Sailors Live the Good Life.

When the Village Lobster & Crabhouse started to build up downstairs from my office, jumping and a lot of patient waiting occurred. I work in SoHo/West Village where there are many great restaurants but sometimes, you just have a hankering for seafood. I’ve also always wanted to go to a restaurant opening for some reason. I know better now. I understand starting anything new in any regard takes time and there will be a lot of kinks, but the guy who opened this one also owns City Crab so you’d think he’d have his sh*t together. Don’t get me wrong, I met him and he is very nice and even showed me the new prix-fixe menu he was making up. Currently they have a $14.95 2-course prix-fixe that is available for lunch or dinner and boy does it sound yummy. For a $5 supplement fee you can get a lobster roll. They also have a bar menu ranging from $8-$12 which includes items such as fried calamari with chipotle lime dipping sauce, clam chowder, artichoke spinach and crab dip with old bay pita chips, 99c oysters, mozzarella sticks and of course crab cakes. Happy Hour is from 4-8pm with $10 pitchers, $4 bottles and draughts and $4 oyster shots.

But what really caught our eye was the $21.95 Lobster Bake special that includes a 1 ¼ lb maine lobster, 4 mussels, 3 clams, roasted potatoes, corn on the cop and a cup of clam chowder. How do you beat that??

My coworker and I each ordered that last night and it was certainly filling. Nothing like cracking into a whole lobster with juices squirting in your eye. My only complaint was that the mussels and clams were dry (though I later realized there was a pool of seafood juice under the lobster) and the small portion of potatoes got soggy but the corn was sweet and soft. I only wish there was some more carbs… like a baked potato or French fries. We also had to ask for the drawn butter which would not be a big deal, but how do you have lobster without a cup of melted butter?? I’m not complaining at the value of this meal. The clam chowder was served in a generous bowl and full of clams. I think this place has a lot of potential and I will probably visit it again especially for lunch during a cold winter day.

Photos to come later!

Big Daddy's Diner / City Crab & Seafood Company

The first time I heard about City Crab & Seafood Company was during my Sophomore year of college when a friend of mine was a hostess/waitress there. However, I always thought it was too 'upscale' for a poor college student like myself and never thought to dine there.
Flash forward a couple of years... I went to their neighbor's restaurant, Big Daddy's Diner (& incidentally another place my friend waitressed) with Stephen during Senior year and revisited a couple of times this past summer with my friend James. We signed up for their "Insiders Club" since they promise a free meal on your birthday. Because of this, we ended up on their mailing list. I took advantage of some of their deals, like when they had "Hot Dog Week" to celebrate the namesake's 124th birthday. James and I went there to claim the "Buy one, get one free" special. We both ordered "The Texas Tommy" which is a hot dog covered in melted cheddar cheese, bacon and spicy ketchup, with tater tots on the side.

It was a disaster. Don't get me wrong, the service was great, as was the first bite of the hot dog, but it all went downhill after the second and third. I get heartburn just recalling it. We didn't even finish our dinner but were so full after that meal; stumbling out of the restaurant, not knowing we'd still feel the effects a day or two after. Lesson learned... be wary of fancy souped-up hot dogs; stay classic and simple with Gray's Papaya or the backyard grill. But if you are going to load up, a la Los Angeles' "Pink's Hot Dogs", go easy on the toppings. (Just kidding. If you ever get to visit Pink's, I recommend the Martha Stewart: 10" Stretch Dog, relish, onions, bacon, chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut & sour cream... I'll spare you the photo)

Now, getting back on topic, I used to receive an email from Big Daddy's once a week or so, but I suppose things are getting a little rough financially because in the past two months they have been informing me of a promotion every few days. In addition to their specials, they have teamed up with City Crab who has also been sending me an emails. My mom and I decided to take them up on their Buy 1 Entree, Get 1 Free for a Weekend Brunch.

We went on a Saturday morning. City Crab has a very calming sophisticated atmosphere (unlike Big Daddy's which is bright, flashy, youthful and fun); a two-man jazz band played on the floor (see first photo) and we were seated upstairs even though it was basically empty downstairs. Nevertheless, we were happy. It was a beautiful day and who doesn't love Brunch? I decided on Eggs DelMarVa (Eggs Benedict but with crab cakes instead of Canadian bacon) and my mom got the Chef's Omelette (lobster, spinach and manchego cheese). Made very well; my eggs were poached perfectly, huge chunks of crab in every bite... but it was really fishy and I was hungover from the night before.
Another lesson learned: Never consume seafood to nurse a tequila and whiskey hangover.

All in all, a pleasant experience. If you live in Manhattan, please visit either or both of these establishments. They are vastly different in styles, ambiance and food but still quality service and eatin'. Plus, they are practically giving away food.

The Annual Christmas Eve Dinner

Merry Christmas!!

Apologies for the lack of updates; I've been a busy bee.
Just because I haven't been blogging does not mean I haven't been eating or cooking; quite far from the truth actually!
I must admit I am finding it "embarrassing" whenever I whip out my camera before eating, for people just think I'm nuts.
Then I explain, "It's for my food blog" and first timers ask, "Really? You have a food blog??", as if I were just making that up as an excuse to take photos... Sheesh. But usually people think it's cool and let me click away. You know who's your true friend when they automatically wait before digging in so I can snap a shot of their food, or when they ask if I'm going to take one when I just want to dig into my burger. And you know they're your best friend when they start sending you photos of food they have eaten.

But its Christmas and sure it's about spending time with your family, but it's also really a time to wonder why you ate so much. I'm still full from last night. Every Christmas Eve, my Aunt Kathy prepares a traditional Italian seafood dinner for my uncle and luckily my mom and I get to partake. Kristina, my cousin, of course is there too and this year we had a special guest, Sean, her new boyfriend. He agreed to an eating contest in the future, so stay tuned.

Without further ado, feast your eyes on this... feast. Note, I didn't take pictures of all the dishes, but I think you'll get the idea.


tuna salad & aunt kathy's calamari


Kris and Sean's brussel sprouts and Aunt Kathy's coconut shrimp with an apricot and horseradish dipping sauce


my mom's stuffed mushrooms


Kris' Belgian Chocolate Cake


my pineapple coconut cake which I will post a recipe to another day

Afterwards, my mom and I went over to Daniel and Willy's Christmas Eve dinner and while we didn't eat a second meal (Lord knows I wish I had room to though!), we couldn't help but ooh and ahh over the desserts.




Happy holidays!

Stay warm,
N