Blue Ribbon Brasserie is one of those old school, upscale but casual neighborhoody joints that’s been around forever.

In a city where everyone is on the lookout for the hot new restaurant, places like Blue Ribbon are becoming more and more of a rarity.

I think there is something to be said about having a familiar and friendly go-to spot for a guaranteed good meal that is also guaranteed not to have Avocado Toast on the menu.

That is excuse enough to patronize these kinds of spots before they all become extinct.

97 Sullivan St
New York, NY 10012 b/t Spring St & Prince St
South Village

212-274-0404

www.blueribbonrestaurants.com

Steak Tartare – $17.50

Beef Marrow & Oxtail Marmalade – $19.00

I have NO clue what this is.

Shrimp Provencal Cheese Ravioli and Spinach – $34

Fried Chicken Mashed Potatoes and Collard Greens – $28.50

Halibut – $28 Papadum, chickpeas, apricot-mustard chutney, fermented cabbage, curry cultured cream.

De Maria is one of the many trendy NYC eateries serving inventive yet boring cuisine.

So boring it took me 6 months to write this blog. I ate here ages ago. Whatever minor tidbits my brain happened to actually remember at the time have long since blown away with the breeze. I’m the worst, I know.

But so is this place.

Just kidding, it’s not that bad. I just prefer to lean towards the dramatic sometime. You know me. Well, you think you know me.

19 Kenmare St
New York, NY 10012 b/t Bowery & Elizabeth St
Nolita

(212) 966-3058

demarianyc.com

Ceviche $16 – Salmon, Avocado, Dahl, Leche de Trigre

Crispy Stuffed Grape Leaves $15 – Feta, eggplant, almond dukkah

I Sodi is one of those impossibly cute little Italian restaurants in the West Village that you walk by and say “We have to go there sometime”.

You either say it to the person you’re with or say it to a stranger cuz you’re weird, and everyone knows it.

Inside it’s cramped and dark and hot. Romantic, some may call it.

Others may call it a worst nightmare scenario. Especially when you’re a food blogger and all your pictures are royally sucking. And you have a thing with sweating in public. You do it a lot.

Now onto the food.

Was any of it amazing?

No.

Was it all good?

Yes.

Will I win all the blogger awards this year for most in depth food writing?

Probably.

My one critique was with the crispy artichokes. They needed a dipping sauce, dammit.

All the best things in life have a dipping sauce, FYI.

105 Christopher St
New York, NY 10014 b/t Bedford St & Bleecker St
West Village

212-414-5774

isodinyc.com

Crispy Artichokes

Cacio e Pepe – $18

Stracotto con Polenta – Wagyu Brisket slow braised with buckwheat polenta – $28

Horiatiki (Greek Salad without the lettuce, basically)

The baffling thing about Greek food is that the décor is always cheap and lacking, and most of the food sounds basic enough but then the prices always seem about double of what you’re expecting.

You’re paying as much as a fancy night out when you just wanted a freaking kabob and a greek salad. Or at least I did. And it’s my blog, so forgive me if I don’t always write from your perspective. Sheesh.

The food at TK was good (that lamb chops were amazing) and the portion size of that Greek salad could have easily fed us and our nosey neighbors (I swear they both swiveled their heads our direction each time I took a bite – granted my bites are not human sized).

But I almost feel bitter about wasting all this typing on this boring ass blog that no one reads.

Warmest Regards,

Bun Boy

228 1st Ave
New York, NY 10009 b/t 13th St & 14th St
East Village, Stuyvesant Town 

(212) 432-0011

• tavernakyclades.com    

Complimentary grilled bread

Spanakopita –

Grilled Sausage

Lamb Chops

Complimentary Yogurt to finish

Toro & Salmon Nigiri

Masa is officially the most expensive restaurant in NYC.

Now, I’m not one to quabble about cost when it comes to food. I’ll spend enormous sums that I don’t have in order to experience most kinds of culinary pleasures.

But I don’t eat shellfish (except the occasionally crab) so I’m just no fun at your typical sushi restaurant.

And since Masa is an omakase situation (a Japanese expression meaning “I’ll leave it to you”) there is no way in hell I’ll spend $500 and leave it to the chef to bring me all sorts of horrors from the deep.

Like I said, I’m no fun.

Tetsu is the much more affordable, hipper cousin (with a few tattoos, but no tramp stamps) from the Masa folks.

While I see the recent Yelp reviews are slightly less than stellar, I really loved my experience here.

The service was prompt and friendly. Maybe too prompt. Oh well, my seat had no back so there was definitely an expiration date on this meal for my lil ole back.

The famous burger (which is only served between the blue plate special hours of 5 – 6 pm) was really good but super simple. Judging from my picture below, it looked like it was 75% bun, but don’t be fooled. The bun was ultra soft and squished down nicely. This was a delicious burger.

The two meats on sticks were also both delicious.

But the star of the show was the Toro Nigiri. Blew me away. the perfect bite of food. The price is for ONE piece, so remember that when you keep harassing the waiter to come back time and time to bring you more sushi.

For all you see below (two drinks each and almost enough food), the cost was about $109 per person (including tip) so keep that in mind.

78 Leonard St
New York, NY 10013 b/t Broadway & Church St
TriBeCa, Civic Center

212-207-2370

www.tetsunyc.com

Gin Concord Grape
(gin, vermouth blanc, rosemary thyme, frozen grape cube)

Soju Thai Basil
(soju, charteuse, thai basil, lime, togarashi salt)

Yellowtail Tataki & Fried Chicken

Fatty Tuna & Saba (Mackerel)

Bay Scallops & Asparagus

Beef Burger with Fries

Calamansi Basil Sorbet

Olive Oil Cake with Marcarpone

Momofuku Ko is one of the very few tasting menu only eateries in NYC with just a teeny bit of an edge (they found just the right Spotify radio station that plays the kind of old school punk and vintage alternative that your grandmother can still appreciate), where you can slightly relax and not worry that your every chew or shift in chair will be heard in the stagnant silence of a stuffy restaurant.

The Tasting Menu costs $195 per person (on the cheaper side, comparatively) and it’s just fun and unique enough to not be a series of weird shit that you think you need to pretend to be enjoying.

You’ll actually enjoy this food.

The menu steers towards seafood with a slight Asian slant but they will gladly accommodate allergies or just general aversions to things (I’m talking to you Uni).

8 Extra Pl
New York, NY 10003 at 1st St
East Village

212-500-0831

momofuku.com

Roasted Vegetable Scone w/ Crème Fraiche – $6

For nearly 4 years I have lived in Chelsea and for nearly 4 years I’ve had Forager’s Table on my inclement weather list.

I keep this mental note of local eateries that I only wish to visit if the weather is too bloody awful to venture out in.

If it’s sunny and warm, I prefer to travel somewhere else for my meals. Visit another neighborhood. Any neighborhood is better than Chelsea in terms of trendy restaurants or even good food.

The problem is, whenever it’s shitty out, I just want to stay in, not wear pants and order Chinese delivery. Why would I want to go out in that mess?

And why would I want to wear pants??

Well, today’s issue was this. It was freezing cold. Like, insanely cold. But it was also sunny out. The sight out my window belied the horrific wind chill factor.

I was determined to walk the 3 blocks to get some overpriced avocado toast if it killed me (and it jolly well may have).

Forager’s Table, located in the Gem Hotel and attached to the Forager’s grocery store (home of the $15 pints of ice cream and $8 beets) leans towards the healthy side, so their version of avocado toast (the Avocado Tartine) featured all the things that I knew I should be eating whilst ringing in the new year.

Instead of the usual smashed avocado, the bread was topped with some tasty vinegary greens, pickled onions, shaved asparagus and thick slices of avocado. For $2 more, you add the obligatory poached egg. It was all quite tasty, although I would have preferred the bread to me more toasted. It was altogether soft.

Luckily, I had also ordered the quite scrumptious (Sorry, if you can’t tell I’ve been binge watching The Crown on Netflix) roasted vegetable scone. I mean, this is the scone of my dreams if I dreamt of such things. Who am I kidding, I dream of scones like any other red blooded American male.

While the prices here are about $2-3 more than similar eateries, I blame the hotel for that. All hotel restaurants are overpriced and I’m assuming it’s the upcharge to help pay the astronomical rent. Or pay off some hotel mafia guys, who’s to tell.

300 W 22nd St
New York, NY 10011
b/t 9th Ave & 8th Ave
Chelsea
https://foragersmarket.com/

[caption id="attachment_5680" align="alignnone" width="848"] Bloody Mary

Whole Wheat Wrap – Grassfed Steak, Alderfer Farm Scrambled Eggs, Vermont Cheddar, Heirloom Salsa Verde, Wok Greens
$19

Avocado Tartine – Local Organic Avocado & Asparagus, Spinach, Escarole, Shaved Radish, Chia Seeds, Toasted Filone, Lemon Vinaigrette w/ Sunny Side Up Egg
$18