Why You Need To Run, Not Walk, To Souvlaki GR

As far as I know, there aren't many causal/sit-down Greek joints in the city. They're pretty much a dime-a-dozen in Queens, but in the city you're usually relegated to gyro trucks.

Now, Souvlaki GR started out as a truck and expanded to a gorgeous storefront on the Lower East Side (116 Stanton). And God bless em. I could never get around to their truck, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be living in their restaurant.

As soon as you walk in, you feel like you're in a sunny Greek plaza. The color scheme is dominated by Mediterranean blues and whites, and it instantly felt like summer. There's even a little newsstand that has Hellenic magazines and candies (but the candies aren't for sale...boo).

But let's get to the food, yes?

The menu is small, but they do it incredibly well. Me and my friend started with the Greek Fries, which have come really highly recommended. I can honestly say, these are probably the best I've ever had: super crisp on the outside, fluffy within, seasoned with salt, pepper, and oregano, and then crowned with pillow-soft feta. Creamy, tangy little crumbs of delight. My friend doesn't even like feta, but was quickly devouring his share. Even without tasting the souvlaki, I would just come here for these fries.

The drink I ordered, the frappe, is a cornerstone of Greek coffee culture. Instant coffee, milk, water, and sugar (to taste), are whipped into an column of foam and served over ice.

The bitterness of the coffee was delicious against all that rich feta. I was in love with all that creamy foam as well.

Oh, and obviously, we had soulvaki.

Mind you, you could really eat like 3643439782 of these. I got the chicken, and John got the pork. Tender juicy chunks of meat, marinated in spices and lemon juice wrapped up with tomatoes, french fries, fresh tzatziki sauce, and red onion in a warm, buttery pita. Incredible. The flavors were just outta this world, which is really impressive because of the simple ingredients.Warmed pita slathered with butter was one of my favorite snacks when I was little, and this was creating a nostalgia party in my tummy.  I know I will definitely be back soon to try everything else, and I hope next time they'll have the loukomades (hot doughnuts with cinnamon and honey).


Get up on this place, guys, before it gets crowded and trendy, and you can't get a seat! Easier and cheaper than getting a flight to Greece, and you don't have to deal with sitting next to a smelly guy on the plane.

Yet Another Burger Joint? Eatinist Bitch Reviews The Counter!

Burger joints are a dime a dozen these days; as soon as you blink another one pops up with more beefy wares and more toppings. This is definitely the case at The Counter, which just opened at W41st and Broadway. It's originally a Southern California fast-yet-casual restaurant chain, that specializes in gourmet custom topped burgers and burger salads. Rumor has it that there are 312,120 possible combos. My two favorite burger spots are Shake Shack and Bill's Bar and Burger, and I wanted to see if I could add another place to my list. Also, I have a massive jones for well made turkey burgers. Sometimes I like to lighten my bovine consumption, and turkey burgers help that. Bill's makes the best around, in my humble opinion, and who doesn't  like a challenge?

First thing that came to mind when I got in: this place is sleek. Lots of streamlined design and futuristic fixtures give the place a really modern look...just not a particularly cozy one. I sat at the bar, since I was eating alone and I was greeted by a very sweet waitress who set me up with a menu. Glory Moses...the menu read like a Census Poll! I love choices and all...but damn. After about 10 minutes of being overwhelmed, I gathered my thoughts and ordered. I got the turkey on a  hamburger bun with romaine, tomato, cucumber, sprouts, sharp cheddar, cranberries, and apricot sauce. For my sides, one of their "Fifty-Fifty" combos: sweet potato fries and onion strings.

The sides came out first..and I really tried to wait to eat them. REALLY. Oh man...now, it's difficult to do sweet potato fries well because sweet potatoes themselves have such a high water and sugar content. These were delicious, crispy, and light. And I could've eaten these onion strings forever, the batter was crispy and super flavorful. No oily or heavy taste either.

And then...the burger came.

Don't get me wrong here! The toppings were fresh, the sauce wasn't creamy like I expected, but just a bright tangy glaze, which I really liked. But the burger tasted like a preformed patty, and sure looked like one too. The turkey burger at Bill's Bar and Burger is hand-formed, seasoned with provolone and basil, and is an absolute delight. It doesn't treat the turkey burger as beef's lamer cousin. The meat was cooked well, but it just didn't taste like anything.

Lesson learned! Get the regular burger next time, until they learn to make a proper turkey one.

Review: Brats in Chelsea (Not the Dolls...The Sausage!)

This isn't your mama's beer garden.

Housed in a narrow nook of warm wood and bar stools, Brats is doing Austrian sausages and beers (well, not beer yet, they don't have a liquor license yet) their way...and I'm loving it.

Their menu is pretty diverse in the sausage department with everything from your basic beef dog to a duck doggie slathered with a layer of pate. My friend John and I weren't that adventurous yet, but we did get get some yummy stuff. 

We started with the giant pretzel....which was exactly that. Fuckin massive, warm, yeasty and delicious. Now I hate mustard and mayo (I do like good homemade mayo though), but this came with blueberry mustard and OLD BAY mayo (house made!) so you could dip. Yum. The mayo was rich and creamy without being nauseating and had just the right amount of Old Bay seasoning. And the mustard wasn't super duper sweet, just a bright tart sweetness and some heat.

For the main, John went traditional with the beef wiener (heh, wiener) with horseradish mustard. I said to hell with that and opted for the German sausage doused in tomato sauce and dusted with their house curry blend.

His dog was nice and snappy, and definitely beefy. Balanced mix of seasonings, but not overpowering.

As for my choice, OH YES. I really made the right move with this one. Tangy tomato sauce combined with the tender sausage, and the hit of curry blend...WOW! I had never thought of mixing curry and tomatoes together, and I was blown away at how much the flavors intensified each other. Gooble gobble please.

And now for the grand finale: dessert. We decided to split the malted vanilla milk shake topped with....bacon confetti. Yes. Yes. Yes.

I usually really dislike malted things because I think they're extremely odd tasting, but this shake had just a touch of the malted flavor with just a hint of vanilla. Not too treacle-y, but just right. The bacon could have been a bit crunchier, but otherwise its salty presence helped to offset the drink's milkiness. Super refreshing.

Amazing food and the great service should help this place blow up...but hurry up and get a liquor license!

Hot Plates @The Bell House

I headed into the wilds of Gowanus last Monday for MetroMix's Hot Plates at The Bell House bar/event space, a night where for 15 bucks, one gets to sample a diverse selection of Brooklyn's new restaurant offerings. Now usually, this post would be accompanied by my award winning photography. But since my phone's memory card has corrupted itself once again, and all of the photos (save for one) are lost to the ages, I'll just describe everything, and "borrow" pictures if needed.

Fornino Park Slope’s Chef’s Antipasti

What it Was: Cannellini beans marinated in paprika olive oil, topped with shrimp and cilantro (served room temp)
How it Tasted: The beans were very creamy, and the olive oil was nice and fruity with a little paprika kick. The shrimp was seasoned with a delicate touch, but I think the best part of the dish was the adorable presentation. Overall, not a stunner, but very good.

Mile End’s Cured and Smoked Beef Brisket

Was: Cured/smoked for 11 hours in a house spice blend. Served with homemade wholegrain brown mustard and homemade rye bread.

Tasted: This place definitely earned extra points for everything being made on the premises. The brisket was coal black on the outside and an alarming shade of pink of the inside. Since I abhor mustard, I asked if I could have mine without. They kindly obliged; I still felt like a punk though. First bite: SMOKY!! MELTY FAT!!! The meat was super tender and juicy, but it could have been spicier. I fell in love with the bread. It was bursting with rye seeds and had a tangy, soft crumb.

Osteria il Paiolo’s Gnocchi alla Bolognese and Vittello Donello

Was #1: House made gnocchi in meat sauce

Tasted #1: Now, I am VERY particular about my gnocchi (best in NYC - Supper, in the LES in tomato sauce adorned with garlic cream), so I was really eager to try theirs. The gnocchi itself was pillowy and melted in the mouth. The sauce was good, but a little too salty, and surprisingly thin. Isn't bolognese supposed to be super hearty?

Was #2: Thinly sliced veal with lemon in tuna sauce

Tasted #2: The veal was dry, the sauce tasted fishy and chalky. Ugh. I’m not a tuna fan, but I decided to be adventurous and give this a try. This just didn’t sit well with me.

Carino’s Tamales and Chorizo Taquitos

Was #1: Tamales with pork and sour cream

Tasted #1: I’ve never had tamales before, and I figured this was a good time to try. The mass was nice and creamy, and I loved how flavorful and moist the pork was. But I think would have enjoyed this more if it was actually hot. I figure this was b/c I was really early and the food hadn’t been given enough time to warm up. Other than that, I really liked them.

Was #2: Rolled up, fried tortillas stuffed with chorizo sausage. Sprinkled with queso fresco cheese.

Tasted #2: WHERE WAS THE CHORIZO FLAVOR? I love this particular sausage, and it’s usually spicy and delish. But, I couldn’t really taste anything other than…meat. Okay tasting meat, but just meat.

Branded Saloon’s (MY FAVORITE TABLE) Pork Butt Stew Topped w/Uncle Ricky’s Fried Corn and Cilantro Cream

Was: It was exactly that!

Tasted: Oh Lord, I could have eaten the whole pot. Perfectly seasoned, tender pork butt, tangy cilantro cream, fried corn kernels with BACON; this thing created a flavor parade in my mouth. It was served atop tortilla chips, and that added another texture dimension to the entire thing. I could have eaten this for days. DAYS.

Radish's Long Island Pulled Duck with Kimchi

Was: It was exactly that!

Tasted: I can say without a doubt, that this dish made me love duck.

Twinkling little pools of duck fat glistened on the surface of the gravy. The meat was juicy, smoky, rich, and not gamey in the least. The tangy kimchi brought a crunchy, bright flavor to the party that I adored. Absolutely delicious. Again, this place gets points for using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.

There were one or two that I missed, but 1. I already had one misadventure with tuna, and 2. I was not trying to eat Humble Pie. My tummy isn't ready for offal quite yet.

Many thanks again to The Bell House and MetroMix for such a fun event!