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Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Sushi
Favorite Dish(es): Sushi Omakase (Chef’s choice), Sesame Torte

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Only found this place looking for a local spot to take my parents. I’ve never really even considered having sushi in Brooklyn (aside from Blue Ribbon) since there’s just so many options in Manhattan, but I’m really glad we tried this spot out. It’s not the best or most creative – it’s just super solid. And for sushi in Williamsburg, that goes a long way. Pristine museum white interior decor with comfy banquette seating and super attentive and professional waitstaff. Definitely a scene on the weekends, with a bar area in front. A fancy but not uber-chic spot to impress the fam or a date.

Sashimi Omakase. Sushi was better. Some good stuff, some standard. Fresh and clean.

Sukiyaki Terrine. Funky french-inspired remix of the classic hotpot dish.

some kind of salty balls app. definitely did not need to order this.

golden sesame torte with black sesame ice cream. best dessert i've had at a sushi spot. could eat the whole cake.

white everywhere, kind of kubrick meets MOMA.

County Line BBQ
Huge Flintstones-sized portions. Country style dining with a lazy stream running in the back.

Ironworks BBQ
Smoky brisket. Fast cafeteria style BBQ on the edge of downtown Austin. Not tremendously memorable compared to the others but conveniently located for a quick BBQ fix.

Chuy’s
The definition of Tex Mex. Fresh unlimited nacho station. Good drinks and special sauces. More of a tourist spot then a “food find”, but definitely a solid meal.

Curra’s Grill
Amazing homestyle Mexican food. Super flavorful, cooked with love. Had my first ever Avocado frozen margarita, a totally unique experience.

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: French (cafe/bistro)
Favorite Dish(es): Croque Monsieur, Merguez Baguette

Lazy Sunday summertime brunches have never been better than this. Start with a strong iced espresso to jolt your hungover brain back into action, and then fill your belly with an awesome French breakfast sandwich. Take your pick, they’re all damn good. The Croque Monsieur is a toasty ham and cheese with perfectly melted Gruyere cheese on top and the Merguez is a spicy lamb sausage recipe borrowed from the Berbers (ref?) that has a decent kick. Either will help soak up last night’s booze while you pine away about how nice it would be to be in Paris right about now…

Merguez. Baaaa!

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Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Chinese, BBQ
Favorite Dish(es): BBQ Ribs, Crystal Shrimp Dumplings

Nancy’s Pig Heaven gets its name from specializing in pork dishes, and their menu is even broken down by whether the dishes have pork or not (Hot Pig, Hot No Pig). Their trademark pig dish is their BBQ Ribs. These aren’t American style ribs by any means (see Dinosaur BBQ), but rather a Chinese version marinated in various Asian spices and slow-cooked with a super sticky and sweet deep red glaze. You might see these on the menu at a typical Chinese takeout place, but it’s highly unlikely that theirs will be nearly as moist or flavorful as these. If you fancy sweet meats, this is the spot for sweet, sticky, and succulent ribs. Beyond the ribs, the menu is fairly comprehensive with a good variety of familiar Chinese restaurant dishes (mostly sauteed and not deep-fried), including an assortment of dim sum favorites. The interior is very clean and more upscale than your average sit-down Chinese restaurant, with a funky little pig shrine area and a Chinatown-style decorated open kitchen with BBQ’d meats hanging in the window. They’ve got great service, with attentive and friendly waitstaff (instead of the usual grumbly downtown attitude). Nancy’s truly is a little slice of Chinatown on the Upper East Side, the only drawback being the Upper East Side prices. If this is where pigs go to heaven, make sure they stop by your stomach on the way.

Sorry, no pics this time…!

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Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Southern
Favorite Dish(es): House Smoked Spare Ribs ($22), Jalapeno Cornbread

Char is a nice looking place – the kind you bring a date or your in-laws to. It’s not exactly super fancy, but there’s definitely good food to be found here. It’s themed around whiskey, with a decent selection of some typical 18 yr olds and some small batches. The food is all smoked and meant to be paired with whiskey. Ribs are the popular dish here, and are definitely worth trying. Don’t expect true Southern BBQ style though, as these ribs are super smoked and slathered with a gravy sauce. Still, very tasty.

quite possibly the best jalapeno cornbread i've ever had. so good that this one was ordered extra to take home.

not the most tender ribs, but super tasty, great smoky flavor, and good seasoning

typical chicken over greens dish, but extra smoky, with bacon-y bits on top

i'm a whiskey guy, but more of a "neat+water on side" than on the rocks. but this place, does rocks proper. nice snifters also.

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Take Out (truck)
Cuisine: American, Ice Cream, Dessert, Coffee
Favorite Dish(es): Ginger $6

This is one ice cream truck that doesn’t need a jingle. Labeling themselves as purveyors of artisan hand-crafted ice cream, the Van Leeuwen truck whips up small batches of a select list of simple gourmet flavors from Peppermint and Chip, to a bit more less traditional ingredients such as Red Currant and Gianduja, chocolate with hazelnut and almond paste. Their ice cream is luscious and creamy, softer than a hard ice cream but much thicker than a gelato. The flavors are clean, delicate, and not overbearing, so it’s easy to eat a lot. It’s definitely on the sweet and smooth side, and one of the best consistencies that I’ve found in NYC. Some of the best food in a city is often found in its street food, so don’t be surprised when there are huge lines waiting for food from a truck, and in the summertime, this yellow cream-mobile gets quite popular.

They have two trucks which can often be found at 22nd & 6th ave, and 15th & 5th ave, but they are often on the move, so you can keep track of their whereabouts on their Twitter feed. Sometimes they even carry coffee and pastries at the truck, so keep a lookout on the way to work. Scoops are available at select locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, and pints are now available at various places including Whole Foods. Check out their nifty site for more information on their craft. Bring a friend, and don’t feel bad about asking for an extra spoon – they even use sustainable, biodegradable dishware.

Keep an eye out for this yellow vehicle and you're in for a treat.

You get just what it says. Ginger. Sweet, lovely ginger.

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Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: American, Pizza
Favorite Dish(es): The Beast Master ($17)

For our anniversary we wanted to go somewhere low-key and unpretentious, instead of doing a fancy reservation-only spot. Upon recommendation from my friend (and new daddy) David, a true man about the town, we trekked over to the far industrial reaches of Bushwick for Roberta’s Pizza. This is no ordinary New York brick-oven pizza joint by any means (go to Lombardi’s, John’s or Grimaldi’s for that). Their ingredients are unconventional, super fresh, and many are grown right on the premises in their cool little DIY greenhouse out back. The service is better than top notch – you’re bound to learn a thing or two. Roberta’s is a really special place – almost magical if you will. You should make sure to add to your must-go list.

Let’s get right down to the pizza. The crust is simply amazing. It’s super light and crispy on the outside with big bubbles (for those who love them), and chewy and tender on the inside. It almost has the consistency of a super light naan (the Indian tandoori-oven baked bread). The ingredients are right on par with the crust in their quality, using really fresh mozzarella and just the right amount of ripe tomato sauce. Their toppings are the real star. The “Specken Wolf”, one of their trademark pizzas, features Speck, a salty, smoky ham originating from Austria and Italy, sliced super thin and accompanied by mushrooms, oregano, onions, and mozzarella. The “Beastmaster”, our favorite, is a monster of a pizza combining seven toppings: tomato, mozzarella, gorgonzola, capers, onions, Berkshire pork sausage, and jalapenos. It’s a flavor rollercoaster ride of salty, savory, sour, and sweet that puts any “Supreme” pizza to shame. The other pizzas also have a good combination of toppings, and we’re definitely aiming to try each and every one.

Shpecken ze Wolfen?

You can't Master this Beast at the Hut.

It’s also worth mentioning that we started off with a homemade pasta dish that we shared as an appetizer. “Orechiette (little ear-shaped pasta) with braised oxtail and parmagiano”. It had good flavor and was seasoned well, but the portion was a bit on the tiny size, even for one person, so it’s definitely only fit as an appetizer. In retrospect we could have done without the pasta and just ordered more pizza – which we ended up doing in the middle of the meal. We split 3 pizzas between the two of us, with 2 slices left over for a midnight snack.

Roberta’s is more than just a pizza spot, with a warm inviting ambiance, and plenty of areas to lounge. The interior is super low-brow, decorated in a homey way with a hodge-podge of random trinkets and little bits of artwork. There’s a decent size bar area for people waiting for takeout orders. The backyard is a special spot, with a cozy fireplace with another bar that serves warm mulled (spiced wine) during cold weather. There’s even a small local internet radio station that shares part of the patio, and the greenhouse is built directly on top of their room, that you can walk up to and check out. Roberta’s is like a Romper Room for big kids to hang out at for hours on end. Brooklynites in the area should consider themselves truly lucky.

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Sylvia’s
328 Lenox Ave (btwn 126th & 127th)
(212) 996-0660

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: American, Soul Food, Southern
Favorite Dish(es): Fried Chicken with Mac & Cheese, Collared Greens ($13.95)

When New Yorkers talk about “soul food”, they always mention Sylvia’s in Harlem. It’s somewhat of a historical landmark, having served homestyle Southern cooking for over 40 years. Upon entering the original diner-style section of the restaurant (the middle building), you’re instantly blasted back to 1962, when Sylvia Woods first opened the spot with her husband Herbert. Since then, Sylvia’s has become a pillar of the community as evident by all the pictures on the wall of Sylvia and her family with almost every celebrity and famous African-American person to date, including, most recently, President Obama. There’s a very good reason why Sylvia Woods has been nicknamed the “Queen of Soul Food”. The food is just plain good.

Warm, sweet and corny cornbread with crispy crust

Southern fried white meat chicken (breast+wing), garlic mashed potatoes, mac and cheese

Fried Chicken and Ribs combo, collared greens

For our first visit, we ordered some of the most typical and traditional fare that came to mind when thinking of “soul food”. Entrees: Fried Chicken and Ribs.Sides: Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Collared Greens, Mac & Cheese, Blackeyed Peas. There are plenty of other traditional Southern dishes on the menu as well, such as Smothered Chicken, Catfish two ways (fried or grilled), and the infamous Fried Chicken and Waffles combo, as well as daily specials. We were told by our friendly server, Jesse, to try the BBQ Salmon and Beef Short Ribs next time, whose advice we will surely take to heart (and stomach).

The food came out lightning fast, giving us barely enough time to sample the sweet, crispy, warm cornbread with butter served while we waited. The cornbread was so good I took the last piece home in a napkin. To give a proper assessment of all the food, here is the breakdown:

Fried Chicken:

Crust – Very crispy skin and great flavor. Not very crusty. Very light on the batter.

Meat – HUGE, supersized chicken. The biggest pieces we’ve ever seen. Choose between white meat (breast+wing) or dark meat (leg+thigh). Super moist and tender, the actual meat was not very seasoned but still flavorful. Tastes like fried chicken.

Ribs:

Sauce – Red, sweet and sour, tangy, sticky and translucent, like the red Chinese sweet&sour sauce. Very sassy. Lemon slices and vinegar pack a punch.

Meat – Big, succulent, moist slabs of pork that come off the bone very easily. Some good caramelized bark on the ends. Very juicy and well-marinated, and very different from Texan smoky ribs (a la Dinosaur BBQ).

Sides:

Garlic Mashed Potatoes – so creamy, buttery, and garlicky that one bite will keep vampires away for weeks.

Baked Mac & Cheese – emphasis on the “baked”, my favorite. super cheesy, with the right ratio of cheese and grease. macaroni cooked perfectly.

Collared Greens – a Southern food staple, flavored with tasty bits of turkey ham.

Blackeyed Peas – really tasty, especially for beans, prepared in a flavorful stock.

Conclusion:
This place is truly something special. To be honest, it wasn’t the best food we’ve ever had in our lives (For us, Good’N'Plenty in Pennsylvania still wins for best fried chicken, and you just can’t beat Texas ribs). BUT, it WAS really good, authentic, down-home, soul-nourishing food in generous portions and prepared with care. You can tell that Sylvia’s recipes have been perfected over the years, without skimping on any ingredients or shortcuts of any kind. This is food with character, made from the heart. Beyond the food, the service is top-notch, adding extra warmth to the experience. It could be because we came offpeak before the dinner time rush on a Friday at 5 PM, but we’re pretty sure that the management likes to keep the vibe very family-style. The waitstaff are attentive, laidback and honest, and the manager even stopped by every table to welcome each guest. That and the fact that the food is priced very reasonably ($14 average an entree), makes Sylvia’s a rare treat in NYC. We’re looking forward to filling up on more soul food during the upcoming winter months, and any time we have a hankering for some fried chicken.

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Sushi of Gari
402 E 78th St, between 1st and York Aves
(212) 517-5340

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
Favorite Dish(es): Omakase, also called “Gari’s Choice” ($$$$)

If you love sushi, you must try the chef’s special “Omakase”. If you’re not sure about sushi but you’re adventurous, you’re in for one of the best Japanese experiences you’ll ever find in NYC. Sushi of Gari is about serving contemporary Japanese creations with fresh, quality fish. The UES location is small and semi-upscale, and the waitresses are attentive, gracious, and very polite. Reservations are a must.

Now, on to the food.
Even though I love sushi, I’m pretty limited to salmon and any white fish. I don’t like tuna because it tastes too iron-y and everything else is too “fishy”. Now having said that, I was able to eat every single piece of sushi they brought out (all 12) and loved all but two. Each piece is specially prepared to bring out their best flavors and mask the negatives (such as fishiness or mushiness). Whether it be pairing the fish with a sauce, adding different textures with vegetables, or cooking it to add firmness- it’s obvious that each one is thought out and intentionally choreographed. Case in point, the seared rock cod had a fantastic smoky flavor, which if served unprepared is just another white fish. The yellowtail is just another white fish, but paired with the jalapeno sauce is crunchy, spicy and one of my top 3 favorites. Remember I mentioned earlier strongly disliking tuna? The seared tuna with shredded onions and crispy garlic is truly the best tuna I’ve ever had. I still don’t like tuna in general, but I’ll gladly eat it here.

Let me toss in my least favorite of the group, so we don’t end on a bad note. The raw sweet shrimp with bell peppers. It’s not their fault. It’s the shrimp’s fault. The crunch of the peppers just wasn’t enough. They’re just so gooey. Slimy. And sea-y…

Moving on.

Now my ultimate favorite was the salmon with tomato and minced onion. I love salmon- so what can go wrong with this combo? It’s melt-in-your mouth goodness. Reminiscent of the toppings on a lox bagel, even moreso because there was a dollop of cream cheese under the tomato. *shiver* (I’m re-living the moment as I type wondering what special occasion I can think up to have Justineateat take me here again…)

After 3 courses, surprisingly full from fish, we had just enough room to be tempted with their fried red bean ice cream. I’ve had bad experiences with fried ice cream (being served goopy and melting) so I was hesitant to order it, but THIS was really yum. All in all, would definitely recommend this place for a special occasion.

cool gari logo

"omakase" is the chef's choice

pickled burdock root appetizer. crunchy.

And onto the Sushi Porn…

Round 1

Round 1 begins..

seared salmon. like a lox bagel.

seared rock cod, very smoky and tasty.

whiting with a little salad and crispy lotus root on top. pretty but pointless.

fatty tuna (toro) with grated radish. so rich and buttery.

Round 2

Round 2 has some interesting pieces.

seared mackerel. very fishy and oily in a good way.

poached alaskan king crab with a generous dollop of wasabi hidden underneath.

spicy jalapeno sauce on yellowtail. one of our favorites. the combo works so well.

tofu-based cream on tuna

excellent up until this point when we got a fish flake from the mackerel.

Round 3

Final Round. Getting full on fish.

Shredded onion and crispy garlic on some seared tuna

tomato and minced onion on salmon. so good. our #1 pick.

pepper slaw (possibly with celery) on sweet shrimp. her least favorite.

mushroom pate concoction on a seared bluefish. not our favorite.

And Something Sweet.

fried red bean ice cream w strawberry sauce. so good and served un-melted. perfection!

green tea to cap it off and cleanse the palate. what a meal. gari's logo in the middle of the sumo cup!

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Cafe Du Soleil
2723 Broadway, at 104th St
(212) 316-5000

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit-Down
Cuisine: French
Favorite Dish(es): Moules De Bruxelles (dinner $17.95) – steamed mussels, beer and shallots; Veal Sausage (Brunch); Pommes Frites a L’Ail (side $2.95) – garlic french fries

Nice Parisian style cafe perfect for weekend brunches with friends and family. They open their doors to the outdoor seating patio during spring and summer when the NYC weather is nice and warm. Basically all the dishes are semi-fancy with good, garlic and herby flavors. They have, in my opinion, THE yummiest garlic fries in authentic European style- thin, crispy & lightly seasoned. Try their steamed moules frites cooked in beer or white wine. Both excellent. They have great weekly specials including 1/2 price wine night and Steak Night for $12.95. Check out their website for details!

*Update 10/13/09: Added New Pics!*

Moules Frites - Mussels with French Fries

Garlic french fries. Arguably the best fries in NYC.

A very nice rainbow trout, prepared however you like it.

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