Amply delicious.

Last Sunday, I spent a truly wonderful afternoon with my friend, Miya, and her adorable daughter, Emi. Emi turned three on Tuesday, and we decided that such an event deserved not only a special story time (we read a chapter of Little House In The Big Woods, part of the set of "big girl" books I gave Emi for her big day), but also a little stroll for something all three of us love: ice cream.

Miya lives in Prospect Heights, a few blocks from Ample Hills, a homegrown Brooklyn ice creamery, and one all of my Brooklynite friends have been bugging me about visiting for ages. I was thrilled to relent, and ordered a single scoop of the salted caramel with crack cookies.

Oh. Mah. Guh.

This is some seriously ridiculous ice cream. It's indulgently creamy, but without that horrid, too-fatty, mouth-coating after effect. It's blended with just enough air to go down easy, but not so much that it enters the dreaded frothy territory. And the flavor. My GOD the flavor. The salted caramel comes through strong and clear - unlike so many caramel-flavored things, this one actually retained the slightly bitter, almost burnt quality of good caramel, and the salt was wonderful against the sweet, buttery crack cookies (shortbread coated in dark chocolate).

Emi was kind of mad that I didn't give her a lick, and says I owe her two next time. We'll see about that.

Put some honey on that pizza, sir.

Oh, yes. You heard me right.

See, a couple of weeks ago, my friend Richard (Who's my cousin's wife's brother - so sort of my cousin, right?) invited a few of us to his place for drinks and guacamole. He's living in an adorable new apartment in Bedford-Stuyvesant, and is ever-so-close to the famous Bushwick hipster pizza mecca, Roberta's.

So after a delightful bowl of cilantro-free guacamole and a delicious rum, lime and coconut water cocktail, we headed over to Roberta's for dinner. It was a balmy night, so we passed our waiting time (expected when one visits such a destination) in the garden bar (the menu of which is pictured above) - a space which, to this Manhattanite, seemed positively gracious in size - then headed indoors for some serious noshing.

Our salads (one with asparagus and one a delicious take on a Caesar) were lovely, and all three of the pizzas we ordered were great. The very best one, though, was an off-menu specialty called the Bee Sting. It was a red pizza, and its sauce spiked with spicy peppers. Setting off the heat? A swirl of honey (from local Brooklyn bees, I'd bet). The sweet honey played beautifully against the earthy tomatoes and provided hints of relief from the spicy heat. It was, in short, awesome.

So, yeah. Spike that sauce with some peppers, and throw some honey down on it. You won't regret it.

Lately.

A few drinks I've been enjoying recently. No particular order, but there is a theme: delicious, delightful booze. (Yum.)

Lemonade shandy, courtesy of Nick. Louisa's patio, Austin.


Applejack sidecar, courtesy of me. My living room, Manhattan.


Tawny port. The Vanderbilt, Brooklyn.


A Plantation cocktail (grapefruit, gin and basil). Frank's, Austin.

A quick cocktail.

Hudson Buck at The Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights. A bit sweet for me (it had cider and ginger), but tasty nonetheless. If you go, make sure to order the Brussels sprouts and the shishito peppers. And the merguez sausage.

Best ever.

Best scrambled eggs of my life. Creamy, but not runny, and topped with duck sausage and chervil. BEST. EVER. Eaten this weekend at James in Prospect Heights, along with several cups of coffee, a few of Miya's fries, and a tangy green salad.

Yum.

Queenie's Treasury

Happy Saturday, everyone! After a bit of a hiatus, the Treasury is back in business. I'm pretty psyched about what I'm sharing with you today, so let's get down to business!

First up, this adorable, gold-spotted bowl, which I discovered via Concrete & Honey, a fabulous Australian blog. I absolutely love white and gold ceramics, and I can't help but crave a whole set of these. The rest of the collection (including a creamer and bowls decorated with gold flowers) is pretty stunning, too.

Next up, from the same creative mind that brings you Simply Breakfast (the lovely and talented Jennifer Causey), comes The Makers Project, a set of photographs documenting the artisans and and foodcrafters of Brooklyn. I especially (and unsurprisingly) love the set featuring The Jewels of New York, food stylists and caterers. (They have the same impossibly thin glasses I do!)

Finally, courtesy of Katie Armour, some seriously gorgeous starfish earrings from Oliphant Designs, which strike me as the perfect summertime accessory. Yes, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here, but I somehow feel that by putting these earrings on, I'll bring the warmer weather out to play. Makes sense, right?

Fatty cue-iness, in photos.

Last month, my mom, Jeremy, Miriam, Jason, Abby and I headed to Fatty 'Cue in Williamsburg for some seriously good Asian-inflected barbecue. What follows is a photo tribute to the meal, mostly because I had a few too many cocktails to be much of a raconteur.

Enjoy, kiddos.










Fatty 'Cue
91 South 6th Street (Near Berry)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Would you move for a wine store?

My cousin Jason and his wife Abby have been living out in Greenpoint for about a year now, and they are the neighborhood's fiercest ambassadors. Or, at least, the fiercest ones with which I am acquainted. What they do, see, is invite you to their gorgeous, affordable two-bedroom apartment, lure you with delicious meals at local restaurants, and generally make the place irresistible.

Case in point? When they joined me to take a look at a new apartment building going up on the Greenpoint waterfront, they met me at the subway, had brunch with me at Marlow & Sons (see above for our discarded oyster shells), and showed me the most adorable wine store I've ever seen in New York.

Dandelion Wine on Franklin Avenue is drop-dead awesome. The owner, Lily, hand-writes price tags and descriptions for each bottle of wine she sells and hosts wine and cheese nights (FREE wine and cheese nights) every Friday. The shop carries a wide variety of wines, in terms of origin, varietal and price range, from an $11 rose to $100 bottles of vintage Pol Roger (1998, a very, very good year for champagne).

And did I mention the seriously amazing drawings decorating the chalkboard walls? Get your butts over to the Greenpoint Avenue G stop, people, and do it now.

To the fullest.

Sometimes I feel that, living as I do in the most exciting city on the planet, I don't take anywhere near enough advantage of its riches. Not even close.

Well, the last three days of my life have put paid to that notion. I've seen a fabulous new (and cheap) play at Ars Nova, eaten an amazing breakfast at Prune and brunch at Marlow & Sons, explored Greenpoint, and partaken of three cultural events the likes of which my adolescent, New York-obsessed self never would have dreamed.

Sunday brought a screening of an original print of Pretty In Pink - and a question and answer session with Ms. Molly Ringwald herself.

Monday night was dinner at Shake Shack and an evening of Margaret Atwood, who's been one of my political and literary idols since I read The Handmaid's Tale at the age of 15.

On Tuesday? A trip to the design blogger audience taping of The Nate Berkus Show, which was an entirely zany, over-the-top experience in its own right. (Clickety to see Design Blahg's take on how the day missed the mark in terms of its focus on the design blog world.)

Mission Do-More-In-The City? Accomplished.

Details on the food? Coming soon.

Queenie's Treasury

Happy weekend, my lovelies! I'm back to the Treasury after a two-week hiatus (imposed by schoolwork - really - and a visiting friend), and psyched to share some cool finds with you. Let's get to it, shall we?

First up, courtesy of the ever-stylish Hollister Hovey, a collection of Holiday magazine covers from the 1950s. They are absolute perfection: graphic little time capsules of Americana, depicting destinations from sea to shining sea.

Next up, we have Kelty, the super-talented designer and photographer behind Steep Street. Her print and web work are gorgeous, but I'm especially taken with her photography. She recently posted photos from a wedding she shot in Big Sur, and they are, in a word, stunning. You can check out her full site here, and follow her blog here.

Finally, some very exciting news from just over the East River. Kings County Distillery, the Brooklyn-based small-batch bourbon maker, has just started selling bottles of their product. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get my hands on the first hard booze (legally) made in the city since the end of Prohibition. Especially since it's bourbon. Smoky, sweet, lovely bourbon.

Brooklyn-inspired.

Last Saturday, my cousin Jason and his lovely wife Abby invited me out to Brooklyn for dinner. They moved to Greenpoint late last year, and are loving the neighborhood. I'd never been, so I was eager to visit and check out their new digs and environs. Jason came and picked me up from my apartment (He has a car - very exciting for this Manhattanite!) and took me on a little tour of the neighborhood before we headed back to his place for a cocktail with Abby. Abby's brother Richard was there as well - a most excellent surprise - and after a martini, we headed around the corner for dinner at Anella.

Jason and Abby are no slouches when it comes to food, and since they've been raving about Anella ever since they discovered it last fall, I knew I was in for a treat. It's a tiny, U-shaped space with a little bar running along the center of the restaurant. We had to wait about half an hour for a table, so we enjoyed another cocktail. I went for the Heering Manhattan, made with rye, Heering cherry liqueur, dry vermouth and bitters. It was fabulous - a bit sweet, but complex enough to keep my attention.

Everything we ate was delicious - the asparagus with crispy egg, the mussels with brie butter and french fries, the strozapreti with bacon. But my favorite dish of the night, far and away, was the romaine heart salad. It was served chilled, on an ice-cold plate. The dressing was a simple combination of crème fraiche and lemon juice, and sprinkled atop the whole thing was a smattering of dill, some buttery bread crumbs, finely chopped white onion and - the pièce de resistance - fried capers.

If you've never had fried capers, now is the time to start. They are absolutely divine. Frying a caper for a couple of minutes opens it up into a flower-like shape, and brings out the nutty qualities of the normally briny berry. They're fantastic with loads of different dishes - try sprinkling them on top of pasta, salads, or even scrambled eggs. You can't go wrong.

But first, of course, try them with this. I feel pretty good about this tribute to Anella's delicious dish, but please let me know if you can think of ways to improve upon it.

Hearts of Romaine with Lemon, Crème Fraiche and Fried Capers
Adapted from Anella

1/4 cup plus one tablespoon canola oil, divided
2 tbs. capers, rinsed, drained and dried for 30 minutes on paper towels
1 tbs. butter
1 slice bread (I used whole wheat, but you can use whatever you like.)
3 tbs. crème fraiche
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 romaine heart, halved lengthwise
1 tbs. dill, finely chopped
1 tbs. white onion, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fry the capers:
In a small skillet or saucepan set over medium-high heat, heat 1/4 cup of the canola oil until very hot. (A drop of water flicked onto the surface should crackle and evaporate immediately.) Add the capers and fry until they turn dark brown and smell nutty. Turn off the heat and, using a slotted spoon, remove the capers to a plate covered with paper towels. Set aside.

Make the buttery croutons:
In a medium skillet set over medium-high heat, heat the remaining canola oil with the butter. Once the butter has melted and is slightly foamy, add the slice of bread and turn the heat down slightly. Toast until dark brown on one side, then flip and toast the other side. Remove to a cutting board and slice into 1/4 or 1/2 inch squares. Set aside.

Make the dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraiche and lemon juice. The dressing should have a thick but drizzle-able consistency, like homemade ranch dressing. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Assemble the salad:
Place the romaine heart halves side by side on a chilled plate. Drizzle generously with the dressing (Use it all; don't be afraid.), then sprinkle with the dill. Follow with the onion, then the croutons, and finally the capers. Finish with a bit of salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves one, generously, or two, if you're really, really good at sharing.

Going off-island.

Last Monday, I decided to spend the first evening of my staycation venturing out to the (relatively new) Ikea in Red Hook. Red Hook is a formerly industrial enclave in the southwestern corner of Brooklyn, and is full of cool old warehouses converted into condo and studio space. To get to Ikea, you can take the subway and a free shuttle, or you can go glam and hop on the water taxi that leaves from the Wall Street pier.

Since I rarely make it onto the water (over or under it, surely, but not onto it), I opted for the latter option. Walking down Wall Street from Broadway reminded me of how much I love the financial district - it's dead as a doornail at night, but its streets are narrow, twisty and canyon-like in a way that no other part of the city is. It's downright gorgeous, and, during the day, full of energy.

I won't bore you with the details of my Ikea run, but I will share some photos from the ride. The taxi terminal lies just south of the Brooklyn Bridge, and the views are spectacular. I love how, even from a distance, the bridge feels so touchable. Looking at it is like touching the sun-warmed stone itself.

Above is a shot of downtown Manhattan, with the water taxi sentry standing guard. Not to be morbid, but I'm still not used to that gaping hole in the skyline, and I don't think I ever will be.

Next up, Lady Liberty! People who come to visit New York are often surprised by how large the harbor is; this is the closest shot I could grab of the Statue, even with full zoom. She technically lies on the New Jersey side of the harbor, something that has caused quite a bit of squabbling over the years.

Finally, land is sighted! This is a view of Ikea from the taxi; the ride took about 15 minutes total, and couldn't have been lovelier. I wouldn't mind a commute like this one, no sirree.

Staycation...go!

Every year, I spend a week off from work just enjoying New York City. Living in New York, it's easy to forget that the city is as big or as full of amazing experiences as it is. You get into a rhythm (mine is work, cooking, theatre, drinks with friends) and don't stop to drink in the multitude of opportunities right smack in front of you.

My annual staycations are meant as an antidote to that particular brand of lethargy. This year, I'm planning to spend some time in Brooklyn (Williamsburg one day; DUMBO and Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens another), hit a few museums (I want to see this illumination exhibit at the Met in particular) and do some serious windowsill gardening. I also want to carve out some time to spend with my friend Miya, who's working on decorating her new apartment. Can anyone say inspiration board?

Any suggestions or requests for how I spend my time this week? Dinners at Dirt Candy and SHO Shaun Hergatt are already on the itinerary. Am also planning to dig into a bowl of pho at some point, visit Marlow & Sons for lunch, and stop by Blue Bottle for some coffee. What else shall I do, dear readers?

Bring on the ideas!

Renewing my vows.

I looked at the calendar today and realized something pretty damn exciting: I have all of next week off from work! I carried over four weeks of vacation from 2008, which means I have a total of nine weeks for 2009. I'll never be able to get through all of it (and, yes, I know, I am wicked spoiled by the vacation policy of my current employer), but I have to use those four weeks or I'll lose them forever!

And, so, back in January, I decided to kick things off with a week-long staycation here in New York. I have some travel planned for later this year (Ohio, Napa and possibly France), but this week will be totally and completely about spending time with my city.

One of the craziest things about New Yorkers is that we tend to spend so much time working our butts off (we have to, if we want to afford the rents) that we rarely take time to pause and explore our city. I can't remember the last time I just wandered around the Village, browsing through shops, or struck out on an exploration of a new neighborhood in Brooklyn, or spent hours wandering the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Next week, I will spend my time doing the kinds of things I moved here to do - and I'd love to hear if you have any ideas for me to try! Here's a few things that are already on the list...

- Tickets to 9 to 5 for Tuesday night - Allison Janney FTW!
- Banh Mi sandwich
- Dinner or lunch at Marlow & Sons
- Shopping for furniture/house stuff in Williamsburg
- Lots and lots of Greenmarket-based cooking
- Lunch and shopping in Chinatown
- An outing to Stone Barns
- Lobster roll at Pearl Oyster Bar

What am I missing, people? What do you want to see? Let me know!