Thai Son Vietnamese...Ahh The Memories

Oh man that looks so good! Prior to 1999 I had never eaten any Asian food other than Chinese and Japanese (barely any Japanese), and basically as a typical American there were only a few dishes that I ever even tried. It wasn't until the summer of that year, when I met my wife, that I was introduced to a whole new world. Why you say? My wonderful wife, who happens to have been born in Hong Kong, is Chinese, and she took it upon herself to show me the so-called ropes when it came to Asian cuisine. Great I thought, someone to guide me thru it and someone who was pretty darn cute to boot! A win win as they say. You see the Chinese think we are all a bunch of whimps when it comes to eating certain foods. I for one am a huge whimp and am not ashamed to admit it (my wife makes fun of me all the time), and man do they eat some scary looking stuff, but I won't really get into that. On one of our very first dates that summer she took me to a Malaysian Restaurant called Nyonya on Grand Street, I certainly didn't know what to expect, but the place was packed with non-Asians...good I thought. Let's just say the most memorable part of the meal was the pink sweater she was wearing (she looked fabulous btw), because I try as hard as I can to block out the food that I saw that night. They were serving up scary looking creatures with lots of bones sticking out in all directions (ok thats a bit of an exaggeration but like I said I've blocked it out), suffice it to say I went home really hungry. Then she introduced me to Dim Sum which was a smashing success. Lots of tasty little appetizers filled with Pork and Shrimp and other stuff, it was really fun, but to this day I still get hung up on her eating Chicken Feet in front of me, gross. Anyway then came a broadened Japanese palate and even a dabble into Thai food which she never really had eaten either. However it wasn't until she brought me to a Vietnamese place that I finally found my calling...eating Vietnamese, it was meant to be. Above all others I truly preferred the variety of flavors and dishes at our favorite place Thai Son at 89 Baxter Street, and quickly we became regulars, frequenting the place three times a week. I couldn't get enough. I really enjoyed the way that they brought everything out in a jumble, sometimes the appetizers coming after the main course, and the general disinterest the servers had for the customers was always a real treat! Seriously though the food was great and it was really cheap. Sadly all good things must come to an end as they say. In 2001 we moved out west to Phoenix, due to a job transfer, and we had to say goodbye to our favorite place...a sad day indeed. Time passed very slowly indeed but as luck would have it the winds of change would find us again and return us back home in 2007. Back where we belonged, even if it was to New Jersey (sorry Jersey you ain't NYC), but back nonetheless. Fast Forward to a couple of weeks ago.

Of course time changes everything including habits, so it should come as no surprise that since we have been back we have only gone to Thai Son twice, a shame I know. So the other day while working downtown, my stomach grumbling as usual, I thought why not eat there? So I ran over to Baxter Street (the man punted Baxter! Anchorman reference) and ordered a few things to go. It was actually really cool to be back there but I wasn't used to standing there without my wife...weird. Anyway back to work I went with my delicious meal in a plastic baggy and all I could think about was how good it was gonna taste and if I should tell my wife that I ate there without her (tough one). First up were the Vietnamese Summer Rolls filled with Shrimp, Pork, Rice Vermicelli, Cilantro and Lettuce (I think) with a side of Peanut Sauce. Mmmmmm good! For my main dish I chose the Grilled Pork and Spring Rolls over Rice Vermicelli with a smal cup of the Vietnamese National Fish Sauce...better tasting than it sounds I promise. It's always better to sit and eat at the restaurant and I certainly didn't want to do that alone, but taking it to go was better than nothing. Thankfully it was still as good as I remembered and gave me more than enough reason to come back sooner than later. Besides there are like five other dishes that I need to make sure still taste like they used too...can't wait.

Is The Reuben The Mecca Of All Things Sandwich?

Back when I was 13 me and my friends used to work at a nearby golf course as caddies during the summer, carrying rich peoples golf bags for close to four hours a day. Hard work. Afterwards, fresh with a lump of hard earned cash in our pockets, we'd walk into town and head to our local deli to order gut-busting sandwiches for lunch. My weapon of choice was usually a Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato and Mayo on a hero or what we called a 'Wedge', to which I would add a bag of BBQ chips and a large bottle of Coca-Cola. My two friends, Peter and Larry (attached at the hip) always liked to one-up each other by ordering something different each day, a sort-of anything you can eat I can do better (?) kind of thing. Mostly I just ignored them both because they're act usually became a bit tiresome, besides I needed to concentrate on my own sandwich. Anyway one fine late summer day, as schools were getting close to opening, the boys introduced me to a sandwich that consisted of Rare Roast Beef (the redder the better baby) and Cole Slaw on Rye. At first I was a bit skeptical because up until that point I had never really had Cole Slaw or Roast Beef for that matter, but it was the fact that the sandwich was on Rye bread that caused me to have the most pause. You see we were always looking for the biggest pieces of bread we could find. Gigantic rolls that could have sailed the seven seas just like a submarine, so it went against all our unwritten rules to request puny little slices of Rye bread. However I relented and I was sure glad I did.  For years after that day, whenever I would order that sandwich, it would happily bring me back to my days at Bedford Golf & Tennis even if it did make me think of Peter and Larry. How was I to know it would open me up to a much grander world? Not quite as easy to remember is how exactly I got turned onto an actual Reuben. Was it at Katz? Was it just dumb luck? Perhaps, but the rest is history. It is in fact my favorite sandwich of all time. Now I am talking about a real Reuben, not a Rachel Reuben or a Roast Beef Reuben (the original sandwich that I was first introduced to). The Reuben that was first created in.....New York? Or was it Omaha, Nebraska? Nebraska, really? Well actually there are conflicting reports so no one is really sure. The sandwich dates back to at least the early 20's (whether it's NY or Neb), so it is basically an American institution at this point. A traditional Reuben is made with Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese and Russian or Thousand Island dressing and often times is grilled kind of like a Panini. Some people substitute the Corned Beef for Pastrami, also incredibly delicious, but that lead to the Rachel which uses Pastrami and Cole Slaw instead of the Sauerkraut. All good. I don't exactly remember why I started thinking about this, maybe it was a dream, or quite possibly it was my blogging friend Keri over at http://www.sandwich365.blogspot.com/ , her wonderful blog dedicated to the worlds greatest invention, the sandwich. All I know is that every time I read it I start craving for sandwiches...thanks Keri. Oh and thank you Reuben, you are the best (the sandwich, not the person).

Murray's Bagels Vs. Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company

Those are the two combatants....Murray's on the left and Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company on the right. Ok first off Murray's has the early edge because their name is shorter and easier to remember, maybe I should call the other one BB&CC to make this whole writing thing a bit easier on my brain. I am still a bit confused however that there are actually two Murray's bagels and not too far from each other either, one on 8th Ave and one on 6th Ave, but I have yet to confirm their relation (Both are owned by guys named Pomerantz, Matt and Adam and it would be easy to assume they are brothers, however they have separate websites and don't mention the other...very strange). The one I refer to is the one on 8th between 22nd and 23rd because that's the one I have been to. BB&CC, on the other hand, is just up the street on 8th between 24th and 25th making this the perfect comparison due to closeness of proximity. Both places offer traditional style bagels which are hand-rolled making the bagels less uniform. The biggest difference between the two places? Size. BB&CC's are over-sized and bulbous, so much so that the hole is pretty much not a hole. How do they accomplish this? They add a bit more yeast into the bagel so it plumps up extra high, and I know this because I worked in a bagel shop back in my high school days many moons ago...that's what we did, so it's nothing new. Ultimately it all comes down to the flavor and both places are right on par with each other. However in my book BB&CC's were just a bit tastier, but that is no slight on Murray's because they are a fine example of a great NYC bagel.

On top is a Murray's Whole Wheat Sesame with Vegetable Cream Cheese and on the bottom is BB&CC's non-Whole Wheat version, just a regular Sesame. Of course when you add Cream Cheese it changes the flavor of the bagel, so just comparing the two this way wouldn't be a true test. Just like Pizza, you gotta eat a plain one...no butter, no nothing (referring to a plain slice of Pizza not a slice with butter...duh). I will say that the Coffee at BB&CC was also very delicious but we're not comparing Coffee here. Anyway I would be quick to recommend both of these Bagel joints because they were highly satisfactory and wonderfully uphold the high standards that we New Yorkers have when it comes to good Bagels. I believe it's something in the water...  

Hill Country Chicken Is The Best Fried Chicken I've Ever Had!!!

Ok that is probably an over-statement but I am no Fried Chicken expert, all I know is that damn bird was juicy! For weeks earlier this summer I walked up Broadway past the corner of 25th street and wondered what exactly was happening inside because it was under construction and all they had on the door was the image of a Chicken. So the other day when I was reading the blog Midtown Lunch (great by the way) they mentioned that this place called Hill Country Chicken had just opened and it was the same exact place I had been passing. Early reports were that it was good but expensive and the wait was a bit too long with lines out the door. Well it's all true. In fact I waited on that long ass line today which stretched out to the corner. A little daunting yes, but it was worth the wait. I'd prepared myself by checking out their menu online and read about the history of the recipe blah, blah, blah. I am not going to go into it here I just want to talk about the food. First off the place smells and looks wonderful. It's retro, reclaimed kinda vibe really adds to the effect and was actually a pleasure. There was also lots of room to roam with numerous tables scattered about, so staying there to eat didn't seem so far fetched even though I took it to go.

I will say one thing about paying $5.50 for a Chicken Breast, $2.75 for a Drum, $2.50 for a small Cheesy Mashed Potatoes and $1.00 for a biscuit...you will certainly not over-eat at this place. It was definitely starch overload and I continue to think that I should have gotten the Cole Slaw to counteract the affect. Oh well back to the Chicken. There are two options when it comes to the Chicken, Hill Country Classic Style or Mama Els' Recipe, and of the two the Hill Country Classic was better. It was juicy and flavorful and like I said, it was the best Fried Chicken I have ever eaten. Not that the Mama Els' was bad or anything, it wasn't, but it was certainly not as good. Now the words Cheesy Fried Mashed Potatoes are enough to make anyones knees buckle, so you know I had to order it and I have to say they did not disappoint. The Buttermilk Biscuit was way to good, I mean I could've eaten like twelve of them and it would have cost me the same as my entire meal, but I'm glad I didn't. So do you think I liked it or what? Of course I did but I won't be going there too often. Not only is it pricey but it is still Fried food afterall, you can't eat that stuff every day, if you do well you'll be poor and dead. Not too promising.

 

When You Don't Know What To Eat, Eat The Pizza "I Dunno"

This beautiful creation above is called the Mezzaluna and thanks to the wonderful people over at New York Magazine I must now go run out and try it. It is a Pizza and Calzone hybrid that is sure to make me drool...oops it already has...anyone have a kleenex? Anyway you can find this at Olio Pizza e Piu at 3 Greenwich Ave near 6th Avenue. However Peppino's in Brooklyn claims that it created a similar concoction many moons ago when a customer could decide if he wanted a pizza or a calzone. Apparently the owner, Joe Mancino, told the guy to hold on a sec while he put something together. He called it the Pizza I Dunno and now he sells a ton of them each week. Man, you know what that means? I gotta go to both places to try them out, what a shame.

Five Guys Voted Best Fast Food Burger In NY And USA

Actually they tied with my personal fave, IN-N-OUT, accross the country as the best burgers in the country, in a survey by Consumer Reports and published here in the NY Post. Not surprisingly of course, MacDonalds was rated to have the worst even though they outsell all the others by a ton, I mean what do you expect for a buck fifty? Second in the big NYC was Fuddruckers which I can honestly say I have never been mostly because of the stupid name. IN-N-OUT is currently only available out West so there is no comapring for those of us here on the East Coast, however I was lucky enough to have lived out there for a few years and have fond memories of ordering my Animal Style burgers and Fries. Oh, don't know what that is? Sorry can't tell you, it's a secret. You see IN-N-OUT has a secret menu that only the regulars know about and I'm not about to share it with you! Only kidding. Actually it's just a special way of ordering the food really but you gotta be there to experience it. Here is the link to the story in the Post,  http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/america_hail_to_the_beef_GrJhlyrYxVfFx9QGZ2DvYM. Personally I also love Five Guys and appreciate their high quality and standards, so I say why not love them both?

Grimaldi's Coming To The Bowery? I Don't Think So

Landmark pizzeria Gramaldi's in Brooklyn will probably be closing the location sometime next fall when their landlord will refuse to let them re-up due to a rental dispute. What are we to do? Well there's good news and bad news. This past May, Grimaldi's opened up a spot inside the Limelight Marketplace on 6th Avenue which gives fans an option in Manhattan. However Community Board 2 has just recently turned down Pat and Carol Grimaldi's request to open up a new pizzeria at 352 Bowery due to the fact that it would be a disturbance to the area...like the drug dealers aren't. The fate of the Brooklyn location is up to it's new owner, Frank Ciolli, to find a new spot, perhaps somewhere in Brooklyn, but only time will tell. The old location will most likely be rented again to house a pizzeria due to the fact that it has a coal oven inside it which is none too easy to take out, plus it is also outlawed in the city and can no longer be built elsewhere. Stay tuned...

Wearing Fast Food Can Be Fashionable

Now I don't mean that ketchup stain on from lunch is going to make you look more stylish, that just looks bad, I'm talking about this rockin' t-shirt from http://www.threadless.com/. If you are looking for attention or just a simple laugh, Threadless offers up lots and lots of great t-shirt designs submitted mostly by it's followers. Of course being a food lover I am certainly attracted to amusing images involving cuisines and these two certainly fill the bill.

Actually I own this one, it's an attention getter, I just wish it was a scratch and sniff.

Fast, Cheap Lo Mein...Oh And Did I Say Cheap?

Fast and cheap are words that are becoming taboo in the food service industry. Those two words have always been associated with food that is really terrible for us and probably in the long run makes us ill. As much as I agree with that statement I also know that there can still be fast and cheap food that is high quality. Now no one would associate high quality with a fast food Chinese restaurant which of course I also agree, but really it's all about what you order. The other day, a little light in the wallet and hungry for some Chinese, I walked in to Lin's Chinese Restaurant, if you can really call it that. It is the typical take out Chinese shop that you can find all over the city and usually the food isn't that great...but it's cheap and fast! Anyway the key at these places is to stay away from all the Fried foods that they specialize in. Stick to the basics. White or Brown Rice (Sometimes you have to ask for the Brown if it's not on the menu) with Vegetables and Chicken. Noodle dishes are simple and often good. Steer clear of the Soups and the Fried Rice, too much salt and often not very good. So I decided on the Roast Pork Lo Mein which for a small order was $4.75 and well within my budget for the day. In and outta there in under 15 minutes. When I got it back to work I was surprised by the amount of food that I received and immediately knew it would fill me up. It was actually pretty good too and I almost couldn't finish it all either. If you must, Lin's Chinese Restaurant is at 32 East 23rd Street, I don't necessarily recommend it.

Fashion's Night Out Was A Filling One At Work

Last Friday, September 10th, New York City was abuzz with fashion as everyone was out late shopping for clothes. What did that mean for me? Other than having trouble navigating the streets of SoHo because there were too many damn people, not really much accept for a lovely dinner at my jobs downtown location. Now I don't work in fashion, I work for a furniture company, but we decided to participate in the festivities and kept the store open until 11pm. So to reward ourselves we ordered out for dinner and we ordered from one of my favorites, La Esquina. After looking at all the delicious choices I finally narrowed it down to Pork or Chicken, finally deciding on the Pollo Asado or Roasted Chicken. The dish came with White Rice, Black Beans, Cooked Onions, Tomato Salsa, Avocado with some White Cheese crumbled on top. Thinking I needed a side I ordered the Yucca Fritas or Yucca Fries which I thought would be a nice crunch with my meal. We also got a couple Elotes Callejeros which is Grilled Corn on a stick, mucho delicioso! So with much anticipation we sat in the showroom and waited for the delivery man who we assumed would be slowed by all the throngs of fashionistas littering the streets...so I had some beer. And then I had another one, let's just say it was a long wait. Anyway he finally showed up and it was time to eat. However once we spread everything out on the table it seemed as if something was missing. My Yucca Fritas! I was so looking forward to them. The fact was that when we placed the order over the phone the girl taking the order wasn't exactly totally fluent in English and probably didn't understand. Now I know it's a Mexican restaurant in a city that has a lot of Spanish speaking residents, but the last time I checked it was still the U.S. and English is our first language. This is not my rallying cry for or against immigration laws, that is not my issue. My concern here is for my stomach and how it would be unfulfilled without the delectable Yucca Fritas. Actually in all seriousness you gotta have a competent person answering your phones, and when I say competent I mean someone who fully understands the orders coming in, that means that they understand English first. It's really not that hard. Oh well, I digress. Saddled with an empty feeling in my belly I started in on the rest of my meal. As always it was extremely delicious as I couldn't have been more satisfied with the Pollo Asado. I polished off an Elotes Callejeros (Ear of Corn) in between forkfuls of Chicken, Rice and Beans, but I still felt like I needed something more. Luckily my colleague had asked for an order of Maduros (Sweet Plantains) and had actually gotten them...lucky bastard, so I scooped up a couple and man were they good. Overall I was very happy with all the food...that I received, it's always good at La Esquina and I will forgive their hapless phone order taker. Next time I will just have to ask her to repeat what I asked for. La Esquina is located at 114 Kenmare Street, just a block and a half from Spring Street.

Vanessa's Dumplings: I'm Addicted, It's A Problem

Of course I am not serious, it's never a problem to be addicted to amazingly good dumplings! They are just so good, and cheap to boot. It's not too often that I can be satisfied only eating an appetizer and I certainly  could have eaten a whole bunch more food but that simply isn't practical. I have to watch my figure you know. What else can I say? They were filled with Pork and Chives. They were steamed and then fried. There is something that I must mention and it has to do with the sauce. The one thing you can't have enough of is Dumpling sauce. Too little and you are just eating a bunch of dry Dumplings, good as they may be, they still need the lubricant (appropriate word?...whateva). At Vanessa's they gave me two of their cups of sauce and I was plenty happy. I poured one over the top and then used the other for dipping, pure freakin' Dumpling bliss. I know I have mentioned it before but Vanessa's Dumplings is located on 14th Street between 2nd and 3rd, closer to 3rd. Go, right now!

I Just Drank The City's Greatest Coffee, At Least That's What They Told Me

There it is. New York City's best cup of coffee from Cafe Prague on 19th Street just off of 5th Avenue. Honestly I felt really honored to drink it...but when I finished I felt a bit hollow like maybe they lied to me or something. How would I know if they were lying or not, I mean if they said it was the best it must be the best, right? Little did I know that many restaurants think they have the best coffee in the city, or the best pie, burgers, sandwiches, lobster, etc. You name it, somebody is claiming to have the best of something. So now suddenly intrigued, I went off in search of a few places in the city making similar claims to find out if in fact their boasts were true and to see if there was anyway possible for me to substantiate the claims.

First up on my trek was Brgr, a burger joint at 287 7th Avenue which has posted on their front window that they were voted to have the best shake in NYC...in fact I found out that they were also voted to have the best burgers in the city as well...back in 2007. So 3 long years ago the New York Post claimed that Brgr had the best burgers in the city and New York Magazine, also back in 2007, claimed that they had the best shakes in the city. Ummm...so that means for the last three years other restaurants have been voted to have better shakes and burgers thus making their claim seem a bit untrue. Besides it's not as if there was actually a vote anyway, a couple of critic's at the Post and NY Mag don't speak for the entire population of the city anyway. Letter to Brgr...time to take down the no longer true statement on your window please, it's a bit misleading.

Live lobsters now showing all night! Next up was Francisco's Centro Vasco restaurant on 23rd between 6th and 7th Ave's that claims on their sign that they are NYC #1, whatever that means. What caught my attention here was when I walked past the place it smelled really bad outside...gross. So no longer able handle it I went to their website where they claim to be NYC's #1 Lobster House, which I could not substantiate any further, but from all the reviews I read maybe they are. They really have to do something about that smell though cause that #1 is smelling a lot like #2...

On to Lindy's near Madison Square Garden, where you are bombarded with all kinds of signs and advertisments, it's a wonder I could even concentrate. On their front awning Lindy's claims to have world famous Cheesecake, but they didn't say they were the best. Is that any better? Now world famous doesn't exactly tell you if it's any good at all, maybe it's world famous for the amount of people that it has made sick and throw-up? Maybe some dude on business from Japan stopped in once for a slice and said it was good...does that make it world famous? The world may never know.

D'aiuto's over on 8th avenue suggests that their Cheesecake is the best on Earth, forget being world famous the best on Earth is the best! Whatever happened to being the best in the city? Not good enough for you? Seems as if neither of these last 2 establishments wants to claim their Cheesecake to be the best in NYC because they both know that Junior's makes the best Cheesecake in New York...even if I prefer traditional Italian Cheesecake over it (it's made with Ricotta Cheese not the usual Cream Cheese, way better). These vague boasts are even harder to decifer since it's almost impossible to find out the truth, therefore they are free to claim whatever they want even if they think they have the best Cheesecake on Mars...who knew?

So you are saying that it's Bleecker Street Pizza then? Stop being so passive aggressive! Guess that means I gotta give their pizza a try, but again this is just one opinion and not a true indication of the actual best pizza in the city. I can only imagine how hard it would be to figure that one out...I just know that my favorite is Joe's on Carmine Street. The best pizza in NYC is like trying to find out who has the best white rice in China. Never gonna happen.

Of course I could go on and on with places claiming to be the best in the city, or the world if you must, but that would be the longest blog ever. Overall I don't really have a problem with places claiming to be the best because that only gives me reason to give them a try...oh wait, I guess that's what they are going for huh? However the point is living up to your braggadacio (bragging for the layman) after luring in the customers to your establishment and not just having it be a sign on your window. Who am I to say anyway...I'm only the best food bloogger in the city and perhaps even the world (completely untrue and totally fabricated for effect).

Rafiqi's Street Cart In Union Square: Street Food Done Tasty

There are food trucks and food carts littered accross the city of New York devised to service the fast paced nature of all who work here. For years I believed that the food on the street only consisted of Hot Dogs and Pretzels and it was only something you ate in a pinch or at a ballgame. These days however it is a complete food movement causing major rumbles in the food service industry, some like it, some don't but I for one am an ardent supporter. The fast paced nature of the food doesn't have to mean crappy food and from what I have seen a lot of the carts and trucks offer good quality, sometimes even better than some restaurants. Now I am not sure I would call Rafiqi's Middle Eastern Food Cart in Union Square high quality fare but in a pinch it sure is some delicious food and all for only about $5 bucks. I'm a Chicken and Lamb combo kind of guy with Yellow Rice, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Cheese and White Sauce (I am not sure what this sauce is but it's a necessity here). Often times there is a line of about 4 or 5 deep awaiting to be served but it moves so quickly that you don't even notice the wait. I do caution anyone from eating this food more than once a week since I have had experience in this area and don't recommend it, in fact it's probably better suited to once a month.

Lunch With The Boss At Maxie's Bar & Grill

Now I know what you are thinking, my boss shows up unannounced and says he wants to take me to lunch in a crowded restaurant where I won't make a scene right? Well ease your fears and relax, he didn't take me there to fire me or well...maybe he just changed his mind over a really good Grilled Chicken sandwich. I don't care which it is because I'm still employed and the sandwich was really good too. When the two of us head out to lunch he always leaves it to me to choose our destination and lately I have been running out of suggestions...not really of course but I feel funny always picking the place. So as we stood outside momentarily pausing as I racked my brain, a strong wind blew the scent of burgers into my nose and I decided on Maxie's Bar & Grill which makes some of the finest meat patties in the city. Of course that meant we would both order Grilled Chicken sandwiches. The burgers certainly all looked good on the menu, even the coffee burger sounded intriguing, but I just felt like eating a piece of chicken. I chose the aforementioned Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Lettuce, Roasted Red Pepper, Fresh Mozzarella and an extra delicious Chipotle Mayo. I also changed from regular fries to Sweet Potato Fries as my side order, which is always the smart choice. My boss then copied my order, sans Sweet Potato Fries (just the regular fries), but also added on some Beer Battered Onion Rings which he implored me to share, not a hard thing to do. Out quicker than I expected, the sandwiches looked amazing, so I dove right in first plucking the Half-Sour Pickle for a taste. Really good. I spread on some of the Mayo and took my first bite of the sandwich which was really huge in my hands and almost impossible keep together. First let me just say that Fresh Mozzarella on any sandiwch is a huge plus in my book and automatically makes the enjoyment that much better. Unfortunately I was completely distracted by my boss dismantling the sandwich, tossing aside the wonderful roll for no apparrent reason other than he said it was just too big. Whimp. Then I wondered why the f**k did he order the damn Onion Rings for? Back to my meal. The Sweet Potato Fries were just that, sweet and I plowed thru them like a tractor occasionally dipping them in the Chipotle Mayo. Highly recommended. At the completion of the meal it was truly a tale of two eaters...mine practically finished and my boss' half eaten, what a waste. Now you might think that I felt like a pig at that moment but all I could feel was pity because he seemed like he couldn't enjoy the meal. Could it have been the company? Maybe I am a boring partner only concered with taking a photo of his meal and blogging about it. Sounds cool doesn't it. Maxie's Bar & Grill is technically located at 233 Park Avenue South but is actually around the corner on 19th Street. The main restaurant, Angelo and Maxie's Steakhouse, is on Park.

Hey Pluck You! A Dry Grilled Chicken Sandwich For Lunch

That's it, right there...dry like a walk in the desert. And it wasn't so much what they put on the sandwich, or what they didn't, but the Chicken itself was completely robbed of any moisture altogether! Ok I am being a bit dramatic but at least I was trying to be a bit healthier in not ordering a deep fried hunk of bird that probably would have tasted 10 times better. Anyway the other day I was making my way thru the village when I happened upon Pluck U at 230 Thompson, between 3rd and Bleecker. So I stopped in because I was hungry and it looked interesting. Well it wasn't. I immediately regretted walking into the establishment because it didn't look or smell too appetizing on the inside, but I didn't want to be too judgemental. I'd certainly heard of or seen one of these places before with 5 locations in the city, so I assumed that it couldn't be that bad. I guess it wasn't really that bad, I mean it did have some flavor but they just simply overcooked the Chicken, plus there was way too much roll. They cheaped a bit on the bird which after eating it wasn't such a bad thing. I also ordered a small cup of Potato Salad thinking that I needed a little side or something. You are pretty much taking a chance ordering Potato Salad at certain joints, it all depends on whether the place makes it themselves or buys it pre-made. This was pre-made and it was gross, I should have known better. Overall not the best experience and a place I won't be visiting anytime soon. Sorry Pluck U.