Eating out, N.Y.C

Grimaldi's Pizza

2008-12-28T13:24:00.001-08:00

I was craving pizza. I'm not a huge pizza fan. I was thinking of having Difara's Pizza but I didn't want to wait five hours while Dom made a pie. I could have gone to my local pizzeria Totonno’s, which is known for its coal brick oven pizza but I was sick of their attitude. Their pizza is over-rated, over-priced and was a tourist trap. There was still L&B Pizza but that place slipped off my radar. So I quickly messaged my friend on blackberry messenger and asked his opinion on a good pizza spot. He mentioned Patsy's a/k/a Grimaldi's.

I haven't had Grimaldi’s Pizza in about 12 years. I remember the pizza was great. I remember when I was younger my father calling me to tell me he was bringing home pizza that he got under the Brooklyn Bridge. He also told me that I better eat it because he waited on-line for an hour to get it. I was also threatened with a telephone cord but I'll leave that for another story. After telling my friend this story and waiting for him to finish hysterically laughing we got into the car and drove to Downtown Brooklyn.

Grimaldi’s is a coal brick oven pizzeria, which is located on Old Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn a/k/a DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Brooklyn Overpass). Parking was easy to find but probably because it was a weekday. As my friend and I walked up to Grimaldi’s, we were relieved to see there was no line and were told there was a five-minute wait for a table.

We were sat down at a small cramped table close to the door. The placed was packed. An older gentleman came over to my friend and asked if we wanted to move to a bigger table but as we looked over it seemed all the tables were the same size. I am guessing we were getting the VIP treatment because my friend and I carry heavy Brooklyn accents. This guy looked like he had Brooklyn tattooed all over his heart. A waiter quickly came over to take our order. We went with one white pie, one red pie and two cokes.

As I looked around I noticed the walls decorated with Frank Sinatra paraphernalia. There were signed pictures and movie posters. I also noticed all the tourists eating their pizza with knifes and forks while clinching to their Frommer’s Brooklyn Edition Guide Books. There were also a lot of hipsters and it reminded me how much Brooklyn has changed and how I'm starting to feel like a tourist in my own borough but the pizza came and I snapped out of it.

The white pie came out first. A thin crusted pie with fresh mozzarella, garlic, olive oil and black pepper. I took my first bite to try and deconstruct the slice. A thin layer of fresh mozzarella, slight hint of garlic and olive oil on a thin sliced piece of heaven. Now this was a white pie. I hate those nasty white pies that have clumps of ricotta cheese. I guess that's what I should expect from a generic pizzeria.

As my friend and I polished off the white pie our red pie had arrived. If this red pie is anything like the white pie, I'm going substitute this pizza with porn. I guess I'm giving up porn. This slice was amazing. A small layer of sauce which had a hint of subtle sweetness while giving off a minor garlic taste. The crust was thin but not really crunchy and not burnt. Totonno’s serves the same type of pie but Totonno’s pizza always has that burnt nasty charcoal taste to it.

My pizza urge was satisfied and I was a happy camper. The pizza was great and I couldn't understand why I neglected this place for so long. The bill came out to $42 with tip. The pizza was $14 each for a large pie. I highly recommended this place if you're a fan of Totonno’s Pizza in Coney Island.

Edited by Maria Orrijola

Jakes BBQ

2008-11-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

Another meal, another review, another BBQ joint. Yes, I will admit I am a barbeque fiend. My last BBQ experience wasn't the greatest. So I decided to start hunting down a new place. A few months back, my friend and I were checking out the menu for Jake's BBQ in Carroll Gardens but for some reason we thought it was only take out. After speaking to a few people, we found out it is a sit down place but most of their business comes from take out orders.

I spent the week glazing over the Jake’s menu. I noticed Jake’s serves corn bread and biscuits. Any place that serves both is a place I would like to visit. I asked my friends if they would like to go and check this place out. So on a boring Friday night we rolled out to hipster land better know as Carroll Gardens. It is located on Columbia street a hop away from the Brooklyn / Queens Expressway. Jake’s was easy to access with tons of street parking. After parking my car and walking down to Jake’s, I couldn't believe how much this neighborhood has changed. It went from a desolate shit hole area, to restaurants, bars and shops. I am always in the market to check out a new restaurant. I quickly grabbed my blackberry and jotted a few places down. There were so many restaurants, that I would never be able to remember them all.

I walked into Jake's to get a table and the place was packed. The smell of smoked BBQ hit my nose and alerted my brain that my mouth should start salivating. As I wiped my mouth, I asked the waitress if there was a table available. There was a 10-minute wait. After 10 minutes, we sat down and were given menus. I didn't need the menu. I already had the menu memorized. My biggest dilemma was should I order the corn bread or biscuits. I asked my friend for his opinion and he made a good point. He said if I was eating fried chicken, which Jake's also serves, I should go with biscuits but since we're eating BBQ then cornbread is the way to go.

We started off with the BBQ sampler, 6 buffalo wings, 3 chicken tenders, 3 mozzarella sticks and 3 fried shrimp. For my dinner, I went with the assortment of BBQ meats. Pulled pork, smoked brisket and half a slab of baby back ribs, which came with two sides. I got the mac-n-cheese, coleslaw and cornbread. My friend ordered the same dish but he got coleslaw instead of onion rings. My other friend got a pulled pork sandwich with steak fries.

As I waited for our appetizer to arrive, I noticed Jake’s kitchen was bigger then the dining area. I also noticed this place took a lot of take out orders. In the 15 minutes we were sitting about 7 different people came in and out with insulated delivery bags and a few people picking up their take-out. I was surprised this place was so busy being we were in the land of the hipsters and a lot of hipsters are vegetarians. Our appetizers arrived and I started off with the shrimp. The jumbo shrimp was lightly breaded and fried. Very tender and a bit dry but still good. I reached over for a chicken tender, which looked like an ordinary chicken tender but it was juicy, tender and flavorful. The mozzarella sticks were where like the type that you would get at White Castle and the buffalo wings were fried and just tossed in a hot sauce.

Our main courses arrived and holy shit the plate huge. A 12" inch plate full of meaty goodness that would have any BBQ fan feel as if they were in heaven. As I took a sniff of my food to get my pallet fired up, the utter smell of smokiness came off the meat and a smile from ear to ear appeared on my face. Before I could dig in, my side dishes arrived. I was shocked to see the portion size of the side dishes. I couldn't believe the portion of onion rings my friend got. Kansas style BBQ is served with the sauce on the side. I took a few bites of each of the meats and I came to this conclusion for all three. The brisket, pulled pork and ribs were terrific. A nice Smokey taste which didn't over power the taste of the meat. Jake's makes their own BBQ sauce which was a perfect balance of flavors of sweet and savory. The mac-n-cheese was creamy and the coleslaw was out of this world. The cornbread was piping hot and delicious. I asked my friends what they thought about their dishes and they all agreed the food was terrific. My friend who ordered the same dish as me agreed this place blew out Wildwood BBQ. Wildwood is a different type of BBQ. It seemed corporate and like the food was cooked on an assembly line. Jake’s tastes like they chop up the cow and pigs in the back. I was stuffed. I started to do a Google search for a flat bed truck, because that was the only way I was getting out of my seat. We skipped dessert.

Lately I've been having less then great food. My friend and I went to the San Genaro Feast and I got a sausage and peppers sandwich from a street booth. It was the worst sandwich I ever ate at a feast. Even Nathan’s in Coney Island has altered their taste to satisfy tourists. This blog isn't my only gig. I wake up everyday at 5:30 a.m. I'm in charge of million dollar construction projects. I deal with deadlines and conflicting personalities between my co-workers. I like to treat myself to a nice meal after a stressful week. Lately, I have been having poor quality food. Culinary horror shows From Wildwood BBQ to Nove Italiano to Bella Luna. Finally a good meal! Jake’s was really fucking good! Our bill came out to $105 with the tip which broken down between 3 people is $35 a person. So not only is Jake's good but it's also cheap. I highly recommended Jake's and I give them a 4 out of 4.

Edited by Maria Orrijola

Bella Luna

2008-10-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

It was a rainy Saturday night and I wasn't in the mood for take-out or to cook. I couldn't handle another night of mental anguish of Chinese food and a bootleg movie. While in Las Vegas, a friend of mine mentioned we should hit up a local Italian place called Gino's located in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn so my friend and I decided to go there. When we got there, we could not find parking so we decided to go somewhere else. One thing I've learned is to never make a decision on an empty stomach.

While driving back to my neighborhood we saw an Italian place located on the corner of 11th Avenue and 86th st called Bella Luna. I must have passed by this restaurant a million times and never went in. Bella Luna is a hybrid. Part restaurant, part pizzeria and part bar. My friend and I decided to give it a try. How bad could it be?

After waiting about 5 minutes to be seated, a hostess came up to us and asked how big our party was. Keep in mind there were approximately 12 people in the restaurant. We were seated near the open windows. The rain cleared out and it started to become a nice night. My seat faced the Verrazzano Bridge. Our menus were handed to us and after waiting about another 10 minutes the waiter came over to take our order.

We started with fried calamari and mozzarella corza as our appetizers. I ordered the frutti de mar and my friend ordered the lamb chops as entrees. About 10 minutes after placing my order, I realized we didn't get bread or water. I was starving at this point and was ready to eat the gum that was stuck under the table. I mean isn't it common to get bread and a few glasses of water on the table when you go to a restaurant? Even prisoners in jail get bread and water. So far, I was not impressed with the service. I hoped the food was better.

About 15 minutes later, our appetizers arrived and still no bread. The calamari was fresh from the bag. Does anyone make their own calamari anymore? Is it that difficult of a task? The calamari was greasy, tasteless and over battered. The sauce was salty and watery. The mozzarella corza wasn't any better. The mozzarella was not fresh. I felt as if I was eating an egg and cheese sandwich. The bad taste basically took over the entire dish.

As they cleared away our dishes, I mentioned to my friend we should of walked 8 blocks and went Gino's. I gave him my thoughts about this restaurant and he agreed. Our entrée's came out and still no bread or water. We had a bottle of Pellegrino on the table, which we used to wash down the awful appetizers. My frutti de mar was a rather simple dish. Shrimp, clams, mussels and squid served with red sauce over a bed of pasta. The shrimp were dry and there were very few. A few of my mussels didn't open so those were basically thrown to the side. The squid was rubbery. The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauce was decent but had an over powering taste of red wine. I asked my friend about his dish and he said we should have gone to Gino's. I also would like to add that we weren't offered any fresh grated cheese or black pepper. At this point, I didn't care anyway. I knew I would never return to this restaurant ever again and would only recommend it to a sworn enemy.

Whenever I eat Italian food I can never finish a dish. This time I had room for dessert. I was in the mood for a nice slice of cheesecake. We asked the waiter what types of cheesecakes they had to offer and a bell went off when I heard apple crumb cheesecake. That combination could be served to me on a dirty paper plate in the fiery pits of hell and it should be good. So I ordered a slice. Finally this place has something good. I was telling my friend how good the cheesecake was and he said its good because they don't bake it themselves. And on that note Bella Luna is awful. The next day I asked around a few of my friends and they said they wouldn't even use the toilet in that place. I do not recommended Bella Luna even in desperate times. Bad food, bad service but a nice view of the Verrazzano Bridge.

Edited by Maria Orrijola

The Palm steak house

2008-09-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

It was my friends and I last night in Las Vegas. After 6 nights of hard partying, we decided to take it easy our last night. We were thinking of getting a few lap dances at Spearmint Rhino and were deciding on what steakhouse to dine at. After all, what is a trip to Vegas without a trip to the local strip club! A few days earlier, my friends and I were at the Forum Mall at Caesar’s Palace, when a familiar smell hit my nose, steak. My friends and I followed the waft to The Palm Steakhouse. Yes, the same Palm Steakhouse in New York City. I wanted to try something different but my friend brought up a good point. He said we must have walked past 50 steakhouses and none of them had a delicious smell like this floating out of it. He was right and I was in the mood for a real steak. Not a prissy filet mignon sliced and stacked with goat cheese and micro greens served over a bed of risotto with decorative sauces around it made from plastic squeeze bottles.

The Palm Steakhouse is located in the Forum shops at Caesar’s Palace. The décor is the same as the one in Manhattan, dark cherry wood with green accent seating. The bar has two LCD televisions and there is seating outside of the restaurant. My friends and I decided to eat outside and watch all the girls walking by while eating our half cooked slabs of meat. The waiter brought over bread and menus. My friends started off with a ceaser salad and sesame seed seared ahi tuna. The lump crabmeat cocktail was calling my name but I decided to go with the shrimp cocktail. We all ordered the 16 oz New York strip cooked medium, along with the creamed corn and the three-cheese potato au gratin and a glass of Melleni Chianti Classico from 2003. Yes, I know a cabernet goes better with steak but I haven't had this wine in a long time and was in a sick mood for it.

While waiting, my friends and I were talking about all the crap we ate all week and a heated discussion went down between my two friends. They argued that the wings at Hooters are better in Vegas then they are in New York. Yes, my friend you read correctly Hooters! A man can’t live on beluga caviar and Kobe beef alone. Our appetizers arrived. Four simple jumbo shrimp, served over a bed of lettuce with a little cup of ketchup and hors radish to mix the cocktail sauce to your taste. A ceaser salad, mixed with croutons and ceaser dressing and tuna lightly seared served over seaweed salad. The shrimp was tender and cold. The ceaser salad was a salty but good. The tuna was cooked perfectly. Lightly seared on the outside and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

While waiting for our steaks our plans changed. Spearmint Rhino was out and we decided to go to Club Pure for the last night. It was close to the Palm Steakhouse so it was convenient. One last drunken night in a club was needed. Besides winter is on its way. In New York we board up the windows and hide until the sun shines again.

Ours steak arrived exactly how I wanted. My 16 oz steak was cooked halfway and served on a plain white dish with creamed corn and three cheese potatoes. No squeeze bottles, stacks, foams or fancy square dishes with separate compartments. I usually pick up my dish to smell the food to get my palette going but the smell coming off the steak was strong and it was good. I cut into my steak and it was cooked to perfection. It was pink almost ¾ of the way starting from the middle. I took my first bite and the meat melted into my mouth. The steak was simply seasoned with salt, pepper and a hint of butter. The creamed corn was fresh shucked and swimming in a butter cream sauce. The potatoes were cooked to perfection, well done, with a crust from the cheese on top. Everything was delicious. Also, the wine complemented my steak very well.

I was crying as I took the last bites of the steak. Mostly, because it was so delicious but also because the steak shared the dreaded name of the city I had to return to tomorrow afternoon. Back to reality, bills, work, deadlines and dating (ick). How can something so good be so bad? I was stuffed. We cleared every plate in front of us. We were offered dessert but we declined. I don't think any of us could eat another bite. This had to be the best meal I have had in Las Vegas this vacation. Which really doesn't say much because I was eating like a truck driver for the past week. The bill came to be $300 with tip for 3 people. I give Palm Steakhouse a 3 out of 4 and I highly recommend visiting this place if you are ever in Las Vegas.

Edited by Maria Orrijola

Nove Italiano

2008-09-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

My vacation has finally arrived. I made a list of places I wanted to eat at while staying at the MGM Hotel in Las Vegas. With places like Nobhill, Shibuya, Craft Steak and Sea Blue, just a few steps away from the craps table, I was a happy camper. Unfortunately, I didn't get to dine at any of them. Spending days by the pool and nights drinking over-priced vodka with the girls from Deal or No Deal and Mike Tyson, didn’t give me as much time to have nice dinners. Except for two nights, which you will read about in my next two postings.

My friend invited me to go to dinner at Nove Italiano, with a girl he met and her friend. It is a contemporary Italian joint at the top of the new Playboy Fantasy tower at the Palms Resort and Casino. Contemporary Italian? Was this going to be a Fiamma Osteria nightmare all over again? Before giving my friend an answer, I checked out the menu on my Blackberry and I wasn't really impressed. However, the magic words were said, "they are paying". I'm far from cheap but there was no way in hell, I was spending $500 on dinner on two girls I hardly knew.

I go over to the Palms and met up with my friend. Walked over to the extremely good-looking hostess and was quickly shoveled into the elevator. While going up in the elevator all I could think about was how good looking the hostess was. Being I was in the Playboy fantasy tower, I had a mini daydream of Playboy bunnies serving me endless filet mignon with wasabi lobster mashed potatoes and opus one. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Nove, watch your step” and poof girls, meat and wine were gone.

Nove was decorated in a modern Italian style. Shrubs cut out to resemble figures of people, Swarovski chandeliers, and plasma screens in wooden frames that flashed dynamic art. There were no Playboy bunnies but it didn't matter. I was with good company and the best part is we got a booth. A booth is like a vacation for your ass. Our waiter comes over and hands us our menu and takes our drink orders. Now this waiter was interesting, not only did he start off by hitting on one of the girls at our table, he also looked like one of the flying Ando's brothers from that episode of Seinfeld, when they thought Jerry’s jacket was stolen from the fryers club.

Scanning through the menu, I wasn't impressed. Another Fiamma Osteria on my hands, minus the bad date. I started off with grilled prawns served over grilled green chili and the ahi tuna for my entrée. The tuna was a pink and black peppercorn crusted heirloom with tomato vinaigrette. Our waiter informed one of the ladies sitting with us that there was a special dish that wasn't on the menu, a Tuscan lobster. It was only made special for "special" people. So for the rest of the night, I kept telling this girl how she should take our waiter in the bathroom so we can get a free dinner. Or at least they can get a free dinner.

I got a glass of wine, which was good but when I asked for the name of the wine the waiter refused to tell me what it was. This waiter was a character so I didn't mind his stupidity. One thing I didn’t like was that the wine was served in a stem-less wine glass. How am I going to open up my wine without using the stem to swirl it around? Are they kidding me? I wasn't grabbing the glass and swirling it around like a glass of chocolate milk. If any wine aficionado saw me do that I would be banished from the wine community. I asked for a glass with a stem and was told they don't have any. Décor just got a minus one.

My appetizer had arrived. Grilled shelled prawns. I hate to wrestle with seafood like lobster, crabs, etc. The prawns were very dry and had a weird taste to them. I tried the other appetizers around the table that my friends had ordered, calamari with banana peppers and lemon. It sucked, the calamari tasted like they were fresh from the bag. I also tried the Sicilian crab cakes with tomato, baccala, and garlic aioli. Yet, another bad dish for Nove. So far the nine group, has struck out with my palette.

Our entrée's arrived and I was happy I went with a basic dish. My ahi tuna was good. I didn’t have much more to say about it. Our new friends ordered the ahi tuna and the Tuscan lobster. I was offered to try the lobster. Actually it was more like shoved onto my plate and I was forced to eat it. Yes she was a little pushy, but in a funny kind of way. Any girl who forces me to eat a lobster tail is okay in my book. The lobster was a hit. It was a succulent lobster tail, in a spicy tomato sauce. It was really hard to deconstruct the dish because I was trying to pay attention to people talk. Apparently this lobster dish was only given to VIP’s. My friend went with the grilled lamb chops and said he didn't like them at all. He's a fussy eater so I couldn't really speak more on the dish.

I won't waste your time with the dessert. There is nothing interesting to discuss. Nove Italiano is a thumbs down my friends. In my opinion, I think Italian food should remain rustic. Or maybe it is because I live in Brooklyn, the Mecca of rustic Italian food. When I think Italian, I think of dishes like penne alla vodka and fra diavolo. Yes, I am a metropolitan type of person when it comes to food but so far every modern Italian place I've dined at was a bad experience. The bill came out to $590 for four of us that included the tip and tax. Nove Italiano is a strike out. It is probably worse then Fiamma Osteria.

Here's a picture of Iron Mike. His table was next to our's at Pure. Unfortunately the night we had a table next to the models from deal or no deal we had no camera and my blackberry was dead.

Edited by Maria Orrijola

Wildwood Barbeque

2008-09-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

On the hunt for a good barbeque joint in New York, I stumbled upon Wildwood Barbeque, while reading New York Magazine. Wildwood Barbeque is another mutation from the B.R. restaurant conglomerate. B.R has a sack full of great restaurants such as Dos Caminos and Blue Water Grill also located in New York. I figured how bad could Wildwood Barbeque be?

It was a great summer night and after looking at the Wildwood Barbeque menu online for some time, my friend and I decided to go eat there and see the movie Pineapple Express. Wildwood Barbeque is located on Park Avenue South between 17th and 18th Street in Gramercy Park. After parking my car, we walked past Angelo Maxies and almost got sidetracked. I had to remind my friend we had a plan to eat barbeque food.

Wildwood Barbeque takes reservations but my friend and I decided to go without a reservation. When I entered the restaurant, I noticed the chic contemporary decor. We were told there would be a wait of 10 minutes, so I started to analyze the restaurant. Being born and raised in Brooklyn, we were both far from barbeque aficionados but we both know the difference between good and bad barbeque. Although I tend to watch television shows that specialize in various genres of food especially barbeque foods, I have never actually been in a true Southern barbeque spot. My analyzation of Wildwood was that of a rustic hole in the wall decorated by a gay man. Chairs that did not match jelly jars for drinking glasses and chalk boards with the “specials” of the day written on them.

Our hostess then announced that our table was ready. A small table for two cramped into a corner near the register. On the table there were a rack of sauces. Wildwood Classic Barbeque Sauce, Big Lou's Secret Raspberry Chipolte Barbeque Sauce and Dirty Dicks Hot Pepper Sauce a/k/a “dicks oral abuse”. Oral abuse? That reminded me of this girl I went on a date with once. Our waiter came over and asked if we would like to start off with some drinks. The gazebo sour caught my eye. Sazerac rye, chamomile and green tea. While waiting for the drink, I had a dilemma on my hands. Do I go with the ribs or do I go with the wild park brisket sandwich?

My gazebo sour was brought over to me and now it was crunch time. After discussing what I should order with my friend, we both decided to split a rack of ribs for appetizers and we would each order the park brisket sandwich. The park brisket consisted of sliced brisket, onion rings, coleslaw, melted provolone on a sesame seed bun and served with potato chips and an order of mac-n-cheese on the side. One thing I despise is bad service and our waiter is a prime example of it. He had an attitude like he had better things to do then take our order. It took him about 2 hours to get us our drink refills. I understand restaurants get busy, but our waiter was making this a bad experience.

Our rack of ribs arrived and we only received half the order! What a jackass this waiter is. I notice they are already glazed with barbeque sauce. From what I've seen and read, there is a big controversy between dry served ribs and glazed. Honestly, I don't give a shit, if it's good then its good! I took a few bites of the ribs before I could actually get all the flavors going. The ribs were glazed in Wildwood’s Raspberry Chipolte Barbeque Sauce. The ribs were tender. They were not falling off the bone; however, at first the sauce was sweet and gradually gave it a nice spicy kick as it hit my pallet. I have to admit these ribs did beat out the other places I've been to for barbeque food.

Our sandwiches arrived served on what seemed like a McDonald’s Big Mac bun. I looked at the sandwich and was kind of skeptical about it. The bun itself just made it less desirable. I felt as if I was going to bite into nasty Big Mac with slow cooked brisket, homemade slaw,provolone, and onion rings. I felt like I was looking at a Honda civic with a Ferrari engine. I took a few bites and the sandwich tasted worse then it looked. The provolone with the coleslaw threw off the entire balance of the sandwich. So I figured let me take off the provolone. No difference. I scraped off the coleslaw and added a little of Big Lou’s Barbeque Sauce. Still, no difference! Even worse, the brisket was dry and flavorless. I guess that is why they added the strong taste of provolone to it. The salt and vinegar chips that were served with the sandwich weren't that great either. I was never a big fan of salt and vinegar chips. However, the mac-n-cheese was excellent. The aged chedar gave the mac-n-cheese a nice flavor. My biggest problem with dish was the really small portion.

My friend and I named our waiter the “slug”. He finally came over to clear away our dishes and asked if we wanted dessert. Being that I was still on my diet and trying to lose a few pounds before my vacation, I decided to skip dessert. My wonderful friend decided to order a slice of carrot cake. I have despised carrot cake since I was younger. My friend told me the carrot cake was good and that I should try a piece. To my surprise it was actually good. It tasted fresh, but like I said I’m not a fan of carrot cake and had nothing to compare it to.

I was disappointed with the service and my sandwich at Wildwood Barbeque. However, my drink, the ribs and the mac-n-cheese were excellent and I would recommend going there to get these things. I rate Wildwood Barbeque a 2 out of 4. The bill came out to $90 for two people including the tip.

Edited by Maria Orrijola

101

2008-09-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful Friday night. My friends and I decided to go have a few drinks and dinner at 101 in Bay Ridge, located on the corner of 101st Street and 4th Avenue. The menu is a mixture of traditional American and Italian food, catering to Brooklyn's guido chic (fake tans, rolex's and $80k cars owned by people who still live at home). When you are in 101, you feel as though you are in a sports bar, not restaurant. There are a variety of 42 inch LCD televisions and 90 inch projection screens. The air conditioner was pumping inside but my friend and I opted to sit outside and enjoy the blistering heat.

A hostess shows us to our table. I got stuck sitting in the chair with the view of a 101st Street instead of 4th Avenue, where all the "action" happens. I had two bottles of Pellegrino Water and a Jack and Coke. As always, I am indecisive about what to order as I'm scanning through the menu. The menu has a variety of fish, pasta, sandwich and meat dishes. I have been to 101 several times and my favorite dish on the menu is the grilled chicken sandwich. I also like the penne vodka but because I am on a health kick, I decided to order the grilled chicken sandwich and cheat with the coconut shrimp.

The service at 101 is always good but it was slow this time. I didn't mind because I was with good friends, the weather was great and I was about to enjoy good food or so I thought. My coconut shrimp arrived. At first glance my shrimp looked to be over cooked. To my surprise, the shrimp was perfect! It was crunchy, moist and the honey mustard sauce was a nice compliment to the shrimp. One thing I have to say is that I did not taste any coconut. It might have been due to the sweetness of the honey mustard sauce. So I tried one without the sauce and the shrimp tasted bland. My friends ordered the calamari for two. The calamari tasted like it was from "the frozen bag kind". However, I didn't expect much from the calamari. After all, if I want good and fresh calamari, I go to Rocco's or Casa Calamari also located in Brooklyn.

My chicken sandwich consists of grilled chicken breast, fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, onions and lemon pesto sauce, which is served on a lightly toasted pocketless pita. It came with fresh cut fries on the side. Yes, I know I said I was on a health kick but a few fries wont kill me. Or will they? As I take a few bites of my sandwich and try to deconstruct the taste of my dish, I observe that the chicken was moist but tasteless. The lemon pesto sauce tasted more like mayonnaise. I felt like I was eating a veggie sandwich with mayonnaise from Subway. The fries were rather greasy and bland. My friend ordered the same dish and agreed the sandwich was bland. So I knew I wasn't going crazy.

Fried shrimp, french fries?? I ride my bike 10 miles a day, go to the gym 5 days a week, so I figure I deserve some dessert. I'm not really big on sweets but my weakness is anything apple (i.e. apple pie, apple strudel, etc...). So I ordered the baked apple crisp. Crushed oatmeal cookies, apples, baked and topped with ice cream and whip cream. Good thing I did those 5 miles on the elliptical machine that day.

Another disappointment, the crushed oatmeal cookie topping was burned and the ice cream had ice crystals in it. I took a few bites and just couldn't finish eating it. The food at 101 has a good consistency. Maybe it wasn't the right night for the grilled chicken sandwich or apple crisp. Maybe the cook preparing my dish was tired that night. Who knows! The bill came out to $145 for a party of 4 people. I recommended 101 and give it a rating of 2 out of 4.

Edited by Maria Orrijola

Bond St. Sushi

2008-07-22T14:07:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine had been ranting and raving about a Sushi place in Manhattan called Bond Street. Every time I would mention a sushi place I'd hear "Yo, you gotta try Bond Street". I would have rather gone to Nobu, fuck it even Nobu next door. I checked out some reviews of the place and they seemed decent. So finally we made plans one night and headed into the city so I can try this mystical sushi place named Bond Street.

Located in the West Village on, what a coincidence, Bond Street, we made our way into what looked like a fancy apartment building then a sushi restaurant. Inside the place was dark, kind of small, and well decorated. If I knew this place was so fancy I would have left the bathing ape hoodie and the dunks at home and put on a nice shirt and my Prada kicks. Not only am I a gastronome but I am also a sneaker head. We are greeted by two fancy gentleman and asked for our reservation. We didn't have any so we were told we would have to sit at the sushi bar which I didn't mind at all. A lot of people do not like to sit at the sushi bar.

The sushi bar has a special place in my heart. When I was at the ripe old age of 12 my parents took me along with them to meet a relative of ours visiting from Brazil. At 12 years old I was hesitant to eating anything except my mothers cooking and McDonalds. We all sat at the sushi bar where my mom was trying to feed me sushi. The sushi chef noticed I was hesitant to eat anything my mom tried to feed me. The chef looked over the bar, smiled asked me if I liked shrimp. I answered "Yes, I do". So, on a small dish, one piece of sushi was served to me. As I examined this piece of sushi I was being told by the sushi chef to go ahead, eat it, it will taste like bubble gum and the rest is history. I don't know where that place was, or what sushi chef made me but that day I added another ethnic cuisine notch to my belt.

My friends and I grabbed a drink at the bar and waited to be seated and in about 10 minutes a gentleman came over to my friends and I, and told us our tables are ready. As I walked through the place there was not an empty seat in the house. We are showed our seats and given menus. The bar was cramped and when I say cramped I mean there's more room in a Japanese capsule hotel room then at the sushi bar. It was bad. The lady sitting next to me kept elbowing me as she checked her phone.

I scanned through the menu and I started off with a salmon Ceviche which consisted of salmon, blood oranges and shallots. For my entrée I went with the spicy Tuna with chili mayo, Lobster tempura with a yellow tomato and yuzu pepper dressing and the sesame crusted shrimp roll with orange curry dressing and reduced balsamic vinegar. The menu was small with not much variety, which was sort of new to me. You have to understand when I go for sushi it's usually in Brooklyn where they have so many types of rolls that they're running out of names to call these rolls. One place in Brooklyn went as low as calling a roll “the iPhone roll.”

In Brooklyn the sushi chef's are Chinese. So it was refreshing to hear the chatter of Japanese behind the sushi bar. The head sushi chef was trying to get everyone's attention to give a toast that most traditional sushi chef's give to show appreciation for the customer. I thought to myself this is the real deal, no iPhone rolls here. My Ceviche had arrived. Any fool knows acids make a fish dish sing. This was more like 3 tenors at the Met. A harmonic balance of acids and textures. I had quickly grabbed my Treo and jotted down what flavors I tasted as I are this dish. Yeah, that's right I'm going to rip off this dish and serve it to my friends.

My sushi had arrived . The presentation of my sushi was a little cheesy. The spicy Tuna roll was formed into an arch, while the rest of my sushi was cut into rolls. Was the Tuna made into an arch as some kind of representation of a rainbow with the sushi at the bottom as a pot of gold? We'll start with the rainbow itself. Kind of mediocre for my taste. It was just a simple spicy Tuna roll. Although I have to add the fish was very fresh and the rolls were not compacted with tons of rice. The Lobster tempura was a little off balance. It was good but not anything to throw a parade for. The sesame crusted shrimp roll with orange curry sauce however was anything but ordinary. I am used to the basics when it comes to sushi: soy sauce, spicy mayo, ginger (to cleanse my pallet in between rolls) and that fake Wasabi. So the orange curry sauce for the roll was nice change for me.

For desert I had banana dim sum: little dim sum dumplings hand wrapped, fried and topped with ice cream. It was okay. Let’s leave it at that. The bill came to $380 without the tip. All in all Bond Street has a real nice décor and a good place to go if you're looking to impress someone on a first date. The sushi was very fresh but mediocre to me. I'd say the winning dish of the night was definitely my appetizer.I rate bond st a 2 out of a 4 .

edited by a.j.

Fiamma Osteria

2008-07-22T14:08:00.001-07:00

I'll never forget this restaurant or the bad date I went to this place. Newly single and finally getting back into the life of a bachelor in New York City, I met a girl and we decided to go out for dinner one night. So I wrenched my brain to find a place and came across Fiamma Osteria. I read that the chef of Fiamma was named one of the best new chefs in 2002 by Food and Wine Magazine. Food and Wine Magazine never steers me wrong. The plans were set and reservations were made for 9:30 pm on a Saturday night.

We arrived at Fiamma about 5 minutes earlier then out reservation. I walk over to the host, gave my name and was told it would be a few minutes. "Please enjoy a drink at our bar". Another lady comes over to us and escorts us to an elevator to take us to the second floor bar. I grab a drink for my date and I and we nestled ourselves into a corner and wait for our table. After 30 mind numbing minutes of sheer boredom a gentleman walks over and tells us our table it ready and to follow him back to the elevator. Is this place serious? 30 damn minutes? As I walked over to the elevator I was thinking to myself, "this date is going really bad; hopefully the food will make up for it".

We make our way back downstairs and are shown our table. The place was nicely decorated and low lit. A nice place for a first date. A small menu dated for the week of. A good sign: showing the menu always changes and the food is fresh and seasonal. I should be in for a real treat. For some odd reason my date and I did not order appetizers. I don't know if it was the tension between us or I just didn't want to eat because I kept thinking in the back of my mind this date sucks and the less I order the quicker this will be over and I could be on my couch watching Fight Club with a nice bottle of wine and a pie from Tottono's. So I went straight for the main course. Seared Tuna over risotto. My date had the goat cheese ravioli's.

Fiamma was packed that night. Not an empty seat in the house. Over dinner I was telling my date about the chef and how he was picked one of the best new chef's by Food and Wine Magazine. I could have honestly been telling this information to a wall because I would have gotten a better response out of it. Our Food had arrived. I like my Tuna rare. I am known to go to my local fish market get a pound of Tuna and bring it home and slice it up into sashimi. I am more than sure I told our server rare but my Tuna was medium almost well done. I don't like sending food back so I sucked it up and tried it. How bad could it be right? Awful, tasteless, fishy, crap. The risotto was dry, over salted crap! I asked my date what she thought about her ravioli. She said it was pretty good. I tried a piece and the ravioli was drier then my date’s personality. What can I expect from a girl who lives in Jersey? To her, modern Italian food is stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut.

Growing up I was always told to finish my food, starving children in China and all. But I could not do it. Who eats well done tuna? It's like eating a well done piece of red meat. My date was sinking like the Titanic and I could not wait to get out of there. I asked for the check and our dishes were taken away. As my date and I waited for the check she brought up a good point "It's funny the waitress didn't ask you what's wrong with your food considering you left so much. Even in Applebee's when I don't finish my meal I'm asked if there was something wrong with my food". I explained to my date, "I take this as a loss, the food sucked, I will never come back here or recommended it to anyone". The check comes, and it was $145. This couldn't be. I went over the check and a bottle of wine was added to my bill which we didn't even order. With this girl I needed the hard liquor only. Was this waitress trying to get over on me? Knowing I'm on a date and not to look cheap in front of my date she adds things to my bill? Ha, in your face waitress! This girl is boring and not even worth the mental anguish to try and sleep with her. I called over the waitress, told her we didn't order the $55 bottle of wine and can she please take it off my bill.

Fiamma Osteria, one of the worst places to eat in New York City. I wouldn't recommended this place to a soup kitchen.

Edited by a.j

Bangkok Thai House

2008-07-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

Bangkok Thai Restaurant is nestled on 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge. One night a friend and I were on our way to speak to someone about a tattoo in Sunset Park. As we drove by Bangkok, we both decided that we should make a pit stop at this place on the way back because we were both hankering for some Thai. Usually when I want Thai food I make my way to SEA in Williamsburg but I didn't have 3 hours to burn to wait for a table in the freezing cold.

As my friend and I walked into Bangkok we're greeted by an older gentleman who barely spoke English. We walked past a bar and a glass display case with hand made jewelry and clothing from Thailand. There was a camera nailed to the wall that must have been at least 25 years old. No koi ponds or a DJ spinning house music at this place . There wasn't any fancy designer seating or funky menus. My friends this place was a hole in the wall. A definite sign of good food and cheap prices.

The gentleman who showed us to our table was also our waiter. The menu had a big selection. I hate big menus. It shows that you do not have seasonal ingredients and your restaurant is boring because basically this is the menu take it or leave it. I usually leave it and go somewhere else. I also tend to order the simplest dish reason being is because if you screw up on a simple dish how great can your most perplex dish be? We start out with a few appetizers. Thai fried calamari with sweet chili sauce and Thai fried spring rolls. One thing I can not stand is the word "calamari". Calamari is a word used for fried squid in many European languages around the Mediterranean such as Greece or Italy. It has no business being put on an Asian menu. For entrée we both had ordered the shrimp pad Thai. Yes, two morons ordering the same dish. But I quickly persuaded my friend to order the same as me after giving her my rhetoric about how if you can’t cook the simplest of dishes you should be shunned from the culinary community.

Our appetizers had arrived. I started off with the springs rolls, bland, greasy , basically they sucked. Even the sweet chili sauce could not save this dish. Strike 1. Thai fried SQUID! Ha up yours calamari! I honestly thought they served us onions rings. I don't know where they got this squid from but it huge. Cut into rings and deep fried. I have to say they were good. I asked my friend if she tasted beer but to be honest with you she wouldn't know her ass from her elbow when it came to food tasting. If it wasn't for me she would be on a strict diet of peach Snapple, coffee, and diner hamburgers. The calamari was soft and crispy at the same time. Cooking squid is simple, you either cook it for 3 minutes or 30 minutes anywhere in between you're just have a bunch of rubber bands.

I could not stop laughing at the 1981 video camera nailed to the wall. This place had a certain kind of charm. Not charm like walking into Masa at the Time Warner Center where the tasting menu is $800 for a party of two. More like a feeling of it's a local place, with good food, good prices, and good service. Our Pad Thai had arrived. Smelled pretty good and was heavily garnished with peanuts. The shrimp were small and dingy. I had to take a few bites before I could honestly give my opinion on the dish. At first I tasted nothing, second bite all I tasted was sweet, third bite was more savory (don't ask me how), finally on my fourth bite it all came together. This pad Thai was a winner , it did not beat out Sea's pad Thai but it definitely crushed Planet Thai's which I rated number 2 on my list of best pad Thai's. Although the shrimp was extremely dry the dish over all was great. My friend had also agreed with me about the shrimp but remember what I said about her ass and elbow.

For dessert we decided to split something. We decided to go with the Thai ice cream. Coconut ice cream scooped over sticky sweet white rice. A pretty weird combo until I tasted it. This dessert was good. Really good, better than anything on the menu. The texture of the sticky rice and ice cream was perfect and the taste was not too over bearing and sweet. The bill came to $49 with a tip. Over all Bangkok is a good spot if you don't want to set up a tent in front of SEA and camp out until your table is ready.

Edited by A.J.

http://www.bangkokinbrooklyn.com/aboutus.html

Katz Delicatessen

2008-07-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

Another summer weekend day was wasted by Mother Nature. You guessed it, rain, and on the worst possible day of the summer, the day I was throwing my annual bar b queue. Nothing too crazy, stuffed hamburgers, hot dogs, and my famous Asian glazed chicken. After all what's a true gastronome if you aren't able to master the art yourself? However, thanks to the rain the bar b queue was canceled. This had left my friends and I with the critical decision to make "What's for dinner?" Honestly, I was in the mood for a good sandwich. Coming from the Mecca of sandwich shops, Brooklyn .Well known sandwich places such as Leoni’s , Johns Deli, or Nick and Tony’s just didn't cut it. I had to make my way to the lower east side of Manhattan for my first pilgrimage to Katz’s Delicatessen.

Here I am, 27 years old, a child of Russian, Jewish immigrants, a native New Yorker and this is my first time visiting the holy land of cured meats. I was ashamed; more so embarrassed to call myself a gastronome or even a true New Yorker and never have eaten at Katz. So a quick zip through the battery tunnel, onto the FDR, and before I knew it I was walking into Katz’s. As I walked in I noticed a huge seating area , saw dust on the floor ,and a man giving little pink tickets as if I was about to ride the roller coaster in Coney island. The place seems as if it hasn't been renovated since it opened in 1888 and for a minute I felt as if I had just walked out of a tenement apartment on Orchard Street in the 19th century and down the block for a sandwich. Unlike some pretentious hipster “crapery’s” with house music blasting, dim lighting, as if it the place was selling shitty clothing instead of shitty food. The walls were decorated with pictures of celebrities, political figures, and others that I am too young to probably remember or know. The seating area was flooded with fanny packers a.k.a tourists, hipsters, and old timers.

While waiting on line I could not decide what to get, brisket, corn beef, pastrami? Rye, club, or white? Fries, onion rings, cold slaw, macaroni salad? “NEXT!” as the man behind the counter shouted. Do I dare go for it? So I ordered a pastrami and brisket mixed on a club roll with a shmear of mustard on the pastrami. The best of both worlds served to me on a plate with pickles. The most important thing to do at Kat’z is leave the sandwich maker a tip of at least $2. As a result of me leaving a tip, the gentleman making my sandwich handed me a plate with a few slices of pastrami and brisket to try. A good move on his part because the meat looked so good I would not give a second thought of jumping over the counter and biting into the brisket and pastrami like a savage.

My sandwich was laid out on a plastic tray with a side of sour and half sour pickles. I was asked for my ticket where the price of the sandwich was written on. As I walked down to pick up an order of fries and a can of Dr. Brown’s black cherry soda I thought to myself as to how stupid I am for taking so long to visit this place. I grab my order of fries, my Dr. Brown’s, and head for the table where my friends were sitting. I was so excited I didn't know what to eat first. The fries were steak cut fries, golden brown and crispy, but I had to start off with the sandwich.

After opening up the sandwich and taking a sniff of the meat to get my taste buds going I noticed the meat was sliced thick. Being a native Brooklynite I like my cold cuts cut paper thin. But considering this is fresh meat I didn't give it a second though. I took a bite into the brisket side first. It was a little dry but seasoned right. I've had a lot of over salted and over seasoned brisket before in my life. Most people don't understand red meat only needs salt and pepper. Now to the pastrami. Perfection. The pastrami was juicy, a little salty but delicious, the brown deli mustard added to flavor of a great pastrami sandwich. The fries were golden brown, crunchy. I like my potatoes well done, almost even burnt. One thing I have to mention…no deli sandwich is complete with out a black cherry soda. I prefer Boylan’s black cherry myself but Dr. Browns did the job.

I honestly couldn't eat another bite. After the fries, the brisket side of my sandwich that I polished off with a grin on my face, and the soda, I realized people going to the electric chair don't eat this good. I brought my other half of the sandwich over to the counter for it to be wrapped. After semi -flirting with the counter girl she threw in a few pickles for the ride home. I grabbed the ticket off of my tray and walked over to the register to pay for my meal. This had to be the best sandwich I've had in quite a while. It was a real sandwich, a living remnant of what it was really like to eat in the lower east side once upon a time. Simple food prepared by the hands of those who respect tradition. None of this hipster, designer, Subway, Quiznos, Panini crap. Yes, this was a little pedestrian for my palate but there is one thing I learned in life as a person who loves to cook, eat, and eat some more…simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Shinok

2008-06-29T17:07:00.001-07:00

Shinok is a Ukrainian restaurant located on the forgotten borough of Staten Island, a borough not really known for their great Ukrainian cuisine. So I was a little skeptical when a friend of mine had invited me to join her and her family for dinner. Although, my parents are natives of the Ukraine I could not resist a meal from mother Russia no matter what borough it was on.

The restaurant is nestled in a small strip mall on Hylan Boulevard. If you did not pay attention you would definitely miss the place. Inside you will find the entire restaurant is done up like a Ukraine country farmhouse, with heavy wooden furniture, farm tools, old-fashioned utensils, and embroidered cloths on the wall. The wait staff was dress in traditional Russian folk shirts. The restaurant is quite small but not cramped. Our wooden lacquered table had fit 6 people comfortably. The staff seemed to be setting up for a private party other than that there were only a few people inside

Our drink orders were taken and I started to scan through the bi-lingual menu of Russian and English. Immediately I look for my favorite Ukrainian appetizer, Julienne. Julienne is a dish that consists of mushrooms, fried in olive oil with garlic, seasoned with salt and pepper. Then it is stuffed into a clay pot and topped with Swiss cheese, mozzarella cheese, and then baked in a oven until the cheese starts to bubble and brown. As the waitress returns with our drinks we place our orders. We start off with a few salads. A Greek salad: cucumber, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and olive oil. A basic Caesar salad that had a minor twist. Instead of your basic chicken or shrimp the salad was served with eel. A garden fresh salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and radish. Our salads arrive and we give our entrée order. I decided to go with the lamb shish kebab with home fried potatoes. After a few words about the crumbling real estate market our salads had arrived. The salads seemed to be mediocre. Except for the Caesar salad with eel which had a nice balance of sweet and savory, a refreshing change to your average Caesar salad. If you are wondering what happened to my Julienne, somewhere in the mix I had forgotten to order it. I didn't realize it until we had left the restaurant. You could imagine how upset I was.

After we finished our salads the first entrée had arrived. Ten minutes later another entrée was brought out. It seemed they were going to serve each dish one by one. This was kind of frustrating to me. I believe food should be enjoyed by everyone at the same time. The restaurant seems fairly new but could definitely take a lesson on the execution timing of dishes. My dish had arrived last. I guess they were saving the best for last. My lamb shish kebab was excellent. A tender juicy morsel of goodness that was completed with a Russian shish kebab sauce which consists of crushed plum tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, vinegar, and cilantro. My dish came along with home fried potatoes which were pretty good but were very over seasoned and deep fried. A disappointment for me. When I think of home fried potatoes I picture my grandmother in the kitchen hand peeling the potatoes frying them in a pan that she had taken with her from Russia, because she was worried America had no frying pans. Just the thought of a Mexican, over seasoning, and deep frying my potatoes made me cringe.

Our meal had come to an end. Overall everyone at the table had agreed the food was excellent. Everyone decided not to order dessert because no one could eat another bite. The bill came to $130 with tip for 6 people which is a steal. I would rate Shinok a 2 out of 4.

Mesa Grill

2008-01-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

September of this year, I paid a visit to celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s signature Southwestern restaurant Mesa Grill. When you first walk into the dimly lit restaurant, you are greeted by a host that happily takes your name to check your reservations. I am already excited to eat. Bobby Flay is well-known for his take on Southwestern food and I love Bobby Flay! Ten minutes later, our name is called and my lady friend and I are seated by the window. Our drink order is taken. As I glaze over the menu I explain to my lady friend , that I do not know why I am looking at the menu; I have it memorized already! My lady friend and I start off the meal with appetizers. She ordered the Shrimp and Garlic Roasted Tamale and I ordered the “ Rough Cut “ Raw Tuna Nachos. She loved the Tamale, however, I was very disappointed with the nachos. The mango hot sauce threw off the balance of the Tuna and it lacked the acid most Fish dishes need. Another thing Bobby Flay is known for is barbeque. Keeping this in mind, I ordered the Spice Rubbed New York Strip Steak with Homemade Mesa Steak Sauce, Southwestern Fries and Fresh Shucked Corn on The Cob in a Butter Chipotle Sauce. The sides seemed too pedestrian to me, considering I was in a fine dining restaurant, but I guess not every place has Lobster Tail and Black Truffle Mashed Red Potatoes. My lady friend ordered the Ancho Chile-Honey Glazed Salmon with a Spicy Black Bean Sauce, Tomatillo Salsa with Roasted Jalapeno Crema. The Salmon was both sweet and savory. The Tomatillo Salsa and Jalapeño Crèma was a nice complement for the Fish. The steak was perfect; it was a nice Southwestern kick that did not have me reaching quickly for water to extinguish the fire in my mouth. The Southwestern Fries were a little dry for my taste and had me wishing I ordered the Sautéed Spinach instead. The corn was a perfect balance of Sweet and Spicy. After a great meal, great drinks and a few laughs, it was time to order desert. I have never tasted anything made by Mesa Grill’s Pastry Chef Vikki Wells before tonight. She now has a new follower! Being a fan of anything apple, I decided to go with the Warm Caramel Apple Empanada and my lady friend ordered the Dulce de Leche Crepes with Smoked Vanilla Pecan Ice Cream. To my dismay, I was informed that they ran out of the Apple Empanada. The Cream Cheese and Strawberry Parfait was suggested instead. After a little convincing from our server, I decided to give it a try. The dessert arrived in a tall skinny glass. Inside was cream cheese that tasted like Vanilla Ice Cream, freshly sliced Strawberries, broken Gram Crackers, and Chocolate Sauce. This was honestly the best desert I have ever had anywhere. I explained to my lady friend that this dessert should be made into a statue and put on display around the world so that everyone can enjoy it as much as I have. The bill arrives and with tip it came out to $245. Mesa Grill scores a 3 out of 4. I highly suggest anyone who is into Southwestern food to visit Mesa Grill.

A few Facts about Mesa Grill:

Website : www.mesagrill.com
Chef : www.bobbyflay.com

Mesa grill accepts most credit cards and cash.
You can also view the menu on mesa grill’s website.

Notable Dishes : Shrimp and roasted garlic tamale , Spice Rubbed New York strip steak

Peter lugers Steak house

2007-12-28T14:02:00.002-08:00

I recently returned to the #1 Zagat rated steak house in New York city, Peter Luger's. My last experience there was not the greatest. A long wait and a fatty steak would make any meat eater hesitant to return. As my friends and I entered the steak house we were promptly seated. A waiter rushed over to our table with their great onion rolls, salt sticks, and the signature Peter Luger’s steak sauce. Our drink orders are taken and we are asked if we would like to see some menu's. Considering that my friends and I are Peter Luger's veterans we waved away the menus and quickly gave our orders. A Caesar salad , steak for 3, hash browns, onion rings , and creamed spinach. The Caesar salad was fresh , crisp, and light. A good way to start off the meal? Yes. We could have ordered their nuclear sized cocktail shrimp or some sliced thick bacon, but the portions are so big it would ruin any enjoyment of the main course. As I take a sip of my Cabernet, I hear the sizzle of the steak pass my ear. Our steak has arrived! In the back of my mind, I was hoping that this steak would be nothing like the one I had have the last time I came here. To my surprise, a juicy, cooked to perfection (medium, of course) steak that would have been a travesty to put any signature Peter Luger steak sauce on. The onion rings, battered, sliced super thin and fried , creamed spinach was light and creamy . The hash browns were my only disappointment. They were bland and too dry, even with the juices from the steak poured onto the potatoes. My friends and I agreed that the meal was the best meal to end 2007 with. The bill was $300 with tip. On a 1 through 4 rating, I rate Peter Lugers a 3.

A few facts about lugers :
The menu : http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/peter_luger01/menus/main.html
The Peter lugers website : http://www.peterluger.com/

Peter lugers only accepts cash or pete lugers credit card. They do not accept walk-in's so make reservations early