Venturing to new territory

Now that KP is moving to Chelsea, I figured I would take it upon myself to start exploring the area a bit more. Tonight, I'll be heading to Bar Veloce on 20th and 7th ave. Maybe after tonight, my go-to winebar list will be altered...

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!!!

Listen up, New Yorkers: even though the gastro-capital is literally at our tastebuds, there are some seriously awesome places elsewhere...you just need to be willing to venture outside of the tri-state area.

That said, Marsha Brown in New Hope, PA is a wonderful gem of a restaurant (well, technically, it was previously a church, but nonetheless). Even in a torrential downpour, the valet could not have been more accommodating and we arrived dry and ready to devour the Creole deliciousness for which MB is so notoriously famous. Waltzing past the tank of live lobsters and raw bar, I could barely contain my excitement as I ordered my lemon meringue martini (super sweet, should have been dessert).

Let's get down to biz: for starters, I couldn't resist the lobster and shrimp non-bisque. I say "non" since the broth was less heavy cream and more seafood stock chocked full of hearty seafood. My dining companions, the entire Meyers clan, were amazed at how smooth and addictive it was. Lee ordered a perfectly dressed Caesar (you KNOW how I feel about receiving dressing with a side of lettuce as a salad) and super moist duck meatballs. My only complaint? They could have been a bit hotter, but nonetheless were a great little distraction before the main course.

Finally (at this point I'm sipping on a nice, crisp Californian Viognier), the main event arrives and, wait for it, IT WAS AWESOME. Marsha (Lee's mom, not to be confused with Marsha Brown) made perhaps the most intelligent decision of the evening by ordering two appetizers, the lollipop lamb chops and the seared fresh tuna. When I say that the lamb chops were THE MOST FLAVORFUL, delicious pieces of meat I've ever laid on my taste buds, I am NOT kidding. They were heavenly.

I was so intent on sneaking more off of her plate that I almost forgot to take note of how perfectly tender my scallops were. Paired with a semi-dry lobster and amazingly rich crawfish risotto, I can say with every bit of certainty that I virtually cleared my plate.

Oh, and pretty sure I tasted a bit of the filet mignon and it, too, was insanely flavorful and definitely topped some of the best steaks here in the Big Apple. Needless to say, I did not have the pleasure of tasting any of the desserts...

The impeccable service, the wonderful atmosphere and the delicious soul food will keep me coming back to PA for years to come.

I know, I know, I'm such a slacker...

But now I'm back and better than ever!

Last night's trip to Tarallucci e Vino was, gastro-wise, somewhat disappointing (company-wise, it could not have been more ideal). The bread and olive oil always deliver and got me super fired up for the actual meal but, in reality, it just didn't deliver. The fresh mozzarella in the bruschetta was was too soggy and watery and the eggplant was far from flavorful. We also were feeling frisky and ordered the fried dough with mozzarella and ham and that too was somewhat boooooooring. Definitely needed a dipping sauce or accoutrement of some sort.

Thankfully, the pastas were a bit tastier. But, at an entree price of $28, expectations were high and well, Katie's long, thin paper-like noodles that housed a duck ragu and parmigiano cheese was the only one to really wow us. My tortelli with pork cheek and braised rabbit was just ohhhhhhkay and not as flavorful or rich as I'd imagined. Poor Lee ended up with stuck together tagliatelle and sun-dried tomatoes with absolutely zero sauce or flavor.

Thank goodness for the deliciously crisp Viognier and awesome company. I'll probably just go back for the heavenly hen broth with parmigiano crepes and wine.