Cheesy Gooey Goodness at Chelsea Market 12/02/2010
 What’s the best grilled cheese sandwich? A grilled cheese sandwich from a specialty cheese shop, of course. Lucy’s Whey, a hole-in-the-wall shop in Chelsea Market (15th & 9th ave) serves up plenty of specialty cheeses along with crackers, spreads and jams to accompany them. And though it’s not blatantly advertised, they have an awesome rotating selection of grilled cheese sandwiches. The most popular pick is the “Prairie Breeze” cheddar (from Milton Creamery in Iowa) with caramelized fig spread. A refreshingly friendly guy behind the counter pressed the sandwich on the spot. That being said, I can guarantee if I surrounded myself with cheese and jams all day I’d be 10x friendlier (and 20x rounder.) The sandwich was delicious. The Prairie Breeze was creamy and mild, melted together with the not-too-sweet fig spread, all encompassed by wonderfully crusty, chewy bread. It was the perfect balance of savory and sweet, gooey and crusty: everything you need in a grilled cheese sandwich. (And let’s keep this on the DL, but be sure to snag a free brownie sample at Fat Witch bakery on your way out. Yum.) 4 Comments Popover Café is Poppin’ 11/10/2010
 Hello again! It’s been a little while since my last post, but have no fear! I have since chowed down on some serious NYC grub…all for the sake of the blog, of course. So let’s get back in the groove with my favorite meal in the known universe: BRUNCH.
I’ve been excited to check out Popover Café (86th & Amsterdam Ave.) since I moved up here in the summer. I’ve heard some great things from friends about their flakey, eggy popovers and some not so great things about the line that forms on Sunday afternoons. So when my mother stopped into the city to have some girl time (yay) at the 79th street flea market, we made sure to get to brunch early. Adam also met up with us for the brunch portion of our day, because, as I say every weekend here in NYC, who can resist brunch?! No one. That’s who. So I Finally Went To Foodswings... 04/13/2010
 courtesy williamsburgnerd.com And it changed my life. Seriously. Thanks to about a zillion comments that went something like “You need to go to Foodswings, like, yesterday,” I made it my mission to hit up this vegan junk food Mecca this past Saturday. Tucked away on Grand St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (like it could be anywhere else), this tiny joint serves up everything from Sweet Southern Fried BBQ Drumsticks to Double Chili Dogs. And let me tell you, it’s as unbelievable as it sounds.
Here’s how it went down: It was 1am at Barcade, this ridiculous realized portmanteau of a bar and late 80’s arcade (think Ms. Pacman and Punch Out) in Brooklyn. We had been there for a few solid hours, drinking some beer and losing miserably at 25-cent games. Then, out of the depths of my salad-eating being, the craving emerged. The craving. You know the one: greasy, fried, slathered-in-sauce, down-n’-dirty, screw-the-calories gotta-have-it-now craving. And it was serious… Angelica Kitchen: Simply The Best. 03/07/2010
 Angelica Kitchen is, and has always been, my favorite vegan restaurant in the city. There’s something to be said about a place that guarantees all ingredients are local and most are served within 48 hours of harvest. The restaurant’s deep compassion for the environment and natural food are reflected in their wildly creative seasonal menus – from lime-roasted tempeh to barbequed seitan sandwiches, it’s always fun to check out their daily dishes. It’s also fun to bring a steak-lovin’, rib-suckin’, finger-lickin’ carnivore along for the ride...
GETE's Whiskey-Maple Sour Cream Apple Pie 02/24/2010
 Need I say more? Oh, I will anyway…
I happily revisited Good Enough To Eat last night, my go-to UWS spot for veg-friendly American home cookin’ (full restaurant review here). It was excellent weather for this sort of food – rain, plummeting temperature, overall yuckiness… a warm brioche roll, a filling entrée and excellent company seemed to be the cure-all. As anticipated, dinner was delicious, chitchat was delightful, and bizarre cow décor was in full effect … but the one regret I’ve always had when leaving GETE was being too darn stuffed for their homemade deserts. There they sat: sweet potato pie, strawberry shortcake, pear-walnut tart… quietly taunting me as I entered and exited the shop. I’ll get you next time! I’d vow through clenched teeth. Well, this time was “next time” and I came prepared. With a precious corner of foodspace reserved for a sweet treat, I raced to the dessert counter, pressed my nose against the glass and began to salivate… BREAKING NEWS: K! Pizzacone Opens In Midtown 02/22/2010
 photo by gothamist.com UPDATE 12/20/10: Yeah, it closed. I'm shocked. I'll shed a few tears later... It's pizza! It's a cone! It's Pizzacone! Squeezed into a narrow take-out shop on 5th between 32nd and 33rd, K! Pizzacone is open for business as of Monday the 22nd. With the whole portable pizza concept being wildly popular throughout Europe, owner Ingo Pinto figured it was time to take a bite out of the Big Apple… and then smother it in cheese and shove it in a cone.
You can check out a detailed review here on Serious Eats: Slice. Why won’t I be coning-it-up, you might ask? Starting at $4.90 a pop, this novelty (yes, novelty) snack is a bit too steep for Savvy. It also reminds me of the dreadful Hotpocket. Still, if I someday magically find myself in line for this crazy concoction, I wouldn't be entirely upset... (video after the jump) It's Good Enough To Eat 02/07/2010
 The Upper West Side likes to think it’s fancy-shmancy. Whether the food be sub-par or well worth the investment, it can be difficult for a budget-savvy New Yorker to find a memorable meal in one of the ritziest parts of town. Don’t get me wrong; some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the city reside on the UWS- from the outrageously priced Masa ($600 prix fixe, anyone?) to the now deceased Tavern on The Green (sorry, Sex and the City fans)- an optimistic exploration can easily turn into a disheartening schlep when the dollar signs are just too numerous.
Well schlep no more, hungry Upper West Siders! Savvy’s found a refreshingly unpretentious spot that won’t ruin you of all your riches: Good Enough to Eat, between 83rd and 84th on Amsterdam...  Yes, I realize the audacity of this statement. As a New Yorker, I’ve consumed my fair share of bagels- hard bagels, bland bagels, tiny bagels, pricey bagels…I assure you, it hasn’t been easy. My quest for a perfectly baked dough-ball has many a time lead to disappointment, rage and despair.
“Isn’t this place supposed to be bagel capital of the world?!” I would cry. It wasn’t till my 2nd year in the city that I discovered the Cave of Wonders that is Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Co... Toast Is Good 01/27/2010
 Sweet, smoky veggies with tangy goat cheese on a crunchy baguette… probably my favorite combo ever. A charcoal grill always brings out vegetables’ depth of flavor, while texturally, you get everything- smooth, creamy, crunchy… all served with a heaping side of fries. Well, at least that’s how it’s made at Toast on 125th and Broadway.
A self-proclaimed “truckstop gourmet” restaurant, Toast delivers homemade fare in a relaxed, super casual setting. And if you’re wary about trekking it up to Harlem, not to worry. There’s another more spacious spot 20 blocks down Broadway on 105th... I Can Has Cheezburger? 01/18/2010
 I devoured it too quickly to take a picture... Every so often, the carnivore in me craves a big ol’ tasty burger with a side of fries. Unfortunately, the whole ground-up-dead-cow thing isn’t as appealing as it once was, so I turn to veggie burgers as a solid alternative. Now, us veg-heads know that when we order our veggie burgers it’s always a big, embarrassingly healthy ordeal. Salad replaces fries, hummus instead of cheese, pita over a potato bun… can’t a girl get a respectable cheeseburger around here?! The answer, happily, is yes - at Lucky’s Famous Burgers in Hell’s Kitchen.
This “fast food” burger joint, positioned between 8th and 9th aves on 52nd, is a perfectly unpretentious spot that serves up made-to-order, honest food. Their menu lists the usual beef and turkey burgers, but it’s the savvy $6 Veggie Cheddar burger that caught my eye. Topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and served on a Martin’s potato roll, this is as close to normalcy as a vegetarian can get. My beef-eating boyfriend and I also split a side of crispy fries, which we dipped in their mysterious and very tasty “Lucky Sauce” (99% sure it’s barbeque sauce and mayo)... |
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