foodie finds :: lucky's famous burgers

lucky's famous burgers

370 w 52nd street

new york, ny 10019

be sure to bring your sunglasses - this place is bright! it's like orange and yellow blew up in there - and not in a good way. perhaps this was the tactic used to divert your attention away from the less than par burgers and freezer-burned fries. now - as for price - it's super cheap - but consider what you are paying for. dry burgers with sauces that you can't quite make out for flavors. i get mine with jalapeos to kill off anything that may be questionable.

visit this place when you are down to your last buck and staggering out of a bar and in need of a quick fix that is not pizza. then and only then you'll feel lucky to have these burgers.

foodie finds :: koi

koi

11 n dean st.

englewood, nj 07631

it's cute - it's trendy - the staff is sassy and fun. reasonable prices for lunchtime sushi. food's not that bad either. the rolls and sushi were quality and fresh and the edamame was a salty dream! it's more trendy and casual than the traditional daruma down the street. try it out if you are hankering for sushi in englewood!

foodie finds :: blossom

blossom vegan restaurant
187 9th ave
new york, ny 10011

hmm - i have an issue with pretension disguised as a restaurant - that's what i felt this place was all about. granted - the food wasn't bad at all. i'm not a vegetarian but do like to explore all cuisines and i was impressed with the food. it was extremely overpriced tofu however.

the staff - we could have been invisible for the first half of the meal. the decor was just uninviting and cold. ethan hawke must love the place - he was there at the table next to us and i noticed he's been spotted by fellow yelpers in other posts about this place.

i don't know - doubt i'd go back - maybe i was just in a bad mood - i've had better for less in the city with a welcoming staff and feeling throughout.

foodie finds :: natsumi

natsumi
226 w 50th street
new york, ny 10019

wow - blown away - thought the prices were only high because of location but worth the quick pop in on the way to the theatre. very cool decor - many varieties to chose from: saki and fish. give it a try.

foodie finds :: basera indian bistro

basera indian bistro
745 9th avenue
new york, ny 10019

this is the newest location of this restaurant. i noticed it was opening a few weeks ago and decided to try it out. it was well worth it. i had the lamb-stuffed naan, mango chutney, and chicken saag with a large taj mahal beer. all were excellent. it's just around the block and they deliver - it's for sure going to be one of my staples from now on.

foodie finds :: yum yum bangkok

yum yum bangkok
650 9th avenue
new york, ny 10036

had lunch here today - have to say - not bad. i had their summer roll - very fresh - very light - perfect appetizer - the fried dumplings (not my choice but still very good) - and for the main course - their pho - very tasty - especially when i added the hot sauce. it's in my area - so i'm sure if i ever have a hankering - i'll pop on over and bathe in the pho goodness!

foodie finds :: empanada mama

empanada mama
763 9th avenue
new york, ny 10019

i just love hot pockets of goodness. empanada mama is exactly that - goodness in a deep-fried whole wheat package. um um good! you can't go wrong with these little guys - i've not had one i didn't like. they remind me of the little empanada stand that used to be outside of my apartment in buenos aires - but i digress. these little meat-filled pastries do pack a great punch for the buck - you can eat like a champ and not even break your wallet. they have dessert ones too - omg - elvis would have died for these - wait - he may have - they do have the peanut butter banana one! even better - they'll bring it to you so you don't even have to move (far - you have to answer the door) to have them any time!

foodie finds :: mee noodle shop at 9th avenue

mee noodle shop at 9th avenue
795 9th avenue
new york, ny 10019

i'm always on the never-ending search for good dirty chinese food. since i've moved into my new apartment in hell's kitchen - i have to admit - i've been cooking a lot more in my very nice new kitchen. however - the other day - i had a hankering for dirty chinese (a typical meal for me when i lived in brooklyn). i called up mees for some delivery.

since it was a new experience i stuck to the basics - general tso's chicken, steamed vegetable dumplings, hot and sour soup, and sesame wantons. in about 10 minutes - the doorbell rang and there it was - all this food in all it's glory (and cheap too - less than $25 for all that - and it served two of us).

i may have ordered things that weren't their specialty but what i had was pretty good and passable for good dirty chinese food. i was impressed with the sesame wantons which had a slight kick to them.

it'll definitely become one of my hell's kitchen stand-bys for when i don't have the urge to cook. a man is never alone when a dirty chinese delivery man is just a phone call away. um um goodness!

foodie finds :: caffe del mare

caffe del mare
89 macdougal st
new york, ny 10012

run run run away - run so fast and never look back. this place was so bad i never even made it to the food. picture it - sunday brunch - peak time for guests - maybe 45 tables in the place - 10 of which are occupied - 20 of which are piled high with dirty dishes - of the 10 tables occupied - only 2 have food on the table. you look to the back - every order just sitting on the bar begging to be taken to their rightful place. hungry sad patrons patiently wait for what - who knows - no one was working! i think the entire staff up and left in the middle of their brunch shift and just said the hell with everyone else. i counted exactly 3 employees in the place. before i had wasted too much more time - i high tailed it out of there for somewhere more promising.

foodie finds :: georgio's country grill

georgio's country grill
801 9th avenue
new york, ny 10019

you know - i'm not one for diners - this is kinda what this place is - but different. it's not a typical new york diner - something a little more personable with this place. i had a bison burger with onion rings. um um - it hit the spot. it's definitely a place i'll revisit.

foodie finds :: brgr

brgr
287 7th avenue
new york, ny 10001

i didn't hate it - didn't love it either. i decided to go the healthy route and got a turkey burger. i just felt it had little flavor really. it was paired with goat cheese and bacon (i mean how can you go wrong with both of those) but on the whole - nothing sang to me. i'll go back for sure - it wasn't bad - just wasn't over the top either.

foodie finds :: maroons

maroons
244 w 16th st.
new york, ny 10011

oh where to begin really? all around - this place is consistently a great spot for the not-so-healthy but definitely filling and satisfying heaping hunk of comfort food. well - comfort food for me - grits, collard greens, fried chicken - i mean - what can be bad about that?

southern soul food and caribbean food at it's best. i particularly am fond of the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer. the stuffed porkchop is to die for but it's enough food for 12 armies. the staff is always nice. the drinks are always fantastic. and the cornbread - oh my god the cornbread.

it's a jem - it's amazing - a slice of 'goodness' right in chelsea.

foodie finds :: hell's kitchen

hell's kitchen
679 9th avenue
new york, ny 1003

i'm torn. based on last night and last night alone - 4 stars is a stretch. it should be getting 3 in my opinion but i'll give it 4 by reputation. i'll break it down:

1. service: this is a key thing for a great dining experience. we arrive - hostess says 45 minutes for a table. my friend said 'totally worth the wait' - so we did - and popped over to another place for a drink while we waited it out. when we arrive back on the scene - hostess informs us that we are indeed the next to be seated and that they were cleaning off the table (as she points to it) and we'd be sitting shortly. we cried an internal 'yay!' at this news - and then - the hostess sat other people at that table - um, what? her response: 'oops, i'm sorry. you are totally next.' we grab seats a the bar - order drinks (as the bartender spills an entire pint glass of ice on me - i get another 'oops, sorry' from him - thank god it was just ice - that could have been messy) - 15 minutes later (on top of the hour we've already been waiting) - we finally sit. mind you - i would have left an hour and 15 minutes ago but my friend insisted we stick it out.

then - our waiter came. to call him a dumb-ass would be nice. this guy's head was anywhere but in the game on this night. slow - inattentive - forgetful - not good qualities to have in this job (or in any job really). my friend - still sticking to his guns - insists 'it's all worth it.'

2. food: i love's me some mexican food - so internally i was very excited. externally i was still a little miffed by the wait and the experience thus-far.

appetizers included duck confit empanadas with pineapple mole sauce, chorizo sopas, and seared tuna medallions with a chunky mango salsa. everything had heat, sweet, texture, and great flavor combinations and compliments. my personal favorite was the tuna but the empanadas were a close second - but all of them i could eat again.

for mains we sampled the halibut with yucca cakes, sweet plantain mash, and salsa verde; sea bass (it escapes my mind what it was covered with - let's just call it 'goodness') so that's sea bass covered in goodness; and a chicken quesadilla. again - very impressed with the flavor profiles and interesting combinations of sweet, savory, and heat. the sea bass was cooked perfectly while the 2 of us that got halibut had issues that it was overcooked and a bit dry (but the yucca cakes and sweet mash with the salsa - so good). the quesadilla was declared 'the best i've ever eaten' by my other friend - it was indeed tasty.

we passed on dessert as it was rounding 11:00. keep in mind - we started this dinner experience around 8:00. yes - that's right - 3 hours later we are paying. it took nearly 20 minutes to do that. evidently the hostess's birthday was going to require the entire staff to ignore the diners and serve cake and sing and all the things you'd expect for a birthday. while sweet for her - every single table in the place was left unattended to for another 15-20 minutes so they could have their party. my feelings is that it was so close to quitting time - the staff could have waited until after they had closed to do this. several tables were trying to flag down anyone to refill drinks - or in our case - just pay our check and go! the entire process to pay took just under a half an hour - um - is it hard to press print - i mean we were sitting right next to the computer?

maybe it was an off night. like i said - i would give them 3 stars (or less) from the service which spoiled my entire experience overall. but - the food did make up for a good deal of it (excluding the overcooked halibut). i live in the area so i'm sure i'll go back. maybe next time will be an 'on' night - and all will be right with the world.

foodie finds :: frank restaurant

frank restaurant
88 2nd avenue
new york city, ny 10079

fantastic food - reasonable prices - cash only so go to the atm before you get there. they say they aren't related to max over on avenue b but the similarities are uncanny. you be the judge. small and loud - yet cozy and intimate. pleasant staff and great wine.

foodie finds :: taboon

taboon
773 10th avenue
new york, ny 10019

unbelievable - some of the best food i've had in a while. the service was excellent and very accommodating. we unfortunately didn't have a reservation but was able to squeeze us in for a 45 minute window which meant we got our food fast and with plenty of attention. i had the halibut - fantastic - just the right amount of spice. i tried the lamb kebabs - oh wow! i'm not a fan of humus - but i'd bathe in theirs it's so good. their drinks and bread - fantastic additions to the meal. so glad i'm going to be moving a block away - i'll be eating there often - yummy to my tummy i can't wait to eat there again!

foodie finds :: zen palate

zen palate
34 union square
new york, ny 10003

ok so i don't get it...

you have a cafe - you have fine dining - but it's really the same menu just with an added charge and a $15 minimum - that's fine dining?

back when i first move to manhattan - i lived just a few blocks from this place and ate here often. it was cute. it was consistent. it didn't break the bank to eat here. it was very good vegetarian food with no attitude. in the warmer months - you could sit outside and enjoy a great meal and watch the people walk by.

i have returned a couple times in recent months to discover that they have 'upgraded' themselves. now - i may have never clued in on the fact that they had fine dining - it could have always been there - it could have just been added - but my experience this last time was less than desirable.

the hostess right away asked if we wanted cafe or fine dining - i was like 'how interesting' - we looked at the two menus and decided there wasn't that big of a difference and just said we'd take cafe service instead. we were then told there would be a 20 minute wait - but fine dining would be immediate seating. we declined and waited. at least 6 more parties came up and were given the same pitch. every party declined the fine dining option. am i missing something here? this was peak dinner time - and no one seemed to want fine dining from this place. i'm not even sure how it could possibly be economical of them to have the option if time and time again - people decline to take them up on the offer to go upstairs and eat.

am i crazy?

am i missing something?

when we finally were able to take a seat - the service was very slow. the food actually came out at 3 different times therefore throwing off the time it was taking for us all to collectively eat. if we were to wait - all of the food would have been cold (to recoup the timing issues the waiter gave us drink tickets - which i will no doubt lose - for the next time we dine - i wonder if it's for the cafe or for fine dining - he didn't say).

the food - still good - just feel like there's some kind of pretension has moved in and they are suddenly bigger than they appear to be. maybe i should try the fine dining option to see what the fuss is about - wait - no one fussed about it - that's right - it's a vegetarian cafe - nothing more - nothing less.

but hey - they must be doing something right - they continually get voted best vegetarian restaurant in new york - they have their awards table right there as you walk in to show off (just in case you were wondering).

foodie finds :: go sushi

go sushi
759 9th ave
new york, ny 10019

it is what it is - a run-of-the-mill sushi place. nothing fancy though their spicy shrimp tempura rolls are a nice twist. i've had much better but i've had much worse too - it's average - sometimes that's good enough.

foodie finds :: hooters

hooters
211 w 56th st.
new york, ny 10019

well if it weren't for the wings - there really wouldn't be a reason to go to this cheese-fest of a restaurant. but hey - if you need some slumming and a reason to prove your masculinity - then this is definitely the place to go. just beware of the fat tourists and lonely suit guys out looking for some 'action' - i feel like i have to shower after walking in this place - but man - they are good wings.

foodie finds :: boqueria

boqueria

53 w 19th st.
new york, ny 10011

what a find - what a treasure - what a gem - what an experience - what a blessing - finally - a new alternative to the usual digs in the chelsea/flatiron area! i can't even begin to tell you how much my mouth danced for joy over the foods i had this evening.

i wish i had had a heartier appetite as i wanted to sample everything on the menu. the lamb - melts in your mouth - the bacon wrapped almond stuffed dates - unbelievable - the wine and cheese selection - out of this world. the sangrias were a nice touch - 3 kinds to chose from - i got the good old classic red variety - um um good!

price - not too bad - under $100 for 2 of us including wine. the staff - very nice - very attractive - very knowledgeable of the menu and the features. the scene - kinda rockin' for a monday but not too over the top.

I walked out of there pretty full - very happy - an very very eager to go back again. since my usual spot for monday happy hour is splash (just around the corner on 17th and 6th) - it may become my monday tasting menu on a frequent basis.

yummy to the tummy good!

foodie finds :: pop burger

pop burger
60 9th ave
new york, ny 10011

eh - yeah - eh.

one word - dry. i'm not sure if it was just a slow day - a fresh factor - or what - but everything i had was void of moist. i'm not a huge fan of fries with texture - just give them to me as god made them - only fried with salt and mayonnaise on the side. next time i'll try the onion rings - if there is a next time.

not a lot of satisfaction for the hype. the decor was about the only thing going for it but trendy is as trendy does - if the food ain't good - i can go lots of places for a trendy atmosphere. it's hip but overrated.