Peels is known for brunch, but since I refuse to wait for a table at brunch on weekends, I decided to give dinner a try. Unfortunately, the $7 side of Brussels sprouts was the most memorable part of my $100 meal for two.  I should have known that in this food-consumed city, if the waitress […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, Peels 11 Comments »

Bacon, egg and cheese; the old reliable of breakfast sandwiches. It’s always good but rarely exciting. You wouldn’t think removing the bacon from the triumvirate would change that but when you’re replacing it with a fried potato pancake and swapping out the standard Kaiser roll for fresh-baked challah, breakfast starts to look a little brighter. […]

Posted in B&H Vegetarian, EAST VILLAGE 8 Comments »

You wouldn’t know I was having a really satisfying meal by watching me. First you’d see a look of incredulity come over my face – eyes wide then quickly narrow – as I examine my first bite with a mix of suspicion and awe. After tasting, you might wonder why I’m shaking my head in […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, Hot Kitchen 12 Comments »

If you’ve never had a dulce de leche cookie sandwich, also known as an alfajores in Spain and Latin America, now is the time. Thanks to East Village newcomer Zucker Bakery, you can get what I’m sure will be a regular fix for just $2 per bite-size cookie. And there will be a lot of […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, Zucker Bakery 14 Comments »

Zaitzeff is a family name. And their eponymous burger joints – three are scattered throughout Manhattan – bear the marks of a family establishment: friendly service and food, both full of personality. All burgers (Sirloin Quarter Pound, $9.25) are grass-fed and served on sweet, housemade toasted Portuguese buns; better than English muffins. Romaine, tomato and […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, FINANCIAL DISTRICT, Zaitzeff Burger, Zaitzeff Burgers 5 Comments »

The great conundrum for every serious food lover: Do you reveal the little places you love at the risk of making it that much harder to get in yourself? Well life is about sacrifices, and fortunately for me, the biggest I’ve had to make are connected to this blog. Without further adieu, I reveal the […]

Posted in Dessert Club ChikaLicious, EAST VILLAGE 10 Comments »

When a man has family, he has food. Last night, I was running late for dinner, a fairly frequent occurrence for me. I consider it an inherent trait – a skill, if you will – meant simply to increase my appetite for the meal to come. Fortunately, my brother Craig, aka Lil NYC Food Guy, […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, The Cardinal 11 Comments »

Through all my varied, sometimes indulgent, eating over the last three and a half years of NYC Food Guy’s existence, the meals that left the most lasting impression – no matter the cuisine – were comprised of fresh, flavorful ingredients allowed to shine in their near natural form.  Fresh, as it turns out, leaves you […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, Northern Spy Food Co. 15 Comments »

The headline says it all.  Tallgrass Burger, a new burger joint in the old Elvie’s Turo Turo spot on 1st Avenue near 13th street, will open its doors to the East Village at some point today, likely mid-day.  And for the next few weeks, Tallgrass is enticing diners with a special: Buy one burger, get […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, Tallgrass Burger 3 Comments »

For the last year or so, the New York City pizza conversation hasn’t strayed far from the same few places, justly showering praise on pizzerias like Motorino, Co, and Veloce.  What eaters have missed, however, is that Gnocco has been serving consistently delicious pies for at least 10 years.  Take the Tartufata pizza ($18.95), my […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, Gnocco, MANHATTAN 6 Comments »

It’s not often you find a place that advertises “New York’s Best” on their awning and actually backs it up.  Gem Spa, the 24-hour newspaper store on the corner of St. Mark’s Place and 2nd Ave. upholds their awning’s claim of serving “New York’s Best Egg Cream.”  With the near extinction of old school coffee […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, Gem Spa Egg Cream, MANHATTAN 12 Comments »

The Artichoke boys have done it again, this time in the form of dessert.  But it’s not the fried balls of dough they’re pushing at the namesake Led Zeppole, it’s the Cookies and Cream Italian Ices which are now NYC Food Guy’s favorite late night dessert. Led Zeppole’s house made “cream ice” ($2.50 small/$3.50 large) […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, Led Zeppole, MANHATTAN 4 Comments »

Puebla Mexican Food & Coffee Shop specializes in cheap, authentic Puebla Mexican food.  Appropriately, the best dish may be the $8.50 chicken mole poblano platter, which is big enough to provide dinner for two days.  But if you’re willing to sacrifice atmosphere and an overt sense of cleanliness for breakfast as well as dinner, Puebla […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, Puebla Mexican Food No Comments »

If there’s one thing in the food world that I feel secure assessing, it’s burgers.  And when a James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year Award winner begins offering just 30 burgers per night, starting at midnight, I can’t help but get a little excited.  Well the bigger they are, the harder they fall […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, Pulino's 5 Comments »

While it’s too soon to give Keith McNally and Nate Appleman’s Pulino’s a full review, it’s not too soon to tell you that the Salsiccia ($9/$17) breakfast pizza will have me coming back for more.  A runny egg unites smokey bacon, still bubbling in its own fat, with sweet, spicy house-made sausage and slightly sharp […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, Pulino's 7 Comments »