Archive for the ‘$$’ Category
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
The Sunburnt Cow
137 Avenue C
New York, NY 10009
212.529.0005
www.thesunburntcow.com
It was a dark and stormy night…well, dark. And quiet. In fact, it was a Monday night. Monday night in the restaurant world is not a traditionally busy night. Most chefs actually use Monday as their day off. But that didn’t keep my wife and I from checking out The Sunburnt Cow in the East Village. But I will again emphasize the quiet part – from the start of our meal to the end it was just us, the bar tender/waiter/host and the cooks, which was not necessarily a bad thing. (more…)
Tags: Steinlager, The Sunburnt Cow
Posted in $$, 3 Stars, Australian, Bar / Lounge, Bar Scene, Brunch, Downtown, Good For Groups, Prix Fixe, Restaurant, Special Events | No Comments »
Monday, February 8th, 2010
Bao Noodles
391 2nd Ave
(bet 22nd & 23rd St)
New York, NY
212.725.7770
212.725.6183
www.baonoodles.com
To many Americans, the thought of eating tripe (sections of cow, pig, sheep, etc. stomach), save for a guy like Anthony Bourdain is unheard of; revolting, even. I am not one of those Americans. While I do appreciate and enjoy a plate of spicy buffalo wings or a turkey club, I also find that I am learning to enjoy more exotic and ethnic foods. Vietnamese cuisine is not totally foreign to Americans. In fact, the recent popularity surge in the traditional French-Vietnamese Bahn Mi has given Vietnamese cuisine a new chance to prove itself on the New York City stage with other more traditional dishes. Bao Noodles in Gramercy Park is bringing New Yorkers what they want, and challenging us to try something new and different and what I came to find out, a spread that may even satisfy the cravings of Mr. Bourdain, himself. (more…)
Tags: Anthony Bourdain, Tripe, Vietnamese
Posted in $$, Brunch, Midtown East, Restaurant, Vietnamese | No Comments »
Friday, February 5th, 2010
Valentine’s Day throws us for a loop this year – landing on a Sunday, one week after Super Bowl. Whether you’re in the afterglow or aftershock of the results of the big game, you’ll no doubt be obligated to step up and treat your lady to a full day of Valentine’s bliss. But fear not – arranging a romantic dinner or even a brunch is easier than you think. NYC restaurants are posting enough special deals to make everyone happy. And even if you’re flying this one solo (again) there’s something for everyone!
(more…)
Tags: Bao Noodles, Bondi Road, Chinese New Year, Love Punch Party, Mercadito, Mercadito Cantina, Mercadito Grove, Sunburnt Cow, The Summit Bar, Valentine's Day NYC
Posted in $$, $$$, Asian, Australian, Bar / Lounge, Bar Scene, Brunch, Downtown, Mexican, Midtown East, Prix Fixe, Restaurant, Special Events, Tapas, Vietnamese | No Comments »
Sunday, January 31st, 2010
Victor’s Cafe
236 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
212-586-7714
www.victorscafe.com
I look forward to Restaurant Week, as it gives me the opportunity to sample some of New York City’s finest restaurants with a prix-fixe menu. For this excursion, some friends and I visited Victor’s Cafe, a Cuban hot spot that has been serving the theater district since 1963. Although we had not seen a show, I did notice that Victor’s had a very reasonable after theater menu.
Upon entering Victor’s, our coats were taken, and we met the rest of our party at the bar, where they were enjoying some red sangria and fried plantains. We were led right to our table, which was nestled between a semi circular couch and a few chairs. The decor, featuring colorful artwork and bamboo accents, projected the pre-embargo Cuba one might see in an old movie, possibly because the restaurant was only opened a year after the embargo went into effect. Our waiter quickly procured another pitcher of sangria for the table, and I enjoyed a tasty cocktail while browsing the menu. (more…)
Tags: cuban, midtown, Midtown West, nyc, Restaurant, restaurant week, theater district, victor's, victor's cafe
Posted in $$, Midtown West, Prix Fixe, Restaurant, Special Events | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
RBC NYC
71 Worth Street
New York, NY 10013
{Google Map}
There’s coffee shops and then there’s coffee shops. How many coffee shops that you know of are using a Slayer Espresso machine in the city? Um, none…zip….zero…..zilch. The first machine out east, this $18,000 behemoth is the espresso machine that legends are made of, and lovers of coffee will travel far and wide to experience it. It’s fitting that a machine this expensive has opened up on Worth Street downtown. RBC NYC opened yesterday to a bit of fanfare and if you feel the need to try out some of the finest espresso, you should leave…..right now.
[via Gizmodo]
Image courtesy of RBCNYC
Posted in $$, Coffee Shop, Downtown | No Comments »
Saturday, November 28th, 2009
Barking Dog Luncheonette
1453 York Ave.
(77th/78th Streets)
New York, NY 10021
212-861-3600
{Google Map | flickr}
Every so often I find myself in a restaurant where I truly enjoyed the food, but felt that the staff was so inept and rude that it ruined my dining experience. Barking Dog Luncheonette in Yorkville was my latest experience in this series of occasional mishaps. Rather than a review, let’s give you an overview of the carnage. (more…)
Posted in $$, 2 Stars, American, Brunch, Kid Friendly, Restaurant, Upper East | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Whole Foods Market
250 7th Ave.
New York, NY 10001
212-924-5969
{Google Map | flickr}
What’s not to love at this Chelsea based location of Whole Foods Market? I ran in there the other day hungry as could be and searching for a quick lunch. I had my choice of a salad bar, sushi bar, hot foods, bakery area and more. I chose the sushi bar and had my way with a few varieties of multi-grained rice sushi rolls: tuna and avocado, shrimp and cucumber and two pieces of inari (rice wrapped in fried tofu).
Whole Foods never lets you down and the great part about it is that you can go there every day of the week and never eat the same meal twice. I’ll always be returning to this location and the 6 others in the city for more lunch and dinner goodness.
Tags: bakery, chelsea, market, nyc, salad bar, sushi, whole foods
Posted in $$, 3 Stars, American, Bakery / Dessert, Downtown, Good For Groups, Japanese, Kid Friendly, Marketplace, Restaurant | No Comments »
Saturday, November 14th, 2009
Rub BBQ
208 W. 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011
212-524-4300
{Google Map | flickr set}
RUB BBQ really stands for Righteous Urban BBQ and it certainly lives up to its name. With four smokers on site, each capable of smoking up to 600lbs. of meat, there’s rarely a day where it’s not all used up. What this means for you and me is some of the freshest and smokiest ‘Q around. (more…)
Posted in $$, 3 Stars, American, Bar / Lounge, Downtown, Good For Groups, Kid Friendly, Restaurant | No Comments »
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Sarge’s Delicatessen
548 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10016-3597
(212) 679-0442
Since 1964
Author David Sax recently released his book, Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen. Apparently New York had, at one time deli’s numbering in the hundreds. Today there are less than 20 authentic kosher Jewish deli’s. For some time I was under the impression that Sarge’s was one of the few remaining pure, authentic, kosher deli’s. I was only partially correct. Like it’s Lower East Side brother, Katz’s, Sarge’s is kosher-style. This means they carry all the essentials of a kosher deli – pastrami, tongue, knishes, chopped liver, pickled tomatoes, etc, but due to the fact that they serve both meat & dairy (& sometimes on the same plate) they cease to be kosher and are relegated to being treyf – Yiddish for not kosher. But I digress – this isn’t about kosher vs. non-kosher vs. kosher-style. This is about Sarge’s! (more…)
Posted in $$, Deli, Midtown East, Restaurant | No Comments »
Friday, November 6th, 2009
Imagine going to a dinner party at Carmen Miranda’s house: a chotzke collection that rivals the most astute junk collecting granny, a trippy tropical kaleidoscopic color scheme, kitschy décor, terracotta tiled floors, hand-painted signs, and good food served by an extremely attentive staff topped off with bananas flambé. Welcome to Esperanto!
(more…)
Tags: Botiquins, Brazilian, Esperanto
Posted in $$, 2 Stars, Bar Scene, Brunch, Downtown, Good For Groups, Live Music, Restaurant | No Comments »
