Bar Americain

Bar Americain
152 West 52nd Street
New York, NY
(Visit the restaurant's website.)

The highlight of my recent Bobby Flay eating tour was visiting the Iron Chef's own Bar Americain. Chef Flay has a couple of restaurants in New York City but this one was the closest to where I was already headed and it is the restaurant featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay. I had to try it. To be brief, it was spectacular.

I visited Bar Americain with a dining companion for brunch and we just ordered as much as we could. First, I have to say th

at the setting is very inviting and nice. The tall ceilings and decor were light and refreshing. Everything was very clean and professional. The whole place seemed to scream "business casual."

We started out with some cocktails, which were a bit pricey but very tasty. I tried the "Kentucky 95," which is a blend of Maker's Mark, champagne, lemon and orange juices. It was delicious but was it worth $12? My dining companion had the Pimm's Cup, which is made of Pimm's No. 1, lemonade, and cucumber. Yes, cucumber. Cool, refreshing, and different what with the taste of the cucumber and all. The drink was so good that she had to order another one.

Our meal began with a delicious basket of bread and coffee cakes. And these were the best coffee cakes that either of us had ever had. They were so warm, fluffy, and chocolaty. But don't think that it was too heavy. Nothing at Bobby Flay's restaurant was too heavy. He's found the perfect way to make food tasty and light so that you can keep stuffing yourself. The rest of the bread was served with very delicious Jalapeno butter.

But onto the actual appetizers. We couldn't decide on one in particular so we chose the sample platter, which included jumbo shrimp and tomatillo dip, crab in a light coconut milk, and lobster with avocado. I have to say that I am no fan of crab meat but I was willing to give it a chance here at Flay's. Well, I'm sold. This was just tender crab and the light sweetness of the coconut milk (and mango?) was perfect. I couldn't get enough of it. The lobster was perfectly cooked and tender. The meat tasted wonderfully with the avocado too. The shrimp was also tasty but not as good as the other two. We would have ordered more but there were other items to look forward to.

The main courses did not disappoint either. I was torn between the burger and the steak. This being Bobby Flay's place, I had to try one or the other. I went with the strip steak since Flay has often bragged about how he likes grilling steaks. This perfectly portioned slice came with an array of sauces including a home made steak sauce with a kick to it. The fries weren't anything special unfortunately but the meat itself was cooked very well and quite tasty.

My dining companion had the red snapper tacos since there had been a recent episode of Throwdown with the dish. These were perfectly cooked red snapper pieces served with cabbage slaw, a few salsas, and soft flour tortillas. The combination of flavors and the texture of all the ingredients was unbelievable. Now, that's a fish taco. It was perfect.

We were full by the end of the meal but we just had to have dessert. We finished off with a blueberry lemon crepe and a Granny Smith apple tart. The former was wonderfully smooth with brown sugar and brown butter while the latter came with delicious maple walnut ice cream.

Did we overdo it? Yes. But it was worth every bite.

Apfelschorle

When people think Germany, the drink that always comes to mind is beer. But there's also a German non-alcoholic beverage that has a strong hold on German thirst, albeit without an October festival dedicated to its consumption.

Apfelschorle is just carbonated apple juice. Germans can't get enough of it - especially the brand Lift, which is at least as ubiquitous as Coca-Cola in German stores. It's a tasty alternative to lemonade on a hot summer day, and its lack of phosphoric acid makes it less teeth-rotting than cola.

One would think that there could be a lucrative market for apfelschorle in America, although maybe not, since the Germans' love of carbonation in water never caught on here either.

Amada

Amada

217-219 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia PA

(Check out Amada online.)

This visit to Amada was part of our "Bobby Flay & His Challengers" tour.

I came to Amada with high hopes. It is, after all, part of Jose Garces's line of restaurants (I previously visited Distrito). Garces was a chef challenger on Iron Chef America and beat Bobby Flay in "Battle Mellon" (and brain freeze too).
Begin your experience at Amada by trying their sangria (a mix of wine, fruit, herbs, orange liqueur and Spanish brandy). There are a few options by I was fortunate enough to sample the "Blanco" - white wine with apples, pears, and oranges - and "Tinto" - red wine with oranges, apples, and a touch of cinnamon. Both were wonderful and refreshing. Perfect for a summer day.

Since Garces beat Flay in a battle with melon as the secret ingredient, we had to try the Melon Con Jamon" - slices of melon (cantaloupe) wrapped with Serrano ham and lightly drizzled with a yogurt and sherry reduction. It was exquisite. It was so exquisite that my dining companion and I considered ordering a second dish.

Luckily, we didn't do that because we had quite a feast ahead of us. Next came the Ensalada Verde, which was a green salad with asparagus, fava and green beans, and avocado. This also came with slices of cheese, which complement the flavors very well. Beware as this was quite the stack of greens. The nice fresh taste of this dish certainly helped with the other dishes that we ordered. The richest of those was probably the Pulpo A La Gallega or Spanish octopus. This came in a sizzling plate with what seemed to be little wedges of potatoes. The octopus itself was wonderfully succulent but I was glad to have the potatoes to help tone down the saltiness. I wish they had given us more of those potatoes. The dish might have been small but it was well portioned as the octopus was really rich.
The Almejas Con Chorizo (clams & chorizo) also came on a sizzling plate. This was terrific as well. The chorizo was just so tasty and the clams were delicious. I'm not sure how to describe one of the best dishes I've had. It probably wasn't all that great for me but it sure was a wonderful experience. Our final dish was the Escalivada, a medley of roasted peppers, eggplant, Cippolini onions & confit tomatoes. The onions were almost creamy on the inside and just perfect.

And then there was dessert. My dining companion and I tried the "Arroz Con Leche," which is a saffron rice pudding with blackberry compote, lemon jam, cinnamon bric, and fromage blanc. No, this is not your regular rice pudding. My companion, who had been a little hesitant with the saffron rice, loved it. But I also really liked the "Crema Catalana De Chocolate," which is a caramelized dark chocolate custard with strawberry gelee, and a berry sorbet. This was just fabulous. The sorbet had a really fresh taste the the custard itself was just perfect. It was rich with chocolate, very slightly crispy on top, and moist inside. A wonderful way to wrap up a fantastic meal.

Yes, Amada is a little pricey but you rarely get a treat like this.

Tropicana Pure Valencia

I'm a big fan of orange juice, particularly Tropicana's Immunity Defense OJ. I was, however, skeptical when I saw the new adds for "Tropicana Pure Valencia." Still curious, I bought a bottle and tried it out. It's just regular orange juice as far as I can tell and the original still tastes better. Of course, the Valencia is more expensive and I have to think that half the cost went into the little booklets that came with the bottle. Bear in mind these are little booklets that tell you how wonderful what you're about to drink is. The first page boasts that this OJ was a "taste like you've never experienced" and an "orange juice like no other."

Why does Tropicana think that Valencia is so super? Here's their reasoning: "Because this juice is 100% Valencia, and the Valencia is a special orange. . . . Valencias spend more than a year ripening on the tree, developing a deep, rich color, exceptional juiciness, and an especially succulent taste."

It's also not easy to get picked to be part of this new drink! "Ultimately," the booklet tells us, "only the top 3% of our entire harvest is chosen for Tropicana Pure Valencia." The makers of Valencia "squeeze slowly, taking great care and concern with each step. And we embrace the smallest details to ensure only the very best juice." Apparently, Valencia is "out most luscious juice ever" and it is supposed to "change the way you think about juice."

As if all this wasn't absurd enough, the makers of Valencia take the time to tell you how to drink this super OJ! First, you must "Close your eyes and breathe in the incredible aroma." Then, "open your eyes and take in the deep, intense color." Third, "Swirl the juice in your glass to observe the full body." And, finally, "take a sip. Let every taste bud be entertained by teh luscious experience of succulent fruit."

I'm not at all convinced!

Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks

Starbucks
Your Local Street Corner
Anywhere, USA
(Visit their website!)

I generally do not like large stores like Starbucks but hats off to them for this fantastic drink! I looked in disgust at one as a travel companion ordered it and sipped it with joy after having bashed Starbucks herself. Since it was a particularly cold day and I was curious about the drink, I had just a taste and I was hooked. My travel companion had added a few pumps of Chai to her drink but subsequent orders that I placed were without this additional flavor. I also did away with the caramel as that just makes it too sweet. Check, it out, with the caramel and no whipped cream, this drink brings in 310 calories! I don’t know if my subtraction of the caramel helps much but I think it tastes better that way anyway. So, cheers to this terrific winter drink!

(Image by MB)

Pho Cafe Saigon

Pho Cafe Saigon
4248 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(Between S. 42nd and S. 43rd)


This is an avocado milkshake and it is delicious. I don't know if it is actually Vietnamese since it seems like many stores serve it but this particularly good one is at a Vietnamese restaurant. The "bubbles" are actually tapioca balls. They don't have a taste in and of themselves but they absorb the flavor of the avocado and when you suck them in and chew on them, you're rewarded with just a terrific dining experience. Yes, they make this from real avocado. From what I could see, they just scooped avocado into a blender and mixed it with crushed ice and added the "bubbles." (Did they add a bit of sugar?) This can be a meal in and of itself. Tasty and filling and healthy too. Oh, the cravings I've had for this wonderful treat. Of course, if you don't like avocado, they also have other options like mango and pineapple.

(Image by AG)

Fuzzy Navel

The Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant
247 S. 17th Street
(17th & Latimer, between Spruce and Locust)
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(Check out their website!)

One problem with Typhoon in Boston. These guys messed up my fuzzy navel. How do you mess up such an easy drink? There's peach schnapps, orange juice, and vodka. To make a great one, add ice. That's all there is to it. Why on earth would the people at Typhoon add Bailey's Irish Cream to my drink? It completely ruined it. Sorry, Typhoon but that's a strike against you. There is an impressive bar at your place but if your bartenders can't make a simple drink, that's not good.

The folks at the Black Sheep Pub in Philadelphia know how to make my drink! Well done!

(Image by AG)