A Change of Eatery

As always, so much eating, not enough blogging. But here’s a quick post to make you drool:

I spent the past weekend in NYC, celebrating a birthday & enjoying brunch on 5th Avenue during the city’s amazing pride parade. Some friends and I dined at Bar Breton, a casual, yet vibrant French eatery with dishes inspired by the chef-owner’s native hometown of Brittany.

While the brunch menu offers a wide selection of savory galletes (buckwheat crepes), I was instantly drawn to the french toast.

And color me dazzled! I ended up with a caramel-ganache stuffed block of french toast surrounded by a plateful of fresh berries drenched in raspberry bourbon sauce. Topped with fresh whipped cream. It was one of the most luscious slabs of french toast to ever grace my plate (the other was at Pondhouse Cafe in West Hartford). Just look at it!

If you’re spending time in NYC, definitely, definitely, definitely check this place out.

http://www.barbreton.com/ – 254 5th Avenue, NY

Image from http://www.strength.org/newhaven/

Tonight is New Haven’s turn to host Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, a culinary benefit to raise awareness (and funds) for ending childhood hunger on a local, state-wide, and national scale. Tickets are still available for the event, which will feature signature dishes from many of New Haven’s most renowned restaurants.

Here’s an important excerpt with some sobering statistics from CT:

The recently released statistics on hunger in Connecticut bring to light the increasing importance of our mission to End Childhood Hunger in America.

Hunger in our State Capital (Hartford)

• 18.1% of households with children have experienced food hardship between 2008-2009. — FRAC (Food Research and Action Center), January 2010

Hunger in Connecticut

• On average 105,806 (13%) children under 18 years of age are food insecure. — Feeding America Report, May 2009

Hunger in New Haven:

• 24.2% of people live below the poverty line. (The national average household income of a family living below the poverty line is less than $21,834 per year.) — U.S. Census Bureau, ACS, 2007

Come out to New Haven tonight to show your support for ending childhood hunger- or make a donation on the Taste of the Nation website.

Ticket/event information & featured restaurants available at http://www.strength.org/newhaven/

Tickets are also available at the door. Hope to see you there!

I admire my fellow food bloggers for lots of reasons- their fantastic writing, adventurous palates, and great recipe/restaurant recommendations- to name a few.

And now, for finding a way to give back.

I want to direct you to posts by Leeanne (Fun With Carbs), Alicia (The Clean Plate Club) and Dave (Dave’s Cupboard), which were written in the aftermath of last week’s tornado in Springfield, Massachusetts. Their heartfelt posts discuss the tragedy, the bloggers’ personal connections, and ways you can personally help tornado victims.

• The Clean Plate Club: Western Mass: Thoughts, Prayers…Pastry?
• Fun With Carbs: Devastation in Our Backyards
• Dave’s Cupboard: Helping Victims of the Springfield MA Tornado

So, please read their posts, make a donation, and support the victims of Springfield’s recent disaster.