Eataly: Italian Food Market in Flatiron

Saw one too many reviews about Eataly, an  Italian food market in Flatiron that I felt obligated to check it out one Friday night.


Once I walked in, I could see the appeal it has on New Yorkers.


The fresh produces attractively displayed in a beautiful space.


There were restaurants, cafes, bars within the food market.


The food looked so enticing that shopping for grocery along would not satisfy the craving.
I am lured into eating in one of the restaurants.


La Pizza & Pasta


Fettuccine con Coda alla Vaccinara -- Homemade Roman Pasta with Oxtail Ragu.
Love the texture of the home made fettuccine.  


Massese -- Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce, Neapolitan Spicy Salami & fresh Basil
Loved the spicy salami.  The pizza was not drowned in cheese like most American pizzas do.


All the cold cuts looked so yummy.


You could sample some salami & cheese paring with wines.


After the pasta & pizza, we had to stop by to get some European coffee & pastry.


These type of food markets are quite common in southern Europe.
It reminded me of the food markets I visited in Spain. 
Eataly in comparison is more posh and commercialized.
Nonetheless, it is a fun place to shop and eat.

Cowgirl Seahorse -- Tex-Mex Sourthern cuisine near South Street Seaport.

On a beautiful fall day in Financial District area, we took out-of-town guests to do some sightseeing around lower Manhattan.
Among the guests, we have some picky eaters and younger children.
After doing some research in the area,  Cowgirl Seahorse seemed like a good choice.


The restaurant is about 5 to 10 minutes walk from South Street Seaport, away from all the touristy places.


I enjoyed the decor of the place and can totally see it a nice warm weather brunch spot.
The service was friendly, and as soon as the waitress saw the children, she brought the crayon and paper.


 The restaurant serve a variety of southwestern food that everyone was able to find something to eat.


White Fish Rueben Sandwich-- grilled fish, melted swiss cheese, sauerkraut and 1000 acre dressing on buttered and toasted rye.
The portion was generous, and the food was simple and executed perfectly!


Palm Beach -hearts of palm, avocado, papaya, mango & tomato tossed with a cilantro vinaigrette.
Heart of palm, papaya, and mango, what's not to like? I can eat this any day.


Gulf Coast Gumbo-- with chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage served over citrus brown rice, with cornbread
I absolutely love this dish.  It is SOOO GOOD! It was hot, flavorful, and hearty.  
Perfect dish for someone who likes spicy food. 



All eight of us enjoyed the food and experience in Cowgirl Seahorse.
It was definitely a great place to come with a large group and children.

Satay Junction -- Indonisian street food in West Village

Another day strolling around in the quaint west village on a beautiful fall afternoon.
I am in the mood to try something new and different. 
Indonesian cuisine is not something you come across everyday. 
You can count them within one hand in Manhattan.

Satay Junction is a small eatery that serves Indonesian street food.
It is so small that we were literary standing across the street from the restaurant and almost missed it.



Es Teller -- Young coconut juice, seaweed Jelly, Jack Fruit, and Coconut Milk. 
It is a very common dessert drink in South East Asia, similar to rainbow ice in many Vietnamese restaurant.


Krupuk Udag/Putih -- Shrimp/Plain Topioca crackers
Trio -- Sweet Sambal, Spicy Sambal, Acar (relish)
The sweet Sambal is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce.  It is really rich, thick, and so flavorful!
When my Indonesian friend came to visit in the summer, I bought a bottle of the sweet sambal when we went to get some Indonesian grocery. 
It has been sitting in the shelf unopened.  Now I can not wait to use it!


Nasi Goreng -- Fried rice with beef
It was recommended by our server. 
It was a good fried rice, but I wish I could have picked something more interesting. 



One of the special of the day -- Shrimp cooked in spicy tomato and coconut sauce. 
The server warned us that it was a spicy dish. 
Thinking we could handle the heat, we did not hesitate to order it. 
The server was right! This indeed was a VERY SPICY FOOD!!!
Despite the heat, the sauce was really good.  Indonesian cuisine seems to have the tendency to combine sweet and spicy flavors in a dish.


Cassava -- Baked Cassava with Grated Coconut
It is a warm dense dessert.  H loves it. 
I personally hated grated coconut, and had only a few bites.


Satay Junction is a great small eatery with very reasonable price.
All the food only set us back $45.
Because of the limitation of the space, it is not the place to dine in if you go as a group for more than two people.
However if you want to try something new or if you like spicy food, it will be a good place to check out.
Don't forget that there is always take out or delivery options.