Disclaimer: Not your typical Tuesday! My parents came into town for business, so before their client rendevous, we got to spend a rare weekday afternoon together shopping, eating, chatting, and enjoying ourselves. We hit up our favorite splurge spot, La Maison du Chocolat at Rockefeller Center, and were treated to macaroons, truffles, and cups of rich caracas (dark) and guayaquil (milk) hot chocolate. Afterward, we shopped and returned to the hotel to prep up for the main (food) event – Basso56 on W 56th St. It was one of the best restaurants I’ve been to in NYC – great service, cozy, not too pretentious, and oh yeah, amazing italian food! We started off with a great bottle of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo red wine, olives and bruscetta, fried calamari, and steamed mussels. For our entrees, we ordered the specials: seafood risotto, mushroom ravioli, swordfish, and roasted duck with figs. Everything was delicious and perfectly cooked, except maybe the duck which was a little rare. Notice how these dishes almost exactly match the dishes from Maggiano’s – Robo and I looove italian seafood dishes 
My Mom also baked some cherry chocolate chip cupcakes with homemade vanilla frosting. They were AMAZING! Better than any cupcake you can find at the chic boutique bakeries like Magnolia’s or Chickalicious because 1) they’re moister 2) the frosting is made with marshmallow fluff and who can resist that? and 3) they’re homemade =) I’ll put up the recipe for them soon!
I love marshmellow fluff. Fluff and nutella. Best spreads. But I’m never sure what to put the spreads on so I end up eating it from the jar. Still delicious.