Monday, August 8, 2011

Liquid Oz

Liquid Oz, Bedford-Stuyvesant

302 Malcolm X Blvd
Brooklyn, NY 11233

http://www.liquid-oz.com/default.html

Yelp review: http://www.yelp.com/biz/liquid-oz-brooklyn


I'm skipping around a bit, there are still plenty of places I have not written up for my food diary just yet.  But this little place was pretty exceptional given its surroundings, so I have to preserve this somewhere for when I return.

So I spent this past Sunday afternoon, getting my hair done in Bed-Stuy, a salon I do not typically go, but they do such a good job I should go more often.  So as usual, it took forever and I was absolutely starving when I left around 3.  There's not too much to eat outside of shady bodegas at which I was very unsure of the food quality.  How about grading those NY Department of Health?  I walked into one soul food restaurant, but I left after quickly checking the menu.  I wanted something I can eat easily as I waited for the bus home.  As I near the bus stop I almost pass by this cute little coffeehouse that had a tripod sign announcing their specials.  As I'm inspecting the sign, I figure since I am more accustomed to seeing these signs in all the more gentrified spots in NYC, it's a mighty fine omen I should eat here. 

Some lament the gentrification of Bed-Stuy and the culture that might be lost.  I agree, but I also contend that when I am walking along and see blight after blight and then come across a very cute, small cafe, with other African American hipster types tapping away at laptops, artsy paintings on the wall and a tabletop filled with glorious pastries and coffeemachines all I can think is that Bed-Stuy needs more of this.  And kudos if black owned.

Anyway. The muffins, and cakes and granola and coffee are standard fare here. As good as those looked, I was really after the special of the day, which happened to be Chicken Salad.  I requested it on a croissant and to go along with a large sweetened ice tea.   The server was super sweet and made sure to get exactly what I ordered as simple as it was.  As I sat, I inspected the place a bit more.  Only like 4 tables, small seats, Wi-fi as the tapping on laptops indicated and soft Top40 music in the air. I also notice this place has only been open since 2010.  I hope they do well.

After I paid up ($8), I walked to the bus stop and ate there as I waited.  The sandwich was fantastic.  The croissant which likely has been out since the morning was still really soft and flaky.  The chicken salad had the right proportion of chicken to mayo and had cranberry's cut in here and there.  The tea was ice cold and sweetened just enough (I hate over or under sweetened teas.... I can be so picky I rarely drink sweet tea at all).  If the bus hadn't just pulled up I would have dug my fingers into the bag to eat more of the fallen chicken.

Now I have really good incentive to get my hair done at this particular salon just so I can pick up food here. Sure beats the hell out of a icky bodega.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Wild Ginger

Wild Ginger, Williamsburg Brooklyn

212 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211


http://www.wildgingerny.com/



Yelp Reviews

http://www.milwaukeeveganbakesale.com/blog/


This is a Pan-Asian vegan restaurant with a very pretty decor and very good service.  The food here can be quite amazing as long as you order the right thing.  The way they cook seitan is damn near miraculous and this is the only place I had crispy tofu that actually has crunch. And dessert is a must.

The first time we came here, we had the crispy tofu.  Terrific.  Made me consider getting a deep fryer for first time in my life.   When we came there the second time with David's sister and her husband, I believe we got the crispy watercress & soy cheese wontons as well as crispy soy nuggets (my mind is a bit fuzzy on this detail.  Could have been the Sapporo).  Either way the wontons were excellent and I would get that again as well.

I had the General Tso's Soy both times I have been here because how could I go wrong with deep fried tofu covered in a tangy sauce.  I can only hope it's somewhat healthier than a chicken version, but I doubt it.  It is served with ample broccoli and brown rice.  Speaking of the rice, I typically don't care for brown rice but here.... it is hard to explain, but all I can really say how non-bland it is.  Very good.  Ame got the General Tso's as well, and her husband a soy dish that had so much sauce I thought it would overwhelm the meal.  But no he ate it all up.  David liked his meal the second time (lemongrass tofu)  vs the first (tofu and mixed veggies.

The dessert was a vegan cheesecake.  I almost never get dessert at restaurants anymore, but yelp had advised a big old yes to it.  I regret nothing.  Rich and chocolatey and I am simply amazed there is no dairy in it. A perfect ending to a filling meal.  And meant to be shared.

Fette Sau

Fette Sau, Williamsburg Brooklyn

fettesaubbq.com

354 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Yelp Review


From the L magazine

I'm likely to do 2 vegan/vegetarian restaurants in a row, so I should get this meat fest restaurant out of the way.  Anyone who loves pork and beef should listen up, and those who don't should glide on by.

A couple of notes before I get to the nitty gritty of glorious FOOD.
There has been a Farm to Table dining movement going on the past couple years or so, where one should reduce their carbon footprint and eat everything that is locally sourced.  Apparently this applies not just to produce.  I read in NY Mag a first hand account of a reporter meeting a pig, name and all, from an upstate farm followed him through until put on said reporter's dinner plate.  Here's the article but not for the faint of heart (or stomach).  It's not an aspect of foodie-ism I am particularly interested in, nor do I want to be a on a first name basis with my future bacon, and although I respect animals, and want them raised and slaughtered in humane conditions (as much as it can be I guess...the only humane thing is to abstain)...... it's not really my mission in life in how it finds itself in my belly. Selfish girl.

So what does my wild, conflicted rambling have to do with Fette Sau?  It runs under the same aspect of locally sourced and using the whole pig.  That means  the menu changes all the time, depending on the pig they get and how much everything (and I do mean everything) gets used up.  There are a few beef things on the menu but this a decidedly pork BBQ fiesta.


Atmosphere

Fette Sau lies in Williamsburg, Brooklyn so already the scene is so much cooler than you are.  It has picnic style tables and benches inside and out.  The dining area is about medium sized.  This place is highly acclaimed so don't expect to get food and leave quickly.  It just won't happen.  I waited an hour  in a maybe 12 person line.  And starving because I came straight from the gym.  I smelled like I was on a BBQ spit after I finally left.  The line is a complete snail pace so I read the chalkboard menu over and over to decide what I wanted and to change my mind again.


The Food

Oh to be at the front of the line!  And no wonder it is slow, there is only one person carving and weighing.  I ask for one thing, told they ran out.  Okay.  I ended up getting pork belly, beef brisket and pork shoulder all adding up to a pound.  There is no sauce, it is a dry rub.  For sides, cold broccoli salad and baked beans, and free rolls.  A lot of food and money but good for 2 meals.  As I was home alone for the weekend, I spread the food out and dug in.  The shoulder and the brisket were amazing.  The pork belly was good but very fatty, so I couldn't eat too much lest I get sick.  The cold broccoli salad was kind of weird at first but the more I ate it, I liked the vinegary aftertaste it had going on.  The baked beans were very good, but very rich.

I would very much recommend this place for the solid food alone.  It is amazing Southern style BBQ.  The wait though leaves much to be desired and likely will prevent me from coming here again.  Plus I wouldn't eat here, smelling like a pit isn't that great.  And dammit, I'm outside their delivery zone. 

Monday, June 13, 2011

The Meatball Shop

The Meatball Shop
84 Stanton St
New York, NY 10002

http://www.themeatballshop.com/

Yelp Reviews

Hannah Whitaker, for NYmag.com:  salmon, chicken, beef, spicy pork, vegetarian balls




So like I said in a previous post,  I took my friend to trendy food spots for her NYC visit.

The evening's adventure was the Meatball Shop on the Lower East Side.  I've heard the wait could be horrendous, and we had every intention of going a bit earlier, but time just gets away from us.  We arrived about 7ish on a Saturday night.  We weren't deterred by the hour wait proclaimed by the hostess.  Some people were like fuck that, and went in  search for another restaurant.  I'm glad we didn't.  There is enough to do and look around on the LES to be entertained for hours, let alone one.  The hostess took my phone number and said she will call as soon as our table was ready.  We walked to a coffeehouse and were about to settle down with  the hot cups at the table, when my phone rang.  15 minutes was the wait time.  Unbelievable!  Good thing we didn't get a beer instead.

It was no big deal to have our coffee cups at our table, thankfully.   The meatball shop works as a build your own meal type of place.  Mark what kind of meat, then sauce, whether you want it as sliders, or a roll or over pasta.  Sides are separate.  Since we wanted to go out a bit later and not look like fools with sauce decorated clothes, we opted for the balls over pasta instead of as a hero.  I got the spicy pork (4 balls), with spicy meatsauce over rigatoni.  K got the beef with spicy meat sauce over spaghetti.

One word.  YUM!!!! Not spicy at all, which I know could be a major complaint amongst the hot-philes amongst us, but to me it had a nice kick; enough to be interesting, but no fire engines needed.  Oh this next part is gonna sound so innuendo-ed.  The pork balls were so well spiced and soft.  I tried a sample of the beef, which was bit more firm, but very well prepared.  The sauce I need to emulate.  The foccacia bread that came with it, is the softest I had in a long time.

All in all, this place was ridiculously good.  I would never go too late, I'm sure the hour wait would be truer the later in the night it got.  But I simply cannot wait for the Williamsburg shop to open, I know where I'll be stopping for takeout!

Momofuku Noodle Bar

Momofuku Noodle Bar

171 1st Ave
New York, NY 10003

www.momofuku.com/restaurants/noodle-bar

Yelp Review

http://amusesbouche.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/porkbun.jpg



I am so skipping ahead for a couple of reviews.  Too much good food, so little time! So my friend K comes to town and as I am attempting to be a good New Yorker, I take her to a couple of trendy restaurants.  The first stop of the day: Momofuku Noodle Bar. 

We arrived, as SOON as it opened, noon on a a Saturday.  That is key for a no wait.  We sat at the bar and since the menu is pretty small,  immediately picked out what we wanted.

First off, I bow down to the glory of the open faced pork bun.  The above picture I had seen months ago and knew, that someday, it must be mine.  Love at first sight, is the pork bun.  And as much as I have been tempted to just go by myself, I knew I had to experience it with a friend.  Finally today was the day!  Since they come as 2, K and I each had one.  Glorious! The pork belly does indeed just melt in your mouth, the hoisin sauce is just the right amount, I normally hate cucumbers but it was perfect for this dish.  And the bun! It was airy and light.  All was right with the world, after eating this.

We decided to each order noodles and then split it.  The ginger scallion noodles was the warm dish.  Coated with the infused oil, the yakisoba noodles tasted amazing.  The shiitake mushrooms (another normally non-favorite of mine, that I loved here) were marinated and pickled in a tasty vinegary sauce that was perfectly matched to the noodles and the scallions.  This is a dish I'm pretty sure I could recreate at home.  However, the second noodle dish really shined.  The chilled spicy noodles.  The waitress warned us it would be hot.  And it really is, no joke.  Plus it comes in a huge bowl.  But it is tempered by the candied cashews and the amazing spiced sausage.  Plenty of water was needed, but we still ate every bite of it.

I have to go back.  Even if by myself.  The price is definitely mid-range, but oh so worth it.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Grey Dog's Coffee

The Grey Dog's Coffee, 3 different locations

http://thegreydog.com/

Yelp Review for Chelsea, Yelp Review for Union Square

from wikimedia commons: "A Waterloo" by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge


Oh this place is so much more than a coffeehouse!  Plus they love dogs hence all the paraphernalia and pictures you'll find all over the place.

So when my friend Susana was in town some months ago, I suggested this as a place to meet up and have dinner and coffee.  Little did I know, that my typical vagueness about which location to meet up at, nearly thwarted my plans!  Thank heavens they are all in somewhat walking distance.  Well, okay maybe 20-30 minutes within each other, but in Manhattan that's do-able if you're motivated enough and refuse to hop back on the subway or catch a cab.

This is a coffeehouse, with an extensive food and dessert menu.  As well as some good brews and wine especially if you are lucky enough to catch the happy hour.  It is loud and quite intimate, but even considering Susana's laryngitis, I could still hear her just fine.  The Chelsea location we were at was much bigger than the Union Square one, but more on that in a second.  You order your food and drink up front, find a table and then the food will be brought to you in a timely manner.  I had the turkey burger and fries, a huge meal portion.  So good, but I was so stuffed I couldn't dare try one of their yummy looking desserts (brownies!).  The coffee was also well made.  It had such a local neighborhood feel about this place, that I wish I lived closer to it so I could drop by like once a week.  By the looks of the diners I think most people do!

At Union Square, it is much smaller and a bit louder, but tolerable to me, likely not so much with the boyfriend.  Either way, we were shopping all day and were ready to collapse.  Could not get a table right away, but the host guy kept up a constant vigilance until we were seated maybe 10 minutes later.  That was nice.  I again had the turkey burger, it is just so good.  And a beer.  Hooray.  I had no room for dessert again, but I did want to bring something home.  But bad girl, I knew Crumbs was down the street, and cupcakes I must have.  I do need to return and try their sandwiches which did look quite intriguing!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Red Star

Red Star, Greenpoint

37 Greenpoint Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11222

Website: http://www.redstarny.com/

Yelp Reviews


By Jim.henderson (Own work) [CC0 (creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons














 
On their website, they claim to be the best sports bar in Brooklyn.  NY magazine is inclined to agree.  However,  I haven't visited any except for this one, I can't say that is definitively true, but it was a fun place to watch a game, east way too much food and drink way too much beer.


This was when our friends Erin and Chris were here and Chris wanted to see if his beloved Bears would make it to the superbowl.  The Downstairs area was packed, but the upstairs was relatively empty.  The Jets game was the next game up, so word to the wise.  Want to see your favorite team, and it's local?  Get to your bar 2 hours ahead, b/c it was jam packed for that late afternoon game, but still clear around 1pm.


Anyway, nice big screen tvs, good tables, some couches set up as well.  The waitress was great.  It started off with pitchers and nachos and other apps.  As time goes on, wings to die for (amazing, really!) and yummy old bay fries.  And as time is winding down for a Bears win, more beer and a cheese-steak for Chris.  The only bad point was the cheese-steak was ill prepared, they barely put any meat on it.  The waitress was flagged and she quickly made up the kitchen's mistake by giving him another, fully loaded this time cheese-steak sub.  He could barely finish because duh we were all totally stuffed at this point.  But we appreciated the effort.

So if I have the inclination to watch a game on a afternoon and not in my own home, I would come here gain, hands down. Great service, good food, great beer, good camaraderie.  What more can anyone ask?



Tuesday, April 5, 2011

SoHo Park

SoHo Park, Soho

62 Prince St
New York, NY 10012

Yelp Reviews

from nutrilicious.com
 This is a casual, affordable place to eat in Uber trendy SoHo.  We came here with some friends for a late lunch, after unsuccessfully trying another restaurant in the area.  There was plenty of seating especially in the semi-outdoor area (covered in plastic, it was still winter).

This is primarily a burger joint, but with plenty of choices.  The deal is, you order at the front, they give your table a license plate (yup) so the server knows where to bring the food.  I had the classic burger which was fine but not particularly memorable.  What does stick out in my mind is the Chicago fried zucchini sticks.  Deep fried deliciousness, that makes a healthy food clog up your arteries with all the batter.  I did enjoy that.

What they do well here is the house made dipping sauces.  Delicious.  Curry mayo does sound weird until you taste the spicy creamy goodness.  The spicy ketchup is also something I have got to make on my own.  

I would love to come here again to try some of the other distinct menu items.  And since SoHo is one of the best places to shop (oh the crowds) I imagine I will come back in the near future.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

San Remo Pizzeria and Restaurant, Ridgewood

San Remo Pizzeria and Restaurant, Ridgewood

5601 Myrtle Avenue
Ridgewood

http://sanremopizza.com/pizza.htm


Yelp Review



Yeah, I'm sure they do.  from http://sanremopizza.com/pizza.htm

Just a word about pizzeria.... why not pizzaria?


After some intensive research (25 seconds on google) I found the answer to this: 

"Pizzeria" is the correct one, because it’s a store ("-ria") where you make "pizze" (that’s "pizzas" in Italian). It’s pronounced "pee-tseh-ree-ah" in standard Italian, and if you wanted more than one pizzeria, that’s "pizzerie" ("pee-tseh-ree-eh").

Anyway!

There is no shortage of establishments that sell pizza in NY.  It's most likely the state dish.  Off to google to confirm this.  Verdict: According to wiki, apples (huh, right, I'm so sure...) and the state muffin is an apple muffin...oh the creativity.

But it is a good pie to try when not in the mood for mediocre (but oh so childhood nostalgic for me) Little Ceaser's pizza.  They are a bit costly in comparison to dominoes and the ilk, but the pie is huge.  That is a huge thing going for NYC; huge pizzas.  I also had an order of buffalo wings, but I wasn't as happy with that.  The dipping sauce looked inedble so I threw it out.  And the wings had no plump to them, and they just tasted like a cheap brand from a supermarket, not restaurant quality.  I'd order the pizza again, but I think we may as well try other places for a bit more quality that matches the price point.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Vanessa's Dumpling

Vanessa's Dumpling, Union Square/East Village


220 E 14th St
New York, NY 10003

Yelp Review


from jaunted.com




A wonderful cheap and tasty dumplings experience.  After checking my trusty blackberry, I came by one day, starving and wanting a quick lunch before heading home.  The dumplings at my local chinese delivery spots have been such a disappointment, so I had been craving restaurant quality ones for weeks.  It's not the best here, but it certainly does the trick.  Plus, I have been back at least 3 or 4 times, and will continue to do so whenever I'm in the Union Square vicinity and need a quick bite.


This is primarily a Japanese restaurant that has some other choices.  More on that in a second.  The dumplings are varieties of pork, chicken, shrimp and vegetarian, either fried or steamed, placed solo on a dish or in a soup.  For a basic 6-8 set of dumplings (and also depending on the time of day), it will only cost 2 to 6 dollars per plate.  My favorite is the pork and chives, fried.  Personally, with a coke, this meal is sufficiently keeps me sated.  But then I look around and see that sometimes people get the sesame pancake sandwiches to go along with their meal.  The last time I came in along with my boyfriend, we each got our own set of dumplings and a sandwich.  The roast pork sandwich I got was so tasty.  It's only kind of like a pancake, a deepfried dough of awesome filled to the brim with the roast pork (no skimping!).  David got the vegetarian kind, and it was filled with lettuce type leafy things and carrots.  He enjoyed his as well.  But it really is such a large meal, I had to take dumplings home! David just ordered more for him to take home as a midnight snack as well.


They also have teriyakis and sushi (although I believe the sushi is not made on site).  But I think I will stick with the dumplings.  And trying to get a table.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Cupcake War: Magnolia Bakery vs Crumbs

Magnolia Bakery, two locations in Manhattan
http://www.magnoliabakery.com

Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/magnolia-bakery-new-york-5

Crumbs, various locations in Manhattan
http://www.crumbs.com

Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/crumbs-new-york-11


from magnoliabakery.com
            




I live in a golden age of NY where food fads demand attention.  I missed bacon mania (damn) but I am at the tail end of cupcake fever.  And it is glorious.  Why else would I spend upwards of 5 dollars on a dessert the size of my hand (or smaller)?
    

                     VS.
    
from crumbs.com














I tried Crumbs because my friend Emily brought some over for poker night.  All four of us had one, even though this cupcake is so dense it is quite sufficient to have only half and be satisfied.  Dense is sometimes a bad word in cooking, but I only mean that it is filling.  The cake part is moist  and amazingly does not go stale even after a few days still in the plastic encasement it comes in.  I know it is baked fresh everyday, but who knows b/c it still tastes fresh after a day! Maybe a more discerning palate can taste the difference, but I can't.  Crumbs is also famous for having tons of variety, as you can see at their website.  My favorites are the peanut butter cupcake and the devil's food.  Surprisingly enough, I don't love the red velvet, maybe because my boyfriend's homemade red velvet cake is far superior (he's ruined me, lol).  Is it worth the price?  Considering I had many jealous looks thrown my way on the subway as I carried a 6pack home one night, yes!

Magnolia bakery, I have heard many many good things about, but since since I was satisfied with Crumbs, I never went out of my way looking for them.  Then my friend Erin with her husband came to visit, and she had mentioned since Magnolia was featured on the food network sometimes, she would like to try them.  So one night as we walked past Rockefeller Center, there was Magnolia, around the corner.  Erin and I got two cupcakes each.  This is a slightly different set up than Crumbs.  First off, there is not as much variety.  The cupcakes are a lot smaller, but still have a high price point.  Longer lines (but that could have just been location and that there is only 2).  I chose the vanilla and chocolate cupcakes.  I like the icing a lot, as it was very simple, sugary and light in contrast to the sometimes loaded  icing of Crumbs.  But Crumbs, hands down, had the superior cake portion.  Magnolia's tasted just about the same as if it came from a box.  Good, but not pricey good.

So in my cupcake war the victory would go to Crumbs.  But if anyone dissents I would love to know the reason why!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Thai Village

Thai Village, Ridgewood

881 Woodward Ave
Ridgewood, NY 11385

http://www.thaivillagenyc.com/

Yelp Reviews

This is our go-to take-out for our neighborhood. Absolutely a stand out from a majority of other restaurants in this small part of Queens.  It's the best here, but probably not the best of the best ever.  Damn good in any case, and quite inexpensive.

It probably isn't fair to even rate the food here since David and I get the same order all the time.  Maybe next time I will branch out and try one of their curries, entrees or other special dishes.  I'm pretty positive I won't be disappointed.

So the appetizer we always get: Vegetable spring rolls.  Divine.  Crispy and piping hot.  The plum sauce it comes with is sweet but not too overwhelming.  In fact I sometimes let it seep onto my main dish, since it still complements it.

The entree I always get:  Pad Ke-Mao.  Which is basically drunken noodles.  I only had drunken noodle for the 1st time in Boston at a Thai-French Fusion restaurant.  It was soooo good but yet I had a hard time finding it in other restaurants (mainly I'm sure b/c it is called different things at different places). But I found it in Thai Village and it is comparable. I've had two kinds at Thai village: the Beef is good as well as Shrimp (although the tail isn't taken off. Boo!)  Slippery broad noodles, and a spicy garlic sauce and I have to stop myself from eating the whole thing at once.  If not, I risk a huge bellyache from all that noodle-y goodness. 

The entree David always gets: Spicy Basil Tofu.  Which is everything it promises.  And he finishes it in one satisfied sitting.

So in the foreseeable future, this is neighborhood food of choice.  I wish to find more restaurants with  this kind of quality food!

Fortune House

Fortune House, Brooklyn Heights

82 Henry St
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Yelp Reviews

From Brownstoner.com


(Sorry for so long between postings, I was having issues accessing blogger during "convenient to me" times.  I have plenty of god restaurants to talk about!)

This is one of those neighborhood joints that I wish we lived closer to.  Standard Chinese food done well, with a good atmosphere, large dining area and fast service.  It was  so much better than the sorry excuse for takeout in our general vicinity.

David and I were seeing the movie, Black Swan, that night and decided to wing it (hahahahah, HA!) for dinner that night.  Walking only down the block, we passed some bars (one of which we did stop in later for a drink) and then Fortune House came to view.  Like I said, it had a large dining area, with some beautiful decorations.  A few diners, so no wait.  We ordered vegetable dumplings for starters.  I had asked what was better, steamed or fried.  Either the girl didn't understand the question (really?) or she didn't want to state an opinion (likely).  So I ordered fried, which was only okay.  The sauces that came with it were standard but tasty. 

For dinner, I had the chicken and eggplant.  Delicious.  You would be surprised how easy it is for people to mess up eggplant (hell when I  cook eggplant, I learned right quick after my first disaster), but plenty of chinese restaurants make it pretty subpar.  This one was awesome.  The right texture and enough sauce to be good but soupy.  David's tofu came out well, except they didn't give him any vegetables, so it turned out to be a big bowl of tofu in  a szechuan type sauce.  If there was more veggies, I beleive it could have been improved.

Oh and you had to ask for chopsticks.

But all in all, I would come here again, if we were going to catch a movie in that neighborhood

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Pepe Rosso to Go

Pepe Rosso to Go, SoHo
149 Sullivan St
New York, NY 10012


website: http://www.peperossotogo.com/index.php

Yelp Reviews

From website



















This place is tiny... TINY! The counter is about 2 feet from the tables, of which there are about 5 with means maybe a total of 10 people can dine at one time.

I met up with my friend Yuki one coldish Thursday night for dinner and drinks.  She works in the neighborhood and this place is highly recommended by her.  She also came early to stake out a table (we also dined at the right time, b/c 30 minutes later we are being stared at for our table, haha).  The deal is, order at the counter, get your own plastic cup of wine, silverware, olive oil for bread dipping and other things at a cabinet on the other side of the restaurant (maybe 5-10 feet opposite the tables).

The menu has different specials and standard italian fare, but everything is homemade, and if you feel like watching, the kitchen is right behind the counter.  I had the Penne shrimp with arugula, chop tomato and olive oil.  It was huge, everything tasted so fresh and I ate the whole thing, no problem.  Yuki had the spaghetti pesto, which I had a bite of.....I might have that for next time!  I would definitely come here again, especially with the prices being very moderate for SoHo.  Hopefully I would find a seat!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Shake Shack

Shake Shack

 http://shakeshacknyc.com/

Multiple locations, but I went to the one on the Upper East Side and the original location in Madison Square Park in the Flatiron District


http://www.yelp.com/biz/shake-shack-new-york-2


From jerryzeinfeld.com
From: Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times  





























The infamous Shake Shack.  The one with the huge lines and the huge following in New York City.  I have never before stood in line for a burger.  But I will for this one.

I've only had the burgers and probably should have waited until I had a shake to write a review, but I don't drink cold ice creamy/custardy drinks if the weather isn't warm.  I look forward to trying a shake in the Spring.

My friend Bre and I decided to check it out when she came to visit me one October afternoon.  We both heard of it and decided, why not?  This was the one on the Upper East Side, in quite a nice part of the neighborhood.  There was outdoor and indoor seating and we prayed for the indoor, since it was a bit on the chilly side.  The line wasn't too daunting and we were inside maybe after 15 minutes.  We even scored indoor seats amazingly enough.  I had the double shackburger and Bre had the single one, along with an order of cheese fries.  I believe she might have had the chocolate.  It took awhile for the food to come, maybe things are made to order, or the sheer amount of people, but yes it is worth the wait.

My burger was pretty excellent.  It looks as nicely presented as in pictures (unlike damn near all other fast food burger places).  The beef had a really good flavor,  slightly salty, and tasty mayo-y sauce (the Shake Sauce).  The cheese fries I stole off of Bre's plate were also pretty good, not the best cheese fries I have had but not terrible either. 

The second time I went was after a day of wandering about on a Saturday and I was starving because I skipped lunch.  I was close to Union Square and thought of picking something up there, but I remembered I was also really close to Madison Square Park, home of the original Shack.  It is an all outdoor place (pictured above), which I'm sure is great when it's warm, but it was November and I was freezing.  Thankfully in winter, tables are under these awnings that have heaters.  And the line wasn't ridiculous because it was just too cold.  I had another burger and fries.  As it turns out, I prefer the fries without cheese.

Apparently there's a website a guy made about deconstructing the Shack burger and making it himself at home.  http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/10/the-burger-lab-the-fake-shack-how-to-make-shake-shack-burger.html
Not something I would attempt myself, but it is a most interesting undertaking.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Brgr

brgr, Chelsea

http://www.brgr.com/

287 7th Ave
New York, NY 10001

Yelp Review 

When I was dropping off my sister at the Megabus stop, we needed a decent lunch before her journey,  that was close by and fast.  Chipotle was an option, but I was in the mood for a burger.  My mistake.


So the place wasn't crowded at all, and had plenty of tables.  Good.  The 2 servers manning the grill and the register, weren't really friendly at all, almost borderline rude.  The prices are high, ranging from 8-11 dollars.  Since this place specializes in organic, grass-fed and premium ingredients, that's fine as long as I get a damn good burger.  Which nope, mediocre at best.


The menu is quite small, as this place specializes in burgers.  I got the rainforest burger, which had avocado and herb mayo and gruyere.  It was okay, but nothing fantastic.  Not as flavorful as I would like.  My sister got the turkey burger and she was not blown away either.


I wouldn't come here again, nor would I suggest it.  Shake shack may have a bigger line, but their burgers are a hell of a lot better for the same price as the ones at brgr.