Brunch at B Bar

There are few things in this world that I love more than brunch. Of course Shaun tops the list, but following him...let's just say that brunch is high on the list. So on a rainy Sunday morning I planned to meet my sister Kimberly for brunch at Clinton Street Baking Co. After catching a glimpse of their highly acclaimed blueberry pancakes on an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay, we thought it would be the perfect place for a rainy Sunday (and the perfect opportunity to see how my own Lemon Blueberry Pancakes measured up one-on-one).

Since the title of this article isn't Brunch at Clinton Street Baking Co., you're correct in assuming that we in fact never made it to brunch at Clinton after finding out that it was a stomach-turning 3 hour wait. Oh, and no, they don't take reservations.

Feeling defeated and with stomachs growling, we began a hunt for the nearest delicious brunch locale, not relishing braving the stormy weather on the Lower East Side, a neighborhood we were less than familiar with. To make matters worse, Kimberly was a little scared/turned off by Katz's Deli - not sure if it was the massive lines, the abundance of wood paneling or the wall of meats. So we made our way over to the Bowery and saw B Bar in the distance. Though I hadn't been there since my NYU Communications Department graduation party in '04, I have such fun memories of B Bar - the party, meeting my dad for dinner in college and mostly their juicy, cheese-covered burger served on an English muffin. Yum.

Anyhow, back to brunch. B Bar boasts a trendy yet relaxing vibe with reasonable prices and a serious outdoor patio. Greeting us the table was a little wooden cutting board with sliced banana bread. Though it gave my version a major run for its money, it was missing the super delish brown sugar crust on top. But I let it slide because the bread was moist perfection.

In addition to downing large amount of B Bar coffee, I went with my favorite unsweet brunch meal, Eggs Benedict. Served with jalapeno Hollandaise sauce and some of the best home fries I've tasted, this Eggs Benedict surpassed many others that came before it. I mean, doesn't it just look good enough to eat?

If you have the means, I highly recommend giving it a visit. But I want to know about your brunching habits. Do you go out or stay in? Do you go for sweet or savory? Dish on some of your favorites in the comments!

Groceries on demand

I did it.

After two years of glimpsing longingly at the Fresh Direct truck as it rode around my tiny Jersey City neighborhood delivering boxes upon boxes of groceries, I gave in. I placed an order.

I have been regaled with tales of Fresh Direct as friends and family (even our realtor!) sang its praises over the last months, but always had an itty bitty pang of guilt at the thought of having my groceries delivered. Doesn't grocery shopping come with the being-a-wife territory? And that's how the guilt always got me. After all, I don't reeeally have a good excuse as to why I can't take time out of my day to grocery shop. It's not that I mind food shopping. I generally like it...and at times, I even love it. I enjoy trolling the aisles for fun new foods, filling up my cart and subsequently my fridge and pantry...and, oh yeah, eating up the goods. However, quite honestly? The thought of giving up even a moment of my precious weekend hours, which are typically spent getting our apartment in order, writing away and getting to spend some fun time with the husband, for grocery shopping just became too much to bear. Not to mention the annoyance of carting groceries up to our apartment. So last week when I realized that this weekend would need to be a grocery shopping extravaganza, I decided to give Fresh Direct a try.

I scoured the website, filling up my cyber shopping cart with fruits and veggies galore (I admittedly may have overbought), sticking to my general shopping technique of purchasing what's in season and on sale. I found giant packs of chicken breasts, frozen shrimp and lean ground beef - my usual staple proteins. Most of my favorite name brand products were available and for similar, if not lower prices than in store. Not only did I score better deals on cold cuts and vegetables (which lead to my fabulous grilled zucchini) than at my local A&P, but I hunted down an electronic coupon which scored me a sweet 25% off my order bringing my order total to way, way less than what I'd usually spend on a bi-monthly shopping trip. Oh, and the fact that much of the produce is grown locally, with plenty of organic options, is just the icing on the proverbial cake.

So that nagging pang of guilt at the thought of delivered groceries? Let's just say, like many things in life, its been zapped away by convenience and low prices. Now it's the thought of ever having to visit a grocery store again that gives me an itty bitty pang of anxiety.

So what's your thought on the groceries-being-delivered movement? Are you on board? Resisting? Waiting for it to come to a neighborhood near you?

*Images borrowed from FreshDirect.com

Grilled Zucchini Coins

One of my favorite things about spring is the abundance of gorgeous and delicious vegetables. Let's face it, most vegetables need some serious help to invigorate any sort of flavor and I just don't believe anyone who says that vegetables are naturally delicious, because quite honestly, there's a reason why eating them seems like a chore for most people.

I'm a huge fan of roasting, but now that windows are open and warm air is streaming in to our tiny apartment, limited oven use is a must. While roasting does tend to bring out the most wonderful flavors, grilling can have the same effect. Since we live in a tiny Jersey City apartment with no personal outdoor space to speak of (yet), I once again broke out the Foreman to whip up some zucchini coins that transformed the standard vegetables from eh to mmmm. The salt is a must to bring out the delectable flavors, just make sure that you don't overdo it on the grilling - nothing says ack more than squishy veggies. Instead, grill for a few minutes only, get some nice brown crispy marks and chow down.

Grilled Zucchini Coins
1 large zucchini
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

Slice zucchini into thick coins and spread out on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and generously sprinkle salt and a little bit of pepper on each side of the zucchini. Grill until tender, serve and enjoy!

I know I've made some easy dishes here on TAA, but it honestly doesn't get simpler than this. Oh, and did I mention that I picked up two zucchinis from Fresh Direct for a mere $1.49 total? You really can't beat that and the fact that it's a healthy side dish is just the icing on the cake. Ooooh, cake...