When it comes to Ethiopian cuisine, I am a complete novice. I have only had it twice in my life, separated by 8 years, so I really can’t judge good from poor. I only know that I enjoyed my experience at Queen of Sheba and have only heard good things about it, from native New Yorkers and Ethiopians alike. We ventured over to Sheba on 10th avenue with our friend Pam, and had a great communal experience. We shared lentil and meat sambousas (similar to South Asian samosas), which were hearty and doughy and served as a good base for our main platter, Sheba Vegetarian Mesob. This large platter of 7 meatless dishes contained collard greens, chick peas, lentils and a few other dishes we were unfamiliar with. The dishes were flavorful and spiced well. There are no utensils in Ethiopian cuisine – which is a positive in my book – and the eater scoops up the food with injera, a thin, spongy bread. It’s really a different experience and I’d recommend it to anyone as a safe culinary adventure.

It’s nearly impossible to decide on a single eatery for lunch at Chelsea Market. It’s like the most delicious, gourmet food court you can imagine. There is the butcher shop, the dairy, the fish store, several bakeries, and many other little restaurants and food purveyors. I usually like to do a little tour and get the most variety of bites for my visit, but this time we made Friedman’s Lunch our singular choice for this visit. Friedman’s is known for homemade comfort food at affordable prices. It’s a bustling place, like the rest of Chelsea Market, with the charm of a modern-day luncheonette with industrial decor matched with softer wooden tables and chairs. We ordered the Market Scramble, a basic, unremarkable vegetable and egg dish, and the Shrimp & Grits, which was delicious. The grits are creamy with high quality cheddar cheese and the shrimp blackened and perfectly cooked over easy eggs. The combo is total comfort, the culinary equivalent of being on the couch with a blanket and pillow on a rainy day. Next time, I’d like to try some of the other enticing comfort dishes like the Pastrami Hash, Huevos Rancheros and Turkey Meatloaf. Since I can’t have everything at Chelsea Market, I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with conquering these places one by one…

It is easy to pass by the unassuming Cafe Mogador, hidden in the chaos that is St. Mark’s place. It is a few steps below street level and has been there for an eternity in Manhattan years (since 1983). But this place is a large, relaxed oasis, that is great for a big mug of coffee and afternoon conversation, which Spud and I often do. In the evening, at 8 pm, it transforms into a packed Moroccan cafe where drinks flow and voices are raised. The food is pretty good too, although it’s almost an afterthought in the evolving atmosphere. We had the Mixed Platter of tabouli, babaganoush, hummus, and salad which was fair, and not memorable. But the signature dish, the tagine, was slow cooked and quite flavorful. Of the five varieties, we chose the Casablanca: chick peas, raisins and onion with chicken. It’s difficult to find a traditional, quality eatery on St. Mark’s, but this Moroccan treasure has definitely lasted for 25+ years for a reason.

I have to admit that I was a little bummed when Choo Choo’s closed its doors late last year. It’s not that I ate there all the time, but I did enjoy their flavorful rotisserie chicken and plentiful sides, and it was a solid option for cheap, basic eats in the Ditmars area of Astoria. I also get scared when an eatery closes because there is a pretty likely chance the space will turn evil, into yet another bank, tanning salon or jewelry store. But much to my delight, the new eatery Haddad’s is really tasty and just what we needed here. Haddad’s keeps the fast food setup of Choo Choo’s, but offers a variety vegeterian Lebanese favorites including crispy falafels, hummus accompanied with fiery pickled peppers and radishes, and slow-cooked mousaka, which is similar to the Greek version, but without the meat. We also tried non-veg dishes like the chicken shwarma sandwich and rice side dish, which contains a bit of chopped meat and a sweet cinnamon-esque flavor. Everything was fresh and packed with flavors and really enjoyable. The prices are reasonable, the staff is eager, and the space is clean with most of the preparation completed behind the open counter. All in all, I have decided that change is good and Haddad’s is an excellent addition to the Ditmars culinary landscape. We needed more bright, new cheap eats serving diverse cuisines here and I even have a feeling Spud and I will frequent Haddad’s more often than Choo Choo’s.

Most Creative Sandwich: Knishwich – Lansky’s, Upper West Side

Best Sandwich for $5: Baoquette (Classic or Chicken) – Baoquette, Murray Hill

Best Chicken: Buttermilk Fried Chicken - Redhead, East Village

Best Fish: Miso Black Cod – Nobu Next Door, Tribeca

Best Beef: Beef Wellington – One If By Land, Two If By Sea, West Village

Most Creative Pizzas: Wisconsin, New York and New Mexico Pizza – Sage General Store, Long Island City

Best Comfort Plate: Anything Really But My Fav is Pork Shoulder, Mac & Cheese, Brussel Sprouts – Mama’s Food Shop, East Village

Best Tacos: Fish Tacos – Taqueria Downtown, Jersey City

Best Fancy Dessert: Raspberry Napoleon – La Bergamonte, Hell’s Kitchen

Best Non-Fancy Dessert: Crumb Cake – B & W Bakery, Hackensack

Bonus! Our Favorite New Neighborhood Restaurant: Vesta, Astoria

Here is a sampler platter of the highlights in chronological order:

Best Crumb Cake Ever from B & W Bakery in Hacksensack, NJ

Real North Carolina BBQ from Parker's in Wilson, NC

Fried Green Tomatoes from Jestine's Kitchen in Charleston, SC

Shrimp & Grits, Butter Beans, Spoonbread, and Okra Casserole from Jestine's

Nanner Pudding from Jestine's

Edisto Island Potato Casserole and Sweet Potato Biscuit from Charleston's Cafe

Lowcountry Boil from Red's Ice House in Charleston

Jalepino Hush Puppies from Red's Ice House

The Big Nasty from Hominy Grill in Charlston

BBQ Ribs and Brisket Plates from Blowin' Smoke BBQ in Savannah, GA

Chili Cheese Cole Slaw Dogs from Nu-Way Weiners in Macon, GA

Seafood Plate from Fiddler's Crab House in Savannah

A Huge Lunch at Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House in Savannah

Key Lime Cake and Peach Cobbler from Marandy's in Savannah

While it has been in the top 3 dessert listing in Zagat for years, I had never given must thought to La Bergamonte. I always wrote it off as some snobby place where the pastries would look great but taste like cardboard. Luckily, I was partially wrong all these years. Yes, the pastries look great, but they actually taste even better! And while I don’t know if it’s snobby, because we were the only customers, the staff was friendly, and who really cares when the sweets are this good?? The mousse mouse was rich and chocolaty, but the raspberry Napoleon was unbelievable! It was easily the best Napoleon I have ever had. The cream was rich with a thick texture, the filo layers were not too stiff and not too soggy, and the ripe whole raspberries put it over the top. It was one of those special food items, where every bite I took was a high because it was so delicious, but simultaneously a low, because I knew it was one bite closer to coming to an end.

The one downside of the Hell’s Kitchen location is that it’s on a boring side street and is easily overlooked. The facade looks like it’s a Midtown deli, but the inside is more sleek and modern. The Chelsea branch is more inviting, more like a traditional cafe. Either way, go for the pastries, they are quite remarkable.

Yes, I love my Mama, but her cooking certainly does not compare with my beloved Mama’s Food Shop in the East Village. It’s been serving heaping plates of delicious down-home comfort food since 1995, and I’ve been an obedient, loyal customer since the beginning. Mama’s is set up like a traditional Southern cafeteria where the customer lines up at the counter, is served food straight from the abundant tray table, pays, grabs a table, and stuffs his/her face. The proteins include fried and baked chicken, meatloaf, and the new tilapia and pork shoulder offerings. They are all good, although the pork is my current fav. Unlike most menus, the carbs and veggies are just as important here. The mac & cheese and mashed potatoes are done in the ultra-comforting classic way. The brussel sprouts, braised kale, and German potato salad are other favorites- hell, all 14 choices are my favorites. They cook everything with love – just as Mama should. The exceedingly casual East Village vibe is always a plus when gnawing on chicken bones and stuffing one’s face with mac & cheese. While I recommend the ginger-mint iced tea, I can’t recommend the desserts because I’ve never tried them. After tackling the enormous main dish mounds, I’ve never had room. Mama’s not only gets a big fat Golden Bonzone, it also gets a coveted Hall of Fame selection. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that you get 1 meat and 2 sides for $13 – and that includes tax and tip! Plus it’s BYOB. So now you know why I love Mama…

Think of Dos Toros as a fresher, greener, local version of Chipotle and Qdoba. This small eatery serves large San Francisco Mission-style burritos. The menu is very basic: pork, chicken or steak in a burrito, taco, quesadilla or on a plate. There’s also guacamole and chips. Everything is made to order right in front or you and all the meats are top quality and other ingredients are organic. Even the plates and plastic ware are sustainable. I enjoyed the large, flavorful pork burrito. I hope the quality food and sustainable practices of small California eateries moving east becomes a trend here.