VittlesVamp

A Happy Meal in Curry Hill

Did you think I got my fill of Indian cuisine in India? Hell to the no!

Luckily for me, one of my clients is located in the middle of Manhattan's Curry Hill, allowing for easy access to top-notch Indian eats without the 20 hour flight. One of my fave menu picks? A lunchtime thali. What's "thali" you ask? Why it's a platter with numerous tastes of several different dishes - a prix fixe of sorts. You could even liken it to an Indian pu pu platter - or to my mind, the happiest of Happy Meals.

No decisions to be made. A wide array of flavors and textures. Well-priced. All in all, a winner lunch.

Still need to be convinced? Take a look at the thali above, from Pippali on East 27th Street.

I just can't imagine any all-you-can-eat Indian buffet being as soul satisfying. To be sure, it is a feast for the stomach. But, it is also a feast for the eyes.

Let me know if you're game to try one. If so, I'm all in on a thali lunch date!

My Go To's: Noodle Pudding

It's taken a while for me to write a proper post about my all-time favorite neighborhood Italian go-to. Why? My excuse has always been that I can never get a good photo of the food at dinner. Just too dark. But really, I might just have wanted to keep the place to myself.

Well, the latter has been shot to hell. A lot of people are "in the know" about Brooklyn Heights' Noodle Pudding. That's right: Noodle Pudding. Horrible name for an Italian restaurant - a direct translation of owner Tony Migliaccio's last name. But, oh, what a fantastic neighborhood spot! So good that people line up to wait for a table, despite its cash-only policy and low-key vibe.

Everything is fresh. Seriously fresh.

Vinnie's Montauk Bass on the menu? It was likely brought into the restaurant by Vinnie that morning, still flapping its gils.

The Tagliata, a dish of sliced "fresh meat" prime rib with rock salt and rosemary, accompanied by super crispy potatoes and thin green beans, is a carnivore's dream come true.

And, the pastas? Just take a gander of the snapshot above. Homemade Garganelli, served Cacio e Pepe-style with farm-fresh asparagus and a bright yellow egg yolk. The risottos are equally gorgeous.

Dessert isn't an afterthought either, with solid classics like Tiramisu at-the-ready. Still, I'm often content with a few slices of sweet watermelon from the kitchen. And, if nothing sweet from the kitchen appeals that evening, there is nothing wrong with an espresso and shot of Sambuca to finish off a classic Italian meal in the County of Kings.

But, to be clear, I have yet to be disappointed by anything that comes out of Tony's kitchen. Noodle Pudding's menu is ever-changing based on what's best at the market that day - and that unwavering commitment to quality is evident on the plate.

What doesn't change at Noodle Pudding, for the most part, is the staff. Tony keeps very good people. Great people. People I like to see behind the bar and table-side on a regular basis.

Oh, and he keeps a bevy of regular customers too. So, regular, that he put small brass plaques on the bar to mark out a couple of regulars' territory. (I know your next question. I'm there often, but I don't warrant a plaque!)

There. I did it. I wrote a post about Noodle Pudding. Don't think it'll land me plaque-qualifying status, but as long as I still can get a seat once in a while, I'll be just fine.

Welcoming Loretta To My Kitchen

Death reached my doorstep last week. My refrigerator died in an untimely fashion in the height of summer.

Aargh!

You don't know how good you have it until it's gone. And, my fridge and freezer was most certainly a goner. Hundreds of dollars of food needed to be tossed.

It was a sad day in my kitchen.

But, there was little time to mourn. As we all well-know from "The Lion King," the circle of life persists. A new refrigerator would be had.

I sought counsel from Consumer Reports and then placed an order for a LG French door unit that arrived late Friday. And, as the delivery team gently put the new refrigerator into place, I had an epiphany.

I had failed my previous fridge. It was a warhorse in my home, and yet I hadn't given it the love and admiration it deserved.

Things had been so different with another major kitchen appliance: my trusty dishwasher. Within moments of it entering my home, I was besotted and immediately decided that a name was called for. What name? Sven. Seriously. I like thinking that Sven is my buff manservant, at-the-ready, with dish cleaning expertise. Five course dinner party for six? Clean-up isn't a worry. "Make it all clean for me, Sven!," I cry out. And, he does.

It's a great relationship - and one, I suddenly realized, that had been going for about a decade.

Now, I need to make the same kind of commitment to the newest appliance in my home. So, please meet Loretta. She is beautiful and tough - and can be cold as ice when she needs to be (which is always).

She is going to fit in around here just fine!