Momofuku Kawi was sort of our Last Supper.

A few days before the Coronavirus really took over and closed down all the restaurants in NYC.

A few days before life for everyone on this planet changed.

Now, normally I would have made that comment whilst dripping with sarcasm.

Sadly, that is not the case.

BUT – let’s shift focus back to Kawi and the lovely meal it was, instead of the world crumbling around us….

The two of us shared 3 dishes and they were all perfection.

The sweet and sour ribs fell off the bone and were coated in a heavenly sauce. Perfection.

Don’t make me say it again.

Order these (once we’re allowed outside again)!

We also enjoyed the Big Eyed Tuna Kimbap, which is sort of a sushi situation at a pretty high price point.

BEWARE THE SPICY DIPPING SAUCE. IT WAS SHOCKINGLY SPICY.

We finished with the Waguy Ragu Rice Cakes, which were a very tasty dish of apparent intestines, judging by the picture below of the server cutting our rice cakes with scissors.

The restaurant decor was your typical luxuriously large space that is indicative of Hudson Yards. I’m sure if I were told the amount of rent they paid, my heart would surely stop.

The place was about half full (before the 50% capacity ordinance took brief affect) and i think we all ate and drank as if this would be our last meal for a while.

And what do you know, that turned out to be true.

Stay safe everyone!

https://kawi.momofuku.com/

 

Sevilla is a throwback. There simply is no other way to describe it.

The waiters are easily 103 years old and dressed in their finest festive funeral wear.

There is not one but multiple veal dishes on the menu.

A tasty but pointless salad and those increasingly more rare complimentary bread baskets comes automatically with every meal.

I LOVE THIS PLACE.

Sevilla is both a comfortable, neighborhoody institution while also feeling like a special occasion spot.

It’s the kind of restaurant where you could stay forever and they, surprisingly, don’t rush you out.

The food is simple but tasty.

However, as described above, that’s not really why you come here.

http://www.sevillarestaurantandbar.com/

 

 

One of my very favorite things in life is a fun day/evening out finished with an amazing meal.

Even better when the day is spent with your bestie.

The theme of the day was the theme of many of our days together. A crawl.

Since there is an enormity of eateries and fun bars to explore in Bushwick, we centralized the crawl there.

We started with some incredible breakfast burritos (see my other post about The Awkward Scone) and after hitting up a fun Tiki Drag Brunch (which serves simple but perfect pasta salad) and exploring Bushwick on foot, we ended up playing Guess Who at a quirky dive bar for a few hours.

Guess Who, the game that encourages blatant stereotypes, offensive generalization and a tough of not so subtle racism.

We ended our perfect day with a perfect pizza.

Ops is a dark, moody, intimate (insanely popular) spot that serves simple sourdough Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas.

They don’t take reservations so best to arrive early or put your name down and prepare to wait hours.

What Ops does NOT excel in is cocktails. One of ours was not great, one was not drinkable. Stick to wine.

Let’s get back to the pizza. No matter what, order the Margarita. It’s absolute perfection, nothing could be improved upon.

We also ordered the Cicero pie (which quite accurately describes “MANY ONIONS”) but those onions could be offensive to some. We loved them. Definitely not ideal when on a date. Only with a bestie who does not care what your breath smells like.

I see the square pie is quite popular (per my 45 second scanning on Yelp) but it’s also $13 more than the Margarita so perhaps save that for a bigger group. Although not sure where any group bigger than 4 would fit in this place.

http://www.opsbk.com/

 

 

I struggled long and hard to find some type of acceptable Llama pun eventually but came up short.

You’re welcome.

The Llama group of restaurants (Llama Inn in Brooklyn, Llamita in the West Village and now Llama San) have really etched themselves onto the NYC landscape as Peruvian restaurants to be taken seriously.

Or whatever.

Llama San is Japanese Peruvian but I think more of the Japanese food elements come through at brunch…or maybe just through the items we ordered.

The space is really pretty and incorporates the new trend of skylights surrounded by hanging greenery (which I’m totally here for) and the vibe is just pretentious enough to impress.

While the prices may be a tough steep (why do I even continue to mention the high prices when I live in NYC, what do I expect??) I found the portion sizes to be equivalent and the taste and quality of the food was outstanding.

The non-alcoholic beverage situation was a bit confusing, they really only offer elaborate Peruvian french press. Sugar and creamers were not offered.

It did appear that 1 in 3 diners were ordering the Pork Katsu Sandwich. It’s just a nicely seasoned and breaded pork cutlet inside some simple bread and drizzled with yummy sauces. You can’t go wrong.

Another impressive dish we ordered was the duck leg confit with egg. Not a ton of food but it was a gorgeously presented dish.

I think perhaps Llama San might be a better option for dinner but if you’re not in the mood to drink and just want a tasty fried pork sammie for breakfast, feel free to casually make a reservation a month in advance and hope you still are craving that in 30 days at 8 am or whenever time slot is actually available on Resy.

https://llamasannyc.com/

 

 

There aren’t a ton of high-end brunch options in FiDi.

There aren’t a ton of low-end brunch options either.

There aren’t a ton of appealing dining options in general here in the land of finance bros and no-sun.

However, Crown Shy’s appeal has apparently brought me all the way from sunny Chelsea to cold and dreary FiDi on this particular Saturday morning.

Crown Shy, brought to you by a former Eleven Madison Park chef, is located on the ground floor of the stunning Art Deco building at 70 Pine.

The restaurant interior is understated but still lovely; the entire place gives off hotel restaurant vibes. Pretty and Pricey.

We ordered the Skirt Steak and Egg and Biscuit situation, however, the star of the show was the Honey Glazed Bacon Bread with Ricotta.

Both unique and simple, this hefty slice of cake coated in a perfect layer of tiny crispy bacon bits was pure heaven. And then they go and give you a dollop of Ricotta and it’s game over.

ORDER IT!!

While their biscuit could have used some work (and definitely about $5 too expensive) the skirt steak was delicious, gorgeously displayed and you get plenty of it. An anomaly.

https://www.crownshy.nyc/

 

So, what do you do when your pictures look simultaneously like a 1950’s Betty Crocker cookbook and pure pink vomit?

You post them anyway, unapologetically!

That being said, The Turk’s Inn is the embodiment of a 1950’s cookbook.

Originally a supper club from Wisconsin opened in 1934, Turk’s Inn was eventually brought to, appropriately, Brooklyn.

Retro Arabian nights vibes mixed with creative takes on midwest versions of Middle Eastern cuisine help create a really unique and festive atmosphere.

The Jeweled Pilaf (featured below with the Pepto-Bismol colored beet yogurt on top) and the Lamb Meatballs are highly recommended.

NOTE: the lighting inside is quite red….

Home

Wayan is the new restaurant from the son of the famed chef, Jean-Georges Vonsomethingorother.

Could I have Googled that and spelled his last name correctly? Yes. Yes, I could.

The theme is upscale French-Indonesian and while I could bitch and moan about the prices, we’re in Nolita. Not the best neighborhood for bargain hunting.

But is it worth it, you ask?

Yes! (mostly).

I think the satays (reasonably priced, around $20) are the best bang for your buck. Very tasty, unique and satisfying.

The Lobster Noodles seemed a bit too trendy, tired and expensive.

The Instagram friendly corn fritters are enormous and gorgeous and had a great texture, but perhaps could have benefited from some bolder flavors. Still, worth ordering.

I like going to fancy places for brunch. You end up getting to experience everything while spending a great deal less than you would have at dinner.

As much as I go out, I gotta watch those pennies. Sorry, it’s NYC, gotta watch those $100’s.

 

 

 

 

McSorley’s is an East Village institution.

Open since 1854, everyone from Abraham Lincoln to John Lennon have thrown back and probably spilled a few beers on the sawdust covered floor of this incredible time capsule.

And they left their wives at home as McSorley’s did not start allowing women until 1970!

It’s definitely one of my favorite old school dive bars.

Besides a limited food menu (the “cheese and crackers” appetizer is tasty and hilarious, they give you saltines!) McSorley’s only serves one thing.

Beer.

Not Sam Adams or Bud Light. Just their own brew.

Light or Dark.

Whichever you order, they’ll give you two glasses of automatically.

See picture below. 5 people will receive 10 beers.

But what we’re here to discuss today is the amazing burger.

And by discuss, I mean maybe 3 more sentences tops.

The burger is simple and delicious. Nothing is gourmet, nothing is locally sourced.

So. Damn. Good.

https://mcsorleysoldalehouse.nyc/

 

Jeju is officially the best deal in town (for a tasting menu at a Michelin starred restaurant, I mean).

Where else can you get a delicious 6 course meal for $55 a person??

Hint: in NYC, you can’t.

You started out with fatty tuna sashimi with little seaweed wraps, a few very tasty fried chicken wings and these scrumptious, decadent Truffle Roasted Mushrooms with as much shaved truffles as you desire.

Then came the hefty portion of rib eye that we could barely finish.

Followed by a portion of Ramyun (a Korean version of Ramen) that was probably the least satisfying course, but still eagerly consumed.

We were stuffed after all that grub so were pleasantly surprised with a simple portion of ice cream, which everyone knows there is always room for.

The main Con I can think of is that Jeju is mostly a walk-in situation. We arrived shortly after they opened and our wait time was over an hour. That being said, there are plenty of nearby bars around to spend that time, so it’s not a big concern.

http://jejunoodlebar.com/

And in unrelated news, here are a few pics of our Christmas tree that we raced home after dinner to decorate!

 

If you’re like me (which, don’t kid yourself, you are not but you desperately wished you were) than you’ve walked by this place a dozen times and thought “I should eat here sometime!”

(Just a reminder, you are NOT me).

So, today I thought “Ok, today’s the day I eat at El Cocotero!”

Except I probably totally mispronounced it.

We arrived at opening time on a Saturday (11 am) and enjoyed a very delicious Venezuelan brunch.

I can’t really think of any other Venezuelan place this side of 125th street, so it’s definitely a neighborhood gem.

Or Jam as my autocorrect keeps trying to make me say.

Probably because I misspelled ‘Gem’ as ‘Jem’ (I’m baffled why “…and the Holograms” was not then suggested by Autocorrect).

Moving on.

The menu is massive and you’ll probably get a little overwhelmed but just know that whatever you order is probably delicious so do not fret.

HOWEVER, you certainly must order the Arepitas sampler for the table (maybe even 2, since they come as just 4 per order).

If you live in NYC, you’ve seen Arepas hocked at any type of event or street fair. They’re these fried corn cakes stuffed with cheese but they can be stuffed with anything your heart desires!

And at El Cocotero, the sampler has them stuffed with beef, chicken and various cheeses. So good.

Something else you must order are the Cachapas.

They’re these amazing sweet corn pancakes stuffed with various savory items such as slow roasted pork, Venezuelan cheeses or the Venezuelan pot roast that I ordered.

Defintely one of the best dishes I’ve EVER had.

Seriously.

(One last reminder, you are NOT and could NEVER be me).

Thanks bye!