Bacon Caramel Toffee
Posted on | January 11, 2010 | 1 Comment
I recently received a box of Vosges’ Bacon Caramel Toffee as a gift from a foodie friend. Basically I think that any flavor can be enhanced by bacon & desserts/chocolate/toffee is no exception! The toffee & chocolate are both delicious, but it’s the addition of Nueske‘s Applewood Smoked Bacon that puts these tasty little treats over the top. Not too sweet, but with a smoky bacon flavor & Alderwood smoked salt. $12 gets you a 4oz. box of sweet porky goodness. Not exactly the cheapest treat, but if you’re into bacon & chocolate, I suggest you give it a try.
Luke’s Lobster
Posted on | January 9, 2010 | 6 Comments
Blink & you’ll miss this little whole in the wall. Luke’s Lobster (93 East 7th Street @1st Avenue) is nestled in-between the two Caracas Arepas restaurants on the north side of the street. They’ve been getting a lot of press (word of mouth, the blogosphere, the trail of lobster shells leading down 7th Street) lately & I’ve passed the place hundreds of times, but it wasn’t until I saw the Lobster Bisque sign outside that I decided I just had to stop in. It’s a small space, with a u-shaped bar to eat at & about 8 or so stools. Anyways, my brother & I popped in there in the early evening. The place was empty, so we took our time to look through the menu.
I already knew that I was getting the bisque, so that was a moot point. Now I’ve made bisque for my dinner club (Thursday Club NYC), but I’ve never had anything quite like this. The bisque was so rich & flavorful & packed to the gills with morsels of lobster meat. The oyster crackers provided a nice little crunch as well. I was totally blown away by this soup. I ordered a small ($7.50 for 12 oz. & worth every penny) but I can see a lot more of this soup in my immediate future (the $9 16 oz.)!
Stefan ordered the Shrimp & Corn Chowder ($5.50, 12 oz.) which was not as rich or thick as my bisque, but no less tasty. Stefan also got the Regular sized crab roll as part of his ‘Seafood Schooner’ meal; $11 included a full crab roll, pickle, chips & drink. He ended up putting a bit of mayo & some of Luke’s ‘secret seasoning’ (from a really awesome lobster claw shaker) on his roll for added flavor. I tried it & thought it was very good. The crab was obviously very fresh & you could tell with every bite.
Rather foolishly, I opted for the small Lobster Roll. It’s roughly half the size of the regular roll & goes for $8. This thing had barely hit the paper plate before it was down my piehole. (I’m getting the regular next time, or maybe just the Lobster Schooner). The roll was incredibly tasty & I loved the fact that it was mainly meat from the claw which I always find to be sweeter & more tasty. The roll was ‘uncluttered’ by mayo & other condiments, but I feel like a schmuck for getting the small.
The guys at Luke’s obviously believe in their seafood & let it speak for itself. The only thing missing was a beer or 3 (we drank Maine Root drinks. I had orange, Stefan had blueberry) to wash down the delicious seafood. I was able to sign the petition for a liquor license that they have by the cash register. Not sure when their date with Community Board 3 is, but rest assured that I have my fingers crossed. Good seafood, good times. I plan on trying the Haddock Chowder next. Maybe tomorrow for lunch?
Update: I’ve been coming back here quite often & recently tried the Empress Crab Claws. Served simply with sauce, these were really good an a bargain at 4 for $5.
Broadway Panhandler
Posted on | January 8, 2010 | 1 Comment
Broadway Panhandler (65 East 8th Street @ Broadway) is pretty much a home cooks wet dream. I like to think of it as a cross between Crate & Barrel & the restaurant supply stores along the Bowery. You can find pretty much everything you need here. I particularly like the knife department in the back of the store; the staff in this section are extremely knowledgeable & give really good advice/tips on knives & their proper use & care. The store can get a bit crowded though (I went a few days before Christmas & could hardly move in the place) & the narrow, maze-like, aisles really don’t help.
The staff are friendly & the prices are not bad at all. Sure you could find many of these items cheaper online (or possibly on Bowery), but for shopping done all under one roof, Broadway Panhandler is pretty darn good!
Ray’s Candy might be closing…
Posted on | January 7, 2010 | 1 Comment
Sad news from the East Village today. The rumor mill is in full effect with speculation that 36 year old Ray’s Candy Store (113 Avenue A @ 7th Street) is 2 months behind on rent & the landlord (through their goon/agent) is threatening to padlock the doors as soon as tomorrow.
‘according to Ray at 10PM tonight the managing agent of his building–accompanied by her bodyguard– informed him that he has until Friday to pay the 2 months rent that he owes. The agent noted that the next time she comes to the store she will have a chain and padlocks to close the store.’
It would be really sad to lose this place! Rally the troops! Go there for waffles, fries or the new Phili (sic) Cheese Steak!
Via Neither More Nor Less & EaterNY
Update; Rent Still Not Paid.
Update; Paypal Account Set up for donations. (via EV Grieve)
Takahachi
Posted on | January 6, 2010 | 3 Comments
Takahachi (85 Avenue A @6th St.) is by far my favorite sushi restaurant in the East Village. My brother & I started going there back in 2002 when we first moved into the East Village & we still continue to eat there till this day (actually, as I type, my stomach is full of the dish you see to the right). The restaurant is large (but slightly cramped, particularly towards the entrance), the staff are attentive & best of all the food is excellent.
The chefs obviously know what they are doing & it really shows in the taste of the fish & the care taken in its presentation. I think that Takahachi has some of the freshest fish that I have had in New York. This is particularly surprising as this is a really casual restaurant & doesn’t necessarily aim for ‘upscale clientele’. It really has more of a neighborhood vibe. More often than not, I bump into someone I know from the neighborhood. College kids are right at home downing sake & beer next to a table of parents & toddlers.
Takahachi can fill up really quickly, so you’d do well to get there early or be prepared to wait. Today we arrived around 6:30, just before the end of the early specials (7pm) & before the rush. Sitting at the bar, we both ordered the Donburi Special; BBQ Chicken over rice, Yellowtail Sashimi w/Cucumber Salad & Ponzu Dressing and Deep Fried Sweet Shrimp. All for $11! I really enjoyed the yellowtail & the shrimp was pretty fun (maybe too much effort to extract such a small morsel). I liked the chicken, but a few of my pieces were a bit dry, but not all was lost. I washed my meal down with tea & house sake.
Takahachi is an excellent option for sushi in the EV. Get there early, grab a seat at the bar & check out the daily specials (20 or so dishes that change every day, ensuring that you get something new each time).
Kambi Ramen House
Posted on | January 5, 2010 | 1 Comment
I’m a really big fan of Minca on 5th street, so I was excited to check out their ‘sister-restaurant’ Kambi (351 14th Street at 1st Avenue). It’s pretty much the same as Minca, but much larger & with a more open feel. You have a bit more elbow room here, which is a plus. We arrived early, so had no problems snagging seats.
As usual, I got the Basic which is a pork & garlic broth with lovely, fatty roasted pork on top. There is also a selection of mushrooms, scallion & a delicious hard boiled, soy marinated egg. The broth is salty, but not overpowering. The garlic offers quite a kick, so it might not be the best choice if you’re on a date! Neither is the fact that you’re more than likely to leave covered in broth! Note; this is NOT a bad thing!
My buddy got one of the Spicy Ramen (not sure if it was the Basic or the Miso broth). I tried some, it was nice & spicy! Obviously, there are loads of choices for Ramen in the area, but I really recommend checking out Kambi. While you’re there, make sure to order the gyoza, they’re very good!
Further coverage on Kambi Ramen House
Pete’s Tavern
Posted on | December 22, 2009 | 1 Comment
I braved the snow earlier today to meet my father & brother at Pete’s Tavern (ignore the lack of snow in the photograph, this one’s from the summer), it’s a bit out of my usual stomping grounds, but what the heck.
Just from the exterior, you can tell that this place is old, a plaque by the door proudly states that Pete’s was established in 1864! The interior probably hasn’t changed much at all! A long bar with booths on the opposite wall lead to the dining area in the back (I’m pretty sure you can get food service up front too).
Well, let’s get to the meat & potatoes (literally), Pete’s Tavern is a place for burgers & fries. I got one, my Dad did as well, but my brother opted for the special of roasted chicken with fragrant rice; a choice that would end up biting him in the ass. The chicken arrived looking dry as an old shoe & we could immediately see that he was not happy with this selection. A few bites into his dish & he pretty much gave up. Luckily our waitress was on top of her game; she saw that he wasn’t enjoying his meal & offered him something else.
The burgers that we ordered were excellent. They were cooked medium rare just as we had ordered & you could see the care taken in making the burger & taste the diligence in the selection of meat. I was unimpressed with my fries (well, not blown away like with the burger anyway), but I liked the beer selection.
All in all, Pete’s Tavern is a great spot to grab a beer, burger & have a good time. I’ll be going back!
Pete’s Tavern: 129 East 18th Street at 4th Avenue
La Lucha
Posted on | December 22, 2009 | 2 Comments
I had a chance to check out La Lucha (147 Avenue A) last month (a few days after it had opened) with two friends who had heard about it on Urban Daddy. I was really excited to finally have another viable Mexican option on Avenue A besides Benny’s Burritos & San Loco.
The first thing that smacks you in the face is the decor! Bright colors & vibrant pinks, the place is literally covered in Lucha Libre (Mexican ‘Free Wrestling) paraphernalia & wresting footage was being projected on the back wall. We got a table immediatly & were told that they didn’t have their liquir liscence as yet so we could go to the bodega next door & get a 6-pack (Bonus!).
We started with 2 orders of the grilled corn (this picture doesn’t do them justice, I had already cut them off the the stalk before I realized I hadn’t taken a picture). Topped with Mexican white cheese & served with a slice of lime, this was a really good start! If you’ve ever had the corn at Cafe Habana, then you’ll love this corn as well!
Next up was the Ham & Cheese Quesadilla which was simple, yet very affective. I have no idea what type of cheese they used, but it tasted awesome! It sort of reminded me of a Cuban pressed sandwich, minus the pickles & all that stuff. Really, Really nice!
Unfortunately, the other 3 dishes we ordered, I cannot remember what they were (we ate there about a month ago), but I can tell you that they were good! Another cool thing was that the bill came in a tiny ring & Luncha mask with some candy. All in all, I really enjoyed the meal. The service was good, the food tasted great & once La Lucha gets a liquor liscence (if they already haven’t), I can see myself spending a lot of time here!
