15 – Sportsman’s Club, the Office, Aviary, the Drifter, Celeste

Posted in Chicago by Mary Lynne Kupchella

I’m always looking for a reason to head to Chicago so a birthday at crawl was better than most. Unfortunately I somehow didn’t take any drink pictures at my first stop and this is all I ended up with. I was aiming for a background of Pappy but ended up with a deer head. Back to my rural PA roots I guess.

Next we of course headed to the Office and Aviary. So many reasons why I love this place. The drinks of course. Impeccable service. The fantastic people. But also because they raise the bar every single time. I always think ‘how will they top this?’ and inevitably they do. Seriously above and beyond.

Loved this so much. How can you not just laugh at seeing a gatorade cooler where you least expect it ?

Loaded to the Gunwalls – mace, pineapple, hazelnut, Batavia arrack

Next we braved the snow and made our way to the Drifter. Such a cool space and of course I always love a hidden entrance. I hope to get back here soon! Congrats Liz!

And as you can imagine by the time we reached Celeste I had totally forgotten to take pictures of anything!

28Feb2015

Chicago – 12/1/15 – Nico Osteria

Posted in Chicago by Mary Lynne Kupchella

My Chicago Nico posts may have eclipsed my NY Nomad ones and it might be a problem that I have dined here probably far more than any of my Chicago friends. It certainly helps that I often stay at the Thompson but regardless it just quickly became one of my favorites.

Madai Snapper, kohlrabi salsa verde, nasturtium

Stracciatella Fett’unta – Brussels sprouts, lemon honey, trufflebert hazelnuts

Bistecca al’Nico – braised beans, arugula, pecorino, fried egg

Tagliolini – clams, leeks, chile

25Feb2015

Miami – 1/24/15 – Black Brick Chinese

Posted in Miami by Mary Lynne Kupchella

Our last meal before embarking on a 5 day cruise had to be a good one and BlackBrick Chinese was a fantastic choice. While not traditional, it is this type of spin on tradition that when done right makes dishes so much more exciting than those they were influenced by. It turned out that the food we had on the cruise was so terrible that we probably relived this meal at least once a day. I can’t wait to return and will particularly think of those green beans fondly until then.

Starter…some sort of fried goodness

Breakfast fried rice – eggs, breakfast sausage, country potato, cheddar

Spicy dry wok heirloom green beans

Hunan ma la chicken, sichuan peppers & peanuts

Pork cheek dumpling

21Feb2015

Miami – 1/23/15 – Michael’s Genuine & the Cypress Room

Posted in Miami by Mary Lynne Kupchella

Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
This has been my go-to Miami destination for quite a while. Aside from the food, I love the outdoor space and the non South Beach location. I decided to forego it this trip to get to some new places. But after an Uber disaster and not having enough time to get to my planned pre-dinner cocktail location, we decided to stop here. The renovations look fantastic and it is such an improvement over the previous awkwardly split space.

The Fiddler – Rittenhouse rye, Ferrand Dry Curaçao, grapefruit, basil
Cabarete – aperol, St. Germain, sparkling wine, fresh watermelon, orange bitters

The Cypress Room
Such eclectic decor that somehow all works together. Loved this space (and I wonder if it had anything to do with the small size and close tables making me feel like I was at home). Beautiful cocktails, lighting, and fantastic service. And of course lamb tartare wins me over every time.

Before & After- the Botanist gin, avera amaro, salers apertif, lemon, luxardo maraschino
Go Lightly – Cocchi americano, St. Germain, sparkling wine, lemon peel

Amuse

Grand Aioli – raw local vegetables, petite greens, stone crab

Lamb Tartare – quail egg, toast

The Cypress burger – jasper hill landaff, onion marmalade

Fish – heirloom tomato, cucumber, couscous

Sorbet

19Feb2015

Miami – 1/22/15 – Harry’s Pizzeria, the Broken Shaker, Khong River House, and Blackbird Ordinary

Posted in Miami by Mary Lynne Kupchella

Harry’s Pizzeria
I will be honest, after arriving from the arctic of the northeast US, my first al fresco meal in Miami could have been anything and I would have been thrilled. Lovely salads and a very tasty and light pizza (and I am exceedingly picky about pizza!).
Polenta Fries

Warm Brussels Sprouts & Stracciatella – pears, pistachio, herbs, creamy parmigiano dressing

Kale – roasted beets, onion, goat cheese, sunflower seed dressing, dill

Short rib pizza – cave aged gruyere, caramelized onion, arugula

The Broken Shaker
Such an incredibly cute outdoor space and you would never know that you were in the backyard of a hostel. I loved the small touches like the rosemary infused water. This is a place I could easily hang out in all night if I lived in Miami or was in town for longer.

Long distance call – Bombay gin shaken with strawberry cucumber shrub, allspice infused martini bianco and fresh lemon
Al Pastor AKA Mitchell Rizzo – Olmeca Altos Tequila shaken with spicy chorizo cordial, pineapple, fresh lime and a hint of mezcal

Strega Genesis – Bacardi superior white rum swizzled with liquor strega, basil, lime and celery bitters

Khong River House
My only regret of this meal is that we didn’t take the leftovers back to the hotel for breakfast the next day. We absolutely loved everything and I don’t think I have had a crab rangoon in 15+ years!
Thai 75 – Nolet’s gin, lemongrass, lychee puree, sparkling wine
Thai Garden – lavender infused Beefeater gin, yellow chartreuse, fresh lime, fresh pressed cucumber juice

Mekong Spicy Green Papaya Salad – green papaya, tomatoes, long beans, thai chili, lime, tamarind, garlic, palm sugar, dried shrimp, roasted peanuts & fish sauce

Crab Rangoons

Laotian Drunken Rice Noodles – gingered soy sauce, Paradise Farm vegetables, thai basil

Duck Confit & Chinese sausage fried rice – green beans, sunny side up egg

Blackbird Ordinary
Oddly our hotel bar was not open past 10pm on weeknights so I walked the 3 blocks to Blackbird Ordinary which I had wanted to check out anyway. This would be a cool spot for a concert in the back room or with a group. But I unfortunately made a bad menu choice and this drink was incredibly sweet. I tried to order a second to redeem myself but after 20 minutes or so of trying to get the bartender’s attention I asked for my check and left.
Pink Flamingo – Beefeater gin infused with raw pistachios, house raspberry syrup, fresh raspberries, egg white and lemon

10Feb2015

NYC – 1/20/15 – Atera

Posted in New York by Mary Lynne Kupchella

I did perhaps way too much traveling in 2014 and neglected so much of NYC. I’m almost embarrassed to admit how long it has been since my last visit to Atera and I have no excuses as I have nothing but fond memories. Such a fantastic meal start to finish and while its hard to pick favorites, I keep thinking about the smoked mussels with their edible shells and the beet jerky which was a complete revelation. Will Douillet’s presence in just a few months is noticeable and the front of house experience was significantly improved over what I experienced in just a quick trip to the lounge a few months ago. Looking forward to a return visit this spring and taking advantage of what is amazing in NYC.

King crab – satsumaimo, winter cabbage

Caviar – tapenade, burnt cream

Madai – daikon, mushroom

Winter salad – yellow vegetables

Sea urchin – carrot, lobster

Shabu shabu – abalone, mangalitsa

Trout roe – squash, pumpkin seed

Smoked trout – brown butter, liver

Trout liver – apple, brown butter

Lobster roll – yeast, meringue

Geoduck – lardo, air baguette

Pig blood tart – tomato jam, black truffle

Hushpuppy – smoked yolk, corn

Beet jerky – crustacean cream

Smoked mussels – mussel jus, purple carrot

Dumpling – chicken, shrimp

Turbot – curry oil pil

Roasted duck – soured rice, green tea

Sherbet – cara cara, licorice caramel

Milk and crackers – preserved blueberries

Papua New Guinea – brioche, vanilla ice cream

9Feb2015

NYC – 1/15/15 – the Nomad Bar

Posted in New York by Mary Lynne Kupchella

Of course back at the Nomad bar yet agai!. I may be becoming predictable in NYC. Fantastic as always and for once I exhibited some self control and didn’t have the hot dog for dessert.

Evil Twin Nomader Weisse served w/ traditional syrups

Bay scallops

Broccoli rabe salad with anchovy & Parmesan

Squash toast with ricotta, maitake & apple

Brussels sprouts roasted with smoked lentils & Parmesan

Burger

4Feb2015

NYC – 1/14/15 – Momofuku Ko

Posted in New York by Mary Lynne Kupchella

It had quite some time, actually way too long, since I visited the old Ko. So the memory may have faded slightly but it still feels like the new Ko is an entirely new restaurant – the more grown up and refined version of the original. The new space is industrial yet quite homey and I can’t wait to visit in summer when I hope the garage doors will be open. Service is much more friendly than I remember and the chefs a bit more chatty. Of course everything that we ate was fantastic and its difficult to pick favorites, but I am a sucker for soft scrambled eggs. Keep an eye on the reservations as we got lucky fairly last minute. And it didn’t photograph well, but I cannot fail to mention the very unique take-home menu presentation.

Aperitif – verjus, cappelletti, soda

Apple soda