If i had a food mantra for my attitude towards food in the city, it would be “will travel for good food.” I’d read about Peaches Market long before its arrival in Bedford-Stuyvesant. I’m not sure how it took me this long to make it out there. Catch the A to Brooklyn and then get off at Utica Avenue. Great food is just a short walk away from there. Read the rest of this entry »

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I can’t help but notice any time reference is made to Southern cuisine in the city. It is often heavy, greasy food which is stamped “Southern” and allowed to slide by as acceptable. Eh. Pass. But when I read about The Redhead, I knew I had to go. It sounded promising. I had read they have some amazing biscuits, apparently the likes of which are not being rolled out until cold weather. Note to restaurant: there is nothing about biscuits that is required to go with cold weather. Read the rest of this entry »

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After reading Serious Eats’ review of Papatzul’s “under appreciated” food, I decided to return back to check out the place. As I’ve mentioned, I’m always trying to find my go to Mexican spot in the city. Something with good prices, reasonable quality, and a fairly traditional menu. I was curious if this might finally be it.

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I’m sure many of you think that the time for Restaurant Week has come and gone. But oh no no… there are quite a few restaurants that have extended their participation on through September 1st, but only offering the menu Monday through Friday.

I have mixed feelings about Restaurant Week, which were somewhat confirmed by my two restaurant visits. But that will not keep me from going each time, and I recommend you use it as a good chance to check out some spots you wouldn’t otherwise. I’m a big fan of checking out the regular menus and pinpointing those restaurants where it would be a significant discount. Read the rest of this entry »

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Coffee beans that is. New Yorkers love their coffee, and the options rather than the typical Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts abound. I will admit to having traveled a bit in the name of coffee. Here are some of my favorites.

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Can NYC do BBQ? Better yet, can they do a slight upscale version at that? I’d read much of Wildwood since their opening back in December 2007, but I dragged my feet to allow some time for the kinks to be worked out before checking it out.

It was restaurant week so Wildwood’s regular menu was only available on the weekends. It all looked good. One friend ordered their grilled chicken sandwich, the highlight seemed to be their homemade salt ‘n’ vinegar chips. Next time, I think I’ll add that to my must-have-sides list.

A friend and I split their pork spare ribs, which the menu describes as “dry dusted with Lou’s Sugar and Spice rub”. I’m not sure who Lou is, but they were very tasty. There was more than enough for two. And the table has multiple options for further dressing up your meat. There are two types of sauces, one a more standard BBQ sauce and the other a more spicy, chipotle sauce. I opted for spicy, which while quite tasty, I’ll own up to my nose twitching and stinging a bit for a couple of hours following. Read the rest of this entry »

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If I had not been planning on hitting Nolita House, I might have walked clear by the entrance. It’s almost lost amidst some serious scaffolding. While not so attractive at the moment from the exterior, lurking inside is a cozy brunch spot you should not miss.

However, I will warn it was definitely one of the noisier brunch locales I have tried so if you have a pounding headache, need to have a deep conversation, or are bringing perhaps more audibly sensitive guests with you, I might recommend you hold off on this one. Read the rest of this entry »

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Surrounded by low-key restaurants, random shoe shops, and independent coffee shops, it is easy to walk by and fail to notice Eletteria altogether. However, tucked inside is a great little spot, regardless of the occasion for your visit.

With one owner from the Philippines and the other from India, the chef here has opted to take a new spin on American, subtly adding elements common to those two countries to the dishes. Be sure to note the temperature controlled wine room to your right as you go to your seat and to peruse their creative drink menu. I recommend the 8th Wonder, which is chai infused for a little additional kick. Read the rest of this entry »

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What do you get when you take great food, a fun atmosphere, and mix it with some fabulous country tunes (and yes, we’re talking borderline rock ones no one could potentially be ashamed of)? You get Back Forty, a recent arrival to the East Village restaurant scene. They even offer nice small wine quartinos that equate to about a glass and a half for only $9-$11. The pinot bianco, one of their offerings that particular day, was a crisp refreshing way to start the meal.

I honestly can’t complain about a thing we tried. We started with two sides — the beer battered onion rings with smoked paprika mayo (mmm - just the perfect degree of kick) and the spring artichoke hearts. Of the two, the artichoke hearts were more bland, although they were definitely not as heavy as the onion rings. Their fries seasoned with rosemary sea salt were some of the best fries I’ve had in the city, and came with a spicy homemade ketchup I wish you could buy. Amazing.

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There are some very boring, generic restaurants at the Seaport, so when a friend said we should check it out I was a bit hesitant. However, the weather was nice and I’m always up for trying out a new place. We ended up grabbing dinner at Nelson Blue. The exterior opens up and on this particular night it made for a perfect selection (and was also a prime spot for people watching).

It’s definitely a restaurant/bar feel, but with better food to choose from. They describe themselves as a New Zealand bar, evident perhaps in their wine selection and somewhat better selection of a mix of food. We were looking for lighter bites and found they had a lot available for smaller portions on their menu. The corn and zucchini fritters were lightly battered - not heavy and just perfect. They have a nice assortment of skewers to choose from as well. The chicken came paired with a spicy peanut sauce which was some of the best I’ve had - not lumpy peanuty but yet a noticeable spicy peanut compliment to the poultry. The lamb kabob was good, but was not the best I’ve had. The lamb was a little too chewy, but to be fair it is only some five cubes of the meat I’m judging here.

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