So study up because seating is sparse and you need to be ready when your order is taken, otherwise you may not eat at all. Or you can follow the Food Guy’s reliable lead and go with the $19 Mexican Breakfast Skillet Combination, Letter “I”: 3 Hatch green chile egg sliders, lightly fried hash browns, 3 coconut pancakes, and 3 smushed and fried plantains. In other words, insane breakfast deliciousness, in a skillet. Read on to find out why eating at Shopsins is an adventure like no other…

It All Comes Down to One Ingredient

The key ingredient to this entire skillet combo is the Hatch green chiles. Kenny Shopsin has them specially shipped from New Mexico and it’s a good thing because their flavor and level of spice blended perfectly with every aspect of this meal. Balance is achieved through the Hatch green chiles because they offset the sweetness of the pancakes, temper the saltiness of the eggs and cheese and enhance the perfectly fried yet naked hash browns.

If things are moving slowly before your order, self serve a cup of coffee from behind the counter. That’s the kind of place Shopsins is. Take care of yourself so Kenny can take care of the food and in turn, you.

Coconut Pancakes, Fried Hash Browns & Mundane Plantains

It’s coconut and it’s pancakes. How can you go wrong? Well at Shopsins, you really can’t. These thin, airy flapjacks were loaded with shredded coconut and tasted even better when drenched in Vermont maple syrup (a tiny, individual sized bottle is provided). The pancakes’ sweetness is offset by combining bites with the spicy and cheesy sliders.

Hash browns usually fall short because they’re undercooked, never as well done as I’d like. Not a problem here, where a quick dip in some bubbling hot oil crisps up every tiny piece of diced potato. The smashed and fried plantains were the only lackluster aspect of this meal, they ended up dry and flavorless and while their crunch was welcomed, their flavor failed to contribute to the harmony of the meal.

An Unrivaled Eating Adventure

Shopsins is an eating adventure like no other thanks to two factors:

1) the honest, eccentric and well-intentioned attitudes of the inimitable Kenny Shopsin and his family and 2) the existence of a menu overflowing with so many tantalizing and curious items, it’s a wonder Mr. Shopsin can perfectly create them all in his limited Essex Market space. But create he does and with an unrivaled flair and love for providing hearty portions of damn good food.

Alas, you don’t question greatness, and if you haven’t eaten and experienced Shopsins, you’re not a real New Yorker. Because in the end, New York City is only as strong as its neighborhoods and that’s all Kenny Shopsin hopes to create: a place where people from all of New York’s neighborhoods can come for brutally honest conversation and delicious food. What’s more New York than that?

Shopsins General Store

Pdf File Menu

Sarabeth’s Buttermilk Pancakes with sliced strawberry & banana ($13.50)

Good Enough to Eat’s Lumber Jack (Two Buttermilk pancakes, two eggs, two pieces of bacon – $10.50) & a side of biscuits with strawberry butter ($2.25)

What Makes A Good Pancake?

1. Light and airy
2. Unique, homemade flavor which separates it from other pancakes
3. Though they may be a struggle to finish, you want to keep pushing because they’re so good
4. Extra points for banana or other fruit mixed INTO the batter (not just on top)

Sarabeth’s

I’ve seen these pancakes on several top lists and the place certainly looks nice enough to work some magic on the flat griddle. Unfortunately, looks were deceiving. Solid on presentation, poor on execution.

• Pancakes were bland, generic and doughy. Finishing them was an unrewarding struggle.
• Buttering the pancakes is key to deliciousness, make sure you do that quickly so it melts in.
• Maple syrup was authentic and warm, no artificial flavors here.

Sarabeth’s Iced Coffee

The one saving grace of the meal. For around $5 you get a nice little pitcher of strong Iced Coffee, good for at least 2 and a half, maybe three glasses, depending on how much milk you use.

Other Sarabeth’s Notes

Two women next to me ordered the crab cake sandwich ($19.50). They said the biscuit-like bun, Sarabeth’s English muffin, was tough and the matchstick fries were cold and stale.

Good Enough to Eat

Unfortunately, being mobbed every weekend has gone to their heads. They’ve got a unique menu but portions are small. As a result, reasonable prices aren’t so great anymore. You need to order a feast like the Lumber Jack (strawberries cost extra) below to get some bang for your buck.

• Pancakes are light and airier than Sarabeth’s but lacking in the flavor department
• Make sure to spread the strawberry butter and syrup all over to make up for that
• Order a side of fresh, tasty biscuits and strawberry butter to fill out your meal

The desserts are homemade, tasty and always changing so make sure to ask what your options are. I recommend the coconut cake with cream cheese frosting.

Good Enough to Eat’s Omelet ($10.25)

The combination of a hastily prepared omelet and an underwhelming portion of fillings plus the absence of any potato side (i.e. home fries) makes for an overpriced omelet. Again, the bread & strawberry butter are the only saving graces.

Conclusion

Neither Sarabeth’s nor Good Enough to Eat’s pancakes can shine the shoes of Clinton Street Baking Company. While both places are more fun that the neighborhood diner, I think they’re being buoyed by hype and their names more than the quality of their food. If you don’t mind spending a few extra dollars, you can at least thank the NYC Food Guy for pointing out both restaurant’s shortcomings. If you know of any great, under the radar pancakes, please send them my way in the comments section.

Sarabeth’s

Good Enough to Eat

Skirt Steak

• This was my first time having steak and eggs and it’s probably all downhill from here mainly because Yuca Bar’s was so delicious. It came medium rare as requested, and the flavor struck a nice balance between fire, garlic and beef.
• It’s topped with chimichurri, an onion/garlic sauce that’s spicy and so flavorful I would recommend ordering a tiny side to eat with your eggs.
• My only complaint was that I wish the serving was bigger, but for $13.95 I can’t complain.

Home Fries/Black Beans & Rice

• Great balance of flavor due to the usage of sweet potato and Idaho potato.
• Like all home fries these fell short because they weren’t crispy enough for me. I asked for them well done but they weren’t cooked evenly.
• I tasted my friend’s black beans and rice and they were standard. Nothing amazing. It really comes down to what you’re more in the mood for, but you can’t go wrong with either one. If you’re with a friend, one of you should get home fries and the other rice and beans and then split.

Eggs

Cooked any way you want, mine were scrambled and delicious. They were fluffy and a little wet so if you like your eggs dry make sure to request it.

Click Here for the rest of the Prix Fix Brunch Menu

Sweet Plantains $4.00

Our table neighbors had an extra order of this tropical treat and were kind enough to share. Amen to that, they were delicious. I like my plantains cooked until they’re caramelized and a little crispy and Yuca Bar’s were just that. Sweet, ripe and delicious. I recommend an order for an appetizer.

Loco Tuesdays aka Happy Hour & Half Priced Tapas

Loco Tuesdays at Yuca Bar means Happy Hour from 1pm until 8pm Monday to Friday.

$6 sangria, mojitos, caipirinhas, margaritas and $4 draft beers.

It also means half priced tapas. Check out the menu below.

Conclusion

Great brunch spot with outdoor patio and a solid Happy Hour; It seems like you can’t really go wrong at Yuca Bar. I’ll be back to check out the rest of the menu so keep an eye out.

Yuca Bar

Ah the woes of NYC Food Guy. What makes this dish even harder to pass up is that it’s only available for brunch two days a week: Saturday from 11AM to 3:30PM and Sunday from 10AM to 4PM. If you have a curious mind, you’re probably wondering how this dish breaks down and how rich it really is. Read on for those answers and a look at some crispy home fries, airy toasted almond pancakes, and a great way to upgrade the already delicious Pepper Jack & Bacon Club.

One of my loyal readers, Stephanie, recommended Good as a great West Village brunch spot. Once I spotted the Banana Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast on the menu, I made a mental note and foraged on with other eating adventures. When I finally ate brunch at the homey, airy restaurant on Greenwich Street, the French Toast mainly surpassed my expectations but fell short in one department: abundance of banana.

Confectioner’s sugar, soft brown sugar, and sliced ripe banana covered the fluffy, griddled bread and provided a level of sweetness that made the syrup, which tasted like honey, totally unnecessary. The de-crusted white bread tasted like Mom’s French toast, griddled in nothing more than an egg wash, and was stuffed with a mixture of airy whipped cream cheese and mashed ripe bananas.

Here’s the plan of attack I recommend:

1. Lack of banana was my only complaint, so ration appropriately as you take a slice banana and bread.
2. Rub your forked slice in some of the brown sugar.
3. Eat, enjoy, repeat.

The Banana Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast was so delicious because of the quality of ingredients, the balance of flavor, and surprisingly light nature of the entire dish. As I said before, the syrup is sweetness overkill, so use at your own risk. The true key is the understated flavor of the well-griddled bread which allows the creamy stuffing and brown sugar to take center stage. I strongly recommend this and after seeing and tasting the remaining dishes, I’d definitely go with it again.

Roasted Turkey, Pepper Jack & Bacon Club with Herb Mayo… Upgrade to Grilled Chicken

My sister was in the mood for a grilled cheese but since she’s not a huge fan of Cheddar or Pepperjack, the only cheeses offered, I suggested she ask to upgrade the Roasted Turkey Club ($14) to a Grilled Chicken Club (+$1). The waitress happily obliged and my sister thoroughly enjoyed her sandwich. She credited the herb mayo for adding a great flavor overall and commented on the solid construction of a traditionally messy sandwich. Personally, I wouldn’t spend $15 on a club sandwich, especially one that comes with mixed greens not fries, but the portion size at good was ample and the sandwich overall was enjoyed. If I did want a sandwich in the West Village, however, I’d go to Faicco’s Pork Store for an Italian Hero.

Vanilla Buttermilk Pancakes with toasted almonds, orange butter, and syrup

My mom is always on the hunt for great pancakes, a search that usually manifests in mediocrity. This was the result with the Vanilla Buttermilk Pancakes ($12). While airy and light, these pancakes didn’t impress. The vanilla flavor was undetectable and the honey-flavored syrup didn’t really enhance. The toasted almonds were the best touch, adding the only real flavor and a nice crunch. I’d pass on these.

Egg White Omelet with Broccoli, Tomato, and Goat Cheese

If you’re a loyal reader of NYCFoodGuy.com, you’ll know only one person deserves credit for the presence of omelets on my site. This is “my lovely date”, of course, who is now much more than her name intends, but we’ll leave it at that. Either way, there’s only two $12 pre-designed omelets on the menu. One features roasted red pepper, leek, and cheddar. The other mushroom, broccoli, and scallion. My lovely date created her own omelet ($12) with egg whites (+$1.75) and said it suffered from too much goat cheese, which melted in pools throughout the eggy pocket. The home fries, however, were awesome. They were crispy and flavorful, two things most restaurants seem to forget about. Skin-on and lightly fried with chopped onion, a side of home fries, either regular or spicy smoked chile ($3.50), would be a good move, no pun intended.

The only disappointment for me, aside from lack of banana on the French Toast, was the Iced Coffee ($3.75), which for the price provided maybe 4 hearty sips.

I can’t resist the Zagat-like urge to call good’s namesake an “understatement”. good is simple great. Perfect for families, kids, or a date. As you can see from the photo, it offers some prime al fresco dining if you can snag a table. We waltzed right in and sat comfortably in the airy dining room. Good ingredients, good atmosphere, and moderate prices. Certainly a recipe for success be it brunch, lunch, or dinner.

good

]]> http://nycfoodguy.com/2008/05/16/good-weekend-only-banana-cream-cheese-stuffed-french-toast/feed/ 14 http://nycfoodguy.com/2008/04/18/nyc-food-guy-recommends-cheap-late-night-eats/ http://nycfoodguy.com/2008/04/18/nyc-food-guy-recommends-cheap-late-night-eats/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:48:43 +0000 The NYC Food Guy http://nyceats.wordpress.com/?p=738 NYC Food Guy loves nothing more than ending a night on the town with a delicious meal. Everyone has their late night pizza spot or diner, but sometimes you need to think bigger and better. I’m here to make that very easy for you by shedding light on places that stay open past bedtime or way past last call.

Taco Time All Over Manhattan

Super Tacos

Open until 2:30am ($2.00/taco)

This truck is parked on the corner of 96th and Broadway. I recommend the Al Pastor tacos (photos). Freshly grilled sliced pork, spiced up and mixed with grilled onion and pineapple and sprinkled with lettuce and cilantro and a slice of tomato. Delicious with some of the spicy green tomatillo sauce. No where else on the UWS can you get this caliber Mexican at this hour. A lot of Latin American people ordered Tortas (mexican sandwiches) while I was there, so I take that as a good sign, though I haven’t tried it myself.

Zaragoza

Open until 4AM Friday and Saturday ($2.00/taco)

This unassuming hole in the wall Mexican grocery serves up some awesome homemade tacos that vary depending on what was most recently cooked. The advantage is you always know you’re eating something fresh, the disadvantage is that you don’t know if your favorite taco will be present. If the chipotle chicken (pictured) is there, absolutely go for it. I’ve read good things about the lamb taco but can’t vouch. I saw them making a burrito when I was there and it was massive and cheap. Wash it all down with a watermelon Jarritos (a candy-like and delicious Mexican soda).

San Loco

Open until 4AM weekdays and 5AM weekends

What this place lacks in quality they make up for with the biggest menu of all four of these places. Prices are a little higher than the trucks but having your pick of the litter makes up for it. Unfortunately, nothing is really great. The chipotle chicken is better than the regular, it’s spicy and moist, although it’s of the stewed variety, not grilled or shredded. The ground beef is standard and boring (taco pictured). Good guacamole and chips, however. The hot sauces and salsa are ordinary, go with some pico de gallo. I recommend a Queso Loco taco (pictured with chipotle chicken), a warm tortilla with melted cheese wrapped around a hard shell taco, with filling of your choice ($3.70 with chicken, price varies according to filling).

El Idolo

Open from 9:30PM to 5:30AM (No taco more than $2.50)

I’ve only eaten at this taco truck once but from what I remember, it was seriously delicious. I’m a pork man so I recommend the al pastor (pictured in 1st 2 photos). It was piping hot, spicy, and sprinkled with cilantro and lettuce. I don’t recall pineapple though it’s a bit hazy. It’s not as flavorful as Super Taco’s al pastor but its damn good when you add some of the fiery red hot sauce. The bistec taco (3rd photo, left taco) was nothing special so I’d pass on that. Same with the standard pork taco (3rd photo, right taco), which was equally mundane. When you’re ready for dessert walk up to 7th avenue and hit the Donut Pub.

24-Hour Donuts The Way They’re Meant to Be Done

The Donut Pub (More Delicious Desserts Here)

Open 24 Hours!!! (donuts $1.10, eclairs $1.20, coffee rolls $1.85)

Forget Dunkin Donuts, this 24 hour spot is an old school New York relic. It defines what a Donut Shop should be. Cheap homemade donuts, a big long counter lined with stools, and cheap coffee in styrofoam cups. I recommend the Glazed Chocolate Donut with Coconut. It’s sweet, slightly crisp on the outside, airy on the inside, and absolutely delicious. This place is so great even their crullers look appetizing and I hate crullers.

UWS Chinese/Thai/Japanese All in One Place

Empire (Menu Pages menu)

Open until 2AM 7 days a week

I haven’t eaten at this restaurant on 100th and Broadway but all I know is they’re open until 2AM seven days a week and they offer Chinese, Japanese, and Thai food. It’s a nice looking restaurant not a divey takeout spot and IT’S OPEN UNTIL 2AM EVERY NIGHT. Where else are you getting this on the UWS? It’s simple, you’re not. Check it out and let me know how it goes.

Diners on Steroids

Big Nick’s

24 Hours/7 Days A Week

When I say “Diners on Steroids”, Big Nick’s defines the term. This place has what seems like a 50-page menu with everything you could possibly imagine served at every hour of the day. If that’s not enough, they also make pizza and it’s not diner pizza, its good pizza, not just at 5AM. The Big Nick’s on Columbus and 71st Street is unrelated and not as good.

While I wouldn’t recommend the Beef Stroganoff, you’re pretty safe going with anything greasy or fried from burgers, to grilled cheeses, to cheesesteaks, to chicken parm heroes. My standard order is a Large Cheese pie ($15.00) (sprinkled with fresh basil) and an order of spicy waffle fries ($3.75). The burgers are big and flame-grilled. I like getting a grilled chicken, bacon, and cheddar sandwich on a toasted hero. Deluxe-ing a sandwich isn’t really worth it because you only get about 10 steak fries and one or two spicy waffle, just go regular sandwich and order an extra side of fries. Delivery is efficient but takes at least 45 minutes. Be ready to order when you call because these guys have no time for BS.

Big Daddy’s Diner (Full NYC Food Guy review)

Union Square location 24 hours on Friday and Saturday

UES location open until 12AM Friday and Saturday

This place is all kitsch but they serve tater tots, which are cool, and they embody the “steroids” label. The “What about Bob?” ($8.92) is an egg sandwich with bacon, melted jalapeno jack cheese, and home fries all on the sandwich (pictured left). “Daddy’s Famous Bake’n Cakes” ($9.96) are hot buttered pancakes with strips of bacon mixed in. The Coffee Shop Grilled Three Cheese ($7.96) contains Cheddar, American, and Jalapeno Jack on the bread of your choice (pictured). It’s grease done right and it’s 24 hours. The only drawback is the intensely kitschy environment, loud music, and cheesy decorations. It’s sensory overload, so if you’re teetering on the border of hangover-ville and you need something stabilizing, this place may send you over the edge.

No Frills Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger Done Right

Veselka (Full NYC Food Guy Review)

Open 24 Hours/7 Days a Week

If you’re looking for a delicious flame-grilled burger, cooked to order, with a great bun, tasty bacon, and well-melted American cheese, then go to Veselka. It’s a Ukrainian diner with awesome pierogies and blintzes which also make great, albeit filling, appetizers. You’re here for the burger though, it’s simple and it saves you the trouble of thinking at 4AM because you know you’re getting something delicious.

The One Worthy Exception: A Carnivore’s dream

Katz’s Deli

Open Until 2AM Friday & Saturday

With that information in hand, look at that ridiculous photo (it’s two sandwiches) and read my review and you’ll understand why you must go there now, especially if you haven’t been yet. It’s a NY institution and it’s a carnivore’s dream.

Sarge’s Deli

Open 24 hours/7 Days a week

Kosher style deli on a larger and less expensive menu than Katz’s. Thick, crinkle cut fries, overstuffed turkey and pastrami sandwiches, breakfast all day, and a plethora of diner-style desserts. You can have it all here and you can have it any time of the day.

Cheap Beer, Free Hot Dogs, and an Outdoor Patio… Enough Said

Rudy’s Bar and Grill – Open 8am to 4am everyday

You’ve all seen this place on 9th Ave but never gone in. They’ve got the big plastic pig outside and the old school neon marquee. Rudy’s is the definition of old school dive bar: Torn red leather banquettes patched up with duct tape, an all black paint job, and only one beer with a cost higher than $4.00. If you’re smart you’ll stick with Rudy’s own brand of Red and Blonde beer ($3.00/$2.50 for pints, $9/$7 for pitchers). You can hang out back on the smoking patio when it’s nice out, but beware if you’re anti-cigarettes because this patio really lives up to its namesake.

The most hi-tech objects in the whole joint are the big screen TV up front, the jukebox on the back wall, and the hot dog machine which rolls Stahl-Meyer all beef hot dogs all night long. You can have as many dogs as you want for free! Need I say more? Places like this are what makes drinking fun.

53rd & 6th Halal Cart

Open from 7:30pm until 4AM

To answer your question, yes, this is the famous Halal Cart that has skyrocketed in popularity since Oprah supposedly mentioned eating there (cue requisite wise crack). And to answer your 2nd question, no, it’s not a transcendent experience. It’s good when you’re starving and probably even better when you’re drunk, but I’ve never really enjoyed “street meat”. The white sauce is tasty but rich, don’t use too much or you’ll feel sick and the hot sauce, served in containers no thicker than three stacked quarters, is ridiculously hot, so beware. My photo is of the $6 lamb/chicken platter. If you want a platter, skip the chicken it’s ordinary and tasteless. The lamb is where it’s at. Go for a sandwich if you’re looking for something less involved, but be careful, it’s a mess. Peel a tiny bit of the foil back everytime your ready for another bite. MOST IMPORTANTLY don’t be a fool and wait in the 3 hour line next to the Hilton, if you look right across the street from the cart, the same guys have another cart going and there’s rarely a long line. Check out the fan site here.

NYC Food Guy’s Amazing Creation – PIZZA BAGELS!!!

I told you you’d be kicking yourself for not thinking of this on your own. This is what you eat when nothing else is open and you can’t walk further than the corner bodega.

All you need is a bagel, some mozzarella cheese, and some tomato sauce. You can get a bagel at pretty much any bodega anywhere in the city, and no matter how far from morning-fresh they might be, they’ll be crisp and delicious after you’re done cooking. You can do this with English Muffins, rolls, and white bread if there’s no bagels around or if you’re really desperate. I got through my first two years of college on these bad boys so I stand behind them completely.

Here’s all you need to know:

1. Pre-heat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees
2. Spread any kind of tomato sauce on two halves of a bagel, sprinkle with spices as desired
3. Place Mozzarella (or any other kind of cheese you can get your hands on) on top of sauce
4. Put uncooked pizza bagels on foil-lined baking sheet and place into oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is burnt on top
5. Wait a few minutes before you bite in, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve burned off the roof of my mouth with molten sauce since I couldn’t wait 5 minutes for the bagels to cool

————–

This is just the beginning of the madness. If you know NYC Food Guy at all, I’m on a constant search for the best in Cheap Eats so if I’ve missed any of your favorite places let me know. Leave a comment or email me at lawrence@nycfoodguy.com. Thanks and happy eating.

Would the Nutella French Toast impress? Did NYC Food Guy’s gluttony get the best of him? Read on for the thrilling conclusion and a look at the Veggie Burger and desserts…

I’ll give it to you straight: The Nutella French Toast disappointed.

• It was tasty but that’s fully a credit to the Nutella. It was nothing compared to Community Food & Juice’s Brioche French Toast.

• It was made on crusty French bread, not ideal for French Toast. I need some fluffy brioche, chalah, or even some hearty white bread.

• This dish is officially served on the prix fixe weekend brunch menu. During the week, it costs $1 extra to add Nutella to the standard French Toast.

• Ultimately, $9.50 for three slices of tough, crispy French Toast and a little bit of fruit is not enough to satisfy NYC Food Guy’s stomach or wallet.

So I mulled over my choices.

1. I could leave now, cut my losses, and most likely never return to Penelope.
2. I could step my game up, satisfy the French Fry craving and go for the Three Cheese Grilled Cheese ($7.95) with some added crispy bacon (plus $2.00).

Option number 2 it is.

• White American, Fontina, and Swiss Cheese melted between two well grilled slices of deliciously crisp sourdough and packed tight with a hearty amount of crispy bacon, well worth the step up fee. Delicious.
• The cheese was a little undermelted, probably a result of the busy kitchen and lack of attention paid to cooking time. No points lost. The three cheeses mixed together well, the White American providing the perfect base for the salty Fontina and the sharp, stringy Swiss.
• It was rich with the bacon, thee cheeses, and butter but I did eat Nutella French Toast 15 minutes before so that might have something to do with it.

The fries, made from Sun Valley Idaho potatoes, were excellent. They arrived crisp, skin-on, and piping-hot with a sprinkle of parsley on them. They had a very natural, very fresh flavor. Understandable considering Sun Valley is the only potato grower owned company in Idaho. Pride in the product paid off. These fries were killer.

My lovely date ordered her standard egg white omelet, this time with onions, feta cheese, and tomato. She enjoyed the bread more than anything, a hearty toasted multi-grain she chose over the French fries, an unwarranted decision to make; For $10.75 you should be getting eggs, fries, and toast.

Two lovely young ladies sat at the table next to us, watching me curiously as I photographed my food. I think they thought we were tourists but that was quickly dispelled. They were down with the NYC Food Guy’s mission and one of the women reviewed the Veggie Burger ($9.50) for me.

I have the utmost faith in her opinion because she loves Houston’s Veggie Burger, something my parents, both healthy eaters, also love. That being said, Penelope’s Veggie Burger, though served on a toasted English muffin, tasted like the defrosted variety and did not impress.

I was still considering dessert even after devouring two meals. Unfortunately, nothing really stood out.

The chocolate frosted cupcakes looked delicious but the frosting was Mocha Buttercream. I’m not really a fan of coffee flavored desserts or the $2.50 price tag for a cupcake this small. The Sour Cream Raspberry Coffee Cake looked good but seemed a little too rich after taking down the buttery Grilled Cheese. The cookies looked ordinary, then again, everything does after eating Levain. So I passed on dessert for once in my life. Getting wise in my old age.

So will I be returning?

• Not for breakfast at least. There are too many other intriguing options out there like Ditch Plains banana stuffed French toast. I will give Penelope credit for their lunch however though I wouldn’t wait more than 15 minutes for a table. Go with the Three Cheese Grilled Cheese, it’s a nice step up from the diner standard. Great bread, nice mix of cheeses, and excellent fries.
• The service was pretty poor. If not for the one young lady who was floating around I never would have gotten another cup of coffee or had my order taken. We had to hail her to get the waitress for both jobs. We felt ignored when we first arrived and it was fairly slow, this seemed doubly true as the restaurant filled up at lunch time. A lunchtime rush of customers which affirms Penelope’s status as better for lunch than breakfast.
• Women will like this place, it has a nice homey vibe. The walls are painted off-white and pastel blue. It reminded me of the inside of Magnolia Bake shop.

My disappointment over the French Toast aside, the food was good quality and reasonably priced. $50 including tax and tip for three meals is a good deal. $2 bottomless cups of strong coffee also win points. $3.75 for a small glass of OJ is weak, however. Consider Penelope an off-hour weekday option. Not worth waiting for on the weekend rush.

Penelope

Will NYC Food Guy return? Read on to find out…

The “What About Bob”-ness of this sandwich refers to the crazy nature of this concoction. In the end, it’s really not that wild. It doesn’t even include tots, they cost a $1 extra, bumping the overall price up to $9.92 for the plate above. Here’s what you’re looking at:

• Eggs scrambled with red pepper and ordinary home fries
• Covered in a healthy offering of slightly spicy Monterey Jack
• Topped with crispy bacon cooked to order
• Housed in a fluffy, slightly tough buttered roll that could have made the sandwich, but instead really did nothing to enhance it.

I’m a sucker for anything this greasy and disgusting but this fell short of my expectations.

• The home fries were predictably undercooked, maybe a big crispy hashbrown held to the eggs with cheese, would be better.
• The red pepper seemed out of place, adding nothing.
• The bread is having an identity crisis. The outer crust was vaguely ciabatta but the meat of it was Kaiser. An upgrade is absolutely necessary.

Onto the “Coffee Shop Grilled Cheese”, $7.96 plus $2 for tots, which is ridiculous to me. Here’s what you’re working with.

• Vermont Cheddar
• American Cheese
• A surprisingly spicy Jalapeno Jack

I love melted cheese, who doesn’t? The marble rye is a solid choice, but it’s just not hearty enough to handle the heft of three kinds of melted, gooey cheese. The cheese poured out all over. I need some thicker bread for a sandwich of this caliber and some bacon wouldn’t hurt either.

If you checked out Big Daddy’s website, it’s a sensory overload. The restaurant is the same. If you’re not ready to be bombarded with color and kitsch and a menu that’s truly diner on steroids then this is not the place for you.

Attention Drinkers: The Gramercy location of Big Daddy’s is open 24 hours on Friday & Saturday. The UES location closes at 12AM on weekends, proving why the UES is no fun.

So will NYC Food Guy return?

Yes and no. Yes I can see myself coming here weekends after a night on the town. Though it’s hard not going to Ziggiz. But no, I will never return here while sober again. It’s just too much to handle for a normal breakfast and for dinner it’s just a glorified Friday’s. There are too many good restaurants out there to waste a real meal on Big Daddy’s Diner.

Big Daddy’s Diner

NYC Food Guy ordered an irresistible sandwich. Sliced Banana, crunchy peanut butter, and honey on cinnamon raisin, cranberry, and walnut bread grilled in French toast batter. It was nearly perfect, read on to find out why it just missed the mark.

My lovely date, however, was very pleased with her free-range egg white omelette with goat cheese, broccoli, and tomatoes.

Centrally located between SoHo, the West Village, and the East Village, Cornershop Cafe provides a laidback atmosphere for flavorful, innovative, and sometimes organic takes on traditional brunch fare.

Read on for the review and some delicious dessert pics…

My sandwich was served with a small cup of fresh but slightly soggy strawberries and blueberries.

The banana was sweet, ripe, and plentiful and the peanut butter was of the chunky variety, NYC Food Guy’s preference. I didn’t really taste the honey but how could it hurt? The surface of the bread was grilled to a perfect crispness and the French Toast batter added lightness and a nice shine.

I would have given my sandwich a perfect two thumbs up if not for the overbearing presence of the very plump raisins and cranberries in the bread.

Here’s a look at my date’s entire breakfast, served with wheat toast that remained crispy the entire meal. It was $1 extra for egg whites and $0.75 extra per filling.

We ordered two cups of coffee ($2.50 each) and received two large filled mugs and a small pot for refills. It was great not having to rely on the busy waitress for a fresh cup. The coffee was strong and fresh.

For dessert we ordered the White & Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Gelato ($6) from il laboratorio del gelato. The gelato turned out to be the best part of this dish.

The bread pudding was hot and crispy around the edges but…

• It was uniformly sweet
• There was no overt flavor except for the cinnamon gelato
• The white chocolate was nowhere to be found and the regular chocolate, which resembled the consistency you’d find inside a chocolate croissant, also didn’t have much flavor.

Other dishes we spied during our meal…

• Buttermilk Pancakes on the dessert menu ($6) served with organic fruit compote, hot chocolate sauce, and a side of mascarpone (the white pudding you find in tiramisu)
• Breakfast Burrito (eggs, bacon, cheddar, tomato, wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla) which looked fairly generic.
• Smoked Salmon Salad (arugula, tomato, red onions, and capers), which isn’t really my thing, but was big enough for 2, a good deal for $10.
• Corner Shop Burger (beef or portobello) with cheese and fries looked decent, nothing special. The fries were thin shoestring and didn’t look undercooked but didn’t seem very crispy. The whole platter is $10, not bad for a burger and fries these days.
• Babycakes all natural, vegan and wheat free chocolate chip cookies

Cornershop Cafe also does breakfast and dinner for affordable prices. This is an ideal place to steal away from the hustle and bustle of SoHo, the West Village, and the East Village. With the variety of menu items and the friendly service, I will definitely be going back to Cornershop cafe.

Cornershop Cafe

Community, the UWS healthy/organic sister of Clinton Street Baking Company, serves the same legendary pancakes and French Toast as its sibling, the latter of which I enjoyed a few months back.

My previous enjoyment, however, came with some displeasure. The Grilled Cheese wasn’t melted well and the fries were soggy and weird. Community was a few weeks old at that point, so we chalked it up to finding their groove. Unfortunately, I felt the same way today, months after “finding their groove” lost its lease as a valid excuse.

How can you go wrong with Blueberry Pancakes, a smoothie, and a bacon, cheese omelet? Read on to find out.

Plus, a look at the new juice & smoothie bar.

Last summer I had these Banana Walnut Pancakes (phone pic) at Clinton Street Baking Company. I had been craving these for years after reading about them in NY Magazine. They were served with warm maple butter and lived up to everything I dreamed of. I spied the French Toast during this summer trip and vowed I would get that next time.

Long story short, I ended up eating the French toast, served exactly the same way, at Community, and it was amazing. Some of the best I’ve ever had.

Fast forward to today. My family wants breakfast during pancake month, we’re going to Community. My parents are both healthy people so I figured they’d love it. The only pancakes Community serves, however, are of the blueberry variety, no banana walnut here. The maple butter remains and that stuff is liquid gold.

Why the pancakes disappointed…

1) Small portion. Look at the size of these? They barely fill up half the plate. I was only filled up afterwards as a result of my smoothie and a few bites of my sister’s omelet.

2) Lack of blueberries. Take a look below. I didn’t find a blueberry in my pancakes until nearly halfway through. And even when I got there, the count was low.

Okay, in the end, these were still tasty pancakes, light and airy but just a little ordinary for my expectations.

A word on the maple butter:

Maple Syrup, good. Butter, good. You can’t go wrong. It looks like butterscotch but tastes like an orgy in your mouth. I don’t know how they make it and I don’t need to know. All I know is it’s an essential accompaniment to any breakfast item at Clinton Street Baking Company or Community Food and Juice.

I learned one thing:

Brave the wait down on Clinton Street and get the Banana Walnut Pancakes if you want to experience the true flapjack glory.

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My sister’s applewood double-smoked bacon and cheddar free-range omelet was a sad sight. Have you ever seen an omelet so oddly yellow and plastic outside of your college dining hall? I know I haven’t. It tasted like my college dining hall too. In fact, I might go as far as saying the omelets at Binghamton University’s dining hall, egg beaters and all, are better than the one I tasted at Community Food and Juice.

Why the omelet was so bad…

• Weird Texture. Rubbery and way too firm.
• Ordinary flavor. It tasted like eggs but it didn’t taste anything like the delicious organic eggs my mom cooks with at home.
• Weak bacon. Obviously pre-cooked and probably pre-shredded for a quick toss into the omelet.

My sister did like the hash browns and toast however, so at least they did something right.

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The “Juice” aspect of the restaurant’s name refers to a juice bar off the front entrance which offers take-out smoothies and juices and serves the same stuff in the dining room.

The juice bar was unfinished when I first ate at Community, but I was pretty pumped to try it out after hearing about the Nutter Butter. Quit your giggling and check out the rest of the menu.

I got a free sample of the Nutter Butter and it was pretty bland and actually had pieces of peanut in it. Not what I’m looking for in a smoothie.

I ordered a Great White Way, banana, vanilla frozen yogurt, shredded coconut, and cinnamon.

The smoothie sounded promising but also disappointed…

• The consistency was too thick. This wouldn’t have been an issue if the smoothie was cold.
• It was lukewarm. No presence of the “frozen” yogurt. I like a cold smoothie, somewhat similar to a milkshake. Maybe my expectations were off. It could have used some crushed ice and maybe a little milk to thin it out.
• Awkward flavor. Everything was there, the coconut, the banana, and the cinnamon. They just didn’t meld together into anything that resembled harmony.

More on why I found Josie’s to be ordinary and overpriced after the break.

While strolling around the UWS on a gray Saturday with my Mom and sister, we attempted to have brunch at Alice’s Tea Cup, a good place to take the special ladies in your life. Unfortunately the 30-minute wait there sent us towards Amsterdam Avenue where we came upon Josie’s, a place my Mom and sister previously enjoyed.

After milling through the brunch menu, I limited my decisions down to one of two:

- The Char-Grilled Brandt Natural Beef Burger for an exorbitant $15.75

And…

- The Traditional Organic Pancakes ($11.75 plain) for $13.75 with chocolate chips and fresh strawberries.

I inquired as to whether the burger was flame-broiled or on a griddled and the waitress skeptically answered “flat griddle”, enough for me to say no thanks. NYC Food Guy likes his burgers flame-broiled. This turned out to be smart move because I saw the burger on another table and it looked too tightly packed (a burger should be loosely packed letting the juices form) and was on a bun that was half it’s size.

So I went with the pancakes served with organic maple syrup and non-dairy strawberry “butter”.

These pancakes were airy and fairly light, not cakey or rubbery like some diner pancakes, but they didn’t impress. Why?

1) Organic maple syrup is too thin to sufficiently coat the pancakes, I could have asked for more but I wasn’t looking for a sugar overdose.

2) There weren’t enough chocolate chips for me. I spotted about 5 or 6 chips in each of the three pancakes. My preference is to get at that many chocolate chips in each bite.

3) The quotes on that strawberry “butter” are the most loosely used quotes I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know how to describe what this pink goop tasted like; maybe a mix of imitation-dairy sour cream with a hint of some poor attempt at strawberry flavor. Just nasty. I ordered some real butter, smeared it all over and chowed down.

It was comforting adding a little unhealthy-ness to the meal. Want some real strawberry butter on the UWS? Head to Good Enough to Eat or Popover Cafe.

Josie’s was packed so they’re obviously cashing in on the organic food craze. The place is nice inside, bright and pastel colored. Guys, this would be a great place to take a health conscious girl for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But in the end it’s way overpriced for the kind of food I’d usually pay this kind of money for. $16 for a cheeseburger and baked Belgian frites? $14 for three little pancakes, some weird pink stuff, and thin maple syrup? Forget that. If the prices were lower it would be another story but Josie’s, “fablulous for you”, really seems to be fabulous for them.

Josie’s (3 locations)

Food in this review: 300 Amsterdam Ave. at 74th Street

New York, NY 10023

(212) 769-1212