union square cafe

union square, nyc

website

one thing that i love (and miss) about new york city is that at nearly any time during the day (or night), you can walk out the door without any idea of where you're going and just keep walking and walking until inspiration hits you. derek and i did just that - we walked out the door of our apartment, with empty stomachs and a vague desire to get a really great new york lunch. we decided to head south, toward union square, where there are more options. somewhere between 19th and 17th street on park avenue, i shouted, "union square cafe!" derek exclaimed, "great idea!" and so that's where we went.

derek and i are huge fans of danny meyer resataurants. his restaurants are known for over-the-top service and exceptional cuisine. union square cafe has a very cozy feel (despite the high prices). it's been a while, so i don't remember what derek ordered, but it was probably the burger. i ordered the butternut squash ravioli with cranberries in a brown butter sauce - delicious. union square cafe is a classic - solid and reliable. a nice restaurant to keep in your back pocket whenever you're not quite sure where to go.

abc kitchen

flatiron, nyc

website

just north of union square is one of jean-georges' newest restaurants, abc kitchen. the atmosphere is earthy and casual, completely different from any of his other restaurants. the quality of the food is impeccable, as always. unfortunately the price is high, as always. pictured are two of the most expensive doughnuts i've ever eaten. it's hard to tell from the picture, but they're TINY. and the pair cost $9. delicious? yes. outrageously priced? yes indeed. i now turn this blog post over to ... derek! he had the burger. i refused to take a picture because otherwise my blog would turn into "derek eats! burgers!"

D: I like to taste the meat in my burgers. Eric Ripert says that when preparing a fish dish, the chef should “elevate the fish” not overpower or compromise it. The same philosophy should apply to burgers. When we heard that ABC Kitchen had a burger featuring a Pat LaFrieda blend, naturally, I had to try it. Unfortunately, the LaFrieda patty was not elevated. It was still a goo-ey, zesty, and soul-comforting blend of cheese, herbed mayo and pickled jalapeños, but it was merely a tasty sandwich, not a burger. A real burger, in my mind, is what they do at Little Owl or City Hall. A fat, juicy patty enhanced with light, complementary additions (yes, bacon and cheddar can be “light”). That said, the sandwich-with-LaFrieda patty was still delicious. After all, Mr. Vongerichten knows his stuff.

abc kitchen - juice bar

broadway (17/18)

website

jean-georges runs some of the top restaurants in new york city. abc kitchen is one of his latest ventures. it is located in the basement of abc kitchen & home, a very very expensive home furnishings store. try to keep your focus as you make your way to the back of the store, lest you spend $300 on a bejeweled pillow. instead, head down to the juice bar and spend $10 on a smoothie.

the concept of abc kitchen is that everything is local and organic and compostable. and expensive. haven't tried the restaurant yet, but cindy c and i stopped at the juice bar for some drinks. cindy c got "the local" - pear, apple, carrot, grapefruit, and lots of ginger. definitely clears the sinuses. i got the "banana boat" - frozen bananas, walnut milk, cinnamon, raw cacao chocolate syrup and chopped walnuts. delicious and creamy - it's a perfect protein-packed shake that actually tastes good. worth the $10 as long as you don't plan on eating a meal. also - grab an extra compostable straw just in case your first one disintegrates.

pipa

19th (park/bway)

website

located in the basement of ABC carpet & home (there's also an entrance on 19th), pipa uses the store's merchandise as its decor with price tags hanging from the chandeliers. it kind of feels like you're dining in an antiques store, which is a little weird. service is also a little slow. but the food makes up for it.

pipa serves spanish tapas, but XYZ and i were there for brunch. we both ordered the salmon eggs benedict - two poached organic eggs, smoked salmon, potato pancakes, mascarpone cheese and traditional or poblano hollandaise sauce. i recommend the traditional hollandaise sauce, which i asked for on the side. but i suggest dumping that sauce over everything - it's buttery and has a hint of truffle flavor - it's really the highlight of the dish. it was an expensive-tasting brunch for a reasonable price.

big daddy's

park (19/20)

website

i can't believe i haven't blogged this place yet. derek and i come here a lot. in fact, last saturday, we went to big daddy's twice. first for lunch around 1 pm, then for a late night snack at 2 am with jenny after a night out on the town. it's a strange restaurant - a mix between a diner and an 80s theme restaurant. the food is standard diner food but better quality (although not gourmet gastropub quality).

i usually get the same thing - the healthy scramble (tofu, egg whites, spinach, green onions, tomato with tamari sauce) with a side of tater tots. derek usually gets one of their burgers - this time he got the daddy-o burger (topped with pepper jack, bacon, and onion rings). great food, good prices - my only complaint is that sometimes it can take a while for the food to come out. for our 2 am visit, jenny and i shared a buffet of fried food: tater tots, fried zucchini, and piggies in a blanket. a perfect way to end the night.

apiary

new york, ny

website

third avenue between 10th and 11th has a lot of good restaurants. derek and i have walked this block many times. although apiary has a very cute logo (with little bees), it looks a little out of place in the east village. you think evill, you think cheap eats. this place isn't cheap. it is, however, very good with excellent vegetarian options. (a nice contrast to casa mono).

vanita, jenny, and i had a fun girls night out. this place has excellent cocktails - not too sweet and with a good kick. we all started with the corn veloute (pictured). the chilled corn soup was excellent - with very fresh ingredients. for our entrees, i had the asparagus with mushroom sauce (which was very rich, but delicious), vanita had the veggie platter which was very good, and jenny had the chicken - also very good. i liked the atmosphere of this place, chill but upscale. the waiter was extremely attentive and friendly. great location, great food - we'll be back.

craftbar

new york, ny

website

we were craving pasta and couldn't get a reservation at basta pasta so we decided to try craftbar instead. it was an excellent substitution. pictured are a risotto ball and some arugula salad - both very tasty. for my pasta, i ordered the cavatelli bolognese. a very large portion of pasta served in a small pan topped with breadcrumbs. it was a little weird (trying to be mac and cheese without the cheese?) but yummy. derek had pappardelle which was also good.

in addition to our pastas, we ordered a very expensive side of ramps. food blogs freak out about ramps and we decided to give them a try. well, they taste like grassy onions. i don't understand what the appeal is - i must be missing something. definitely not worth the $15 for a bowl of charred ramps. another word of warning: they keep the glass entranceway extremely clean. pristine, even. while we were eating, we heard a scream and a slam. some woman had walked right into the door! she was okay and walked away giggling. within 5 seconds, a craftbar employee was wiping the faceprint off the door. so efficient.

sushi samba

new york, ny

website

it took a while before derek and i decided to try this restaurant. between the asian fusion menu, trendy-looking exterior, club-like interior, it didn't really look like our scene. (although it was featured on an episode of satc - "and you can forget samba!" yells samantha as she storms off). turns out, however, that the food is very good. it's a mix between brazilian, peruvian, and japanese cuisines. i know, it sounds weird and it is weird, but the dishes turn out pretty tasty.

pictured is our favorite dish - the seared otoro kobe beef, served mostly raw with warm japanese mushrooms, ponzu gelée, and truffled tofu crema. it's only about 5 bites of food, for $3 a bite. but each bite is luxurious, meaty, and delicious. we usually order a couple of other things there, but we never end up full because it just costs too much and takes so long for each plate to come out. still, we keep going back for the seared beef. yum.

mesa grill

new york, ny

website

another one of bobby flay's restaurants. as usual, the appetizers and side dishes outshine the main courses. my favorite appetizer was the queso fundido (jinny's pick). made with goat cheese, but i couldn't tell - it was creamy cheesy buttery goodness. the tuna nachos (my pick) were pretty good. i enjoyed the deconstruction of the nacho - there was a small bowl with really well-made crispy tortilla chips. then separately, there was another bowl with a puddle of cheese sauce and avocado sauce, topped with a tuna tartare.

the bread basket is fantastic - blue corn/yellow corn cornbread, perfect with a bit of butter on top. the basket also includes small rolls that taste like mini-baguettes - delicious and perfect to dip into the queso fundido. the entrees, were less spectacular. my chile relleno (pictured) had a great cornmeal crust, but the rest of it fell flat. next time - i think i'll stick with apps only.

haru

new york, ny

website

everyone needs a local sushi place. in new york, it should be within walking distance, preferably just a few blocks. there should always be a seat available. and the sushi should be reasonably priced (for sushi). although you can't expect the sushi to be flown in daily from the tsukiji market in tokyo, the sushi should always be fresh and tasty.

despite the fact that derek and i have lived in the gramercy/flatiron area for over a year, i have yet to find the perfect local sushi place. instead, i've settled for haru. it tends to be a bit too trendy for me with loud music, an unnecessary waterfall, and expensive rolls. but it does have very good cocktails and unique rolls. my new favorite roll is the double toro roll - yellowtail toro, salmon toro, asparagus, carrot and cucumber. sounds strange to be sure, but it turned out to be a perfect combination of fresh fish and crunchy veggies.

6/19/2010: reposted with photo of giant platter of sushi

barbounia

new york, ny

website

my favorite thing about barbounia is that it's only a short walk away from my apartment. my least favorite thing about barbounia is the fact that derek doesn't like eating there. fortunately jenny was willing to try it - especially when i told her that their mushroom gnocchi is amazing. unfortunately i forgot to take a picture until i was almost done eating, but see the picture for the last few bites of my gnocchi.

the restaurant serves mediterranean cuisine with a pretty good wine list and a very extensive bar menu. every table also gets warm seasoned flatbread with olive oil that is delicious. both jenny and i ordered off the prix fixe menu. i started with the red snapper ceviche (very good) and jenny had the crispy calamari (also very good, although quite filling). the gnocchi is perfectly light and fluffy with a creamy mushroom sauce. yum.

ippudo

new york, ny

website

eating a bowl of ippudo ramen brings me back to the ramen bars that were on every street corner in tokyo's shinjuku district. the noodles are perfectly chewy and the broth is perfectly flavored. but what i love about ippudo is that (1) it's walking distance from my apartment and (2) every time i go, they put a unique twist on their standard bowl of tonkotsu ramen. this time, it was a tomato red sauce with sausage that you mixed into the broth. delicious. remember: do not drink all of your broth just in case you want an extra order of noodles. (ask for kaedama!)

this place gets crazy busy, so derek and i usually go at off-peak hours, either early (6 pm) or late (10 pm). otherwise it could be an hour or two before you get a table. at off-peak, it's still a 20-30 minute wait. fortunately, you can get a refreshing sake cocktail at the small bar in the waiting area. you can also admire all of the ramen bowls from japan on the wall behind the bar. don't worry, it is well worth the wait.

bodhi tree

new york, ny

link to yelp

walking from wevill to evill, derek and i were hungry and tired. we decided that we were going to eat on this block, 3rd ave between 10th and 11th, because we just couldn't walk anymore. there were three options - expensive japanese, expensive asian fusion, and moderately priced thai. the menu at bodhi tree had some unique items (the pumpkin caught my eye) and derek happened to be craving thai food. so thai it was.

a lot of fried food on the menu. we went with the crispy duck in pumpkin peanut sauce. very good. the fried fish had a great sauce, but was actually breaded and fried filets rather than the crispy whole fish that we were expecting. i would recommend this restaurant if you're in the area and craving thai. we might go back and try some of the other dishes - there's a $7 lunch special that looks very promising.

wildwood barbeque

new york, ny

website

this is a huge restaurant on park avenue south. the interior is so big and over-the-top that it seems to come straight out of frontierland from disneyworld. but the ribs are so good that i don't mind. derek and i have tried a lot of bbq places and wildwood's kansas city baby back ribs are our favorite ribs. i'm honestly not sure how authentic the ribs are, having never been to kansas city, but i know what i like. the ribs are covered in "spicy chipotle bbq" sauce which is just spicy enough to be tasty.

we usually order a whole rack and a few sides. i like their tater tots (again, i'm skeptical about authenticity here) and derek likes their fries. but it's really all about the ribs. the picture is a few ribs short of a full rack as i had to first hoard some on my plate. derek is a rib-eating machine and many times he has finished the entire order while i'm still gnawing on my second rib.

the smith

new york, ny

website

another try. it was indeed filled with nyu students, although i realized that derek and i can easily pass for college students in our civilian clothes. anyway, we tried the smith for brunch. the restaurant was very loud, even with all of the doors open to the sidewalk. derek and i are unaccustomed to shouting at eachother over breakfast. despite our youthful appearances, we're really just a pair of old fogies who prefer peace and quiet.

the menu is small but unique. derek's dish was very tasty - spicy jalapeno cornbread, topped with chicken sausage patties and poached eggs, drenched in black pepper gravy, and served with home fries. i usually dislike home fries (too potato-ey), but these were excellent - thin, crispy and perfectly seasoned. in addition to sneaking bites off derek's plate, i had the "potato waffles" with poached eggs and a spinach-onion sauce on the side. the waffles were actually just mashed potatoes that were fried to look like waffles. quite tasty. a good brunch spot if you don't mind the noise and/or you don't like to have coherent conversations during your meal.

irving mill

new york, ny

CLOSED

derek and i really like this place. inside, the rustic cabin feel and friendly service (and beer selection!) remind us of the pacific northwest. i'm disappointed that they took the pork toast off the menu - deep fried "toast" made out of pork covered with egg-salad and caviar - so i hope that comes back soon. derek was very impressed with the burger and fries. he said that it tastes almost as good as shake shack's, but has a bigger portion of meat and better gooey cheese.

another reason it doesn't feel like nyc - the space is cavernous and the tables are spread out so there's room to breathe (thus the first-ever stroller-friendly tag). note: there's no t-mobile blackberry service in the back of the restaurant, so it's also a good spot to hide from the powers-that-be.

initially posted 8/1/2009 -- reposted with better photo.

saint's alp tea house

new york, ny

link to yelp

best bubble tea ever. my fav is the taro bubble tea. although i have to remember to order the regular size next time. there's a chinese saying - "eyes bigger than stomach" - every time i go i order the jumbo size and i'm overwhelmed by bubbles. about 10 mins after eating said bubbles, they start to expand in my stomach, which can be painful. anyway - this is a reminder to myself - order the regular size!

pic is derek's minced meat + rice. good cheap small plates - anything with the minced meat is delicious. noodle soups with mi fun are also very good.

manna kitchen

new york, ny

website

this is one of our favorite spots near our apartment to eat at when we're craving korean but are too lazy to walk 10 blocks north to k-town. i ordered the "cold noodles in soup" (aka naeng myun) which is perfect for hot summer nights like last night. instantly cool down your entire body while slurping noodles in icy spicy soup and crunching on pickled daikon and cucumbers.

very casual - order your food and they'll bring out your dishes on a tray. they have nice outdoor seating on a quiet-ish street if you want to escape the hubbub of union square. we ordered other dishes too - just okay - but the cold noodles are excellent.

num pang

new york, ny

website

yes - derek and i ate two banh mi-style sandwiches in two days. anyway - i ordered the pulled pork and derek ordered the pork belly special sandwich. i liked this one better than baoguette because the vegetables were more flavorful and more prominent. there was still a LOT of pork (as you can see in the picture), but once i removed (okay, ate) the larger pieces of pork, the proportions were perfect. derek's pork belly version was much juicier and greasier, but i was quite content with mine. the bread, however, was still off. and the portions were small. it's hard to tell from the picture, but this sandwich looked like a mini-banh-mi, maybe 3/5 the size of the baoguette.

btw - don't think that this is a cambodian version of a banh mi sandwich. derek says there's no such thing, but cambodians do eat vietnamese banh mi sandwiches.