Tonight I had a uniquely inspiring experience and I may be on my way to becoming a baleboste.

I went to hear June Fleiss Hersh, the author of Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival speak.  Her book is a compilation of food memories, stories about food and families, and recipes from Holocaust survivors from Poland, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Greece. It includes professionally written and tested recipes and over 80 family stories of rescues, reunions, resistance, and love amid war. In many cases, sons, daughters, and grandchildren honor their family’s history through retelling Holocaust stories and sharing recipes.  The book includes stories of a daughter who walked across the frozen Danube to reunite with her mother; a refugee who made a new life among welcoming strangers in the Dominican Republic; newlyweds who met crossing the Alps by foot; and valiant men and women who fought with the partisans; among many other unique, personal histories.

Fleiss spoke passionately about honoring the legacy of the Holocaust and the stories of survival. She said that the recipes in the book honor the traditions of the Jewish community and offer resilience and hope for all of us.  For many of the survivors who contributed to the book, this book is now a permanent tribute to their families with whom they gathered around the table before the war tore them apart, and to their family members born after the war who join around the table to share their heritage through recipes passed on from generation to generation.  She worked with the Museum of Jewish Heritage in downtown NYC to obtain access to a group of survivors pore over historical files and ALL the proceeds from the book sales go directly to the museum which educates tolerance.

So, how do I plan on becoming a baleboste?  By trying Judith Ginsburg’s brisket, Nadzia Goldstein Bergson’s home-baked challah, Frania Faywlowicz’ meat and potato cholent but by also reading their stories.  Knowing that Frania’s parents were liberated but put in a DP camp before moving to Montreal will make eating her dish all the sweeter.  Children write about their parents, husbands write about their wives and vice versa or they share the painful stories of being the only one left.  Images accompany the stories, and recipes are laid out simply, almost as a subtle back-up to the tragic tales.

I’m going to read this book slowly, it won’t be an easy read, and it might very well inspire me to make Jewish recipes from the part of the world my ancestry spawns from.  Before you know it, there will be new aromas coming from my kitchen, but you may need to get past my tears from reading the stories first.

Disclosure: I purchased my own copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

Leave it to my Brooklynite sister to introduce us to FARMACY, the most amazing old-fashioned, but very hip, soda fountain in Carroll Gardens (513 Henry St., at Sackett St., Carroll Gardens; 718-522-6260).  It’s total nostalgia – everything from egg creams to milkshakes and ice-cream sundaes, to the counter and leather seats where you can sit comfortably, to the girls wearing white hats, aprons and old-fashioned glasses.  You feel like you’ve gone back in time, but you can’t help but remember what decade you’re in with all the hipsters in the room.  They’ve put very careful attention into the decor and you really feel like you’ve gone back to the 1950s/early 1960s.

Let me tell you about some of the items on the menu.  I had a coffee egg cream ($3.50). They also have chocolate and maple flavors.  They have floats, sparkling sodas, sundaes, red velvet twinkies, ice-cream sandwiches.  I liked the touch of free stick pretzels on the counter, which we dipped into our egg creams.  They use syrup from Brooklyn’s P&H Soda and Syrup, as well as Adirondacks Creamery ice cream and Hudson Valley Fresh whole milk, and you can taste the difference.

Best of all, it’s completely kid-friendly.  Kids will love the $4.50 sundae and a trip to the back of the cafe where they have old-fashioned type-writers and tons of board games.  I can only imagine that this place is full during the day with moms and children.  They even have “No Tellin’ it’s Vegan” cupcake, which are dairy and wheat-free and great for kid’s allergies.

I also liked the music, a real throw-back to a time long gone.  Apparently, they have live music now.

Clearly, I like this place.  I only wish we had a place like this where I live.  The waiters behind the counter are actually called “JERKS” and they treat you like you’re a friend.  My sister and I were talking about the playwright, Wendy Wasserstein, and the Jerk waiting on us joined in our conversation and started to tell us how she just finished Wasserstein’s novel. She did not hesitate to join in and the vibe in the place is such that you kind of expect her to.  It’s inviting and definitely a find.

Disclosure: I was not compensated to write this review and all opinions are my own.

Smorgesburg

Yesterday we were introduced to Smorgesburg, a bonanza of gourmet food by the water in Williamsburg.  It truly is a smorgesboard of the most delicious foods, and it’s right next to a park so the kids can run around after getting a dose of the market.

Run by the people at the Brooklyn Flea, another one of my favorite Brooklyn haunts, there are over 100 vendors of every kind, offering samples of their offerings from Mexican cemita sandwiches to Shanghai-style banana-ricotta spring rolls to heirloom bean seeds to small-batch ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise.  It’s truly a meeting of the hipsters every Saturday, from 9-5, rain or shine, at the East River Waterfront, between 6 & 7 Streets.

The kids weren’t as into it as my husband and myself – we sampled everything, from tempeh to delicious jams to frozen banana, mustards, cheese, ice pops (even that my children weren’t in favor of, the flavors were too exotic), thai food, spices, noodles, pickles beef jerky, pastries, cupcakes, chocolate covered bananas and so much more.  The beauty of the market is that whoever wanted could try samples of everything and then purchase a portion if we desired.  Our friends who live in the area go regularly for breakfast.  If you have kids with adventurous taste buds, they will delight in the tastes and sensations of all the delicious cuisine.  Ours did try their share, and I delighted in the tastes hitting their taste buds.

Here are some photos from the day so you can get a feel of Smorgesburg:

Source: http://chinawhiteusa.com

China White is located at 578 Anderson Hill Road.  The ambiance is sleek and sophisticated, with pale tones and wall mountings and light fixtures that are seem to be an ode to China’s dining style.   They boast to using organic food, something most Chinese restaurants definitely don’t do.  The waiters are dressed in construction worker -type uniforms, dressed a lot like the guys in Disney’s “Imagination Movers”.   The walls are white, everything’s white, but that was one thing that didn’t quite work for me and I don’t think our waiter appreciated my comparison to a kid’s show.  But I do have to say that she was great – full of suggestions and knowledge about the food and what to order.

We started off the meal with delicious deep fried noodles with condiments, which are complimentary and definitely a spin on what you see in your typical Chinese restaurant.  The condiments come in small dishes. We decided to share everything so we could sample various items.  We tried the chicken and peanut spring rolls ($10), which were absolutely divine; barbecued spare ribs ($16); pan fried scallion pancakes ($7) and the most delightful Shanghai noodles I’ve ever had, cooked in “cool peanut sauce” and cucumber ($12).  They have other noodle options which we didn’t try: rice vermicelli ($14), chow fun ($16) and lo mein ($15).  They also offer crunchy vegetable and mango summer rolls ($10), sweet white shrimp ($14), egg drop soup ($6), hot and sour soup ($7), a crispy duck salad ($15), white salad with pears, tofu, cashew, choy and sherry vinaigrette and bao bao buns (chicken, roast pork or BBQ beef for $12).  And dumplings – shrimp, pork or crispy vegetable ($9-$12).

For our meal, we tried General Tso’s fish ($27), made with ginger chile-sauce which was my favorite dish.  Just watch those peppers!  Other dishes we sampled were black pepper beef ($29), tangerine beef ($32), Chef Joe’s spicy dragon chicken ($26) and Chef Joe’s spicy dragon chicken with red chiles and sugar peas ($26).  They also have wok sauteed prawns ($28), wok lobster ($39) and sesame chicken ($22).   The market fried rice with chicken, pork or shrimp ($12) is smooth and rich.  Everything has a distinct taste and flavor, and if you like Asian food, you’ll love their food.  Everything we had smelled and tasted divine.  Honestly, there were no slip-ups.

I also like the fact that there are many vegetarian options.  At the end of the meal, they provided free chai-flavored cotton candy which we all happily munched on with our tea.  They also handed us a Magic 8 Ball (instead of a fortune cookie?) which we all gladly asked questions, and squinted our eyes to read the answer in small print.  It was a nice touch, all in the vein of China and quite possibly, heroin.

I have to give my friend who found China White a round of applause.  A bonafied foodie, she always leads us right to good food in Westchester.  She led us to Alvin and Friends and now here.  Everyone in our group of six enjoyed this unique culinary experience and I have a feeling it will be a repeat for all of us.

Disclosure: I was not compensated to write this review in any way and all opinions expressed are my own.

This past weekend, we had one of those rotten experiences at a restaurant called the Greek Corner in Chelsea.  I feel compelled to write about the experience in hopes that you think twice about going there.  I would not be writing this post had anyone at the restaurant reached out to me upon leaving to improve the situation or offer their regrets.

Okay, I was a little mad on Saturday.  I’ve simmered down, but I still see a need to write this post.

Here is a list of some of the ways you should not be treated by any NYC restaurant, particularly when eating with kids, based on Saturday’s experience:

- When your child is yelled at by a fellow patron for accidentally falling off his seat (he was tired and he did need to eat so his behavior wasn’t his best, but he’s only 6!), and the waitress sees the incident, there should be some kind of reaction, particularly when the incident occurs twice.  Rather than yell at my son and tell him to say excuse me, perhaps the patron should have addressed his opinion to me, the other adult in the situation.

- When you tell the waitress that your child is hungry, the food should come quickly.  It should not take an ungodly amount of time.  And if you order chocolate milk, it should come before the food, not after.

- If your child is starving and fussy, there is no reason your waitress should not want to bring an extra plate.  Rather than announcing quite rudely that you already have plates on your table and that she is busy, she should bring one immediately.  Even after you explain that your child will not eat on a plate that is touching other food, she should not blks at you.  Not appreciated.

- The fact that a NYC restaurant has a sharing fee does not surprise me. What does surprise me is that this information is in very small print on a menu in a diner.  There is no reason a diner should have a sharing fee for french toast!  The waitress should not announce his fact after you ask for an extra plate, as if she were seeking revenge on you for making her job harder.

- When the waitress upsets you to such a degree that you no longer have an appetite to eat the food that you now have to pay for, but you can’t get up and leave out of fear or not only further humiliation, but due to the fact that your child has to eat before falling apart, you sit at the table about to burst into tears, this is a bad thing.

- When you finally get up to leave and take your bill to the cashier, after the waitress mumbles a lame apology and tells you she is knocking $5 off the bill for her rudeness, and no one up front apologizes for anything, this is also bad.

Finally, if a fellow patron has to actually get up and run after you when you make your way out of the diner, and ask if you are from New York to see why you let yourself get treated like that by a waitress?  And you are a New Yorker.  That is also not cool.

Do I recommend the Greek Corner?  Absolutely not.

In addition to the article, I want to elaborate on where to eat and stay.  I spent a year living in London after college, and we go as a family every year, so I have traveled both on a budget and as a family in the grand city rather.  While I will admit that eating in London can be quite expensive, it doesn’t have to be.  First of all, if you like Indian food, you can get great Indian food all over the city, without breaking the bank.  There is a large concentration of Indian eateries in Brick Lane, which is in East London, where people flock to for great value.

Eating in Central London isn’t cheap, but there are chains like Pizza Express that’s all over the city that offers set meal prices (pizza, drink and dessert) and are extremely kid-friendly.  There’s also China Town, where you can grab a bowl of soup and egg rolls.  When I was a young girl living in London, my favorite restaurant was Stockpot, and it’s still around.  For 5 pounds or so, you get shepherd’s pie or chicken pot pie – proper home-cooked meals that are incredibly delicious and hearty.  And really generous portions.  God, I loved that place.  Walking around Leicester Square, there’s also pizza for a pound and the food gallery at Covent Garden where you can pick something up and watch the buskers.  Wagamama is the most excellent noodle restaurant where you eat at long tables.  There are 15 locations all over town.

On our recent visit to London, we were very happy to discover that most restaurants offer a children’s menu.  Not only that, but they offer a range of choices aimed toward children with healthy options.  Here are a few of the restaurants to keep in mind on your next family visit to London, as well as one hotel suggestion:

Gourmet Burger

Gourmet Burger is a chain located all over the London.  They offer a wide variety of types of hamburgers with sauces ranging from horseradish to Cajun.  They also serve chicken and lamb, as well as a variety of vegetarian options.  Their burgers are about £7-8 each and are quite large.  Their junior menu is £5.95 and offers hamburgers, lentil or chicken burgers or chicken nuggets with the choice of a drink.   The setting is very casual and perfect for kids.  The chain was founded by a couple of New Zealanders in 2001 and has a relaxed Kiwi kind of feeling.   My kids really liked the food and it was easy on the wallet.  We went to the Belsize Park location, but you can check the web site for other locations.

Sunny Hill Café

Sunny Hill Café is located in Sunny Hill Park in Hendon in the northern bit of the city.  It’s Israeli-owned and offers a variety of English and Israeli cuisine options.  They have tables inside and out facing the park’s open fields.  I love that you can order falafel, hummus, lentil soup and more.  It’s such an unusual menu for a cafe in a park.  Meanwhile, the kids can munch on the usual kid’s fare, as well as ice-cream, when they need a  break from playing in the park’s very fantastic playground.  On a Saturday, you will feel like you are in a bit of Israel given the ambience and clientele.

Giraffe

When you Google “family friendly restaurants in London,” Giraffe will be one of the first results to pop up.  We went to the location in Belsize Park near our hotel, but there are Giraffe restaurants all over London.   Kids can eat for £3.95 and have options like fish & chips with peas, meatballs & pasta, pizza, hamburger, chicken and lots of dessert and drinks options.  They give out crayons and an activity before the meal and have a lot of options for adults including salads, Mexican, burgers and more.  The only thing I advise not to order is the salad.  The UK doesn’t have their salad-making abilities just yet, they need some help on that front.

Hampstead Creperie

In the middle of Hampstead’s busy High Street is a crepe stand that has been in the same spot for years.  There’s always a line, anytime of day.  You can order sweet or savory crepes; of course my kids chose the chocolate ones.  They cost only a few pounds and melt in your mouth.  This was a place I have never forgotten and still holds true to its promise.  The chocolate ones are quite messy, so take wipes.  There is no seating, but there are wipes nearby to sit on while you carefully devour a crepe made in heaven.

Curry Manjil Restaurant

No visit to London is complete without having a full blown curry.  One of our kids loves Indian food; the other is not so sure.  But we absolutely adore it.  So, on our last night in town, we dragged them to a local Indian restaurant to get our annual dose at Curry Manjil.   It has good ambience and very solid food.   You can probably get spicier, cheaper food in Brick Lane or Bayswater, but if you’re in Northern London, this is a good choice.

Waterside Café at Warwick Crescent in Little Venice

Located in a floating boat, this was an unexpected treat and quite a find.  The menu offers English fare and has indoor and outdoor seating.    They serve breakfast and lunch or you can have sweets and tea.  The prices are really reasonable.  The kids ordered eggs on toast, and I had a salad with hummus and pita.  Afterwards, you can walk around the canals.

And now for some hotel advice:

Premiere Inn

We actually stayed in various Premiere Inns the entire time we were in London.  Breakfast is £7.50 per adults; kids are free.  It’s a full buffet, offering everything from hot to cold foods.  It’s a very good English breakfast.  If you are looking for a reasonable hotel stay in the city of London, the Premiere Inn is definitely checking out.  Hotel rooms are not cheap, and this will be one of your less expensive options.  For your information, we paid £50 pounds for a family room in Manchester, breakfast included; £129 pounds in Belsize Park, just outside the center of London, breakfast not included.  The London location was particularly good; it was a short walk to the tube that takes you right to the center of town, and also a short walk to the lovely Hampstead Heath.

London has so many culinary options and hotels; this is only a short list.  But if you have a trip planned and want to have some family-friendly options on hand, keep these in mind.

Some of my favorite neighborhoods to eat at in London are Chelsea (they have a terrific crepe restaurant called My Old Dutch), Camden (there are loads of options to consider while exploring the market’s stalls), Islington, Chalk Farm, Highgate and Belsize Park.  Pubs offer great chow (“pub grub”).  You usually order off the black board and have a seat, order some ale and relax.  In the suburbs, these are proper country pubs.  Many have soft play areas for kids.

One last mention about where to stay in London.  The more central you stay, the smaller your room, and the more expensive the room.  The further out you go, the more space you get (which is good for kids) and the less you’ll pay.  As long as you’re near a tube line, you’ll be in good shape.

Photo Soure: Yelp.com

A few months ago, I wrote about the exceptional new restaurant in New Rochelle, Alvin and Friends.  It literally knocked my taste buds off and changed our perception of food in Westchester.  Since then, a slew of good restaurants have opened up in Mamaroneck, the town on the other side of where we live, as well, and we have far superior dining options locally than we ever did.  We have been waiting for the same development to occur in New Rochelle.

So, last night, when my husband and I encountered a new wine bar in the area, based on the recommendation of a friend, called the Gnarley Vine Bar, I was beyond excited.  As soon as we walked in, I felt nostalgic for the Lower East Side and East Village.  The bar has that vibe and definitely brings a bit of NYC to Westchester.  It’s funny, I’ve passed by the bar a zillion times driving down Main Street, but the exterior did not call out to me to let me know about this terrific find.  I would suggest they do something about that, but from the looks of it, as there were plenty of people inside who also seemed to have stumbled upon it, many other Westchester residents have discovered this gem.

The wine choices are interesting, and not expensive.  The bartender was very happy to bring out samplings of whatever we wanted to try.  He even encouraged it.  The servings are also generous.  The menu has lovely cheese plates, delicious salads, tuna tartar, quesadillas, pizzas and other special dishes.  Everything is flavorful and really well presented.  We really impressed by the food and happy to spend a good part of our evening sampling different menu items.

We happened to know several people from Larchmont, but the community definitely is vibrant and diverse, many of whom you’d expect to bump into in downtown NYC.  We can’t wait to go back again, and I think I’ve discovered my new local hang-out.  It’s just not in my own town.

I’m actually running a clothes drive at my children’s nursery school that will motivate people to not only clean out their house, but give certain items to the people who need them most.  I’m working with Room to Grow, collecting gently used clothing and toys for infants that come from homes with little to no income.  I’m hoping to collect a good amount of clothing and toys to take into the city to benefit a lot of children.

Jewish people typically clean out their cupboards and remove all traces of flower – bread, rice, pasta, anything with starch in it.  It’s time to bring in the  matzah!   According to Osem, the largest Kosher food manufacturer in the world, they sell 2 million tons of matzah annually to Americans.  Man, that’s a lot of matzah!  We eat matzah on Passover as a remembrance of the Exodus from slavery in Egypt.

This year I plan to have my kids keep Passover quite strictly.  I’ve been quite lenient (and lazy)  in prior years as I have two children who are extremely picky eaters.  I have always caved in on the 2nd or 3rd day when I realize that their eating pickings are slim, particularly my son who is on the thin side.  However, I think it’s time for them to participate in all the customs that we, ourselves, partake in.  They go to Sunday School; they’re learning about their heritage and history.  It’s time to turn them into Passover keepers!

But t definitely takes work to keep them well-fed and content during the holiday, which lasts a week.  Osem will help me get through the holiday.  I’ll be making my famous matzah lasagne several times during the course of the week, using matzah straight from their factories, which is a big hit in my house.  Pasta that’s Kosher for Passover doesn’t quite cut it in my house.  It’s mushy and not very appealing to my kids.  They love Osem’s Bissli, Marble Cake, croutons, soup mix and matzah.  And, of course, their chocolate covered matzah which is absolutely delicious.

So, the question is how will get my two fusspot kids to eat the food I make during the Passover holiday?  I’ll be making the holiday FUN.  My kids will help me prepare everything.  Maybe they’ll even help me clean out the pantry.  If they get upset about the food they’re not having, we’ll talk about the holiday’s meaning and history.  We’ll make kid-friendly food like schnitzel, fried chicken cutlets, roast chicken, potato latkes and kugel, even cookies for Pesach.

Chocolate matza is a family favorite in our house during Passover, and it’s easy enough to make together.  It’s something I plan to make and I thought I’d share the recipe.  It’s a huge HIT in my house.

Ingredients:

Earlier this year in Larchmont, where I live, a new pizza place called HomeMade Pizza Company opened in one of the many vacant shops in town.  Billed as fresh and wholesome, it definitely caught my eye.  On my many visits to Red Mango for frozen yogurt across the street, my kids would beg me, saying “when are we going to the new pizza store?”  Word started to get around about it and when the buzz came my way, I felt compelled to give it a whirl.  I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about having to take the pizza home to bake.  I also didn’t understand the hype…until I tasted it for myself.  Here’s what so special about this pizza: the ingredients (there’s a choice of 45) are truly fresh, right off a farm, and you can taste the difference; they’re also healthy and more exotic than average; and the concoctions are marvelous.  You choose your toppings and they make it right before your eyes.

I ordered the Quattro Stagioni with artichokes, wild mushrooms, Kalamata olives, Fontinella cheese and fresh thyme.  Hungry yet?  I truly felt like I was in Italy, munching on the tastiest pizza ever.  It’s not thick crust, it’s not thin either.

My kids loved the Classic Cheese with mushrooms.  Hand-tossed dough, ruby red tomato sauce, and creamy part-skim mozzarella.

Other concoctions include the Fresh Herb (with Chevre cheese); the Miesian with Italian Margherita-fresh Roma tomato, roasted garlic, tons of basil and creamy Mozzarella; the Four Cheese with Asiago, Fontinella, Wisconsin Mozzarella, and Ricotta cheeses; Sausage and Carmelized Onion; Spinach Pie; BBQ Chicken; Wild Mushroom; the Georgia with Cumin-scented Santa Fe chicken, of poblano peppers and Ricotta cheese; the B.L.T.; and the Fireside which has Italian sausage, roasted red peppers and aged parmesan.  Okay, now you are really hungry, right?  Prices range from $10.95 to $15.75 for a medium size to $12.95 to $17.95 for a large size pizza.  I personally love their selection of salads to accompany the pizza.  The Big Salad, which I purchased for $7.95 included generous portions of artichokes, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, red onion, and sweet bell peppers over a bed of fresh greens.  For dessert, they offer homemade cookies that you buy raw and put in the oven and six kinds of natural ice cream.

I actually enjoyed taking the pizza home raw and ready to go into the oven.  It’s wrapped very carefully, the plastic comes right off.  There are directions on the pizza that tells you exactly how to prepare it.  I loved the way my house smelled while it was baking and it was all just very easy.

HomeMade Pizza Company began with Eric Fosse, the founder and CEO of HomeMade Pizza.  His  dream was to create a new kind of wholesome pizza and an easy way to bring friends and family together around the dinner table.  Fosse spent more than two years perfecting the crust in his home kitchen, as well as time abroad studying the fresh eating way of life born out of local European markets.

Chicago-based HomeMade Pizza Company continues its organic growth and success in cities across the country, including Washington, D.C., Minneapolis and now New York.  They just opened their first New Jersey location in Ridgewood this past week.

To learn more about HomeMade Pizza Company, please visit www.homemadepizza.com or join them at www.facebook.com/HomeMadePizzaCo.

Now on the Culture Mom, you can enter to win a $40 Gift Card to the Homemade Pizza Company (locations in NY, NJ, Washington and DC, Minneapolis) and you can use the card at any location. Here is how to win:

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You know you’ve had a good meal when you’re still dreaming about the taste and flavors three days later. Quite honestly, that doesn’t happen often in Westchester.  We may only be 15 miles from New York City, but the food in Westchester really isn’t the same caliber as NYC food, especially after you’ve lived there for many years.   It all happened at a restaurant just a few miles from my house, and I’m already dreaming of my trip back.

Alvin & Friends is a lovely, upscale bistro with white tablecloths, chandeliers and artwork painted by owner Alvin Clayton.  It’s located on a side street in New Rochelle so you really have to know where you’re going to find it.  Alvin, who lives in New Rochelle, not only greets you at the door, but he makes sure that you have everything you need throughout your evening at the restaurant.  He wants you to discover the restaurant, to stumble upon it.  His southern hospitality and charm add to this unique dining experience.  He makes you feel welcome right away, and it makes this dining experience truly unique and magical.

We had a 9pm reservation and got there around 8:15, so we headed right to the bar in the back.  We were surprised by the amount of people.  Granted, it was a Saturday night, but places around here just don’t get that crowded.  Until now.

After a few glasses of wine, we were eager to taste the cuisine.  We did have to wait a while for a table.  They were really busy.  But the ambiance and wait staff were so friendly that we didn’t dare complain, nor care to.

Billed as Southern, Contemporary and Caribbean, the menu is innovative, to say the least, and the food is electric…literally.  When we sat down, we immediately ordered appetizers.  I had salmon dumplings , my husband had delicious jerk chicken wings that took spice to a whole new level.  They also have curry mussel bisque, barbecued shrimp, jumbo lump crab cakes and caesar salad with fried peas.

As for main courses, each entre’ is a variation on traditional Southern themes, each with an exotic flavor.  There’s grilled lamb loin chops, complimented with coconut rice and beans with green papaya slaw; spice rubbed catfish, with black eyed peas, watercress and corn maque choux; and jerk duck with calabaza bread pudding and onion marmalade in port wine-fig Sauce, to name just a few. I had catfish with lentils and rice; my husband had a steak.  One of our dinner companions had salmon and raved about it.  We were all impressed with the freshness and taste of each dish.  The chef really knows what he is doing and he has me wanting to go back for more.  It was all cooked to perfection.

We split the red velvet bread pudding with blueberry compote for dessert, as well as the pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate brownie with ice-cream.   Just make sure you save room.

Entrees ranged in price from $20-30.  Definitely make a reservation before the word gets out about this unique dining experience.  Oh, right, it just did.

Alvin checked in a  couple of times. He and his team definitely added to what had already been a culinary adventure.  Hopefully, his restaurant is here to stay and may even bring some much-needed changes to the downtown area of New Rochelle.