food and drink around the world

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, Bodhi Tree

photo from @biggayicecream

The most exciting part of yesterday was when Robyn and I ran into Jeffrey Steingarten at the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. He was there with his wife and dog (who practically ate his own ice cream cone! :) That's Robyn on the right and myself in the middle.

Here's a Salty Pimp for you! One of the many awesome creations we tried that evening. Vanilla soft serve with drizzles of dulce de leche, sprinkles of sea salt, and then dipped in chocolate.

::drool::

Spring and fall are the perfect seasons for outdoor ice cream/soft serve/gelato consumptions. Winter is too cold and everything melts too fast in the summer.

After plenty of soft serve, we headed to nearby Bodhi Tree for dinner. Robyn went with the Krapow Kai Khai Dow...I think she's had at least a dozen version of this dish in the city. Practically enough to deem her an expert!

I had the Wan Tan Hor...too sweet, not much to write home about. I've heard good things about Bodhi Tree, so will come back to try other menu items. Note, they've got a $7 lunch special for two appetizers and an entree! I'm a total sucker our city's abundance of cheap Thai lunch deals :)

Big Gay Ice Cream Truck
Location updates on twitter

Bodhi Tree
58 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 677-5199

Sunday, April 18, 2010

The Little Owl

Sunday brunch with Monsieur P. The Little Owl. A twenty-minute wait at 2:30pm.

The Little Owl has been on my to-try list for years. I walk past it at least once a week, and yet, with all our restaurant options in NYC, I just never manged to make it here. Till now. The wait went by quick - how could it not on such a lovely Sunday, with prime bench seats outside the restaurant and plenty of people watching.

First there was a shared plate of Spiced Fries. Crisp, sharp numbers with a side of chili aioli which we easily wiped out. A glass of rosé for him. Water for me...had my share at Dan's Tiki Hut the night before ;)

Monsieur P went with the Poached Eggs, two atop fontina sausage buns, with sautéed greens and just enough hollandaise.

For myself? I had eyes on the Ricotta Cavatelli which only shows up on the dinner menu as an appetizer.

Regardless, I inquired with the waiter to see if perhaps, it would be possible to order the dish. After all, dinner service would start in less than three hours! At first it was "no." And then the "no" turned into a "yes," which was answered with a "hooray!" And so Ricotta Cavatelli it was, a warm bowl of tender little nubbles bathed in a savoury tomato broth, accompanied with cubes of bacon and pecorino. Yes, oh yes. A spoon affair, bites laced with melting pecorino. Ideal for the day's chilly weather. Hope your weekend was swell!

The Little Owl
90 Bedford Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 741-4695