Kate_N's Profile
Restaurants similar to ABC Kitchen
Kathryn's recommendations are great, as always. I'd add The Beagle to her list, as well as Buttermilk Channel in Brooklyn.
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The Beagle
162 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
Some place akin to Dell'anima (since we can't get reservations there next Friday)? Thanks!
I consider L'Artusi (in the dell'anima family), Ciano, Morini, and Maialino comparable to dell'anima both in price and experience. For more modest budgets, Corsino or Frankies (can't do a reservation at the latter though).
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Frankies 17 Spuntino
17 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002
L'Artusi
228 West 10th Street, New York, NY 10014
Ciano
45 E 22nd St, New York, NY 10010
Corsino
637 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014
Maialino
2 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10010
Osteria Morini
218 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012
Vegetarian-friendly but not exclusively vegetarian restaurants
I was pleasantly surprised that, like Scarpetta, Buttermilk Channel and Danji have vegetarian menus upon request.
I'm always happy at Cookshop, Edi & the Wolf, Kinshop, Frankies/Prime Meats, and Paulie Gee's (where you can get meat substitutes to top your pie!).
On the lower end, Caracas Arepa Bar can replace the meat in most arepas with their delicious crispy tofu. An Choi has a vegetarian banh mi and a vegetarian pho. And at the very high end, Per Se and EMP were phenomenal.
Almost as bad as the places that outright don't have any vegetarian options are the ones that seem to at first glance but actually DON'T. Empellon is NOT vegetarian-friendly in the slightest. The tortillas have lard in them, meaning the seemingly veggie-friendly tacos, queso fundidos, chips/guac, etc actually aren't. I also steer clear of Seersucker, David Chang places, the Breslin (even the "chips" aren't safe - they are fried in duck fat), and Terroir (it seemed like every menu item I asked about had some sort of undisclosed meat in it).
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Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010
Frankies 17 Spuntino
17 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002
Cookshop
156 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Caracas Arepa Bar
93 1/2 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009
Terroir
413 E 12th St, New York, NY 10009
Scarpetta
355 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014
An Choi
85 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
The Breslin
20 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001
Kin Shop
469 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Danji
346 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019
Empellon Taqueria
230 W 4th St, New York, NY 10014
Edi & the Wolf
102 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009
Restaurant and Bar ideas in Greenwich Village
Casa Mono is a tapas place, so you've got that base covered.
In the Gramercy Park area (where you're staying), I love the bars at Tabla and Rye House. The Murray Hill inoteca Littleman recommended is good (the much larger younger sibling to Cafe Ino in West Village if I remember correctly).
In Greenwich Village (don't know if your post title is a mistake or not) Employees Only, Fatty Crab, and Spotted Pig are my go-to spots.
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Casa Mono
52 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003
Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St, New York, NY 10014
Employees Only
510 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014
Fatty Crab
643 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014
Rye House
11 W 17th St, New York, NY 10011
HELP! Vegetarian Visiting for 4 days
I know you had mentioned wanting to stick to all-veg places, but most of the best vegetarian things I've eaten since moving to NYC have shared a menu with meat.
Banh Mi So 1 on Broome makes 3 or 4 different vegan Vietnamese subs - several have "chicken" (seitan) - way better than the subs at the all-vegan Lan Vietnamese.
The veggie burgers at Shake Shack and Cowgirl Seahorse are head and shoulders above the ones at Quantum Leap, Kate's Joint, and Curly's.
You can get any of the arepas at Caracas Arepa Bar with tofu instead of meat. I don't know if there's even a vegetarian restaurant that serves arepas, but I can guarantee they wouldn't be as good.
As I mentioned in another post on this thread, I did the all-vegetarian, all-comfort food tour of Manhattan last year before we moved here (with emphasis on Kate's, Curly's, and Red Bamboo) and we ate a lot of mediocre food. The two times we do still go to all-veg restaurants are 1) dim sum, because the typical dim sum place is not vegetarian friendly and 2) southern Indian, but that's a function of southern Indian being vegetarian anyway.
HELP! Vegetarian Visiting for 4 days
Last spring my husband and I - both vegetarians - visited NYC for four days and planned to do vegetarian comfort food pretty much the entire time. We were so.freaking.sick of comfort food by the end of those four days. Plan on doing something like Dirt Candy near the end of your trip and you won't be disappointed.
Vegetarian Pho
Lan Vegetarian on 7th St (6th?) just west of 1st Ave has pho. I've never had any other kind so I don't know how it compares, but in and of itself I like it (especially with lots of hot sauce).
Anywhere in Brooklyn or Manhattan to get hush puppies?
It's too late for your friend's brunch, but Cowgirl Seahorse (FiDi), Bubby's (Tribeca and DUMB0), and Blue Smoke (Murray Hill) serve them.
Donut Plant - 2 donuts, 1 chance
The Creme Brulee donut is amazing but TINY - I could have eaten three of them.
Best Thai food in Indianapolis?
I am obsessed with Siam Square in Fountain Square. Everything I've tried has been fantastic...I always order the Pad Ped, Kapow, Pad Seuw, or Drunken Noodles "hot," but I've heard people request "Thai hot" or "beyond Thai hot."
http://www.siamsquareindy.com/
Best Italian in Indy?
I think IndyGirl might have been referring to Bertolini's in Circle Center mall, which has closed. Villa Pizza is a Sbarro-like vendor in the food court.
INDY - El Torito at Keystone
I agree with Cookiefiend - Adobo is far preferable. It is moving downtown but the 82nd street location should still be open next weekend. I strayed, did El Torito once instead of Adobo, and regretted it. It reminded me of Chi-Chi's (atmosphere, quality of food, and service).
Black Sparrow, Lafayette, IN
My husband and I actually drove up from Indianapolis to check it out...we were impressed. The drinks are definitely the draw here, but the food was better than I expected it to be. My husband had a whiskey smash cocktail, which was great. I was intrigued by the rye, honey syrup, and soda cocktail that someone else ordered. As for the food, he gave the toasted cheese sandwich high marks (the fries were just okay) and the Thai pizza was excellent. The crust was perfectly cooked and I loved the coconut curry sauce.
Even though we were practically the only ones there, it still had a nice vibe. I'd imagine that when it's packed and they have live music, it's really fun.
Black Sparrow, Lafayette, IN
The cocktail list looks fantastic! I can't believe someplace in Indiana has jumped on the Death & Co/Milk & Honey/Little Branch trend.
Frozen Yogurt?
There are several options in Chicago (Yoberri, Berry Chill, and Starfruit) and a few more in the burbs...
http://midwestfrozenyogurt.blogspot.com/
Michigan Frozen Yogurt
SonyBob, I don't want to speak for Sam, but in my experience, the frozen yogurt she speaks of is a far cry from the kind that can be found at TCBY and the like. Even high-quality frozen yogurt or custard (like Ted Drewe's) is pretty much inedible to me now...it's just too sickeningly sweet compared to Pinkberry. Pinkberry is by no means "all natural" (their recent acknowledgement of all twenty-some ingredients has been well-documented in the press), but their product is far less sweet and cloying than the frozen yogurt or custard most are familiar with. It's a taste (and texture) I really can't describe adequately.
Also, I've heard people who are lactose intolerant can digest Pinkberry-style yogurt better than normal frozen yogurt or frozen custard.
Sam (original poster) - I think you must be the one who just left a comment on my yogurt blog. I am still searching for tart yogurt in Michigan - it's a shame that Tulsa and Missoula have it, but Michigan is left out in the cold.
Looking for a nice, contemporary dinner downtown Indy
Might as well stick with Elements since it was sold and the chef is leaving soon. Hopefully neither of you are vegetarians, though.
BarFry--Customer focus????
Pretty much the same thing happened to me - I checked the website AND called only to be disappointed upon arrival that they were closed. We decided not to go back for dinner.
Indianapolis next week-end
The threads that come up when searching are pretty much up-to-date...not a whole lot of noteworthy changes have occurred in Indy, although I do like Meridian on Meridian. I particularly enjoyed their mac and cheese with brie and the dessert of hot doughnuts with coffee dipping creme.
I love the local chain Patachou. They have a fairly new French spin-off in Broad Ripple, Petite Chou. It's my favorite place for breakfast/brunch. Their menu isn't up on Patachou's website (it's labeled as Petite Chou but it's actually the downtown Patachou's menu) but it has the Patachou basics (omelets, croissant French toast) plus crepes (both sweet and savory), Tartines, and a gourmet hot chocolate menu.
Definitely call ahead or check online; a lot of places aren't open on Sundays (like MacNivens and Yats on Mass Ave) or close at 2 or 3 (Taste, Zest etc).
IN Chowhounds: Restaurant near Oliver Winery?
You can go to any of these places without needing a reservation!
Bloomington has a lot of one-way streets! If you take the first Bloomington exit off of 37, that street eventually becomes College, which is one-way south.
To get to Upland, turn right off of College on 11th. Upland will be 1/4 mile, on your right. I highly highly recommend the vegetarian philly "cheesesteak," which they still serve after 5 (It's made with seitan.) http://www.uplandbeer.com/menu/dinner/ The beer-battered fries are amazing, too!
To get to Lennie's, turn left off of College onto 10th street. Go a mile or two and it'll be in a shopping center on your left.
To get to Trojan Horse, take College to Kirkwood (5th) and turn left. Go a block; it'll be on your right. Keep going another three blocks or so and you'll hit Trulli.
There are tons of great ethnic restaurants in town, too. It is a great place to be a vegetarian! Have fun!
IN Chowhounds: Restaurant near Oliver Winery?
Oliver is a 10 minute drive from Bloomington. I suggest Upland Brewery (though with the caveat that they recently took several excellent vegetarian dishes off of their lunch menu), Trojan Horse, and Lenny's.
Impress me Indy!*~
I have never been to Tallent, though I look forward to a visit one of these days.
That said, the "could so many people be wrong?" argument isn't convincing. Just because a place is popular doesn't mean it's good. Case in point: the Cheesecake Factory.
Healthy and/or creative food Cincinnati please
My husband and I really like Cumin (which I never see mentioned here)...it's in Hyde Park.
http://www.cuminrestaurant.com/
The menu online is a bit outdated - for instance, the first appetizer has been split into two larger dishes. I highly recommend both (especially the eggplant chaat - crispy, thin eggplant "chips" sprinkled with tamarind-date sauce and sesame seeds) but it's way too much food (and flavor) for two people to try and finish.
The space is sleek and gorgeous, which is a nice change of pace from the utilitarian (even outdated) stylings of most other Indian restaurants I have been to.
Puck's Indianapolis
Apparently the pasta should be avoided:
http://feedmedrinkme.blogspot.com/2007/10/three-latest-and-best_9627.html
I like the fries with aoili that is served at Puck's Happy Hour (Thursday and Friday nights...it's not really in Puck's though, but instead the cafeteria area adjacent to Puck's).
Indianapolis meals
I actually like Adobo Grill (http://www.adobogrill.com/) better than El Torito, which struck me as an expensive Chi-Chi's. Although if nicolea76 doesn't have a rental car, both options are out of the question because they're both on the northside!
IUPUI is kind of a dining black hole. It has lots of semi-fast-food chain options (Noodles and Co, QDoba, Quiznos) and some stuffy, overpriced fare (Chancellor's, Bugg's Temple). I've heard University Place Hotel has a place called the "Den" that has good beer and decent bar food but I can't vouch for it.
Good lunch spots downtown(ish) are:
Bazbeaux
Yats
Hoaglin to Go
Cafe Patachou
Dinner:
India Garden
MacNivens
Downtown is rife with chains (Bertolini's, Champps, Rock Bottom, Claddagh, McCormick & Schmick) and steakhouses (Mo's, Morton's) though.
INDIANAPOLIS
I love the India Garden downtown for carry-out or dinner (I haven't tried downtown's buffet and but the buffet at India Garden in Broad Ripple didn't make a good impression on me). They have the best Matter Paneer.
Wasabi has some really creative maki rolls (like the Jolly Hot and the Mistake Roll) and they are willing to create or modify anything you'd like.
Adobo Grill is a fun atmosphere and their signature margarita is delicious. I remember liking the chile rellenos.
What happened to Chalkies? (Indy)
They used to have a great chef and inspired (but more expensive) menu, which was odd for a pool place. When I checked out their menu online a few weeks ago it had changed to the typical wraps/sandwiches/burgers fare. I don't think they ever really found their niche.
There's a suite at Pinheads (which is unfortunately up in Fishers) with four private bowling lanes, a private bar, and a private bathroom. It's a nice escape from the children that run rampant (although I think they may have a curfew). Jillians was just re-done, wasn't it? The last time I was there, it was really run-down (peeling carpets etc), but perhaps that has changed. The food at Scholars Inn downtown leaves something to be desired, but they have a few private room options upstairs that are really nice.
Farm Bloomington (Indiana)
We wandered into Farm and talked to the owner on Saturday; he said the grand opening will be January 14th, where they'll serve a prix fixe dinner. My husband is salivating over their beer list. The bar looks really cool, too.
P.S. Our coconut cupcake from Blu Boy was delicious. The icing wasn't cloyingly sweet and they could definitely give the Flying Cupcake tips on presentation. I do wish they had more of the cupcakes on display - nothing makes me happier than seeing row upon row of cupcakes.
SD lukin 4 eats & hangouts in Indy and Cinci
R Bistro and Elements both have great atmospheres but only 2-way liquor licenses (so no martinis)...just wanted to mention it so that theseventhdawn won't be disappointed.
