nyc.girl's Profile
Uniquely New York?
I have to agree with Papaya King - and the original on 86th and Lex is still the best.
taco truck at 86th and Lex?
Thanks! So is this the famous Patsy's that every keeps talking about? (I know there's Patsy's for pizza but I seem to recall that people like Patsy's tacos as well? In any case, I looooved my taco!)
I asked them about their hours tonight - 6 or 7 pm - 11 pm on 86th and Lex, off on Saturdays and Tuesdays.
taco truck at 86th and Lex?
I've seen this taco truck with a huge bizarre mural on its side parked between 86th and 87th and Lex a few times and have gotten the beef tongue and chorizo taco, both of which were made fresh and were just delicious. The problem is, I don't know what it's called and it seems to come and go with no particular pattern. I saw it in the evening on Saturday, I think, and then I didn't see it again until Tuesday night. It's come to the point now where after work in the evenings, every time I walk up the stairs out of the subway, my heart beats a little faster with anticipation as I look out onto the street...and then drops a little with disappointment when I see the usual Mr. Softee in its place.
Anyone know what it's called and what its hours are?
For those who work in UnionSq/WVil- where do you grab a quick lunch?
Do you mean Rickshaw Dumpling Bar? I think it's been there for awhile. Dumplings are okay, but you should try the ones at TKettle a few blocks east at St. Marks between 3rd and 2nd! Delish.
I go to Mahmoun's or Hummus Place on MacDougal if I need to run out and grab something quick - both very good, especially Hummus Place's spread. I really like to sit in at Rhong-Tiam for good Thai, and I do takeout from Galanga and SEA. If you're near Union Square, Spice is good, no? Their lunch takeout takes forever though, I've had to wait an hour and a half for my food to come. I do the walk to Whole Foods as well, if I have time. Angelica's, the coffee shop on Bleeker between Broadway and Lafayette has a really standout split pea and ham soup - everything else is just okay.
I often go to the little sandwich place on the island at Lafayette/Bleeker called Bite - they are really good and fresh and have great sandwiches and salads. Since Crosby Connection moved to Mott near Houston, I haven't been going as frequently, but I should go more...
And there's always Stand at 11th (12th?) for burgers.
L'Arte Del Gelato (brief report)
I did a little gelato tour today by walking down Bleeker and I have to say, Cones was by far the best. They had this raspberry mascarpone flavor that was absolutely incredible, fresh, creamy, and a little tart - a perfect balance. The ice cream itself had a wonderfully creamy and dense consistency. Has anyone tried the Johnny Walker Black with kumquats flavor? How is that??
I liked Grom but it wasn't a stand-out for me, especially at $4.75 a pop. Flavors were okay, but the gelato didn't have that smooth consistency of Cones. L'Arte del Gelato was great, though it was more about the intensity and pureness of flavor than about the gelato. Loved the presentation, though! So pretty behind the glass counter draped in ribbons of chocolate and caramel.
Bulgogi Hot Dog-Seoul Food?
oh my god, bruno bakery closed down?? the one on laguardia?
Fun, good and "moderate" dinner for celebrating
This suggestion might come too late, but I like having tapas when I am with a group of friends. Have you thought about Alta or Degustation? I have not been to either but Chow-ers seem to really like them. They seem like they would be in your price range or perhaps a little more...
Why is it impossible to find really good food on the UWS?
There was this wonderful little hole in the wall with about 6 rotating seasonal entrees on the menu, and all were from $8-12. The restaurant was on Columbus, I believe, somewhere in the 108th cross-street area, and it was called "A," after the A train. It was like my little secret, as most of my friends wouldn't venture that far to eat - it was too close to take the subway but a little too far to walk, though I did anyway. I wonder if any Chow-ers ate there and liked it? I don't know if it's still there - I just checked Menupages and it seems to have disappeared.
When I lived on the UWS, I liked Sezz Medi and Max Cafe on 122nd-ish (Max makes a really great bruschetta and the place has really comfy couches and a wonderful atmosphere for a lazy afternoon coffee). I agree that Pio Pio was really really good - loved it, in fact. And there's another secret cheap eat I loved: at the 109th and Amsterdam deli, they serve a very limited selection of sandwiches behind the glass counter - ask for the spicy special, hot. It's so good there's a Facebook group devoted exclusively to the sandwich.
I didn't have much money during my four years on the west side so eating at one of the pricier restaurants was only an occasional indulgence. That said, 'Cesca was one of my favorites, and I liked Nice Matin for brunch (still go there sometimes, in fact).
What did you grow up eating? typical meal? (moved from Manhattan)
Excellent question but perhaps not appropriate for the Manhattan chow board. i'll answer anyway.
Fortunately for me, my parents were great, though not inventive, cooks and made everything, literally everything, from fresh, unprocessed things found at the dreary supermarket. Diet was heavy on rice, sauteed green leafy vegetables (which I hated), and a variety of other things, sometimes lobster, sometimes pork buns. My father is enthusiastic about cooking, and that's where I get my own interest.
My mom made everything from scratch. I used to help her make wonton wrappers from scratch and would spend hours perched on a stool at the table spooning her meat and veggie mixture into the wrappers. Or, I'd be recruited to shell peas or shell shrimp. She made her own soy milk, which I hated. She also makes a mean salt and pepper pork chop.
My dad is the more adventurous Food Network-loving cook in the family. I see the appreciation for fresh, seasonal ingredients and obsession with cooking without shortcuts as the only natural approach to making food. I try to do that today, when I occasionally cook.
Then again, my parents never tried to limit my diet so I also grew up enthusiastically eating from every single fast food joint in my town, so I like my fried chicken and tacos. I'm surprised I didn't get coronary thrombosis at the age of 14.
Hardest question in New York City - all time favorite restaurant that you hope will always be around.
I love this question because you could answer this many different ways. First, I suppose there's the restaurant that has the most history and tradition, the New York-iest of New York restaurants which, if closed, would signal the end of an era, as vonwotan says. That, I think, would be Katz's or Carnegie Deli. Other places that would make New York not quite the same for me if closed (although I admit that since I am young, my New York historical memory is quite short): Cipriani's, Balthazar, Lombardi's, Sarabeth's.
Then there's the restaurant where I've had the best meal. I don't think I've tried enough good food yet to pick just one stand-out meal, but I have had some really great food at Sfoglia and Bouley.
Then there are the restaurants I go to regularly, where I know I'll have good food and good company, where I go to meet up with my friends for the catch-up brunch or dinner. For me, that would be Mercer Kitchen and Nice Matin. And the neighborhood restaurant for minor celebrations and milestones: Chef Ho's on the UES, where we always get the peking duck (not exactly a a renowned restaurant, but I think Chef Ho's has the second best peking duck in Manhattan, after Peking Duck House)
Lastly, and this interpretation is my favorite, the restaurants that will always have a place in my heart because something special happened there, or because they were among the first places I ate when I first moved to New York: The West End, Max Cafe, Deluxe, Koronet's, Tom's, Pinnacle and Strokos (both disgusting but fond memories), Symposium, Meridiana, 'Cesca.
braising chicken breast - questions and tips
Hi Chowers,
I'm still an experimenting cook and am going to try braising chicken breast for the first time tomorrow, just to try it out. I know it seems a little odd given the hot sweltering weather, but I've been wanting to try something a little more thoughtful than easy 20-minute variations of pasta/veggie/salad dishes I typically make.
So, I've got my chicken breast sitting in the fridge overnight, salted, peppered, olive-oiled, and herbed (rosemary, sage, and marjoram), ready for tomorrow. From what I understand, the basic technique is brown the chicken on the stove for a few minutes first, then add some aromatic vegetables, and then about a cup of liquid, cook until boiling, and then put the whole thing in the oven and allow it to simmer for 45 minutes. For my aromatic vegetables, I was just going to add cubes of celery, carrots, and onions. Any other suggestions on what else to add?
Also, what's the difference if I add wine as my cooking liquid versus chicken broth? How do they each taste? After it's done braising, do I just discard the liquid?
Any other tips for tomorrow? Thank you!
Chelsea/Village: Dinner for 8, not loud or dark
Depends on what kind of food you want. Otto's pretty good. I would also suggest Lupa in Greenwich Village, Po, Cafe Asean (outdoor seating might be nice for summer). Jeeb is good for Thai.
Best gazpacho in the city
I absolutely love Cafe Orlin's gazpacho as well!! It's not for people looking for a chunky gazpacho. It's smooth and light with a little kick, elegant, and perfect with the cucumber and avocado in the middle.
Unlike what some of the posters say below, I actually hate the gazpacho at Trader's Joe's. It's great if you like watered-down bruschetta, but gazpacho it is NOT.
Otto Olive oil gelato
Your post inspired me to stop into Otto today for some of their gelato. I sat at the bar and ordered the Olive Oil Copetta, which came with some strawberries (instead of kumquats) and what tasted like some sort of citrus-flavored granita. I saw little pools of olive oil in my dessert as well. I loved the gelato with the strawberries, but I don't know that I'm a big fan of the sea salt that was sprinkled on top. My tongue was thoroughly confused by the tart granita, the sea salt, and the gelato all at once. I thought they should have omitted either the salt or the granita. Both together in one bite was confusing. Am I crazy?? Is this blasphemy?
meet for drinks!?
I've usually gotten there around 9:30 on a weekend night, which is a bit early, so I've been able to get a seat. It doesn't get as crowded as you would think, though, given its location in the middle of the east village. You would probably be able to find a seat at the bar - I've definitely seen them free, even late at night. Have fun!
meet for drinks!?
I recently went to Blue Owl, which was nice and had good cocktails and a relaxed but still cool atmosphere. Death & Co is also great in the east village and their cocktails are amazing.
In SoHo, Cafe Noir is nice for a casual drink. In Greenwich Village and West Village, Spotted Pig, Employees Only, and Kingswood are all trendy and have a cool atmosphere.
For a really great space with a nice selection of wine, try Ten Bells, though it might be a little farther south than what you specified (it's on Broome).
Brahma Brazilian beer on tap/draft anywhere?
I would love an answer to this as well. I loved Brahma when I had it in Rio - cool, light, and perfect for the humid, hot weather that we have now.
Where to find Mister Softee?
The one at Bleeker and Broadway sometimes charges me $2.50 and sometimes $2.00 (I think their usual is $2.50 but if you ask for an "extra small" they charge you $2.00). By the way, some may be vanilla-cone purists, but I love this dip - forget what it's called - that my Bleeker & Broadway truck does: first a dip in the chocolate, then a dip in the chocolate cookie crumb. Chocolate-y goodness!
I second your suggestion for McDonald's soft serve. I love those cones.
And BTW, this is off-topic to Mr. Softee but my only regret about New York is that there is no Dairy Queen. I have not yet tried any version of soft serve that beats good old DQ. And I love the shape of it, too - two large mounds one piled on top of the other like round, creamy marshmallows. Not too rich (I find that Mr. Softee can be a bit rich) and an extremely satisfying, creamy and smooth consistency.
moving to the ues
I love that bar, but NYMag just outed it in their bar review the other week. It's also been getting really crowded lately. But the drinks are so cheap, the atmosphere is so great, I'll overlook the snotty attitude they sometimes have at the door (25 and over? please. you're on the upper east side, not the west village).
Has anyone seen the new artisan ice cream truck yet?
it's on the corner of greene and prince during the day, I think. I stopped by yesterday for the pistachio flavor. Yuuum. Read a review saying the ginger flavor wasn't that great.
late night bars with outdoor space?
Hi all,
Sorry for the non-foodie post but since it's summer, I thought it'd be nice to get a list of decent bars that stay open late and that have outdoor seating in Manhattan. I'm not looking for fancy hotel rooftop bars - I know that list and it's recycled every year by NY Mag and Sheckys. I'm looking for the more casual, laid-back, and cheap-ish places with a lively back garden that stays open late for the drinkers, not diners. I'll start with a couple that I've been to:
d.b.a. in the east village - a very down-to-earth pub with abundant outdoor seating, though at times too college-y and overrun by NYU undergrads.
B Bar in Noho - great outdoor space but on the weekends, completely filled with sorority girls and frat boys. Definitely a meat market and not a laid-back place to have a couple drinks.
Is there anywhere else that's decent?
a cheap food and drink adventure in the east village
I just want to share with folks the really fun night of food and drink I had in the East Village for around $40. Sometimes the Manhattan Chow board has too many posts about good food in expensive places, so I figured any adventurous meal under $50 might be appreciated.
We started off at Caracas Arepa Bar (the wait was only a few minutes at 6:45), where I had excellent, excellent ceviche with a side of crispy yucca draped with some sort of pesto-butter combination. Yummy, tender and fresh tilapia was served with mango, scallions, and green pepper in a lemony juice for "cooking." The yucca was dry and a little hard but the butter sauce was amazing. I had La Surena arepa, which was delicious (I guess you really can't go wrong with a combination of grilled chicken, chorizo, avocado, and spicy chimichurri sauce). Two appetizers and two arepas + tip: $36
We decided to forgo drinks at Caracas Arepa and instead walked a block north and half a block east to Death & Co., where we were able to get in right away (it was around 7:30 on a Friday). We sat at the bar with the friendly, expert bartender (mixologist?) and I chose the French Bitters, a champagne based drink with gin, bitters, and I think some sort of citrus juice, grapefruit maybe. It was delicious. My friend had something gin-based served in a lowball glass which she thought was okay but a little too strong. She was really amused by the gigantic ice cube the friendly bartender put in her glass (that somehow made the drink a whole lot classier). The drinks were good but the atmosphere and the dark, romantically Victorian decor was even better. I think I will go back to Death & Co., but a few years later, when I'm actually in my late-20s and have a boyfriend and look like I belong. Two drinks: $26 + tip = $32
After Death & Co, we wandered past the crowds and kitschy food stores at St. Marks to the Dessert Truck, haute dessert on wheels, run by former Le Cirque sous chef Jerome Chang. The highlight of the night was my friend's pavlova cup, with the perfect fluffy, crunchy meringue under a blanket of fruit and softly whipped cream. I had the very in-season Fruit Soup, which had a base of rhubarb and lemongrass soup, a jelly of strawberry and lemon-lime, and which was topped with a dollop of mellow, creamy creme fraiche that perfectly offset the tangy, sweet tartness of everything else. The soup base was too sweet, but otherwise, the dessert was perfect. Two desserts: $10.
Total for two: $78, just under $40 per person. I also want to point out that because we went on our little dinner excursion on the early side, we barely waited for 5 minutes before getting into eat at Caracas (which I don't think takes reservations), and we didn't have to wait at all to get into Death & Co.
Best cheap eats in E.vill/U.Square area?
Second Caracas Arepa - that place is so good and so cheap! And great for non-meat-eaters, too - my co-worker is vegan and raves about the place.
Rooftop drinks @ 205 Fifth Avenue?
I go to 230 Fifth around this time every year when I'm desperately in the mood for an outdoor bar and each year, I vow never to go back. The crowd is B&T, the place gets extremely, extremely crowded, and if you decide to go downstairs for a little change of scenery, you feel like you're in a backwater Vegas, the decor is so awful. I never want to see a lifesize stuffed leopard and fake palm trees in one place anywhere in Manhattan ever again. If I go back there, I'd have to be extremely drunk first, because oh right, the drinks are also overpriced.
Re: the red robes, I was there one day too when they had them and for a split second, I was kind of freaked out and thought I had stepped into an Eyes Wide Shut scenario :-) I mean, just close your eyes for a second and imagine a hundred people all wearing floor-length devil-red robes with hoods. What would *you* think?
Best Museum Restaurants
I second uwsgrazer - The Asia Society's Garden Court Cafe is fancy and really, really good.
Free food at Happy Hour?
Crocodile Lounge near Union Square serves a sizable personal pizza with every drink order. All the time. Pizza's not spectacular but it comes straight from the oven and so you could have your dinner and a beer for $6. It gets extremely crowded with NYU students, though. Avoid it on Wednesday nights - it's Quiz Night and standing room only.
21st birthday - need downtown trendy restaurant please help!!
I celebrated my 23rd birthday at Pipa and it was great. Great atmosphere, decent food, and nice decor with chandeliers and small warm lights everywhere. Tapas are wonderful for sharing, and sangria passed around the table is fun and festive. I mean, I don't know how trendy of a restaurant you're going for - Pipa's been open a few years but it was a good choice for a party of 20-somethings.
For another birthday, we went to Sushi Samba and I asked the waiter to keep the price to around $50 per person and bring us whatever she thought was good. That turned out to be a hit - each dish was a surprise and was thoughtfully picked, there was no hassle, and we hit my budget perfectly.
