Dolfin Chocolates are a nice find for Mark and Lynn in the New Year...

Lynn and I found the most excellent chocolate bar at Fairway Market in Plainview (of all places) crafted by a Belgium company called Dolfin.  Lynn took a chance on a chocolate bar of "Poivre rose" (Pink Pepper).  It was amazing with an authentic bite of the pink pepper which melded wonderfully with the out of this world chocolate.  The company makes a wide variety of chocolates so this is on the beginning for us....

Slurp Ramen Bar in Port Jefferson impresses with its delicious menu and stellar service....

Lynn and I stumbled upon Slurp early last fall in a fairly nondescript building that is part of a small shopping mall in Port Jefferson, NY.  The main attraction here is there extensive Ramen bowl selection which would not necessarily pique our interest as we don't go out of our way to have Ramen (Lynn likes it better than I). However, the menu also has some delicacies that were immediately appealing to Lynn and myself including a Veggie Bun which is a steamed bao bun filled with vegetables done in a Tempura style that melts in the mouth.  I enjoyed the BBQ Tofu which was enlivened by the sweet and savory Japanese BBQ sauce.

The menu also has a great side of Japanese style calamari and Fried Chicken which are both crunchy and flavorful. Lynn has enjoyed the Ramen on more than one occasion, being particularly fond of the "Slurp Classic" which included really nice pork belly.  The staff are a young, charming, attentive and attractive group who are unfailingly competent and polite.  This place is rapidly becoming our favorite lunch venue on Long Island despite it being a 40 minute drive from our house it is well worth the trip...M& L

Upstate Distilling Company makes its mark in Saratoga Springs...

While in Upstate NY over the weekend Lynn and I visited the Upstate Distilling Co. while in Saratoga Springs.  The Distillery, just over a year old is the first Distillery to open in Saratoga Springs since Prohibition. We met UD owner Ryen Van Hall who led us through a tasting of the Distillery's offerings.  Upstate Distilling uses only organic New York sourced ingredients (even their barrels are New York sourced).  We were especially impressed with the rye whiskey, which, as explained by Mr. Van Hall, was a big part of Pre-Prohibition distilling in New York State.

We took home a bottle of "Ryen's Rye" which was the best whiskey we have had.  It was a great tonic to the bitter minus 10 degree weather in Upstate.

Tara Kitchen in Schenectady impresses Mark and Lynn with it's Mrroccan fare....

This past New Year's weekend was a brutal one weather wise Upstate where we visited.  One of the bright spots for us was the experience of dining at Tara Kitchen in Schenectady.  Tara Kitchen serves Moroccan fare which we love but don't indulge in nearly enough.  Owners Aneesa Waheed and Montasim Shoaib have created a place of extraordinary warmth with a dazzling menu full of exotic combinations of flavors.  Lynn and I sampled the Harissa Dip which was a fusion of the heat and savoriness of garlic along with the sweetness of cumin.  So it was with the Harissa Olives and the Lamb with Cauliflower Oranges and Black Olives.  

The service was casual but extremely efficient as our waitress attended to our every query about the food, expertly weighing in about the menu and the subtleties and nuances of the flavors and spices. The heat of the food was a particular tonic to us as the temperature hovered at minus 10 degrees just outside.  Tara's got our highest recommendation which is "If this place was near where we lived we would go there all the time."