Hosive

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or to go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis…

this place is really a regular spot for us. we come for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner frequently for spins on comfort food, old favorites, hearty sandwiches and a soul filling time.

i might be going today with my aunt mamie!

there are two locations….one on the upper west side close to us and one down by ground zero. when theresa and i filled out forms to buy our place in nyc, we went to the one downtown to celebrate…i saved a nytimes article for two years that raved about their famous turkey dishes including their amazing turkey meatloaf sandwich. i used the directions in the article….theresa was dumbfounded that i had that article all these years just for the purposes of making sure i take her there.

i’m sure to get this wrong but i think the uptown location has the bbq turkey meatloaf….here featured with strawberry lemonade.

and downtown, features the chipotle turkey sandwich. or is it the other way around? go to both locations and do your own research. i get the lemonade each time. very yummy. greg jao would concur.

another look at that delicious goodness! top recommendations!

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or to go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis…

projected for a summer opening, the upper west outpost opened closer to early fall….a downer at the time but time hurtles so quickly that all debts are forgiven…and i am thrilled that i no longer have to trek to madison square park for the best burger in the city. there are a few uws drink specialties but otherwise, its the same familar menu with great, fresh steer and dense uniquely flavored shake and ice cream options. ice cream flavors change seasonally and a new flavor is featured everyday.

the biggest difference from the original of course is that the uws shack is inside! there’s seating but its limited….i tend to go during off hours when there’s not as much traffic. large groups would not be recommended. i like to use the seating in the basement since that has not caught on yet. other than the line out the door the first week, the crowds have been on the thinner side with a slow trickle of business.

and here’s the money shot….the best d-mn burger in the city. padma from top chef also said so. then again, she married salman rushdie of her own free will. i look forward to the summer when i can take a run down to the shack on my sabbath, eat a greasy burger and down a fatty shake, go home and take a nap.

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or to go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis…

when we feel like indian food light or fake indian food or indian food for white people, we head here. and that’s not a slight. we approach this place like we approach other americanized ethnic food…we like it for what it is with our eyes wide open for what it is:that being light, healthy, satisfying wraps and rice plates.

and the wraps are humungo! this is a lot of food for the money.  the wraps are called dosas….we tried the
Avocado, Fresh Tomato, Arugula & Cheese w/Chicken, Smoked Turkey,Spinach,Jack Cheese & Balsamic Roasted Onions and a few others each served with your choice of chutneys: Cilantro, Curry,Mango, Tomato, or Peanut.

here’s a shot of the special: vegetable of the day, basmati rice, soup, grilled naan bread, chutney and yogurt with grilled chicken.

for quick food that you can feel good about literally and figuratively, come here….especially in the summer when you don’t want to be weighed down.

i was a bit apprehensive and suspicious when theresa told me about this place just because i’m not down with americans watering down things for their purposes…..but we were there when a clan of indian folks came in…i’m talking 15 to 20 family members and they seemed to have a good time whooping and hollering….so maybe it ain’t that fake? or maybe its just yummy to them too. and i must admit….

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or to go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis…

outside of ny, this place is known as the restaurant where sally(meg ryan)showed harry(billy crystal)that girls do fake it once in awhile. there is even a marker at the deli to the exact location hoping that you get what sally enjoyed. that’s the circular sign in the background hanging from the ceiling.

but in town, we care more about the incredible corned beef and pastrami. the sandwiches are ginormous(that’s only half portion in the picture)…but so are the prices. you have to have the mentality that the platters are for two….so you feel better about paying for two…but once you start eating, you may only be eating for one.

i recommend the pastrami though i love corn beef. the former is more seasoned. you also get pickles with your meal. in addition, i usually order dr. browns soda as a tradition and because its yummy.

they have a ticket and cash out at the end policy much like hill country…..everyone gets a receipt when you enter.  as you order, they run up the tally. at the end, you pay for all your purchases. lose your ticket and you pay for everybody in the joint…or some astronomical fee.

here’s a look at the other half of the sandwhich and another look at the yummy insides!

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or to go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis…

when we want to indulge in a major chocolate orgy, we come here. they have dozens of permutations of hot chocolates and shakes and desserts and drinks….q tried a chocolate beer here once. luckily for theresa, there are also white chocolate options.

this was part two of the eating tour i took my friend, regina, on. after savory, she was feeling something sweet and asked if i knew any place around where we were. i calmly replied: i do.

now there’s chocolate and then there’s d-mn good chocolate. this is d-mn good chocolate. another place in the city that exposes the fact that others have been serving you counterfeit stuff all your life.

we got a sampler….chocolate banana waffle, chocolate shot with pop rocks, chocolate cake, ice cream with chocolate sauce and some other chocolate concoction. yummy luxurious goodness…along with our hot chocolates and chocolate shakes. any drinks i get here are usually dark chocolate….for ice cream beverages, i also like to add peanut butter.

i am content coming here with guests. more than that and i will wind up blowing up like the blueberry girl in charlie’s chocolate factory.

this place has been described as willie wonka for adults…and the killer thing about chocolate culture in the city is that this place is not first in everyone’s heart. they debate between max brenner and another dude that i will review in the future.

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or to go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis…

once in awhile, i take my mom out for lunch in the big city. even though, they’ve lived in the city for close to 40 years, my parents know only chinatown and the parts of queens where chinese hang. so i like to expose them to things they would never go to. so i took her to momofuku to get japanese noodles.

we start with the sweet breads for an appetizer. i think we also got pork buns but i don’t have a shot of that. then we both get a big ol bowl of noodles. to do this place right, you have to get about $30 worth of food each and we come close. this is not a cheap meal but it is a flavorful adventure. theresa thinks its overated….since it is asian food and cheaper options are plentiful in the city. but i like a bit of luxury every now and then….and its worth it when its mom. its nice to live in a city where i can go ghetto and top shelf.

since she grew up with a hatred of everything japanese because of nanjing and other atrocities, she never has tasted much japanese. so to see her enjoy new things is a lot of fun. we sat at the bar in front of the kitchen and watched them prepare our food.

i do let her see the bill at her request and she balks, saying we should not go to places like this. but i tell her its only once in awhile…and she agrees. especially since i’m paying.

i send her home with pork buns for dad.

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or to go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis…

not all the good food is south or south of us…there are a few places we love around where we live…and some places that we have to travel a bit north to get to. for italian, we like max soHA….an outpost of the max soHO down in the lower east side.  established spots in lower and mid manhattan have been opening up branches on the upper west side. for some reason instead of calling them branches, nyc prefers the term outpost. soHA for south of harlem as opposed to soHO for south of houston.

enough introduction! let’s have the food do some of the talking!

above, amoz is enjoying a bean soup….while the adults sampled(over two visits)rigatoni with sausage and meatballs, squid ink pasta with shrimp, sun dried tomato gnocci, tomato and basil salad with fresh mozzarella, squid ink ravoili, spaghetti carbonara, penne with a light tomato sauce and seared tilapia with mixed vegetables. its all hearty, fresh and tasty. with all the boring, generic italian places everywhere, its nice to eat at a place with variety and innovation….and a place where you can get familiar fare made from actual family recipes. thumbs up from all our visiting friends.

including my niece jaqueline who wonders what we’re going to order next.

she’ll be back later in the week with a special announcement.

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or to go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis…

over the past few weeks, i’ve covered some spots where i get good southern eats and bbq. yes, we can! get authentic stuff here in the northeast!

this place is currently my favorite in the city.

what makes hill country unique in manhattan is that you order by the slice…or the rib…or the lb. no pre-fixed meals of settings. so you can order one slice of brisket or 10 slices….a rack of ribs or one rib….one sausage or a dozen sausages….but be careful, the prices are deceptive because its listed by the pound…and a little here and a little there can ring up to $40 for lunch.

you are given a ticket and as you order, stickers and marking are added….at the end of the meal, you go to the register by the exit and they cash you out.

i expect to pay at least $20 per person per meal here. and when we indulge, it rockets up to the $30-$40 range. this is not cheap.

but it is some of the tastiest meat in the city….i would go with moist(fatty)brisket and pork ribs. the sausages are ok. the beef rib, also seen here is good but i just like pork more. the prime rib is tasty too but for the price, i would go with brisket. i also usually get sweet tea(no refills)and a few sides. go for the more unique sides. the standards are just that.

the meat needs no sauce. in fact, the sauce is labeled ‘only if you need to’. the meats are smoky, seasoned and marbled….just the way it should be. i’ve been to dallas and austin a few times and the bbq tastes just like this! except in texas, it’s much much more affordable.  when i eat here, i just tell myself i saved myself a plane ticket!

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or to go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis…

over the past few weeks, i’ve  covered some spots where i get good southern eats and bbq. yes, we can! get authentic stuff here in the northeast!

here’s a funny way i “get” bbq once a year…its delivered to me at the nyc big apple bbq fest usually put on by snapple and a bunch of other sponsors. for the delight of nyc residents, they fly in pitmasters from all around the country(world would be disingenuous…but i’ll take around the country). there are also local pitmasters from the growing nyc scene…but what’s the point???? i can get that stuff anytime….

i go for the stuff from out of town…and this time, i’ve got my sights set on whole hog bbq from the pit, run by pitmaster ed mitchell from raleigh, north carolina.

it is simply the whole pig(minus the innards(methinks??))chopped up and obliterated into little pieces to make sandwiches. i lined up when they ran out of pig and we had to wait until the little porkers were done cooking. they did not cut any corners when it comes to barbecuing. but they do “cut” the “corners” of the pig as i watched them turn this….into…..

…this! i don’t think whole hog bbq has made it to the city yet….its just too labor intensive…but perhaps i’m wrong? anyone know where i can get something similar in the area?(pulled pork is something different)

tasty! wishing i had more! the portions here are more for sampling so that you can go from booth to booth to check the work of various chefs(and so that you spend more).

other things we try to sample are brisket, ribs, sausage and desserts from around the country. but i was away for half the fest this year and only had time to snag this sandwich. i also missed getting my usual from salt lick in austin. will have to wait half a year until the next fest!

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or to go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis…

over the next few weeks, i’m gonna cover some spots where i get good southern eats and bbq. yes, we can! get authentic stuff here in the northeast!

there is a place around the corner from me that we like for soul food called mame’s spoonbread. the portions are huge but sometimes the wait is too. so its sometimes faster for us to go up, deeper into harlem to amy ruths for smaller portions but also tastier, more flavorful meals.

though this post only features honey dipped fried chicken, i also recommend the chicken and dumplings, the jerk chicken, chicken and waffles, catfish, sweet tea…just about everything is excellent. the cornbread is made with gold. or butter. or crack. or all of the above.

y’know how chinese people look to see if chinese people are eating at the chinese restaurant as a test of real chinese food being served? while there are tourists who periodically flood the dining room…i think the majority are soul food “experts”.

a closer look….for sides, i usually go for cabbage and the mac and cheese. the cheesy grits were disappointing as they were just grits with some cheese sprinkled.

if you’ve never had good soul food in nyc, harlem is the place to go…even the more commercial places serve the best fried chicken you’ve ever tasted.

the magical m7 bus that can take us from union square all the way up to us….also drops us a half block away from amy ruths and the bus back is right outside the resaturant and takes us home. its like an express bus to the soul food and back.