Liquid Bliss (lik’wid blis)

What makes the perfect meal? Like a good story it has to have a tantalizing beginning, a delicous middle and a satisfying end. It has to remind you in a sweetly notalgic way about meals you have had in the past. At the same time, it has to feel like a unique moment in time, never to be exactly replicated. It definitely can’t be too fussy or contrived. The perfect meal is never made up of teeny-tiny stacks of food or topped with foam (sorry to all of the molecular gastronomes out there!) It should be made of simple, yet extremely high quality, ingredients that are prepared with love and experience. The ‘classics’ are often the best. There must, most definitely, be plenty of good wine and good bread on the table. Most importantly, it can never be enjoyed alone. The conversation should flow and there has to be space for comfortable silences so that you can enjoy each bite. And of course, absolutely, under no circumstances, should there be appointments or rushing off anywhere after the meal…nothing more taxing than a long walk followed by an even longer nap! (more…)

I know. You foodies out there have already heard of Russ & Daughters. How can someone not be familiar with this temple to smoked salmon? It has been featured by everyone from Martha to Oprah in addtion to delighting customers on the Lower East Side of New York since 1914. However, in the off chance that someone has not tasted their bagel and lox…let me just say that this is one to put on your ‘must-eat’ list. This is one of the last (and certainly the best!) Jewish ‘Appetizing’ Delis out there so I thought it might be worth adding my praise. (more…)