GOOD EATS

Highlights of last week


Ventured out of Manhattan and headed to Brooklyn Heights to Colonie off of Atlantic Ave. We scored a nice corner spot at the bar and sipped on some drinks in a relaxed atmosphere. Cheese and cured meats seemed like a no brainer as family meal wore off. I also opted for the octopus which was delicious. The octopus was tender and the dish was built with subtle, beautiful flavors.





We then ventured to Dumbo to Gran Electrica which is owned by the same people who own Colonie (and the Governor). Dangerously good cucumber margaritas go down smooth whether your chilling outside in the back space or at the bar. I really liked the vibe and the food was fantastic. Beef tongue and fish tacos were awesome. I look forward to going back and trying more things on the menu.














The Growler on Stone Street proves to be some of the best food I've eaten on Stone Street. Not that the food was AMAZING, but it was definitely good. Better than the bar grub you get some Becketts or The Dubliner. The burger was solid and the beers were going down good.

Bone Marrow!






Mission Chinese
Just go and thank me later.












My cousin's bachelor party at the W hotel. BLT bar and grill private dining room for dinner and then up to the roof lounge with an awesome outside area. Quiet, more intimate on weekends and rowdy during the week.




Alidoro (Soho)
Bangin' Italian sandwiches. Get there early.


Wife's owner is usually behind the counter and could be unwelcoming; but Walter (owner) is the man. I was sitting at one of two tables in the small sandwich shop and he asked me how I was enjoying my sandwich. He ended up sitting down and we chatted for a half hour. Super nice guy with a great operation. Definitely check it out, but get there early as they close once they run out of bread.

"Ingredients are key"



Harry's Italian
Chicken Parm sandwich--oww wee

Reppin' the EAST SIDE

Breakfast at Penelope turned out to be a nice start to the day. I went before my brunch shift around 9:30 on the Monday of Labor Day and I thought it was going to be dead--I was mistaken. People were waiting outside, but I was lucky enough to sneak in and grab a seat at the six-person bar. The staff here is friendly and welcoming. The restaurant reminds me of a New England style cafe--cozy and quaint. Good food, good vibe--definitely a spot to check out if you are looking for a solid breakfast in the Curry Hill area.







ABC KITCHEN

I haven't been to ABC Kitchen in over a year and I've been craving it. Last night I went with my friend Nadine and we had quite the elaborate lunch. This time was just as lavish minus the booze. Jared and I opted to do the pre-fixe which is a three course meal for $32 --quite the deal! We both got the same exact thing, but I'm glad we did because sharing would have been pretty hard considering everything was outstanding. Crab toast and tuna sashimi got us started. They sent us out some pretzel dusted calamari--a very fine rendition of an old favorite. The crab toast was ridiculous while the tuna melted in your mouth with amazing flavor.









For entrees we got the ricotta and farm egg raviolo, pork ragu, chilies, mint, and parm.

For dessert we both got the salted caramel sundae.








whoa! FOOD COMA!

Catchin' Up

Chi-town

Oak Street Beach

Tall Boys of dos equis and good rock music

Gino's East

Good deep dish pizza. 

Takes 45 minutes for deep dish pizza

cornbread crust--eh

Walls filled with white markers from people who have visited

golden tee

pretty good crowd

Elate--recommeded by Eater for brunch was closed. We stayed anyway and had a quiet breakfast. Decent food. Ok service. In the hotel Felix...

Back in NYC

North End Grill

Lunch at the dining counter facing the open kitchen. Heirloom tomato salad with a basil and balsamic for starters (complimentary) and rice flaked halibut with watermelon, watercress, and lime for an entree. Great space. Didn't change silver--surprising! The cappuccino I drank was delicious, but thought the $6 price tag was a bit steep. Food keeps getting better every time I go. Definitely go check out...

Amazing lunch at Gramercy Tavern. 

Oysters, burger, and chicken were the standouts but everything was delicious. They sent us out 5 desserts and all were ridiculous. Always an amazing experience at GT, 

Dinner at Ma Peche (West 56th St)

Large format feast for Chase's Birthday.

Ma Peche which means "mother peach" is David Chang's only midtown outpost. Ma Peche is part of his Momofuku empire, but has an uptown chicness. The space is a bit strange in layout, but it proves to be a pretty sweet spot. Chase, the birthday boy, arranged a large format meal so we didn't have to do anything but enjoy. Someone at the table ordered some wine which I got down with. The large format meal came with two whole fried chickens and a smoked lamb shoulder for proteins. Eggplant (with sour cream and olive oiil), chickpeas (tahini, lemon, falafel), and wheat berry with cucumber, red onion, and parsley all played supporting roles in the feast. Yellow rice and a salad of iceberg lettuce were impressive, but rounded out the meal. The feast also came with pickles, tomato chutney, pita, and white & red sauces. Not doing any research, I was shocked when everything hit the table. I went in expecting pork buns and other Momofuku dishes. Instead it seemed more Middle Eastern than Asian. Not that is was a bad thing, just different than what was expected. After glancing over the regular menu, the large format meal seemed to be its own "thing". But enough analyzing and onto the eating. The chicken was described as fried, but you might not have even noticed. The chicken was moist and delicious and I reached for seconds. The lamb shoulder was tender and had a nice char amidst a lovely smokiness. The sides were all solid, but I kept reaching back for the protein. After dinner, desserts followed and they were all pretty solid. Cake balls were sent out complimentary for the birthday boy and boy were they good. I almost hit up the Milk Bar shop upstairs before leaving! The service was solid --much better than the downtown locations. Overall, its Momufuku grown up and ready for a more mainstream crowd. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.