Help! - Extremely Picky Vegetarian Mom Coming to Town

Thanks everybody! We had lunch at the Green Table on Saturday, which was OK. I ate there years ago and had forgotten how small their portions are. But Chelsea Market is always loads of fun. We're going to shoot for Le Verdure tonight. We walked over to Eataly a few days ago and the menu looked really good, as did the one at the pasta place. Thankfully, I've yet to be dragged to Josie's. :)

BronxBree in Manhattan

Help! - Extremely Picky Vegetarian Mom Coming to Town

Hi everybody. My parents are coming to town for spring break and I need some ideas for places to eat. Normally, entertaining guests is pretty easy for me, but my mom is probably the pickiest eater you will ever meet.

First off, she's a vegetarian, but it doesn't end there. Thai and Indian, (my veggie staples), are off the table because they're too exotic. She also won't eat soy products because of hormones or something, which knocks out a lot of veggie Asian cuisine. I've been trying to get her into vegetarian Israeli places, (i.e. Hummus Place), but that's been a battle.

She likes salads, and is currently obsessed with beet salads, but prefers them or be local and organic. She'll eat pizza and Italian food sometimes, but I've got that covered, so don't worry about that. A wine bar or restaurant with a good cheese plate would be nice, or good vegetarian bar food, (spinach artichoke dip, onion rings, etc.). A high-end mac and cheese place would be nice, as would a Korean place that serves a great veggie bi bim bap. She'll eat eggs, so an exceptionally good diner or breakfast place would be great too.

We're seeing Bruce Springsteen at The Garden on Monday, so we need somewhere in midtown to grab a bite afterwards. A good bar would be fine. Despite the fact I work 2 blocks from The garden, I have no idea where to go. Most of the bars/restaurants around there suck if you want anything more than drinks.

It doesn't matter what part of Manhattan the places are in. We'll be roaming around and I'd like to be covered no matter where we are in the city. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. If I don't come up with some ideas, they''ll try to drag me to Josie's again, which for some reason they like, but IMHO is probably one of the worst restaurants in all of New York.

Thanks very much!

BronxBree in Manhattan

Riverdale Restaurants

Just a quick note about Yo Burger on Riverdale Ave. _ It's actually pretty good. Yes, it's a totally Shake Shack rip off. Yes, frozen yogurt is so 1992. But it's still really good. Good quality Shake Shack style burgers and tasty fries. Sweet potato fries too. Just wish they had onion rings. I skipped the top-your-own frozen yogurt, but the milk shakes are really good and the perfect consistency. Fair warning, the place has been a zoo lately, so if you go, best to pick an off-peak time or be prepared to wait. Seats can be hard to come by and the place is overrun with high school students and families with kids.

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Riverdale Restaurants

I need to amend my previous post about Yummy Thai. They no longer deliver to the Bronx, even though Seamless web still says they do. This caused me a lot of problems a few Sunday nights ago. I emailed Seamless web telling them they needed to make a change, but they still haven't done it. They did send me a $5 coupon though. Thanks for the tip on the Bronx Burger House. It's a bit far north for me, but I can't wait to give it a try.

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Riverdale Restaurants

La Estufa was a go-to spot for my husband and I for a long time until we had a baby. They're really good with kids there and they had a highchair, but the place was just too small and we felt bad hogging all the space with a highchair. But, they recently expanded into the storefront next door and now they have tons of space. I'm not a big fan of brunch, but I've found the dinner food to be pretty solid and their wine list is very reasonably priced. Now that it's not as cramped, we'll be heading back there for often.

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Mind-Blowing Lunch - With No Kids!

My husband and I are both off tomorrow. Our 2-year-old will be in daycare. We're headed to Texas the next day. We're both foodies and we want to make the most of this very rare occasion with a truly exceptional lunch. We're up for anything from a dive bar with a great burger to s five star restauranyt. Price doesn't matter. We don't get out much. Any cuisine is fair game too, except for Mexican or BBQ, since we're headed for Texas. Just make it something we won't forget. Thanks!

BronxBree in Manhattan

Riverdale Restaurants

After several visits, I've officially sworn off Empire 19. The quality of the meat they use has been poor lately, or it's been very overcooked. They never make anything spicy and it's given me that icky, sick, ate too much grease feeling. Maybe I just don't like cheap Chinese food anymore? None of the places in the neighborhood, or by my midtown office for that matter, seem to make me happy. My husband, on the other hand, really likes their sushi, which he says he saw them make fresh. But when he gets sushi there, it ends up costing about $15. If I'm going to spend that much per person, I'm just going to pick up at Siam Square and get something I know I will like.

On that note, Yummy Thai on Broadway in Inwood delivers to South Riverdale and is on Seamless Web. They're a little cheaper than Siam Square, though not as creative. We've been ordering from them recently for a change of pace. Delivery to our place on Kappock St. has averaged 30-40 minutes on a Saturday night, which isn't bad considering how far the poor delivery guy is riding his bike.

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Siam Square
564 Kappock St, Bronx, NY 10463

Empire 19
19 Knolls Crescent, Bronx, NY 10463

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Riverdale Restaurants

FYI, the new Chinese/Japanese place next to Ben's on Knolls Knolls Crescent is finally open. Nothing spectacular, but the food is much better than Great Wall's was at the end. I've been in there twice so far and they've been slammed with business both times. The schezwan chicken was fine, bot not spicy at all. Lots of good veggies and decent quality meat. The kung pow chicken, also not spicy, was a little greasy. My husband liked the garlic chicken and the Riverdale Roll. But it's unclear if they make the sushi fresh. I could see five guys stir frying and deep frying food, but I couldn't see a sushi counter. The staff has been friendly, even though they're obviously really busy. For those of us who live in that part of Riverdale, I have a feeling this is going to be a go-to place for a cheap dinner, especially late at night. They're open till 11:30 on the weekends, which is a lot later than any of the other places around there.

I'm interested to hear what everybody else thinks.

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Empire 19
19 Knolls Crescent, Bronx, NY 10463

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Riverdale Restaurants

I wasn't thrilled with Metate the last time I ordered takeout from them, so I haven't been back in a while. I'll try them again now that they have their license. Drinks make mediocre Mexican go down a lot easier. Thanks for the tip on J. Jade too. I haven't been there in years and I'll give it another try

On the bright side, I walked by the new Chinese/Japanese restaurant that's going in where Great Wall used to be next to Ben's Market on Knolls Cresent. It looks really nice on the inside. Mirrors on blue walls, wood trim, etc. One of the guys working said they expect to be open in a week. They even had a pile of freshly printed takeout menus piled outside the door. There are separate Chinese and Japanese menus. The food looks pretty standard. All the usual Chinese staples, cheap lunch specials, dinner combos with fried rice and egg roll, etc. They do offer brown rice, which is nice. The Japanese food looks similar to that of Planet Tokyo, with stuff ranging from $3 rolls to teriaki dinners and $40 sushi dinners for two. I'm not sure if it's going to be somewhere you would eat in, or just use for takeout. Sizzling teriaki dinners are best eaten at a restaurant, but it is a small space.

I know it probably won't be anything to write home about, I just hope it's something decent. Right now, our weekend takeout options alternate between Greek from Christos and Pizza from Salvatore's and our last couple pizzas from Salvatore's have not been good.

We also ordered from Granpa Tony's, (the former Nonna Tony's that's been rebuilt after a fire last year). The menu is almost exactly the same. My husband ordered wings, (we were watching football), which he said were fine. I ordered penne with eggplant. It was basically penne in red sauce with chopped up thin sliced eggplant, (like from eggplant parm), mixed in with lots of cheese melted on top. The pasta was overcooked, (something you would expect from residual trapped heat during delivery), and it was really greasy. I'd had the same thing at Nonna Tony's in years past, (though we ate in that time), and it was fine. On the upside, it came with bread, (not great quality), and a nice green salad. We'll probably try it again, but eat in this time. It's hard to fairly judge pasta when it's delivered and has a chance to get soggy. I've never been a fan of their pizza, (they use these strange pre-made crusts), but I'll probably try it again sometime soon.

One thing worth mentioning, Grandpa's Pizza in Inwood does deliver to South Riverdale, (not sure how far north they'll go), and they make a really good pizza. Only problem is, sometimes they take a long time to deliver and the pizza isn't as hot as I would like it to be.

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Planet Tokyo
3532 Johnson Ave, Bronx, NY 10463

Metate
3515 Johnson Ave, Bronx, NY 10463

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Baseball Weekend in Baltimore with a Toddler

Thanks everybody! I'm looking forward to trying a lot of these places this weekend!

BronxBree in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Baseball Weekend in Baltimore with a Toddler

My husband and I will be heading down to Baltimore to see our beloved Tigers play the O's next weekend and we're looking for dining recommendations. We've been to Baltimore for baseball weekends before, but this time we're bringing our 21-month-old daughter, so we need places that are toddler friendly. She's usually very well behaved and we're willing to eat early if that's what's expected for people with kids. We're staying in the Inner Harbor area near the ball park, but from what I remember, that's mostly chain restaurants and we do NOT eat at chains when we travel. We won't have access to a car, but we're New Yorkers so long walks and semi-sketchy neighborhoods don't bother us if there's really good food involved. Steamed crabs are a must. Last time, we ate at a pretty good crab place on the water that was a decent walk from the Inner Harbor, but I can't remember the name. We're open to all kinds of food and we'd really like Sunday brunch before the baseball game somewhere. Thanks for your help!

BronxBree in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Riverdale Restaurants

My husband and I tried Metate, (the new Mexican place at 3515 Johnson Ave. where M&M Kosher Bakery used to be), the first week it was open. It was OK. I just don't think they were really to handle the starving hoard of Riverdale residents that quickly decended upon the place. I plan to try it again soon once they get established. I had the green chicken enchiladas. The quality of the chicken inside wasn't great and they put too much of that bland white cheese on top, (which wasn't completely melted), but the green sauce on them was great. They were out of rice, but the refried beans they gave us were fine. The chips and salsa they bring you are pretty good. The salsa is unremarkable, but the chips were freshly fried and they kept bringing more. We ordered the guacomole, which for $10 at dinner wasn't worth the price. It was just kind of bland, but appeared to be freshly made. I wanted a tamale, but they didn't have any. The waiter said they expect to get their liquor license in a couple months, but this is NYC so I'm not holding my breath. The food would be a lot better if I had a margarita to go with it! The service was great and they fawned over my 18-month old. The place has at least two highchairs. Haven't tried takeout yet, but they do deliver. Anybody else have some thoughts?

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Metate
3515 Johnson Ave, Bronx, NY 10463

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Two Days With a Toddler

Hi! I live in NYC, but my husband and I are coming to Philly for two days next week and bringing along our 17-month-old daughter. There of course will be cheesesteak at some point, but I'm looking for recommendations for other kinds of toddler-friendly places too. A kids menu isn't needed, but a highchair would be nice and it needs to be somewhere that won't freak out if they see my daughter. Any kind of moderately-priced food is an option. I just want to experience the best of what Philly has to offer. We especially like micro brew beer, Italian and Thai food. We're staying downtown, but are willing to travel just about anywhere reachable on public transportation. Thanks!

BronxBree in Philadelphia

Favourite vegetarian main dish?

Mac and Cheese for sure. Here's my go-to recipe. Too much of this stuff will kill you, but it's worth it. Serve it with a nice green salad or tomato bruchetta to help cut through the richness of the cheese: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/addictive-mac-and-cheese/

Also, stuffed pasta shells (I do versions with both cheese and and cheese with veggies), top-your-own corn tostadas or bean burritos, top-your-own pizza, eggplant parm, spicy tofu stir fry, (get the General Tsao's sauce at Trader Joe's) with steamed veggie dumplings and veggie egg rolls, (frozen at Whole Foods).

BTW, I'm totally trying that squash pasta thing. Looks great!

BronxBree in Home Cooking

Recommendations for a Late Dinner Tonight With a Baby

Hi everybody. My husband and I need to find a place to eat tonight where people won't look at us like we have two heads when they see our 10-month-old daughter. We've been to the usual baby friendly places (Otto, Blue Smoke, etc.), but we usually hit those early (6 p.m. seating at the latest). We're tied up today and probably won't be able to make it into Manhattan until about 8:30 p.m., depending on how far south we have to go.

I've been looking at the previously threads, but I would specifically like a place that won't be opposed to a very well behaved baby after 9 p.m. (if there is such a place). UWS/Morningside Heights would probably easiest, but we'll head all the way downtown for the right place. Cuisine isn't important. We like Thai, Mexican, Italian, Greek and even bar food would be OK. It just should be moderately priced and good. The weather should be nice tonight, so outdoor seating (which is generally more acceptable with kids) may work too.

I saw on some of the older posts that Chinatown is popular with families. Is this true after dark as well, or just for an early dinner? I don't make it that far downtown much, but I haven't had good Chinese in ages and that sounds great. Can somebody recommend a place? If not for tonight, then for down the road.

Thanks!

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Blue Smoke
116 East 27th Street, New York, NY 10016

BronxBree in Manhattan

Queens Dinner on the Way to Citi Field

Thanks everybody. We had so many good ideas to pick from. We were craving Indian, so we hit Jackson Diner and it was great. I plan on stashing this list away for the next time I venture out to Queens.

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Jackson Diner
37-47 74th St, Queens, NY 11372

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Queens Dinner on the Way to Citi Field

I'm headed to tonight's Mets game and I can't pass up a rare chance to try some famed Queens cuisine. Any suggestions? I'd be up for any kind of food, I'm just mainly looking for something affordable that I'm not going to find in Manhattan or my home buro of the Bronx. I'm also taking my well behaved 7-month-old, so nothing too fancy or where people going to freak out if they see a small child. It doesn't have to be near Citi Field, just somewhere between there and Manhattan not too far of the #7 train. I've been to Sripraphai and Donovan's Pub in Woodside, but that's about it. Thanks!

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SriPraPhai
64-13 39th Ave, Queens, NY 11377

Citi Field
Roosevelt Ave and 126th St, Queens, NY 11368

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Baby Friendly Restaurants?

My husband and I have a 3-month-old daughter and are just starting to go out for dinner again, but most of the places we used to frequent seem too small to drag a stroller with a car seat into. I looked at some past Chowhound boards, but they seem geared more toward fine dining and parents with small kids. Our daughter is very well behaved and generally will sleep through meals out in her car seat regardless of how noisy a place is. We're just looking for moderately priced restaurants that we'll be welcome at. Any area of the city is fair game. We live up in Riverdale in the Bronx, but the dining options are awful here so we tend to take the Subway down to the UWS and Hells Kitchen or take the train to Grand Central. We like all kinds of food but especially Thai, Italian and Mexican. Good wine and beer lists are a plus. We're willing to eat early if we have to, just let me know if that's what's expected at a given place. Thanks!

BronxBree in Manhattan

Riverdale Restaurants

Just wanted to recommend the fairly new Greek Express on Riverdale Ave. I think it's where Jasper's used to be before they opened their new location. I had lunch there a few weeks ago and had dinner delivered tonight. Both times the food was hot, fresh, tasty and reasonably priced. For lunch I had a falafel and Greek lemon chicken soup. The falafel was freshly fried and surrounded with romaine lettuce, red onion and tomato. I'm a big fan of Greek chicken soup and this was pretty good by my standards. Lots of dill and chicken pieces swimming in a lemony broth. A little too salty, but I still ordered it again tonight without hesitation. Tonight I had a chicken souvlaki sandwich, french fries and more soup. The sandwich could have used a little more meat, but what was in there was seasoned well and moist. My husband ordered a a gyro platter, which he enjoyed too, especially the little Greek salad that came with it. The french fries we both had held up pretty well, considering we had the food delivered. I have no complaints about the delivery either. The food came fast, hot and intact and the man who brought it was very nice. The restaurant itself is very small, but nicely decorated. Overall, it's a great addition to the neighborhood and I imagine we'll be ordering a lot from this place in the future.

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Guntersville, AL dining ideas?

Hey everybody,

I'm spending next week in Guntersville, AL with my inlaws and I'm looking for dining recomendations for the area. Any kind of food suggestions are welcome, but I'm particularly interested in places that serve BBQ or boiled crawfish since I don't get that stuff much back home. Othere kinds of traditional southern food would be good too. We're renting a house and will have access to a full kitchen, so takeout and do-it-yourself ideas are welcome.

We're driving in from Vicksburg, Miss., so if there are any BBQ joints or other places to hit along the way please pass along those ideas too. Thanks!

BronxBree in Central South

Looking For Boiled Crawfish near Vicksburg, Miss.

Thanks everybody! My family and I made it to T'Beaux's in Jackson for lunch today and it was great. Their crawfish ($3.99 per pound) were small but seasoned well and boiled just right. We also had some boiled shrimp (about $9.95 per pound), along with the required potatos and corn. My sister-in-law and her husband, who were in town from Austrailia, were so happy that we were able to find the place. They really wanted crawfish before they went back. We might check out the location in Clinton later this week. Thanks again!

BronxBree in Central South

Looking For Boiled Crawfish near Vicksburg, Miss.

I wouldn't be too surprised if the stuff at Wal-Mart was from overseas, but we've been getting live Gulf Coast crawfish in NYC for the past 6 weeks. They've been tiny (and very expensive), but still pretty tasty. I know it's early in the season, but I can't come down here and not check to see if they're availible. We usually get them in New Orleans or Baton Rouge, but we won't be making it to Louisiana during this trip. Thanks.

BronxBree in Central South

Looking For Boiled Crawfish near Vicksburg, Miss.

Hey everybody,

My husband and I are in Vicksburg this week visiting his parents and we really would like some boiled crawfish while we're in town. Aside from the cold crawfish at Wal-Mart, we haven't been able to find anything yet. The cart near the outlet mall doesn't look like it's started cooking yet. Is there anywhere else to go? We're willing to travel to the Jackson area if need be.

Any other dining recomendations for the area would also be welcome. I really like BBQ and we're also looking for someplace fun to go for New Year's Eve. Thanks!

BronxBree in Central South

Riverdale Restaurants

I've been back twice since my initial visit and just wanted to update my comments a bit. As far as the french fries go, they've improved considerably and were cooked perfectly on both of my return visits, so please ignore my previous comments about them. I also tried the beer battered onion rings last time and they were pretty tasty too. Can I hope for a hat trick with good sweet potato fries? I'll probably try those next and find out. Also, my husband really liked the German-style "burger" with beef and pork and he's happily filling up his "beers of the world" sheet.

The bartenders are still awesome (thank you guys so much!) and work their tails off on the weekend. It's been crazy busy every time we show up. They were nice enough to put my husband's college football game on one of the TVs too, eventhough I'm sure it wasn't of huge interest to most of the other people there.

On the off chance somebody from the Ale House reads Chowhound, I have one tiny little request. Could a hook be installed inside the ladies room? The floor is always spotless, but it still would be nice for us to be able to hang up our bags when we go use the facilities. And has anybody thought about serving brunch on the weekend? The place would probably make a ton of money on bloody Mary's and eggs (especially during NFL season) and it probably wouldn't involve a lot of extra work for the kitchen staff.

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Bronx Jury Duty

Hey everybody, I've been hit with jury duty for the first time and was wondering if anybody has any nearby lunch suggestions other than the usual overpriced bar food outside of Yankee Sadium. Any kind of food is fine. Thanks!

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

Riverdale Restaurants

Good news everybody! Foodies/beer lovers in the Riverdale/KIngsbridge area have a new restaurant worth trying. It's called the Bronx Ale House (http://www.bronxalehouse.com) and it's on 238th a couple doors down from S&S toward the Major Deegan.

It's a very cool space. Exposed brick, beer barrels, lots of flat screen TVs. There are 16 different beers on tap (all fairly high-end with Guinness being the most mainstream, there's a list on the Web site), plus a cask ale offering and about 35 different kinds in bottles (including the usual Bud and Miller offerings). For non-beer drinkers there's a full bar and a couple wine selections. The beer prices are a little on the high end for the neighborhood but the offerings are more Manhattan like (kind of like the Half Pint or Blind Tiger without hipsters). Guinness was $6 a pint, while a pint of the Blue Point Hoptical Illusion cask ale (which my husband said was very good) was $6.50. A small bottle of Chimay was $8.50, I think. And it came served with the appropriate glass, which is something I never thought I'd see in a place like Riverdale. They've also started a beer club where if you sign up you get discounts and your name on the wall if you drink 100 different beers. A sign outside advertised $4 drafts before 7 p.m.

As for me, I'm currently pregnant, so going there last night and settling for a soda was kind of torturous, but I wanted to at least try the food. It's pretty much upscale pub grub. I had a bacon cheeseburger ($9.50) that was cooked perfectly and had a huge ammount of super crispy bacon on top. On the flip side, the fries that came with it were hand cut and like a lot of hand cut fries suffered as result, being overcooked in some spots and raw in others. For an extra $1 you can upgrade to sweet potato fries or beer battered onion rings and I think I might do that next time. My husband had the steak sandwich ($10.50, I think), which was served on a toasted garlic roll and he liked it very much. Both orders were also supposed to come with spicy slaw which never showed up, but I hate coleslaw so I didn't ask what happened to it. There are a couple other items I'd like to try including a hot brie cheese and boch beer dip served with pretzel bites and a pulled pork sandwich.

The place is not huge and was packed Friday night with Yankee fans watching the game and drinking everything from Bud to Leffe. The ladies room was spotless. The service was pretty good and seemed to handle the craziness well. Our bartender/server was very friendly, didn't give me grief about ordering a mocktail and didn't charge me for my second one. I just hope this place can keep the momentum going. Even if the food wasn't any good it still would be a great addition to the neighborhood and shows there might actually be some hope for food in Riverdale.

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

High-end takeout for bedridden pregnant wife's birthday

I'm also pregnant and due in November and yes, sushi is one of the worst things a pregnant woman can eat. I'd also second the idea of hiring a personal chef, if your wife doesn't mind having someone home with you. I haven't had the pleasure of having this chef cook for me, but I did a story on him about a year ago (I'm a reporter) and listen to his culinary podcasts a lot. The people I talked to for my story absolutely loved him. Here's a link to his Web site: http://remarkablepalate.com. He's very good at working any kind of dietary restrictions into meals. Best of luck with the rest of the pregnancy and future baby!

BronxBree in Manhattan

A place not on the subway line: Where should I go if I have a car for one day?

Forget City Island. If you want good food in The Bronx, head to Arthur Ave. in the Belmont section for Italian. Though technically reachable by subway/bus/Metro North, it's a heck of a lot easier to driver and there is plenty of free street parking or cheap parking in city lots. Do yourself a favor too and get there early to hit the market and the little food stores (all close by 6 if not earlier) for fresh cheese, breads, Italian meats, fish/oysters and handmade pasta. If you want to make a day of it, combine it with a visit to the Bronx Zoo or the NY Botanical Garden. Don't forget to grab some canolis or sfogliatelle too. You won't regret it and you'll never want to set foot on Mulberry St. again.

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs

south bronx eats?

I second the recommendation for Bruckner's brunch. It's probably the best in the Bronx (not that that's saying a lot). The egg's florentine is the best and they serve these great little fried potatoes with the egg dishes. Can't beat the prices and the people who work there are incredibly nice, especially to regulars. The crowd isn't all hipsters, at least for brunch. It's everybody from neighborhood residents, to elderly folks and city workers.

BronxBree in Outer Boroughs