2009 December « WeCouldEat @ the GrubHub

Getting Comfy with Penelope

December 17, 2009 — wecouldeat

Penelope
159 Lexington Ave at 30th, Murray Hill/Midtown East

Penelope is all about comfort. It serves bright, creative comfort food in a cozy setting, with sweet service and a warm. Not surprisingly, it’s a popular neighborhood place. We ordered a future classic: arugula with warm chicken meatballs. The melt-in-your-mouth meatballs were a perfect contrast with the spicy greens. Next, we had one of my favorites: chicken pot pie, which was light and flaky outside and warm and creamy inside with squash and asparagus, in addition to the standard peas and carrots. An excellent version. For dessert, we shared the marvelous raspberry sour cream coffee cake. It wasn’t overly sweet, which I prefer, and had a nice balance of flavors and a classic crumb topping. I have no idea who Penelope is, but her restaurant certainly is warm and comforting on a cold day.

Posted in american, down home, midtown east. Leave a Comment »

10 Napkin Burger

December 16, 2009 — wecouldeat

5 Napkin Burger
Corner 45th & 9th, Midtown West

I generally like going to the theater, but loathe having to find pre-theater dinner places in the mega-touristy Times Square/Theater District area. Restaurant Row is 30 years past its prime, most of the Little Brazil is gone, and most everything else is over-priced and crappy. 9th and 10th avenues are the only oases for good cheap eats, like Gazala Place, Island Burgers and Shakes, and several Mexican hole-in-the-walls. But if you are going with a date or friends, and want more of a proper restaurant, there is really slim pickins. That’s why 5 Napkin Burger is a welcome newcomer. Yes it’s touristy and unauthentic, I mean the menu contains shrimp tempura, matzoh ball soup and steak frites. But in a land of schmaltz, at least you can get a quality burger, and there is something for everyone on the menu.

We had the colossal Burger for 2 and it was pretty incredible. It was as big as my head, and if you’ve seen my head, that’s no small feat. It is 2 8oz patties, cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and 5N sauce. Those ingredients blend to form the same flavor profile of a gourmet Big Mac. And I’m saying that in a good way, because McDonald’s tastes great – it’s just horrible for you. Plus, when eating it, I like I was on Man v. Food, even though I had to share with Spud. It is also comes with 2 sides, a pretty good deal for $22.50. We ordered the bowl of pickles and the onion rings. Both were very tasty.

I also dug the dark, bustling atmosphere and friendly service. Check out 5 Napkin Burger, it’s a fun and satisfying choice in the Theater District. In a sea of losers, these owners know how to create a winner.

Posted in american, burger, midtown west. Leave a Comment »

Feed Us, Oh Wise Sage

December 4, 2009 — wecouldeat

Sage General Store
24-20 Jackson Ave, Long Island City

Sage General Store is a delightful little cafe/bakery that really understands itself and its customers. So many places try to be everything to everyone, but Sage has just a few tables of happy customers. The General Store moniker may be misleading, because it’s not a store, but offers breakfast, brunch and lunch menus with eggs, salads and sandwiches, and blue plate specials in a country store setting. It’s dual pride and joys are the delicious wood-fire organic sourdough pizzas and baked goods. The pizzas are only available on the weekends, but are reason enough to visit. The four of us split 3 pizzas and were very satisfied. We had the Wisconsin: Nueske’s bacon, caramelized onions & crème fraiche, New York: Crème fraiche & Smoked Salmon, and New Mexico: Ancho chile sauce, avocado, grilled chicken & jack cheese. The ingredients are top-notch and it shows. We also deeply enjoyed the decadent rocky road brownie and red velvet cupcakes. The Sage American Kitchen has been perfecting these recipes since 1997. These days everyone with a kitchen serves brunch, but Sage kicks it up a notch – for the same price – and offers a warm atmosphere and friendly service to boot. Plus, it’s worth coming out to LIC for because it’s 2 blocks from PS 1 Arts Museum and around the corner from this insane graffiti building. Check it out – you’ll be making a wise decision.