hotpot1's Profile
NY Hound Not Foolin' Around
i think its totally awesome that you included harold's chicken shack on your culinary tour of chicago. i grew up there and moved to nyc in '98, and harold's and lou malnatis are the two things i miss most. oh maybe a char dog w/ the works too.
Noma, Copenhagen
wow... i just got to my hotel in copenhagen with an email from a friend recommending noma... i might have to eat danish hotdogs for the rest of the week and treat myself to a meal here. thanks for the stunning review
B&B, should have skipped it...
well, service aside... i think maybe you guys ordered wrong. if you wanted exciting and inspired, maybe something other than a mixed green salad, fried vegetables, braised beef, and pasta bolognese would have been a better choice.
i don't want to be a mario batali apologist or anything, but seems odd to complain about a mixed green salad as unexciting.
oh wait, just noticed that you said its a pre-theatre menu... those are never exciting, are they?
Allen and Delancey - a review
The website is definitely out of date. Count on adding $2-$4 to apps, and $4-$6 to the mains. This was about 2 weeks ago. It all sounded great though...
Allen and Delancey - a review
If anyone is going thinking it might be a good value, I stopped by a few weeks ago out of curiosity for a nice meal at the bar, and prices totally got jacked up. Apps started at 20, and main courses were in the 32+ range. I went to Popeye's instead. Seriously I couldn't believe this place charges what it does on Allen & Delancey. The place looked nice, but figure not so many neighborhood people are showing up... The food looked pretty good too.
(East) Williamsburg Options
I also just moved to the area right by the Montrose Stop. I used to live by the Grand stop (I keep moving further and further along the L Train...) so I'm pretty familiar with Bahia, but wondering about anything else closer to the Montrose stop, or on Graham headed towards Broadway. Chili Verde is apparently closed down...
top 3 restaurants iin williamsburg?
Haha, so funny! Williamsburg around the Bedford stop is about as "trendy hipster" as Murray Hill these days.
Though I do agree that most Williamsburg restaurants are pretty mediocre, but MARLOW & SONS, EGG, and DUMONT are all really good. Especially Marlowe & Sons.
Fish Restaurant: Istanbul
I'm back in Istanbul now with my parents and headed back to this restaurant. After a really disappointing meal at the end of the Bosphorus Cruise where we ordered Kalkan (turbot) and got over-fried pre-sliced frozen fish, I was really looking forward to it.
It's still pretty fantastic, though I was wondering if the NYTimes writeup was going to mean it would be crowded with tourists. It's a tiny place (6 tables or so?) - half the tables were well-dressed Turks and there was also a British couple.
The fish chowder was really delicious and had to sop it up with the bread w/ toasted sesame seeds. We each got the sea bass & tomato steamed in parchment paper which was moist tender juicy and flavorful. The salad was kinda a lettuce leaf that sorta tasted like parsley?
Highly recommended..
Jordan and Syria?
I'm in Istanbul now headed to Jordan (Petra only) and Syria (Damascus, Aleppo, Palmyra), and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for Damascus and Aleppo. I'm not expecting too much from Petra and Palmyra, but was hoping to find something nice in the cities.
Visiting for Pitchfork Music Festival...
I'm going too. Robinson's #1 Ribs and Star of Siam have booths this year. The Ribs are pretty good. I think Whole Foods has a booth too.
Group of 8 Williamsburg - Monday Night
Maybe Sweetwater? They have a pretty nice outdoor space, and I've seen large groups seated out there. Pitchers of mojitos too. Pretty decent food, for Williamsburg anyway.
It's on N6th between Berry and Wythe
Fish Restaurant: Istanbul
Aha! Thanks so much! That's definitely it. Too bad you didn't make it - it was well worth it, and a lot better than the much heavier-publicized Sabahttin Belikchisi (sp?) in Sultanhamet. The steamed sea bass was ridiculous, oh man. The fish soup too. It's funny, I was there alone and in the next table was a hip young'ish Istanbul couple laughing. I kinda thought they were laughing at me, so I gave them my usual urban "f-off" look, then they stopped to explain that they've been living in Istanbul all their lives and just finally discovered that restaurant, and was surprised to see a young tourist there alone. Anyways, we chatted, had lunch together, and turned out to have a mutual friend in Berlin. Crazy. Anyways, thanks again!!
Short Barcelona & Madrid Report
Hi, just a brief report on my first trip to Spain (with my parents...). To preface though, I'm pretty unfamiliar with Spanish cuisine, as the only times I've ever had it was at Tia Pol in NYC and Cafe Iberico in Chicago. Anyhow, here goes
BARCELONA
TALLER DE TAPAS - This was our first meal in Barcelona - a late lunch. Had a selection of mostly seafood tapas. Everything was acceptable, but nothing was particularly outstanding. We had the clams, jamon, octopus - the foie gras was really oily, as was the shrimp dish which we didn't order but came anyway. The waiter, who by the way was incredibly pushy with his upsells ("no, we're not going to have dessert today. yes, i'm sure. no, no dessert. yes, yes i'm sure. no coffee either, we're in a hurry. tea? no thanks. right, no coffee, tea, or dessert. no, we don't need another bottle of cava either), anyway, he made it seem like the shrimp dish was complimentary, but we ended up getting charged for it. Well, at least everyone speaks English, but I suppose that means the waiters are more accustomed to milking American tippers out of more money. Nicely modern design, in that boring dark woods and clean lines kinda way. Overpriced though.
CAL PEP - My parents were hesitant to enter the door since it looked a little hectic, and the line was long, and they're old... But we were all glad we stayed. We sat at the bar, and the chef just sorta decided what we were going to eat. He pre-empted us even, I think because his English was pretty non-existant (he had really cute orange eyeglasses though), and he probably thought we were Japanese tourists (we're korean-american). First up were lightly fried green peppers with sea salt. I absolutely loved these. I had never had them before except in Japanese yakitori houses where I think they're called shishito peppers? They're mostly mild and sweet'ish, but maybe one in four had a real strong kick to it. Also had a fried mixed seafood which was pretty tasty. The grilled razor clams were excellent - just as good as when I have it in Chinatown. The small clams in a garlic'y white wine'y broth was EXCELLENT - a dozen times better than the previous day at Taller de Tapas. There was also a kinda yellow/orange/brown cheese'ish pastry flan kinda thing, that I thought was some kind of dessert, but neither of us cared for it very much. I couldn't really get an explaination out of the waiter - anyone have an idea what it was? A big pot came out with beans and something - I can't remember since I was getting really full by then. And finally, when we thought it was all over, a giant plate of reddish sausage arrived. We were all like "noooooooooooo, tooo fulllll", had one tiny bite and was like, well, okay, just one more dish I guess. Anyways, the meal for three including 2 beers each was about 100 euro.
L'ACADEMIA - I think this was the name of it? A block away from the cheese shop run by the Scottish lady? Anyways, it was pretty decent. My dad's veal was really top-notch, but the rest was good, but not particularly memorable.
MADRID
O'PAZO - We took a taxi here and the room was kinda empty, but the waiters were incredibly friendly and when we sat down brought us each a glass of very nice and crisp cava. He also put down a plate of sea snails. I was a little worried, after the Taller de Tapas guy, that maybe they thought we were rich and guillable Japanese tourists, but I think I have a little complex about that... But anyhow, we ordered the fish soup which was incredibly rich and delicious with bits of clam, squid, fish, prawn. I'd go back just for the soup. My mom, who can never resist ordering a fish soup, said it was the second best of her life, after a fish soup in Venice. We also had a plate of smoked salmon, which we hadn't ordered, placed on the table - which was also excellent. Much tastier than what I get at my local brunch spot in Brooklyn. Hm, I actually can't remember what else we had except that everything was incredibly fresh. Kinda expensive though, which is why we didn't get the langoustines. Anyhow, the bill came, and it turns out the cava, snails, and salmon were comped!
Fish Restaurant: Istanbul
Can someone help me identify this restaurant? It was in the Time Out Istanbul guide which I no longer have, but it was a fish restaurant right across the bridge from Sultanhamet. Walked across the bridge, turned left down the stairs passed some hardware stores and a few blocks later got lost a little bit but there was a wooden exterior fish restaurant on the corner. Looked kinda humble, but had the best fish I had in Istanbul. Sea bass, it was.
Food in Williamsburg
I think my favorites in Williamsburg are:
CHAI - N6th/Berry - A few doors down from Sea, but miles tastier. Still very affordable Thai without all the sugar and tomato that Sea/PlanetThai add to their dishes.
MATAMOROS - N7th/Bedford - Someone else mentioned, but its in the back of a Mexican bodega. Cheap, very tasty tacos, sopes, tostadas, pozole, etc.
AURORA - Can't remember the exact streets. Metropolitan and Wythe perhaps? Nice Italian with some more creative dishes - some offal as well I think I remember. Nice brunch too - outdoor seating.
Hm, those are my three faves I think. UNION PICNIC is alright for hangover greasy southern comfort food, DUMONT BURGER has good burgers & mac/cheese, BAHIA on Grand Street does Salvadorean food including cheap Pupusas. RAYMUND'S PLACE on Bedford for Polish chicken noodle soup.
I haven't tried ZENKICHI, MARLOWE & SONS yet, but I want to, but my advice is to never ever ever eat sushi in Williamsburg. ever.
Oriental Garden (Short Review)
Forgot the address:
14 Elizabeth Street
Between Canal & Bayard.
Oriental Garden (Short Review)
Hey, so I made to over to Oriental Garden with a group of 8 for dinner. Here's what we had
Scallop Dumplings - (3 for 3.95)
Probably my favorite couple of bites of the night, though maybe its because I was starving and it was the first thing to the table. Tasted very fresh, and the dumpling skins weren't too thick or gummy at all.
BBQ Pork Appetizer
Only had one bite since my pals devoured the rest. They seemed to like it.
1lb Boiled Live Shrimp - (1lb - $32'ish?)
There were a few grades of shrimp. The manager steered us towards the smallest of the three, which also turned out to be the cheapest. I'd say there were about 100 or so shrimp in that pound. Small, bite sized, peel & eat, but were incredibly fresh (being swimming around just a few mins prior) and sweet.
2 Lobsters. One "Hometown Style" and One Sauteed with Ginger & Scallion - ($29 each?)
Pretty tasty. The Hometown Style I think is the one that was grilled with eggs. The shells are pre-cracked for easy access, especially when sharing with a group.
Roast Duck
I didn't have any...
Razor Clams w/ Black Bean Sauce - (15.95 I think)
Yummy. I've never had them before. They also had geoduck clams, but the manager said these were fresher that day, so we went with them. Probably my favorite dish, besides the scallop dumplings.
Chinese Broccoli.
Whole Steamed Sea Bass
Slightly overcooked and the sauce was sorta too light and not very flavorfull. Somewhat disappointing, but probably just got unlucky with the overcooking...
8 people + tax/tip + 5 beers = $330.
Totally recommended...
Restaurants with Designer Uniforms
Can anyone think of which restaurants have designer uniforms, or uniforms at all? I can just think of Spice Market, and Kittichai I think. Chez es Saada used to - is that place still open?
Korean Fried Chicken
I think almost any Korean market will have these to take home too. They all make sort of appetizer'y foods, so my mom would always get the garlic&sesame&soy glazed fried chicken wings, korean style squid tempura, etc. Though I think a lot of the Korean markets on Lawrence, Lincoln, Touhy are closing after that huge Korean MegaMart, who's name I forget, opened up in Niles...
My parents think its hilarious that ssams and korean fried chicken are being written up n the NYTimes as like trendy foods, or whatever..
Momofuku Ssam is over-rated, go to Province!
I told my (korean) mom that ssams are a new 'trendy' food-item in NYC and boy she laugh.
Anyways, I think "overhyped" is a better word than "overrated".
12th & University tonight -- walk-in, 5 people -- ideas?
Am I the only person who likes L'Annam? If you know what to order, its really great! Well, the pork chops anyways
Bar at the Modern - Restaurant Week
I just went last nite. Here's the menu:
First Course:
Tuna Tartare
White Bean Soup w/ Salmon Croquette
Liverwurst w/ Pickled Vegetables
Second Course:
Daurade w/ Cockles
Alsatian Country Sausage
Sirloin au Poivre
Dessert:
Chocolate Tarte
Strudel w/ Prune Armanac Ice Cream
Morimoto: Restaurant Week Lunch
We had a choice of
Black Cod w/ Miso
Angry Chicken (Chicken w/ Indian spices)
Sushi Platter: 7 pieces + Spicy Tuna
the other 2 courses were a little mixed green salad, and a miso soup...... I also had an iced tea with unlimited refills for $4.
Not exactly a stellar bargain, since the black cod lunch bento box is the same price, and comes with sushi & tempura & salad & soup... a smaller piece of cod, but still.
I had the black cod, which was of course, really yummy. Same same as everywhere else that makes the black cod w/ miso, but I'm a sucker for it.
The sushi platter had 2 pieces of maguro, 1 salmon, 1 unagi, 1 yellowtail, 1 fluke maybe?, 1 cooked shrimp. one of the tunas looked slightly fattier, but i wouldn't call it chutoro or anything. maybe my glasses were dirty, i dunno. My friend who ordered the sushi platter was slightly disappointed, hoping that at least one of the pieces of sushi would be in the "morimoto style" with some interesting garnish, but it was basically like any Sushi Regular combo plate anywhere in the city. The quality was good, but nothing spectacular. I know you get what you pay for, but it would have been nice if just one piece was something special or typical of the chef's style, at least to entice us to come back...
However, the service was friendly. The hosts, manager, server were all nice enough, considering it was restaurant week, and my table was clearly 20-something broke "creative-types"....
12th & University tonight -- walk-in, 5 people -- ideas?
I probably didn't get to answer on time, but L'ANNAM on 13th/University is a really pretty decent Vietnamese place. I don't know much about their entire menu, but their Vietnamese pork chops are ridiculously tasty. Their sodas are usually flat though.....
Restaurant Week Steakhouses?
I've been craving red meat lately, and was wondering if anyone's been to one of the steakhouses for RW. I wanted to go for lunch, and don't want to get stuck with a burger or a really crummy piece of beef. I know you get what you pay for, but any comments on RW steakhouses? I think Angelo & Maxie, Quality Meats, Porterhouse, Michael Jordan's is doing it this time for lunch
Suggestions in Williamsburg
I'm curious about that wood-panelled izakaya on n6th. anyone been yet?
btw, im very upset that Isa is now Mikey's Hook Up. oh well.
in general though, the restaurants in williamsburg kinda suck.
Best noodles in the city (ramen)
Oh.... But I went to the Menchanko-Tei on 55th Street between 5/6 Ave. I think its part of the same chain, and they have the hakata ramen. I went today. Ohhhh so tasty.
Sushi lunch tomorrow in East Village/Soho/Oh, somewhere below 14th?
Kirara at 33 Carmine Street has pretty good sushi at decent prices. Nice lunch special too
Cooking 101 at Institute of Culinary Education
Has anyone taken this course, or the next step up, "Techiniques in Fine Cooking"?
I'm really sick of the nasty takeout/delivery in my neighborhood (East Williamsburg / West Bushwick)... Though I'd try to learn how to cook, but seriously I can barely make an edible fried egg.
