Vote on our new poll!
October 31, 2008 — wecouldeatOlde Thyme New York
October 31, 2008 — wecouldeatI love the new creative NYC eateries that push dining to the next level in every possible direction. However, occasionally it’s fun to go back in time and visit the places that were trendy at the turn of the last century. These are the places that will still be around long after anyone remembers the Momofuku Kos and the p*ongs of our time.
Recently, we visited two famous landmarks, Pete’s Tavern and PJ Clarke’s. We only had a drink at Pete’s, so I can’t really review it, but it does have a certain aura when you enter through its doors. You can almost feel the decades of history in the old wooden booths and beer taps that have probably been pulled a million times. It has been a New York institution since 1864! In this city, a place that has been doing well since 1964 is ancient, so it is hard to even fathom 144 years of history. You should stop by for a beer, it’s worth it, or at least read about its history.
Pete’s Tavern
129 East 18th (Irving), NYC
PJ Clarke’s
915 Third Ave (55th), NYC
Amazingly, PJ Clarke’s is nearly the same age as Pete’s. It’s original midtown location has seen it all over the years and is still a solid place to grab a beer and burger. The cheeseburger is average size with an even distribution of meat and bun. It is dressed simply with onion slices and a pickle. It suits the atmosphere well: offering quality and reliability with no-frills. The fries are skinny, well-salted and come in a cone. There is also a full menu of seafood and classic pub entrees. We also ordered the British dish bubble and squeak. It’s basically was a fried potato ball with gravy on it, which of course was delicious.
While the food is fine and service is all-business, of course this place is all about the atmosphere. From the red and white checkered table cloth, to the rowdy front room with the enormous antique bar, it could not be more classic.
One of the main differences between Pete’s and PJ’s is how they market themselves. Pete’s seems like the grandma and grandpa establishment. They do not have a website (at least that I can find) and I’m sure that’s how they want it. On the other side, Clarke’s website is beautiful with historical photos and in the past few years they have are opened several other locations around Manhattan. Either way, I highly recommend a step back to Olde New York. It is an essential part of living in this city. You won’t be disappointed.
Spontaneous East Village Tour
October 21, 2008 — wecouldeatIt was a beautiful Friday afternoon and we found ourselves in the East Village surrounded by many tantalizing grub-tastic options. Why should we go to a single eatery and have another moderately priced sit-down dinner, when we could eat at 5 or 6 fun funky joints? We should not. We did not. We created an on-the-spot tour and enjoyed grub from Belgium, Vietnam, Mexico, and Israel – for the price of a standard boring meal.
1st stop:
Pomme Frites
123 Second Ave (7th/St Marks), NYC
This well-known counter/tiny storefront has arguably the best fries on the planet. They are slightly less thick than steak fries and perfectly crispy and salty. They are scrumptious on their own, but the creative plethora of sauces puts them on an even higher level. We had the Vietnamese Pineapple Mayo, Wasabi Mayo and War Sauce (Frite Sauce, Peanut Satay and Raw Onion). All were incredible. Of course my lady, Spud, was in potato heaven. This is a craving we’d have daily if we lived in the hood. There are only maybe 12 seats, but the place has faux Belgian feel. The fries come in a paper cone and all the tables have little holes that fit the cone. It’s a nice touch. And all for $7.
2nd stop:
Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches
150 2nd St (A/B), NYC
I had heard about Nicky’s awhile back, but never got there until now. The facade is a regular awning and the inside is nothing special either. There are 3 small tables and looking around you might think you were in a pizza place or coffee spot. The Simpsons DVD was playing in a loop on the flat-screen TV. The vibe is a low key neighborhood feel that caters to a lot of regulars. Spud and I split a Classic Vietnamese Sandwich: Pâté, Vietnamese ham, roasted ground pork, pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro, and mayo on a toasted French baguette. The melange of ingredients yielded complex interesting flavors and textures – it was tasty. The ground pork and pickles carrots stood out to me more than the other ingredients. While I did enjoy it, I don’t think it will be a destination for us. Although I would definitely eat it again and try some of the other sandwiches: Chicken, Sardine and Pork Chop. It certainly makes for a better lunch than a standard grilled chicken or deli sandwich. $5.
3rd stop:
Snack Dragon Taco Shack
199 East 3rd Street (Ave B), NYC
I found this place on Menupages and its name makes for a decent description. It’s a window with one employee and a few chairs outside. As small as it is, it definitely has a funky Avenue B attitude. It is directly across from Mama’s Food Shop – one of our all-time favorites. There are Christmas lights up and an eclectic mix of info and kitsch. We ordered a carne asada taco and it was delicious and beautiful looking. The blue corn tortilla contrasted with the red salsa and bright green herbs. The meat was tender and spices were authentic. This is not a typical fast food taco. My only regret is that we did not order several. They are really good and really difficult to share with another person. If you are in alphabet city, Snack Dragon makes an awesome meal or snack. $5 ($4 during happy hour 4-6p).
4th stop:
Sundaes and Cones
95 East 10th Street (3rd), NYC
After this food, we needed a cool treat. S & C is an ultra-modern spotless ice cream shop. It is the opposite of the old fashioned ice cream shop. The staff is Asian and efficient and you come here for the frozen treats, not for the atmosphere or experience. The ice cream is quite good though and the Asian inspired flavors are unique. Not sure that I have ever seen flavors like Wasabi, Ginger, Sesame Seed and Black Bean. I had the Lychee which was interesting, but not really good or bad, and the maple walnut which was good. The wifesters had pumpkin which was amazing. All the ice creams were thick and dense with a rich creamy texture. This is “real” ice cream with a high fat content, which makes it tasty of course. Maybe next time we will try a sundae or 3. $8.
After, we took a few hours off and saw a good movie at the Sunshine. Man on Wire is a great documentary. Phillipe Petit performed the most amazing/crazy feat I have ever seen in my life. Down the block from the theater we found a Chickpea for some fast Middle-Eastern grub.
5th stop:
Chickpea
147 East Houston (2nd Ave/Chrystie)
This place is tasty and reliable, although it has too much of a chain feel for me. We had platters of baked falafel and hummus and chicken shwarma with salad and pita. Some good healthy food to round out the day. Doesn’t their chickpea logo look like something else? A vagina or butt, perhaps? Maybe they should re-think it. The platters were fine, but next time I’ll have the shwafal sandwich, their specialty of falafel and shwarma, and skip the thick plastic packaging. The menu is slightly confusing and could use some deals instead of the mix-n-match structure. $19.
So this was an exciting afternoon and evening of eating and wandering around the EV. We ate lunch and dinner at 5 joints representing 5 different cuisines. All for $39 for both of us. This city can actually be quite cheap if maneuvered properly. Either way, it certainly is fun.
Ile De France is the delicheesiest!
October 14, 2008 — spudOne of the coolest perks about writing this blog has to have been the fact that we received an amazing free gift of Ile De France Camembert cheese in exchange for an honest blog post. We are definitely not the type to pretend to like just anything when it comes to food, so we won’t hold back our feelings about this. I am a cheese addict…..I really cannot get enough, and I have a tremendous range of quality. I can easily enjoy processed cheese food (just ask my college roommate for stories about melted Velveeta on bagels for breakfast, lunch and dinner) just as much as the cheese plate from PerSe where they tell you that the cheese comes from Betsy the cow on a small organic milk farm in Vermont. Okay, so maybe this does not make me a cheese expert, but it does make me a true fan of the tangy, creamy food.
So, knowing my cheese-tastic background, I must say that this cheese was spectacular! It honestly was more delicious than most…..it had a mild, creamy, earthy flavor. The rind was spectacular…..it added the perfect amount of contrast to the smooth center of the cheese. We snacked on the cheese plain to appreciate its flavor and then we ate it with slices of fresh apple and pear. It melded perfectly with the fresh fruit. Really, Camembert is like a mild Brie, and Ile de France is a brilliant brand of cheese.
Then, just because, we decided to make grilled cheese. We took apples, pears and onions and sauteed them with butter and olive oil. When they all caramelized to a golden brown, we layered generous slabs of the Camembert cheese on onion rolls, topped it with the fruit and onion mixture and then grilled them on a buttered pan. I suppose that we will never be able to describe the full extent of enjoyment we experienced that fine evening. The cheese melted beautifully into a buttery, creamy spread and blended with the sweet fruit and onions.
Overall, we cannot rave anymore about this cheese! They have all different types that need to be bought by all of you cheeseheads out there!
Offal ain’t that awful……
October 14, 2008 — spudKebab Cafe
25-12 Steinway Street, Astoria, NY
Kebab Cafe is definitely an Astoria classic dining experience. The hubster and I went there on our third date and we routinely go back to visit because it truly is a unique experience. This tiny (20 seater?) restaurant is run by Ali, the local Egyptian chef who has been running this tiny culinary extravaganza for almost 20 years. Ali knows everyone and everyone knows Ali. The restaurant relies on the fact that the locals will stop in and dine on whatever Ali has fresh that day.
Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern of Travel Channel fame both dined here and did a on Kebab Cafe on No Reservations and it has definitely helped business along……you will definitely not get a seat unless you go on an off night.
We recently ventured here with 10 friends to try a melange of interesting foods. Ali is known for his meat preparation. As you sit in the tiny cramped seats, the walls looming in on you decorated with all sorts of eccentric art, Ali shouts at you what it is he has to serve that evening.
I strongly recommend the appetizer plate which has delicious hummus, babaganoush and fresh fried falafel. It is topped with fried mustard greens which are crazily delicious. Depending on Ali’s mood (he can sometimes be strangely surly, although this definitely seems to fit with this experience) he will walk you through the rest of his spontaneous menu. Plan on lots of lamb dishes, some rabbit, some fish, and plenty of offal.
We tried brains and cheeks, both of which were amazing! The brains were lightly breaded and fried. They were spongy and tasty. The cheeks were cooked with onion in a small pan. Ali brought them over to the table with raw egg on top. The cheeks were so hot that the egg cooked as he stirred it. Really, if you’re into this sort of thing (offal, I mean) this is the best place to have it. It is guaranteed to be fresh and you will get a kick out of watching him cook in a kitchen approximately five feet long with one stove top. It’s incredible.
We ordered platters of lamb and rabbit that were served with lots of sauteed vegetables. The meat was tender and covered in a remarkable pomegranate sauce. The rabbit was also delicious, slightly crispy on the outside and served with plenty of sauteed greens on the side.
I really would not recommend going here with such a large group…..we had some difficulty maneuvering the space. This is best as a date spot or with two couples, tops.
Overall, it is an incredible experience that every die hard foodie needs to try. Another great perk is that it is BYO…..which definitely helps reduce the prices – which are typical for Astoria.
Turning Rice into Gold
October 7, 2008 — wecouldeatI am usually not a big fan those small storefronts that only sell one item in many varieties. They are good in theory: “Wow, a place that only sells peanuts (or hot dogs or cheesesteaks)!” I am calling them One Trick Ponies until I can think of a better name. Usually the item they make is good, but not good enough to make me a frequent customer. But of course a OTP that makes a sweet treat is something special. Even after you have already had a meal, there is always room for dessert. That’s the main reason for why Rice to Riches has been so successful. The other is that they have not franchised, there is only one location. Whenever I am around Spring Street, no matter what I am doing or whom I am with, rice pudding is always on the menu.
Rice to Riches
37 Spring Street (Mott/Mulberry), NYC
The decor has a definite metallic space-age feel. As you enter you see the sprawling counter of 20 or so pudding varieties. This could be a glimpse of a distant future where all foods come in sweet pudding form. Most of the fun is deciding what flavors and size vat of pudding to consume. Category 5 Caramel? Stubborn Banana? Don Cappaccino? Sex Drugs and Rocky Road? It’s difficult. The pudding is delicious, although not cheap. I think most of the inflated prices are due to the non-recyclable thick plastic containers and dishes. It is unconscionable that they use such wasteful packaging. I took mine home and use it as a sugar bowl, but most people won’t. I do love the thick gooey pudding. I believe it is a perfect anytime food and gets a Golden Bonzone from me. You have to love NYC, a place where a rice pudding only eatery can be a gold mine.
