ZenFoodist's Profile
Sapori D'Ischia Closed?
We'd been going to SdI since it opened, had many a memorable meal there, however there was one very patronizing, arrogant waiter who really and truly changed the vibe of the place for us. We stopped going because we always seemed to get him and he cast an uncomfortable pall over the last few evenings we spent there. Quite a few friends have felt the same way for some time. I will miss the budino di carciofi and the robiola pizza and the fettucine al' Antonio....alas...
Easter Sunday in Chicago? Random Deliciousness (Crisp/Big Star/Urban Belly/XocoSeoul Sassy)....Please help this NYC 'houndress out...
Just wanted to thank you all for your suggestions. Our long weekend in Chicago was, as always, phenomenal. We ate at Xoco, the Purple Pig, Portillo's, the Publican, Gino"s East, and Big Star. We also munched on my beloved Garrett's Chicago Mix incessantly. Checked out Wow Bao in Food Life too (I'm from Flushing, Queens so I liked this concept...) Our 8 year old got to run the bases after the game at Wrigley and can not wait to return. Next trip will include Belly Shack, Urban Belly, Bongo Room, Freddy's Pizza on Cicero, Dougnut Vault, Girl and the Goat, and the neighborhood of Pilsen, Franks and Dawgs, and Longman and Eagle. My fave, hands down, was the Purple Pig. Such an inspired menu! Absolutley loved it!
Amber Steakhouse on Nassau Ave in Greenpoint?
A friend has been raving about this place. RAVING. I'm a Luger's/Del Frisco's girl....Anyone been to this place? Is it solid? The menu is reasonable and varied. But there seems to be no mention of it on these boards...
http://www.ambersteak.com/
Best Area for Proximity to Deliciousness?
Thanks for the Palomar recc. Never heard of it, but I'm pretty sure I'm switching it up. Half the price of Fairmont and it seems like there are a ton of places that will be right there, a real neghborhood vibe....I wish the reservationist who answered had been to NYC because then I could have asked if River North were more like Grammercy/Union Square/ Upper East Side midtown/bay ridge yada yada....but she assured me that it was a hotbed of great places to eat....and so I am happy! My husband thinks that giving up the gFairmont's gold floor/free parking/full breakfast/and a 100 daily gift card to macy's is ridiculous....but I say I'd rather be closer to good restaurants!
Easter Sunday in Chicago? Random Deliciousness (Crisp/Big Star/Urban Belly/XocoSeoul Sassy)....Please help this NYC 'houndress out...
No idea. They are open though.
Best Area for Proximity to Deliciousness?
Hot damn. Compared to my NYC, Chi-town is huge.
Lots of spread out enclaves of not to-be-missed yumminess.
I haven't been in 10 years and frankly I am a bit overwhelmed.
Having said that, what area would you choose to be in the best "food neigborhood"....?
Currently we are booked for the Fairmont Millenium. So far the places I've been interested in checking out are in the West Loop. The concierge said it would be a 10-15 minute taxi ride based on traffic.
Is there anything awsome NTBM (Not to be missed) in the Loop, near Grant Park? Should I base myselfin a more food-centric area? Seems Fulton Market is a hotbed of culinary oferings.
Basically which area has the highest concentration of place I will want to check out?
I have a pretty extensive history with Chicago and have done all the big name stuff. This time I want to focus on Big Star, Urban Belly, Publican, avec, franks and dawgs, xoco etc....no Blackbird, Alinea, Spiaggia etc....
Sorry for the all over the place prose. So excited to get it all going!
Thanks,
lisa
Easter Sunday in Chicago? Random Deliciousness (Crisp/Big Star/Urban Belly/XocoSeoul Sassy)....Please help this NYC 'houndress out...
Publican is indeed open on Easter Sunday. So is AVEC. Apples and oranges based on the menus. Is AVEC well regarded?
Easter Sunday in Chicago? Random Deliciousness (Crisp/Big Star/Urban Belly/XocoSeoul Sassy)....Please help this NYC 'houndress out...
We'll be in town for 4 nights and we'll be staying near Grant Park....as for my chowpup, he was raised on ma la and the spiciest of Szechuan foods...we live in Flushing, Queens!
Easter Sunday in Chicago? Random Deliciousness (Crisp/Big Star/Urban Belly/XocoSeoul Sassy)....Please help this NYC 'houndress out...
Soooooo Chi-Town Hounds~~~~
I am VERY excited.
Haven't been to the windy city in a decade and am returning with my husband and chowpup in tow. It's our little guy's first time, and he is really excited. He knows how much we love Chicago. We have a Cubs game on Easter Sunday which will be a far cry from our traditional Italian-American celebrations in Queens/Lawn Guyland NY. I'm wondering where we should eat after this game. I am down for something offbeat and casual, but open to anything that could be memorable even if it means having to dress up a bit. I'd rather not though....
On the last few trips we've eaten at Charlie Trotter's, Spiaggia, Gene and Georgetti's, Carson's, Lou Malnatti's, Lou Mitchell's, Ann Sather's, Uno's, Portillo's, Gino's East, Frontera, Topolobampo, the Berghoff, the Pump Room, Garrett's popcorn etc. We always timed our visits to coincide with the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park. This year there will be no "Taste" but I will get over it consdering there's so much other fantastic stuff to explore.
I am thinking Blackbird should be on our short list? I wish we had time for Alinea,but with our 8 year old it would be tortuous. He loves and appreciates food as much as either of us, but the tasting would take too long for his limited attention span.... Would Blackbird be nice for an Easter meal? Should I just go totally casual somewhere near Wrigley after our 1:30pm game? Any thoughts?
I have a random file in my Blackberry entitled "Chicago" and everytime I read/see something that looks good, I write it in for futher research when a trip becomes imminent. I have Crisp/BigStar/Urabn Belly/Franks and Dawgs written down. I will look into them, but on the fly, are any Not To Be Missed (NTBM)?
I'd like to check out Xoco largely because I spent a bunch of time in Mexico City as a kid and love street food type offerings. Im not the hugest fan of Rick's restaurants, but this menu seems nice. Any thoughts?
That's all for now. I think you in advance for any and all suggestions.
All Things Delish~
lisa
Need Help Identifying a Restaurant
Yikes. Seems a bit heavy handed. Major sense of humor failure these days on CH. :(
I predict it is Momofuko Ko. i was told 1,2, and 4 when I called.
Agra of Bayside: New Indian on 39th off of Bell...any word?
I can answer my own question: meh. Nothing Great.
Agra of Bayside: New Indian on 39th off of Bell...any word?
Yesterday on my way to Teaspoon Bake Shop, I noticed a new Indian place had opened, and went in to pick up a menu. Lovely place and very sweet owner. Nice traditional menu. What with Southern Spice relocated to Hillside, I need a reliable Indian and am looking forward to checking it out. It's only been open for three weeks. Has anyone been?
All things delish,
lisa
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Agra of Bayside
213-35 39th Ave, Queens, NY 11361
Bentley's Off Bell? Former Erawan Seafood and Steak Space?
I was no my way to pick up some football-shaped cakeballs at the Teaspoon Bake Shop and I noticed that the former Erawan Seafood and Steak space had been transformed. Belland 39th Avenue. Anyone been? Apparently they opened in mid November. Beautiful renovations and interior, but the menu seems very vanilla. Generic. No oomph. Nothing that stands out.
http://bentleysoffbell.com/
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Bentley's Off Bell
213-41 39th Ave, Queens, NY 11361
Chinese supermarket northern blvd closed
I heard they lost the lease and that the building was being bought. Not confrmed though. I walked there every day. Bummer.
Stellar Kimchee WangMandoo at Grand Opening of Da Myun in North Flushing
We only eat the mandoo there. Everything else is solid and good but the mandoo are great. My waistline is too big at the moment for just "good". :) There are some other new places opening/slated to open in the next few weeks and months in this little area most notably a bahn mi/xiao long bao/bubble tea cafe. I can't wait and will post as soon as the doors open! Happy year of the dragon!
Stellar Kimchee WangMandoo at Grand Opening of Da Myun in North Flushing
Arirang is basically an offshoot of my kitchen ;) The chowpup and I go there all the time. Favorites are the spicy kimchee soup with soojaebee noodles ( hand torn, free form, toothsome beauties!) and the very simple chicken veggie with half kalguksu and half soojaebee...And of course the samgyetang which I believe is the best in NY ( at this particular branch of Arirang)...
Delicious New Year!
lisa
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Arirang
41-04 163rd St, Queens, NY 11358
Can anyone identify this lovely vegetable-stuffed crepe from New World Shopping mall?
It was seriously transcendent. The crepe-y part was so crisp. Perfect. And the filling was oh so soft...I recall thinking to myself that I should take note of everything and yet I did not :(
Stellar Kimchee WangMandoo at Grand Opening of Da Myun in North Flushing
lol, Polecat :) Alas, just this one variety of mandoo. It's in the appetizer section and as Peter pointed out, there is just one other appetizer, a Haemul-Pajun...I'm going to have those mandoo catered very soon....a huge tray of them. They were THAT good!
Stellar Kimchee WangMandoo at Grand Opening of Da Myun in North Flushing
At 39 I still don't drive and so my sense of direction is, admittedly, a bit off. I live a few blocks across Northern a few blocks down (an under 10 minutes walk..) so I figured "North Flushing" which is where I am ;)
I suppose you know about the newish branch of Ariang that opened up around the corner a few months ago?
Stellar Kimchee WangMandoo at Grand Opening of Da Myun in North Flushing
So I'm over Daheen Wang Mandoo. Long Lines. Shortages of product. Clueless staff. Yada yada.
But I've found a superior replacement.
Just checked out the five day old Da Myun on 162nd and 41st Avenue just off of Northern Blvd. Small spot that reminds me of Mandoo Bar on 32nd. Wood tables and votive candles and such a friendly owner/chef. The specialty is homemade traditional noodles and mandoo. And let me say....the noodle dishes that I tried were excellent (cold bibim Kooksu and Dol-Udon) but the mandoo were exceptional.
At 8.95 they were priced a bit higher than some other places, but the perfectly steamed thin skinned dumplings were exquisite and stuffed with a finely diced, very well-seasoned combo of kimchee, veggies and the tiniest bit of ground pork. They might well have been the best wangmandoo I've had in Flushing. And I've had a lot of mandoo....I believe it was six to an order.
Unfortunately the block they are on is under construction. Not the greatest time to open a business there as I know the other places are suffering what with the road closures etc. I wish them well. Their mandoo made my night!
*At the moment they have a 10% off special going on to celebrate their Grand Opening.*
41-10 162 street
flushing, ny 11358
347-368-6557
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Da Myun
41-10 162nd St, Queens, NY 11358
Can anyone identify this lovely vegetable-stuffed crepe from New World Shopping mall?
One more photo
Can anyone identify this lovely vegetable-stuffed crepe from New World Shopping mall?
I had gotten this when it first opened and it was perfect. I don't recall which stall it was in other than the fact that I believe it was the same wall that the wildly popular lobster place is on...
Any ideas? What is the name of the dish and from what region of China?
Many Thanks in advance,
lisa
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New World Mall
40-21 Main St, Queens, NY 11354
New Restaurant on Northern Blvd: Daheen Wong Mandoo Lines Out the Door!
Cool. Back in the pre buyout Chowhound days, I subscribed to a similar newsletter. How do I subscribe to this one? I threw it into the search box and nothing came up. Many thanks, lisa
New Restaurant on Northern Blvd: Daheen Wong Mandoo Lines Out the Door!
What newsletter article?
Stork's Apple Streudel
Just have to give props where they are due.
Stork's redeemed itself to us yesterday. They took a special order for apple streudel for my son's birthday party, and it was, in a word, outstanding. The phone hasn't stopped ringing with party feedback this morning, and one thing everyone has mentioned is the streudel. And there were quite a few discerning Germans in the house :) It was perfectly sweetened with the appropriate amount of cinnamon and a really excellent flaky yet "elastic" shell. I've had my fair share of streudels and was duly impressed.
It's not an everyday offering, but can be requested three days in advance. It was fairly pricey as it was priced by the pound, but it was worth every cent.
Topped with Haagen Daaz vanilla ice cream, it was, as one guest remarked "a religious experience."
Give it a shot.
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Stork's Pastry Shop
1242 150th St, Queens, NY 11357
Fairway Censorship on the Queens Boards?
I think y'all will see an article printed about this veeeeeery soon :)
Fairway Censorship on the Queens Boards?
It's not just food to me, Freia. It's edible culture and archaeology. I've been here since Day One when it was a sleepy little website that Jim started. Way before the big buyout and advertisers. There are people whose opinions and insights I welcome. A tight knit little group of food cognoscenti who really know their stuff. I welcome their voices. When someone is silenced for reasons that are mysterious, I believe that I have a right to ask why regardless of whether this is a priavtely owned website or not. In fact, I'm not quite sure what the heck that even has to do with it. Communities are only as good as their memebers. Remember that. There are lots of options. As Outerboroughs fellow 'hound lwong so articulately writes: "No one wants to be unnecessarily censored or submit postings to a forum that censors, and as a result, there may be a slow degradation of quality as the regular posters make less postings. It may take years, but sooner or later, Chowhound will decline in the quality of the posts on the Forums, if Chowhound continues with this more active censorship of the forums."
Fairway Censorship on the Queens Boards?
Thanks for the prompt response. That would clear up why the posts of "janie" were removed, however nothing that I wrote was remotely related to the "reports of health violations" etc....
Fairway Censorship on the Queens Boards?
Just curious...
It's been years and years since i was an hourly poster and I know things have changed, however I am concerned about the recmoval of recent posts written by 'hounds who were apparently not on the Fairway bandwagon ( not me: I am avowed, unabashed Fairway FREAK)
What's that all about? It concerns me b/c I have always been able to count on Chowhound for solid reviews of restaurants/establishments etc.
I want Fairway to succeed and think it is such a fantastic addition to the neighborhood, however if Fairway itself were somehow pressuring chow.com to remove these postings, I would be very disappointed and would want that information made public.
What gives?
Apple Streudel for "German-Themed Video Game Shindig" 8th birthday party?
Thanks, Miss Needle :) I actually just spoke with a German baker at Stork's here in Whitestone. Although it is not the fantabulous Stork's of my youth, I think it just might work out :) If not, I will call Andre's.
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Stork's Pastry Shop
1242 150th St, Queens, NY 11357
