My Goodness.

Cafe Sabarsky, Saturday Afternoon

It is really Thursday already?

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...and now Thursday. A steady stream of blur work. But productivity is good. Very good.

Here's a little odd and end run-by of Saturday lunch. Hopefully (aka, when tax season is pau) I can muster up a full recap of this meal. Till then, a few photos and plenty of memories.

The morning opened with a sweet delivery of houjicha macarons and those awesome cheese shortbread from always cheerful Mitzy. I don't think I know a single soul in the world with more energy and enthusiasm!

Apologies if I looked all crazy in the morning Mitzy - I literally rolled out of bed, down the stairs and onto the street, pajamas and all ^_^

Erica came by the apartment an hour later, and a bit after that, Justin showed up for his weekend trip from Yale.

We lazed around for a bit before heading to Cafe Sabarsky for a midday meal. Thankfully, we arrived just before the lunch rush. A short five minute wait and we were quickly seated.

To begin, espresso.

Bread and Butter.

Palatschinken Mit Räucherforelle & Oberskren: Crêpes with smoked trout & horseradish crème fraîche. Closer.

Bratwurst Mit Sauerkraut & Röstkartoffeln: Roasted sausage with Riesling sauerkraut & roasted potatoes.

The accompanying hot mustard! So good! So good! This was Erica's dish, but it'll be mine on our next visit.

Spätzle Mit Schwammerln, Erbsen, Mais & Estragon: Spätzle with wild mushrooms, peas, sweet corn & tarragon. Closer.

The word "spätzle" entered my vocabulary in the fall of 2005. I lived in LA/Claremont at the time and stopped in NYC for a weekend trip. Dinner plans were arranged at Balthazar, and while I cannot recall what I ordered, I do remember her dish. Or at least one component. There was chicken involved, I believe. Anyhow, I remembered the most important part. The crispy spätzle.

I was flipping out. Little noodly esque nubbins fried, fried! I had never seen or eaten anything like it. Delightful bliss upon first bite. Much like my first Claude croissant, and SSS banana pudding. Grandma's dumplings, Boky's chicken curry noodles, Hearth's gnocchi and the gnudi from Spotted Pig. And I couldn't even pronounce spätzle correctly.

I never managed to find my way back to Balthazar since 2005, nor have I had spätzle elsewhere until Sabarsky. So this meal was essentially my second taste of spätzle. Wonderful and warming, but I think I still prefer spätzle fried :)

Justin and I parted ways with Erica post-lunch. We dashed down to the Theater in hopes of catching a performance of Chicago. Alas, we had forgotten that Valentine's Day would draw crowds to midtown and the theaters. What could we do but drowned our sorrows with an entertaining movie and a big bag of heavily buttered popcorn. Raisinets on the side.

Our dinner, hours later at Skyway, will follow in the next post ^_^


Oh! And...I bought my first DSLR :D Thank you Greg, for leading me through the ridiculous and fantastic maze that is B&H. Dad phoned me to say that I'm holding that camera all wrong...clearly I have much to learn.

Leaving you off with a couple links:
Zippy's Chili. ohyes. ohgodyes.
Robyn's post on Fuerza Bruta night.

Happy Thursday!

Cafe Sabarsky
1048 5th Ave
Inside Neue Gallerie
New York, NY 10028
(212) 288-0665