Chinatown Restaurant Week March 9 to March 18 2012

Similar to Restaurant Week, Chinatown Restaurant Week will see restaurants in Chinatown propose prix-fixe dinner for 18.88 (without tax and tip) from MArch 8th to March 18th 2012. 

Participants are listed on the event website www.chinatownrestaurantweek.com. You will find the Peking Duck House (great Peking Duck!!!), Lobster House or Pho Grand.

Enjoy!

Stick & Pop in NYC: what? Cake on a stick?

Yesterday, we were walking in the street, going to Boqueria, when we notice this small store called Stick & Pop. We saw that it was selling some sweets and decided to go back after lunch to grab a treat for later. And we came back!

To give you a bit of history, Stick & Pop has been opened early February in that location, after being an online store (www.stickandpop.com). It has been created by French Culinary Institute graduate, Jacki Caponigro, and design professional, Christy Nyberg. We saw them other there and they were really nice!

To understand what they sell, imagine a candy apple, but instead of an apple, you get cake! It kind of reminds me of the cake bites we ate in Milwaukee (check here), but bigger and with a stick. The size is a close to a golf ball, although Stick & Pop sells small bags with four small sized lollipops. 

What is awesome, is that they do Baby Showers and Weddings, as well as Holiday pops! They also have a Stick & Pop dough kit that allows you to create your own! These pops are so pretty that I am sure a lot of brides are going to get crazy to get some for their wedding!

Now, let me tell you what Pops we got:

We started first with the Griswald: vanilla graham cake with marshmallow center and chocolate chip, dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in graham. As a whole, it looks like this:

Cut in half, it looks like that:

I loved the different layers of the pop!

Then we tried the Teddy Bear: chocolate cake dipped in white chocolate, rolled in multi-colored confetti sprinkles. 

If you love chocolate, the Teddy Bear is for you! The chocolate cake is so good!

There was also the O'Hara: coconut cake with chocolate chips, dipped in dark chocolate and covered with coconut. I am not a big fan of coconut, but I have to say that it was pretty good!

Last, is the almond cake one. I do not have any name, because it was a special one. They proposed us to try it, so I could not refuse!!! This was with the Griswald and the Teddy Bear my favorite too! It was almond cake dipped in white chocolate and drizzled with sugar sprinkles. The almond cake, similar to a paste was incredible!

Cut in half, it looked like this:

I really loved these pops and wish they will expand the choices with things like chocolate and raspberry. These pops are great: pretty and delicious, they are the perfect treat! On top of that, it is not messy to eat, so there is no problem to consume them in the street. Definitely to try!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Reference: stickandpop.com

Fabulous Donburi at Ubu Sushi in Hoboken, NJ!

Ubu Sushi is a Korean-Japanese restaurant located in Hoboken, NJ. This is the place for Donburi, a japanese rice dish (means bowl in Japanese) that I tried few years ago. When I go to this place, it is not for the sushi (i tried them once and they are good), but for this affordable dish that is Donburi. They have different type: veggie, veggie and crab, tofu...

For a drink we got a nice green tea. I love the smoky taste of it.

With the Donburi, came a miso soup. It was pretty good and a perfect way to start.

The Donburi are served with a ginger sauce. I tried to know what was in it, but the waiter said that it was a secret recipe. The only think I could get is that there was carrots in it!

The vegetarian Donburi was made of mixed greens, avocado, cucumber and tofu, over sushi rice.

The veggie-Crab Donburi was made of crab, mixed greens, avocado, cucumber and tofu, over sushi rice. This dish is fabulous! There is a lot of crab with it and the avocado was ripe. When I was a kid, I hated rice salads, but I have to say, this has nothing to do with it! After you pour the ginger sauce and mix everything together, you get an explosion of flavors coming from the crab, salad, rice and sauce. It is amazing! 

If you are in Hoboken, stop by Ubu sushi for a Donburi: you will not regret it!

Enjoy (I did)!

Recipe: Ghetto Garlic Bread from Coolio!

So everybody probably knows Coolio from the song Gangsta's Paradise he wrote in 1995 for the movie Dangerous Minds with Michelle Pfeiffer. What I did not know until I watch Rachel (Ray) vs. Guy (Fieri) on the Food Network, is that Coolio is also a cook. He even published a cook book called 

Cookin' with Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price

and calls himself the Ghetto Gourmet. In this book, he will teach you how to be a Kitchen Pimp, explaining what you need in you Pimp-try...

Let me tell you: this guy knows how to cook (taught by his now deceased mother) and he ended up in the finale!

So, I decided to try to cook his Ghetto Garlic Bread, his take on Garlic Bread, made with mayonnaise. I do not have a cook book, so I tried to recreate the quantities.

In a bowl, I mixed:

• 6 tbsp of mayonnaise, 
• 2 tbsp of minced garlic and 
• cheese (depends how much you like).

I spread the mixture on a baguette cut in half and toasted it.

It was good, but if you do not like mayonnaise, I do not think it is for you!

Enjoy (I did)!

References:

Wikipedia: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coolio

Asian flavors at China Grill Restaurant in New York - Closed

Ceiling at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

China Grill is a pan-asian restaurant opened in the 80's by Jeffrey Chodorow and is now part of the China Grill Management Company that has several restaurants in many cities like New York, Miami, Los Angeles or London. Besides China Grill, they own Asia de Cuba and Bar Basque that are popular restaurants in New York. 

The decor is quite nice: very high ceiling with some big Japanese lanterns (red lightning) and granite walls. This restaurant is serving Family style, but now, they offer smaller sizes, but still pricey. Anyway, if you do not know it is family style when coming, you will know when ordering as I think I heard it five times....

I went with four people, so we ordered several dishes to share.

For the appetizers, we started with the Lemongrass crusted tofu tots served with delicious pickled cucumbers and a kimchee sauce topped with black sesame seeds. That was an original dish! Good and light; I did not taste the kimchee in the sauce and it was not spicy.

tofu tots at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

The crab cakes (2) were a bit dry. They were served with a tomatillo-pineapple salsa and mustard sake sauce, but there was not enough sauce. 

Crab cake at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

My favorite though for appetizers was the Tempura Tuna Sashimi that was served with a hot mustard champagne sauce. This had great flavors and the tuna was incredibly good and tender.

tempura tuna sashimi at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

My second favorite for appetizers was the Chicken satay. It came with chilled sesame noodles and a toasted peanut sauce. Let me tell you: the chicken was perfectly cooked and so moist. It was deliciously paired with the peanut sauce. The noodles were a nice addition to the dish.

Chicken satay at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

Then came the entrees. The waiter was serving us, making sure that everybody got his share of the food. He was a little stressed out and we asked him to slow down a bit!

For the main entrees, we had:

The duck two ways: pan seared breast with chocolate-orange sauce and “Moo Shu” style confit of leg with spicy hoisin sauce. I thought it was a great idea, but did not really like the chocolate-orange sauce on the duck (and not because of a salty/sweet thing). Also, the crepes were kind of weird tasting. Besides that, the duck was very good and perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Duck two ways at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

We also had the Curry miso black cod with sweet soy glazed Chinese broccoli and yuzu-miso butter sauce. That is when I could not take my photo because the waiter went crazy cutting the fish! It was a nice dish, although not my favorite. The fish was perfectly cooked and moist.

Then was the Miso grilled vegetables and udon noodles served with a spicy hoisin and mushroom sauce. This was definitely one of my favorites! The sauce was for sure spicy, but it was bearable! There was an explosion of flavors between the vegetables, the noodles and the sauce.

udon noodles at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

But wait, it is not finished! We also shared some sides! We tried the lobster mash potatoes: where was the lobster???

Lobster mash at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

And the avocado fried rice salad: missing seasoning for sure. The sides were not that great!

fried rice at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

China Grill is a nice fusion restaurant with some surprising combination worth to try, but still, on the pricey side.

Enjoy (I did)!

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)!

If you have any question, story or comment on Junior's, enter a comment below!