Apparently, I Live Under a Rock

I love walking past a space, watching people working inside, wondering what the space will become.  Will it be a new fancy restaurant, another starbucks, an urban outfitters, or something I can't even imagine, like this new pizza place called Naked Pizza. 

There is this space on the corner of 14th street and 3rd avenue, where the East Village ends and the general Union Square area begins.  Over the past few months, I knew workers were inside, but had no idea what they were up to.  The outside white bricks gave it a restaurant vibe, more so than a retail space or a new bank.  I would continue on my way to Trader Joe's, and walk past a second space, much smaller with an obvious ordering counter.  This second place opened first, and is now Naked Pizza.  Basically, you decide everything about the pizza.  It starts naked, and you pick the cheese, the toppings, etc.  I haven't had it yet.  The goal seems to put the choice back into pizza ordering, but I am not quite sure that choice was ever removed from pizza ordering.  Maybe you don't pick the crust, but toppings are optional and abundant at most pizza places.  I will go try this Naked Pizza soon and let you know how it turns out. 

Meanwhile, lets get to the rock I live under.  I left the gym this morning and set foot to Trader Joe's.  And finally, the sign is up for the restaurant on 14th and 3rd.  And I could not believe it. 

It is a Five Napkin Burger.  I was shocked.  Why?  I was shocked because I could not believe I did not know about this.  Where have I been?  Has everyone been talking about this?  I googled it.  Apparently, this information become public last February.  That was 11 months ago.  Woops! 

I went to Five Napkin Burger once, two years ago.  You can read about it here.   It was good.  It definitely is in that category of NY burger type chains, like Shake Shack.  I can't say it is a place I would frequent.  A $15 hamburger is more like a treat and not a habit.  Five Napkin Burger is a place that I would think some New Yorkers dislike, due to its chain like tendencies and overcrowded spaces.  But generally, I think it is well received. 

What does this mean for the area?  I wonder what it will do to the business at The Smith.  Although these restaurants have different menus, they both have a gastro pub vibe.  Someone who is looking for a burger may be inclined to go to Five Napkin Burger for the plethora burger types.  But The Smith still has more variety in terms of American cuisine.  I guess we shall see.

So, I apologize for sharing this somewhat old news.  Please forgive me.

Have a delicious day!
NYC Menu Girl 

Going on Vacation

I leave early Wednesday morning for Aruba for my annual vacation with Mom.  This is our 6th trip to Aruba and our 8th trip as a mother-daughter pair.  It is something we rather enjoy and seem to get better at every year.  By that I mean we maximize our wine, food and beach time a bit more each time. 

Relaxing and rejuvenating is essential, in my opinion.  As we look to 2012, and set goals and resolutions for the coming year, it makes me think that the best way to set resolutions is to simply prioritize.  If you really take the time to think of your priorities, chances are you will have to rearrange some aspects of your life to make time for those priorities.  Taking a bit of time to relax and contemplate those priorities is a great way to start the new year, and I am grateful to have some time on the beach before really jumping in to 2012. 

Of course, one of my priorities is my writing, which includes this blog.  I want to make sure to provide readers with enough interesting content to keep coming back!

With that said, I will be back next week, refreshed and ready to share my 2012 food thoughts with all of you!

Have a delicious day!
NYC Menu Girl

The Meatball Shop Cookbook

For Christmas, Alex and I get a joint gift from my parents.  Last year, we got a pizza stone and pizza cookbook.  It was an awesome gift.  Pizza stones are pretty cool because not only can you make pizza on them, but you can also make naan, flatbreads, etc.  The best part of a pizza stone is that you store it in the oven.  For NYC apartment dwellers, large kitchen appliances can be difficult to store.  The fact that you can keep the pizza stone in the oven and not have to lug it out every time you want to use it makes it a good fixture in your home. 

This year, we got The Meatball Shop Cookbook, along with cute bowls to serve meatballs in, and a jar of homemade sauce made by a friend.  We have both been to The Meatball Shop and love their delicious balls.  We read through a bit of the book on our train ride back to the city and were amazed to see how many different kinds of meatballs we could make.  Of course, I want to combine the gifts and make a meatball pizza, using the pizza stone and the meatball cookbook. 

We made one of the recipes, for pork meatballs.  We picked up ground pork, eggs, bread crumbs, and a few other small and inexpensive ingredients.  The recipe, which was pretty simple, yielded 30 meatballs!  It obviously took us a few days to eat them.  It made me realize though that for a small NYC apartment, a meatball dinner party is a genius idea.  You can buy a box of penne and boil up some pasta.  Make your favorite recipe of balls and some sauce to go with it.  Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top of it, and you have a full meal!  And all you need are bowls and forks.  You do not need a huge dinner table where everyone can sit down.  People can eat their ball of bowls sitting in a chair or on the couch (watch the sauce though). 

I highly recommend purchasing this cookbook and throwing a meatball party!  If you live in a quintessential NYC apartment (basically, you live in a box, with makeshift kitchen counter-tops, no dishwasher, several roommates, mismatched dishes, etc.), you can really wow your guests with a pretty simply delicious meal of pasta and meatballs without the fuss of a formal dinner party.  Just because you live in NYC does not mean you cannot throw a great dinner party in your small walk-up apartment!

Have a delicious day!
NYC Menu Girl

Trendy Food

Around this time, magazines and websites round up the food trends of the previous year and predict the food trends of the upcoming year.  Before I moved to NYC, I never thought of any particular type of food as something that could be trendy.  If you like cheeseburgers, won't you always like them?  Why would you eat more or less of them due to a trend?  Wouldn't your stomach get mad at you for depriving it of something delicious just because it wasn't trendy?

As I dig deeper into the meaning of food trendiness, I realize that food trendiness is about taking an existing food and watching chefs, restaurants, and home cooks interpret this food in several different ways, thereby making it trendy to try the different versions of this trendy food.  It really helps a particular dish or restaurant staple evolve when there is a demand to see that dish turn into something even more desirable than its previous form. 

Lets use the cupcake trend as an example.  Cupcakes have always been cake-like desserts with a nice frosting top.  Some cupcake places have become stand-outs in this city, like Magnolia (I think the frosting there tastes too much like putting an entire stick of butter in your mouth) and Billy's Bakery.  About 2 years ago, cupcakes became a hot trend.  Everyone wanted them from some place awesome and unique.  This handheld dessert was wanted by many.  So, how did cupcakes become trendy?  They evolved into several different forms, making dessert lovers eager to try as many different cupcakes as possible.  There was Cupcake Stop, the cupcake food truck, which heavily relied on social media to gain a great food truck following.  There was the mini cupcake, the somewhat diet friendly version of eating a cupcake.  And then cupcakes became like ice cream, with more flavors than you could imagine.  Baked by Melissa is the ultimate example of the cupcake trend, selling mini cupcakes in flavors like cookie dough and peanut butter and jelly.  Although trends fade, cupcakes generally became a more interesting dessert due to the trend. 

Food trends are quite powerful.  They tell us what we want to eat.  They also put up a bar of comparison for restaurants and food shops.  It is hard to eat a really great NYC hamburger and not automatically compare it to a similarly delicious burger or contrast it with a burger you find overpriced and weak.  With the amount of choices in NYC, we tend to enjoy everything relative to other things we have eaten.  A successful restaurant has to stand out from other restaurants, but also has to compare to other restaurants so guests say "I like to go to X restaurant because their calamari is so much better than Y and Z restaurants." 

When I think of it this way, it makes me want certain foods to become trendy, so that they will pop up everywhere in different incarnations.  I think Mac N' Cheese could use a good run as a trend.  You see it at soul food places, or in its own form at places like S'Mac, but it has not reached its peak.  People love Mac N' Cheese, and I am sure diners would like to see samplers like they have at the restaurant Cafeteria.  Anyone interested in helping me start this trend?

A food trend that I have indulged in is the meatball trend.  For Christmas, I got The Meatball Shop Cookbook.  I tested it out yesterday by making delicious pork meatballs, and they were awesome.  This meatball trend made me think a lot about having meatball dinner parties.  The fact that New Yorkers are so into meatballs makes you think about this particular food in a completely different way, realizing just how many kinds of balls you can make and the variety of ways you can serve them.  Tune in later this week for more on my meatball making adventure and why I am totally down with the meatball trend.

Comment with your favorite food trends or hopeful food trends for the coming year!

Have a delicious day!
NYC Menu Girl

Holiday Treats

Christmas is a time where indulging in special lunches, delicious treats, and Christmas cocktails become a daily activity.  I love a great lunch, an interesting gingerbread cookie, and a spiked hot chocolate around this time of year.  But, I do not love the idea of bulking up around Christmas time just because my hand can't stop itself from reaching for that plate of cookies someone brought to work.

How can you balance your week of holiday eating?  I am no expert in self-control.  But, I am trying to be good this holiday season and I thought I would share a few tips, with the hope that you would share some too!

1.  Stay away from the generic chocolates!  What are generic chocolates you ask?  They are the chocolates that come in a box from CVS that you receive as a generic gift from a generic friend who only knows generic things about you.  Perhaps they had you for Secret Santa, or there was some sort of gift obligation involved.  They figure that you will eat it, or someone else will eat it, so even if you do not really want it, it won't go to waste.  Instead, pick your favorite chocolate and eat that.  I like xmas m&ms.  I get they are just like real m&ms, but I appreciate the festive colors.  I buy myself a bag every year to enjoy around this time.

Instead, consider purchasing....: Please note, not all chocolate in a box is generic.  I received 2 boxes of chocolates from Nunu Chocolates and they were absolutely fantastic.  I got salted caramel and hokey pokey.  These chocolates were unique and delicious.  THAT was a great chocolate gift.   Even if you know someone in a very general sense, try to give a somewhat unique gift.  

2.  Go for quality, not quantity.  I bought myself a nice red bordeaux to have at night, since I love a glass of wine at night.  Instead of drinking 1 big glass, I just have a little of this nicer quality wine.


3.  Buy flavored, seasonal coffees and teas.  You will get that Christmas flavor and feeling without all of the calories.  During this season, I buy Swiss Miss diet hot chocolate, at just 25 calories a packet.  I also buy mini candy canes to put in the chocolate, to give it a nice peppermint flavor!

4.  Sometimes, lots and lots of hors d'oeuvres are equal to or more than a meal.  If you go to a cocktail party and eat several hors d'oeuvres, that may count as your dinner!  I know my Christmas day at home will consist of lots of appetizers, so we will take it easy for our dinner meal.

5.  Eat and drink what you LOVE!  Don't let the holidays trick you into eating things you normally don't care about it.  Indulge in the foods and drinks that are worth indulging in!  For example, my mom and my Aunt both make delicious sausage bread around this time of year, and I can't wait to eat it! 

Have a delicious day!
NYC Menu Girl

ABC Kitchen

Every year, Alex and I choose a restaurant to celebrate Christmas, around Christmas time.  The first year, we went to Perilla.  It was fantastic.  We loved it so much that we named our cat Perilla. Last year, we went to The Breslin.  The Breslin was also great.  The Breslin does not take reservations.  We took our chances and arrived at 5:30.  We were seated at 6:05, and had a delicious meal! 

I put an unreasonable amount of pressure on where to go each year.  I always want to go somewhere awesome.  By awesome, I mean that I want to go somewhere that is either buzz worthy, or some place I have wanted to go for awhile.  I want to go somewhere that feels special and that would not be a place I would just go to on a whim to drop more money than usual.

We thought about going to Recette, a restaurant in the West Village.  We heard great things about it, and it has been on our list for almost a year.  But, I also really wanted to go to ABC Kitchen, which received the Best New Restaurant of 2011 by James Beard.  So, I made a reservation at ABC Kitchen.  Then, I found out I had to work the day that I made the reservation and the night that I was free was fully booked.  I called day-of to be put on the waitlist.  I read on the internet though that they reserve a few high-top tables for walk-ins.  

I walked-in at 5:45.  A little early for dinner, I know.  But for restaurants that book up really fast, sometimes your only option is to go super early or really late.  The Maitre D' told me that they had high-tops available.  We sat as soon as Alex arrived at 6 p.m.  For your reference, they have 5 high-top tables that are first come, first serve, reserved for walk-ins.  They were all full by 6:30. If you go, go early!!!

We sat down and perused the menu.  The menu is very extensive.  There are snacks, appetizers, pizzas, entrees and sides.  It is hard to decide how many to get of each!  Everything at ABC Kitchen has that local, organic vibe, but it is not at all crunchy.  And the best part is, you are in this beautiful space, that is so white winter wonderland, and the servers wear sneakers!  I love upscale approachable food in a casual fine dining space.  It is literally the best of all of the worlds.  It almost seems impossible to achieve that kind of harmony.  

We ordered the fresh mozzarella, the chicken and pork sausage, and the pretzel calamari to start.  As for entrees, the entrees seemed somewhat appealing, but also pricey.  Although I am not always opposed to pricey, it seemed that I could try more smaller cheaper dishes instead of putting all of my dollars towards a $22 hamburger or $32 fish.  Alex ordered the $28 bass and I ordered the $16 spinach and goat cheese pizza.

The chicken and pork sausage came out first, and it was pre-split for us.  I love that!  It is very classy, and just nice.  The chicken and pork sausage rocked.  Loved it!  Next, we had the mozzarella with toast.  That was also great.  I love fresh mozzarella.  The pretzel calamari was good calamari, but I didn't get the pretzel flavor so much. It was not bad, but I would not get it again.

The entrees arrived a little while later.  The pizza had a whole wheat crust and was covered in Spinach.  It was delicious and very manageable (but sorry the picture is bad.  the light was off).  I had 3 slices and Alex had 1.  He also enjoyed his bass, but he felt I made the better decision with the pizza.  Although the bass was good, it was $28.  We would have been better off with 2 more apps instead of the bass.

The dessert menu came and there was a sundae on it.   For your information, Alex is a sundae fanatic.  A sundae on any menu means we are ordering it.  He loves sundaes so much that I ordered him one at Perilla when we got the 7 course tasting menu.  So we had 7 courses, plus the sundae.  He will never say no to a sundae.  

The sundae on this menu was a salted caramel ice cream, candied peanuts and popcorn, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.  $12.  The sundae came out and it was so big.  There were 3 enormous scoops of ice cream.  And popcorn in ice cream is so amazing that I am not sure I can eat ice cream without popcorn in the future.  It was fantastic.  It was a great way to end the meal.  

Overall, we had another successful Christmas celebration.  I recommend going early and getting bar seating.  Order a pizza, some apps, and a glass of wine.  I think you will enjoy yourself!

Have a delicious day!

NYC Menu Girl

Give the Gift of Food & Drink

I hate to break this to you, but Christmas is in 11 days.  If you are like me (a blonde, cheese loving, wine drinking, cat obsessed new yorker), you are just waiting for that holiday break.  Every day that passes is a day closer to the holiday, a day closer to a little taste of freedom, relaxation, and binging on food, drink, and family.  But, if you have not finished your Christmas shopping, then every day that passes is another day you did not go shopping.

I would like to help out.  I have a few gift suggestions to pass on, mostly related to food and drink, but a few transferable ideas as well.

The wino:  Do you know a wino?  I know several.  I call them my best friends and closest family members.  Giving the gift of wine is a great gift indeed.  Here are some options within the wine category:

1.  Go to a nice wine store.  If you live in the city, I recommend Astor Wines or Chelsea Wine Vault.  Speak with a staff member.  If you are at Chelsea Wine Vault, ask for Krista and tell her Kerry sent you.  Tell the staff member that you are looking to give the gift of wine!  If you indicate a price range, and maybe a country, they can help you pick something out.  I recommend finding a wine that has an interesting story.  You can literally say to the staff member "can you find me a wine that has a little interesting tidbit I can share when giving it?"

2.  For red wine drinkers, I recommend Wine Away, a wine stain remover.  This is not a sexy gift by any means, but it is totally practical.  http://www.wineaway.com/

3.  Go back to the nice wine store.  Ask them for a recommendation on a bottle that is good to keep in a cellar, and ages nicely.  You can give someone a bottle of wine that will be good to drink in a year.  You can tell your gift receiver that you bought them a bottle to share over Christmas 2012.

The beer guzzler:  Do you know any beer guzzlers?  I know several.  When you go shopping for beer, you select a six pack and go home.  You decide what you are in the mood for, grab the 6 pack off the shelf, and pay.  Right?  Wrong!

1.  Go to a great beer store.  I recommend Whole Foods Beer or Good Beer in the East Village.  At Good Beer, you can make your own six pack.  You can select 6 different beers.  How fun is that!!!!  Or, at Whole Foods Beer, you can get the 12 pack party pack.

2.  Also at awesome beer stores, you can get bigger bottles of beer.  For big group gatherings, larger format beers are pretty great.

The food lover:  Do you know any food lovers?  I know several.  Now, you have to be careful with food gifts.  Food gifts are the gift you give that some people say "oh great. more food. what am I supposed to do with this?"  The best way to give a food gift is to make sure it is personal.  Hey there giver of generic box of mixed chocolates that don't come with a chart that are really only so-so and you eat too many because you don't know which one is which- you are what make weight watchers and jenny craig boom with business in January.  Be THOUGHTFUL!  Options:

1.  When I came home from work last night at midnight (work in a restaurant), I had a fedex package.  I opened it up and read the card from my college roommate, Dianna.  And then I opened the box.  It was a box of shortbread christmas cookies.  I basically cried.  I was not expecting it AT ALL!  Someone went out of their way to mail me delicious cookies.  That is a food gift that is both delicious and heartwarming.  And now, if I share these cookies (we will see about that), I can tell people "my college roommate baked these and mailed them to me from DC. isn't she the sweetest?"

2.  Delicious cheeses and jams are also a nice gift.  I mean, I consider cheese a gift, every day of every year.  I think delicious cheeses and jams are a good gift because the receiver can put those gifts out at any holiday celebrations.  You have given them a great cheese plate starter, or post dinner treat, and eliminated additional shopping for their holiday gathering.

The reading lover: So, here comes my suggestion that relates to food, but is also generally applicable.  Give the gift of a magazine subscription!  That gift gives all year long.  Give a subscription to Food & Wine Magazine or Bon Appetit.  But if they do not like food magazines, a magazine subscription is generally a great gift!

Happy gift giving!

Have a delicious day!
NYC Menu Girl

Zaitzeff

Zaitzeff is a burger place with locations in the East Village, Financial District and Murray Hill. Armed with a 20% off coupon from delivery.com, it was time to try this burger place I had heard great things about.  

I ordered a 1/4 lb cheeseburger.  I read that it came on a portugese muffin, which is basically a bigger version of an English Muffin.  As you may know from previous posts, the bun of the hamburger is really important to me.  The bun should not simply be the bread that holds the hamburger and its accompaniments together.  The bun should add something to the burger.  It should add flavor and structure to the burger.  It should hold in the juices and retain the potential burger mess inside of the bun.  English Muffins are great for that, as the burger melts into the nooks and crannies.  

I was not expecting that bun diatribe right there, but that is how I feel.  Back to Zaitzeff.  The burgers arrive and they have grilled onions on them.  I was surprised.  Grilled onions are not necessarily a given on a burger.  I was equally surprised by my stupidity today when I saw on delivery.com that it clearly states that grilled onions come on the burger.  Whoops.  I am not opposed to grilled onions, but I am not sure it should be standard with burgers.  Lets go for diatribe # 2 of this post: what should be standard on a burger and what should you ask for?  Obviously certain extras like cheese and bacon are extras that cost money.  But, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and ketchup all fall in the category of "I may appear on your burger without asking."  As someone who is offended by ketchup and pickles, I do not like these additions.  Obviously, this is why McDonald's does not suit me.  

I ate the Zaitzeff burger with its grilled onions and its awesome bun.  The burger itself was only ok.  The blend was fine, but nothing too exciting.  Perhaps it is better when not delivered.  If I am ordering in though, I am going to stick to Paul's Joint - cheaper and better.

Have a delicious day!

NYC Menu Girl

Sushi

I did not familiarize myself with sushi until I moved to the city in 2007.  It wasn't widely available in the dining halls of my college campus, so my lack of sushi was really just circumstantial.  When I met my roommate Vanessa, she was simply appalled at my not-so-sushi universe and made sure we had a great first meeting.  It was a success.

Once I joined the sushi ranks, I realized a few things about sushi.  First, there is sushi at accessible prices all over the city.  Although the allure of a place like Nobu still holds some muster, I have yet to run to an expensive sushi place when I know I would pass a million reasonably priced sushi places along the way. 

Lunch specials at sushi restaurants tend to be relatively similar.  With that said, how do you choose a good sushi place?  For me, I like interesting roll choices, fresh fish, and rolls that stay intact.  The easiest way for me to write off a sushi place is if a roll falls apart as you dip it in soy sauce.  

I recently had lunch at Amber Sushi and Kumo Sushi.  Both were pretty good.  The lunch specials were reasonable and the rolls were nice.  The rolls at Amber stayed well intact, which I liked, and they were very plump.  They were definitely full rolls. 

With so many sushi places in the city, it can be hard to choose.  Respectable, cleanly places are a good place to start.  Awesome specials will follow, with freshness and craftmanship to seal the deal.

Have a delicious day!

NYC Menu Girl

EV Grieve

If you are reading this, you may be someone who likes to read different blogs.  I happen to be an East Village resident, and I love this particular East Village website: http://evgrieve.com/.  I get so much of my East Village news from the website.  Every time I pass a place that has just closed, or may open, I know EV Grieve will have all of the information.  

In particular, I saw that a new bagel place is opening on Avenue A and 10th street, called Tompkins Square Bagels.  And almost right next door, a new burger place opened, called BAD Burger.  I thought it was BAD because it was badass or something.  But it actually stands for Breakfast All Day.  Interesting.

Do you have any neighborhood websites you would like to share?

Have a delicious day!

NYC Menu Girl

Happy Thanksgiving...Way Late?

How was your Thanksgiving?  Mine was....delayed.  I worked on Thanksgiving this year, because I work in a restaurant.  It was certainly an experience.  And experiences are great!  But experiences are still not family.  I had the pleasure of spending my delayed Thanksgiving with my family yesterday, full of a bbq Turkey, over-garlicky potatoes and the usual rye and bacon stuffing.  I just finished overdosing on some of those leftover potatoes, and am waiting a few casual minutes till the brownies call my name.  

Holidays are about so many things.  I hope for most that holidays are about reconnecting with family. Holidays remind you of growing up, family gatherings, fights, spilled milk, drunk uncles, good music, and holiday m&m's.  Sorry, but holiday m&m's mean a lot to me.  I just saw a guy in CVS, and by guy I mean 55 year old man, get SO excited about christmas colored peeps.  He said he just really likes the peeps.  And I said, man, I totally understand.  

Holidays are also pretty food-centric.  I went to The Smith on Thursday after work.  Alex had the Thanksgiving dinner.  I had a cheeseburger.  Sad, I know.  But I love the cheeseburger at The Smith and I had thanksgiving food earlier that day at work.  It didn't matter though because it was a holiday and I was eating the food I wanted.  Win win!!!

How was your Thanksgiving?  I am already thinking about Christmas food!

Have a delicious day!

NYC Menu Girl

Asiam Thai - Lunch Special Heaven

Lunch is a special time of the day.  Hopefully, you have made it halfway through your work day.  You are starving.  You have only consumed a bowl of cereal and a yoplait.  You get a little bit of time to take a break, refuel, and let your body be consumed by deliciousness. 

The lunch scene can be competitive when it comes to specials.  Lunch is definitely the "value" meal of your day.  Breakfast is about convenience.  Dinner is about culinary indulgence.  But lunch is about finding the best value so that you save enough money for dinner, and that you get enough food to get through your day.  

There is really such a range in terms of what value means at lunch.  Value in its simplest form - under $10.  If you can get lunch under $10 that satisfies your lunch craving, and even comes with a drink, that may be a good value.  Another kind of value is getting what you want for a decent price that is "valuable" to you because you did not have to buy the ingredients or make the lunch.  For example, a lot of people are willing to spend $12 on a Chop't salad because it is healthy, filling, and the value is in the fact that you didn't have to buy 5 different vegetables, cook a protein, and purchase lettuce in time for it not to go bad.  Now, I happen to think that making your own lunch is pretty awesome and valuable, and not that difficult, but I get the annoyance.  The last kind of valuable lunch is where you get to try a restaurant that is usually really expensive for dinner, but that has an affordable lunch special.  Spending $29 on a 3 course lunch may seem expensive, but if you are doing the lunch special at Del Posto, you are getting a great value eating 4 star food at a much more reasonable price.  

Asiam Thai (located in the East Village on 15th Street and 1st Avenue) fits the "value under $10" category.  The lunch special at Asiam Thai costs $6.95.  With tax and tip, this lunch will cost you $9.  You get 2 "appetizers" and an entree.  I use quotes for apps because soda and ice cream are included in the choices, along with soup, salad, dumplings, and spring rolls.  It is great for mixing and matching.  I wanted caffeine, so I got a diet coke and spring rolls.  But you can do a salad and spring rolls, a soup and ice cream, etc.  And the entrees are your typical pad thai, chicken curry, etc.  

The food is great.  The options are terrific.  And you just can't beat $6.95.

Have a delicious day!

NYC Menu Girl

Breakfast at Penelope

I met a friend at Penelope on Monday for some breakfast.  Penelope is a spot that usually has a line out the door for brunch.  I did not know much about this restaurant before this week because I don't dine much in the Murray Hill area. 

Penelope is somewhat adorable looking.  It definitely looks like a large breakfast nook in a country kitchen.  The deconstructed elements of the restaurant, including mismatched coffee cups, are very reminiscent of sitting at the breakfast table in Monica and Rachel's non-existent NYC F-R-I-E-N-D-S apartment.  Reflecting on the space, I totally understand why people want to snuggle up here for brunch.  Some people like the luxury of eating out with the feeling of staying in.  You want to feel like you are eating at home, but you actually do not want to do the work to make the meal, so you go out.  It is definitely a desirable environment for some, and I could see why people choose it.  

The menu is fine.  The breakfast options are pretty typical.  I ordered the omelette with tomato, goat cheese and spinach.  It was a nice and hearty omelette.  My friend got the waffles, which were enormous.  There was so many of them!  Overall, the food was good, but not line out the door good.

My favorite part of Penelope was two-fold:  the coffee is bottomless and they did not rush us out.  So, I drank a ton of coffee and we were able to sit and catch up for a long time.  

Although this is not a restaurant I would wait in line for, I can understand why some people do.  If you like a countryside environment, where you feel like you are a dining at a tiny restaurant near your vacation home, Penelope fits the bill.  It just depends on what you want out of brunch!  And for breakfast, this is probably the best choice in that area.

Have a delicious day!

NYC Menu Girl

The Meatball Factory

O what a buzz there has been around The Meatball Factory opening!  It occupies the Northwest corner of 14th and 2nd.  The space used to have a Nathan's, and other such fast food spots.  An actual restaurant is an upgrade.  However, it is somewhat sad that it opened just a few weeks after its neighbor, IHOP, opened right up the street.  I am not a huge fan of having an IHOP in the neighborhood. 

The Meatball Factory is brought to you by Dave Martin, the infamous "I am not your bitch, bitch" from Top Chef Season 1.  Seeing as that aired 7 years ago, Dave Martin is also famous for being a slightly frantic and eccentric chef in NY.  He teaches classes at ICE, has cookbooks, works with charities, etc.  I did an interview with him once, which you can read here. 

I was excited to hear he was opening another restaurant.  His first restaurant, Crave, was pretty great.  He served his famous truffle mac and cheese, as well as other somewhat southern inspired comforting American dishes.  But the location was a stinker - 42nd street between 11th and 12th!  There is literally nothing over there other than Lucky Strike Bowl. 

I went to the Meatball Factory five days after its opening.   Some people like to wait for a place to be open a bit longer before they try it because restaurants tend to have a few kinks in the beginning.  I love seeing the kinks.  More interestingly, watching a restaurant grow up and evolve is pretty amazing.  Restaurants get better, change menus, come up with new concepts, and grow before your very eyes.  It is cool to see it when it first open, recognize the kinks, and see if those kinks iron out. 

The Meatball Factory menu primarily consists of 8 types of meatballs to match with eight sauces, offered in a bowl or as a sandwich.  There is also mac and cheese and pizzas, which seem kind of random.  I happen to know that Chef Dave loves pizza, so I have a feeling he could not do a menu without it.

I ordered the lamb meatballs with truffle sauce on a challah roll.  The sandwich comes with fries.  First, the challah is perfect.  Not only is it tasty, but it holds the meatballs well.  This was shockingly not a difficult sandwich to eat.  I had a meatball sandwich from Almond recently and with each bite, the meatball would slide further back and would drip on my hand.  The meatballs themselves were great.  I don't think my lamb and truffle combo was a good one though.  It almost seems that the eight balls match with one sauce perfectly.  Definitely ask for combo recommendations.  The fries were good too.

Now for the kinks.  Some tables got the wrong dishes.  It took awhile for the waitress to take our dessert order.  There is a hectic frantic energy in the air.  But seriously, who cares?  This place is new and they are just trying to make people meatball happy.  And considering how crowded this place is, they must be doing a good job!


http://www.themeatballfactorynyc.com/

Have a delicious day!
NYC Menu Girl

#1 - Lamb Burger at The Breslin

Growing up, I ate hamburgers.  Sounds like a simple and generic statement, but that is what I ate.  I probably ate a few a week.  When I dined out as a kid, I always got hamburgers or chicken fingers.  I did not even like pasta.  I guess sometimes I got pizza, but for the most part, it was all cheeseburger for me.  When I finally started branching out, at the age of 20, I took a little burger break.  I felt like I needed to try new things and that burgers were an easy cop out on a menu.  After a couple of years on a break, I happily returned to burgers.  I realized that a everything from a simple burger to a really delicious beef blend, perfectly seasoned, with a great bun and a perfectly matched cheese could really be a phenomenal culinary delight.  A burger is always a burger, but a really awesome burger can be out of this world.

Around Christmas last year, I decided to try The Breslin, known for its meat-centric gastropub menu, including a delicious lamb burger.  If you arrive at 5:30 when it opens, you still have to wait a bit for a table.  We were seated at 6:10, and so happy to be there.  I ordered the Chargrilled lamb burger with feta, cumin mayo & thrice cooked (fries) chips.  I am not sure I had ever tried a lamb burger, but not because it was weird but more so because it is not so common. 

When the burger arrived, it was by far the smartest presentation of a burger I have ever seen.  I have been to fine dining establishments with beautifully composed dishes, artful sauce swirls, and all that jazz.  But look at that burger - a big hunk of meat on a cutting board and a big knife.  Practical and perfect!

The burger was absolutely fantastic.  I specifically remember eating it kind of slowly to cherish every bite.  As for the fries, they do not get better than this!  I like steak-type fries, but I usually prefer crispy fries.  Somehow, these fries are crispy and thick fries!  Every bite was amazing.  I was severely angry with the two guys next to me who kept talking and only ate half of their burgers.  Ridiculous!

This burger was $17, which for the quality, was totally worth it.  It is not a whopping $21 though!  Wow!

This lamb burger at The Breslin was the best thing I ate this year.  I really took my time to enjoy this burger and found it more and more delightful with each bite.  It is my favorite of the haute-burger craze in this city.

Have a delicious day!
NYC Menu Girl