JamieEats

Greasy Goodness

Dreesen's Donuts have been an institution on Newtown Lane in East Hampton for like forever. Dreesen's was a deli that made a fried, brown sugar, cinamon cake donut in their window every morning and I would run there every summer for my fix. Several years ago the deli closed. A victim of the real estate boom in East Hampton and my fix was gone. Since then the owner of Dreesen's has gone into franchising the machine and recipe BUT the original machine is in the window of SCOOP DU JOUR ice cream shop making donuts every day.
I got there a little late this year because I usually like to get them hot and right out of the machine. (They are fried) There were not hot but they still were fine. If you are in East Hampton check them out.

Scoop du Jour

 (631) 329-4883 
35 Newtown Ln
East Hampton, NY 11937

I'm Baaaacccckkk!

 

Who would have thought? Really good hot chocolate in a gelato place! OK, it's not what you would call traditional hot chocolate. After all, they make it by steaming the milk with an espresso steamer. Oh, and they mix in some marscapone ice cream by the way. But damn, this stuff is good. It's called Affogato alla Cioccolata Calda. To tell the truth, it wasn't very hot because the gelato cooled it down too much and it was pretty rich. However, it was one of the best things I have put in my mouth lately. The place? L'Arte del Gelato in the West Village on 7th Avenue South.                                                                   

75 Seventh Ave. South, New York, NY 10014 at Barrow St

 212-924-0803

Of course, I saved the best for last. Get aload of this pic.

  

 

 

 

Gelato in the Winter? Definitely!!

 
 
I am one of those people that believes that gelato, ice cream, ices or any cold dessert is appropriate any time of the year. It is like chocolate. I will eat chocolate in 120 degree heat and I will eat gelato in -20 degree cold. If it is good it is good. This brings me to Popbar. The concept is frozen gelato on a stick in a variety of flavors. They include vanilla, chocolate, coffe, hazelnut, pistachio, and many others. At this point you have the option to eat it as is or coat it in white, dark, or milk chocolate.

 

Wait, I'm not done. The next step is to dip the chocolate covered pop into a choice or mixture of coconut, pistachios, hazelnuts, granola, or biscotti crumble. The result is a conglomeration of tasty goodness. I went with a chocolate gelato dipped in milk chocolate and then in crushed almonds. Reminded me of my favorite chocolate bar. My wife tried the Pistachio dipped in chocolate and crushed pistachios.

 
As you can see my wife ate it before I got a picture. I guess she liked it.

We were with my sister in law at the time. Her feeling was that chocolate covered nuts on the bar were not the way to go. She also felt my technique of sucking them was wrong as well. My wife and I assured her that was the best way to go.

 

Popbar, 5 Carmine St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-255-4874

I Eat Chocolate in the Movies, not Popcorn!

 
Let's just say I can eat a lot of popcorn. However, I like it with butter and salt. Not good! So I eat chocolate instead for health reasons. I am such a good boy! Chocolate has known health benefits. I decided last night after a heated discussion in a meeting having nothing to do with food that my chocolate palate needs improvement. One of my quests is to try hot chocolate in the Winter. Good idea. The summer is my gelato time. Anyway, Kate (my daughter) and I trucked (an old term) down to Peels to try the chocolate with homemade marshmallow. That was the best, chewiest, sugary, marshmallow I ever had! Oh, the chocolate. I forgot. It tasted like a melted chocolate bar. Too thick. I can melt my own. But the marshmallow was terrific. A keeper. Not so much.

 

 
  Regional American Restaurant

325 Bowery (Corner of 2nd St.)
New York City, NY 10003
646-602-7015

 

New Year's Musings and Something for your Sweet Tooth

Today is Sunday. New Year's Eve was Friday night and I am just getting back to feeling normal now. Did I have a lot to drink? Yes, I was feeling no pain for a while but I have to say the best part of the evening was spending it with very good friends, eating good food, (marinated short ribs, Thai crab cakes, antipasto, chocolate mousse cake) and spending a good amount of the time laughing and enjoying life. To me, life is a series of memories you create. You can make them good ones or not. The choice is yours. It just requires you to make it happen. I wish everyone who reads this Health, Happiness, and Prosperity in 2011.

 Being New Year's weekend I had some time to ponder where I want to go with this blog and my new food tour venture. I am currently trying to build up a long list of dishes that I have personally tasted so that they are truly worth the time and money that my future clients will expend. That being the case I took my family to Cafe Habana this past weekend and the corn was a disappointment. It was no fault of the restaurant. The fault was mine. You don't order corn on the cob in December. It is not good by definition. Check out this place when the corn season comes around and you will have a treat.

 

Sugar Sweet Sunshine is a bakery on the Lower East Side of New York opened by two women who pursued their dream. The fact is, they have very talented and vivid dreams. They turn out a great product. However, I do not write about places. I write about the tastes you can have at those places. They are known for fabulous cupcakes in all varieties and types. I don't particularly care for cupcakes. The trend has been around for years and it is time to move on.

I am writing about the pudding these girls turn out. To my knowledge, it is unique.

The pudding is a conglomeration of a rich, creamy, velvety pudding with fix-ins crushed in. They are known for the Banana. I tried the Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Pudding. Pretty damn tasty. I do not believe you could go wrong with any of them. The flavors change from time to time so you can keep going back and not get bored. In the past, they have featured pumpkin, chocolate chip cookie, and straight chocolate. This stuff is easy to OD on so take it in moderation. Definitely a keeper!