Reviews on Kitchen3N

Fishkill Farms

Fri, 23 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0000

My little guy munching on a cucumber, enjoyin' da ambiance.

seriously, could it get more perfect than this?

I read somewhere once about a 5th grader who didn’t know what a tomato was. This bit of disturbing news consistently motivates me to educate my kids about where their food comes from. I regularly point out fruit and vegetable plants in my neighborhood, show them around my in laws’ garden, and go some sort of fruit picking at least once or twice a year. This past weekend, we headed upstate to our favorite pick your own fruit farm. Now, I’ve been to a lot of farms in the tri state area, but nothing beats the picturesque beauty of Fishkill Farms, nestled in the heart of Hudson Valley, overlooking verdant rolling hills (cheesy? oh, I know). Located just south of Poughkeepsie, this place is really a throwback to my newlywed days. My husband and I started out apple picking there, about 4 years ago. But since then their offerings have grown: strawberries and blackberries in June, cherries in July, delicious stone fruit in August, and of course apples and pumpkins in the fall. They have a CSA and even sell at some farmers markets around the city. They are all about sustainability and minimizing the use of chemical pesticides, though they aren’t certified organic.

La Boulangerie

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

I had one of those TV pregnancy moments last year when I woke up one Monday and desperately craved pain au chocolat from La Boulangerie. So, my husband faithfully made the trek before the start of his workday only to come home with wannabes from another Forest Hills bakery. I may have shed a tear. But I learned a very important thing: my favorite bakery is closed on Mondays.

I realize when most people come to Austin Street, they grab a slice of the “famous” red velvet cake from Martha’s, or one of their pretty good napoleons or chocolate mousse cakes, but hopefully not any of their awful cheesecakes or mediocre cupcakes. But if you’re a local, you’re going to stand in line for a real, buttery, carefully crafted croissant, or an eclair filled with a heavenly chocolate mousse, or a classic french baguette at La Boulangerie. Forest Hills has long been a good-bread starved neighborhood, or come to think of it, any good food. You have your standard sushi, pizza, and everything in between. But La Boulangerie is one of those places that has a certain transportive power. Where the owner has actually worked on his craft and stayed loyal to traditional techniques. And the decor is rustic with unpolished wooden furniture yet tasteful with quality serveware, so that you feel like you’re in Breton (except I doubt they serve large cafe lattes in France).

Hahm Ji Bach

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

I’ll start the first of my restaurant reviews with my favorite Korean spot, Hahm Ji Bach. Located deep within Queens, in one of the most vibrant Asian communities in the city…it’s a trek even from the last stop on the 7 line (Main St, Flushing). If you’re driving though, you’re in luck. Valet parking is on the house.

It is a rare establishment that serves up authenticity alongside hospitality so that even a stranger to the cuisine or the culture wouldn’t be intimidated. You walk in and are immediately greeted with a round of “Yobosayo!” from all the waitresses. Among the seated are Korean families, students from nearby colleges, and groups of buddies from all across the racial spectrum.