One Week, One Eat: NYC

My goal for 2012: one new NYC (or beyond!) eatery a week to get me out of the rut of sticking to a few favorites.


52 restaurants: 3 sentences (at least) and (at least) 1 photo for each.

Week Twenty-One: Newman Arms
Address: 23 Rathbone Street Fitzrovia, London W1T 1NG
URL: www.newmanarms.co.uk
Date Visited: May 25, 2012

My London trip consisted of no shortage of great places to eat but the decision for week twenty-one’s post was absolutely simple to make.  The Newman Arms pub was right around the corner from our rental flat in Fitzrovia and was, without a doubt, my favorite meal of the trip.  It by all means wasn’t the fanciest or the most exotic, but Newman Arms so well encapsulated the spirit of my trip that I’ll most certainly never forget it.  

Heather and I had visited the Newman Arms a few times during the earlier part of our trip, but we hadn’t yet grabbed one of their famous meat-pies.  As our week in the flat drew to a close, we knew it was time to go for the big one — the meat pie dinner.  We loved it so much the first time that we actually went twice.  Due to the haze of a good memory, this post ends up being a blend of the two experiences so I’ll ask not to be held to strict accuracy.  While I can’t remember the date exactly, one thing is certain — the beef and Guinness pie I had was absolutely stop your heart delicious.  The combination of the warm and friendly pub environment with the tasty vegetables and beef makes me smile as I write this sentence.  Newman Arms, its beers, its pies and its atmosphere is one of those places that you leave thinking, ‘I don’t live in London and I’m not sure how I’ll get here, but I know I’ll be back at least one more time.’  

If you’re going to London, it’s a must.  There are hundreds, if not thousands of pubs but this one is worth the trip to get there.  

Honest.

Week Twenty: Mango TreeAddress: Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road  London SW1X 7XL, United KingdomURL: www.harrods.com/content/the-store/restaurants/mango-tree/Date Visited: May 20, 2012 Well, over a month later I’m finally playing catch-up! I spent 10 days in London this May so “One Week, One Eat: NYC” has temporarily become “One Week, One Eat: London.”  London saw several opportunities for delicious food, but I’ll admit I was a little lazy in the photos department.  Week 20 was covered by a trip to, where else, Harrods where Heather and I endured floor after floor of madness and delight.  Mango Tree was pretty much the only opening that didn’t feel like a dinner meal so we took a seat and dined on some pretty delicious Dim Sum.  I definitely remember having the BBQ Pork Buns and the Prawn & Chive Dumplings (pictured).  Considering how hungry we were, it was a pretty tasty experience, and the location was perfect for people watching on the ground floor.  Mango Tree wins special points for being tasty and, most importantly available — a nice recharger meal on the way to more London adventure.

Week Twenty: Mango Tree
Address: Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road  London SW1X 7XL, United Kingdom
URL: www.harrods.com/content/the-store/restaurants/mango-tree/
Date Visited: May 20, 2012

Well, over a month later I’m finally playing catch-up! I spent 10 days in London this May so “One Week, One Eat: NYC” has temporarily become “One Week, One Eat: London.”  London saw several opportunities for delicious food, but I’ll admit I was a little lazy in the photos department.  Week 20 was covered by a trip to, where else, Harrods where Heather and I endured floor after floor of madness and delight.  Mango Tree was pretty much the only opening that didn’t feel like a dinner meal so we took a seat and dined on some pretty delicious Dim Sum.  I definitely remember having the BBQ Pork Buns and the Prawn & Chive Dumplings (pictured).  Considering how hungry we were, it was a pretty tasty experience, and the location was perfect for people watching on the ground floor.  Mango Tree wins special points for being tasty and, most importantly available — a nice recharger meal on the way to more London adventure.

Week Nineteen: Brooklyn Bridge Park Wine BarAddress: Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park BK NY 11201URL: www.brooklynbridgewinebar.comDate Visited: May 13, 2012 A bit of a cheat, but with good reason.  Heather and I were gearing up for what was sure to be an expensive trip to London so we weren’t really going out much — but in the spirit of exploring we decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (for our first time) and thus discovered this wine bar in the park.  While primarily visiting for the beer (who doesn’t love a beer in the park) we also had a quick Caprese sandwich for lunch.  The sandwich was, as you might expect, pretty underwhelming but the atmosphere was nice.  If you’re headed over here it’s certainly not for the food, so in that case I’d recommend grabbing some food before.  I’ll probably plan to return next time I’m in the area in the afternoon looking for a nice relaxing place to grab a weekend drink.

Week Nineteen: Brooklyn Bridge Park Wine Bar
Address: Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park BK NY 11201
URL: www.brooklynbridgewinebar.com
Date Visited: May 13, 2012

A bit of a cheat, but with good reason.  Heather and I were gearing up for what was sure to be an expensive trip to London so we weren’t really going out much — but in the spirit of exploring we decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (for our first time) and thus discovered this wine bar in the park.  While primarily visiting for the beer (who doesn’t love a beer in the park) we also had a quick Caprese sandwich for lunch.  The sandwich was, as you might expect, pretty underwhelming but the atmosphere was nice.  If you’re headed over here it’s certainly not for the food, so in that case I’d recommend grabbing some food before.  I’ll probably plan to return next time I’m in the area in the afternoon looking for a nice relaxing place to grab a weekend drink.

Week Eighteen: Würstelstand @ Vandaag
Address: 103 2nd Avenue NY NY 10003
URL: www.vandaagnyc.com
Date Visited: May 6, 2012

One of my favorite lunches in recent memory, the new Würstelstand at Vandaag must be tried for the equally amazing Broodje Frikandel and the Van Dog dogs.  The Broodje is my favorite — fried pork and beef on a pretzel bun for only $4 but if fried isn’t your thing you could go more traditional with the Van Dog (what Heather had).  The experience is simple, walk down the street a bit from Vandaag’s entrance and you’ll find this little assuming window of deliciousness — just remember to bring cash as it’s cash-only.  This is something I’ll definitely plan to visit again and again this summer.

Week Seventeen: Nomado 33Address: 165 East 33rd Street NY NY 10016URL: www.nomado33.comDate Visited: Apr 23, 2012 Picture the scene- it’s Monday, it’s rainy and it was a tough day.  The call was made to drop the idea of making dinner and to go for Sushi.  Wanting to make it as relaxing as possible, I looked for somewhere near our apartment that we hadn’t been and so Nomado 33 was chosen.  We ordered the New York Roll, the Blue Ocean and the Lobster Roll.  Overall, the experience was good for the neighborhood — it’s a place we’ll likely come back to when we’re on the nearby sushi hunt again.  One thing I’ll recommend is never ordering the Lobster Roll.  Something was just plain wrong was the idea of this roll (I think it was the cucumber wrapping) that just didn’t work for Heather and I.  If you live in the area, it’s a place to check out for sure — otherwise your local neighborhood sushi spot is probably the same!

Week Seventeen: Nomado 33
Address: 165 East 33rd Street NY NY 10016
URL: www.nomado33.com
Date Visited: Apr 23, 2012

Picture the scene- it’s Monday, it’s rainy and it was a tough day.  The call was made to drop the idea of making dinner and to go for Sushi.  Wanting to make it as relaxing as possible, I looked for somewhere near our apartment that we hadn’t been and so Nomado 33 was chosen.  We ordered the New York Roll, the Blue Ocean and the Lobster Roll.  Overall, the experience was good for the neighborhood — it’s a place we’ll likely come back to when we’re on the nearby sushi hunt again.  One thing I’ll recommend is never ordering the Lobster Roll.  Something was just plain wrong was the idea of this roll (I think it was the cucumber wrapping) that just didn’t work for Heather and I.  If you live in the area, it’s a place to check out for sure — otherwise your local neighborhood sushi spot is probably the same!

Week Sixteen: BLT BurgerAddress: 470 6th Ave NY NY 10010URL: www.bltburger.comDate Visited: Apr 22, 2012 After a ‘difficult’ Saturday, I woke up wanting nothing more than the juiciest Burger I could get my hands on.  Since we were meeting a friend located on the West Side, I look for a burger place that felt equidistant and so BLT Burger was it.  We the Jalapeño poppers, the waffle fries and I had the Maytag Blue burger.  Blue Cheese + Burger is always a combination for success in my book and this was no different — simple, easy and delicious.  It was relatively quiet when we were at the restaurant, but perhaps this was because of the foreboding rain and cold outside.  BLT Burger seems like a good spot if you’re in the neighborhood, but didn’t stand-out from burgers I’ve had in the past.  I was happy to visit, but feel no need to return as I’ve got a perfectly delicious Burger spot nearby.  In my helpless state I also forgot to take a photo, my thanks to this photo taken by ‘yurina o.’ on Yelp for filling in: Yelp

Week Sixteen: BLT Burger
Address: 470 6th Ave NY NY 10010
URL: www.bltburger.com
Date Visited: Apr 22, 2012

After a ‘difficult’ Saturday, I woke up wanting nothing more than the juiciest Burger I could get my hands on.  Since we were meeting a friend located on the West Side, I look for a burger place that felt equidistant and so BLT Burger was it.  We the Jalapeño poppers, the waffle fries and I had the Maytag Blue burger.  Blue Cheese + Burger is always a combination for success in my book and this was no different — simple, easy and delicious.  It was relatively quiet when we were at the restaurant, but perhaps this was because of the foreboding rain and cold outside.  BLT Burger seems like a good spot if you’re in the neighborhood, but didn’t stand-out from burgers I’ve had in the past.  I was happy to visit, but feel no need to return as I’ve got a perfectly delicious Burger spot nearby.  In my helpless state I also forgot to take a photo, my thanks to this photo taken by ‘yurina o.’ on Yelp for filling in: Yelp

Week Fifteen: Corsino Cantina
Address: 637 Hudson Street NY NY 10014
URL: www.corsinocantina.com
Date Visited: Apr 13, 2012

After spotting this on Unique Eats on the Food Network, Heather made us a quick Friday Night reservation to go check out Corsino’s Crostinis.  Always a lover of Brussel Sprouts, we immediately ordered the Fried Brussels and accompanied them with 3 Crostinis: Dandelion & Blue, Honey & Ricotta and Radicchio & Goat Cheese. The Brussels were a delight, I can still taste them now in my mind, the leaves held little pockets of salty Parmesan that was released as you bit into them — absolutely off the charts.  Of the Crostini, the Dandelion & Blue was definitely the most exotic of our choices but our favorite was the Radicchio & Goat Cheese.  The Radicchio was perfectly pickled and the fresh, tart goat cheese supplemented it perfectly.  Of the mains, we definitely both strongly preferred the Strascinati with Pork Shoulder, Pecorino & Nutmeg that I ordered to the Tagliatelle with Pork Ragu & Mint that Heather had (Heather liked the Mint, but missed not having a tomato base).  I think this was the first time I’ve ever had Strascinati and it was absolutely the perfect sized pasta for the dish — the balance of the pork and tomato sauce base was perfect and really, really delicious.  While the food and wine were great, the service was a little off.  I think we just were unluckily assigned the wrong server — we waited well beyond all of the tables around us for our food & wine.  If I were in that part of town and looking for somewhere familiar to dive into, I’d definitely give Corsino another look; however with so many Italian places yet unexplored, it’s not high on my list to immediately visit again.

Week Fourteen: Stanton SocialAddress: 99 Stanton Street NY NY 10002URL: www.thestantonsocial.comDate Visited: Apr 7, 2012 French. Onion. Soup. Dumplings.  This alone was the reason for booking the reservation to the Stanton Social.  While the soup dumplings were great, the environment and the service was a little ‘not my scene.’ Probably should’ve done a bit more research on it before booking as this was definitely the kind of place to roll with a larger group — for two it’s a little too heavy on the club vibe side.  It was also a bit of a bummer to wait an hour before sitting when I had already booked a reservation.  We rolled over directly from grabbing a few cocktails at PDT so perhaps we were already on a more relaxed wave-length than Stanton Social demands.  I definitely liked the food, French Onion Soup Dumplings & the Shrimp & Grits were great but am not sure I’ll find myself here again.  As a note, the Gruyere cheese in the French Onion Soup dumplings gives the whole spot a pretty foul smell…at least it did on the night I was there.  Not sure if that’s the norm, but once I picked up on it I couldn’t get it out of my head — definitely not the kind of odor you’d want in a place like this.

Week Fourteen: Stanton Social
Address: 99 Stanton Street NY NY 10002
URL: www.thestantonsocial.com
Date Visited: Apr 7, 2012

French. Onion. Soup. Dumplings.  This alone was the reason for booking the reservation to the Stanton Social.  While the soup dumplings were great, the environment and the service was a little ‘not my scene.’ Probably should’ve done a bit more research on it before booking as this was definitely the kind of place to roll with a larger group — for two it’s a little too heavy on the club vibe side.  It was also a bit of a bummer to wait an hour before sitting when I had already booked a reservation.  We rolled over directly from grabbing a few cocktails at PDT so perhaps we were already on a more relaxed wave-length than Stanton Social demands.  I definitely liked the food, French Onion Soup Dumplings & the Shrimp & Grits were great but am not sure I’ll find myself here again.  As a note, the Gruyere cheese in the French Onion Soup dumplings gives the whole spot a pretty foul smell…at least it did on the night I was there.  Not sure if that’s the norm, but once I picked up on it I couldn’t get it out of my head — definitely not the kind of odor you’d want in a place like this.

Week Thirteen: Maguro SushiAddress: 160 E 28 St ST NY NY 10016URL: www.magurosushinyc.comDate Visited: Apr 1, 2012 Okay, I’ll admit it. I cheated a bit this weekend. Sunday rolled around and I realized that I hadn’t been to a single new place for the week. First panic struck…13 weeks in and I was going to default on a 52 week goal. Then, by happenstance, I was walking past Maguro Sushi — a small, order at the bar and sit or takeout sushi place that I’d been meaning to try. Seeing an opportunity to keep my goal on track I quickly ordered the Beef Udon lunch special and brought it home. Overall, not the best Udon I’ve ever had. If I find myself in the mood for takeout sushi in the future I’ll probably give Maguro another shot since the sushi I saw people eating in the restaurant looked pretty delightful. Perhaps the best taste of the meal was the sweet taste of goal-saving victory.

Week Thirteen: Maguro Sushi
Address: 160 E 28 St ST NY NY 10016
URL: www.magurosushinyc.com
Date Visited: Apr 1, 2012

Okay, I’ll admit it. I cheated a bit this weekend. Sunday rolled around and I realized that I hadn’t been to a single new place for the week. First panic struck…13 weeks in and I was going to default on a 52 week goal. Then, by happenstance, I was walking past Maguro Sushi — a small, order at the bar and sit or takeout sushi place that I’d been meaning to try. Seeing an opportunity to keep my goal on track I quickly ordered the Beef Udon lunch special and brought it home. Overall, not the best Udon I’ve ever had. If I find myself in the mood for takeout sushi in the future I’ll probably give Maguro another shot since the sushi I saw people eating in the restaurant looked pretty delightful. Perhaps the best taste of the meal was the sweet taste of goal-saving victory.

Week Twelve: Black Duck
Address: 122 East 28th ST NY NY 10016
URL: www.blackduckny.com
Date Visited: Mar 24, 2012

I’ve walked past the Black Duck at least 200 times and have always lumped it in with a sort of negative hotel restaurant vibe.  In passing the other night, I heard live Jazz and so hopped online to investigate.  I found out that on Saturday nights Black Duck hosts an ever changing array of live Jazz and so immediately told Heather.  We visited Saturday night and were unbelievably delighted.  Despite being a hotel spot, Black Duck really impressed me.  The jazz was great, we had some awesome cocktails (side car & old fashioned) and the burger and risotto appetizer were pretty delicious.  I look forward to coming back in the weekends to come for more Jazz.  Plus, I read that they have Mad Men and Bond movies on Sunday.  All around pretty cool.