Entries Categorized as 'MANHATTAN'

What to Eat This Weekend: $10 Deep Fried “Montanara” Pizza at Forcella on Bowery

Date November 11, 2011

If you’ve ever wondered what the finest funnel cake would taste like topped with cheese and sauce instead of powdered sugar, this is it, only much, much better.  In order to achieve this state fair food gone deliciously wrong, Forcella’s owner and pizzaiola Giulio Adriani deep fries the stretched dough until almost cooked through. Then […]

Brindle Room’s Steakhouse Burger: One of NYC’s Best Values & My Favorite Griddled Burger

Date November 8, 2011

I used to hate hamburgers. Hard to believe, I know. As much as I love my mother, I sadly have to blame her. Growing up, her definition of the perfect burger was “the more burnt, the better.” Mom meant well – she’s a great cook, and amazingly, still getting better – but instilling burger appreciation […]

East Village Dinner: Peels Offers Comfort Food at Discomforting Prices; Leave the “Secret” Burger a Secret

Date November 7, 2011

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 […]

Northern Chinese Food in Manhattan’s Chinatown: Henan Flavor’s Big Tray of Chicken is the Ultimate Bargain

Date November 2, 2011

You’re not here for the atmosphere; there is none, though the BYOB policy makes up for that a bit. You’re not here you’re here for the location, a few hundred feet from the traffic heavy entrance to the Manhattan bridge. Don’t waste time with the ordinary pancake with pork and cilantro ($2, 2nd from bottom) […]

West Village Breakfast: Sweet Revenge Debuts New Weekday Breakfast Menu & Fills Void Left by Grey Dog Cafe Closing; Red Velvet Waffles Ensue

Date October 31, 2011

Sweet Revenge, the West Village shop known for pairing wine with decadent cupcakes, may be in line for a community service award.  One week after Grey Dog Cafe closed its original Carmine Street location and left a void in hearty neighborhood breakfast options, Sweet Revenge plays hero and debuts a new breakfast menu today.  It will […]

NYC Chelsea & Highline Restaurants: Bone marrow and brisket burgers, new specials, and killer dessert at The Highliner

Date October 27, 2011

Eating on 10th Avenue near the Highline is never an easy decision. Do you go for broke on murderer’s row with Del Posto, Morimoto or Colicchio and Sons? Do you grab slices with the club kids at Artichoke? Do you pay for overpriced, overhyped American food at Cookshop? What if you just want comfort food […]

Upper East Side Best Food: Earl’s Beer and Cheese is more than just Manhattan’s best bar food

Date October 24, 2011

Earl’s Beer and Cheese has food that would make both Spicoli and Sifton swoon. Kimchi, fried pork belly, a fried egg, and shredded New York State cheddar on grilled Grandaisy sourdough ($8, above). Potato chips, Calabro mozzarella, dill pickles, and miso mayo on a toasted Thomas’ English muffin ($6, below). Asian gnocchi and beef ($8, […]

NYC East Village Breakfast Sandwich: Egg, Cheese & Potato Pancake on Challah Bread; A NYC Food Guy creation at B & H Vegetarian

Date October 21, 2011

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. […]

NYC Baked Pork Buns: My Favorite is at Mei Li Wah Bakery and it Costs 80 cents

Date October 20, 2011

It’s not necessarily the best in Manhattan or the best in Chinatown. I don’t want to spark another comment section controversy as I did with soup dumplings. What Mei Li Wah Bakery does offer is my favorite baked pork bun. They seem perpetually fresh; I’m always handed the last bun on the tray and it’s […]

NOW CLOSED – Disco Fries with Bacon Gravy and Melted Gruyere at Jo’s in SoHo

Date October 18, 2011

You would think the title of this post says it all. But in order to fully appreciate the greatness that is Jo’s Disco fries ($10 full order, $4 smaller side order), you have to understand the bacon gravy. The bacon flavor is so palpable, you’re left combing through strands of nutty, melted Gruyere looking for […]

NYC Best Pork and Crab Soup Dumplings: RedFarm is Far Superior to Joe’s Shanghai

Date October 17, 2011

Joe’s Shanghai (above) and Red Farm (below). In my RedFarm post last week, I called chef Joe Ng’s steamed pork and crab soup dumpling the best in Manhattan. Stacy, a commenter on the post, asked how RedFarm’s version compares to Joe’s Shanghai, which many consider the finest steamed soup dumpling on the island. After a […]

NYC East Village Szechuan Chinese Food: Hot Kitchen is on Fire!

Date October 14, 2011

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 […]

West Village Chinese Food: Author Malcolm Gladwell Dines at RedFarm, Here’s What I Hope He Ordered

Date October 10, 2011

In his best-selling book “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell writes that a person needs 10,000 hours of practice in order to be called a world-class expert in anything. It’s no wonder Gladwell sauntered into Red Farm for dinner late Thursday night; chef Joe Ng and partner Ed Schoenfeld must have well over 10,000 hours of practice preparing […]

Upper West Side Farmer’s Market: Prospect Hill Orchards Apple Cider Donuts, Every Thursday and Saturday Only

Date October 6, 2011

Sure, fresh fruit and vegetables are great. But let’s be honest, the best thing to come out of the recent farmer’s market surge are the fresh-baked desserts. Take the cinnamon and sugar-coated apple cider donuts from Prospect Hill Orchards. I can’t walk by without purchasing at least six of these ($4); they’re fresh, delicate yet […]

NYC Murray Hill/Gramercy Best Sandwiches: Defonte’s of Brooklyn #20 Hot Roast Beef

Date October 5, 2011

Just in case you forgot, one of New York City’s best roast beef sandwiches is alive and well in Murray Hill. Defonte’s knows that great sandwiches start with great construction. The bottom half of a Brooklyn-baked hero roll is topped with thin slices of fried eggplant, house made fresh mozzarella and rare, machine-sliced house made […]