Miami: Ode to Fish and Latin Flare

Per the Cannon S95, it's always sunny in Miami...

     The other weekend, my wonderful job forced me down south to one of the greatest party capitals of the world.  Miami was in the air, and, in between interviews, I found time to waft in it. 

My co-worker and I decided to head out to this wonderful restaurant called Ola Miami, which houses chef Douglas Rodriguez. He's practically one of the greats of our time on ceviche (his book is called the Great Ceviche Book), which is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the Americas, especially Central and South America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chili peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt, and pepper may also be added. Ceviche is usually accompanied by side dishes that complement its flavors such as sweet potato, lettuce, corn, or avocado. 

Hamachi Nikkei

For an appetizer, we commenced with the Hamachi (yellow tail) Nikkei, made with yuzu, thai basil, togarashi peppers, cilantro, sweet soy glaze, crushed seaweed and sesame seeds.  The hamachi was nothing short of amazing.  It had a deep and robust taste that just continued for a layered effect.  My partner in-crime said that the taste reminder her of Puerto Rico because of the citrus.  The ever clever Chef Rodriguez used parsley to simulate the tropical tastes. Then basil ensued.  It really was a journey.

It was really nice to be in the winter and be able to enjoy a meal outside near the seashore...



My partner's drank.  Ladies, ya'll would have loved this rendition of a mojito.  I believe it had pomegranate juice in it.

On the menu appeared the plantain-crusted Mahi, crusted with green plantain over a braised oxtail stew and tomato escabeche.  She had never had oxtail and, as the son of Ghanain parents, I grew up on that 'ish.  I immediately suggested that she copped that.  Peep the transition:

Before

After.

I decided to keep my streak of only eating fish and got the Pescado A Lo Macho - salmon served over sautéed baby spinach, grilled red onions with aji Amarillo sauce, clams, calamari, shrimp and black mussels.  Food was light and fresh, just the way I like it.

Postres:

Flan de Queso Ice Cream

"Da Bomb"

After this 3 course meal, we were sufficiently stuffed.  Then we headed over the bar for drinks

Then we hopped over to the Delano Hotel for drinks.  If you are EVER in Miami, the Delano is a MUST HIT spot on Saturdays (The next night, I actually played this random dude in a game of chess on a life-sized chessboard and whooped him while sippin on a Captain and Coke).

The bar was pretty cool, so, in between ordering a Ciroc and sprite, I decided to big up my fraternity....

Yo...

Overall, I left with a deep appreciation and the utmost respect for Miami. Until the next time....





Maven Out!



The Perfect Drink..

67 Orange Street - Harlem NYC

How many of you have to make dates with your best friend so that you can see one another?  While such organization is normally not required in other cities, meeting requests are essential to the lives of young urban professionals of New York City.  So that’s what Danielle and I did, send that good ‘ol Microsoft Calendar req.

I walked out of my Bronx tenement and was greeted Jack Frost himself.  The weather was colder than Mark Sanchez at Foxboro Stadium (I’m still grieving over my Jets’ Monday loss).  While my first thought was Chris Brown’s song “Dueces”, I decided to brave the cold for my best friend, cuz that's the kinda guy that I am.

Hoppin’ out my B train subterranean whip (cuz’ I’m phaaaat!), I soon arrived on the corner of 113^th and 8th Ave in front of 67 Orange Street, ensconced by metal and wooden scaffolding, which endears many of Harlem’s prewar buildings.  The image conjured by the different pieces seemed to shout out, “Aye, we’re struggling but we’re not dead.  A renaissance is on the rise.”  I feel you Harlem, I do..

But I digress.  I walk into 67 Orange for the first time and it takes me a while to get oriented to the place. The dimly-lit establishment, not more than 20’ by 30’, resembles a 1930’s scene where African Americans come to sip on prohibited hooch in the cozy presence of friends.  This was the perfect place to catch up with my best friend.  If she can’t guard my secrets, then at least the walls would (I have full confidence in her, fyi).

This wasn't my bartender, but this is Karl Franz Williams, the owner. Ain't he Andre Benjamin-esque? I actually met Karl in the summer of 2009 at a small business event hosted at the home of the wonderful Beatrice Sibblies, a magnificent woman and real estate force in Harlem (If you don't know about her, then Google her). Read more about him here.

Upon setting (the Southern version of “sitting”, meaning I slowly eased up onto this bar stool) myself down, I butt into this conversation that the bartender, dressed in a button-up with a tucked-in tie, is having with his instruments.  He’s grinding what I believe to be mint into a cup but, upon letting the smell waft toward my nose, is actually cilantro.  “My man, what’s that chou makin’” I asked.  “This is an Emancipation,” he replied in between measuring the different components of the concoction, “the most popular drink we got.”  And that’s what I get.  

I must say, it is nice to see the art of mixology revived in this speakeasy.  Unlike every other bar, where drinks are made in the fashion of fast food,  measurements eye-balled and drinks served sloppily, I felt as if my drink was made specifically for me.  The drink actually takes like 5-7 minutes to prepare because, like K.O.S. Productions,  money is FOCUSED (are you??).  I watched as he mixed Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka, Citronage, simple syrup, muddled cilantro & cucumber together splashed with fresh lime juice.

Danielle arrives "momentarily".  She gets the melting pot - a tequila, apricot simple syrup, fresh lime juice and burnt sugar concoction that she said did not mesh well -  and we start to catch up.  My drink is EXCELLENT.  I normally hate simple syrup in my drink because of the slippery (full stop) taste it adds to drinks (after all, I’m not eatin’ pancakes), but I was hard-pressed to find its presence anywhere in my drink.  Furthermore, the drink was surprisingly fresh, so fresh that I actually felt like I was drinking healthy, if such a thing exists!  It might have been the best drink I ever had.

Although it looks like the stuff that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles drank, it was quite delicious.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a place to speak easy and converse in private, then check out 67 Orange Street located on 113^th and Eighth Ave.  They have drinks that you won't find anywhere in the city.

Holla at me, for now.  Next post will come from sunny Miami....

BRUNCH! Miss Dhalia's Cafe Brooklyn

Miss Dahlia's Cafe

"I'm baaaaaaaaack!" Think about that statement as if it was said by my homie Slim Chin (Click on the link)

Now it's sing song time...

I'm in my Delta sky whip right now, idling, so I think it's time to get back to hitting you with nothing but the illest eating spots in NYC.  Oh, and a maaaaajor upgrade to the site:  I have a "photog". Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that Joshua Jackson has joined the Food Mave website as an associate photographer and contributor.  These pictures that you are about to see were taken by the one and only J. Jaxx. *Standing Ovay*

J Jaxx is one of my bestest friends, and I decided to visit him in the BK for brunch last Sunday.  After we both hit the gym (separately), we sought to hit this wonderful spot called EGG at 135 North 5th Street in Williamsburg, but the G train - the worst train in America - stopped 3 stations short of our destination and proceeded to give up on life.  Stranded, my boy J Jaxx pulled out his trusty iPhone and found us a spot near Nostrand and Lafayette. It was there (or near there) that we laid eyes on Ms. Dahlia's Cafe, a quaint brunch spot in BK that I will visit again.

Miss Dahlia's is a small spot: Walk four steps in and you are already at the counter, which smacks you with some of the tastiest and perfectly-crafted pastries you've seen in a while (CakeManRaven and Make My Cake vaguely enter my mind). 

Ain't these pics silly??

I call these Zoolander cupcakes...Rediculously good-looking cupcakes

I was starving, so I didn't do the cakes this time around.  Instead, Jaxx and I opted for the scrambled eggs, turkey bacon ("that swine ain't divine"...j/k, it is!), and biscuit.  When I say this was the one of the best platters of the combination I have had in NYC I mean:

Son..

The turkey bacon was JUICY.  I mean, can you not see the juice flowin' off this pic?  (Josh really is the man for this pic.)  The bacon was not burnt like that hooked up by your boys at the bodega, and it wasn't fake-tasting like dem "Golden Arch" boys do.  They make that bacon as soon as it's ordered and not a minute sooner.

I call this picture M&A..bankers will get this.

Perhaps the best part of the meal was that flaky biscuit.  The biscuit was buttery without the greasiness associated with that of my Popeye's ninjas (I still love 'em biscuits, tho', especially from the spot on 125th and St. Nich - they have the best Popeye's biscuits in the City).  It was nice to know that I could eat a really flavorful biscuit - its rich taste Harlem shaking on my palette - and not feel like death was about to be knockin' on my door.

I washed my food down with a hot moca, which I appreciated partially because you could actually taste the chocolate in the moca.  You see, chocolate isn't meant to be sweetened with sugar and additives. While  all that stuff IS tasty, it is simply not chocolate.  If you have been to Ghana and have actually had real coco, then you know what I'm talking about.  Chale!

Service:  Now, if you read my first blog  posting, a Traveshammockery, then you know I do not play when it comes to service.  I am str8 cold-hearted when it comes to leaving tips and have been known to leave $0 tip with a 2 paragraph composition explaining the fallacies of their definition of "service".  I must say that such was not the case at Miss Dahlia's. Because the place is so small, everyone can hear everyone's conversation with the cashier and we, as an establishment, cracked up together on multiple occasions.  It was like a family brunch, and the people that the place attract seem really cool.  

In conclusion, Miss Dhalia's is now a staple in the brunch rotation.  If you want a place that's free from pretense and a place that feels like home, hit up Miss Dhalia's.  Tell them that Kwad and J. Jaxx sent ya.

Peace. 

Good, Fast, and Reasonable Chinese, But Signal Di Plane!

So it was Friday night and I was on my way to a party at Touch that K.O.S. Productions was throwing when I realized that I hadn't eaten all day.  Anyone who knows me knows that this never happens.   My boy Gabe decided that we should get some eats before we rolled out to the party and told me to pick a spot.  My first inclination was to go to Negril Village in the West Village, but then I remembered that I no longer worked at a bank but in nonprofit.  Then I thought, why not take it way back and get some cheap good eats from Chef Yu located on the corner of 36th and 8th in midtown Manhattan? BOOM.

Chef-Yu is great because of it's amazing happy hour, which even exists on the weekends, ad its extensive menue.  From 4pm-8pm they have $4.50 cocktails, wine, and beer (but it ain't that quality liquor). You can even get top shelf alcohol for less than $10. Since I was a bit early, I posted up at the bar and grabbed a glass of Ciroc Coconut and Sprite.  You have to try this drink.

Chef Yu's bar taken by my new Canon S95.  Sick Camera!

My boy shows up, and we grab a seat in their very spacious venue.  I am dying to throw a party over here, but the manager keeps telling me no, although I think I'm wearin' him down.

image not taken from my camera.

For an appetizer, Gabe and I split the shrimps dumplings, which swimming in a pool of red hot pepper oil. Extremely tasty. Gabe thought the dumplings to be a little too spicy, but he enjoyed them, nonetheless (grammar check, please).

Shrimp Dumplings

For the main course, I kept it pretty simple:  fried rice with shrimp and beef.  I'm not going to show you a picture of it because my camera took a wack picture, but it was pretty good.  Gabe rates any Chinese spot by it's General Tso's Chicken which pleased him and my camera:

I couldn't help but be reminded of the 1989 awesome flick - Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, where they kept asking who was General Tso and why he had his own chicken.  Peep this great video on Chinese food

The site of this dish gets the mouth salivating!

The only negative is the service: while the food comes out lickity split,  the waiters forget about you once the food has been sent out!! This was particularly frustrating because, while everything else is good about the restaurant, this wasn't my first time that week experiencing it (yes, I had been there 3 times in the past week).  I pretty much had to do my best Elephant Man rendition, "signal di plane," and waive the waiters down like I was hailing a cab to leave a nightclub at 4am.  It's like they knew I would be asking them to take me to the Bronx.

All in all, if you need a quick bite before an event, some nice decor, and don't want to break the bank, then Chef Yu is the place for you.  Just make sure you bring a vest with reflectors on it so that you can grab the attention of the waiters.

Signal Di Plane! POW!

Eff the Mimosas. We Goin' Straight for the Sangria.



 It was a beautiful sunny Sunday and my girlfriend had some Londoners in town, so we decided to treat these Brits to some real brunch rather than their traditional bangers and mash (while I'm sure it's tasty, something about it doesn't look quite right (Google for your pleasure)).  She wanted us to go to one of her favorite spots on the Upper Westide; a place where we can eat, drink and be Mary (Ellen).  People, welcome to Calle Ocho. 

It's impossible to get a brunch reservation here, but if you can, the food will make you happy. This is as relaxing a spot as any brunch spot in NYC, but then again, the Upper West Side is chill, in general. We got there at 11:30am and, after my girlfriend Debo'd some 72 year-old man for his spot (think "brace yourself, old man"), we occupied the front booth where we could people watch.



Debo - everyone's favorite neighbor"HOOD" bully.  Old man ain't want none of the hungry GF(disclaimer: Overdramatization of GF.  GF bears no resemblance to Debo.)


Calle Ocho runs a great unlimited sangria program, which has some strong work. My friends polished off about 4 rounds of sangria drinks,  but, because of my drunken escapes at a housewarming and at the Stumble Inn the night before, I only had one drink. Peep the set-up they've got goin' on:

My entree, vaca frita, was a tasty dish of fried skirt steak cooked medium (that's how I roll) with Latin fried rice, avocado, and scrambled eggs. Our friends shared an exquisite plate for 2 of Costa Rican soft tacos, scrambled eggs, chorizo, and home fries. 

Overall, I'm a fan of the spot.  Music is chill, environment is chill, and it's a great place to catch up with old friends and reminisce...

A Secret Rooftop on the Upper West Side

Now, I'm born and raised in the South Bronx, and sometimes I don't feel like going all the way downtown to hang out at 230-Fifth or Hudson Terrace to get my rooftop fix.  Frankly, I don't always want to spend the money!  It's nice to know that there are some hidden gems in the Harlem-ish area where I can kick back, drink some good cocktails, and, more importantly, just be me.  I went to a rooftop bar and grill call The Heights, which, contrary to its name, is actually located on Broadway between 111th and 112th of the 1 train. 


THE VIBE, YOU ASK? Extremely chill: Those jeans randomly lying on the couch and a t-shirt will suffice.  Ladies, let down your hair that you've had to wear up at your cubicle job and put on your favorite jeans and favorite halter top.

At times the music is a testament to the mid 90's - early 2000's era: Common and Lauren Hill were on heavy rotation. But the music is eclectic.

This is the perfect place for your group of friends to drink the night away while enjoying some decent-ish Mexican food.  Make this your Friday night place to unwind from a long week of work.

Peep the Happy Hour Specials:

Happy Hour
4-7 Daily
$4 drafts
$4 frozens
$4 glasses wine

Late night
11-close nightly
$4 drafts
$4 frozens
$4 well liquor

Sun - Wed
11-close
$2 Coors bottles
$2 Coors Light bottles
$3 Lions Head Pilsner drafts

An Italian Gem in Harlem!?!? YES!

Covo Ristorante- 701 W135th St & 12th Avenue

COVO RISTORANTE

I want to start of by saying that I'm an asshole when it comes to my sense of direction.  I put my so much trust in the Google Maps app on my iPhone (which is usually right) and even more trust in my abilities to follow those directions.  I say this so that you don't end up standing in front of the Hudson River being pimp smacked by torrential rains without an umbrella for defense :-/

I was like B.O. only without the Umbrella

THE SET-UP

I set up a double date with my girl and a co-worker of hers after my boys put me on to the spot following a 2-hour basketball run.  Since I was ill-dressed the first time (a sweaty cut-off T and shorts was not pimpin), I decided to come back and do it right.

Remember the first paragraph about the Husdon River, monsoons, and no umbrella? Yes, that WAS me.  Cold and wet, I stepped into the restaurant on a Sunday evening only to be received by the compassionate eyes of a hostess and a laughing girlfriend.  I kept thinking to myself that scenes like this only happen in movies. A failed attempt to blow-dry my shirt with a bathroom hand dryer thwarted any chances of a Clark Kent-esque transformation.  Again, scenes like that only happen in movies (Side note: the movie industry is completely irresponsible for its depiction of the laws of science) Nevertheless, my friends still welcomed me with open arms :)

THE FOOD

The pasta is made fresh and the sauces are very flavorful.  The first time I was there I had the linguini nere,  A DISH OF homemade black linguine w/crab meat and spicy tomato sauce.  Since I'm greedy, I added shrimp.  The second time I indulged in the pasta bolognese.  The pasta was just as fresh, the sauce was neither too thin or too thick, and there were appropriate clumps of beef within the bolognese sauce.

Seafood there is fresh; the texture of the shrimp was succulent with a slight crunchy feel. 

They have nice thin crust pizza pies that are appropriate sizes for one hungry person.  I got a bite of the margherita pizza, which was a solid pick.

Booze is cheap there: you can get a bottle for about 35 bucks.  The four of us got two.

The desserts are AMAZING! I had a nice a aforgato dish, which consisted of 2 scoops of vanilla gelato smothered in a kiddie pool of espresso.  I got two orders. 

All-in-all,  Covo Restaurant is a fantastic experience in the fine art of Italian cooking.  Don't go in there expecting Il Mulino, but go in there expecting to be pleasantly surprised by this restaurant under the El train.

Pier-i A Getaway from the City

After hanging out The Central Park Boathouse (the ill cake-mode spot, fellas), I rolled over with my girl to my getaway spot on the Upper West Side.  The spot is called Pier-I  located on 70th street and the West End.  Sandwiched in between the Trump Towers residential skyline and the Hudson River, this place is a striking juxtaposition of the epitome of capitalism and  the edge of tranquility.  You can cop a bucket of coronas and some eats and watch the sun set over Jersey.

The spot is great.  I got a Corona and some fries and we pregamed for dinner for about an hour.  Despite being near the Trump towers, the scene is far from pretentious. You'll find runners and bike riders  who stop to relax, grad students looking for a tranquil place to study, and people who just want to get away from the commotion of the city.  

A Brunch Traveshammockery - El Arte Cafe

Labor Day came and went but not before I planned a great "framework" (I'm not much of a planner) of a day for my girlfriend.  You see, a man can never lose with chivalry, and keeping things interesting within a relationship is at the cornerstone of success.  Naturally, the day was full of our favorite pastime.. EATING!

We began our Monday in the mood for a wonderful brunch spot, and we decided to check out Arte Cafe Trattoria on 73rd between Columbus Avenue.  The website was extremely intriguing (Arte Cafe Trattoria) and we were all set for our palettes to be blown away.  However, what ensued was a harsh reminder that one should not be fooled by talented media.

I knew I had heard of the place before when my girl suggested it, and it hit me like a ton of bricks when I laid eyes on the place:  I had eaten there almost 3 years ago with my best friend Danielle and our moms (Side note:  We also fought this car for a parking spot.  A car refused to let us reverse and we refused to let the varmint drive in. A scene right out of Seinfeld!)

The place is reasonably priced for brunch with most entrees in the $12-$16 range.  Furthermore, an additional $14 entitles you to all the mimosas, screwdrivers, and bellinis you can drink. A great option upon which we chose to pass.

Since great minds think alike, we both ordered 3 eggs scrambled with cheddar cheese.  She got the sausage and I opted for that delicious swine (forget what y'all think.  That swine is divine!).  Since we were up late last night, coffee was in order.

Long story short, they showed disregard for our order (except for the coffee, which was a boldly roasted and pleasant surprise).  The food showed up completely devoid of any semblance of warmth; it seemed as if our waiter waited for all of the table orders to  be prepared before bringing any of them out.  They also forgot the cheddar!  When the waiter returned with our "corrected order", we bit into our food only to discover American cheese.   At this time, we were officially through with the whole establishment.  

After we were served, not once did any of the waiters or bus boys check to see how we were doing, while those who had ordered the unlimited alcohol were waited on hand and foot. Bottom line, our experience was terrible and they got a nice $0 and 0 cents tip with a paragraph explanation on service.


Moral of the Story -> Don't be fooled by fancy smancy websites.  Think about it: Google and Facebook designs are terribly simple and effective.  If you see all types of high tek bells and whistles chances are that you might be in for a traveshammockery.