Review: Cucina Stagionale
289 Bleecker St

This place has the big ol' clunky Christmas lights up along its name and is directly across from Calinte Cab Co . . . I thought it would be a touristy place . . . and perhaps it is, but I was quite content. The decore is peeling paint with paintings of water/boats etc. The service couldnt be nicer. Dinner was delicious and the wine was, good (i'm not exactly a conisseur about wine). Price was it was excellent! The only thing is that there was really only one thing I wanted to order, the rest seemed like sterotypical Italian fare . . .

What I had: bread and butter (why not EVOO? is that actually an American thing?); Penne Melanzana and a few of us shared an Australian Pinot Noir

Recipe: Brooklyn muffins
named by TS, these muffins are a little bit ghetto, a little bit yuppie, but quite divine all and all.

1 box Martha Washington blueberry muffin mix
1 box Martha Washington raspberry muffin mix
1 cup fresh berries (black, blue, rasp, straw, whatever)
2 eggs
just less than 1/2 cup milk

dump mixes in mixing bowl, fork out any lumps. Add fresh berries, coat in mix (if berries are covered in flour before adding the liquid they are less likely to sink to the bottom of the muffin during cooking . . . a trick I learned while baking for the coffee roastry). in a separate bowl mix eggs and milk, pour into berry mix, stirring until just combined. Grease muffin pan, pour in batter. Bake at 375 ~15 min. enjoy!

Recipe: Penne with Tofu-Basil Pesto
adapted from Cooking Light . . . .this is a great recipe to sneak attack some protein into the meal. . . a great intro to tofu . . . not at all "tofu" taste/texture . .

1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup reduced-fat firm silken tofu (about 6 ounces)
1/3 c grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil (+)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic clove, minced
6 oz (~2 cups) sliced cremini mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
hot cooked penne (about 8 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
Combine first 8 ingredients in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth (you may need to add a bit more olive oil if your tofu isnt too silky).
Place pesto in a small nonstick skillet; cook over low heat, keeping warm.
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions ~3 min and add the mushrooms, sauté 4 minutes.
Combine penne, pesto, and mushroom mixture in a large bowl; toss gently. Enjoy!

Review: Sal Anthony's
133 Mulberry St

TS, mama S and I dined at this rather grand Little Italy establishment. Really, the place was rather awesome and spacious inside. They had a prix fix menu option, which is a more economical option, but I still am not sure if worth the $. I guess the price reflects the atmosphere. . . perhaps it is because I walk around little Italy quite often, but I feel like everything in that area is a bit of a tourist trap . . . but it does have a great name :)

What I had: Chianti, Pollo Tetrazini . . . the pasta was kinda greasy with very few mushrooms. . .

Review: Cafecito
185 Ave C at 12th St

I had the pleasure of dinning here with the fam . . . and by fam I mean Dad, JK and A, and me and TS . . . yes, JK and I finally were able to introduce our dates to Dad . . . and I also introduced Dad to the mojito!
The crowded restaurant had some very tasty food, and service was pleasant but a little slow and forgetful.

What I had: Bollos to start and then Picadillo (ground beef sauted with olives, rasins and tomatoes with rice and sweet plaintains) and, of course, mojitos

Review: Bar Toto
411 11th St at 6th Ave, Park Slope

I went to this unassuming bar with JS for brunch. We (as well as all patrons while we were there) at outside, which is fabulous. The decor inside was kind of European bar, tin ceiling and all. JS told me this place was famous for their panini style hamburgers (which one can get in the morning) but I was in the mood for eggs. Service was kinda slow, considering there were only 4 parites of 2 there when we got there. Then they charged us wrong twice. I wasnt in love with what I got, but then I think I was wooed by the carmalized onions . . . really, I dont think anything can be totally bad if it has carmelized onions. I mioght go back to try the hamburger or for a drink, but probably not for brunch again.

What I had: baked eggs on flatbread with marinara sauce, carmelized onions and black olives, served with "home fries" that were in fact regular fries. and a screwdriver.

Review: Bogota Bistro
141 5th Ave, Park Slope

I went to this tasty and colorful restaurant on Easter with JK, AP(?) and TS. I believe it is a Columbian restaurant, but not sure (it describes itself as "Latin")
A wide variety of dishes were ordered by our group from steak to the vegetarian plate and everyone loved their own. Service was a little slow with the drinks, but the price was reasonable.
As we exited the restaurant the waiter asked us several times if we wanted our picture infront of the mural in the back patio (we had sat inside for dinner) . . . we declined, but apparently thats the thing to do.

What I had: We spit plaintain chips and cilantro blackbean dip for an app. I had a mojito, plaintain-crusted chicken with string beans and rice/beans. TS and I spit Acai for dessert (plam berries and granola and bananas) . . . it was . . . interesting. JK and A's fried cheesecake might have been a bit more decadent