Athena Pappas

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  • Category: Review

    • Restaurant Review: Pizza Loves Emily

      Posted at 1:30 pm by athenapappas, on October 26, 2019

      For my birthday a few weeks ago, we headed to Clinton Hill for dinner Emily. Much like Emmy Squared, Emily focuses on delicious pizzas and one decadent burger. However, these pizzas are wood-fired Neopolitan pizzas. First up, we tried the Olympus Mons pizza, which was a cheese-less pizza. WIth Szechuan oil, garlic aachar, pickled jalapeno, and seasonal greens, this pizza was a spicy light start to the meal.

      After our appetizer pizza came my favorite part of the meal…the burger! Seriously, it was one of the best I’ve ever had. The Pat LaFrieda beef was juicy, covered with the special Emily sauce, caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese all on a pretzel bun. You have to go early, they sell out quickly!

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      The pizza menu has several sections: the reds, the pinks (vodka sauce), the greens (tomatillo sauce), and the whites. We tried one from almost every section. The Mons was a red, but our next was from the whites, the eponymous Emily pizza. A sweeter pizza, this rich pie is mozzarella, pistachio, truffle sottocenere, and honey.

      From the greens, we selected the Pico Supreme, which had mozzarella, onion, chicken tinga, and ranch. It’s hard to pick a favorite (aside from the burger), but I think I would have to say the rich sweetness of the Emily was my favorite.

      Regardless of if you prefer the pizza or the burger (burger, the answer is burger), Emily is a great spot for a special dinner.

      Posted in Adventures, New York, Restaurants, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged NYC, pizza, restaurant, Review
    • Adventures in New York: EEEEEATSCon 2019

      Posted at 9:00 am by athenapappas, on October 16, 2019
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      Saturday, October 5th, we trekked out to Forrest Hills Stadium for The Infatuation (one of my favorite food blogs)’s EEEEEATS Con. A two day festival of food, EEEEEATSCon brought together restaurants and vendors from NYC, across the US, and even London. Our first stop was local favorite Crown Shy booth for a short rib sandwich.

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      From there, we swung by Bite Into Maine, a Maine lobster food truck brought to NYC for the weekend. The lobster was fresh and juicy served with the rich-Maine style mayo. For mini-Mexican, we hit La Contenta, based in lower Manhattan. The taquitos were rolled and fried with potatoes and beef topped with salsa roja, shredded cabbage, and queso cotija. The pork carnitas tacos were topped with salsa verde, pickled onion, rostizada, and radishes. Both were just the right amount of spicy.

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      Food wasn’t the only feature of EEEEEATSCon, there were several bars including a Captian’s Morgan Rum tiki speakeasy. Through the telephone booth…was a bar featuring cocktails served in a souvenir coconut.

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      After the drink break, it was time for more food! At the Lolo’s Seafood Shack we sampled the Shrimp Queso Nachos and Crab Cake sliders. Another feature of the festival is weekend-exclusive collaborations. This year, Shake Shack partnered with Uncle Boon’s for an egg-topped, Thai flavored burger.

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      My favorite bite of the day was pizza from Mama’s Too, an Upper West Side Pizzaria (yes, we are already planning to go to their actual location). The square pepperoni slice was pure pizza perfection while the Cacio Pepe slice was creamy and savory. While half our group waited in line for Mama’s Too, the other half ran to Crif Dogs for the Everything Bagel Dog and a Rueben Dog. The Rueben Dog was created by an Infatuation reader, and it was very delicious. The first key to the day was splitting everything, the second was having part of the group wait in one line, while the other half of the group went to a different line.

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      The final stops of the day were Revenge BBQ (for a sausage hero) and Salt & Straw, a famous West coast based, ice cream parlor. It was tough to pick a final flavor of the day, but we finally settled on salted caramel. Although Salt & Straw was one of the longest waits of the day, it was well worth it for the chunky, flavor-packed ice cream.

      Overall, our day at EEEEEATSCon was a culinary adventure. I can’t wait until next year’s festival!

      Posted in Adventures, New York, Restaurants, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged EEEEEATS Con, Food Festival, NYC, Queens
    • Restaurant Review: Emmy Squared

      Posted at 10:20 am by athenapappas, on October 1, 2019
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      For former ADA Jared Mogil‘s birthday, we headed Emmy Squared, which is one restaurant of several awesome Pizza Loves Emily Restaurant group. Although pizza is their main focus, their burger (which seriously will sell out) always tops lists of best burgers in the city. Pro tip: spilt the burger and get pizza to share.

      Also known as Le Big Matt, the burger oozing with a double-stacked Pat Lafried grass-fed beef patties, American cheese, greens, pickles, and the proprietary Sammy sauce. If that wasn’t enough, it also comes with a side of waffle fries. This epic burger is cooked to perfection.

      On to the pizza! Serving up thick-cut Detroit style pizza, there is a topping combination for every palate. We decided to do something a little different from our usual style and went for the Hot Chicken: Nashville hot chicken, ‘Bama white sauce, and chopped pickle. It was a spicy, crispy pizza dream come true. Pickles on pizza might sound weird, but it really helped balance out the other flavors.

      I highly recommend Emmy Squared in Williamsburg but be sure to get a reservation. The later you go, the more likely the burger will be sold out.

      Posted in Adventures, New York, Restaurants, Review | 1 Comment | Tagged Brooklyn, restaurant, Review, Williamsburg
    • Restaurant Review: Casa Enrique

      Posted at 9:00 am by athenapappas, on September 18, 2019
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      I cannot believe how long it has taken me to finally try Long Island City’s very own Michelin Starred Casa Enrique. Just two subway stops away from me is some of the best Mexican food I have ever had. Luckily they take reservations, so one Saturday we headed there for brunch. Before we even ordered, we were brought funky complimentary chips. We had fun trying them in the different hot sauces. First up, guacamole! Served with big warm tortilla chips. this is guacamole at its simplest and best. No extra ingredients, just the classics.

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      The fish tacos were breathtaking, The fish was ever so lightly battered and the flavors enhanced by the cilantro and sauce. We followed up that seafood delicacy with the crab tostadas, crab layered atop a crispy tortilla with avocado, tomato, chile serrano, and cilantro. I would highly recommend both, there is no reason to pick between the two.

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      We wrapped the meal up with the enchilada de pollo con mole de piaxtla. Grilled chicken breast is enveloped in corn tortilla along with black beans. Those roles are then smothered in mole sauce, here the sauce blends together a rich smokiness with a chocolate-y sweetness. That is topped with crema fresca and queso fresco, giving it a cheesy accent. Even if you aren’t typically a mole fan, try at least one here.

      Great for a special brunch or evening out, I highly, highly recommend Casa Enrique. It is smart to get a reservation and well worth the trip to Queens.

       

      Posted in New York, Restaurants, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Long Island City, New York, restaurant, Review
    • Restaurant Review: Le Fanfare

      Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on September 13, 2019
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      Tucked on the far northern end of Greenpoint’s Manhattan Avenue is Le Fanfare, a very unassuming yet tasty Italian restaurant with some incredible specials. Every Wednesday night is pasta night with three select special pastas offered for $10 each. Grab a reservation, bring a few friends, and be prepared for a great evening! Yes, the bread is complementary and delicious. First up, we ordered the meatballs. Although served with a white wine sauce instead of the typical red sauce, the meatballs were quite savory.

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      The burrata in all its gooey cheesy glory was served with fresh tomatoes. My favorite appetizer by far was the octopus. It was perfectly tender and grilled to perfection.

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      Although there were only three choices for pasta night (the specials change each week), it didn’t make picking one any easier. There was a pesto option and a ragu-like selection, I went with the cheesier pasta (I very much made the right choice). With the restaurant’s Sardinian influences, it is hard to go wrong…plus there is always next Wednesday’s pasta night!

       

      Posted in Adventures, New York, Restaurants, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Brooklyn, greenpoint, restaurant, Review
    • Restaurant Review: Apollonia

      Posted at 9:00 am by athenapappas, on September 4, 2019
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      A new Medditerian restaurant in Brooklyn? I’m there! Bushwick now has its very own cafe-by-day-restaurant-by-night in Apollonia. What intrigued me first about this new spot was the wine list: all Mediterraint coastal wines. I was even able to find one from Epirus! It had a bright, citrus effervescent taste. Various wines can be ordered by the glass, carafe, or bottle.

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      As the menu is a collection of small and slightly larger plates, family-style is the way to go here. The friendly waitstaff are well-versed here, they will help you course everything out. We started with the octopus, which was cooked to soft perfection and served with large beans. The whipped feta with paprika is also not to be missed.

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      The fried cauliflower with aoili was everything you could want, technically a vegetable but lightly fried to perfection. Our only misstep of the evening was the zucchini fritters. They were just okay, especially compared to the fried cauliflower. We didn’t really need two fried dishes.

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      The largest plate of the evening was the cast iron Greek chicken. It might not look like much, but this chicken was cooked to perfection with a side of tahini-esque dip. You really can’t order a Greek chicken without a side of crisp, lemony potatoes.

      For dessert, we split the olive oil cake and pistachio semifreddo. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I think I would have to lean towards the semifreddo (really, just order both, it’s fine). Apollonia is a great new spot in Brooklyn. The light, airy atmosphere and delicious food make it great for a casual night out or a special occasion.
       

      Posted in Adventures, New York, Restaurants, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Brooklyn, restaurant, Review
    • Restaurant Review: Montesacro Pinseria BK

      Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on August 28, 2019
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      Located in the heart of East Williamsburg, Monescaro Pinseria brings old world Rome to Brooklyn. This recently opened West Coast import  has a beautiful outdoor dining area and very delicious food. When we went, they still hadn’t gotten their liquor license, so we BYOB’ed. We started out our meal with the porchetta, thick, shredded slices of salty ham goodness. Yes, we also got Cacio Pepe for an appetizer. It was delicious but it certainly didn’t steal the spotlight from the main focus of the meal…

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      …the pinsas! But what is that? Based on the ancient Roman recipe, Pinsa is a flatbread made from soy, rice, and wheat flour. It gives it the flatbread a lighter, fluffier taste than normal pizza crust. Since our adventurous group was four, we ordered three pinsa to share. My personal favorite was the Casal Bertone: mozzarella, crispy guanciale, pecorino, and Sardinian Chesnut Honey. I loved the richness of it with the bite of the pecorino. We also had the Marinella: mozzarella, broccolini, spicy pork sausage, and stracciatella (who doesn’t love all the cheeses?). Finally, we had the Portonaccio: tomato, mozzarella, fried eggplant, basil, and ricotta.

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      We finished things off with a coffee flavored chocolate dessert. Montesacro Pinseria is a great new pick for a romantic date night or a fun group dinner.

      Posted in Adventures, New York, Restaurants, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Brooklyn, restaurant, Review
    • Restaurant Review: Au Cheval

      Posted at 4:00 pm by athenapappas, on August 14, 2019

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      Infamous in Chicago for their over-the-top burger and long waits, Au Cheval (as in put an egg on it) has come to New York. Opening up recently in Tribeca, we headed down early on a Friday evening to put our names in for a table. Although they do take some reservations and have a full bar downstairs, we went around the corner to have a drink and wait for our table to be ready.

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      Little did we know what we would find down this unassuming Manhattan alley way…Au Cheval Diner!

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      I highly recommend going with a small group so you can order a variety of dishes and try them all. We started out with two appetizers, first the roasted bone marrow. Served in bones, the marrow was served with a beef check marmalade. What’s crazy is that this wasn’t the richest meat we ordered! We also had the house made fried baloney sandwich. Cheesy, meaty, I’m glad I only had a quarter of this (delicious but so, so heavy).

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      The main event was the burger. We got the single, but this is really a misnomer, the single is a double patty (trust me, you really don’t need to go for the double). We added the egg and the bacon…very, very thick cut bacon with a side of fries.

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      Another classic, must-try dish is the crispy potato hash with duck heart gravy. As delicious as all of the dishes topped with egg were, my favorite of the evening was the General Jane’s honey fried chicken. Just the right blend of hot and sweet, this chicken was perfectly crispy, not greasy, fried perfection.

      This isn’t a place to go if you are looking to eat light or healthy, but stop in to see the burger that Chicagoan rave about.

      Posted in Adventures, New York, Restaurants, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Manhattan, New York, restaurant, Review
    • Classic New York: The Clover Club

      Posted at 9:00 am by athenapappas, on August 6, 2019

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      At the heart of the Brooklyn cocktail renaissance is Cobble Hills’ Clover Club. For the past decade, bartenders here have been known of their innovative cocktail creations.

      In fact, a few years ago, I took a cocktail making course at the Brooklyn Kitchen with one of the Clover Club’s owners and head bartenders Tom Macy. Even though he no longer teaches the course, I recommend checking out his website for some awesome recipes and tips.

      Back to the Clover Club…as former ADA Mogil and I were catching a move at the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse, we decided to grab a quick bite at the Clover Club before our movie. I had the Flight 57, a refreshing grapefruit and champagne cocktail while Jared tried the more spirit-forward bourbon Boa Constrictor.

       

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      The cocktails were tasty, and the food was delicious to match. We split the crispy brussels sprouts with bacon and a maple vinaigrette along with the spice PEI mussels served in a white wine sauce. If you are looking for a cocktail and a bite or a special night out on the town, the Clover Club is a great date night spot in Brooklyn.

       

      Posted in Adventures, New York, Restaurants, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Brooklyn, cocktail, restaurant, Review
    • Restaurant Review: Chumley’s

      Posted at 9:43 am by athenapappas, on July 30, 2019

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      This past spring, I was lucky enough to snag tickets to Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s reprise of her one woman show Fleabag at the Soho Playhouse (this is the play that would lead to/inspire the hit Amazon show). The performance was amazing, even more raw than the TV show (if you haven’t seen it yet, seriously check it out). Afterwards, we headed to Chumley’s in the West Village.

       

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      The dining room is tight and dark, really evoking the speakeasy old-fashioned vibe. We kicked off the evening with a veal tartar and escargot toast- the evening version of avocado toast. Both were rich and decadent…but not nearly as much as our mains…

       

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      First up, we have duck confit with a chickpea waffle. This is topped with a hot date syrup, an extreme twist on chicken and waffles. Not to be outdone, the 86’d Burger is topped with a bone marrow spread, crispy shallots, cheese, and a special sauce. There were also plenty of crispy fries to share.

      I would be sure to get a reservation, but Chumley’s is a great date-night dinner spot in the village.

      Posted in Adventures, New York, Restaurants, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Manhattan, New York, restaurant, Review
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