New, Tasty Local Eats at Crescent Grill

Image by Crescent Grill

I love me some fresh, seasonal veggies and always look forward to enjoying them in local eateries, especially ones that participate in CSA shares.  Recently spotting the latest offering of beautifully ripe tomatoes at Crescent Grill, I wanted to spread the news so you all too can enjoy this goodness.  Here's what you can expect at Crescent Grill in terms of local veggie options.  But not to worry meat eaters, they've got something for you as well!

Fresh veggie options:
Tomato and watermelon salad (as seen above)
Sugar snap peas and carrots
Sauteed grilled yellow corn with roasted peppers
Pan seared grouper with roasted beets
Butter poached lobster with heirloom radishes

If you'd like to sample their tasty bar food, don't miss out on the happy hour specials with half priced draft beer and even their burger + double fried French Fries for under $10!  You can catch their Happy Hour specials from Wednesday - Friday from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Crescent Grill - 38-40 Crescent Street, Long Island City NY 11101
718.729.4040
N/Q Train to 39th Avenue
www.crescentgrill.com

The Brindle Room – The Burger Legend Lives On

Ever since we saw it on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, Dan and I have been dreaming of visiting the Brindle Room and trying their legendary burger. Marveling at Guy Fieri, as he devoured that juicy patty with all the fixins, we decided to make a date out of it, coming out for happy hour and staying til dinner.

Atmosphere:
Set in the heart of the East Village on 10th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A, The Brindle Room is surrounded by private residences and a sprinkling of quaint eateries. It’s somewhat easy to miss if you’re not looking for it, as the sign is subtle and the façade narrow.

Comfort and familiarity washes over you as you first step into The Brindle Room, feeling oddly nostalgic and automatically like a place you won’t come to just once. Dan and I situated ourselves close to the bar, so we got a little feel of the action and observed a few folks enjoying quintessential bar food eats such as burgers, beers, poutine, oysters and such. Everything looked and smelled wonderful, which assured us why we came.

Food:
Noticing a sweet deal on happy hour items such as oysters, mussels, poutine and beers, Dan and I started with a few apps before moving on to the showstopper burger.

Oysters – The $1 deal on oysters was an easy sell for us, as we ordered a half dozen and gulped them down with gusto. Not only were they large and meaty, they boasted a clean fresh-from-the-sea flavor that didn’t need much else besides a little spritz of lemon.

Moules Frites – It was also hard to resist the happy hour PEI mussels, which came topped with a rustic garlic, tomato and basil broth. While enjoying the actual mussels and their substantial interior, the Provencal sauce was the best part, especially as a vessel for those well done frites.

The Burger – To simply call this a burger wouldn’t do it justice, as it was so much more than that. I have to admit that it didn’t look impressive, the puny thin bun and a slightly charred outside making it seem pedestrian. However immediately following the first bite, we quickly understood why it was recognized as a Triple D standout.

Firstly, the juiciness of the meat is simply diabolical, as each morsel produces utter delight with the well marbled meaty flavor dissolving into your tastebuds. You quickly learn why they use the thin bun, as the meat is truly the star ingredient and the bread simply just a vehicle of transport for the meat. A heap of perfectly caramelized onions and a generous slab of slightly melted Roquefort cheese gives the burger a hint of sophistication and further accentuates its quality. Without a doubt, this is an overall win!

Donut Holes – Although we were already full, the waitress offered us a serving of complimentary orange glazed donut holes that we couldn’t refuse. Loving the idea behind this clever dessert, I appreciated the resourcefulness of the holes as well as its sweet flavor and airy texture. The orange glaze on top further sealed this already sweet deal.

Service and Cost:
Very much in line with the relaxed vibe, the service at the Brindle Room also mirrors that. Impressed with the level of knowledge that our waitress had about the menu, she was confidently able to recommend what to get and even went into specifics about some of the ingredients. Overall, everyone had a very casual feel about them, which was welcome and needed after a long day in the big city.

Costs are pretty decent considering the quality of all the food and its NYC location. The burger set us back $14, which isn’t cheap but it truly was a bomb burger, and the happy hour small plates were $5-$6 each. Our dinner came out to about $35 each including drinks, tax and tip.

3 Mmmms

The Brindle Room – 277 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10009
212.529.9702
L Train to 1st Avenue
brindleroom.com

Sunday Night Deal at Rest-Au-Rant

Dan and I popped in to Rest-au-Rant tonight for some quiet time, a little vino and nice conversation.  It was incredibly relaxing and the music was awesome, that we hung around for a while, just getting lost in our thoughts, and chatting away.

Even though we just went in for drinks, the friendly bartender told us about a fabulous little special that we'll certainly be back for, especially when I'm back to eating gluten.  Here it is for you ladies and gents who want to enjoy Astoria's best kept secret:

- Draft and BBQ entree for $10.  Tonight's featured item was their burger.
- 2 tapas and a bottle of wine for $40
- 4 tapas and a bottle of wine for $55

Their wine and cocktail menu  is also wonderful, and not overpriced.  Take a look right here.

Rest-Au-Rant - 30-01 35th Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.729.9009
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
www.rarbarlic.com 

The Food Film Festival Brings on the Almighty Ramen Burger

Tonight, I attended one of my favorite foodie events in NYC, which is the 7th Annual Food Film Festival.  Attending the event now for five straight years, I always look forward to the enticing food films they showcase, as well as to the novelty of tasting the foods featured in each film.

Dan and I attended the official wrap party event tonight, which featured the world premiere of the film Biting into the Ramen Burger - a short documentary about the food phenomenon that is the ramen burger.  For those of you who've been following the mania around this culinary fad, you'll know how hard it's to come by, as hungry (or just curious) New Yorkers wait for hours just to sink their teeth into this thing.  It's been compared to the Cronut phenomenon, and the film touches upon this in a cheeky, endearing way.  Here's the trailer for all you ramen fans.

The Verdict - I liked that our path to the almighty ramen burger was a pretty civilized one, as the awesome Food Film Fest organizers got everyone to cash in their Ramen Burger tickets, which were called up in 20 person increments. Sure this resulted in a lot of anticipation and chatter, but it also avoided the chaos that often ensues at Smorgasburg, where this burger is regularly sold.

And now for the taste? Well...I'm happy to say that the hype was totally worth it.  Not only did I get to meet Keizo Shimamoto, the mastermind behind the Ramen Burger phenomenon, I got to sink my teeth into it.

Don't let its conservative size fool you, as this is one hearty burger that will definitely tide you over for the night.  The ramen buns are of course the most interesting part, as they're a little well done on the outside and really soft and spongy on the inside.  While the film talks about how crunchy the outside is, we unfortunately didn't get this at the festival, but I presume it's a lot crispier when you get it on a regular day at Smorgasburg.  The burger patty itself was juicy and flavorful and glazed in a secret soy sauce that Keizo came up with himself.  I like that you get a little bit of greenery and earthiness from the fresh arugula and the scallions, creating an overall well rounded bite.

Other Goodies:
In addition to the burger goodness, we also got to indulge in other tasties you see above such as fresh oysters from Open Oyster, shaved ice from Woolys, ice cream pops from La Newyorkina as well as the most bodacious black & white cookies from Leske's Bakery.  Sure there were a lot of sweet bites, but the following two reigned supreme:

La Newyorkina - Loving the concept behind this company, which was started by Fany Gerson, it brings Mexican style frozen treats to New York palates.  I've seen these guys (or ladies rather) selling their colorful "paletas" at the Highline, which has often piqued my interest.  Happy to see them at the Food Film Festival, we got a bite of their horchata paleta that was also glazed in some silky milk chocolate.  Savoring its comforting flavors, which weren't too sweet, I can see it being the perfect antidote on a really hot day.

Leske's Bakery - Spying the large and beautifully glazed black and white cookies, Dan and I decided to share one.  Immediately falling in love with its texture, they were really soft and crumbly on the outside.  Their almost pudding-like glaze created the most indulgent bite, which was nice to enjoy after the chill of the above mentioned paleta.

I'd like to thank the Food Film Festival for another smashing showcase of culinary creativity.  As usual, it's opened my eyes to the amazing food artisans who are creating little bits of magic in this fantastic city (and beyond).  I hope you get to check out the films featured in this year's festival.

New Veggie Dish at Astor Bake Shop

As fall is almost here, I'm loving all the heartier foods available on local menus.  I noticed this lovely veggie option available today at Astor Bake Shop, which made me hungry.  Check out this beautiful stuffed baby eggplant, featuring quinoa, red pepper, onion and mozzarella cheese.  

In case this doesn't whet your appetite, there's always their signature burger, which comes on a fluffy brioche bun and can be topped with your choice cheese and bacon.  The latter is deliciously thick, lean and smoky - I highly recommend it.

It behooves you to get a seasonal dessert too such as their fruit and nut tarts and pumpkin desserts.  Rumor has it that they've got a lot of other seasonal sweets and drinks in stock.  Hope you enjoy your visit.

Astor Bake Shop - 12-23 Astoria Blvd, Astoria NY 11102
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd

718.606.8439

astorbakeshop.com

Brunch at Locale is Nutellicious

Our friend Moses was in town this weekend, which was awesome.  We really miss him being all the way in Portland and all.  Wanting to spend some time at brunch this morning, we hung out in his old neck of the woods, near the 34th/35th Avenue area, and decided to go to Locale.

We went on the early side, which was great since it wasn't yet crowded.  However, an hour into our meal, it was packed, which is testament to its popularity.  Although I've been for brunch before, here are some new things we tried:

Locale Burger - I wanted something different than eggs, so I went for the burger.  And besides, I've never had it here before, so I wanted to see how it'd measure up to others in the nabe.  Overall, it looked mighty impressive, boasting a big, fluffy bun with two pickle slices on top.  The meat was pretty good and juicy, but I had higher expectations for a grass fed product.  Maybe it was too greasy, but something was detracting from it being outstanding.  Maybe it needed some spice (in the form of a sauce) and an earthier bun to bring up its level of sophistication.

Poached Eggs with Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy - This was Dan's dish and he really liked it.  Not all of it was stellar, as he mentioned the biscuits were kind of dry and not particularly flaky, but he said the eggs were perfectly cooked.  They were beautifully runny and the gravy definitely made the mediocre biscuits a lot tastier.  At the end though, he was a part of the clean plate club.

Texas Toast Stuffed with Nutella - This was Moses' entree of course, as he's a total Nutella freak.  He even asked for extra Nutella on the side if you can believe it.  Praising it to the heavens, he loved the Nutella aspect as well as the texture of the French Toast, which was crunchy and lovely - but also very rich.

Southern Omelet with Grilled Chicken - Since Paul is super serious about staying in shape, he ordered this with egg whites and sans cheese, due to his dietary restrictions.  He really enjoyed it, along with the crispy, well done hash browns on the side.  It was nice to see that a healthier version of any egg dish can be accommodated.

I was a bit disappointed in the coffee offering, as they didn't have basic skim milk or any other kind of alternative creamer.  It was all full fat, heavy stuff that quite frankly would've upset my stomach, so I drank the coffee black.

Service and Cost:
The servers were really nice and you can tell they were hustling on this busy morning.  Even though it took a little longer than usual to get the food out to us, our glasses of water and coffee were always refreshed. 

Costs are reasonable and for the above mentioned meal, including coffee and some morning cocktails too, we paid about $23/person including tax and tip.

2 Mmmms

Locale - 33-02 34th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106

718.729.9080

N/Q Train to Broadway

www.localeastoria.com

Astor Bake Shop's Burger...At Last, My Love Has Come Along

Since we both had a day off today, Dan and I were excited to spend some qt together over brunch and going to MOMI.  Brunch was first of course, and we originally planned on going to check out Sanford's, as I've heard that since its revamp, it's stepped up quite a bit.  To our chagrin (and I guess a testament to its excellence), it was totally crowded with a 40 minute wait for a 2 person table.  That, unfortunately wasn't going to cut it, so we headed out to check out an alternative by Dan's request - the Astor Bake Shop.

While I've been here on many occasions, I haven't actually sat down to a proper meal, and also hadn't had the pleasure of indulging in their legendary burger.  It was time.

Food:
We knew why we came, and right away zeroed in on the burgers.  I had my eye on the signature Astor burger, dressed with a special sauce, while Dan went for the classic burger with bacon.  We got some other goodies you see here along the way, and wanted to give you the scoop about each one:

French Onion Soup - Dan ordered this as an app, and it was awesome.  Not only did it look gorgeous, it tasted great too, with an earthy oniony broth that wasn't at all heavy and two pieces of crusty peasant bread submerged into it.  Topped with some melty gruyere, there was certainly an element of decadence (as there should be), but I was happy to see that the chef didn't overdo it.

The Burgers - This was of course the piece-de-resistance of our meal, and both burgers were absolutely stupendous.  I know it may sound lame to say, but my favorite aspect was the fluffy, buttery bun that was just a pleasure to grab on to and that hugged all the substantial ingredients inside the burger.  But don't get me wrong...it's not only about the bread, the meat patty was beautifully cooked and so, so juicy.  I liked that it was seasoned well but kept relatively simple, and nothing about it was over the top.  Something else I appreciated was the zesty little side salad that came with it, as opposed to fries, which always unnecessarily fill me up.

Dessert - How can we not get dessert here?! The display case was simply taunting us - especially those stunning lemon meringue pies.  We got one, naturally, and dug into the crunchy, buttery dough, the tart-yet-still-a-little-sweet lemon curd and the sticky, well done meringue.  It was the perfect size and gave just enough of that little sweet kick we were craving after the burger.

Service and Cost:
While the service was pretty good, I'd recommend a little more of it, especially on a busy day like today.  Although we didn't feel like we had to wait too long for anything, it was sometimes hard to catch our waiter's attention, as he juggled his time between the desserts counter as well as serving tables.

Costs are wallet friendly and set us back about $48 total with tax and tip.  Dan also got a bottle of Prohibition ale, fyi.

3 Mmmms

Astor Bake Shop - 12-23 Astoria Blvd, Astoria NY 11102
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd

718.606.8439

www.astor-bakeshop.com 

BareBurger Lunch Special Rocks It

Amongst my stir-craziness of being in the house the entire week, or squatting in coffee shops, trying to get power, I decided to take a little trip to BareBurger Bayside today to check out their new digs.  I've been meaning to try it forever, to see how it measures up to the Astoria locations and I'm happy to say that they're totally up to snuff. 

Atmosphere:
Very true to this micro-franchise, BareBurger's Bayside location looks pretty consistent with its other Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan relatives.  The same colorful chairs, funky wooden tables and their characteristic utensil light fixtures.  Although the Bayside location is quite small compared to its Astorian neighbors, the space feels cozy and lived in although quite new.  I love the location as well, as it's right on Bell Blvd, near all the major public transport including buses and the LIRR - and it's within walking distance of other businesses such as bakeries (Martha's anyone?), convenience stores, bars, etc.

Food:
Since I visited during lunch, I was expecting some specials and this is exactly what I got.  Impressed by their burger, fries and beer combo for just $10.95, I decided to go for it.

Lunch Combo Deal - Bareburger's Original was the burger of choice, included in this special, and you can pick either beef, turkey or a veggie bun.  I went for the latter, as I've never yet had their veggie burger - and I wanted to see how it'd measure up to 5 Napkin's, which I still think is superior.  The burger also came with a side of fries and BareBurger's house organic brew, which is light and delicious.

The burger itself was fantastic, and looked quite impressive on this fluffy tapioca rice bun, which was gluten free.  Even though it sounded exotic, it tasted like a regular bun, but a very delicious high quality one at that - very impressive for something gluten free.  The veggie patty was tasty, made up of a mixture of carrots, broccoli, beans, etc that you could actually see, which was a nice touch.  The toppings of thinly sliced red onions, lettuce, tomato and jack cheese, that was melted perfectly complemented the veggie patty and made me really really full.  Overall a very hearty meal that can fill up any hungry cub or bear alike.

Service and Cost:
Characteristic to BareBurger, the service was great and pretty fast and turnkey.  I was seated quickly and served soon after - my meal arriving in just a few short minutes.  Even though everything was expedited fast, I didn't feel like I had to leave soon after and was free to hang around and finish my brewski.

The cost of this lunch was really affordable - for $10.95 for all of this, I got a really proper meal that filled me up way until dinner time.

3 Mmmms

BareBurger - 42-38 Bell Blvd, Bayside NY 11361.
718.279.2273
LIRR to Bayside
www.bareburger.com 

Alewife - Bar Food with Good Mojo

Ever since I've heard Meg praising the herb fries at Alewife, I knew I had to try it.  She's a bit of a French fry connoisseur, if you will, so I knew she was on to something, and I was naturally eager to try it.  Recently finding out that my friend Julie lived in the neighborhood too, we made plans to meet at Alewife after work and devoured those much praised fries and the impressive-looking gourmet burger you see before you, as well.

Atmosphere:
Situated in the old Lucky Mojo space, I was surprised at Alewife's sheer size.  Based on what I heard and read about it, I expected it to be a small, quaint, cozy place, but instead it's a rather large, open spaced bar with plenty of casual seating.  While the vibe tries to accomplish something rather gastropubey, to me it feels like a glorified sports bar.  Not to say this is a bad thing, as the quality of the food and drink is really good, but somehow its surroundings don't really match its intended concept.  On a random Wednesday night, it felt rather empty and abandoned, but I'm curious to observe it on the weekends, and especially during large sporting events.

Food:
While the menu boasts a lot of sophisticated eats like crispy pork belly, carrot & artichoke tordelli, black feather chicken and more, what we both wanted was some good old fashioned bar food, which of course came in the form of a burger and fries.

Dry Aged Burger and Fries - When asking our server about the burger, he reaffirmed our desires and highly recommended it.  Surprised and delighted when we saw it arrive, the burger was impressive, consisting of a beautifully grilled patty, oozing with juices and topped with melted cheddar cheese.  The true piece-de-resistance, as you can guess was that beautiful pretzel bun, which was golden brown, soft and absolutely substantial enough to hold the burger meat and fixins.  I also loved the pickles on the side, which were clearly homemade, and a nice mix of sweet and sour.

The fries were truly out of this world, as they were the thin, shoestring kind, sprinkled with flecks of rosemary, salt and a healthy dose of truffle oil.  Each bite was crispy and delicious and so addicting that I nearly polished off the whole bowl.  The portion is quite large and I recommend splitting it with your dining companion.

I also wanted to highlight that since Julie adheres to a gluten-free diet, Alewife happily accommodated her with a bun-free burger.  It was presented beautifully with veggies and those yummy pickles too.

Service and Cost:
We had no complaints about the service, as our waiter was friendly and attentive and offered up his valid opinions.  He seemed intelligent and in-the-know about the menu and we felt his service in general was on-point.

Costs are expensive, also considering the casual atmosphere that doesn't quite match this menu and price point.

The burger, fries and a drink set us back about $30/person.  Call me crazy but that's a bit rich even for really good, sophisticated bar food.

2.5 Mmmms

Alewife - 5-14 51st Avenue, Long Island City NY 11101
718.937.7494
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Avenue
www.alewifequeens.wordpress.com

Peter Luger's Snow Day Lunch

With the wonderful snow day we enjoyed yesterday, Dan and I saw it as the perfect opportunity to have a nice lunch - something we never get to do during the regular work week.  We chose Peter Luger's as our destination, mainly because we wanted to give it another try after a lack-luster dinner experience (in my eyes mainly,  not his) - plus, we've been hearing so much about their burgers, that we just had to experience them for ourselves.

Unsurprisingly, the place was pretty quiet yesterday and we got a table, no problem.  There was a family with kids, dining a few tables away and a few patrons in the dining room, one level up from us, but overall it was mellow.

Food:
We didn't mess around, and went straight for the burgers.  They come in their simplest form - on a fluffy sesame-seed bun and Luger's own steak sauce on the side.  That's it. No other frills.  But...if you want add-ons (which we did) you have to order them a la carte.

Peter Luger's Burger - I can wholeheartedly now say that I know what all the fuss was about. Yes...I've seen the light.  The Peter Luger burger was simply a thing of beauty -  aesthetically and in taste.  Prior to actually seeing my meal, I couldn't understand why it didn't come with any fixins, but after I tasted it, I absolutely knew why.  The quality of the simple ingredients were impeccable.  The beef is perfectly juicy and as Dan rightly pointed out, tastes well aged. 

But aside from the actual meat, which is certainly the star of the show, the bun is also very noteworthy.  Soft, fluffy and beautifully brown on top, it's the perfect vehicle for enveloping the juicy burger meat.  So much so that it really doesn't get soggy only a tiny bit at the end, but even that goes down with grace.

One other note about the add-ons.  The cheese that I got on my burger was a nice accompaniment - hearty and gooey, it was a simple American that melded beautifully with the rich burger meat.  The slab bacon Dan ordered was completely out of this world, and so large that it was great for sharing.  He gave me about half and I further cut that into little pieces that I then put on my burger.  Heaven! Each bite was a fatty, juicy explosion of deliciousness.  As for the fries - meh...those were lack-luster and kind of sparse as far as  portions are concerned. I'd definitely skip those next time, as we didn't need them at all.

Service and Cost:
In Luger's customary fashion, the service was excellent, with waiters aged as well as the meat they served.  It's said that certain foods taste better with age, and in this case it's absolutely true about the service too - experienced, impeccable and knowledgeable, it was the icing on the already decadent cake of our experience.  Our burgers were brought out about 15 short minutes after ordering, and our waiter was helpful without being obtrusive or pushy. Just the way it should be.

Costs were affordable, especially for Luger's, making their burger the best deal on the menu.  Each burger cost $9.50 and add ons ranged between $1.50 - $2.95.  Our grand total came out to $27, which really wasn't bad for the top notch quality meal we devoured.  And on top of that, we were also treated to Luger's signature chocolate coins (pictured above).  Yum....I'm still licking my fingers.

3 Meaty Mmmms
Peter Luger Steakhouse - 225 Northern Blvd, Great Neck NY 11021
516.487.8800
www.peterluger.com