Succulent, sweet meat.

Now that I enjoy crustaceans, I wish I could eat them all the damn time. Yesterday, after the 7 pm showing of Black Swan, Marissa and Logan came back to our place and we made a dinner fir for kings. Oh, what a meal it was. We dined on two 2 lbs. and one 1.25 lbs. Canadian lobsters ($56), clarified some Kerrygold Irish butter, and served up a hearty portion of whole-grain Dijon mustard green beans ($4). It's taken me five years to even get the courage to try lobster! I, however, do not like the texture of lobster tail — I prefer knuckle and claw meat only. I'll get there eventually...

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Detox.

Half an organic grapefruit ($1.50) with a dusting of fennel pollen ($6 for a 1/4 oz.) and sea salt.

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Smitten with @ScarpettaNYC @ConantNYC #foodporn

Back in October, as soon as we landed in NYC, I surprised Seth with a late-night birthday dinner at Scarpetta. He had been talking about going to Scarpetta for months, so he was elated.

We ordered a bottle of Toscana La Spinetta Colorino 2005 ($52) and his birthday dinner consisted of: Creamy polenta — fricassee of truffled mushrooms ($15 and so worth it), crispy fritto misto ($17), cavatelli with braised rabbit, parsnips + mint ($22 and to die for), duck + foie gras ravioli with a marsala reduction ($25 — so decadent and rich), and a chocolate + vanilla parfait with a shot of a hazelnut milkshake and two biscotti ($11 — dolce. Perfecto.)

It was the greatest meal we've had all year. We were the last ones out of the restaurant...it was difficult to leave such a lovely, inviting place. Ever since we got back to Illinois, we've been creating our own polenta with goat cheese and wild mushrooms. Now we're just waiting for some recipes to show up on Scarpetta's website...

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Mmm, merry, merry. #iphoneography @ShakeItPhoto

Icicles, snuggles, and our Christmas dinner.

Our own version of a decadent dish borne of The Big Easy: Oysters Rockefeller ($40 for 30), homemade chowder with wild-caught, fresh salmon, clams, mussels + haddock (all ingredients $75 for 11+ bowls) in a sourdough bread bowl ($1.75 per bowl), and a whole roasted organic salt + peppered chicken ($10).

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To you: Happy holidays! From: Us. (Well, more like, from me.)

While watching the holiday episodes of The Office + 30 Rock — I drew this on my childhood Etch A Sketch.

Happy holidays, everyone. Snuggle up next to a loved one!
Love, Jus + Seth

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Last night: Perfect blend of cultures, friends, and flavors.

Last night, we were treated to a hearty, delectable Indo-Guyanese influenced meal at Tanuja and Jim's home: Samosas with a homemade berry sauce, sage + squash-filled ravioli, buttered chicken, saag paneer, potato curry with coconut milk, and roti.

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View from Borders.

It's strange seeing a mall where Gallery 37 used to be located. State and Randolph is vibrant and packed with last-minute shoppers. I'm just perched on a ledge in Borders people watching.

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Notes from The Bad Apple from a former poutine virgin.

What we consumed at The Bad Apple:
1-2 A stick to your ribs starter. Here's my first ever bite of poutine — a Quebecoise dish of well-crisped fries topped with gravy + a little too large of cheese curds ($7) + an additional side of fried cheese curds ($8).
3-4 Art on the wall + the view across from me: Benny + Benna figuring out what to order.
5-6 Benna + I shared: "Say Cheese" — pepper jack, provolone, cheddar, spinach, onion + tomato grilled cheese on light rye ($7) and a chick pea salad — chick peas, olives, feta, onion, arugula, cucumber, + citrus vinaigrette ($5 for a small).
7 Seth had: "Ole Imperial" — Gonzo imperial porter glazed mushroom + onion, white cheddar on an English muffin with side of sweet potato fries ($8).

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End of an era.

Good bye, Cabrini Green. It's odd to see you being torn down.

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Lunch @CG_Food_Coop + @ShopArtMart

Coop: One cup of spicy bedouin stew ($2.79), one cup of tomato florentine with orzo soup ($2.79), sweet cornbread (55 cents), and a Synergy kombucha ($3.99). Art Mart: Italian beef ($4.95) served only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

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