Road Trip – NYC
Had to head up to New York City this week for a work conference and my coworkers and I were fortunate enough to be able to enjoy a few meals in the city. Apologies in advance for some of the the grainy photos, but NYC restaurants are very low light and flashes seemed inappropriate.
We started off with Eataly, Mario Batali’s Gourmet Italian Market, Wine Shop and Eatery.
Though the place was packed with Italian meats, cheeses, breads and pastries, I’m a big fan of gelato so I had to try it. Gave the Carmello al Sale a whirl and it was definitely a good choice.
Some of my coworkers and I are huge How I Met Your Mother fans so we had dinner at McGee’s, the inspiration for McLaren’s Pub on the show.
They sure as hell own it.
Right down to the HIMYM themed specials menu which, let’s be honest, is rather generic.
I stuck with the Buffalo Chicken Sliders, which were good but could have used a little more heat.
The following night our management took us to dinner at Sinigual, which boasts gourmet Mexican food. I tried the Mexican Duck Confit and was pleasantly surprised. A gigantic fire roasted pepper stuffed with pulled duck, Oaxaca cheese and dried cranberries with a thick chipotle sauce, this was an interesting and flavorful dish. Duck is not something I would associate with Mexican food but it worked well.
And of course leave it to me to find one of the biggest tap houses in the city. The Ginger Man was right around the corner from my house and boasted a 75 beer tapwall. Had a very British vibe to it; if I didn’t already know I was in NYC I would have sworn I was in the UK. The biggest benefit was that I was able to try some seasonal Pumpkin beers that are not available to me in Tampa.
Elysian Brewing’s The Great Pumpkin Ale.
Flying Dog’s The Fear.
I would have loved to have more time to explore but I did what I could in the little time that I had so I’d consider that a win.
Any favorite places in NYC? Leave a message in the comments section!
And remember… the food abides…
Valar Morghulis Dubbel Ale
Been waiting to come across this since it was released but I finally got my hands on a bottle of Ommegang Brewery’s latest Game of Thrones inspired beer, Valar Morghulis Dubbel Ale. Stumbled upon this while just walking through my local ABC Liquor (which usually never gets their hands on the GoT beers).
“When confronted with the most feared saying in High Valyrian, take a sip and choose your words wisely. For all men must die and all men must serve.”
Can’t wait to break open this bottle.
Tried Valar Morghulis? Leave a message in the comments!
And remember… the food abides….
Oktoberfest @ Mr. Dunderbak’s Biergarten
So my two best friends came to Tampa for a visit and after picking them up from the airport we decided to hit up Mr. Dunderbak’s for a little Oktoberfest fare. As far as authentic German food goes, they always knock it out of the park.
Started out with some apps and tried the Pomme Frittes, German Pretzel and Swabisch Spatzle with some Swamp Head Octoberfest Ale. And plenty of German Mustards for dipping.
Potato Stuffed Pierogies, German Cucumber and Onion Salad and what’s left of my Lichen Oktoberfest Ale. Harder to see in this photo but my friends got the Paprika Gulasch and the Jagerschnitzel respectively.
I’m never disappointed with Dunderbak’s but my friends enjoyed it immensely. They were thoroughly impressed not only with the food and the atmosphere, but also with our server who was incredibly well versed in his beer knowledge (right down to explaining the Purity Laws that have to be adhered to for certain brews). Doesn’t get more authentic than that…
Tried Dunderbak’s? Leave a message in the comments section!
And remember… the food abides…
Epcot International Food & Wine Fest – Lobster Alfredo Bake
I intend to talk a lot more about Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival after I’ve had a few more visits this season. But as a preview I’ll leave you with this:
From the America Pavilion menu, a Lobster Alfredo Bake paired with a Sam Adams Octtoberfest. Loaded with huge chunks of lobster and three different kinds of cheeses, this thing was off the chain.
More to come as I’m hitting Food & Wine again this week with some friends who are visiting from out-of-town.
Until then, remember… the food abides…
Tampa Food Dude 