Frozen Sangria-ita – $12

There are only two things to say about El Centro.

First, they don’t serve dessert! The travesty!

Second, apparently this restaurant is the most popular place in Hells Kitchen on a Friday night. Take note, the wait to get a table will be long. Not sure why, maybe there are free BJ’s in the back?

And here’s a bonus third item to note: People go crazy over margaritas. Or was it, Margaritas make people crazy? I think both are true.

Even the worst Mexican restaurant imaginable will stay open, year after year, simply because they’re schlepping margaritas. The most reliable way to a guaranteed hangover.

Humans will endure the nastiest meal for even the worst, bottom shelf Margarita.

That being said, I believe El Centro is so popular because their food is NOT gross (a rarity for Mexican fare in NYC) and they’re margs are NOT 95% Sweet and Sour mix. I could detect actual lime juice!

The lime juice didn’t limit itself to the margs, but helped make the guacamole really stand out. A small serving is only $4 bucks, jump on it!

We only shared a few appetizers, but they both were quite tasty. After all, who wants to soak up all that headache juice with a big ‘ole buzz-kill of a feast??

824 9th Ave
New York, NY 10019
b/t 54th St & 55th St
Theater District, Hell’s Kitchen, Midtown West
(646) 763-6585
elcentro-nyc.com

Margarita de la casa

Frozen Coconut Margarita

Guacamole – $4

Roasted Chicken & Monterey Jack Quesadilla – $12

Roasted Chicken Empanadas w/ Jack cheese and mole sauce – $7

Due to the much heralded opening of The Edition Hotel’s new upscale British eatery, The Clocktower, I decided I had to check it out immediately. Twice.

The first time, we arrived at what I was sure would be a bustling brunch. It was brunch, all right. Just not bustling. Not a creature was stirring, in fact.

The brunch items seemed a bit dull. I wasn’t excited by any of them but everything we ordered was quite tasty, regardless.

The space is quite handsomely decorated, with dozens of framed photos and lots of dark wood. There really weren’t many people there for brunch, but the clientele at lunch consisted of pretty much nothing but conservative businessmen.

BRUNCH:

Breakfast Sausage

Eggs benedict 18

Almond Waffles with fresh berries

LUNCH:

The best part of our lunch was the fantastic IPA beer bread and butter. Holy crap, was that good!

Now, onto the famous fish and chips. The portion was adequate; the presentation, exquisite. They were good, however. Not great.

The fries seemed a bit mealy, and not as crispy as I would have hoped. They were shockingly hot to the touch, so that wasn’t a problem.

The fish was perfectly cooked, but the texture was a bit stringy, I prefer a more flakey halibut. But it was still nice. The coating was super thin, meaning the lemon and vinegar I squeezed on top ended up creating a bit of a sogginess issue. Not major, just a minor flaw.

The flavors were on point, and I did enjoy the minted mushy peas.

The lunch prices are definitely what one would expect for dinner, so be prepared. Probably why this is better suited for a business lunch, when whatisname is footing the bill.

5 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10010
b/t 24th St & 23rd St
Flatiron
(212) 413-4300
theclocktowernyc.com

Complimentary IPA Beer Bread

DILL OR NO DILL $16
beefeater gin, fresh dill, smashed cucumber,
lemon juice, elderflower syrup, smoked salt solution

Roasted king salmon, young leeks, potatoes,
oyster, cucumber and chive emulsion – $34

Fish and chips, mushy peas,
triple cooked chips, tartar sauce – $23

Complimentary Sweets (shortbread, peanut butter toffee, salted caramel toffees)

Having moved to NYC from LA, I’ve had my fair share of Mexican food. I’ve tried Puerto Rican, Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Guatemalan and even food from El Salvador.

But until today, I had never tasted Dominican food. Knowing there is a substantial Dominican population here, I knew I wanted to give it a shot.

I had been wandering around the Cloisters museum and knew that the Little Dominican Republic neighborhood in Washington Heights was nearby. Malecon is known as one of the top Dominican eateries, so I chose that as my first foray into the cuisine.

Looking over the menu, it appeared to be an exact replica of a menu from Puerto Rico. Mofongo’s aplenty (mounds of mashed yucca or plantains filled with meat or seafood) and tons of rice and seafood dishes.

I started with a pretty terrible empanada. I’ve had some pretty incredible empanadas in my time. And a few average ones. But never a terrible one. Until today. Yay! I guess. The thing was fried within an inch of it’s life, contained barely any filling and managed to be both dry and greasy.

The star of the show here is the rotisserie chicken. It’s AMAZING!! Sorry, I can’t think of any other creative words. For $6 bucks, you get a juicy and flavorful half chicken that will fulfill all your dirtiest chicken related fantasies.

The chicken will come with a tiny container of green hot sauce. You will want to conserve this and make sure each bite has a little bit of sauce. The chicken is wonderful without it, but even more wonderful with.

The very large side of fried sweet plantains was just that. Very large. Too large. Plantains are good for a bite or two. Then, they become too much.

The servers tend to only speak Spanish but as long as you have a finger, you can point at what you want on the menu. I know just enough Spanish to get by and Google Translate helped with “Can I take this mound of fried plantains that I really don’t want and should have never ordered, to go?”

4141 Broadway
New York, NY 10033
b/t 175th St & 176th St
Washington Heights
(212) 927-3812
maleconrestaurants.com

Empanada de Carnes – Meat Empanada – $1.50

Maduros – Fried Sweet Plantains – $4.50

Medio Pollo – Half Chicken, Malecon Style – $6.00

THE CLOISTERS MUSEUM

The Cloisters is a museum (part of the Met family) that focuses on Medieval art and it’s pretty freakin’ breathtaking. Instead of just a bunch of boring paintings hung on the wall, the Cloisters is a collection of recreated historic medieval interiors, each room is like walking into a different medieval church. (Say Medieval again). The museum also features some pretty cool and creepy statuary, especially who I can only assume is Jesus on the cross below. I can’t say for sure, as I am allergic to reading those information placards. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you’ve got some visiting Goth’s with ADD in town.

Extra Virgin is definitely one of my Top 10 restaurants in NYC. But not Top 5. Maybe 6 or 7. It’s really quite excellent.

What initially pulled me in, when Chesty Morgan flew in from LA and treated for dinner, was the outdoor seating. Perfectly situated out front are 8 adorable little wooden tables, accompanied by two chairs each. Positioned perfectly, so each couple can people watch to their hearts content, rather than one person always missing out.

Ok, as restaurants with amazing outdoor seating goes, the food is often pretty disappointing or just ok. Not at Extra Virgin. The food here is outstanding.

Here’s the true test. They make a turkey burger that’s actually edible. Not only edible, but it’s actually effing amazing. It’s better than a lot of the regular beef burgers I’ve had here!

The patty is chock full of truffled mushrooms and asparagus bits. And it’s slathered with a porcini aioli and served on a simple English muffin. No bullshit lettuce or tomato. It’s just SO good.

I also ordered the heart stopping banana French toast with whipped marscapone, that dish was also super fantastic.

Now, those two dishes I just described were brunch only items. Things I had ordered on a subsequent visit.

Only available at dinner time is one of NYC’s top dishes, the Truffled Mac and Cheese Tart. I mean……..I still day dream about this sinful dish. Who can work with visions of truffled mac and cheese dancing in their head??

259 W 4th St
New York, NY 10014
b/t Charles St & Perry St
West Village
(212) 691-9359
extravirginrestaurant.com

Truffle Mac and Cheese Tart – $10

TRUFFLED MUSHROOM ASPARAGUS TURKEY BURGER 16
porcini aioli, with fries

TRUFFLED MUSHROOM ASPARAGUS TURKEY BURGER 16
porcini aioli, with fries

BANANA FRENCH TOAST 14
caramelized bananas, whipped mascarpone

I’m gonna be honest. My pictures from Carbone kind of look like retro oil paintings. The kind from the 70’s that you might find in a thrift shop and, of course, never actually buy.

Actually, I kind of dig the picture of the exterior of the restaurant. The others are pretty awful. Hey, it’s dark as hell in there!

Then, why are you posting them, Bun Boy?? (please stop yelling)

It’s because this meal was the 2nd best meal of my entire life!

That’s why.

Carbone is a pricey, hard to get into, old-school Italian red sauce joint with the volume turned way the eff up. It’s just all that is right with the world. IT’S THAT GOOD.

Part of the appeal is in the simplicity. That pasta looks boring, right? NO. It’s flavorful as F. And actually spicy! When do you ever actually encounter anything spicy at an Italian restaurant?? I’m not talking to you, lightweight, I’m talking to my spice queens out there. This Spicy Rigatoni Vodka is the bees knees. If those knees were also spicy.

The Veal Parm is way overpriced. I’m not gonna sugar coat it. But is it a big ole, suffering slab of heaven?? YES. As slabs of meat go, this one’s perfect.

Even the $21 Caesar salad was also perfection. And definitely big enough to split.

The dining room is gorgeous, dark, quaint, quintessential 40’s NYC mobster Italian. And if you can get a ressie, good on ya. They declined George Clooney, shortly before our visit. Made it seem kind of special they let us schlubs in the joint.

One helpful hint. Don’t finish your entrees. Take them home. Relive the magic all over again the following day. This also means you’ll have room for the amazing carrot cake. You have to order this, you have no option.

3/28/17 UPDATE: SECOND VISIT

One of my dearest friends recently visited me, so we decided to return and enjoy an amazing meal after a very enjoyable hotel bar crawl. We ordered several of the items we ordered last time and were lucky enough to have been seated next to Chelsea Clinton. Chelsea, on the other hand, was not so lucky. Sorry for all the staring. Pics below.

181 Thompson St
New York, NY 10012
b/t Houston St & Bleecker St
Greenwich Village
(212) 254-3000
carbonenewyork.com

Old Fashioned – $15

Complimentary Appetizers

Caesar alla ZZ – $21

Spicy Rigatoni Vodka – $27

Veal Parmesan – $64

Carrot Cake

Roasted Red Peppers

Meatballs – Off the Menu

Tiramisu

Bemelmen’s Bar / Carlyle Hotel – Hotel Bar Crawl!

King Cole Bar / St Regis – Hotel Bar Crawl

BFF Alert

Rosie’s is a pretty solid new Mexican eatery in the East Village that’s spacious, lively and casual. Definitely recommended for brunch, but probably good anytime you’re in the mood for a tasty margarita without a douchy or pretentious scene.

I don’t know how much longer they’ll be serving the summery watermelon margaritas (the better of the two I tried) but they were fantastic. Instead of being overly sweet, they really had a boozy kick. This appears to be unusual in most fruity margaritas I’ve tried in the past.

The Habanero Mango marg was tasty, but on the thick side. The mango puree wasn’t diluted enough for my liking. I didn’t try the regular margs, but would definitely go back and try them.

Margs.

As far as the brunch fare goes, the scrambled eggs and green chorizo were definitely a highlight. Simple but very tasty and served with homemade tortillas. You know they’re homemade, because situated in the center of the restaurant is an enclosure where two women of Hispanic origin are making tortillas right before your very eyes.

Unless this little act is just for show?

Perhaps, a little entertainment and then all the tortillas are promptly thrown in the trash and cheap .99 tortillas on the verge of becoming rotten are microwaved for a few second to revive them before being served to unsuspecting customers.

In many cases, a tortilla is just a tortilla. Rarely, have I been wowed by one.

Where was I?

Ok, so the chilaquiles were just ok. They were a bit on the carby side, not a lot of much else going on but tortillas. Needed a more eggy or saucy presence. The dish looked pretty, and was topped with a fried egg but only order this if you’re in the mood to carb load.

The tacos were on the smaller side but not overpriced for the setting. $8 for two tacos is acceptable for NYC. $14 for two tacos is more common and NOT acceptable.

Whatever you do, do not order the Fruit Cocktail (Coctel de Frutas). It’s just a big sundae glass of boring fruit topped with cinnamon and some kind of syrup at the bottom. And it’s $9. Definitely overpriced and a bit odd.

We all agreed that the best dish were the potato croquettes. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, these were like what I wish all Latkes tasted like, but never do. And only $5 bucks. These are a must order.

29 E Second St
New York, NY 10003
East Village
(212) 335-0114
rosiesnyc.com

Watermelon Margarita – $13

Mexican 75 – Ancho Reyes Liqueur, Fresh Lime, Cava Rosado, Dry Curacao – $12

Mango Habanero Margarita – $13

Coctel de Frutas: Fresh Fruit & piloncillo syrup – $9

Tortitas de Papas: Potato Croquettes – $5

Chilaquiles – sunnyside eggs, smokey roasted tomatillo salsa, Chihuahua cheese, tortilla chips, pickled jalapenos & red onions – $14

Al Pastor Tacos – $8

Huevos con Chorizo Verde: Scrambled Eggs, Green Chorizo Sausage, cucumber radish salad – $13

Feast of San Gennaro Madness!

Even when it’s not the Feast of San Gennaro, Little Italy is always kind of a party.

When I first moved to NYC, my research on Yelp told me that the worst Italian food was to be found on Mulberry Street in Little Italy. Oh no! But it’s so fun down there!

Well, after dining at 3 restaurants in the vicinity, I can safely say that you Yelpers need to relax. If you want traditional, slight overpriced Italian food, you can pretty much chose any of the dozens of restaurants that exist in harmony, side by side each other, and get a tasty meal.

Sure, you won’t find trendy ingredients, or inventive cuisine. It’s Italian food, sometimes you don’t want to wonder what you’re going to eat, sometimes there’s comfort in knowing exactly what the hell you’ll be shoving down your throat. There’s a reason places like McDonald’s still exist. No one is hoping their next Big Mac will feature balsamic drenched dragon kale instead of the cheap, bagged iceberg.

There’s something I love about Little Italy. It feels like coming home. There’s just something so inviting and welcoming about it. It’s definitely one of the most colorful neighborhoods, especially when the insane San Gennaro fest comes to town.

Not for the faint of heart, the Feast of San Gennaro (sort of, kind of celebrating Januarius – the patron saint of Naples, from the 3rd century) is a crazy 11 day festival that started in 1926 (only lasted one boring day back then) and it is an assault on the senses!

Think Italian tinged state fair food. Sausages, Zeppoles (Italian mini donuts) and fried Oreos are everywhere. Not sure where the Oreos come into play but they looked incredible. Plenty of Cannoli carts line the streets, but you can find those any time of year.

Along with artery clogging food, you can find a ton of booze. Booze booths dedicated to the art of getting drunk very quickly will be at your disposal, every few steps. Once tipsy, you can unwisely spend your money on scammy games where you are throwing a shoe at a balloon or something. Either way, you are sure to lose. Feel free to drown your sorrows on more booze, a few steps away.

Each of the 20 or so restaurants that line the streets put out additional covered seating out front, so regardless of the swarms of people, you’ll always be able to find a seat to shove some pasta in your mouth while getting a front row seat to the debauchery. It’s truly a nifty experience, I guarantee it.

Chicken Parmigiana $13.95 Lunch Special

Mozzarella Ricotta Manicotti – $11.95 Lunch Special

Cannolis! Buy them before that guy eats them all…

Sausage Dookies!

Bring your cash! And your Advil!

Barraca, a tapas/paella joint in the West Village, offers a fairly large space for outdoor seating, which, now that summer is over, means absolutely nothing.

That being said, the food is tasty and the sangria selection is expansive.

Now, I’m not usually a fan of sangria when I’m in the mood to drink. 99% of the time, I can guzzle a gallon of the stuff straight from a beer bong and can still legally drive home.

Barraca’s sangria won’t get me drunk either, but it’s pretty damn tasty.

“Bun Boy, I worry about your drinking….” – Mom

The Manchego and Serrano Ham platters were both very nicely presented. They’re definitely a nice start to a meal, as you are in no danger of getting full of these bad boys.

The lamb ribs were on the gamey side, which I didn’t love and the kale salad needed more….something. It was a bit dull.

The olives were actually our favorite thing! Loved the orange essence.

Barraca is a great happy hour, week night dining option. Order a big batch of DUI-proof sangria, choose any of the more traditional tapas and all will be right with the world.

81 Greenwich Ave
New York, NY 10014
b/t S 7th Ave & 11th St
West Village
Phone number (212) 462-0080
barracanyc.com

Castilla Sangria – Red Wine, Cherries, African Spices – $32 Carafe

Aceitunas Allinadas – $5 – Home made marinated Spanish Olives

Manchego – $8

Jamon Serrano – $12

Ensalada de Mercado – $11 – Kale, Orange, Membrillo, Pumpkin Seeds, Manchego

Costillas de Cordero – $15 – Lamb Ribs, Rosemary Aioli

People tend to go ape shit over their love for Peter Luger.

I get it, but not for the reason everyone else is.

You only have ONE steak option to choose from. A big ass Porterhouse. You just pick the size (basically, decide how many people are chowing down on this cow).

We ordered the “Steak for Two” which is $100 bucks.

Fun Fact: it’s enough steak for FOUR.

Most of the experience was just fine. The steak was fine (it was so rare, it was cold in the center of each piece) and the potatoes were on the dry side. Our Manhattan cocktails were nice but the service was a bit hurried. There’s just something stressful about this place, probably because of the high turnover.

The only reservation we could get, weeks in advance was a 2:45 pm! What is that??

Here’s what I LOVED about Peter Luger, however.

In the comfort of my own home, I proceeded to made myself the most incredible “Steakhouse Breakfast Scrambles” (trademark pending) for the next FIVE DAYS in a row.

I took my achingly large bag of leftovers home and chopped up portions of steak, spinach and potatoes into my eggs, butter and shallots and made myself the tastiest egg dish I’ve EVER had.

I still think longingly about those scrambles.

Any restaurant that can provide five days of leftovers is all right in my book.

178 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211
b/t Driggs Ave & 6th St
Williamsburg – South Side, South Williamsburg
(718) 387-7400
peterluger.com

Bread Basket

Manhattans (in Brooklyn)

$100 – Steak for 2

Recommended sides – German Potatoes & Creamed Spinach