Honey Chicken & Pickles, buttermilk fried chicken, hot sours, clover honey – 15

Judging from the hoards of people waiting for a table outside of Jacob’s Pickles, you would think this is the only place to eat in the Upper West Side.

While that may not be true, it’s definitely my favorite place to eat up in that neck of the woods.

Who doesn’t love pickles, biscuits and fried chicken?? Insane people don’t. They like saltines. I’m guessing insane people are in treatment somewhere and not reading my blog, so let’s move on before I offend someone.

Jacob’s Pickles officially belongs in the “3 Club”. What is that, you ask?

I rarely visit a restaurant more than once. Twice, if the place is cheap and closeby. But if I eat somewhere three times, it’s a Christmas miracle. It basically means the place is AMAZING and that you should go there.

Now, if I had to separate any one ingredient, I’m not entire sure any would win any awards. Definitely not the best biscuit I’ve ever had and the fried chicken is covered under sauce and cheese, so who the hell knows. But together, these ingredients, this band of misfits (if you will) combine to create a mighty force.

There are many other things to order when you come here, but I have yet to stray from one of the biscuit sandwiches

509 Amsterdam Ave
New York, NY 10024
b/t 84th St & 85th St in Upper West Side
(212) 470-5566
jacobspickles.com

ALL PHOTOS TAKEN WITH AN iPHONE:

BLT Bloody Mary – $13

Pickle Brine Margarita – $13

Hot and Sour Cukes – $4

Deviled Eggs, chives, paprika – $9

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit Sandwich – $11

Southern Biscuit Sandwich – Mushroom Gravy Smothered Fried Chicken, 2 year aged Vermont Cheddar – $14

Fried Pickles – Spicy Red May – $9

Fried Chicken and Biscuit Pancakes – $15

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Caesar with Biscuit Crostinis – $16

Pizza Bagel

I tried looking up online the difference between a NY bagel and a Montreal bagel.

I read a lot of different variations, but it appears that Montreal bagels are smaller, boiled in honey/sugar water before being baked and the holes are slightly larger.

Black Seed makes (from what I can gather online) a hybrid of both kinds of bagels. Here’s what I’ve copied and pasted from an online interview with the co-owner Noah Bernamoff (a Montreal native):

“It’s basically a New York bagel dough, which means the combination of unbleached, unbromated high-gluten flour, water, malt, salt, sugar, vegetable oil and yeast with the addition of honey and pre-ferment (ie. old dough). That is then shaped and cooked in the Montreal style, which means shaped laboriously by hand, poached in a honey-water-filled kettle, heavily seeded on all sides and baked at a high temperature in a wood-burning oven.”

If you peruse Yelp, you’ll see a few whiners out there. Prices too high, bagels too small.

I’m always baffled when people bitch and moan about the price of stuff in NYC. Everything here is overpriced. I’m not going to fault a company for charging a bit more so they can make their exorbitant Soho rent on time.

The problem lies with the fact that you can find super cheap bagels around town. Whenever a restaurant opens that sells something normally found for very cheap (bagels, pizza, dumplings) people freak out and judge it much more harshly.

If that slice of pizza doesn’t change my entire life after the first bite, it’s the worst thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. All because the place had the nerve to charge $5 when I can get a $1 slice at the shithole near my apartment.

Black Seed (I’m assuming that refers to poppy?) seems to specialize in their very pretty beet-cured smoked salmon sandwiches but since smoked salmon isn’t my thing, I went for the 1 year anniversary special “Pizza Bagel”.

This thing was DELICIOUS! Plenty of gooey mozzarella, chunky tomato sauce and fresh basil. Made all the more perfect by my addition of pepperoni.

I came back another time and ordered the #13 (Egg, Cheddar and Ham) which was even tastier. Mind you, the thing is small in size but backs a flavorful punch.

Normally the lines at this place are pretty horrific (per more of my exhaustive online research) but they were fine when I showed up around 9ish on a Sunday. While the bagel wasn’t as ginormous as other places, I was actually glad I didn’t have pizza bagel belly after my meal.

For those uptown chicks who hollow out your bagel, Black Seed is the place for you.

And for those gluttonous foodies who need a bagel the size of an inner tube? Consider this place a wake up call. A reminder of just how small the human stomach is and this is all the bagel a human should need.

170 Elizabeth St
New York, NY 10012
b/t Spring St & Kenmare St
(212) 730-1950
blackseedbagels.com

Pizza Bagel

#13 – Baked Egg, Cheddar and Ham (on Everything bagel)

I think Cherche Midi is the hottest new brunch in NYC. (FYI, I wrote this month’s ago. Now, it’s someplace else).

Brought to you by the restaurant group that also runs Balthazar, Minetta Tavern and Pastis, Cherche Midi gives you ever thing you would expect from that caliber of restaurant.

First of all, it’s pretty gorgeous inside. Just like all of their restaurants. If you’re trying to impress someone, you can’t go wrong dining at any of them. Unless that person hates all things classy, vintage or French. And in case, do we really want to be friends with someone like that?

Second, the food is really tasty. It’s not lite fare, mind you. And there aren’t a lot of traditional breakfast options. It’s more like Steak Frites, Salad Nicoise and variations on Eggs Benedict. Get your yogurt and granola somewhere else.

The Prime Rib burger reminded me a lot of the famous burger at Minetta Tavern. Patty is enormous, juicy, simply seasoned. And who cares about the rest. This burger doesn’t screw around. Sure, it has lettuce, tomato and onion. But you’re not paying $24 for all that noise. You’re there for the beef.

Cocktails were delicate, subtle and containing heaps of mysterious ingredients. If you are able to recognize all the ingredients in your drink, that means you’re dining at TGI Fridays.

In conclusions, if you’re fairly hungry, in the mood for a little morning boozing or evening schmoozing in a lovely, elegant setting (maybe it’s someone’s birthday? Or maybe because it’s a Tuesday?) Cherche Midi is the place for you.

282 Bowery
New York, NY 10012
Nolita
(212) 226-3055
cherchemidiny.com

Chicken Liver Parfait mustard fruits, frisée, grilled bread $17

Prime Rib burger w. bacon marmalade, roasted mushrooms, aged Gruyère cheese and pommes frites $24

Steak Frites w. choice of Maitre D’ butter or Béarnaise sauce $29

Small Pizza – Half Pepperoni / Half Sausage

Totonno’s is a very popular Coney Island divey pizza shack. Parlor is too fancy a word for this place. I think Pizza Shack fits the bill perfectly.

Since Totonno’s is always on most “Best Pizzas in NYC” lists, you definitely will encounter a line outside. On a Sunday afternoon, around 1:30 pm PET (Prime Eatin’ Time) our wait just to get inside the front door was about 30 minutes.

Was it worth it?

Yes, I would say it was. Would I consider it in my personal Top Five Pizza’s in NYC list? No. Maybe the Top Ten.

I mean, I don’t have any particular complaints. The crust was perfectly cooked, not too soggy, not too burnt, not too thick. I enjoyed the toppings (pepperoni over the sausage) and loved the plethora of sauce (lack of sauce is a big pet peeve of mine).

But the flavor of the crust seemed a big lacking. I can’t put my finger on it. And it was a little dry. As far as Brooklyn pizzas go, Di Fara and Roberto’s have a much more superior crust.

If you’re in the Coney Island hood, I would say this is definitely a must try pizza. I’m not sure I would make a special trip for it, however. Best to save it for a post beach day indulgence. Or if you’re just dying to get stuck for a few hours on the rickety, old Cyclone roller coaster.

1524 Neptune Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11224
b/t 16th St & 15th St
Coney Island
(718) 372-8606

About a 30 minute wait.

Dok Anchan – Butterfly Pea Flower infused Rum & Kaffir Lime Daiquri
Naam Manao Puu Yai – Vodka, Lemon, Pink Peppercorn & Ginger

Uncle Boons is a spicy hipster Thai number in the East Village that is like being inside a swanky 70’s wood paneled basement garage sale. I’ve never been to a swanky garage sale before (I keep missing the Tori Spelling ones) but I imagine this is what it would be like. In Thailand. In the 1970’s.

Tonight, I dined with an old friend (emphasis on old) and it was great to catch up. The waitress danced awkwardly around our lengthy menu perusal but didn’t seem to know what to make of people who came more to actually hang out a bit. Instead of just eat and run. She wasn’t rude at all. In fact, she was too polite. But she assumed that us wanting to sit a while longer meant we needed constant attending to.

The drinks were trendy, tasty creations with strong Thai flavors. If you’re not in the mood to eat, you could do worse than to just come to the garage sale, I mean bar, and drown your sorrows.

But the food is really fantastic, too. Very spicy, vibrant flavors, quite memorable. If I were to come back, I would order exactly everything again.

Including the wonderful coconut ice cream sundae. Get that. I don’t care if you’re full. it’s lighter than you think. Split it with your dining companion, even if you think sharing ice cream is gross.

7 Spring St
New York, NY 10012
b/t Bowery & Elizabeth St
Nolita
uncleboons.com

Yum Mamoung – Green Mango Salad – avocado, crushed peanut, chile and lime – $14

Laab Neuh Gae – Spicy Chopped Lamb Salad with mint, pickled onion, cucumber, chilies and toasted rice powder – $16

Khao Soi Kaa Gai – Northern Style Golden Curry with Homemade egg noodles, chicken leg, pickled mustard greens and fresh turmeric – $21

Coconut Ice Cream Sundae

BEC Classic- Smoked Bacon / Sharp Cheddar / Signature Brioche Bun – $8.50

BEC takes a beloved bodega classic, the breakfast sandwich and gives it an upgrade. An overhaul, a nip and tuck. A little plastic surgery to make it more perty.

The question is, do we need fancy breakfast sandwiches?

“Yes!” I reply (to no one in particular). “Yes, we do” (All right, you caught me, I’m basically talking to myself).

The local bodega on my corner sells a perfectly delicious BEC for $3 bucks. I throw in a dollar as a tip. Already, I’ve spent less than half of the cheapest sandwich at BEC.

At BEC, I’m getting high quality ingredients and friendlier service.

At the local bodega, I’m getting mystery meat, government cheese and a flavorless roll. And probably a little attitude.

I think there is room for both institutions. I order the cheapo sammie when I just want to roll out of bed, shove greasy things in my mouth indiscriminately, and roll my fat ass right back.

When I’m feeling bright eyed and social (and maybe right after payday) I can splurge on one of the many creative and exotic breakfast creations that BEC has to offer.

148 8th Ave
New York, NY 10011
b/t 18th St & 17th St
Chelsea
(212) 633-8020
http://www.becnyc.com/

Mammoth – Eggs / Pork sausage / Smoked bacon / Pepper jack / Caramelized onions / Pickled jalapeños / Tomato compote / Ciabatta roll – $11.50

We showed up to the Dutch for lunch on Memorial Day, during their annual Luau. The Hawaiian themed décor was at a minimum but they did offer a few Tiki themed cocktails, a few Hawaiian dishes (including Poke, Spam Musubi and Kalua Pig) but the best part was the Cornhole game set up in front of the building.

As we sat at the open window areas, drinking our Zombie (tasty) and Coconut Daiquri (even tastier), we watched as most passersby glanced unknowingly at the traditional Midwest lawn game where you try to toss bean bags into a hole in a raised platform.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the food. The Poke was kind of pointless. It was on the pricier side ($18), wasn’t very flavorful and a small portion.

The Kalua Pig came as a school lunch tray filled with goodies but the macaroni salad could have used more of a vinegar or zesty bite and the shredded pork was a bit dry.

The Fried Chicken and honey biscuits, however, were heavenly! Not one single complaint. I loved the seasoning salt covering every inch of the moist chicken and I could eat those biscuits on a daily basis.

Service was friendly but perhaps a bit on the slow side considering the place wasn’t very full. We only tried the Tiki cocktails but those were quite nice.

I would say The Dutch is perfect if you’re in the area and want good drinks and fried chicken but probably no need to seek out the rather placid and benign “Luau”.

I think a Luau thrown at the old folks home my mother used to work at, might offer a bit more lively atmosphere.

Coconut Daiquri & Zombie

Hawaiian Rolls

Hawaiian Tuna Poke, Soy, Seaweed, Fresh Wasabi

HOT FRIED CHICKEN, HONEY BUTTER BISCUITS, SLAW…………………….24

Kalua Pig, Mac Salad, Lomi Tomato

The West Village is chock full of cute little cafes and bistros, in which you can overpay for a few eggs and a cappuccino to your heart’s delight.

Much of the charm of these eateries comes from the historic buildings they are housed in and the interiors of reclaimed wood and antique ceilings. They’re all impossibly cute. Yet, hard to distinguish one from the other.

Having visited quite a few of these places by now, I can safely say that Café Cluny charges about $2-3 bucks more than some of the nearby alternatives.

$19 for a breakfast sandwich is just a tad too much $. Even though it was delicious. Easily something I could have made at home.

It’s larger inside than it appears from the outside, so the wait for a table shouldn’t be long. Located on West 4th, this would be a great place to take out-of-towners for a meal and then a stroll along a charming traditional Greenwich Village setting.

284 W 12th St
New York, NY 10014
b/t 4th St & 8th Ave
West Village
(212) 255-6900
cafecluny.com

Organic Three Egg Omelette with herbs, ham and gruyere 15

Breakfast Club Sandwich 17
Fried Egg, Bacon, Tomato, Avocado, Spicy Mayonnaise

Breakfast Club

Roasted Rack of Lamb, Jalapeño Pea Purée, Mint Crumbs

Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the world’s most famous chefs (this quote is directly stolen from his website) with 11 restaurants in New York and others all over the world.

He runs an empire. ABC Kitchen being his most popular spot. A foodie rarely visits NYC without dining in at least one of his establishments.

Today we enjoyed an incredible birthday tasting menu at his eponymous ‘Jean Georges’ next to Central Park. A beautiful meal at a beautiful restaurant in a beautiful part of town.

I’m not counting the crazy bird ladies, swarms of tourists or the leering hot dog vendors. Those folks, not so beautiful.

The first thing we noticed upon walking up to the restaurant’s entrance were three bumbling pre-teen boys frantically tucking their shirts into their nice slacks. Were they on their way to church?

No, they were on their way into Jean Georges for lunch!

My mind began to boggle, trying to figure out their story. First, why would they come to an uber fancy restaurant without their parents making them?? Wouldn’t they rather fill their gross bellies with Taco Bell?

Second, where did they get the money? They seemed so well-behaved the entire meal, which led me to believe they all had Benjamin Buttons disease. Or the less plausible: they were rich kids.

Jean Georges once offered a famously affordable lunch pre-fix menu of two courses for $28 and some change. Those days are over. That deal is now $48, not so fabulous anymore.

Which led us to the decision to throw caution (and the contents of our wallets) to the wind and get the $158 6 course Tasting Menu.

A very wise decision.

Instead of getting wine pairings, we sipped delicious cocktails. Almost as many drinks as there were courses. You could say we basically opted for Booze Pairings, which one would think might lead to disastrous results. Vomit and Caviar seldom go together.

Here are some highlights:

The Warm Potatoes with Caviar was a fantastic start. The caviar (which I usually don’t enjoy) added just the right amount of salt and brine to the potatoes, a great pair.

The Morel cream sauce atop of the asparagus was orgasmic. Seriously, incredible.

The fish was perfectly cooked but the star of the show was the Lamb covered in jalapeno pea puree and mint bread crumbs. It was SO good!

Since Rhubarb was in season, we were given a dessert sampler containing said ingredient. All were quite tasty, but the soufflé stood out as the best.

The meal ended with mignardises (tiny, pretentious nibbles) and homemade marshmallows.

The sugar rush ended up nicely balancing out our buzz, so we wandered over to Central Park after our meal to lay on the grass and dry out, I mean people watch.

A truly memorable and enjoyable meal. Thanks, S!

1 Central Park W
New York, NY 10023
Upper West Side
(212) 299-3900
jean-georges.com

THE MANHATTAN –
Mckenzie Estate Rye, Punt e Mes Vermouth, Brandied Cherries – $20

Amuse Bouches

Amuse Bouche – Salmon on Crispy Rice

Warm Glazed Potatoes with Caviar, Tapioca and Herbs

Warm Glazed Potatoes with Caviar, Tapioca and Herbs

Vodka Thyme Lemonade – $18

THAI RICKEY –
Myers’s Rum, Ginger, Kaffir Lime, Thai Chili – $18

Madai Sashimi, Muscat Grapes, Buttermilk Emulsion and Herbs

Madai Sashimi, Muscat Grapes, Buttermilk Emulsion and Herbs

Green Asparagus with Morels, Asparagus Jus

Slowly Cooked Hake, Summer Lettuce Puree, Herbal-Lime Vinaigrette

Slowly Cooked Hake, Summer Lettuce Puree, Herbal-Lime Vinaigrette

Roasted Rack of Lamb, Jalapeño Pea Purée, Mint Crumbs

Rhubarb Dessert Tasting

Rhubarb Soufflé

Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows

Mignardises