Brunch at Petit Abeille | NYC

The Breakdown:
- Occasion: Weekend brunch with friends.
- Attire/ambiance: Casual, quaint / rustic European decor.
- What to order: the Croquet Madame. The salmon omelette also looked great though.
- Reservations? Nope. Expect a good 45-60 min wait around brunch time on weekends. (Worth the long line though!)

This beauty pictured above is a croquet madame from Petit Abeille, a cozy little French brunch spot in NYC with very high Yelp ratings. It may not look like a lot of food, but trust me - it was very filling and heavy. 

This dish in particular got tons of rave reviews. Didn't know this before but a croquet monsieur is basically a French grilled ham & cheese, and the madame has an additional poached egg on top (like the hats that Parisian ladies wore back in the day).

Very, very happy with my choice of the madame. There’s something deeply satisfying about mopping up rich, runny egg yolk with a thick loaf of bread covered in melted cheese...

3-Hour Dinner at Ai Fiori | NYC

The Breakdown:

- Occasion: Fancy date night, anniversary dinner, etc.

- Attire/ambiance: Classy, elegant.

- What to order: Definitely the Anatra (duck) and Trofie Nero (squid ink pasta, quite unique). If you like rich desserts, then get the Tartaletta.

- Reservations? Yes. (Keep in mind: the 4-course prix fixe may take 3 hrs.)

I had my first Michelin Star experience at Ai Fiori - "Among the Flowers" in Italian, the epitome of fine Italian & French dining. I now have a much greater appreciation for the sheer level of dedication and detail that these places must maintain 24/7.

After we ordered, our server brought over a complimentary appetite-awakener. The grape was a nice touch, and balanced out the savory panna cotta cheese.

Then they presented an assortment of freshly-made bread to choose from, including multi-grain bread, sweet onion rolls (pictured), French baguettes, etc. I normally never use butter with bread, but their herbed butter was irresistibly light and fragrant.

Elegantly plated appetizer - Insalata di Astice: Nova Scotia lobster, cipollini onions, celery, new potatoes, dill. There's so much going on here...Great balance of flavors.

My appetizer, the Vellutata: lobster soup, périgord black truffles, tarragon. I thoroughly enjoyed the first few bites; however, it quickly became too rich/heavy for my taste.  

My next course was their famous Trofie Nero (squid ink pasta): ligurian crustacean ragu, seppia (cuttlefish), scallops, spiced mollica (bread crumbs). The thick, crunchy, tightly-coiled pasta strands were fun to eat but over-hyped, in my opinion. 

Another great pasta option is their Risotto: riso aquarello (Italian rice), duck confit, mushrooms, marsala (wine), parmesan fonduta. They definitely didn't skimp on portion size!

The next meat dish, the Tagliata: prime dry aged strip loin, endive, potato terrine, “cacio e pepe” (basically cheese and pepper), balsamico, bordelaise. The meat was cooked perfectly, very tender and juicy, but lacked the wow factor for us.

On the other hand, we absolutely loved my meat dish, the Anatra: long island duck, apple mostarda (an Italian fruit and mustard condiment), tuscan kale, hazelnuts, cipollini onion. It was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and the fruity sauce, nut-encrusted caramelized skin, and flavorful meat complemented each other beautifully. Best dish that night, hands-down.

Though I was much too full to even contemplate dessert, I gave in anyway to the raspberry mousse paired with a tangy peach sorbet, fresh fruit, and white chocolate.

Also fantastic but very rich – the Tartaletta: Loma Sotavento 72% ganache (a smoky dark chocolate), chocolate chiboust (pastry cream), tiramisu gelato.

Instead of mints, these delicious petit fours accompanied the check. 

Thus concludes a food coma-inducing but very memorable dinner. My only gripe would be toward the insanely slow service...We got there at around 8:30 pm but left at almost 11:20. At least the numerous courses of the meal kept us entertained. 

French Tapas at Pair | Seattle

The Breakdown:

- Occasion: Casual and/or romantic dinner.

- Attire/ambiance: Casual or dressy; quaint, rustic European decor.

- What to order: the gougeres (cheese puffs), banana bread pudding, pan-seared trout, and the risotto special - if it's still on the menu.

- Reservations? Yes.

I had my first taste of French tapas (think dim sum or assorted appetizer-sized dishes) from Pair, a cozy little wine bar & restaurant in Seattle. Perfect spot for a date night. 

Everything we tried was delicious in a very refined way. Nothing was overly seasoned, and the flavors/textures were all nicely balanced. 

We started off with the gougeres or cheese puffs - light, flaky biscuits with warm, melted cheese inside. So good. Then we had the special, a creamy duck risotto with a poached egg on top, as well as the pan-seared trout. Both dishes came with beautiful plating.

Not pictured, but we also got the steak frites, a very rich but satisfying dish of tender, juicy beef slices and thin fries covered with flavorful blue cheese crumbles. 

For dessert, we went with the banana bread pudding (which got rave reviews) with candied walnuts, dulce de luche ice cream, and caramel drizzle on top. Needless to say, it was incredible. Just look at that masterpiece...

Bistro du Midi | Boston

The Breakdown:

- Occasion: Good for an anniversary dinner or fancier date night.

- Attire/ambiance: Smart casual, with elegant surroundings and cushy seating on the upper floor.

- What to order: The grilled octopus appetizer, seared duck entree, and chocolate souffle for dessert.

- Reservations? Yes.

Bistro du Midi is a classy little French spot, perfect for a nice anniversary dinner or date night. We loved our appetizer – a harmonious blend of flavors featuring grilled octopus, eggplant cavier, sundried tomato, pine nut and basil oil sauce, and pear slices. Although it was only 4 tiny pieces, each one was crisp, juicy, and flavorful.

It’s hard to say which dish was better, the appetizer or my entree. I had the seared duck breast, with chickpea croquettes flavored with lemon, black olives, almonds, grilled figs, and a fragrant lavender sauce. The flavors were great together, the skin was done to a caramelized crisp, and the inside was perfectly cooked to a tender medium.

More close-ups of the duck. (Not pictured, but we also got the wild boar ragout cavatelli pasta with pear and ricotta salata on top – a nutty and mildly salty cheese. Also amazing but very tiny portions. Do NOT expect to get full after that dish.)

For dessert, we opted for the Grand Marnier souffle instead of the more popular chocolate one. The texture was deliciously airy and fluffy, but the taste of liqueur is almost overpowering. I'd probably stick with the chocolate next time. Overall, wonderful experience.