nyc gastro recap

so, i basically ate my face off in nyc. for the most part, it was FANTASTIC.


monday night- masala bollywood

their claim to fame is playing bollywood movies and music videos on a large screen above the bar. that and tasty food. we had sosoSO much food. ugh i couldn't even do my share of the dosa. i got to that another night.

verdict: good times, nothing too spectacular, but an enjoyable place. the wait staff were a little slow, considering we were the ONLY people there for the first 3/4 of dinner.


tuesday lunch #1- some pita place

i had fries. they were tasty. not really worth going just to the place for fries.

verdict: obviously, not good enough to remember the name, it is ok to miss it.


tuesday lunch #2- penelope

ok, well a little mixed here. they were UBER busy and i could understand by. my grilled cheese with tomato was delicious! it had three cheeses and crusty sourdough bread and oh, tasty fries. generally, all things i fully enjoy. however, they said the wait would be 15 minutes and it was 30, meaning that karel literally had 13 minutes to eat her grilled cheese before sprinting back to the office. i understand that it can be hard to predict tables opening up, but if you are as busy as they guys, get better at it.

verdict: def go, but only if you schedule an extra 30 minutes or so for waiting. or more, if you are going during prime lunch time. we were there at 1:30p on a tuesday.


tuesday dinner- zaytoons

i LOVE this place. karel took me there this summer before we went to see knocked up, and even though that night had some tears in it, it certainly wasn't because of the food. it is middle eastern food and mm mm MM. you can get a combo plate with five small servings of salads and spreads and it is def the best deal there. i got hummus, fatoush, grapes leaves, tabouleh, and labnah. ah, labnah, how i love thee.

verdict: must go, must get combo plate. don't be detered by the slightly pushy wait staff. hey, if you are going before a movie, you won't have to worry about getting out on time!


wednesday lunch- quickly shabu shabu

karel first introduced me to shabu shabu on one of my first post-collegiate new york visits years ago and every time we come, i ask that it is included in our plans. it is a little like fondue- you cook veggies and thinly sliced meat in boiling broth and make your own sauces at a condiment bar. as it is asian (different sources cite different countries), you get fun veggies like straw mushrooms and taro (barf) and fun extras like crabstick and fish balls.

this trip to shabu shabu was pretty dramatic. the food was great- as i cooked it myself, i can take full credit. good sauce, me. hey, thanks tatiana! you're welcome, tats!

but oh my god, was the service SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOW. we sat down literally right in front of the serving bar and were there for a full 15 minutes before they asked us if we were ready. we had been ready for about 14.5 minutes. i was tempted to call the resturant on my cell and say 'hi! yes, we are sitting right in front of you and would like to order!' i hope i don't come off as a huge bitch with service, because believe me, with seven years of starbucks and other various cafes, i understand servers are human too. but. there were two other parties and they already had their food. and we just sat there and stared. the guy behind the counter just stared back. so, yeah, not the best service. and the check... ugh, yeah. another excerise in patience.

verdict: shabu shabu is great and this place does give you free bubble tea with your meal. a plus. but either be much chiller than me (most are) or more forceful in demanding your meats and broth. or go to another shabu shabu joint.


wednesday dinner- cafetasia

the single anon commenter, you are correct! we went pan-asian and i'm so glad we did. karel and i split three dishes- two from their medium menu and one from the large. the crispy duck and green apple salad was fantastic. there should really be more meat stuffs in salads. while i ussually don't go gaga over tamarind (my mom makes the juice from scratch and the floating seeds creep me out), the ribs drenched in a tamarind sauce were super tasty. and the beef and shitake fried rice was so tasty but i had to save my portion from filling up on duck and ribs. hmm, i seem to have a strong affinity for meat.

verdict: go! it was a little loud because of communal tables and music, but not entirelly unbearable. plus the floating candles make it look a little like hogwarts' great hall.


thursday breakfast- hudson news

in port authority, i got a diet coke plus, some smartpop white cheddar popcorn, cheese crackers, and some free soy joy bars.

verdict: actually, not bad. i didn't have to pay for the soy joy bars and i still have the crackers, so overall, not my worst traveling breakfast decision ever.