Four & Twenty Blackbirds: Did someone say pie?

Four & Twenty Blackbirds
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On our way to the Rockaways, we stopped by Four & Twenty Blackbirds, whose pies made their debut nationwide when Whoopi brought them to share on the Jimmy Fallon show. 

Opened in 2010 by two sisters, Four & Twenty Blackbirds is renown for homemade pies that are made from scratch every day using seasonal ingredients. The menu changes frequently which simply means I have an excuse for repeat visits.

Figuring there would be a mass of people waiting outside, we were pleasantly surprised to see no line since we dropped by mid-afternoon after lunchtime. 

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Fragole: Garden to Garden

FRAGOLE
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A few weeks ago, I took Anna to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to check out the cherry blossoms that were just starting to bloom. The first few trees we saw were still barren, their empty branches fidgeting in the wind. After making our way deeper into the garden, we saw a Japanese Flowering Cherry in bloom.

Despite the frigid weather in the 50’s, there was still a decent number of tourists milling about, happily snapping pictures to prove that spring had finally sprung.

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Pok Pok NYC - Unassumingly Delicious

Pok Pok NY
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The whole purpose of starting a supper club at my office was to introduce people to different cuisines they normally wouldn't try on their own. Our first supper club involved a screening of “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” at the IFC Theater and then dinner at Bohemian, a Japanese restaurant with a speakeasy vibe. It was here that some coworkers, clad in JCrew button downs and Bonobos khakis, had uni and various sashimi for the first time.

On a Scale of Adventure, with 1 being someone substituting sriracha for ketchup on their burger and 10 being someone who eats live octopus and bahay itlog (chicken ovaries on skewers), most of the group would be around a 6 with a few 2’s sprinkled in.

Pok Pok showcases Andy Ricker’s northern thai cuisine - bold spices, fermented fish sauces, and sweet and sour notes that invade your sense of smell well before reaching your mouth.

In other words, we selected this place to push us as a group to try something unique and to get us out of our comfort zone.

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(Dough)nuts

Dough
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The first time I had Dough was at the Brooklyn Flea in 2012. While walking around the food vendors located in the basement of the Williamsburg Savings Bank, I saw an ordinary looking glass case with shelves of donuts accompanied by an inconspicuous sign that said "Dough".

The reason I plunked down my money? All of the trays were empty save for 3-4 donuts. I bought a fragrant lemon poppyseed donut which was the best donut I ever had. The taste of fresh lemon juice and zest and poppy seeds was pure and refreshing. When I went back to the cart for more, the shelves contained nothing except for a few crumbs.

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Rob's Chirashi Bday Dinner

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Last weekend, Rob and Jessica hosted Chirashi Night at their apartment for 16 guests to celebrate Rob’s birthday. After having many food adventures together in 2013, it was no surprise that they were flying in fresh fish from Catalina Offshore and preparing 16 bowls of heaven. I was skeptical about eating fish delivered from a website but after some research about the reputation and reviews of the website, I was sold. And, if anybody could pull off a successful chirashi night, it would be Rob and Jess.

The menu: ahi, maguro, chutoro, scottish salmon, escolar, hamachi, unagi, uni, avocado, masago, ikura, poached egg, and tamagoyaki over sushi rice.

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