Mundo - Turkish/Argentinian - $$ (Astoria)

Website

I was introduced to Mundo by a friend and found it to be an interesting restaurant option for Astoria. It's a small place off of Broadway that integrates the owners' Argentinian and Turkish backgrounds and inspires a healthy, natural menu with really interesting and unique flavor combinations.

The service was mediocre but all the patrons were raving about the food as they passed us on their way out. My friend who's a vegetarian was really happy with the plethora of options for him, however we really depended on our waiter to help explain and sell the menu. He kind of sucked at that.

So we went with:

- Red Sonja
This is so different than anything I've had and not at all how I was expecting it. It's lentils and bulgar pureed and served as a dumpling on pieces of lettuce. You basically take the lettuce leaf and eat the dumpling wrapped in it. This is pretty delicious and light, and fresh-tasting.






- Peruvian Causa
This is nicely presented as layers of all the ingredients. The flavors are all delicious, but each layer was served at a different temperature-- room temp, refrigerator temp... the inconsistency was a turn off. I personally think it would have been better if it was served warm.



- Manti
Then we ordered their signature dish. They're tiny little dumplings stuffed with beef, steamed, and then served with Turkish yogurt and spices over it. This dish was a zero for me. I hated the mushy textures, I hated the sour yogurt. I almost never leave food behind on a plate, but this was the exception. I think our waiter was shocked that I didn't devour this dish. Oh well!




Each, we spent $35.

Please Don't Tell... - Bar - $$

Website

Ahh, Please Don't Tell. The infamous, not-so-secret bar anymore.

In order to go to PDT, you have to know that it even exists. And when you know that it exists, you have to call to make a reservation to get in. And when you want to get in, you have to enter through Crif Dogs, and find the secret door inside the phone booth. You enter the phone booth, pick up the phone, tell them your name, and viola, the secret door opens to the secret bar!

The drink menu keeps with the speakeasy theme. You know- back in the day, the bathtub gin tasted so bad, they would invent "fancy" cocktails to help mask the taste. And thus, you are presented with an impressive list of concoctions.

Even their food menu is impressive. We shared an overloaded crif dog, as well as the uber delicious tater tots. Perfect snacks.






Everyone has to come here at some point. It's worth it.

Baby Bo's - Mexican - $$

Website

It's obvious that I love Mexican food. Authentic, Tex-Mex, fake Mexican, I don't care, I love it all. But Baby Bo's just might be one of my favorite un-Authentic Mexican restaurants in the city. The place is small and tightly packed with not only tables and people, but Mexican art and decoration everywhere you look. It has a great, inviting atmosphere without being the least bit cheesy.

There's usually a ditzy, slightly crazy woman who waits there, but if she gets your order wrong, don't get too upset. She means well and she'll make it right by you.

The food here is delicious. My favorite item is the enchilada with the chipotle sauce, seen below. It is insane how delicious it is. It also comes with rice and beans, all glued together with melted cheese, sooo good. When you sit at your table, you're given a basket of chips with freshly made pico de gallo. It is so fresh and flavorful, you could just have that and some margaritas and be perfectly happy. Order yourself one of their great margaritas and wait for your meal.



Everyone I've ever brought here loves the food, and we always leave feeling stuffed and buzzed-- always a great sign of a great meal.

Meal and margarita will cost you about $25.

Fish - Seafood - $$

Website

In the summertime, all you want is seafood. So how appropriate to trust in a place simply named "Fish"? Everyone in there seemed very happily involved with their meals and conversations. After looking around to see what people were eating, I decided to go with the house Lobster special.

For $20, I got a 1-1/4 lb lobster, fries, steamers and corn. All fresh, all delicious, and can't be beat. My friend was perfectly content with her lobster roll as well. For the value of their lobster dinner, I highly recommend this place. There aren't enough good, affordable seafood restaurants in the city and this has now become a go-to spot.



$20.

Eataly - Italian - $$

Website

Eataly is great. It's a marketplace, a food court, a scene, and a tourist trap, all in one. The Mario Batali owned location sells all sorts of Italian goods, from chocolate and desserts to cheese and salamis, and breads, produce and fresh fish and meat. If it's Italian, it's there.





Next to all of the little markets- whether it's fish, meat, cheese, etc., are little restaurants based on the market it's next to. So you can choose based on what you feel like eating.

The first time I went, I had a fresh focaccia pizza from the bakery (to go) and it was excellent.

The second time, we came after a long night of drinks, we opted for the "La Pizza & La Pasta".



- Pomodora Pizza
(Great wood oven taste)






- Pasta alla Norma
(Fresh made lasagna pasta with eggplant and mozzarella)





Without wine, we spent $25pp.

Artichoke - Pizza - $$

Website

Artichoke is one of the best pizza places in the city. They opened a new location with seating in chelsea. The original location was just a stand on 14th street, where you had to wait on a line for sometimes 30 min at a time. It was well worth the wait, but being able to sit, enjoy and drink the Artichoke beer is so much better.

- Stuffed artichoke
(Aaaa-mazing. You have to get it)



- Spinach & Artichoke Pizza
(This is really delicious. It is like spinach and artichoke dip on a pizza. The crust is perfectly crisp and each bite is delicious. In my opinion, I wouldn't go for more than 1 slice per person. This is a really salty, heavy slice and you will barely be able to finish 1.)





- Artichoke beer
(I originally mistook this as the house beer, but it is actually artichoke flavored beer which is the most surprisingly tasty beer i ever had. It is sweet, light and super smooth. Try it, you wont find it anywhere else.)

We each spent about $20pp.

El Paso Tacqueria - Mexican - $$

Website

This is another one of those Upper East Side adventures restaurants. I went there with coworkers for a nice lunch. Who doesn't love Mexican food!?

The food was just a little bland. We all left feeling like it was only "ok" and not sure that we'd go back, which is really unfortunate because I love Mexican.

Nyonya - Malaysian - $$

Website

Nyonya has been a long-time favorite place to bring friends when visiting from out of town. This place has amazing food, tons of character, and great prices. It's ironically located in the middle of Little Italy, right next to Ferrara's. It's always funny to tell people that you're going to Little Italy for Malaysian food, but hey.

When I recently went back, I stood on Grand St., whining like a spoiled teenager that my favorite restaurant got shut down..."how could they do this to me? it was one of my favorite places, I should have gotten a warning!...waaaa" is sort-of how it went... but then, i swear it was like harps were playing in the background when I turned to see that the restaurant had only opened a new, better location across the street. Phew!

This place is always worth trying, and is a nice change from the typical asian (thai, chinese, japanese) selection.

- Roti
(this thin, flaky bread that you dip in a curry sauce. you pretty much have to get this as your appetizer)


- Chicken Satay
(delicious juicy chicken on skewers, served with a peanut dipping sauce, sooo good)


- Spicy Crispy Squid
(exactly how it's described. I don't know that I'd order this again, but it was definitely worth trying)


- Pineapple Fried Rice
(just the right amount of sweet and spicy, always good)


- Can't remember what this was, but it was good!


I think in the end, between 3 of us, we paid about $20 each.

Mobay - Jamaican - $$

Website (Harlem)

This cute little place is so great. I met my girlfriend and my gorgeous godson (almost 1 year old!!) for lunch on a Saturday here. It was pretty crowded, and there was only 1 waiter on the floor, so service was slow... but we were not in any kind of rush.

Everything was pretty good and I would definitely recommend this place. It must be listed in NYC Guidebooks because there were a few tourists there, mixed in with the locals. I loved the atmosphere. I'll definitely come back.

- Cornbread
(They start you off with complimentary cornbread muffins that have just come out of the oven. They're warm and sweet and crispy and are topped with this pineapple buttercream, it is sooooo good!)

- BBQ Wings
(They had run out of the jerk chicken wings by the time we got there, and the BBQ wings were not that great. They tasted like a bottle of Kraft BBQ sauce, so not special.)
- Chicken Roti
(This was huge!!! And my friend loved every bite. I'll probably try this one next time.)

- Oxtail Stew
(The oxtail was perfectly cooked, but honestly, the sauce was a little too salty for my taste, and made it hard for me to enjoy. I did get the potato salad as one of my sides, and it was the best potato salad I've ever had. I'd go back just for a plate of that! I also got the sweet plantains and they were so delicious, even the baby kept asking for more!)



All together, without drinks, this cost us about $25pp.

Cabana Nuevo Latino - Cuban - $$

Website (South Street Seaport)

South Street Seaport is one of those cheesy, tourist-trap areas that I still hold near and dear to my heart. My parents used to take me there almost every other weekend growing up. It's still a great place to go when the weather is perfect and you want to sit outside and have a nice meal with the sun and breeze flowing through your hair. A lot of the places at SSS are actually terrible, so I was really surprised at how good Cabana Nuevo Latino was!

They have another location in the city, but I can't imagine that the other setting would be near as complimentary to the food as this one. The food is great quality, full of flavor and reasonably priced. I'll definitely come back here.

- Ceviche
(This wasn't very good. It was not fresh at all, and plain and simple- ceviche can NOT, not be fresh)
- Yuca Fritas
(Nice and crispy, and the mojo dipping sauce was delicious)

- Pollo con Camarones
(The presentation on this was really nice, and every bite was an "Mmm this is so good" bite. Really, so delicious and garlic-y. The chicken breast was so tender and the tostones were nice and crispy.)

- Mojitos
(Lots and lots of mojitos)

We shared all the above- mentioned dishes, it came out to about $30pp.

Ravel - Asian Fusion - $$

Website (Long Island City)

I'm afraid that if I publish this, someone I know might steal the idea from me... but since I discovered this boutique hotel's rooftop, I said that this is where I'd love to have my wedding (whenever, if ever that day should arrive). It's exactly the kind of place I wanted- trendy rooftop with a view of the city. The place is such an attraction in itself, you hardly need any decoration, and it's designed just how I like, so I would hardly have to make any adjustments to fit my taste. It's a modern, small-sized hotel right on the other side of the East River in Long Island City, and it has a very sexy rooftop overlooking the entire NYC skyline. In the summer the rooftop is wide open, and in the cooler months, they cover and heat it, so you can enjoy it year-round.

I've been meaning to try their brunch, but I've only been there for an early dinner, and I have to say, I was surprised at how good their food is. But you're honestly so distracted by the view, that all you need is a drink and good company. On the weekends, this place turns into a night club, but I haven't had much desire to check that out.

- Sushi rolls
(we shared a few and they were all good)
- Sesame tuna sashimi flatbread
(Super yum)



Each with drinks, we spent about $35.

Cafe El Portal - Mexican - $$

Website

Cafe El Portal was a friend's recommendation to my request for real Mexican food. It's a cozy little place on Elizabeth St. that consistently has a short wait for a table. They do deliver on seamlessweb.com, which is a great alternative to waiting. We sat at the bar and had some chips with guacamole and pico de gallo. With that, they served us their house-special rojo and verde sauces that you can even buy bottled-- they're so good, I thought about it. I had a guava margarita which was good, but I wish I had ordered the rose petal margarita which was the popular choice.



- Fish tacos with chipotle sauce
(A-mazing)



- Shrimp tacos
(A-mazing)

Put it this way: everything was so good that among the three of us eating, not a single word was spoken until someone finally blurted out, "OMG this is so good."

With drinks, we spent about $30pp.

Don Jose - Mexican - $$

Website(East Hanover, NJ)

Situated in the middle of a non-impressive looking stripmall, Don Jose is one of the better Mexican places I've been to. Every inch of this restaurant is decorated in bright, Mexican colors, attracting masses of people. Once seated, you're brought chips and fresh-made salsa. Service is great, the menu is standard, but the food is delicious.


- Fish Fajita(They served me snapper fish. Fried crispy and soooo delicious)


- Guacamole

- Chips and salsa




About $20p

Stout - Bar - $$

Website

So you work in Midtown West and you need a place to go for happy hour? Well.... Stout doesn't offer any happy hour specials. But they do offer an incredible array of beer, a huge space, lots of tv screens- if you're watching a game, but for all the bars around, this has the best bar menu by far. So when you need a place to go with friends for drink and some better-than-normal bar food, try Stout.

- Pizza
(Surprisingly amazing, thin crust pizza for an Irish place!)


- Fried Clams
(Good)

- Sliders
(They top it with the Stout special sauce, and it adds a great kick to the slider.)



Price depends on how many beers you have.

Ashiya - All you can eat Sushi - $$

http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/new-ashiya/?restaurantid=41940&page=2

Ashiya is notorious for its all you can eat Sushi and all you can drink Sake/Beer specials. For 2 hours, your table can eat as much sushi as you can digest after sake-bombing yourselves stupid. The sushi is actually pretty decent, but you're going there for a great time- not the sushi. The place gets packed on the weekends and everyone in there is banging their way to sake-bombs all night long. It's basically NYC's version of an Asian flavored frat party. You can order all the sushi that you want, but you must eat what you order. They say that they'll charge you for leftovers, but I don't know if that's fact or fiction- we've never had any.



I've had many great nights as a result of an Ashiya pregame.

Sake-bomb, Sake-bomb, Sake-Sake-Sake-BOMB!

$40pp.

Schiller's - A McNally All Star - $$

http://www.schillersny.com/

Schiller's is another one of those restaurants at the top of my "Best NYC Restaurants" list. In fact, all of McNally's restaurants are (Balthazar, Minetta Tavern, Pulinos, etc). Everytime I go, I'm secretly wishing to meet Chef Riad Nasr. Schiller's is a great LES go-to spot. Brunch, Dinner, Drinks- all good. I usually go for brunch more often than dinner. The home fries are faboo, bloody mary delish.



- Eggs Norwegian


- Huevos Rancheros


- Bread basket from Balthazar


- Bloody Mary

About $30pp.

Rio Grande - Mexican - $$

http://www.arkrestaurants.com/elrio_grande.html

I have always loved and regarded Rio Grande as one of my favorite happy hour locations. They have amazing margaritas and the best guacamole--- you know, the kind they make in the mortar and pestal in front of you. At the bar, they serve you free chips and salsa with your drinks, but it's worth spending some money and ordering food from their menu. Everything I've ever had is great. Here are some highlights.

- Guacamole

- Melon Margarita
- Nachos de Fajita
(They lay out nachos on the platter and layer each individual nacho with your traditional toppings plus a juicy chunk of steak. Always a great bite.)
- Queso con mariscos
(A bowl of melted cheese mixed with shrimp and crab meat. They come with tortillas, and the waiter will go ahead and fill the 4 tortillas with the cheese as soon as it is brought to your table. So yum.)
- Fajitas
(Chicken, beef, swordfish. So, so good.)

Best thing about Rio Grande is that happy hour is brought outside in the summer time. Who doesn't love drinking al fresco? Plus, it attracts a pretty attractive crowd. But then again, everything is more attractive after 2 (or 3) margaritas.

Poco - Spanish - $$

http://www.poconyc.com/

Poco boasts that they are "One of the top 10 best brunches in NYC." I guess I could see that. For the entire 4 hour birthday brunch I was there for, the restaurant was packed. They have a good deal- 3 cocktails and your meal for $26. And everything on their menu sounds incredible. But sadly, my excitement was not satisfied, and my imagination, not fulfilled. I ordered the lobster benedict- very blah. I hardly tasted the lobster- it definitely wasn't fresh. I was more excited about trying the lobster mac n' cheese, which we ordered to share. I'm still wondering where the lobster in the lobster mac n' cheese was. Otherwise, it was delicious mac 'n cheese, made with manchego and asiago, and then topped with crunchy bread crumbs, very tasty. The bloody mary was one of the better ones I've had lately.



But all in all, I wouldn't recommend trying anything fancy here. Just go for a cheap brunch and don't expect an amazing meal.

Hill Country BBQ - $$

http://www.hillcountryny.com/

This is my favorite BBQ place in the city. I've been to several different BBQ places which I'll blog about (Blue Smoke, Dallas BBQ, Dinosaur, Brother Jimmy's) but this place is the best. The place is set up like a marketplace. You come in, you sit, and you're given your card. You go up to the counters with the meat and sides, and you basically get however much meat or sides you want, and get your card stamped. Then on your way out, you stop at the register, they tally up your card, and there's your bill.




- Brisket
(The juiciest, most tender brisket I've ever had in the city)
- Beef Rib
- Beef Shoulder
- Sweet Potato Bourbon Mash
- Mac n Cheese


They have plenty of specials and music most nights of the week. It's a great place to go with friends or out-of-towners.

Red Rooster - Soul Food - $$

http://redroosterharlem.com/

So Marcus Samuelsson is one of my favorite chefs to follow these days, and he's the co-owner of Red Rooster. Even my mom thinks he's a cutie. It's a great new restaurant in Harlem at a decent price point. They have a pretty big bar where I had a cocktail while waiting for my friends. There's a social vibe, and I easily struck up conversation with the solo brunchers at the bar. My Godson (8 months, came with my friend) is such a cutiepie that Marcus' co-owner came and took our picture. I chatted with him a bit about the restaurant. I was even more excited to eat after having the one on one with the owner.

When we were seated, we ordered away:

- Breakfast Basket to start
- Red Rooster Burger
(I still have no idea why I was compelled to order this. A burger!? There was nothing special about it! It was a good burger, but that's not Southern Food!!)
- Poached Egg, Shrimp & Red Grits
(This is what I SHOULD have ordered. My friend did, and it was delicious.)
- Whiskey Fudge
- Sweet Potato Donuts
(Everyone must try these.)

All in all, I don't think I'd go back for brunch, but I am very much looking forward to going there one night after work. I hear that lots of handsome men in suits go by.