My take on the burgers at Shake Shack in New York

Everybody is talking about Shake Shack, the burger chain founded by Danny Meyer (Gramercy Tavern,  Blue Smoke) in 2004. The first experience I had was not very good: it was on a hot Summer day, two years ago. We were walking close to Madison Square Park and decided to try what was supposed to be a mouth watering burger. There was a very long line and considering how hot it was outside, my expectations were high; I manned up. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries. I remember the service was very slow and the kitchen seemed overwhelmed. Then came our order: what a disappointment! The burger was not good at all! The bread was soggy and the meat tasteless. The fries were not crispy at all and had a weird taste. There was clearly something wrong!

Then, end of 2011, Shake Shack opened near Time Square. Each time I was passing by, I saw the long line of people waiting for their burgers. I still heard people claiming that this place was the best burger in New York. So, I decided to give it another chance and went yesterday. Place packed, so no surprise there considering the buzz and location. It was extremely difficult to get a seat and there was no way I  was going to eat outside: it is not a weather for this! We found a spot, but before that, had to look like vultures at tables where people finished or were finishing their meal.

I went for the Shake Stack: a cheeseburger and a mushroom burger topped with lettuce, tomatoes and the Shake Shack sauce. What you see on the photo that seems to be burnt is the mushroom burger (at first, you think there are two patties). What is interesting is that it gives some crispiness to the overall dish and is surprisingly filled with cheese. I did not fully taste the mushrooms, but I thought it was a good idea.

The meat was good, cooked perfectly (medium) and very moist. The bread was a regular bun.

Overall pretty decent.

The fries were good also: crispy and tasty, not too salted. 

I also had a vanilla milkshake: thick but not to the point where you will break your jaw trying to get the milkshake go through the straw. It was a pretty good one.

Overall it was a good burger. But it is not the best for me in the city. If you would like to know which one I prefer, check My favorite restaurants page by clicking here. Opening near Time Square was a very smart idea and I am sure it will continue to get packed and crazy there! 

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat! 

Great Thai Food at Thai Grill and Sushi Bar in New York

If you like Thai food and are on a budget, The Thai Grill and Sushi Bar located Midtown NY is for you! I went few times and each time the food was delicious. They have a lunch special that proposes a variety of dishes both Thai and Japanese. For sure you do not go for the atmosphere and the decor: the walls are weirdly decorated with some paint supposed to complement some artwork in a way that it looks amateurish, if not dirty. Also, the table we were sitting at, with their 70's look, overlooked some posters about labor laws.

Fortunately, the food is good! I always order a Thai Iced Tea when I eat in a Thai restaurant (mainly made of black tea and sweetened with condensed milk). It is so good and refreshing! They served it in a beer glass: it was awesome considering the gradation of colors that is kind of similar to beer.

I then went for the Penang curry that is a Thai curry supposed to be milder than other ones. Trust me it got some heat, but the tea helped cool it. It was delicious and they served a nice quantity of it (with Jasmine rice).

But before that, came a vegetarian roll. Good, not too greasy, but a bit small.

They also have bento boxes, with teriyaki (salmon, chicken...). I did not try them, but was told they were good.

Definitely a good place to go!

Enjoy (I did)!

Reference:
Restaurant site: http://www.nythaigrillsushibar.com/

Chocolate croissant from La Tropezienne Bakery in Harlem, NYC

Last week, I had to go to work quite early for a meeting and my boss decided to treat us with croissants. Considering the time we needed to be there, he asked one of my colleagues who leaves in Harlem, to go to his bakery and grab a variety of viennoiseries. That is how we ended up with croissants, pains au chocolat (chocolate croissants) and brioches from La Tropezienne Bakery. The name probably comes from the Tarte Tropézienne, that is a tart of pastry cream (crème pâtissière) invented by a St. Tropez pastry Chef named Alexandre Micka in the 1950s, based on a recipe he brought from his native Poland. In 1955, he was chef on the set of the film And God Created Woman (Dir: Roger Vadim) when actress Brigitte Bardot suggested he names the cake Tarte de St Tropez. He decided to call it La Tropézienne.

I tried the pain au chocolat: it was delicious! Flaky, buttery, but not to the point where it becomes too greasy!

The brioche was also perfect. For those who do not know, the difference between Challah bread and brioche is replacing the water with milk for brioches. 

I am always happy to find good croissants / chocolate croissants around here! I heard they have good pastries: I will have to check that out some day!

Enjoy (I did)!

Mediocre Italian food at Intermezzo in Chelsea!

Yesterday, we went for a Birthday Dinner (Happy Birthday Pete!), with a bunch of friends, at Intermezzo in Chelsea. I was really looking forward for great company and of course great food. It started well: nice restaurant with a very stylish and not overdone decor. I loved the nice black and white pictures picturing scenes of people eating pasta, some of them representing famous Italian actors like Marcello Mastroianni and Gina Lollobrigida. 

They also had nice chandeliers and a big mirror overseeing the entire dinning room. In term of atmosphere, it was quiet, but I heard that during brunch time, it can get crazy with music and all you can drink booze. 

The service was nice but a bit slow. It seems they went under new management in November 2011, so I am not sure if the slowness of service is because they are still tweaking the kitchen.

At the beginning, they left a bread basket with some olive oil on the table and kept bringing the bread throughout the evening, that is always nice. The focaccia was very good and the olive oil had some garlic and I guess some pepper because it had some kick. 

Then, for appetizer, I got the Polpo that is Portuguese octopus, potatoes, string beans, oregano, extra virgin olive oil and red vinegar. I love octopus, but was a bit disappointed: it was perfectly cooked but had a fishy taste (did they re-froze it???). The only think I really liked was the fried potatoes. I think I should have ordered the Mozzarella in Carozza (Crispy Mozzarella and bread, fried zucchini, tomato and basil) that is fried mozzarella. I tried it and it was pretty good! The zucchini were cut like pasta and I loved the crispiness and saltiness of it!

For the main dish, I chose the Linguine Alle Vongole that is Linguine pasta with Manilla Clams in a sauce with white wine and extra virgin olive oil. The pasta were well cooked but missing salt and the Manilla clams were...real! Not from a can (I got that one time in a restaurant!!!). The clams were a bit rubbery. Now, the sauce was tasteless. So disappointing! I did not finish my dish! Too bad because the Linguine Alle Vongole is my test dish: each time I go to a new Italian restaurant, this is what I try.

I also tried the Eggplant Parmigiana: tasteless too! Missing seasoning and cheese.

The Birthday boy ordered Chicken Parmigiana, his favorite there, but had to return the dish because it was stone cold. Also, our friend Jaimie ordered the lasagna, recommended by the waiter. It looked weird: was more a meatloaf than a lasagna! No sauce, no cheese. 

For dessert, we tried the Tiramisu, thinking it would improve the poor experience we had so far. Unfortunately, it was not the case: it was flavorless! 

So it was really mediocre food. Too bad, because the presentation of the dishes made them appetizing. We realized after we left that the it was graded B! Of course, they put the sign on a side window, difficult to see! I would not go back there for sure! Now, I am craving a good Italian to erase that bad memory! Morandi remains the best for me! 

At the end of the day, we anyway had a great time with our friends and it was the most important part of the evening...although great food would have been awesome!!!

Forget it (I did)!

References:
Site: www.intermezzo-nyc.com

Knish at Yonah Schimmel's Knishery in NYC!

The first time I had a knish was at Katz's deli few years ago and I did not like it: too dry...Then few weeks ago, we were walking around with my wife's friend Janine and her son Dylan, when we passed by Yonah Schimmel's store. They really wanted to have some, but as we wanted to get donuts at the Doughnut Plant and already had a hot cocoa from the bald guy, it would have been too much before dinner...All the knishes at the window were yummy and I kept the address in mind for another time. 

Then, going to Katz's this Sunday, we passed by and decided to buy some for dinner. The owner was there and told another client that you can freeze them and then heat them in the oven, no microwave for sure. When you enter into the store, you are immediately submerged by the smell of potatoes. Knishes are originally from Ukraine, with the word knish derived from the Ukrainian "knysh" that means "a kind of bun". It is made of a filling covered with dough that is either backed, fried or grilled. There are different varieties that you can find at the store: potato, mushroom, spinach, cabbage...They have been doing knishes since 1810 out of a push car and opened the place in 1910. Today, it is still a family business!

You can either take some knishes to go or you can eat them in the seating area located in the back. 

We went for the classic one: the potato knish.

They are big, close to the size of a baseball. Also, when I lifted the bag, I was surprised: it was kind of heavy.

We popped the knishes in our toaster for few minutes and ate them with yellow mustard and mayo. 

The inside of the knish was not dry at all and, although heavy, I really enjoyed it! I guess these were baked. The crust was deliciously crispy. For sure, I am a fan now. I just wish they had smaller sizes so I could try several of them!

If you never tried a knish, Yonah Schimmel is the place to go!

Enjoy (I did)!



Reference:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonah_Shimmel

Choc-O-Pain! Finally a French Bakery in Hoboken, NJ!!!

Updated on February 26th 2012 (see at the end of this post).

It has been a long time my wife and I were talking about the need for a nice French bakery in Hoboken. And finally, it opened! Beginning of 2012, Cho-O-Pain opened!

For sure, the location is off Washington street, the main street of Hoboken and hopefully, there will be enough buzz so they attract many people to try their breads, viennoiseries (croissants, chocolate croissants, brioches, etc...).

The place is not that small and you can either order to go or to eat there. The service was very nice and polite and I was please to talk to some fellow French people!

They have plenty of breads, even some epis ones! Luckily, they had some samples and what I tried was pretty good and authentic. They also sell sandwiches like the traditional ham and cheese!

Of course, they had quiches and pizza (French ones)! They also serve croque monsieur, that I am sure are good.

On our side, we tried first the brioche: although it looked burnt on the top, it was delicious! Buttery, but not too much.

Then, we tried the lemon tart (tarte au citron) with meringue on top. This was awesome! Although I would have preferred a more buttery crust (a pate sablee would have been perfect). The meringue was addictive. Definitely a great pastry.

I definitely have to try the breads, pizza, quiches and sandwiches from Choc-O-Pain! In fact I have to try everything! I am so excited that a French bakery opened finally in Hoboken! Bonne chance!

Update February 26th 2012:

So we went back for brunch today to Choc-O-Pain. I was very excited to try something different.

When we arrived, it was packed! I explored a bit the restaurant: first, the main floor is where the kitchen is. You can see what is going on there by looking through a glass. You can order to go or to stay. If you stay, you can either sit in one of the tables or at the communal table, or go upstairs where there are few tables and seats. The entire place, especially upstairs has a very rustic feel. 

We went for the ham & cheese sandwich: I thought I was in France! The bread was so good, so crispy. A perfect baguette!

Then we had the Tarte aux poireaux (leeks tart): I did not have this for years and loved it.

We finished with a fantastic Tarte aux poires (pear tart). It was made with almond paste and was sublimely buttery.

I have to say that it was great! Same quality as what you would find in a good boulangerie (bakery) in France. So if you do not have the luxury to travel, go there for a bit of France!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Choc O Pain
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	New Jersey / French
	* Street Address
	157 1st St., Hoboken, NJ 07030
	* Phone
	(201) 710-5175

Katz's deli in NYC: I do not know what Meg Ryan had, but I did not get what she had!

Katz's deli is an institution in NYC. There is not one tourist guide that would not recommend this place. We went there last Sunday and it was crazy! Especially after two tourist buses arrived...

This place was opened in 1888 by a Russian emigrant and had, since then, been serving the standard dishes you would find in a deli. They survived hard times like the depression or World Wars. In fact, during World War II. they encouraged the parents to send a salami to their sons (the famous "Send a salami to your boy in the army" that you will see on their T-shirts). Today, you can still send a salami to soldiers.

Katz's deli has been the location of many movies:

• The most famous filmed there being When Harry met Sally with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. If you sit at the same table they were, you will see a sign that says: "Where Harry met Sally...hope you have what she had!". 
• Donnie Brasco with Johnny Depp, in the scene where he is meeting with a FBI agent.
• We own the night with Joaquim Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg. In this movie, the place was supposed to be the Belmont Diner in Queens.

Other movies were shot there and you can find some videos on Youtube. But, when you look at it, you would think it is a nice and quiet place: it is not the case at all! This place is a mad house and you would not go there for a romantic dinner for sure!

Found on Yelp!

At the entrance, they will give you a ticket: do not lose it! If you do, they will charge you a minimum of $50. The restaurant introduced this fee several years ago to prevent people from either saying they lost the ticket to pay less and to force them to look after it. The ticket will be used by the staff to account for the food you ordered. You have two options:

• Table service, where a rude wait staff will serve you (thanks for throwing the pickles on the table!).
• Cafeteria, where you will queue up and go to the different counters to order your food and then will try (desperately) to find a table to sit (some tables are for table service only).

We got a seat at a table with another couple, but they left two empty seats between us. The space between tables was so narrow that it was a whole exercise to get seated. The waitress throw some pickles on the table, before asking for our order. I have to say that the pickles were pretty good (I love this deli tradition). I tried for the first time a pickled tomato and loved it!

We ordered: Matzoh all soup, potato pancakes and a Pastrami Reuben. The food was very slow to come. In fact it came one after the other; that is fine when you are sharing, but not when you order for yourself. At least, while waiting, you can look around at the hundreds of photos of celebrities who came to the restaurant (next to our table were photos of some cast members of The Sopranos).

Then came the Matzoh ball soup. The Matzoh ball was good, but I did not like the broth. It had a too strong taste and kind of greasy.

Several minutes later, we got our potato pancakes. They were good, but greasy too! Also, they do not give you that much of apple sauce, that I guarantee you is not homemade (otherwise, they should fire the chef). 

Then, came the Pastrami sandwich. Yes, sandwich. Not the reuben I ordered. At that point, I was thinking: "Forget it! if you tell the rude waitress that she screwed up, it will take forever for your reuben to come, considering the time it took for your sandwich to be prepared!". So I ate it, but could not finish it. The meat was way too greasy. I know that you cannot expect a Pastrami sandwich not to be greasy, but it was too much. Too much fat and the meat was not as tender as what I had in other restaurants. Surprisingly, I did not finish it. Yes, read again: I did not finish it. That is exceptional if you know me!

We then left the restaurant, disappointed by the experience. The only good surprise was that the cashier was polite...By the way, it was cash only and the waitress of course did not forget to mention that the tip had to remain on the table...

I think this restaurant is overrated! The food was not as good as the food they serve at Junior's or the 2nd Avenue deli, with a better service on top of that and better prices (imagine that: $2.85 for a can of soda???). If people visit and ask me where to go to get a taste of a good deli, I would certainly not recommend Katz's! ]

I did not enjoy (I didn't)!

Snacks at Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC!

Saturday was a perfect day for a walk. Of course, walking burns calories, so you need to replenish your system with a snack (hehe). Hence the visit to Momofuku Milk Bar in the East Village...

Momofuku is a group of restaurants (Momofuku noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssiam...) owned by Chef David Chang. In Japanese, it could be translated to "Lucky peach", but Chef David Chang once mentioned that it was in honor of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of the instant ramen.

There are several locations for the Milk Bar. The one in the East Village is small and I was not surprised to see a big line waiting to get their treats! They propose different items: Milk Shakes, pies, cookies...but not your regular ones. For instance, the special of the day was a deep fried apple pie that my arteries would have surely appreciated.

I went for the cereal milk milkshake: I love milkshakes. Surprisingly, one of the best milkshakes are at...McDonald's! So I tried this one: it was thick for sure and tasted like the milk that is remaining in your bowl after you have eaten all your corn flakes. I thought there would be a bit of crunchiness, but it was not the case. It was just ok for me. I think it would have been better with chocolate cereals! Everything is better with chocolate!

Then I tried the cookie: I chose the corn flakes, chocolate chips and marshmallow cookie. I liked it! It was very chewy with a nice layering of taste of the three main ingredients. However, the chocolate chips were small.

I then finished with the cake bites. We picked Birthday cake (that is in fact a birthday truffle). It was very good. Although I had in mind the cake bites we got in the Public Market in Milwaukee. Maybe it is the lack of chocolate to cover the cake. Still, I would have that again!

If I were in the area and if I was hungry, I would probably go back for the cookies and cake bites, but I do not think I would go back just for this place. It was good, but clearly it did not wow me like Spot Dessert Bar did!

Enjoy (I did)!

Bagel on the Hudson in Hoboken - Great Bagels!

I love a good bagel with either cream cheese and lox or tuna salad. Finding a good bagel place is not that easy. In New York, my favorite is H&H bagels. In Hoboken, it is Bagel on the Hudson. It is a small place that makes awesome bagels! 

My favorite bagels are the plain and the everything (topped with a poppy seed, sesame seed, garlic, onion and salt mixture - photo below).

They of course have other standard bagels like egg, whole wheat or salt.

If you do not have anything to put on your bagel, they sell lox, cream cheese or tuna salad. All of good quality.

This is definitely a great place for bagels!

Enjoy (I did)!

Awesome BBQ at Brother Jimmy's BBQ in NYC

Chain restaurants are not always great: average quality of food and bland. So I did not expect much when I went to Brother Jimmy's BBQ Midtown, after seeing an horror movie (I was hungry for meat; mmh...can it be related???).

The restaurant had two floors: bar in the bottom (hence checking my ID) and the restaurant upstairs, quieter. Definitely, you do not go there for a romantic dinner: it is a bar like feel. Anyway, I prefer that they focus on the food, not the decor!!!

As I love meat, I went for the Jimmy's pig pick that is your selection of four choices between:

- Ribs: either Northern, Southern or Dry rub style,

- Pulled pork,

- Brisket,

- BBQ chicken or pulled chicken.

I went for:

• The Northern style ribs that are smoked and then grilled with Brother Jimmy's original BBQ sauce. It was delicious: the meat was tender and had a very nice smokiness.
• The dry rub ribs: smoked with Brother Jimmy's signature rub that tastes like a country sausage. It was just ok for me: it definitely tasted like sausage, but it was too dry. I added some BBQ sauce that was on the table. I should have gone with the Southern style!
• The BBQ chicken: nicely cooked and moist. Loved it.
• The brisket: it was smoked for up to 12 hours; I am happy I did not wait that long! It was very good. The meat was lean and nicely smoked.

They serve the plate with hush puppies (cornmeal deep fried meatball) and cole slaw. I like the slaw that was a good thing to eat from time to time between the meat, but did not like the hush puppies that were too dry.

The plate was huge and overall pretty good. It was a lot of food and there was no place for any dessert!

I was also able to try the cheeseburger: good and juicy. The meat had some taste!

And the Mac and Cheese (with the cheeseburger, you pick a side): not the best but pretty decent. It was not dry but a bit more cheese would have been great.

For those who like to drink, they also have some giant fishbowls full of alcohol! Could be a good way to forget that you will eat that big plate you ordered or that you will have to pay for dinner to apologize for the poor attitude you have when you are...drunk...

A the end of the dinner, I was stuffed! Brother Jimmy's BBQ is definitely a good place to go for BBQ.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Sol Caribe in Hoboken - My advice: improve your cooking!

Sol Caribe in Hoboken is a latin fusion restaurant that opened recently, replacing Harvest Cuisine. It is located Midtown Hoboken, so it is not a bad location to attract dinners. The restaurant has been fully renovated with bamboo everywhere and a Caribbean feel. Each time we passed in front of it, we did not see that many people though. So I got curious. I can tell you that when we entered, they jumped on us! They are probably dying to have customers, but I suggest they make some changes, otherwise it is not going to happen. Yes, the food was not that great. The way they set it up is the following: you can order a la carte or have the all day special for $7.99. It is comprised of: rice (Morro or yellow), meat (chicken, pork or beef) or fish, plantains or yuca, soup or salad. All of this is prepared buffet style.

We first started with a cheese empanada. I really liked it: there was enough cheese and it was not too greasy.

Then, we went for the $7.99 menu: we chose the morro rice (made with rice and black beans), chicken and skirt steak with fried vegetables, maduros (plantains) and Caribbean salad.

I did not care about the salad: it was made with potatoes, beans and corn with a pink dressing that I guess was made of yoghurt. It was bland!
The rice was dry: they should have prepared the rice with some black bean sauce so it does not dry out as fast.

The skirt steak was like eating my shoe! I did not even finish it! This is very rare as would people who know me say.

The only things I liked were the chicken (just a drumstick) and the maduros. I also had a batido of banana (Latin American handmade blended beverage similar to smoothies, made with milk, fruit, and usually ice) that was very delicious.

The food is definitely not good, even for the price! We ended up spending as much as what we spent at La Isla, where we would have had a better quality meal!

Hopefully, they will improve, otherwise, I am not sure how they will be able to stay opened! There are so many good restaurants in the area, that you have to serve decent food and Sol Caribe failed to do it!

No enjoy this time!

Urban Spice - Indian buffet in Iselin, New Jersey

This week, with my colleagues, we decided to eat at Urban Spice, an Indian restaurant located in Iselin.  We went there few times and my friends of Indian origin consider it very good. We always go for their lunch buffet: good price and good food!

The restaurant is pretty nice and I was impressed by the two wooden doors located behind the buffet. The service has always been good and efficient.

The buffet varies and is always composed of:

- a soup

- some vegetarian entrees

- some meat entrees

- a dessert (why only one???)

They also bring some naan at the table.

This time, for the buffet, we got:

Vegetarian Pakora: 

Assorted vegetables dipped in a seasoned gram flour batter that is then deep fried.

Gram flour is a cereale flour made of chickpea also called chickpea flour or garbanzo flour. It is used in vegan cooking to replace eggs.

The pakora were good and not greasy at all.

Dal Makhni:

Black lentils slow cooked, finished with butter and cream.

One of my favorites!!! 

Kadai Paneer:

Cottage cheese sauteed with a julienne of tomatoes, onions and bell peppers.

This was delicious! Creamy and very tasty.

Methi Corn:

Methi is in hindi fenugreek. 

I unfortunately could not find how they made this dish. Too bad, because it was very good! I guess they are using sweet corn, because it had a nice sweetness to it!

Malai Kebab:

I am not sure what spices they put with the chicken, but it was tasty and moist.

Fish Curry:

I believe it was tilapia, prepared with herbs and coconut milk. The sauce was delicious, but I did not really like the fish.

Tandoori Chicken:

Tandoori is cooked in a clay oven. This was good but I hurt my palate with a bone as they cut the drumstick probably with a meat cleaver, leaving some sharp bones. I would have kept the piece whole!

Otherwise, it was good....

The last part of the meal is the dessert! The only regret I have in this place is that they only have one! This time, it was Dubble Ka Mitha, a sort of bread and nuts (I guess cashew) dipped in sweetened milk. If you like sweet desserts, you will like this!

On top of this delicious buffet, they had different "complements" such as raita. This was definitely a feast! If you are in the area, Urban Spice is a good place to go for Indian food (there are several restaurants in the area and an Indian market by the way).

Enjoy (I did)!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Found last Sunday while eating chips!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ok, I will not write a cheesy post about Love! But, just remember that is a great day for good food. Although you cannot forget as most of the stores and restaurants start to advertise about it right after the New Year! I usually do not go to restaurants and cook a nice dinner with my lovely wife, as I found that usually, restaurants tend to sacrifice quality over price. But whatever you do, enjoy! I will!

Side note for my nephew Valentin: bonne fete!

Pastrami Reuben and cheesecake at Junior's in New York!

Who doesn't know Junior's? Well, I did not know it until, few years ago, my cousin Sandrine who came in New York for a visit, told me that she absolutely needed to go there. I remember that, at the time, the only cheesecake I tried were in various restaurants and I was just ok with that dessert. After going to Junior's, I was addicted!

What is Junior's? It all started in 1929, when the Rosen family opened a diner in Brooklyn. It is only in 1950, that they decided to change the name to Junior's, apparently referring to Rosen's two sons, Marvin and Walter. What I discovered is that in 1982, Governor Mario Cuomo declared May 27th Junior's restaurant day! I love this type of celebration!
I never went to the restaurant in Brooklyn or Grand Central, but I am sure the food is as good. I always went to the one in Time Square: it is like a beehive! Always crowded! Although, at the top of the Financial crisis in 2008, Junior saw a decrease in its number of customers and had to layoff 7 staff members. Based on what I saw yesterday, I guess they are doing well now!

I go to Junior's for two reasons: the deli and the cheesecake! I think that with Katz's, Carnegie Deli and 2nd Avenue Deli,  Junior's is at the top. They offer the traditional deli food as well as diner food. Their menu is quite big. Like any good deli, they will start by bringing pickles. I love the pickled beets!

Yesterday, we tried some classics:

Matzoh ball soup: one of the best we had. But note that the soup does not contain any vegetables like for instance at the 2nd Avenue Deli. 

Potato pancake: very good! Not overcooked, not greasy and served with a fantastic homemade apple sauce.

Pastrami Reuben: pastrami, grilled sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing (blend of mayonnaise and ketchup complemented with such additional ingredients as horseradish, pimentos, chives and spices) served in a toasted rye bread. You need a solid appetite to eat this, especially if you go for dessert after! This was awesome: the meat was very tender and the toasted rye bread and grilled sauerkraut added a bit of crunchiness to the sandwich. I love the layer of flavors between the bread, the cheese, the sauerkraut and the meat! Definitely one of my favorites!

They also have other great dishes:

• Tuna melt sandwich: they serve it open face on a big (trust me, big) English muffin. For those who do not know what it is, it is tuna salad on a piece of bread with melted cheese on top.
• Pastrami or salami sandwiches: classics!
• Grilled cheese made with thick Challah bread.
• Chopped liver served with lettuce and onions.

I also tried their roasted chicken, but did not really like it.

Some of the dishes are served with fries: know that these fries are thick cut (I prefer the thin and crispy ones!).

Yesterday, we saw some Mac & Cheese at the next table: they looked good...Maybe for the next time!

So, now, let's talk about dessert and of course the famous cheesecake! Yesterday, they had a special: red velvet cheesecake. As I already know the traditional one, I decided to try the special. It was made of several layers: cream cheese frosting, red velvet cake and traditional cheesecake. It was very good, not too sweet and kind of light (yeah, right). But my heart goes to the traditional one: dense and tasty.

Of course, they are smart: if you do not have time to eat at the restaurant, they have a place for take out. You can also order online...

Junior's is definitely a great place to go for deli and cheesecake, with good quality food that is not always easy to find when you are too close to Time Square!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Poor Service at Napoli's pizza in Hoboken!

Imagine: we went to Napoli's pizza in Hoboken, New Jersey today and there was barely anybody in the restaurant: a table who already ordered and got their food, and us. First, we arrive and although they see us, they do not come to seat us. So we decide to seat at a table close to the windows. Couple of minutes later, they realize we are there and bring us the menu. They do not ask at this point if we would like anything to drink. Then, seeing that nobody is taking care of us, I go to the counter and the cook tells me that somebody will take care of us; he then calls the waiter. Five minutes later, still nobody asking for our order, although there were 4 people behind the counter. We decided to leave at that point and it is only then that they decide to ask us if we are ready to order. Yeah right! And then the pizza will take two hours to come???

We ended up at Benny Tudino's and had a great slice and a nice and efficient service! Look at the size of this pizza compared to the fork!

Seriously, with all the pizzeria in Hoboken, owners should make sure their restaurant treats customers properly!

Enjoy (I sure did...at Benny Tudino's)!

Restaurant review- The Pink Tea Cup (NYC) - CLOSED!!!

Update February 11th 2012:
Apparently this restaurant closed! Well, I am wondering if the high prices and so so service mentioned in my post caused their demised!


The Pink Tea Cup is a restaurant located in the village that serves soul food. The decor was very nice with a lot of pink (surprising!) and a large communal table in the middle of the main room. The ambiance was ok, although the live band they advertise was not there! There is a good choice of food from typical brunch (oatmeal, pancakes) to soul food (grits, chicken and waffles...).

At the beginning, they bring you biscuits: they were delicious! I then had a chicken and Waffle. The waffle was good but not outstanding and the chicken was cooked perfectly and not greasy. However, they give you only one piece of chicken and for $17, I was surprised. The service was so so. Was it a bad day? Maybe...

New on I Just Want To Eat!

A new page has been added to I Just Want To Eat! It is the Pick Of The Month. On a Monthly basis, I will suggest a place I really liked and if you go there, leave me a comment to tell us all if you liked it! 

Enjoy (we all will)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Tang Pavillion in New York, New York

Tang Pavillion is a chinese restaurant located outside of Chinatown, Midtown. The cuisine is supposed to be from Shanghai and Soo Chow provinces. But, normally, Shanghai cuisine is spicy and Tang Pavillion is not. So is it a true good Chinese restaurant? Well, each time I went, I saw a lot of Asian people eating there: this is a sign that the cuisine is authentic. They probably make it less or not spicy to satisfy a greater number of customers. 

The atmosphere in the restaurant differs if you go for lunch during the week, for dinner or during the week end. During the week, it is a madhouse! So, what people take as rudeness, is efficiency (note that all the staff says "Hello" when we enter the restaurant and get seated)! Think about it: the rent for a restaurant in Midtown must be high; the prices, although not cheap (I would lower them by 10%), are still low for the area, so they need a high turnover. Hence the food coming quickly and the fast service.

Concerning the decor, there is nothing that wow me. The main room is in the back and there are no windows, increasing the sense of busyness at lunch time! Not the best place for a romantic dinner.

When seated, you can get some tea (free) and they bring you some appetizers: peanuts and pickles.

I always ask for pickled turnips: crunchy and tasty.

Concerning the food, I tasted several dishes there:

I love the duck with black bean sauce: the meat is well cooked and the sauce delicious! They serve it with peppers and onions. A bit salty though. 

The chicken with cashew nuts is also very good and the meat is usually moist.

The shrimp with vegetables are for those who think it is a healthy dish. Not my favorite. I think it might need more seasoning.

I also tried their chicken pan fried noodles: awesome! At least they put some noodles if you see what I mean Ollies!!! The General Tso is also delicious with a choice of chicken or shrimp. It is not too spicy, but has enough kick! 

One time I went for their dim sum: I loved it. I do not like when the shell is too thick; theirs is perfectly made.

Last, for dessert, they always bring a fortune cookie and fruits. Nice attention that helps clean your palate!

Tang Pavillion is definitely one of my favorite Chinese restaurants (with the Peking Duck House) outside of Chinatown. Don't get fooled if you get rushed: the food is great!

Enjoy (I did)!

First Ethiopian restaurant at Meske in New York, New York!

The name of this restaurant was Meskerem and is now Meske, although even the menu mentions the old name....Meskerem is the first month of the Ethiopian calendar (so equivalent to January).

Ethiopian food was a first for me! My cousin Jessica loves it and talked few times about it so we decided to give it a try! I am not familiar at all with Ethiopian cuisine and just heard about it in different occasions:

• First was in When Harry met Sally (1989) with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. Billy Crystal who plays Harry Burns says: We're talking dream date compared to my horror. It started out fine, she's a very nice person, and we're sitting and we're talking at this Ethiopian restaurant that she wanted to go to. And I was making jokes, you know like, "Hey I didn't know that they had food in Ethiopia? This will be a quick meal. I'll order two empty plates and we can leave." Yeah, nothing from her not even a smile. 
• Then in Along Came Polly (2004) with Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston. The scene at the Ethiopian restaurant with the spicy food is hysterical! I tried to find if it was a restaurant in NYC, but could not find any solid information about it. I have to say, I thought about that scene before going, not because I was scared it would happen to me, but because I love it!
• Chef Marcus Samuelson showcased traditional Ethiopian dishes in Top Chef Masters on Bravo TV. This was a bold move considering how different the flavors were compared to the other Chefs' dishes! For those who do not know, Marcus Samuelson is originally from Ethiopia and has been adopted by the Samuelsons, a couple from Sweden, when he was a child. He is today a very renowned Chef.

So we go to Meske for lunch: when you enter, you immediately notice the smell of incense. The decor is simple with bricks on and behind the bar and some traditional art on the walls. The service was courteous, attentive and efficient. 

We decided to go with combination platters. I think they are very smart to propose that because if you only try one dish and do not like it, you may think that all the food is not good. 

Combination dishes were served on an Ethiopian bread, called Injera, that is like a spongy crepe. They gave us two more. In fact you eat with your hands, using the bread to take the food from the plate to your mouth. There is no fork, knife or spoon (you can ask for it as did the table next to us). The bread was good with the meal, but did not have that much flavor alone.

Meskerem Combo:

it is composed of three meats (from top left to top right on the photo):

• Yebeg Alecha: tender pieces of lamb marinated with butter then sauteed with ginger, garlic & curry.
• Tibs wat: prime beef cooked in a pan, then sauteed with berbere (red chili used in hot stews). 
• Gomen Besaega: a special cut of prime beef seasoned with garlic, onions and ginger, then finished with boiled collared green.

My favorite was the Tibs wat: very tasty and savory. Not hot at all. The lamb dish was kind of disappointing: it was a bad cut of lamb that was very tough. 

They also serve the meat combo with two veggie dishes (bottom left to right):

• Miser Alech: split lentils dipped with ginger, garlic, onions, olive, curry.
• Miser Wat: split lentils with ginger, garlic, onions, olive oil and finished with berbere sauce.

Both of them were really good and it was probably what I loved the most on the plate!

Vegetarian Combo:

This combination platter contained (top left to right then bottom left to right):

• Miser Alech: split lentils dipped with ginger, garlic, onions, olive, curry.
• Miser Wat: split lentils with ginger, garlic, onions, olive oil and finished with berbere sauce.
• Not sure!!!
• Broiled collar greens.
• Shro Wat: powdered and highly seasoned chickpeas in berbere sauce.
• fresh cabbage, potatoes & carrots sauteed with garlic, ginger and curry.
• fresh string beans, carrots and onions w/ tomato sauce.
• Not sure!!!

I have to say that the vegetarian combo was pretty good! 

The meal was delicious, whether I tried the meat or vegetarian combo. Each dish had its own flavor and it was a complete discovery. The lentils were supposed to be hot, but it was just a bit. When you see the plate first, you think that the quantities are small, but I can tell you that it is enough considering that you eat with the bread.

Definitely a great experience that I recommend! 

Enjoy (I did)!