Saturday Day Morning Cartoons: The 4th of July Sam the Eagle Edition

Happy 4th of July! And what better way to celebrate the 4th than with Sam the Eagle, a beacon of wholesome American morals and values...

And as an added bonus, Sam the Eagle learns that the Swedish Chef doesn't speak real Swedish...

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Key Lime Pie and Swingles!

Blondie's a Florida girl. She knows her Key Lime Pie. I'm a New England girl. And I'll fully admit I don't know jack about real Key Lime Pie. Fortunately there a thing called the internets that introduced me to the wonders of Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie in Red Hook...

Tangy and sweet with a wonderful graham cracker crust their pie is perfect for a picnic or barbecue. Better still is their Swingle, a frozen mini key lime pie on a stick dipped in dark chocolate. Quite possibly one of the most awesome thins I've eaten on a stick.

If you're looking for a treat for your 4th of July celebration, Steve's is open today (July 3rd) and according to their twitter, they "still have Swingle-minis for our Twitter friends, mention the Tweet and you'll get the sweet with purchase of 8 or 10" Pie. OPEN TODAY!" Sweeet.

Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie
204 Van Dyke St
Brooklyn, NY 11231-1038
(718) 858-5333
Hours can vary, so the best bet is to check their Twitter.
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Travels with Blondie: Other South FLA Assorteds like Strawberry Oreos

Yes, Limited Edition Strawberry Milkshake Creme Oreos. How could I not? Though, I love me some Hydrox, it's strawberry season and I can't get my fill. Added bonus: it's one of my favorite color combinations, pink and black. My only key lime pie and that prized possession I spoke about last week, after the

The Strawberry Milkshake Oreos are pretty good. It's a manufactured strawberry taste and too many will make you physically ill, but these shouldn't be limited edition, they should be in the regular line-up. I loved them.

For one dinner, my family and I decided to visit a cousin at work. The restaurant is called Seasons 52, a small chain of restaurants located in Florida and Georgia. They have seasonal, healthy offerings, everything on the menu is under 475 calories. The food was absolutely delicious and light, perfect for hot weather. I would completely visit one if they decided to open in New York. For their desserts, they offer 'minis' large shot glasses filled with all the elements of a bigger plate. After three bites, you get palate fatigue anyway, so I liked this presentation and size. The key lime pie was sweet, tart, and creamy, and perfectly delicious.

Lastly, I came across this offering. Yes, some IHOPs in South Florida have customer rewards cards. Unreal. This is my new prized possession. I loves me some chocolate chip pancakes with a whipped cream smile any day of the week.

Seasons 52
2300 N.W. Executive Center Drive
Boca Raton, FL 33431
(561) 998-9952
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Crumbs is The New McDonald's

During my walk to an ice cream lunch yesterday, I noticed Crumbs is still going strong with its world domination plans.

Yes, one of the latest Midtown Crumbs will be in the former For Eyes Optical spot on Lexington and 44th. The paper just went up yesterday and there's no opening date on their website, but I'm sure it will be soon. They have new store openings down to a science. There will now be three Crumbs within the vicinity of Grand Central station, the other two being the long-standing 42nd Street/Bryant Park store, and another newbie in the MetLife Building. And in case you work on the other side of Bryant Park, another new Crumbs will be opening on Broadway between 37th and 38th.

Crumbs Bakeshop, an official nominee for the 2009 Overkill Award.

Crumbs Bakeshop
www.crumbs.com jump

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory Hits Midtown!

Thursday Morning, 9:03AM: Phone rings...Hey, it's Blondie. Super important. Meet me outside Grand Central at lunchtime. Click...

You don't need to cross the Brooklyn Bridge to get a taste of the all natural ice cream from Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. That's right, as Blondie discovered, BICF has set up shop for the summer in a tent outside Pershing Square across from Grand Central. They're there 7 days a week from noon until about 7:00pm until the end of August.

A single scoop will run you $3.50 and is more than ample (at least for me). Add $.50 for a sweet waffle cone. They were out of Peaches and Cream, so I went for Strawberry...

Blondie picked Chocolate Chunk. And proceeded to make her officemates jealous with this cone...

My strawberry cone was creamy with little bits of strawberry pulp and plenty of strawberry flavor. I actually prefer my strawberry ice cream with frozen strawberry chunks, but if you like your ice cream on the smooth side, this may be the strawberry for you.

They've only been open a couple of weeks and don't yet have the set up for the items on the lower right hand corner of the menu (sundaes, shakes, floats and pints) but they did say that these items would be coming soon.

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory at Pershing Square
90 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
(212) 286-9600
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Vermont Cheesemaker's Festival + Murray's = Brillance

Who wants to eat cheese? We do. Who wants to eat cheese in Vermont? We do. Who wants to eat cheese in Vermont after having a chat with Liz Thorpe of Murray's Cheese? Um, yeah, that would be us.

In celebration of Vermont Cheesemakers Festival, Murray's Cheese has put together an awesome one-day outing for New York turophiles. During the "Red Jacket Red-Eye" you can take a bus filled with other cheese lovers up to Vermont, experience the Festival, meet Liz Thorpe, and then take a bus all the way back home nursing a cheese hangover. Sounds like a pretty impressive Sunday. All of this is going to happen on Sunday, August 23rd, and chances are these tickets, though they aren't cheap, are going to go fast. Just click here and buy one already.

Murray's Cheese
254 Bleecker Street (downtown end of Cornelia Street)
(888) MY-CHEEZ or (212) 243-3289
and
Grand Central Market
44th Street and Lexington Avenue
www.murrayscheese.com jump

Vodka with a Touch of Rum

Last week, Moniker and I hit up the Indy Spirits Expo, completely prepared to taste various kinds of alcohol. And those dreams came true, right up to the following hangover-free morning.

This year's expo was spread over both floors of the nightclub Touch. First, we headed upstairs and ended up walking into vodka central; there were five different types up there. They included Austrian vodka, organic cucumber vodka, blueberry Maine vodka.

Of all the items upstairs, we found the Dark and Stormy, made with Regatta Ginger Beer and Brinley Gold Rum, to be the most delicious of the drinks.

I was also impressed by the Austrian, Bohemian style absinthe, Mata Hari. Evidently, I've only been drinking the French-Swiss, anise-heavy style, and with my dislike of anise and licorice flavors, this has not made me the biggest fan of absinthe. From what I gather, Bohemian style came about during the absinthe ban years forming as a replacement drink. This style relies less on the anise, more on the wormwood and salvia. There is some discussion that this shouldn't be considered a real absinthe, and I probably wouldn't drink a glass neat anytime soon. This product is definitely more useful as a component in mixed drinks and other uses for liquor.

After a quick bite, we headed on down. By now Moniker was telling me about a drink her and Loc Dog had in Jamaica, rum crème. As we passed through the exhibits, one look up on stage let us know that I too would be trying this deliciousness she spoke of. St. Lucia's Castries peanut rum crème was there and it is amazing. Creamy and decadent, it's could easily complement or replace dessert, and a drink even Brownie would like.

Many others were there including Templeton Rye (amazing), Orange V Vodka (like eating an alcoholic orange), and Loft Liqueurs (interesting cello flavors with lavender, and spicy ginger.) I hope to revisit next year, this time with a game plan.

For more information on the expo, check out their website: www.indyspiritsexpo.com. jump

The Treats Truck Pioneers Innovations in Conecakery

Our post last summer on the appearance of conecakes at the Treats Truck generated a ton of interest with links from Cupcakes Take the Cake, Midtown Lunch, Serious Eats New York, Cityrag, Gothamist, Grub Street, and Zagat Buzz among others. The pro-Conecake and anti-Conecake factions each weighed in vociferously and over the past year conecakes have become regulars in the Treats Truck rotation. And just when you thought that a conecake couldn't get any better, it can. Oh yes, it can...

This just in from the Treats Truck guru herself, Kim Ima:

Conecake update! We are now making conecakes with layered cake and frosting. While I love actually baking in the cone, the cone can get too soft. Now, I'm baking the cake separately and layering cake and frosting in the cone. That way, you also get more of an icing/cake combo throughout!

Brilliant! Why hadn't anyone else thought out this?

Blondie and I had to give this a try, of course. The cone was a little crunchier, but not super crunchy--then again, with this 188% humidity, it's hard for anything to stay crispy.

I love the layering concept and the extra frosting hidden within. There are so many possibilites--mixing vanilla and chocolate cake. Hidding a candy or chocolate in the middle etc. As a decidedly pro concake-vist, I'm looking forward to seeing what Kim does with this new conecake technology.

Keep informed of the truck's location by calling (212) 691-5226, checking their Twitter, or visiting treatstruck.com.

Previous Treats Truck Reviews:
Chocolate Chip Brownie
Animal Cookies
Spring Flowers and Passover Goodies
Crispy Squares
Valentine's Day Treats
Oatmeal Chocolate Chipper
2008 Treats Truck Wrap Up
Chocolate Candy Cane Cupcake
Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Double Chocolate Trucker
Election Day Cupcakes
Halloween Specials, Part 2
Halloween Specials, Part 1
Pecan Butterscotch Bar
Chocolate Trucker
Chocolate Chip and Mint Chocolate Chip Conecakes
Mexican Chocolate Brownie
The Nutty Co-Worker and PB&J Jamwich
Conecakes
Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes
Orange Chiffon Cake
Peanut Butter Brownie
Raspberry Oatmeal Jammy
Raspberry Lemon & Mint Chocolate Swirlie Dots
Chocolate Truck Cookie
Sugar Dot
Chocolate Chipper
Carmel Creme Trucker
Peanut Butter Chocolate Sandwich Cookie
Chocolate Chipper with Nuts
Mint Chocolate Trucker
Passover treats
Cinnamon Cookie
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Congrats to the Sofi Winners!

The Sofi Awards were held at the Fancy Food Show last night at the Javits center in a ceremony hosted by Ming Tsai noted chef (and first celebrity chef crush of yours truly). And I'm excited that some of Blondie and my favorites from the show were among the big winners...

The "Baked Goods, Baking Ingredient or Cereal" Sofi went to Mari's New York Caramel Sea Salt Brownie. Represent NYC! Mari makes a mean brownie and the Caramel Sea Salt ones are especially delicious.

The "Cheese or Dairy Product" Sofi was awarded to Cypress Grove's Chevre Truffle Tremor. This cheese is simply blissful. Melt in your mouth truffle perfection. Every cheese from Cypress Grove is delicious, but Truffle Tremor is "do you think they'll notice I've been standing here eating their cheese for half an hour" delicious.

The "Classic" Sofi went to Sarabeth's Kitchen Blood Orange Marmalade. I'll always be grateful to Sarabeth's for introducing me to the wonders wonders of canning. In college I fell in love with their jams and they inspired me to make my own.

1,997 entries across all 33 categories. 128 Silver Finalists and 550 buyers casting ballots. Click for a full list of 2009 Sofi Gold Winners and Silver Finalists. Congratulations to all winners and finalists!

For more photos of the Fancy Food Show check out our flickr set.
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B&B Take on the Fancy and UnFancy Food Show(s)

Last year, Blondie and I missed out on the UnFancy Food Show and there was no way we were going to let that happen again. But we did want to check out the Fancy Food Show as well and since both of us have full time gigs, we can't hit FF during the week. Could we do both Fancy and UnFancy in a single Sunday?! Where there is a will there is a way...

Here are some of our highlights from each.

Our friends at Peanut Butter & Company are going to be launching new peanut butter baking mixes towards the end of the summer. The Peanut Butter Brownies were fudgy and delicious.

Speaking of mixes. Vosges Chocolate now not only has a new Mo's Bacon Bar in Dark Chocolate but also a Mo's Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix. Breakfast perfection. It was hard to step away from the Vosges and before we did we had a change to try their Naga Ice Cream, a blend of coconut and curry. Amazing. Completely different from any ice cream I've ever tried.

Blondie was exited to hit the Chobani booth and try their brand new pomegranate yourt. Loved the crunch of the real pomegranate seeds. This should hit grocery shelves in two weeks.

And how could we resist Mari's Brownies? Luxurious and rich these brownies are a cut above. Their Caramel Sea Salt has the perfect balance of chewy caramel, fudgy chocolate and Cyprian sea salt.

Next stop, Williamsburg for the UnFancy Food Show.

Ricotta cheese, bread, olive Oil, salt & pepper from Salvatore Brooklyn. Light, creamy, simple and delicious...

Nunu Chocolates Salt Caramels: totally natural, individually handmade, and completely delicious...

Garlicky and tangy pickles from McClure...

Crunchy and delicious greens from Queens Farm...

Had I not been down to my very last dollar I would have picked up one of these awesome Brooklyn Based tote bags. Fortunately you can order them online. Lawman, are you reading this?

Of course we had to hit the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck. By late afternoon a number of the flavors were sold out.

No problem. We'll take the strawberry!

This week Van Leeuwen is going to be launching Earl Grey Tea flavored ice cream from their trucks--they now have 3! Made with organic & fair trade tea from Rishi. Can't wait to try it. To keep apprised their whereabouts follow them on twitter.

Probably one of the most refreshing things we had all day was the Raspberry Green Tea sweetened with Agave from the Green Pirate Juice Truck. Perfect for the hot and humid summer weather.

Here's a pic of their awesome bio-diesel run truck from earlier last weekend in Park Slope. If I had any room left I would have tried out one of their amazing sounding smoothies...

With empty wallets and full tummies Blondie and I ended our day as ever good summer day should end...ice cream cone and iced tea in hand walking home with a friend.

For more photos of Fancy and UnFancy Food check out our flickr set.
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Blueberry in Doughnut Form

During the past few weeks, I've been pondering my blueberry love, which is closing in upon obsession. Besides the regular blueberries in my cereal-Wyman's wild frozen if fresh aren't available-there have lately been many blueberry muffins, a blueberry cake, and blueberry Italian ice. This love seems to have grown out of like sometime during last summer, and I'm not going to fight it. Fortunately, Doughnut Plant and Coworker Friend Dos share this love of mine.

Early Tuesday morning, while waiting patiently for my morning coffee, a new doughnut was spotted at Joe. Thoughts that ran through my head:
"What is this? It's purple. Could it be? What does that sign say? YES, HALLELUJAH, PRAISE THE LORD! I don't know if I can hold out for Brownie. I may have to eat this sooner. Coworker Friend Dos likes blueberries and eating. We are going to share this. This means I should spill the beans about the blog. I don't care, it's a blueberry doughnut. Oh, it's my turn."

Like almost all Doughnut Plant flavors, the blueberry taste is very subtle to almost nonexistent, but I do love the blueberry purple color inside and out. Dos had just finished eating a greasy breakfast, and didn't taste any blueberry at all. At $3, I would be hesitant to buy it again; I'd rather get the other latest flavor making the rounds, banana pecan. Nor would I say this is a must over the Krispy Kreme Blueberry Cake.

Doughnut Plant
379 Grand Street, between Suffolk and Clinton
(212) 505-3700
Tuesday through Sunday: 6:30am until 6:30pm
www.doughnutplant.com

This doughnut was found at:
Joe the Art of Coffee
Graybar Passage, Grand Central Station
Lexington Avenue between 44th and 43rd Street
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Dropping by Katchkie at the Port Authority Greenmarket

Last week I set aside my deep-seated hatred for the Port Authority and braved the rain to check out the new year round greenmarket in the North Wing. The Katchkie Booth was in full swing and I got the scoop on Kathkie’s booth at the upcoming Rock Center Market in July...

Like last year, Rock Center Market is due to start up at the end of July and will run Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays through August 28th. This summer instead of Wednesdays, Katchkie will have a presence in the market on Fridays. So for those of you who have shortened summer hours on Fridays, be sure to stop by to pick up some ingredients for the weekend or lunch on your way home.

If you can’t wait until the end of July, Katchkie has plenty of early summer greens like organic lettuce, spinach, kale, turnips and garlic scapes among other goodies at the Port Authority on Thursdays from 8 am until 6 pm.

Prepared foods are made from seasonal ingredients and last week included spinach salad, homemade cream of broccoli soup, and grilled vegetable sandwiches.

Moroccan Mint tea is one of my favorite summery drinks so I decided to get a cup of Katchkie’s Basil-Spearmint Tea for $2. The mint and basil really worked nicely together with a touch of honey. Fresh and delicious.

By the time Katchkie gets to Rock Center tomatoes and other late summer veggies will be in season ensuring plenty of gazpacho and ratatouille. Can’t wait!

Port Authority Green Market
North Wing, Main Concourse
Eighth Avenue and 42nd Street
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Prospect Park is Getting Its Cheesesteak Factory at Long Last

As a frequent patron of Bene's Pizza and Uncle Louie G's on Prospect Park Southwest, I've often wondered about the little Cheesesteak Factory storefront sandwiched, if you will, between the two. In all my visits for pizza and ice cream it's never been open. Until now...

The Prospect Park Southwest Cheesesteak Factory officially opened yesterday. Not surprisingly their bread and butter is cheesesteaks of both the beef and chicken variety. I was pleased to see broccoli rabe getting some love on their menu. Their Prospect Park Cheesesteak: grilled onions, broccoli rabe (or spinach) with provolone cheese sounds pretty excellent.

The menu also includes Italian sausages, hot dogs, hamburgers and waffle fries. Mmm...waffle fries. And fear not vegetarians, there's more for you than just fries and onion rings. Veggie options include the veggie sandwich (grilled eggplant, roasted peppers, broccoli rabe, or spinach), the veggie supreme (grilled green peppers, portabella mushrooms, onions, grilled eggplant and grilled zuchinni) and a veggie burger.

Lawman and I might just have to hit these guys up next time we decide to picnic in the park. Any early Cheesesteak Factory reports from the field?

Cheesesteak Factory
157 Prospect Park Southwest
Brooklyn, NY 11218
(718) 851-7900
Monday through Thursday and Sunday 11:00am until 9:00pm
Friday and Saturday 11:00am until midnight
Click for an enlarged menu: part 1 and part 2.
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Travels with Blondie: There is More To South Flo-rida Than Miami

Whenever I asked about dining in south Florida, I got either no real suggestions, or an expensive spot in Miami. But south Florida isn't just Miami, and I wasn't going anywhere near South Beach. My family is further up the coast, between Boynton Beach and Coral Springs. Luckily for me, the locals and snow birds expect good food and cool spots.

One of those spots is Dada in Delray Beach, a hip restaurant located in a converted 1920's home. Inside is a mixture of eclectic vintage furniture accompanied by unusual, modern paintings giving the place a cool vibe which allows it to be a great venue for artist's shows. While we ate, there was an art showing occurring, as well as a jam session happening on an outside stage.

Their drink menu is extensive with many different versions of mojitos and margaritas. I chose the strawberry mojito, it came with fresh muddled strawberries and was quite refreshing and delicious.

The menu is modern American with a few local influences. For an appetizer, we went with the grilled brie soaked in garlic honey butter. Everything in the world is made better by soaking in garlic honey butter. They could have been more generous with the fruit aspect to the platter, but I can overlook that for garlic honey butter.

On the entree side, my cuz got the crab cakes with sherry mustard and Sriacha. The cakes were perfectly cooked, tasted fresh, and well-spiced. This was definitely not canned crab.

I decided on the Chicken Del Rio-chicken over a black bean puree, topped with an avocado and melted provolone cheese. The chicken was moist, and though I wasn't so sure about what could be a sharper cheese, the flavors did come together pretty well.

Dessert ended up being a three-way sharing-a friend had shown up-of the chocolate fondue with pound cake, fresh fruit, and marshmallows. The chocolate was rich and dark, maybe 65-75% cocoa. The chocolate was a little too solid for my tastes; I felt it could have been warmer and more fluid.

Overall, the food isn't mind-blowing and could be viewed as a little overpriced for South Florida, but it is very good quality and beat my expectations for South Florida dining. The ambiance, and the ability to eat, then hang out all night can completely make up for the price.

Dada
52 North Swinton Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444
(561) 330-DADA
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B&B Hit Up The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck

Blondie and I were both headed out the door at the same time for lunch yesterday. She had no plans. I had big ones. Big Gay Ice Cream Truck plans that is...

Ever since Blondie and I read about the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck and their awesome soft serve toppings on Serious Eats, we've been dying to check it out and lunch yesterday was our first opportunity.

Things to know about The BGICT:

1) Much like Superman masquerades as your everyday joe, Clark Kent, the BGICT operates out of a standard issue Mister Softee truck. Keep track of their location on twitter and look with the Mister Softee with the BGICT sign on the side.

2) Unlike 99% of the Mister Softee trucks in the city they have the prices listed. Hooray! It's $3 for a soft serve cone or cup with standard toppings included. Add $1 if you want fancy toppings like dulce de leche, cayenne, sriracha, maple syrup, and Nilla wafers. It's $5 if you want a shake.

3) Doug Quint, the BGIC man is hilarious and awesome. He will totally make your day.

I got the vanilla soft serve in a cone with crushed Nilla wafers and dulce de leche. $4 and absolutely delicious. My love for Mister Softee vanilla soft serve is well documented and the BGICT's toppings line up takes soft serve to the next level.

Blondie went for the vanilla soft served stuffed ice cream sandwich slathered with Nutella. Also, $4 and let's face it, what isn't made better with a good slathering of Nutella?

I've heard that sea salt, and bacon might be offered as toppings--all I can say is, please, please bacon! And chocolate covered bacon! Oooh, or how about dark chocolate dip with dulce de leche and sea salt? Mmmmmm. Salted caramel and chocolate. I hope it's a very long summer...

For location check out The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck's twitter.
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Photo of the Day: A Little Bumblebee Under the Brooklyn Bridge

Yesterday kicked off Pollinator Week in NYC with the Beekeeper's Ball on the Water Taxi Beach at South Street Seaport ...

If you missed out you can still catch some of the Pollinator Week fever with the following upcoming events:
*Sample some New York Nectar at the following restaurants who are featuring local honey from 6/22 until 6/28.
*Rally to Legalize Beekeeping in NYC at City Hall on Tuesday, June 23th at 12:30 PM.
*After reading Beowulf, did you wonder about mead? Wonder no more at the Hidden Hives Tour on Thursday June 25.
*Hit the Honey Fest at the Union Square Greenmarket on Friday, June 26th.

Honey Bees are in crisis. Save the bees and save the fruits and veggies you love. Learn more about Honey Bees and Beekeeping Legalization here.
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Please Note Where the Emergency Exits are Located

As I let you know last week, Southwest Airlines has teamed up with 'wichcraft, and opened The Southwest Porch on the SW corner of Bryant Park. I was able to stop by for some lunch during their grand opening last Friday, while they were entertaining students from MS 8, the Jamaica, Queens school Southwest is partnered with for the Middle School Mentors initiative.

Friday with its warm sunshine ended up being the perfect lunch out day too; it actually felt like summer was coming. The menu isn't very extensive, only four sandwiches to chose from, and three snacks. The same goes for the drinks menu where it was good to see that they're using Six Point and Blue Point brews.

We ended up going nonalcoholic, airplane water for me, sodas for the others.

Debra and I went for the soft shell crab sandwich. It was fresh, a little crunchy, slightly greasy, and amazing. I was actually impressed by the quality of the bread, as well as the crab. At the price, I don't see myself getting it every Friday this summer, but I wouldn't say no if offered it.

Our friend got the southwestern pork sandwich, which was devoured. The avocado was fresh, the pork delicious. The mayo could be applied a little better, it sort of looks slapped on like an afterthought.

All three sandwiches are a little messy, so make sure your waiter brings you napkins. Also, they aren't charging tax making the tip a little harder to figure out-I'm of the double the tax school. Though we were surrounded by kids, the location is enjoyable. On the park side of the porch has public furniture, making a picnic lunch possible.

After hours, almost all the furniture is open for public use. I don't think everything will stay this clean for the entire summer, making this a must-do only for the next week or so. After the holiday, it could get a little dicey.

The Southwest Porch opens June 19th
Bryant Park 40th St and 6th Ave corner (aka Street-Meat-Palooza Corner)
Open 5pm to 9pm Monday to Thursday; noon to 4pm on Fridays until mid-September
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Exposing the Independent Spirits

I am not only a supporter of local breweries and distillers, I spread the love to the independent, artisanal spirits from around the world. There's enough drinking going on in my life to achieve this. With this in mind, I jumped at the chance to get an independent spirits education next week at the Indy Spirits Expo.

This year, the expo will take place at Touch on 52nd Street, and will showcase many small batch, and hard-to-find brands. I'm excited to try some from right around here including Tuthilltown Distillery, and LiV, as well as all the others that will be there. If you want to be in the know about the next hot drink in town, I highly suggest hitting this up. Tickets are still available, it's $50 regular admission, $75 VIP; they're available here.

Indy Spirits Expo at Touch
240 West 52nd Street
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Forgot Father's Day? Roni-Sue's Got You Covered...

For those of your who forgot to pick up something for dad, you still have a couple days to make things right. Let's be honest, as greeting card holidays go Mother's Day is pretty easy. Moms love flowers. Moms love chocolate. Moms love cards from their kids. Dads on the other hand are notoriously hard to buy for. "Gee, another tie, I'm speechless." Or "Wow, more grilling tongs, how did you know?" And then there's the endless stream of pricey gadgets and dad toy suggestions. I say go chocolate and for some of the best sweet/savory and sweet/spicy combination head over to Roni-Sue's new space in the Essex Market...

When Lawman and I stopped by Roni-Sue's last week, the brand new Chile Collection caught my eye. It includes the Zydeco Truffle: Handmade perzipan blended with red chile confit, sweet red pepper leather, red chile jam, fresh chile infused tequila, sea salt and ground mixed dried pepper mélange topped with dried jalapeño pepper flakes, the Diablo Truffle: a Callebaut bittersweet chocolate with red chile confit, sweet red pepper ‘leather’, red chile jam, fresh chile infused tequila and Mexican cinnamon, and the Down the Hatch, candy buttercrunch dehydrated roasted Hatch chiles dipped in dark Callebaut chocolate and topped with ground cocoa nibs & smoked vanilla sea salt and would make a perfect gift for dad.

Of course you can't go wrong with their Pig Out Pack:
1/3 lb. Pig Candy
1/3 lb. Bacon buttercrunch
1/5 lb. BaCorn [caramel popcorn with bacon & chile pinon nuts]

Or you could just keep things simple and pick up some Pig Candy:

I must admit the next thing on the Roni-Sue menu that I'm dying to try is their Beer & Pretzel Caramel. Created by Rhonda Kave's assistant Liz Gutman, it's a twist on the salted caramel and features rich farmstead cream, Roni-Sue's chewy caramel infused with locally brewed hoppy IPA and malty brown ales, embedded with salty, crunchy Martin’s pretzel bits, and enrobed in decadent dark Callebaut chocolate. If your dad loves his beer and pretzels but also has a sweet tooth this might just make his day.

My dad's not much of a beer guy, but this could very well find it's way into a birthday present for a certain beer loving blogging partner... Shhhhhhh!



Check out Roni-Sue's new space in the Essex Market. We can only hope that bigger space = more delicious candy creations.

Roni-Sue
120 Essex Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 260-0421
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Katchkie Farm Comes to the Port Authority!

It's a well known fact that I hate the Port Authority with the fire of a thousand suns. Where to start? The pushing, the shoving, the slow walkers, the stairway hogs, the multiple buildings, the bus smell...Any time that we have to travel from the Port Authority Lawman knows it's best to placate me with tasty food. Which is why I was excited to learn that starting today tasty food is coming to the Port Authority via the good folks at Katchkie Farm and Great Performances...

Katchkie Farm is a staple of the Rock Center Farmer's Market when it's in full swing and their stand is a great place to pick up a sandwich and soup for lunch and some organic produce for dinner.

Every Thursday starting today from 8:00am until 6:00pm Katchkie Farm will be open for business at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. They plan on featuring their branded Katchkie Farm products (Katchkie Ketchup, Thunder Pickles, Pickled Beets), fresh Katchkie Farm produce and artisanal sandwiches created by Great Performances’ chefs.

I hope as more veggies come into season their delicious ratatouille will make it on the menu for the Port Authority. Fresh, healthy and delicious, it's my idea of a perfect summer lunch.

Port Authority Green Market
North Wing, Main Concourse
Eighth Avenue and 42nd Street jump

Oh, You're So Romantical, Colicchio

I left work at just the right time Monday evening; the thunderstorm was ending, the sun began shining, people in Bryant Park were being told that they couldn't sit on the grass and watch the night's movie which gave this schadenfreude joy, and I noticed something new being installed in Bryant Park. "What could THIS be? It looks like summertime romance." Diner's Journal and Eater gave me the answer yesterday.

This very Friday, 'wichcraft officially takes over the entire 6th Avenue side of Bryant Park when the current trifecta turns into a superfecta with The Southwest Porch, a pop-up cafe sponsored by Southwest Airlines. Unlike the three kiosks that currently reside there, The Porch will have 175 seats, a bar, porch swings, Adirondack chairs, and romantic lighting.

And no grilled cheeses here, Tom Colicchio and 'wichcraft have designed a menu consisting of small cheese and charcuterie plates, along with sandwiches themed after the cities Southwest will be flying to out of LaGuardia. Will we have competition against the current Midtown soft shell crab sandwich to eat? We'll find out Friday.

(the green chairs are going to feel inadequate and old until this is gone)

Until then I'll daydream about sitting in those chairs with Colicchio feeding me pieces of cheese, discussing his plans to get the fountain out of the way and it can become 'wichcraft Central.

The Southwest Porch opens June 19th
Bryant Park 40th St and 6th Ave corner (aka Street-Meat-Palooza Corner)
Open 5pm to 9pm Monday to Thursday; noon to 4pm on Fridays until mid-September jump