Cooper's Tavern

I usually avoid the Herald Square area if I'm looking for a nice sit-down restaurant, the area is way too crowded and over-priced, but Cooper's Tavern is definitely an exception. They have great food, a reasonably priced happy hour, and the waitstaff is always very attentive.

As the name implies, Cooper's Tavern has that mahogany wood and dim yellow light decor with TVs showing live sports games, but it's nothing like your average pub. The artwork and decorative glass wall all lend to an upscale American restaurant environment. The waitstaff is super friendly and eager to please you. They aren't afraid to say if they don't like something on the menu and never leave your water glass empty.

The restaurant has a great happy hour special. Selected appetizers are all under $10 and draft beers, house wines, appletinis, cosmopolitans and sangria are under $7. I definitely recommend getting a glass of sangria and fried calamari.

The menu at Cooper's Tavern ranges from seafood to steak to pastas and pizzas. There's something on there for everyone. In addition, there's a prixe fix menu for $19.95 that includes an appetizer and entree.   Try the bruschetta with fresh tomatoes and olive oil for your appetizer (definitely meant to be shared). For my main course, I had the pesto chicken pasta topped with ricotta. The delicious flavors of the pesto and the creaminess of the ricotta make this pasta perfect. Warning: there is a lot of fresh garlic in this dish, so if you're not a big garlic person, this may not be the option for you. My friend ordered steak with potatoes and, though it needed a little salt, the meat was juicy and the potatoes were the best I've tasted in awhile. For dessert, if you love chocolate as much as I do, try the chocolate ganache cake. It's very heavy and can be a bit overwhelming if you aren't prepared, but a bite of this can cheer up anyone.

Would I recommend Cooper's Tavern? It may be just a little bit over-priced but the food and great service definitely make up for it. If anything, it's worth checking out for its happy hour.

Cooper's Tavern
481 8th Avenue,
New York, NY 10001
(212) 268-8460

Bambara

Boston is known for its seafood restaurants and a great one to try is Bambara Restaurant in Cambridge.

Bambara Restaurant is located near the Cambridge Galleria. The lighting, table settings, decor and ambiance create a wonderful classy American environment. The waitstaff is very helpful with explaining the menu and offering recommendations for the perfect meal. I went with a group of ten friends and our waiter was always there when we needed him and got all of our orders right.

The food itself is delicious. Although the menu has a wide variety of options, I definitely recommend the seafood courses. I tried the spicy tuna tartare for the appetizer course. It comes with an avocado puree and crispy potato chips. It's not as spicy as the name implies so don't be scared to try it. The fried squid and grilled flatbread are equally delicious. If you're in the mood for soup, try the lobster bisque which is one of the best I've tasted.

For my entree, I got the pan seared sea scallops which were cooked perfectly and came with a delicious tangy sauce. If you choose to get the lobster meal, the lobster roll and lobster risotto are made with the freshest ingredients. The risotto isn't too creamy or heavy so you get to enjoy your whole meal without being overwhelmed by one particular flavor.

The only negative comment I have about Bambara is its vanilla creme brulee. I love all things sweet but this was just a little too sweet for me. But the restaurant has many other dessert options. For something on the lighter side, try a selection of the sorbet. For something warmer, try the caramel banana bread pudding. It's definitely a dessert meant to be shared but this warm treat is a perfect way to end your meal. Bambara also has a huge selection of wines, champagnes and cocktails. Ask your waiter to help pick the best match to accompany your meal.

I went to Bambara Restaurant during restaurant week over the summer. The regular menu may be a little bit different but this is definitely a restaurant I recommend trying if you're in the Boston area.

Bambara Restaurant
25 Edwin H. Land Blvd.
Cambridge, MA 02141
(617) 868-4444

Sweet Potato Casserole

Here's a yummy recipe for your Thanksgiving table!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
5 sweet potatoes
1/4 cup margarine (reduced fat for a healthier option)
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1 package of miniature marshmallows

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 F.
2) Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into 1 inch thick slices.
3) Place the slices into a saucepan and cover with water.
4) Add salt to the sweet potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash.
5) Place mashed sweet potatoes into a large bowl. Add the margarine, brown sugar, orange juice and ground cinnamon. Blend the ingredients with an electric mixer.
6) Spread the mixture evenly in a 9x13 baking dish. Add a layer of marshmallows on top.
7) Bake for about 20 minutes or until the marshmallow are golden brown and enjoy!

(Makes 8 servings.)

El Viejo Yayo

I don't often try restaurants in Queens but recently I went to El Viejo Yayo for some Spanish food.

This is one of those restaurants that you can't really tell what you're getting yourself into until you experience it. It looks like a bar from the outside, with a big light-up OPEN sign in the window. But inside are white table-clothed tables with a bottle of wine on each. But, there's also two televisions and refrigerator where they keep their desserts and bottled beer. Management is very confused if it wants a casual bar or fancy Spanish cuisine restaurant.

The service was terrible. There were two waiters to wait on four tables but service was still slow. I couldn't find a waiter to ask for more water or for the check. Both had difficulty understanding English and couldn't answer any questions. I was even asked to move once I had sat down and started eating.

The only slightly redeeming part of this experience was the food. El Viejo Yayo has a very extensive menu, leaving little room for someone to not find something they like on the menu. Most main dishes come with a side, which was my favorite part of the meal. The rice and beans and maduros (sweet fried plantains) were delicious. My entree, chicken with a mushroom sauce, was decent at best decent. The sauce overpowered everything else on the plate and tasted like oil as the food began to cool. For dessert, I got a slice of tres leches cake, which, even though it came from a plastic box from that very visible dessert and beer refrigerator, was really good. It wasn't too sweet or dry. Paired with a cup of coffee, it was a great ending to the meal.

Would I recommend going to this restaurant? Probably not. You can always find a much better Spanish restaurant in NYC. The decent food didn't come close to making up for the terrible service and confusing environment.

Rabia's

I've been so busy with moving back home and such I completely forgot to write about an amazing restaurant in the North End, Rabia's Italian Seafood and Oyster Bar.
Rabia's is located on one of the main streets in the North End, right next a cute little sweet shop that you should also visit. One of the greatest things about the restaurant, besides the food, is it decor. The walls are lined with ivy and flowers and fruit hang from the ceiling. The lamps are decorated with crystals and the whole restaurant seems to transport you somewhere far and much more serene than downtown Boston. The waitstaff is very attentive; they are eager to help with the menu and always quick to refill your water   glass.

The Italian restaurant has as an extensive menu with something to please everyone. For goat cheese lovers, try the Baked Goat Cheese as an appetizer. The cheese is creamy and smooth, perfect to eat with the toasted crostini. While Rabia's has a great standard menu, don't forget about the daily specials. I tried the Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken, which was served over penne with sundried tomatoes and delicious. The restaurant is known for its seafood selection so you should definitely try one of the lobster dishes. The Ravioli d'Aragosta comes in a creamy champagne sauce and is the best lobster ravioli I've ever tried. I'm not usually a big fan of risotto, but Rabia's has amazing seafood risotto and lobster risotto that you should try if you prefer heavier meals. Of course, being an Italian restaurant, there is a great wine selection at decent prices to accompany your meal.

Rabia's may be on the pricier side as far as restaurants go in the North End, but it has a great atmosphere and delicious food, which make it perfect for any special occasion.

Rabia's
73 Salem Street
Boston, MA
(617) 227-6637

Ocean Grill

It's NYC Restaurant Week (actually 3 weeks), a great time to have a delicious 3 course meal at any of the hundreds of restaurants in New York City. I had a great lunch at the Ocean Grill, a seafood restaurant on the Upper West Side.

Ocean Grill is located just a few minutes walk from the Museum of Natural History and Central Park, making it a great place to eat while you're enjoying the city. It has outdoor seating with a view of the museum and a soothing interior that reminds you of the beach. Seashells hang from the lights on the ceiling and the walls have a wavy pattern. This is definitely a white table cloth restaurant so make sure you dress up.

I personally chose this restaurant because it had many things on its Restaurant Week menu that I've never tried before and it was all delicious. I tried the watermelon gazpacho with scallops for an appetizer. The mix of pepper, onion and mint in this dish make it a refreshing treat for the summer. The salmon roll is also yummy and probably one of the best salmon rolls I've ever had.


For the entree, I ordered the cod and this is the only complaint I had with the meal. The fish and the sauce were delicious and the tomatoes helped to add just the right amount of tartness to the dish. However, I wish there had been different flavors on the plate because it all started to taste the same after a while. The lobster roll, on the other hand, had a great mix of flavors and came on a freshly baked bread. The fries that came with the roll won the entree round for me. I've never had better fries! Ocean Grill has found a way to make each and every fry the perfect mix of crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.


The dessert was my favorite course. The strawberry shortcake was light and the lemon sauce was refreshing after such a heavy meal and walking around in the sun. The chocolate torte was a little heavy but I love my chocolate and the vanilla ice cream really helped to balance the density. The cookie crumbs and chocolate balls used to decorate the cake were my favorite part.


Overall, Restaurant Week at the Ocean Grill was a great experience with the delicious food and attentive staff. For all the seafood lovers out there, I definitely recommend eating at the Ocean Grill

Ocean Grill
384 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024

Also, check out NYC Restaurant Week!

        

Tapeo

During Restaurant Week, my friends and I went to Tapeo, a tapas bar on Newbury Street. I had heard really good things about the food there and thought Restaurant Week was a good time to check it out.

Like most restaurants on Newbury Street, Tapeo looks interesting from the outside and has a great seating arrangement. The lighting is a bit dark, or it could just be the rainy weather that day, but there's some very interesting decorations on the wall to remind you of Spanish culture. The waitstaff were friendly and prompt, and willing to explain the whole menu, which was helpful because I don't have much experience with eating at Spanish restaurants.












The regular menu and the Restaurant Week menu are basically the same. The only difference I noticed is that, for the appetizer course, I ordered a potato and ham spicy soup, which doesn't seem to be on the every day menu. My friends ordered the Tortilla Espanola, a Spanish omelet whose main ingredient is potatoes. The soup was delicious and just warm enough. The Tortilla Espanola came as a triangular slice with the right proportion of potatoes to eggs. For the main course, I got the saffron batter fried shrimp with spicy mayo. It is the most delicious fried shrimp I've ever tasted. I also tried the grilled Spanish sausage. It wasn't as sweet as I was expecting it to be but it was the perfect texture and very filling. We also ordered an eggplant and cheese bake (also cannot find on the menu), which kind of reminded me of eggplant parm. The sauce in the mixture added a nice tanginess to the dish, making it yummy.

If I had to choose, I would definitely say dessert was my favorite course. We ordered churros with hot chocolate, almond cake and, of course, flan. The churros are nothing like American churros you buy at amusement parks. They are salty and when dipped in the hot chocolate, you get this amazing sweet and salty flavor. The almond cake came with a coffee cream which was my favorite part of the dessert. It really helped to balance the sweetness of the cake.











Overall, the food was delicious and everyone should definitely grab their friends and check out Tapeo!

Tapeo
266 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 267-4799