DB's petite assiette

Daniel Boulud does it like no other when it comes to the most delicate french taste. Representing his Miami restaurant DB Bistro Moderne at the SoBe Food and Wine festival, Boulud served a taste of la petite plaque d'oeuf de caille: little plate of quail egg. The chef baked a tiny quail egg inside his version of each croque monsieur- a crunchy, buttery crust surrounded the soft and airy inside. As if the mastermind behind this creation wasn't already adored, he managed to pose for a picture in the midst of hand plating every bite size portion for his loyal eaters!

White Truffle Aioli

If there was one item to pick from the Smyth Hotel's version of french dining, it wouldn't be Ed Cotton's creamy duck liver mousse. Rather, the top selection is the first item under the garnitures- found at the very bottom of the menu: Herbed French Fries. If the choice didn't jump out at you, attribute it to being uninformed of the divine decanter of white truffle aioli served next to theses tall crispy fried spuds. Who knew fries covered in sea salt and herbs could get any better by dipping them into a blended mixture of egg yolk, garlic, white pepper, and truffle oil. Each ingredient is distinct enough to carry its own weight without being drowned out by another-it's a lot going on in your mouth for one bite. Plein Sud presents the phenomenon as a "garnish" but the plate satisfies the palate better than most of the "viandes" and "poissons"offered for triple the price. You'll never go back to ketchup after this. 

Baked and Fried

Drizzled olive oil turns the asparagus tips crispy in a 400 degree oven while a tablet of butter forms the shell during the slow frying process of the egg.  Sale, pepe, il parmigiano. Completa. Delizioso.

Doughnut Plant Heaven

If a meyer lemon flavored doughnut doesn't entice you, does a valrhona chocolate or tres leches do the trick? The Doughnut Plant separates the treats into categories of yeast, cake, or jam filling-works out well for those that don't like a gushing center to overpower their delicate doughnut. Go early to experience these glazed sensations because this bakery's hours are contingent upon when the last one is sold! 

Pile of Purple Onions

Quite a combo..


Olive oil poached tuna- moist
Celery crescents-crisp
Arugula-nutty
Sea Salt-crunchy
Balsamic soaked onions-sweet and sour

Warm Ricotta Zeppole with Sugar On Top

Is there anything more appropriate to finishing a meal next to the wood burning stove in Colicchio's open kitchen than sugared ricotta zeppoles?
While face to face with the chefs, the waiter lifts each plate up and over your head from behind so as not to disturb the scene. The sous chef nearly burns his hand each time while retrieving the cast iron from the flames. Each dish-including the taleggio, sopresseta, shrooms, and soffritto- is perfectly executed when fired out at an incredible pace. Since dessert deserves to receive the same intricate detail, the pastry chef tucks each hand rolled ball of fried goodness into the crisp white linen and serves it beside malted milk ice cream and cookie bits.

The Mac or The Cheese?

Everyone has their preference of the kind of noodle and the kind of cheese that should be used in the standard macaroni and cheese dish. Oversized shells allow for cheese to hide in the openings and ooze in your mouth with each bite. Whereas, the small elbows don't absorb any of the cheese and are more for those who prefer a thin coating of cheese. Either way, when your looking for the best mac n'cheese out there, stop going to all the traditional pasta houses. The most amazing results are waiting to be found at the steak houses. Aside from S'MAC, the east village dive completely devoted to mac n'cheese-they cover the basics, the unexpected and even the gluten free and vegan mac n'cheese-not bad! But if your preference is quality rather than a serious plethora of cheese and noodles, you won't be disappointed walking into one of the better meat restaurants-even if you are a vegetarian. Dylan Prime incorporates truffle oil into their version of the sharp white cheese bowl-it's really hard to beat that. Half the fun of the mac n' cheese is guessing the different types of cheese the chef adds in-which could vary depending on what's left in the kitchen that night. The trend seems to be the better the restaurant, the finer the ingredients, but some would rather a simplified version because less can be more when it comes to this staple dish. All in all, it comes down to each his own when choosing what qualities are essential here. Chefs realize it has become a serious decision among diners: baked, crispy, crusty v.  soft, thick, gooey?? Of course if you can't decide, you can always go with the sampler above.