Christmas Party at X20

I had to write about tonight ASAP! It was so much fun!

So X20 had this Christmas Dinner and Holiday Cabaret from December 12th, until tonight, December 21st... It was quite an event! I hadn't been to X20 since the one time I was there in November of 2007 so I didn't know what to expect... I was quickly reminded of how awesome Chef Peter Kelly is!

It started at 7 PM with hors d'ouevres... OMG it was so tempting, because I was trying to save myself for the 4 course dinner! There was Coconut Shrimp, Baby Lamb Chops, Sushi, Braised Short Rib Wellington, and so on...
I took a bite of the lamb:

And shared this tiny little Beef Wellington:


After tasting these two items, I knew dinner was going to be exceptional!

We finally sat down for dinner at like 8:15? The menu was pretty much set, except you could choose between Duckling, Black Cod, or Beef for your entrée.


Appetizer: Warm Medley of Shellfish served in a Chive Crepe
This was soooo good. The crepe had some crispy parts, and the middle was soft. The inside was stuffed with crabmeat, scallops, lobster, and shrimp! The Lobster Sauce was kinda like a lobster bisque and it was delicious!

I did the OMFG grunt for this one, definitely :-)

Entrées:

The Roasted Hudson Valley Duckling (I tried a bite... very good!)


Roasted Chateaubriand of Beef... I have been blessed with great steaks lately!


Honey & Sake Glazed Alaskan Black Cod- This tasted like a very traditional marinade for Japanese fish, and it was just so comforting. This was my entrée and I'm happy I went with this, because last time I was at X20, I had the Swordfish which I was also blown away by! The side of orzo, broccoli rabe, and mushrooms was creamy and rich... Perfect :-)

Then... the stars of the night came out:

Ned Kelly, Paul Kelly, and Mary Lou Shriber- They sang all these Christmas classics, and they also did their own funny versions of songs! It so much fun, everyone was laughing hysterically when they (the guys) dressed like old women!

And then finally dessert!

Warm Chocolate Yule Log- Melting Valrohna Ganache wrapped in a phylo dough with Creme Anglaise

Look at that Chocolate floodage!
I only tasted this, but it was INCREDIBLY rich... it was just pure, warm chocolate!

And of course Petits Fours:


I am so making reservations next year... it was REALLY a lot of fun! Not to mention a certain star who was in Groundhog Day (wink, wink ;-)) was totally sitting 2 tables away from us!

Last but not least, shout-out to Ed's family for inviting me!




X20
71 Water Grant Street
Yonkers, NY 10701
Phone: 914-965-1111

Kyo-Ya

My second time... just as good as the first time!

Kyo-Ya is a Japanese restaurant that really takes pride in using extremely seasonal ingredients. From their vegetables to their fish which a lot of times is flown in from Japan that day, every day their daily special revolve around what they "caught" that day.

The vibe of the restaurant is so chill. Its asian-loungey fusion. Haha if that makes sense. There is a sushi bar type area and theres also tables and a Japanese style sitting room. They play jazz.

The food is just so fresh. You can taste the freshness in every bite. The flavors are unique and the chef really exaggerates the importance of each flavor in a dish.

Last night, my mom and I tried a few new dishes:

1. Uni and Scallop Shiokara


2. Poached Shirako in Ponzu with Scallions and Momiji Oroshi


3. Sashimi: Katsuo, Uni, Shima-Aji, Hirame, Engawa, Saba


4. Self-Grilled Matsutake and Yamaimo with Satoimo and Ohitashi


5. Dashimaki Tamago


6. Agedashi Anago and Tofu


7. Matsutake, Chicken, and Mitsuba Takikomi Gohan


8. Kuromame Anmitsu


My favorite was the Shirako (its cod sperm... yum!)... it was my first time having Shirako, and it reminded me of Ankimo and Foie Gras and other liver type, rich tasting foods. Apparently, it is also Matsutake season! I have had Uni at Kyo-Ya before and I loved it! This time was no different... it was sweet, rich, and creamy.

Other memorable dishes that I had last time that I would recommend are definitely the Ebi Shinjo (Shrimp Mousse Balls) and Sweet Potato Tempura.

Kyo-Ya (Menupages)
94 E 7th St (@ 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10079
Phone: 212-982-4140

All' Antica Part 2

Yes... there is a part 2 to my new favorite pizza place, All' Antica in Scarsdale, NY!

Me and Ed ate here on Saturday night. Here is a note to start off my second adventure to All' Antica- I RARELY REQUEST TO EAT PIZZA... I know for a lot of people, they eat it for convenience or to save money. For me, most of the foods I eat are to make me and my belly happy!

So here's how the conversation went between me and Ed on Saturday:
ME: Hey, Babe?
ED: Yeah?
ME: Can we have dinner tonight at that pizza place in front of the Scarsdale train station?
ED: [With a face of surprise and skepticism] Yeah sure!

This time, we tried many new things!

#1- Contadini Slice- Thinly sliced potatoes and proscuitto

OH.MY.GOODNESS... Here is what I wrote on Chowhound about this slice...

I am not the biggest fan of potatoes... I tend to skip on french fries, baked potatoes, and mashed potatoes unless im REALLY craving it. But the way the potatoes were used in this slice was delish! The thin potato slices were also cooked perfectly... It was not mush, it actually had a nice bite to it. I also thought it was gonna be bland.... i was so wrong. The slice was so flavorful! The herbs and the proscuitto really spiced up the slice! It was just so creative!

Look at those herbs!

#2- Plain Pie straight from the oven!

This was absolutely incredible. It was done right. I got to enjoy the already delicious slice HOT and BUBBLING! Wow. I mean, it was really just so perfect. The crust was crispy, the sauce was flavorful, and there was the right amount of cheese!

Cheese on bottom, sauce on top!

EVIDENCE OF NO FLOPPAGE!

#3- Baked Orzo Primavera- Orzo baked in a creamy sauce with vegetables, topped with mozzarella cheese!

We got to sample this side dish after all our pizza-munching! This was so delicious too... unfortunately, we were already SO full from the pizza that we both only took a few bites. The concept of this dish is very similar to a baked ziti or a baked macaroni and cheese... Their version involves orzo, peas, carrots, and mushrooms in a light creamy sauce and then topped with mozzarella. Like the guy at All' Antica promised, this dish is surprisingly not heavy despite the cream sauce.

I really am starting to LOVE where I live. I got amazing baked goods from Lulu's and amazing pizza from All' Antica!

P.S.- I got to talk with the guys of All' Antica for a bit and I just love the LOVE that they put into the food that they make. They are passionate about their food and it really shows!

Lulu's...

...the love of my life! (Sorry, babe!)
But Ed knows how much I LOVE Lulu's in Scarsdale, NY. I am so grateful that this little bakery is located right on my street...a 7 minute walk!

What I Love About Lulu's:
1. Everything is delicious... everything is either so classic or so unique that I am mesmerized. When something is "classic" it's done right, no, PERFECT. The yellow cake is so moist and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Their chocolate chip is so very classic. But it is the best tasting chocolate chip cookie i've ever had. The consistency of the cookie is also the best i've ever had. A chewey-ness that I personally have never been able to achieve in my own journey of baking the perfect chocolate chip cookie! Now when i say "unique" i am talking about their specialty cakes. Right now I am eating a Peanut Butter-Banana-Chocolate cake... Brilliant? I think so. Such a cliche combination but who's ever made it a reality (and this good!?)? Also, their "Maui Wowie" cake is my absolute favorite! A yellow cake with passionfruit curd!!! Perfect combination of tart and sweet! Or how about the Rum Raisin Bar? Never even heard of it, but when my tongue flirted with the flavors, it tasted so right. An oatmeal cookie like base with rum curd, studded with plenty of regular and golden raisins and topped with a crumb topping.
2. Their stuff reminds me of childhood innocence... Yodels, Devil Dogs, enourmous 1/2 pound Cupcakes with pastel Buttercream frosting....
3. Without the friendly faces working at Lulu's, I would be less inclined to go the 3 times a week that i do <3

I have a sampler of Lulu's desserts most nights of the week... I'm a Lulu's addict. It's hard to resist when in every bite, you can taste the quality of all the ingredients that they use.
Here are some pictures that will make you drool...


The dried fruit cookie... crunchy, buttery, crumbly, and every bite has dried fruit!


The infamous chocolate chip cookie... I get excited for the melty, chocolate chunks!


A sliced Yodel... mmm... Cream, cake, and chocolate!


In the front is the Rum Raisin Bar and in the background is the cheesecake brownie... Just look, its beautiful!


Look at this monstrosity...

And the beauty... this was delicious! You have to really concentrate on each flavor; the banana cake, the not-too-overwhelming peanut butter frosting, and the chocolate chips. Its really great!

If you are in Westchester, NY... do yourself a favor and go to Scarsdale and go to LULU'S!!

Lulu
40 Garth Road,
Scarsdale, NY 10583
Phone: 914-722-8300

All'Antica in Scarsdale

Gourmet toppings on thin crust pizza is SO in right now... at least in Miki's world.

All'Antica in Scarsdale is a new pizza place right in front of the train station that has the best (IMO) thing crust pizza in the area... I was really in love with Scarsdale PIzza Station pizza but i really really like the toppings at All'Antica

I had the Portabello mushroom, smoked mozarella, red onion, and balsamic vinegar slice first....
Its amazing what the smoked mozzarella does to this slice.... it was sweet and delicious!

And oh man.... look at the thin crust.... NO FLOPPAGE! And the cheese/topping/crust ratio is perfect!


My next slice was the eggplant, gorgonzola, basil and plum tomato slice. I would have to say if i had to choose one, I would go with this one.... The gorgonzola gave a huge BURST of flavor in my mouth accompanied by my fav veggie.... EGGPLANT!

Ugh... and look at this... isn't it beauuuuutiful!?


The only problem is that the place is TINY! Probably about like 4 tables... but luckily it was really nice out today, and we ate outside.

All'Antica (Reviews on Chowhound)
8 Depot Place
Scarsdale, NY 10583
Phone: 914-472-4848
Fax: 914-472-4899

USHIWAKAMARU

The next one which I dined at on July 18, 2008 was ::drum roll please::...
USHIWAKAMARU

In short, it was the best sushi experience I've had in a while... Sushi Den was a dissappointment and my local joints here in Westchester, NY have been iffy.... So here's some food porn to make you cream your mouth...

The fish here is top notch! Both the sashimi and sushi were perfect.... super fresh, perfect amount of rice, right size fish, just a perfect sushi experience!

We did the omakase and got:
Sashimi (starting from the center of the delicious, fatty, sweet toro ---> clockwise)
-Toro
-Sardine
-Amaebi
-Kampachi
-Mirugai


Moving onto Sushi
-Shiraebi

-Saki

-Saba

-some rare seasonal salmon

-Uni

-Ikura

-Kinmedai

-Madai

-Anago

-Uzura no Tamago with Caviar

-And i totally forgot what the last fish was, but it was well liked by my mouth


And of course.... i ALWAYS, without fail, finish off a sushi meal with TAMAGOYAKI!!!


So going back to the disclaimer in the last post... I did it again (oops!). I forgot to take pictures of the dessert. But i can assure you it was delicious. We got the Grapefruit Jelly and the Anmitsu.

I definitely left this restaurant super happy and super full :-)

USHIWAKAMARU
136 W Houston St (Btwn MacDougal & Sullivan St)
New York 10012
Phone: 212-228-4181
Fax: 212-228-4187