Throughout the past year of living in Greenpoint, I've always found the Franklin Corner Store closed whenever I passed by, so it hasn’t been a big part in my diet until... now. Thanks to the coaxing of a co-worker, I finally made it up to the seemingly nondescript and unexceptional looking bodega and I can say with certainty that they make the some of the best sandwiches you will ever try. I have, even recently, touted many a sandwich spot but (with the possible exception of a perfect bahn mi) none can really compare.
The lone dude who makes all the sandwiches (all the other employees are apparently only paid to watch him and man the counter with semi competency) should sue every Subway staff member for their false claims of sandwich artistry. This guy is the real deal. Each taste combination is perfect, many are actually pure genius. Just listen to what goes into my personal favorite, the hot and pressed Chicago: thin fried eggplant, turkey, jalapenos, avocado, bean dip, lettuce, and provolone; or Jim’s infatuation, the Bronx Bomber: roast pork, swiss cheese, avocado, BBQ sauce, mayonnaise and jalapenos, served hot and pressed.
For around $6 each (some are even cheaper), these can become an obsession, the kind of food that keeps you up at night with eggplant and turkey dreams and the kind that keeps you fat in the middle. We even ate there twice in one day only a few days after our first taste. Sounds similar to getting hooked on a drug, right? Well, try it yourself and you’ll understand the extreme reaction.
If you do and you ever tire of the clap board sandwich menu, you’ll be as delighted as I was to find that they have a paper menu with a plethora of additional mouth watering choices. Also adding to the place's mystique: modestly hidden behind a cooler hangs a signed photo of none other than David Lynch.
The only draw back (aside from a kind of dirty cat that jumps on Jim’s lap) is that it can take forever. Remember, only one guy is allowed to make the sandwiches–which can be irritating if you're impatient; but how could anyone not be impatient when waiting for a sandwich this amazing?
With random, unpredictable hours and rumors of hard partying, even criminal chefs, the relatively new Papacitos may just be the most mysterious restaurant in Greenpoint with the most street cred. It’s also the area’s best Mexican and one of the top places I’ve been to in their entire city (and I went their with a born and bred Southern Californian who totally agrees).
The restaurant, which is really nothing more than a concrete back yard with tables is the perfect, low key place to enjoy the waining summer with a Modelo, guacamole, and kicking tacos. Pork Anjito is the way to go, so flavorful and tender, but the milder Verde pork is good if you’re less daring with your palette, and my sister can attest that the grilled fish tacos are also worth an order.
The price is right, a Papacito’s Plate – a mound of food including taco fixings of your choice, Mexican Rice, Black Beans and salad is a mere nine dollars. And, friends, after eating only a portion, I have not been fuller in recent memory. We literally waddled home, almost overly satisfied with the all new great restaurant in our neighborhood.
I’ve heard it can be quite a madhouse late nights on weekends, lending finally some credibility to the next door sign that reads “Corner Frenzy” but we went at the more laid back hour of four in the afternoon. Not only is Papacito's bound to be a local favorite (despite those angry yelp reviews) but we all know what a rarity awesome Mexican food is on this coast, so it’s bound to be a foodie destination as well.
Tired on New York fuggedaboutit rudeness? Want to spice things up with a little European haughty service, the kind that doesn’t even want to look at your ugly American face?
Try Alidoro, a tiny Soho sandwich spot that fortunately serves ten dollar sandwiches worth ever penny. The extensive menu of sandwich combinations, which you must order by name, is mouth watering reading. Each sandwich is served on either wheat or white bread – good Italian bread that may very well be the best I have had in the city, and the insides are all top quality ingredients, the whole key to making a mere sandwich into an experience.
I tried the Donatella on white: paper thin, non stringy prosciutto, a layer of fresh, fresh mozzarella, and a balsamic based extraordinary dressing. It was huge enough to make two lunches out of it, which softens the high price blow and somehow it managed to taste even better the next day.
Despite a cool reception from the staff, the place is quaint and the food delicious, so I will definitely go back to try other creations like the Pinocchio with prosciutto, sopressata, fresh mozzarella, sweet roasted peppers, and olive paste or the Frugoletto with sopressata, smoked mozzarella, artichokes, and arugula. Hmm, they sound so good maybe I’ll go tomorrow.
Hecho en Dumbo (“made in Dumbo”) serves paninis and wine by day, but once the sun set, they dish out some of the best Mexican around. Chef Danny Mena (The Modern) is very proud of his newest venture. Proud of their use of local ingredients–he works with nearby Foragers Market to get the freshest and local-est; proud of his commitment to traditional and modern Mexican cooking; and proud to support a heritage of culture and art–the restaurant often hosts various artist and musicians.
This love for the food and the setting shows. A far cry from cashing in on the new found adoration of tacos around town, Hecho serves unique dishes, not carbon copy renditions in comfortable rustic chic (but not desperately chic) surroundings. Jim and I wanted to get a taste for the menu, so the sample platter was perfect. Nothing hit a wrong note: the mollettes (bean, cheese and pico de gallo on bread), the burritas, the tacos, and the sopes, all great, but three items really stood out.
I would definitely recommend the flavorful pork tacos (conchinita pibil), the steak filled burritas de res–and the tacos rajas con queso, which are a great option for vegetarians, ae filled with poblano pepper, onion and cheese. Prices are totally reasonable too ($8-$12 for main dishes), so you can also share some fresh guacamole and down some of their (pricier) cocktails. I recommend the nice and spicy Michelada Cubana and the Margarita Tamarindo which, thankfully, bears no resemblance to the overly sweet usual "margarita" monstrosities served in most restaurants.
It’s worth noting that the place only sports a small sign saying “café” and it’s not open on Sundays. Also, try to get there on the early side as the buzz on this worthy addition to the neighborhood is only getting louder.
My friend Shaun has basically become obsessed with Cafetasia, an 8th Street spot that, at first glance, doesn't quite seem like a probable candidate for a fixation (Shaun is kind of... particular). It looks like one of those typically fakey, vaguely Thai places in the middle of the NYU campus that serves cheap, bland fare to starving college students who don't know any better. And it very nearly is just that–except, inexplicably–the food is actually quite good.
The real draw is the lunch special where, for ten dollars (tip and all), you get a large dish and a small dish. I usually get the daily soup selection; their Tom Yum is surprisingly refreshing with crisp, bright veggies, it’s very unlike the cookie cutter versions you might be used to. Shaun opts, always, for the fresh spring roll.
He also never fails to order the Spicy Bail Noodles (pictured) which are not only actually spicy (unlike so many disappointing claims on menus all over town) but can, at times, produce beads of sweat on my brow and a slight rumble in my tummy. Other yummy dishes I’ve tried from the lunch menu include the mild Garlic Black Pepper, the rich Malaysian Laksa, and the warm weather pleaser Shrimp with Glass Noodle.
It’s a big space, with tons of two tops and long communal tables. The decorating ia bit cheesy and it’s run like a very efficient cafeteria. Lunch never takes longer than thirty minutes, which makes it ideal for a sit down option if you work nearby.
It’s not likely to be a place foodies and tour guides will mention but, like lots of steady nearbys, it continues to draw a crowd by having the two most important parts of a restaurant down pat: good food at the right price.
I highly recommend you make the trek to Astoria’s Greek seafood mecca, Taverna Kyclades. Our first attempt to eat here was a disaster, it’s unwavering popularity meant an hour long wait on a Sunday evening. We were tired, we were starving, and cranky was just around the corner. So, unless you are mentally prepared for a crowded, standing wait suffering as mouth-watering plates of food rush by, save it for another day.. or, as we did, try your hand at a late lunch when they are less busy (though still pretty crowded by most restaurant’s standards).
If it all seems like more trouble than it’s worth, let me assure you that, at the very least, Taverna Kyclades will re-establish your faith in the shrimp. Ordered on a whim, because we’ve learned by now that there is no point in not ordering seafood at a Greek restaurant, the shrimp were fresh and plump and perfect. Another testament to the wonders of grilling, it and the calamari lunch specials were excellent.
I had mine with the dandelion greens, "horta", a side that might be too bitter and soggy for some, but I found to be yummy, particularly with lots of fresh lemon. The lemons come on our table at the beginning of the meal, assuring you that you are about to have perfect summer weather food. Jim had rice with his, also good, and perhaps a wiser pick if you’re picky about your greens.
Nothing in this world could have prevented me from ordering the taramasalata as an appetizer, my favorite red caviar dip. Their version is great, though it’s worth knowing that it does not come with pita, which needs to be ordered separately. They give you so much dip that I was even able to exhibit some self control and take half home for snacking.
Next visit, we are certainly going to add the Greek salad to our order. Never have I seen a salad more appetizing with it’s glistening red tomatoes and huge hunk of feta.
From the same owners of the excellent Back Forty, Savoy is almost a tradition in Soho, a dimly lit standby for really good food. I have been curious about it for a long time, but when I saw this menu on eater, I could no longer put it off:
Spanish Style Lobster Stew, Little Neck Clams on the Half Shell, and Blueberry crumble.
As appetizing as it sounds on paper, it was even more impressive on my taste buds. Seriously, one of the few spot-on, every dish as good as the last pre-fixe meals we’ve encountered in a long time. The clams were fresh and delicious with a sweet, vinegary pepper sauce to accompany them.
The main dish, (which is where some places falter in fixed menus) was more of a paella than a typical stew, and it was utterly fantastic. The rice was moist and flavorful, the lobster tails, sausage and mussels – eye-rollingly yummy.
Dessert, a warm blueberry crumble topped with creamy vanilla ice cream ended a pretty perfectly meal pretty perfectly.
I know it sounds like I am exaggerating, and if you want the vaguest complaint to even it out, my friends thought they could have been a bit quicker with the rose with accompanied the meal. For a fifteen dollar charge it was almost all you could drink, but we ended up with about two glasses a piece.
The interior on the main floor is smaller than one might expect, but it was clean and easy going with a polite clientele.
It’s a pricey spot, but in a city stuffed to the brim with the priciest, Savoy is also one that is completely worth it.
I'll start with the bad news to get it out of the way. Petrossian, famous fancy caviar spot, suffers from the old school service of many places in Manhattan above 14th St. It's that odd feeling that no one that works there is quite glad you came. It's fine when some jabroni is throwing you a slice of pizza for a dollar, but it's a bit off putting when you're paying big time. The service wasn't pointedly rude, it just gave us a feeling that the staff's favorite time is the blessed minutes before anyone walks through the door.
And speaking of the door, I'll move on to the positives. First... the door. The exterior and the intricate door frame is really stunning, and strangely, the door itself is automatic. (I assume too many ancient billionaires were having a hard time opening it.)
The exquisite building is the historic, 1909 Alwyn Court Building, an apartment complex where one bedrooms go for $1.2 million. Nice to be sure, but it used to house only two apartments with fourteen rooms and five bathrooms a piece!
Inside is upscale like you might expect, a bit stuffy, jacket required (or as the website states "preferred"), carpet, art deco mirrors, and music so quiet it sounded like one of the couples surrounding us had brought a small radio or boom box that was going off in their purse. (Though this seemed unlikely).
I ordered a fantastic cordon bleu martini, a martini so smooth, it was almost too easy to drink, with blue cheese stuffed olives. The food was also pretty fantastic. Though I mixed up my dates for restaurant week and missed out on the $35 pre fixe, happily we got there just in time for the daily $48 pre fixe dinner menu (before 7:15).
For appetizers, most of us opted for the "Petrossian tasting": maviar, salmon roe and trout roe served on mini blinis. This was the highlight of my meal. I love caviar and to have it at one of the city's premier spot gave me a little thrill. For entrees, I'd recommend meat over fish. My sister and I both got the cod, which was a solid "good" but Jim's lamb was really out of sight and Adam's steak was also reportedly delicious. My summer berry souffle was also tasty.
While the food and drinks never hit a wrong note, and the building itself is a sight to behold, I just wish the service came with a smile. But we were smiling, especially after one of those deadly martinis and a bite of the trout caviar, so we more than made up for it.
The hamburger is an American culinary icon and one that has been getting lots of attention lately, especially in New York. As a result of the new found respect for the dish, there are many options for delicious burgers in the city. From the long lines at the Shake Shack to the lofty price tag and gourmet ingredients at DB Bistro Moderne, from the secretive divey-ness of The Burger Joint, to the straight forward divey-ness of Paul's Palace, there's a burger in this town for everyone.
One of the latest additions to the tradition is Five Guys, with locations on 55th, Bleecker and LaGuardia. Actually, to call it new is not completely accurate, the chain has been around since 1986 and it did have one location in the five boroughs - but it was in the hard to get to (for most of us) neighborhood of College Point. Lately, though it's popping up everywhere and I couldn't be happier.
It's a dietary splurge to be sure, especially if you tack on some of their yummy Cajun fries, but when is a burger a health conscious choice anyway? Theirs is moist and flavorful with a great squishy bun (I hate buns that stand up too much to the burger) and fresh toppings.
The menu offers a regular (one patty) or a large (two patty) and an array of free toppings. Be sure to tell them all the toppings you want, they won't assume lettuce or tomatoes or anything else unless you specify. I usually add some hot sauce, which only heightens the eating experience.
The environment (at least at the Bleecker location) is pretty clean and cheerful, particularly for a fast food spot and the food is miles away from the assembly line "junk food" of more typical chains.
Not only are the Szechuan Chicken Dumplings from (warning: turn down your computer before clicking) Rickshaw Dumplings totally delicious, you're helping the world by ordering them. Kenny Lao’s mini chain restaurant will be donating $1 to Red Cross Relief Efforts in China. It’s great for a quick atypical lunch; and the dumplings are surprisingly fresh tasting for the speed at which they’re served.
