My dad ran a shop for years and got the best sable, lox, etc from a distributor out by Coney Island. It's located off Neptune Ave., by Stillwell. It may be a wholesaler but you can swing by and try to negotiate.

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Stillwell Cafe
1680 Stillwell Ave, Bronx, NY 10461

Thanks AppleSister, those are all great suggestions.

I'm looking to find good soccer bars to watch the upcoming World Cup. What places would be best to see specific countries. My new favorite is Woodwork in Prospect Heights, but would love to get other ideas.

The better the soccer crowd, the better the bar!

You will be in the Midwood section but Ditmas Park is the new Park Slope, sort of. Great, affordable restaurants, including the Adderly Farm (on Cortelyou Rd.) and Pommes Terre (on Newkirk), owned by same crew.

Brooklyn Chinatown is quite a sight and worth a visit.

If you go to Coney Island, where I live, then you may want to try Gargiulo's, an old-school Italian place. Otherwise, stay away from Nathan's and the other ripoff spots. For a good hot dog or other Jewish deli-type treats, head to Jay & Lloyd's, on Ave. U by Bedford, which is sorta along the Q/B line.

noodle pudding in Brooklyn Heights is great if a bit pricey

The best, best, best birthday cakes are made at Bread Basket -- kings hwy and E. 5th or so. They're not cheap, but have been a hit with my two young daughters the past few years. They can even top the cake with your kid's favorite cartoon character. Dora anyone?

Well NYJ, I grew up in the Bronx and live out in Coney now so I'm partial to places in Italian neighborhoods. I've tried Franny's, Totonnos, DiFara's, L&B Patsy's in Manhattan and I understand their appeal. Again I just can't believe people want to wait 45 mins to fork over $5 for something that should cost $2. As for specific places, I would try a stretch of Avenue U between Coney Island Ave. and Ocean Ave. There's a Prince of Pizza place on the corner of U and Coney Is. and a pretty good brick-oven place on U and E. 13th or 14th st.
Then there's the stretch of 18th Ave. in Bensonhurst -- between 86th St. and 79th St. -- which I pop into but don't recall the name. In the Bronx, Arthur Ave. has plenty of candidates but I was from Pelham Parkway area and there's a place on corner of Lydig and Holland that had oversized slices. In Queens, you can't do much better than Frankie's, which is under the el, near the GCP entrance. Maybe someone else on the board knows the exact address.
My bigger point is don't be suckered in by these artisanal peddlers. Go for a drive and discover some for yourself. Then report back to us.

Please stop going to DiFara's. The pizza hasn't been good in years. The wait seems long because it takes Dom forever to make one pie, let alone remember who ordered it. There's better pizza at nearly every corner joint in Brooklyn, Queens, SI and the Bronx. Any person willing to wait a minimum of 30 mins, to get a soggy, overhyped, $5 slice is a moron. And all who keep rhapsodizing about how great DiFara's continues to be are doing a disservice to the real reason to eat pizza -- It's a cheap, comfort food.

Tatiana has two restaurants on the boardwalk, the fancy one with the green awning and a Tatiana Grill with the blue awning. I grew going to the Russian restaurant circuit and have seen them evolve into the spectacles they are today.

I would recommend the Tatiana Grill on Sundays for their all-you-can-eat brunch. For about $35 you can get many of the menu items that were served for the previous night\'s banquets. Otherwise, Tatiana is way overpriced

For a full-on Russian nightclub experience there's Rasputin, which is also quite overpriced and overrated.

IF you'd like traditional Ukrainian fare, there's Glitchek on Coney Island Ave, which was also featured on the Tony Bourdain show. As for restaurants with traditional spectacle, there's National, right next door to the International Empire, and Odessa, closer to Manhattan Beach.

For our money, when the family does on full-fledged special occasion, we go to the Atlantic Grill, on Neptune Ave, their menu is nice and the entertainment is less glossy

You should try David's for good Israeli food. There falafels are excellent. Located on Kings Highway and about E. 4th.

There's also some hidden gems on Ave. U and West. 6th. What's left of the old Italian hood of Gravesend is confined to those few blocks. Joe's of Ave. U is near McDonald.

Dairy Made, on Ave U and W 4th? has great fresh pasta.

You're also not to far from L&B Spumoni Gardens, 86th St. off of W. 6th.

This is truly a sad loss for the this overhyped hood. My wife and I were Beso regulars for years and just recently had their pancakes, which were the best I've had anywhere in the city. The duck empanadas always ruled. And as far as being kid friendly, our daughter's first restaurant meal was here. The service was always spot on. Thanks for the good meals.

I would avoid Moutarde at all costs. Place is expensive and horrid. Cocotte is much better and more authentic.

Any recs for this place? Going for lunch tomorrow

Pips went belly up and whatever place was next to it sold out to the steak house place, which is massive. Same owners are also opening a nightclub next door to the steak house.

Wow, what a list.
I'd like to the duck empanadas at Beso

There's always Dairy Maid on Ave U near W. 6th St. in Gravesend, Brooklyn. Small mom-and-pop that smells of the old country -- in a good way.
They carry various homemade ravioli and many other great fresh pastas.

I've been trying to come up with suggestions that go beyond just the restaurants but focus on the meal you would most recommend at any of the usual suspects mentioned on this board.

For instance, those of you who love Applewood, what must I try if I go there only once. (Actually, I had brunch there about a year ago and the lobster omelet was excellent.)

Now, this is completely subjective and there are no wrong answers.

And it doesn't have to be the fanciest thing. It could be as pleasing as a falafel from David's on Kings Highway, for those who know.

What's you're favorite and where?

I remember Hokkaido being special as well but not in a while. The Benihana-style place is still in business, I believe, and I also saw that Hong Kong City has spruced itself up. It used to have a pretty good menu but hygeiene seemed to be an issue.
As for Mambo Sushi, I think it's fantastic. They give you 8 pieces instead of the usual six and they have top-notch fish.
My wife had to deprive herself of tuna beacuse of her pregnancy and the first week out of the hospital, we were there for lunch.

Emmons Ave. is quickly becoming a culinary destination. While Lundy's and Randazzos are crap Yasiou is definitely worth a stop for their octopus, Mambo Sushi has some of the most creative and reasonably priced rolls in Brooklyn and XO (above Lohman's) has great French-inspired fare. However, the new steak house -- in Pip's old space -- was horrible and overpriced. I tried the steak house for lunch with the wife and made the mistake of ordering a lobster roll. There was practically no lobster. The owner went and bitched out the chef but they didn't take the meal off the bill. Real classy!
Still, with Roll N Roaster up the block, Limon for seafood, and Sarai, which literally translates to Shack in Russian, serving up comfort food, it's worth cruising the Bay again.

Joy K is on 65th St. near W. 9th St. I think. It also falls between Avenues O and P somehow. I called them to get directions, there actually great for pickup cause the portions are so big.
As for Laksa, I guess I sampled the various appetizers. The chicken satay and coconut shrimp seemed good but maybe someone with a more discerning palate for Asian food would know better. I really haven't had Malaysian that often. It seemed a bit milder than Thai.

I'd try Joy K for Dim Sum any day on 65th St. It was recommended to me on this board and was a definite hit with the fam.
My inlaws live by Asian stretch of Ave U and there are plenty of good places, the best of which is a Malaysian spot off CIA.
And I'll make another pitch for Richard Yee's for any new board members. It's near Bedford and Ave. U and worth the trip just to check out its Rat Pack-style lounge.

My wife and I stumbled into this place after not wanting to blow $600 at Per Se or Masa to celebrate our 3-year wedding anniversary. Boy were we both pleasantly surprised. The steak -- she had the tenderloin for one -- was perfectly cooked. I opted for the duck steak, which got a nod from the waiter. Turns out, the duck is big hit for the price. Our entire meal, with tip, came out to less than $250. We each had an appetizer, the shrimp cocktail -- massive -- and, the seared scallops -- also delish. We also tried some sides, french fries, onion rings and brussel sprouts. The fries were good but not of them were necessary.
They really have their act together on the service at this place. The apps came out quick, followed by entree. We were too stuffed for dessert, though it looked great.
Definitely worth a trip, especially for an occasion.

Anyone try this new middle eastern place that took over Doogie's old spot?

I'm glad someone esle found Richard Yee's. The prices have gotten a bit high, 70 bucks for takeout of 2 dishes and an appetizer, but you get what you pay for. Someone had suggested I try Joy K's and, while it was quite good, Richard Yee's has an ambiance unlike many other.

I had to give up on this place. Aside from the greasy slice, which is wonderful, the wait time is ridonculous. I live near Spumoni Gardens and the squares there are excellent.

I second Beso, no place has a more creative menu and great prices. Duck empenadas are sensational and huevos rancheros are a staple for my wife and I.

For a true Old Man Bar, try heading to Ave Z and 21st Street. It's called the Log Cabin, and you can usually catch one of the old Italian men singing Sinatra tunes. TV screens behind the bar have either sports or karoake text for those looking for a nightly karaoke experience.
There always seems to be smoke in the air, even with our great Mayor's ban, and there's pool hustlers in the back.

Going to the upper West Side for dinner with in-laws. I heard Nargila Grill at W. 72nd St. was good.

If you're in the mood for Mexican, Alma on Columbia St., has a roof deck with views of the Statue of Liberty. It was real mellow and the food is delicious.

If you're looking for some authentic Italian cheeses, head to Gravesend, Ave U and W. 4th St. to be exact. There you will find Dairy Maid, an excellent shop with far better prices than downtown brooklyn -- (everything south of Ocean Parkway and Ave M is downtown to this of us in Coney.