Category Archives: Lower East Side
Tre Bene
…He first recommended the truffle egg toast appetizer off the pane-bruschetta menu section. The dish consists of two egg yolks baked on bread, and topped with fontina cheese and truffle oil. The offer the option of adding grated bottarga on top, and me being a new fan of it, decided it was worth the extra three bucks…. [Full post]

Swimming to Cambodia
…Amazingly, after forkfuls and handfuls of these bold flavors, the mackerel dish succeeded in showcasing the inherently more nuanced properties of the warm and light, flaky fish and its crisp, slightly seasoned skin, topping a melange of a colder salad that stood well on their firm textures and naturally clean and earthy aromatics…. [Full post]

Howdy, South Houston
…Fresh turkey was sliced thin, letting more air into each bite, which helped supply more of its flavor. Crispy pieces of porky, salty proscuitto accented the white meat turkey, nicely mellowed by the slightly sharp, cheesy sauce. Perfectly sunny-side up eggs oozed warm and silky over the whole yummy goodness, held up quite nicely by the sturdy Texas toast underneath and robust tomatoes. Ham, eggs, and cheese. Overall, it excelled with the depth of its simplicity…. [Full post]

National Doughnut Day
…There is a slight miracle that occurs within this cream-glazed ring. Somehow, the
cake part of the doughnut melted in my mouth so smoothly I kept looking for an inner ring of light cream, but found none. I don’t ever go on record on saying something is “the best”, but I can honestly say I will never forget how incredible this puppy was. I was so impressed that I shared over half of it with other people who were still on line to back me up impression…[Full post]

Hester Street Flair
… As I fought back figurative fears, the others welcomed the invitation to frenzy feed, making quick work of all macaroons, popcorn, and chocolate-covered bacon. I was able to save a slice for myself, and decided I would only give up one bite of my Porchetta sandwich, since I knew it would be the first thing I’d want to eat once I got hungry again…. [Full post]

Torrisi, You’re My Hero!
…After the first bite, I had a better idea of how Lois Lane must have felt the first time she hooked up with Superman. Usually—or, often, Italian combos get so overdressed that they mask and cover the individual flavors of the separate deli meats. Not here!… [Full post...]

Hey, Mikey, I Like It!
The flattop-griddled meat was very tasty and had perfect juiciness and texture, wisely only salted just before hitting the heat. On the Mikey, I got more texture from the corn beef hash than corned beef flavor, but the burger’s flavor more than made up for it. I erroneously assumed that the satay-style Lamb Burger would have some type of peanut sauce—although nowhere on their menu do they even remotely suggest that—but was very pleased with the bolder kicks of the jalapeño and sweet brightness on the mint, flavors for associated with the “Bao” man…. [cont.]

Offal Cold Winter in Chinatown
…The space is surprisingly tight; you couldn’t fit more than 5 people in there at once. Which meant, of course, no tables (they do seem to have larger spaces in the two other Xi’an Famous Foods in Queens), and counter space for only two people. The kitchen is just as small, so when three other customers came in, it is, and feels, packed…. [cont.]























