Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich – $11 (add bacon $2.50)

I know everyone goes gaga over the Blueberry pancakes at this INSANELY popular tourist trap but I really found the breakfast biscuit sandwich to be quite incredible. Eggs were soft and silky and perfect, biscuit was just flakey and tender enough but dry enough to not fall apart) and the tomato jam really brought it all together.

The pancakes were just fine.

What bugged me about them is that they were not chock full of blueberries. The fact that every bite was not bursting with B-Berries, really bugged the F out of me.

Especially for a place that has, in the past, told me the wait for breakfast would be almost 3 hours!! These are NOT three hour pancakes.

But their egg dishes….almost are. Almost.

4 Clinton St
New York, NY 10002
b/t Avenue B & Houston St
Lower East Side
(646) 602-6263
clintonstreetbaking.com

Farmer’s Plate – $16

Blueberry Pancakes – $15

Beef & Ricotta Meatballs – $24

Hearth is as warm, cozy and comforting as the name suggests.

403 E 12th St
1st Ave
New York, NY 10009
b/t Avenue A & 1st Ave
East Village
(646) 602-1300
restauranthearth.com

Mushroom Trifolati – $15

Chicken Liver Pate – $16

Cacio e Pepe Polenta – $9

I was invited to Tony’s for a carb loading dinner the night before she was to run the New York Marathon.

I was loading carbs in solidarity.

Tony’s is one of those massive upscale restaurants in midtown that feels like it can comfortably seat 10,000 people. They serve tasty generic Italian in a upscale generic setting and there is nothing wrong with that. Just like there are many types of Chinese food, sometimes you want Americanized, watered down Italian food served to you by Polish servers. Enjoy the melting pot that is NYC!

147 W 43rd St
New York, NY 10036
b/t Avenue Of The Americas & Times Sq
Theater District, Midtown West
(212) 221-0100
tonysnyc.com

Lamb Burger – $20

Ilili serves high end Mediterranean food in a high end neighborhood if you’re in the mood for that sort of high end thing.

I work in Flatiron, so while I’m often in the neighborhood, I don’t always want to drop $20+ for a burger during a 2 hour lunch.

Get the picture?

The food was delicious, creative and substantial. The interior was spacious, luxurious if not a bit cold and corporate.

Nothing really bad to say about this place but the stars do have to align a bit in order to make this a good fit.

Or maybe I’m just high maintenance?

236 5th Ave
New York, NY 10001
b/t 27th St & 28th St
Flatiron
(212) 683-2929
ililinyc.com

Levantine Lemonade – $6
mint, lemon, orange blossom

Baba Ghannouj – $11
eggplant, tahini, olive oil

Batata Harra – $12
cubed potatoes, kouzbara, aleppo pepper

Falafel – $10

Chopped Salad (Vegetarian) – $15
Chopped Salad
haloumi, avocado, piquillo peppers, romaine lettuce, creamy garlic & herb dressing

When anything in NYC is described as “charming” or “quaint”, please interpret that to mean “tiny as hell”.

Which means the Bridle Room is quaint and charming AF! (I hate that I used that expression. But gotta keep up with those dammned millennial’s and their irrational fear of spelling out entire words).

Sure, Bridle Room is popular, crowded, cramped and you’ll wait a while for one of their, like, four tables.

But the food is delicious and quite affordable!

We enjoyed two of their more health conscious menu items (jk) and found them both to be quite pleasing.

But since I ate here so long ago and totes forgot to write this blog, I have NO clue how to describe exactly how I was pleased.

Just know I was pleased, ok?

#SoPleased

277 E 10th St
New York, NY 10009
b/t Avenue A & 1st Ave
East Village, Alphabet City
(212) 529-9702
brindleroom.com

Red Sangria – $10

Salted Caramel Donut – $2.50

Sebastian’s Steakhouse Burger
caramelized onion, pickle, fries – $16

Biscuits & Gravy, bacon, poached eggs – $14

Scotty’s is a diner.

They don’t serve “their take” on diner food. They don’t serve a “fun twist” on diner food.

They serve actual diner food.

This means eggs and pancakes for breakfast and pretty much 1,000 other things for dinner. You know, diner food.

The prices might be a few bucks higher than your typical greasy spoon but this place is right near Grand Central Station, so the rich, hurried business people can afford to overpay.

The thing that we all love about diner food is the consistency. We all know what to expect. We all know there will be some severe regrets in our future, mostly pondered whilst sitting in a rest stop bathroom.

336 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10016
b/t 39th St & 40th St
Midtown East, Murray Hill
(212) 986-1520
scottysnyc.com

Not ready for her closeup