Peter "pedro" K.'s Profile

Chinese or Japanese? Live or die. Make your choice.

The first time S and I came to dine at Jani was after watching a movie at New Roc. The hostess asked us in a curt monotone: Chinese or Japanese?

This was an opportunity heading for a disaster of biblical proportions: human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria.

The hostess stared at us while a Jeopardy theme song was playing in our heads... We stared at the sushi bar and the empty tables but wanted both. Regardless, we picked Chinese and sat down after my five o'clock shadow grew in.

We later discovered that "Japanese" refers to Teppanyaki style cooking (or as the misinformed say Hibachi) and requires you to walk into a room with a grill and listen to the musings of chef with the sense of humor of Nick Cannon.

The Chinese food options are typical, but could be graded on a slightly higher level than those served in dingy take out places. The service is good but wait times for attention can vary if the restaurant is crowded. The sushi is ok but nothing mouth watering like Yasuda (believe me excellent sushi is undermined by a proliferation of sushi chain restaurants). The restaurant is clean but at times I feel like Ralphie with his family dining at "Pearl of the Orient" featured in the film "A Christmas Story."

On one occasion, S and I ordered a Banana Flambe dessert. While it was a serving for two and probably average at best, the show was  amusing. The server dimmed the lights (which startled the surrounding tables), put the ingredients together (bananas, 151, etc) and lit it up. Everyone stopped and stared at the liquid fire dancing on our bananas. Mesmerizing.

Overall fine dining this is not, but when you review your limited choices at the New Roc movie theater (Buffalo Wild, the 'Bees {Crapplebees} and El Tio), Jani may seem attractive in a subtle way without the assistance of beer goggles.

IFHTP 3+

As a Pelham Bay resident, S and I take casual walks to City Island. Three miles in, I wondered what I could eat instead of the usual seafood from Sammy's and the other similar type restaurants.

Sugar and Spice Cafe seemed to have popped out of nowhere. Is this place new? On a pleasant weather day, sitting outside was nice, while we enjoyed breakfast and coffee. Indoor dining is an option too, and the interior is decorated well, demonstrating a cozy vibe.

S and I shared a "special of the day" green tomato soup which included bacon bits, jalapeno pepper and chili oil. I am not a soup expert but this was a nice surprise. I wanted another bowl. She also ordered a brie omelet with couscous. She thought it was ok, but determined it was a little greasy. I was suckered by seeing bahn mi on the specials blackboard (I was craving it) so I ordered it. The contents were great, but the bread used was soft. Baguettes should be crunchy!

Overall Sugar and Spice is a quaint little bakery with a friendly staff and a nice addition to City Island.

IFHTP 1

Congratulations! Staten Island has it's own Ginger Man, without the pretentious suits! Drink menus are extensive, listing price, country of origin, alcohol content and taste grade. Amstel Light is a D and Michelob Ultra is an F? Compared to craft beers, yes they are.

On one Wednesday night, there was a jam session with the "Wolfpack". I never cared for too much live music, but this was cool. I was engaged and feeling the rhythm and blues. I can't believe I drank 6 beers with appetizer, dinner entree and dessert. I almost exploded.

The best part is the Adobe Blues Beer Club Card. Here's what it looks like:
   ______________________________________
 /                    ADOBE BLUES BEER CLUB                    \
|  ======================================= |
|        Pilsener   |            Red Ale        |           Stout           |
|      Pale Lager |         Brown Ale       | Strong Dark Ale  |
|  Amber Lager |         Black Beer      |      Barleywine     |
|         Pale Ale  |            Porter            |       Fruit Beer      |
|          IPA          | Triple/Strong Pale |           Cider          |
|        Witbier     |       Doppelbock      |         Rated: A       |
|        Weizen     |           Dubbel          |     Alpha/Name   |
|  Belgian Pale |       Scottish Ale      |   Small Country  |
 \_______________________________________/

You get punch marks by each beer you try. The restrictions are Thursday - Saturday nights. Level 1 is 24 beers. Completion of each level renders a small gift. By completing level 7, you will have consumed 168 beers and will ask for a government bailout.

Clientele can be a mixed bag, if not weird. While you have beer drinkers, I noticed one dude was drinking Pinot Grigio. Ambiance is strange because it is classified as a Mexican restaurant, but disguised as a cowboy saloon.

In terms of food, it is average. My pork burrito I had was ok, but nothing phenomenal. I would recommend eating the spicy buffalo sausage appetizer; two grilled sausages with a lovely kick. Other items I tried: bacon wrapped scallops (with rasberry sauce). Chips and mild chunky salsa are ok, considering they are complimentary.

I would suggest just a liquid diet and light appetizer munching. Because of my obsession with the beer club, it's the only way I will consume more beer.

Overall, I think this bar is excellent and its long laundry list of great beer helps me overlook its deficiencies in its food. Adobe Blues is a great excuse to visit Staten Island.

IFHTP 3

All beer distributors were not created equal.

I used to think they were all the same, just like wine stores, but this is a fallacy.

I walk into the open area and have cases of beer, soda and ice to choose from. I can pick up a a six pack, keg, pay and drive away. There is no ambiance. The pallets of stacked beer and concrete floors give me the sterile feeling which is similar to a hospital.

Wait, there is a dedicated rack of craft beer. Southern Tier? Ommegang? Dogfish Head? Brooklyn? St Bernardus? Stone? There are plenty of nice brews to try. Of course, the mass produced products from Anheuser-Busch Inbev, MillerCoors and Heinken are available too.

Romantic setting? No. Clean? Yes. Polite and courteous staff? Yes. Craft beer selection that caters to beer geeks, snobs, wimps and women? Yes.

Tommy, the owner has been in the beer distribution business for over 20 years and has introduced craft beers for the last five. The first time I entered the store, he immediately greeted me, asked me how I discovered this business and offered samples. He lured me to small area with a bunch of taps and gave me a taste of the beers. I've tried half of them before, but I couldn't turn down sweet nectar.

Tommy works hard to make every customer leave happy with a good product. I appreciate that. The Bronx is often shunned in the pecking order of the five boroughs. For beer lovers, this place is great and it is difficult to leave here empty handed.

Excuse me, while I fill up my growler.

IFHTP 3+

"Hartsdale? We might as well book a flight to Japan," I joked.

S and I drove up the Bronx River Parkway on a Saturday afternoon and was pleasantly surprised. I found a meter in front of the restaurant and unfortunately, had to feed the meter with quarters until 8 PM.

My friends warned us to come early because it is a small restaurant and gets busy quickly. Upon entering, I was greeted by an elderly Japanese man in a suit. Tony, the proprietor greeted us and sat us down.

For a party of 5, we decided to order an assortment of sushi and sashimi. While sipping sake, I asked for the name of one of the sushi pieces (I never had before).

"Suzuki," answered Tony, as he motioned the handbars of a motorcycle... The man has jokes.

The soft shell crab appetizer was so delicious... We ordered a second one (after we devoured the sushi and sashimi assortment). The service was attentive. The waitresses came often, filling our water glasses and retrieving sake and beer.

The toro pieces did not give me chills (fatty tuna is my favorite) but I was begging for more of: suzuki, yellowjack and roe nigiri. Woah, woah. Fish eggs? Yes (see photos).

Overall, Azuma is a quaint, yet endearing Japanese restaurant. I did pay a premium for sushi and sashimi, but the fish was fresh and handled with great care (no sloppy fish or disproportionate fish-to-rice ratios here).

Is Azuma better or on par with my favorites, Sushi Seki and Sushi Yasuda? No, but it's close. Would I return? Yes I would.

IFHTP 1

I had read about the hype about Pio Pio and was jealous (always the last to try the new stuff). I had eaten chicken in Peru and was excited to try this.

First time I came to this location, I elected for take out. I ordered the matador meal and an extra side of maduros. The restaurant decor was ok but nothing fancy. As I waited for my order I looked around and saw the yellow walls and a few paintings. The tables have cloth and paper... As if I was going to eat crabs.

Advice for first timers taking the subway: If you exit the 6 train (Cypress Avenue station) you will be on 138th street. Walk away from the highway (I-278). Pass the Iglesias de Dios (church of god) and at the intersection is Cypress Ave. Make a right (at some dry cleaners). You will pass a Pioneer supermarket, a "No 1 Wok" (that a bold claim) Chinese takeout spot and alas find Pio Pio. Remember to put on your best angry face (I think of my 401k performance or the New York Knicks), maintain a steady power walk, follow my directions and you won't feel like a wimpy gringo in the hood.

Take out on the subway was a bad idea. As the wonderful aromas penetrated my nostrils, I wanted to rip the bag open and shovel bits into my mouth.

The food was worth the wait. The chicken, married with the tostones, salad, rice, beans, salchipapas (chopped hot dogs and fries) and maduros were a winning combination. Pio Pio's food is delicious and a welcome addition to the Bronx.

If you live closer to another Pio Pio branch, don't go out of your way to come to this one.

IFTHP 3+

For a long time, I went to the Black Whale for Sunday brunch. However S and I decided to try it on Saturday. Much to our chagrin, it was still closed at noon. Although we were stunned (I walked three miles from Pelham Bay and wanted a medal), we decided to look next door.

The first thing we noticed was the large cage outside the restaurant and the parrot. Since we were hungry, we skipped the bird pleasantries and went straight in.

This was no means a glamorous restaurant, but it was small with an outdoor dining area in the back; enough for three tables.

Our waitress brought out bread and two interesting spreads: one was a tomato and the other was an eggplant. So delicious, I skipped the butter.

We ordered a salad, calamari and Ortolana pizza.

While the salad and calamari were nominal, the Ortolana pizza was intriguing: tomato sauce, mozzarella, smoked meat, eggplant, squash, onions, sliced fresh tomatoes. Believe me, these toppings were a lot to put on a thin crust pizza and required a knife and fork. However, this concoction was tasty (not DiFara mouth-gasm-like nor Artichoke wow-this-is-weird-but-cool but maybe a step below). The smoked meat was a beef jerky, from a calf.

I kind of wish I ordered a personal sized pie instead of the family one. We had plenty of leftover.

There is a physical tree inside the restaurant. This is where the "Tree House" derived it's name.

I tried to spit game to the parrot as we left, but he seemed distant. Maybe he was jealous that I ate.

IFHTP 1

S and I noticed this busy sushi restaurant and decided to give it try.

The service was fast.

The waitstaff aimed to please.

The fish was not something I would brag about. The toro tataki roll and spicy yellow tail were not fresh. Points for creativity but failure on taste: the South beach roll. One unnerving observation: Sitting at sushi bar, the "blocks" of  fish were pre-cut. Does this have something to do with quality? Indeed.

If Gordon Ramsey were in the house, I'd be an extra on an episode of Kitchen Nightmares.

Choshi, you f--king donkey!

IFHTP 1

Louie and Ernie's specializes in a thin crust Neapolitan and dabbles in a few specialty pies. One was a tomato slice, which had a different cheese (not mozzarella) and tomatoes - interesting. Another is the white slice.

With 10 tables in the back and a small counter in front, this business gives off the feel of a cozy mom and pop shop. When you order, you sit and wait... and a young girl brings the food to you. I appreciate good service even on a busy Saturday afternoon. My brother, wife and I shared a pie and enjoyed devouring it.

Is this place special? Yes it is.

Would I travel far for this place (like from another borough or state)? Absolutely not (it ain't DiFara's).

IFHTP 3+

I was very excited to hear that I was going to try Korean BBQ in Delaware.

Ironically, this was the most work I've had to do in a long time. Seriously, the waitress dropped off the meat and left us alone. I cut the galbi short ribs off the bone, cooked it and cut it with scissors. Waitress never came back. In terms of taste, the bbq was ok. I was a bit nervous when I noticed the lettuce wraps were browning and wilting. No thanks on the Ssam. The banchan spread was fine.

In addition, we were the only table to cook our own meat. Everyone else at other tables were either lazy or they saw me toiling and decided otherwise.

Still, if I lived in the area, I would return. Good but far from great.

IFHTP 1