Thanks for the ideas everyone...between you guys and some internet searching I think I've found a bunch of stuff to fill up at least one good trip.

My wife and I have been to Arthur Ave. in the Bronx on several occasions and tried a ton of stuff there, but as we are moving away in a year, we want to make sure we haven't missed anything good there. So, I'm looking for the best of Arthur Ave. I know there are threads like this already, but I have a few specifics that I'm looking for as well hidden secrets that we might not have even thought about. Also, we aren't looking for sit down restaurant stuff. This is stuff we are going to go buy and then bring home to eat.

So below are my catagories for best of. I've listed our favorites in each category, but you don't need to stick to those. And as a final note, to make this the most useful, give responses as a particular item at a particular store (ex. for bread, "some specific loaf at some specific bakery")

Cheese
-Mozzarella

Sausage
-Sopressata
-Prosciutto

Bread

Sweets
-Cannoli
-Cookies or small sweets
-Locally made candy

Olives

Any other specialty items (ex. some place has a really awesome herb mix or something...basically anything goes here)

Ok, so thanks in advance for any input and knowledge that you guys have!! And remember, you don't have to stick to the exact stuff I requested, I will be super happy to find stuff I didn't even think of!

Awesome pics...way better than the ones I took with my phone. What did you think about sauce on the lobster immediately following the halibut dish? That was my only complaint, 2 dishes in a row with a strong bacon flavor. Don't get me wrong I think they were both awesome dishes, but it was a bit much back to back and I don't think the lobster needed the extra sauce anyway. The mole would have been enough for me.

Did anyone eat at LB last night and happen to snap a photo of the VDay tasting menu or grab a copy?? I believe it is the same as this one, but the price was a littler cheaper and the venison course was not offered :(.

http://www.travelsintaste.com/blog/in...

Working on writing up my review of the dinner and will post it on this thread when I finish it. Also, this would be a good thread for anyone else trying this menu this weekend to comment on.

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Le Bernardin
155 W. 51st St., New York, NY 10019

My favorite thing to do with smoked pork is to shred it and make some Brunswick Stew. I'll add my Mom's recipe that I use...She uses only boiled chicken, but I make it with smoked pork or even a mix of the two. Also, this is a LARGE recipe, you might want to half or quarter it.

Put 6 lbs. pulled pork & about 8 cups of chicken broth into a large stock pot - or if you can, divide ingredients between two pots to prevent scorching and get more even cooking.

ADD:

1 gallon diced or processed tomatoes
1 gallon whole kernel corn, drained & put through food processor - never use creamed corn, it'll mess up the flavor of the stew- too sweet.
2 T. basil paste or some fresh basil processed with the corn
2 large sweet onions - dices/processed
1 24 oz. bottle ketchup
2/3 cup Grandma's molasses
1 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
More salt & pepper as needed

Cook on low until thickened - stir frequently

If you want to go fast food cheap...Chic-fil-A!!!! I'm originally from Atlanta and now live in NYC and this is the one place that I miss more than anything else...sure you can get it in the city if you have access to the NYU cafeteria(which I don't) or you can drive over to Jersey but that's a pain. There are plenty in Atlanta, including the original near the airport. If you've never had it before I'd suggest stopping by one for a chicken sandwich and the most awesome lemonade to be found.

Also the Varsity is an Atlanta staple and a fun experience. And if you see someone selling Boiled Peanuts...go for it.

Looks pretty awesome...go figure that they would charge more though, but what's a few extra dollars when you are spending that much anyway?

Good to hear. Oh and I always get the whole bottle of wine anyway :) she's not a drinker.

Oh yes, I've definitely heard that we need to ask for the Egg, looking forward to that. I thought they might be the kind of place that would want everyone at the table to do the tasting menu....and I kind of hope she goes with that. She isn't the most adventurous eater and when she gets to pick, usually goes with safer, non 'foodie' sounding stuff, but when she tries new things she almost always likes them.

Another question, our reservations are for Valentine's Day weekend, not the actual day, but the Friday before. Anyone have experience there for that weekend? Do they do anything special?

For cheesecake I always recommend Veniero's. Both their Italian and NYC style are great but I prefer the Italian. They have a pretty nice indoor seating area which is great with this weather and like most pastry shops, there are lots of other cookies and baked goods to sample. Their cannoli isn't the best in the city, but if you are already there it's worth grabbing one. However, you did say you wanted stereotypical so you could also try Junior's. It's a big tourist spot and their cheesecake is almost as good as Veniero's. Plus it's in a great location for you to visit after your show.

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Veniero's
342 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003

Blue Crab Fritter is a must.
It has been a few years since I ate there, and I believe it is a different chef now, but everything we had was excellent. I remember the highlight of the meal being a sweetbreads 2nd course but it appears to be an entree now and looks a little different from what I remember having. Also, if you are a cheese fan, when we went I ordered the cheese plate and they brought out a cart with about 20 different cheeses on it and you picked 5 or 6..that was really cool.

It has been awhile since I've eaten in Charleston, but 2 of my favorites are Charleston Grill and 39 Rue de John. Both are very close to where you are staying. CG is right across the street and 39 is about 5 or 6 blocks up. These two places are a little on the pricier side though, not sure what your per diem budget is.
A cheaper lunch type option would be Hyman's seafood...It's a little touristy but they food is good and it's just a fun place to go.
I was never too impressed by the food at Fleet Landing, but it's a great place to go have drinks, awesome view and a large selection.
The only bad dining experience that I remember having in Charleston was a place called Wasabi. Over priced for very sub par food and AWFUL service.
A few others have mentioned Hominy Grill, I have never been there myself but have only heard great things about it and it's on Food Network and Travel Channel all the time.

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Hominy Grill
207 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29403

Charleston Grill
224 King Street, Charleston, SC 29401

Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar
186 Concord Street, Charleston, SC 29401

Thanks for pointing that out, just found out about the r a few days ago haha and I guess I'm just in the habit of typing it without it still.

So my wife and I will be eating dinner at LB next month for my birthday. I am pretty much set on getting the Chef's tasting menu but we are looking for a little advice for her. She is pregnant and there are a few things on the menu that she can't eat. The two options we are considering are: 1. She gets the prix fixe and picks out stuff that she can eat. The only issue with this I see is the fact that she will have a few courses less than me, while I don't think she will mind, sometimes restaurants don't like this and will require everyone at a table to have the same number of courses, does anyone know if this is an issue at LB? or 2. I've read on here about people substituting courses on the tasting menu, for anyone that has done this, what do they let you substitute? Do you pick a course from the prix fixe menu or somewhere else?

Thanks in advance.