Root & Bone

Yum

Grandma Daisy’s Angel Biscuits – NY honey roast chicken jus, fresh thyme, toasted benne seed sea salt

Drunken deviled eggs – pickled roots and chips

Half a bird – sweet tea brined, lemon dusted, spiked tobasco honey, decent, hot sauce not hot enough, JQ said it’s pretentious, not as good as Hill Country

Chefs Club

I was bemoaning to some friends about how much simpler life seemed when we were in school. After 16+ years of being in school, I had figured out how the system works. First, there’s the studying, which if you’re at all diligent about, will lead to good grades. Then, you supplement that with a smattering of extracurricular activities, artistic endeavors, leadership opportunities, and you’ve got the formula of success down pact. My path forward was clear and straightforward. Now, post-college, not so much. What does career success look like? How is it measured? What should I be working towards? I have been pondering these questions a lot lately. Although, given the trajectory thus far, these life questions will probably only get more complex and unanswerable the further we get along. In 10 years, I expect that I will be looking back to my 20’s as an enviously uninhibited, carefree time. All this to say that while I miss school, I should also stop and smell the roses in my life right now, like this dinner at Chefs Club.

Chefs Club brings a rotating panel of up-and-coming chefs, who are selected by Dana Cowin of Food & Wine Magazine, from across the country to design the menu and share a taste of their signature dishes.

The space is beautiful, dimly lit, and the kitchen is open, so sitting at the bar will give you a direct view of all the kitchen excitement.

What also caught my eye was this giant, blush/peach colored mineral, hanging in a glass box. It looks awesome, but I was slightly concerned for the two people sitting at the bar right underneath this box. Seeing a 100-pound rock hanging above my head would make me just a tad nervous.

The restaurant concept is an ode to great chefs, and this wall art is an extension of that. Plus while you’re waiting for your food, you can play the game “Name That Chef”. How many can you name?

Bread to start.

Chef Gabriel Rucker’s Sasso Chicken with brussels sprouts, Marcona almonds, black truffle, and cipollini onion. The chicken is cooked two ways – seared breast and then chicken thigh stuffed with giblets.

“Le Pigeon,” also by Chef Rucker is squab, served with giblets, leeks, chestnut, and sage. The squab was quite gamey.

Getting the potato puree (Chef Erik Anderson) was my best decision of the night. I was intrigued by the menu description which included crispy potato skin and raspberry powder. This puree was smooth and decadent, and the raspberry powder cut right through it with a jab of tartness that worked really well together. I would have never thought – mashed potatoes and raspberries?

For dessert, an underwhelming profiteroles with chocolate sauce, gianduja mousse, and nuts. My neighborhood go-to, Le Parisien, is still way ahead of them in the profiteroles game. I would suggest skipping dessert and using more stomach space to clean out the silky potato puree.

Chef’s Club
275 Mulberry St (btw Houston and Jersey St) New York, NY 10012

Grace Street

Merry Christmas everyone! It’s cold outside, perfect weather to curl up with warm blankets and…some piping hot Korean desserts?

Grace Street is a coffee shop in Koreatown that has a beautiful interior of luxurious couches and wooden tables. Plenty of natural light streams in from the glass enclosing in the front. Lots of people were here catching up with friends or studying. Their specialty is Korean doughnuts (ho-dduk) which they explained to me were filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.

I almost burned my mouth not realizing that the doughnut comes out really hot. It’s crispy on the outside with a ooey melty center. Yums! This was quite sweet, which was unexpected for an Asian dessert. You can also order it with ice cream, which sounds like an amazing combination.

Grace Street
17 W 32nd St (btw 5th and Broadway) New York, NY 10001