La Contenta NYC

After a long night of partying like it was 1999. Some friends and I decided to stop for some food. We stumbled upon La Contenta, located in the Lower East Side of NYC. It is a cozy Mexican restaurant with a very welcoming atmosphere.

This was the Michelada Al Pastor with beer, hot sauce, homemade pineapple sauce, lime, and salt pork skin around the rim. This drink was sour and salty and spicy deliciously wonderful while it lasted. This concoction did not mix well with my stomach so I probably will not order it again but it was very delicious.

These are the tacos de carne asada with grilled hanger steak, guacamole, and pico de gallo. I’m sorry the picture is so blurry but like I mentioned it was a very fun night. The steak was seasoned perfectly and so tender to the bite. The guacamole was paired well though I think you could have used a little bit more lime. I never know how to feel about tacos without cheese the tacos didn’t need the cheese but I definitely missed.

This place gets a 4 out of 5. Overall this place was nice, it had great service, I definitely felt welcomed even though we stumbled in at about 1 in the morning, we made it just in time to order food I would love to revisit this place. Check it out if you can!

BarBacon – Hell’s Kitchen, NYC Review

Don’t go bacon my heart…

BarBacon is a gastropub located at 836 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019. Specializing in flights and other swine spiked grub. I had a reservation but there was a slight wait, but hey what can you expect on a Friday night in NYC. There is no “waiting area” so you just have to awkwardly stand in front of the door. The aesthetic of place is rustic wedding crossed with a Hell’s Kitchen bar. It is very nicely decorated for its aesthetic.

Right away what caught my eye was the signature drinks menu. The Midnight ‘N’ Molasses, contained: Bacon Bourbon, St Germine, ginger, lime, syrup, & molasses, topped off with Champagne and obviously bacon. It is really strong so you feel the initial buzz but as the night wears on, boy, do things get fun! It took me the entire dinner to feel the full effects of this drink, but it was worth it! The sweetness from the molasses, the savory from the bacon and a hint of smoke really camouflage this concoction.

For dinner I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, it came with pineapple jalapeno coleslaw, and BBQ Bacon. I just want to comment on how well this ciabatta bread was baked. The bottom slice was soggy from soaking up all of the sandwich’s deliciousness but is was keeping together very nicely. Since I prefer to eat my sandwiches upside down, I was able to appreciate the nice toast on the top crust of the ciabatta. The pork was very tender and juicy, which paired well with the spiciness/sweetness of the coleslaw. The bacon was nice and crisp to cou ter the softness of the bottom slice of bread. The potato chips were disappointing. They were overdone, on the side of burnt but they would have been perfect for the sandwich had they been executed properly.

For dessert, I ordered the Chocolate Covered Bacon. The chocolate coating was nice and silky. The bacon had a nice crunch to it, the deep savory taste of the bacon worked well with the bold flavor of the chocolate. It was not overly sweet, just the right amount to balance out the entire meal.

This place a nice night out in NYC. I’d give it a 4. Thanks to my boss for suggesting this place!

-themoodiecutie

Palazzone 1960 – Wayne, NJ Review

Penne for your thoughts…

After having binged multiple seasons of The Great British Bake Off, I was really craving a nice crisp decadent pastry. After years of curiously driving past this place, I decided to try it out. Palazzone 1960 is located at 190 NJ-23, Wayne, NJ 07470. The cafe specializes in “traditional and contemporary, offering old world quality in an ultra-modern setting, crafted with authentic and delicious ingredients”.

Anyone that knows me, knows my love of Italian food. The sad thing is that living in New Jersey, there is ample opportunity to walk into a restaurant and be transported to Italy, but the same could be true for the opposite. Unfortunately, many places go by “throw some garlic, oregano, tomatoes, and call it Italian”. Palazzone 1960 is a wonderful, refreshing change to Italian gastronomy in northern New Jersey for starters, they make their own pasta on site and sell it. They serve lunch every day from 11am-4pm.

The Lasagna was a perfect blend of flavors. The pasta was cooked to perfection, but what absolutely stole the show was the sauce. When cooking with tomatoes, there is a tendency to overcook them causing the acidity level to rise, making it dominant flavor of the dish. That was not the case here. The tomatoes were cooked to peak perfection, seasoned skillfully, and balanced perfectly with the cheese. My only comment would be that the beef was a pinch too salty.

The Penne Arrabbiata was okay. The pasta was al dente just like I prefer it. Overall flavor-wise it was a bit bland. The sauce could have used more salt. The pepper was too strong and could have used a touch of cream to thicken the sauce and round out the flavors.

The cappuccino was a bit dark but not bad. The coffee had a nice bold flavor.

For dessert, I ordered an orange Sfogliatella. The bake on that was perfection!!!!!! I could easily sit and eat these for hours. The layering was nice and defined, it had a nice crunch when bitten! UGH! Perfect!

I ordered the Napoleon on the recommendation of the counter girl. I am not a fan of this particular dessert. But this was enough to change my mind! Every single layer clearly defined. I could have eaten the whole tray of these!

Overall this place for lunch gets a 3.5, but the bakery gets a solid 5!

-themoodiecutie

Viva Margarita – Cliffside Park, NJ Review

After a frustrating day at work, I deserved the whole enchilada…

Viva Margarita is located at 364 Lawton Avenue, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010. It is a small restaurant and in case the name didn’t give it away, they serve Mexican cuisine. Its design is what you’d expect from a Mexican restaurant, bright colors, paper flags, decorations from Latin America.

Initially, when I was seated at my table, I noticed the music playing was not Tejano music but rather a mix of the Latin Billboard Top 100 from the past 30 years. At first, I was bothered but after a passion fruit margarita or two, I was definitely feeling it.

(…and so were that group of ladies, in the background, that were clearly out for happy hour, it was adorable. These really pack a punch!)

Their tequila selection is quite extensive, I was very impressed, I haven’t been able to find many places in NJ with such a diverse list. They even offer flights for the connoisseurs out there.

For dinner, I ordered the Grilled Chicken Enchiladas which came with: Three flour tortillas filled with grilled chicken, topped with chocolate mole sauce, a mix of Monterey jack and cheddar cheese, chopped onion, sour cream, tomatoes, and, lettuce with Mexican rice and refried beans on the side.

The chicken was stupendous! It was diced and cooked to perfection. The spiciness from the Mole sauce balanced perfectly with the with the cheese. It was a tad spicier than I expected, causing me to WOOH! It was not a bad experience though. My only critique is that, from the look of the mole sauce, I was expecting a bit more chocolate flavor, which was a bit muted due to the spiciness. The portion was so big that I didn’t get to the rice and refried beans, I honestly don’t know why they include these with every dish.

For dessert, I ordered the Cajeta Flan. The Cajeta (Dulce de Leche/Caramel) was very strong. The density of the flan was perfect. It was served with some whipped cream and strawberries. The whipped cream paired very well with the flan, but strawberries seemed out of place. However, they did compliment the sauce from the flan and whipped cream.

This place is a nice hidden gem. Please do check it out if you get a chance! 4.25 out of 5

-themoodiecutie

The Brownstone Pancake Factory

After a long Saturday, I felt I deserved to treat myself to a brunch.  Since I am new to the area – originally from Newark, NJ – I thought I’d go to this little place I drive by that is ALWAYS busy on the weekends.  The Brownstone Pancake Factory is located at 860 River Rd, Edgewater, NJ 07020.  This restaurant is considered New American.  For those who don’t know what “New American” is: “New American cuisine is generally a type of fusion cuisine which assimilates flavors from the melting pot of traditional American cooking techniques mixed with foreign and sometimes molecular gastronomy components” –  thank you Wikipedia!

Upon arriving, this place is valet parking only.  Luckily the wait for the cars and table were pretty synced up.  The restaurant’s design aesthetic is comparable to some restaurants you would see in the village, which makes sense when you take into account how close they are to NYC.  As a photographer, one of my biggest pet-peeves is when restaurants are too dark. Sadly this restaurant falls into this category.  I understand setting the ambiance but sometimes restaurants go too dark.  It felt like it was night-time at 11am.  The service was superb, despite the volume of people they had coming and going.  Our waiter joked around that walking in the restaurant was like driving through NY.

For starters, I ordered a Sunshine Splash which consisted of freshly squeezed orange and mango juice.  It was a little to tart-y for me but it is also the end of winter.  For my main course, I decided to stray away from my usual Ron Swanson-esque breakfast and ordered Fried Chicken and Waffles.

Let me just say that if you ever find yourself eating here, do yourself a favor and order this dish.  The crispy crust on the chicken is fried to perfection, it even had a nice snap to it.  The flavor of the crust and the honey transported me to sweet and savory heaven.  The waffle was nice and crispy on the outside but fluffy enough to soak up the honey drips.  The flavor combinations where delectable.  My only critique of the dish is that the chicken was a little overdone and therefore tough to cut part which made getting a bite of all the components together difficult. But if the reason behind it is to get that crispy crust, please do not change a thing.

I would give this place also a 4 out 5. Check it out if you can!

-themoodiecutie