Lima 33 - Feast Fit for a Peruvian

Being that I'm a chicken, rice and beans kind of girl, I was naturally intrigued by the a fairly new Peruvian restaurant I spotted in Little Neck called Lima 33.  Previously a sushi joint, Lima 33 came on the scene about 4 months ago and sits amongst a sea of Asian food establishments.  Lima's differentiation certainly helps it stand out, as my brother Peter and I noticed it right away, and then shortly after, perused their Yelp reviews.  A few days later, along with Fiana, we were there devouring their delicious Peruvian cuisine.

Atmosphere:
Located on a busy corner on Northern Blvd and 254th Street, Lima is accessible by car, bus or even the LIRR.  Because it's new, the decor is sleek and modern, boasting a few colorful touches such as bright pink banquettes and seat cushions.  A royal blue accent wall injects more cheeriness and elegance, along with enlarged prints, showcasing scenes from Lima.

While the kitchen isn't completely open concept, you do get a glimpse of what's cooking, especially the golden brown rotisserie chickens that are Lima's specialty.  Since they're still in the process of getting their liquor license, you can for the time being enjoy a BYOB option, so if you fancy a a little vino, make sure you stop across the street at the new Collezione Wine & Spirits. The staff will even get a bottle of wine for you, if you ask nicely.

Food:
I liked perusing Lima's classic but uncomplicated menu, making it easy to choose something quickly.  Since we were in the mood to share, we went for the appetizer special of the day as well as the Super Combinacion meal, which was big enough to share between 3-4 people.

Stuffed Plantain Appetizer - Sounding too good to pass up, we were immediately entranced by our server's description of this dish and ordered it on the spot.  Consisting of a pretty layer cake of mashed plantains, chicken salad, olive tapenade and avocados, it presented virtually all of my favorite Latin flavors.  While we liked the overall flavor profile, we agreed that it would've been preferable to serve the chicken warm, instead of in a chilled salad format.

Super Combinacion - This combination meal represented everything that I appreciate about Peruvian restaurants, and it reminded me of a similar menu item you can get at Pio Pio.  We loved that the plates just kept on coming, creating quite a feast before our eyes of a whole rotisserie chicken, rice & beans, salchipapas (little hot dogs with French fries), sweet plantains and an avocado salad.

The chicken was my favorite, boasting a beautifully golden crispy skin and an incredible amount of juiciness in both the white and dark pieces.  A close second were the sweet plantains that had a slightly sticky, sweet coating and a nice firm texture when you bit into them.  The mountain of slightly smokey salchipapas and the crispy fries didn't suck either.  Together, it was more than enough food to feed a small Peruvian village (or at least 3 hungry New Yorkers).

Service and Cost:

While our food experience surpassed expectations, the service was even more remarkable.  Not only were we greeted in a friendly fashion, every last detail of our experience was well taken care of, including the refilling of our water and wine glasses, clean silverware, and an acute attention to virtually everything.  We felt well taken care of but in such a way that was friendly and welcoming, enjoying an easy conversation with the staff.

Costs are super affordable, especially now that Lima is still BYOB.  The above mentioned hefty dinner only set us back about $57 for 3 people, which includes tax and tip!  Que bueno!

3 Mmmms

Lima 33 - 254-04 Northern Blvd, Little Neck NY 11362
718.225.4949
LIRR to Little Neck or N20 Bus

Gluten Free Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Even though I'm done with my gluten free diet, I'm still trying to be modest when it comes to my gluten intake, and in fact, Dan is trying it with me too.  Creating a stuffed sweet potato dish the other day, it turned out to be a nice gluten free alternative, as it used a quinoa, grilled chicken and herb stuffing that properly satiated us.  The recipe is simple, and is something you can have on the table in under an hour. Here's how you assemble it:

Gluten Free Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients (serves 2):
Medium sized sweet potatoes
1/2 cup of quinoa
1/2 lb of chicken, grilled
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
Small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
Small handful of grated mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Split the sweet potatoes in half and boil in water until tender; about 15 minutes.  Let cool, and then scoop out the flesh of the sweet potato, until it creates a nice well to fill with stuffing.

For the stuffing, brush the chicken with olive oil and then season with salt and pepper or even cayenne pepper if you have it on hand.  Place on a pre-heated grill or grill pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side (the outside should have nice char marks).  Let the chicken cool for a few minutes, and then chop it into 1/2 inch pieces.

In the meantime, cook the quinoa according to the directions on the box.  When finished, mix in the grilled chicken.  Add dried cranberries and chopped parsley.  Stuff into the cavity of the sweet potato and then sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Place into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the top of the potatoes is golden brown.  Let cool for a few minutes and sprinkle with more fresh parsley.

Indulging in Meatball Sliders from Bills Balls

Finally venturing to the LIC Flea today, I was welcomed by rows of local food vendors and therefore with plenty of choice for an impromptu lunch.  Finishing a challenging workout at Tone Pilates, not long after, I was in the mood for some protein.  It didn't take me long to decide on the sumptuous meatball sliders at the Bills Balls stand.  

About Bill's Balls:
First hearing about Bill's Balls from Dan who spotted them at a street fair in Manhattan, I've researched their company a bit more and found out that they mostly do special events and catering.  The company however, is based in Astoria.  Boasting freshly rolled meatballs (by Bill himself), they feature up to eight different meatball varieties, including The Astoria, paying homage to our awesome neighborhood.

The Upstate Meatball:
There were three different meatball varieties to choose from today at the Flea, including Bill's Original, The Upstate and The American.  The Upstate caught my eye immediately, as I noticed it was Bill's spin on the Buffalo chicken wing, in meatball form.  In honor of Football Sunday, I thought, what the hell...why not?!

I wasn't disappointed by my choice, as the slider was absolutely gargantuan and oozing with chicken goodness.  The ball itself was tender and moist as can be, boasting delicious chicken white meat, which was then slathered in tangy buffalo sauce, creamy blue cheese dressing and a celery chimichurri sauce.  I loved the crunch from the celery and bits of carrots that cut the richness in the blue cheese sauce.  Overall, the meatball felt substantial but not heavy in your tummy.  I must compliment the eggy brioche bun as well, which held all these ingredients in place and totally held its own with all that buffalo sauce.

Service and Cost:
Welcomed by the friendly Bills Balls staff, they were kind and expedient with my order.  I felt that great care was taken to construct my meatball slider, and I'd happily return for more ball goodness.

Each slider costs $6 or you can bring a friend along and get the 2 for $10 special.  Take a look at their catering options on their site as well - they seem reasonable.

3 Mmmms

Bill's Balls - www.billsballsnyc.com 

The Inkan Peruvian & Latin Cuisine Looks Awesome

Image by Diliana R

I found myself in LIC last Saturday, enjoying the funny and provocative antics of Honey Badger Burlesque.  It was quite a show, but more on that soon!  During my evening, I ran into a yummy looking Peruvian restaurant called The Inkan, which really intrigued me.  I noticed it, as I was on my way to the Chain Theater, and then lo and behold, there was a flyer for it at the theater as well.  I perused the menu and really liked what I saw.  Here's a sampling, in case you get an inkling for reasonable Latin food.  I'd love to try it soon, and if I was in the nabe during lunch time, I'd totally hit them up.  It looks so reasonable!

Appetizers:
Salchipapas - French fries with frankfurters...$5.99
Papa rellena - Stuffed potato...$6.99
Empanadas Ecuatorianas de Viento - empanadas stuffed with cheese...$1.50

Rotisserie Chicken & Ribs:
Whole chicken...$10.99
Spare ribs...$4.99

Seafood:
Camaron al Ajillo - Sauteed shrimp with garlic sauce served with white rice...$14.99
Ceviche Mixto - Mixed seafood including mussels, clams, shrimp, squid & fresh fish marinated in lemon juice; served with sweet potato and corn...$15.99
Parihuela - Rich mixed seafood soup with mussels, clams, shrimp, squid, fish and Spanish spices...$13.99
Jalea - Fried mixed seafood with onions, tomatoes, cilantro & lemon sauce...$14.99 (personal), $28.99 (family)

Meat:
Bistek Encebollado - Sirloin steak sauteed with onions & tomatoes, served with white rice & French fries...$13.99
Chuletas de Cerdo con Arroz y Habichuelas - Pork chop with rice and beans...$12.99
Mini Bandeja - Sirloin steak with white rice, beans, fried egg, sweet plantains & pork rind...$9.99
Entrana a la Parilla con Arroz Amarillo y Maduros - Grilled skirt steak with yellow rice and sweet plantains...$17.99

Sides:
Sweet plantains...$3.99
Fried yucca...$3.99
Red beans...$3.99
Green plantains...$3.99

The Inkan - 45-02 23rd Street, LIC NY 11101
718.433.4171
7 Train to Court Square
www.theinkancuisine.com

The Strand's Brunch Scores

I'm not sure why I keep doing this to myself, but I attempted to go to Sanford's again on Sunday at no avail. Instead, my friend Jenny and I headed to The Strand, which was just a few blocks down from Sac's, where we started at the Queens County Market.

When we got to The Strand, it was already pretty full and they were just setting up for live music.  We didn't want to be too close to it so we can hear ourselves speak, and therefore situated ourselves at a table towards the middle of the room.

Overall, the brunch was pretty solid and the options are exciting to say the least.  Here's what we ordered:

Pulled Pork Omelet - I've actually never seen this type of dish on the menu and was curious as to how it would taste.  It was really hearty to say the least and the pulled pork was flavorful albeit a bit fatty.  Once I got some nice meaty chunks in, I was happy, but overall, I think they could've made the meat a little leaner.  The omelet came with a side of a hash brown cake with roasted red peppers on top, which were fabulous and a super thick slice of Texas Toast.  The latter was stellar, but I could only have a little bit because it was all so filling.

Chicken and Waffles - Jenny went for this classic Southern dish and was really happy.  The quality of the chicken was quite good and it included a mix of white and dark meat.  The batter was semi sweet, which almost felt dessert-like and coupled nicely with the spongy (and also sweet) waffle.  A side of good quality maple syrup and maple butter was a good way to put you over the edge - especially if you didn't mind the calories.

Coffee - Even though I didn't have this, Jenny ordered it.  Served in a cute little French press, each serving gave you about 2 full glasses of coffee, which came at a great value of $3.25.

Service and Cost:
Unfortunately, I can't say that the service was anything to brag about, but it's also something you come to expect at a busy beer-garden-like place like The Strand.  We had to wait a while for the check and pretty much flagged our waitress down, but aside from that, the people were cordial and upbeat.

Costs are affordable, setting us back about $18 including tax and tip.

2.5 Mmmms

The Strand Smokehouse - 25-27 Broadway, Astoria 11106
N/Q Train to Broadway

Sweet, Decadent Apricot Chicken Recipe

I've been eating out a lot lately and that sometimes makes me feel bad because I hate to neglect cooking.  Last night though, I was back at it again, in my nice new kitchen, trying out a new Apricot Chicken recipe.  It was good because I had most of the ingredients on-hand including boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fresh herbs, aged balsamic vinaigrette and lemon.  The only thing I bought at the grocery store was some low sodium chicken stock and dried apricots.  Initially, I wanted to use fresh ones but then decided to stick to the recipe since I can use the remainder of the dried for other things such as baking or putting into my morning oatmeal.  Mmmm....I love it when they get all soft and chewy and melt into the hot oats. I digress...

The following Herb-Apricot Chicken dish came from an old Rachael Ray recipe, which I normally don't love because of the myriad ingredients needed - but this one was actually simple.  The only time-consuming thing was cutting up the chicken and removing the fat.  However, if your protein is nice and lean, you won't run into that problem. 

If you love the idea behind this recipe but don't want to use chicken, I don't see a problem substituting other protein such as lamb or beef, which could be lovely with the sweet apricots as well.  Use your creativity and have fun.  I cooked up some quinoa to soak up all those yummy chicken juices and threw in some fresh chopped parsley and lemon zest for extra zing. 

Enjoy and do let me know how you liked it, or if you have other suggestions for changing it up.

Herb-Apricot Chicken recipe.