Since living in New York; I've been trying to suss out the hole-in-the-wall, greasy spoon, gotta-have dives for hot dogs or slices or burgers, I also have an agenda to eat at all the best noodle shops, French bistros, and Greek haunts all around the city. I will be sharing those pictures and experiences here in Food York.
Pizza Wars: Roberta's (Brooklyn, multiple visits)
B&B
First off, the WTC Memorial has nothing to do with Roberta's but my first trip to the solemn WTC site happened to be the same weekend as my first trip to Roberta's and I believe that memories are nothing without the senses to guide you and help you remember.
The weekend also happened to be a few days before Halloween 2012, which was for SF Giant fans like me, the Sunday we won the World Series.
For most of New York, New Jersey, and surrounding areas however, it casts a much somber tone. That was just hours before Hurricane Sandy hit, leaving many people powerless and a lot of those families (mid-way into 2013) are still devastated.
Not to make light of the events following the hurricane or the amazing efforts trying to help rebuild, I mention this weekend because it holds a specific time and place. One of those "where were you when..." situations.
My last sit-down meal before the darkness overcame Manhattan happened to be brunch at Roberta's; and I couldn't have left any more happy or full as I clamored to get back to the city before the Subway closed.
The weekend also happened to be a few days before Halloween 2012, which was for SF Giant fans like me, the Sunday we won the World Series.
For most of New York, New Jersey, and surrounding areas however, it casts a much somber tone. That was just hours before Hurricane Sandy hit, leaving many people powerless and a lot of those families (mid-way into 2013) are still devastated.
Not to make light of the events following the hurricane or the amazing efforts trying to help rebuild, I mention this weekend because it holds a specific time and place. One of those "where were you when..." situations.
My last sit-down meal before the darkness overcame Manhattan happened to be brunch at Roberta's; and I couldn't have left any more happy or full as I clamored to get back to the city before the Subway closed.
Roberta's holds a special place for me because of a small connection to home. One of my favorite people on the planet--we will call her A--moved to New York City after we finished graduate school, ended up with a culinary degree and worked at Roberta's for half of 2012 before she moved back west to try a new adventure. Of course I was happy for her, but definitely bummed that we missed each other in New York by about two months. For this reason and because I miss her so, I have a soft spot for Roberta's.
Regardless of my personal feelings, however, there's no denying this powerhouse of flavor.
OK. Enough nostalgia. Mealtime.
We had the shaved Brussels sprouts with egg, Cheesus Christ and Speckenwolf pies (see pics below for details), bread and butter, lots of water for the group and...(not pictured) a chickory iced coffee (NOLA-style).
Go there. You won't be disappointed.
FYI, there is always a long wait.
Regardless of my personal feelings, however, there's no denying this powerhouse of flavor.
OK. Enough nostalgia. Mealtime.
We had the shaved Brussels sprouts with egg, Cheesus Christ and Speckenwolf pies (see pics below for details), bread and butter, lots of water for the group and...(not pictured) a chickory iced coffee (NOLA-style).
Go there. You won't be disappointed.
FYI, there is always a long wait.
DROOL UPDATE: Roberta's, Take 2 (February 2013)
Still yummy. Three of us split a sticky bun and a Rosso pie (tomato, oregano, garlic), although we couldn't resist putting cheese on half, and I had the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich for brunch. The iced coffee is still great ask them for some Agave syrup to sweeten it up!
While we waited over 1.5hrs (the hostess forgot to write down that our entire party was checked in and forgot our reservation) I spotted frequent Food Network face and NYC restauranteur Amanda Freitag, so it wasn't all wasted and the spectacular food made up for most of our wait time.
While we waited over 1.5hrs (the hostess forgot to write down that our entire party was checked in and forgot our reservation) I spotted frequent Food Network face and NYC restauranteur Amanda Freitag, so it wasn't all wasted and the spectacular food made up for most of our wait time.
Pizza Wars: Grimaldi's (Brooklyn location)
From time to time (re: ALL THE TIME) visitors and New Yorkers alike tend to know where the "best pizza in The City" is hiding, although where I come from "The City" refers to San Francisco, but that's a whole different argument. I've heard about Totonno's and Patsy's, Grimaldi's and Roberta's, Joe's and Original Joe's. The list is ENDLESS. Thankfully, I love pizza so I have a while to try and work my way through the list of unlimited miles of dough, pounds of sauce, and oodles (yes, oodles) of toppings in regular (pepperoni, mushroom, sausage) and irregular (honey, broccoli rabe, pasta).
So, from time to time between bouts of pizza babies digesting in my stomach, I will keep an on-going "Pizza Wars" post discussing all things and pie-shaped and savory. For a sweet pie, see my post on The Bald Man Sells Chocolate...in the East Village.
So, from time to time between bouts of pizza babies digesting in my stomach, I will keep an on-going "Pizza Wars" post discussing all things and pie-shaped and savory. For a sweet pie, see my post on The Bald Man Sells Chocolate...in the East Village.
There's a godfather of New York pizza?
White Pizza. Click on the pie to go to Grimaldi's Menu.
Well, no. Not one that I've met, so far. All I heard about since I moved was about how amazing Grimaldi's is, how it's under the Brooklyn Bridge (and other locations) and the gorgeous setting adds to the ambience of this century-old pizzeria and the up to two-hour wait time for a pie at this cash-only establishment is well worth it.
To begin with, Grimaldi's is fine pizza, let's not get off on the wrong foot. Their coal-fired pizza has been a staple since 1905, so it's definitely old enough to be someone's pizza godfather, just not mine.
I don't think Grimaldi's lived up to the hype. It's like reading all the reviews of a movie you really want to see; sometimes too much exposure shoots your expectations to unattainable levels and can leave you disappointed.
For priding itself on being a New York institution, my friend M--who was visiting from Los Angeles--was bummed to find out that he could have driven twenty minutes away from his home to the Grimaldi's outpost on the west coast.
The view is beautiful on the walk to the restaurant, but it's not situated it a spot where the seats show you anything but the hallway to the bathroom and the kitchen, at least ours did. If I hadn't heard a ton of rave reviews before I visited, I'm sure it would have been totally great, but not earth shattering pizza.
There were three of us for dinner and we ordered an antipasta plate, a white pizza (pictured), and a sausage and sun dried tomato pizza (not pictured, I did not try this pie).
The best part of this adventure was that we were very prepared to wait between one and two hours and at 7pm on a Monday evening, there was no line and we sat right down. The pizza was hot, thin and crispy crust and a little burnt; the best part of any crust is the burnt bubble...but the best part of my evening was the view of the moon over the Brooklyn Bridge I snapped when we walked back to the Subway.
To begin with, Grimaldi's is fine pizza, let's not get off on the wrong foot. Their coal-fired pizza has been a staple since 1905, so it's definitely old enough to be someone's pizza godfather, just not mine.
I don't think Grimaldi's lived up to the hype. It's like reading all the reviews of a movie you really want to see; sometimes too much exposure shoots your expectations to unattainable levels and can leave you disappointed.
For priding itself on being a New York institution, my friend M--who was visiting from Los Angeles--was bummed to find out that he could have driven twenty minutes away from his home to the Grimaldi's outpost on the west coast.
The view is beautiful on the walk to the restaurant, but it's not situated it a spot where the seats show you anything but the hallway to the bathroom and the kitchen, at least ours did. If I hadn't heard a ton of rave reviews before I visited, I'm sure it would have been totally great, but not earth shattering pizza.
There were three of us for dinner and we ordered an antipasta plate, a white pizza (pictured), and a sausage and sun dried tomato pizza (not pictured, I did not try this pie).
The best part of this adventure was that we were very prepared to wait between one and two hours and at 7pm on a Monday evening, there was no line and we sat right down. The pizza was hot, thin and crispy crust and a little burnt; the best part of any crust is the burnt bubble...but the best part of my evening was the view of the moon over the Brooklyn Bridge I snapped when we walked back to the Subway.
La Maison du Croque Monsieur (East Village)
A girl goes in search of cheesy goodness...
Exhibit Yum: The Mr. Henry
...and finds herself in melty heaven in the East Village. Wandering around New York when you are hungry is a dangerous affair. After a few hours of running errands, I found myself just south of Union Square in search of food. I had heard that La Maison du Croque Monsieur was the spot to quench an ache for Paris, cure a hangover with grease, or satisfy that mid-afternoon emptiness.
After perusing their menu I settled on the first spot and their most popular Croque: The Mr. Henry. A classic pairing of Ham, Gruyere and Bechamel grilled to perfection.
I was looking for the latter and this little spot made my desperate hunger disappear quickly. The bread was crisp and crunchy (not soggy with grease) with the perfect amount of nooks and crannies from the grill/press. My sandwich arrive promptly on a small metal tray so I could take my baggie to go or stay. I opted to stay seated and watch the passengers wander by the glass entrance. Thin slices of ham and gruyere (pretty high up on my list of cheeses) paired perfectly with the crispy bread and it wasn't too large or too small for a lunch portion; my croque was just right.
Goldilocks would be taking a step up from porridge at this funky, EV spot. If you find yourself in the area, don't miss La Maison du Croque Monsieur.
As much as I loved my Mr. Henry, as I was leaving I saw their special menu board outside the door and would have probably settled on their mushroom-heavy croque...but I'll save that for another empty stomach.
After perusing their menu I settled on the first spot and their most popular Croque: The Mr. Henry. A classic pairing of Ham, Gruyere and Bechamel grilled to perfection.
I was looking for the latter and this little spot made my desperate hunger disappear quickly. The bread was crisp and crunchy (not soggy with grease) with the perfect amount of nooks and crannies from the grill/press. My sandwich arrive promptly on a small metal tray so I could take my baggie to go or stay. I opted to stay seated and watch the passengers wander by the glass entrance. Thin slices of ham and gruyere (pretty high up on my list of cheeses) paired perfectly with the crispy bread and it wasn't too large or too small for a lunch portion; my croque was just right.
Goldilocks would be taking a step up from porridge at this funky, EV spot. If you find yourself in the area, don't miss La Maison du Croque Monsieur.
As much as I loved my Mr. Henry, as I was leaving I saw their special menu board outside the door and would have probably settled on their mushroom-heavy croque...but I'll save that for another empty stomach.
Black Shack Burger (Murray Hill)
This is a great little burger and shake joint near Grand Central Station. They serve all fresh ingredients, are friendly to non-meat-eaters as well as those who'd like to branch out from time to time. Yes, they have salads but I have yet to try them because the burgers and fries are too delicious. They also serve a four ounce fresh mozzarella patty as a burger alternative which is a new take on the vegetarian menu. Maybe we could call it a "Protein Patty"? Once I get a craving for a mozzarella "burger" I will update this post.
Western Burger:
Beef patty, crispy onions, pickles, cheddar, barbecue sauce.
*Click the pic to see Black Shack's full menu!
Beef patty, crispy onions, pickles, cheddar, barbecue sauce.
*Click the pic to see Black Shack's full menu!
The Spotted Pig (West Village)
Honestly, I hadn't heard a lot about The Spotted Pig before a fellow food-lover, my friend R, came into town and had it on his New York agenda. I had, however, heard of renowned chef April Bloomfield, but hadn't put the two thoughts together in one sentence. I didn't realize she was the genius behind the flannel-backed bartenders and laid back vibe that resides in a corner shop in the West Village. We heard that the wait could be up to two hours, but at least one and it was a Saturday night so we braced ourselves to jump on the list and go bar hopping in the meantime. Little did we know after walking blocks from the Subway towards Greenwich St. that luck was on our side and as we walked in to put our names down on "The List" I leaned into the hostess in the dark, loud Pig and asked how long the wait was. She said, "It will be awhile but, if you can get a seat at the bar, you can get in now." Just as she turned, two people were walking away and two shiny barstools gleamed our direction. Sure, my gracious dinner companion ended up squeezed in the corner of the bar against other people's coats, the wall to the kitchen, and multiple magazines; but he didn't complain once the food arrived.
We ordered delightful cocktails. My friend R had The Long Trail: Rittenhouse Rye 100, Nardini Amaro Bassano, Bitterman's Cinnamon Cordial. I had the Boulevardier: Old Forestor Bourbon, Campari, Martini Rosso Vermouth. Once we settled in and I ribbed him about his fancy cinnamon drink, we ordered two angelic appetizers: Deviled Eggs and Devils on Horseback. Both were decadent and left us salivating. The devils were bacon-wrapped-prunes which I had never heard of but decided that as long as it's wrapped in bacon it can't be too terrible. Our entrees were next and R ordered the chargrilled burger with roquefort cheese and shoestring fries (a very popular item) and I ordered the grilled skirt steak with roasted beets, greens, and horseradish cream and we split both so we could get the maximum effect of the menu as well as the ambiance: dark and ambivalent. While R didn't have a celebrity sighting like he had hoped and we didn't get as great of pictures as we would have liked due to the dark lighting in the restaurant, the memories of us licking our lips...and our plates, is not to be forgotten.
All in all, The Spotted Pig, doesn't disappoint. If you count yourself lucky to get a seat at the bar or have a few hours to wait in the West Village; go and don't look back.
We ordered delightful cocktails. My friend R had The Long Trail: Rittenhouse Rye 100, Nardini Amaro Bassano, Bitterman's Cinnamon Cordial. I had the Boulevardier: Old Forestor Bourbon, Campari, Martini Rosso Vermouth. Once we settled in and I ribbed him about his fancy cinnamon drink, we ordered two angelic appetizers: Deviled Eggs and Devils on Horseback. Both were decadent and left us salivating. The devils were bacon-wrapped-prunes which I had never heard of but decided that as long as it's wrapped in bacon it can't be too terrible. Our entrees were next and R ordered the chargrilled burger with roquefort cheese and shoestring fries (a very popular item) and I ordered the grilled skirt steak with roasted beets, greens, and horseradish cream and we split both so we could get the maximum effect of the menu as well as the ambiance: dark and ambivalent. While R didn't have a celebrity sighting like he had hoped and we didn't get as great of pictures as we would have liked due to the dark lighting in the restaurant, the memories of us licking our lips...and our plates, is not to be forgotten.
All in all, The Spotted Pig, doesn't disappoint. If you count yourself lucky to get a seat at the bar or have a few hours to wait in the West Village; go and don't look back.
The Spotted Pig Emblem hangs outside this popular West Village corner spot.
Click on the pig to go to The Spotted Pig's menu.