A Year of Nando's

The next post in our London recaps was supposed to be about our visit to Nando's Peri-Peri, our fourth visit to a Nando's in 2015 while on vacation. Unfortunately we haven't gotten around to recapping any of the other Nando's visits, so any comparisons we would make between the restaurants in London and the States would have no context whatsoever. Considering that, and also the fact that the next post in our Savannah recaps was also supposed to be about Nando's, we thought it was best to just put them all together in one post and take you through our year of Nando's.

Visit #1: Woodbridge, Virginia (Savannah road trip)

We had known about Nando's Peri-Peri for a long time before we ever tried it. Founded in South Africa, Nando's is a fast casual restaurant serving grilled chicken (and other stuff, but the draw for most people is the chicken) with peri-peri sauces, flavors that originated from Portugal and Mozambique. Nando's only recently expanded to the US, with locations in Virginia, DC, Maryland, and Chicago. Unfortunately they don't yet have one in New York, but that was why we definitely wanted to try some on our way to Savannah.

A got the half chicken, medium spiciness, with macho peas ("rugged pea mash with whole peas, parsley, mint and chilli" according to the menu). The chicken was very moist except for a few sections of the white meat which was a bit on the drier side. The sauce had a good amount of heat that didn't overpower his senses, and the peri peri seasoning added a nice floral hint. The macho peas were very tasty. They had a good bit of heat to them, and our guess was that they included the same chilli as their peri peri seasoning in them. The mint and parsley added a nice herbal freshness to the dish as well.

M got the sandwich called "Nandocas choice" which made her top 10 list that year. The sandwich was a chicken breast topped with cole slaw on buttery garlic bread. It was really, really good. She thought that the flavor of the chicken itself might have been a little bit better on A's regular flame grilled chicken, but all together, this combination was great. Can't really go wrong with a sandwich built on garlic bread.

Visit #2: Hanover, Maryland (Savannah road trip)

We liked Nando's so much on our first visit, just like we thought we would, that we also got lunch at one of the Maryland locations on our drive back home. The Hanover location was in the Arundel Mills mall not too far from our hotel, so it was our last real meal on the trip (if you don't count rest stop fries). We thought the Virginia location was a little better as far as organization and layout, but we really didn't care because we were eating delicious Nando's chicken.

The first time we got the chicken, we didn't add much seasoning or extra sauce to it, because we wanted to taste it right out of the kitchen with the flavors it was supposed to have. This visit, we experimented more with the sauces, especially the wild herb and garlic, which we liked even more mixed together. The garlic herb peri-peri sauce was our favorite on its own. We love garlic, and this had a really good garlicky flavor to it. The wild herb peri-peri sauce had a good flavor to it, but it just wasn't as good as the garlic herb. Together they formed a great, balanced sauce.

A wanted to kick things up a bit so he got the half chicken, hot spiciness, with corn. The chicken was similar, moist but with a few dry spots in the white meat, and the hot sauce was good and hot, but it was, for the most part, the same chicken he had on the way down. The corn was nice. He had seen a bunch of people ordering it on our first visit so he wanted to give it a try. It was really just a grilled ear of corn, but it was sweet, and the char on the corn gave it a nice smokiness. M isn't as big a fan of corn on the cob, but she thought it tasted good from the little bit she tried.

For her meal, M got a chicken breast (medium) sandwich with arugula, tomato, pickled onion, and peri-peri mayo, with sides of macho peas and fries. These were the same two sides that we had gotten in Virginia, and they were both good. As for the sandwich, it was fine, not as exciting as the Nandocas choice, but the chicken was really good. That said, M still thought A's chicken was better so she decided she would ditch the sandwiches and get regular chicken whenever we were lucky enough to go to Nando's again.

Visit #3: West Loop, Chicago (Great Lakes road trip)

The first Nando's in Chicago opened in spring of 2015 in the West Loop, and once we learned that, we knew where we absolutely had to go during our time in Chicago over the summer. This location was a little different from the other two we had been to, in that it wasn't located in a mall or shopping development, but just a regular neighborhood restaurant. We were really excited to see if anything was different about the Chicago locations, but they were mostly the same. The Chicago one did have better decor though.

A got a half chicken, hot spiciness, with peas and Portuguese rice. The flavor of this Nando's was just as good as before, but the chicken size was much smaller. The peas were tasty like last time, and the rice had really good flavor. We also used the garlic and herb sauce like last time and it was just as delicious.

M got a quarter chicken, medium spiciness, white meat, with coleslaw and garlic bread as sides. The garlic bread was delicious, even if garlic bread is the type of thing we could probably make it at home. The coleslaw was really, really good and better than M remembered from before. With the sides she picked, it was like she could make the Nandocas choice sandwich all over again if she really wanted to, selections which weren't intentional but perhaps subconscious.

Visit #4: Shepherd's Bush, London (2015 vacation)

Our stomachs weren't feeling particularly great after our pie and mash and jellied eels lunch, so we thought the best thing to do was to grab some Nando's for dinner. Grilled chicken sounded like it would be nice and calming. There were two Nando's locations not too far from our hotel, including one a little more conveniently located at the Westfield mall. (You might remember the mall from our first day visits to Square Pie and Pho.) The Nando's at the mall wasn't in the takeaway food court, but in a section with other restaurants. When we got there and saw the line, we were alarmed to see it stretching out of the restaurant and around a corner. The mall was packed, but it was a Tuesday night so we really weren't expecting it to be so crowded. (We kept forgetting it was half term.)

Since that wasn't going to work, we left the mall and walked over to the other Shepherd's Bush location, which had free tables and very little line. It was nice being in a place where there was more than one Nando's within walking distance.

M got a half chicken, medium spiciness, with garlic bread and coleslaw, pretty much the same thing she got in Chicago. She got a half so that A could eat some of the dark meat, since she was planning to eat mostly white meat. The chicken seemed to be very similar to the ones we got in the States, and it was nice to see that the quality was consistent. Both sides were good, but the garlic bread wasn't seasoned as much and didn't have the garlic spread to the edges, so it wasn't quite as good as the ones we had had previously. It was probably healthier that way, but M likes garlic bread with lots of butter and garlic on it. It was a nice, solid dinner that M really hoped would soothe her stomach and erase all memories of jellied eels.

A got the chicken livers which we both knew he was going to get as soon as we looked at the English menu. The chicken livers aren't on the American menu, and that's a real shame. The chicken livers came with a Portuguese roll and he got a side of fries. We couldn't pinpoint exactly what they used to cook the chicken livers, but they were so good. Looking at the Nando's recipes online before they were removed, it sounded like it was just butter and peri-peri sauce, but it tasted like something more than that. There was something familiar about it, but we just couldn't figure it out. We tried these on everything: plain, on the roll, on M's garlic bread, and even on the fries. It didn't matter how we ate them, they were just awesome. There was a little bit of a spiciness to the sauce as well as A ordered them with medium spiciness.

Dinner was really good. We were very glad that we had such a good, tasty dinner since lunch was not as good as we were expecting it to be.

After visiting Nando's four times in 2015, we haven't been to one since then, pretty much since they don't have one here in New York. When the day comes (hopefully) that they do open here, we will be so happy. It's the perfect fast casual type of spot - good flavorful food, no fuss, not too expensive. Nando's, please open in NYC, and if possible bring the chicken livers too!

M's Favorite Food Memories of 2016

It's hard to believe that it's already time for another year-end favorite food memories list, but here we are at the end of 2016. In alphabetical order by place name, here are my top 10 favorite food memories from the past year.

1. Garlic roasted brussels sprouts from Ballast Point Tasting Room and Kitchen (San Diego, CA)

After a trip to Mission Beach, we decided to head down to the Ballast Point Tasting Room and Kitchen where we got beer tasting flights and lots of small dishes to share. One of those, crispy brussels sprouts with a poached egg, housemade kimchi, and pancetta, was so good that it inspired me to mix kimchi with some brussels sprouts when we got home. It was nowhere near as good as the one at Ballast Point, but I love it when things on vacations inspire me to try new things at home. I also picked this one for the atmosphere of the tasting room. It was awesome to be able to get flights and try so many different beers in a really relaxed environment with really solid food. There aren't really any places quite like this at home that we know of.

2. Warm Maryland crab dip from Chesapeake and Maine (Rehoboth Beach, DE)

During our summer beach vacation in Delaware, we ate a lot of good food, including a couple of dinners at Chesapeake and Maine, the seafood-focused restaurant from the Dogfish Head folks. Both times we got the warm Maryland crab dip which came with toasted bagel chips. We intended to order different things the second time so we could try more stuff, but I just couldn't not order the dip. There were so much real crab in there and the flavor was so good. I could go for more of that right now as the dip was so comforting.

3. Poultry and potato salad from Hometown Bar-B-Que (Brooklyn, NY)

A had been to Hometown Bar-B-Que in Red Hook before and always talked about how good it was, so we planned to take my dad there for his birthday or Father's Day since he loves BBQ. We didn't make it there until late this year, but it was so worth it. Everything we got there was good - brisket, pulled pork, lamb belly, beans with burnt ends, cole slaw, collard greens - but to me the real standouts were the smoked turkey, the Oaxacan-marinated wood fired chicken, and the backyard potato salad. I could eat that stuff all the time, if not for the long lines there and the fact that it wouldn't be the healthiest diet. The BBQ there is definitely some of the best in NYC, which was proven even more when I ate some pulled pork from another BBQ place later in the week which didn't even come close.

4. Tostada mixta from Mariscos El Pescador (Chula Vista, CA)

We ate a lot of good food in San Diego, but the meal that stands out the most to me is our splurge lunch from a food truck, Mariscos El Pescador, down in Chula Vista. It wasn't a splurge lunch because the items were expensive, but because we ordered a feast that took up almost the entire length of the truck's counter. There were tacos and tostadas and burritos, way more than we should have ordered for a single meal, but everything was delicious, especially the tostada mixta. It was filled with all types of seafood, so fresh, such good quality, perfectly seasoned. Everything was just perfect, and I could eat this every single day if that were an option.

5. Khao man gai from Nong's Khao Man Gai (Portland, OR)

Khao man gai is one of those dishes I order when I want something simple, healthy, and clean but with really good flavor. After going to Nong's Khao Man Gai in Portland, I knew I had to wait a while before ordering this again at home because it was that good there. The chicken was tender and flavorful, the sauce was completely addictive (no wonder they sell it in bottles), and the soup that accompanied it just tied it all together well. This could be a daily lunch if they were in our neighborhood.

6. Pupusas from Salvatoria (Astoria, NY)

This fall, we went out with some friends to Salvatoria, a Salvadoran spot in Astoria, for a giant pupusas dinner. The table split a bunch of them for appetizers, and then A and I ordered another set of pupusas for our main courses. There were pupusas filled with loroco, pork, beans, cheese, jalapeños, and combinations of all of those, and they were so good. I know in theory how to make pupusas but there is no way that they would come out as good as these. They were perfectly griddled and the fillings were delicious. We definitely want to go back there for more pupusas.

7. Octopus salad from Seabra's Marisqueira (Newark, NJ)

We've already written about the salada de polvo, the cold octopus salad, at Seabra's Marisqueira in Newark from our visit earlier this summer. The octopus there was so tender, and the dressing, filled with onions, garlic, parsley, and oil and vinegar was so simple but tasty. Every time I look at pictures of this salad, I want more. It was so delicious that I knew it would make the top 10 list this year as soon as I ate it.

8. Naem khao from Thip Khao (Washington, DC)

One of our most memorable meals this year was at Thip Khao, a Laotian restaurant in Washington, DC, where the hour's wait was most certainly worth it. This rice salad - crispy coconut rice, lime, scallions, sour pork, peanuts, and cilantro - with lettuce to wrap it up was so packed with flavor, especially from all the herbs and seasonings. We had something similar when we went to Khe-Yo, but since this was in salad form and not rice balls, it was even better. So much of what we ate at Thip Khao was awesome, and we wished we lived closer so we could investigate more of the menu. But it would be hard not to order this every time.

9. Banana blossom and chicken salad from Uncle Boons (New York, NY)

From one Southeast Asian salad to another. We finally made it to Uncle Boons this year and one of the things we knew we definitely had to order was this spicy rotisserie chicken and banana blossom salad (yum gai hua pli) with cashews, crispy shallots, and roasted chili dressing. When we lived in Chicago, we used to go to a restaurant with a banana blossom salad on the menu and it was our favorite thing there. It's been tough to find anywhere with it since then, and we weren't sure if we had maybe built that salad up too much in our memories for anyone to meet our expectations. This absolutely did. The chicken was delicious (and it was later too when we ordered it on its own), all the ingredients worked well together, and there was a nice heat to it. So glad we were able to get this.

10. Vegetarian combination and doro wat from Zenebech (Washington, DC)

One of our priorities during our time in DC was to eat Ethiopian food, and in doing so, we were rewarded with what was possibly the best Ethiopian food we've ever eaten at Zenebech. The injera there was fluffy and pillowy, and unlike some others, left no residue on your fingers which was great. We got the vegetarian combination with generous portions of lentils, peas, and other vegetables, along with doro wat (chicken stew). There was just so much flavor to every single part of the dish and  we completely cleaned the plate. Sadly Zenebech closed recently so we'll never be able to have this exact experience again, but hopefully they will open somewhere else as this food was too good to think about not eating again.

I could eat all ten of these over and over again and not get sick of them, which is probably why they all made my favorite food memories list. There were so many more things that missed the cut but with so much good food over the course of the year, that was inevitable. Hoping 2017 brings some great eats as well!

Teixeira's Bakery

After our feast at Seabra's Marisquiera we took a walk around the area and also down by the river to try and digest a bit. It was a nice stroll because the weather wasn't too hot, and it wasn't that humid either. After a bit we walked back towards the main street, and M asked if I wanted to try the Portuguese version of the egg tart (蛋撻) that we'd both had while growing up. I'm not a huge huge fan of the Chinese version, but I like it enough that I wanted to see how it compared to the Portuguese version.

The place that we knew was supposed to be known for these pastries was Teixeira's Bakery.

Once inside we were greeted by the sweet, warm smells of the breads and pastries contained in their glass case. We took a quick look around to see if anything else caught our fancy, but in the end we opted for just the one of the pastéis de nata. At $1.35 it wasn't super cheap, but it also wasn't too expensive.

I liked this a lot more than the Chinese counterpart. For starters, the pastry crust is flakier and actually reminiscent of pastry dough as opposed to being doughy and crumbly. The pastry crust on the Portuguese version is also much lighter and airier. Finally, there's a hint of a savory, salty flavor to the crust on the Portuguese version that really brings out the flavor of the custard.

Speaking of the custard, it's much more of an actual custard consistency. The Chinese version is often more gelatin-like and far sweeter. The milder sweetness allowed more of the egg flavor to come out, and when combined with the slightly salty crust formed a perfectly balanced dessert. The charring on top didn't really add any flavor, burnt or caramelized, but it made it look nice.

Overall, I definitely think the Portuguese version (also the original) is better than the Chinese adaptation. While I wouldn't necessarily need to get one the next time we were in Newark, I would certainly consider it.

Seabra's Marisqueira

Ever since we changed the way we approach our WorldEats challenge, we've been mostly visiting places out of "convenience," like happening to be somewhere and realizing it would work for WorldEats, or doing some other challenges like the Women's World Cup challenge (which we still need to finish recapping). While it's been great to try lots of new foods that way, there was something about the intentional trip to somewhere new that we missed. We remedied that this weekend. Instead of falling into the old trap of going someplace easy and convenient, M pulled out her trusty random number generator and let the numbers dictate where we would go. The numbers sent us to Portugal (technically, they sent us to Malawi first, but we are not aware of any Malawian food in NYC), and off we went to the Ironbound District in Newark specifically to explore Portuguese cuisine and culture.

Once the numbers popped up with Portugal, we immediately knew the place we wanted to visit in the Ironbound was Seabra's Marisqueira. We've been hearing about this seafood place for years, and it's actually the place we wanted to visit for the 2014 World Cup challenge until there were torrential downpours the night we planned to go. After looking through a lot of pictures and recommendations, we were relatively sure about what we wanted to order and were really excited for our Sunday supper.

After being seated in the dining room, they brought over a bread basket. The reviews that we read stated that it was a "crusty loafed bread" which made us think of something akin to a French baguette with a hard, crusty exterior. This couldn't be further from the truth as the crust itself was extremely pliable and matched the soft, spongy, and absorbent interior. We only ate a little of the bread before the food arrived, because we knew that it would be wiser to save the bread for soaking up all the delicious sauces of the dishes we ordered.

It was in the 80s and pretty humid outside, so a half-pitcher of sangria ($17.50) sounded perfect. Also, it seemed like every other table had a pitcher or half-pitcher of sangria, so who were we to break the trend? This really was refreshing. It had a nice mild sweetness from the added fruit juices, and just the right amount of hit from the wine. We each had some of the apple that was added in as well, and that was a nice, crisp way to end everything.

The first dish to arrive was the salada de polvo ($14), a cold salad of octopus in vinaigrette sauce. According to this Serious Eats piece, the octopus is flown in from Portugal and then poached. Joining the octopus in the salad were onions, garlic, parsley, and a light dressing of oil and vinegar. This was amazing, definitely in the top 3 for octopus dishes we've had. Every single piece was tender, and although the flavors were a simple combination, the quality and execution was just incredible. It was a great start to the meal. The remaining sauce on the bottom of the plate also made for an excellent dip for the bread.

Next up was berbigão à bolhão pato ($16), cockles in a garlic, wine, and cilantro sauce. This dish as a whole was incredibly tasty. The cockles themselves were soft and easy to pry out of the shell with or without utensils, but it was the sauce that was the star of this show. It was a simple broth/cooking stock consisting of water, garlic, white wine, olive oil, and cilantro, but it soaked into the bread so well, and it was amazingly delicious. They also offer clams cooked in a similar fashion, and while we were there it seemed like every table had at least one of these metal tins full of cockles or clams.

The last dish we got, and it was enormous, was the açorda de marisco ($21), "a traditional Alentejo 'dry soup' consisting of a hearty mix of shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops, and cubed Portuguese bread. Flavored with an olive oil, garlic, and fresh coriander sauce, crowned with a poached egg." This was a rich, decadent, creamy, thick stew once the server finished mixing the raw egg and bread into the rest of the soup. When we first looked at it, it didn't look impossible to finish, but pretty soon after we started spooning it out, we realized that the dish was really, really deep, and because of all the bread, it was really, really filling. The 2 other dishes with the bread probably wouldn't have been enough for our meal, but this dry soup definitely filled us up (and we ended up taking the rest home).

Of all of the seafood, we thought the shrimp was the best part. The mussels and scallops seemed tougher and chewier, but they still had very good flavor. You also couldn't always tell the difference between the scallops and pieces of bread by looking at them, but everything was tasty. The egg was also interesting because, since it was added right at the end and mixed in, the yolk added an extra layer of richness to the soup, while the egg whites added a soft, creamy texture to everything. Overall this was a very rich and garlicky soup/stew chock full of delicious seafood.

We loved our meal at Seabra's and while eating, were already planning out what we might order when we came back as we looked at all the dishes arriving at tables around us. (There were, as mentioned, lots of cockles and plenty of octopus, but we already knew those were winners.) We had a wonderful experience, and we definitely want to return for some more excellent Portuguese seafood.

Seabra's Marisqueira is located 87 Madison Street in the Ironbound District of Newark.

Week 24 - Portuguese

Skipping over the Week 23 post for now since I haven't finished writing it yet, but here's Week 24!

Week 24 was devoted to Portuguese cuisine, and after some searching and wondering whether this would finally be the time that I would tackle salt cod, I decided to make caldo verde, a Portuguese sausage, potato, and kale soup that is sometimes mentioned as the national dish or national soup. Since it was the middle of summer, soup wasn't the obvious choice, but it sounded so healthy and tasty that I couldn't resist. I'm glad I didn't.

I started with this recipe for caldo verde on Allrecipes and then made some adjustments. The ingredients for this simple soup were:

- olive oil for sauteing ($0.30)

- 1 onion, minced ($0.60)

- 5 cloves of garlic, minced ($0.10)

- 7 small to medium sized Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced ($0.80)

- 12 oz package of smoked linguica sausage, sliced thin ($6.89)

- 2 quarts of water ($0)

- 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken bouillon ($0.60)

- freshly ground black pepper ($0.05)

- 10 oz bag of kale, finely chopped ($1.99)

The linguica, which I picked up from Whole Foods, was not cheap but it was a really good quality product. Even though most of the ingredients were relatively inexpensive, the linguica pushed the total for this soup up to $11.33. (It was over 60% of the cost!) For that price though, it made enough for each of us to have multiple bowls of soup for dinner, and I had enough left for lunch the next day too. So even though it broke the $10 mark that I like to measure our meals by (more of a curiosity measurement than a strict budgetary guideline), it was still fairly economical compared to going out for a filling Portuguese dinner.

As I said, making this soup was really simple, and it's perfect for a weeknight. It takes a bit of time to prep everything, but it was quite manageable. The steps were:

1. Prep - mince onion and garlic, peel and slice potatoes. (It's not required to soak them in a bowl of cold water, but I did it because I prepped them first and didn't want them all to turn brown.)

2. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and saute until onions are softer and translucent. Add the potatoes and saute for a few minutes.

At this point, I forgot to take more step by step pictures (sorry).

3. Add the water, chicken bouillon, and black pepper, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let it simmer on medium low for at least 20 minutes so that the potatoes soften.

4. While the potatoes are softening, in a separate pan, brown the linguica sausage so that a lot of the fat gets released, and then put the sausage in a towel-lined bowl to drain.

(As a side note, that was some really good linguica. I wish I had taken a picture of the sliced up linguica so you could see what it looked like inside. Since it was fully cooked, we ate some slices right out of the package (good), and then some after they cooked a bit (even better). It didn't stay in whole slices after we cooked it, which is probably because I cut the slices too thin, but I think it was even better that way. When I bought it, I said I hoped it was worth the price. It was.)

5. After the potatoes have softened, use the spoon to mash the potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the soup and also just break the potatoes up a bit. (The original recipe suggested a food processor, but I really like it partially mashed to add great texture to the soup. Also, if you miss some potato slices in the mashing, who cares? It works just fine.)

6. Add the linguica, put the temp back to medium, and cook for another 5-10 minutes or so.

7. Chop up the kale into small pieces (especially any ribs/stems). Add to the simmering soup and cook for another 5-10 minutes or so. Adjust any seasonings to taste (I didn't do anything). The original recipe also said to add a tablespoon of olive oil here to finish it, but I forgot to do it because I really wanted to start eating. Maybe I'll remember next time.

This caldo verde was great. During the first few spoonfuls, I didn't think it had as much flavor as I was expecting that it would with how seasoned the linguica was, but it really grew on me by the end of the first bowl. I think it's probably one of the best soups we've made at home, and outside of the sausage, it's so healthy. Loading this soup up with so much kale made it taste light and fresh even though it was simultaneously hearty and comforting.

The leftovers tasted even better the next day, and I was so happy that I made this fantastic soup. The key really is the smoky and salty flavoring that comes from the linguica, and I think having smaller, more crumbled pieces really worked well to distribute that flavor even more throughout the soup bowl. Although we might not make this again until the weather gets a little cooler, this will be a great dish to add to our rotation when that time comes.

The Victoria

Earlier this week, Seamless ran one of their special discounts, giving you 15% off any order of $10 or more. I've been using Seamless for almost 10 years now (wow...), and even though I cook a lot more these days, I'm still tempted by Seamless with hundreds of restaurants at your fingertips, especially when they run these discounts. They're evil geniuses though, getting me to spend $12 (post-discount) on lunch when I could eat at home for less than $3 and normally don't buy lunch outside for more than $10. It was cheaper than it usually would be ... but it's still more than I would normally pay. Evil geniuses, I tell you. They know just the right psychological buttons to push.

Anyway, I decided to use the discount on City Sandwich, a Portuguese-inspired sandwich spot in the neighborhood that we've been to a bunch of times and last wrote about during the World Cup challenge. They're on the pricier side for sandwiches, probably due to their quality ingredients, so we don't go that often. Perfect for a coupon deal, right? I figured I would run to the store, buy some groceries, and then swing by and pick up my pre-ordered lunch, quick and easy so I didn't have to miss too much of the Barça game. 

I decided on the "Victoria sandwich combo" in the daily specials section, which came with the Victoria sandwich, a cup of soup, and a bottle of water for $13.50. Again, more than I would usually ever spend on a weekday lunch just for me, but ... discount! In trying to decide what to get, I was especially interested in the combo because it came with a cup of soup, which is normally $4.25. The choices were a tomato and spinach soup or a roasted cabbage and carrot puree soup, which was also prepared with caramelized onions and Italian sausage. It wasn't really a choice for me. With those ingredients in the list, I was always going to choose the cabbage/carrot soup option.

Everything in the soup appeared to be pureed, except for the Italian sausage, which were crumbles instead of slices as I had assumed they would be. The soup was delicious. The combination of the roasted vegetables with the caramelized onions and sausage was great. I would get this soup again. Best part of lunch for me.

The Victoria sandwich usually contains chicken breast, tomato, kale, garlic, sauteed onions, melted mozzarella, and olive oil. When I got there to pick up my order, I signed the receipt and noticed that it said "no kale" under the sandwich. I was a bit confused, as I had never said "no kale," but had only specified "no broccoli" on the order as I do for every Seamless order for food allergy reasons. I was in a rush, so I didn't want to deal with it at the time, and just figured I'd go without the kale if they really left it out.

I imagine that what happened was they saw the no broccoli written down, and out of an abundance of caution, left out the kale since they are very distantly related or are the same color or both vegetables or who knows why. I've had it happen before where a place will call me when they see the note to make sure some other ingredient is okay, and that's fine, but this is the first time I've ever gone somewhere and they've just left out something completely different. I appreciate them taking note of what I wrote, but I wish they had called instead, because I eat a ton of kale and I was really looking forward to having some greens in the meal.

As for the sandwich itself, it was fine, but definitely was missing the earthiness that kale would provide in the sandwich. It made it a little more boring without it, to be honest. I could probably put together something at home with chicken, tomatoes, onions, and mozzarella that would come pretty close in flavor to this, and when I order out, I usually try to get something I definitely can't make at home. The one thing I don't have at home is the amazing bread they always use, and that was no different this time. The bread was still great. The stuff inside was just a little lacking and made me wish I had chosen a different sandwich. The one we had during World Cup was much tastier.

Overall, it was a good (but expensive) lunch and the soup was fantastic. I wonder when the next Seamless discount day will be...

City Sandwich

M and I continued our World Cup 2014 eating challenge by visiting City Sandwich in Hell's Kitchen for a Portuguese sandwich. Our original idea was to go to Newark, NJ as there was a Portuguese restaurant we wanted to try, but our idea was squashed when Hurricane/Tropical Storm Arthur blew through and washed out pretty much the entire night.

It wasn't our first visit to City Sandwich, but we saw some new stuff on the menu. We opted for the LGBT sandwich as it not only sounded like a really good sandwich, but some of the profits for the sandwich went towards care and research for people affected by AIDS and HIV. 

The LGBT stands for Linguiça (spread), Goat Cheese, Bacon (Portuguese Pancetta), and Tomato. Sadly, they had run out of goat cheese so we ended up having to substitute in mozzarella. Even with that change, the sandwich was delicious. The bread was a nice crusty roll with a perfectly chewy interior. The linguiça was smoky and a touch salty, but it was tempered by the lettuce and tomato. The pancetta wasn't as salty as I thought it would be, but it added a nice crispy texture to the sandwich.

We really liked this sandwich, and it's something we'd certainly try again in hopes of getting one with the goat cheese to see how it's supposed to taste. We also really want to go back to try some of their other sandwiches.