Spicy pork taco ($2.50) Two spicy pork tostadas ($3.00 each) In the colorful photo just above these words, you’re looking at two carne enchilada tostadas.  Crispy, open face taco shells spread with beans, covered with freshly griddled spicy pork, and topped with lettuce, tomato, and crumbly white cheese.  They were made by an industrious Mexican […]

Posted in MANHATTAN, Taco Cart - 70th St & Bdway, UPPER WEST SIDE No Comments »

If there’s two things I know, it’s that first, you probably have no idea what Georgian food is, and secondly, you also don’t know how to say adjaruli khachapuri (I have enough trouble spelling it).  And really, it’s ok.  Because until I ate at Oda House, a Georgian restaurant on the corner of 5th Street […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, Oda House 6 Comments »

Sometimes all you have to do is ask. I wish I could remember who told me to ask the Fresco Gelateria counter girl to open up my croissant and slather Nutella all over the inside of both halves.  If I could remember, I’d kiss that person. Because this bad boy is as good as it […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, Fresco Gelateria, MANHATTAN 3 Comments »

Sure it’s crispy, juicy and a little spicy. And so what if it’s unique breading involves matzoh meal. And really, it’s great and all that their fries are thin and freshly fried, their potato wedges can be loaded with bacon and cheese, their onion strings are some of the best I’ve had, and they have […]

Posted in Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, EAST VILLAGE 9 Comments »

Clockwise from top left: Coppelia, Blue Collar, The National, Bayard Ale House, Brindle Room, Full Shilling “I not only think about food all day,” said Henry Miller in “Tropic of Cancer,” “but I dream about it at night.” NYC Food Guy, he dreams about cheeseburgers. Big, dinner plate-sized sandwiches filled with juicy beef patties with […]

Posted in bayard's ale house, Blue Collar Burger, Brindle Room, BROOKLYN, CHELSEA, Coppelia, EAST VILLAGE, FINANCIAL DISTRICT, Full Shilling, MANHATTAN, MIDTOWN EAST, The National, WEST VILLAGE, WILLIAMSBURG 8 Comments »

It may not be pretty, but no meal has excited me more in recent memory than the one I ate a few months back at Jeepney, the sibling of fellow East Village Filipino restaurant Maharlika.  A huge plank of sticky rice was laid end-to-end over neighboring two-person tables covered in banana leaf.  Our server carefully placed […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, Jeepney, MANHATTAN 1 Comment »

I know these look good. How could they not? They’re French fries, one of the hardest-to-resist foods on the planet (for me at least). But when push comes to shove, you didn’t wait in line at Umami Burger for 30 to 90 minutes for the fries, you’re here for the burgers.  These fries look sinful […]

Posted in MANHATTAN, Umami Burger, WEST VILLAGE 2 Comments »

What’s your first memory of oatmeal? For me it was my Dad mixing it over the stove and then offering me some to taste. My first bite was a forgettable one as my Dad uses little to no sugar and wanted to let me try it that way too. Five minutes and half a cup […]

Posted in MANHATTAN, Oatmeals, WEST VILLAGE 4 Comments »

It all started at Smorgasburg, the weekends only Brooklyn-based food festival that was spawned by the popularity of the food vendors at Brooklyn Flea. People lined up for 20-30 minutes at a time to get a taste of Mighty Quinn’s famous brisket and rightly so, it’s fatty, smoky, perfectly pink inside, and has a just-crisp-enough […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, Mighty Quinn's 7 Comments »

Michael White is a seriously high class Italian chef.  But now he is diverting his attention from octopus and bone marrow fusili to “Wisconsin style” pizza. And he’s doing it in my neighborhood, the East Village, which means it’s my obligation as a borderline pizza addict to sample some.  The best barometer for a new pizza place […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, Nicoletta 11 Comments »

White meat chicken breast finally has a raison d’etre and it’s name is the Lebanese Pressed Chicken Sandwich ($10) at Porchetta. Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better at the porcine palace, Chef Sara Jenkins had to go and follow through on all the Lebanese food talk and create what is quite possibly the […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, Porchetta 7 Comments »

I discovered Szechuan Chinese food in 2009 during an epic meal at then newly-opened Lan Sheng.  It was an eye-opening experience; the flavors and dishes completely reshaped my view of Chinese cuisine. In the three years since, Manhattan has seen an influx of new Szechuan joints all over the city; Hot Kitchen in the East Village (get […]

Posted in Cafe China, MIDTOWN EAST 2 Comments »

Let’s get this straight right off the bat: There’s no pad thai or drunken noodles or pad see ew at Zabb Elee. In fact, you won’t find any dishes where noodles are the main component.  What you will find are a lot of fried and grilled fish and meat dishes with various dipping sauces and […]

Posted in EAST VILLAGE, Zabb Elee Thai 2 Comments »

In case you missed it over the last few years, the restaurants formerly known as “Houston’s” have been renamed “Hillstone” in Manhattan.  Some employees say it’s branding. Others say it has to do with not wanting to list calories on the menu. Ultimately, they can call it “Tommy’s of New Jersey” for all I care, […]

Posted in CARLE PLACE, Houston's, Houston's / Hillstone, Houston's / Hillstone, LONG ISLAND, MIDTOWN EAST, MURRAY HILL/GRAMERCY 3 Comments »

I like playing favorites, especially when discussing banana pudding and cupcakes.  Thanks to sugar Sweet sunshine, my two favorites are under the same roof.  I’ve praised their banana pudding before, and after a visit last week, I’m happy to report that copious amounts of ripe banana and Nilla wafer ensconced in rich, creamy pudding are still the […]

Posted in LOWER EAST SIDE, Sugar Sweet Sunshine 17 Comments »