Last night, I left Pure Food and Wine mildly satiated and was in search of a filling desert joint.  I was craving cake to be more exact.  Plugging in the word “dessert” into the Yelp search bar, Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar popped up and it was just two blocks away.  Seeing that Angela and I had never been there, there was no better time to go and get a sugar fix.

Upon entering, the senses are filled with scents of butter and sugar, it’s exactly how a bakery should smell.  …

Can vegan food be fancy?  It sure can be.  Can vegan food be tasty? Yes.  Can vegan food be fancy and tasty?  Sometimes.  So was the case at Pure Food and Wine in New York City.  My friend Angela and I went there to celebrate her birthday.  The restaurant specializes in raw food and nothing is heated above 118 degrees so that the enzymes, minerals and vitamins in the ingredients are preserved.  It was a typical Tuesday night and the place was rather barren at 7 o’clock, but half an …

Before hitting the airport, I made sure I had time to fit in breakfast and lunch.  Since I spent yesterday walking mile after mile, today was spent near the hotel area and Michigan Avenue.  Have you seen the water fountain inside the entrance of Water Tower Place?  It’s pretty spectacular.  I was craving something filling, warm, and sweet.  I rarely crave for sweets, but I had decided to give in to the temptation.  Today’s breakfast was at the Original Pancake House.

I arrived around 10:15AM and there was a line.  If …

Today was my second day of the “Getting to Know Chicago” trip. With the apartment hunting behind me, I can finally focus on exploring the city and try out some eats while I’m at it. So far, I’m enjoying the vibe that the city is giving off, but the wind chill and the cold makes it really tough to breathe in a breath of fresh air. None-the-less, the idea of living in the heart of the city is very exciting.
I started the day a bit late. …

Well, I’m exhausted as I’ve been up since 5am, but I’ll do my best to write coherently.
Today marks my first full day in Chicago.  I came to the city with low expectations, well, it’s more like no expectations.  I just returned to my hotel room after a long day of apartment searching with the folks over at Apartment People.  A special thanks to Bruno and Jennifer in the 51 W. Huron office are in order!
I’ve been up since 5am and I took an early flight over from Newark …

I think of all types of pasta out there, macaroni is my least favorite.  I never liked eating it when I was growing up, and when I came across Andean Dream’s quinoa-based macaroni product, I was a bit apprehensive at grabbing a box off the shelf.  I’ve always enjoyed Andean Dream’s other products, so I was willing to throw down $4.00 for a box.
Having low expectations, I wasn’t expecting much, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was.  It cooked evenly and had a nice ‘al dente’ …

DeBoles has two new products for its gluten-free line of pasta products.  The older variety of gluten free products are made with either rice or corn.  The new variety is a multi grain blend of quinoa, rice, and amaranth.  Sounds healthy, sounds tasty…hmmm. I spent some time with the new multi grain penne and multi grain spaghetti, and actually encountered a couple of challenges along the way.

The first problem I encountered was cooking the products.  The ingredients that make up the pasta make it brittle, and unless the it’s …

I wonder if chicken sausage is any healthier than pork sausage?  Somehow I doubt it.  But it does sound healthier, and that’s good enough for me.  I picked up a package of Brat Hans Chicken Sausage: Spicy Andouille flavor, a couple of days ago at where else, Whole Foods.  I don’t usually eat sausage because it is loaded with preservatives, nitrates, and a heaping dose of sodium.  However, this brand of sausage doesn’t contain nitrates and monosodium glutamate.  It also follows  the trend of listing “no antibiotics” on the packaging.
The …

Ramen Setagaya At University Place
90 University Place
(between 11th St & 12th St)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 229-1489
www.setaga-ya.com

Continuing on my quest for great ramen,  I went to Setagaya Ramen at University Place for dinner.  There are two other Setagayas in the city, but this one was the closest at the time.
It was around 6pm on Saturday and there was only one other person in the place.  By the time I left, half of the restaurant was filled with customers.  The setup is comprised of large communal tables and stools, and I was …

OMS/B
Website
156 East 45th St., NY,NY 10017
Mon-Fri 8:00-19:30
Sat 11:00-17:30
Sun Closed
Ah, Japanese rice balls.  Even if you have never seen a rice ball in real life, I’m sure you’ve seen them in Japanese animations, that is if you watch anime.  What are rice balls?  Well, in the cartoons, they’re usually depicted as a triangular wad of rice that’s wrapped in seaweed.  Sort of like the ones shown on the left.
Known as Omusubi, or Onigiri, the rice ball originated in and is found all over Japan.  They are also popular in Taiwan and …