{seeing off summer with barbuto}

After several failed attempts to meet up over the course of a year, Jon and I were finally able to secure a time and place to catch up. I was craving some solid Italian food, so when Barbuto popped up, it was unanimously decided where we were heading.

{Salumi // Bruschetta}

We started off with Salumi and the Bruschetta. I mean, who doesn't love a cured meat platter, amirite? The two were the perfect pair to start off our meal. The soppressata was my particular favorite. The menu has changed, and the bruschetta pictured here is no longer available, but the burrata and nectarine chutney one that has graced the menu sounds equally as enticing!

{JW Roast Chicken // Gnocchi}

And for our mains, of course we had to go for the JW Roast Chicken & the Gnocchi. Both dishes were a huge win—the roast chicken was cooked to perfection with the salsa verde on top and the gnocchi was paired perfectly with the summer veggies. It was a match made in heaven, and my taste buds were soaring. And I always love a crispy chicken skin. Who doesn't!?

{The largest shot glass I ever did see....}

I've come to appreciate low maintenance friendships, the ones that don't require constant contact because of the mutual understanding that each individual person has their own thing going on. Being able to catch up with friends that I haven't talked to in years without missing a beat is definitely one of the simpler joys, especially after leaving the college bubble. And in the end, there's just so much more to talk about. Hearing where everyone is in this point of their lives, post-graduation, is thrilling.

Barbuto
775 Washington Street
New York, NY 10014

Instagram | Twitter | tumblr | Soundcloud | Bloglovin'

{see more seafood at seamore's}

{I tried to make a tongue twister out of the title of this post, but I've failed miserably.}

I finally had the opportunity to grab a meal with the lovely Minna after we met at a brunch organized by Minnie back in February. This was our first time meeting since then, and I had such a pleasant time catching up with her and enjoying some amazing fish tacos at the newly opened Seamore's.

Seamore's is the brainchild of Michael Chernow, the same guy who opened up The Meatball Shop in the Lowest East Side. The menu offers a range of items with various seafood as the stars such as sandwiches, tacos, and the "Reel Deal," essentially a make-your-own bowl served with greens and your choice of seafood, sauce, and sides.

{I'm a sucker for beautiful bars. Makes for great photo opps!}

{The view from above.}

{Monkfish Reel Deal.}

{Crispy Dogfish Tacos.}

Since trying the crispy fish taco at Tacombi, I was hooked and on a mission to find more spots in the city that offered the same thing. The Crispy Dogfish Tacos here did not disappoint. The fish was perfectly crispy and delicious! I'm a "less is more" gal when it comes to my tacos, so I was also happy to see that the tortilla wasn't covered to the edges with toppings. However, I do wish there was a little more bang for the buck. The crispy fish tacos come out to be $15, essentially $7 per taco.

I do want to try the surf and turf taco, as seen on their Instagram. Grilled shrimp and brisket? I'm all for it.

{Watermelon Agua Fresca // I think that was an Orange Lemonade?}

{Daily Landings wall where the catches of the day are indicated.}

{Smile!}

{Cute outdoor seating!}

I'm a sucker for large open windows, cute interior, and a warm atmosphere. And paired with awesome company and conversations, I had an outstanding time. I am extremely grateful for the amazing girls that I've been meeting through Instagram as of late. I feel like people are always afraid of meeting the wrong kinds of people through the ~*Internet*~ but I've been fortunate enough to have met some of the most down to earth, friendly, and hilarious people through the app. The key is to have an open mind. If people are meeting potential husbands and wives through sites like Match.com and [okay, maybe not] Tinder, why can't we befriend members of a community in which we have similar interests? Times are a-changing, and it's time we get with them.

Seamore's
390 Broome Street
New York, NY 10013

Instagram | Twitter | tumblr | Soundcloud | Bloglovin'

{black tree nyc}

The last time the three of us were together was when we gathered to cook and take photos for Chick-N-Bap. It was nice to get together again with two of my good friends, Sung and Sally, for dinner at Black Tree, which has been on my to-do list for a little while now.

Black Tree is a farm-to-table joint, which means their ingredients are 100% locally sourced within a 300 mile radius. This means their menu is constantly changing, which means you probably won't see the same menu items from now in just a few weeks, come September. For the summer months, the theme is vegetables, to which my heart sank. However, coming out of this meal, I felt like I could have done without the meat and gone for more veggies. Like another Summer Mushroom sandwich, hnng.

{Deviled duck eggs.}

{Burrrrrrata.}

{A+ appetizers.}

This was also my first time trying burrata, and it did not disappoint. It was creamy and created the perfect bite when paired with the warm, buttery bread. It was instantly devoured alongside the deviled eggs, which were interesting to say the least.

{Sung spreads burrata 1.}

{Sung spreads burrata 2.}

{Sung spreads burrata 3.}

Ohhhhh yeahhhhhhhh. Look at that spinning burrata deliciousness.

{Sandwiches & beers. Top to bottom: Summer Mushroom, Heirloom Pig, Short Rib.}

{Short Rib.}

{Oink.}

{Summer Mushroom has my heart.}

Sandwiches on sandwiches. Dare I say we were feeling a little ambitious with two appetizers and three sandwiches? Everything was devoured in an instant—we are all true fatties at heart. We all agreed that the best of the three sandwiches was the Summer Mushroom, which consists of portobello and crimini mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, cream cheese, and arugula pesto. The meat wasn't missed, which says a lot for me because I need to have at least a piece of chicken in anything I eat. The short rib sandwich fell flat for me because it seemed to get a bit dry towards the end. Highly recommend veggie (and meat) lovers alike to try the summer menu before it's too late! You have until labor day. Go.

___________edit*

As of yesterday, Black Tree has added fish to the menu until August 19th*! Dishes like Clam Bao, Blue Fish Tacos, and Wha' She Order (fish filet, if you didn't know) are now available. Check out the rest of the menu items here. Who knows what else will show up? Only time will tell...

@jennifshin just for a week. Back to veg after that again. Just got bored doing the same menu... Maybe some ducks will show up too soon!!!

— Black Tree (@BlackTreeNYC) August 14, 2015

Black Tree
131 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002

Instagram | Twitter | tumblr | Soundcloud | Bloglovin'