BrookBoy

Cheap Eats Near Times Square?

Let me suggest you try lunch at the Edison Cafe on 47th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. It is part of the Edison Hotel, and the food ranges from good to a lot better than good (try any of their soups). Prices are quite friendly by NYC standards. Edison gets a lot of tourists from the hotel, mostly Europeans on a budget. At lunch there are also a lot of local NYC workers there, especially from Morgan Stanley, which is right across the street.

Two particular favorites are the chicken salad on rye toast and the BLT on rye toast. Both yummy, both very filling, neither costly at all.

When you're done, if you wander around the pedestrian plaza that begins at 47th and Broadway and runs downtown for several blocks, you're likely to encounter people giving tickets away for live TV shows and other venues. There is also the TKTS booth right there at 47th, between 7th and Broadway, and you should be able to get a couple of tickets for a Broadway musical or play at half price.

Here's wishing you a wonderful stay. I hope you enjoy our fair city...

on Apr 22, 2012

BrookBoy in Manhattan

really good seafood in Manhattan.

You might try Lure Fishbar, at Mercer and Prince in Soho. They have sushi and a raw bar, and among other seafood offerings, they serve up a very nice lobster roll. Not cheap, though...

Here's a link to their dinner menu:

http://lurefishbar.com/menus/Lure_Dinner.pdf

on Apr 11, 2012

BrookBoy in Manhattan

Seeking: Best $50 or less--Park Slope and vicinity

+ Blue Ribbon, but with the caveat that you will have to order carefully to stay within a $50 pp limit.

Blue Ribbon Sushi moved into Blue Ribbon at the beginning of March after losing their lease next door, so the menu has changed and there may be some service glitches. If you Google BR you can see their menu and get an idea of the variety of foods they offer and the prices.

Good luck in any event...

on Apr 11, 2012

Bavaria Sausage Online

The place is www.bavariasausage.com. Just wondering if anyone else has ordered from them.

My wife and I love their sausages, and, in particular, their hotdogs (or weiners, as they are called on the website). Problem is, the shipping costs are so high that we generally don't order from them anymore, sadly. Very sadly.

The weiners are the epitome of the perfect hot dog. There are about six to the pound, natural casing, made with lean beef, pork and spices. They have a real snap when you bite into them. Mmmmm... I salivate just thinking about them.

They also sell a lot of other German/Bavarian products, including varieties of sausage, Oktoberfest items, condiments, spaetzle, rosti, and on and on. Everything we've tasted has been nothing short of terrific. But those shipping costs...

Any suggestions on places with similar quality but without the extortionate shipping costs?

Thanks in advance...

on Apr 08, 2012

BrookBoy in General Chowhounding Topics

Brooklyn dinner for 9 on Friday in April

Have to disagree with GForce's description of Queen, which I think is misleading. If you drop into Queen any night of the week you will see almost all, if not all, of the tables filled with quite a variety of people, including old and young, families and couples, etc. The small bar is usually crowded with people waiting for tables. Queen has a large following from the courts, which are relatively nearby. There's a reason those tables are filled every night.

I suggested Queen because it seems to me that almost every time my wife and I go (which has been a lot over the years), there is a large party (six or more, sometimes twenty or more) there. Queen has quite a lot of experience in serving large groups of people.

Not sure about the description of Queen being "...tackily decorated with a gigantic menu..." The only menus at Queen are the ones you read to make your food and wine choices.

Do a search on the Outer Boroughs board for a lot more on Queen. You'll get a more rounded idea of what others on this board think of it. Here's a link to start you off, as searching for "Queen" results in hits for Queens:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/559371

Best of luck in whatever you decide...

on Apr 08, 2012

Brooklyn dinner for 9 on Friday in April

Try Queen, the Italian restaurant on Court Street (a short walk from your hotel). They serve up some very good homemade Italian food, and they make their own sauces, their own pasta and their own bread. Try their signature mozzarella appetizer.

They also have a LOT of experience with large parties.

Queen can be expensive, depending on what and how you order, especially with the wines. But you can find real bargains on both the food menu and on the wine list to keep the costs reasonable.

If you do a search on this board for Queen, you should find lots of hits.

Good luck...

on Apr 06, 2012

Good coffee (beans) in Sunset Park?

Funny you should ask. My wife and I did a search on Friday for freshly roasted cofee beans in Park Slope, and we ended up going to Java Joe's in Park Slope, on 8th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues (just steps away from 7th Avenue). It's a tiny place with a lot of coffee beans and tea leaves. We bought some organic French Roast and a milder organic Peruvian bean (which we mix in a 2:1 light to dark ratio at home and grind ourselves).

We tried the new blend yesterday and this morning and decided we like it quite a bit. The beans are glistening, indicating that they have been roasted very recently. We put them into zip lock bags to keep them as fresh as possible and grind what we need each day.

My only quibble was the price: the French Roast was 14.95 a pound, the other was 13.95 a pound.

We usually buy our coffee beans at D'Amico's, at 309 Court Street in Cobble Hill. They roast their own beans (you walk right by the roaster as you enter the store), and I'm pretty sure their prices are a lot friendlier. But we were out of coffee and Court Street wasn't part of our itinerary on Friday, so Jave Joe's it was.

I should also mention that we found a place called PS Coffee Tean N Spices on Yelp that has great reviews, but we didn't go there. We're going to check it out the next time we need some fresh beans.

on Apr 01, 2012

Yet Another Tipping Question

Thanks for your reply. It sounds like you have adopted a pretty good rule of thumb, so to speak.

on Mar 27, 2012

FINALLY! Good Chinese food to order in , in Park Slope (Michael and Pings)

Will do just that. I'll let you know what I think once I've had the chance to try that dish.

Thank you for the suggestion.

on Mar 27, 2012

Yet Another Tipping Question

I don't have any idea about the pay arrangements. I doubt anyone working there is making a whole lot of money other than the tips.

I do know that when we don't go in for several weeks and then go back, there seems to be a whole new staff, at least outside the kitchen. But everyone is so friendly and laid back that the vibes are quite positive, which is one of the factors that keep bringing us back. (The other two big factors are the really tasty food at reasonable prices and the very good beer list, also at fair prices, especially during happy hour.)

I'm inclined to be generous when it comes to tipping unless something occurs that makes me decide to either reduce or eliminate the tip, which doesn't happen often. I don't really mind the way it's done now, but I am curious to what others do in these types of situations.

on Mar 27, 2012

Yet Another Tipping Question

Well, I don't know if we'll become regulars, but we've been there four times in the last 10 days (three times during the week and once on the weekend), and each time there has been a different bartender working. (I know that four times in 10 days seems it would make us regulars, but we might not go back again for several weeks.)

I agree with you about using a tip as a goodwill mechanism for future visits, but we haven't figured out the bartender schedules yet. I've been tipping a couple of bucks a round and about three or four bucks when I order the food. That means that for a couple of burgers and, say, three beers each, we are tipping around 9 or 10 bucks (depending on what I put into the tip jar).

Also, my wife usually doesn't quite keep up with me on the beers, so there is usually one round where I go to the bar and order a single beer for myself. When I do that, I generally leave a buck instead of two.

I'm always a little confused as to the proper protocol here, which is why I asked the question.

on Mar 26, 2012

Yet Another Tipping Question

No tabs at this place. Cash when you order, whether sitting at the bar, or taking the drink to a table. Despite the seeming inconvenience, it's a pretty good place and we like the selection of beers and wines, and we think the food is quite good and quite reasonable in price.

on Mar 26, 2012

Yet Another Tipping Question

I know, I know, the topic of tipping seems to have been covered in its entirety. Several times over. But I did a search on tipping here and I didn't find anything that addresses my question, so here it is.

My wife and I have started going to a pub in Brooklyn (the Double Windsor) where they have tables but very limited table service. The routine is that if you sit at a table, you go to the bar to order your drinks and you carry them back to the table yourself. Every now and then the bartender might make a sweep and clear the empty glasses from the tables, but a lot of customers carry their own glasses back to the bar when they order a new round or when they are leaving.

Additionally, the place has a food window where you go and order what you want, and you pay for it (cash only) at the window when you order. They give you metal stand with a number on it, and when your food is ready the waitress brings it out, spots your number and brings the food to you. Condiments are already on the table. Every now and then, the waitress also makes a sweep and collects the used plates and glasses, and that's about it for service. At the food window there is a tip jar.

So I am wondering how others might handle tipping in this kind of situation. Would you leave a small tip each time you go to the bar and order a round, or would you tip a larger amount when you are leaving? And how much would you tip at the food window? Would you tip a couple of bucks, or would you tip a percentage of the cost of the food?

Just trying to get a feel for how others might do it...

on Mar 26, 2012

FINALLY! Good Chinese food to order in , in Park Slope (Michael and Pings)

Besides this thread being about ordering in, it's not always an option to hop on the bus to Chinatown.

There are those nights you get home from work, it's cold and rainy, and you don't feel like eating the spaghetti sauce that you made the previous weekend for the third night in a row.

There are also those nights you just don't feel well and you want some comfort food.

And some people have limited mobility...

on Mar 24, 2012

FINALLY! Good Chinese food to order in , in Park Slope (Michael and Pings)

We used to order from M & P a while back, then decided that we didn't care for their food all that much and stopped.

However, more recently we tried their scallion pancakes, the steamed pork dumplings and the roast pork bao buns, and we really like all three. So now we are ordering from M & P again, regularly. (One other dish that I like is their fried rice, but my wife disagrees on that one.)

So, while M & P may not be in the same league as a good Chinese restaurant in Chinatown (any Chinatown), some of their offerings are worth another try. Or at least they are for us...

on Mar 23, 2012

Frankies Spuntino

Have not been to the Hudson Street location, but my wife and I go to the Brooklyn location frequently, and we love the place. Given the track record of the owners, I suggest you try it out and then post your own review.

on Mar 19, 2012

BrookBoy in Manhattan

Anyone Enjoying "The Supersizers" on the Food Network?

All points well taken.

But I give them credit for at least doing some research into the diets of the different eras they depict (most of the episodes focus on Great Britain, but not all). They had to start somewhere for the show to work, and I think they did pretty well

That, combined with the tongue-in-cheek aspect of the show, makes for some very enjoyable watching.

on Mar 19, 2012

Anyone Enjoying "The Supersizers" on the Food Network?

Sorry, you are correct, it is on the Cooking Channel.

on Mar 18, 2012

Anyone Enjoying "The Supersizers" on the Food Network?

My wife and I found the show by accident, partly because it has a misleading title. "The Supersizers" has nothing to do with supersizing food portions today.

The premise of the show is that the two stars (Giles Coren, a restaurant critic in London, and Sue Perkins, a comedienne/actress in London) eat their way through history. Each episode concentrates on a specific time period (the French Revolution, the 50s, Ancient Rome, etc.) and the two stars dress appropriately for the period and eat the foods that were common during those periods. Each episode has experts on the particular period who comment on the dress and food of that time.

Before beginning the food regimen for a particular period, both visit their doctors, who take various tests to use to see how such diets affect them.

We are finding this to be a very highly entertaining, witty and informative show.

Give it shot, see what you think...

on Mar 18, 2012

Japanese Restaurants in Park Slope

Hi PSM,

Regarding pleasant surprises, the very best thing about the range of choices in Park Slope is the easy availability and convenience of so many food items. There are three free delivery services that compete against each other (Grub Hub, Seamless and Delivery.com), and each has a good-sized list of restaurants that deliver. The difficulty is in having so many choices.

What my wife and I do is to have one tab open with one of the delivery services so we can peruse menus as we wish, and have another tab open to the NYC DOH restaurant listings. Then when we think we might want to try such and such a place, we first look up their DOH record. If the place has a decent inspection record, then we're willing to put an order in.

We generally order the things we've come to like over the years, which may not be the same things you enjoy, so my suggestion is to go ahead and order something and see for yourself. Most places have a $10 or $15 minimum for delivery, so you can take a chance without breaking the bank.

Some places we like enough to order from repeatedly are Ten, Kiku, JPan and Shinju, all of which offer reasonable prices, speedy delivery (usually) and decent food.

Lucky us...

on Feb 28, 2012

Japanese Restaurants in Park Slope

I'm just curious: what makes a restaurant "truly Japanese"?

Or, to put it another way, what makes a restaurant *not* Japanese if it describes itself as Japanese?

on Feb 28, 2012

Pete Wells of NYT on Shake Shack

I too am surprised that the Restaurant Critic for the New York Times selected a burger chain for the main review. Given how many restaurants there are in NYC, especially those that deserve some notice but have little hope of getting that notice, it seems like a totally capricious decision.

He gave Shake Shack one star, but he said in his review that (a) the burgers were inconsistent and many were not cooked correctly; (b) the mushroom burger was awful; (c) the French fries are also awful. Apparently what won him over was the friendliness of the counter staff, although he did like the hot dogs.

I am amazed that Mr. Wells gave one star to a hamburger chain that serves up inconsistent beef burgers, terrible mushroom burgers and awful French fries (to which he devoted three paragraphs).

Makes ya wonder how many stars he would give Domino's Pizza, or KFC...

on Feb 24, 2012

Participants on Food Media and News: Your Input Please

Thank you for asking. Regarding censorship in any form, it always comes down to subjectivity. What may be amusing to me might be offensive to you. If I get the final say, the board would look a lot different than if you get the final say. But I do agree that a series of "you're a jerk..." vs "...get a life..." back and forths doesn't do anyone any good, and eventually hurts the reputation of the entire community.

I think that any post that attacks any other poster personally should be taken down. If I venture an opinion and someone disagrees with that opinion, all good. But if I venture an opinion and someone else calls me stupid because of my opinion, not so good. That is the line I would draw with bashing between posters.

Regarding descriptions of TV chefs, that's not so easy. It seems to me that you would have to be at least somewhat subjective there. It's like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's famous quote about pornography: "Perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so [defining pornography verbally]. But I know it when I see it..."

Basically, I don't think there is a foolproof way to eliminate postings that might be problematic. I think you can only continue to do what you do now — monitor all the threads and delete any that are not up to Chowhound standards.

Good luck with a difficult task...

on Feb 24, 2012

BrookBoy in Site Talk

Schaefer's Beer?

Yeah, sometimes I miss the old days too. I have very fond memories of listening to Mel Allen call a Yankees game on a summer afternoon as I enjoyed a Schaefer beer at the bar. In my earliest memories, a glass of beer (perhaps six ounces, the norm) was fifteen cents, and every bar would buy you back the fourth beer. Some even the third beer, especially if they knew you.

I remember that Schaefer had their own pavilion at the old 64/65 World's Fair in Queens, and I remember thinking that it was the best-tasting Schaefer's I'd ever had.

In those days all the bars had Schaefer's on tap, along with Rheingold, Ballantine and Piel's. You could go to a movie, have some popcorn, then have a slice of pizza and stop in for a beer or two on the way home, and still go home with change from a five dollar bill.

on Feb 22, 2012

BrookBoy in Manhattan

Chestnut on Smith Street - Are They Out of Business?

My friends and I showed up last night for our dinner at Chestnut where we had a reservation, only to find it shuttered. No signs on the door or window, no menus posted, nothing. Stairs were stacked on the bar, place was dark. It had the feel of having been shut down. Wondering if anyone has any idea.

On the upside, though, Chestnut being shuttered caused us to end up at Battersby, where we had one terrific meal, from the amuse bouche all the way to the desserts. The people at Battersby's are doing some incredible things with food. Too bad it's such a tiny space. It is definitely well worth a visit.

-----
Chestnut
271 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Battersby
255 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

on Feb 22, 2012

Victoria Station Area - Any Decent Pubs? [London]

My wife and I will be spending about a week in London in mid-May, first time back in some years. We are staying near Victoria Station and we are wondering if there are any pubs worth seeking out in that area. We do want to try some pub grub, so any suggestions that include pubs with better than average food will be very much appreciated.

Thanks for any suggestions...

on Feb 20, 2012

BrookBoy in U.K./Ireland

Really Disappointing Pizza

My wife and I tried Fornino's last night. Turned out to be not the best of choices. Our fresh ricotta with honey appetizer was fine (except for the bread that came with it — far too crusty for us, but the house bread was fine).

Unfortunately, we went on to each order an individual pizza, and that is the disappointing part. Maureen had the Quattro Formaggio (four cheese) pizza, and I had the Vinny Scotto pizza. Both pizzas arrived about ten minutes after we ordered them.

Both pizzas were lukewarm, not hot, a surprise for us both. After a few bites, it became apparent to me that my pizza was a reheated one that had been prepared some time earlier, and possibly even refrigerated in the meantime. When I told Maureen what I thought, she said she had come to the same conclusion about hers.

Seems to me that when a pizza place starts serving reheated pizzas, the end is near. And that is the impression we were left with when we paid our bill and went home.

-----
Fornino
256 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

on Feb 13, 2012

Please help with food delivery/gift certificate in Brooklyn (Park Slope)

I assume you want to send them a prepared meal from a local restaurant here in Park Slope. Generally, restaurants that delivery have defined delivery areas, so whether or not a particular restaurant will deliver would depend on your friends' address.

As it happens, there are three food delivery services (all in competition with each other) that serve Park Slope: GrubHub, Seamless and Delivery.com. They all have lists of local restaurants that will delivery meals through the particular service. There isn't any delivery charge to the customer. At the very least, you can peruse the services to see what restaurants do deliver.

There is also MenuPages, which shows not only the menus but indicates which restaurants deliver. Once you decide on a place, I'd guess you would need to contact the restaurant directly to discuss payment.

Hope this is of some assistance...

on Feb 12, 2012