'wichcraft: A Damn Good 'Wich, I Mean Sandwich

That was my late lunch today. A Slow Roasted Pork sandwich from 'wichcraft on 20th street just off of Broadway. I'd seen a lot of people carrying the bags before and always wondered where it was, it also meant that it was probably pretty good. And in fact it was delicious! Inside of this wonderful little sandwich was the aforementioned Slow Roasted Pork with Red Cabbage, Jalapenos, Mustard(Spicey Dijon) all on a Ciabatta Roll and it was slightly toasted. Even though I knew there were Jalapenos in the sandwich I was still a little surprised by the burning of my lips and the inside of my mouth, but in no way did it affect my enjoyment. Of course the Dijon Mustard added to that kick. I have probably said this before but the heart of every sandwich is its meat (at least for the meat eaters among us) and the Roasted Pork didn't disappoint, it was juicy and flavorful. Overall a very enjoyable little bundle even if it cost $9.74. 'wichcraft has locations in NY, San Fran and Las Vegas with 12 locations in Manhattan alone, so there is a pretty good chance that you'll run into one at some point. They also have a lot more on the menu to choose from like Soups, Salads, Coffee and Sweet Treats, so you don't have to have a hankering for one of their 'wiches if you don't want to...

Peking Duck House: What If I Don't Like Duck?

I certainly wasn't going to tell this guy I didn't eat duck, I was afraid he might have gone into a rage and chopped me up with his gigantic cleaver, so I kept it quiet. It was interesting to watch however. Another day another meal on the company at Peking Duck House at 28 Mott Street in Chinatown. This time it was a company lunch and my boss led us to this destination but I wasn't complaining. Now I have a unique perspective on Asian fare in the Chinatown area since I am married to a wonderful Chinese woman. She feels that most restaurants in that area strictly cater to the tourists so we don't often eat there. It's much like eating Italian food in little Italy, it's good but if you want authentic you go to Brooklyn or the Bronx. So when my boss said where we were going I was a little skeptical of his choice and thought that maybe I should suggest another location, then again I do write a food blog so it was better not to say anything and just give it a try. Of course everyone else wanted the duck, so I felt a bit left out but fortunately we ordered several other dishes so I wouldn't leave hungry. We got General Tso's Chicken, Chicken and Broccoli, Sauteed Prawns with Ginger and Scallions and House Special Fried Rice. I also ordered a Wonton Soup because to me the quality of the Wontons usually gives an indication of how good the restaurant will be. Before the soup arrived we were served an appetizer sampling of a Spring Roll, a Steak Skewer and a Steamed Dumpling which I ate rather fast but was underwhelmed nonetheless, very ordinary. The soup was similarly disappointing, not that I didn't pick up the bowl and drink the whole thing, but the Wontons were average. The problem with the Wontons was their wrapping, it was too thick and it over powered the filling. You will find similar Wontons at all the fast food Chinese places in the city. After watching everyone else gush about the fabulous Duck the waiter brought over the other dishes and overall not too bad. The Fried Rice was the stand out and tasted super fresh with lots of Peas, Eggs, Onions and delicious pieces of various meats, it was too bad I had to share otherwise I would have eaten the whole plate. General Tso's Chicken has always been a favorite of mine, there just wasn't enough of it, so I only had a couple of pieces which were good. Chicken and Broccoli is Chicken and Broccoli...it's never fantastic but I had my fair share. The Sauteed Prawns were very interesting and I really liked the taste of them but it seemed that I was the only one who did. Overall a satisfactory experience but not a place I will be visiting again mostly because there are so many better options in the city plus the guy with the cleaver was eyeballing me on the way out.

Cake & Shake: A Yummy New Cart In Washington Square

So I read this little article about a new food cart opening up in Washington Square Park that charged $3 bucks for a cupcake and I was immediately intrigued. If someone has the nerve, the unmitigated gall to charge that much for a cupcake, it must be good and worth my patronage. After checking out the Cake & Shake website I decided there was no time like the present to join in on the excitement and head down to the park for a taste. But when I got there...no cart! I immediately pulled out my iPhone (gratuitous plug to show how cool I am) and checked to see what their schedule was becuase I thought it was 9 to 9, 7 days a week. To my surprise I was completely right, but where were they? Extremely disappointed I moved on because I actually had something to do for work. Later on in the day, once I was finished with my work errand, I passed back through the area to see if the cart had appeared and luckily there it was, right on the north east corner of Washington Square Park just like it said it would be. So I moseyed on over with a boyish grin to find that I wasn't the only one with a hankering for some sweets and stood at the back of the three person line. Jeez. Anyway I was directed to the menu board on the side of the truck and it was explained to me that at the top were the 5 selections for the day but unfortunately the shake machine was malfunctioning. I assumed that this was the reason for their late start to the day but I decided that it wouldn't dampen my spirit. I settled on the Warm Glow cupcake which is made with Spiced Cake (Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Allspice), Carrot Pastry Cream, Golden Raisin and Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Walnuts...I know my mouth is watering too and I already had one! The first thing I noticed about the cupcake, other than the fact that it made my legs weak, was the fact that the cake part was so damn good. Normally cupcakes can be a bit sub-standard when it comes to it's underside with all the focus being put on the toppings, usually just a fluffy, not-so-flavorful lump of cake actually. But here it's a standout that accentuates the delicious aforementioned ingredients just above. And that frosting, oh my goodness. Sharing is not an option my friends so be prepared to buy more than one if you have company. Cake & Shake uses 100% organic ingredients in all of their cupcakes. All of the paper products that are used are 100% recycled plus their plastic products, which are made from corn, are completely biodegradeable. On the presentation front, the carts artwork, as well as the artwork on their packaging, is really fabulous and was designed by David Heatley (http://www.davidheatley.com/). Please check out their website for more information at http://www.cakeandshakeny.com/.

Please be sure to check out my other blog at:

www.stevecsmusicblog.blogspot.com

Rosa Mexicano: Loving The Guacamole!

It's kind of their thing. They want to roll that Guacamole cart over to your table so they can show off even before you sit down. Of course you are going to order the Guacamole, it goes without saying, at least that's what I do every time I go to Rosa Mexicano. Housed in what was once known as the restaurant America and showcased in a scene from Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues, this fine eatery serves up some of the best (non-traditional) Mexican food in the city and luckily it's right next to where I work. Not that I go often, it's a bit pricey for frequent visits so usually I save it for times when I can use my company credit card, you know for business...So as I was sitting down for lunch with a client yesterday I excitedly watched one of the Guacamole specialists whip up a (small) fresh batch for our consumption. It's certainly not the best Guac I have ever had, I make my own tasty concoction at home, but it's all about the presentation and the freshness. Too often however it is all gone right before my eyes because I have relentlessly dipped as many tortilla chips as possible without taking a moment to pause, I simply don't want to

share with anyone else! No not really, I just wish the serving was a bit bigger. What's funny is that I don't even consider the other appetizers as a possibility becuase I am always so focused on the chips and Guacamole. Sadly it eventually runs out and I have to eat something else, so I ordered the the Mexican Club Torta which comes with a side of extra delicious Sweet Potato Fries. By the time the sandwich was served I was a bit full from all the Guac plus I'd already had two cokes, not a good combo if I was still looking to enjoy the rest of my meal. Surprisingly it had little effect on my enjoyment of the Torta which was extra delicious. It's a pressed sandwich, like a panini, with Ham, Grilled Chicken, Bacon, Pickled Jalapenos, Avacado, Chihuahua Cheese and a Black Bean-Chipotle Sauce all on a focaccia like bread. It was a belt buster day for sure. Rosa Mexicano has 3 locations in NYC, plus several others around the country. For more info please check out their website at: http://www.rosamexicano.com/.

Hike, Pig Out, Then Hike Back Home Says New Yorker

Manhattan trainer Melissa Delancey says pig out, then take hike from restaurant after

...I thought this was an interesting article in the paper today. Click the link to read it and see what you think.

Waiting And Waiting On Line For A Sandwich At Alidoro

A co-worker of mine told me that I needed to check this place out because they made some of the best sandwiches in the city. Immediately intrigued I headed to the internet to search it out and see what other people were saying about it. So from what I could tell, or read for that matter, was that Alidoro was the soup nazi of sandwich places but it was a must for great sandwich lovers. But be forwarned, do not approach the counter without knowing what you want to order. There will be a lot of people waiting on line behind you and if you are not ready you will be passed faster than an off duty cab and they are not going to check to see if you are ready yet. So with that in mind I headed down to 105 Sullivan Street to see what it was all about, hunger in tow. Of course there was a line. I stood outside of the small little shop patiently behind two others looking in through the door to see when there was room to fit inside. Be sure to close the door behind you! Don't leave it open otherwise you are going to hear about it. Ok I am being a bit dramatic. Anyway I took that time to look over the menu to figure out exactly what I was going to try and there certainly were a lot of choices even if they all seemed a bit similar. There were 6 types of sliced meats to choose from, Salami, Prosciutto, Smoked Chicken Breast, Sopressata, Capicollo and Mortadella, so that is where I would start. Not a huge fan of the others I chose to go with the Chicken Breast but still needed to find the right combination to complete my order. Scrolling down the list I stopped on the Alyssa with it's Smoked Chicken Breast, Fresh Mozzarella, Arugala, Dressing on a Semolina Roll and because that wasn't enough I added Sweet Peppers to top it off. $13.00, that's right a $13.00 sandwich, so it better be freakin' good. While waiting in the claustrophobic space for my sandwich I got a bit aquainted with their sandwich making process, not that I wanted to but it was a bit of a wait. You'd figure that with a line that stretched out the door that the people running the joint would move at a quicker pace so their customers wouldn't have to wait nearly as long, that would be common sense. Here there were three folks. One guy manning the deli slicer, a lady taking the orders and packing the sandwiches and another fellow hidden behind the refrigerator. What I found particularly amusing and freightening at the same time was that the guy in front slicing the meat was less concerned with what he was doing because he was trying to watch a movie! Off to his left there was an extrememly small tv playing, of all things, the movie Amelia with Hillary Swank and Richard Gere. His concentration on the film was as intense as a bullfighter as he sliced the Chicken Breast for my sandwich and I was surprised later to find that there wasn't a piece of his finger in my sandwich. Too bad.
So back to work I went, gigantic sandwich in hand, nervously excited about the meal ahead. And it didn't disappoint, well maybe a little. Personally I think I made the wrong choice because I really didn't like the Smoked Chicken Breast, it's flavor was not what I was looking for. But what was I looking for exactly, a religious experience? Maybe. Other than the Chicken I thouroughly enjoyed the sandwich, even though the  heart of a sandwich to me is the meat. The Fresh Mozzarella, the Arugula, the Sweet Peppers and the Dressing were all really tasty leading me to believe with the right combo of meat this would have been a really fantastic sandwich. Also I think I may choose a different roll or bread because I was not all that thrilled with the Semolina Roll and desire a firmer loaf to hold my sandwich. At some point I will again venture down to Alidoro to give their menu another try to see if I can come up with a better reason to spend $13.00 on a sandwich. Afterall it's not Katz!

Pret A Manger: The British Invade Our Tummies, Thank Goodness

I never realized that Pret was started by a British couple back in

1986 and to think where we would be if we had all started eating this stuff back then. Hmmm...maybe the move towards better quality food in this country would have begun a whole lot sooner. Who knows but I will tell you one thing, these sandwiches sure are delicious. The one I always turn to is the Turkey Bacon Club with Avocado but the strange thing is that it's not mentioned on the menu on the website...weird. It doesn't matter because it's really good and probably the only way I'm gonna eat wheat bread. The first thing you have to understand is that these sandwiches are not your typical pre-packaged food even though it looks that way. I got into a discussion the other day with a person who refused to eat any sandwich that was pre-packed even though I told her it really wasn't. That's her prerogative but she's wrong. These sandwiches are made fresh with ingredients that are delivered every morning, so you can throw out the assumption that these are typical packaged food. At the end of the day Pret donates all left overs to charity and you won't find any sandwiches on the shelves that had been made the day before. More importantly all ingredients are fresh without any additives and all natural to boot. One of my favorite items at the 17th and Broadway is the bottled water that comes from the mountains in upstate New York, I mean who woulda thunk it? Of course I always have to have a bag of chips when I eat a sandwich and I always choose the Kettle Salt and Vinegar. Perfect combo. You won't leave Pret without spending at least $10 bucks but you have to pay for food that is good for you. Currently there are a whopping 24 locations in Manhatan so you won't have to go very far to enjoy their fine fare. Please visit their website, www.pret.com, to read their story and see what's on the menu. 

Pret A Manger means Ready To Eat in French...FYI