NYC Americana: The Little Pizza/Burger/French Fry/Hot Dog/Ice Cream Survey
I live in NYC. So it was inevitable that I would eventually want to review some NY/American food.
Specifically, the foods that are prototypically NY - the pizza, the ice cream...etc. You know - the good stuff.
So here it is, stuck at the end without much fanfare so that we don't affect the overall Asian vibe.
It is - the "Little Survey" - for whenever glutinous rice just won't cut it...
| Hamburgers |
Fries | Hot Dogs |
Good
Burger - One of the hot
new burger chains in the city. Tried the veggie burger
(admittedly not their main product). A little mushy--which is a
normal texture for veggie patties--but good nonetheless. The price is
unfortunately the turnoff, at a whopping $6.25 - too steep for my blood!
Johnny Rockets - Pending (for veggie burger) Kates Joint - Best veggie burger I've had in the city - so far. Pauls - Absolutely the best hamburgers you could imagine! 1/2 lb masterpieces - even a hamburger tartare with a raw egg on top. Absolutely amazing! And near Pomme Frites, too! 3.9 stars. Shake Shack - Pending (for
veggie burger)
Tiny's Sandwich Shop - Not a bad veggie burger. Decent. Zip Burger - (Veggie Burger) Forgettable and mushy. Nah. |
Pomme Frites - You have to try these Belgian Fries, with a million different toppings. They're amazing fries (even better than McDonald's!) - give the curry ketchup a whirl. 3.9 stars. |
Crif Dogs- Nice service, but these dogs are really no better than
anything available on the street. No big whoop at all. 8/21/06 Update: Giving Crif Dogs a second try, I ordered the Veggie Special...with dissatisfying results all around. The service was blah, the bun fell apart immediately in my hands - and the dog was chewy. Ah well. Hope Dawgs or F&B are better... Dawgs on Park - Though in an unfortunately undistinguished part of Alphabet City, DOP probably runs a close second to F&B. The toppings are plentiful and tasty (although with less available variations/combinations.) The dawg is even a little better - slightly fuller and crisp. So: the quality is indeed good, with nice Tofu/Vegan options available. But $6.50 for one dawg? Don't get friggin' rediculous! F&B - Of all the "haute dog" places I've tried, this is the best. Not transcendent, but a really decent dog, worthy to be tasted and tried. My choice on my recent trip? The Great Dane special - done veggie doggy style. (Hey, get your mind out of the gutter!) Crif Dogs, go take a flying....oh, never mind. (I went to the one on 23rd...according to Citysearch, the one on the East Side isn't quite as good...) Gray's Papaya- Great price (.75 per dog) - but the dawgs are just "okay". Newsflash - for the cheap hot dog category, Papaya Dog wins. Hallo Berlin Cart - The winner of the 2005 Vendy Award, the Hallo Berlin Cart offers a smorgasbord of Bratwurst, Knockwurst, pickles and more. The prices are "okay", ranging from $3.00 to $7 or so. The wurst is very tasty...with the only downside being the incredibly long line and wait (at least 30 minutes, the time I was there.) Is it worth it? Try it at least once, and find out for yourself! Katz's Deli - Very decent dogs, with snuck casings which give "snap" to each bite. One of the top establishments, based on sheer quality of the dog. The upper hand still goes to F&B, based on topping variety, and the availability of tofu pups. Nathans (Coney Island) - Good dogs...but certainly nothing special. And the winner goes to F&B.... Papaya Dog- Not a bad dog - arguably as good as the higher priced (gourmet) options. Great news: they also offer a veggie dog (though they were out when I visited...)! The best of the cheapie dog stops! Papaya King- A neat, kitchy spot - complete with garish yellow decor and flamboyant signs proclaiming themselves the 'filet mignon of hot dogs' (it's even on their door handle.) Sadly, not quite true. The dog was okay--and cheap, but tasted somewhat rubbery and burnt. The papaya drink - rather light, frothy - and also just okay. Papaya Dog definitely beats the King - both in taste, and the veggie tofu pup option. |
| Pizza | Ice Cream |
DiFara's - The flavors of this pizza are very subtle and complex, and I certainly respect the skill that goes into the DiFara's slices. But is it pizza so transcendant as to warrant a slightly high price and a trip from the Bronx? Most sadly, no. Although I respect Dominic's work! Grimaldi's-
Pending
Manettas - In Queens - a semi close second to Nicky's. Wonderful, crisp pizzas with fresh and innovative toppings. A friend introduced me, and I've only been there once (about 1.5 years ago) - and it's still memorable. 3.8 stars Nicky's - Located on 204th Street in the Bronx, you're not going to see this on any other pizza list - but it's the best pizza I've had to date! Untraditional, it's got a medium crust with delicious toppings piled to the sky. One $4.00 slice is a meal for two! 4 stars! Pinch - Pizza by the Inch. It's a neat gimmick, but the pizza is just okay. A very, very thin crust, with a thin, decent sauce. Kind of like a good cafeteria pizza. John's - Went to John's and enjoyed their small pie (half plain, half sausage and peppers.) The verdict? Nice, homey unprentious atmosphere. Decent pizza. But nothing amazing. It was thin crust, okay flavor...but nothing to go WOW over. Score yet another for Nicky's...! (Sorry, John's...!) (And honestly, one slice woulda been enough...!) Lombardi's- Ah! Finally, a popular "best of NYC" pizza that at least partially lives up to its reputation. While (still) not as good as Nicky's (in my humble opinion), Lombardi's is damn good. The crust is light and thin - the sauce very fresh and sweet. If you're gonna do a popular NYC pizza joint, so far...make it Lombardis. 3.8 stars. Ottos - Pending
Patsy's- I was told that this was one of the top pizzeria's in NYC. Is this a case of the Emperor's clothes? Granted, I've never really had traditional thin crust pizza, but the two slices I had were soggy and plain. Not transcendant at all. I'm hoping that DiFara's proves me wrong Sal's and Carmines - Not a bad experience. Sal and Carmine are grumpy, but perfectly courteous guys. And the pizza...? Good. Thin, crispy, satisfying. Terrific? No - and I can't say it's worth a special trip uptown. So - as of 8/12/06 at least - Nicky's still reigns supreme! Sullivan Street Bakery - Located on the far westend of town - a small classy bakery, specializing in loaves and other baked goods. Specifically interesting are the pizza slices - made from thin slices of bread, decorated with toppings such as potato, tomato or mushroom. (Vegans take note: several of the options are cheeseless....and wow, the mushroom slice is very good.) Tontonno Pizzeria Napolitano - Cute, unpretentious pizzeria. As for the pizza? Very thin crust, with a slight underside burn - but nothing terribly special. It's decent pizza - definitely not worth the trip out to Coney Island (fortunately, there are plenty good reasons to go there, pizza or not.) |
Australian Homemade - Australian Gelato. Honestly, it was just "okay". They also make chocolates, which sadly fall into the same category. A bit of a letdown. Ben and Jerry's would have been equally good. Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory- A decent sized, quaint ice cream shoppe only one block away from Grimaldis, with a GREAT outside view of the bridge at night. A sign in the shop states that "Ice Cream is the New Health Food." - cute touch. A bit on the expensive side ($3.00 a scoop, and all toppings cost more.) Pluses: very high quality, rich creamy ice cream. On sheer quality, I think it surpasses Mary's. Negatives: So-so toppings, not many flavors, either. So for the overall experience, Mary's still wins. But on the basis of the ice cream alone, very good. Worth the trip from the Bronx? Nah, not quite. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory - Not worthy of the press, in my opinion. Neat exotic flavors. But the ice cream itself? Just okay. (For great ice cream in Chinatown, see Taipan Bakery below.) Cones- High quality, exotic flavors. Definitely a high brow ice cream/gelato. Worth going across town for? Naw, although you should try it once. (I had the Tiramisu and Pistachio flavors) Il Laboratio- Small place, not half as techie-cool looking as Mary's Dairy. There are no mix-ins. I had the chocolate - extremely rich and tasty. As for pure quality of ice cream/gelato, I think this place is up there. But I like the overall package of Cold Stone and Mary's Dairy better. Darn it, I want my mix ins! But - good very rich gelato here. Max and Mina's Ice Cream - Known for its exotic flavors, such as Lox ice cream, or Garlic flavor. When I went there, they didn't have either, but I tried something known as Izaak Rabin Flavor, which had strawberry and olive oil. I also tried a chocolate cheesecake flavor - both weren't bad, but not worth the trip from the Bronx. Sorry, guys! Mary's Dairy- I *may* have found a place that equals or beats Cold Stone. It's in the top three, anyway. At Cold Stone, I always order a mix. At Mary's, I ordered a cone, so the comparison is difficult. But - this place has an extremely nifty look, space-aged cafeteria style. And the ice cream was very high quality - better, I think, than Cold Stone. I had an "exotic" Belgian Chocolate with Halawah. Serious yum. Otto's Enoteca- Definitely a high quality gelato (the chocolate and olive oil flavors are particularly tasty.) Is it worth a special run downtown? No - but the woman who makes the flavors for Otto definitely takes pride in her work... Cold Stone Creamery - I've only had ice cream at the Randolph NJ location, but the mixes that I had were wonderful - chunks of Oreos, various goodies and swirls. The best ice cream I've had, bar none. Four stars. Taipan Bakery - I can only say - try the ice cream platters. They're huge, and very, very good. 3.9 stars. Neck and neck with Cold Stone. (Don't bother with the Taro ice cream however - great violet color, kinda bland taste.) |
| Cocktails A few places to get a good cocktail. I'm married to a gourmet beer homebrewer, but I have to admit to liking the girly-girl mixed drinks - and here are my picks in and around the city, such as they are: |
Cheesecake Factory - 1612 Palisades Center Drive , West Nyack, NY 10994 Located in the Palisades Mall, they've got a Godiva Chocolate Martini that's to die for. Have tried 'em in DC, too--and they're equally good there! Mount Fuji - Rt. 17 North, Hillburn, NY Right over the Tappan Zee bridge. In addition to a great plum wine (ume-shu), they also have this pink mixed drink cocktail called "The Femme" (only available on Valentines Day). Awesome! Although if you try both, I doubt you'll be getting out of your chair for awhile. Waikiki Wally's - 101 E. 2nd Street What can I say? Have a Coconut Kiss in a Scorpion Bowl. Wow. Update on 8/14/05 - had a Coconut Kiss today, and the quality appears to have deteriorated quite a bit. Sadly, no longer recommended (it wasn't much more appealing than a straight Bailey's.) Update on 8/10/06 - the Coconut Kisses have gone back up in quality...maybe not as amazing as my first taste, but definitely worth the trip over to WW to try for yourself...! |
|
Chocolates
You
know - the gourmet, hoi paloi stuff...running several bucks a
pop.
Hey, maybe I can't afford them regularly, but they're worth trying at least once! (Damn, why can't more of these be vegan?) |
| Chocolate
Bar - 48 8th Avenue Honestly, I found this place forgettable. Okay chocolate bars, okay hot chocolate drinks, etc... But anything amazing? Nah. Godiva - Multiple Locations Though considered the low end of gourmet chocolate, I found Godiva to have perfectly decent truffles - really no better or worse than Pierre Marcolini (and gee, they're half the price.) Not vegan (which is a negative), but then, neither are most of the other places on this list. Jacque Torres - 350 Hudson Street I went here awhile ago, having been urged to try the hot chocolate. It was alright, but the truffles and chocolate tidbits stuck out in my mind a little more (especially one unique tidbit, flavored with hot sauce or chili.) But is JT worth a special trip downtown. Nope... Kee's Chocolate - 80 Thompson Street Wow. Easily the best place I've been thus far. The decor at Kee's is bare (almost non-existant, compared to most of the other chocolatiers listed here.) There's only a small counter at Kee's, with a limited selection (maybe seven or so options at one time.) But Kee Ling Tong makes her chocolates fresh daily...and it shows. One bite, and your mouth will be filled with the freshest most exhilarating tastes imaginable. There's no contest. Kee's wins hands down. And the corker? The prices are better, too - running $1.75 a piece. YUM. Four stars! |
La
Madison du Chocolat - 1018 Madison St. Pending Leonidas - 485 Madison Avenue (off 49th) Pending Lindt - 692 Fifth Avenue (46th Street) Pending Marie Belle - 484 Broome (Off Wooster) A gourmet chocolate shoppe located in the heart of Soho. Decorated with art deco designs, Marie Belle has the prettiest chocolates around, making their sampler boxes a perfect gift for that special someone. Other treats are also served, including chocolate filled crepes and a thick hot chocolate that's pretty darned good. The chocolates don't quite measure up to the quality of Kees - but then, what chocolatier does? (As an added bonus, Marie Belles is right next to a very well stocked Sunrise Mart - making the trip worthwhile even if you aren't a major chocaphile.) Martine's Chocolates - 400 E. 82nd Street (off 1st Avenue) Pending Max Brenner - 841 Broadway A lot of people trash Max Brenner as an Applebee's level Willie Wonka Wannabe. (Okay, say that three times fast.) And admittedly, alot of the stuff is average. (Forget about the hot chocolate, it's not worth it.) But the chocolate pizza with marshmellows? TERRIFIC! (And the decor is really fun, too.) 3.5 stars (specifically for the chocolate pizza.) |
Neuhaus
- 2151 Broadway (73rd/74th Street) Pending Payard - 1032 Lexington (73rd/74th Street) Pending Pierre Marcolini - 485 Park Avenue A classy place with truffles, bonbons and little seasonal type tidbits. Though nice, nothing here rocked my world. (Okay, I'm hard to please.) I must say, the service here was very pleasant. Richart - 7 East 55th Street (5th Avenue) Nice and tasty chocolates, with designs similar to Marie Belle. Scharffen Berger - 473 Amsterdam (West 83rd) Pending Teuscher - 620 Fifth Avenue (49th Street) Pending Vosges - 132 Spring Street A beautiful space, with creatively flavored chocolates/truffles - including Black Pearl (ginger, wasabi and dark chocolate), Budapest (dark chocolate and paprika) ...as well as other treats laced with pandan, dark cherry and/or coconut. Yum...and gorgeously presented. The staff is nice, too. |
