NYC Weekly Blog Post - 4.15.2013

This week's blog post is not just about food/drinks but more about great experiences in and around NYC.

BREAKNECK RIDGE / COLD SPRINGS

So I'll start this week's blog with a super crazy realization!  I've hiked Breakneck Ridge twice, once last weekend and once sometime last year.  On the hike I was contemplating when the last time was exactly and when I looked back on the blog I realized that I had accidentally hiked this trail on the EXACT same weekend a year ago.  It was my Breakneck-a-versary!  WEIRD.

Anyways, just like last time we were doing a great job navigating the trail but made one major error which this time ended us up at the north end of Cold Springs rather than IN town so we had to trek along the highway for a minute which was not ideal.  This version of the trek started out the same with the 700 foot incline but instead of hiking along the ridge we went down through the middle (yellow trail).  Lunch at The Depot was delicious yet again although I've been taking a 20 day hiatus from drinking (competing in Tough Mudder this weekend) so lunch was lacking the refreshing, well-earned beer.

 

 

BROOKLYN

Shanghai Mermaid
The Shanghai Mermaid is essentially an experience that was created by one woman back in 2008 in DUMBO who wanted to bring to life a true underground speakeasy from another time.  In 2008, she didn't have the funds for a true location so these underground parties were sparked by word-of-mouth and happened in locations ranging from under-renovation stripclubs to bathhouses.  In 2009, she found an abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn and a permanent location, the Red Lotus Room, was created.  Now every month or so they throw themed parties from past eras where you can't get in unless you are decked out in period costume or fancy dress.

We attended the April event.  The theme was 1920s Paris.  It was a night of hookah, Chinese noodles, and 20s cocktail indulgence.  The stage was alive with burlesque and jazz.  The lighting was red and low.  I truly felt transported to another age dressed in a sequined dress with feather headdress, black tights and thick fur vest.  Due to the elegance of this particular theme the party didn't get out of hand but we did spend some time with a Shanghai Mermaid veteran who told us that some of these parties get quite out of control (in a good way).  I will definitely be back and highly recommend it to those artistic people who don't mind extending themselves out of their 2014 NYC above-ground lifestyle.

CHELSEA

Bottino
Every an exciting night cooking in the kitchen, we desperately needed chocolate so we went on a hunt for a restaurant touting chocolatey desserts.  Bottino was the first place we came across and we ordered the Chocolate Hazelnut Tart with Gelato as well as a glass of mango sorbet and caramel gelato.  I've never been less impressed with a dessert in my life.  The tart tasted like stale almond paste and the mango gelato was lumpy (not in a good way).  The caramel gelato was decent and the only thing that kept me from being super bummed out!

Photo Credit: Bottino Website

EAST VILLAGE

Black Market
I've been hearing all sorts of good things about this place and was admonishing myself for not having been here seeing as it is just down the street.  They are known for their oysters, which sadly I cannot eat, but I did find some stellar menu items to try.  It gets pretty packed (not a lot of room between tables so you are sort of eating on top of each other) but two of us walked right in and got a table at 9pm on a Friday so you never know.  Oh, and the service was impeccable.

Photo Credit: blogs.villagevoice.com 

The deviled eggs with Pimenton de la Vera, chives and American Hackelback caviar were DELICIOUS.  They were huge for eggs and had just enough caviar that you could clearly taste it along with the egg and the pepper.

The roasted corn with chili, lime and manchego caught me slightly by surprise since I was anticipating it coming on the cob rather than spread on a plate but it too was pretty seasoned and fresh tasting (and I hate veggies).

Lastly, I had a bite or two of the BLT served on Balthazar multi-grain toast with herb mayo and loved it.  I think the reason the sandwich was so good was because it was a gourmet deconstructed BLT - a couple slices of thick fatty/crispy bacon, a leaf of lettuce and a slice of tomato - so you could really taste each piece (as opposed to your usual BLT which to me is always soggy and tastes like lettuce).

We ended the delightful meal with the chocolate mousse cake with cookie crust and raspberry sauce.  Not the best dessert I've ever had but definitely didn't detract from the meal.  Overall a great experience.  I will definitely come back.

 

Shoolbred's
We stopped in here for a hot second last Sunday because they have a fireplace, it was cold out and I was in need of a cozy bar.  Unfortunately the three seats in front of the fireplace were taken so we wandered next door.  But, the bar is really cool and dark and somewhere I would definitely come back and try.

 Photo Credit: Schoolbred's Website

Think Coffee
Below is a picture of my very first cappucino!  I know crazy right?  It was delicious and this East Village coffee shop is perfect for hanging out and sipping the coco.  I was seated between a sketch artist and a writer.  Cool.  Oh... and the coffee was tasty.

Thirsty Scholar
I've been here once or twice and it's a pretty standard bar but the thing I like about it is the area just to the right of the front door when you walk in.  There's a hightop with four chairs and a little shelf along the window.  I love sitting on that shelf, drinking beers and watching people walk by.  Random but nice.

Photo Credit: Thirsty Scholar Website

Yaffa Cafe
This is the strangest looking place and one that I walk by all the time and think to myself... not sure I want to eat there.  The "C' rating on the front door also detracts from my interest in the place since I'm pretty sure it doesn't stand for "Classy" or "Clean."  Nevertheless one of my adventurous friends insisted on brunch there so I tried it out.  The restaurant is fun even just to walk through - it's like a museum of weirdness.  My scrambled eggs and bacon were also surprisingly good and they have both a front patio and a huge backyard deck.  Once the weather gets a little warmer I would probably try this place again.  Although, the service was horrendous... plan to be there for awhile.  It took 45 minutes to get our check.

 

 Photo Credit: Yaffa Website

GREENWICH

124 Rabbit Club
Pretty sure I walked past this place multiple times before I finally found it (it's the definition of underground!)  In fact to help you out I found the entrance on Google Maps and have posted it below so you know what to look for.  The place is tiny and cash only so be prepared to move out of the way and hit the ATM on your way but the bartender was way cool, the atmosphere is chill, and the Belgium beer list is out of this world.  Again, visited this place during my drinking hiatus so will definitely be back to actually try out some of these beers.

Photo Credit: iheartnycbars.com

 
MEATPACKING

Standard Bingo
So my birthday was over a month ago, and thus this review comes WAY late but I wanted to save it for when I had a moment to give the Standard Bingo experience justice.  This is one of my favorite activities in New York City.  I make a big stink out of my birthday every year and have extremely high standards (pun intended) for the activity.  This is literally the best birthday you could have.

Basically at 10:30pm every Sunday, the interior of the Standard Grill converts into Standard Bingo.  The bingo aspect means you each get two bingo cards but in the two times I've been there I don't think I've ever actually played bingo.  Instead I spend the whole time dancing and singing to the random songs they play and making friends with people at the different tables.  Every weekend has a theme and they take suggestions.  I lucked out and they decided to go with my submission of 80s/90s cartoon characters.  My table featured She-Ra, Luigi, Popeye, Bam-Bam, Inspector Gadget and an assortment of Ninja Turtles.  The highlight of the evening was the "Quail-Off" between the two Quail-Mans (one of whom was the MC) and the giant pitchers of punch (definitely the best bang for your buck).

So I'm sure you are saying to yourself "this must cost an arm and a leg.." and I am happy to tell you that I had a table of 20 people who ate and drank copiously and our total at the end of the night was $800 for 5 hours of fun (they let you stay until closing at 4 in the morning).  That's $8/hour per person for an EPIC night which puts day clubs like LAVO and Beaumarchais in the doghouse for their $1000+ brunches.

Three important things to remember:
1) You MUST get there on time or they give away your table
2) You MUST reserve a table about a month in advance or you ain't gettin' in
3) You WONT accomplish anything on Monday so don't schedule a 9am call

QUEENS

Sik Gaek
So I've been to Queens for the Mets and the biergartens but never ventured up there to eat at a restaurant just because.  When my Australian friend told me he was doing his birthday up in Queens my immediate feeling was laziness quickly followed by intrigue and then excitement.  SO glad that I went because this place was CRAZY.  It's your standard Korean BBQ place with a VERY interesting menu.  Yes you can get ramen, pork skin, and others dishes OR you can get the fresh octopus and/or seafood platter.  Be prepared for VERY fresh, as in, still moving.  It's SO cool but not for the faint of heart.  There's nothing like watching a lobster still moving served to your table.  Or, feeling an octopus tentacle suction your tongue before you swallow it.  He he. Awesome.  See video below.  I totally want to take my mom here and watch her squirm.  A can't miss.

NYC Weekly Blog Post - 4.9.2012

Breakneck Ridge Trail

So this week I actually have some TRAVEL news! Yes that's right I managed to make it out of the lovely city of Manhattan about an hour north along the Hudson River to Breakneck Ridge. Aptly named this trail starts with a harrowing climb up a smooth rock face (hiking shoes definitely recommended) that ends with a gorgeous view of the Hudson at the top. Continue along the ridge through a forest of deciduous trees (no leaves this time of year but must be beautiful in summer and fall). There are a ton of trail options but below you can see the path that we took. All-in it was about a 4 hour hike.

Basically you take the train from Grand Central station and get off at Breakneck which is literally just a tiny platform on the side of the railroad. You have to make sure you go to the back train compartment or you will miss it as they only open the back two doors. Jump down onto the platform and walk up to the road and turn right. The trail head is just up the street.

The route we took was the white trail up to where it meets blue. The white trail is primarily the rockclimbing-esk portion of the trail. Once you hit blue you are just meandering through the woods primarily. Keep an eye out at this point because we must have missed a sign and ended up by the bigger lake at the top of the image. If it weren't for iPhone service we would've gotten lost for sure. Take the blue down along the side of the smaller lake and hook a left across the ridge. Once you hit green follow that all the way down into the town of Cold Spring.

Below is a view from the top of the first dicey rock climb.

Once in Cold Spring wander around the town looking at the antique stores, little churches and quaint houses. You definitely aren't in Manhattan anymore! I literally felt like I was on vacation somewhere and all I had to do was a take a train an hour north.

For lunch we ate at the Depot which is a fun restaurant right next to the train station. The train back to Grand Central passes through almost every hour so you can time which one you want to jump on. For lunch I had the southern-style fried chicken which was very tasty and I followed it up with a scoop of delicious, refreshing chocolate ice cream.

Thanks to the beautiful weather, my hardy hiking buddy, iPhone service and a delicious lunch, I will definitely be back here again!


CHELSEA

Frying Pan
Everyone's been telling me I'd love this place. Turns out; I do. The Frying Pan is literally a boat docked at Pier 66 on the Hudson River which is at West 26th street. They have a bunch of table seating and a little bar that sells pitchers of beer and buckets of Coronas. Be warned those with uneasy stomachs as the boat does roll and pitch a bit so if you have one too many you may be running for the bathroom stairs. With the sun shining down on you and a beer in your hand it's like the Manhattan version of a Corona commercial. This will clearly be a summer favorite although you gotta get here early or bear the massive line to get in - it's not a big place.



LOWER EAST SIDE

Family Recipe
The name of this little restaurant echoes the origins of Chef Thurnauer's passion for cooking. The food here was delicious although ended with a potentially fatal accident.

We started with the kale salad with pomegranate and candied pistachio. It had the perfect amount of spicy dressing and was a large portion making it a great start to our dinner.


Next came the fried cod tacos with mango salsa and guacamole. The fish was fried crisp on the outside but was flaky and soft on the inside. The presentation was nice and the mango added just the right dose of flavor. Another win.


Then came the okonomiyaki, which is a Japanese thick pancake filled with different ingredients. This restaurant changes it up every day and on the menu this week was a turkey bacon and egg and a rock shrimp okonomiyaki. We ordered the turkey bacon one due to my deathly shellfish allergy. It showed up piping hot and covered in fish flakes. YUMMY. I loved these things ever since my trip to Japan. I dived right in. We were halfway through the pancake when my friend poked at something with her chopstick. It was a full shrimp. We both freaked out and began clawing through the remaining pancake were two or three other shrimp appeared.


This devolved into me having a panic attack while my friend researched nearby hospitals. I keep trying to think back as to whether I'd eaten one (I'm terrible with chopsticks and have to concentrate really hard on what I pick up and so I felt like I would've noticed if I'd eaten one).

After 30 minutes it appeared that I hadn't eaten one because I wasn't dead yet so we both picked at the final plate that came which was slow-cooked grass-fed short ribs with spring onion and hot sesame miso sauce. It tasted like sawdust thanks to my near death experience.


All that being said you'd think I would never come back here. HOWEVER, the food was amazing and the staff upon realizing their mistake apologized profusely (as they should), offered to take me to the hospital and then finally comped our entire dinner. Smart move. So, in closing, I would certain suggest this restaurant although be aware of what you eat!


Los Feliz
My friend suggested this place on Saturday night and I thought it was one of the cooler looking places I've been to in New York City. There are three levels essentially - a bar up top, a restaurant with bar in the middle and a club-esk lounge at the bottom. You have to check your coat to go in the lounge I'm assuming because it is so small.

My favorite hangout with the bar/restaurant area (they clear out the tables as it gets later) because the decorations make you feel like you are in a Spanish cave. It felt dark and mysterious yet cozy. Weird right?

The margaritas are also delicious, interesting and STRONG. I tried the Strawberry + Ginger Margarita with house infused Herradur blanco tequila, strawberry, ginger, organic raw agave, and fresh lime juice. Tasty. I will definitely come back here although the crowd that night was a little strange...

Photo Credit: Los Feliz Website

Macondo
This place is right on the corner of Houston and Allen St right when you get off the subway. I passed it last week and the cozy, fun atmosphere immediately attracted me so we decided to get dinner there this weekend.

Photo Credit: Macondo Website

We had the carne con yuca (grilled skirt steak, yuca fries, cabrales cheese and chimichurri), the cocas tuna (sliced sashimi tuna, white bean puree, sesame soy oaxaca cheese, white fish roe, onions and jalapenos on flatbread) and the arepas pato (duck confit with collard greens, figs and guava demi sauce on a sweet corn pancake).

The skirt steak was well-cooked but there wasn't enough chimichurri sauce and the overall dish sort of lacked flavor. I felt like I was eating it because it was there and not bad but not memorable either.


The next dish was the tuna flatbread which was a step up! The bread was a little too soft for me, I prefer crispy flatbread, but I thought the combination of the tuna with the jalapenos and the sauce was good. I just wish there was MORE toppings.

The last dish, the duck arepas, was delicious!! It was definitely the perfect finale to this meal. The duck was so succulent and matched the sweetness of the pancake. I wish there'd been more than one fig though. I was already relatively full by the time this came and still couldn't stop myself from shoving more down my throat. A must get when you come to this restaurant!

Lastly, I don't usually comment on prices at restaurants. This is because most places in NYC I feel like are outrageously priced as is so I feel like if you are going to eat in Manhattan, get over it. That being said this meal was really good and only cost $44 a person which I thought was a great price considering we got three dishes and shared a bottle of wine!

La Montanara by Forcella
This place is so new I don't even think it has a website yet (located at 168 Ludlow)! It's gotten some press recently and after trying the pepperoni pizza I can see why! The pizzas here are "fried" but not in the way you think! Basically the pizza dough is "flash fried" in hot sunflower oil and then baked a brick oven with toppings. This pizza was MOUTHWATERING...and open late.


No Fun
Another brand new opening, No Fun (yup that's actually the name) was a ton of fun! They had some random good beers on tap and lots of seating which was nice. It was a Tuesday night so the vibe was pretty neighborhood-y but they do have a dancing room in the back that looks like it could heat up on the weekend. I'll probably hit this place up again.

Photo Credit: No Fun Tumblr Page

UPPER WEST SIDE

Boat Basin
Another place that has been touted as a go-to for summer, Boat Basin is ALLLLLLL the way up at West 79th street. You can access it easiest by walking along the Hudson until you literally run into the outdoor cafe area. I was there a little early in the year on a Sunday so not a huge crowd yet but as the weather gets warmer I will definitely be back for some day drinking. The strawberry daiquiris are fully blended into a frozen smoothie consistency that you need a spoon to eat but it masked the rum which was a bonus. I ordered the grilled, marinated Mahi Mahi with shredded cabbage and salsa verde in soft tacos, which were kind of soupy and made me feel sick to my stomach later. The burger and the chicken fingers looked like better options...

Photo Credit: Boat Basin Website

WEST VILLAGE

Wilfie and Nell
A local hangout near my house I feel like I always end up here late night. This time I actually ordered food which took forever (I almost forgot about it and left!). I ordered the Guinness lamb shepherds pie with a mashed potato crust which was sooo good. In fact I brought the rest home and poured it over pasta for a gourmet "Hamburger Helper" style meal the next day. Beware it comes in HOT - I burned the crap out of my tongue so be careful!

On a total side note I've also tried the corned beef & Gruyere sandwich with cabbage slaw and mustard and it too is delicious. Hands down some of the best bar food I've had in Manhattan.

Photo Credit: Mark G. on Yelp.com