Brunch over Lunch!

     While walking around Chelsea with a friend, the hunger pains soon took over and we decided  to eat before continuing our shopping quest. Where to go? Still late enough for breakfast, the right time for lunch, but perfect for brunch! We came across a cute spot where you could smell the waffles outside and watch them being made. I think everyone is aware of my obsession of waffles from my last post, so naturally this was the spot.

     From the moment you walk in Petite Abeille, your filled with a sense of comfort from watching the men create waffles, to the warm and cozy decor. The menu was extremely exciting from the choice of Belgian waffles, omelets, sandwiches, and Belgian fries. Being in my 'brunch' mood, I decided on the Parisienne Omelet and Guafre au Sucre. The omelet not only looked delicious, but lived up to its appearance. From the first bite, I was sold on the fresh tomatoes, egg, and ham. However, the deal breaker was when I tasted a bite of Gruyere cheese--delicious! Everything was seamlessly proportioned in the omelet so you always had a bite full of all of the exciting ingredients.

     After partaking in in the Parisienne omelet, it was time for the good stuff! Although my instincts lead me toward the Guafre Dame Blanche (Waffle with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream), I decided on the Guafre au Sucre (Waffle with sugar and strawberry sauce). It was time to get over my stigma of mixing fruit into my dessert and obsession with chocolate and ice cream being necessary ingredients in my waffle escapades. The Guafre au Sucre waffle was perfectly toasted and had a 'fluffy' taste to it. It was sprinkled with just the right amount of powder sugar and surrounded by the strawberry sauce. To my delight, the strawberry sauce was real and tasted delicious.   

  Petite Abielle was the perfect choice and eased both of our hunger pains leading us to a great day of shopping. I definitely plan on visiting again and get in on some of those Belgian fries!

Spekuloo..I heart you!

New obsession: Wafel's & Dinges. I finally tried this AMAZING dessert Friday  and can not stop re-living the moment. I'm totally going to order spekuloo off of the website (yes, I will be that girl). After hearing about this truck for awhile, I stopped mid-conversation to make my way to the truck. It was love at first site. Even though I was full from lunch, I was not letting this opportunity pass. Naturally, I had to par-take in the Belgian greatness. I decided to 'go big or go home' with the classic Belgian Waffle opposed to my first instinct to try a small Wafelini. I was definitely torn on toppings...dulce de leche, nutella, fudge...what is a girl to do! I chose Belgian chocolate fudge being the chocolate fiend that I am and opted to try this funny sounding word--spekuloo. The sign said it's better than Nutella and a 'Belgian favorite' so expectations were high.Needless to say, I was not disappointed. 

Each waffle is made fresh and served warm for your liking. It was a pretty good size, but did not intimidate my sweet tooth. I literally ran back to the office so I could try it. The waffle was cooked perfectly, not too hard or soft, warm and loaded with the perfect amount of chocolate and spekuloo, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The combination of Belgian chocolate fudge and spekuloo was a winner, and don't know if this combination can be topped. Spekuloo is a Belgian treat that looks like peanut butter and tastes like traditional Belgian ginger bread..it's pretty 'orgasmic' as the website boasts. It was a nice touch to the chocolate and had my heart from the beginning. Minus the powdered sugar that spilled all over my desk--I had a truly amazing experience. I will be there faithfully every Friday (well at least this Friday) to get a waffle and end my week right. I highly recommend everyone takes part in this Belgian greatness and get on the waffle band wagon. I'm currently on a mission to become 'Wafeltte of the Week.' Wafel & Dinges has something for everyone, plenty of tasty & creative toppings and good customer service. Spekuloo!

Oo La La...La Sirene!

I decided to get my French on and try La Sirene on Broome Street. Although the French restaurant is tucked away in its own desolate corner of Soho, it is a nice surprise upon arrival. As I met my friend outside of the restaurant, the smell of tasty food filled my nose which is always a good sign. La Sirene is really tiny, but warm and welcoming from the server's greeting upon entering, dim lighting and nautical decor. Great place to catch up with friends or impress a date. 

Now let's get down to business and talk food. For appetizers, we decided on the 'Calamards Sautes Provencale' (calamari) and mussels in red wine sauce. The calamari was tasty and had slight hints of garlic but nothing to write home to mom about. Being a novice to mussels but an adventurous foodie, I decided to taste. The mussel had a good seasoning to it, but mussels are just not my style..not a huge fan. Moving on to the main act: the pan seared skate fish with mango. The fish was well seasoned with warm butter and I loved the taste of sweet with the addition of mango..definitely a winner. I was also amazed that mashed carrots could taste so good..who knew.
 Naturally, we ordered dessert for the whole group to enjoy.. my personal highlight. 'Big Profiteroles' took home the trophy for me. It was chocolate on top of chocolate with ice cream mixed in there for the party. The chocolate had a hard texture and looked like small cakes with ice cream inside and chocolate drizzled everywhere. Let's just say this dessert was so good that I would have licked the plate! La Sirene is worth the trip just for the 'Big Profiteroles', ambiance, service and the TLC put into every dish.

I'm hungry...let's eat!

Being I'm the go-to friend for food advice and a self-professed FG4L (Fat girl for life), I've finally started a blog to share my passion for food. If you know me it's no secret that I love to eat, have a massive sweet tooth, and have great sound effects when eating good food. I've made it my mission to take advantage of the hundreds of cuisines that surround me on a daily basis in NYC and conquer the world traveling and eating along the way. Have fun reading the blog and always remember to mangria aka eat...