AMAZING Birthday Meal at Xixa!

Had an AMAZING birthday meal at Xixa, the new restaurant from the chef/owners of Traif (located a couple doors down).  I was really looking forward to Xixa since Traif is my favorite restaurant, and I’m really into small plates right since it gives you a chance to try more of the menu.  The food at Xixa is very much in line with Traif’s theme of global comfort food though it’s a bit more Mexican-inspired.

Amuse Bouche: String beans stuffed with cheese and chilies

Guacamole “Nam Prik Num” – Avocado, Roasted Tomato, Poblano, Puffed Rice, Jicama, Carrot, etc: I love guacamole and I thought this was really great, though I do wish there was a bit of heat to it

Fried Brussels Sprouts, Pork Belly Chicarones, Currants, Sunflower Seeds, Sweet-Spicy Vin:  Brussels sprouts are my favorite vegetable so I’ve always ordered it whenever I see it on the menu – the Sprouts were cooked perfectly and all the components complemented each other

Duck Lettuce Wraps, Mushrooms, Spiced Picadillo, Raisins, Peanuts, Roasted Banana: amazing dish – the duck and roasted banana is soooo good

Scallop Ceviche, Apple-Mint “Aguachile”, Pistachios, Cucumber, Avocado, Soy: not the best scallop ceviche I’ve had at Traif but still good in its own right, especially when you get a perfect bite of all the different components on the plate

Grilled Carrots “Elote,” Honey Butter, Lime Crema, Coriander, Feta, Dill: online reviews rave about this and our server also recommended it as a must order dish – this was really really good

“Steak Tacos:” Chilmole Tortillas, Roasted Bone Marrow, Steak Tartare, Pepper Marmalade: amazing – I love bone marrow and steak tartare, it’s brilliant serving it together with the pepper marmalade to cut through the richness

Charred Spring Onions, Yukon Potatoes, Ancho Romesco, White Anchovies, Almonds: I ordered this because romesco is one of my favorite sauces – great dish

Carnitas: Crispy Pork Belly & Cheeks, Brussels, Chorizo, Rhubarb, Pulque-Pasilla-Prune, Carrot Puree: another solid plate, good flavor combinations

“Tix N Xic:” Achiote-Grilled Hamachi Collar, Plantain Tortillas, Brussels, Pickled Onions: interesting take on fish tacos with a slaw of raw Brussels sprouts

Mel I Mato: Whipped Goat Ricotta, Mango, Kiwi, Grapes, Honey, Pistachios: decent cheese plate – the ricotta had some spice to it (maybe togarashi?)

Tres Leches en “Cappuccino”: Chocolates, Almond, Kahlua, Dulce: cool idea to add Kahlua and foam to tres leches cake – there’s also bits of chocolate and almonds mixed in – really delicious dessert

Bunuelo Sundae: Banana & Cajeta Ice Creams, Chocolate, Bunuelo Crumble, Black Sesame Mousse: this is one of the best desserts I’ve had in a long time – the black sesame mousse is so so good – I can’t wait to head back so I can order this just for myself

Petit Fours: Chocolate with Corn and Curry

I'm as impressed with this meal as I've ever been at Traif - definitely one of my favorite restaurants in  NYC.

Xixa
241 South 4 Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Pork Slope in Brooklyn!

We stopped by Pork Slope prior to seeing a Sarah Silverman Show.  Pork Slope is from Dale Talde of Top Chef - the concept is Americanana bar food and features a great beer list.  I've heard rave reviews about Pork Slope and this was a great opportunity to try some of Dale Talde's food:

Porky Melt: pork patties with caramelized onions and cheese - this was ridiculously good, the whole thing kinda melts in your mouth when you take a bite. I was eating this with some of the house-made bbq sauce - really fantastic.  I'd come back repeatedly for this sandwich alone, it is awesome - the price is pretty affordable too, always a bonus.

Cheeseburger: get this only if you absolutely need to have a cheeseburger instead of the porky melt for whatever reason. The burger, while it tasted okay, is about as average as you can get and should really be $2 cheaper

St Louis Ribs - pretty good, had a nice spice rub that went well with their BBQ sauce

Tater Tots with Chili - good for what it is

Potato Salad: not great - this reminded me of those economy-size tubs of potato salad that you can get at the supermarket

One BIG hit and a few misses - next time I'll have to try the shrimp po boy (and definitely the porky melt again)

Pork Slope

247 5th Ave

(between President St & Carroll St) 

Brooklyn, NY 11215

www.porkslopebrooklyn.com

Dinner at Roberta's in Brooklyn!

After hearing rave reviews of Roberta's and perusing the online menu for weeks, I finally got a chance to go there.  Roberta's is really famous for their pizzas, and I've been eyeing the squid ink tagliatelle with mussels and sea urchin for a while now. The exterior of Roberta's is rather unassuming - the entrance is nondescript and it's surrounded by warehouses.  But the food is what I'm really interested in:

Sweetbreads with Key Lime – I LOVE having sweetbreads fried, and this tasted like creamy KFC nuggets – this was pretty good as is, though I wish there was some micro greens or something to accompany it

Octopus with Black Garlic, Treviso, and Sea Beans – awesome dish, every component worked perfectly together.  This would be my favorite item of the night if not for the following course:

Squid Ink Tagliatelle with Mussels and Sea Urchin – I’ve been obsessed with squid ink and sea urchin and this did not disappoint. Really great, my favorite dish.

Duck Hunt - pawlet, duck prosciutto, leek, sweet potato, onion, chilli flake – we ordered a pizza since Roberta's is known for their pizzas, and I wanted to try this because of the ingredients (haven't tasted pawlet cheese before).  This pizza was good, but doesn’t hold up to all the other savory items we had; definitely needs more duck prosciutto, and the chili flake kinda got lost in all the sweetness. The bee sting (tomato, mozzarella, sopressata, chili, honey) that I had at Madison Square Eats was much better.

Blood Orange Semifreddo, Candied Kumquats, Blood Orange, Truffles, and Walnuts – an okay dessert, nothing really outstanding about it.

A couple outstanding dishes for the night - a different pizza next time will make the next meal here exceptional.