Jean-Philippe Gerbi 10/20/21 Jean-Philippe Gerbi 10/20/21

Vegetarian dinner at Vatan in NYC

Vatan is probably my favorite vegetarian Indian restaurant in the city. Recognizable by its front with an elephant as an ornament, its is an interesting place. Although it has no windows, they successfully recreated a space that would make you think, as you enter, that you travelled to India, having dinner outside thanks to the fake tree in the middle of the main dining room and not bothered by…

Their concept is great: all you can eat vegetarian with first, a set of small dishes (called thali) where you cannot pick the spiciness (besides the fried hot pepper, it was fairly mild) and then main dishes, also in small quantity, but with the choice of spiciness, from mild to spicy. The meal would then end with desserts. Again, all you can eat and for just $39. Drinks are not included but I recommend their mango lassi and sweet lemon drink.

With our drinks, they also brought some far far crackers that are always a crowd pleaser.

Here is what we had:

Appetizer thali:

Chana masala - garbanzo beans cooked with onions and coriander
Khaman - wheat flour cakes
Muthia - steamed flour with spinach
Mirchi Bhajia - fried hot pepper with garam masala
Batatavada - fried potato balls in a chickpea flour batter
Ragda patis - potato cutlet in white bean sauce
Sev puri - crispy bread filled with potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt and chutney (one of my favorites)
Samosa (no need to introduce)

Entrees thali:

Toor dal - lentils cooked with spices
Bhaji - sautéed spinach and corn
Ful-Cobi - cauliflower and green peas sautéed in a savory sauce
Batakanu Sak - potatoes cooked in a mild gravy
Chole - chickpeas cooked with garam masala
Kheer - rice pudding with dried fruit (I know what you may think: is it dessert? Not yet but they serve it with entrees, maybe so it soothes your mouth if you get spicy food)

With the entrees came:

Pulao, khichdi and khadi at Vatan in NYC

Pulao - boiled rice with peas
Khichdi - lentils mixed with rice and vegetables
Khadi - soup with yogurt and chickpea flour in spices (I did not eat it as a soup but more mixed with the rice)

There were also breads, puri, a fried puffed up bread that is a must have and roti, as well as papadam (crispy lentil waffers).

Last was dessert and, although they are in small quantities, you can get several like ice cream (kulfi), gulab jamun (one of my favorite Indian desserts) and then some masala chai (tea).

So, we left full and walked a bit after dinner, glad that we went there. Vatan is a great place with a good deal for prix-rice and, being a non-vegetarian, I am still raving about this!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Vatan - 409 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016

I Just Want To Eat! 10/18/21 I Just Want To Eat! 10/18/21

Double Zero, Plant Based restaurant in the East Village

Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

I am a non-vegetarian eater and you may wonder what I was doing at Double Zero, a plant based restaurant located in the East Village, where Chef Matthew Kenney, a celebrity Chef specialized in plant based cuisine proposes an interesting vegan menu. Well, it is not just that I know the wife of one of the owners: my wife, Jodi, being vegetarian, I like to venture to vegetarian and vegan restaurants to try their food, being quite open minded about food from a very young age. But definitely, between vegetarian and vegan diets, there are big difference that some could find challenging. In a vegan diet, there is no animal products at all: no eggs, no dairy and from what I understand, no things like honey. Still, I had great experiences in the past with places like Elizabeth’s Gone Raw in Washington DC or, more recently Vedge in Philly. These are fine dining experiences for sure, but I had more casual meals at places like a location of Charritos, in Hoboken, that served only vegetarian food and had superb vegan dishes like the Quesongo, made with vegan cheese and mushrooms, that since closed; or the last example I can give is Delice and Sarrasin in NYC, a French restaurant with classic dishes like escargots or boeuf Bourguignon made vegan. I can tell you that I had amazing meals in all these places, blown away by the creativity of the Chefs, making you forget that you are in a vegan restaurant and will not have any meat at all! The secret I believe is to not try to reinvent too much meat, although now with the Impossible burger and the likes, you can do a. lot more, and use alternative products like almond or coconut milk, avocado instead of butter, or cashews to make vegan cheese (not so great for people with a nut allergy). That’s how for instance they make their margherita pizza at Double Zero: their wood fired pie is topped with a marinara sauce and a mozzarella made with cashew.

Margherita pizza at Double Zero in NYC, NY

Or the cacio e Pepe bucatini made with almond parmesan and a cashew cream, reminding me a recipe my family has been making since I was a kid, non-vegan though as with creme fraiche and walnuts.

We also got to try the nachos from the restaurant next door, Bar Verde, that is now proposing a menu 100% gluten free. They are made with butternut queso cashew, quinoa chorizo, beans, pico de Gallo. I do not know if it is because nachos have something comforting, but I could not stop eating it and found the butternut squash cashew cheese quite good.

Dessert is also an interesting thing to do with no dairy and their cheesecake, made with cashew, although not comparable to what you would get normally, was delicious.

Overall, the meal was good, interesting in a way to see what alternative cuisine can be. I’ll explore more for sure in the future!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Double Zero - 65 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

I Just Want To Eat! 10/15/21 I Just Want To Eat! 10/15/21

Blue Willow in Midtown, NYC, NY

Located Midtown Manhattan, Blue Willow is a true find. Serving Chinese cuisine from Hunan and Szechuan, it has an extensive menu that made me think about the regretted Blue China. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian diners would surely find dishes to try with various levels of spiciness.

The dining room is beautiful, although a bit dark, with these nice…

The dining room is beautiful, although a bit dark, with these nice Chinese lamps on each table and a decor that would make you forget you are in New York City.

The food there is really good, but I admit that I was surprised to see dishes coming out of order. So, here is what we had, in order of appearance!

The first dish that came was the hometown tofu casserole that was made with pan fried tofu and vegetables smothered I a delicious sauce that had a slight kick.

Hometown tofu casserole at Blue Willow in Midtown, NYC, NY

Then came my drink, from their large offering that had not just Chinese items, but also French wine and beer, sake, etc. I decided to go for a cocktail called The Opium, made with Monkey Shoulder Scotch, lemon, peychaud bitters, a cherry, star anise and simple syrup. Very much like an old fashioned. The presentation was superb as it was served in a small bowl with a lid that added a bit to the whole experience.

The Opium cocktail at Blue Willow in Midtown, NYC, NY

At the same time, they brought us the scallions pancakes that were flaky and deliciously greasy, as well as crystal shrimp dumplings that is my go to dim sum. These dim sum were perfect: the shell was not too thick, slightly crispy, covering a good piece of shrimp.

Pancakes at Blue Willow in Midtown, NYC, NY

Crystal shrimp dumplings at Blue Willow in Midtown, NYC, NY

What I was really looking forward to was the Peking duck. I was glad to see that they offer a half and admit that it was a nice quantity of it that came with these little things him crepes that are Mandarin pancakes, hoisin sauce, green onion and cucumber. The way to eat is is to spread the pancake with some hoisin sauce, put some green onion and cucumber, top with some slices of duck, and then close it like a wrap. The first bite was divine: you get a sweet and salty flavor from the hoisin sauce, mixed with the fattiness of the skin with some juice oozing from it. Texture wise, the cucumber and skin add a nice crispness to the whole dish.

Peking duck at Blue Willow in Midtown, NYC, NY

For dessert, we had the sweet and sticky rice cakes that were superb, nicely sweet.

Sweet and Sticky rice cakes at Blue Willow in Midtown, NYC, NY

So, overall, this was a great meal in a nice atmosphere. I definitely recommend Blue Willow if you are looking for a Chinese restaurant Midtown.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Blue Willow - 40 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019

I Just Want To Eat! 10/13/21 I Just Want To Eat! 10/13/21

Bang Cookies in Jersey City

As we were on Grove St in Jersey City, and after a good meal at Brick Lane Curry House, we decided to try Bang Cookies. We heard about them and were curious to see how they measure against Levain Bakery or Insomnia Cookies. It did not start well as they did not have the one I wanted: hazelnut stuffed cookie. Still, not discouraged, we decided to try their sea salt chocolate chunk and macadamia white chocolate chunk.

Sea salt chocolate chunk at Bang Cookies in Jersey City

White chocolate macadamia at Bang Cookies in Jersey City

We had lots of expectation for these cookies that were rather big and dense, not too sweet with a nice chewiness, but, unfortunately too gritty for my taste. I would rather go to Levain Bakery or Insomnia. Another place that has great cookies, especially their red velvet one is Baking Mama in Hoboken. But this is for another post…

Enjoy (…)!

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Bang Cookies -1183 Summit Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07307

I Just Want To Eat! 10/11/21 I Just Want To Eat! 10/11/21

The Law of Donutgineering or LODG in Jersey City

The Law of Donutgeering or LODG in Jersey City

The Law of Donutgeering also known as LODG is a donut shop in Jersey City that opened in March 2020, few days before the you know what hit the fan with COVID-19. When we visited them a couple of months go, they were still standing, glad to have made it through and determined to continue on that path. The owners, Edward Alfonso and Flavia Carballo are respectively from Cuba and Argentina and so, decided to infuse some of their background into their donuts. So, do not expect to have classic ones. And, last thing before I talk about the donuts: Edward has a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering, explaining the theme and the nod all around their shop with books and other science artifacts.

So, now, the donuts: they are large, packed in flavor and they even propose vegan donuts. Their menu will change often, so the ones below are probably not going to be there if you decide to try, but they will give you an idea of the kinds they propose. Here is what we had:

The Pig and the fig at The Law of Donutgeering or LODG in Jersey City

Monkey <3 Nutella at The Law of Donutgeering or LODG in Jersey City

Butter snow at The Law of Donutgeering or LODG in Jersey City

El Gauchito at The Law of Donutgeering or LODG in Jersey City

The pig and the fig: maple bacon and fig on a yeast donut filled with cheesecake.
Monkey <3 Nutella: a yeast donut stuffed with banana mousse and covered with Nutella.
Butter Snow: creamy butter sugar glaze on a yeast donut.
El Gauchito: dulce de leche and pineapple.

The Law of Donutgineering is an interesting place where you would not get your classic donuts but more creative ones that would make you excited. They yeast donut is quite good, chewy and not doughy and the fillings fun. I’ll definitely be back to try others!

Enjoy (I did)!

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The Law of Donutgineering - 7 Bleecker St, Jersey City, NJ 07307

I Just Want To Eat! 10/8/21 I Just Want To Eat! 10/8/21

BK Lobster in Hoboken, NJ

There is no question that I love lobster rolls, especially the ones where the lobster remains the star of the dish and is not smothered with an overpowering sauce or seasoning. So, when BK Lobster opened in Hoboken earlier this year, I was both happy and curious. After all, Luke’s Lobster tried to settle in the mile square city but closed after just few years in operation, their food truck seemingly more successful when showing up at Pier 13…

BK stands for Brooklyn, the birthplace of that joint that has expanded a bit. Their menu offers quite a bit, with limited choices for vegetarians (cheese quesadilla, Mexican corn, onion rings or the fries that I did not really like, not crispy at all and not always cooked all the way through), or, interestingly, for people who do not like seafood, they have meat choices like beef sliders or chicken. I already see comments about why you would go there if you are vegetarian or do not like lobster! What about if someone tou know absolutely wants a lobster roll and you are tagging along?

Anyway, I decided to try their Bed-Stuy biggie lobster roll: big for sure as it’s name indicates, the lobster is tossed in a butter sauce with a lemon dressing spread on a brioche bun. This roll looks very appetizing and they are definitely not cheap on the amount of lobster, with big chunks and even a claw overflowing the delicious brioche bun. The meaty pieces of seafood are perfectly cooked and the flavor enhanced by the butter sauce. There is lots of butter though and you surely need some napkins because it is messy to eat. But delicious!

Bed-Stuy Biggie lobster roll at BK Lobster in Hoboken, NJ

So, overall, I was please when I tried BK Lobster. It is pricier than Luke’s Lobster but this roll is much bigger. Worth a visit!
Enjoy (I did)!
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BK Lobster - 732 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 07030

I Just Want To Eat! 10/6/21 I Just Want To Eat! 10/6/21

Rumba’s Café in Jersey City

We recently discovered Rumba’s Cafe in Jersey City. We went for lunch and this place was extremely busy, not just with diners, but also with a large amount of take out. The reason: cheap and comforting Cuban food that is also delicious…

Dining room at Rumba’s Café in Jersey City

There you will find plenty of dishes you would find at La Isla, like the beef empanada that was quite good, flakey and slightly crispy with a flavorful filling (I hate when the filling is just dry and lacking flavor) or the Cuban sandwich that is one of the best I ever tried. They just don’t put ham and cheese and press it: you get pieces of pork as well as pickles in it. Just that sandwich that costs $4.95 makes a whole meal. Of course, if you are vegetarian, you can go with their version of grilled cheese that is a pressed sandwich with 4 slices of cheese in it. Understand though that they make it on the same press as the meat one. But, hey, what do you think happen in most restaurants ? Your veggie burger is probably done on the same grill as a cheeseburger. So, if you do not mind, go for it: it is crunchy and has lots of cheese in it (not that melted though).

Beef empanada at Rumba’s Café in Jersey City

Cuban sandwich at Rumba’s Café in Jersey City

Grilled cheese at Rumba’s Café in Jersey City

Accompanied with plantains chips, you would be in heaven. What we did not try but saw lots of people ordering it is their breakfast that comes with a fresh squeezed orange juice (loved it), coffee and various combination of eggs or meat ranging from $4.75 to $7.45 with generous portions for sure.

Orange press at Rumba’s Café in Jersey City

Fresh squeezed orange juice at Rumba’s Café in Jersey City

Plantain chips at Rumba’s Café in Jersey City

Desserts looked delicious but I admit that the batido de Mamey that is like a milk shake filled me up and I could not eat more (ok, I admit that our plan was also to buy donuts somewhere else…).

Batido de Mamey at Rumba’s Café in Jersey City

So, overall, Rumba’s Cafe is a great find. This is worth a trip to Jersey City!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Rumba’s Cafe -513 Central Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07307

I Just Want To Eat! 10/4/21 I Just Want To Eat! 10/4/21

The Phaal, one of the hottest curry on Earth at Brick Lane Curry House

So, the last time I went to Brick Lane in Jersey City was end of July for an event celebrating the 1947 beer (check out my podcast episode with the founder and CEO of 1947 Craft Beer) and I was looking forward to going back there. And we did, eager to get my hand on that beer and also try their most famous dish: the phaal, a curry so hot that they cook it with a gas mask, the fumes of the peppers being so intense. I discovered this dish on Man vs Food and was always curious to taste it, knowing that you have to verbally remove the restaurant from any responsibility should you decide to eat it.

1947 beer at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City

And if you finish it, you get a free beer and your picture in their wall of fame…I do not know anyone who has been able to eat it fully and even our waiter told us that he never did and would not even try. What is great at Brick Lane is that you do not need to order the entire curry and can just get the sauce as a side for $6. That way it does not feel like a total waste. Still, you get a nice quantity of that curry that is topped with a pepper that is daring you to try. I dipped a piece of naan, making sure that there was enough sauce on it and took a bite. I then turn to Jodi and said: “Alright, that is not that…”. Yeah, this is the kind of treasonous spicy dish where you think you can handle it and then suddenly it hits you: Jodi said that my face was like in movies when people get stabbed. My mouth was on fire, I started sweating a bit and my eyes became watery. I was also laughing at the same time as this was unexpected and grabbed a glass of 1947 beer, some rice and some naan, to try to extinguish this intense fire. It worked but I could still feel a bit of it as I continued my meal, but there was no way I could have continued to eat the phaal.

Phaal at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City

At least the rest of the food was not that spicy or not spicy at all. We had:

Imli baigan that is like eggplant chips topped with yogurt, tamarind and cheddar cheese. Nice and crispy, I love the sweet and savory combination of the dish.

Imli Baigan at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City

Paneer tikka, where the cottage cheese, cooked in a tandoor, came on a sizzling plate, accompanied with vegetable. I liked their paneer that had this nice char and kick.

Paneer tikka at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City

It came with a tikka masala sauce as well as a naan.

Tikka masala sauce at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City

Naan at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City

On my side, being in a British curry house, I wanted to try their chicken tikka masala. I was not disappointed: creamy, with lots of chicken in it, I could not stop dipping naan in it!

Chicken tikka masala at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City

Last was dessert. We were planning on stopping by Bang Cookies that is few doors away, but could not resist getting their gulab jamun…

Gulab jamun at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City

Overall, we had another great meal at Brick Lane Curry House. This is a great place to know and I would definitely go back, but not for the phaal…

Enjoy (I did)!

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Brick Lane Curry House - 136 Newark Avenue, Jersey City 07302

I Just Want To Eat! 10/1/21 I Just Want To Eat! 10/1/21

Jack’s Wife Freda in NYC

I heard about Jack’s Wife Freda for some time, but we never got the chance to go there, until one Friday where we were looking for a place to eat downtown. They had reservations at 6:30pm, but, by the time we looked at the menu, it was gone and the only reservation we could get was…

The place was not that crowded when we arrived, but, 30 minutes later, it was packed. I like the atmosphere there that is quite lively. The main characteristic of their menu, besides having Mediterranean influence, is that they serve breakfast all day and I would say that it is probably more a place for breakfast, lunch or brunch than for a classic dinner, not that they do not have other kind of dishes, but I found them less appealing. But if you like the concept, go for it: the food is quite good and the service courteous.

Here is what we had:

As a cocktail, I had the hot toddy that was made with bourbon, honey, lemon, and topped with star anise that looked like little spiders on the photos.

Jodi got their mint lemonade that was quite refreshing.

Mint lemonade at Jack’s Wife Freda in NYC

We then shared the grilled halloumi that seems to be one of their signature appetizers, a quite popular dish if I consider all the tables who ordered it. I love the chewy texture of halloumi and was not disappointed.

Gilled Halloumi at Jack’s Wife Freda in NYC

For her main, Jodi got their Mediterranean breakfast. It was composed of two eggs any style (she chose scrambled and it was pretty good, not dry as you something get because overcooked), chopped salad, labne and pita. Good overall, but nothing special.

Mediterranean breakfast at Jack’s Wife Freda in NYC

On my side, I went for the Madame Freda that is their version of croque madame, but made with duck prosciutto instead of ham, cheddar béchamel, gruyere and topped with a sunny side up egg. This was delicious, with lots of cheese!

Madame Freda at Jack’s Wife Freda in NYC

Last was dessert. We decided to go for what we thought was a bread pudding, that seemed to be quite popular considering the number of people who ordered it. It was the “Noam’s Malva Pudding”. A Malva pudding is a South African cake that I soaked in caramel. This was superb: decadent without being too sweet, the only complaint I have is that I would have like more of it!

Noam’s Malva Pudding at Jack’s Wife Freda in NYC

Enjoy (I did)!

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Jack’s Wife Freda - 50 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014

I Just Want To Eat! 9/29/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/29/21

Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

I was curious to try Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square, the location being unusual for a steakhouse where usually more affordable options are available. This is your typical steakhouse: there is the raw bar, with its seafood platters, its appetizers and salads (yes, there is a wedge salad) and then the steaks that you can top with foie gras or lobster and accompany with sauces or classic sides. Missing in action are things that I always look forward to see on a menu: crab cakes and a…

Here is what I tried:

They first brought some bread that was quite nice with butter. Too good in fact because you cannot stop eating it!

Bread at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

I ate it with a Manhattan that was served in a martini glass that I hate so much, as I find that I always end up with some cocktail on my fingers at the beginning.

Manhattan at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

Then came the seafood platter, Le Petit, that was composed of mussels, oysters, shrimp and clams (the latter did not taste that fresh unfortunately).

Seafood platter at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

Next was the bone marrow. Roasted, it was topped with pickled shallots and served with a roasted baguette. Good, I however thought that for $17, they could have given two or a larger bone as this was not that big.

Bone marrow at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

It was followed by the long awaited porterhouse. Long awaited and unfortunately overcooked, so I sent it back. They apologized and, instead of throwing it in the garbage, they brought it back to go and sent two appetizers complimentary. That’s what I call excellent customer service! The second porterhouse was perfectly cooked medium rare, with a nice crust. The meat was good, tender, but I thought that it lacked flavor.

Porterhouse at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

The sauces I tried were béarnaise (my fav), au poivre (well made, not too peppery) and their house steak sauce.

Sauces at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

The sides were: the fries that were not crispy as if they cooked them in low temperature; the onion rings that were a bit gritty, the sweet charred corn that is cooked with butter was my favorite; and the roasted king oyster mushrooms that I thought were bland.

Onion rings at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

French fries at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

Roasted charred corn at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

Roasted King oyster mushrooms at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

With the steak, I sipped a glass of Pinot Noir, Louis Jadot, clos des Gatsulards, from burgundy 2016.

Pinot Noir, Louis Jadot, clos des Gatsulards at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

Last was dessert. The crème brûlée was well made, but the cheesecake was a let down, bland also.

Creme brûlée at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

Cheesecake at Charlie Palmer Steak in Times Square

So overall, I was a bit disappointed with Charlie Palmer Steak. I thought the food did not deliver its promise and does not stand out like La Grande Boucherie or Gallagher’s do. This was just ok for me.

Enjoy (…)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Charlie Palmer Steak -135 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036

I Just Want To Eat! 9/27/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/27/21

Bin 14 in Hoboken, NJ

Bin 14 is one of my favorite places in Hoboken for brunch and dinner. Their small menu changes often and there is always something that will excite you and want to go back. The place is cozy and warm, with a patio in the back that is much quieter than the outdoor setting, where a band comes to play music for Sunday brunch….

Talking about brunch, Chef Pino’s Wine Bar offers a great deal: the $29 Zeppolini brunch is composed and of three zeppolini (mini zeppole but not so small - larger serving if you order directly from the menu), an appetizer and an entree, with discounted prices for cocktails like the berry spritz (my favorite) or the Sbagiato Nero, made with Campari, sweet vermouth and lambrusco. Of course, they have the classic Bellini, mimosa, etc.

They have a wide range of brunch dishes, from waffles to eggs to burgers and know that you can also order a la carte. Quantities are not huge: this is when you remember that it ia better to have quality over quantity.
What is surprising is that they bring the zeppolini first. I am fine with it: why not starting a meal with dessert, that way you are never full to have some! Know that, when you order in the brunch menu, you will get 3 of them versus 5 when ordering off the menu.

Few things are popular there: first, their thin crust pizza that they cook in their wood fire oven. Jodi always orders the wild mushroom and burrata pizza. I like it but usually ditch some of the arugula on top.

Wild mushroom and burrata pizza at Bin 14 in Hoboken, NJ

Another popular dish is the hand cut fries. When they opened, they used to have truffle fries that were always a must have. Now, we get the chilies and pecorino fries. Not spicy at all.

But then, if you go there, you must try their meatballs: they are some of the best I ever had. Not dry at all, they propose them as an appetizer or with poached eggs and a creamy polenta that is to die for.

Meatball and polenta at Bin 14 in Hoboken, NJ

Other egg dishes include their egg in hole that is made with a slice of brioche (with the hole where the egg is cooked), smoked ham and mornay sauce, and served with house potatoes (I prefer the fries though). Very creamy, this is a quite comforting dish. And that brioche is so good!

Dinner is also quite good with lots of dishes that change quite often. When we went recently, they had this cherry marmalade and burrata that was served with roasted hazelnut and crostini. That homemade burrata was amazing: very creamy, I loved the pairing with the cherry marmalade with its sweetness balancing well the milky flavor of the burrata.

One of my favorite appetizers was the grilled octopus that was served with a cannellini beans ragu: I could have eaten even more it, this very comforting dish being succulent and homey; they surely know how to cook octopus and I loved to taste the fact that they finish it in their wood fire oven, giving a nice char.

They also have pasta, Bin 14 being not only a Wine bar, but also a trattoria. So, for the first time, I decided to try one of their pasta dishes and got their truffle and bucatini that were served with a poached egg, parmesan and a light cream sauce. Overall good, although I thought that there was way too much cream.

Truffle and bucatini at Bin 14 in Hoboken, NJ

So yes, Bin 14 is always a treat, for brunch or dinner. if you go for brunch, get their menu: this is a very good deal! But in all cases, I recommend the octopus, the meatballs, the pizza and the zepollini.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Bin 14 - 1314 Washington street, Hoboken, NJ

I Just Want To Eat! 9/24/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/24/21

L’Angolo in TriBeCa

Sitting on a TriBeCa corner, L’Angolo (means angle in Italian) is a popular Italian restaurant that I discovered few years ago. As we were in the area on a Saturday afternoon, we decided to stop by and see if we could get a table. With their outside setup, it was not a problem, and I was even surprised to see people eating inside in a…

I started the meal with an Aperol Spritz, enjoying the sweet and bitter taste of this popular drink.

Then, we tried few specials that they smartly added on their e-menu, instead of having the wait staff repeating to each table what the night specials are, more often to deaf ears. We started with their fiori di Zucca, that are zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta and dipped fried tempura style, served with a tomato sauce and zucchini. It reminded me the zucchini flower beignets that you can eat in Nice, if ever you go to the south of France.

The second special was the truffle pasta. It was homemade tagliolini accompanied by pecorino and topped with black truffle, a good amount of it. The smell of black truffle filled our nose before we dived in a deliciously decadent dish, the pasta being perfectly cooked al dente.

I also got my own dish that is on the regular menu: linguine del mare. These homemade linguine, also cooked al dente, were served with mussels, clams, shrimp and calamari, in a light tomato sauce made with white wine that definitely let the pasta and seafood shine. Sublime!

Linguine del Mare at L’Angolo in TriBeCa

We did not get dessert, the day being filled with ice cream and donuts, but also because the kitchen seemed a bit overwhelmed and, at that time, we finally decided to skip it. Still, this place serves delicious food and I will certainly be back there.

Enjoy (I did)!

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L’Angolo -190 A Duane St, New York, NY 10013

I Just Want To Eat! 9/22/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/22/21

Steak frites at Le Relais de Venise in NYC

Being back at Le Relais de Venise was a great feeling: this place, although less crowded than usual, survived, still serving their delicious steak frites with a secret sauce that kept its mystery after more than 60 years. It’s French but refers to Venice in its name and decor; well, there is a good explanation for this: in 1959, a French winemaker, Paul Gineste de Saurs, decided to open a restaurant where he would showcase the family wine, Le Chateau de Saurs. He bought a restaurant in Paris that was…Italian! He had no experience in the restaurant business and decided to keep the place as is and only propose one menu option: the steak frites. Bold at that time and still today as, if you are only serving one dish, you better execute it well. I believe they still do. And by the way, they still offer their house wine prefixed with the restaurant name (I instead went for a Pinot Noir from Burgundy - 2018).

Glass of Pinot Noir from Burgundy at Le Relais de Venise in NYC

I love the principle: they just ask you how you want your steak: rare, medium or well done. There is no medium-rare for instance, and they will write the initial of the temperature on the paper table cloth. They then bring their bread and salad topped with walnuts.

Walnut salad at Le Relais de Venise in NYC

Once you finish your salad, you get the steak frites, a sirloin cooked to perfection, smothered with this delicious sauce that I always ask to also put on these thin and crispy fries that I love so much. But wait! This is the first serving: once you are done, they come with more!!!

And if you are vegetarian, no worries: they have a cheese plate (instead of the temperature of the steak, they will put a V on the tablecloth). They were not able to tell us what all the cheeses were, but there was definitely a Camembert, a goat and a blue cheese. By the way, there were also walnuts in the middle of the cheese, so I am wondering if they are also growing walnut trees on top of making wine! Another salad came, larger (I was not sure it it was a mistake). Interestingly, it came with fries with that sauce on part of the plate. Does that mean that the sauce is vegetarian ? I doubt it.

Cheese plate at Le Relais de Venise in NYC

French fries and secrete sauce at Le Relais de Venise in NYC

With the vegetarian meal came a dessert as the minimum per person is $33.95 that is the cost of the steak frites. I admit that it is always difficult to pick just one, as they have lots of mouth watering options. We finally went for their vacherin, a signature dessert that is a must have. This impressive tower that I am still surprised can stand straight, is made with a fantastic meringue that is crunchy on the outside and gooey inside. There is first a meringue, then a scoop of vanilla ice cream, another meringue, a scoop of praline ice cream, a meringue, some whipped cream, the whole thing topped with a dark chocolate sauce. First of all, I was happy to have praline ice cream because it is not something I find often here (I use to buy it at the supermarket when living in France and indulge…quite often…). Then, it is not too sweet, the ice cream balancing the sweetness of the meringue and chocolate sauce.

This was a great meal, as usual. Le Relais de Venise has a great concept and they are doing very well with the one thing they are known for, with a steak frites that is delicious and better than what some of more known restaurants offer.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Le Relais de Venise - 590 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022

I Just Want To Eat! 9/20/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/20/21

Thai Villa in NYC, NY

It has been a while since we had Thai food in the city and we kind of were craving it. So we decided to find a place for a Saturday lunch and stumbled upon Thai Villa, near Union Square. I did not expect to find such place. Not only is the decor incredible (the dining room is on two floors, the second being more like a mezzanine that they created, taking advantage of the very high ceilings), with its lamps that make you feel you just entered a dream that started with the serenity of the…

Here is what we had:

Of course, I ordered my go to Thai drink, a Thai iced tea that was good (I think it happened only once that I had a so so one).

Then there were the dumplings I mentioned before. They are called Pak Mor Puk and are vegetable crepe dumplings filled with chive, jicama, black mushrooms, cabbage, bamboo shoots, and served with a sweet soy sauce. I am always a bit wary with vegetable dumplings as, sometimes, the shell is too thick and the filling one dimensional, overpowered by one ingredient. Of course, the blue color is mesmerizing, but the taste was great: the crepe was thin and slightly sticky, and the filling had lots of flavors.

Pak Mor Puk or vegetable crepe dumpling at Thai Villa in NYC, NY

For her main, Jodi got the Pad se-ew that was pretty good, although quite classic.

On my side, I hesitated quite a bit as I always have the Massaman Curry when having Thai food, loving this dish. But their extensive menu has so many mouth watering choices that I finally decided to try something different and ordered their Muk Koong Kai Kem that is sautéed squid and shrimp (there was lots of it) with a duck egg yolk. The presentation was beautiful, the ingredients sitting on a crispy shell similar to these taco shells you get when having a taco salad. It was a bit spicy with sweet and savory tones, and was served with rice that kind of has a soothing effect.

Muk Koong Kai Kem or sauteed squid and shrimp at Thai Villa in NYC, NY

So, overall, we had a great meal at Thai Villa: I cannot wait to go back for dinner!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Thai Villa - 5 East 19th street, New York, New York, 10003

I Just Want To Eat! 9/17/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/17/21

Brunch at La Palapa in NYC

It’s been a very long time since we have gone to La Palapa, a Mexican restaurant located in the East Village. In fact, the last time we went was when our friends Jeannine, Brett and their kids were in New York, for a memorable dinner. Brunch was really what we wanted to get there as their French toast was always on top of our list: eggy, slightly crunchy…

So here we were, first to arrive right after they opened on a Saturday. The place was all for us, that is not something I would complain about today…

We started our meal with their guacamole, that we ordered not spicy. It was good, freshly made, even if the texture looked like they used a blender but just a bit so there would not be chunks of avocado in it.

We then got their huevos rancheros, a popular brunch dish that we love. They were good, smothered in cheese and crema, and bathed in a salsa verde.

Last was of course the French toast aka Pan Frances Torrejas. I was really looking forward to it. They were good, but not as good as it used to be: the bread that was eggy was smothered with sauce and fruit overpowering a bit the dish. I would have known, I would have asked them to put all of that on the side.

Pan Frances Torrejas or French toast at La Palapa in NYC

Still, we were happy to go back to La Palapa. That’s the type of places I would go back without hesitation.

Enjoy (I did)!

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La Palapa - 77 Saint Marks Place, New York, New York 10003

I Just Want To Eat! 9/15/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/15/21

Stewart’s Root Beer in Rahway, NJ

Root beer has a very long history, that even started at the time when native Americans were making sassafras root beverages for medicinal purposes. It was even called at some point root tea, but the first pharmacist to successfully market a root beer brand, Charles Elmer Hires, decided to call it root beer instead of root tea to appeal to coal miners. It was 150 years ago approximately. There are many brands out there with different price points, and my…

I do not remember the first time I tried root beer. It was in the US for sure, as this is not a drink commonly found in Europe, and it is not uncommon to have tourists think that this is a beer and not a soda…I typically have root beer with pizza but this time, at Stewart’s, I decided to try a float, this place being known for it, their first root beer stand opening in 1924.

Root beer float at Stewart’s Root Beer in Rahway, NJ

A root beer float is made by adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to root beer. It was good, but I admit that it is not something that wows me. Still, decadent and refreshing, perfect with the double cheeseburger and French fries I got with my meal. I liked my double cheeseburger: the patties were well cooked, not dry, with a nice char, and with a slice of cheese in between and one on top. Of course, I had to have ketchup and mayonnaise. For $6.30, this was a good deal.

The wavy fries were also quite good: crispy on the outside and cooked all the way through. I just wished they had onion rings to make a perfect combination, but they ran out that day.
You may wonder what Jodi had: it was a grilled cheese that I totally forgot to photograph! I tasted it though and it was good…for a grilled cheese!

Double cheeseburger at Stewart’s Root Beer in Rahway, NJ

French fries at Stewart’s Root Beer in Rahway, NJ

I had a great lunch at Stewart’s: not only the food was good and cheap, but I also liked the atmosphere that is classic Americana. People were pulling up with their car and eating in it, the food trays conveniently hung to their door like you would see in old movies. We did not eat in the car but at one of the tables outside. Still, I loved it.

Enjoy (I did)!
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Stewart’s Root Beer- 347 Jaques Avenue, Rahway, NJ 07065

I Just Want To Eat! 9/14/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/14/21

Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia has great Italian restaurants, so, for our last day there, we decided to go to Branzino, in Rittenhouse Square, a place that got its name from their specialty dish: a whole branzino. Well, I can already tell you that it is not what I ate…

This is a big place, with an old feel, and an outdoor patio that would have been perfect if it did not start to rain. In fact, the people eating outside…

This is a big place, with an old feel, and an outdoor patio that would have been perfect if it did not start to rain. In fact, the people eating outside had to quickly move their belongings and dishes inside as it started pouring for several minutes.

Branzino is a BYOB restaurant and they seem to be really sorry that we did not know, even proposing to fetch a bottle for us at a nearby wine store.

Jodi, who rarely orders an appetizer, got the insalata verde, a salad made with lettuce, arugula, frisée and cherry tomatoes that was dressed with a buttermilk vinaigrette. On my side, I went for the char grilled octopus served with peperonata. The octopus was delicious: tender with a nice char on the outside. They definitely know how to cook it.

Insalata verde at Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

Grilled octopus at Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

For the main, Jodi chose their macherroni alla chitarra cacio e pepe. Great dish with not too much pepper at least (I hate when there is so much pepper that, not only it overpowers the entire dish, but it also makes you cough).

Macherroni alla chitarra at Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

On my side, I did not hesitate: I got their squid ink tonnarelli with smoked calamari ragu and crab puttanesca. I should mention that all their pasta is homemade. I loved it: well, I love squid ink pasta so it was a good start. But the sauce, that was light without being unnoticed was perfect, letting the calamari and crab shine. And there was a nice amount of seafood, especially the crab.

Squid ink tonnarelli at Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

For dessert, we hesitated a bit, the tiramisu being a natural choice, but we finally ordered the Albanian Three-Milk Cake. It was close to a tres leche, made with a sponge cake, espresso infused milk and caramel on top. Good, but not as good.

Albanian three milk cake at Branzino in Philadelphia, PA

So, overall, we had a good meal at Branzino. I would certainly go back and this time try their fish…or not: their squid ink pasta was delicious and I might not resist, this time again…

Enjoy (I did)!

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Branzino - 261 S 17th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

I Just Want To Eat! 9/13/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/13/21

Lunch at Green Eggs Café in Philadelphia

It’s always nice to see that people are excited to give you a good address when traveling to a city. I had no idea what Green Eggs Café was until one of my coworkers mentioned it, although we were wondering with Jodi if it was not a place we went to many years ago, before the blog.
So we decided to go for lunch. It was a weekday, so we easily got a table, although I admit that it was quite busy, with lots of tables enjoying their cocktails, the “pop” made when opening bottles of Prosecco being heard all along during our lunch at a cadence that I found incredible…So, yes, people enjoy this place for their boozy meal (we just had a fresh squeezed orange juice and a root beer), but also for their crazy pancakes and variety of French toast. Looking around, they were fantastic: big, colorful and mouth watering. We decided to try their crème brûlée French toast that is made with challah bread dipped in vanilla custard and topped with blueberries, strawberries, berry compote, vanilla anglaise, chantilly and a side of maple syrup. The presentation was amazing and they were not cheap on the quantity except of course for the maple syrup (there is never enough). The French toast itself was very good, eggy, but, besides the vanilla custard, it had nothing to do with a creme brûlée, as I was expecting that caramelized sugar so characteristic to this dessert.. Still, it was delicious and with all these fruits, gave us the feeling that a serving of fruit would eliminate any guilt for eating this mountain of deliciousness.

Creme brûlée French toast at Green Eggs Café in Philadelphia

We also tried their guacamole and pepper Benedict. We got them with cheddar hash browns that I admit were a bit disappointing, being a bit dry. Also, I do not know if it is because of the other dish, but the quantity looked small…still, it was good, but small…

Guacamole and pepper Benedict at Green Eggs Café in Philadelphia

So, overall, this is a great place to know for lunch / brunch. These French toasts and pancakes are decadent and spectacular. Definitely, Green Eggs Café is the kind of spot I would go back to!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Green Eggs Café - 212 S 13th street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107

I Just Want To Eat! 9/10/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/10/21

Beard Papa on the Upper West Side

I do not understand why Beard Papa, a French style bakery that started in Japan in 1999 that specializes in cream puffs or choux à la crème is not more popular. We went back after some time, not going often to the Upper West Side (they have opened other locations since the last time we went so I will have to check them out), and the place was still there, but remodeled, smaller, with the beaded man they…

Beard Papa in NYC, NY

The first time was right before brunch and, as I was salivating with envy, Jodi gave up on restraining me to have one minutes from eating a meal…It was a churro cream puff that was amazing: the choux itself is very good. Slightly crunchy, it is cooked to perfection and filled with an amazing vanilla custard that they put when you order, ensuring that the chou would not be soggy. The icing was sweet with hints of cinnamon. Superb!

The second time, I got their classic that is the basic cream puff with vanilla custard in it and a Oreo Cookie Crumble Eclair chou that was topped with… Oreo cookie. After I took my photo, we started eating and the cream was oozing from these pieces of deliciousness. And you know when you are at the end and you are holding a small piece carefully so the cream would not go all over? Well, that is when the last piece of the classic cream puff fell on the floor, with me standing next to it in disbelief and quietly weeping…

Classic cream puff at Beard Papa in NYC, NY

Oreo cookie crumble eclair at Beard Papa in NYC, NY

These cream puffs are so good. In a way, I am glad that Beard Papa is not in my neighborhood because I would go there all the time! This is worth a visit!

Enjoy (I really did)!

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Beard Papa - 2167 Broadway, New York, NY 10024

I Just Want To Eat! 9/8/21 I Just Want To Eat! 9/8/21

Persian dinner at Persepolis on the Upper East Side, NYC

It has been years since we went to Persepolis, a restaurant located on the Upper East Side that serves Persian cuisine. When I met Jodi,I this was her destination for her birthday and this is how I got to try for the first time this kind of cuisine. So, as we were visiting our old neighborhood, we decided to stop by. It did not change much if not for all the things they did for COVID: from the outdoor seating to the plexiglass…

The menu is more or less the same, but slightly smaller, their website not being up to date (yes, we check the menu before going to. restaurant and most of the time we know what we will order, so we only listen to the specials out of courtesy…). In a lot of ways, you find dishes that seem familiar to what you would get in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean restaurants, like the yogurt and cucumber or the eggplant Mirza that is an eggplant puree made with mint, tomato, garlic and yogurt, similar in a way (just in a way) not as smokey, and perfect with their Persian bread) to babaganouj.

Yogurt and cucumber at Persepolis in NYC, NY

Or the kebabs: their most famous being the kubideh, a skewer made with either chicken or beef. I went for the latter that was made with marinated ground aged sirloin. It came with a roasted tomato and grilled onion, as well as some rice called polo baghali that is basmati rice with dill and fava beans. In fact you have your choice of rice and they propose plenty of interesting combinations like the one with sour cherries that Jodi loves. What is sure is that the rice is not just a side but definitely part of the dish. It was not dry at all, and was perfect with or without the yogurt with cucumber I mentioned before. And that kubideh: also not dry, the meat had this nice flavor from the marinade they use. I definitely recommend it!

On her side, as we had lunch and a treat earlier that day, Jodi ordered the Greek salad.

I should mention that as I was eating I was sipping some arak, an anise alcohol similar to ouzo or anisette, that becomes cloudy when you put water or ice in it.

Last was dessert that we ate with some Persian tea that is, like in India, called chai. we ordered their Persian cotton candy (pashmak) that was not too sweet and flakey, as well as their baklava that was perfect, not dry at all and buttery. They split the two in two different dishes as we were sharing, and added, complimentary, some ice cream made with cherry syrup called Fahludeh.
Overall, this was a very good dinner. The food at Persepolis is delicious and with reasonable prices. This is definitely a place I recommend.

Enjoy (I did)!

if you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Persepolis - 1407 2nd Avenue, New York, New York 10021