Awful food at Ollie's (New York City)!

I love chinese food and was excited to go to Ollie's near Time Square. I ordered from them once, a day I was working late at the office and I remember that it was ok, although I always consider that food delivered loses its prime taste during the time of transportation.

In the restaurant, I noticed two things:

• First, that most of the customers were asian. This is a good sign, because it means that they were probably looking for some authentic chinese cuisine, and it was a good place for that.
• Second, the menu is quite big. Not sure this one is a good thing because the kitchen might be all over the place and I always favor quality over quantity! It is better to have fewer dishes that are amazing than plenty of average dishes.

So we picked few specialties:

• The shrimp dumplings: I barely tasted the shrimp. Did they use one shrimp to make 6 dumplings?
• The vegetables dumplings: this one was good. I usually find the dough too thick, but this one was perfect.
• The chicken pan fried noodles: I am used to the crispy noodles that get soft because of the sauce. The noodles were good, but they barely put any! Did I make a mistake and ordered off the kid's menu? The sauce was too ginger-y and the chicken bland. Not the best choice and pricey.

I guess the only things I liked there were the hot tea and the veggie dumplings! It was a good excuse to get cookies from Zaro's after that!

You can pass on that one: there are plenty of other delicious chinese restaurants in New York City!

Del Frisco's steakhouse, land of the best crab cakes

I love a good steak! But once you have tried one, it kind of spoils your experience in other Steakhouses! So, the first time I went to Del Frisco's, I was skeptical. Especially after they pointed out that they are best known for their crab cakes. As far as I know, crab cakes are no red meat! I had the filet mignon. The meat was perfectly cooked, medium as I wanted it. It was presented pink in the center as the meat continued to cook in butter on the hot plate (I start to love this one!). To make sure it was cooked to perfection, the waiter asked me to cut the filet and he checked it was what I ordered. First time it happened to me.

The filet was very tender and my knife went through it without any effort. Then came the first bite: so good! This piece of meat was definitely of a high quality. 

Another time, I tried their lamb chops: perfectly cooked (if overcooked, it will be dry) and very tasty with a clean frenched bone.

Then I had to try their famous crab cakes! I was not disappointed! It was made with jumbo lump crab. Not sure how they made the crab cakes stay together, but it was clearly not by preparing them with lots of different ingredients that would have overshadowed the taste of the crab. I wanted crab and I got crab! 

Besides that, their sides are original and appetizing: lobster Mac & Cheese, King crab gnocchi or cauliflower and brie au gratin. All pretty good!

The only complaint would be their tendency to put too much pepper in their dishes! But even with that, it is one of my top choices for steak!

Enjoy (I did)!

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Ruth's Chris is one of my favorite Steakhouses. This franchise, more than 45 years old and more than 100 restaurants, never disappointed me! I always had good pieces of meat (most of them are USDA prime that is the highest grade), tender and cooked to perfection. They cook their steaks in butter (how can you go wrong with that) and bring them to the table in 500 degree Fahrenheit plates, causing the meat to sizzle in the butter. What is great is that you can hear this distinctive noise while the waiters walk across the room, and I can only lookup to see what other patrons ordered. At the same time, your nose will catch this amazing smell of butter and meat. The plate is so hot that it will continue cooking your steak once on your table. That is why they will always bring it to your table slightly undercooked.

My favorite is the filet mignon: you can cut it like butter; it is juicy and has a delicious taste enhanced by a bit of salt. If you like strip steak as well, I suggest the Porterhouse (strip steak and filet), but be ready for a feast!

Their crab cakes are awesome: you can see the lump crab and eating them in the sizzling butter is amazing.

The only thing they are lacking for me is some originality for the sides: what they are proposing is pretty basic and none of them make you think: "I have to try that one". They do not even have a nice Mac & Cheese!

So, forget the sides and go for the meat!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Il Bastardo!

No, I am not insulting anybody in Italian! It is just the name of an Italian restaurant in New York City!

We went there on a Saturday night, early enough so there was not that many people at the bar or in their lounge. The restaurant was quite dark and noisy: I thought I was in a Steakhouse, and in fact...it is an Italian steakhouse! The decor is a mix between modern and rustic with its mahogany floor and brick walls. I like that feel: warm and cozy.

In term of food, you can't really tell that it is a steakhouse: looks more like a traditional Italian restaurant to me, with its antipasti (literally "before pasta"), salads, pasta and main dishes that include items from the grill. There, no filet mignon or porterhouse!

We tried:

• Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with citrus - mustard aioli: it was pretty decent! The mustard aioli had a nice kick.
• Salad with Anjou Pears, arugula, tallegio cheese and walnuts. The presentation was awesome: they sliced the pear thinly and laid out the slices at the bottom of the plate. Unfortunately, the pear was not ripe enough and they were cheap on the cheese...
• Linguine with manila clams, fresh parsley and white wine: the dish was ok. The clams were not tasty and the broth was too liquidy to give some taste to the dish. Too bad, because it is usually the dish I pick when trying an Italian restaurant for the first time!
• Rigatoni with tomato, eggplant, basil and ricotta salata. This was pretty good. 

So, overall, the food was just ok. For the same price, I would go to Morandi and have a fantastic Italian experience!

Enjoy (I did)!

Horrible Crepe at Max Brenner in New York!

Yes: I said in the past that I was a fan of Max Brenner's hot cocoa. But I guess it is stopping there! Between the savory food that was not good at all and now the crepe I tried there, I think he should definitely stick with the hot cocoa and forget the rest! The crepe was not good at all and finished in the trash! My wife was even surprised to see me throw food! The crepe had an off taste; the chocolate in it was not good. I only liked the bananas...For close to $10, I am sure I can get bananas at Whole Food around the corner of Max Brenner! If you want crepes, avoid it and go to Bar Suzette at Chelsea Market: It is much much better!!!!

Beware!

Mexican sushi and Japanese tacos at Taka Taka in New York City

There are more and more restaurants proposing fusion cuisine, but it was the first time that I heard about Mexican - Japanese cuisine. That is what Taka Taka in New York City is proposing, highlighted by the sign "Japanese Cantina" above the kitchen. At first the restaurant looks like a Japanese restaurant with a conveyor belt sushi (aka Kaiten sushi). But if you pay attention, you will start noticing some Mexican touch such as the granite mortar to make guacamole!

So, for food, you have two choices: the kaiten sushi or the menu. For those who never tried Kaiten sushi, this is how it works: the kitchen prepares different sushi (no fusion at this time, the sushi were quite standard) identified by a number (Photo 1 - the description of the dish is on the table set) and put them on a conveyor belt. The color of the plate determines the price (photo 2) and once you ask for the bill, the waiter will simply add up the cost of each plate you took based on the color. It is an interesting concept and intriguing: I was constantly looking at what was passing by!

For the Mexican - Japanese fusion, you then have to check the menu: each dish will have a bit of each cuisine. On the Mexican side, you will find for instance guacamole or jalapeno and on the Japanese side, yuzu sauce or wasabi mayonnaise. Here is what we had:

• Guacamole-Tuna Tataki: diced tuna tartar with avocado, onion, cilantro, tomato and serrano chile. This was very good. I love the combination of tuna and avocado! The first time I tried was in a cafe next to the Louvre Museum in Paris. I then had it at Remi, an Italian restaurant in New York. So, nothing very particular to the Mexican-Japanese fusion for that one, although I really enjoyed this very refreshing and light dish!
• Miss Carnitas: fried tuna carnitas in a yuzu-soy marinate with guacamole and pico de gallo in corn tortillas. Good but overpriced. The tuna was slightly overcooked.
• Inclan: fried rice roll with hamachi, tuna, avocado and jicama with spicy sriracha mayonnaise. I liked it.The crunchiness of the rice added another dimension to the dish.
• Tempura Helado: tempura ice cream with strawberry sauce or melted dark chocolate. We picked the chocolate. It was very good but they were kind of cheap on the chocolate!

Concerning the service, it was weird: plates arrived one by one. It started with the tacos, then the tuna tartar, then the rolls. It was not that fast and I am wondering if it was not done this way so we would try some of the Kaiten sushi...

Although the food was not as expected (I was expecting an explosion of flavors), I would probably go back to check some other dishes. They definitely have some creativity there and some of the dishes on the menu that we did not try look appetizing. 

Last, I liked their take out menu: not the traditional piece of paper as you can see below!

Enjoy (I did)!

Le Pain Quotidien...au Quotidien!

A lot of people think that Le Pain Quotidien (The Daily Bread in English) is French: it is in fact Belgian.  I am not that chauvinistic so I would not go there to eat some great bread, croissants or pastries! 

Le Pain Quotidien is a franchise; they have restaurants all over the world: France (I had to say it!), Australia, Bahrein, India, Mexico, Russia...And of course in the US, in several locations: NYC, Philadelphia, Pasadena, Washington DC, etc...Normally, whatever you find in one location can be found in another, the same way. As if it was the Mac Donald's of bakeries! 

Le Pain Quotidien uses organic ingredients as much as possible and bakes bread and pastries every day.  Their bread is delicious: they serve different kinds, from the baguette to the rustic loaf. They also have buttery and flaky croissants that are to die for! Their restaurants have a rustic and homy feel with bricks on the walls, wooden floors and wooden tables that have an unfinished look (they are made of reclaimed wood). They all have a large communal table for those who like to listen to people's conversation...

Le Pain Quotidien is one of my favorite place for a casual brunch or lunch. Besides the bread and pastries, they have great tartines (open face sandwiches). My favorite is the one with ricotta, figs and honey! It tastes so fresh and all these ingredients pair very well together. It is also very light and the figs add a nice texture to the tartine. It is the perfect meal for a picnic in a park (you can have it to go). They also have a great cheese plate and good salads. Then, you find the traditional brunch dishes: french toasts, omelets or soups. I like the way they serve their food: tartines and plates are served on a breadboard that give a plus to the presentation. If you really like the plates, breadboards and bowls, you can buy them. On top of that, they sell jams, coffee or chocolate. 

Last, they apparently give some cooking classes! I may check this out one day!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Back from Vermont!

Although back few days ago, I wanted to do a recap of the food I had in Vermont. I had quite different choices and made sure that my stomach was part of the trip....

Cheese Fondue:

I am going to start with the cheese fondue: we bought at the supermarket a pre-packaged Swiss fondue. Making fondue is not difficult, but the pre-packaged ones are pretty decent and even better than the fondue I had one time at the restaurant The Melting Pot in Hoboken (way too much garlic)! You just need a fondue pot, put the fondue mix in it, heat it and enjoy! Of course, you need bread to dip in the cheese: I either have some old hard bread or some fresh bread. If you do not have a pot, you can use a pan, but need to eat quicker as the cheese has to be well melted. The legend says that you should not drink water during the meal otherwise it will be like plaster in your stomach! I am wondering if it is not to make people drink more wine (white of course and dry)!

The Whip Bar and Grill at the Green Mountain Inn:

I was surprised by the quality of the meal! This place looks like a casual restaurant, but their menu is pretty elaborate and I had an excellent dinner there! The Gorgonzola crusted filet mignon was delicious; I was surprised considering the fact that it was not a steakhouse. The truffle scented mash potatoes were amazing too! I hate when they announce that there is truffle and you cannot taste it! This time I did! Then I got the duck: I love any type of poultry and duck is no exception. The difficulty is not to overcook it: it was perfectly done! I also had a butternut squash and cider soup that was very good. Not as good as the one I had at Art Smith's restaurant in Washington, Art and Soul, that was served with gingerbread and creme fraiche (type of sour cream).

Ben & Jerry's:

Now that I went to the Ben & Jerry's factory, I have a different perception: I did not know that they were promoting fair trade (and that they are from Vermont)! 

The factory tour was only worth it for the sample at the end (Milk and Chocolate - excellent!): the factory was not running and you do not walk on the floor so you are losing some information there. I then tried the Jimmy Fallon creation: Late Night Snack that is vanilla ice cream, fudge covered potato chips and a salty caramel swirl. I love the sweet and salty taste. The ice cream is more on the sweet side, but it is fine: after all it is an ice cream!

The Hourglass Lounge at the Stowe Resort:

We went for a quick snack and I had a burger. The meat was tasty, moist and perfectly cooked. The fries were kind of crispy, nothing worth to remember. 

Mac Donald's and Burger King:

Do you really want me to do a recap on that? Only few words: I would eat there only when necessary! The meat was tasteless! Once you have tried a good burger, you cannot go back to this!

I had other great food: the fruits, snow and maple syrup, as well as the Thanksgiving dinner (shall I say feast?) with our friends are memorable. 

I hope you too had a good time with friends and Family around a good dinner!

I just wanted to eat!

Lisa's Italian deli in Hoboken, NJ

Lisa's Italian deli is a great Italian deli in Hoboken. I have tried both their sandwiches and their pasta and was never disappointed! 

For sandwiches, the selection of cold or hot sandwiches is quite big! After you pick what you want, you can choose the bread: ciabatta, French baguette, soft Italian bread, wrap, roll...All the ingredients taste very fresh. Their baguette or soft Italian bread are delicious!

If you are vegetarian, there is a large choice for you: swiss cheese hero, ricotta hero, fresh mozzarella cold sandwich...

My favorite sandwich is the "Lisa's American Hero Boy" combo that is made with with turkey, roasted beef, pepperoni, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, roasted peppers, mustard or mayo. The sandwich is huge, but tasting so good that I could eat it at once! All the layers work so well together!

When ordering pasta, you can choose between ziti, penne or spaghetti. There too, they have a large choice: alfredo, a la vodka, with meatballs, with eggplant parmigiana, etc...My favorite is the Pasta gorgonzola that contains capers. This dish is incredibly good! I have never tried to mix gorgonzola with capers: very tasty! 

I am definitely a fan!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Sushi at Go Sushi in New York

I went for a quick lunch to Go Sushi, a Japanese restaurant suggested by Alfred, a great app on my phone. When we arrived, the place was empty, but then people started to come. You can either order and they will prepare the food fresh or you can pick some already prepared dishes. The menu is standard: sushi, sashimi, rolls, teriyaki, etc....

For lunch, they offer menus at a good price. I picked the sushi platter and my friend chose the salmon teriyaki (he asked them to change one item and they did it). The sushi and rolls were good: the fish did not look suspicious and had a nice color that make me think that it was fresh; I just regret that they made one of the sushi with a shrimp... It was served with a salad and a miso soup that was delicious (it had some mushrooms in it). It was good but I have to say that I was still hungry after....

Last thing to mention: you have to order at the counter and apparently, if there is a lot of people, you need to make sure that you know what you want if you stand in front of it. They will give you a number written on a piece of cardboard. 

I would probably go back there, but will order some additional rolls next time to match my appetite....

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Ready for a hot chocolate at Max Brenner (New York City)!

We went to Max Brenner aka the Bald Guy today for a nice breakfast with some dear friends. It was the first time we went there during the week and at 9am; what a shock! Usually, in the week end, it is crazy packed! The restaurant was empty! I could imagine myself being locked at night there with only chocolate to survive the night (I know, I exaggerate...).

Their menu can satisfy any palate: from eggs to burgers to various dishes that include a chocolate pizza. I started of course with a dark chocolate hot cocoa! It was de-li-cious! Not too sweet and very chocolaty! What was funny was the cup it was served in: it looked like a toilet! There was no handle, so fortunately it was not too hot. I flushed it in seconds...

As the main dishes, we picked the Lazy breakfast (we chose scrambled eggs and mushrooms), a buttery homemade croissant and the Black & Tan Beer Battered Vidalia Rings with Dark Chocolate Ranch Dressing (quite original). 

The eggs were not good: overcooked with a smoky taste probably coming from the mushrooms that was off. The croissant however was deliciously buttery and served with a caramel and chocolate sauce that was awesome (I drank it instead of putting it on the croissant)! I loved the presentation! 

Last were the onion rings: they were very good and crispy, but I did not like the chocolate ranch dressing: it tasted kind of weird! 

If I were to go back (that I would certainly for the hot cocoa), I would probably bet on the sweet side of the menu as the salty side is so so (one of our friends did not like his dish either - the huevos rancheros).

Enjoy (I did)!

Dinner at The Meatball Factory, New York City

Yesterday we went to The Meatball Factory, the new restaurant from Chef Dave Martin. You may recognize him from Top Chef season 1. I had the chance of talking a class at the French Culinary Institute with him (Sunday Brunch with Dave Martin - Recommended!!!) that was great and could talk to him a bit. It is nice to see chefs passionate about what they are doing and not just looking for celebrity.

So he opened The Meatball Factory in New York recently. I think it is a great idea! Who does not like meatballs? They can be made in many ways and can also be eaten in many forms.

The restaurant is nice, with a warm feeling. There is enough space between the bar and the tables so you do not feel crammed in. Although we went on a Sunday, I could have thought it was a Saturday: it was packed! The service was nice and efficient. I like the fact that they did not rush us to eat, despite how crowded it was.

Now, let's talk about food!

Meatballs!
They have 8 types of them, one of them being vegan. One order corresponds to 5 meatballs. You can either eat the meatballs like that, or in a sandwich (Challah roll). We decided to eat them only with sauces and we chose two meatballs:

• Meatzza, Meatzza- Braised Certified Angus Beef Brand Short Ribs, Hanger Steak and Filet, Buffalo, Potato & Parmesan.
• Vegan’s Dream- Roasted Sweet Onion, Carrot, Mushroom, Asparagus, Broccoli, Squash, Red Bell Pepper ,Chickpeas, Green Lentils, Tofu & Roasted Garlic (Dairy and Gluten Free).

The Meatzza, Meatzza was delicious: very tasty and not dry. The vegan meatballs were awesome! As you know, I am more of a meat guy, but believe me: it was excellent and it did not even need any sauce on it! It was a little tough to eat because it does not stay together like meat meatballs, but definitely to try!

We also picked a sauce sampler composed of 3 sauces:

• Shroom Central- Roasted Medley of Wild Mushrooms blended with Veggie Stock, Thyme and a touch of cream. I loved the fact that it contained mushrooms in it and that it was not just a cream of mushrooms! 
• Fire Roasted Marinara- Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic & Sweet Onion, Fresh Basil & Sherry. A classic, but always delicious!
• Truffle Time- The Black Truffle Sauce from Dave’s World Famous Black, Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese- Slow Cooked Cream, Shallots, Brandy, Sherry, Truffles, Fontina, Thyme & Oregano.

That is a lot of mushrooms there! The sauces were delicious and paired well with the meatballs.

We also got a pizza: the ‘Thai This’- Green Curry Peanut Sauce, Turducken Meatballs, Thai Chiles and Grana Padano. It was very spicy but so good! Even if you mouth is on fire, you cannot stop eating it! The crust was crispy and the presentation on a wood board was very nice and rustic.

We also tried the Truffle Mac'n Cheese, specialty of the Chef that was a nice side for the meatballs.

Of course, we finished the meal with dessert:

• Hot Tin Roof Sundae: Homemade malted Hot Fudge & Sea Salt Caramel along with Candied Nutmeg Walnuts over Marshmallow Gelato. The candied walnut were unfortunately nowhere to be found, the only mishap of the kitchen. However, the ice cream was so good and not too sweet. I could have eaten another gallon of it.
• Patsy’s Magic Cookie Bar: Callebaut Dark Chocolate Chips, Dried Cherries & Sweetened Coconut baked on a Graham Cracker Crust: this was the best! Like the sundae, it was not too sweet, that is always appreciated when you eat several desserts...

It is a great restaurant with a wonderful concept, but one thing I would suggest is that the layout of the menu be changed as it is kind of confusing about the way you can eat meatballs. I would do like in burger restaurants:
1 - pick your meatball
2 - pick your sauce
3 - decide how you would like to eat it: alone, with bread,...
4 - etc...

Also, I would suggest a meatball sampler so people can taste the different flavors they are proposing. I always thought a sampler gives a playful dimension to a meal!

The Meatball Factory is definitely a restaurant to try and to go back to!

Enjoy (I did)!

Brunch at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

Almond croissant at at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

We went for brunch at La Bouche Cafe in Hoboken, a small cafe that opened this year, replacing a rice pudding joint called Miami Rice (!). I am not surprised that Miami Rice closed: first of all, you really need to know it is there as it is off the main street in Hoboken. Second, it was overpriced! Although it is always sad to see a business close, I was happy to see a cafe opening. 

Bread at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

I thought that it would be like a French cafe, based on the name that means literally "The Cafe of the mouth". I would say that the decor with its little outdoor terrace and the nostalgia it inspires could remind me an old French cafe, as well as the viennoiseries (croissants and chocolate croissants), but it will stop there. The music they play is some old American 60's music and the menu, besides the croissants that are from Balthazar, is a typical American menu (bagel, eggs, sandwiches...). On their website, they mention quiches, but they were nowhere to be found when we went there.

From their menu, we tried:

• The almond croissant: pretty good, but not as good as the one I got at the Old German Bakery in Hoboken. The later had a lot of almond paste in it that makes the almond croissant so good. Besides that, it was flaky, fresh and moist.
• The smoked salmon omelette that was: smoked salmon, dill, cream cheese and scrambled eggs. It was good but like any smoked salmon omelette, a bit salty. The scrambled eggs were cooked perfectly (I hate when eggs are overcooked).

Smoked salmon omelet at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

Smoked salmon omelet at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

• The Caprese salad served with avocados, basil and black olives. I though that the presentation was very nice! The avocado were ripe, the tomato and mozzarella delicious, although overdressed.

Caprese salad at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

Caprese salad at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

They also serve coffee and tea. I would not go for the hot cocoa ($3) because it is simply Swiss Miss! They could at least propose a better quality cocoa!!!

The bill at La bouche cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey

Overall, it was a nice little brunch at a reasonable price. And listen: if you like chocolate croissants, they have two bars of chocolate in it!

Enjoy (I did)!

Japanese Food at Robongi in Hoboken, NJ

I love Japanese food. But you really need to find a good place: clean with fresh fish, especially if, like me, you like sushi and sashimi that in most cases are made of raw seafood (sushi is the one with rice!). My least favorite in sushi are raw calamari and shrimp, the later coming more often cooked but bland.

I also have a rule: I will not have sushi / sashimi on a Sunday or Monday night as most likely the fish is leftover from the week end!

In Hoboken, Robongi is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants. Their menu is nice and they offer a wide range of specialties. The quality of the food is also very good and the service very attentive. No wonder why it is always crowded on the week end!

Food wise, here are my favorites:

• Appetizers/salads:
• Nasu (photo 1): baked eggplant with miso sauce. Ok, few times, the eggplant was undercooked, but otherwise, one of the best appetizers. By teh way, avoid the crab cakes...
• Yasai Gyoza (photo 2): pan fried vegetables dumplings. Tasty, crispy, delicious!
• Shrimp shumai: delicate and sweet.
• Spicy squid salad: a very nice dish. It is spicy but not too much for my taste. I prefer the squid salad over the spicy tuna salad.
• Sushi / Sashimi / rolls:
• Avocado roll: standard. It only happened once that the avocado was not ripe.
• Spicy scallop (photo 3): it was the first time I tried raw scallop. I love everything in this roll: the tenderness of the scallop, the tempura batter crunch and the spicy mayo! Yummy!
• Salmon or tuna avocado roll: very fresh!
• Philadelphia roll: smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber. Not sure that they serve that in Tokyo!
• Spider roll: deep fried soft shell crab, lettuce, cucumber.
• Sushi or sashimi entrees: they pick the fishes they will serve. Salmon and tuna are usually making the cut. 

The specialty rolls can be, as in any japanese restaurants, difficult to eat because big!

They also have a nice lunch menu served with soup and salad at a reasonable price!

Definitely a good Japanese place if you are in Hoboken!

Enjoy (I did)!

Filippo's on First in Hoboken, NJ: another pizza place!

There are three things I do not like when ordering pizza:

1. When you ask for a topping and they are really cheap. The best example is fresh basil.
2. How the pizza will end up delivered: either crushed or not carried straight so the cheese and sauce finish on the cardboard and not the pizza.
3. The pizza have a tendency to steam and the crust loses its crunchiness (for that, you just need to pass it in the oven).

I found out that Filippo's on First was doing a great job! Their pizza is delicious and tasty and they are generous on the toppings. The crust is thin and crunchy.

Definitely another great pizza in Hoboken!

Enjoy (I did)!

Disappointment at Huntley Taverne

Let's set the scene: my wife's cousin and husband proposed to go for a lunch date to a restaurant in Summit, NJ where they went for their wedding anniversary and had a great dinner. They know how much I love food and you do not need to ask twice...We even went to the website of the restaurant few days before and already knew when we walked in what we would eat! 

Huntley Taverne is a nice restaurant, very warm with an interior that reminds me of the chalets you would find in Switzerland or in the French Alps. The service was very nice and attentive, but we must have ended up on a bad day...

Their menu made me want to order every item! They had some soups in the special menu and I found it very smart to propose a soup sampler. I think that restaurants should propose samplers so people can try different dishes. While we were waiting for our food, they brought us some delicious focaccia bread with a small portion of ricotta cheese. That was a good way to start!

We then ordered:

• Trio of sliders (Vermont cheddar burger, BBQ pulled pork on a cheddar scone, mini crab cakes with creole remoulade). Of the three, the only one I liked was the BBQ pulled pork: it was perfectly cooked and moist. The burger was overcooked and the bread they used for the burger and crab cake slider was very dry too. According to the manager, it is because the chef is tasting a new recipe for his potato bread. Thanks for trying a new recipe on us!!! It is sad because the crab cake was pretty good but they should have put some more sauce because it was also a little dry. Apparently the crab cake sandwich entree, served with a brioche bread was delicious and not dry at all. Maybe because of their size, sliders are more difficult to make. 
• Truffled Mac&cheese: I could taste the truffle, but the cheeses were bland and it was barely warm.
• Mushroom pizza with Vermont cheddar, truffle oil and onions. Ok, this one was good! The mushrooms were delicious and paired well with the vidalia onions and the cheddar. 

It seems they had an off day: they came few times apologizing for the lateness of the food (they had an issue with their fryer and I guess the food sat a bit) and felt really sorry to hear that the sliders were not good. It is sad, because their menu was so mouth watering! I would give them a second chance and would probably go for the crab cakes entree or appetizer, but not the sliders.

Enjoy (I wish I did)!

Friedman's Lunch: The Return of the Pastrami Reuben

My wife would say that I am sometimes obsessed by food. When I try something good, I am going to talk or dream about it. Better than dreaming about zombies, no? I then need to have it again. This is what happened with the pastrami reuben from Friedman's Lunch in Chelsea Market (see prior post here)!!!

We went there today; early enough to avoid the crowd and we were right!

So we tried the Pastrami reuben and their take on the grilled cheese: they make it with swiss and cheddar cheeses, caramelized onions and bacon. I think it is great that they do not just propose a standard grilled cheese. It was good, but I have two complaints: it should have been hotter and I would have used a sharper cheddar. 

The Pastrami Reuben was good too, but the meat was a little tough this time. Last time, it was so buttery! I guess restaurants can have a bad day too! Don't get me wrong: the sandwich was still delicious, but not outstanding! I am still a big fan!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Build your own burger at The Counter in Times Square, NYC

Burgers are a big deal in the US and there are more and more burger joints opening with tasty burgers that have nothing to do with Mc Donald's or Burger King! Even famous chefs like Bobby Flay or Laurent Tourondelle launched their own burger restaurants. 

The Counter proposes to build your own burger from A to Z. It is a chain with many locations across the country. When you biuld your burger, you choose:

• The meat: beef, turkey or veggie. They also propose the market selection. Today was lamb: I decided to go for it. Then you pick how much meat you want: 1,2 or 3 patties. 
• You can either eat your burger on a bun or in a bowl (with lettuce and tomatoes).
• A cheese: swiss, cheddar, brie, american...There is a pretty nice selection. I picked Tillamook cheddar.
• Up to 4 toppings: a selection of 21 toppings. I picked grilled onions and jalapenos. You can also pick a premium topping like sauteed mushrooms. None for me!
• A sauce besides ketchup. I have to say that they have a nice selection of non standard sauces: chipotle aioli, roasted garlic aioli, hot wing sauce...I picked russian dressing.
• The last part is the bun. Strangely, they did not have any burger bun! We were early for lunch! So I went for the pretzel bun. They also propose English muffin or onion buns. The pretzel bun was perfect because it did not have any salt (that could have been disastrous!).

For sides, we got the 50/50: fries and onion rings. This was very good. I like the fact that they serve them with sauces: ranch dressing and bbq sauce. The onions were awesome and very tasty. 

The lamb burger was good but I probably should have gone for a one patty as it was very juicy and it quickly became a big mess to eat. The pretzel bun started to fall apart and I ended up eating with my fork. There was a lot of cheese (2 slices) and a lot of delicious grilled onions. The russian dressing was perfect with it and the jalapenos gave a subtle kick that I love! I think that, after I went to Sobelman's in Milwaukee and tried it, I became a fan of jalapenos in burgers!

To help the burger come down my stomach, I had a vanilla milk shake: thick but not too much, but could have had a little bit more vanilla syrup in it.

The restaurant was nice, bright and modern looking and the service was good. I would just have preferred that they brought the sides with the burgers and not way before! Otherwise, I found it pricey compared to higher quality burger joints like BLT burger.

A good spot though if you are in Time Square and want a burger!

Enjoy (I did)!

Basile's Pizza - Another Pizza Joint in Hoboken, NJ

In Hoboken, there will soon be as many pizza joints as bars! Basile's pizza opened recently, in a very good location: corner of the block of Carlo's Bakery (The Cake Boss). It used to be a realtor office: I guess it is easier to sell pizza to people who wait on line for The Cake Boss than selling them houses! It is also close to the path, so people going to bars can't miss it...

Since they opened, they have been busy, especially on the week ends! So far, they have only offered outside seating, but I guess they will soon setup tables inside.

People there are courteous and I have to say that their pizzas are delicious! We tried three of them:

• The fresh mozzarella and basil.
• The white pie.
• The sicilian.

So, here are couple of common things to these slices: the pizza sauce is amazing! Especially on the sicilian. This one does not have that much cheese on it, but it does not matter at all! I guess it is their "grandma" pizza. The crust is crispy and the pizzas are not greasy at all.

What I liked with the white pie is that there was no garlic: I hate when they put too much garlic on it! What do they think? That we will be attacked by a bunch of Vampires???

Definitely good pizzas there. Try it out!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Food Gallery 32: a Korean food court in the heart of New York

The first time we noticed Food Gallery 32 (on 32nd street in Koreatown), we were in fact looking for Red Mango to have a frozen yoghurt! So we decided to go back and check it out. The place is really bright and modern and the majority of the crowd is young. There are three floors where you can comfortably sit. In term of food, you have a large choice: from sushi to bulgogi (Korean bbq), to ramen. All of this at a very reasonable price. The food is cooked on the spot and they give you a small buzzer so you can pick up your order as it takes few minutes to cook.

So we went for Noodle 32, specialized in ramen. There are more than 20 sorts: chicken, pork, seafood, vegetarian. All dishes are coming with Kimchi that is a fermented vegetable, usually cabbage. It can be spicy, but not there! They put a film on the soup so you can find a spot to eat without dropping some of it on your tray (or yourself)! The soups are extremely hot! I already spoke in a prior post about the Korean seafood miso ramen. The Tofu ramen was good but very spicy! We would have known, I am sure they would have done a mild version.

Walking around the gallery, any foodie will find something to eat! All the food they serve looked so good! I will definitely go back there and try other stands!!!

Enjoy (I did)!