Our food came but it did not start with the soup. Our entrees were served first then the  Lamb Soup made it's debut about 10 minutes later.

The flavors were quite different than anything we've had so far in the USA. Most of the dishes were quite savory and heavily spiced with cumin and herbs like cilantro. Many of us associate that combination with Latin food but somehow the balance worked well. Strong notes of oyster and soy sauce, ginger and garlic were heard loud and clear as well. We liked it. This different taste was welcomed in our mouths.

The only two dishes that weren't such hits were the Sauteed Fried Fillet of Fish and the Lamb Soup. The batter for the fish was chewy and quite salt to the taste, while the lamb was almost impossible to chew and the broth was overpowered by the too many large pieces of cilantro that covered the top.
All things considered this was a good, refreshing experience that expanded the way we think of Chinese. We are now excited to taste even more of China.

For this Fu Run gets a solid B+ and we happily recommend it to couples out for dinner or families seeking a hearty lunch.

Bann Thai with Friends

I know we've reviewed Thai food already but this story is a bit different. It's a tale of the strength and endurance of real friendship.

I moved to the United States from Guyana, South America when I was 14. Since then a large number of my childhood friend have themselves migrated to various places across the globe. As a result I haven't seen many of them in over 15 years. Last weekend the time had finally come for a reunion with two great people (Ron driving to NY from Canada for this) who I was blessed to have reconnected with via facebook.

Ron and Marcia came to get me last Friday. We exchanged hugs, got in Ron's car, started our journey and shared stories of where we are now. So many things to share, so many years to cover but only one night to do it. With GPS on blackberries and in the car, we attempted to find an Asian Fusion spot in Long Island City to no avail. After driving in circles on the Grand Central Expressway, hunger over took our sense of adventure and we settled for a well known foodie street...Austin Street.
The destination was Bann Thai located at 69-12 Austin Street Forest Hills, NY. It's a quaint little restaurant that's wonderfully decorated in traditional Thailand memorabilia.  We took a look at the menu and choose Calamari fried in Chick Pea Flour as our appetizer and for entrees Thai Sliced Beef and Basil, Sweet and Sour Duck with Pineapples and BBQ Chicken Breast with Jasmine Rice.

The plating of the dishes was absolutely beautiful. Purple orchids were used as little gems on the plate and Ron and I dared to eat he petals. They tasted a bit tangy and slimy but weren't bad at all.

The Calamari was a huge disappointment. It was bland and rubbery and we were not impressed. Our entrees got mixed reviews however with Ron having the best dish of us all. Ron's BBQ Chicken shined in flavor and texture. It was seasoned and grilled to perfection.  Marcia's Duck had a good flavor but lacked that crispy skin but moist flesh she craved. My beef was a happy marriage of sweet, savory and spicy. The flavor was spot on, however I was served ground beef with green beans and was a bit disappointed that the Thai Sliced Beef and Basil was not sliced at all. Well it gave us a few more things to laugh about and we ate and enjoyed each other's company.

After dinner we took a stroll over to Martha's Country Kitchen and enjoyed a slice of Strawberry Cheesecake and a very light version of Tiramisu. It was a great evening full of fun, lots of laughs and decent eats. It was amazing that after so many years our bond of friendship was still stronger than time and distance.

Here's to you Ron and Marcia! May we forever keep the candle of friendship lit. Love you guys :)