Rating: 💋 💋 💋 💋 💋
Maura visited! Hooray! The Sunday after Valentine's Day, I enjoyed a fabulous brunch with Maura at Cafe Cortadito in the Lower East Side of New York City. Within a few short weeks, the curtain of COVID fell down on the city as it spread across the world. Maura and I kept in touch with text messages, FaceTimes, and Netflix Parties. After many many months, I was wildly happy to be able to see her in person! Such an exciting thrill!
This is the dinner. The first time I ever had to cook for a ~boy~ I made this dish, because it is pretty fool-proof when it comes to pleasing an audience. The bursting tomatoes melt into peppery arugula, which wraps around the hot fusilli. All mixed together in a delicious lemon cream sauce, it tastes glorious. This pasta is a beautiful example of how it does not take that many fancy ingredients to make a scrumptious meal. Maura also brought hand-cut cookies that were simple and sweet. Thank you, Maura! The Baby Yoda cookie I had was so adorable and so delicious. After dinner, Maura and I enjoyed our evening by sitting on the back porch, talking about everything we could possibly think of.
Both mornings of her visit we had chocolate chip breakfast cake, prepared by the esteemed baker, my mom. When my mom made it, she experimented with adding Nutella in between the two cake layers. She already added chocolate chips into the breakfast cake recipe, now she was aiming even further. Unfortunately, when the Nutella bakes in the oven, it loses the desired frosting-like consistency that my mom was going for. The Nutella was not so gooey, with a texture more like a slightly melted chocolate bar. Maura and I thought it tasted great; however, it was a one weekend and one weekend only deal. My mom has ceased experiments on that specific project indefinitely.
It was too chilly for a beach day, sadly, but we took a nice walk along the shore. Just because bikini season is ending does not mean beach season has to be fully over. After our walk, we grabbed a yummy lunch from the Stone Harbor Square area. Maura enjoyed her 'Stone Harbor' panini from Jack's Shack, which comes with turkey, Brie, raspberry jam, arugula. I have been wanting to get my own ever since. I opted for an açai bowl with peanut butter from the Juice Girl, where there was super friendly customer service and super fresh ingredients. Lovely. We did go back to the beach to read, because we might as well take advantage of what we have before winter sets in, even if it means wearing sweatshirts and tip-toeing around great globs of sea foam that cover the wet sand. When the tide came up to flood our belongings, I have to say, we made a super impressive team. We picked up our feet and our bags in record time before everything got soaked, and I think we entertained the whole beach with our debacle, shrieks and laughter included. Some people joined in our laughter and some people were kind enough to help us move our chairs. It is sad how even a kind gesture like that can be worrisome now, with the fear of contact, but by moving separate items and keeping our masks on, it worked out well.
When the wind became too much, we went back to the house and showered up for cocktail hour.
Frozen cocktails seem to be how we woo our house guests in the Magee household. For Maura's visit, we had strawberry daiquiris! We sipped and chatted while waiting for our 8:00 reservation at Quahog's. The hostess was so nice and asked if we preferred to wait longer for an outside spot, or go straight in for an inside table. Indoor dining has recently opened up in New Jersey, which is a nice option, but not necessarily the route we wanted to take. We opted to wait, playing it safe, so we could sit outside.
Even before COVID, I have always preferred the outside tables at Quahog's. The indoor seating area is really nice, but you cannot beat the ambiance on the patio.
We had very minimal interactions with our server - order, delivery, check. That suited us just fine; it was safer that way for everyone. We were both in love with the chickpea salad they serve as their complimentary pre-dinner snack. I would like to make it for myself for a lunch. Maura's mango martini and my watermelon mojito were cold, delicious, and refreshing. Also, the guacamole is irresistible. Once you have had it, it is nearly impossible to go there and not order some every time. Maura and I both got the lobster roll entrée and it made a great choice. I have never considered cole slaw something to rave about, but the purple cabbage cole slaw at Quahhog's opened my eyes. The other sides - sweet corn and garlic fries - were not to be missed. We only regretted we could not finish them. Last but far from the least, the Quahog's Lobster Roll is the best lobster roll I have ever seen a restaurant cook up. The sweet lobster meat is perfectly seasoned, and you cannot beat the toasted potato roll it is served in. This meal is definitely worth it.
It was absolutely lovely seeing Maura. She is the nicest person, the easiest guest, and one of the best conversationalists I know. I can talk to her about anything and I love hearing her fun stories and clever takes on the world we are navigating. I am so lucky to have her in my life. I hope you are all getting to see loved ones in a socially distanced, COVID-safe way. We will get through this! The more careful we are now, hopefully the sooner this whole thing will be over.
All my love 💛
XX,
MK
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