Our Table: The Oscars

My family has always had a serious love of movies.  Growing up, I don't know if a day went by where we weren't referencing my mom's "Academy Award Encyclopedia" (yes, this was before the days of Wikipedia guys), or my sister wasn't editing her running tally of favorite movies of the year written on the dry erase board dedicated solely to the subject.  We spent many a weekend excitedly heading to dinner and a movie as a family and discussing our favorite scenes the whole way home.  So, as a result, my sister and I have taken our Oscar Parties very seriously for years now.  When Bill joined on in, the parties were upped to a whole new level with some serious eats.  Two years ago we had a spread of food so big we probably could have fed 50 people... and there were 4 of us.  So, this year, with a whopping 10 Best Picture Nominees, and many more friends ready to join the party, it was on.

Witout further adieu, from our Oscar-watching table to yours, the nominees for Best Picture are (ahem, were)...

1) True Grit.  This was one I didn't see this year, but apparently a pivotal scene involved some chili made over a fire.  Don't know if the cornbread we had with it (served in a cowboy hat, no less) was invloved or not, but it suuuure was delicious!

2) The Social Network.  We have to give a huge shout out to our friend Mary Marantz for tweeting this idea!  It was just too good to pass up :)

3) The Fighter.  Okaaaay, so this one was a stretch.  But who doesn't need an excuse for some Mac 'n Cheese?!

4) Winter's Bone. 

5) The Kids are Alright.  I seriously apologize in advance for this one...

6) The King's Speech.  Since we came up with this, I've been unintentionally spelling 'peach' as 'peech'.  I did fix it for the sinage, but think I like peech better.  It was tasty nonetheless.

7) 127 Hours.  I also apologize in advance.  I'll spare you the explanation, but if you've seen the movie, you'll understand.

8) Black Swan.  

9) Toy Story 3.  Almond 'Joy Story' bars!

10) Inception. Yes, we realize this cake only has 3 layers.  Let's just say we were trying to confuse you just as much as the movie itself.  Either that, or we counted the ganache as a layer... take your pick of excuses :)

Cheers!

Eat well!
Melt

Westchester Weekends: Grand Prix NY

Hello Sunday!  Oh, how we love you.

Time again for another serving of fab finds from Westchester County!  Bill and I recently hit up Grand Prix NY up in Mt. Kisco to have a little racing fun.  It is a facility that is set up with go-cart racetracks galore, games, and a restaurant to boot.  It's meant for kids and for adults, and trust me when I say, this is not your average arcade.

We arrived and filled out all the necessary information, then signed up for the next available race.  It was a little pricey at $35 each*, but for full access to the facility, and the awesomeness of the race we were about to experience, it was worth it!  We started out by watching a training video, then headed to the changing room to done the appropriate gear:

Bill was looking dashing, as usual...

Then it was off to the races!  Before we hopped in, we were told that the carts can reach speeds of 40mph.  Crazy talk!!  For a girl who's scared to kick it to top speed in Mario Kart, 40mph sounded completely death-defying.  Once I put the pedal to the metal though, it was on!  Innnntense.

Those babies could move.  I figured I had to have been going at least 70mph the whole time.  But, after finding out I came in 8th out of 10, I doubt I even hit 10mph....  Bill, however, was a racing fiend!  He placed 4th.  So, we didn't take home any gold medals, but at least we didn't come in last!  And that's good enough for me.  

Check 'em out!

Grand Prix New York

33 North Bedford Road

Mt. Kisco, NY 10549

Eat well!

Melt

*On their website it looks like the prices vary based on day of the week and membership status, so I am sure there are less expensive options!

What Fits

I’m right handed, he’s left.  It was one of the first things my mother noticed about Bill the day she met him.  As he signed his name, with love, on my grandmother’s 90th birthday card, my mom looked at me with a smile and said, “He’s left handed.”  Almost my whole family writes with their right hand.  From my sister to my father to my grandparents.  My aunts, my uncles, my cousins; every one of us is right handed.  But my mom?  Well, my mom is left.

“Hmm.”  I remember thinking. “I guess he is left handed.” 

I had known Bill six months at the time and I’d never noticed.  It had either never occurred to me, or just never mattered.  But right then, in that moment, with my mom seeing someone else writing the same way she did, and knowing that this person would one day join our family, I knew… Bill fit.   

Now when Bill and I work together, I stand to his right side, he stands to my left.  And it fits.  We assemble each sandwich by him loading on the bacon as I toss on the cheese.  He lays out the tomatoes as I drizzle on the sauce.  I grab one thing on the right, and he grabs another on the left, and it fits.  Any other combination; two lefties, two righties, if I were a lefty and he were a righty, wouldn’t work.  We’d both be reaching for the lettuce with no one grabbing for the onions.  Our lines would be crossed and our sandwiches would be tangled.  Where would we be then? 

One day, when Melt Sandwich Shops line the streets like Starbucks’ (insert ™ or © or ®  here… don’t sue me, Starbucks :), Bill and I won’t be the only one’s assembling our intricate sandwiches.  We’ll have a team of highly trained professionals that know to grab the broccoli rabe with their left hand and the slow roasted tomatoes with their right.   Because for us, well... that’s just what fits.

Westchester Weekends: Captain Lawrence

It’s the weekend once again!  So it’s time to bring you another fab find from wonderful Westchester County.  This weekend, Bill and I headed up to Captain Lawrence Brewing Company in Pleasantville.  We had first heard of Captain Lawrence a few years ago after moving down from Mystic, Connecticut.  In Mystic, Cottrell is the reigning champ of local beers, but unfortunately not widely available in other areas.  So Bill had to find a new local brew to fill the void.  Once we discovered Captain Lawrence, he was hooked!  I have to admit, I'm not a beer drinker myself, but even I enjoyed this one.  As soon as we heard it was only a short drive from White Plains, we had to check it out. 

We walked in the door of the tasting room which was so packed I had to break out my stealth maneuvering skills just to get inside.  It was no wonder why either... free samples galore!  Any of their 5 brews on tap were up for grabs.

We tasted one of each, their IPA, 'Espresso Stout', 'Freshchester', their seasonal 'Winter Rye', and my personal favorite, 'Liquid Gold'.

       

After choosing our faves, it was time for buying.  And the best part? They bottle it up right there.

  

I think I'm hooked!  Which is quite an accomplishment for this non-beer lover.  If we ever add beer to our Melt repertoire, you know which one will be first on the list! 

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company

99 Castleton Street

Pleasantville, NY

Tastings offered Fridays, 4pm - 7pm, and Saturdays, 12pm to 6pm

Eat well!

Melt

What's New: The Snowstorm

Good evening Melty's!

Noo don't you worry... there is not another snowstorm on the horizon... we're just keeping y'all up to date with our next and newest sandwich combo of the week!  This one will make its debut on Monday, and trust me when I say, you don't wanna miss it.  We named it "The Snowstorm" with the assumption that February would be dumping just as much of that white stuff on us as the lovely month of January did.  After serious deliberation on changing it's name, we decided to let the name stay with the hopes that the only snowstorm we'll be experiencing from here on out this year will be on our sandwiches!

This combo has Bill's mouth watering horseradish sauce, Muenster cheese, and sweet caramelized white onions.  We recommend it with the Aged Beef Top Round or the Beef Brisket, but it also pairs up nicely with the daily fish, rosemary dijon pork loin, grilled portobello or the grilled chicken breast.

Here it is in all it's tastiness, covering the ancho chile brown sugar brisket, tucked nicely in a whole wheat flat bread:

Stop by next week and give it a try!

Eat well!
Melt

Lunch Hour Laughs: Face Swap

Hello lunch hour!  Welcome to Wednesday.  Today's mid-day chuckle comes to us from FunnyOrDie.com, and it's a good one!  Perhaps a bit frightening, but you all can handle it, right?  We bring you, Celeb Face Swaps:

**Note: Entertainment level significantly increased if viewed while enjoying a Melt sandwich**

We all knew they looked different without the make-up...

Hogan's hero.

If that's not pretty then I don't know what is. 

Oddly enough, this one isn't as strange as you'd think it'd be (or maybe it's just my love of The Office..)

And this one... well this just works.

Eat well!
Melt

Ps. Don't forget.. we are now open until 8:30pm! :)

Westchester Weekends: Temptation Tea House

It's finally the weekend!  So we're dishin out another fab find in Westchester.  Recently we headed over to Mt. Kisco to snag a little known secret available there... one of the most delicious beverages known to man: Bubble Tea.  

Bubble what?!

Yes.. Bubble Tea.  It is a Chinese beverage made from brewed tea mixed with ice, then flavored with sugar and milk, and can be ordered in various fruit flavors.  The thing that makes Bubble Tea different from any normal drink is the tapioca 'pearls' that are slurped up with the oversized straw.  Bill and I stumbled upon this tasty treat a couple years ago in Chinatown and since then we haven't been able to find Bubble Tea anywhere else outside of the city.  Recently we had heard that the Temptation Tea House in Mt. Kisco makes a delicious Bubble Tea, so of course we had to investigate!

And yes, it waaaas delicious.

Check 'em out!  It's definitely worth a try.

Temptation Tea House
11 1/2 South Moger Avenue
Mt. Kisco, NY

Eat well!
Melt

What's New?

Keeping with yesterday's topic of moving forward... We have a few new things going on here at Melt that we just have to share!

First off, our newest Sandwich Combo of the week!  With Valentines Day just around the corner, yesterday we debuted "The Valentine".  This combo has creamy Brie cheese, Crushed Cranberries, Red Onions and Bill's homemade (and SO tasty) Raspberry Vinaigrette drizzle.  We recommend it with the slow roasted turkey, grilled chicken breast, grilled portobello mushroom,  or the thin sliced pork loin, but really it goes pretty much with everything!

Here we have the Short, Turkey, with "The Valentine"...Pre-melty goodness:

Melt-ified and ready to be devoured:

YUM!

Secondly, our real website is on its way!  Check back next week when 'meltsandwich.com' will morph into our official website by the amazing Tracie Designs, and this blog will be found under 'meltsandwich.blogspot.com'. 

Lastly (and so exciting!)... we've listened to you.  Over the past year and a half, many of you have told us how you aren't able to get here by 6pm during the week, which is no fun for anyone.  We want to see you!  We've also listened when you told us Melt would totally be great for dinner, and I SO agree.  We need to be open at night.....So......

Let's do it!

Starting next Tuesday, Melt will be open until 8:30pm, M-F!!   

Bill and I have been working on this for quite some time now, so we are thrilled that it is finally here.    We can't wait to see what all of your smiling faces look like after dark :)

Eat well!
Melt

Standing Up, Moving Forward

He's always standing, this husband of mine.  The whole day, he never sits.  On the rare occasion he does grab a chair, one foot will stay firmly planted on the ground with the other ready to spring up at a moments notice.  That's just how he does it.  To him, it's normal.  Why sit when there's so much to be standing for?

He's always moving, this husband of mine.  Moving forward even more towards a positive outlook on life, on his relationships with others, and on everything around him; he never slows down.  I consider myself an optimist, but Bill takes optimism to a whole new level.  Today after we finished putting together the daily soups I glanced over to the stove and saw something boiling away.

Wait, we already had our soups for the day.  I had seen him finishing them up earlier.  Our menu technically only calls for one daily soup and as it was he had made three.  Was he really adding one more?

"Well, one of our regulars called earlier.  He's super sick," he said, "So I'm making him chicken soup.  I have a little extra time right now and it should help him feel better."

Always moving.

From 5am to 11am Bill has already put in a full day of work before the lunch hour even starts, and he's still pushing to do more.  He never stops.  And this inspires me for everything in my own life.  His love of what he does makes me work harder and push myself further without even realizing it.  He has such a passion for not only his job but for his life, which motivates all of us here at Melt to constantly work harder.  To be better.  It is a goal most people, including myself, consciously strive for for on a daily basis.  With Bill, it just is who he is.  Living this adventure together with him is something I don't ever take for granted as I watch him stand up and move forward in this business and in this life. Every day.

Our Table: The Superbowl

Everyone is always asking us what we eat.  Do we eat all of our meals at Melt?  Do we cook at home?  Do we bring Melt home?  Well, since we love sharing almost as much as we love food, we'll show you!  We're turning the original "Our Table" post into a little blog-series to give you a glimpse into what we eat when we're not eating Melt.  (But really, Melt will always be our favorite :)

Last night we headed over to my sister, Erin, and her boyfriend, Chris' house for a little Superbowl par-tay.  I love the Superbowl mainly because it's one night where football lovers and non-sports fans alike can both enjoy a game.  Whether it be for the footbal, for the food, or for the commercials, everyone loves a good Superbowl party.  At the Hall household, Bill and I take our Superbowl food seriously.  Even though Bill is more into the game while I'm much more into the commercials, we both agree on the food.  Without further ado, here's what hit our table for The Big Game.

How can you watch a game of pigskin without some potatoskin?

I kindly decided to share the 'Moonlight Chaource' cheese from my trip to the Farmers Market

A love of fresh food doesn't stop with Bill and I... My sister whipped up these tasty homemade soft pretzels.  Dipped in butter and salt, they were deeeelish-ious.

She also made another perfect football food, Guacamole.

And of course, what game is complete without the classic french onion dip?!

Here's where Bill's creative genius came into play.  Buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese.  The additional 5 or so pounds I gained was SO worth it.  

Bill's made-from-scratch meatball marinara.  Heavenly.

We didn't stop at the snacks!  Dessert was a must.

And.. of course.. last but not least.. the necessity to any football game and successful Superbowl Party (and Bill's absolute favorite beverage):

From our Superbowl-Watching table to yours, we hope you had as indulgent of night as we did over here!  Now, who's ready for the gym?

Eat Well!
Melt

Westchester Weekends: Chappaqua Farmers Market

Happy Saturday!  

Today we were finally able visit one of Westchester's Farmers Markets.  We're always trying to find ways to integrate local products into our menu, so what a better way then to go straight to the source: the farmers.  We've been wanting to check out some local Farmers Markets for quite some time, but most of them pack it in for the winter and don't start up again until early Spring.  We recently heard of one that is held year round, rain or shine, on Saturdays in Chappaqua.  I was all over it.   This morning I slipped into my rain boots, pulled out the umbrella and headed up to check it out.  The best part?  It was all inside!  No rain boots needed after all.

Fresh local cheeses graced the tables, straight from the farm.  The farmer herself told me all about the beneficial probiotics in each cheese they produce.  It sounded wonderful.  Well, as wonderful as 'probiotics' can sound I suppose, but she assured me they were a good thing.  Then, as if she read my mind, she asked me to sample every cheese on the table.  Asked me!  Um.. yes please.  After my first bite I quickly realized that a sample was not going to be enough.  I think would have bought every single one if I didn't feel the looks coming on from the other customers...  

One cheese would do for now.  Moonlight Chaource.  Almost like Brie only with a richer and sharper flavor.

Since Bill had to stay back at the shop, he sent me on a mission to find out all about the meats.  And find out I did.  All organic, straight from the farm and unbelievably fresh.  Maybe not anytime soon, but we hope to carry some of these at Melt in the future. 

And the mushrooms?! Ohhh the mushrooms.  Give me a little olive oil and butter and I could have had myself a meal right there. 

As I was walking in there were quite a few people leaving with bags full of the leafiest veggies I'd ever seen.  Didn't take me long to find the source.

Oh. Yes. Yes. Yes... Desserts.  I bought two. They are both for me. Sorry Bill.

The indoor market will continue every Saturday through April.

Chappaqua Farmers Market
Every Saturday, 9am to 1pm 
191 South Greely Ave 
Chappaqua, NY (inside St. Mary's Church)

Definitely check it out!

Eat well!
Melt