a blt prime valentine

We went here for a late dinner on Sunday at 10pm. They were running late with reservations so we started out with two drinks at the bar. He got his usual captain and coke and I got a halfhearted mojito... eh.

We were seated downstairs in this cozy little nook... except we were seated next to one of the most annoying tables of people I've ever been unlucky enough to sit near.

They.. and by they I mostly mean one woman who happens to share my first name... were loud. She cackled.

All the other couples tables around this large table of 3 couples together quietly went about their business. I mean it was a virtual United Colors/Sexual Preferences of Benneton ad downstairs with one big glaring mistake dead center.

Anyway we order and enjoy the toast (I ate all the chicken liver that came with), the popovers (he devoured quickly) and bemoan our pretty consistent luck at being sat next to loud people.


Our appetizers arrived. He got the oysters. I got the foie gras. The foie gras was perfection. The salad beneath it a lil too salty for my taste but it had a nice acidic squeeze of lemon on top to cut the richness of the liver.


I tried one of his oysters and they were deliciously briny, but I was in organ heaven with my foie gras and wouldn't have missed those at all. They were quite good though!


We got two sides with our meal. I chose the blue cheese tater tots (which I actually didn't eat till the next day, but were so good I'm gonna have to recreate the recipe). He had the artichoke heart with fondue (which I didn't try cause I was super full).


I ordered the lobster that was supposed to come in a buttery sauce with somethingorother but what I could taste most was... fish sauce. I like fish sauce. I wasn't expecting it, but it worked. The lobster tail was perfectly cooked. Not even a hint of rubbery-ness anywhere.


I tried a bit of his flatiron and, to be honest, it tasted better than my lobster but I DID go to blt prime, not blt lobster.

If we hadn't wanted the same cut of meat I would have gotten a steak anyway. Next time, Gadget, next time.


So I'm full and somewhere in the middle of this I've ordered something called sparkling kisses and it tastes like fizzy cough syrup so blech. It looked pretty for something pink, though.

He had the prix fixe and that came with a few dessert choices. He got the brownie with caramel ice cream and it was a great choice.

They gave out two complimentary desserts to every table that night.

One was raspberry ice cream sandwiched between white chocolate hearts drizzled with dark chocolate. This looked better than it tasted, but who can pass up ice cream. I'm more of a fan of melty white chocolate than cold white chocolate on ice cream.

We also got chocolate petit fours.

By this point I forgot to take a picture of the desserts so you get what was left.

hot wings and fries

garlic powder and a little parmesan make these awesome.

rice to riches: one night stand

Dear Rice to Riches,

It's not you, it's me. I simply cant stand the mouthfeel of rice pudding. Your flavors were spot on. The cherries in the mascarpone pudding were delicious. Your store makes me giggle inside. I don't know what to do.

You're too cute to leave alone, but I don't want to be disappointed again.

I'm sorry to say this might just have to be a one night stand.




I got an epic (larger single size) with half almond and half mascarpone rice pudding. I had them lovingly dust buttered graham cracker crumbs on top and I took it home.


I ate it the first night and it was ok. I mean it was good, but I couldn't finish it and I never have a problem finishing desserts.

Two days later it wasn't so good.


So I fished out the cherries and threw the rest away.


I'm so sorry.


Can we still be friends?

ufc chicken: u and i will neva part

I can't even count the amount of times I've been here and the food is consistently good. Maybe it's my unabashed love for chicken mixed with an equally fervent love for things both salty and sweet.

Dear UFC Chicken:

I still love your crispy chicken goodness.

I still drool when I think about the skin on the wings fried to a perfect crisp and lacquered with soy garlic sauce.

The seasoning on your fries is awesome.


The radish bits rock my world.

Even my parents like this place and I bring them some when I stop by.

Now... your bathroom freaks me out and you should really fix the plumbing problem so you can remove the sign that says "don't flush toilet paper down the toilet." I mean... it's paper that goes in the toilet.. they share a NAME...

Your used to be trendy sink with the cascading water bowl thing is outdated.

But damn I love your chicken.

lucali we meet again

Went here again last weekend for only the second time and loved it!

... once we got our seats, that is.




I know the drill, you go up and you get told there's about an hour and a half wait and it's TRUE...

but wait, it isn't this time, it isn't true at all.


You're sitting in a tapas bar on Atlantic avenue enjoying some sangria and stuffing your mouth full of warm bread slathered in butter and you get the call.

"Your table is ready?"

Wuh... it's only been 45 minutes!!

....SHIT.. you stuff the bread in your mouth even faster and get the chorizo you were going to linger over to go then hoof your sangria laden tummies over to Lucali... and THEN..

the wait...

Apparently the people that had our table had paid when they called but they sat... they sat their annoying asses down at that table for another half hour taking bird sips out of a glass of wine and talking about bullshit that could have been spoken about somewhere else.

C'mon people.. you know the deal, you KNOW in a place whose waiting list can fill up in 30mins-hour in the summer that you have to eat your food and get your ass out of the place.

You paid, you leave.. please leave, please don't leave me sitting on a cold bench glaring at you through the window.

You don't want that.

I don't want that.


I wanted to throw something at you but the glass was in the way.

If I'd pressed my nose against the glass would it have made you move faster?

No...

A table of two arrived after us and got sat because we were still waiting for you.

Enough of my ranting.. onto the food.


We got the artichoke pizza that day and it was deeelushious... Thinly sliced pieces of artichoke heart with that slightly vinegary bite and buttery smooth texture made it perfect.

I'd picked up a bottle of Riesling and good thing because by the time the two... ladies.. left the table we were going to sit at I'd lost my sangria buzz.


A sangria buzz is a terrible thing to waste and I spent it fuming outside the restaurant while a group of people outside discussed Gour MET... food. I wish I was kidding, I hope they were.

Ooh, you know I said I'd stop ranting. We got a pepperoni calzone to go and my bf took it back up to Buffalo with him. He tells me it was delicious. I side eye my phone....

Hah, but really love this place.