I was hesitant to get a free meal after last time, but this invite sounded too fancy with words like “exclusive dinner,” “sleek new contemporary steakhouse” and “Executive Chef Fabio.” I figured fuck it. I’m selling out. Let me enjoy the good life. So I met Carolyn at this Midtown restaurant located in the Park Central Hotel for their free tasting.
Interestingly, the menu included items I’ve been wanting to eat that day. Seared foie gras that I’ve been dreaming of since I’ve seen Japanese Iron Chefs slice thick cuts of it on TV, and rack of lamb which was staring at only a few hours before at Trader Joe’s. The foie gras was everything I dreamed of –buttery melt in my mouth liver. The lamb wasn’t as good as Carolyn’s Thai inspired Braised Short Ribs over Potato Au Gratin …that was awesome. The Chocolate Lava Cake was good too, even though it was like a microwaved Hines cake.
Maybe it’s because of the Midtown location, the nature of having so many good restaurants in New York and the nature of who I am, but I’m not sure I’d ever eat at cityhouse unless I was staying at that hotel …I’m a Brooklyn hipster. However they do have a very affordable prix fixe –$15 for lunch and $35 dinner w/ a complimentary glass of wine (5-7pm).
I’m happy this free meal turned out well. I have no regrets this time, considering my internal conflict with food blogging ethics. I was trying to be all high and mighty before, but I suppose this is not really any different than going to a media event and getting a free pizza burger. Maybe it’s just time to be like T.I. and live my life.
cityhouse New York – 870 Seventh Avenue (@ 56th Street) Park Central Hotel, New York 10019
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Guys night out at Brother Jimmy’s for Monday night’s All-You-Can-Eat Wings, Rib Tips & Beer for $20. People warned me about Brother Jimmy’s, but I didn’t think the food was all that bad. And especially at this price, it’s frickin’ awesome. Matt’s a veteran here and pretty much only likes the wings, but this time he said the rib tips were pretty good. I thought they were tender and tasty with extra Blazin’ sauce on it. The wings were a little too salty and I love salt. You get a two-hour time limit and the beer is Bud or Bud light. We did plenty of damage. We even went to an Irish pub after for more beer and to play bloody knuckles. Come to think of it, Brother Jimmy’s was well-suited for this dude’s night.
Brother Jimmy’s BBQ – 116 E 16th St (btwn E Union Sq & Irving Pl) New York, NY 10003
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I went to work yesterday and noticed Planet Thai 212 is now reopened as Boyd Thai II. It looks pretty much the same, except they put the sushi counter out in the dining room and took out the awesome looking booths. I went for the Tom Yum Seafood Noodle Soup lunch special $9. Sam had the Stir Fried Udon w/ Seafood $9. It came with a spring roll and salad. I guess all in all, it almost seems the same as the old restaurant. Some menu changes. I just wished I wasn’t always confused with Tom Yum and Tom Kha (made with coconut milk). Remember that old Planet Thai that once had that delicious Tom Kha Gai dumpling soup? Yum! …but not Tom Yum.
Boyd Thai II – 30 W 24th St (btwn 5th & 6th Ave) New York 10010
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Went on a search for Chicken Kiev because that’s what the whole last episode of Mad Men was about. Through Menupages’ useful food finding feature —could go to Brighton Beach and get taken down by the Russian mob or a fancy expensive restaurant where people might look at me weird for taking pics or the cheap and close Ukrainian East Village Restaurant (where I had the big combination platter) …the choice was easy.
$11.95, the Chicken Kiev came with two sides and a salad. I expected the butter to come squirting out when I cut into it. I was careful. Nothing squirted. Perhaps the butter had already leaked out when it got to me. Strong herb and garlic flavor. Decent overall. Oh yeah, and the food looks better when you’re not sitting next to the purple neon sign.
The New York Times wrote this piece about the Chicken Kiev fine dining restaurant that Don Draper took his date to –Jimmy’s La Grange.
Ukrainian East Village Restaurant – 140 2nd Ave (btwn E 9th St & St Marks Pl) New York 10003
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Walking to Brighton Beach along the boardwalk for some outdoor Russian dining has been a tradition for me after Siren. This time I went with my half-Russian friend Todd and in search of Tatiana. He told me Jason Schwartzman went there on Bored to Death and it looked exciting. I’ve only been to the two restaurants next to Tatiana, which is Tatiana Grill and Cafe Volna. I’ve always had a good time at those places and one of them has the whole indoor floor as a litted aquarium.
So as Todd went to the bathroom and I asked for an outdoor table, they told me to sit anywhere. There were plenty of tables and I went to the first one. The table was big and a waiter told me I couldn’t sit there. Then he asked a waitress where I can sit and she said “I don’t know. Over there!” So I walked to the other side and picked the smallest table. Another waiter came by and said I couldn’t sit there. I said I have two and just tell me where to sit. He said there’s a $15 minimum per person. I said no problem. He looked around and sat me at the table next to it. It was the exact same size table, minus a chair. Todd came back and said he asked if we can sit inside and they gave him a look like we didn’t belong.
I had Todd order for us. Pelmeni and potato Vereniki dumplings and Kupaty sausages. Yeah, they were good. I just couldn’t figure out how this all amounted close to $80 after tip with a beer each. And now I see that they already charged us a service charge on the bill and then ask for a tip on the credit card slip. Tricky. We did wait forever for our waiter to pick up the check. I almost felt like now they didn’t want us to leave. When the waiter did finally come by, Todd said “come on…” and the waiter who was three times his size looked at him. I thought there was going to be an ass beating.
Now that we’re back and I read this reader review on NYMag and watched that episode of Bored to Death, apparently service is supposed to be that way for gringos. Why the hell did Todd want to go there? Maybe for the nightclub show inside. We could see through the window. It looked like a euro-trash dance club. I can’t believe we were not welcomed? Now I know what it feels like to be black …at a Russian restaurant.
Tatiana Restaurant – 3152 Brighton 6th St (btwn E Boardwalk & Brightwater Ct) Brooklyn, NY 11235
And here’s the kicker. Our waiter is in that episode of Bored to Death …That fat fucker.
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Dang, great deal going on right now at Scoutmob.com –50% off Hill Country BBQ! Time to see if they will let me buy just one rib and a sip of soda in my hand.
–>link
…thanks Matt Gill for the tip!
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I was already so stuffed from the day, but Jay & Sally had one more place in store for me. I had to toughen up and move forward. We took a drive over the bridge to Pho Tau Bay for some Vietnamese. I hear it’s where Steven Seagal eats with his fellow Jefferson Parish police officers. And after hearing about his recent sexual harassment and sex trafficking lawsuit, the restaurant is even more intriguing.
I went with the Shrimp Banh Mi/Po-Boy. Maybe it’s really just a Banh Mi, but maybe it’s a Vietnamese Po-Boy. I don’t know. I know it’s a sandwich. I tasted Jay’s soup and chargrilled pork chops, which were terrific. I should have definitely gone with a Pho noodle soup with a taste of that broth. No matter how stuffed I was, there’s always room for Pho.
I just watched an episode of Steven Seagal: Lawman before I wrote this. When did he get a Louisiana accent?
Pho Tau Bay – 113 Westbank Expy, Ste C. Gretna, LA 70053
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Jody & Christa met up with us in New Orleans and they were starvin. Once again, where to eat in the French Quarter? This time we used Sam’s iPhone to tell us. First place was a bust. Second on the map was the Johnny’s Po-Boys we ran into after our breakfast, but I knew they were closed because it was 4pm. Sam called them anyway to make sure. They were, but he asked if they had any suggestions for a good non-touristy place and they said Cafe Maspero.
We got in right before the heavy yet short rain storm hit. The food was good. Jambalaya was much better than Corner Oyster House. Not saucey. Christa ordered the Veggie Muffaletta, which was much more olive tasting than the meat version we had at the Napoleon House. Jody hates olives, so no taste for him.
We walked over to look at the Mississippi River. Got bored because there were no beers. Then headed back to Bourbon St to be part of the stupidness. So many beer specials –Huge Ass Beers To Go, 2 for 1 beers. We ended up at the 3 for 1 beer place, because it sounds like a better deal. There, we saw an MC on the mic going nutz by himself on the dance floor and a shot girl selling 20 shots from her boobs to this one old man. After, she moved onto another scraggly old man. The first old man looked sad.
Cafe Maspero – 601 Decatur St. New Orleans, LA 70130
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A&A Coffee Shop
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El Castillo De Jagua - Mofongo, Ghosts & Tacos
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