Awwwww yeah.
Best day-after-mardi-gras grub, ever.
1pm
Might as well start stretching the stomach out now, because 48 hours ago I booked a ticket back to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.
Favorite food destination in the WORLD, here I come!
10am
Cupcakes for Boys: Butch Bakery

This is hilarious. Via DailyCandy:
Butch Bakery peddles big, boozy cupcakes with XY-approved patterns like camo, wood grain, and houndstooth. Manly flavors include rum-soaked Madagascar vanilla cake with cola Bavarian cream filling (Rum & Coke), chocolate beer cake with beer-infused buttercream and pretzels (Beer Run), and peanut butter cake with banana Bavarian cream and crumbled bacon.
Read more about Butch Bakery here.
12pm
Due to an unnoticed Groupon expiration date, I’ll be eating a dozen Butter Lane cupcakes this weekend. They are possibly the best in the city. Stay tuned.
5pm
NYC: Eats From Another Era
Kind of along the lines of what I was talking about yesterday. There are too many restaurants in this city!
11am
Hot Pot at XO Cafe, Chinatown
New York’s trendy restaurant scene is a lot of fun, but this year I’m making an effort to try as many authentic ethnic restaurants as I can. I’ve lived on the cusp of Chinatown for almost two years now and feel pathetic that I’ve not taken proper advantage.

Thursday nite I was invited along to XO Cafe for hot pot, the Chinese version of fondue. Luckily I was with a cast of characters who knew what they were doing, so I sat back, sipped my almond bubble tea, and enjoyed hot pot without any worries.

Hot pot starts with a pot of spicy broth boiling in the center of the table. You order all the ingredients you want; we did tofu, chicken, beef, scallops, clams, dumplings, and a wide array of veggies. Some participants ordered tripe, or cow intestines. I definitely was not ready to try that.


The contents come to the table raw. You throw whatever you want into the pot, let it cook, then fish it out to enjoy.

It was a feast for the ages.

Although so far on my cultural culinary trail I would say I enjoyed my dim sum brunch a wee bit more, this was a unique experience and I would definitely return. The $24 all-you-can-eat hot pot includes beverages, appetizers (like the pan fried dumplings, below), and dessert.

10am
I’m so all over this. Love Clinton St. Baking Company, but the long lines prevent me from going that often. But for pancake month, who wants to take a Friday off from work and join me?
mascarah:
Guess what you lucky NYCers? This month is PANCAKE MONTH at my favorite local brunch & breakfast spot conveniently located doors from my apt. Yup, that’s right a FULL MONTH of Pancakes at Clinton Street Baking Company. Obviously, you can’t miss this. Your tummy will never forgive you.
Schedule as follows:
Special Pancakes (all flavors, $15) will be served Monday thru Friday from 8am-4pm and 6pm-11pm during February on the dates outlined below.
Dates and Flavors:
- 1, 2, 3: chocolate & blood orange pancakes w/candied orange glaze
- 4, 5: poached pears with vanilla bean whipped cream & warm maple butter
- 8, 9: fresh coconut pancakes with passion fruit syrup and bananas
- 10, 11: roasted apples with candied walnuts and warm maple caramel
- 12, 15: chocolate chunks, fresh raspberries, and raspberry-caramel sauce
- 16, 17: brown sugar pecans, bananas and cinnamon maple butter
- 18, 19, 22: classic chocolate chunk
- 23, 24: fresh blackberries, pecan streusel, warm maple butter
- 25, 26: crunchy bananas with cinnamon-chili-chocolate sauce
Via adventures of mascarah.
9am
I’m not sure what I’ll be making for my super bowl parties, but here’s a great recipe round-up from the New York Times food editors.
1pm