Mile End...Sandwich.

Mile End Delicatessen in Brooklyn, home of smoked meat poutine and some of the tastiest matzoh ball soup I've ever had, has recently opened up an outpost in NoHo. The new location's focus? Delicious, delicious sandwiches.

This ain't your mama's pastrami on rye, for sure. The entire menu takes traditional Jewish cuisine and really turns it on its head with some really stunning sandwich combinations. My friend John decided to get the Beef on Weck and I took a chance and got the Chicken Salad. We split an order of smoked meat poutine, because you cannot go to Mile End and not order it. It's a personal rule.

Wagyu roast beef, horseradish, weck roll

This sandwich was beefy and savory, and extremely moist from the top of the caraway and salt seasoned roll being dipped in the meat's jus (natural stock/juices). The meat was meltingly tender, and the fresh horseradish added a mild burn. If you like straight up beef, you will love this sandwich. John tore through it so quick, I'm surprised I even got a bite.

Gribenes, new pickles, pickled peppers, schmaltz toasted challah

I did not expect to love this sandwich. It combines two things that I dislike: traditional chicken salad (usually gloppy with cheap mayo and studded with huge chunks of celery and raw onion) and pickles. Yet, there were two things about this sandwich that made me want to be brave. The schmaltz (CHICKEN FAT!) toasted challah bread and the gribenes. Gribenes is yiddish for cracklings, or rendered pieces of chicken skin. After a quick moment of self reflection, I decided that none of this could possibly be bad.

Take a journey with me.

Tender chicken, a light mayo dressing, tiny bits of celery, crunchy cucumber that's only been kissed by brine, sweet pickled peppers, salty/crisp gribenes, and a buttery challah lightly toasted with schmaltz.

Such delightful confusion of the tongue, a whirlwind unsion of of richness and briny tang!

The sandwich pretty much rendered me stupid. In a good way.

SMOKED.MEAT.POUTINE.

And of course, the poutine. Why would anyone throw a mess of of smoked meat on an already indulgent pile of french fries, creamy gravy, and cheese curds?

Um...why NOT?

Do yourself a solid, and get yourself over to Mile End Sandwich. Great service, exciting sandwiches.

New York Craft Beer Week Dinner - BLT Burger

Oh yes, that time has rolled around again, guys....New York Craft Beer Week! I haven't been able to be as active as I'd like to be this year (my beer passport is being woefully underused), but I knew when I saw the special NYCBW menu at BLT Burger, that I couldn't possibly pass it up.

Three courses (I had 2 choices per course) were paired with three beers from Breckenridge, a microbrewery out in Denver, Colorado. I love finding new beers to try, so the fact that this was from a brewery I didn't know made this all the more exciting.

First Course:
Fried Green Tomatoes w/Buttermilk Ranch Dipping Sauce served with Breckenridge Agave Wheat

This was the first time I'd been served batter-dipped dipped tomatoes, I'm more used to the breadcrumb/cornmeal variety...and I dare say that I enjoy the latter more. The hot batter coating kept slipping off the tomatoes! In spite of that, the green beauties were tangy and very tasty. The Ranch dressing provided some kick.

So, this beer right here? I need to find out where I can get it here in NYC, because it is just fantastic. Between the hint of lingering sweetness from the agave and the smoothness of the wheat, I could have drunk this all night long. A great pre-dinner beer and a nice introduction to this brewery.

Second Course:
Mac and Cheese Burger - Fried Mac and cheese patty, caramelized onions, beer cheese, bacon, and BBQ sauce served with Breckenridge Ball Park Brown

Oh yeah baby. Read that description again if you don't believe me. This burger could have been an outright disaster; it has way too many components to be structurally sound, and delicious. But...it was exactly that. The mac and cheese patty was crispy and flavorful...and the cheese was GOOEY. I'm very particular about mac and cheese, and this was delicious. The bun, perfectly toasted. Ordering the burger medium, instead of medium well made a difference, too. The juiciness of the burger ran into the other condiments, combining to make this dish really pop. It did a great job of turning something gimmicky into a burger that I wish that BLT would put on their menu permanently.

The slightly smoky flavor of the Ball Park Brown complimented the burger, but also let it shine; there were a lot of strong flavors going on here, and it was just assertive enough. Again, a very smooth drinking beer. The taste almost reminded me of a slightly bolder Newcastle.

Dessert:
Breckenridge Float - Vanilla Porter, Vanilla Ice Cream, Graham Cracker crumbs

Yum, yum, and more yum. So many flavors going on here: sweet, bitter, creamy, and spicy. The porter was divine, very rich with deep vanilla tones but never delving into a syrupy treacle. I would have liked some whipped cream and salted caramel...but that was only an afterthought.

This menu is only good until September 25th, so if you liked what you saw here, make sure you get down to BLT Burger. New York Craft Beer Week seems to just bring out the best in restaurants.

Eating My Words: Chocolate Crumb Cake From BabyCakes

Okay, so does this look gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan?

It doesn't taste like it either.

BabyCakes in the Lower East Side is pretty much the place in the city to get your snack on if you have certain dietary restrictions. They carry cupcakes, scones, donuts (!), and other delights that are either vegan, dairy-free, sugar-free, soy-free, kosher....you name it, they have it.

Now....I don't usually like vegan baked goods; let's be real, I loathe them. Greasy with oil, very heavy, off tasting...give me butter, sugar, and eggs any day of the week, please. But after I had tried their mini donuts at their boardwalk location on Rockaway Beach, I decided to relent a bit, and expand my horizons. Because those donuts were really damn good. Moist, cakey, and light, with gooey icing. You really can't go wrong with that.

This Village Voice review encouraged me to do just that, and I picked up a slice of this cake. First thought: this is thing is HUGE. When I opened the clamshell case, all I could smell is chocolate. A good sign.

My first bite: oh dear Jesus. Gooey, dense chocolate goodness. The chocolate sauce drizzled over the top was delightfully sticky, the crumb topping, slightly crunchy. It's sweetened with agave nectar and pears, but you can't really taste them very much. I'm gonna guess that they use a really intense cocoa powder, because this was as rich and complex as any chocolate cake I've ever had. I ate half and saved the other piece to have with my lunch the next day, and it was still pristine.

So, don't worry, I'm not abandoning my precious eggs, milk, and sugar. No way, no how. But it's nice to know there are tasty, quality options for folks that want them.

BLT Prime: I WANT MORE RIB EYE

Okay, so let me just say right now, this post will not contain any pictures.

None.

My stupid phone has like, no battery power, so I couldn't be a true creeper by snapping my usual photos. Plus, the lights were dim and sexy...not really conducive to taking good photos.

BUT. This meal, this experience, was so fantastic, I think I'm more than able to describe it.

BLT Prime (Bistro Laurent Tourendel. He's got a couple of other highly lauded restaurants in the city, such as BLT Burger, which I've gone to and loved) is definitely a grown-up spot. The decor and atmosphere definitely leans toward a mature clientele, but manages to be extremely warm and inviting. Dark leather chairs, plush pillows, and candles basically just invite you to relax. I stuck to one of their house cocktails for the evening, the Ice Flower Bubbly. The mix of champagne, ice wine, elderflower liquor, and lemon juice make for a lightly sweet and crisp drink that was refreshing, if not a little strong. I had two of them which were sipped nice and slow.

They start you off with complimentary chicken liver pate and toast....YUCK YUCK YUCK. I hate and despise liver, but I wanted to be a good sport and try it here. Oh man, that nasty, mineral flavor will never be good to me, no matter where I have it. But then, they sent over....THE POPOVERS. Instead of just having plain bread for the table, they bring out these huge egg-y rolls that exhale delicious steam when you cut into them. A couple sprinkles of salt and a swipe of butter, and you basically look like a lunatic shoving this into your maw. Crunchy. Tender. Salty and savory from the Gruyere baked into the top crust. Honestly, if I had just eaten these all night, I would have been a happy camper. They even give you a little recipe card with the recipe for them, so you can recreate the experience at home. How sweet is that?

I got the Lobster Salad (referred to as Cobb style on the menu because it contains similar ingredients to theoriginal), and I split it because it was way more than I could handle on my own. And, I was okay with admitting that. Big chunks of still warm lobster were nestled all the way through the pile of mixed greens, avocado, and tomatoes. It was bathed in a creamy dressing (I think it had Roquefort cheese, but even though I don't usually like blue cheese, it was still yummy) and crowned with a spiral of crisp bacon. Perfect.

I ordered the rib eye (all of their meat is dry aged to promote tenderness and a deep flavor), and I think my only mistake was ordering it medium well. It came to the table, as all of their steaks do, sizzling in its own cast iron skillet with a pat of herb butter melting into its grill marks. Oh, and a ring of roasted bone marrow with a little spoon for me to scoop it out. Of course I put it right on top of my steak. I had no choice! Great fat marbling, crispy pieces of fat, and oozing herb butter and marrow. EFF YEAH. The steak was cooked  perfectly, and I was greeted with a slightly rosy center as I kept cutting into the beef. Since BLT can obviously be trusted to make a steak properly to order, I won't be as paranoid, and I'll get it medium next time. My sides were solid as well, a little skilled of beautiful glazed carrots, and another of Parmesan gnocchi with a fluffy mountain of the grated cheese on top.

Desert was a simple, but outstanding, show-stopper: a personal Rhubarb Tart with vanilla bean ice cream and strawberry sauce in a crumbly shortbread crust. Tart. Sweet. Creamy. It was like, a normal strawberry rhubarb pie had a dream of becoming better....and when it woke up, it looked like this tart.


So basically, just go here. Get some money and a nice pair of slacks with an elastic band. Because, my friend, you're not just gonna eat....you're gonna EAT.

A Special Treat: Jeni's Salted Caramel Ice Cream

I think everyone can agree that Mondays are the worst day of the week. It takes us away from our jubilant, relaxing weekends, and thrusts us with a cruel hand back into our workweek. I barely made it through yesterday, so I thought that I deserved a treat.

I went down into Soho to run an errand for my sister. On my way back to the subway, I passed Dean and Delucca, and obviously, I had to stop in. I wanted to pick up some duck fat for an outrageous late brunch that me and my friend Darrell and I are having this weekend, and I knew I could get something indulgent and tasty for my "Case of the Mondays" snack. My eyes locked in on this, and I knew this had to be it:

How lovely is that handwritten flavor label?

I had first heard about Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams through various blogs and had been dying to try it. The focus is on making less sweet ice creams that are super flavorful with her local Ohio fare exotic and exotic ingredients. The flavor list is pretty incredible: Brown Butter Almond Brittle, Pistachio Honey, and Honey Butter Cake just to start. She even lists a special group of flavors designed around Mother's Day and the Royal Wedding; how does one even pull off White Stilton on Toast with Champagne-soaked Bilberry ice cream??? You can order them online in fours and sixes...but I only wanted one! And I don't think I can possibly go through 4 tubs of ice cream...especially if I ended up hating it. 


Which brings me back to to D&D. Even though one tub was pretty damn expensive (11 bucks!!!), I knew I couldn't leave the store without it. All I had to say to myself is: IT'S MONDAY AND YOU NEED IT. I was pretty easy to convince.


I threw it in the freezer as soon as I got home, because I knew the there was some significant melting on my journey. After about 2 hours, it had gotten back on track.

Beautiful, no? It looks so creamy and inviting (it better be for 11 bucks)!


Now the first taste: WHOA! The caramel used to flavor this was taken right to the edge of burnt. Nutty, dark, the tiniest bit sweet. Extremely complex. And this thing was salty as hell, lighting up my tongue.This ice cream sorta intimidated my mouth; it meant business.

I also really liked how clean the finish was. Milky, but not overwhelmingly so. I hate when ice cream is just too rich for you to enjoy. The taste lingers for a while in your mouth, redolent of smoke and cream. So comforting!

Would I get it again? I mean, it was fantastic, but I would regulate this to a once in a while treat. I have an ice cream maker at home, so I can make it whenever I want with high quality ingredients that I can find here. Plus, with the price for just one...I could probably order a 4 pack for my birthday or something, and it would be a lot more cost effective.

With that being said, thanks to Jeni's for a wonderful ice cream experience. I think I'll be treating myself to you in July (my 27th birthday!), and I sure hope you still have that Honey Butter Cake...we have a date.

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.

NYC Restaurant Week: Girls Night Out @ Centrico!

I'm really lucky to have a very diverse group of sexy, sassy, and amazing ladies to call friends. But, our lives are so busy nowadays, we hardly have time to cross paths as a group. I've already been to two other restaurants (Blue Smoke and Hill Country = AMAZING) for RW, but I really wanted to do a ladies-only affair. I made my BFF Michelle in charge of where we were going to eat, and she chose Centrico, Aaron Sanchez's take on upscale Mexican cusine in Tribeca.

When we got there, the only word I could think of was: warmth. Everything from the lighting to the brass tables conveyed this immediate sense of comfort and classiness. The menu for RW was a very nice selection from all over the regular menu. I ordered the Camarones y Pozole, the Pollo a la Brasas, and for dessert, Tres Leches cake.

For the whole table, we started with homemade chips and guac.

The chips were amazing, crunchy and warm, with a nice dose of salt. I prefer my guacamole with some more onions and spices, but theirs was still good.

My starter, shrimp in a creamy Guajillo chili sauce sitting on a bed of ground, crispy pozole (hominy), was ridiculous. If there was a way to get that delicious sauce pumped into my veins via I.V., I would make it happen. The brininess of the shrimp combined with the crunchy, yet creamy pozole was a revelation.

Next up, my beautiful, simple grilled chicken, which sat up upon hominy in a fragrant broth. The menu referred to it as "recado", which is a blend of spices including annato, cumin, Mexican oregano, among others. The meat was extremely tender and the flavors from the spices went all the way down to the bone. Another instance where I wanted to lick the plate.

Okay guys, let's get serious. Can we get serious? Can we talk about how FANTASTIC this Tres Leches cake was? REAL.TALK. Moist, obscenely decadent and sweet, and a hidden layer of dulce de leche!!! I'm a huge fan of three milk cake (milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream), and this was the best I've ever had. I loved the raspberry sauce too, its tartness against the sweet milky mixture...I swear I'm gonna start talking dirty if I'm forced to explain how much I liked this cake. INSANITY.


Centrico was the perfect backdrop to a NYC girls night out. Great wine, conversation, and incredible food to bond over. You know when the meal is legit when the only noises coming from a table of 5 girls are sighs because the food is so good. Cheers, ladies!

*Sidebar: Girls, make sure you comment below and tell everyone what you ate and how you liked it!

The Home of the Itis? Dinner @Pies 'n' Thighs in Brooklyn!

I can be rather cranky when I have a cold, and trekking around South Williamsburg on a cold, rainy, icy evening (whilst sick!) wasn't the way I'd usually want to spend a Wednesday night.

But, I did it for food.

My friend and I braved the elements to sample the wares of Pies 'N' Thighs in Brooklyn. Slightly salacious name? Check. Hipster location? Double check. But could it deliver the culinary goods, or at least deliver enough to make a sick EB's tummy happy?

Once we were safely ensconced inside, we settled in and prepared to eat the cold away. I ordered the Chicken Biscuit (which I had already tried at the Mulberry Street X-mas Market and fell in love with), and John got the Fried Chicken Box with a side (he chose macaroni and cheese) and a biscuit. Our server suggested that we get the Superbowl pick of sides so we could get a big variety...who were we to disagree? John chose collard greens and hush puppies, and I picked the black eyed peas just so I could say that we had another veg option that wasn't fried and/or cooked with bacon.

I have to admit...I blanched a bit when I saw the size of the portions. When you're sick you lose a lot of your appetite, at least I do. Everything looked so delicious, but I wasn't sure if I could eat it all. Had to give it the good ol' college try, right? And just for good measure, we got two pieces of cornbread.

"Oh Chicken Biscuit...Where have you been all my life? I know you've been off cuddling with your amazingly golden and flaky biscuit...thank you for coming out to play on my plate."

Okay, obviously, I didn't say this aloud. But hot damn, this was good, even better than the first time. Juicy, hot chicken, co-mingling with spicy, sweet sauces; this combination just couldn't lose. In between each bite, I nibbled on the cornbread, which HAD to be cooked on some sort of griddle to get that sexy, crunchy exterior. Amen.

John's fried chicken pieces were equally as tasty....but not served warm. They were sorta room temperature. I know fried chicken can be served at almost any temp, but I like my chix hot straight from the fryer. I'd eat it scalding hot dropped into my mouth if I wasn't scared of burning my mouth into oblivion! The mac and cheese was also good, and very creamy, riddled with scarlet red hot sauce.

The hush puppies were like less sweet versions of the cornbread, but deep fried. I was extremely okay with this concept. So teeny and pop-able! They were drizzled with some white sauce, which I wasn't so crazy about, so I ate the hush pups that were unscathed.

I'm pretty particular about collard greens, these were okay, nothing to blog home about. But, by this point, my hunger had been piqued, and I was shoveling forkfuls of food into my mouth. My taste buds were definitely getting sluggish from all the hot, rich food. Thank God for the black eyed peas! We were thinking that we were getting  a hot side dish, but the the BEPs were dressed with a snappy vingar-y dressing and served cold. It was delicious and so refreshing.

And then...there was pie. You didn't think we could eat much more, did you? Well...we split a piece of Banana Cream Pie, only because I knew if I had a slice to myself, I'd probably split in two. Incredibly tasty thick crust, a layer of bananas, thin layer of vanilla custard, and a cloud of whipped cream. Sweet.Jesus.

No picture because my camera fails at life. Whatever, I didn't even care, the pie was just TOO good. Creamy, cold, sweet, just rich enough to not make me pass out. Good work, Pies 'N' Thighs!


Can I suggest a slogan for you guys, though?

"Pies 'N' Thighs of Williamsburg, Home of the 'Itis!"