Pasta with tomato and clam $18.00

The maitre’d was nice. Really nice. But he gave a half baked response out of his behind to one of our questions and that sorta pissed me off. Let’s start from the beginning though.

It was a major fail on my end to secure a dinner spot (sorry Sabrina) last Saturday night. Apparently,  NYC restaurants are recession-proof because all of the restaurants we wanted to go to had like a 3 hour wait. I was afraid that Sabrina would eat the next moving thing if we didn’t get to a restaurant soon so after visiting Novita (and finding out that the earliest dinner slot for two would be at 10:30!!), we walked smack into Beppe and went in.

I love the decor inside Beppe. There’s a huge Piet Mondrian inspired glass panel in the back and little lights that hang from a high sweeping ceiling. Then there’s the brick that adorns the walls next to the booths, the wooden floors, and just this whole sense of rusticness. The place wasn’t exactly crowded but it wasn’t empty either.

We both ordered pasta and sat back to await the bread. The bread came within a few minutes, which I’d consider timely and all, but before the bread-plate even touched the table, we saw the pasta dishes arrive! Literally, like five minutes within ordering, our pasta arrived!

Chocolate pasta with wild boar $18.00

Don’t get me wrong- I love speedy service. But if I’m going to pay flipping $18.00 for a plate of pasta, that pasta better be made with some love. Assuming that the pasta only took 3-4 minutes to cook if fresh, 5 minutes is still too fast! So in my mind, it went something like this in the kitchen..

1. Order comes in. Chef reads order.
2. Takes pre-cooked chocolate pasta with pre-cooked boar with pre-made sauce and plops it onto the plate
3. Microwave time

That was probably a bit harsh, but what else am I supposed to think? Who serves pasta at a decent restaurant within 5 minutes?! I mean the bread couldn’t even make it to the table quick enough!

Despite all of this though, I enjoyed the pasta. You couldn’t really taste the chocolate part but the flavor from the boar was really rich and game-y and not at all overpowering. Sabrina’s dish on the other hand… let’s just say I could have made a better pasta dish.

The best part of dinner was actually that up there- a corn muffin. They gave every diner on her way out a tiny box with a corn muffin wrapped in orange tissue paper, which was a nice gesture. The maitre’d ended up passing by our table and asking us how everything was. We told him about the sub-par pasta dish that Sabrina had and he was sincere in saying how he was sorry, and that if we hadn’t closed out our check so soon, he could have done something. But then, when we brought up how fast the pasta came out, he said something along the lines of…

“The guys in the kitchen get the orders when they come in. So they just make the food as it comes along. Since you didn’t order any appetizers, the pasta came out more quickly because pasta by nature cooks so fast. blah blah blah…”

There are two issues with this answer that I have-

1. Even if there is NO ONE in the restaurant but me, and I order the single dish of the night, does that mean that you’re going to rush out the dish? Any decent restaurant would actually require their expo line to control the cooking time for the meal. You should know how long it takes to cook each dish and then time it according to that. Meaning, if we don’t order any appetizers, you delay the cooking by at least 7 minutes so that we can EAT OUR FREAKING BREAD FIRST!! I wonder what would have happened if I ordered steak and Sabrina ordered pasta. Would they have served the pasta first before my steak finished cooking? Oh wait- they probably would have pre-prepared the steak too…
2. Even if it takes a whopping total of 3 minutes to cook our dishes, have they not thought about the psychological aspect of serving it that quickly?! Like I said, if you’re going to charge $18 for a pasta dish and spend less than 5 minutes making it, there was obviously no love into making that dish. So why would I want to pay $18 for your pasta if I can pay $8 at a crappy restaurant for the same quality?

That’s it, I’m done. I was really disappointed. The sad part is, my disappointment was 95% from the timing issue. Sabrina may have a different opinion considering how her pasta was bland, but if they just took an extra 5 minutes, I would have been so much happier.  For god sakes, lie to me and make me psychologically happy. Sorry, but I’m just picky like that especially if I’m paying near $20 for an entree.

You should also check out:

• The Great GoogaMooga | Prospect Park, Brooklyn
• An interview with Terry Chen of “Filled with Sweets”
• Co. Pizza
• Crif Dogs (take 2)- best hot dogs ever
• Saturday brunch at Locanda Verde

This post is getting stale from being exactly a week old, which means  Si really has left America. It’s such a odd feeling- going home after being abroad for good four months. You think that your time is unlimited when you first arrive. “I’ll go there next week or I’ll check that place out soon. I have plenty of time.” But you really don’t. Leaving a place that you’ve grown to love is possibly one of the hardest things to do.

Literally 45 minutes before Super Shuttle was meant to pick her up, Si, Angela, and I met at City Bakery. I’ve heard great things about this place- like how they serve hot food, not just pastries and desserts. And yet, I totally forgot about the hot food part until we left and saw the “Macaroni and Cheese” sign near the back.  So if you want real food, just head to the back because there’s a separate section.

I asked the cashier for her recommendations and she raved about the breakfast muffin (I think that’s what it was called?). Anyway, it has heaps of confectioner’s sugar and you can peel off the top like flakes from those Chinese cakes that look like sweet rectangular spanakopitas. In every other bite there were walnuts and raisins. Did I like it? Yes. Did I love it? No. And it was $3.95 (although it was pretty giant.

We also shared a blueberry corn muffin, which I liked better (Si and Angela thought the muffin was better). It’s also pretty giant, and I’m almost sure it took a stick of butter to make that one muffin. It’s crumbly but moist and just slightly sweet.

They sell loads of other pastries including very overpriced cookies. $25?!

There are seats both on the ground level and second floor. It’s a pay and go place so no tip necessary here.

BYE SI

I wasn’t too impressed with their sweets but I think I’ll have a go at that mac and cheese next time.

MENU
3 W. 18th St.
New York, NY 10011
between Fifth and Sixth Aves.  See Map | Subway Directions
212-366-1414 Send to Phone

You should also check out:

• The Great GoogaMooga | Prospect Park, Brooklyn
• An interview with Terry Chen of “Filled with Sweets”
• Co. Pizza
• Crif Dogs (take 2)- best hot dogs ever
• Saturday brunch at Locanda Verde

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My barbeque melt!

This is all you need to know when you walk in…

• Kansas City Baby Back Ribs wet & slathered with spicy chipotle bbq
  
• Memphis Style Baby Back Ribs dry rubbed with wildwood spice blend
  
• Denver Cut Lamb Spare ribs, Full Slab dry rubbed & smoked
  
• Full Cut Bbq Pork Spare Ribs dry rubbed with wildwood’s spice blend
  
• Sticky Ribs our full cut spare ribs served wet with our sweet and tangy barbeque sauce
• Fallin’ Off the Bone Beef Short Rib prince cut, 1 giant rib

There are two very distinct definitions of “barbeque” that pop up into my head when I think back to Australia. The first includes sand swept beaches, hundred degree weather, and grilling sausages  on Coogee Beach (mind you that never happened because the line was ALWAYS so long). The second stirs to memory hot dogs during our study abroad barbeque lunch at UNSW. Where were the ribs or the BARBEQUE SAUCE for god sakes!

So Si, our exchange buddy, obviously needed an introduction to American barbeque….

We walk in and it couldn’t have been more different from Hill Country. Hill Country is “cafeteria style” where you go up, give your order, and you come back with a tray, heaping full of food. Wildwood is just like any other sit down restaurant. They present you with a menu, a mason jar full of water, and you’re ready to go.

Okay, I that’s a visual breakdown of our feast. Still semi-recovering from the flu, I decided that I’d go easy on my stomach by actually consuming some carbs rather than just all meat. Angela, Si, and Jenny ended up splitting a rack and a half of ribs- Half rack of Sticky ribs and a full of Memphis style. I wish I took a picture of that epic cornbread. It’s $4.95 but it comes in a skillet and it’s more like a loaf of cornbread. Gurpreet, with the help of everyone, still couldn’t finish it.

And those are them lovely Sticky’s. I’d compare them to Chinese spare ribs except these are sticker (really, now!) and not as sweet! The disappointment, for me, was that they were not as fall off the bone as I had hoped. But then again, they weren’t described as such on the menu. The Memphis style is more dry and the rub definitely made its way into the meat in flavor.

Barbeque Melt tender sliced pork, melted pepper jack, crispy fried onions, garlic mayo

That was my dinner. It was so. Delicious. I know that foodblogging 101 dictates that you should never use the word “delicious” to describe anything. I can’t help it if there’s no better word to describe it. I substituted the vinegar chips with the sweet potato fries. It was supposed to come with coleslaw but they forgot it. I’m not a big fan anyway.

According to NYMag, they also serve 32 varieties of Bourbon…

The verdict- it has it’s ups and downs. Not exactly what I was expecting rib wise, but my BBQ melt made up for my disappointment there. The mac-and-cheese was too dry for both Gurpreet and Jenny so skip on that. There is more of a variety rib wise here than at Hill Country, but I think that since you literally order meat by the pound at Hill Country, there’s that satisfying oomph to the end of the night after consuming, what, 2 pounds of meat? The service here is also a bit slow even though it wasn’t nearly as busy as it usually is.

MENU
225 Park Ave. South
New York, NY 10003
Near 18th St.  See Map | Subway Directions
212-533-2500

You should also check out:

• The Great GoogaMooga | Prospect Park, Brooklyn
• An interview with Terry Chen of “Filled with Sweets”
• Co. Pizza
• Crif Dogs (take 2)- best hot dogs ever
• Saturday brunch at Locanda Verde

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FDC group shot

This is one of those classy restaurants that you always peek into on your way home and think to yourself, “Man, I’d love to eat here, but I can’t afford it!” Well tonight, I didn’t have to worry about affording it. With the help of Stern and a $5 co-pay, I finally got my go at an upscale Indian restaurant.

Tamarind was chosen as the one of the top Indian restaurants in 2003 by NYMAG. Tonight, there were nine of us, and as we arrived at 6pm, the dining room was completely empty. It took a good hour before the room starting filling up. Before we even received our menus, they gave us an amuse bouche, flaky bread with a thin layer of tomato filling and a creamy dipping sauce.

If you get a chance, try the mango lassi. It’s basically a thick sweet mango-flavored drink, kind of like a milkshake but made with yogurt. It’s extremely creamy but it’s excellent especially if you’re eating spicy food because the creaminess actually takes a bit of the heat off.

We each had $30 to spend including tax and tip. For a restaurant like Tamarind, that doesn’t mean much. Basically just a drink and entree unless if you want to split an appetizer. Some of my friends did split appetizers…

Raji’s Scallops grilled scallops with a coconut mint sauce $12

Keema Nan a crisp nan with ground lamb $5.50 (highly recommended)

The portion sizes for the appetizers aren’t too big, so if you plan on sharing, you might want to think otherwise. However, the naan and rice portions are pretty generous (assuming you aren’t starving) so those are better for sharing. The entrees do not come with rice, so make sure you factor that into your budget.

I didn’t want to be obnoxious and take pictures throughout dinner, so I only took a picture of my entree. I got the Awadhi Murgh, which exceeded expectations in both taste and portion.  The chicken was a bit drier than I would have liked and there wasn’t as much yogurt as I had anticipated, but overall, it was a solid dish. Shaun and Kat each got half a tandoori chicken which ended up being ginormous in itself. Shaun actually preferred Binata’s dish, which was the Chicken Tikka Masala. I had a bit of the sauce and was a bit surprised at how sweet it was. It reminded me of pizza sauce… well, almost.

Awadhi Murgh chicken breast filled with mushrooms, spinach and cheese, backed and served with a nutmeg, garam masala and yogurt sauce $21

Awadhi is actually a cuisine from the city of Lucknow. The cuisine is recognized for cooking over slow fire. I recommend getting the garlic naan if you get the Awadhi Murgh. It’s mildly spicy, so save your mango lassi for the cooling effect.

Overall, a very enjoyable dinner. If I could afford it, I’d come again. The service was fast/great and the servers were friendly.

MENU
41-43 E. 22nd St., New York, NY 10010
nr. Broadway  See Map | Subway Directions
212-674-7400 Send to Phone

You should also check out:

• The Great GoogaMooga | Prospect Park, Brooklyn
• An interview with Terry Chen of “Filled with Sweets”
• Co. Pizza
• Crif Dogs (take 2)- best hot dogs ever
• Saturday brunch at Locanda Verde

Why? Let’s see- We snuck Jamba Juice into Harry Potter numero 6 (where I think Sabrina was almost convinced that it’d suffice as dinner) and after an at best above satisfactory movie, she sucked it up. Yes, she and her gigantic half inch cankersore sucked it up and decided that all the pain would be worth- for yes, that’s right- a Shack burger.

(Sorry Sabrina, but I think this perfectly portrays how much pain you’re willing to put yourself through for Shake Shack)

Now, let me remind you. Shake Shack has epic lines whenever it’s sunny, not so sunny, and at nighttime. Except we got lucky and had to wait like 10 minutes. But right after we got our food (around 10:00pm), that line seemed to have mysteriously multiplied. And actually, let me correct myself- Sabrina got food. I decided to cut down on the “carbs” by getting a frozen custard. I should have gotten a burger cause I ended up consuming even more carbs, but that’s for the bottom half of the story. Anyway, I think Shake Shack’s burgers have shrunk? Was it just me, or is their burger the size of a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger at Wendys?! What a bummer…

So yes, I ventured into frozen custard land. If only the flavor of the day weren’t so intriguing! I just couldn’t help it. Who’d ever heard of a mojito custard?! I’ll admit, I got it because I wanted to see how closely they could imitate mojito in a custard.

It was strange, in a cheesy sort of way (literally). I’d describe it as a fromage blanc sort of custard, but with a tingy lace of lime and subtle mint. I would have guess a soko lime if anything. But at least it was different. At $3.25, the custard’s priced on par with gelato, but at least I can say I had mojito custard(?).

Sorry for the terrible photo above (and several more to come). I’m still experiementing with my new camera and I need to perfect the art of holding still. So in case if you can’t read that, their flavors of the day are…

• Monday: Mojito
• Tuesday: Peaches n Cream
• Wednesday: Black Cherry
• Thursday: Mulberry
• Friday: Red, White, and Blueberry
• Saturday: Cavaillon Melon (I’m not sure if I spelled that correctly, but according to Wiki, it’s a commune in Southern France)
• Sunday: Sweet Corn (ughh, ew!)

(It’s like Christmas in the summer!)

Okay, well. That obviously wasn’t enough. I casually mentioned how we should have gone to Pomme Frites and Sabrina made it happen. We ended up trekking back down in the direction that we came from although this time, I didn’t get us lost en route. And luckily, on Monday nights at 11pm, no one eats fries. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Pomme Frites so… bare.

They’ve changed their cones! It used to just be a plain white cone and you could see all the grease soaking into the paper, but now that they’ve got picnic-esque red checkered cones, you can’t really see the grease. And that up there is a large.

And the three flavors of the night were:

• Rosemary Garlic Mayo: A
• Mexican Ketchup: A+
• Mango Chutney: A++++++++++++

I’m just a sucker for all things mango. In fact, I killed off the rest of the Mango Chutney this morning with tortilla chips. A bit disgusting, I know, but…

(Once again, terrible camera skills. Apologies, apologies!)

Their Mexican Ketchup is steller for anyone who loves spicy stuff. It’s chives, jalapeno, oil, and some other stuff that makes it impossible to mix with ketchup. But yeah, if you opt for several sauces, make sure you diversify your assets and get something salty (preferably with a ketchup base) and sweet just because you’ll crave something sweet and savory by the end.

(I’m pretty sure I’ve consumed that many potatoes in my lifetime. Probably even more ketchup too…)

Shake Shack MENU
Madison Square Park
Madison Ave. at 23rd St.
New York, NY 10010
See Map | Subway Directions

Pomme Frites MENU
123 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10003
Near 7th St.   See Map | Subway Directions
212-674-1234

You should also check out:

• The Great GoogaMooga | Prospect Park, Brooklyn
• An interview with Terry Chen of “Filled with Sweets”
• Co. Pizza
• Crif Dogs (take 2)- best hot dogs ever
• Saturday brunch at Locanda Verde