sydney good eats coming soon.  my apologies for being overly enthused in these good eats post… i just survived a few days on master cleanse and this is the result!  Hope you can enjoy some of these delectable spots soon!

NYC theme: eclectic mix – i have not even scratched the surface on delicious places to eat in the city… BUT here are some of my favorites anyways! bon appetite -

majority are pretty easy on the wallet…

Caracas Arepas Bar- lower east side – south american arepas bar that ashley showed me.  This place and it is SOOOOOOOO GOOD and cheap… but be prepared to wait for a long time to sit because the restaurant is tiny $

Da Silvano Restaurant – toscana cucina pricey, cool & delicious $$$

Elephant The – bar & restaraunt – french thai fusion! YUM! one of my favorites – FUSION is the way of the future… really great for any kind of event… a bit rowdy! $$

La Esquina/ the corner bar – cheapo mexicana! has really cool night club underneath if you knock on the door in the back of the restaurant… apparently celebrities frequent but I like it for the tasty cheap mexican $

Socarrat Paella Bar $$$ jamie showed me this delightful paella bar (love seafood!) – really fun & special environment – would be great for a date or with a big group of people for a celebration

Welcome to La Colombe Torrefaction – the best coffee in the whole world!!! ahhh i miss this so much!!! their grinida (sp?) in the summer is what started my addiction la colombe is very clean, with simple the decor…. it is all about the coffee.  Even though it is a chain it makes the cut $

Ivy’s Chinese & Japanese Cafe- chinese & japanese cafe on the upper west side – one of the families i babysit for turned me onto this place (their fav local delivery)  I got hooked for its prices and tasty dishes!  they have gotten a ton of recognition and are referred to as “the best kept secret” on the UWS $

Cafe Habana – cuban lunch spot in Nolita – my boss took me it is so good and cheap – they also have awesome drinks!

Artichoke Basilles Pizza – i am a little ashamed to say i eat here because it is SOOOO bad for you, yet so delicious. the most amazing drunk pizza stop in the world… I recommend the crap pizza sometimes it’s good to be bad $

Mission Cafe- the best breakfast ever – I swear by this place because it is super cheap and yummy – order the french toast and you will not be sorry… they also make all kinds of wraps/sandwiches/smoothies etc

Rice – like the name suggests, this restaurant serves all kinds of rice. easy affordable and delicious – try their black rice it is very unique

I wish I had room for more!!!

]]> http://92daysofsummer.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/day-83-dean-deluca/ Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:54:52 +0000 Miss Andrea http://92daysofsummer.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/day-83-dean-deluca/

With the airwaves today inundated with reality cooking shows and celebrity chefs being household names, by now isn’t just about everyone a foodie? Well, assuming you fit into the foodie population, if you don’t know it yet, you must get to know Dean & DeLuca. Since being founded in 1977 by business partners Joel Dean and Giorgio DeLuca, the company—a gourmet food and cookware emporium—  has expanded to include a handful of locations across the country and another few internationally. But, it all started in New York City’s Soho. The 10,000 square foot store whose simple-fancy interior includes Carrara marble floors, white walls and stainless steel shelving is heaven for anyone with an appreciation for preparing exquisite food, or even just eating it. With a step in from the busy downtown corner of Broadway and Prince Street, visitors are welcomed by a mouth-watering produce department to one side, and a coffee counter with pretty cakes and confections to the other. Further in, be enticed by mountains of artisanal cheeses at the cheese counter and then with a block of Cave-Aged Gruyère in hand, proceed to the bakery for a fresh baguette and then visit the meat counter for a beautiful cut of beef for that evening’s dinner. With every aisle lined in specialty food items, from Wild Raspberry Honey to the requisite Herbes de Provence, counters for prepared foods and a cookware and dinnerware department with classic white dishes, elegant stemware, pots, pans and gadgets galore, it’s a feast for the senses sure to get your creative (culinary) juices flowing. Can we say yum?

www.deandeluca.com

Somehow, attending the annual Big Apple BBQ has become a tradition for me, even though I didn’t eat meat until this year, and I only eat it in small quantities now. I think I always enjoyed going because it’s one of those New York outdoor events that brings together big groups of people — and BBQ from around the country — at the beginning of summer.

…plus, it always gave me an excuse to inhale a deep fried, Shake Shack shroom burger and black and white shake while everyone around me gorged on meat.

This year, Ryan and I went with a group of friends. As usual, Madison Square Park was packed by noon, and long lines stretched from the various BBQ tents. Each of our friends was dispatched to a different stand with strict orders to bring back two plates of each specialty. I, of course, headed to Shake Shack to get my shroom burger and black and white shake. 

Also as usual, the Shake Shack line took nearly twice as long as the longest BBQ line. By the time I had my order in hand, everyone else had been to their stands and was seated at a picnic table. An array of ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, smoked sausages, and beef brisket sat before us, and we cut everything into small pieces for easy sharing.

Despite getting Shake Shack, I decided to try everything.

Maybe it’s because I’m finally at the point where eating meat no longer makes me feel nauseous afterwards, but I thought everything tasted great. The brisket and pulled pork were smoky and tender, and the sausage had a bit of a kick. I thought the ribs were a tad dry, but they had a nice flavor. I’ll defer to the meat eaters for the final verdict on everything, though, since six meatless years don’t make me the best BBQ judge. They said: The flavor was pretty good, but everything could use more of it via a bit more sauce.

Oh well. It’s not like anything really went to waste.

I’ve been trying not to eat out as often as I used to (like when I still had a steady source of income), but when one of Ryan’s friends invited us to a crab boil at Back Forty, I couldn’t say no. Each Tuesday during the summer, the East Village restaurant holds crab dinners, where diners sit around communal tables and tear into round after round of steamed blue crabs. The cost is a justifiable $40 per person — which includes sides and dessert, though no beer, unfortunately  – and the idea of practically all-you-can-eat seafood seemed too good to pass up.

So on Tuesday night, we arrived at Back Forty for the last seating. Our group was placed around a long table covered with newspaper and scattered with wooden mallets.

After an appetizer of salt cod hush puppies, a server told us that the crabs, potatoes, and string beans would be served in three rounds. A few minutes later, another server came out carrying two metal buckets overflowing with crabs. He then upended buckets and dumped the crabs right onto the table.

It was at that moment that I realized I had never eaten crabs with my bare hands before. I also hadn’t considered that a squeamish feeling might come over me when faced with the crabs. I’m a recovering vegetarian, but I’m not at the point where I feel all that comfortable with seafood and meat still looking like, well, the animals themselves.

I was able to push the squeamish thoughts out of my head as I followed the veteran crab eaters’ instructions on taking the crabs apart. I tried not to think about the fact that I was bashing a crab’s head with a wooden mallet, ripping half its body off, snapping the remainder in half, and pulling off its legs one by one. Luckily, the restaurant was too dark for me to get a good look at the eyes, guts and lungs. 

After all the work dismantling the crab, eating the soft, flavorful meat was a treat. But since there wasn’t much meat in each crab, we had no trouble ripping apart and devouring all three rounds — as you can see from the rather gross-looking photo below.

There’s still no definitive “best taco shop” in NYC and while Pinche, La Esquina and Pampano Taqueria are quality, they’re not supreme enough to keep me from telling you about the delicious skirt steak taco, tilapia taco, unique guacamoles and perfect churros at Mercadito Cantina.  Read on to find out which tacos disappointed and which of the six guacamole choices impressed…

Eye-catching tilapia tacos and a simply delicious, cinnamon-sugar covered churro.

A Note on Mercadito Cantina

The third location of the Mercadito Manhattan triumvirate, Mercadito Cantina is billed as an informal dining and drinking destination to catch the overflow of Mercadito Avenue B on the next block.  The prices aren’t cheap at any of the locations but what’s lacking in value is made up for with quality ingredients, innovative recipes and great service.  Mercadito Cantina is narrow and loud but the atmosphere lends itself to making friends with neighboring diners and shouting questions to your waitstaff.  Don’t be put off by the fact that Mercadito Cantina doesn’t have a liquor license, they make up for it with very creative drinks.  “Tric-quilla”, a combo of sake, agave nectar, orange blossom oil and assorted spices, is an almost dead-on replacement for tequila and provides the base for several drinks.  The $12 “Papa Low” offers a little bite complements of  jalapeno combined with passion fruit, papalo, salt and pepper.  Open your mind and your wallet and prepare for fun and good food.

Start with the guacamole…

One ($9.50), Two ($11.50), Three ($13.50)

From left to right you’re looking at Chipotle (pineapple, pickled chipotle, tomatillo pico de gallo, mint), Mole Poblano (pico de gallo, plantain, mole poblano, chile serrano) and Calabaza (cinnamon spiced pumpkin, tomatillo pico de gallo, roasted jalapeno, toasted pumpkin seeds).

In order of deliciousness, the Calabaza is number 1, followed by the Mole Poblano and lastly, the Chipotle.  The unique taste and subtle cinnamon undertone of the Calabaza separated it from the pack.  The sweet flavor and hearty texture of the Mole Poblano surprised me while the Chipotle disappointed lacking any smokiness or heat.

Other guacamole choices I didn’t try:

• Tradicional - tomatillo pico de gallo, jalapeno, garlic, lime cilantro
• Oaxaqueno - chile pasilla oaxaqueno, apple, pico de gallo
• Torreado - sauteed chile serrano, garlic, oregano, tomatillo pico de gallo

Move on to the tacos…

Two per order served on homemade corn tortillas ($9.50)

Carne – hoja santa marinated grass fed skirt steak, salsa verde

The Carne tacos were my favorite. The tender, perfectly cooked skirt steak had a great char-grilled flavor which balanced well with the hint of cilantro and onion resting beneath the mildly spicy salsa verde.

Pescado – tilapia, chile poblano, tomatillo-garlic mojo

To my surprise, the Pescado tacos were a very close second to the Carne.  As a whole, each taco is as brightly flavorful as it is colorful, the citrus of the tomatillo played well against the garlic mojo creating an almost marinara sauce flavor.  The neutral flavor of the fresh and tender fish allowed the stronger flavors to shine.

Carnitas – michoacan style braised Berkshire pork, cacahuate salsa

My excitement for anything with braised Berkshire pork is at a consistently high level.  Expectations aside, the Carnitas taco was mediocre at best.  The tender, fatty pork was adorned with a bland and sweet cacahuate (peanut) salsa which failed to offer any notable heat or flavor.

Milanesa – lightly breaded beef, roasted poblano, avocado salsa

Paltry strips of beef fried in a mundane batter and topped with bland avocado salsa and cold strips of roasted poblano.  How many things did you just read that disappointed you? I felt the same way.  Steer clear of the Milanesa.

Add some sides…

Arroz Verde al Horno ($8.00) – Green rice casserole, manchego and oaxaca cheese

Cilantro flavored rice and burnt cheese, how can you go wrong?  Salty, stringy and delicious, this green rice casserole was excellent proving that all food served in a skillet is supreme.

Papas y Chorizo ($7.00) – Potatoes, homemade Mexican sausage

I only had a small taste of this simply prepared concoction but the fact that I have no lasting memory of the flavor is not a good sign.  This dish is what is sounds like, soft potatoes mixed with chorizo and other spices.  It didn’t disappoint but I’d opt for another side dish such as the Elote Mexicano ($6), Mexican style corn on the cob.

And make room for dessert…

Churros with Chocolate Abuelita Sauce $8

The only other churros I’ve tried in Manhattan are the not-sweet-enough version at Despana and those of the Churro lady in Union Square.   Regardless of the competition, I know my churros and Mercadito Cantina is spot on.  Greasy, chewy dough is fried to a crisp revealing an almost milky interior that melts in your mouth upon every bite.

The churros are great on their own, rendering the deeply-flavored chocolate abuelita sauce (abuelita is used in mole and for Spanish hot chocolate) unecessary.

Mercadito Cantina (website)

172 Avenue B near 11th street

New York, NY 10009

212-388-1750

(Link to Google Map of Location)

today i remember to mention the one taboo that displays itself to me every morning on the corner of 24th and lexington: a street cart that sells coffee and donuts and bagels and cookies the size of small frisbees–they’re all on exhibition like antique plates with their surfaces pressed against a fiberglass panel caked in sugary smudge and etched to smithereens by age and impact. i know lots of people eat their breakfast from that monstrosity, but in my opinion, those sorts of meals are plainly equivalent to the essence of public toilets that somehow have been captured and converted into pastry form.

—–

picture of the day

NYC Food Guy loves bakeries that create unique and fresh desserts.  The only trouble is, when you find a place like this, it’s hard not getting one of everything. I’m taking it upon myself to make things easier for you by discovering what’s delicious at Pinisi Bakery on 4th Street near 1st Avenue.  Read on for a new take on red velvet cake, a surprisingly delicious cupcake and some chocolate filled treats.

Chocolate Croissant

As far as chocolate croissants go, this doesn’t rank high on my list.  Crispy bits of dark chocolate emerge from the end of an extremely buttery outer shell which upon first slice reveals an interior that isn’t as flaky or delicate as I had hoped.

The airy yet chewy inner croissant houses soft, mousse-like chocolate which was the croissant’s saving grace and a nice departure from the fudgey and hard chocolate usually found in most chocolate croissants.

Chocolate Rugelach

Nothing like the tiny, cream cheese infused rugelach you would find at most bakeries, Pinisi’s version is very similar to the chocolate croissant.  The main differences are a chocolate-dipped exterior and denser insides.  Regardless, the taste wasn’t close to the rich, decadent rugelach I’ve grown up with at Bruce’s Bakery in Great Neck, Long Island and Manhattan.  Not that I’m someone to worry about calories, but I wouldn’t waste them on the rugelach next time.

Pistachio Cupcake – My favorite discovery of the the bunch

I’m a big fan of  salted pistachios and naturally flavored pistachio ice cream but this was my first foray into the world of pistachio cupcakes and after tasting Pinisi’s I regret that I hadn’t tried one sooner. A deliciously green, pillowy cupcake strikes the perfect balance between sweetness and pistachio.

It’s crowned by light cream cheese frosting sprinkled with chopped pistachios, the latter of which adds a little crunch to contrast the airy cake.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Chees Frosting & A Cheesecake Base

While it looks delicious, my reaction was more “Hmm” than “Mmm”.  One wonders how this interesting combination could possibly go wrong but the answer is simple: the red velvet cake was too dense to provide the light middle ground between the cream cheese frosting up top and the rich cheesecake below.  The cheesecake, although tasty, was overkill.  It didn’t really combine with either of the other components of the cake to create the harmony of flavors I was hoping for.

New York Times’ review

If I could only eat one more food, everyday, for the rest of my life, it would be pizza. And I feel blessed to live in a city where there are so many pizza possibilities, the downside of which is an over-saturation of mediocre pizza within Manhattan. As a result, I focused my attention on Brooklyn and what better way to do it than by trying as many as pizzas as I can. I’m already on a mission for NYC’s best wings, so how about Brooklyn’s best pizza? And what better way to start than a mini pizza tour: three places, three people, three delicious pies. Which one is modeled after the famous DiFara’s? And on a day of pizza, did a 5-cheese, secret recipe calzone steal the show?

The Tourist Trap

Grimaldi’s

To answer the question everyone is asking, no, Grimaldi’s is not worth waiting an hour for. Its coal oven pies are very tasty and topped with homemade fresh mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes. But for all the old school Italian feel of the red and white checkered table clothes, the green, red and white uniforms, the maps of Italy, and the manager you wouldn’t want to owe money to, this is more a pizza factory than a pizza restaurant; the experience is less about customer service and ambiance as it is about churning out pies and turning over tables for tourists and non-city dwellers. Service is inattentive and once the check has arrived, $16 for one unevenly cooked pie, you better be ready to evacuate your table so the next party can be seated.

Disappointment focused on the haphazard construction of the pie. Poor sauce and pepperoni dispersal ($2 per topping, half or whole pie) made for awkward slices. Your best bet for decreased waiting time and attentiveness is to go after 7PM, that way you also miss the re-building of the fire, an event which takes place between 4PM and 6PM daily and could extend your wait time an extra 30 minutes if you happen to be on line while it takes place. Another unfortunate side effect of the fire re-building is that pies which emerge from the 850 to 1,000 degree coal oven may arrive slightly undercooked, as I encountered, resulting in a dough that’s denser that one would expect from a coal oven. Grimaldi’s, which surprisingly has only been open since 1990, is good but not great. If you want coal oven pizza without the wait and the trip to Brooklyn, check out one of the two Angelo’s locations in Manhattan, just don’t order delivery.

The Hip Pick

franny’s

Let’s be honest, Brooklyn is hip. It’s hip to live there and hip to eat there. It’s what the Lower East Side used to be. And franny’s is the hip place to eat Italian food, from the lower case “f” in the name to the environmentally conscious mantra. Despite the pizza being the most famous menu item at franny’s, it’s telling that its not even mentioned on the introspective “Who We Are” page of franny’s website. Maybe it’s because franny’s is an Italian restaurant that serves pizza, not a pizza restaurant that serves Italian food. Pizza may be the dish that brings in curious outsiders, but I didn’t get the sense that it is where the restaurant’s pride lies.

The surprisingly small pie ($15-$17 average) arrived on the table uncut and doused heavily in olive oil. As if it’s not troubling enough trying to cut pizza fresh out of a wood-fired brick oven, with molten cheese and brightly flavored tomato sauce daring my fingers to dive in, I was stuck contending with a thin and flimsy crust that did not aid in the slicing process. The smell of burnt wood emanating from the brick oven dominated the restaurant and our pie. If I wanted to combat the flimsy crust by ordering my pie well done, I’d be wary of an over-smoked pie. The one bright spot was the touted house-made sausage, which lived up to its billing, it was garlicky and delicious. I’m not going out of my way to return to franny’s, but if I do, it would be for the waitress-recommended clam pie and for a chance to dine in their spacious backyard garden, open from spring to the end of September.

The Champ

Lucali’s

575 Henry St. nr. First Pl.

The hype for this BYOB Carroll Gardens newcomer has been varied and plentiful, it’s been called mysterious, soulful and wonderful. I just call it damn good. Although the wait for a seat in the dimly-lit single-room may be inordinately long (45 minutes to an hour and a half), it’s worth it for a pie ($18) which resembles one you can only find at another Brooklyn landmark: the legendary DiFara’s.

Brooklyn-native Mark Iacono, the owner and main pizzaiola, models his pie after the legendary Dom DeMarco’s. Working mainly by candlelight, surrounded by ingredients and a cavernous brick, wood-burning oven he built himself, Iacono rolls his dough with wine bottles before spreading a layer of secret recipe sauce over the thin crust. Buffalo mozzarella, low moisture fresh mozzarella and parmigiana-reggiano follow before the pie is baked by the mesmerizing fire dancing off the burning logs of wood.

Upon emerging from the oven, the pie is sprinkled with grated Grana Padano, freshly shaved Parmesan cheese and a few sprigs of basil. The marriage of texture and flavor is complete, resulting in a pie whose sharpness and creaminess balance each other. The crust, unlike franny’s, is light but exceedingly crisp and floury. The cheese is the star, especially the slices of fresh Parmesan melting into the hot mozzarella and sauce. Pepperoni (toppings are $2 – $3.50), brought in from local landmark Esposito and Sons Pork Store, is spicy and burnt around the edges but the plain slice is so good, I would suggest trying the pizza topping free to start.

Just as taking a risk in purchasing this former candy shop with no intended purpose and no pizza-making skills has paid off for Mr. Iacono, trying his calzone is a risk that’s all reward for you. While the crust on the pizza is underwhelming, the same crust is fantastic as a home for the 5-cheese calzone ($10 small, $20 large).

Thin, light, crispy, slightly smokey dough encases creamy buffalo mozzarella, ricotta and low moisture fresh mozzarella plus parmigiana-reggiano and a secret 5th cheese. The obligatory side-serving of tomato sauce is unnecessary because the flavor of the calzone is awe-inspiring enough on its own. Its greatness lies in its contradictory nature; creamy and stringy, salty and slightly sweet, all the differences melt in the heat of the oven to create a pocket of deliciousness.

Lucali is better than franny’s and Grimaldi’s not just for its food but for its atmosphere and the warmth of the experience. Once you survive the wait, you enter what feels like the cozy home of a friend who would let you stay as long as you’d like, especially if you keep letting them cook for you. So be friendly, ask for Mr. Iacono, and tell him you heard the pizza’s good but the calzone is great.

This place is simply heaven in the big city. If you have never visited VIRGILS in New York…you are missing out!

..Heading to Virgil’s..its Joels first time.

…Here we go and it was good!!!!

One of New York City’s ongoing arguments is the question of what constitutes a great taco. Can we all put our differences aside and simply focus on what’s delicious? Well NYC Food Guy can and I’m here to tell you that the tacos at Pinche Taqueria are tasty wherever you’re from. And if it’s any consolation, they’ve enlisted the assistance of several 80-year old women from Tijuana, Mexico to make sure things are up to snuff. Read on to find out which of the three tacos I tried wowed and where you can find it until 4AM Wednesday through Saturday…

Taco de Carne Asada ($2.95), Taco al Pastor ($2.95) and Taco de Pescado ($3.95)

The Taco al Pastor is Numero Uno

Spit-grilled pork is where its at; I’m talking about layers of chili pepper and pork roasting over an open flame and then shaved into a handmade tortilla and topped with chopped onions, cilantro, and a dollop guacamole. The flavors of fire, tender, fatty pork, and the underlying heat from the chilies combine with the fresh cilantro and onion to create my favorite of the three tacos I tried. The tortillas are small, but there’s a lot of meat and toppings packed into each one.

Fish Tacos Worth Reeling In Again

Pinche’s fried Mahi-mahi fish tacos have received some praise of late but while I enjoyed the crunchy cabbage and cilantro-mayo sauce, the actual fried fish arrived cold. The result was tasty but disappointing and the manager blamed it on a new fryer. I enjoyed it more than the Kingfish taco at Pampano Taqueria but I withhold my final judgement, and put the opinion to my readers, until a future tasting.

Pass On Carne Asada

There’s a fine line between a good grilled steak taco and a mediocre one. Unfortunately, the trend tends to skew toward the latter. The problem is that the pieces of chopped steak are usually dry and somewhat flavorless. At Pinche the steak in the carne asada taco was slightly moist but generally flavorless. The only saving graces were the onion, cilantro and guacamole.

Beware the Trap of the Yucca Fries

Don’t get me wrong, fried yucca is delicious. The only problem is that it’s heartier than potato and it fills you up a lot quicker. Although Pinche’s yucca fries ($4.50), which come with either cilantro mayo or roasted jalapeno ketchup, are tasty, they’re best when shared, otherwise this crispy snack will steal space for the main meal: tacos.

Taqueria and a Whole Lot More

Looking at Pinche’s menu, its a wonder how they can offer so many delicious dishes in such a small space. I recommend you come for breakfast, served until 4PM, to get a taste of their exemplary Heuvos Rancheros ($5.65 with rice, beans and tortillas), a personal reccomendation from the manager. This same manager also recommends the massive salads (bottom right on the menu) which come with your choice of meat.

Click on photos for Hi-Res Full Size Images

Pinche’s New Location

If you’re out drinking in the West Village, SoHo or even the East Village, you’re in luck. Pinche recently opened a new branch of their authentic taqueria at the corner of Lafayette Street and Bleecker Street, in the former space of Sparky’s. From Wednesday through Saturday you can now eat Pinche’s delicious Mexican food until 4AM. Liquor license is on the way.

Pinche Taqueria

One of my favourite dinners in New York City with eight lovely people. The Pink Tea Cup is the place to be for awesome fried chicken for the soul, all american food at a cosy corner tucked away from the busy city.

It had a romantic vibe to it. Soft music from the likes of Babyface, Mariah Carey, Whitney Housten, and our friendly waiter who sang darn well – what is there not to love about this place?

Here is Michelle and I before entering the restaurant, it wasn’t too cold a night that December in 2007 – perhaps three to four degrees celsius. But we were hungry.

The real sweet lil place has met with us.

All nice and warm inside – until people opened and closed the door that was near our table that allowed gushes of cold air in.

We ate a lot. I’ll allow the photos to speak for themselves.

Soup or salad for starters.
 

Chicken with a choice of two sides.
 

Delicious corn bread filled with buttery goodness.
 

And we all thought that this jello with whipped cream would end off our dinner, we were wrong.
 

Mister Vincent Ha then ordered a cream cake.
 

Xiaomin’s pancakes were amazing!

And then our pudding arrived. (burp) We were already so full but it was too delicious to ignore.

We then headed down to Cafe Wha to groove our extreme overdose of calories away.

Purists be damned, there is no better hot dog than a Chili Cheese Dog only from Nathan’s on Surf & Stillwell in Coney Island. A garlicky, juicy and snappy all-beef dog covered in mild beef chili and heart-slowing warm cheddar cheese sauce, it’s heaven on a bun and it’s an authentic New York experience.

If you haven’t been to Coney Island recently, get out there.  You can take a ride on the Cyclone, eat pizza at the legendary Totonno’s (just a block away from Nathan’s), grab some hot dogs, and go see the Mets future stars playing for the Brooklyn Cyclones.  Read on to find out if the bacon cheese dog was better than it looked plus some delicious fry photos.

At first I asked for bacon on my chili cheese dog but the look of sheer amazement on the cashier’s face dissipated when she couldn’t find a button for this on the register.  Unfortunately, the bacon cheese dog ($3.65) was nothing like the Crif Dogs bacon-wrapped version I hoped for. It was really salty and just made me feel sorry for my arteries.  I’ll definitely go with two chili cheese dogs ($3.65 each) next time.

The fries ($2.99 for a large order) were delicious as always, and like the hot dogs, better than the fries at any other Nathan’s I’ve ever been to.  It must be the oil and the grill, the flavor of nostalgia resonates with every bite.

Here’s a look at the menu. You can eat inside but the real experience is ordering and eating outside, letting the fresh ocean breeze help you breathe after you down two chili cheese dogs and fries.

And to set the scene for you, here’s the outside of what may be the greatest mecca to hot dogs in this country, maybe the world.

Nathan’s Famous

Harriet’s Kitchen, on Amsterdam Avenue between 84th & 85th Street, has now provided you with a reason to go to the Upper West Side. You can now enjoy the best burger I’ve had in a long time and then go eat the best chocolate chip cookie on the planet at Levain Bakery.

Harriet’s burger is a huge flame grilled patty broiled to perfection and covered with copious amounts of melted American cheese, grilled bacon and thinly sliced, sweet sauteed onions which have been simmering in a tin over the grill.

It’s accompanied by thin yet hearty skin-on double-fried french fries which turn out crispy and dangerously delicious after emerging from the deep fryer.

The seeded bun is lightly toasted and standard but its chewy and hearty enough to withstand the juice from the massive burger patty.

$10.02 will get you a monster flame-broiled burger covered in cheese, bacon and sauteed onions and accompanied by delicious fries, lettuce, tomato, and a pickle spear.

Harriet’s Kitchen

Levain Bakery’s cookies ($3.75 each) are simply the best. I’ve said it before and after eating at least 2 every week for the past month, I’m saying it again. Levain’s chocolate chip walnut cookie is the best I’ve ever had. Unlike most of my other “best claims”, I can’t imagine this one will be topped. They’re even more amazing when warm so ask for them to be tossed back in the oven for a few seconds or do it yourself at home. Below you’re looking at a Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip cookie crowning a Chocolate Chip Walnut. I imagine every meal in heaven starts and begins with cookies from Levain.

I forget what it really means, but kids, get there and get your snuggly peach on.  I took factor there tonight as my “thank you for being such an amazingly normal person when I’ve been abnormal beyond words while….

….. ok well we could go on, but I wanted to just take him to dinner to a place he wanted to go and PAY for it.  And also tell him how much I appreciate him being so good to me.  So I did.  we had… fried brussels sprouts with chilies and kimchis and your mom’s thong and .. fish juice.   No.  really.  I saw fish juice and I said “YES! let’s be adventurous.”  It was SO GOOD!!

Then, I had the shrimp and squid stew with coconut milk and some other tasty goodness and Factor has Ssam.  His was .. pork something with the stuff in the bibb lettuce.  I’ll try to find it and let you know later, but let me tell you kids… the consistency of the pork chunks was like crushed up oxy contin to a nebraska housewife.  I couldn’t get enough.  Everything was amazing and I had a creamy sake glass or two that was more delicious than I can explain here, but if it helps, imagine eating something and then drinking something immediately thereafter that PERFECTLY compliments it… dude.

I’m going to watch TV now with my guy and enjoy my night.  But if you’re in nyc you GOTTA go to 2nd and 13th and hit momofuku.

Writing my annual holiday letter can be so draining, but here goes…

Dear friends, family and outlaws. Well, 2006 has been a life altering and misdemeanor-filled year, what with the wine bottle exploding in the garage and the subsequent visit from homeland security; the announcement that my neighbor won the Powerball; the amazing mini-bike we built in the bonus room; and the shocking announcement from the hospital that Brian really is adopted!

First, the house. As you may recall, last year, after the big aluminum-siding scandal, we had to completely remodel, as mold had really taken hold on the shady part of the living room. Then one morning, we were surprised by a knock at the door. It was the NW News prize patrol, telling us we had just won a free-cruise (on the Columbia River), a mini- TV, $50 cash or a Costco size box of extra-butter microwave popcorn. It was a terrific prize, amounting to a great experience (after taxes), and it allowed us to add on that extra gate to the fence I’ve always wanted in the back yard to keep the neighbor’s cat’s out.

Brian (the adopted kid!) is a thriving rap-star listener of MTV and getting a little fat. You may remember him as the one that doesn’t speak much unless its hip-hop street rhymes.

Yo, Yo, Yo…got the Cadillac EXT, stowed…

I remind the pediatrician during ear infection vists that it’s the MTV programming. There is a lot of good that comes from that “box”, like Simpsons and Lost, but that MTV isn’t one of ‘em! He was accepted at Subway University this summer. It was a tough choice for him as he was bribed by several different fast food institutions. He is very, very busy at his computer…always downloading lots of music (he has a rather large collection now, thanks to them all being free on that internet!), ripping CD’s or playing action games nearly everyday before and after school, but he still finds time to surf eBay to add to his ever growing collection of used packing peanuts. Occasionally he wanders outside to throw rocks at the local kids in the “hood”.

As supreme leader of the family, the one formally called Dad; I’ve had a tumultuous year. After finding out I won the 10-minute shopping spree at 7-Eleven, I was caught watching The Bachelor and spent an evening in phone-therapy. But the media exposure from my newly published book “Cable TV for Dummies” helped my pursuit of happiness, and soon I was back in the local casino’s listening to local bands re-do the famous stars of the 80’s. My life has been full of surprises. After helping stage the bikini snowshoe race (shown on local cable channel 19), I was asked to dinner at the Governor’s house. Everything seemed to change after I started the botox injections. People I hadn’t heard from in years began calling. As a family, we tried not to say the word “dude” as much this year. And that trip to the beach outlet mall was exciting, as was the barefoot hike around the block.

Hope your year has been stupendous and as arrest-free as ours. If you get a chance, drive by slowly and look in the window; you’ll find a picture of me at Safeway, standing next to a psychiatrist and my collection of Who Wants to be a Millionaire on VHS tapes.

Happy Holidays!