zucco avec kony

kony had finally returned to new york for the summer, so for our first rendez-vous we went to zucco's, a supertiny but cute french diner. appropriate because she is in love with the language, as anyone should be. ;)

we had lentil soup and a savory pastry practically oozing with sauce, which went well with the side of world cup we got on their screen, a backdrop to talks of dreams deferred and charming, well-traveled boys. ;)

zucco le french diner / 188 orchard st, new york, ny 10002

duking it out at dukem's.

i like to eat with my hands -- there is something so satisfying in the act of bringing your fingers to your food to your lips. i enjoy it immensely. so i was in perfect bliss when trinh suggested a welcome dinner at dukem's, a popular ethiopian joint in dc. the spongy wrap, the flavorful pork, the variety of lentils, the colors... to be shared by the whole table. 

did we duke it out at dukem's ? maybe. ;) oh and let's not forget the shouting match that broke out next to us, and spilling at least one tequila shot at our table. a memorable night to begin a memorable weekend. 

dukem ethiopian restaurant / 1114 u street nw, washington, dc 20009

montreal x resto la banquise

poutine with bacon & merguez

you can't go to canada without having poutine, right ? and so we went, during our last few hours in montreal. resto la banquise won out upon the recommendation of a brave soul who's tested poutine perhaps in all of canada, and declared this location the best. the restaurant itself is lovely -- we sat outside in the most charming patio. and oh, the poutine -- bacon, merguez, slightly melted cheese curds atop some pretty good fries. a great snack, yes. but a meal of choice, not necessarily so for me. we couldn't get past a few forkfuls, despite what some might deem a masterpiece. luckily, i can appreciate poutine in its other variations -- in fact, shopsin's has a killer version -- but perhaps it isn't the best meal to end with on a multi-day food marathon. rather, this is what you start off with.


resto la banquise, 994 rachel est, montreal, qc

new york x hiroko's place

hamburg rice

today has been unusually gray and chilly for the middle of may. so when some friends suggested hiroko's place, i knew exactly what i wanted: the hamburg rice. japanese style-meatloaf with rice, egg served sunny side up, and potato salad. the meatloaf comes hot and deliciously tangy. and the gyoza. oh the gyoza ! shared atop precious plates covered in gold and flowers. hiroko's is good for the soul.

hiroko's place, 75 thompson st, ny, ny 10012 (between spring and broome)

new york x defonte's sandwich shop

nicky's special
while thrifting an $8 lamp, the jitters came over me, and i promptly went in search of an equally cheap dinner. defonte's sandwich shop came into view and soon nicky's special was mine.
"ham capocollo, salami, fried eggplant, provolone, hot salad, marinated mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, oil and vinegar". on thin, chewy bread. just what i needed to pick myself back up, and then some. you could easily split this hero into two meals.
defonte's, 261 third ave, ny, ny 10010 (se corner of 21st and 3rd)

new york x carmine's

house salad


calamari


pollo al limone


shrimp scampi


linguine al vongole

despite a few false starts (aka being told to meet at the wrong carmine's, ha !), we all had our appetites completely fulfilled within minutes of eating. the house salad was surprisingly well-dressed, the calamari had a pleasant crunch (with the lightest layer of batter), the pollo al limone tender and tangy... nicely done, carmine's ! the vongole wasn't my favorite and the service a bit odd, but i will forgive you if only for the multitude of other tasty dishes.

carmine's, 2450 broadway, new york, ny

new york x ippudo

akaru mordern

a new friend from out of town is here on a food crawl and asked for ramen. i didn't have to think twice: ippudo is often considered number one in the city. some days, i stick to what i know: a bowl of akaru modern -- the original tonkotsu soup noodles, with ippudo's special sauce, miso paste, garlic oil, simmered berkshire pork... the memory is so vivid i can almost taste it. in fact, it's one of the few broths i'll slurp to the last drop.

ippudo, 65 4th avenue, ny, ny 10003 (between 9th and 10th street)