Moroccan Couscous with Merguez Sausages @ Cafe Gitane (242 Mott St., 212.334.9552)

It’s taken me way too long to post this—almost the time it took to drag someone with me to Cafe Gitane in NoLita for dinner. Everyone who’s been here either raves about the avocado toast or the couscous, and they’re absolutely right. My first time here I ordered the avocado toast,  so this time it was all about the couscous (an appetizer would’ve kept me from eating it ALL, which was exactly my plan). But the moment I picked up the menu, being the most indecisive diner on earth, my eyes shifted to the salmon pot pie. Luckily, our incredibly knowledgeable—and patient!—waitress steered me right back to the couscous, and recommended I stick with merguez instead of the simple, vegetarian version.

The tower of couscous, topped with hummus, was surrounded by a moat of olive oil-based sauce and served alongside two lamb sausages. The couscous itself is made with red peppers, raisins, toasted pinenuts and eggplant and, though slightly under-seasoned, stands up well against the dishes’ other bold Mediterranean flavors.

I’m two for two at Cafe Gitane. Up next, the salmon pot pie—distractions withstanding.

Mofongo @ Coppelia (207 W. 14th St., 212.858.5001)

I capped off Sunday’s carb binge* with a heaping helping of Coppelia’s mofongo. Not since last year’s trip to Puerto Rico have I tasted such savory fried-plantain goodness. I’m typically weary of mofongo with seafood as I prefer the traditional version with chicharron, but Chef Medina’s spin on the dish with rum-glazed shrimp (and what I guessed to be mint) helped balance the intense garlic flavor and gave it just a subtle kick. All in all, it was worth a trip to the west side, which, if you know anything about me, speaks volumes of Coppelia.

*Among the slew dishes we ordered was a sweet corn empanada. We ate it before I had an opportunity to photograph it, but it’s highly recommended.

Salsiccia polenta al forno @ Osteria Morini (218 Lafayette St., 212.965.8777)

After ordering what felt like the carnivore’s special at Osteria Morini—mortadella, speck, sopressata and antipasti di mare—I thought the polenta with pork sausage might just put me over the edge. Surprisingly, though, it had quite the opposite effect. Incredibly rich and cheesy, the polenta had a subtle sausage flavor. The terra cotta dish in which it was baked helped keep the stracchino and pork together, so each bite was just as cohesive and cheesy and as the last.

Oysters @ Hooters (3301 S.W. 22nd St., Ste. 104, 305.873.6163)

While some of my food memories are the wholesome, fresh-baked-cookies-smell kind, most are not. (My mother is no Top Chef.) Appropriately so, one of my earliest food memories is sitting around a high-top table at a Bayside Marketplace Hooters watching my mom, aunt and several other family members guzzle down oysters and draft beer. Sure, Hooters skews more boobs and bachelors than family bonding, but for us, once the oysters rolled out, it was just like slicing into a warm apple pie.

Chocolate soufflé @ Bouchon Bakery (10 Columbus Cr., 212.823.9366)

After a hearty meal that included pâté de campagne, roast beef tartine and tuna tartine, a chocolate soufflé was probably the last thing I should have ordered, but one glimpse of a nearby table’s dessert and all self-control was lost. Fortunately, the 20-minutes it took to arrive was just enough time to relapse from a momentary food coma and dig in. The center, although slightly on the firmer side, was nicely complemented by crème anglaise and a generous dusting of powdered sugar. And woah is it huge. I suggest ordering just one for the table. This soufflé is not for the faint of stomach.

Le Vacherin du Relais @ Le Relais De Venise  (590 Lexington Ave., 212.758.3989)

With a dinner menu boasting but one option—steak frites—Le Relais De Venise’s lengthy list of desserts that includes glaces, crème brûlée and numerous versions of chocolate cake, more than makes up for the one-note meal. The above is Le Vacherin du Relais, a decadent tower of alternating layers of ice cream and meringue dripping in warm chocolate sauce. The combination of gooey chocolate, ice cream and meringue was a nice diversion for my taste buds, which were ready to deviate from the meat-and-potatoes binge.

Build a Biscuit @ Peels (325 Bowery, 646.602.7015)

I Googled, dreamed of and salivated over the “build a biscuit” breakfast at Peels but, being the indecisive diner that I am, ordered the poached eggs over biscuits with sausage and gravy instead. Don’t get me wrong, my dish was fantastic but a serious case of food envy had me peering over and begging for bites of the buttermilk biscuit sandwich with organic eggs, cheddar cheese and bacon that a friend ordered. The only downside (besides not ordering one for myself) was the shredded cheddar, which didn’t melt as well as, say, a sliced cheese would. The few bites of the sandwich were good enough to overlook the blaring “B” rating posted out front. Not something I’d normally advise, but no foodborne illnesses to report of… yet.