The Smith
The Smith is absolutely brilliant for expanding to Midtown East, in an area where real estate values are down due to a mid-2000 crane crash. The restaurant attracts an older crowd than the the original location’s largely NYU student crowd. The crowd was bustling with a reminded me of my Syracuse University days.. it was like a fashion show of the latest expensive jeans and expensive strollers. True, I have both expensive jeans and my son’s iCandy (expensive) stroller is better than all those fancy Bugaboos I saw today, but that’s besides the point.
Anyway, we had a reservation but weren’t seated for 20 mins after our res time. With a kid who has scheduled feeding times, it is harder to wait even 20 mins than my pre-baby days. When we were seated, service was really fast, almost rushed. The the food quality was noticeably lower than what I remembered from the Union Sq location back in the day. I used to go all the time – check out my positive review below. The pricing also is now really inflated for the portions/food quality.
My cousin had a ranchero scramble, which was $16. It included chipotle salsa, black beans, tortillas, cheddar, avocado. It looked and tasted so plain. Though the menu says, ”WE SUPPORT LOCAL, NATURAL, SUSTAINABLE & ORGANIC PRACTICES WHENEVER POSSIBLE,” it appeared to not be possible for this dish. The dish looked like supermarket tortillas, runny eggs, Goya beans and avocado, stacked, but not stacked in a tasty looking way, it didn’t blend like some of the rancheros I’ve had in my day. The only way my cousin was able to get some satisfaction from the dish was to pile on the house made hot sauce, which he said was quite good. It came with a free bloody mary, bellini, blood orange mimosa, passion punch or fresh squeezed juice. I sipped the mimosa and it tasted like Andre Champagne and Tropicana. My $18 shrimp salad with avocado, fennel, oranges, grilled onions, frisée, watercress, basil viniagrette could be called refreshing, but I felt the shrimp portion was slightly skimpy and they cut the shrimp in half to make it appear like I was getting more for my money. Also, after I was finished, I felt like I needed to go out for lunch.
If you want a brunch in NYC with a legitimate free cocktail and an amazing bread basket, stick with Primehouse.
With all the above said, the Smith will thrive because it is a scene. They can continue doing what they are doing and the crowds will continue to pour in!
The Smith Midtown - 956 Second Avenue NYC (at the corner of 51st).
***
The Smith has a great variety of food at reasonable prices (even with the recent noticeable price increases on the most popular items). It is a cool setting. Lots of NYUers frequent The Smith. With each time I go, I always say I am not going to rush back but then end up back soon thereafter. It’s a good place for a casual meal with friends.
Start with two bottles or water – flat in the clear bottle, sparking in green. Free premium water is a nice touch. They also give fresh French bread wrapped in white paper.
The Smith constantly delivers a better mac and cheese than others I have had. Love the presentation in a cast iron pan. It is always piping hot, crispy on top and the variety of cheeses makes it really flavorful.
Entrees are hit or miss. My friend recently said of the roasted cod with curried cauliflower, toasted almonds, red pepper romesco ($21). “The cod is bland but when you mix it with the shit below, it makes it better.”
I have always enjoyed the vegetable “bibimbap” – sushi rice, shiitake, spinach, edamame, sunny up egg ($16). My other friend said “it’s the best bibimbap I’ve had outside a Korean Restaurant.”
I’ve also been told the charbroiled chicken with smashed potato and roasted garlic is good.
Don’t forget about the $6 draft beers and inexpensive carafes of wine.
Also, top the night off with a $5 sundae for dessert. Make it special with the birthday sundae and they’ll put in a candle even if it isn’t your birthday.
Rating:
Food – 7/10
Ambiance – 8/10
Service – 7/10
Category:
Food Type – American
Style – Casual
Price – Reasonable
Wanna go?
Address/phone – 55 3rd Avenue, 212-420-9800
website -ctrnyc.com/THESMITH
menu - ctrnyc.com/THESMITH/thesmithwebsite/menus.html
OpenTable – opentable.com/the-smith
Il Buco
Il Buco is ”First class farm-to-table Italian in a rustic setting.” You can walk one block down the street to Gemma and enjoy Italian in a similar setting. The difference between Il Buco and Gemma is authenticity. Smaller Il Buco started from the ground up and has a history to back up its rustic look and feel. Gemma, much like the connected Bowery Hotel, appears to be constructed to look authentic, much like the Italian restaurants in a newly constructed hotel in Las Vegas. You may get good food at the significantly larger Gemma, but for me, there is something more authentic about Il Buco which is what dining is all about in NYC.
With a little digging on the internet, my appreciation of Il Buco and what the owners achieved increased. Upon entering the dining room, you are immediately transformed from the big city to an intimate dining room with clever lighting fixtures, brass pots, butcher block tables, and fresh flowers. In a city where restaurants come and go, Il Buco has withstood the test of time. Founded in 1994, Il Buco didn’t start as a restaurant…it evolved into a restaurant from an antique shop! This explains the charming rustic decor. Here is an interesting passage on Il Buco’s history from ilbuco.com:
“It was a modern day trading post dedicated to the exchange of crafts and culture between the Old World and the New. Shoppers would often join them for their midday “pranzo” prepared in their tiny back kitchen. Soon they transformed the rustic antique store into a charming enoteca with an eclectic menu – part Italian, part Spanish, part invention, dedicated to local ingredients with a wine list made up of small boutique producers.”
As I write the review the morning after dining, knowing this story makes me appreciate the menu and the dining experience even more. Il Buco was farm to table before the term was coined. Enough history… now to the food!
The menu had four pastas and four main course items. As you may have expected, the menu changes nightly based on what the chef gets from the farm that day. Upon first glance at the menu, I was convinced of my entrée. The Spanish mackerel with golden beets blood oranges segments, green olives, accompanied by a slice of lemon and a dollop of sour cream. The fish, which would be used for sushi more often if it were bigger, was simply prepared with just the right amount of light seasoning, maybe just salt and pepper. I loved how the salty fish and olives combined with the sweet beets and blood oranges to achieve that always appealing and ever popular “salty and sweet” juxtaposition. As someone who’s on a diet these days, I appreciated this healthy option. The rest of the table ordered and enjoyed creative and freshly prepared mushroom risotto, rigatoni with a chicken ragu, gnocci and chicken.
Top the food off with with an attentive servers who provide thoughtful recommendations and an excellent wine list, featuring small batches from unique purveyors and we have a winner. I highly recommend Il Buco.
Rating:
Food – 9/10
Ambiance – 10/10
Service – 9/10
Category:
Food Type – Italian
Style – Cozy
Price – Expensive
Wanna go?
Address/phone –47 Bond Street (between Lafayette & Bowery)
Web – http://ilbuco.com
The Redhead
update 7/15: http://www.theredheadnyc.com/blogs/news/1748942-bye-bye-brunch-hello-sunday-nights
The Redhead didn’t disappoint for brunch. We were greeted by our server Mike (I bet he wrote the signs below).
Mike was a genuinely nice guy and I sensed his “bring it” attitude as he chatted with us about the “must haves” on the menu.
I had chicken and waffles. From my experience, this dish usually has fried chicken (Amy Ruth’s) but chicken on The Redhead’s was sauteed. This was not a dish that you put syrup on. The barely visible waffle was on the bottom. On top, a chicken mixture containing both dark and white meat (I preferred the dark meat pieces). The mixture of shataki mushrooms, dill, scallions, and shallots produced a very rich gravy. Now that I look at my pic… it is quite an ambitious brunch item for a hot day, but I enjoyed every bite.
Other items enjoyed by the table were the much ligher fruit pancakes with pistachio, strawberries, & raspberries. My cousin described the pancakes as creamier and lighter than most pancakes.
How could anyone not enjoy the Pat LaFrida burger on the menu at the Redhead (and most high end burger restaurants in NYC)?
The Redhead feels genuine to me. The food, service, the “it takes a village” way the Redhead was built described on theredheadnyc.com. “We’ve long dreamed of opening our own neighborhood restaurant, and this is it. Everything has been lovingly crafted by the three of us, with lots of help from our friends and families. Thanks to everyone who helped paint, sand, plumb and build the redhead.”
On that note, as we left, we noticed that the bar totally filled in with regulars chatting it up. Speaking of the bar, don’t forget to check-in on foursquare.com – for the first time I got something for checking in, this spicy Bloody Mary with lots of garlic!
Rating:
Food – 7/10
Ambiance – 7/10
Service – 9/10
Category:
Food Type – American
Style – Casual
Price – Reasonable
Address/ phone: 349 E. 13th Street (close to 2nd), 212-533-6212
Web - theredheadnyc.com
Menu: menupages.com/restaurants/the-redhead
Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, Ices – The Treats of Summer
The frozen dessert landscape has changed remarkably in recent years. While I am happy to welcome many creative new additions to the marketplace, I also enjoy the time tested traditional ice cream and other frozen treats like lemon ice. Here is my guide to frozen treats.
Frozen Yogurt
Over the last three years we have seen the proliferation of expensive “premium” frozen yogurt in NYC… it started with Pinkberry, then came Red Mango. Even though Pinkberry arrived to NYC first, it is well documented that Red Mango started before Pinkberry.
From there, copy cat after copy cat. The funniest one I noticed a couple of years ago was Red Cherry, which has since gone out of business. Red Cherry doesn’t make sense. Red Mango works because mangoes are not red. Pink Berry, the same thing, there is a chance that a pinkberry exists, but you are more likely to come across a blueberry or a blackberry. There are plenty of red cherries…
Another relatively prominent expensive yogurt place is BerryWild.
Maybe some of you will disagree, but for me there’s very little difference between the three… I feel the yogurt all tastes relatively the same. All charge about the same and have similar topping offerings.
The Pinkberries of the world have almost totally displaced an old NYC favorite, TastiDelight. I never really enjoyed Tasti-D. While we used to order Tasti-D, the premium price for a styrofoam cup of this stuff always bothered me more than paying a premium Pinkberry or Red Mango that at least come with fresh fruit toppings.
Another frozen yogurt category is “weigh and pay.” We have these places that bank on the human instinct to not be able to control themselves. There’s 16 Handles and Phileo Yogurt (by way of Philadelphia, could you tell?), which my friend calls “yogurt land.” Both offer lots of machines featuring tart and not tart flavors. They let visitors take what they want, top it with healthy toppings or candy, weigh it, pay (enough to buy gallons of yogurt from the grocery store), then enjoy.
Recently I went to Jersey and visited Bischoff’s. Since 1934, Bischoff’s has been serving up ice cream sundaes in the same way. My family has been going to Bischoff’s for three generations. My dad, who grew up in Teaneck, used to take dates there in High School.
While I enjoy fro yo as a grab and go treat in the city or the mall, it is nice to sit down and have real ice cream. We asked and they don’t even have frozen yogurt at Bischoff’s! Take a look at these two sundaes that cost a total of $16! There were four of us and we couldn’t finish either one of them.
A City Ice Cream Favorite – Mister Softee
Summer is here and you know what that means….we will see Mister Softee on every other block in the city. According to the Mister Softee website, Mister Softee is the largest franchiser of soft ice cream trucks in the United States. Mister Softee is light soft serve ice cream – creamy with lots of air. Lots of creative ways to enjoy, including the double cone. Don’t forget to dip your cone in chocolate, strawberry, etc. Check out some Mister and Ms. Softee Profiles on Midtown Lunch.
On the topic of Mister Softee, please keep in mind that not all Mister Softee trucks are created equally. If you are in the mood for Mister Softee, please look at the truck carefully. If it doesn’t specifically say Mister Softee, it isn’t (meaning, they buy cheaper, less enjoyable product and try and sell it for the same price). Check out this 2008 article on Mister Softee Knockoffs.
Real Mister Softee
Clearly not Mister Softee!
If I find some better examples of fake Mister Softee trucks, I will update. There are plenty out there, believe me.
Lemon Ice (and other flavors)
There is only one King and he’s from Queens.
I have been enjoying the Lemon Ice King of Corona my entire life but the establishment has been around for twice as long as me (over 60 years). Read my full review.
La NewYorkina Modern Mexican Ice Pops
It was a hot day, I was thirsty and in the mood for something sweet. I had enough Mister softee and fancy frozen yogurt for the week. I walked into the Hester Street Fair, and the answer was looking at me. La NewYorkina “modern mexican ice pops.” Such a simple and refreshing idea.
I asked what the most popular flavor was, and Fanny, one of the propieters, served me Mango con Chile (Spicy Mango). The $4 pop was filled with large mango chunks. The chili made for an occasional bursts of spice. If the pop isn’t spicy enough for your taste, Fany offers seasoning to sprinkle (like you would pepper flakes on a pizza).
Other flavors include:
- Fresa-Strawberry
- Tamarindo Fresco- Fresh Tamarind
- Horchata- Cinnamon Rice Milk
- Jamaica- Hibiscus
- Pina con Menta- Pineapple Mint
- Nuez- Pecan
Fanny explained that she makes the pops after hours in a local wholesale bakery after 7pm during the week. It is a simple process from the cutting of the fruit, to the freezing. literally what you see is what you get. Check out these Facebook pics of the process.
At this point, they are getting ready for the Hester Street Fair each week. I see no reason why this concept can’t go bigger with a food truck or even a well positioned storefront.
Find La Newyorkina at the Hester Street Fair, every Saturday and Sunday,
10am to 6pm.
In Summary…
There is a right place and a right time for frozen treats and we certainly have a lot of options in the NYC Metro area… Enjoy! Please comment below on any of your favorites that I missed.
New York City Street Fair Food Guide
It’s that time of the year. Last weekend as I walked my way through NYC, I stumbled across three New York City street fairs.
This guide will go through NYC street fair food options. I will divide street fair food into three categories.
- Food I look forward to eating at each fair
- Food I never consider eating because I am scared of unintended consequences (i.e indigestion, a lost tooth)
- Pleasant surprises
Hopefully this guide will help locals and tourists alike to navigate NYC street fair food options.
Food I look forward to eating at each fair
I will pick up some pickles if, for some reason, I have no pickles in my fridge.
Kettle corn: I most likely won’t buy this, I have plenty of equally enjoyable Orville Redenbacher at home, but I will try a free sample.
Sticking with corn, how can you go wrong with fresh corn? I like how most use the grill to char the corn.
Another corn product is the sweet corn arepa. How can you go wrong with melted mozzarella and sweet corn?
Food I never consider eating because I am scared of unintended consequences
This may be controversial but I never want a candy apple during the summer. Candy Apples are a Fall food for me. I am also afraid that I will lose a tooth when I bite into the hard shell.
Dirty hands making falafel balls and frying in oil on a dirty street, no thanks. The same applies to Zeppoles. I will sometimes try a spinach pie though.
Fear of indigestion, continued…
No desire to have one of those smoothies. How could they possibly wash all that fruit with no running water? They also use the same dirty blenders all day! If you do happen to be by a fair when it’s closing they may sell bananas and other unused fruit for next to nothing. That I will go for!
I may have a crepe or two in Paris, but not on a NYC street…
Pleasant surprises
I would try a lobster roll at lunch time!
As the summer goes by, I will add some pictures of some of the pleasant surprise food options that I come across.
Street Fair Calendars:
Mercadito New York
I have tried practically all the Mexican places in Manhattan and always end up back at Mercadito. The food is fresh and though both locations are a little cramped, after a few margs you start to believe it is part of the charm of the “little market.” More on margs– I love the tres citrus. It is spicy and strong. My wife loves the strawberry with lots of real strawberries mashed in. We always upgrade the tequila to Don Julio but there are plenty of choices if you are feeling adventurous.
For appetizer, I recommend trying at least one of the cevices. My personal favorite is mixto -shrimp, octopus, calamari, tomato, roasted garlic-jalapeño broth. If you are with a group, for $24.5, it may be worth get an assortment of three of their five varieties of cevice to try. The quac is also good.
For dinner, it is best to share. We love the tacos- they are soft shell, about four come with each order. We usually have the steak, the chicken and the shrimp.
We also always end up ordering the pollo a las brasas (grilled whole adobo marinated chicken, three corn pico de gallo, chile de arbol salsa). The three corn picos amazing. I am not sure where the humongous corn kernels come from but don’t care because they are so tasty. The chicken is cooked to perfection and it is a really generous portion.
Rating:
Food – 9/10
Ambiance – 7/10
Service – 7/10
Category:
Food Type – Mexican
Style – Casual
Price – Reasonable
Wanna go?
Address/phone –
Mercadito Avenue B
179 Ave B between 11th & 12th streets
212-529-6490
Mercadito Grove
100 7th Ave South at grove street
212-647-0830
website- mercaditorestaurants.com
menus – menupages.com/restaurants/mercadito
The Roasting Plant
I stopped in because the place had a cool and clean look. The mac powered signage was sophisticated and modern . It wasn’t until I heard some rumbling in the background that I realized that all coffee is made to order with an elaborate system of transparent pipes that transport just the right amount of coffee to their “Swiss made brewers.” They call this proprietary system, Roasting Plant Javabot™. See the pics I took.
I hesitated to order the Harrar, which was the coffee of the week because the description said it was medium bodied and had blueberry undertones. I am more of a full-bodied guy and I am not really into “fruity” coffee. This coffee was perfect. Piping hot, smooth and delicate. I am still wondering how they are able to grow coffee with that subtle blueberry taste.
For some substance, I enjoyed one their “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie In New York City.” I can’t describe the cookie any better than the already published review in Serious Eats…. “A gorgeous cookie–bumps, nooks, and crannies. Chewy, crispy. An absolute ideal.”
If you are in the area, stop by. If you are not in the area, this coffee is worth the trip!
Rating:
Food – 9/10
Ambiance – 9/10
Service – 8/10
Category:
Food Type – Coffee
Style – Casual
Price – Resonable
Wanna go?
Address/phone –
81 Orchard Street, 212-775-7755
website- roastingplant.com
Zaragoza
Zaragoza may appear to be just another bodega, but it is so much more — who knows if they are even licensed to sell food !
You come in (most likely late night after a few drinks), and the guy behind the counter shows you the meat you can pick (chicken, pork, beef and others). Head to the back, pick out a beer, sit down, listen to Mexican tunes and talk to the friendly “regulars.” In addition to getting the best tacos in NYC, on the way out you can buy toilet paper and a wide array of canned goods.
Eventually a waitress who was recently hired to manage their bustling crowd will come with your hard or soft tacos and/or burritos, really spicy/fresh salsa and hot sauce.
You may go back for seconds. At the end of your meal, they will figure out what you had to eat and drink and you will pay 3x less than those fancy Mexican places around the city. The food is much better and you are in for a much more entertaining experience. Only in NYC!
Rating:
Food – 9/10
Ambiance – 9/10 (for authenticity)
Service – 8/10
Category:
Food Type – Mexican
Style – Words can’t define
Price – Reasonable
Wanna go?
Address – 215 Ave A, (212) 780-9204
Luke’s Lobster
I had a taste of Maine in the East Village. The meal included small rolls, one lobster, one crab and one shrimp, two Empress claws, a Maine root beer, and some chips. Not bad for $20. I am by no means a lobster roll expert, but from my perspective, everything was executed really well. I really enjoyed that I was biting into big chunks of meat, without fillers and lots of mayo. The soft roll was lightly buttered and toasted. The special seasoning, which was lightly dusted on each roll added some pizazz to the taste. Service was fast and efficient and they do a good job making the you feel like you are in Maine in the 5×5 dining area. I had been meaning to go for a while now.. glad I made it.
Rating:
Food – 7/10
Ambiance – 7/10
Service – 7/10
Category:
Food Type – Seafood
Style – Casual
Price – Moderate
Wanna go?
Address/phone – 93 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009, (212) 387-8487