2.23.2009

FROM ARGENTINA TO PIZZA









Sorry for the delay here ... I got a little lazy this weekend and with my class on Monday looming, I just didn't get around to everything.

Let's go way, way back to last Thursday when we had a bit of Cube 63 delivery. I'm not sure why, but they really brought the heat this time. Best Cube 63 we'd had in a minute.

Meena had:
- shrimp shumai
- cube 63 roll
- mexican roll

Alec:
- miso soup
- hawaiian roll

Very nice.

On Friday we had a little birthday celebration for Diana in Williamsburg at El Almacen. Now I'm on record saying that Williamsburg is NOT my favorite haunt. It's just a bummer most of the time. But this place ... oh this place. This will make me go back often (or at least until they get their liquor license!) Anyway, I don't remember the names of everything, but Meena had:
- guacamole
- chicken enchiladas

Alec had:
- some sort of sausage with yerba mata ketchup and onions
- el pastor tacos with pineapple

SO good. I don't think there was a thing that hit our plates that had me turning up my nose. I'd say that anyone visiting Willamsburg ... make sure this one is on your hit list.

Saturday night we had another little birthday celebration for Diana, this time in our hood at Chestnut. We wanted to take D out for a bite as our gift, so we figured that because we needed to hit the French Kicks show in Gowanus, Chestnut seemed like the best option.

I don't know. I wasn't all that happy with my food. I ordered the pork chop and it was overcooked on the outside edges and undercooked in the middle. It was OK, but just not right. Sorta annoying. I was expecting more. Meena's was the same. She had the hanger steak and the outside was charred to dust and the inside was more rare than medium rare. Just sloppy execution. And that's a bummer.

James and D seemed to have better luck. James had the chicken stuffed with sausage and it was cooked very nicely. D had this pasta that looked like a donut and it was pretty impressive. They both seemed to enjoy it and that was the whole point.

Sunday night we just closed down a long weekend with a bit of Oscar night pizza. Nothing fancy, we just rolled out a dough and threw on the following:
- shrimp
- plum jam
- Meena's marinara
- mozzarella
- ham
- spinach
- sea salt
- black pepper
- siracha
- cornmeal
- parmesan

- crimini mushrooms

I got a bit of "stick" on the pizza stone and that was annoying. I ended up tearing the outside corner of the pie and I must admit - extremely frustrating. The pizza was very good, but that part was a sour note. I also ended up with a bit too much water leeching from the spinach, soaking the pie a little more than I would have liked. I'll cook the water out in the future.

I guess it's a learning process with these things. To be expected. Results are still tasty ... I just need to refine my execution.

I'm not even going to address the breakfast offerings up there but I will say this ... avocado and eggs is my new favorite thing. FAVORITE.

So the primary message of the weekend? Chestnut and I need to work on our skills.

And happy birthday, Diana!!

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