I'M BACK
To my loyal fans - I know I've been silent for the past month now, but it's been a hectic time for me to say the least. Between seeing 9 Phish shows in 6 cities, purchasing (and beating) the incredibly addictive Nintendo Wii game Super Mario Galaxy 2 and maintaining a full time job, I've been damn busy for the past 4 weeks. Needless to say, I did a lot of eating both in NYC as well as all over the east coast during this time, so here's a heady recap.
Kenka - $ Japanese, 25 St Mark's Place b/w 2nd & 3rd Ave, NYC
Walking down this particular block on St Mark's is truly an experience. There are dozens and dozens of restaurants, all with different types of Asian cuisines. This plethora of restaurants makes it tough to choose one, but a coworker recommended this place to me so I figured I'd give it a shot. The sign out front is in Japanese, but Kenka is easily identifiable by the crowd of people waiting outside and the ridiculous face on the left side of the sign (see pic). It turns out these people waiting outside Kenka aren't crazy; the food is well worth the wait and it is a fun experience to eat here. The menu has hundreds of items typically ranging in price from $2 - $8, and there are pictures next to each item so it is easy to order even though everything is in Japanese. It's important to note that small draft beers are only $1.50 (pitches are $8) so this is a fun place to come with a group to drink and get cheap, quality food. We had the deep fried garlic (heavenly), japanese pancakes (ridiculously good - a must order) a few different types of really good yakitori, some tasty fried rice, very unique rice balls and average gyoza. Next time I intend to try all new stuff since there's so much to choose from, including everything from ramen to weird stuff like pig feet. On your way out you're given a small cup of sugar to put in the cotton candy machine, and it's a fun to end the meal spinning your own cotton candy right outside the front door while the St Marks pedestrians wander by. B+
Frank Pepe's Pizzeria $$ Italian, 157 Wo
oster St, New Haven, CT
If you're not familiar with this place, you need to take a trip up to New Haven immediately. Frank Pepe's is hand's down better than any pizza in NYC. They have other branches in Yonkers and Hartford, but the New Haven original branch has an 85 year old brick oven which cooks the incredible flavor into every delicious pie. The pies are enormous and slices are cut into very thin squares. If it's your first time I recommend half plain half sausage. If you're a veteran you must try the clams casino pie, super salty! A good tip to avoid the long waits is to call in a pick-up order while you're making your way up there 30 miles away. When you arrive to pick up your order you'll love walking right past the long line outside and instantly picking up your pies. If you prefer eating it there, try to go on an off hour since this place is quite the popular spot. A
Woody's $ American/Hot Dogs, 915 Main St, Hartford, CT
Woody's came to my attention via the TV show Man Vs. Food, so when I noticed our hotel in Hartford was right across the street from it of course I had to hit it up (3 times over the course of the weekend). Open since 1977, Woody's serves burgers, sandwiches and other stuff, but what they're really known for is their hot dogs. They have concocted a menu full of unique combinations of toppings on foot-long hot dogs (think Crif Dogs but with foot-longs). The signature dog is their Deputy Dog, which is a delicious foot-long hot dog topped with shredded pulled pork, cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce. Also worth trying are the Southern Slaw Dog (Chili & Coleslaw-perfect combination of flavors), Devil Dog (grilled onions & peppers, hot mustard, hot sauce and hot peppers) and the Hot Chihuahua Dog (chili, hot pepper relish, hot peppers & hot sauce). B+
Bahn Mi Saigon $ Bahn Mi, 138 Mott St, NYC
Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches $ Bahn Mi, 150 E 2nd St, NYC
Numpang $$ Cambodian Sandwiches 21 E 12th St, NYC
I have been busy trying out all the different Bahn Mi places in the hood and I must say I love the trend. Hilariously, Bahn Mi Saigon shares its space with a small jewelry store in the front area. Although they're moving around the corner to Grand St soon, the jewelry store will come with them. Anyway, Bahn Mi Saigon has the cheapest prices I've seen ($3.75 for Pork or $4.25 for Chicken), but the quality is noticeably lower than other Bahn Mi sandwiches I've tried. The bread was somewhat stale, and my friends and I couldn't tell the difference between the pork and chicken meat. It was all just fried cubes of something and there wasn't too much in each sandwich (you get what you pay for). The sandwiches did have the right ingredients/flavor combinations and overall were decent. I would recommend trying it at least once, especially if you're short on cash. C
Taking a significant step up in terms of quality, I have been to Nicky's a few times now. Although the prices here aren't that much higher than Bahn Mi Saigon (only $5 - $5.50/ sandwich), you can tell from the first bite that Nicky's does it up right. The bread is extremely fresh and all the ingredients are bursting with flavor. The Classic Vietnamese Sandwich is over-stuffed with pate, Vietnamese ham, roasted ground pork, pickled carrots, cucumber, cilantro and mayo on a toasted baguette. It tastes as ridiculously good as it sounds. More recently I tried the Chicken Sandwich, which has has generous portions of pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro and mayo. Also very good but tasted a little less "Vietnamese" than the Classic. Next time I'm going for the pork chop. B+
Taking even one more step up in terms of quality (and price), Numpang has some of the best Bahn Mi sandwiches I've ever tried. They call them "Cambodian Sandwiches," but to me they taste just like Bahn Mi. Cambodia and Vietnam are very close to each other out in SE Asia so it makes sense. The Numpang owners have a full service restaurant in the LES called Kampuchea that is fantastic (Numpang actually was created due to the enormous demand for the Cambodian sandwiches at Kampuchea). The bread at Numpang is somehow even fresher than at Nicky's, and they absolutely stuff these sandwiches with delicious ingredients. Prices range from $7.25 - $7.75 per sandwich (+ tax), but once you take your last bite you will have no problem spending that extra $4 compared to Bahn Mi Saigon. The Five Spiced Pork Belly sandwich (see pic) is incredible; it has the typical Vietnamesse/Cambodian spices and veggies like cilantro and carrots, but also completely changes it up by adding in some rhubarb and pickled asian pear. Add some Sriracha and you're golden. Also amazing at Numpang is the Ginger Barbecue Brisket (overflowing with tender meat and pickled red cabbage), Hoisin Veal Meatballs (delectable meatballs with jasmine rice, basil & stewed tomato) and Peppercorn Catfish (uniquely spiced catfish with home made sweet soy sauce). Definitely try the corn on the cob ($2.25) sometime, it is slathered in chili mayo, coconut flakes & chili powder. Love the mix of sweet & spicy. There's a reason there's always a long line during lunchtime at this place! A
The Vortex Bar & Grill $$ American, 878 Peachtree St, Atlanta, GA
Paul's Da Burger Joint $ American, 131 2nd Ave b/w 7th St & St Marks, NYC
Tallgrass Burger $$ American, 214 1st Ave b/w 13th & 14th St, NYC
Whitman's $$ American, 406 E 9th St b/w 1st Ave & Ave A, NYC
I've clearly also been busy sampling lots of different burgers, both in NYC and in ATL. The most unique burger of these (and possibly of my entire life) was eaten over July 4th weekend in downtown Atlanta. Like Woody's in Hartford, I learned of The Vortex by watching Man Vs. Food. When I saw that episode, I knew I had to try that burger. On your right you can see the "Double Bypass Burger." This burger boasts a half pound sirloin patty, 2 fried eggs, 6 slices of American cheese, 8 slices of bacon all served between (this is the best part) 2 delicious grilled cheese sandwiches that are used instead of a bun. Don't worry, I split this burger with a friend. The taste was absolutely overwhelming; so cheesy you almost couldn't taste anything else. Overall it was damn good and it didn't end up hurting my stomach as much as I expected. Nothing else we ate at The Vortex is worth mentioning (just average bar food). B
Back home in NYC, new burger places have been popping up left and right. One place that has been around since before it was a trend (open since 1989) is Paul's Da Burger Joint. The burgers are very moderately priced (typically $5-$7) and are cooked to perfection. I need to come back many more times so I can try all the different interesting varieties of burgers they have. The chili cheese fries were also well done, a bit soggy by the time we finished but what else do you expect when ordering chili cheese fries. B+
One of these new burger places that I do not see faring too well is Tallgrass Burger, which just opened a few months ago. Although they boast that the beef is local, grass-fed and organic, these facts don't make up for the fact that the burger was over-priced and just not that good. I had the Fire Rock Burger, which costs $8.50 before tax and does not come with fries. It's topped with bacon, jalapenos, blue cheese and chipotle BBQ sauce. Sounds good on paper but the execution was poor at best. The sesame seed bun was dry and too big for the burger, so you ended up with many bites of bun with no burger. I would recommend taking the walk a few blocks away to Paul's or Whitman's. C
Having just opened in June (and the downstairs restaurant area still not being open yet), Whitman's is still in the very early stages. They only have 3 menu items right now and a small counter to order it from, with about 10 seats to eat in. Despite this, after trying their Juicy Lucy (see pic) burger (and having a nice conversation with the owner) I can already tell you that this place is going to be a hit. Originally made popular way out in Minneapolis, the Juicy Lucy is basically an inside out cheeseburger. It has a molten hot core of cheese inside the burger, which usually results in it oozing out after your first bite, so be careful! The Whitman's version of this classic is as perfect as I can imagine; the meat is extremely tender (they automatically cook the burgers medium rare) and the pimento cheese surprisingly tasty in place of the traditional cheddar. Topped off with lettuce, tomatoes and spicy pickles (I also added some jalapenos), this burger rocks. A-
Pat's King of Steaks $$ American/Cheesesteaks, 1237 East Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA
Much like Frank Pepe's of New Haven, if you aren't familiar with Pat's King of Steaks, drop everything and head down to Philly immediately to try this place out. Easily beating it's closest competitor across the street (Gino's), Pat's constantly has a super long line and for good reason: the cheesesteaks can't be beat. The bread is super fresh and the cheese whiz always hits the spot. At $7.50, the sandwiches aren't dirt cheap but are still affordable and are massive. The meat at Pat's is tender and cooked perfectly; in combination with the onions, hot sauce and cheese whiz you will not forget this cheesesteak. I'm not proud to admit that one time (I'll admit it was late at night) I took a trip with friends down to Philly for the sole purpose of getting a cheesesteak (Pat's is open 24 hours). Not to make you nervous, but please be sure to know what you're doing when ordering at Pat's. You only need to say 2 words to the person at the counter. The first is what kind of cheese you want (definitely recommend whiz, but they also offer provolone) and whether or not it should contain onions ("with" or "without"). So typically all you need to say is "whiz with." Anyway, make sure you get it right or they might send you to the back of the line. A
Xi'an Famous Foods $ Chinese, 81 St. Mark's Place b/w 1st & 2nd Ave, NYC
Already having 2 locations (1 in Manhattan Chinatown and 1 in Flushing Chinatown), Xi'an Famous Foods finally opened its doors in the East Village a few weeks ago. I have already been here 3 times and intend to make it a regular spot in my rotation going forward. If it means anything to you, Anthony Bourdain and David Chang ate at the Flushing location of Xi'an on an episode of Bourdain's TV show No Reservations - enough said. The dishes hail from a remote province on the western side of China and are definitely like no other Chinese food you've ever had. It is best described as a mix between middle-eastern/Indian food and Chinese food. Also worth mentioning is how cheap everything here is (dishes range from $2-$9). The hand made noodles are unique and incredibly good and the spices that are used will no doubt stay on your tongue long after you've finished your dish. So far I've played it safe and gotten the staples, but in the future I intend to at least taste the Pig Blood Salad, Spicy & Tingly Lamb Face Salad and Stewed Lamb Spine. I'll skip the Lamb's Treasures though. The Savory Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodles ($5) are spicy and some of the most mind blowingly spicy flavors I've ever had, and the same can really be said for the Liang Pi Cold Skin Noodles ($4), Mount Qi Pork Hand-Pulled Noodles ($5) and the Stewed Pork Burger ($2). The place is already completely blowing up, with lines out the door every time I've walked by lately, so I would go on an off hour if you don't like waiting long. A
LP Steamers $$ Seafood, 1100 East Fort Ave, Baltimore, MD
The last 2 years after the Phish shows at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, on the way back me and my friends have stopped in B-More and gotten some eats at LP Steamers. Simply put, this is a classic Chesapeake Bay crab house. They wrap some brown paper around the table, bring over some trays full of hard-shell crabs covered in heaps of Old Bay seasoning, and let you start cracking and smashing away to get to that precious meat. The jumbos at LP Steamers are no joke, they're actually pretty damn big. You just can't get crabs like this in NYC, even though I'm familiar with a few places that give it a shot, the taste and size just can't compare to getting them down here in MD. Make sure you get some Old Bay seasoned fries and hush puppies on the side! B+
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