New York Bites: Dos Caminos Brunch

Good Evening Nomsters,

Dos Caminos Rancheros @ Dos Cominos

I write to you today about a meal that is near and dear to my inner foodie and that was the focus of many of my best dining experiences in New York: Brunch!

After living in Georgetown for three years, brunch is without a doubt the favorite meal of students and the greater Georgetown community. The scrumptious pancakes, the eggtastic benedicts, the juicy burgers, the hangover hashes, brunch menus are endlessly filled with delectably decadent dishes ripe for your enjoyment. However, with such varied choices for culinary concoctions, the hardest decision is whether to go sweet or savory. Personally, I have a sweet tooth that typically leaves me at risk for bypassing the savory to indulge in griddle favorites, like french toast or pancakes. Regardless of sweet or savory, most brunch menus have options that are sure to please either tastes, which you'll see in the New York brunch spots highlighted in the coming posts.

While in New York I had the pleasure of brunching at several restaurants. In my next three posts Union Square Cafe, PS450, and Dos Caminos will be featured as highlights and are tops on my list of best brunches in New York City for taste, value, and experience. All three of these brunch spots serve up a classic brunch with a bit of a flare, each offering something slightly different based on the individual and group's social agenda. Dos Caminos is up first!

Dos Caminos was my first brunch upon arriving in the city. They have multiple locations in New York and are known for their extensive margarita list and weekend brunch special, which includes one complimentary drink selection with a brunch entree. Their Tex-Mex inspired menu boasts favorites like Breakfast Quesadillas (scrambled eggs, chihuahua cheese, bacon) and Dos Caminos Rancheros (fried eggs, pinto beans, ham, queso), but also offers some sweeter entrees such as the Lemon Blueberry Pancakes or Mexican French Toast.


Our table started out with the homemade guacamole. If you like guac, do not let the seemingly steep price tag of $24 for a 4-6 person serving dissuade you. The freshly made guacamole comfortably serves six, especially with the trio of salsas that accompanies the table.

Fresh Guacamole 

When the time came to order entrees, I succumbed to my sweet tooth and ordered the Lemon Blueberry Pancakes. The pancakes were thinner than I usually like, but the texture made up for the lack of fluffiness. A lemony sugar coated the outside the stack giving them a crisp exterior, which went perfectly with the melt in your mouth quality of the cakes. There weren't nearly enough blueberries, but the lemon glaze helped mask that fact.






Luckily I brunched with a group that agrees "caring is sharing," so I had the chance to sample other entrees. The Dos Caminos Rancheros was a great mixture of Tex-Mex flavors, the homemade tortillas at the bottom were nice and crispy. The Breakfast Quesadilla was also quite good and stuffed with fresh ingredients! With four overflowing quarters of a quesadilla, you'll be so overwhelmed by eggs and cheese you may forget about your drink, which is quite strong by the way.

Dos Caminos-Meatpacking

Overall, the three dishes offered more than enough food and with the complimentary drink, you really can't go wrong brunching here. Each location in New York offers a little something different. The ambiance of each individual restaurant is welcoming and very ornate. I dined at their Park Ave. location, which was indoors with high ceilings and decorative lighting fixtures. I also visited their Meatpacking district location, which has an outdoor patio and vibrant nightlife scene. So try out both if you have time!

Dos Caminos-Park Ave.

Look out for our next brunch post in the coming days!
-gf

Dos Caminos Menu

Dos Caminos-Park Ave.
373 Park Avenue South at 27th Street, 
New York, NY 10016

T: 212.294.1000

Dos Caminos-Meatpacking District

675 Hudson Street at 14th Street, 

New York, NY 10014

T: 212.699.2400

*photos borrowed from "http://www.missmenunyc.com/2009/03/dos-thumbs-up-for-dos-caminos.html"

New York Bites: Artichoke Pizza

Chicagoans worship their deep dish, New Yorkers boast about their foldable thin crust, and New Haveners....well I suppose their "apizza" may be something special; but nothing beats a pizza place that takes the ooey gooey, comforting goodness of cheese, crust, and sauce and turns that traditional, tasty combo into something atypical and absolutely delicious!

If you're in New York for a visit and looking for something different from the usual New York slice, Artichoke Pizza should be your first stop. With piping hot slices, fresh ingredients, and unique flavors, Artichoke Pizza transcends traditional New York pizza. The pizzeria's signature "Artichoke and Spinach" pie has people crawling back for piece after piece... provided you're able to handle the richness of a single slice.

I finally had my first slice of artichoke and spinach pizza from their location on 14th and 1st in New York's East Village. The service was quick and the pizzas were fresh. The flowing dinner crowd that marched in and out of the pickup spot indicated to tourists that they'd arrived to the correct location and signaled to regulars that they were going to have to wait a little longer for their heavenly slice. In true New York fashion, my slice of pizza was placed in the oven for a quick warm up and them graciously placed into an over-sized box.  The smell alone was enough to turn heads as I walked back to my apartment.

In regard to taste, this slice of artichoke and spinach definitely makes my top 5 for pizza, up in the ranks with Lou Malnatti's. The crust was crispy, with the proper amount of thickness, not overly oiled or salty, and paired well with the toppings. With a creamy sauce that blended with the freshly melted cheese, the richness of the pair melded well with the pieces of artichoke and spinach on the slice. The crust, sauce, and toppings resulted in a trio of rich, developed, and mouth-watering flavor.

While Artichoke's signature slice wears a $4.50/slice price tag, the large portion and tastiness of the piece more than overshadows the cost. Moreover, with a slice so full of flavor and brimming with rich ingredients, for most patrons one slice is more than sufficient.

Extra perk: They're open until 5am for all of your late night/early morning needs!


Artichoke Pizza
East Village Location
328 East 14th Street
New York, New York 10012
212-228-2004
10am-5am

keep calm and nom on,
 
gf

New York Bites: Xi'an Famous Foods

Hello there Nomsters,

Spicy Lamb Noodles

It's been a while since we last met, but I'm promising that from now on I won't wait two months+ to dish out the latest food porn, reviews and recipes. For many college students, summer is a time to relax, travel, or start that internship that we chased during the spring semester. Personally, I ended up in New York, which is the perfect place to be a foodie in my free time. So over the next few weeks I will be blogging about my fantastical foodie adventures in the boroughs! To kick the summer off I thought Xi'an Famous Foods would be a fun place to visit after a semester spent in Shanghai.

Spicy Lamb Burger

Xi'an Famous Foods was conceived in Flushing, NY, the place to be if you want authentic Chinese food. After gaining a firm following at their location in Flushing, the owner expanded to Manhattan, making it that much easier for those who sought out authentic Chinese food! The menu features mainly noodle dishes along with some "burger options." Xi'an Famous Foods keeps things simple by doing what they do best, noodles.





On my first visit, we went to their Chinatown location on Bayard street. The ambiance of the restaurant is really reminiscent of being in China. The limited seating, quick service, and menu board picturing each item all reminded me of the little hole in the wall food spots in Shanghai! One of the quirkiest aspects of the restaurant was the dumbwaiter in the middle of the room that sent up patrons' meals!


I ended up ordering the Spicy Lamb Noodles ($7.00), featured in the picture above, and we also ordered a lamb burger ($3.00) and a pork burger ($3.00). The noodles were delicious, very fresh and chewy as they would have been in China. There was a generous serving of tender cumin-spiced lamb meat atop my noodles with fresh herbs, but boy was it spicy! If you order any dish labeled "spicy" off the menu, be sure you can commit to it, because once you start, there's no going back. The burgers were also very tasty. Huge portions of both lamb and pork nestled between crispy pancake rolls, like the ones seen being sold in the streets of any Chinese city. The lamb in the burger was also super spicy, the pork on the other hand is a great option if you are not a fan of spice. The pork was tender in texture and had a sweet flavor that contrasted well with the savoriness of the bun.

Overall, Xi'an Famous Foods is a great option if you are looking for an authentic Chinese restaurant for some good take-out. Every one of Xi'an's locations is cash only, so make sure you're prepared. Additionally, psych yourself up for the spiciness!

Xi'an Famous Foods

67 Bayard Street
Manhattan, NY

(212) 608-4170

Keep Calm and Nom On,
GF

As Published by the Georgetown Guide-Easy Bake Without the Oven

Easy Bake Without the Oven

Culinary Quips

By Elizabeth Sabol-Jones

Published: Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Updated: Sunday, March 25, 2012 15:03

Original Link

This week’s quip is mainly aimed at dorm-dwellers but will also appeal to readers who either lack a stove or heavily rely on the microwave for meals. 

We have experienced the hassle of packing up our belongings and moving from home back to Georgetown. By the time we’ve packed, we’re already laden with clothes, bedding and books, so why would we want to add a couple of boxes of pots and pans? Unless you really enjoy cooking, you would not have an incentive to bring kitchen supplies when you have delivery, Leo’s and the restaurants of M Street at your disposal. 

As a result, students’ kitchens are sometimes barren wastelands of Easy Mac boxes, random leftovers and communal forks. Luckily, modern technology gave college students the microwave. There are an array of quick, frozen and often unhealthy snacks. Although these quick-fix meals serve their purpose, often something fresh just tastes best. 

The meals and desserts you can make without using the stove would surprise you. So if you’re not fully prepared to step into the world of stovetop cooking, this is a window into the realm of “microwave magic.”

MICROWAVE MAGIC

Scrambled Eggs:

1. In a small bowl, beat together 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons milk with salt and pepper to taste until blended. 

2. Cook eggs on full power for one to one-and-a-half minutes, stirring once or twice, until they are almost set. Stir. If necessary, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for about 1 minute until eggs are thickened and no visible liquid egg remains.

Instant Chocolate Cake:

1. In a large mug, whisk together 1/4 cup flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons milk, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla extract until smooth. 

2. Microwave until puffed, about 2 minutes. 

The Best Oatmeal:

1. Take a 1/2 cup instant or regular oats (regular take a bit longer in the microwave) and place in bowl.

http://www.restaurantwidow.com/images/oatmeal_1_1.jpg

2. Add a dash of vanilla and teaspoon of cinnamon and begin microwaving on high for 1 minute.

Elizabeth Sabol-Jones is a junior in the College. CULINARY QUIPS appears every other Friday in the guide.

As Published by The Georgetown Guide-Let Them Eat Cake!

Delicious Cake w/ both fruit & Icing

Let Them Eat Cake

Culinary Quips

By Elizabeth Sabol-Jones

Published: Thursday, February 2, 2012

Updated: Thursday, February 2, 2012 18:02

Original Link to The Guide

For this week's quip, I thought I would take readers through a couple of scenarios in which baking a cake can go awry. As a Chinese language major, the nuances of the language bleed into the various facets of my life, including the kitchen.

In Mandarin Chinese, when you run into an unfortunate situation and feel the need to shout out your frustration, zaogao is a pretty common expression. Now, you may be asking yourself, What does a Chinese cry of distress have to do with a foodie column? Here's your answer: Zaogao's direct translation into English is "wretched cake." And honestly, when you think about it, what could be worse in a kitchen than taking the time to make something, especially a cake, only to taste it and realize you messed up.

Fallen Cake

As I wrote in my previous column, cooking and baking are about taking risks. I would definitely propose that when you first start your culinary adventures in the kitchen, you must recognize that success is one part skill, one part intuition, two parts precision and a whole lot of luck. So even if you think you've made a mistake, make sure you try to problem solve a bit before abandoning your culinary efforts.

So, here are some tips for when things get dicey in the kitchen so that you don't have to start over from scratch, literally:

1. If you have noisy roommates who jump around too much or you mistakenly slam the oven door at the wrong moment, your cake could collapse in the center. It could be still tasty, but if you were aiming for presentation, the Chairman from "Iron Chef" would definitely take off points. Your cake goes flat due to the fact that the rising process was disturbed. As the rising agent (baking soda, baking powder, etc.) works its magic, the stability of the cake's structure becomes more sensitive to disturbances that affect the chemical processes.

Remedy: Never fear, icing is here! If you're concerned about the looks of your cake, and you're planning to frost it, the icing will cover up any sunken-in appearance the cake may expose. Additionally, flipping the cake upside down and then frosting it will give you an even surface.If you want to add an extra ingredient to your solution, fruit could be used as a cake topper that fills in the space where the cake went flat.

2. On some occasions, you might sit down with a lovely slice of cake only to realize it's incredibly dry. This usually happens when the cake pan is too shallow for the amount of batter, or if the cake has been left in the oven too long.

Remedy: One way to prevent this from happening is to use the "toothpick method." First, make sure you check on your cake a few minutes ahead of the suggested bake time. Often the time a cake needs to bake varies based on the oven, altitude and ingredients, so it never hurts to check a couple of minutes early. Second, stick a toothpick straight into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a couple of crumbs, you're basically done. If you're very worried about dryness, then don't wait for the toothpick to be clean, and take the cake out when only a few crumbs are left.

Now, if you've already removed the cake and found it is incredibly dry, here's a creative solution: Pour something on it. Yes, it is as simple as pouring a bit of liquid over your finished product to add some moistness back. A bit of orange juice will give it a citrus flavor or a cup of coffee can curb the sweetness while rejuvenating the cake's texture. And, for the over-21 crowd, a little Bailey's never hurt anyone. The sky's really the limit on what you decide to use, but be sure to pour in small increments so as to avoid flooding your creation.

Almost Perfectly Risen Cake

Elizabeth A. Sabol-Jones is a junior in the College. She can be reached at saboljones@thehoya.com. CULINARY QUIPS appears every other Friday in the guide.

As Published by The Georgetown Guide-Cocoa for College Cooking

Cocoa for College Cooking

Culinary Quips

By Elizabeth A. Sabol-Jones

Published: Thursday, January 19, 2012

Updated: Friday, January 20, 2012 14:01

Scared of trying a new recipe? Not quite sure how to make a cake without a boxed mix? Unsure of what to do when you get halfway through a recipe and realize that you're missing two key ingredients? All of us have done something similar before, and we might as well admit to our mini-mistakes now. If you want any hope of getting comfortable with cooking and baking, you should consider throwing caution to the wind — or maybe some salt over your shoulder — and accept your previous kitchen mishaps so you can learn to use them to your advantage.
After testing and developing recipes for Nightly Noms over the past two years and cooking in a college environment where my mom's kitchen is not at my disposal, I've experienced plenty of miniature disasters. From not being able to melt chocolate without its seizing up to realizing that you need an 8x8 baking pan when you only have a 12x6 , you are bound to face both large and small cooking conundrums. Each small mishap that I have encountered since my college cooking days commenced, however, has forced me to become resourceful with what I have on hand. I'm not here to tell you how to bake; I'm here to give you some basic knowledge, random tips and fun recipes that will hopefully make you more comfortable in the kitchen and give you the ability to cook properly in a college environment with an improvisational flare.

Cake Poppers

If you're looking to impress your friends, have something delicious and a bit healthy to snack on, and if you don't want to spend a small fortune at Godiva, chocolate-covered fruit is a tasty option. The cool freshness of the fruit mixes with the smooth, rich chocolate to create a delicious substitute to plain fruit salad or a gigantic slice of chocolate cake. Still, chocolate-covered anything is easier said than done. While some may have luck with melting chocolate in the microwave, if you try melting large amounts of chocolate or become careless, you will soon open your microwave door to find that your chocolate has a grainy consistency, which means it has seized up.

Basically, there are two preferred ways to melt chocolate. If you're new to working with the substance, the microwave or a small pot with a bit of butter is your best option.



If you're using the microwave, make sure to start melting in 20-second intervals and then gradually microwave less as you see the chocolate melting. You really only need to melt until about 80 percent of the chips or chunks of chocolate are melted, since at that point the heat from the already-melted chocolate will take care of the rest.

If you're using your stovetop, make sure you keep the heat on low when you first place your pot on the stove.

Disclaimer: If there's one thing you need to know about melting chocolate, it's that water and too much heat are your enemies.

Remember, cooking and baking are as much about exact measurements and gaining control of kitchen chaos as being creative and taking risks. So push yourself to try something new!

Elizabeth Sabol-Jones is a junior in the College. She can be reached at saboljones@thehoya.com. Culinary Quips appears every other Friday in the guide.

How to: Melt Chocolate

1. Use either two pots, or a bowl and a pot, and place the smaller on top of the other. Fill the bottom pot with enough water to maintain a steady boil, but be cautious that the boiling water does not touch the bowl above it.
2. Turn on the flame to low/medium, add part of your chocolate and a bit of butter. The butter helps temper the chocolate while it melts; however, in most cases, butter is not necessary, so you can decide whether to add it.
3. Keep stirring to help distribute heat evenly and continue adding chocolate as the melting process continues.

4. Stir mixture on-and-off until chocolate melts,
remove from heat and either begin dipping fruit or combining with another mixture or batter.



 

Live from Shanghai!-Oysters, Spicy Soup, and Street Food

Hey Nomsters!

MaLaTang

Sorry it's been a while since my last post informing you of Nightly Noms postponing delivery until Spring 2012. I've been in Shanghai about 5 days now and have already been through a whirlwind of foodie experiences. From street food to traditional Sichuan (so spicy!) food, I've had the opportunity to taste a variety of dishes; and thankfully haven't eaten anymore bugs.

Street Seafood Options

One of my favorite things about Chinese street/snack cuisine is it's really customizable. MaLaTang （麻辣烫） in particular is a great option if you're looking for a simple and delicious meal. MaLaTang is a spicy soup that you can basically add whatever ingredients the shop has on hand. From meats, to noodles, to veggies, each bowl is custom made to order and spiced to the buyer's desire. MaLaTang is a bit like Chicken Noodle Soup to the Chinese. ~$1.00/bowl

Scallop w/ Garlic

In addition to MaLaTang, I've been eating a fair amount of the "on a stick" variety of food. Each night after about 6pm, street vendors and BBQ stations pop up and are surrounded by fairy lights to illuminate the area. From BBQ meat or veggies on a stick to freshly grilled seafood (oysters, clams, scallops, oh my!), hungry students have the chance to sample the local favorites while enjoying a bottle of pijiu (啤酒，beer). So far I've tried octopus and zucchini on a stick, both were flavorful and seasoned with some sort of spice powder. I also had a grilled scallop with garlic on the half shell, which was awesome. and only about $.75. In addition to food on a stick, one of the best street food items is Jidan Bing (鸡蛋饼，egg pancake). Typically eaten for breakfast, this crepe-like pancake is stuffed with a variety of ingredients ranging from just meat, to meat, veggies, and sauce. There crepes are the perfect indulgence in Chinese street food and are served pipping hot and to-go.

Sichuan Spicy Pork & Peppers

I'll be back with more Shanghai updates soon for now keep snacking and let us know if you want to share your adventures in cooking!

Jidan Bing

-gf