Fressa Girl

Back in Town for a Flushing Adventure: Friendship Plaza and Minzhongle

2011-03-14T18:18:00.021-04:00

Hey you fressing faces, time flies when you are locked in the library! Besides full time studenthood, Philly has really been keeping me busy with all the lunch reports and other adventures I require to keep sane.

But every now and then I have to return to my hood for a food adventure with my family. A recent trip to Flushing was so particularly noteworthy, that it was... worth... noting.

So, I chose a new route to get back home- the Chinatownbus from Chinatown Philly to Chinatown Manhattan. Then, a few blocks from that bus station, I hopped on a smaller bus that brought me directly to Flushing! Brilliant. Only $12.75 and 3 hours to get from Philly to Flushing... why aren't more Philadelphians (and Manhattanites) making the trip??

While on my last leg of the trip driving on Main St, I noticed a "plaza" that I had never seen before. The sign let me know that Best Northern Dumpling had moved there, so I wondered what else could be inside. Was this another food court?

In the middle of the plaza (a long hall really) was good Ol' Best Northern, it was comforting to see the same menu, like seeing an old friend. We enjoyed some fluffly veggie buns here, as they were out of most other things.

At the end of the hall was a stall with zero English posted anywhere and zero English spoken. I didn't want to give up, because the little pork wontons being made looked so good, so after several minutes, I got them to serve me something. I just wasn't sure what.... For $3 I got a boiling hot (no, really, I burnt my mouth badly) cup of pork wonton soup. The wontons with their silken wrappers and slightly sweet pork contents were the star, though the delicate broth was impressive too. And they don't cheap out on the wontons, the soup was full of them. There is a bit of a timing issue here though, you want to let the soup cool, but as you wait the wonton skins slowly disintegrate. The proper gobble method must be a skill learned with practice.

This was just a side trip for the main event, so we took our burnt mouths down Main Street to Minzhongle, a relatively new restaurant recommended by the only guy who I trust for Flushing tips, Joe DiStefano.

We were almost foiled by the entrance, a bustling tea counter is on your left as you walk in and a clothing boutique almost disguises the entrance at the very back of the building.

According to Joe, the food is a crazy Korean-Chinese combo because some of the chefs come from a Korean province located in China. Who knew?

Blood vessel in cumin sauce? Extreme spicy beef veins? Ummm, not this time.

But a spicy squid salad appetizer sounded perfect. While this was probably the least unique of the dishes, this was an amazing version of a squid salad. The tender squid was spicy and appropriately balanced with cooling cucumber and cilantro. I would have to order this again.

On Joe's recommendation we had the popcorn in egg sauce. We almost didn't get it at first, but the fried corn kernels and pignolis grew on us- a lot!

The other recommendation we used from Joe was the crispy duck leg. This was a triumph of cooking technique. We all agreed we had never had duck that was this crispy with the usual grease. Equally impressive was how perfectly the meat was cooked under that glorious skin. A dish of salty something is on the side to add more flavor, but use sparingly.

Lastly, we had a sizzling platter of saucy ribs. The traditional Korean influence was most prominent in this dish. The little nibs of ribs were cooked until soft and served in a mildly sweet sauce.

This was one of the best meals I have had in a long time. I'll just have to jump on the series of Chinatown buses to make another pilgrimage soon.

Friendship Plaza:41-42 Main St
Minzhongle: 37-14 Main Street

Fressa does Lunch!

2010-01-17T18:05:00.003-05:00

Check out my new website, Midtown Lunch: Philly. I hope to tempt you with non-boring, under $10 lunches around Philadelphia.

Let me know what you think, especially if you like it!

South East Asian Grub on Washington Ave

2009-12-15T14:23:00.010-05:00

Down on Washington Ave you can find several plazas and stand alone Vietnamese Pho joints. Pho and Cafe Viet Huong, located in one of several Viet-centric plazas, has a sit down restaurant in the back and a counter for easy access to take out, banh mi, bubble teas, and other prepared snacks.

The summer rolls are huge and fresh, stuffed with shrimp, mint, noodles, thin slices of pork and a thick peanut sauce on the side. And order is $3.50 and comes with 2, prepackaged versions are available up front- but you are probably better off ordering them to ensure maximum freshness. I took home two types of sticky rice, both only 2 dollars. The banana leaf wrapped sticky rice was not my favorite, it had some kind of tamale like thing going on in there. The small pre-wrapped portion of xoi lap xuong on the other hand was pretty great. Its a perfect thing to pick up as part of a lunch.... throw in a summer roll order and your coworkers/classmates/friends/cat will be jealous.

An order of pork over vermicelli proved a bit perplexing, the pork element came in slices that were joined by some over foreign sliced thing (tripe?).

There are several dessert option, I tried che chuoi, a kind of tapioca banana pudding, not bad.

Out the plaza and across the street you can find Cafe de Laos. A sit-down restaurant serving Laotion, Thai, and Laotion-Thai fusion food (that section is lovingly titled "Thai-Laos Relationship Bridge"). Its a really cute byo and alternative date spot. I don't know much about Laotion food, but I do know I like how they handle their sausage. As a guide, the Laos sausage is under the salad section of the Laos menu, naturally... The sausage are housemade and are a must order. I felt like I was eating chorizo injected with Tom Yum soup, which makes sense, its packed with lemongrass and lime and well crisped on the outside.

An order of beef Om Laos curry proved neither impressive nor unique. Hor Mok Pla w catfish (steamed marinated fish in banana leaf) was more entertaining. The pieces of cat fish were joined by lightly pickled bamboo shoot strings that were subtle but tangy. The menu is HUGE and we barely touched the surface.

Pho and Cafe Huong-1110 Washington Ave
Cafe de Laos- 1117 South St

Paul's Tuesday Neighborhood Appreciation Menu, $20

2009-11-20T15:50:00.005-05:00

Get on this Tuesday train! Paul is a tiny BYO that would certainly fall into the category of a "cute, neighborhood spot." It offers a menu of creative but not crazy American fare, including a $30, 3 course limited prix fix. But, the real night to go is Tuesday (neighborhood appreciation night) when 3 courses set you back only $20.

You get the choice of pretty much any appetizer (minus cheese plate) and entree on the menu and then a choice of creme brulee or choc pancakes for dessert. All the portions are smaller than are normally served, but were enough to be filling for me, could potentially be less filling for others.

I would recommend my appetizer- a duck prosciutto salad with pear spheres over a gorgonzola patty.

I was also pleased with my entree, short ribs with a polenta queso fresco tamale and braised radicchio. The tamale thing could have been served warmer but the radicchio was not at all bitter, it was extra vinegary (kudos to you if you get the south park reference) and sourkraut- like which I loved.

The skate was your typical lovely brown butter caper skate, can't go wrong there. It was served with a bacon hash that was less typical and just as appetizing.

Desserts are definitely an afterthought, but its still nice to end with something sweet. Again, this place is really really small, so you might want to make a reservation.

1120 Pine Street

Flying Monkey Cupcakes + O Sandwiches

2009-11-12T19:09:00.005-05:00

While passing by the Flying Monkey's newest location, I noticed a new sign...
Today was the first day that they started carrying banh mi sandwiches ($5.50) and summer rolls ($6) from O Sandwiches. Though its a bit of mark-up, its pretty exciting news for the gayborhood. Now we can be that much trendier over here.

I wasn't in the sandwich mood so I just went with a champagne cupcake, but I will be back soon enough to try out these highly acclaimed sammiches.

Noodles from the Chinese Noodle Factory

2009-11-11T18:21:00.002-05:00

On this little Chinatown street, the Noodle factory makes their own buns and rice noodles for you to bring home and gussy up. They also sell prepackaged noodles with a tangy sauce that makes for a convenient lunch. They give you a ton of noodles graciously topped with a fork. I went for the shrimp version which cost all of $1.60.

Lee How Fook: business in the front, party in the back

2009-11-02T18:59:00.000-05:00

Lee How Fook has a reputation for serving legit Chinese food to the Philly community.

A recent bday partayyy allowed us to sample the goods, while taking advantage of their semi-private back room and byo policy. Spinning wine and beer around and around on a lazy susan is really fun.

I don't even know exactly what we eat, things just kept spinning at me. Each dish held its own, but nothing blew my mind
The duck meat with ginger and pineapple came close though.

They have a godzilla sized menu and are accommodating to the vegetarians (like a mapo tofu without any meat) and eaters of all adventurous levels (from general tso's chicken all the way to duck feet abalone hot pot) Our bill for our large party was ridiculously low. According to the website, Lee How Fook means "good food for the mouth" and they have been working at that for over 20 years.

219 North 11th Street

Make your own Porchetta Sandwich with Esposito's and Sarcone's

2009-10-25T12:15:00.007-04:00

Esposito's has been selling their porchetta from a tiny store front for years. I had no idea what to expect, and was not even sure I was in the right place; it did not exactly look like a place that was open and ready to sell me some meat. But, through the red door we went and they were so ready. Esposito's sells huge whole porchetta pigs which would be a pretty impressive addition to any party.

We were here to get some serious sandwich material. We picked up a pound of sliced porchetta for $9 and half a pound of sliced provolone, they also sell roast beef for $10 a pound, both come with gravy. The guy working there saw how excited we were at his products and gave us a tour. I probably would have cried if I had forgotten my camera.

The inside of the freezer is filled with vats of chopped garlic, and then there are these beauties- already covered in the garlic and rosemary and ready for their 8 hour spa treatment in the oven.

"hey, sup?"

That was the pig head, staring right at us, from deep inside the super old oven.

Here is our sandwich recipe in photo form (it feeds about 4 people):

pound of sliced porchetta and 1/2 pound provolone

plus a loaf of Sarcone's bread

= one of the best sandwiches you can get in Philly

Esposito's

1627 S. 10th Street

Taste of Philly!

2009-10-23T11:22:00.011-04:00

Wendesday's Taste of Philly was a great time.

(Thank you to the Phillies for causing a diversion and limiting the attendees; the lines were minimal, it was the perfect sized crowd)

Drinks were more than plentiful, Victory brewing provided 3 beers, including Golden Monkey, which went well with pretty much all the food.

For favorite food item of the night, our group consensus went for the oysters at Snocky's.

Which is kinda not fair, because you can't possibly go wrong with fresh briny raw oysters.

My second favorite dish and one of the more impressive drinks came from Mango Moon, in Manayunk. They offered their tea infused gin and a house made sausage that was one of the more flavorful bites of the night. I was very impressed and their actual menu has so many tasty and creative plates that make them stand out from the standard Thai restaurant.

I was surprised at how good the Tir Ni Nog's risotto was, theirs included crab

and white truffle.

They also provided an ice luge for shots. How thoughtful!

Kibbitz Room sliced up their signature corned beef and had a whole tray of pickles.

I have been meaning to check out Tastee D's. I could not for the life of me hear what the name of the dish they served was called, it was kind of like a tasty tamale though and I liked it.

Instead of your typical bar wings, Monk's got a little funky and dished out frog's legs with whipped cream cheese and gorgonzola.

Prive did a trio of spreads;

the garlicky tzatziki was most notable.

The JNA Institute of Culinary Arts put out a tasty bite of duck confit; I found out they do a $25, 4 -course prix fixe (and I heard students can get 20% off), with the sample menu they displayed, this is an amazing price for what you get.

Bebe's BBQ cooked their pork for 16 hours for us and topped with either a vinegar or tomato based sauce.

The Swift Half's version of a Bloody Mary was so refreshing and spicy, I loved it. And I am glad I got to their bacon fudge before it ran out. The drink and small bite has me intrigued about this place.

Archedream for Humankind provided the trippy entertainment that looked like this...

Thanks Philadelphia Weekly, for entertaining me and getting me both full and tipsy on a Wednesday night! I look forward to it next year.

Are you going to this? I am

2009-10-20T01:35:00.003-04:00

Taste of Philly is on Wednesday, dishes from Philly restaurants are prepared for us under one roof.

http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/event-series/PWs-3rd-Annual-Taste-of-Philly-39798937.html

$6 pizza pies in the Italian Market

2009-10-19T14:10:00.005-04:00

Lorenzo's makes a cheap ass halfway decent pizza pie. A small is $6 and comes with 8 smallish slices. The crust is crisp, and the cheese level is spot on, the sauce has a good flavor but is a tad sweet and is missing that coagulation with the cheese that in my opinion can only be found in New York... but really though, very worth picking up. I have had far more abysmal slices in this city; this pizza was fully enjoyable.

They serve battered broccoli, which I would be interested in trying on a later date.

They also have the ever so important instructions on where to order in many languages and a pizza making version of Tickle me Elmo.

900 Christian St

Candied Ginger at The Spice Corner

2009-10-18T17:50:00.002-04:00

The Spice Corner in the Italian Market is a nightmarish timewaster because of its captivating supply of every spice imaginable and other fun things you might realize you absolutely need in your kitchen. I could not pass the $1 bag of candied ginger sitting by the register. There are endless possibilities for this cheap little luxury, as a garnish for a savory dish, maybe over ice cream, but so far I have just nibbled on it.

Burmese food at Rangoon

2009-10-15T15:51:00.001-04:00

I would definitely recommend a dinner at Rangoon, a medium sized Burmese Restaurant in the Chinatown area.

I ordered my usual favorite Burmese apps and all were to my liking; the roti canai tasted exactly as it should, with flakey bread and curried up dipping sauce I would have liked to drink.

Burmese style tofu is so completely different from your regular tofu, being made from chick pea, that I always wonder why it shares the same name. Either way, its worth ordering, not only just to try something new, but because of the subtle flavor of the mushy insides contrasted with the crisp fried-but- not- too -greasy outside. (the menu claims they are made from lentils, but I am almost positive that is an error)

Rangoon's version of the tea leaf leaf salad was a little more

sesame-ish than tea leaf-ish,

which was still ok by me because sometimes that tea leaf flavor can come on too strong.

For the entrees, the whole banana leaf fish was perfect with its fragrant curry sauce and crispy fried flakey fish.

This noodle dish looks nice, but it was kinda funky. I can't remember the name of it ( it may have been the Rangoon House Noodle) but the menu said something about it being the best noodles ever, it sadly wasn't. But one miss out of many dishes, is allowed.

Rangoon serves wine and beer and has a corkage fee for byo.

112 North 9th Street

Speaking of Pickles: 2-day Pickled Broccoli and my new pickle necklace

2009-10-14T12:28:00.010-04:00

Did I mention that I was obsessed with pickles? And more importantly, do you pickle your broccoli stems? Because you really should. The NYTimes once mentioned a basic recipe for doing this and since then I have pickled all the broccoli stems left over from when I make broccoli, which gives me even more of a reason to make broccoli in the first place. Its a quick pickling process and so easy to make.

The first step is to get rid of the harder outer layer with a veggie peeler. Cut it up to your desired shape; sometimes I do long spears, but this week my broccoli was shorter so I went with round pieces. Put them in a container and cover with salt, shake it up to coat it.

Refrigerate over night. In the morning drain the water and add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, ground pepper, chopped garlic and any other spice of your choice- I like mustard powder for example.

By dinner time, your broccoli should be ready enough to enjoy.

Lookie, what came in the mail this week- my pickle necklace I ordered from roscata.com. I am a happy fashionable pickle lover now. Check out her most adorable food jewelry.

$5 Corned Beef sandwich at Kibitz Room

2009-10-10T18:33:00.001-04:00

Foobooz pointed out this awesome October deal at the Kibitz Room: Corned beef sandwiches for 5 bucks. Normally their sandwiches cost over $10 and come with a lot more meat, but this sized more than filled me up. As expected they have a full array of Dr. Brown's, this included Cel-ray, which made me happy.

If you sit down and eat you have full access to... the pickle bar.

I like most bars, and this one was particularly to my liking, given my fondness (ok, obsession) with pickles. I tried the cucumbers (nice as a side to all that meat), sauerkraut (nice to put on your meat), spicy pickles (not my favorite), and the sour garlics (pretty good, not enough snap). I was sufficiently satisfied with Philly's version of a Jewish deli; go for the sweet deal, stay for the pickle bar.

1521 Locust

Chicken Pudding

2009-10-07T10:54:00.001-04:00

Of all the odd things I have eaten, chicken pudding may be the most odd. I can't recall a moment where I have been more hesitant to lick my spoon. A Turkish friend had been telling me about this typical dish of his homeland for a year now, and when he brought a vat home that was cooked by his mother I invited myself over to have some. I think the basic idea is that chicken is boiled down beyond comprehension and mixed with things like sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, almonds, and milk. Yes, this is a dessert, and an apparently ancient one at that. I am not trying to explain the recipe here (there are plenty online) just trying to give you the general picture of what I was dealing with. Anyway, I couldn't exactly get into this; I couldn't get past my views of chicken not being dessert. It really was puddingy, with a texture like a watered down jello vanilla pudding, but with chunks of chicken in it... I let the Turk finish my bowl.

He meant well...

Thanks for sharing Emre!

Nice Buns

2009-10-06T19:43:00.001-04:00

At this unassuming Chinatown bakery, I saw a bun behind the counter that I had never seen before- pork jerky with spring onion. This turned out to be a fancy way of saying dried pork and scallion bun. But it was absolutely delicious and under $1.50. Don't forget to zap it in the microwave for about 20 seconds to get in the maximum flavor zone.

New Hong Kong Bakery

917 Race st

Sidewalk Sticky Rice

2009-10-02T19:30:00.005-04:00

A few weekends ago, while walking through Philly's Chinatown, I came across some ladies selling food on the street under an umbrella in front of Ming River. They had sticky rice, tofu, and other things I couldn't 100% identify- maybe some red bean paste? I picked up a container of sticky rice, they offered the standard wrapped in the banana leaf version, but I wanted to try the other because it looked different than what I am used to.

Now I don't really know what the hell was in that rice, but it was very tasty. I bought some chinese sausage to cook and added it in. And with at $2 , I am hoping I see these ladies again.

107 N 10th st

Hellooooooo Philadelphia!

2009-09-30T20:15:00.011-04:00

Time flies when you are spending all your time in the library of a new city...

So I have moved to Philadelphia and I am now a student again, meaning much much less time and money for fooding. But I will not let my education stand in the way of my belly's happiness.

Philly is an amazing city and I am getting to know more of the delicious things around me here that I can put in my mouth. Feel free to tune in as I (less frequently) continue to write about what I eat in this new city (and NYC as well, as my visits back tend to center around eating).

I would like to turn your attention to a nifty little Philly find, the bargain cheese bin at the original Di Bruno Brothers.

The original Di Bruno Brothers is located in the Italian Market and, while much smaller, has a more relaxed and fun feel than the Rittenhouse location. Despite it being the size of a closet, I managed to spend way too much time here poking at the bounty offered. The prices here are just as hard on my little student wallet though. Thats why I was so excited at the thought of being able to bargain for my snack. The bin holds some leftover bits and the gentlemen behind the counter had no problem taking 50% off the price tag. Maybe I should go lower next time?

(This jerky sausage was also irresistible)

Cafe Arzu is only scary from the outside

2009-08-17T19:06:00.001-04:00

From the outside, Cafe Arzu looks like no place you want to go into. But the few menu options from inside are sufficient reason . This Uzbek restaurant is Kosher and BYO.

I ordered the carrot salad on a whim, wondering how some carrots could justify a $5 price tag. But they are in fact awesome and they are in fact worth it. They do some kind of tangy preparation that makes the shreds of carrots addicting.

For me, the star of the pickle platter was the pink cabbage. They had a strong sour flavor and are oh so pretty.

The lagman soup is the only one I ever order, though I bet the others are also outstanding. You can taste that the noodles are homemade and the beef-tomato broth is light and comforting

You can't go wrong with the skewers here. I think they are of a better quality than the Rego Park favorite Cheborechnaya. I particularly like ordering the beef, lamb rib, and kofta.

The cheborek is a decent fried snack, though the meat inside is not as good of quality as that of the kebobs. The samsy suffers the same problem.

The manty come with a minimum order of 5. The filling choices are meat and squash. The meat are a bit more delicious, but both are worth ordering.

Don't be intimidated by the outside, you could be missing out on some solid home cooking.

101-05 Queens Blvd

Margon's Pernil Sandwich: How to order

2009-08-13T20:27:00.000-04:00

I finally got a chance to check out Margon. I decided to get the pernil sandwich over the standard cuban, just because I wasn't in the mood for extras on this day- pork only please. I was a bit confused by the ordering system. Cubans get made and ordered up front. For the pernil sandwich you order it at the first table, pay for it at the second, and then bring your receipt to the back where the meat is thrown on the grill, covered in its own juice, joined with some onions if you like (I do like), and handed over to you.

The meat had solid flavor going on, though it was lacking pieces of crisp skin we all love. Its a pretty huge and satisfying sandwich for $6.50.

Momos To Go: Namaste in Jackson Heights

2009-08-13T20:00:00.000-04:00

After landing in LaGuardia airport I took a bus right to Jackson Heights for my first meal back in the states. Wondering around with my suitcase and hammock I passed on all of the tempting Latin American restaurants that I love, being that I had just eaten food of that genre for two weeks. Luckily, I saw a sign for momos. Himilayan food was the perfect choice.

The first section of this establishment, which I believe is called Merit Kebab Palace, looked like an Indian steam table. I passed on that and headed to the back.

I ordered the chicken momos and alu achar, both were brought out to me quickly.

As much as I enjoyed the meaty momos, I couldn't help thinking that for the price ($6) I could have gotten triple the amount of dough wrapped meat in Flushing...

The alu achar, spicy potatos, were a vibrant heat-packing side dish. The cilantro cut the spice enough to make this a nice summer dish.

I would love to return here with more people, so I can try out more of their dishes here.

37-67 74th Street

Nicaragua Fressing

2009-08-10T17:13:00.005-04:00

Home safely from traveling in Nicaragua. We had so many adventures, many food related of course. Allow me to show off a few highlights...

After our arrival to Managua we quickly left for a stay on the Laguna de Apoyo.

Down at the bottom of the lake we enjoyed cold Toña's (the beer of choice in Nicaragua*, actually pretty good) and shrimp ceviche.

*The other being Victoria, which is a bit darker

Three of us shared a ginormous whole fried tilapia covered in garlic. We were told that the fish was caught from the lake itself, very cool if that was actually true. The fish cost about $10 in total, it would most likely be triple that back in NYC.

We then traveled a bit north to the colonial town of Leon. One of out favorite dinners was street food behind the main church. Two ladies, each with their own table full of food, were ready for us to point at what we wanted and then threw the items on their barbecues.

Hmm, what do choose? Maybe one of everything

A whole plate costs about a dollar. One fried patty I particularly enjoyed may have been made of green beans.

One this plate: fried plantain, fried cheese, taco thingies, and fried things stuffed with rice and meat galore.

Leon's main square is the spot for getting vigoron, a dish with mushed yucca and pork skin.

Though we enjoyed eating this local dish, the pork skin was quite intense. It might have been better if it was cut into tiny pieces. The green pickled thing made me happy.

While wondering the streets there was no way we could pass up 50 cent pupusas.

This one is stuffed with cheese, beans, and chorizo. The greasy, salty, meaty snack was matched with some spicy cabbage on the side. Rico!

This hot mess is mango bread, a dessert from Imagine, one of the more expensive restaurants in Granada. For a dessert splurge though, it was fun and unexpected. In a country full of mango trees making mango bread is a brilliant concept.

Another relative splurge was lunch at El Zaguan, which was recommended by many locals for the steak.

Cute kids in the Granada market

Boat to the Island of Ometepe

On the island we had an interesting experience at El Zopilote. This "eco-friendly farm" has cabin and hammock accommodations. A flashlight is absolutely needed here. It is an uphill hike to get to the facilities, which means food is not easily obtainable. They provide free fruit as well as baked good and yogurt for a fee. A few nights a week an Italian gentleman makes brick oven pizza. Like other aspects of Zopilote, I was not impressed.

This part of the island, Balgue, does not have very many eating options.

This cart guy in the middle of the road sells tacos. He claimed all of his ingredients were as fresh as could be.

Salty meat stacked with avocado, not too shabby.

Nearby, Eduardo serves up some awesome home cooking at his little comedor.

I don't usually order tamales, but Nicaragua's nacatamal changed my mind. They are usually filled with pork... there is a good chance that fact alone stirred my change of heart.

Even better, was Eduardo's home made chorizo. We had to come back for this one.

While staying on the Merida side of the island we loved the food from this tiny comedor whose menu is penciled on the wall.

This bright chicken soup with squash and other veggies was just what I needed on a rainy Island day.

This is what sunset looks like in the beach town, San Juan del Sur.

I made the mistake of taking Lonely Planet's advice for where to eat. Our first meal in San Juan del Sur was at Cafe Buen Gusto. Lonely Planet recommended highly for fresh seafood. Like all the restaurants on this strip, the view can't be beat. It is right on the water; the relaxing sounds of waves washing up under the wooden planks during high tide make any meal a bit better. The food, though not terrible, was a bit dissapointing. I was so excited to get my lobster on, but the pricey dish came with 3 teeny tails. I was hoping to crack apart some shells and get messy. A fish dish was not only small for the price, but did not taste half as good as other fish we had in this country.

A better bet is sticking with the stalls located in the main market.

Lonely Planet mentions these as a great place to pick up granola and fruit plates... what?
I'd rather stick with some local style home cooking, thank you very much.

We frequented Comedor Itxel with its lovely lady staff often.

A mango orange shake for one dollar and an insanely good nacatamale for another. Hell yea.

We also had some great fish platters here, they come with rice, beans, and some cabbage for about $4.

Sadly the food markets do close, so for a late night dinner I was enticed by the sign advertising poutine at La Panga. A half order of cheesy, gravy covered fries and some battered fish were a tasty fried alternative from the typical local food. The owner Adam is a sweetheart. If you find yourself in the area, check out his fundraiser events for a local orphanage.

Play Maderas is a gorgeous beach worth treking out for. On the beachfront we enjoyed fresh fish tacos.

I am pretty proud of this one; after getting 3 hours of sleep the night before, I woke up and purchased fish ceviche from a laundramat. Note the elegant way it was served in a tied up plastic baggie. Needless to say, it was tangy and refreshing and the perfect breakfast.

We got a great tip to check out the infinity pool at the Pelican eyes resort, located on a hill overlooking San Juan del Sur and its beach. As long as you make a purchase at their restaurant, La Cascada, you have access to the gorgeous pool. A pina colada was an easy choice. The place offers real salads, which is a bit hard to find in Nicaragua

Back in Managua, for our last night in the country, we decided to do a taste test of the two ubiquitous fast food fried chicken chains. Pollo Campero and more-so, Tip- Top, are EVERYWHERE.
Both offer table service, which is amusing.

I thought Tip Top's chicken was decent. A comparable combo was cheaper than Campero and came with more fries.

Campero's chicken= frightening. The breast meat was way too plentiful and juicy, which sounds like a good thing, but it really was not. It tasted like an alien creature resembling a chicken took a full course of hormone treatment and was then injected with bullion cubes.

But the children's play room was top notch.

Our last meal was unfortunately some icky airport food, but other than that we had some bodacious eats in Nicaragua. Perhaps in the off chance that you are planing a trip there, these reflections might be useful to you. If not, you are allowed to be jealous that a future broke ass law student ate better than you for two weeks.

Viajando en Nicaragua

2009-07-13T22:35:00.002-04:00

Hola! So I am currently travling in Nicaragua for 2 weeks. After landing and getting to our hostel at 2am we went out and later had a street side burrito for about a dollar. Sabroso! Food is so cheap here, I know we are going to have many amazing adventures to report on.

Whiting Sandwich at Chicken House

2009-07-10T10:39:00.005-04:00

While walking down 8th Ave I needed to find lunch. Didn't feel like spending $9 at Pick a Pita, had enough pork this week so no GoGo Curry. Then I passed Chicken House, which I had heard of as a cheap and sketchy little spot, perfect. They fry things here including chicken, fish, shrimp, and fries. I got a whiting sandwich for $3.50. It didn't have too much flavor on its own but the tartar and hot sauce on the counter helped that out a bit. It wasn't dripping grease like I expected and the fish was respectfully moist. The guy behind the counter was really really nice. So for the price and the fast, pleasant service this is not a bad stop.

36th between 7th and 8th

Flushing Mall is more than shaved ice

2009-07-02T10:18:00.000-04:00

Flushing Mall is unappreciated as an eating destination. There is a lot going on up in there and it can be intimidating unless you know what to expect and what are the most yummy things to eat out of the many options.

When you walk in there are two staircases on either side, to the right and up the stairs is a little store that sells random food goods from Asian countries. Up the stairs on the left is a store with fun novelty items like a tissue box holder shaped like anime poop.

The inner food court is the main target.

All the way on the right wall is a store front with hand drawn noodles. The make their noodles right in front of you; its a choreographed dance of flour coated precision. The various noodle soups are $4.95 on average. I have enjoyed the duck soups in the past, though now they are offering a "country duck" special that I don't like as much. The noodles are the stand-out component of the soups. Their texture is unique to noodles that are only a few minutes old. The broths are none to shabby themselves, though they benefit from the cilantro on top and the chili sauce on the table.

This stall also sells fresh and frozen dumplings.

Moving forward to the line of stalls against the back wall you will find Szechaun food to the far-right. Dan-dan noodles and other staples are available but I have not yet sampled anything from here.

The ordering system for the middle stalls is rather intimidating because its changes. Sometimes you order from the lady at the front of the dining area and sometimes you order from the different stalls themselves. Just ask, its ok, dont be scared.

Ay Chung food (2nd from the right) has a lot of great options. Do not miss out on the Salt and Pepper squid and Salt and Pepper chicken (numbers 18 and 19) For under $4 each you get a huge serving of tasty fried pieces that are a lot less greasy than you would expect.

To the left, the famous shaved ice station also sells fresh squeezed fruit juices, teas, shakes, and ice cream. The red bean ice cream was delicious but tasted like melon. I like to spoil myself by ordering the fresh squeezed fruit juices; I went with carrot orange this time.

Next door there are pictures of items you can point and order. It appears that soup dumplings are available here but I have not yet tried them.
I have gotten a flakey turnip bun here but on our last visit we tried a sesame pancake meat sandwich type thing. We all agreed this had potential but it was not our favorite of the day.

Moving on and skipping past various dumpling stalls, the second to last stall on the left sells crepes and takoyaki. You can guess which I always stop for. Takoyaki has been one of my favorite foods since I first tried them at Otafuku a few years ago. Its worth the wait to get them fresh. It costs about $5 for 6 of them. Other random flavors are available (like curry) but I always get the standard version.

Crisped spheres with mushy octopus flavored filling with a nub of tentacle and pieces of corn covered with mayo, okonamiyaki sauce, seaweed flakes, and dried fish shavings. Can I get an amen?

Do yourself a favor and sit watching the fish shavings undulate while the insides cool down.

The delmanjoo caked are sold in the middle of the mall, I like to ask for a free sample of a broken one.

Stop by the puffed rice cake stand next to it for a great low-fat office snack.

Don't forget, it is a mall! There are two clothing stores on the lower level that often have great sales. Though most of the clothing is hilariously hideous, there are some good finds if you can be patient. I got this fun little half shirt thing at one of them. A beauty shop upstairs sells foot detoxifiers, bento boxes, and containers you didn't realize you needed.

A salon on the main floor offers mole removal starting at $5, thats not even a little bit sketchy.

Under the staircase on the left (if you are entering) are massage services as well as cupping. If you are brave enough and into painful back massages, like myself, you may want to check it out. Voice your opinion if it gets too hard, I made the mistake of not doing this and it was pretty painful; the giant round hickys on my back were not so cute during bikini season. I do warn you in advance - this is not a spa experience.

Bathrooms are located on both floors all the way on the left side. Other rando mall shops host children's harp lessons, wedding photographers, Japanese toilets, and bonzai trees, proving the point that this mall has about everything a person could need.

Kosher Truck has Schnitzel

2009-07-01T00:24:00.003-04:00

I intended to go somewhere else for lunch but the appearance of a new truck changed my plans. On 9th Ave between 33 and 32nd St Brucha Caterer parks its "Sub on Wheels" serving up a long list of sandwiches, platters, and side dishes.

I ordered the chicken schnitzel, which was listed as costing $7.75 but they charged me under $7 and had it ready for me quickly. It was really really large, half filled me up. The sandwich came with huge strips of juicy breaded chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, Russian dressing and a pickle. What makes this sandwich different from all other sandwiches? Its the pickle. They insert a real full sour pickle, none of this half ass half sour or sweet or sandwich style cucumber that is usually found inside sandwiches or burgers. I take pickles very seriously, ask anyone, and a find like this makes me very happy. All pickles aside, this is a schnitzel worth getting.

The home style Jew sides include potato kugel, kishka (if you are adventurous), chulent (on Thursdays), and whatever beautiful thing a pastrami egg roll is.

The completely kosher truck has been around for over a month and is open Monday through Thursday from 1130-4.

Frame opened today

2009-06-29T14:04:00.006-04:00

Frame on 33rd between 9th and 10th opened for all of us midtown very west and south lunchers. The high levels of swank that they have going on with the decor is humorous. Options include salad, soup, sandwiches, drinks, udon, bibimbop, sushi, and baked goods. The by the pound tables are currently low on options, I am sure they will fill them up quickly, but at $7.50 a pound(or $3.50 per half pound as they phrase it) its not cheap. Most exciting to me were the baked goods they get from CeciCela and Sullivan St Bakery. I picked up a chocolate tarte thing made by Sullivan St and it was divine as expected. I noticed a rack of breads that looked very Sullivan Streetlike, and I found out that they were, but for now they are just a tease and display only. Frame could certainly stand out from the pack if their sandwiches came on Sullivan St bread.

Woorjip's bulgogi and kimchee rice wrap

2009-06-25T11:17:00.005-04:00

While in line to purchase my box of steam table faves from Woorjip, I noticed something that I hadn't seen there before- a bulgogi and kimchee rice wrap. Though a sign advises that it be eaten right away, I had to save it for lunch the next day. It heated up well and I was very impressed. Wraps often bore me, but this one had some personality. The rice had flavor on its own and there was a good amount of savory bulgogi meat. A slice of pickled turnip was an unexpected but welcomed accompaniment. For $3 it makes the ideal snack on its own, but to make a full meal you would need two or the addition of some buffet items.

Father's Day in Jackson Heights

2009-06-21T19:23:00.074-04:00

This is how we do father's day in my family- full day eating fest. I convinced the fam to ditch Flushing for once in favor of Jackson Heights.

With so many amazing ethnic restaurants all within a few blocks, it is fressing paradise.

Himalayan Yak:

Our first stop was Himilayan Yak, you know, for breakfast. We started with an appetizer sampler, samayabajee, that came with shredded meat, pickle, beaten rice, and soy nuts. The beaten rice was very unfamiliar to us; it resembles uncooked oatmeal and had a pleasing chew and took on the sauce that it came with.

We could not turn down the wild boar sausage, which looks like a fatty piece of bacon.

It was loaded with smokey flavor but had a bit too much fat on it for me.

Momos were another must have, we ordered the pork version.
With the doughy bun and juicy filling, Sister compared the texture and flavor to a soup-less soup dumpling, and I agreed.

Street Festival:

We followed some music that led us to an Indian/Bangladeshi/Pakistani street festival. It was packed with people dressed in bright colors and stand after stand of spicy food.

We sampled a type of chaat (I have had better at the 6th ave news stand) from one of the friendly vendors. We made a stop for spicy but refreshing picked mango, which came in bright yellow and a darker curry color. Fried veggie patties were plentiful, we only tried a nibble to avoid too much grease, after all we had plenty of eating left to do

Hornado Ecuatoriano:

Next we stopped at Hornado Ecuatoriano, a favorite of mine for ceviche. I usually order the shrimp ceviche, but we opted for the mixto. The shocking dark color of this ceviche was due to the conch that floated around along with the shrimp. Despite its muddy appearance, we loved the limey liquid and every drop was consumed.

Tostones on the side helped soak up the last remnants from the bowl.

My parents pepped up with café con leche that they claimed to be exceptional. I opted instead for a glass of chicha, the taste of slight fermentation just does it for me.

Los Chuzos:

A sign advertising arepas and chorizo caught our eyes next,

and we went into the tiny eatery, Los Chuzos y algo mas. We shared one cheese arepa and a fresh fruit juice with strawberry, pear, and orange. Both cost $3 and were devoured in seconds. There is a window for ordering from the street.

Tacolandia:

Tacolandia has a window right on the street and you can guess what they sell. We had a taco al pastor and one of chorizo. The meats are all on a steam table and finished off on the griddle to order. The chorizo was the better taco. Neither were the best of my life.

Unidentified Flying Chicken:

We finished off with fried chicken for dessert. UFC has supposedly famous Korean fried chicken that we had to judge for ourselves. We sat downstairs in the dining area and got the $10 small order of wings and drumsticks in soy garlic and sweet and spicy.

The soy garlic, the traditional kfc, was the clear winner, with that perfect crisped skin and umami flavoring. We also agreed that we would order only wings next time, as they provide more crisp to meat ratio. I also ordered a cup of tea, which is not the perfect accompaniment to fried chicken but I required something soothing and caffeinated at the time. I have to point out the cuteness of the tiny little honey cup they brought out for me. That combined with the wee little chicken motto was borderline too much
cuteness to handle.

Guayaco's Truck:

More ceviche? Yes, because it came from a truck and we got our selections to go. Guayaco’s Ecuadorian truck had a horde of men watching the soccer game of the t.v. attached to the truck.

Our other order, cazuela, made me retch. I could probaby start dry heaving right now if I thought hard about the way it tasted. It was extremely fishy, but leave it to my dad to say he likes it. I was expecting cazuela de pollo, my mistake.

The shrimp ceviche on the other hand was very fresh tasting and would have fulfilled the ceviche craving had we not just had some 15 minutes before. They even threw in a bag of plantain chips.

Grocery Shopping:

Later at the Asian market I spotted something that made me cock my head to the side and go hmmm? Sliced deer horns. Apparently they can be used as a sexual tonic. Eeek. I’ll just purchase my powdered dashi and be on my way.

La Casa Del Pollo Peruano II:

My mother can never resist a Peruvian chicken, so I took her to La Casa Del Pollo for a bird to take home. A whole chicken can be ordered for take-out for under $8 with the elusive green sauce. Extra sauce is another quarter; sister insisted on extra. The Peruvians have it down, the next day my lunch of meat was moist and the skin was charred and spiced in that way that makes mouths water.

Happy Father’s Day Daddy! You are a champion eater.

Himalayan Yak: 72-20 Roosevelt Ave
(718) 779-1119

La Casa de Pollo Peruano 2: 8707 Roosevelt Ave

UFC: 71-22 Roosevelt Ave
(718) 205-6662

Mixed grains, veggies, and ricotta salata (see mom, I can be healthy)

2009-06-19T10:30:00.000-04:00

I made it to Cheese of the World in Forest Hills before it closed up for the day and got inspired for my dinner. The ricotta salata was pretty cheap- about $7 a pound (in contrast to a fave of mine, Midnight Moon, that I also picked up which is $24) I figured I could somehow make a dinner with this. I need to eat a bit healthy to make up for the glutton fest in Philly this weekend (post to come). I prepared a Trader Joe grain medley. I threw in two chopped tomatoes, a diced red onion, and asparagus that I steamed and then sauteed. I used only a pad of butter when cooking the grains and a few tablespoons of olive oil for the asparagus, thats not too bad right? I use cilantro, parsley, and scallion all the damn time, so with this I used dill to change it up. Salt, pepper, and some apple cider vinegar added some flavor, but the ricotta salata pulled it all together. I like the colors that are going on and I have enough for my lunch today.

NYC Food Film Festival

2009-06-17T23:34:00.007-04:00

The 3rd annual NYC Food Film festival was super fun! Last nights showing included a fascinating film about food distribution in NYC and a short about a guy who eats an extremely impressive amount of deep fried fair food.
The weather held up for us at the South St Seaport Water Taxi Beach and though there was not enough seating for everyone, I arrived early and got comfy at a picnic table so I was a happy camper.

The staff did an excellent job with the free food. Free food events have tendencies to get crazy and leave people angry and hungry, but here that was not the case. Hundreds of fried cheese curds were generously passed around and they were more delicious than you can even imagine in your head right now. Corn dogs were corn dogs, meaning good but not divine. Later on the clam pie came out, imported straight from the town in which the related short film featured. Delish mush of buttery crust and clam.

Drinks were not free, and were interesting... I felt like each drink was almost very good, but had something slightly off.

I was highly entertained and stuffed full of fried food by the end of the night, so great success here. Financier patisserie supplied tiny little buttery yum cookies. And we even got a parting prize of useful lunch bags filled with crapola and some Pop chips.

Chez Napolean

2009-06-17T14:17:00.003-04:00

Chez Napolean is tiny, eclectically decorated, and a bit romantic. They churn out a long menu of legit French dishes. Entrees average $24, a full meal here is not going to be super cheap. For me, the service kinda feels like you are a guest in the home of a French matriarch who is stern but has a heart of gold.

I am a sucker for garlicky escargot, and tend to order it when I see it. Here 6 of them came in individual little ceramic containers.

My entree, canard a l'orange, was really delicious. Thee duck was moist on the inside with just a hint of orange flavor and the outside was crisp and glazed with the orange sauce. Normally I am not a huge fan of orange and meat, but it definitely was done right here. It came with a nice helping of wild rice.

I ate a lot of the bread that came at our table during the longish wait for our food and I knew I had to save room for dessert so I took practically half of my main dish home and it made for a hearty breakfast.

Make sure to order your dessert souffle at the beginning of the meal to give it time to be made fresh. Ours came with a booze filled grand marnier sauce, that only added to the major wine buzz I had going on.

A much better French dining experience than the neighboring Tout va Bien.

365 W 50th

Dolla Breakfast Makeover

2009-06-17T09:33:00.000-04:00

I would be lying if I said this was the first time I got the 99cent breakfast from Papaya Dog. It comes with two eggs (cooked how you like it for the most part), two pieces of buttered toast (either white or wheat), and hashbrowns that have been generously coated with some kind of oil out of a squeeze bottle. Its not really delicious. But it is 99cents and you will not be hungry until lunch time. Why is this Papaya Dog breakfast different from all other Papaya Dog breakfasts? Because I asked them to slop on some of the onion goo meant for the hot dog. Now there is actually some tastiness going on and they didn't charge me extra. Try it out.

Wonton Time

2009-06-15T16:01:00.001-04:00

I bought some wonton skins from a market in Flushing and attempted to make some dumplingish things. I was very pleased with the stuffing: pork, scallion, garlic, and the part that I thought added the most- sauteed shitake mushroom. I threw in soy sauce, vinagar, hot sauce, and other spices to the mix.

I did the fold over and pinch with a fork method, which worked when I boiled them, but when I tried to crisp them a bit by pan frying, they mostly fell apart. Oh, well- at least the taste was there. I probably should have folded the ends over and made them more wonton-y. Next time.

But what to do with the extra wonton skins...

Oreos are the answer to most food questions. I crushed some up and rolled them cannoli style and did a quick deep fry. If you had to ask, yes they were awesome. Now why thisiswhyyourefat.com won't post this as an entry, I do not know. I sure think it qualifies.

Flor de Mayo, get your translations right

2009-06-10T15:51:00.000-04:00

After enjoying the Museum of Natural History's Sonic Vision, we went to dinner at Flor de May for cheap, fast, solid food. The place gets pretty crowded, but the 10 minute wait for 2 on a Saturday was not terrible especially when ordering a pitcher of Sangria with freshly cut fruit from the bar. Flor de May is a no-frills Peuvian and Chinese restaurant. Not so strange when you think about the large Chinese immigrant population in Peru. The menu is divided by cuisine, general Spanish food, Chinese food, and Peruvian specialties. A mixed ceviche was passable, but very one-dimensional and lacking hominy/sweet potato/typical accoutremonts.

A Peruvian special of the night was a stewed cabrito. They translated this in English to lamb, when it is actually goat. A harmless error as the sauce was spicy and the meat was tender.

The menu claims that the roast chicken is award winning. You can never really go wrong with a nice Peruvian pollo a la brasa. Here is did not disappoint. The skin was crispy (and the best part), the meat was moist, and for about $10 for 1/2 a chicken with some enjoyably fried rice (and stupid salad)- this is a safe platter to order and is just the right amount of food.

Hell's Kitchen Flea Market and Farmers Market

2009-06-09T15:39:00.002-04:00

I love sauntering through the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market on 39th between 9th and 10th. I have never had too much luck there, maybe a brooch or two. But its still fun to sift through the ugly sweaters, funky hats, dusty jewelry, and old things that may or may not qualify as antiques.

On my past visit, however, I was lucky and came across some adorable vintage aprons. For $8, I had to pick one up, even though it is similar to an Amish apron I own. The owner lady mentioned she doesn't often display them, so if you do come across them, pick some up. They make great gifts- so useful and pretty.

Further north on 43rd St (also between 9th and 10th Ave) a small-scale farmer's market is held until 3:30 on Saturdays. I never knew about this and quite pleased to have another market to walk through to make my gorgeous Saturday that much better. Unfortunately since I had dinner plans, I did not pick up any of the meat, cheese, or veggies. But I had no choice when I saw a pickle and olive stand selling full sours. I got a pint for $4 and although they lacked the snap that I look for, the flavor was closer to what I require of my pickles. Its hard to find real full sours out there and these did a fine job.

There's another Mexican-deli-thats-also-a-taqueria in town: meet La Rosita

2009-06-08T23:11:00.004-04:00

After picking up some baked goods at the Sullivan St bakery, we wanted a cold beverage and went across the street to a deli called La Rosita to pick one up. To my most delighted surprise in the back of this nondescript deli was a window selling Mexican food, a la Tehuitzingo.

The menu includes breakfast items, tacos, burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, tortas, and some main dish meat/chicken/fish platters. Prices are what you would expect to see in Jackson Heights; this was the first time I had seen a taco in Manhattan for exactly $2. (Over at Tehuitzingo a few blocks over tacos run from $2.50- $2.75)

I ordered a chorizo taco to assess the quality of their tiny kitchen. It was the double tortilla savory taco that you would hope to receive, with ample meat, fresh radish, cilantro, onion, with a lime and hot sauce on the side. And they did not skimp on the meat.

I had to return the next day to feel out the rest of the food there.

For $3 the breakfast burrito is an excellent option in the morning, though they serve it all day.

It comes with cheese, egg, onion, and your choice of meat- the sausage was a few steps up from the typical breakfast sausage patty found at most delis and I bet they would substitute any of the other non-breakfast meats on their menu.

Their sope might be the best deal of the house. A huge crispy tortilla is piled with meat (I chose shredded chicken, which aside from a few pieces of fat was delectable), lettuce, onion, radish, and topped with cotija cheese. I could not finish it all in one sitting. At $2.50 that is as cheap as it gets.

Another chicken dish was also quite successful. The chicken fajita was expertly stuffed with oozy cheese, onion, and tomato. The chicken was blackened to perfection.

Though not on the menu, I ordered a taco al pastor, and it was good but not as good as the chorizo taco and did not include any pineapple.

The one big fail was the chicharron con salsa verde taco. I was expected crispy skin but it felt more like warm raw pig skin. I threw the meat out and just ate the taco with the rice and fixings.

I also got a side order of freshly made guacamole. It was a full coffee cup and well worth the $3.00 (though listed on the menu as $1.50)

They offer occasional specials of tamales, pancita de res, and pozole.

La Rosita sells the expected Mexican deli fare: avocado, cheese, eggs, canned chipotle peppers, candy, beans, spicy chips, Goya

seasonings, juices, beer, etc. I was particularly intrigued by the 32 oz Blue Moon, I haven't seen that anywhere else.
I also bought a bag of Kranky on a whim, which ended up being awesome- chocolate malt covered rice krispies, a perfect snack or ice cream topping.

While you wait for the food (it can take a while) you can page through the People en Espanol magazines located under one of the potato chip displays.

The deli has been offering food for over 10 years. They have a generous delivery area (basically 33rd st to 60th st between 5th ave and 12th) and no minimum delivery amount.

526 W 47th St

212 -397 -1137
718- 578- 5811
718- 578 -5679

two new Flushing foods: Mutton Dumplings and Taro Balls

2009-06-04T21:27:00.013-04:00

My friend Cynthia is a huge mutton fan, and I remembered that Best Northern Dumpling offered mutton dumplings on their menu- we had to check them out. Having tried the "aquatic" and the pork and fennel (which was actually dill when we had them), I was ready to try something very different, something I haven't seen on other menus. The meat was subtle and a nice alternative to all the pork dumplings that dominate most menus.

135-08 Roosevelt Ave

I stopped at New Super Snack intending to pick up a bottle of water but I stayed when I saw trays of fried barely identifiable goodies. I went with the fried taro veggie balls- 2 of them cost 75 cents. I loved the flavor and they were small enough that I didn't feel guilty about the fried factor.

41st rd across from sun may bakery

Pre made Turnip Cake at home

2009-06-02T23:30:00.007-04:00

Whether at dim sum or from a hole in the wall vender, turnip cake has that comforting combination of savory mush with contrasting crispy exterior. Although there are recipes to make it at home from scratch, my family has always preferred to buy the pre made package available at Asian grocers. For a few dollars, you can enjoy the goodness at home with minimal hassle.

You just need to slice it and throw it on a pan with a little oil. Unfortunately the first pan I used was crappy and not a non-stick so that resulted in no outer crisping and major stickage to the pan.

bad pan= fail

Luckily, I found a griddle top in my kitchen and used that for the second batch.

Ok now we are getting somewhere.

Throw on some scallions and okinamiyaki sauce from the fridge along with bok choy sauteed with scallion, garlic, shallot, mirin, and topped with a vinegar, chili oil, and sesame oil. Its healthy, easy, and really cheap, with enough leftovers for my lunch today.

I made strawberry jam

2009-06-02T22:22:00.000-04:00

The supermarkets in Flushing often have amazing produce deals. Last weekend I picked up 2 pints of strawberries for $1. The only problem is that while they look great for 24 hours, they quickly get nasty. Instead of throwing out my second pint, I made a little batch of strawberry jam. It was super easy and tastes delicious. Sugar, sliced strawberries, and lemon juice are boiled and then simmered until it all gels up.

I used this recipe http://www.portlandpreserve.com/smallbatchjam.pdf, but since some of my berries were not usable I had less than a pint and used 3/4 cup of sugar.

Its such an easy, simple thing to do but it results in a lot of happiness. At least I think so.

And it makes for a bangin pb&j.

Hooters

2009-06-02T11:21:00.000-04:00

Our Turkish friend was leaving the country so we had to take him to a place that symbolizes all that is America for his send off: Hooters.

Ah, Sara Hoots from Texas, I remember watching her win the Hooters pageant last year on ESPN. I was rooting for her the whole time. Unfortunately none of the waitresses in midtown NYC came close to resembling Ms. Hoots.

Thats ok, we were really there for the wings and pitchers of beer to go with it.

We got about 80 wings for our group, allowing us to sample all the different varieties. The standard "hot" was my favorite, though they were really more of a medium.

I was disappointed in myself for eating a lot less wings than I thought I would. During my first Hooters trip back in high school I ate more than any guy at the table.

We used a lot of paper towels.

I was day dreaming about my fried pickle order long before we were even seated.

Sitting at wooden table outside was nice, though we were farther from the Hooters girl action taking place inside.

A blackened fish sandwich disappointed and the burger was nothing special. The food and beer is all way overpriced, but still, its fun. The contagious cheeriness of the waitresses and grease laden food make for a few hours of escapist merriment. Sometimes the craving hits for an atmosphere that is "delightfully tacky, yet unrefined".

Duped by The Onion

2009-06-02T10:57:00.000-04:00

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/kfc_no_longer_permitted_to_use

"Issuing a condemnation of Kentucky Fried Chicken's recent Boneless Variety Bucket commercials, the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday fined the fast food giant $600,000 and ordered it to discontinue all broadcasts containing "false and misleading suggestions" that its heated chicken products are intended for consumption."

I thought I was reading breaking news, then someone pointed out the article was from The Onion.

Nobody loves a generic deli, but everyone loves 1/2 off

2009-05-27T22:16:00.007-04:00

My coworker Rachel pointed out the exciting news: for the grand opening of Bistro Market Place on 34th between 8th and 9th most food items are 50% off, helllll yea. Coupons were handed out in advance but it did not appear that we needed them. The place was packed but the staff did a good job at keeping things moving. The made to order stations include breakfast items, pizza, sandwiches/panini, salad, and sushi/udon. Over at the by- the- pound tables in the middle, I was impressed by the selection. I picked up mac n cheese, fried calamari, stuffed mushrooms, brussel sprouts, corned beef, an avocado slice, a marinated artichoke, marsala mushrooms, tempura shrimp, and a pierogi (that had no filling, fail). I was pretty happy with most things, including the shrimp and corned beef. The fresh squeezed juice bar is also part of the deal; I indulged with a large carrot/mango/raspberry juice, which I believe would have cost me $3.50. For later on, I ordered an italian combo, normally priced at $6.25. In total, all my food was under $11. The deal lasts until Friday and I plan on coming back. I would considering returning after the deal is over... maybe, the by-the-pound options are more fresh and appealing than many out there, but at over $7 p/pound, that is going to add up fast.

See look, nothing inside :-(

Nice shrimp though

Woorjip secret prize??

2009-05-26T17:06:00.004-04:00

So my purse was stolen this weekend and among my passport, credit cards, and other things that are gone forever I also lost my frequent luncher card from Woorjip. I was about half-way through to getting my free surprise. And now I will never know what it is. The suspense may kill me. Does anyone know what secret treasure is bestowed upon the gluttonous?

Weekend Cooking

2009-05-25T23:34:00.022-04:00

There is nothing better than strolling through the Union Square market on a sunny day and impulsively buying fresh produce.

Some adorable fingerling potatoes.

These mushrooms are stunners: hen of the woods and yellow oysters. Lets not even get into how much they are a pound.

Ramps, of course

(I liked this sign for obvious reasons)

And here is what we did with all of it:

Sauteed ramp shoots, fingerlings roasted with ramp bulbs, oyster and hen of the wood mushrooms sauteed in butter, and grilled skirt steak

The grill master

Our pre dinner spread was also delightful

And lunch the next morning: egg salad with sauteed ramp bulbs, carrots, celery, tarragon, and deep fried sage leaves.

Revisiting 6th Ave Taj Delhi Chaat

2009-05-20T23:34:00.029-04:00

Its been almost a year since I last ate at the 6th Ave News stand.

The layout is always changing; currently the news/lotto stand is to the left when you enter and pizza is sold on the right side. In the back the food tables are ordered from left to right respectively: Taj Halal steam table /Chaat in the corner/Vegetarian steam table/Spanish steam table.

I ordered the #4 Aloo Chaat which has chickpeas and potato along with the crispy noodle shreds, onion, cilantro, yogurt, tamarind sauce, and spicy sauce. The guy making it is pretty slow and had trouble understanding me AND worst of all, he let a more middle eastern looking customer cut in front of me. I do prefer that my meals be made with love but I can let it slide, after all its $4.99 for a huge tin of flavors that I love. I finished about half of that serving; the potatoes and chickpeas make for a very very filling dish. So my lunch total was actually $2.50, I like this fact very much.

The #19 was a bit different, a curried veggie mush with bread on the side, it tasted great but was not the typical chopped mix we were expecting

Over at the Halal steam table there were various rice and curried meat options. $7 gets you a choice of meat, your choice of rice, savory potatoes, a soup thing, and a not so great chapatti. It comes in a sectioned off plastic container that you will want to reuse.

The curried goat and chicken marsala were both tender and flavorful. Neither were overwhelmingly spicy; my memories of the vegetarian food last year are of needing many glasses of water to temper the heat. Perhaps the veg section is still like this, we did not sample from that steam table, it would not behoove me to choose the squash and beans (as delicious as they were) when the curried meat and chaat looks this good.

Its probably a good thing that this place is so far from my office, otherwise I would spend way too many lunches eating here.

1013 6th Ave.

Two Very Happy Hours

2009-05-20T23:24:00.010-04:00

The Dove is an elegant bar in Greenwich Village that stands out with touches such as burgundy wallpaper, a faux fireplace, and luxurious furnishings. Drinks even come with doilys, which makes it tempting to booze with your pinkie up. The happy hour, from 4-8, offers its specialty cocktails for $6 (normally $10). The cocktail list cites frequent use of infused liquor, spices typically found on dessert menus, and fresh juices. My "Spiced Peach Cobbler" with peach vodka, honey, cinnamon and organic vanilla soy milk did indeed resemble a dessert. This is a mild drink in terms of booze levels, others on the menu like the Silk Road Margarita pack more of a punch.

228 Thompson St.

Across the island on the east side, the Common Ground also has a spectacular happy hour, though more for the food and games rather than crafty cocktails. This bar is also nicely decorated with big windows that are kept open in good weather, chandeliers, and couches that accommodate groups nicely. Happy hour, also 4-8, includes appetizers and panini at 2 for 1. In any other bar, this might not be significant, but the food here is closer to what you would expect at a wine bar. Appetizers include Roquefort with pear and toasted spiced pumpkin seeds, brie with toast and apricot mustard, and almond stuffed dates wrapped in bacon (of course a must order, but where is the stilton, right Mary?) The goat cheese and artichoke heart panini is vegetarian friendly, but you might as well get a few to split and sample with friends, two will cost you $10. It ends up being unbelievably inexpensive to fill up here. Yuengling and Miller light are $2 during happy hour, but if you choose Miller over Yuengling you are a fool. The $5 cosmos are decent and pretty strong. Apple martinis are also on special but there is no way I would ever drink that. For even more enjoyment, games like Connect 4 and Sorry! are available.

206 Avenue A

Porchetta Round Up

2009-05-17T18:55:00.013-04:00

Porchetta is a place you want to love. Its a teeny, much hyped eatery that unabashedly worships the pig. But the prices are a little steep in comparison to what you get. You would think that the more you pay, the better the value- the opposite hold true.

My choice for best value is the $5 crispy potatoes and burnt ends, the potatoes are indeed crispy and surrounded by the most delicious pork bites.
The porchetta sandwich comes with a lot more meat, but a lot of it is difficult to eat. The fat is too chewy and parts of the skin are impossible to chew. Don't get me wrong, put this sandwich in front of me and I will happily eat it down. I am just hesitant to spend the $9 on it. Maybe $7 would be ok.

Before trying the sandwich, I was mesmerized by the glistening skin on top of the pork behind the counter and the jovial employee gave me a square. It looked like a bite sized piece of pure fat heaven but fell quite short of that once in my mouth. There was some solid flavor going on but it was like eating pork flavored glass; not what I was expecting.

In last place comes the porchetta platter. While it was moist and well seasoned, the portion did not justify the $14 price tag. The sides of greens and beans were tasty, but reminded me of something I had just made in my own kitchen.

My advice is to seek Porchetta out for a snack of the crispy potatoes and burnt ends and mosey on across the street to cutsey Butter Lane for a cupcake. I got a banana bread cupcake with french chocolate icing. Proof of my approval= licking the frosting off the wax paper that wrapped it while on the subway and not caring who saw.

Porchetta 110 E 7th St

(between 1st Ave & Avenue A)

Butter Lane 123 E 7th St

Ok... I ate a piece of burnt ends along with the cupcake and really liked them together. Is that weird?

Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches

2009-05-17T18:41:00.009-04:00

Nicky's Banh mi were the perfect quick bite last week. I tried half of the chicken($5) and half of the pork chop ($5.50). The pork was a bit better than the chicken, but both were well seasoned. The standard banh mi veggies (carrots, cukes) were fresh but were segregated to one side of the sandwich with the meat of the other, I would prefer a mix of both throughout instead. I know these cost a lot less in Chinatown, but we were in this neighborhood. It took longer for the sandwich to toast than it did for me to consume it, but for what we were looking for (quick, cheap, healthy something to fill the belly), it served its purpose.

150 E 2nd St

Smith's Chicken Dinner for 2 Deal

2009-05-14T11:32:00.007-04:00

My friends and I were having a get together on a Monday night. With restaurants losing business in this economy many have proposed amazing deals to entice diners on off-nights. An article in New York Magazine led me to Smith's Monday/Tuesday night chicken dinner special- a meal for 2 people, $35 total (not each!). Perfect.

The decor in Smith's is modern and clean looking with a mirrored ceiling and lattice work defining the difference dining spaces. They have a bar in the back, booths in the middle, tables by the window, and outdoor seating. The lighting is low, which sets the mood but makes for terrible pictures...

There were 4 of us but we ordered 1 "chicken dinner" and some extras to maximize our variety. To start: onion ring appetizer($6) and fried burrata($4) from the bar menu. The onions were huge, not too greasy and its sauce had a nice kick to it. The fried burrata is the perfect grown up version of mozzarella sticks. I could have eaten so many more than my one little sample.

This neon dish is ramp risotto with mushrooms and preserved lemons, a crazy combination with flavors that worked well together, though the risotto could have been cooked to a better consistency.

The chicken dinner came with a large salad full of fresh veggies that was brought out with the rest of our appetizers. Our chicken was served on a hot skillet; its skin crackled and the white meat was juicy. This is not something I could easily replicate at home. The sides of earthy mushrooms and rich polenta were equally satisfying.

And yet there is more, a dessert of chocolate mousse with pistachios also comes with the dinner deal. The mousse is neither too light nor too dense, and the salt of the pistachios brings out the chocolate flavor while adding a crunch. It was a large enough serving that we all got to end our meal with many spoonfuls of sweetness. We loved the long spoons and the freezing cold bowls they came with.

Lets recap: fresh salad, two delicious sides, a perfectly roasted chicken, and a chocolatey dessert for $35. This is a deal worth going out for on a Monday/Tuesday night.

79 MacDougal St

La Nacional: yay paella

2009-05-13T10:51:00.008-04:00

Table for 8 early on a Saturday night without a reservation? No problem.

La Nacional is a family favorite for solid Spanish food that won't break the bank. It is associated with La Sociedad Benefica Espanola de Socorros Mutuos, a Spanish Society founded in the 1860's, which occupies the building above. The basement dining area, complete with Christmas lights and paintings, and its obscure entrance have just the right amount of diviness to enhance the charm.

Head down the stairs and though the hall to get to the dining room.

Immediately order a pitcher of sangria. And enjoy the olives and breads brought to your table.

Appetizers are split into two sections, hot and cold. The chorizo appetizer($8) is an easy choice, cannot go wrong there. Look at that spicy oil deliciousness and do not be afraid to dip your bread in it.

Other hot appetizer options that also delivered the flavor along with being properly tender: pulpo (octopus,$9) and calamares a la plancha (grilled squid, $9). You will probably also want to dip your bread into the squid's sauce.

And for the main attraction- paella. The staff is good about calculating serving size based on the number of people in your party. Though we all agreed the quality was slightly better a few years ago, this is still a great dish. The seafood tasted fresh and the rice was full of real flavor that comes from being cooked with so many yummy things.

There are shrimp, mussels, cockles, chicken, and peas in the version we selected (paella de la casa).
Here are some close up shots if you are into seafood.
And a shot of that essential rice crusting.

Past visits while the owner was around resulted in free glasses in sherry and some great tips on traveling in Spain.
The food plus the relaxed,unexpected environment is the perfect place for a group to have great conversation over pitchers of sangria and sufficiently authentic Spanish dishes. And if you don't have great conversation, get new friends.

239 W 14th St

Free Haagen-daz Success

2009-05-12T23:20:00.000-04:00

Has it been a year already since the last time I cashed in on haagen daz bee friendly free ice cream deal? Had no problem and no real wait getting my ice cream after work today at the Penn Station location. The honey bee flavor is a nice alternative to vanilla. The best part might have been the package of wildflower seeds they handed out to us. How adorable! Looking forward to planting them tomorrow, save the bees!

Work ya ham hocks!

2009-05-12T16:15:00.005-04:00

Just received some lovely feedback from a commenter "porkchop" and the name instantly reminded me of the best youtube video evah. Please watch if you haven't yet experienced the joy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KadvVzQIRu0

Ponty Bistro: early bird sick deal

2009-05-12T11:59:00.000-04:00

I know its almost an impossible task, but if you get to the french-african influenced Ponty Bistro before 7:00 a 3 course meal is $20. Appetizer, entree, and dessert for twenty dollars! Any day of the week, this is for real people. Powerful martinis run $5. I made sure to take advantage of that.

I found out about this place through my mom, who is always right about everything. She recommended the mussels as the appetizer. They came in a rich broth with tomato and lemongrass.

The hanger steak entree was cooked to my liking, not at all bloody and with a great charred crust. The crispy side of potatoes also did not disappoint. I ordered the creme brulee and was pretty certain it would be forgettable.

Could a $20 prix fix really go 3 for 3 with spot on dishes? And yet they did.

The brulee had the right amount of sweetness and they even took the time to sprinkle on some powdered sugar and a strawberry. The space is filled with color and art and the big windows were kept open when the weather is nice. Our waitress was sweet; she there when we needed her and left us be when we didn't. This is an almost too good to believe deal up in here. So if you can bare the idea of dinner while the sun is still up, listen to my mom and get over there.

218 3rd Ave

Breakfast Torta

2009-05-11T19:10:00.001-04:00

The food cart on the corner of 33th and 9th has always been a quick, cheap source for breakfast. The staff inside this little cart are so sweet. Recently they added a very exciting new item to the standard eggcheesesausageonaroll type of offering- breakfast tortas! For $3.50 chorizo is scrambled with egg and put on a roll. The cart people get this legit sausage from a Mexican guy in Brooklyn. The chorizo is not very spicy, which I suppose is appropriate for breakfast and they do offer jalepeno sauce if you like a.m. heartburn. Its a delicious alternative to stringy bacon or gristly breakfast sausage. The cart people have seen a huge response to this sandwich, so hopefully it will stick around for a while. The cart also offers deli meat sandwiches but closes up shop at noon each day.

Why I love Flushing: A photo diary of a Sunday

2009-05-10T18:30:00.028-04:00

Mentally preparing for a day of eating under blue skies.

Breakfast: $1 peking duck and $1.50 freshly made roast pork rice noodle from Corner 28

Must have my iced milk tea. $1.25 at the stand under the underpass

turnip cake is a delicious snack

Talent to put me to shame. Flushing Mall held an exhibit of Mother's Day drawings by children. This was done by a 6 year old.

Waiting for leek/aquatic dumplings (10 for $3.25) at Northern Dumplings at the back of some herbal store

Ooo color accent feature

Pretty good

Hey dad, follow me

Pho from Pho Bang for lunch tomorrow, it smells delicious

Grocery shopping is a must! Fresh, dirt cheap produce.

Cherries and ??? something that tastes like apples and pears combined

Seaweed and Salt chips are yummy

Grocery list: cherries, shrimp, garlic, brown mushrooms, cilantro (50 cents for a bunch), some leafy greens, and scapes
from Chang Jian Supermarket 41-41 Kissena Blvd

= miso soup made from miso paste, shrimp stock from the shells, scapes, and rice noodles

Cacio e Pepe: lots of cacio, too much pepe

2009-05-06T23:42:00.007-04:00

It was another night where outdoor dining was essential and luckily we didn't have to wait long to score an outdoor table for 2 here on a Saturday night. The waiter swayed me in my decision to order the signature dish- cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper). It is served to you from a giant Parmesan bowl, hello photo op. The pasta mostly tastes of the warm cheesiness that blankets it. The other main element of the sauce was large pieces of cracked pepper, this was a bit different for me. Biting into a piece of peppercorn is usually something one tries to avoid, but here it used to add a spiciness to cut the cheese (teehee). I see what they were trying to do here and I knew what I was getting myself into when I ordered it, but it was just not something I could get myself to completely enjoy. But I really did like the texture and taste of the homemade pasta and cheese sauce, how could I not. I wondered about that huge cheese bowl, what do they clean it out at night? You can't exactly throw that in the dishwasher. We were informed that each order of cacio e pepe is served from one cheese bowl that they replace every 3-4 days. The sausage and pork over polenta was quite good. I do love polenta and theirs took on the porky flavor and made it extra tasty. I plan on coming back here to enjoy more flavorful Italian pasta in a relaxed setting and next time I need to try out some appetizers.

182 Second Ave.

Bourbon Street: Hurricanes and gator

2009-05-04T23:18:00.009-04:00

Restaurant row is not my favorite street in this area. Its full of gimmicky places and under-whelming food. Bourbon street may be a bit gimmicky but they have an impressive happy hour. $5 can get you a mint julep, a dark n stormy, hurricane and a few others, and they are not skimpy. The drinks are nicely sized and acceptably strong. We could not resit ordering the alligator in a blanket appetizer- everyone can agree that pigs in a blanket is one of the best foods ever and its not everyday you get to consume alligator. I am glad we went for it, it is delicious! I don't know if I would come here for dinner, but its a conveniently located spot for happy hour and a snack. And they have big screen tvs everywhere if sports are your thing.

346 W 46th St

Carmine's: not just for tourists

2009-05-04T22:23:00.005-04:00

Sometimes you have to say screw you to the road less traveled. A group of 8 of us headed to Carmine's for a birthday celebration. We were in the mood for big portions and looked forward to conquering the giant platters. We were promptly seated for our 8 oclock reservation. Carmine's does a good job at acommodating large groups and it was easy to snag our Friday reservation. Service was Speedy Gonzalez as I am sure would be important to help their table turnover. We ordered a few bottles of reasonably priced and reasonable tasting red wine. To start we kept it simple and got the caesar salad and fried calamari, you can't go wrong there. Had to get the salad to ensure some vitamins and minerals in the meal, yea right- that thing was covered in dressing and packing the calories. Its almost embarrassing how much I liked both the salad and the calamari. We had the penne a la vodka, veal saltimbucca, and the chicken special of the day. I am guessing the secret behind everything being tasty is vats of butter. I think we did a good job at ordering here, we got a variety of flavors and were too stuffed for dessert. You better believe the small amount of leftovers made an ideal late night post-drinking snack.

200 w 44th

Thai Stir Fry

2009-05-04T22:13:00.005-04:00

Made this last week and it came out pretty darn good and was pretty darn fast and easy. We cut up flank steak and added is to a stir fry of asparagus, peppers, garlic, mushrooms, red and yellow onions, with vinegar, lime juice, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and a lot of cilantro. Its healthy balance of meat and veggies.

Room Service: Thai'ed up in a pretty package

2009-05-04T20:16:00.008-04:00

When I first passed by this place I thought it was some kind of new lounge. When I found out it was just ANOTHER 9th avenue Thai place I was disappointed. But the few reviews out about the restaurant were glowing, so I figured it couldn't hurt to check it out. This restaurant opened here in March and its other location is in Chelsea. The place is gorgeous: grey scale walls, classy moldings, a perfectly gaudy gaudy chandelier right in the middle, a cow print bar, vintage mirrors all around, and an entrance with huge glass windows and white door. Maybe that sounds weird all together, but trust me, it worked. The Detox cocktail made me feel healthier as I sipped it; its an organic vodka cocktail with ginger, pomegranate, honey, and cucumber. Another cocktail on the menu is Redbull vodka, however they claim they use the original redbull that originated in Thailand. I am not a redbull expert, so I didn't taste too much of a difference, but its a cool idea. The menu has a lot of options, with standard dishes you would expect from a Thai restaurant along with more creative choices from what they call the "eat like a bangkokian" section. I normally like to pick something more interesting over pad thai, but Room Service offers the standard version and the bangkok version which is actually wrapped in an egg crepe. A note at the bottom of the menu suggests adding on sun-dried shrimp, a typical bangkok snack. How could I resist that? The Room Service Pad Thai is presented beautifully and comes with regular shrimp (good), scallops and mussels (not as good) along with noodles that benefited from the hot sauce dotted along the side of the plate and th mango shreds on top. I really liked the sun dried shrimp, they are briny and have a fun texture, like some kind of shrimp jerky. The Bangkok pumpkin chicken curry had the perfect level of spiciness, but I would have liked to taste more pumpkin instead of just a standard curry taste.

I would love to come back here for dinner as well as for the lunch special. One last noteworthy element of this place would be the flashy/sexy ethnic garb of the staff, they match the pretty plates and interior.

690 9th Ave

Cafe con Leche: if you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain

2009-04-30T18:03:00.002-04:00

Cafe con leche is the one place I know I can go to on the upper west side for affordable and consistent food. Most importantly though, they serve up a mean pina colada in an actual pineapple, during happy hour you can get 2 drinks for the price of one ($9). They serve other drinks as well, including sangria and mixed drinks in coconuts. Its not a huge amount of drink or as boozy as what I usually like and I am not one who often orders something like a pina coloda, but I can't resist them when I dine here. Double check with the happy hour, because sometimes they are weird about it. With my cold, frothy pina colada in my hand, a paper drink umbrella behind my ear, sitting outside under a raffia umbrella, I could almost pretend I was in the Caribbean... almost. I usually order the same things when I come here. The mofongo appetizer could easily pass as a main dish, there is nothing like mushed plaintains and pork skin to fill up your belly. Their version of ropa vieja is perfectly acceptable; its hard to screw up beef that has been braised, shredded, and sauced up. A special of ceviche was also enjoyable. Though it wouldn't have hurt them to add some shrimp. On this occasion, the service started out a bit brusque, but that could not kill our pina colada and pork induced good moods.

Chocolate Balls

2009-04-30T00:57:00.001-04:00

Lookie here what I made for my office. Oreo truffle bally thingers! And guess what, you can do it too. My apologies if these little guys are not so easy on the eye, but trust me, they taste like a dream. I used 2 sleeves of one oreo container and crushed them up. Then I added a package of cream cheese and smushed it all together. I rolled them into about 40-50 little ballies and chilled them in the fridge. While they chillaxed, I melted 3/4 a package of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a make-shift double broiler. I rolled the chilled balls in the chocolate, added some more oreo crumbs on top and popped them back in the fridge. Use your imagination for other toppings and coatings. I have had a request to make peanut butter chocolate truffle balls next. Easy breezy, and everyone loves them.

the Fried Chicken before Cheeseburger before Beer Diet

2009-04-29T23:10:00.000-04:00

After having some cocktails for my friend's birthday at Kemia Lounge (on 44th and 9th with $6 cocktails during happy hour, including a well balanced french martini) the next logical step to take before our 5 Napkin Burger reservation was clearly for fried chicken. We went around the corner to everyone's favorite chicken scented window, Piece of Chicken. I insisted he at least try the goodness and then I just had to join in and get a piece myself. I have sampled the mac n cheese and collard greens here but the $1 single piece of chicken is what is most worth getting here. They manage to get the juicy, crispy thing down right. I most enjoy the simple fact that you can get one piece and I convince myself only one can't be bad for me.

After some fried chicken it was due time for a cheeseburger and beer. I didn't really look at the menu, I knew I wanted the Original. The cheese and onion dominate the flavor cleverly, who could resist gooey cheese covered meat. Our waiter may have been hinting at something when he brought over knives, but I was determined to shove it down the old fashioned way regardless of the mess on my face and hands. There was a lot of burger meat in that soft bun and while it had some nice flavor going on, it was a wee wee bit dry. The fries were good enough to that I had to finish them despite me being way way way too full, although I shamefully did leave a bite over of the burger.

Last stop was the Pony Bar that recently opened. They have an ever changing selection of beers on tap. They display the beer brand, type, and alcohol content on a board behind the bar and announce the changes to it as they switch kegs. I was shocked to find out the witt beer I selected was only $5. Woohoo!

Kemia Lounge-630 9th ave

Piece of Chicken- 362 w 45th

5 Napkin Burger-630 9th ave

The Pony Bar- 637 10th ave

Tehuitzingo Deli: gimme more al pastor

2009-04-29T22:55:00.000-04:00

Food adventure lovers heart this place for its authentic tacos and its inside-a-deli-ooo cool factor. I headed past the dried chilies and towards the little ladies behind the window to pick up some fun tacos for my lunch the next day. I was happy to see they reheated nicely in the microwave, a minute thirty did the trick. I ordered chorizo, but got pollo. Ok fine, I still liked it. The al pastor is where its at though. Pork and pineapple is a favorite taco type of mine and their version was quite tasty. Both the pork and the chicken were shredded up, tender, and well spiced. They were even nice enough to pack up some hot sauce for me. Though this is not my scrumptious Jackson Heights two dolla tacos, at $5.25 for the two they are a nice stand in.

695 10th ave

Hummus Kitchen: hummus is yummus

2009-04-29T22:25:00.000-04:00

Decided to walk up 9th to catch a bite; I wanted something on the lighter side and somewhere with outdoor seating to take advantage of the spring breezes. Hummus Kitchen fit the bill with 3 or 4 tiny tables outside the little restaurant. The lemon mint drink-lemonana is the ultimate drink for sipping outdoors in the sun, not to mention kinda gorgeous. I wanted to try out as much of the menu as possible so we chose the mixed platter. It came with a majority of the appetizers on the menu: 2 very green and tasty falafel, roasted cauliflower, a bureka with a nice feta eggplant filling, a few spoonfuls of tabouli, a small serving of the always pleasant combo-feta and beets , and a smokey babaganush (which I actually prefer over hummus, if a Babaganush Kitchen opened up, I would be first in line). The main thing that was missing from this sampler was any hummus. Being our first visit here, ordering the hummus sampler was very necessary. I was hoping that the hummus recipe itself would be varied, maybe by having one more fava bean based, etc., but the differences in hummus were due to the toppings. Still, they are all enjoyable, with the mushroom being the favorite. I have never thought of putting together mushrooms and hummus, but I enjoyed the pairing.

I had heard about the sabih sandwhich- eggplant, egg, pickles, and hummus- and had to try it. The pickled element was odd but not in a bad way. I wish the eggplant had more of a presence though. I was kinda hoping for something resembling the magical eggplant that Pick a Pita puts in their sandwiches. Prices are pretty reasonable and it was nice to fill up without any meat... thought I can't say I wouldn't have ordered a shish kebob if it were on the menu.

768 9th ave

Deli Goat!

2009-04-19T21:52:00.001-04:00

I was so excited to check out the roti experiment that just started at the Best of the West Deli on the corner of 34th and 9th. The staff explained they are testing out serving roti with various curried dishes on Wednesdays and Fridays. I made sure to call ahead to ensure the roti would be offered like the staff suggested. I went for the curried goat, go hard or go home right? My coworkers tried the kingfish and the chicken. Each came with ample roti bread. The portions were big, but definitely not enough to have any leftovers. The goat and fish were $10 and $10.50 respectively and the chicken was $8.50. Ten dollars is a little more than my cheap self likes to spend on lunch, but its a luxury to have something different in these parts. The kingfish and chicken were prepared in the same curry; the fish worked well with the curry flavors but was a bit too fishy for me, the chicken is the most economical way to go, since there isn't too much of a difference between it and the goat. I was very happy with the curried goat, it was tender enough to barely need a knife and the curry sauce and chickpeas had garlic and buttery undertones. Pretty awesome for a deli, and even more awesome for this neighborhood.

Best of the West Deli

212 290-0048

371 w 34th St

Best Pork Ever is really really far away

2009-04-15T15:54:00.000-04:00

Porchetta who? This might be the best pork I have ever eaten. I made the trek up to 174th st in the Bronx to assist a client with an appointment there. I passed a standard looking Spanish restaurant but knew I had to stop by after seeing "lechon asado" advertised and getting my "I have a good feeling about this place" feeling. Once I got there I skipped on the platter and went straight for the gold- half a pound of pork for three fitty. I sat down at an empty table and dove right in; it was everything I could have hoped for and more. The perfect fall apart succulent pork and fat balance. The skin was crispy but easy to chew (unlike Porchetta's) I got half way through and realized that to make matters even more gorgeous, they including a container of garlic dipping sauce. Have mercy! Why o why is this place so very far?

El Nuevo Despertar
920 E 174th St
Bronx 10460

Congee and Cambodian

2009-04-15T14:32:00.000-04:00

I had been meaning to check out Kampuchea since I tried their ribs at the Village Voice 1st annual Choice eats, one year ago. Since I am an enthusiast of multiple stops when going out for a meal and in order to keep the prices down by filling up for cheap beforehand, I went to Congee Village for part I of dinner. I love the over the top decor and learned they host karaoke parties in rooms downstairs. We were seated at a tiny table in the little room in the back. The menu is huge and the prices are low low low. They also have a decent drink menu with cheap drinks and an even cheaper happy hour at the bar. I usually go for the mushroom and chicken congee here, but my friend does not care for mushrooms and we went for the high roller chicken with abalone instead. The congee was huge and satisfying as usual, a fair sustitute for chicken soup if feeling under the weather. We also ordered a squid dish with cashews and onions that we gobbled down quickly.

100 Allen st

We walked over to Kampuchea and had no wait- it was a Friday night but before the dinner rush. The long tables are communal and the seats are bar stools, my back was not happy about that. The corner location of the restaurant and many windows allow for great people watching. We shared the ribs, which falls under the category "hot small plate". It was a larger portion than I thought it would be. With the meat falling off the bone, the strong porky flavors, and the addictive cilantro sauce these ribs are a must order. The ribs come from duroc pigs, which are apparently very aggressive piggies that taste amazing. We stuck with the duroc theme with our other order- duroc pork num pang, a vibrant sandwich with all those fixins (cilantro, carrots, etc) that make people crazy for the Vietnamese banh mi and more recently for this Cambodian alternative. Such sandwiches are now available at Kampuchea owner's Num Pang.

78 Rivington St