|
"Is finally in NYC! Now let's see how much trouble I can find..."
- 13 Friends
- 100 Reviews
- 9 Review Updates
- 7 Firsts
- 2 Fans
- 33 Local Photos
-
Rating Distribution
Loading...
- View more graphs »
Review votes:
74 Useful, 16 Funny, and 45 Cool
New York, NY
Yelping SinceFebruary 2008
Things I Lovemusic, travel, reading and writing
Find Me Inwandering around Manhattan
My HometownLos Angeles, CA
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...Writing, reading or listening to music
Why You Should Read My ReviewsYou shouldn't. You should only if when you read what I write, it makes sense
My Second Favorite Website The Last Great Book I ReadA Thousand Splendid Suns
My First ConcertDuran Duran
My Favorite Moviethe original Star Wars trilogy
My Last Meal On Earthmy mom's Southern soul food
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I think Justin Timberlake is so sessy ;)
Most Recent DiscoveryWoori Jip on 32nd
Current Crushmy cat - she's just so damn cute. Can you have a "cat crush"?
DateManhattan, NY 10031
(212) 690-7020
Marrakich Restaurant And Cafe
Category: Moroccan
Neighborhood: Harlem
1 Previous Review: Hide »
-
12/17/2009
I was Jonesing for something savory today. I remembered that there was a Middle Eastern restaurant nearby that has falafel. I didn't want falafel today though.
I took a look at the menu before I headed over to narrow my choices down. When I got there, I asked the girl behind the counter which dish out of three she'd choose. She suggested that I order the kofta, so I did. I'm that easy, plus I'd not eaten all day and it was almost 3pm. I also ordered a small teapot of their homemade fresh herb tea.
After a few minutes my food and tea were at my table. I dug in, and it was just delicious. I was pleasantly surprised by the tea. I usually don't sweeten my teas because I'm diabetic, but every once in awhile it's okay. This sweetened tea was worth it. It was a loose leaf and tasty mint tea. It was horribly cold today, so it really hit the spot!
The decor is decent too. They put some effort into the space. That makes it nice. There are some other places around there where you know there was no thought regarding decor, or it was an after thought.
The best part? They're really nice people in an area that's just not the best area for friendly customer service. I'll definitely be back because I'm sick of New Yorkers not smiling back or acting like it would kill them to break a smile and say "thank you". I'm friendly and they will not break me!!! This place gave me a bit of support, and I walked out well-fed and in a good mood. Can you really beat that?
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 218-7478
South 4th Bar and Cafe
Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bars
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
I only had a couple of drinks, but the vibe was nice, friendly and relaxed. I'm still a NYC newb, but I have to say it was a nice feeling to be in a bar with friendly people and reasonably priced drinks.
The benefit for someone like me who essentially makes their living off of the Internet? Free wifi. I'll be here a lot for sure. I've not found a friendlier place in NYC yet.
For board game lovers: they have a ton. For WII lovers: they have one! (That's cool as I've never tried using one yet.) For slightly OCD people like myself: they have a clean restroom.
It's all good here, so be good too if you decide to check it out. Please don't come here and ruin it.
Kthxbye.
New York, NY 10019
(212) 315-0033
b bap
Categories: Korean, Asian Fusion
Neighborhoods: Theater District, Hell's Kitchen
I ordered the classic b-bap with extra sauce. I got one pepper sauce and one garlic sauce. Just so you know one small cup of sauce comes with your meal and an extra one is $0.27. That's cheap. My mail cost $10 and some change total. That's not so cheap as I can get bibimbap at Woori Jib on 32nd St. for a bit cheaper.
For where it is, I'd say it's good. For what they serve, a twist on a traditional Korean dish, it's really good. They have classic, beef, spicy chicken and tofu.
I have to say I prefer the traditional bibimbap in a clay hot pot and egg. (That whole comfort food thing again.) It's a tiny space. It has three small tables with cute little stools. It's not a place to hang out for a long time. Come in, order, eat, and get out.
However, I'll definitely come back here if I'm in the area. For what it is and what they serve, it's pretty good. Plus, if you follow my reviews, they were nice and nice matters to me. ;)
New York, NY 10079
(212) 228-3445
Chickpea
Categories: Greek, Mediterranean
Neighborhood: East Village
It's gets 5 stars for service and 3 stars for the food.
I got a platter. I had falafel on a bed of rice, a side salad and two types of humus with a wheat pita. It wasn't the best falafel I've ever had, but it's baked.
(Let's just all admit right now baked is usually not as good as fried. IT'S.JUST.NOT. Take the grossest thing you can imagine: fry a type of food you hate and it probably will even taste good to you fried.)
Anyway, the food here is healthy. It's really tasty and good. They were nice. I left with a full tummy, leftovers and a smile. There was a fair amount of food on the platter and I could only get through 1/2. Keep in mind that I'd just come from a spin class, so I was in a "can't ruin my workout by eating crap" frame of mind.
My meal here was just what I needed.
Bleh. I should have stuck with the tex mex wrap. It was good, but cheesesteak sort of HAS to be decadent for it to be good. This wrap was only good after I drenched it in pepper sauce. It wasn't disgusting. It was just bland and good cheesesteak isn't ever bland.
However, they keep their 4-start rating because their level of service was still very good. It's just that I chose a dish that didn't appeal to me. Next time I'll switch back to the wrap I know I like.
1 Previous Review: Hide »
-
1/8/2010
I like this location much better than the Flatiron location on 23rd St. The lady working behind the counter was really nice, even if she said "sorry" a bit too much.
Also, I was starving when I arrived here tonight, so walking out fed and happy definitely earns them an enthusiastic rating. I needed something hearty and filling.
I chose the Tex Mex wrap with two sides: lentil soup and spinach. Also, because I just think $1.99 for Crystal Light is insane, I opted for a cup of water. My dinner totaled $13.04. The question is was it worth it?
I think it was. It was a healthy wrap in a wheat tortilla. It was sort of bland, but I went a little crazy with the hot sauce packs and that jazzed up the flavor a bit.
I also left feeling good because, in addition to walking in hungry and coming out nice and full, I skipped the gym tonight because I've either lost my card or dropped it someplace in my apartment.
Having a healthy meal made me feel a bit better about skipping working out tonight. However, I still have that homeless look because I'm carrying three bags around Manhattan...lovely.
New York, NY 10014
(212) 414-8880
Energy Kitchen
Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches
Neighborhood: West Village
I stuck with what I knew was good: the tex mex wrap. I'd had that at 17th St. location and it was good. What sucks about the Energy Kitchen is consistency.
It's a franchise chain, so the appearance and the menu is the same. However, the tex mex wrap and the other wrap that I ordered at the 17th St location were just made better. They were longer and seemed to be a bit bigger. Beyond that, it tasted the same, so for taste consistency they're good.
I've tried three of these spots. Overall, the food is okay. The service is hit or miss. The menu is the same. I'd say the Chelsea/17th St. location is the best. They smile and give you what you pay for. This location, just gave me what I paid for but didn't seem to care whether I was there or not.
New York, NY 10023
(212) 724-7340
Sushi A Go-Go
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
I decided to keep it simple and low-cal, so I ordered a bowl of miso soup and the Alaska roll: salmon, sun-dried tomato, and avocado w/ garlic oil. Salmon is my favorite.
I was pleasantly surprised with the food. I expected it to be so-so, but it was actually quite good. My miso soup had bits of tofu, seaweed and fresh green onions. That gave it some texture. My Alaska roll came with a green salad with a vinaigrette. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised because, even in Asia, you order a sushi roll and you get a sushi roll. That's it. That's all. The cost was okay. For a bowl of miso and my roll with salad, I paid $16 and some change. I left a $20 to cover the tip.
The service was okay. They weren't the warmest, but they weren't rude. I never really figured out who my waiter or waitress was. It seemed to be more communal table service for me: one person took my order, another brought me my dishes and another asked me if I wanted to see their desert menu. They were all nice, so no problem.
I disagree that the name and the decor suck. It's cute. Clearly, none of the critics have been to Japan or NE Asia. I"m not saying all places there are a cute-fest, but when one is there isn't this "oh, we're too cool to like that" attitude being thrown around. I thought the 60s retro decor was matched the name and, honestly, there are so few spaces in Manhattan that dare to be cute. I give them credit for the decor. Thanks for some cute in a cranky-ass city Sushi A-Go-Go.
New York, NY 10027
(212) 694-1777
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Harlem
I went to Dinosaur with a New Yorker who was just raving about it. I'd also heard good things about it from another New Yorker. It's good, but it's not anywhere near the best BBQ I've ever had. I can even see how you can rave about this place if you're not used to the scent of smoked meat being prepped by your mom in the kitchen. However, that's what I grew up with, so my expectations are higher.
The friend green tomatoes? I'd say just okay. The mac and cheese? Again, just okay. The collard greens? Actually, those were pretty bad. They were chopped way too fine and had too much vinegar.
We had an appetizer plate that came with fried green tomatoes, shrimp, chicken wings and deviled eggs. The eggs were really tasty. The problem was the first thing I had was one of those eggs and, except for the ribs, my meal was just average regarding the rest of the food ate.
It's just with a big range of food like that you want most of it to be delicious and not merely okay. Next time I go for BBQ in Manhattan, I'm going to have to try another spot.
I think next time I've got to track down that Daisy May's truck I've heard about ;)
En route I passed this place. I love savory crepes. I've had them both in the States but also abroad in places like Paris and Brussels. I won't dare say it's authentic or not. I don't know enough to know. I just know I like savory crepes and they have them.
I ordered the smoked salmon, cream cheese, spinach and capers crepe. The crepes are made to order. The ingredients are fresh. My spinach was fresh! It was great.
The service was great too. All three of the guys that were working there tonight were nice and friendly. If you read my reviews, you know rude customer service has been my pet peeve being a newb to Manhattan. They passed.
I'm happy, I'm full and I'll go back for sure.
New York, NY 10031
(212) 491-5518
Devin's Fish & Chips
Category: Fish & Chips
Neighborhood: Harlem
However, I need to get back in shape and that means I need to cut out the fried foods. I don't do them a lot, but I need to not do them at all except for every once in awhile.
Devin's has steamed dishes. Red snapper is one of my favorite fish types and they have that steamed!
Today I just ordered a steamed side dish. The wait was crazy long. The man behind the counter wouldn't smile to save his life, but eh, what can you do?
The side dish? Awesome. I will be coming back. I'll see if I can call ahead because I already know what I'm going to order. The only thing that sucks: the wait. Everything else is great! Go, eat and enjoy!
No Lists
Regina hasn't made any lists yet.
Again, they're super nice and the food is pretty good.
Tonight I ordered the falafel plate with babaganoush and dolma (stuffed grape leaves.) It was delicious.
The server made an error and gave me regular tea instead of their special mint tea. Instead of taking the mistake away, she told me to keep it and went back to make what I'd ordered. A lot of places just whisk away their mistake, make you wait and that's it.
I'll miss these folks. I hope when I'm uptown again, I'll have the chance to come back here.
Oh, heads up to the locals (or anyone planning on going): they're closed on Sundays.