Using Amazon Prime Is Even Faster Than Buying Things From A Real Store

I placed an order with Amazon.com yesterday, and took advantage of the free Amazon Prime express shipping trial.  I figured that since this was such a large order, and I was very excited about many of the new purchases, it might be fun to get them early.  Early is an understatement: I placed my order late yesterday afternoon, and I already had more than half of the items before noon today.  A girl could get used to this kind of service.

If I Blog Obsessively About Food, Maybe Ruth Reichl Will Adopt Me

I took my parents to Craft tonight for dinner.  I wanted to go somewhere interesting, but didn’t plan far enough in advance to get a reservation at wd-50 or Babbo, my first picks.  I’d been itching to try Craftsteak, but decided to book a table for Craft instead, anticipating that maybe Mom might be in the mood for something other than three courses of beef.

We arrived a little early, which gave us time to enjoy the restaurant while it was still quiet, and sample drinks from the bar.  The parents tried actual cocktails, but I dove into the wine immediately, starting with the only Riesling on the “by glass” menu.*  While Craft does have a decent wine list, and their extensive bottle collection is essentially on display in the coolers that border the dining room, the selection of wines you can order by the glass is rather abbreviated.

For dinner, Dad ordered the Crispy Fresh Bacon & Apple as an appetizer, a 28-Day Dry-Aged Sirloin as an entree, and Duck Confit & Onion Risotto as a side dish.  Both Mom and I ordered the tasting menu, which was served family-style (ahem, “Craft style”), in what seemed to be very small portions.  (By the end of the meal, as we labored through two dessert courses, we appreciated that the portions were actually quite reasonable.)  However, when Dad’s deep-fried bacon was brought to the table, we were all stunned to see five massive towers of crispy pork meat.  It was a LOT of bacon, by any measure, and especially after you saw the nominal amount of food that constituted two servings of the Tasting Menu.  Word of warning to other Craft-goers: the family-style portions are not consistent, and in a bizarre reversal, it seems like the richest food comes in the largest quantities, while the salads and vegetable dishes are quite small.  Tom Colicchio loves some animal fat.

I’ll Hate On Chain Restaurants… Unless Red Raspberries Are Involved

I’m not especially fond of chain eateries (although small, local, independent chains like Mama’s Empanadas are fine), but after tonight, I fully support the rise of Yogurberry in Jackson Heights.  Somehow, the first and only franchise in NYC is located right on 37th Avenue, and somehow it’s taken me this long to notice it (last September marked the grand opening). 

I expected it to be really, really similar to Pinkberry, since aesthetically, it’s a total knockoff.  But the Yogurberry “substance” (I hesitate to call it “yogurt,” “ice cream,” or even food, since they won’t post the full ingredient list, and I hear it’s made from a powder) is surprisingly much tastier than the so-called Pinkberry swirl.  It’s actually got enough flavor (yes, even the “plain”) and sweetness (thanks to lots and lots of fructose) that you don’t need to rely on a handful of Fruity Pebbles to render it edible.

In terms of toppings, Yogurberry offers the standard choices–ranging from mango to coconut to Cap’n Crunch–although the presentation leaves a little to be desired.  Pinkberry still does a better job keeping their berries unbruised and kiwi chunks intact.  However, Yogurberry is pretty damn good, and wins serious bonus points for being within walking distance of my apartment.

This Is What We Epicures Mean When We Refer To Fish As “Buttery”

After a mini holiday party with my team at a bar near work, Kevin and I went off to the East Side in search of good sushi for dinner.  We were walking up First Ave., looking for a place we’d been to before, but gave up once we came across the first nice-looking restaurant, because we were ravenous.  Inside, we learned quickly that Sushi Seki is the kind of place where you have to make reservations if you want to eat anywhere near dinnertime; however, as we turned to leave, the hostess offered us the only table available before 9:30 p.m., with the stipulation that we finish our meal before the 8:00 reservation arrived.  We quickly ordered the chef’s plate for two, and I was expecting a slightly more upscale configuration of the usual Love Boat… until this absolutely stunning tray of sushi arrived.

We were predicting from the decor, the Japanese clientele, and the price that this was going to be good sushi, but once our waiter set down the elegant tray and walked us through what each piece was, and when to eat it, we realized this was going to be memorably delicious.

Achieve Enlightenment With The Noble Eightcourse Meal

Last night the online team and I had dinner at Tao with a sales rep we worked with on Halls.  It was a lot of fun, and the food was quite enjoyable, from steak to sake.  We could’ve crafted a rather satisfying meal entirely from the appetizers/small plates, though… I start salivating anew when I think about those pork potstickers and duckmeat dumplings and the spicy tuna roll, sliced into thick rounds.  Mmm. 

For my main course, I had a NY strip steak, done very rare (I’ve started to use the qualifier “very” in order to emphasize that yes, I understand the meat will arrive bleeding and cool to the touch… and that is exactly how I want it).  I did wish that they offered more raw seafood dishes, though.  Since developing an unhealthfully frequent sushi habit (I am going to start attributing any weight gain to the amount of mercury building up in my blood), I no longer enjoy cooked fish.  However, steak tartar is a decent stand-in; it has the same kind of smooth and chewy texture, the rich mouthfeel of unadulterated animal flesh.  As an added bonus, it seems that raw meat kills my protein cravings even more efficiently than a cheeseburger.

We capped off the meal with a molten chocolate cake, coconut ice cream, and not one but TWO fruit plates.  (It’s not a truly luxurious dining occasion without abundant quantities of red raspberries.)  The fruit plates, loaded with mandarin oranges and berries and pineapple and perfectly ripe lychees, were topped with a scoop of citrusy sorbet, and a single sugared cilantro leaf–very elegant.

In addition to the fantastic food, we had a great view– we got to sit right next to the giant Buddha, in one of the cushioned booths in the back.  I was impressed with the sheer size of the restaurant… somewhat unassuming from the outside, but truly massive once you get past the coat check.

Vroom Goes The Toothbrush (Or: Look At Me, I Would Be Awesome At Sales)

I’ve been a loyalist to my Crest Spinbrush ($6 on sale, plus $7 for brush heads every now and then) for a few years now, but in true Sara style, I recently upgraded to the Sonicare FlexCare ($180 MSRP).  (Disclosure: I got the toothbrush via a fun WOM initiative called BzzAgent; before you judge, try to remember the last time you got a $100+ product delivered to your door, free of charge, to keep, just for talking about how cool it actually is.)

Anyway.  On to the part where I approach oral care nirvana.

Still, I Don’t Think My Dreams Feature Quite This Much Vibrato

I got to go to a very advance (and very free) private screening of Dreamgirls last night (it officially opens on the 25th) with some coworkers.  Yes, even with that godawful and painfully long performance of Spring Awakening still fresh in my memory, I went and saw another musical.  (Again, let us mention that the tickets were FREE and I had no other plans.)