Stop playing coy with me Mr. Fromagier!

Dear Charles Fromagier,

I know you were just being coy with me when I went to Artisanal in New York for a cheese dinner and you said you thought I probably wouldn’t even want cheese after my fondue with dried apricots and pine nuts accompanied by bread and crudites course.

And I know that when you kept returning to your cheese hole and I had to thrice summon you back to the table you were just playing hard to get.

And I know you were trying to impress me when you told me that investment bankers and gallery directors have been known to become fromagiers...

and that you were also trying to impress me with your stories of your trip to Wisconsin when you were sixteen and that one time you went to Vermont with friends and how you think you might have a distant cousin twice removed in Sicily.

But what I don’t understand is why you think I “wouldn’t even understand” your favorite cheese, epoisses, with all it’s melty French cow’s milk goodness and the honey-slathered walnuts and quince paste and dried fig cakes accompanying it.

Wasn't it you that said that anyone with a "deep enough interest" to "commit the cheeses to memory" could become a fromagier like you? Do you think my love for cheese - er you - is insincere? Do you doubt my commitment? Dear Dear Charles Fromagier, can’t you see that I yearn to melt with you?

Please stop playing games with me. I just know that we are a nice pairing. Please let's let our bold nutty flavors with hints of tang and firm texture and musty aroma finish emerge. I have seen the future and I know it is rich, full flavored, and intense.

You are the (big) apple of my eye.

New York: you are the apple of my eye.

My friend told my other friend that he thinks I have a crush on New York. You and I both know that's not exactly accurate.

But as a woman of few words (ahem), I defer to the masters to express how I really feel.

New York, have I told you lately that I love you? That there's no one else above you? Fill my heart with gladness. Take away all my sadness. That's what you do.

Candle Cafe, with your orange grapefruit ginger lemon juice, and your chimichurri barbecued seitan, and your brown rice veggie salad with vegan artichoke heart dressing, and your Mediterranean tofu wrap, you make me feel, you make me feel, you make me feel like a natural woman (woman).

Pegu Club, with your hand cut ice cubes, homemade maraschino cherries, candied ginger gin cocktail, and earl grey martinis, at last, my love has come along, my lonely days are over, and life is like a song. With your broccoli tempura, I found a dream that I could speak to, a dream that I can call my own. I found a thrill to rest my cheek to, a thrill that I have never known.


Mario Batali, I think about you and your Otto pizza with olive oil, roasted garlic, and spicy chilies day and night, it's only right. To think about the food I love, and hold it tight, so happy together, paired with a nice arugula roasted tomato salad.

'wichcraft: Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with your avocado pickled red onion salad topped with blackened chilies... and shaved Brussels sprout salad with Parmesan, pine nuts, and black currants, and your roasted eggplant honey ricotta toast points, and sweet potato goat cheese gratin with black olive tapenade, take my hand, take my whole life too. Because I can't help falling in love with you.


Strangers in the night exchanging glances, wondering in the night what were the chances we'd be sharing a pizza with hummus, zucchini, and wasabi peas at Graffiti. Something in your eggplant bun was so inviting, something in your mango cheese was so exciting, something in my heart told me I must have you.


Decibel underground sake bar, I'm so in love with you, whatever you want to do, is alright with me. 'Cause you make me feel so brand new, (let me tell ya) I want to spend my life with you. Pickled garlic, Japanese pancake with mayonnaise, sake, tofu, and rice cake, since, since we've been together, loving you forever is what I need... whether times are good or bad, happy or sad.


Al Di La, the way you make me feel (the way you make me feel), your Swiss chard stuffed Mulfati really turns me on (really turns me on) and your white salad with cauliflower, celery root, and fennel knocks me off my feet now baby (knocks me off my feet). With you, my lonely days are gone (lonely days are gone). Wooo hoo.


Bierkraft, you are the sunshine of my life. That's why I'll always stay around. Smoky Gouda Swiss spicy mustard roasted tomato arugula sandwich on a baguette, you are the apple of my eye. Forever you'll stay in my heart. I feel like this is the beginning, though I've loved you for a million years. And if I thought our love was ending, I'd find myself drowning in my own tears.

But New York, try as I might, I cannot stay. I knew that I was crazy, crazy for crying and crazy for trying and crazy for loving you. Crazy for thinking that my love could hold you. I'm crazy for trying and crazy for crying and I'm crazy for loving you.

But if you're lost and you look then you will find me. Time after time. If you fall I will catch you. I will be waiting. Time after time. I love you.

Is it too soon to say I love you?

Is it too soon to say I love you?

Dear New York,

I know I just got off the plane yesterday, but already I want to tell you I’m smitten. I mean, we’re not strangers. In fact, we’ve been close for years, in many ways. Remember the time we had grilled cous cous salad in Tribeca? Or the iced soy mocha from the subway? Or the raw zucchini lasagna from Pure? Or that fantastic lunch at The Hummus Place in Soho? Or or or wait wait – remember the vegan carrot dog from Brooklyn? Amazing. We've definitely had some good times.

And I know that I’ve only been back for a few hours. But already I like what I see. And this time, I don’t know, feels different. Is it weird to say that I feel like I’m coming home for the first time after a long time?

Mexican food at Dos Cominos in Midtown - roasted veggie quesadilla, margaritas, homemade guacamole, and three salsas...

Soy mocha and vegan quiche with roasted veggies and bread basket from Le Pain Quotidien...

Well, New York, we’ve got the rest of this trip to see what happens. I don’t want to rush things, but I’m excited. I just know that there will be fantastic curry and cheese plates and bottles of wine and raw food in our future. Or maybe even we’ll stay in and have a slice. It all sounds great. Yeah. That’s it. Smiles.

xoxo,
Megfood.

You Complete Me

It used to be Meshuggah's everything bagel with cream cheese and extra tomatoes and lots of garlic pepper.


Then it became Ventana's whole wheat bagel with cream cheese, tomatoes, red onions, and capers.

And now, really, it's just any old bagel and any old tomato in any old place.


What can I say? We live in a cynical world. A cynical world. And bagel, I love you. You had me at tomato.

You may call it "eating around"; but I call it "there's too many sides in the sea."

Is it commitment phobia?

I just can’t order an entrée. My mom likes to say that I just haven’t found the right one. But the truth is, I like to dabble with this and that and then move on along. True, I might return to the same restaurant or even the same avocado spring rolls again and again, but I just can’t bring myself to commit to the entrée.

It began with trying to frequent only tapas restaurants – that way I don’t have to feel bad about my, um, “eating around.”

And Mosaic is a great place for that: broccoli and blood orange salad, asparagus gnocchi, truffle chips, hummus, cheese plate with port-wine reduction, artichoke hearts with spicy pepper aioli.

Next I tried to eat at happy hours around town so I could sample freely and not feel bad about not committing to one entrée - half price apps from 5-7pm!

Scape is especially great for that – avocado spring rolls, truffle fries, roasted cauliflower, tomato ricotta hazelnut salad.

But now I am quite open about my, um, “eating around.” I find that life is much more interesting when you can taste this and sample that and not have to face the same EGGPLANT PARMESAN every day for the rest of your life. So I quite openly order sides, salads, and soups to my, um, “heart’s” content and never feel bad!

For example, at Acero, I sampled the Testun cheese with the wine-soaked rind, glazed roasted carrots, garlicky Jerusalem artichokes, grilled scallions, and more!

Life is full of options! I don't need half-priced apps to keep things simple and just have fun!

There are so many sides in the sea!