IheartNYfood

Pop-ups – You don’t want to block these…

iheartnyfood — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:16:38 +0000

Pop-ups used to be books when we were kids, then they became these annoyances of the Interwebs… Now, the term has transformed into something delightful once again… The pop-up restaurant.
These temporary establishments are the new means to showcase new and innovative culinary masterpieces; coupled with the exclusivity of it and the limited time availability – it’s almost like a flash sale for food.

Here’s a quick guide to pop-ups in NYC that I came across… Enjoy!

Zagat – The Ultimate Guide to New York Pop-Ups

Free Ice Cream @ Ben & Jerry’s tomorrow

iheartnyfood — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:35:34 +0000

It’s that time of the year people… A free ice cream cone go celebrate the anniversary of Ben and Jerry’s founding their ice cream brand in Burlington, Vermont back in 1978.

And of course, you can get as much as you want… Just have to get on the line and wait for another scoop.

Enjoy people!

Find a location near you by clicking: http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/scoop-shop-locator/

Foodie Adventures of 2011

iheartnyfood — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 03:04:36 +0000

Well friends, a happy new year to you all! I have been MIA since I started working in Jersey, but will definitely kick it into overdrive this year. I’ve already mapped out a few places I’m looking to try out: Marcony Ristorante, Macao Trading Company, and 9 Restaurant are just some of the places I’ll be hitting in the first quarter of 2011.

I’ll also be sharing my adventures in culinary education, as I am looking forward to taking some classes at Whole Foods, and at ICE in NYC… And in the coming weeks, you’ll see some changes to layout and some more recipes pop up in here. So stay tuned!

Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen

iheartnyfood — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:01:09 +0000

Not knowing what to have for lunch, I just aimlessly walked West on 41st, and came upon Schnipper’s. I remember seeing it being renovated last year, and figured why not give it a try. Once inside, the menu was a bit overwhelming. Not that there were a ton of options, but I had that, “I-wanna-try-it-all” feeling. After some serious deliberation, I settled on the hamburger cooked medium rare, an order of fries, side of bleu cheese dressing (to be discussed later), and a coffee milkshake.

The Burger

Definitely wasn’t a fast food burger by any means. It came with mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onions, ketchup and mustard. GREAT beef flavor from the burger, that was seared properly so it had a little bit of caramelized beef char/crunch to it. The bun was of the Kaiser variety and had a nice light-medium toast on it. Seasoned well, the flavors worked together and rallied around the freshness of the beef. Upon finishing it, I just had to say “that was a really good burger! Holy !”

The Fries

I usually have my fries on their own, befor eating anything else. Possibly a throwback to my youth, when I had to eat my fries before they got cold. They are good enough to stand on their own, and the generous portion could have been enough for two. They’re coated for crispness, and it worked. Not like the Burger King kind of coating, but it was definitely noticable. Notable was the external crispness, but the soft tender interior. The contrast of the textures went well with the burger. So I have a new fondness for buffalo fries… An homage to one of my few favorite spots to eat in Princeton, Hoagie Haven. So along with dousing the fries in Tabasco Green (the milder Jalapeno based version), I slathered on the side of bleu cheese. The bleu cheese was good, but the texture wasn’t really all that good for use as a topping in this case, as it was more chunky than creamy. But the flavor was definitely good. On their own, with ketchup, or as buffalo fries… These bad boys were good.

The Milkshake

In case you don’t already know, I’ve got a thing for coffee. Coffee ice cream, cappuccino cupcakes, milk chocolate covered espresso beans… I <3 it all. The ice cream they use comes from a small boutique creamery in Maine, and they “use very little milk in their milkshakes.” It certainly was a thick milkshake, and not because of pectin or some other artificial means. Great melange of flavor: cream and coffee. It was sweet, but not make-your-teeth-hurt cloying. Think Starbucks Frappaccino, but not icy or watery. My only complaint: for a $6 shake, I wish it were bigger, as 16 oz were just not enough.

Overall Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen lives up to its name. The quality certainly is evident in their food, and their attention to the experience. You place your order, are given a number and your food is brought to you. After you finish, though you should clean up after yourself, a busser comes quickly to take your tray away. Seriously, even the napkins were sturdy. The ambiance is diner-ish with a cafeteria kind of twist.

Pros: Great food, good service, HUGE delivery radius, online ordering available
Cons: Slightly higher prices (worth it for the quality), location (8th Ave and W. 41st St isn’t the most accessible)

Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen - 620 8th Avenue (corner of W. 41st St) – 212.921.2400

Fresh-N-Fast: Should I???

iheartnyfood — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:13:54 +0000

So I missed the memo that Fresh-N-Fast opened up in the Flatiron District on November 23rd. (Sorry kids, real life trumps the foodie life) In any case, not being the early adopter may have saved me some disappointment, as some early reviews have proven to be mostly so-so to negative.

Yelp reviews have been mercilessly negative toward the In-n-out clone, and not without good reason so it seems. So I’m putting this one to a poll people… Should I even bother trying this out? Would you REALLY want to read if this place was even close? Poll is open for one week, next Friday either I’m going there for lunch, or going to the Shake Shack instead.

BREAKING NEWS… In-N-Out in NYC! Kinda.

iheartnyfood — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:06:39 +0000

Sorry if that was a little deceiving, but apparently there’s going to be an In-N-Out clone opening in NYC soon (Nov 23). I’m there as soon as it opens. Gotta figure out their secret menu now… So exciting! Hit this link to the grubstreet blog of the New Yorker for more info.

“If Morpheus is right and all, I’m not supposed to talk about this, but if you are… a very exciting time” – Tank from “The Matrix”

Fresh-N-Fast, 111 E. 23rd St.

Sandwich Planet

iheartnyfood — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:45:54 +0000

I’ve been craving a good roast beef sandwich for quite a while now. So I spent a small part of my morning looking for a good sandwich place in the area. Citysearch and Yelp pointed me to Sandwich Planet. Reviews on both seemed promising, so I ventured off to try out their food. Let me say this, they make their own roast beef and it is DAMN GOOD. I ordered a pretty simple sandwich, saving their other concoctions for a later visit. Roasted beef on toasted sourdough, with lettuce, tomato, mayo and onions.

Roast beef on sourdough

I had a Black & White shake which was OK. Cheeburger cheeburger has the market on shakes for now, till I get my ass to a Sonic. The French Dip is the next target here, along with others. With such a wide array of sandwiches on the menu, this may take a while.

Sandwich Planet – 534 Ninth Avenue (Corner of W 39th Street)

Avocado Shake

iheartnyfood — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:42:03 +0000

As a kid, my Mom used to make this for me, and I wasn’t too keen on it back then… But today, it’s a great dessert drink that I look forward to having whenever avocados are available.

Avocado Shake

New York Hotdog & Coffee Company

iheartnyfood — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 04:09:09 +0000

Korean BBQ on a hotdog? Really? That’s what I said when I passed by NY Hotdog and Coffee Company. Intriguing… I also thought. Some time later, I decided to actually try one of these flavor combinations…

A Korean chain transplanted to New York, the fusion of the American Hotdog and With quite a few options, I narrowed my selection down to the Dak-Kalbi Hotdog and the Bulgogi Hotdog. Dak-Kalbi was a chicken sausage, topped with Kalbi marinated chicken breast. The Bulgogi hotdog was beef sausage, topped with beef bulgogi. I opted for the Dak-Kalbi…

A really good balance of spice, flavor, and textures. It was surprisingly good. Not quite Gray’s Papaya good, but yet another flavor combo to be craved.

New York Hotdog and Coffee Company – 245 Bleeker Street (between Carmine & Leroy)
(Note: Official site is still under construction. Please see their Yelp listing here.)

Mexican Coke in NY

iheartnyfood — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 07:45:33 +0000

Yes friends, Mexican Coke which is bottled in glass and made with sugar, is available here in New York City. Cabrito has them, and oh yes… It is that damn good. Yes, I do know you can get Coke made with sugar during the Jewish holidays (2 liter bottles with yellow caps are the dead giveaways), but this is available year round, AND they have 10 Cane Rum. A must have if you’re in the area.

Cabrito - 50 Carmine St, 212.929.5050