TheBetterHalf, Author at Chez CateyLou

Charleston (Husk and Xiao Bao Biscuit) – Friday Dinner Series

February 21, 2014 by TheBetterHalf 3 Comments

Charleston, South Carolina is a charming southern town full of amazing food. Here are two of our favorite meals in Charleston – Husk and Xiao Bao Biscuit.

Friday Dinner Series is back with a look at two of our favorite spots in Charleston, South Carolina. A few weeks back, Cate and I escaped snowy New York City for a weekend trip to one of the South’s culinary hotbeds. As a Northerner you won’t hear me say this too often, but man, the South really knows how to eat. Biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, bacon everywhere – and tons of beer and bourbon to wash it down. If I wasn’t 90% sure all of those things were bad for you I’d never eat anything else.

Charleston certainly excels at traditional southern food, but there’s more to their food scene than just shrimp and grits. They have an incredible amount of great restaurants in a relatively small area. Today, a quick look at Husk (actually, the Bar at Husk) and Xiao Bao Biscuit.

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Uncle Boons – NYC

February 14, 2014 by TheBetterHalf 3 Comments

Uncle Boons has some of the best Thai food in all of New York City – everything is incredible and so flavorful. It is one of our all time favorite restaurants!

I have a lot of favorite restaurants in New York. I usually qualify those statements to some degree; Sfoglia is my favorite neighborhood restaurant, Gramercy Tavern is my favorite restaurant to spend an afternoon, Mission Chinese is my favorite restaurant that inexplicably was shut down by the health department, and so on. But if I had to eat one meal in New York City right now, I’d go to Uncle Boons. So I guess that makes Uncle Boons my favorite favorite restaurant (at least for the time being). So what is it about this Thai restaurant that makes it so special?…

Minetta Tavern – Friday Dinner Series

January 31, 2014 by TheBetterHalf 8 Comments

Minetta Tavern in New York City is a great spot to have a celebratory dinner, sit for a drink at the bar, or grab one of the best burgers in the city.

Another Friday, another look at one of our favorite restaurants in New York. Minetta Tavern is located in Greenwich Village, a few blocks south of Washington Square. The restaurant dates back to the 1930s but it recently underwent a facelift when it was taken over by restauranteur Keith McNally. It maintains a good deal of old school charm – dim lighting, red leather booths, and a classic cocktail bar – and has a menu full of updated takes on traditional dishes. Minetta Tavern is perhaps most famous for their signature burger (and for good reason), but there’s plenty more to this restaurant….

Sfoglia – Friday Dinner Series

January 24, 2014 by TheBetterHalf 3 Comments

This week on Friday Dinner Series we’re featuring our favorite Italian restaurant in New York City, Sfoglia! Located in the upper Upper East Side (92nd and Lexington), Sfoglia is a neighborhood spot that feels like a hip, downtown restaurant. The food is universally excellent, especially their homemade pasta. The restaurant has a cool, rustic decor and the staff is very personable. It’s definitely a great date spot and worth the trek uptown….

Ramen Throwdown: Momofuku Noodle Bar vs. Ippudo (Friday Dinner Series)

January 17, 2014 by TheBetterHalf 9 Comments

One of the best things about living in New York is having access to incredible food from all different parts of the world. Although Italian food is still our favorite, we’ve started to really branch out and try new things. Most recently, we’ve been on a huge Asian kick. Like a Yao Ming sized Asian kick. Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian – I want them all, all of the time. The flavors are just so unique and intense.

But today we’re talking about ramen. Authentic Japanese ramen – not instant ramen, the dorm room staple that I’ve never actually seen in a dorm room – consists of noodles in a flavorful, (usually) meat based broth that is topped with a combination of meat, veggies, and other accouterments. It’s comforting, it’s delicious, and no one will judge if you slurp your noodles – actually it’s encouraged! So for the second installment of our Friday Dinner Series, let’s take a look at two of New Year’s finest ramen spots – Momofuku Noodle Bar and Ippudo.

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