The past couple weeks have been filled with epic foodie adventures and yes, my credit card bill can vouch for this. YOLO. No regrets. Carpe Diem. Eat on and eat on I will. So last Saturday I helped organize a trip of November Project folks to Lilia – Missy Robbins’ most recent restaurant endeavor. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure of Missy Robbins fame and Wikipedia helped me realize what a treat or honor that meal would be. Did you know that she is best known for having a Michelin star at each of her restaurants and was also featured as a contestant in series four of Top Chef Masters?
The restaurant in question – Lilia – has had rave reviews from all corners of the web. From the NY Magazine to just last week Grub Street shared its top power rankings, throwing Lilia among Nishi, Le Turtle and more. I apologize for the lackluster lighting as it may not do the dishes justice. If you really must see perfect photography, check out their Facebook page.
Lilia
567 Union Ave, New York
{Subway stops ~ G, L at Metropolitan Ave – Lorimer St}
Daily 5:30p.m.-11p.m.
I honestly would not have learned about this restaurant or even ventured outside of Manhattan had it not been for one of our November Project friends, Erin, who alerted us to the restaurant’s opening. It may be Missy Robbins’ new project, but her brother also played/plays a huge part in the restaurant’s success. So into Williamsburg we ventured!
^^ To drink or not to drink? In retrospect, the bill might have been a bit smaller had we not indulged buuut wine made things a little more fun.
^^ I wasn’t at all sure of what this was, but when we cut into it and smelled the fried cheesy goodness, I knew we were in for a treat. Every morsel seemed to crumble and melt in your mouth and when I went to research the meal a bit more, I found that this nifty cheese called cacio e pepe even had an article written about it. Yeah, the combination of sharp cheese, black pepper, olive oil, little bit of pasta + cooking water is just that cool.
^^ I’m not sure whether it was due to our party’s size or the reservation but we were provided with a set menu and options for three courses plus dessert.
^^ Antipasti (option 2) ~ Little Gem Salad with bibb-like lettuce, parmesan, oregano, and dried chili
^^ Antipasti (option 3) ~ Roasted trumpet mushroom, arugula, balsamic, and Sicilian almonds
^^ Primi (option 1) ~ Ricotta Gnocchi, broccoli pesto, basil, and pistachios
^^ Secondi (option 1) ~ Grilled chicken leg and thigh, broccoli rabe, olives, garlic, and mint ~ probably the most tender and mouth-watering piece of chicken I have ever had in my entire life. It seemed to fall off the bone and was so.darn.juicy.
^^ Secondi (option 1) ~ All about that Black Bass, salsa verde, and perfectly seasoned and roasted yukon potatoes.
When I go out to eat, I don’t always order an appetizer or even a side salad. I do love my sweets but dessert doesn’t always make the list either. So, I found the price fix menu quite beneficial, enabling us to sample a variety of items on the menu rather than being tied to just one full entree. When the question of dessert came around, many of us were reaching our satiation point, but come on, when you have dessert as a GIVEN option, you must take advantage of it. (ok, I would be a terrible mindful eating coach…)
^^ Dolce (option 1) ~ Olive oil cake, grappa, whipped cream, persimmon ~ YOU MUST ORDER THIS. Even if you don’t plan on eating or drinking much at all, I highly recommend making a reservation simply for this dish. Olive oil is one of those ingredients that has hidden powers. Who would have thought it could make a dessert so wonderfully moist? Also, persimmons? I claimed that I wouldn’t eat a persimmon and Lilia has since changed my view on the fruit. Well done Missy Robbins, well done.
^^ Dolce (option 2) ~ Soft-served chocolate gelato, candied citrus, and hazlenuts. Not a bad way to celebrate national frozen yogurt day (and day after national nutella day) but my heart was already with the olive oil cake. All in all, an excellent ending to a quite perfect meal.
“Food is a direct pathway to the soul. It reaches us in a very primal place.”
― Good Witch
^^ Our main event – baby shark. Yes folks, we made that happen. But I swear, it tasted like a mix between white fish and tender chicken. Michelle had actually been wavering between the baby shark and one of the market specials, but when our waiter dropped the $75 a serving price tag, we made the decision to stick with mr. shark.
^^ We had asked to have a candle in the shark but when that wasn’t possible, we settled for candles in the custard. 😉 Happiest of birthdays Michelle! So glad we could help you celebrate and explore a little more of the city.
^^ 
^^ One great thing about friends, especially good friends, is that they are generally open to ordering and splitting a couple different items. This means sampling more of the cuisine at half the price and still leaving room for dessert. Entree #1 Bicol Express {slow-roasted pork shoulder, coconut milk, sili, bagoong sauce, vigan longganisa, pickled chilies and baby bok choy} and a baby pot pie. Double thumbs up for the bicol express with the savory sauce and tender meat. I wasn’t as much of a fan of the pot pie or bao buns we sampled, but such is life.
^^ Whole wheat everything w/ cream cheese + lox for her and whole wheat everything with blueberry cream cheese for me. Deeeeelish and not to mention beyond filling. Thank goodness we were banking on walking the rest of the day.
No cookies were purchased on this venture, but it makes me smile when I see black-and-white cookies in every store. Such a symbol of New York. The rest of the day was honestly spent walking all around the city and if my FitBit were working and syncing properly with my phone, I would be able to tell you all the steps we took, miles we walked, and calories burned 😉
^^ Both of us agreed that the west village is where it is at, especially with the quaint looking brownstones and lovely fall leaves. Alexis was just glad that she could wear a winter coat and dress up for cooler weather since cooler weather is rarely a thing in California.
^^ Since we had eaten our bagels around brunch time, we skipped out on a full lunch meal and decided to regroup, warm our hands, and charge my phone inside a Starbucks. This happened to be my FIRST red cup of the season (despite the changing temps, I have always gone for the good ‘ol iced cold brew) and don’t see what all the controversy is about. Anyways, a new favorite combo >> skim peppermint mocha with only 2 pumps peppermint and make it extra hot 🙂
^^ I still don’t know what that delectable concoction is/was but I will make it my goal to get someone to go back to Bryant Park with me and split one before the holiday season is over.
^^ Not the best quality photo buuuuuut we ate ETHIOPIAN FOOD! I have never been to an Ethiopian restaurant and was actually baffled at the selection on the menu. I let Alexis do the deciding and we ended up with a meat combo and veggie combo, all atop this spongey pancake. They don’t even provide utensils and the trick is to use the pancake in order to scoop up the toppings.
Though this is a true classic, I had never seen it, not even the movie, so this was quite the treat! We had picked up tickets at the TKTS booth by South Street (lower Manhattan) so the tickets were 50% off and right near the orchestra! Originally we had tried to see “An American in Paris”, but all the Saturday tickets had been sold. Anyways, who knew they had broadway productions outside of Times Square and at Lincoln Center? (Don’t answer that. That may have just been me…)
Since we were watching the musical at Lincoln Center, we decided to drop by 
Lovely pre-packaged items ready to devour. Like I said, if I lived here full time and had the ability to spend $$$, I would be here all day every day.
California Endless Summer 