NYC: Gyro II

For lunch the other day Phyllis suggested we stop by a place on 7th Avenue near Penn Station for the-best-gyro-EVER.

EVER? Apparently so! Phyllis has never led me astray, and so and we piled in the long but fast moving line at Gyro II. Ordering was easy:

"Chicken or lamb?"
"Lamb!"
"Everything?"
"Everything!"

Gyro and a medium soda totaled just under $10.

Lamb, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and a ladle of white sauce that had me slobbering all over the place just watching the man pour it on. It's very similar too, but not, tzatziki which is what traditionally goes on a gyro. The sauce has a loose consistency and is noticeably sweeter, with less of a tang. See the red? That's paprika! Definitely a fork and knife affair. I tried eating it with my hands, but everything fell out. The lamb meat was sufficiently moist but could have use more lamb too it, too heavy on the fillers. Minor quibbles aside, it was a much enjoyed meal. We took our order upstairs in hopes of finding air conditioned seating, and found plenty of seating but no air conditioning! No worries though, the soda and lots of ice helped!

Will be back if I'm nearby, but probably won't go out my way for a visit. I usually stop at Macaron Cafe or Pizza Suprema if I'm in this area, so am delighted to add another "regular" stop to the list!

Gyro II
425 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
(212) 239-0646

NYC: Co.

[Thanks so much for all the recommendations and suggestions to my last post! And all the emails too! Now I’m even more excited about the trip, hehehe. Still got a bunch more planning to do, but will let you know once we have our schedule set. Vacation here we come! :]

On Sunday we had a very early and light dinner at Co. We were strolling down 9th Ave and just as we approached 24th Street there was a decision to be made. Go right and into Grand Sichuan. Or go left and into Co. It was tough choice! Monsieur P was complaining about the lack of hot oil wontons and cumin beef in his diet for the past two weeks. But he hadn't been to Co. before and my last visit was over a year ago.

We hemmed and hawwed and finally turned into Co. Good idea! Two glasses of rose cooled us down quite nicely and we settled in to a starter of Baby Octopus. Whole baby octopus - charred till the legs were wickedly crunchy, but not burnt. Served atop a "salad" of purslane, celery, mint, basil, and slices of orange. That's pink peppercorn-citrus dressing drizzled about, not so much spicy but simultaneously citrus-strong and creamy.

We shared the Meatball Pizza. The servers always push the "fact" that the pizzas are portioned for one. But if you get an appetizer and dessert, it's better to share. You won't be stuffed, and the last thing you want to feel in this humid and hot 100F weather is stuffed. Look at the char on the pizza, crazy huh? Veal meatballs, tomato, mozzarella, caramelized onions, olives, aged pecorino, and plenty of oregano.

But the best, BEST part of dinner? That came at the end. One of the dessert special for the night was the "Summer Sundae," ...and mannn was this delicious. It goes like this. Three scoops of housemade SWEET CORN ice cream, positively buttery! Topped off with big ploofs of fresh whipped cream, crushed spicy marcona almonds and a handful of berries. What kind of berries? Strawberries! Blueberries! Raspberries! Blackberries! And red currants, of course. Of course. When was the last time you saw red currants in a sundae??

And then we strolled home, blasted on the air conditioning and turned on a reliable Sunday night movie. Oh and the port! Never forget the port ;)

Co.
230 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
(212) 243-1105

We Are Going To...

...France! Huzzah! Monsieur P and I just booked tickets for a two-week trip in the fall. Hooray, hooray! It's been 15 years since my last trip to Europe.

We'll be in Paris for the bulk of the trip, but plan to visit other parts of France, including Alsace and Brittany. Our schedule isn't set in stone...still fiddling around with ideas. Belle Ile is awfully tempting as is Quiberon...perhaps we could squeeze in Bordeaux too! Though we don't want to rush for this is supposed to be a relaxing vacation :) So many options, good thing we have time to plan.

I'm excited about the fact that I'm going with Monsieur P, a native Frenchman. Ohlala, I honestly cannot get enough of his charming accent ;) My only "job" is to figure out where to eat...have been poking around blogs and books, but there is more to do. Any suggestions or recommendations on places that stood out for you? I've been on a fromage spree lately, and have amassed a list of cheeses I would love to taste. Plan to fill our bellies with beurre from different regions, and of course foie gras. As for sweets? No worries, I've got that down ;)

Bisous!