Most people are unfamiliar with Georgian cuisine.

Or perhaps Georgia makes them think of peaches or the heat or the town of Macon, GA which was once visited by Oprah Winfrey as it was voted the fattest city in the USA.

But Georgia is a mysterious post-Soviet country nestled between Armenia, Russia and Turkey.

While I’ve never been, after tasting so many delicious dishes, I desperately want to go!

Because of it’s location, Georgian food is like a tasty mashup of Russian, Mediterranean and even a little Asian (the dumplings totally look like Chinese soup dumplings!)

Oda House has a casual, nondescript vibe featuring slightly higher prices than you might want to pay based on the décor.

But trust me, it’s worth it.

We started with two things that Georgian cuisine is “famous” for.

The cheese bread and the dumplings.

You may have seen those enormous eyeball shaped bread bowls before, filled with cheese, butter and eggs. (or you not have, sorry that you’re so sheltered).

Well, at Oda House, they’re expensive ($18) and NECESSARY! So rich and decadent and comforting. You won’t be able to pronounce the name of the type of cheese they use, but I promise it’s not weird.

The Trio of spreads was also overpriced ($17) and they don’t give you any bread to eat it with. In fact, they acted like we were a bit out of line for even asking if it came with bread. I would NOT recommend this (although we did enjoy eating it with bits of leftover cheese bread).

The dumplings are a no brainer, get them.

For $8, you get one cheese (pretty good) one mushroom (very good) and one mashed potato and dill (SO SO SO GOOD!).

We decided to share one entre, so we got the Tsitsila Rachulad (which I have now nicknamed the Phylicia Rashad) which is basically a Cornish game hen with a life altering blackberry, cilantro and garlic sauce.

The dish is presented to you looking like a bloody crime scene with all that crimson sauce and you will never be happier to dust for fingerprints (with your mouth) that sauce is so good.

Also, I’m going to think about a better “bloody crime scene” joke, not sure if that one really landed.

Stay tuned!

Oh! Our waitress let us try her odd but slightly addicting and shockingly green Georgian Tarragon soda (see pic below),

 

 

76 Ave B
New York, NY 10009 Alphabet City, East Village

(212) 353-3838

http://odahouse.com

OK.

I only came to Kenka because it was featured on Broad City.

Also, I love Broad City.

Also, this was last year.

Also, I do not remember the food.

Also, I DO remember it was fun! (Hence, why 90% of the photos are blurry central).

 

25 St Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003 b/t Cooper Sq & Astor Pl
East Village

(212) 254-6363

http://kenkanewyork.mybistro.online/

 

Jungle Bird is a new cocktail bar that Chelsea desperately needed.

We don’t get a lot of fun drinkeries around these parts! With a few exceptions, have to choose between boring uninspired restaurants or dive bars.

While not Tiki, this tropical themed bar is lively (aka, loud for us oldies) and serves some super tasty semi-tiki drinks.

Such as their signature Jungle Bird, pictured above. It’s not too sweet and not too sour and hopefully you’ll have not too many (they also come in a punch bowl!)

Don’t forget snacks!

The rice balls were incredible and even though the Banh Mi’s baguette was a bit lacking, the flavors were spot on.

Jungle Bird is a perfect place for a drink/snack before starting your evening but seeing as the vibe is so friendly and casual, I wouldn’t fault you if you stayed the entire night!

http://Www.junglebirdnyc.com

 

Just like all Thomas Keller restaurants, this place looks and feels….”special”.

(The reason for those quotes = none.)

There’s an anticipation in the air, like the coming of spring or the first few minutes of a new episode of “Game of Thrones”.

Of course, that anticipation often manifests itself in the form of free food!

I don’t care what you give me, if it’s free. Found it lurking in the back of the fridge? Fine!

In this case, it was breadsticks and crudité at the beginning and then a much appreciated bucket of caramel corn at the end.

Spoiler Alert, the bucket was half filled with tissue!

If you’re like me, upon discovery of this, you are going to fly into an instant rage until you recall that you never ordered it in the first place.

But all this free grub comes at a cost.

This shit’s expensive.

Now, I eat out a lot. I know how much nice restaurants usually overcharge.

Tak Room, however, takes it up a notch.

The apps are maybe a few bucks more than comparable spots but those entrees tack on a hefty $20 more than they should.

The Lamb Chops are $75.

The Filet Mignon is $85.

But the deviled eggs are only $3 each!! Whaa?…..

But was it worth it, you ask??

Yes! Second best steak I’ve ever had.

But only for a special occasion. Which is really the only reason people should go to a Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon) restaurant.

In conclusion, nothing I’m telling you is news.

Kindly disregard everything I’ve just said.

20 Hudson Yards
Fl 5
New York, NY 10001 Chelsea, Midtown West       

• Business website takroomnyc.com

 

 

Pretty much all of America agrees that Au Cheval makes the best burger in the USA.

But does Bun Boy think so??

Yeah….I guess he does.

As much as I despise jumping on bandwagons or being a sheep, I must agree with the general consensus that this is the best burger I, personally, have ever had.

I’m not sure what the issue is with some critics of the new NYC location.

Maybe they don’t think something as simple as a burger is worth a 3 hour wait?

Sorry but as someone who’s been to the original Chicago location three times, I must say that there is sort of a badge of honor about making an entire evening out of the maybe 10 minutes it will take you to scarf this puppy down.

The deal is the same in NYC as it is with Chicago.

Come early (the NYC location opens for dinner at 5 pm) get in line to put your name down (our wait just to put our name down was about 45 minutes) and then they text you when your table is ready (on a Saturday evening, our table was ready exactly 3.5 hours later).

In the meantime you can be boring and old and just go home and take a nap or you can go out to a few bars and drink the time away.

That’s what we did!

Then you really feel like you’ve earned a juicy, simple and perfect burger. And it’s the perfect soak up the booze meal for your drunk ass.

You can also just come for lunch and probably not wait too long at all.

But what fun is that??

A few notes.

The regular burger comes with two patties. The Double comes with three. Go figure.

Both the fried chicken and bologna sandwiches are both delicious and worth ordering.

The NYC location has a downstairs bar where you can have a drink while you wait and maybe follow our lead and take about 17 very subtle photos of Bobby Flay who’s seated right behind you. Don’t worry, he won’t suspect a thing because you are at an expert at this.

33 Cortlandt Alley
New York, NY 10013 b/t Walker St & Canal St
Chinatown

Www.auchevaldiner.com

 

Insanely thin crust on a pizza is a rare but beautiful thing.

I really don’t know why more pizzerias don’t attempt it.

You can eat a whole friggin’ pie without really any guilt or stomach distention. It’s a glorious way to feel gluttonous without wanting to pierce your stomach with a fire poker to alleviate the painful bloating.

I’m almost positive Henry VIII would have beheaded far less queens if he had access to some thin crust.

We ordered the Tri-Pie, which is a combo of tomato, vodka and pesto sauces. no other toppings except some mozzarella. The flavors were subtle but still quite tasty.

Not as yummy as Rubirosa’s vodka pizza, but close. And with an even thinner crust, somehow.

A few things to note.

The meatballs are nice but nothing really stands out about them. They could use some fresh herbs.

They charge $2 to add shaved parmesan to several dishes, which seems like a rip off. If you’re ordering a pizza, just note they’ll give you some free pre-grated parm.

Also, the pizzas are quite pricey for being so damn thin – many of the large 16′ pies are near the $30 mark.

Joe and Pat’s original location is in Staten Island, so maybe they had to recoup some of the sticker shock from their new East Village rental.

But think of it like this, $15 per person for one’s fill of a delicious meal isn’t exactly breaking the bank. Just stop comparing it to what you’d spend for a shame ridden night of Red Barron and a pint of Haagen Dazs rum raisin (yes, I’m projecting).

168 1st Ave
New York, NY 10009 b/t 11th St & 10th St
East Village

(212) 677-4992

•  joeandpatsnyc.com

 

I have the sneaking suspicion that Kish Kash won’t be around very long.

And for no good reason!

I loved it.

The décor is elegant yet casual, the food is vibrant and rewarding and it wasn’t overpriced.

I do think it’s greatest strength will also be it’s downfall.

The menu is quite minimal – Kish Kash specializes in house-made (have you noticed that expression has all but vanished from NYC menus??) couscous dishes.

Not exactly something your average diner seeks out to soothe their aching hangover.

Also, there aren’t really more than 10 things on the menu.

While there is a vegetarian couscous option, there isn’t exactly an omelet or avocado toast to appease those hangry and slightly less than woke friends of yours.

That being said, the couccous is the star of the show. It’s the smallest I’ve ever seen, like beige snow. It’s glorious and a perfect compliment to the lemon and olive accented chicken tagine or the tomatoey meatballs.

Just ditch those annoying friends and come enjoy a meal that’s bursting with flavor before this place inevitably closes in like 6 months or whenever their lease runs out.

 

455 Hudson St
New York, NY 10014 b/t Morton St & Barrow St
West Village

(646) 609-5298

•  kishkashnyc.com

 

 

I have been trying to score a dinner reservation at Frenchette since it opened many months ago.

My lazy way of trying to check out a new, hard to get into restaurant is to wait until they start serving brunch.

And just like many upscale, better-known-for-dinner eateries, Frenchette was completely dead at brunch.

Even when we left around noon on a Saturday, there were only 2 other dining parties there.

Bad for the restaurant, good for me.

At dinner time, I want a little ambiance. I want people to gawk at, fashion to envy and I don’t even mind not being able to hear myself think.

Brunch is a different story.

I want silence. I want a humanless environment.

No one in the restaurant but me and a team of bored, hungover servers?

Deal me in!

At brunch, I’m here for the food. I’m here for the very tasty Pork Schnitzel with huckleberries and German potatoes.

I’m here for that desert-dry looking maple donut that was fantastic.

I’m here for the yummy sausage on pretzel roll and super thin and crispy waffle chips.

The food at Frenchette was much better than some of the lukewarm reviews I’ve read. But I’m thankful for those reviews.

They help ensure a post-apocalypse setting for me to inhale my food in peace.

Life after people?

Fine. As long as there’s schnitzel.

Www.frenchettenyc.com

 

 

 

The crispy round disk you are ogling is, what I believe to be, the World’s. Best. Pancake.

It’s certainly the best I’ve ever had, which is all that matters. Let’s be honest.

The falafel and fish and rice dish we ordered were also quite tasty but let’s go back to the pancake, shall we?

I think you get two, but it only looks like one. Regardless, you do not need more than one. This super rich pancake was plenty for the entire table and it’s pure perfection.

When I was growing up, my grandfather would fry up a ton of bacon and then make pancakes in the bacon grease.

As a result, the pancake(s)? were crispy around the edges and were wonderful.

Why aren’t all pancakes crispy around the edges?? Why isn’t that more of a thing? It’s inhumane if you ask me.

Chez Ma Tante (which I think means My Aunt’s House) is hopping, so come early or be prepared to wait. Whatever fate may befall you, it shall be worth it as long as you order those pancakes.

90 Calyer St
Brooklyn, NY 11222 b/t West St & Franklin St 
(718) 389-3606

• Business website chezmatantenyc.com

 

 

 

 

Welcome to NYC Sweeney!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the world’s worst picture of fondue! (Trust me, there’s more awful pics to come!)

It looks like a sad lemon slice is being fished out of a grimy bucket of clam chowder.

In other words, delicious!

Kashkaval Garden is a bizarre but really fun Bulgarian fondue restaurant that you just have to visit.

Have you ever had Bulgarian fondue before? Liar, you have not.

But you will, once you come here.

The vibe is dark and bustling. Perfect if you’ve got some fugly hair going on or want to hide a hideous pimple. Or just your entire awful face.

The Kale salad seemed obligatory and not very interesting, so just avoid all that noise.

Save room in your fat belly for skewers and the lamb flatbread and some fondue action.

Yeah, I didn’t love the Truffle Fondue. Actually, I didn’t like it. At all. But I do think the Kashkaval Bulgarian cheese one or even the Cheddar and Cider would be much better. I mean, it would have to be. A kick in the face with a muddy boot would be better. Ok, I’m exaggerating. Just ignore me, I’m off my meds.

852 9th Ave
New York, NY 10019 b/t 56th St & 55th St
Hell’s Kitchen, Midtown West

    (212) 245-1758

• Business website kashkavalgarden.com