Agava – Ithaca NY

Agava
381 Pine Tree Road
Ithaca NY 14850
607-319-4366

The newest restaurant in Ithaca comes to us courtesy of a team-up between executive chef Andre Jacquet (formerly of the renowned Buddakan , Emeril’s, and House of Blues) and owner Gregar Brous (locally famous for his ownership of Collegtown Bagels and Ithaca Bakery). Located in East Hill, Agava is tucked away on Pine Tree Road at the historical site of a large train depot (East Ithaca). The out-of-the-way locale hasn’t been a detriment as of yet, as Agava has been at or close to full capacity since their grand opening just around 2 months ago.

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The Source – Washington DC

The Source
575 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Wahington DC, 20565
202-637-6100

Wolfgang Puck is an amazing chef. Trish and I have visited many of his restaurants, and we have never been disappointed. From the super-expensive steaks at CUT in Vegas to the simple pizzas at Wolfgang Puck Express in Orlando, we’ve loved everything we’ve ever gotten at Puck spots. On our recent trip to Washington DC, we were thrilled to find that Puck has a place in the city. Even more exciting: it was an Asian Fusion place that did dim sum every Saturday for brunch!

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El Rey Restaurant – Philadelphia PA

Ok, this post is quite late but we figured better late than never, especially when the restaurant is a MUST-GO. So here it is…

For cinco de mayo, we, along with Siddharth’s parents, ventured into the busy city of Philadelphia for a Mexican brunch to celebrate the holiday. El Rey is another Stephen Starr restaurants (Check out our other reviews of El Vez and Continental Midtown) and we must admit, this is probably the best one we’ve to (high praise!).

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Pandan-Sesame Crepes

An electric green crepe? How’s that for fun with food! The outrageous hue here is derived from pandan essence. Pandan essence comes from the leaves of the screwpine, which resembles but is not related to a palm tree. In Southeast Asian cusine (think Malaysian, Thai, Philipino), pandan is used similarly to vanilla in western food, imparting fragrance to desserts, drinks, and various dishes. The taste is difficult for me to describe, but I have to say I love it! In this dish, I added a few drop of pandan essence (found at a local Asin store – it is impossible to find actual pandan leaves here in Ithaca) to a basic crepe batter. I then made a sweet black sesame filling for the crepes. This is an incredibly easy recipe that produces an exotic looking and delicious dish in a short time and makes for a nice snack or breakfast item.

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