Where to eat in Nuevo Vallarta…

Hello my dear readers, I am sorry for being absent for the last weeks, between the classes and some new projects that hopefully will start soon, I had a lot going on. I am in Nuevo Vallarta in Jalisco Mexico. The place is about 20 minutes away from downtown Puerto Vallarta. I am staying at Grand Luxxe, which is the luxury hotel from the big chain Mayan Palace. The place is enormous and the accommodations are beautiful, with rustic decorations. It has plenty of restaurants to chose from, which include Mexican, seafood, italian, and even a buffet everyday for breakfast and dinner. It has a kids pool area with a slow river and a water slide, where kids can spend hours having fun. Inside the hotel you can also find a market place, where you can do some shopping from several Mexican brands including Pineda Covalin. You can also shop for flowers, delicious chocolates, wine, crepes, and vegetables.
Outside the hotel area I recommend having lunch at “Las 8 Tostadas,” it is my favorite local restaurant in Nuevo Vallarta. The place is not fancy at all but the food is astounding. You will find different types of seafood tacos, quesadillas, ceviche, tuna tartar, carpaccio, and empanadas. Everything is served fresh, and perfectly seasoned. The fish tacos are surprisingly tasty, fresh, and crunchy on the outside. The ceviche and the tuna carpaccio are a must try. If your looking for local food to try, this is the place to go, the only bad thing is that it closes at 8 pm so come early.
The other two restaurant to go to in Nuevo Vallarta are “La Dolce Vita” and italian joint, and “La Laguna de Timo” another amazing local seafood restaurant. This place is even less fancy than 8 Tostadas, but the food is extraordinary. The menu is simple but it doesn’t need anything else because the seafood by itself is tasty enough. The must try here is the Red Snapper Sarandeado, a traditional grilled fish dish from Mexico’s Pacific Coast. The fish is rubbed in a garlic and chile paste and then grilled to perfection. The fish was extremely soft with a small chili and garlic crust which was mild and reduced the salty flavor of the fish, making every bite wonderful. And the plus in this place is that you can spot celebrities from time to time.
Come to Nuevo Vallarta and explore the magnificent nature that this place has to offer, just watch out for the iguanas, they sure know how to make an entrance.
Visit Mexico!!!!

The Pavilion, a Controversial Story in Union Square

I’m in Phoenix for this week after finishing my fashion classes in NYC and an amazing weekend in The Hamptons. I will tell you all about it in a post where I recommend you places to go and to eat. It is an amazing place to relax, have fun, and do some shopping. But for now, let me tell you about this new place in Union Square in NYC.

The restaurant is called The Pavilion, and after 6 years of planning and debating it finally opened this season. It was so controversial because activists didn’t want a comercial business in a public park. They argued that having this space for kids was a better option than a full service restaurant. I think the place is outstanding, I am impressed with what they did to the abandoned structure in the park. The orange umbrellas and the green plants on the outside give light and life to the gray structure.

The place has around 90 sits inside and another 90 outside overlooking the park. Almost all of the ingredients used for the dishes come from the Union Square Greenmarket. The ambiance is casual, relaxing, and fun. Chef Mario Urgiles, which used to work at Maison, created an exceptional “market cafe” kind of menu, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is simple yet surprising.

The breakfast menu offers eggs any style, Benedict, and omelettes; it also has pancakes, home made granola, market fruit plate, an assortment of fresh juices, coffee, and tea. The lunch menu includes tomato soup, beef carpaccio, kale Caesar salad , chicken and tuna sandwiches, Croque Monsieur, tuna Nicoise salad, hanger steak, mussels with fries, and the market day specials from Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. For dinner you can enjoy the same menu as lunch and the raw bar, and tuna, salmon, and shrimp crudo. Terri Dreisbach’s dessert menu includes a flourless chocolate cake with beets, a variety of gelatos, apple tart tatin, coconut mousse, among other delicacies with local ingredients.

If you come to NYC I recommend visiting the disputed Pavilion, a hot spot that enhances the true concept of a Market Cafe. It does accept reservations, which I do recommend doing in advance. Make them though Open Table, it is easy and fast. You can do it straight from you phone if you have the app.

 

Estoy en Phoenix por esta semana después de terminar mis clases en Nueva York y pasar el fin de semana en Los Hamptons. Es un lugar increíble, voy a escribir un post de todos los lugares que deben visitar, las playas, y donde comer. De verdad se los recomiendo muchísimo, es un lugar para relajarse, divertirse e ir de compras. Pero por ahora, les voy a contar de un lugar que acaba de abrir en Union Square en Nueva York.

El restaurante se llama The Pavilion, y después de años de planeación y debates finalmente abrió sus puertas en Abril de este año. Muchos activistas de la ciudad no querían que un establecimiento comercial ocupara las instalaciones de un parque público, ellos creían que un lugar para niños y ancianos era la mejor opción para la gran estructura del restaurante. Por esto, tardó más de 6 años en crearse. El lugar está increíble, lo que los dueños hicieron con esta inmensa estructura del parque es sorprendente. Las sombrillas naranjas y la vegetación que invade la decoración del lugar le da vida y luz a esta estructura que duró años descuidada. 

El restaurante tiene 90 sillas en el interior y otras 90 en la parte afuera con vista al mercado de Union Square, del cual provienen la mayoría de los ingredientes de los platillos del menú. El ambiente es casual y divertido, espacialmente para la cena. El Chef Mario Urgiles, el cual solía trabajar en Maison, creó un menú excepcional al estilo “cafetería,” simple pero muy satisfaciente. El lugar sirve desayuno, comida, cena y brunch.

El menú de desayuno ofrece huevos al gusto, huevos Benedict y omelettes; además hotcakes, granola hecha en casa, fruta del mercado, variedad de jugos recién hechos, café y te. El menú de lunch incluye sopa de tomate, carpaccio de carne, ensalada César de col frisada, mejillones con papas a la francesa, así como los especiales del mercado dependiendo del día, ya sea Lunes, Miércoles, Viernes o Sábado. Para cena, el menú es el mismo que la comida, pero también incluye una barra de mariscos crudos. El menú de postres de Terri Dreisbach incluye un pastel de chocolate sin harina con betabel, diferentes sabores de gelato, tart tatin de manzana, mousse de coco y otras delicias preparadas con ingredientes locales. 

Si vienen a Nueva York, les comiendo visitar el controversial Pavilion. Un lugar de moda que rejuvenece el concepto de cafetería. Les recomiendo hacer reservaciones si no quieren esperar mucho tiempo para sentarse. Yo hago las reservaciones por Open Table, es muy fácil y rápido.  

 

My Favorites

Hello all!! I’m going to New York City in a couple of days and I want to share with you this article from The New York Times. It shows one of my favorite things to do in the city and you can see what you can expect any time soon. I am talking about Food Halls, a great way to incite people to eat a little bit of everything, wether if they are on a rush or just want to enjoy a wonderful meal with wonderful company. Hope you like it and find it interesting.

Ph. from Warsteiner

 

Amazing Burger Joint in Dallas… Stackhouse Burger

Last Friday, I went with my husband to Uptown Dallas in the search for a nice restaurant with a terrace since the weather was perfect for it. After 30 minutes of deciding and browsing around, we ended up in a place we have never been before. We went to Stackhouse Burgers, a charming local burger joint with great outdoor accommodations and a perfect rooftop patio. The menu consists on American food including buffalo wings, cheese fries, guacamole and chips, several different kind of sandwiches, salads, and of course a single, double, or veggie burger with a variety of add ons. I had the fish sandwich, and it was amazing! The fish was grilled and seasoned perfectly, topped with a cole slaw, some aioli, and tomato. The bun was soft, tender, and so buttery that everything melted in my mouth. The fries were delicious and if you’re looking for a twist on them, try the sweet potato fries. They are astounding!

Everything in Stackhouse is made to order so you will eat amazingly fresh food at an affordable price. The place was an old house that one of the owners renovated and turned into this vintage burger joint, perfect for family and friend reunions. It also has a bar that offers domestic and imported beers, red and white wine, and a great variety of cocktails. it is the place to spend an afternoon with great company, wonderful food and with a view of downtown Dallas under its charming lights.

Reviews:

Price: $

Staff: Friendly and Welcoming

Food: Excellent

Overall: Excellent for a Saturday afternoon.

Follow Stackhouse Burgers on Twitter and Facebook.

El viernes pasado fui con Daniel a Uptown Dallas a buscar un lugar para cenar que tuviera un espacio abierto porque el clima estaba perfecto. Después de media hora, entre decidirnos y ver diferentes lugares, llegamos a uno de hamburguesas que se llama Stackhouse Burgers. El lugar está muy padre y muy bonito, tiene un patio pequeño pero muy encantador con sillas, sillones y una televisión para disfrutar de los partidos de fútbol o cualquier deporte. El menú es totalmente americano, hay alitas, papas fritas con queso, guacamole, una gran variedad de sándwiches, ensaladas, y por supuesto, hamburguesas sencillas, dobles y vegetarianas con muchos toppings diferentes. Yo pedí el sándwich de pescado y estaba delicioso. El pescado estaba sazonado y cocinado al grill, servido con ensalada de col, aioli y tomate. El pan estaba muy suave y con un ligero sabor a mantequilla. El sándwich venía acompañado de papas fritas, pero también pueden pedir ensalada, pasta o las papas fritas de camote (de lo más rico del lugar).

Todo lo que sirven en Stackhouse Burger está hecho al momento por lo que toda la comida es fresca y a precios muy accesibles. Lo más bonito del lugar es el lugar en sí, antes era una casa antigua que uno de los dueños renovó para convertirla en un restaurante. Está muy “charming” y tiene un toque vintage, el patio es perfecto para reuniones con amigos o familia. Además de ofrecer alimentos, tiene un bar con una muchas cervezas domésticas e importadas, vino tinto y blanco y diferentes cocteles. Es un excelente lugar para pasar una tarde agradable con una vista padrísima del centro de la ciudad. 

Reviews: 

Precio: $

Servicio: Muy amigables y rápido.  

Comida: Excelente. 

En general: El lugar perfecto para estar al aire libre. 

 

Momofuku Milk Bar

Momofuku Milk Bar is a local bakery in NYC filled with so out of the ordinary sweet treats that will amaze you. It’s one of many David Chang’s successes, including Noodle Bar and Ma Peche. The place is relatively small, there are no seats, but it’s so well organized that it doesn’t need anything else. It offers a great variety of cookies, cakes, pies, candy bars, cake truffles, savory buns, beverages, soft serves, and shakes, which were my favorites. The things that you must try in Momofuku are the Crack Pie and the Compost Cookie, both really chewy, buttery, and so unexpected in many ways. Another thing you should definitely try is the cereal milk, a Momofuku trademark that tastes like the leftover milk from a bowl of cereal; it is really sweet though, I recommend to eat it as a soft serve with sprinkled cereal on top.

Besides offering food, MMB also has cookbooks, t-shirts, tote bags, and baking classes. It really is an amazing and so different place to visit in NYC, and is a great supporter of local, organic diary farmers; this year they will donate a portion of their diary sales to local farmers in need. It has 5 locations in New York, 3 in the city, 1 in Brooklyn (Williamsburg, where the classes are taught), and 1 in Carroll Gardens. Some items on the menu are location specific, so be sure to check their menus before arriving.

Ratings:

Price: $$

Staff: Excellent

Ambiance: Casual

Overall: A must visit for sugary treats with no regrets.

Momofuku Milk Bar es una pastelería local en Nueva York que tiene una gran variedad de galletas, pies, pasteles, nieves y malteadas muy fuera de lo común. Una pastelería de David Chang con 5 ubicaciones en Nueva York, 3 en la ciudad, 1 en Brooklyn (Williamsburg) y 1 en Carroll Gardens. La mayoría son pequeñas y no cuentan con sillas ni mesas para sentarse, pero el lugar está muy organizado y no necesita más para lo maravilloso que son todos los productos que vende. Lo que yo les recomiendo probar en MMB es el Crack Pie, las galletas Compost, y Cereal Milk (leche de cereal) que como su nombre lo dice, sabe a la leche que queda cuando te sirves un plato de cereal y se te acaba antes que la leche, es muy dulce pero muy rica. Las galletas y el pie son muy suaves y algo chiclosos, pero en el buen sentido de la palabra, realmente será algo que nunca antes han probado.

Además de vender alimentos, MMB vende camisetas, bolsas, libros de cocinar con muchas de sus recetas y también ofrece cursos de cocina basados en sus libros. Es un lugar que vale mucho la pena visitar si se encuentran en Nueva York, y es un gran apoyo para los productores que ofrecen lácteos orgánicos, una porción de sus ganancias en alimentos lácteos será donada a productores locales necesitados.

Ratings:

Precio: $$

Servicio: Excelente

Ambiente: Casual

En general: Un lugar que deben visitar pero sin remordimientos.

 

Discovering More Part III

Continuing my research for amazing coffee shops in NYC I arrived at this wonderful place where I had the best cappuccino I’ve ever had, it wasn’t mild and it wasn’t strong it was just perfect. Stumptown coffee is a coffee shop that opened its doors in Portland on November 1999 when owner Duane Sorenson fulfilled his dream of “opening the type of cafe he wanted to frequent.” Since then he has provided his customers a place where quality and relationships are the most important things to deliver perfect products and perfect service. He focuses on total transparency and excellent relationships with local farmers to ensure the best quality by giving the farmers a good incentive for their work.

It now has 5 locations in Portland, 2 in Seattle, 2 in New York, and 1 in Los Angeles; and delivers coffee around the world. Besides excellent product, Stumptown Coffee is an extraordinary place where you can go to read, work, or share stories with the barista and fiends. Making yourself a “regular” at this hipster and casual joint will be a very well investment of your time.

Ratings:

Price: $$

Ambiance: Casual, hipster, local

Staff: Excellent service.   Durante mi recorrido por buscar cafeterías locales, me encontré con este increíble lugar donde probé el mejor capuchino que he tomado en mi vida, no estaba tan fuerte ni tan diluido, estaba simplemente perfecto. Stumptown Coffee es una cafetería que abrió sus puertas en Noviembre de 1999 en Portland, cuando su dueño Duane Sorenson cumplió su sueño de abrir una cafetería que él personalmente frecuentaría. Desde entonces, Duane Sorenson se enfoca en tener productos de excelente calidad a través de relaciones sólidas y transparentes con sus proveedores. Realiza de 2 a 3 visitas por año a los campos donde los granos de café son seleccionados y tostados con el fin de asegurar la calidad de sus productos, además de ayudar a agricultores locales a salir adelante ofreciéndoles un gran incentivo monetario por el desarrollo de tu trabajo.

Actualmente, Stumptown Coffee cuenta con 5 ubicaciones en Portland, 2 en Seattle, 2 en Nueva York y 1 en Los Angeles; además de ser distribuidor de sus productos alrededor del mundo. El lugar que visité en NYC ubicado en el West Village, ofrece gran sabor, servicio y el lugar es perfecto para trabajar, leer y socializar con el barista o sus amigos. Tiene una gran variedad de revistas, libros y además una barra donde realizan catas de café para aficionados. Volverse un cliente regular en este sitio es una inversión de tiempo muy recomendable.

Ratings:

Precio: $$

Servicio: Excelente

Ambiente: Casual, hipster.

The Dutch for Brunch…

I love the idea of brunch, it’s a good way to enjoy breakfast and lunch at the same time. There is no need to get up early to crave our need for eggs and to wait to eat a nice steak sandwich. I like the freedom we get when eating brunch on a Saturday or Sunday morning, for me it is fun, social, relaxing, and motivating. So given the fact that I’m in love with brunch, I like to show you one of my favorite places to eat it in NYC. The place is called The Dutch, and it is an American dinner like joint with a modern twist. It is owned by the same group that has Locanda Verde: Noho Hospitality Group, and the chef Andrew Carmellini really makes his way to create extraordinary comfort food that will incite you to return. The menu is simple but exquisite, you can find almost anything from oatmeals, yogurt, to gourmet sandwiches, dips, and organic eggs just the way you like them. The place also has an oyster bar where you can enjoy fresh oysters, raw seafood, salads, and even caviar. We ordered an eggplant dip with savory crackers as an appetizer, it was soft, spreadable, really flavorful you could taste the eggplant but it was not over powerful, and the crackers where homemade sprinkled with spices which made the dish much more fun and enjoyable. I ordered a smoked turkey sandwich with arugula, avocado and herb mayo, the bread was amazing, and buttery which complemented perfectly with the smokiness from the turkey, the sweetness form the avocado and the bitterness from the arugula, everything made perfect sense. The good news is that the restaurant accepts reservations, so if you are looking for a good, casual, and comfort local place to enjoy brunch, come to The Dutch it will certainly exceed your expectations.

Ratings:
Price: $$
Ambiance: Casual.
Staff: Friendly
Overall: Perfect for Brunch and it opens late so a good place to go after drinks.

Me encanta la idea del brunch, me gusta saber que en un mismo horario y una misma comida puedo tener la libertad de escoger si como algo de desayuno o de almuerzo. Para mi, el brunch es divertido, relajante, y social pues es un tipo de comida que se presta muy fácil para compartir con amigos, familiares, o con quien sea. Dado mi tanto amor por el brunch quiero enseñarles un lugar muy rico en Nueva York perfecto para disfrutarlo, se llama The Dutch. The Dutch es un restaurante de comida Americana, cuyos dueños son los mismos del restaurante Locanda Verde: Noho Hospitality Group. El chef Andrew Carmellini nos brinda un menú delicioso y reconfortante, donde pueden encontrar desde avena, yoghurt, sandwiches gourmet, dips, hasta huevos orgánicos preparados de distintas maneras. El menú es sencillo pero muy amplio, el restaurante también cuenta con una barra de ostiones, donde además de ostiones frescos, sirven mariscos crudos, ensaladas, y caviar. Nosotros ordenamos un dip de berenjena para compartir, estaba riquísimo, muy suave, con el sabor ligero a berenjena y venía acompañado con unas galletas tipo pitas, hechas en casa y espolvoreadas con especies que complementaban perfecto el dip. Además ordené un sandwich de jamón de pavo ahumado, con arúgula, aguacate, y mayonesa de hierbas. El pan estaba delicioso, con un sabor ligero a mantequilla que hacía perfecta combinación con lo dulce del aguacate, lo ahumado del jamón y la amargura del arúgula. Lo bueno del lugar es que acepta reservaciones por lo que no tendrán que esperar mucho tiempo por la mesa. Realmente recomiendo este lugar para un Brunch perfecto, estoy segura que superará sus expectativas.

Ratings:
Precio: $$
Ambiente: Totalmente casual
Servicio: Bueno
En general: muy recomendable para brunch y además abre hasta tarde.

Café Habana

Hi everyone!!! How is your monday going? I’m going back to Mexico today, but before I jump on a plane, I want to show this really cool and hipster place in NYC. Cafe Habana is a lunch neighborhood joint inspired in a luncheonette in Mexico City, famous for its cuban sandwiches, Mexican style Corns, and for being one of the spots in the the movie “Friends with Benefits” with Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. I only went to try the corn, a friend of mine recommended them, she lives in NYC and when she gets home sick that is the place she goes to. It was delicious, fresh, a little bit spicy, perfectly cooked, and really flavorful. The place is small but so traditional to its inspiration, the staff is friendly and it is visited by celebrities, locals, and some tourists. Thanks for reading, and remember always to “keep it local.”
Ratings:
Price: $
Staff: Friendly
Ambiance: Casual