Taste Test (Wednesday): Maryland Crabs

Last weekend I went to visit my boyfriend in Baltimore, which will henceforth be known as the surface of the sun. It was literally over 100 degrees every day I was there. But Saturday night we managed to escape the heat with a trip to Captain James Crab House for a dozen steamed Maryland crabs, a bowl of coleslaw, a basket of hush puppies and two swiftly melting ice waters.

It was my first experience eating whole crabs, and let me tell you, it was not a pretty sight. At first the hammer was a bit unwieldy, but I eventually got the hang of it and only mashed my thumbs once or twice. A barbaric, labor-intensive project, cracking open the crabs was a struggle, but oh-so worth it when i finally got to the meat inside.

Readers, have you eaten crab before? What's your favorite summer dish?

Taste Test Tuesday: The Smith NYC

This past weekend a sorority sister of mine came to visit New York, so a group of us went out for a big dinner at The Smith NYC, a chic east village restaurant.

After perusing the chalkboard style menu, I settled on the grilled shrimp with jalapeno grits. Creamy, with a mild cheese flavor and a hint of spice, the grits were good, almost surprisingly so. They nearly fooled me into thinking I was back below the Mason Dixon line. Set atop the grits were 6 perfectly seasoned shrimp. The dish also included a garnish of marinated vegetables, but those only seemed to take away from the rest of the plate. Most of mine remained untouched.

If you aren't a fan of crustaceans, give the ricotta gnocchi with truffle cream a try. I stole a bite from a friend, and immediately caught a case of order envy.

Overall, I'd recommend The Smith for a special occasion. The food was great and the service quite good. The prices, on the other hand, were a bit steep for an unemployed student.

Taste Test Tuesday: Friend of a Farmer

Last week, a new friend from SPI and I set off to explore our new, New York neighborhood in search of a good meal. Well, we walked and walked, and then it started raining, but we finally found what we were looking for in the rustic-chic Friend of a Farmer.

An upscale cozy cafe with vintage-inspired decor, Friend of a Farmer brings down-home comfort food to the big city. It's a bit pricey, with most entrees upwards of $15, but it was absolutely worth it after our hour-long trek. After a quick survey of the menu, my friend and I both ordered the fried chicken.

When my meal arrived I was almost overwhelmed by how much food was on my plate. I'd been expecting one piece of meat and was presented with three golden-brown pieces atop a plateful of fries with ketchup and honey dipping sauces.

The chicken was crispy and juicy if ever-so-slightly under seasoned, and the leftovers made a wonderful lunch the next day. Overall, I definitely recommend Friend of a Farmer for dinner--apparently their brunch is quite well-known as well!

Does anyone have any good (cheap) suggestions for restaurants in the Gramercy area? I'm trying to cram as much as I can in the next few weeks!

Taste Test Tuesday: The Grilled Cheeserie

Last Saturday, the Grilled Cheeserie sat in Centennial Park amid guitar-strumming hipsters and deafening cicadas in equal-sized crowds. A staple of Musicians Corner, the large black food truck parked mere feet away from a Ben and Jerry's cart. It was enough to inspire fear in sufferers of lactose intolerance.

But my parents and I weren't there for the music, we weren't there for the ice cream, and we most certainly weren't there for the cicada serenade. We were there to try the cheesey food truck taking Nashville by storm.

Started in November of 2010 by Crystal De Luna-Bogan and her husband Joseph Bogan, the Grilled Cheeserie is a mobile restaurant bringing its customers the best of hand-held comfort food. "I knew I had to do something I loved to make or I'd get sick of it," said chef Luna-Bogan in an interview with The Nashville Scene  last fall. "It's really good bread and really good cheese."

She's not just tooting her own horn. These sandwiches are tasty and decadent with a hint of homemade flavor. While there are several "Specialty Melts" ($7), including a clever tuna casserole melt and a traditional Croque Madame, my party and I opted to make our own. I started with a base of sourdough bread and cheddar cheese for $4. Extras like tomatoes and local Benton's bacon brought the total up to $5.50. Add a side of homemade tater tots with a smokey tomato ketchup and a cool IBC root beer, and my meal totaled just over $10.

The sandwich was gooey and rich, a grown-up version of my childhood favorite, but the real stars of the show were the tots. Crispy on the outside, hot and mushy on the inside, these fried potatoes were perfectly seasoned and paired well with the truck's homemade "Tot Sauce."

My parents ordered soup as their side ($2 for a small cup), a tomato bisque infused with smokey-bacon flavor that was perfect for dipping. I might go so far as to say I liked the sides more than the sandwich!

With active Facebook and Twitter followings, the Grilled Cheeserie uses social media as its main form of communication with fans. Daily updates inform where the truck will park for lunch and dinner, and specials are always posted as well.

Readers, has the food truck trend taken over your city? What do you think of a mobile meal?

Style of a 20 Somethign Elsewhere: Review of Willow's Bistro

Wake Forest Readers be sure to check out my review of Willow's Bistro in this week's Old Gold and Black!

Click here for the article!