Greg S.'s Profile
DateNew York, NY 11375
(718) 544-2200
Station Square Eyes
Categories:
Optometrists,
Eyewear & Opticians
Neighborhood: Forest Hills
I've patronized Delhi Heights three times: twice for dinner and once for the lunch buffet. All three visits were wonderful. In all three cases I strictly had Indian food (I have not tried their fusion dishes, FWIW), and the key each time has been flavor. I'm unsure what wizardry is going on in this place's kitchen, but they're doing it right.
My most recent dinner there started off with a mango lassi and vegetable pakoda. For the main, I had malai kofta. All three were spectacular (though I've never met a mango lassi I didn't like; I reckon that would be like having bad chocolate ice cream). Again, what this comes down to for me is flavor. I cannot vouch for authenticity or anything like that; but everything was cooked right and tasted wonderful.
Otherwise, I'd say the low point of my three visits was the lunch buffet. I don't eat meat, and though they had a great kadai paneer, I found the daal takda pretty tame by comparison. Honestly though, I could have gotten a giant plate of the life-changing pakoda with a side of tamarind chutney and been happy.
When it's all said and done, the dinner here is excellent. The buffet seems OK; nit-picky as it seems, I would have preferred one more (Indian) vegetarian option. Outside of that, the staff is very friendly, and your water will never go below half-full in my experience. Perhaps because it's in Jackson Heights (as opposed to Manhattan) you get friendly service and attention from the staff.
My only criticism of this place is the dance music that is always playing. By the time you leave you feel like you've heard the same fist-pumping cacophony thirty times. This is by no means a dealbreaker, but it's kind of goofy.
Listed in: Best Dining Experiences - NYC
Long Island City, NY 11101
(718) 706-8783
The Creek & The Cave
Categories:
Mexican,
Performing Arts
Neighborhoods: Hunters Point, Long Island City
We came here with a Groupon this past Friday. I had no expectations; it was a Friday night and I was up for anything. Overall: excellent. The dining room is small, but not cramped. You can probably get a group of five in OK, but I reckon not much more. Otherwise fine atmosphere: it won't knock your socks off, but there's nothing wrong with it, either.
First off, the complementary salsa was amazing. To the point that we wondered if we could buy some. I like how the chips are served in a half brown bag, as well.
Our starter was the baja quesadilla. Very nice and not your standard Mexican grilled cheese; rather, delicious goat cheese, avocado & peppers and a very generous helping of sour cream. Perfect for two.
For mains, we both ordered burritos: I chose the standby bean & cheese; my girlfriend ordered seafood with the fish option. Personally, I haven't had a simple burrito that was this good in a long time. I realize that many people get giddy about the authenticity of Mexican; I'm not Mexican, so I don't know, nor do I give a shit. But this was tasty. Great tortilla, choice of black or pinto beans (I chose the latter), and the perfect amount of cheese. I wasn't feeling adventurous, and I just wanted something tasty. Mission accomplished. I tasted my girlfriend's burrito, and it was also good. The flavor was a bit different--almost like a good fish sandwich wrapped in a burrito.
All-in-all, very solid place. Good from start to finish. I'll definitely go back. My mojito was also good. Brian Griffin voice: "mo-ji-toooo."
Listed in: Best Dining Experiences - NYC
New York, NY 10012
(212) 260-1212
Red Bamboo
Categories:
Vegetarian,
Soul Food,
Vegan
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Listed in: Best Dining Experiences - NYC
1 Previous Review:
-
3/14/2009
I went to Red Bamboo with a great deal of anticipation. I've been a pescetarian for about 12 years, so I'm always quite eager to sample restaurants of this sort. I went pescetarian for moral reasons, and truth be told, I certainly do miss the taste of Philly cheese steaks, North Carolina pulled pork, or even just turkey cold cuts. (For the record, I don't miss the cruelty.) I don't think vegetarian food can ever really attain the flavor heights of traditional carnivorous fare, but I do think it can be done extremely, extremely well.
I ordered a roast beef sandwich with fries; it was quite good. (FYI: the menu I just pulled up on the web was last updated in 2003 (!), and does not feature the entrée.) I can't honestly recall if it was strips of seitan or something else, but the texture was nice. The spices were good, and the sauce was outstanding. If blindfolded, would it be indistinguishable from the real thing? Of course not. But that misses the point. To some degree you have to evaluate this stuff on its own merit, and based on this visit I'd say they're doing a pretty good job. The flavor is there, and equally as important, so is the experience of ordering a roast beef sandwich and fries. In other words, this feels like real food. And as often as I consume Boca Burgers and the like, they really do not have succulence.
All in all, I'd be doing Red Bamboo a disservice to just say that it is better than MorningStar Farms. That'd be the understatement of the year. This is a serious vegetarian restaurant, which I think even very fickle veggies would enjoy. And it would be a great place to take your stubborn meat-eating friends who think this stuff cannot taste good at all.
Otherwise, unless you go at a ridiculously early hour, you're going to wait. This place is always packed, and the dining room is small. But the atmosphere is great: it's dark and feels cozy. The staff were very friendly if a bit swamped. I also liked that a few pamphlets about vegetarianism were lying around in the waiting area. I honestly don't think people on the whole really know about the horrors of factory farming, etc.
One last thing: my fries were delicious, too. Thus proving that you don't need lard. So there you have it: fuck you, Ronald McDonald.
New York, NY 10028
(212) 452-0476
Two Little Red Hens
Categories:
Bakeries,
Desserts
Neighborhoods: Yorkville, Upper East Side
The first visit was for my girlfriend's 30th birthday in January. I took a gamble based off all the positive reviews here on Yelp, and it paid off. Big time. I phoned in my order and found them very helpful and friendly. This is good, and not a trifling matter in jaded old NYC. They clearly explained what I got for my money and understood the specifics of the inscription.
When I went to pick up my cake, I was blown away at the detail and care for what was one of their cheapest options. I had a fairly long trek from the UES back to Rego Park, and was worried it'd get banged up in transit. Luckily, they package the cakes so well this wasn't an issue.
Most importantly, the cake tasted great! So great that we kept eating the dried out leftovers a few days later. My girlfriend's specifications were for chocolate sour cream cake; chocolate butter cream filling; and cream cheese frosting. Shockingly and inexplicably, this turned out not to be sweetness overkill. A significant achievement in my book.
My second visit was just yesterday for Valentine's Day; I picked up two of the famed red velvet cupcakes. I was impressed again. The frosting is a homerun. On the whole, just a bit under Billy's Bakery, but that's hardly a criticism. I just found the cake itself a bit firm.
I'll definitely keep patronizing these guys. Great vibe in the store as well. Charming decor, and not a hint of pretentious NY bullshit. Bravo.
Listed in: Best Dining Experiences - NYC
My girlfriend and I were very excited to come here on a recent Saturday evening. We were quickly put off. It was before the dinner rush, and the waiter treated us like shit. He made us feel rushed (again, this was not the dinner hour, and I live in NY so know that this is not always personal). I asked what was particularly good, and he said "everything." Not in a charming, smiling way; this was more of a dismissive, "I don't fucking care, just order." This was hardly easy given that much of the blackboard was partially erased.
Eventually my girlfriend and I both ordered clam and calamari over pasta. This was unexciting. What I would expect to be a garlic explosion was bland and boring. It was cooked fine, but fell completely flat with respect to flavor. What more can be said? If the flavor isn't there, it's really hard to be positive. I just poured salt on it and worked though it; I was starving.
All in all, an especially pathetic experience given the hype. Maybe the waiter was having a bad night. Aside form learning his parents had died (or something else terrible), it's inexcusable. Waiters are the ambassadors of restaurants; thanks a lot, Daily Catch guy, for making us feel unwelcome! Maybe he was too concerned with his large party to spare any good vibes for our mere group of two. Too bad the food didn't make up for it.
New York, NY 10009
(212) 477-2060
East Side Ink
Category:
Tattoo
Neighborhoods: East Village, Alphabet City
Before beginning this review, I have to comment a bit on the 3-star review below from 1/8. (Yes, I know this isn't a discussion forum.) Never in my life have I gone into a tattoo parlor and been greeted. I can't explain it in some profound sociological sense; it's just how it is. I point this out because I wouldn't want a reader to get excited by the 3-star review and decide against ESI for his or her first tattoo. In fact, I would strongly, strongly recommend this place, reader, for your first tattoo. If you want to have an awful customer experience, go to Jinx Proof in DC, where you'll be made to feel like an utter intruder--uncool enough to purchase their service. If you want a clean, professional, and mega-friendly-in-the-context-of-tattoo-parlors establishment, hit up ESI. With that, on to the details of my visit.
Like I said, my artist was Alex. He is clearly very patient, smart, and good at what he does. He offered to show me my piece at some different sizes and worked with me to figure out the best placement. He also invited my g/f back into the studio, which was nice. During the actual work, I must say i got the impression that this guy is incredibly cool. He's got a great sense of humor, and we talked about all kinds of stuff: getting old, the economy, the how-to of prison tattoos, etc. We had some good laughs and I felt very comfortable that I could have asked for a break at any time (this is important for the n00bs, and highly relevant here as this was by far the most painful tattoo I've received yet--I had no clue the calf would suck so bad!).
At the end of the session, he gave me some great tips on care relative to where my tattoo was on my body, some things to expect from the healing process that would be a bit different (e.g., the area swells more), and he even rounded down on time. That blew me away; really classy move.
All in all, this was the best experience I've had since my first tattoo (from Fatty's, in DC). I will definitely go back, and I will definitely ask for Alex. I'd recommend ESI to veterans and n00bs alike. Great.
New York, NY 10012
(212) 777-9346
Tomoe Sushi
Category:
Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
With all of the positive reviews here on Yelp and after hearing rave reviews from my co-workers, I was extremely excited to go. The prices were good, the sushi was supposedly out of sight, etc. I was extremely, extremely disappointed.
Tomoe is pretty small and is very popular. We went on a Wednesday slightly before the dinner hour and got in no problem. But by the time we left there was a pretty steady stream of people coming in.
The staff is amazing. By far one of the most redeeming qualities of Tomoe. I never had an empty glass of water, they came by to check on us, they were prompt, and very friendly. At the end of the meal, I discovered that they only take cash and one type of credit card, so I had to go to an ATM. One of the staff pointed me in the direction of a convenience store and very pleasantly told me not to rush. It seems insignificant, but I really appreciated that. I can't think of the last time someone said "don't rush" to me in NYC.
I ordered a sashimi platter that was very reasonably priced. I'll be the first to say that they do not skimp one bit on portion size. Quite amazing, in fact. But I just cannot say I enjoyed the actual fish at all.
Eating sushi to me is generally a very invigorating dining experience. This sounds ridiculous, but good sashimi makes me feel like I'm outdoors and just caught a nice breeze. That's the impact the freshness has on me. And sadly, I didn't get this at Tomoe. My sashimi was slimey as all get out and mushy. Eating it was labored. Normally when I have sushi, my eyes keep saying yes when I'm full. I just wanted this to be over.
What does it say that the best piece I had was salmon?
New York, NY 10003
(212) 358-7912
S'MAC
Categories:
American (Traditional),
Gluten-Free
Neighborhood: East Village
I found the staff pretty lame. Not quite rude, but more like what you'd expect at a fast food chain joint or something like that. For a restaurant as unique and niche as this, some better customer service seems a fair expectation.
They have an interesting menu, with many different styles of mac n cheese. You can also customize to a degree with cheeses and ingredients. And I did like that they had good options on portion size. You don't have to be stuck with too much or too little.
I ordered a vegetarian style and was disappointed straight away. The bottom line is that my food was not flavorful. For me, the hallmark of mac n cheese is a distinct cheddar flavor. This just tasted like noodles and mush. I've seen others complain of too much salt. I wish I had the problem. I didn't taste anything. At all.
I'd be willing to go back and try it again, but only if I was with company who had a real hankering for it. Otherwise, not a chance.
1 List
|
-
Rating Distribution
Loading...
- View more graphs »
Review votes:
20 Useful, 2 Funny, and 13 Cool
Rego Park, NY
Yelping SinceJanuary 2009
Things I Lovepescetarianism, vegetarianism, cruelty free meals, white wine, dosas, mango lassis, po'boys, porter, cheesecake, mashed potatoes, red snapper, cupcakes, sashimi, burritos
Find Me InQueens
My HometownMaryland
When I'm Not Yelping...I'm recruiting for Larry & Sergey.
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI'm not certain you should.
My Second Favorite Website The Last Great Book I ReadNo Country for Old Men
My Favorite Movietoo hard to pick one
My Last Meal On EarthDude, I don't know.
Most Recent DiscoveryThe fact that one of the examples here is "shoegazer music," is awesome.
Current Crushmy girl
I was helped by a very friendly guy named Jay. Normally I don't take input from sales folks on stuff like this, but he actually found me the primary frames I bought. He listened to what I was saying: I wanted a pair that were pretty unique in shape with outlandish colors (yes). He found me a couple pair to choose from. And what's amazing is that they were even reasonably priced. Not what you'd expect at all. He also suggested I go with a more round-ish frame, which I ultimately agreed with.
They were really transparent when pricing me out (I was helped by Geeni at this point). They showed me exactly what I was being billed for and were more than fair on the total.
I'll update this review if anything goes wrong when I pick them up this week, but I highly doubt that will happen. Great shop. I will go back.