drmoze's Profile
Trader Joe's Most Favored Products of 2011
Steve, you DO need to try the soy chorizo! I'm a meat-eater, but I like this better than the real thing. My fave is heating it up in a skillet (remove from the plastic casing first!) and then scramble eggs into it. Roll that up in a tortilla with some cheese and it's better than 95% of the breakfast burritos I've had while eating out.
I've tried about half of this ist. My only 'meh' of what I tried is the frozen onion soup (18). Good concept, baked it up, soup part was pretty good but the crouton/bread was barely there and flavorless, and most importantly, the cheese was weird--odd texture, tasted like plastic. And FOS has to have killer cheese!
The peanut butter (8) is awesome, and the frozen mac/cheese (9) is a killer easy comfort food, better than many restaurant offerings. I made a killer easy dessert : take 2 triple ginger snap cookies (2), and add a spoonful of pumpkin ice cream between them. Has to be tasted to be believed. (Alas, the pumpkin ice cream is seasonal.) Haven't tried the speculoos yet--afraid of getting hooked!
TJ's coffee - whole bean
I'll second the Bay Blend, and the Fair Trade (not regular) Sumatra is also very good. And making it in an Aeropress is divine; I might as well trash my 2-3 french presses.
Trader Joe's Yea/Nay Thread - 4th quarter 2011 [OLD]
I'm an omnivore, and I love the soy chorizo! Great flavor, very crumbly, and seems to be 'greasy' like the real thing. I brown some in a skillet, scramble in some eggs, and it is delicious. One of the few soy products I actually like.
BOO! Trader joe's organic peanut butter change
TJ's valencia peanut butter with roasted flax seeds is amazing. I don't care whether or not it says 'organic.' And somehow it never separated, and the texture from the fridge is very spreadable, not hard.
Trader Joe's Yea/Nay thread - 4th Quarter 2010 [OLD]
A fresh 'Nay' (although I like the vast majority of my TJ purchases!): The coconut shrimp (frozen box) was 'meh' at best. Tasted too much like the batter, not much coconut flavor, not much shrimp flavor. And the texture was flat, despite having baked them tom a slight crisp.
Trader Joe's Yea/Nay thread - 4th Quarter 2010 [OLD]
Not sure how new these products are, but I just tried them so...
YEAs: Spiced Cranberry Cider (great balanced flavor), Jalapeno Pub Cheese (didn't last long!), Bool Kogi (not new but makes great Korean tacos w/corn tortillas, shredded cabbage, sauce of your choice!), Au Gratin Potatos (frozen, just sampled today)
NAYs: Chicken Chow Mein (cooked in pan, noodles too gummy-flavored, too salty overall); Take-out Thai noodle boxes (small size, blah taste and texture); Chicken Vindaloo bowl (frozen--not bad, but not spicy at all and vindaloo should be VERY spicy!)
What's NOT GOOD at Trader Joe's??? [OLD]
Been shopping TJs a lot lately. Main dislikes are the eastern noodle dishes in the "Chinese Take-out" boxes. (Vacuum-packed noodles and foil sauce pouch.) Tried the pad that and the peanut satay noodles. Texture was off, as was the taste. Smallish serving with a lot of calories. Definitely needed meat or veggies added. Give these a pass.
Best Shaved Ice
Nyonya (Malaysian). Their ABS (rose water) and Chendol (condensed coconut) are both awesome. I can never decide between them, and sometimes get both!
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Nyonya
199 Grand St, New York, NY 10013
Big Apple Barbecue Block Party Fast Pass Now On Sale-- This Year they have added a $25 "service" charge
BABBP=fail. I'll pass this year. Thanks for the heads-up on this ripoff.
RUB or Hill Country
RUB. With few exceptions, the food there is far better imo. In fact, I've had better ribs at some deli buffets than at Hill COuntry (which tasted kind of like boiled pork).
And I also think Dinosaur is really good, better than RUB or HC.
looking for a great crepe restaurant in NYC
Is there a crepe place on 6th Ave, in the lower 20'S? I think I may have passed one there. Haven't partaken, tho.
GYROS....Chicken/Lamb, Mixed Grill...but which tastes best in NYC?
If you're by Mamouns on MacDougal and really want the tastiest lamb, head across the street and down a few doors to Yatagans. Mamouns has good falafel, but Yatagans has the BEST lamb doner kebabs. Mamouns lamb isn't even in the same league.
Affordable Whitefish Salad?
Coincidentally, I did just make whitefish salad myself. Peel the skin back and the meat slides off both sides. I used a relatively small amount of mayo, a bit of dill and celery salt, and some finely-chopped white onions that I soaked in water first to mellow out. Actually tastes better than any other wf salad I've had in a long time, and one fish made a huge amount for not much money.
Is Trader Joe's REALLY coming to Chelsea? If so, when?
I've seen confirmation of this from various sources this week. Supposed to open sometime in 2010. It's right around the corner from me (YAY!) so I'll be checking on the progress.
hard rock cafe [moved from Manhattan board]
I ate at the HRC in the Hard Rock Casino in Florida recently. Had a burger with apple slices and bacon--it was surprisingly good. I dined with two vegetarians that also really liked their meals. The nachos were also very good. Better than the average chain imo.
What are the great deals at TJ"s
One great deal at TJ's is their "Avocado's Number" guacamole. (Cute pun for chemistry nerds.) Better than most restaurant guac, and just $3-4 for 2 large plastic trays. Much tastier and bigger than the tiny portions you can get as a side dish in Mexi restaurants.
Their OJ and grapefruit juice is much better than the regular restaurant brands and cheaper too. And their spiced cider is to die for.
Five Guys vs. In-N-Out
They are both solid fast-food-type burgers, far better than the 'generic' chains (McD's, Wendy's, etc.). Can't go wrong with either imo. Except that being on the east coast, it's 5 Guys for me.
BUT: what really rocks my world is the 5 Guys breakfast burger with 2 fresh-cooked eggs, a burger patty, and toppings (cheese, sauteed mushrooms & onions, and hot sauce for me!). 5 Guys does have more options than In-n-Out, even with the 'secret' menu. Alas, the breakfast burgers are only available in the DC airports. Definitely worth checking out!!
review: shave ice at cafe zaiya
Can you compare this to the Chendol and ABC at Nyonya (which are awesome, btw!).
Healthy in Chelsea
Energy Kitchen, 17th St by 8th Ave. Very good menu, everything there is health-oriented. The meso-man shake is great, as is the bison cheese wrap, or any platter.
Liquor stores
Not sure of that specific brand, but Warehouse Liquors on Broadway at 8th St (a bit south of your preferred location) has a huge selection of vodkas (and other liquors), as well as great prices. It is conveniently located right at the R/W stop (8th St). Worth the trip from anywhere--just bring a big backpack! Major selection of good tequilas, bourbons, scotches, liqueurs, etc. (Big wine section too, but I can't vouch for the details.) And they always have some crazy deals (check the table straight ahead near the back when you enter).
Eisenberg's for breakfast?
One of the best neighborhood alternatives (IF you like classic diner breakfasts) is the Malibu Diner on 23rd St, just east (closer) of 7th Ave.
happy hour bar with good food
1849 on Bleeker (2 blocks from 4th St subway.) Great wings (20 cents 3-6pm) and nachos, 1/2 price happy hour until 8 every day, decent beer selection, a menu with a lot of other food options. Lots of small tables in the main space.
Best all you can eat sushi NYC???
Respectfully disagree. The pieces are large--both rice and fish--but the proportion is correct. How do you 'hide' a lot of rice with a big piece of fish and call that bad??? Their regular rolls are just OK IMO, but their handrolls are great. And did I mention the tasty scallops, or the huge and tasty eel (as well as a great eel-avocado handroll)?
Ice Cream Sundae
A great sundae is truly something best concocted at home: take your favorite ice cream(s), add your favorite sauces/fruits/nuts, and enjoy. Honestly, you can get a much better sundae than I've found at 90% of restaurants that serve them, and for a fraction of the inflated price they charge. Keep some sauce (hot fudge, caramel, etc.) and a bag of nuts on hand (walnuts, peanuts, both) and you can have great sundaes on a whim. My favorite is french vanilla ice cream with hot fudge and lots of peanuts,and real whipped cream. Many restaurants don't even offer peanuts on their sundaes.
Best Coffee in Chelsea
I believe TBSP (20th bet. 5th/6th) just put out a sign indicating they now sell Stumptown coffee. I *think* i just saw that!
Where do you go for Malaysian cuisine?
You've aired this specific gripe before. As a counterbalance, I find that most everyone I have been there with (including a Malaysian couple) really like the food at Nyonya a lot. So, if you're not fixated on having Kangkung Belacan with lots of belacan in it, Nyonya is worth a visit.
Best diner
I really like Malibu Diner (23rd St near 7th Ave) as a classic, unpretentious diner with consistently good food. OTOH, I found Comfort Diner to be a disappointing experience,and more geared to the tourist/trendy market than to seekers of good diner food.
ISO Bottomless Drink Brunch Midtown
BTW, if you like frozen margaritas, the ones at Film Center Cafe (served in pint glasses when I was there) are *killer*! Bloody marys are also good there.
ISO Bottomless Drink Brunch Midtown
Pretty far from midtown! If the OP is looking west, I'd recommend the Film Center Cafe as #1 on my list in that area. HK is pretty good, but pricier and not really better than FCC. Both are on 9th Ave.
