Cooking Class at Don Coqui - May 23, 2012

So, a party of four enrolls for a cooking class at Don Coqui. After several schedule changes, they finally arrive at “Tapas, Sangria & Mojito Party!” Yes, this all began with an email and ended with a great night of fun and tasty food.

First, I will start with some advice…make sure you grab a snack in advance You actually cook what you are going to eat and that takes some time. Also, be prepared that things will not be perfect – you and your classmates are cooking here! Finally, remember that the drinks are unlimited and included, so enjoy.

After a short tutorial from Chef Jack (who is very charismatic and patient), you get assigned a task. Thankfully, we were not on team onion! After peeling and cutting, we noticed that some of the onion choppers were doing an interesting job, so Chris opted to assist. We heard all about Chef Jack's secrets and made a variety of foods.

After many, many drinks and some excellent chatting, it was time for food. We watched as the food was set out and salivated. (starving) The bacalaitos were very salty, but everything else was very good and tasty.

The drinks were great and the food was tasty. The whole experience is determined by the group you are with – as long as you are with people who will have fun, you’ll have fun. I am sure that this is something that I will be interested in doing again – this time, easy on the salt! (And, the best part was that we got the tickets for half off!)

Emmy, Lui and Dee at Don Coqui

www.doncoqui.com

Anniversary Dinner at Cienega - April 28, 2012

My anniversary dinner every year has a tradition – it must be at a place neither of us has eaten.  This might not sound like a challenge, but for two people who eat out (let’s just say) frequently, it’s tough.  For our seventh year, we looked at many places and even consulted Platt’s list.  After coming to the conclusion that we wanted to stay local, we chose Cienega.

Cienega Restaurant is located at 179 Main Street in New Rochelle.  Although I understood how to enter the restaurant, I chuckled a few times as diners struggled to get in.  (The door is somewhat incognito if you don’t understand where the parking is or that the entrance isn’t off of the nifty patio area.)  The hostess was very nice and sat me even though I arrived solo and a little late. 

The wait staff was attentive and let me know about a special blackberry mojito (yum!).  The small cheesy bread balls were very tasty and they arrived warm.  I think they could be a bit more creative with a flavored butter or a different type of topping (for lack of a better word).   We ordered the Cubanito (crispy pork tenderloin rolls, Swiss cheese, ham, pickle salad) as an appetizer.  It was good, a bit different, but good (only good).  The presentation added to the experience. 

When it came to entrees, I had the Entraña (no surprise there because I would order just about anything with chimichurri!).  The steak was cooked perfectly, but it could’ve used much more chimichurri.  Chris ordered the Half Peruvian Style Rotisserie Chicken and it was served with two delicious sauces that were needed since the chicken was a bit dry.  But, I often prefer dry to death.  It certainly makes the chicken lover miss Oporto. 

As for drinks, Chris enjoyed the mojitos.  I liked the blackberry mojito (not too sweet with just a hint of the fruit) and really liked the red sangria (I haven’t had a good one since getting back from Spain).  I am convinced that apples are the magical key to solid sangria.  And, yes, the temptation fruit will make appearances in the home-made sangrias this season.

Moscatel

Since dessert was a necessary evil, we ordered the Passion Cotta.  It was very tasty, incredibly adorable and a clear highlight.  The passion fruit sauce was very tart (and I mean very).  Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a rich chocolate lover, but their chocolate mousse was worth the exception.  The Moscatel was a nice complement for my dessert and Chris commented that the coffee was fine (he would say if it wasn’t).

The service was very good and the food was quite tasty.  The décor is stylish and felt very clean – good lines, well-polished.  Plate presentation was creative, but not over the top.  If I were to go back, I would order my meal and for it to be more spaced out.  Many places need you to order everything at once, but this is not one of those places.  Overall, we enjoyed our meal but weren't sitting there scheduling out next reservation.  That said, if you want to try it, check out opentable for a reservation early - prime times go fast.

Cienega
New Rochelle, NY