Smith's Chicken Dinner for 2 Deal

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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