Mecha Noodle Bar

Slurping encouraged at SoNo ramen noodle bar

I scrolled through the roster of restaurant reviews on my blog and have realized that there are a number of my favorite spots missing, like Mecha Noodle Bar in SoNo.

For those who aren't familiar with ramen noodle bars, this is not your Cup o' Noodles that you had in college. This is a bowl of love from Mom and Pop's Southeast Asian kitchen—but literally, since Mecha means "Mom and Pop" in Vietnamese. And it's not right to chalk up Mecha Noodle Bar as simply an Asian fusion restaurant, because it's more of a "American-Vietnamese-Japanese-Thai-Chinese-Korean-New England-Momofuku-Totto-and-Ippudo-inspired" noodle bar.

If you're a fan of pho, Vietnamese noodles, then you're in luck—Mecha serves both ramen and pho combinations.

Mecha Noodle Bar has three locations—Fairfield is their original location, followed by SoNo and New Haven, which recently opened in Fall 2016.

Although the space in New Haven feels larger and more open, I prefer the SoNo location for its laidback, downtown vibe. I've had some great conversations with the bartenders and other people while eating solo at the bar. At the other locations, it feels like you need to have a date with you—this is especially true in Fairfield, which has a tiny bar in comparison to SoNo and New Haven.

Ramen isn't just for cold-weather—I love coming to Mecha year-round. My favorite meal at Mecha comprises of the roasted mushroom dumplings, spicy miso ramen and the 99 Problems cocktail. Honestly, the entire menu is pretty spectacular, as are the Happy Hour specials between 4pm-6pm on weekdays.

It's tough deciding whether or not I prefer Mecha's spicy miso or Boru's spicy miso...

Pasta Beach Newport

Take a bite of an Italian summer at Pasta Beach, year-round

If you've ever visited Newport during the cold weather months, you know that the cold, ocean wind can sometimes settle so uncomfortably—yet so easily—underneath your skin.

There are a few practical solutions to fend off this bone-chilling cold during daylight hours—either enjoy a slew of hot beverages throughout the day or find something warm and fresh to eat over a long lunch.

If you choose the latter, I'd recommend taking a table with friends at Pasta Beach.

Pasta Beach has three locations—in addition to Memorial Boulevard in Newport, RI and Rowe's Wharf in Boston, MA, the owners have opened a new restaurant in Wayland Square in Providence, RI as of August 2016.

I kept my lunch basic ordering the spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino, but if I felt more adventurous, it would be more difficult to choose from the menu.

As a former/pseudo-Newport resident, I'm embarrassed to admit that it's only the second time I've eaten there. I have no idea why. It's a warm, light atmosphere with fresh flowers and deliciously simple pasta. The location is in the Bellevue Avenue shopping district and has easy parking at the rear of the building and along Memorial Boulevard.

I'll be looking forward to coming back there during Salve Regina University's Governor's Ball weekend...

BXL Zoute

A Belgian outpost in New York's Flatiron District

My brother Dylan and I planned to meet for lunch in the city, but didn't decide where until the morning of. 

"Have you ever been to the Belgian place?"

You know your brother knows his francophile sister when he suggests "the Belgian place" a few blocks away from his office.

BXL Zoute stands proudly on West 23rd Street like a carefully tended floral garden in the middle of concrete jungle. Its interior boasts a polished urban aesthetic with relaxed, European charm. The soft teal and bark color scheme, as well as the wave art spanning across the bar, evokes a longing for the coast (Biarritz, perhaps?). 

Dylan and I chose a table outside and decided to order the moules frites prix-fixe for $17 each. There are several options for the lunch prix-fixe and I would be surprised to find a more simply decadent mid-day meal for under $20 in Flatiron. 

Although, my friend Cara's brunch spot in Spanish Harlem might come close...

Rothbard Ale + Larder

Meet the new watering hole for the Oktoberfest-obsessed and other Europhiles

While I studied a summer abroad in Oxford, England, European pub culture fascinated me—I fell in love with the comfortable feeling of sitting on the broken-in wooden bar stools, enjoying the company of friends and sipping Pimm's Cup made with fresh fruit.

I may not be a beer drinker, but after drinking every Pimm's Cup in Oxford City Center, I take this white girl English cocktail more seriously than I should.

There are two places where I've ordered Pimm's Cup stateside and not been disappointed. The first is the Clarke Cooke House in Newport, Rhode Island. The second is Rothbard Ale + Larder in Westport, Connecticut. 

I don't really care sounding incredibly biased when I say that there is nothing disappointing about Rothbard. The first time I sat at the bar for dinner, I thought I walked back into Oxford. Or somewhere in Berlin. 

It's the European pub with the understated, modern finishes to make the sophisticated American comfortable. The dim lighting is alluring, but not dark. The seating is stylish and comfortable, but not heavily worn. 

The menu is simple, but the meal tastes as beautiful as it looks. 

Bouillabaise and Pimm's Cup

Roasted chicken with broccoli rabe and potatoes and French 375

Moules frites and a-saison-I-can't-remember-the-name-of

It's worth mentioning that Rothbard has come to Westport perfectly packaged because of the success of Walrus + Carpenter, its American sister restaurant in Black Rock. Walrus + Carpenter has earned several nods, including being voted one of the Best Restaurants in Connecticut for Barbecue, Craft Beer and Cocktails for the past three years by Connecticut Magazine. 

Looking forward to seeing Rothbard gain popularity with the Westport crowd!

Effy's Kitchen | Spanish Harlem, NYC

My friend Cara took me to a hidden gem for bottomless brunch in her neighborhood.

We ventured a few short blocks from Upper East Side to check out Effy's Kitchen towards the outer edge of Spanish Harlem. The restaurant's bottomless brunch special--one main dish with endless mimosas--costs only $20.

If you're trying to find a brunch spot to catch up with your friends, take your sweet time at Effy's and enjoy the fresh omelettes with your orange bubbly.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for brunch in the West Village by Washington Square Park, check out this popular pub. 

How to Spend 72 Hours in California | Part 4

Once Steph and I left the foggy San Francisco Bay area, the California sunshine followed us to Napa, the final leg of our weekend trip.

We took a few back roads away from the bumper-to-bumper traffic to enjoy the scenery, since everyone else in the state of California decided to head to Napa...

I chose to go to Domaine Chandon in Yountsville—Moet & Chandon's California sister—for our only wine tasting. As much as I wanted to check out other vineyards, we had to spend our time (and money) wisely. Walking into Domaine Chandon's Tasting Room perfectly fit our schedule.

Enjoying our Prestige Wine Tasting while leisurely strolling around the beautiful terrace couldn't have been further from a hardship...

We grabbed lunch at R+D Kitchen down the road. Steph and I didn't order a glass of bubbly at Domaine Chandon, but we made up for it by ordering the brut at the outdoor bar. I loved my spinach and goat cheese omelette. 

It also happened that it was National Iced Cream Day, so I asked the bartender where I could fulfill my craving. She told me that the restaurant owned Kelly's Filling Station and Wine Shop next door and they served a good vanilla iced cream.

What the bartender refrained from sharing was that this vanilla soft-serve was also organic and locally made...

California has shown me that it really is possible to get everything you want.

It's not all about the destination—the journey is just as important.

As hokey and cliche as it sounds, every drive Steph and I took on this trip was equally as exciting as the places we visited.

Whether it was pulling off to the side of Highway 1to decide if a wave was a whale or a rock, or talking about our true life goals, we made every moment worthy of memory.

One of the things I will always remember about Steph are the random, short weekend trips we took in college—I'm happy to add this 72-hour-MontereyBigSurSanFranciscoNapaValley extravaganza to the list of memories post-undergrad.

Tablao Wine Bar & Restaurant

SoNo's new Spanish wine bar adds more culinary variety to Washington Street 

It's hard to ignore Tablao's inviting entry while driving down the center of town—the open double-doors, open windows and ambient lighting from the bar stands out from the rest. The Spanish wine bar and restaurant occupies the space where Coromandel used to be, perfectly situated in SoNo near other popular restaurants including Cask Republic and Match.

I kept dinner simple with a glass of rosé and the pappardelle entrée. The bartender, who quickly picked up on my novice knowledge of wine, helped me pick out the right rosé. 

Lobster, scallops and shrimp were tossed in a light, sun-dried tomato sauce with the pappardelle. I pleased to have a generous amount of lobster—an expensive ingredient that can be easily skimped on by restaurants who don't know any better. I was also happy to learn that the pappardelle pasta is made in-house by the chef himself.

Tablao is still new to SoNo—it's only been open for about two months—but I hope it will become a fixture in the area. 

Note: I initially headed to SoNo to check out Chocopologie's dinner and drink menu, but it turns out they had quietly closed last week...

Bottomless Brunch in the West Village

I went to NYU last Sunday to see one of my best friends from college present a policy framework proposal for the 2016 Policy Case Competition.

Before Steph and her teammates arrived, I walked around NYU, Washington Square Park and found a place to grab Sunday brunch at a great bar called The Half Pint. I was happily enjoying my delicious farmer's market omelet and mimosa when one of the bartenders told me that bottomless brunch was only $18—if a mimosa was $9 each, it only makes sense to do it up.

I thought I was done after two, but then Steph and her teammates met me at the bar. So I had another while I waited for them. Then another when they got there...

Several things happen when you find the bottom of bottomless brunch.

First, the denial that you found the bottom—isn't it supposed to be bottomless?

You look up from your #? mimosa and notice the bartenders kind of judge you.

And then you wonder if you're being irresponsible.

But then you realize that it's Sunday. And it's your day off.

And then you don't really care that the bartenders are kind of judging you.

Actually, you feel great.

You dispel any thought that you're being irresponsible—it's not like you're driving or you're at a networking event—so you tell yourself that you're simply trying to live and make your white everygirl dreams come true.

#noregrets

Bassanova Ramen

In the middle of Chinatown—between the traditional Chinese restaurants, shops and market stands—lies a hidden treasure on Mott Street.

If you're looking for something that's beyond vegetable fried rice and General Tso's, hit up Bassanova, a favorite ramen noodle bar in New York City recognized by The New York Times, Business Insider and Daily Candy.

Ramen noodle bars have been trending everywhere for the past few years. When I went to Paris last January, there was even a designated Ramen Week. 

My first ramen experience was at Boru Noodle Bar, Newport's local ramen joint on Broadway, with their House bowl. I always crave the Spicy Miso on a cold and rainy day–or just about any day, really. Boru recently expanded to accommodate its cult following among locals.

It's hard to even begin to compare Bassanova and Boru, but there's no need to since they're amazing in their own way—Bassanova's SoCal, minimalist feel is completely different than Boru's edgier, street inspired mood.

I feel like it's the difference between Venice, California and Seattle, Washington. But that's just me.

Also, considering my favorite dish at Boru is a bit heavier than the Lemon & Black Pepper Tondaku I had at Bassanova, it further proves their differences...

For date nights, I'd choose Bassanova. For the nights that are dark and stormy and lazy, I'd choose Boru.

Lobster at Benjamin's

There's nothing to say, except that this dinner at Benjamin's was as delicious as it looks. 

Our waitress accidentally misheard when we ordered a "half a dozen" oysters and we got a dozen...

I wasn't mad about it.

Benjamin's is an underestimated local spot in downtown Newport—if you're looking for a casual atmosphere with good, comfort seafood, this is the place to go.

CRU Cafe Grand Opening

Formerly Katrina's Bakery, Russell Morin Catering & Events recently opened CRU Cafe Newport in the Casino Terrace plaza.

The new cafe has a clean, contemporary style that a lot of visitors from New York City, Boston and other cities will definitely feel comfortable in. The cafe will serve a different menu each week created by Chef Brandon Teachout based on the season and what's locally available. 

“We have taken inspiration from our travels to catering events around the nation, as well as the abundance of fresh, local ingredients to develop a unique addition to the Newport community,” said owner Russell Morin in an interview with The Newport Patch. 

CRU Cafe will post their menu regularly on their Facebook page—with everything reasonably priced at $10 or under, CRU Cafe may easily become a favorite spot for both locals and tourists. 

Buck-A-Shuck at TwoTen Oyster Bar & Grill

It's been a while since I've been back at TwoTen Oyster Bar in Narragansett and I was pleasantly surprised at the weekday deals they were offering.

Not only were they doing the Buck-A-Shuck oysters, but there were also $5.00 martini specials. I couldn't resist the Tinderella martini, just because of the name.

I'm still figuring out the difference between varieties of oysters. Since I've only started to eat them within the past year, it's a taste I'm working on refining. I love nearly every sort of seafood, so a "bad" oyster seems impossible to come by... Unless it's really salty...

My friend and I shared our entrees--he ordered the swordfish tacos and I got the chicken parmigiana. To be expected, both of them were delicious.

New York City | The Met, the Neue Galerie, Cafe Sabarsky, Bryant Park

Last Saturday was certainly one of my favorite days spent in the New York City.

As part of the course I'm taking, Vienna and the Modern World, we went to see exhibits at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Neue Galerie. 

Before leaving Newport, I snapped a quick picture of Queen Anne Square when I was getting my Starbucks coffee at 5:45 am--the light was quite beautiful, I almost pulled over several times on Bellevue to take pictures, but I know I would have missed the bus. 

I definitely would have missed the bus.

We started at The Met to view Regimagining Modernism: Expanding the Modern Dialogue. My favorite piece Joan Miro's This Is the Color of My Dreams--it should be noted that the original text in the painting was in French, so that may or may not have influenced my high opinion of it. Since one part of the course focuses on psychology and dreams, Miro's painting captures the inner workings of the subconscious. It goes without saying that the online photo doesn't do it justice.

Of course I waltzed through the European paintings to find the French Impressionists...

"Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lillies," Claude Monet

Photo Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

I took several pictures of artwork--including pieces by Pollock, Monet, Rodin, Degas and others--but I would like to avoid any possibility of being sued by The Met. Their photography policy is pretty strict...

After grabbing lunch at the cafeteria, we walked down the street to the Neue Galerie to see the exhibit on Gustav Klimt and Adele Bloch-Bauer: The Lady in Gold.  Gustav Klimt's "Adele Bloch-Bauer I" was the center of the exhibit, curated alongside it were sketches, jewelry, accessories and bits of history about Klimt and Bloch-Bauer.

The Neue Galerie was also really strict about photos, so here are some photos of "Adele Block-Bauer I" on the Neue Galerie's website.

It turns out Bloch-Bauer embodied Josef Hoffman's concept of das individuelle kleid, individual dress, the idea of nonconforming to the current styles of dress in favor of expressing the self freely and showcasing a more personalized style.

There are two cafes in the Neue Galerie--my friends, our professor and I went to Cafe Sabarsky on the ground floor. The concept of both cafes is to recreate the experience of a Viennese coffee house with contemporary flair.

In the spirit of Klimt, the dessert would have a small fleck of edible gold on it.

After Cafe Sabarsky, Lauren, Courtney and I walked down Fifth Avenue towards Bryant Park. It couldn't have been a more beautiful Saturday to walk over two miles in the city.

Japanese Cherry Blossoms at The Fricke Collection

The French Consulate

To top off a perfect day, we ended it the only way we could think of--enjoying a few sips of prosecco at the Bryant Park Cafe.

Shoutout to Lauren for the photo credit because my phone died at the Neue Galerie!

I'm already planning my next trip to New York City to see The Museum at FIT's exhibit on Global Fashion Capitals and the Fabergé exhibit at The Met I had completely overlooked...