skeetereats's Profile
Fatty 'Cue - anyone been?
Hey bigjeff!
Glad you liked my little video on Fatty 'Cue. Really fun filming with those guys. My feeling from being with them is that they'll open in Jan 2010.
I will say, and I'm pretty honest how I feel about food...and, lucky me, they let me taste everything coming out of the smoker. :) - The flavors on the meat really got me excited. You thought about BBQ in a whole new light. Like the fermented shrimp pasted added this lovely saltiness to the lamb. It was perfectly cooked by the pitmaster...juicy, spicy, and the fat really kept the meat moist and flavorful. Can't wait for everyone else to try it! @SkeeterNYC, http://www.foodcurated.com
Serendipity 3's Non-sweets - Should I Bother??
Hey all! My friends arranged for a holiday dinner tonight at Serendipity 3. Just wondering, is it even worth getting dinner there or should I just go for dessert? I'd love to know your feelings on this! Thx!
Has anyone ever eaten at the bar at Babbo?
I don't mind earplugs if the food is as good as everyone says! Thanks for all the advice and tips everyone. I think I'm going to go ahead and make this experience happen!
Proper biriyani
I second Sangam. Ate there recently b/c of a great review I read in one of the local magazines. A pretty amazing story on how it got started, but the place is known for it's biriyani - one of the 2 dozen things on their menu.
Has anyone ever eaten at the bar at Babbo?
I heard it's the best way to get a meal there without having to deal with booking a reservation. True? Do I have to come in at a certain time to get a seat? I've been dying to try their mint love letters.
Opinions on the little cafe above Kalustyan's?
Just stopped by for lunch today upstairs at Kalustyans to try the mujaddara sandwich. DELICIOUS! All that spice and goodness for 5 bucks! I feel like I'm cheating them.
Just be warned, it's a beast of a sandwich. I am still in a food coma but pleasantly dreaming of tasty lentils.
NYC best Crab cakes....
The Lobster Place crab cakes are the best hands down, it's 95% crab meat which why people love it. I know people who buy their crab cakes by the dozen, for a sit down dinner for two. But, you have to cook them yourself at home, preferably with a nice glass of white wine.
Mercadito or Mexicana Mama
I love Mercadito but the West Village shop is kind of small, but not as small as Mexicana Mama which I also am a big fan of. If you go to Mercadito, get the fish tacos. Amazing!
Other than that, the most authentic taco I've had in the city is that little hole in the wall shop in SoHo call Pinche Taqueria. Their Tacos Al Pastor will make you think you're sitting at a bar in Mexico: http://www.pinchetaqueria.com/
Best Seafood Markets/Stores in Manhattan/BK?
About the Lobster Place - I just went to the Grand Opening of their renovated store in Chelsea Market over the weekend during the NY Food & Wine Festival. Wow! It's 3 times the size with more room and more seafood options than before. You need to check it out. You won't even recognize it. They even have a "Shack in the Back" for made to order lobster rolls, shrimp salad rolls, crab clubs, and bread bowl soups. Yum! I think it's the best place for high quality, low priced seafood in Manhattan. Plus, their in-store sushi counter does not skimp on their sushi rolls, unlike most places in the city. You're getting the freshest sushi made from whole fish they cut that morning at more affordable prices.
Any Resto recommendations?
So I'm back. Thanks so much for the recommendations!
First off, the wait was AWFUL! I waited over and hour and twenty minutes for a table, and that's after arriving there at 8:40pm. Now, I wouldn't have minded the wait so much if the food delivered on flavor, but I must say, I don't think the food was good enough to go back a second time. My burger, too, was very salty. I wasn't impressed at all. I mean, I can name 7 other burgers in the city that are much more flavorful. There so much salt that you don't even taste the meat! Fries were fine...cooked well, but forgettable, as were the mussels. I cook better mussels at home! The broth, especially, lacked richness.
The good dishes: I never eat deviled eggs and could have had the whole platter to myself. That was a highlight. As for the beef cheek carbonnade, it was tender and fatty in a good way, but again, over salted and not very complex.
I left very tired and disappointed.
Any Resto recommendations?
I'm hitting up the Belgian restaurant tonight and want to find out, if I don't get the Time Out rated best new burger in Manhattan, what's the next best option?
Restaurants that feel like home...
I must confess, given that I've lived here for 7 years, I still haven't found that one place in New York that I go to again and again and again and again. Where I know the owner. Shake hands with the staff. Trade personal stories with the bartender. Am treated like an old childhood friend.
I think it's because I'm on this endless quest to eat and try something new every time I go out to eat! And although I don't think that's a bad thing, I do sometimes wish I had my own "go to" kitchen here in New York. It's about time!
Would love to hear about the spots you've grown to frequent over and over again...it would be fun for me to check 'em out.
A foodie MUST: Sable's Smoked Tuna Salad
Hey foodies!
Please please please take my word for it and detour yourself over to Sable's on the Upper East Side to pick up a container of their Smoked Tuna Salad.
I just bought a pound of it yesterday just to try it, WOW!
Has anyone else out there had it?
It's such a nice break from the regular and boring white tuna salad!
It'll leave an impression!
And it's definitely worth a trip even if you don't live anywhere near there like me!
Best lumpia/Filipino market?
I totally second Grill 21.
Went there a few weeks ago for the first time...ordered their lumpia and it was just as I had hoped it would be. Crispy...meaty...flavorful.
And I love that the patrons were mostly filipino! That's how I can always tell it's a good "find".
Yeah, and don't leave there w/o their crispy pata!
I believe it's on 21st and 1st Ave.
If you're craving STONE CRAB CLAWS...
This weekend, I feasted on 2lbs of stone crab that I bought at the Lobster Place in Chelsea Market on Saturday.
Oh, man, was it good!
I bought the stone crab mustard that the store makes to go with it, which was very good, but the crabs didn't need it! They were sweet all on their own. In fact, I enjoyed eating the "knuckle" meat more than the actual claw meet. For some reason, it was just more tender.
I guess the stone crab season opened in October...but I didn't notice them in NYC until now. I'd recommend them instead of shrimp cocktail if you want to impress anyone during your holiday parties!
Blue crab will always be my favorite, but it's nice to have something new from time to time.
Hey, does anyone out there have a good stone crab recipe?
Most Exotic Dish/Restaurant in NYC?
Try balut at Elvie's Turo Turo on 1st Avenue.
It's an asian delicacy...a self contained dish...
a duck egg so ripened that the duck foetus has formed, with a few feathers...
For the adventurous eater for sure.
I've eaten it a handful of times over in the Philippines. It's good with a chaser of beer!
You can read about it on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balut
Have fun.
Bay Scallops?
Just got word...it's Friday afternoon...The Lobster Place is carrying Peconic Bay Scallops today! Just got a new shipment this morning from Long Island! Knowing the demand, they won't last long.
Yaxpac - have a ball!
The Number One BEST Thai Restaurant in NYC
A hidden gem (that's not talked about enough) is this little little place called Amarin Cafe in on Manhattan Ave. (btn Nassau/Driggs) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Reliable, fresh, super-delicious Thai food in a very welcoming, no-frills environment. And sooo consistent! They have the best pad thai I've ever ever eaten, and believe me, I am a lover of pad thai! And when you ask for spicy, beware!
Other satisfying dishes there:
- BBQ Chicken
- Masaman Curry
- Green Curry
- Spicy Noodles
- Shrimp & Mango Salad
- Beef Sate
The menu is small, but it's all you ever need. I eat there at least 2xs a week because it's an addiction of sorts. And I know I'm not the only one...
My brother went to Sripaphai recently for dinner and said that Amarin comes in a close 2nd. But, since I've never been, Amarin's #1 on my list!
Nice place after Landmark Sunshine cinema on Houston
I really like Max on Ave. B btn 3rd & 4th Street.
Great italian homemade pastas. Killer ambiance. But not white-tablecloth.
Doesn't matter though...you don't need it!
Best Cuban sandwich in NYC?
In the Lower East Side, I always order up a cubano sandwich at Paladar (a Latin American restaurant on Ludlow). It's got a lively atmosphere and good mojitos to wash 'em down with.
I like it because it has the right amount of filling as to not overwhelm the pressed bread. Crisp to the bite!
You wouldn't expect a good cubano here...I didn't, but I'm glad I've known about it for years!
Republic--What's your favorite noodle dish?
I always get their noodle dish with the marinated, grilled pork chop. That's my vote.
I think their coconut shrimp is overrated. But it's a great deal with good portions and fast service for Union Square.
Last time I ate in that area I had cuban food at Havana Central. I think they're on 17th Street. Try there next time. Not the best cubano sandwiches, but everything else I had was tasty and satisfying. Good prices too!
The Sidecar Restaurant @ P.J. Clarke's
I didn't even know this place existed above P.J. Clarke's restaurant (55th and 3rd) until tonight!
A very cozy, spacious, laid back atmosphere in comparison to its noisy, congested street level counterpart. Brick walls. Dark wood. Leather booths. Private. A semi-steakhouse feel...with the majority of the tables taken up by well-dressed finance types. I guess.
Regarding the food, I must say, their artichoke dip was fantastic.
But their $38 sirlion is nothing to brag about. I ordered my sirloin medium rare. But I found my steak quite bland and not as fatty as promised. Not recommended for a memorable steak...not that I was expecting to be blown away or anything.
Overall, a great atmosphere to catch up with friends...and if I were you, I'd skip the steak and stick to their burgers.
Please note: I did not try their seafood dishes... Is it good?
What to try at a Polish meat market/deli?
Once I get my hands on these meats and things I'll make sure to give a full review on my findings. I'll be on the lookout for fresh pierogies. I'm sure there's a deli here that sells them.
Much appreciated!
Bay Scallops?
Hey Yaxpac!
That is pretty funny. I heard that too about the lack of supply for this year. Maybe they just haven't found the "sweet spots" in the water yet... I did a mini-doc on the harvesting of local bay scallops for the local tv station last year and the crop was quite healthy then it seemed.
Do you ever go to Stuart's Seafood market in Amagansett? They have different baymen that work for them. Maybe they had more luck harvesting out in the East Hampton Town waters.
The Lobster Place as you mentioned is where I shop for my seafood. I know they get new stuff everyday. I'm sure as long as you keep checking in with them you'll be able to eat to your hearts content.
And since you love seafood, I saw last week that they had Pumpkin Swordfish in. It's got a orange/pink flesh like salmon since they feast on krill. Not sure how long the season will last. Anyhow, if you can get your hands on that, you'll thank me!
What to try at a Polish meat market/deli?
Wow. Now, that's the kind of stuff I was looking for!
Just wondering, what makes a good pierogi? There are at least a half a dozen or more brands out here. What should I look for as far as flavor and texture and filling? I'm curious...
And...did you just slice the bacon and fry it? Or did you use it for soups/sauces, etc?
What to try at a Polish meat market/deli?
I live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with a plethora of Polish meat markets and food shops around the 'hood. Can anyone help guide me through the tempting choices of meats and goodies?
I always see huge lines at the markets with local Polish folk scrambling for hanging meats and pre-made dishes all the time, but I have no idea what they're ordering (besides kielbasa), how they're cooking it, or where to begin!
Anyone out there an expert?
Also, any Polish beer recommendations to wash it all down with?
The Lobster Place Clambake
I agree. What I usually do is called the person ahead of time to tell them I'm gifting them a clambake so I can arrange a time that they can expect it in the mail. Most of my friends have been happy with the results when cooking it the day of or the day after it arrives.
Fatty Crab is the worst meal I've ever had in New York
The Short Rib Rendang was a religious experience. The meat was so fatty and well braised that it just melted in my mouth! And the added touch of coconut shavings to top off the sweet/spicy dish just made it SING! I still can't stop thinking about it!
I loved the random order for sending out the food. The cramped quarters and noisy atmosphere didn't bother me at all...it kind of reminded me of all those authentic food eating experiences I had traveling through Asia. Loud, a little dirty, a lot cramped...but who cares if the food is good!
The Lobster Place Clambake
I have personally purchased half-a-dozen of these delicious, easy to cook clambakes from The Lobster Place. Honestly, I haven't had a friend or family member who didn't call me back with tales of a full belly and raves for the freshness, the big portions and the tasty lobsters. It's the best deal you can get for a real deal clambake. The Lobster Place can offer competitive prices out there since they are the largest lobster distributer in Manhattan. I highly recommend it. It's possibly the most unique gift you can give to a foodie, and so much fun to cook!
I especially enjoy how they pack the clambake with seaweed which you use during the cooking process. It adds that special fresh-from-the-sea flavor to not only the clams and lobsters, but to the corn and potatoes as well!
Bay Scallops?
Now that the season is upon us, I actually take a nice 1.5 hour drive out to Hampton Bays, Long Island where I buy my Peconic Bay Scallops (at around $22/lb) fresh from local baymen. They are delicious! You can even eat them raw and enjoy their unique sweetness without the trouble of cooking. There's this great little seafood shop, Cor J's Seafood right near the Ponquogue Bridge that has the best selection of local fish and shellfish and that nice small town local vibe that you just can't get in NYC. It's worth the trip!
