Meatopia 2012 Survivor Tips

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers eaters from the swift (and joyful) completion of their appointed rounds...

Meatopia 2012 was met with tornado warnings and scattered rainshowers - like the mailmen of yore, these happy meatopians survived the crazy weather paired with amazing cocktails and delicious food. Food Porn and Chef Pics of Meatopia 2012 is here.

1. Be prepared with your OTC medication of choice.

Queens-based food writer and food tour guide Joe DiStefano and his
digestion aid of choice.

2. Pack a raincoat (and rainpants).

That's my friend Albert in the yellow suit.

3. Carry a fashionable umbrella.

I want this umbrella!

An umbrella so yellow, it's like sunshine.

4. Cuddle in the rain, under your fashionable umbrella.

MTA subway lines umbrella, represent!

4. Patiently wait for your turn, rain or shine.

5. If you dont have an umbrella, just run for cover...

6. ... and join the party!

7. Dancing on picnic tables under a picnic umbrella is good too!

8. And take silly photos!

Welcome! (Photo Credit: Desmond Chow)

Meat love. aaaaahhhhh. (Photo Credit: Desmond Chow)

muah!

Nice to Meat you, piggy piggy. (Photo Credit: Desmond Chow)

Thank you, Josh Ozersky.

***************

www.meatopia.org

@Meatopia

@OzerskyTV

Take a tour of Queens with Joe Distefano here: https://www.facebook.com/worldsfare

Find Albert on Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/Awesome-Adventures/

My other blog: CookingWithStellaaa.wordpress.com

Where Roxwriting Fries: http://spamisbetterfried.blogspot.com

Veritas Tasting Menu

"The only way to do it (run a restaurant) is to be in the kitchen all the time."
- Sam Hazen, Executive Chef

True to his personal philosophy of running restaurants, my hubby and I had a wonderful second wedding anniversary celebration at Veritas. I barely had the chance to peruse the menu when Chef Sam Hazen came to our table and introduced himself. He was quite the jolly person and he has this way of making his diners feel special.*

The Chef's Tasting Menu is a line on the menu. If you weren't looking for it, you won't find it. If you want to know what's in it, YOU WON'T. According to our friend Ryan**, who was our server for the meal, the tasting menu is never the same for any table. It really goes for whatever the chef feels like serving you.

They are very cautious though, the chef personally asked us three times if we had any food allergies.

One by one, I indulged in Sam Hazen's emotions. My god, his emotions are delicious!

Here's the progression of our meal:

Bread Service

Home Made Biscuit with Shallot Braised in Mangalitsa Pork (front)
Stratchi Bread (Back)

Seared Prime Sirloin with Quail Egg and Garlic Crostini,
Crispy Risotto Ball, Charred Pepper, Tomatillo, Shaved Feta

Sashimi of Montauk Fluke, Lime Ponzu, Cilantro & Jalapeno

Oyster with House Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce &
Vodka infused Horseradish

Oyster Escabeche - Marinated in Sherry Vinegar,
Candied Lemon Tomato Confit (part of oyster 2 ways)

Crab Salad - Boston Jonah & Venezuela Blue Cram with Peppadews,
Olive Oil, Arugula, Shallots, Phyllo Ring w/Black Olive Salt,
Meyer Lemon Jam & Olive Tapenade

Seared Diver Scallop & Seared Foie Gras
with Wild Mushroom and Veal Reduction

Loin of Lamb, Braised Short Rib Ravioli, Veal Jus,
Braised Wild Mushroom & Watercress Shallot Salad

Pan-Roasted Slicked Veal Chop, Cognac Mustard Potato Cake,
Warm Frisee Bacon Salad

Lemon Thyme Sorbet

Petit Fours - Chocolate Cookie, Rhubarb Hibiscus Macaron,
Apricot Pate de Fruit

From Bottom Left, Clockwise:
Veritas Candy Bar - Peanut Butter, Hazelnut, Devil's Food Cake
Pistachio Pudding, Rhubarb Compote, Buttermilk Whipped Cream
Market Berry Tart - Mascarpone Custard, Macerated Strawberries &
Apricot Vanilla Jam
Root Beer Vacherin, Vanilla Ice Cream, Root Beer Sorbet,
Root Beer Caramel & Sassafras Foam

 Chef Sam Hazen and Me
(The best way to my heart is through my stomach. No kidding.) 

Banana Bread - This was a parting gift.

My definite winners are the Fluke Sashimi and the Scallop and Foie Gras. The Scallop and Foie Gras is such a homerun because I'm a seafood and liver lover. The lamb dish is also very commendable - I hate lamb, but this dish is really, really good. It wasn't gamey and I ate it all. 

I look forward to the rest of our wedding anniversaries, for the rest of our lives. Thank you, Veritas - Our meal was amazing! 

Tasting Menu Price Varies, and starts at $130/person. Please ask your server before ordering.

__________________________


*Chef Sam Hazen made his rounds of the restaurant and paid attention to each table. I was observing. Very rarely do chefs come out of the kitchen to meet us, and if they do it is AFTER the meal. He came as soon as we sat. 
**Ryan is a very good friend of Dave and they met when they were still both working at Dylan Prime. Ryan was our dapper dining companion at Eleven Madison Park.
***My husband was very annoyed to take my fangirl photo. (I cannot wait to take a photo with his boss!)

DISCLAIMER:
This post was NOT sponsored in any way, shape or form. All the photos are opinions are mine. All rights reserved.  
__________________________

Veritas
43 East 20th St
New York NY
212-353-3700

Keeping at It

Say hello to my American Education!

I have to say, I am overwhelmed. My inner nerd-overachiever is on hyperdrive. I go to work, I go to school (I still do for some fun courses plus I'm in the process of applying to an MBA program) and I have a full on social life whenever the homework takes a back seat. Oh, yeah. I'm also married.

In this economy, there is a bunch of naysayers to higher education. I dont blame them - going to a private school is not cheap. Im so glad that FIT is part of the State University of New York (FYI. I paid $2500/semester in-state tuition.)

So what overwhelms me? Everything. The never ending job applications that I fill out on the listings I see on the internet, getting my portfolio together, GRE test prep, grad school applications, next semester... it has come to a point that I dont plan anything far in advance because there's. just. too. much. to. do.

I'm not complaining. Just trying to inspire anyone who reads this that IT CAN BE DONE.

See? I graduated with the highest honors. It can be done!

******

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only. 
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post. Get it from allthingsfadra.com
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Eleven Madison Park Lunch Tasting Menu

I went back again to Eleven Madison Park. The meal I had there last year was so good that I asked my husband to celebrate my birthday there. We had the four-course lunch menu then - this time we opted for the Lunch Tasting Menu.

Lunching at Eleven Madison Park is pure bliss because the amazing food and service paired with the amazing ambience makes you feel you are on a short vacation. They pulled all the stops and made my birthday a wonderful, wonderful experience.

There has been news of EMP changing its menu & pricing sometime late 2012. Please note that the prices and the dishes in this meal are the ones that I paid for and had at the time of this post. 

This was on our table when we got to it.

They even gave me a letter opener!

A sweet hand calligraphy birthday card! Woohoo!

Four course tasting menu

Our very excited party of three!

This box came first.

It is a savory one. Dont Be fooled.

Apple Tea

Quail Egg and Bacon

Cocktails!

A lady who lunches!

Dapper gentleman and his cocktail!

Yogurt Lollipops with Curry and Chickpea Panisse with Yogurt

Smoked Sturgeon Sabayon with Chive Oil

Clambake!

Lobster Fritter

Manila clams with Chorizo and Potato

Manila Clams with Apple

Lobster Madelines

New England Clam Chowder

Inside the kitchen

Special cocktail treat! Woot!

Liquid nitrogen

Pomegranate foam turning into domes in a liquid nitrogen bath

Mmm.

What it looks inside after all the smoke is gone

Bread with Cow's Milk Butter and Goat's Milk Butter

Presenting the beautiful ribeye

Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad with Olives and Orange

Foie Gras Cured with Buckwheat, Buttermilk and Lemon

Whey tea poured over the dish

Whey, Fresh Curds, Caraway Gnocchi and Spring Herbs

Lobster Poached with Meyer Lemon, Burnt Leek and Shellfish Bisque

Beef Roasted with Wood Sorrel and Marble Potatoes
This is what became of that beautiful slab that was presented to us.

Cheuflada Cheese with Pickled Mustard Seeds and Pearl Onions

Tissue Coaster, Future Home of Egg Cream, Prepared Tableside

Egg Cream - Orange, Cocoa Nib and Seltzer

Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Cara Cara Orange and Vanilla

Chocolate Sorbet with Caramelized Cocoa Pastry,
Meyer Lemon and Olive Oil (with Birthday Candle!)

Inside.

Siphon Coffee Tableside Service
Water is boiled at the bottom of the machine.

When it reaches a certain temperature, the vacuum is sealed and
the water goes up to the top part.

Now all the water from the bottom has come up.

He stirs the water for it to get to a lower temperature which is optimum
for brewing coffee. 

Upon reaching desired temperature, he puts in the ground coffee and steeps.

Lowering the temperature so the brewed coffee goes back down to be
served and filtered.

Coffee is almost served. 

Real Black and White Cookies. (This time, they are sweet.)

2 sugars in my cup, melting away...

Petit Fours

A small surprise for the birthday girl...

I pull it out and there it was...

Mmm. Chocolate!

Our tasting menu for the day. 

But mine had a special happy birthday message!

I am so happy to have spent my birthday here, and I am very thankful to everyone who made my birthday celebration (one of many) very special. Thank you, Maya, for getting this all set up in such short notice.

I look forward to coming back, again. It was a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, indeed!

Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Avenue at 24th Street
New York NY