phatcat43's Profile
La Vigna in Forest Hills?
I went to La Vigna once maybe four years ago and it wasn't anything special. They never seem to have any customers, so I'm not surprised they're offering a 3 course special.
I went to La Tavernetta before they moved to Metropolitan and it was just ok. I would never go there now; I hate how their menu is completely unfocused (they serve several types of cuisine, in addition to Italian). That's always a huge red flag for me. I'm sure others will defend it, though.
Has anyone suggested Danny Brown's to you? Its by far the best restaurant in Forest Hills and just a few blocks down Metropolitan. I've eaten there several times and always left very satisfied.
http://www.dannybrownwinekitchen.com/
Brooklyn Star
SO and I ate there on Sunday. Overall it was a disappointing experience for a few reasons.
1) The food was a mixed bag. We really like the mac & cheese; its creamy, flavorful, nicely charred and had a unique mustard-tinged flavor that we really enjoyed. We also enjoyed the shrimp and grits: nicely charred shrimp, creamy, salty grits and two perfectly soft eggs. The corn bread wasn't anything special; its hyped as made to order, but it didn't really taste like corn. I commented that it tasted too much like cake and I kept thinking of banana bread. The chicken fried steak wasn't good. It was pretty bland and the breading separated from the beef way too easily. The mashed potatoes were fine but combined with the thick cream gravy they felt too 'full' to the taste. The best thing about the dish was the slaw; that was a special dish - tangy, great texture, excellent.
2) Service - not good, and the bottom line is that we felt completely rushed. The mac & cheese app came out at an appropriate time. But the cornbread we ordered to be served with our dinner came out not long after we started out appetizer. Then the entrees were served when we were only halfway through the M&C; to make it worse, they didn't come out together. Mine came out a few minutes after my SO's dish. The server also cleared my plate before my SO was finished, which I hate.
3) The space - its very narrow and tight, and unless you're lucky enough to get one of the tables/booths in the corner, prepared to be jostled. Its hard to relax at dinner when servers bump your chair literally every 2 minutes. That, along with being rushed with food, made me want to get out of there ASAP.
Add it all up and it was a bad experience. I'm sure the food and course timing could improve, but man that space is too tight.
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Brooklyn Star
593 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Local restaurant for dinner within walking distance of Scottsdale W
Hi there - here on business from NYC and looking for some recs for dinner tonight. I'm staying at the W Scottsdale and would like to walk to somewhere nearby. Any recommendations? Thanks!
Review - Casa de Elian (Forest Hills)
Queens is not a "neighborhood". Forest Hills is a neighborhood. And the question is where can you get a decent meal for 2 for $30 in this neighborhood. You could go to 5 Burro Cafe and get two orders of steak tacos for probably $40 with tax and tip. At Nick's you could get a pie and a salad for $30 if you drink water. I'm struggling to think of anything else that isn't a chain or disgusting.
Atlas Park Dining
We tried the German place at Atlas Park a couple of weeks ago. Complete agreement about the potato pancakes - they tasted like frozen hashbrowns fried to oblivion. But I thought the bratwurst was tasty, and the sauerkraut was fresh. That, combined with being able to sit outside (even in a mall, I know) and drink cold Franziskaner is enough for me to go back.
I've driven by Uvarara (which should be nominated for "Hardest restaurant name to pronounce") and wondered what it was, and now will definitely try it! Will also check out La Tavernetta!
Kid-friendly dinner in Forest Hills
If steak tacos are considered non-Chowish (and of course they're served with the requisite rice and beans), and you don't mind waiting a while, then 5 Burro Cafe is always an excellent choice.
What's the best BBQ restaurant in NYC ?
I've really enjoyed Rub the few times I've been there. I'm also a fan of Blue Smoke, though the waits can be unbearble. Tried Rack and Soul the other day (which I suppose is a soul food restaurant but they serve the same things a BBQ restaurant serves) and was underwhelmed, though the ribs were good. Virgil's has been a mixed bag for me but I have had some enjoyable dinners there.
My rec would be Rub, but you can't go wrong with Blue Smoke either.
Making a Case for...Mood and a Movie in Kew Gardens
I ate their once...its kinda of a Pakistani/Indian/Kashmiri hybrid restaurant. I thought the food was mediocre. It doesn't look like they take the restaurant all that seriously; its almost always empty.
Making a Case for...Mood and a Movie in Kew Gardens
So the idea for this is to build a case for an under the radar Outer Borough experience. This one: Kew Gardens!
The last two Saturdays my SO (aka pellegrino31 on the boards) and I have spent our afternoon in Kew Gardens, first having lunch at Mood and followed by a movie at Kew Gardens Cinema. If you're looking for a pleasant, inexpensive way to spend your Saturday - including excellent food and watching independent film - give it a try.
First, Mood. Its almost always empty for lunch on Saturdays (they have a brunch on Sundays that we have not tried as yet), but don't equate their empty dining room with bad food. We've tried five things on their lunch menu - cheeseburger, chicken sandwich, ravioli with proscuitto and fontina, autumn salad and smoked salmon sandwich, all $7 or less - and we've been extremely happy with quality of the food. The only blip was an undercooked burger that they corrected without a problem. Their fries are fantastic - fresh, crispy and perfectly salted, and the burger is great. We've had dinner there a couple of times (salmon, filet mignon) as well and have been very impressed. In a neighborhood with few options, it's fantastic. We live in Forest Hills and would love to see a place like this on Austin St. - modern, American, high quality and well priced.
After lunch, Kew Gardens Cinema is a wonderful place to watch a movie, a Queens treasure. They show excellent movies in an old timey movie theater, complete with excellent popcorn. The first show on weekends is $6.
Convinced? Try it for yourself and report back!
Flushing Chinatown - Main Street
I'm very much partial to Fay Da on 4160 Main (I think its between 41st Rd. and Sanford Ave.). I'm not fond of Chinese bakeries in general, but their sponge cakes are to die for. Lightest, melt-in-your-mouth pastry you'll ever eat (when they're fresh).
Flushing Chinatown - Main Street
My SO and I ate at a Cantonese noodle shop in Flushing a couple of weeks ago. Its on the corner of Prince and 39th Ave. I can't remember the name of it, but its very modern inside and open very late. We thought it was very good - excellent broth in the noodel soup, roast pork and shrimp dumplings. And unlike most Chinese restaurants in Flushing, it was clean - even the bathrooms. Definitely recommended.
Flushing Chinatown - Main Street
My SO and I ate at a Cantonese noodle shop in Flushing a couple of weeks ago. Its on the southwest corner of 138th St. and 39th Ave. I can't remember the name of it, but its very modern inside and open very late. We thought it was very good - excellent broth in the noodel soup, roast pork and shrimp dumplings. And unlike most Chinese restaurants in Flushing, it was clean - even the bathrooms. Definitely recommended.
Online Tea Merchants - Who Are You Ordering From And What?
If you're looking to try lots of different types of teas, I definitely recommend Upton. They sell samples of teas from all around the world for $1. I've already found 3 teas that I love from their samples. And I think they're considerably cheaper than Adagio, IMO. But you can't lose with either site.
Online Tea Merchants - Who Are You Ordering From And What?
I've ordered from Adagio Tea and Upton Tea Imports. I like them both though lately I've been more impressed with Upton Tea's selection and prices. I almost exclusively drink black tea (and almost always with milk), and I'm a fan of Yunnan and Ceylon teas. I love their Yunnan Harvest Time Golden and their Kenilsworth Estate Ceylon.
I was raised on bagged Lipton as well, but I find that any loose tea will be a major improvement over most bags. The quality and depth of flavor are just much better. Its like going from Sanka to freshly ground coffee.
Best restaurants in Forest Hills
1) 5 Burro - I really, really treasure this place. Their steak anything (tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas) are fantastic. I also love their chicken dishes (usually with garlic and olive oil). They have great chili and a hearty chicken soup. And the margaritas are great too. The atmosphere is tight and crowded but usually lots of fun.
2) Nick's. Bottom line is that I love their pizza. Excellent crust and tomato sauce, high quality toppings. Nice, relaxed atmosphere.
3) Dee's. Not as crazy about the atmosphere but love their pizza. Their entrees are good too. I had salmon there once that was delicious but overpriced ($25!).
4) U.J.'s luncheonette. Solid diner that does almost everything well.
5) East Ocean Palace. Really enjoy this place, especially their beef and shrimp dishes.
And...that's about it. Otherwise, I've found every other restaurant to be inconsistent, mediocre and/or overpriced. There are plenty of Thai restaurants that are mediocre and twice the price of Thai places elsewhere that are much better.
Aside from restaurants, FH is also fortunate enough to have a great bakery (Bonnelle), cheese shop (Cheeses of the World), seafood shop (Forest Hills Fishery), good grocery store (the Natural) and butcher (Metro Meats on Metropolitan).
Forest Hills has ZERO bars worth patronizing IMO. Dirty Pierre's (71st and Burns) comes closest but is tiny and doesn't have a beer selection I can live with (nor any tap beer).
On the plus side, you'll always 17 minutes from Manhattan on the LIRR....
falai, crispo, red cat or town?
I've only been to Crispo, but I found it to be lively and fun. And the food was outstanding.
cheap eats (lunch) in murray hill / n. gramercy park
Just tried Lamazou and I definitely recommend it. Had a delicious half-sandwich that was substantial (big enough for a "half" sandwich to be cut in half...go figure) and a very nice white bean and broccoli soup. All for less than $8. It immediately goes to the top my cheap eats lunch list in this area.
Baked Egg Custard Buns -- Dim Sum
Does anyone know any Chinese restaurants/dim sum places that serve baked egg custard buns? I used to have them at a Chinese restaurant in Forest Hills (Golden Sea) but it has since closed down.
They're baked with a golden flaky-ish crust and a sweet custard filling. Here's a picture - http://dimsumonline.com/product_detail.asp?ProductName=Baked%20Egg%20Custard%20Bun
Baked Egg Custard Buns -- Dim Sum
Does anyone know any Chinese restaurants/dim sum places that serve baked egg custard buns? I used to have them at a Chinese restaurant in Forest Hills (Golden Sea) but it has since closed down.
They're baked with a golden flaky-ish crust and a sweet custard filling. Here's a picture - http://dimsumonline.com/product_detail.asp?ProductName=Baked%20Egg%20Custard%20Bun
sweet tea
Its not "traditional" sweet tea, but lately I've been making iced tea with loose leaf Ceylon tea and lemon. You can find loose leaf Ceylon black tea at any online seller (www.uptontea.com, for example). For a 2-quarter pitcher, I boil 2 quarts of water (about what fits in a tea kettle. I steep about 5 teaspoons of Ceylon in a loose leaf filter (also available from an online tea store) for about 10 minutes then add 4 slices of lemon and sugar to taste (I use about 1/3 of a cup). I think this iced tea is incredibly refreshing.
UPDATED METS - SHEA RECOMMENDATIONS
Hi, Tac Coatzinga sounds great but I can't find info about it anywhere. Do you have a link to a site or an address? Thanks!
Jade Eatery and Lounge - Forest Hills
I've eaten at East Ocean Palace several times and I've always been very, very happy with their food. I love their shrimp - its extremely fresh and prepared expertly. Their beef is very tender and flavorful, and their pork pan fried noodles are to die for. I've tried many Chinese restaurants in Flushing and while some meals have been great, they're also very uneven. E.O.P. has been consistently good.
I sure miss the custard buns they used to serve at dim sum when the restaurant was Golden Sea.
You think Dee's sucks? I've always liked their pizza (eat-in only) and I once had a fabulous piece of salmon there (though overpriced @ $25 for some reason).
But other than 5 Burro and Nick's I'm consistently underwhelmed by the food in FH. Its one of most disappointing things about the 'hood.
Bakeries near 25th and Park
Looking for any bakeries near 25th and Park area...thanks!
