Welcoming you to 2011!

Well, the first month of the year is almost over and today we are finally heading out to try a new place.  I had plans to try La Iberica last night (the winner of Warsaw restaurant of the year 2010) but my friend got sick and had to cancel.  Such a bummer, I'll have to make up some sort of occassion so that I have an excuse to try it out.
I was in the states for three weeks over the Christmas break and went to a couple of really great restaurants in New York City and Providence.  I also hit up an amazing Portuguese restaurant in my home town of Fall River. The most memorable restaurant trips while I was home were to:

The Gnarly Vine in New Rochelle, NY
All I have to say is WOW!  My best friend and her husband live close by and brought my husband and I here after our 14 hour trip home (and all that airplane food.. blech).  We did mostly apps and split them.  The service was INCREDIBLE.  She knew the wine menu well and helped us chose things that not only paired well with our food, but also were flavorful for each of our individual pallets.  My first was an Austrailian Shiraz.  I couldn't tell you which one now since I wasn't taking notes and I was on a serious dose of jetlag, but I do remember that it was delicious.  For food, the thing that I remember most was a daily special of BBQ Pork Quesadilla.  I could seriously eat that every day.  EVERY DAY. 

Buddakan - YES!  The one from Carrie and Big's engagement party!
If the Gnarly Vine was a 10/10 for me, Buddakan was a 210/10.  The prices are outrageous, but thanks to my lovely friend and her amazing husband, we were treated there as a Christmas gift (I have the BEST friends).  Here's a sample of some things we shared (there were 8 of us total):

Edamame Dumplings - must have.
Pork Pot Stickers
Scallion Pancakes - these actually weren't my favorite - they have potential
Tuna Tartare Spring Roll - must have
Wild Mushroom Chow Fun
Dungeness Crab Sticky Rice - must have
King Crab Hot Pot
Lobster in Garlic Sauce - must have

We had some other really amazing dishes - one of the chickens was great, but I can't remember which one it was.  If you are in NYC and have a little cash to spare, you just MUST MUST make a trip to Buddakan!

Andrea's Restaurant - Providence
Ok, so I have to admit that I worked here for about a year (the summer in between freshman and sophmore year of college, and then again the summer and fall before I set out to California to finish school).  The quality of the food at this restaurant has been great for at least 10 years so I see no reason for it to stop now!
They have the most amazing calamari (I think my favorite ever), salad dressing, braised lamb, avgolemono soup and a great wine/bar menu to boot.  My family (who lives closeby) comes to this restaurant every friday and they aren't sick of it yet.  They had never been before I started working there, but now they know the maitre' d, the owner, the co-owner and have a definite list of their favorite waitresses.  Pop in if you're in town, you won't be disappointed!

And last but not least - a restaurant from my home town of Fall River, MA (also the hometown of Emeril Lagasse!!)
Sagres - Portuguese Food
If you are looking for decent Portuguese food and you are in the area, this is one of the best.  There are also great restaurants in New Bedford and the surrounding areas, but Sagres takes the cake for me.  There is a city rivalry between Sagres and Caravella - the difference for me is in the portuguese steak.  Caravella serves a well tenderized (read: beaten down) steak which a lot of people absolutely adore.  When I have a steak (which is a rare occurence) I want it to be thick and juicy, just the way Sagres serves it up.  When you go, just order the portugese steak (I get the junior version - the big boy version is too much for me) and enjoy!

Time to get ready for today's restaurant outing - one of us will check in later with the results!
Happy Eating!