Ive been working in the Wall Street area for many years and finding a decent, tasty,  nutritious and affordable lunch has never been easy.  Its either fine dining or Chinese takeout.  Today I found Luke’s Lobster on William Street.  They specialize in lobster, shrimp and crab rolls.  And, for a mere $25.00, you can enjoy a special meal deal!  A lobster roll, a cup of clam chowder and a side of slaw.   YOLO!  I grabbed my non-descript brown paper bag and headed back to my office.  The bag seemed very light for that much cash!  Once at my desk I laid out my lunch.  Not much to say for a visual but the freshness was very apparent.  The New England style clam chowder was clean and smooth, not heavy at all.  The clams tasted as if they were plucked out of the ocean minutes before I arrived. The potatoes had the proper amount of bite and the creamy broth was seasoned perfectly.  I would go there just for the soup.  The lobster was tossed very lightly in an herb dressing paying close attention as to not cover up the delicious meat.   The “roll” was a traditional toasted white bread roll that had been slathered with butter.  No surprises here, the first bite delivered as expected.  The lobster was firm indicating that it was cooked correctly.  The seasoning complimented the lobster without hiding the flavor.  The crunchy buttery toast was very good too!  The side of slaw was the biggest surprise.  It was fresh and vinegary just like I love it!  A little sweet and just the right amount of sour to balance.

As I paid for my lunch, I was handed a loyalty card.  Buy 10 lobster rolls and get one free!  I don’t know if I’ll make it that far, but Im holding on to my card just in case!

While attending my niece’s wedding in Buffalo, NY, I had the opportunity to eat at Betty’s restaurant. Betty’s bills itself as moderately priced eclectic cuisine served by a funky wait staff! That couldn’t be more accurate. Bettys menu offered every finicky eater in our crowd a very pleasing choice. We had vegans, celiac, vegetarians and your average caveman in our group and there was something delicious for everyone. Some special items not to be missed include the French toast casserole, the tofu mash with black beans and grilled corn bread! My coffee was great too! Be sure to stop by and try Betty’s on 370 Virginia Street
Buffalo, NY 14201.

I was reading through my FaceBook page this morning when I came across a friend who announced that he is moving toward a “slightly vegetarian” diet plan.  Kudos for him!  Decreasing the amount of animal protein is a great way to reduce dietary cholesterol while not losing out on the other positive values animal proteins add to our diets.  By using smaller amounts of animal proteins instead of omitting them,  you still get to enjoy all the great flavors and textures! Keep reading for some recipes that I think will meet your criteria, Bob!

I recently invited some friends over to enjoy great food and a beautiful sunset over the Hudson River. Preparing a meal for friends is one of my favorite passions. I love to plan and prepare seasonal food for people. My friend Anike helped me out and made half of the dishes. She also loves to cook even on her days off as a chef at the Mandarin Hotel in NYC.

We decided on a menu that included; delectable zucchini carpaccio with shaved parmesan cheese, fresh sea bass ceviche, cold and spicy strawberry/tomato gazpacho, and pulled chicken sliders with dill pickles. We had a lovely bottle of sparkling dry red lambrusco. For desert we had a wonderful blueberry clafoutis. A clafoutis is a baked French desert with seasonal fruit in a flan like batter which we served with freshly made whipped cream.

Judging from the compliments we had a successful evening. Take time out to enjoy your friends with love and good food.