Shake Shack

I walked into work the other day and family meal didn't seem all that appetizing so I walked over to shake shack to settle my burger craving. Part of me wanted to walk around and experience a new place, but the other part of me wanted a double shack.

As I've mentioned in earlier post, I work at Tabla on 25th and Madison so the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park is way to convenient. The line wasn't too long, despite the awful humidity sweeping the city. I might have only been waiting 15 minutes, but it seemed longer because of the heat.

Shake Shack has a pretty consistent product as the burger is always delicious. The cook their burgers medium well which is usually overcooked in my book, but the burger keeps its juiciness so I think its OK. My order was a bit messed up as they put tomatoes on it, but I'm not going to make a big deal out of that. I ordered the double shack, which I washed down with an ice cold Coca-Cola. I wanted to get a milkshake, but I didn't want to slip into a food coma right before work. I usually get the black & white shake, but I've also heard the butterscotch shake is legit.

There's really no need for an extensive review on Shake Shack--its a roadside burger concept spreading throughout the city and other parts of the country. Danny Meyer has really hit the nail on the head with this one. I believe Shake Shack has good value as the food is delicious and the price isn't too bad. A doubleshack (two cheeseburgers with special shack sauce) filled me up pretty good and only set me back $7.25--pretty good for the city.


I'm sure I'll be back at Shake Shack aslong as the lines aren't outrageous.

Tabla

After working here for two months, I decided that I wanted to check out the food. I always rave about the food and suggest different items to customers, but can you really suggest something if you never tried it? I guess you could see what people like by asking them how they enjoyed certain items, but I wanted to see what Tabla was really about by indulging in some of the restaurants popular dishes.

Tabla is one of the restaurants in the Union Square Hospitality Group along with Blue Smoke, Maialino, Shake Shack, and some others started by restauranteur Danny Meyer. In the New York Times last review of Tabla, executive chef Floyd Cardoz received a 3-star rating which is quite impressive for a restaurant that boosts over 200 seats. A pinoneer to New Indian cuisine, Chef Cardoz uses Western technique to reimagine the flavors of his native land. Tabla is known for using only the finest local ingredients mixed with Indian spices to create an unforgetable experience.

The restaurant was pretty empty as my friend Kristen and I arrived for dinner around 8:30. We opted to sit at the bar as it was more of a casual dinner, plus I knew my fellow bartenders would take care of us.

Kristen, arriving earlier than I, ordered the Tablatini for herself while ordering me the Kachumber Kooler. The tablatina is Sky Citrus, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and a lemongrass infused pineapple juice made by our pastry department. The tablatina is pretty delicious and will probably always be on the menu. The tablatina is garnished with a scure of lemongrass poked through a piece of pineapple. The kachumber kooler is another popular drink that is ordered way more than any bartender could hope for. This signature cocktail is made with Plymouth Gin, fresh lime, simple syrup, green chilies, cucumber, and a handful of cilantro. I don't know what fascinates people about the drink--the neon green color or the use of the cilantro, green chilies, and cucumbers in a drink. Although I'm not a big fan of the drink, people love it. I don't think its a bad drink, but there's too much vegetation for my liking. We also got a watermelon mojito which is a frozen drink that everyone seems to love. The mojito is made with fresh watermelon, mint, cruzan rum, simple syrup, and lime juice. The mixture is put in the frozen drink machine where water is added for the frozen texture. This is a perfect drink for the summer, especially if enjoying Tabla's patio.

One of Tabla's most unique characteristics is the bread bar, which shares the same space as the regular bar. The allows customers to not only smell the wonderful aromas of bread, but to also see the process. The bread bar creates these delicious breads whether flatbreads served with a variety of chutneys or stuffed bread. We went with the chili-cheddar cheese stuffed bread which came with a spicy tomato chutney. The stuffed bread is delicious whether the chili-cheddar cheese, bacon, mushroom, etc.













What we ordered:
Crab Cake --The crab cake (seen below) is a pan-fried peekytoe crab from Maine served in a papadum chip atop a pile of Chef Cardoz's guacamole. The crab cake is bound with a fish mousse and crusted with Panko. The crab cake excites the palate as you get flavors such as garlic, ginger,coriander seed, cumin, cayenne, and lime zest to name a few. One of Tabla's more popular dishes and now I know why.
Black Pepper Prawns --Although extremely excited for prawns, I was rather disappointed with Tabla's prawns. They had decent flavor, but I was hoping for more flavor--more kick! I found the only taste I really got from the prawns was limey flavor. I was also disappointed with Tabla's decision to serve the prawns with the head and shell on. This gave the prawns a rustic look, which was cool but it made them a pain in the ass to eat. Lastly, It also upset me that the prawns were farmed raised, but thats a different story for a different time.
Soft Shell Crab --The tapioca crusted soft shell crab was definitely one of the highlights of the meal. The dish comes with two crabs halved with a side of diakon salad. The soft shells crabs are pan-seared and prepared beautifully. No wonder we run out of this dish so often.
Lamb Loin and Short Rib --Another highlight of the meal was this dish as it came with a duo of meat and a ratatoulle of green market veggies. Although the lamb and short rib were the star, the ratatoulle was a good supporting cast. The ratatoulle was made with tandoor roasted eggplant, shallots, and roasted peppers. The braised short rib was delicious and melted in my mouth. The lamb loin was also really good and cooked to a perfect rare. I would definitely order this dish again.
Onion Rings--The onion rings are a great side dish especially if sharing. The breading on the onion rings are a wonderful mixture of chickpea flour, wondra flour, onion, Aleppo pepper, cornmeal, corn flour, semonline, chaat masala, and cumin. I can definitely see coming back for some bread, onion rings, and beer if not trying to break the back on entrees.




















I will definitely be back to Tabla to experience more of the menu. I think its an awesome place whether you're looking for a big meal or just a few appetizers. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice romantic dinner or for a beer and bread with coworkers after a long day. Come stop by!

Clinton Street Baking Company

This was my third time to Clinton Street and I'm sad to say I didn't try anything new on this trip. I stuck with the bacon,egg, and cheese on a biscuit. The bacon was a bit overdone, but no big deal. I washed the delicious sandwich down with a black & white milkshake. A delicious breakfast although a bit pricey for BREAKFAST. Oh and the wait was pretty ridiculous. I think i might try some new restaurants instead of making a 4th trip here.

City Crab

Spending my weekdays working and my weekends down the shore, I didn't really get to indulge in New York City's Summer Restaurant week like I do winter's. I did however get to have a great lunch with my friend Jackie. After discussing menus and locations, we came up with City Crab, located on Park Ave between 19th and 20th Street. This was a good location for both of us considering we work in the area. We also thought seafood was a good lunch idea, especially since it was a hot summer day.

Arriving a little late, Jackie was sitting at the bar enjoying a beer. The host brought us upstairs where we seemed to have our own little dining section. I remember the host asking Jackie if he could carry her beer, which definitely gives him point for customer service. Unfortunately, the customer service ended there as the waitress didn't seem too happy to be there. She didn't have much to say and she would disappear for long periods of time.


The food made up for the poor service. For appetizers Jackie ordered the Gazpacho which I wasn't too impressed by, but my Prince Edward Mussels were delicious. The gazpacho tasted like a salsa dip, but the mussels were fantastic. Although I picked the winning appetizer, Jackie picked the winning entree as she ordered the seafood bake. The seafood bake came with a whole lobster, two clams, corn on the cob, and of course the classic seafood bib. The lobster was not only a good size, but so flavorful. The clams were also good, but lets be serious--the lobster was the main event. I ordered the crab and lobster cake sliders which were good, but I feel like I was ripped off when I saw Jackie's plate. My plate did come with sweet potato fries though, so that made me happy. The crab cake was better than the lobster cake, but both were pretty legit. The crab cake was fried and drizzled with a white sauce whole the lobster cake was shredded lobster meat mixed with a healthy amount of citrus. The portion seemed small compared to Jackie's, but it was actually a pretty good lunch portion as I left full.

We both ordered the chocolate gelato for dessert. I thought they had a pretty aesthetic presentation of the gelato with the glass and the whipcream, but I feel like it wasn't what I expected. Chocolate gelato makes my mouth water, but I didn't even finish my dessert.

The decor reminded me a typical seafood spot as a huge crab hung from the ceiling. Definitely not a romantic spot, but a good place to kick it with some friends and enjoy some great seafood. I would probably go back to City Crab for their Crabby Hour--half price appetizers and drinks.

Weekend in Jersey

Bar Anticipation (Lake Como, NJ)
Located in South Belmar(Lake Como) Bar Anticipation (Bar A) is definitely one of NJ's greatest bars. Editors Nighclubs and Bars have picked Bar A as one of the top 100 clubs/bars in the Northeast. Bar A lives up to all of its hype as it gives guest various options--boasting a huge property full of bars. Bar A has atleast seven huge bars all offering a different experience. One might prefer the inside portion of Bar A as a live band rocks out. Others might want to spend the evening enjoying the weather outside at one of the many bars pumping out drinks. For those on a mission to get drunk, a shotwheel bar exists outside in the left corner.


Bar A has redesigned the property a little from the last time I was there. What use to be the volleyball court is now private cabanas. Although its kinda cool to have cabanas and bottle service--its a beach bar (cmon). I think the cabanas attrack a different kind of crowd that I think should go back to DJais and Headliner, but I'm sure its making the bar lots of money so good for them.


This bar is like an adult amusement bar. I give the owners credit, especially on the name as many guest anticipate coming to the bar all winter just waiting for summer to come. I always have a good time here and will definitely be back. I recommend Bar A on a tuesday night for "beat the clock" or anytime on the weekends whether during the day or night. This is a good place to grab some food, chill-out, and listen to the live raggae band or come and "bro-out" with your boys on a Saturday night. Tons of beautiful girls here ready to show you their tan lines!









Monmouth Park (Haskell)
The Haskell is considered the next important race after the races involved in the Triple Crown. Many of the horses that race in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont also race in the Haskell. The Haskell takes place at Monmouth Park and although it doesn't bring crowds like the above mentioned races--New Jersey definitely represents. My buddy Morven and I took the train from Belmar right to the racetrack. We got there a little late because we were a little banged up from the night before at Bar A and it was raining so we figured the crowds would be smaller. We got to the track around 11 and it was pretty packed. We couldn't even get a table, so we took over a bench.

A bunch of my friends from home showed up with coolers and full wallets to bet on the ponies. Although the weather was shitty, we had a great day and the sun eventually came out. Although a lot of money was lost--one can't complain considering you could bring your own coolers. How awesome is that? You could bring all your own food and booze, so the only expenses you will endure at the track is a program guide ($3) and whatever you bet. Its a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. Next year, we will make a plan to get there early and reserve a picnic table. Though not as crazy as the Kentucky Derby, I definitely recommend this event to anyone looking to have fun and do a little gambling.





Boathouse (Belmar, NJ)
The Boathouse is not new to my list of bars/restaurants but I feel obligated to give a review as I had a very memorable experience. We usually go to the boathouse for drinks, but this time we had dinner and a solid dinner it was. After drinking all day, it was nice to kick it at a neighborhood joint and enjoy some live music and some good ol' bar food.

We ordered "Ooey Gooey" and "Bourbon BBQ" wings as an appetizer, although it came out with our entree--but no big deal. Our server was very friendly, so we won't write about her smarts. The "Ooey Gooey" wings were described on the menu as "Bee Hive honey mustard" which I don't know what that means, but they were awesome. The Bourbon BBQ wings were also really good, so I'll have to give our waitress props for suggesting them.

I got the Jetter Burger for my main course, which is a regular cheeseburger topped with taylor ham (pork roll). I used the leftover sauce from the wings to top my burger which added some serious flavor. The burger was cooked nicely and was definitely a good size. The burger came with chips that were pretty delicious. Homemade chips are always a good addition to a burger.

Morven got some kind of chicken sandwich that was huge. He took off a piece of chicken breast and still didn't finish the sandwich. I think our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. We sat there for a few hours after dinner and listened to the band that was set up in the corner. They were really good as they played a variety of music including Billy Joel, Zac Brown Band, and Dave Matthews. A few pints of Sam Summer and some shots of Jack Daniels ended the night as Morven and I walked back to his house. The shots at Boathouse are given in these large plastic bathroom cups and will definitely make you laugh in the morning when you're reading all the text you shouldn't have sent. Overall a great experience as always. I definitely recommend coming her on Sunday nights for the band, but almost every night for the ambiance.

New Jersey

Haru (Maplewood/South Orange area)
This was one of those all you could eat sushi spots. Although the 3 people I went with got sushi, I opted to get beef and rice. The beef and rice was pretty good, but the company is what made it fun--plus we brought some wine! I remember the waitress not being so great, but whatever. I probably won't go back, but not a bad spot if your looking for sushi in the maplewood/south orange area.

Sweet Basil Cafe (South Orange)
Normally, probably an awesome place--however, it was a bad day. I'm sure if I went back I'd have good things to say.


Boathouse (Belmar)
Drinking and dancing with friends. This place needs no detailed description. We always have fun here whether grabbing a beer or getting rowdy. They always have live bands in the corner so bring your dancing shoes. Its not a big space, but even more of a reason to grind on that blondie eyeing you down.

Waters Edge (Bayville)
I was down in Tom's River at my buddy AJ's house. His grandparents have a sweet house on the water with a pool and tiki bar. His dad also has a beautiful 36 ft cigarette boat which he takes us on whenever we are down. Waters Edge is a bar on the water that they usually go to while out on the boat. The restaurant/bar is a quick 10-15 minute drive from their house so they usually go there when Tony's Tiki isn't cutting it.

We probably had a good 8 people on board the cigarette, but that didn't slow this boat down as it ripped through the water. You could barely open your eyes when on this thing--next time I have to remember sunglasses. We pulled up to the Waters Edge and were about to dock out on the water, but for some reason they had a new rule regarding cigarette boats being docked by the restaurant. Everyone was pretty confused as they were just here last weekend and had no problems. The Waters Edge employee told us that was the owners new rule so we pulled away as AJ's dad didn't have bumpers to park alongside the wooden dock.

I don't know why the owner made this new rule, but he missed out on a lot of business. Not only did we have 8 people in our boat ready to eat and drink, but AJ's dad had friends coming. We waited for the 2 additional boats to arrive when we all decided to go back to AJ's house and hang out a Tony's Tiki.

We spent the rest of the day lounging around the pool and the tiki bar. I actually had a better time here than at the bar so I'm happy we didn't go. We cooked some delicious food and had some awesome drinks. A perfect way to spend a saturday.

AJ's dad made some banging clams on the BBQ. It was a simple recipe, but they came out so good. It was red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and beer. I would definitely recommend trying that recipe next time you want to fire up some clams.


Jack and Bills (Seaside, NJ)
Seaside, home of Jersey Shore isn't all guidos all the time. Sure, there are some bars that attract more of that crowd like Bamboo or Karma, but I think we know to stay away from them unless you have a blowout and a beater. Seaside isn't all aboutGTL (Gym, Tan, Laundry) as there are actually some pretty cool bars along the boardwalk.

After a day of drinking, we took a taxi from AJ's house in Tom's River to seaside. I can't really go into detail about the night, but it sure was fun. We stayed at Jack and Bills for the majority of the night before getting kicked out. We were playing beer pong with these girls and next thing I know, my friends were having some words with this guy. After going over to mediate, I still can't tell you what this guys problem was. Were we playing beer pong with his girl? Was he jealous of my dance moves? --Soulja boyyyyyyy! I don't really know what caused the fight, but the guy pushed me and the bouncers insisted on kicking both of us out. He told us that it was protocol. Personally, I think its stupid to kick out someone who didn't start the fight plus its even more stupid to kick both parties out as they probably will fight outside.

Our love for cheesesteaks kept us out of a fight. The cheesesteak was delicious and so much better than a bloody lip. We headed back to AJ's for the night where a few hours later I would have one of the biggest hangovers of my life.

I would definitely recommend going to seaside if in the area. There are definitely fun bars around the area as long as you stay away from certain places. Some assholes will penetrate the good bars too, so bringing your boxing gloves to seaside is just as important as an ID.

Bubbakoo's Burritos (Manasquan, NJ)
BubbaKoo's Burritos is a beach version of Chipotle. The guy behind the counter was probably the owner as he was really into helping me out. I let him talk about the process of making the burrito like he was the first one to think of the assembly line structure. I went with the carnitas and added a few other things as I went down the line including rice, cheese, salsa, and hot sauce.

Eating inside the cold air-conditioned QSR (quick serve restaurant) definitely added to the experience, but the burrito itself was pretty good. A bit pricey for the Jersey Shore as I probably spent the same amount as if I was at the Chipotle around the corner from my apartment in Manhattan. The place was empty so I wonder how business is treating them. This is suppose to be their busy season.

I ended my Bubbakoo's Experience with a Chaco Taco on the walk back to the beach. Overall, a decent experience but I probably won't go back.

Downtown

Liams
I walk by Liam's pretty much every day as its located right outside the Fulton Street subway stop. I use to stop in every once and awhile when Liam's was Exchange. This was my first and probably my last visit to Liam's. Not that the food was terrible, but the bartender was just weird and made the experience incredibly uncomfortable. I don't know which was worse--her singing Eminem or winking at my roommate and I when she gave us our "BJs" (BlackJack Burgers). She made it so uncomfortable that I now walk on the other side of the street when going to the subway.

So on to the food. The food was typical bar food. I didn't think the wings were too good as they had globs of burnt sauce all over them; however, the Blackjack burgers were decent.

Like i said, probably won't go back.






Salud
Nestled on Beekman Street, Salud is a Latin/South American restaurant right by my apartment. After a wonderful day at the Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javitz center, Stef and I decided to grab some dinner. She picked Salud because she liked their menu and it was walking distance. We sat outside on the beautiful summer night and enjoyed a great dinner. Not that the food was great, but the experience was. Having a nice dinner outside over a nice bottle of Pinot Noir was a great ending to an awesome day.

Salud offers a tapas menu so we got a bunch of small plates to split. We got the skirt steak, yuca fries, mexican corn, spinach, and plantains. Although nothing really stuck out--everything on the table was solid. Although I probably won't go back to Salud, I would recommend stopping in for a small plate or glass of wine.





Backyard chicken
Located right behind my apartment on Pearl Street, this tiny quick serve dishes out a small menu. The most popular item is the 1/4 chicken with two sides and a lemonade which will run you $6--what a deal. The portion of chicken is kind of small, but the two sides will definitely fill ya up. I got 1/4 chicken with mac n' cheese and oven roasted potatoes. Both sides were good, but nothing great. The rotisserie chicken had good flavor, but again--nothing great. I think the lemonade was pretty good. I'm not a huge lemonade fan, but this was made right. I think backyard chicken had good value as you got a bang for your buck. Its hard to get a meal in the city for less than $10 bucks unless you're going to Burger King or a local pizza joint (which will also probably cost you around $10). If I ever need a good cheap spot in the financial district--backyard chicken is a good option.



Dubliner
Located on Stone Street, The Dubliner was a big disappointment. My roommate and I were looking for a place to grab a quick bite and a beer. We walked to Stone Street in hopes of finding some kind of happy hour deal. We wondered into the Dubliner, not because they had any good deals but because we were starving and couldn't look any further.

The service was so bad that we actually got up to walk out. We were sitting for a good 5-10 minutes before our waitress showed up. Once she did show up she took our order and disappeared for another 10 minutes. All i remember is being so thirsty from the hot day that I made it clear that I needed a water right away, but that water didn't come for a good 10 minutes or so. We asked our server about the sampler platter that looked pretty legit. Had mozzerella sticks, pigs in a blanket, onion rings, wings, and some other goodies. She told us that there were 12 wings on the sampler when infact there was only 4. They also left out another component which I forget what it was. Not only did the food take forever, but it wasn't good at all. I know its bar food, but it was shitty bar food. I will never go back and I wouldn't recommend that place to anyone. Oh and there were fruit flies hoovering over my beer--GREAT!