News
Hot Diggity Dog: DC-3
I mean, I’m no Joey Chestnut or Takeru Kobayashi, but I’ve been known to eat a hot dog or eight two in my day. So when I heard the masterminds behind Matchbox and Ted’s Bulletin (review pending) were opening DC-3, a hot dog restaurant, I knew I had to check it out.
Be warned these aren’t your typical street vendor dogs, I mean they sell those too, but for true hot dog fans, you will be very impressed (and stuffed) with their extensive menu. Their hot dog creations are named by region like the Cinncinati Coney, Jersey Bacon-Wrapped Ripper, and even the Q’s Seoul Bulgogi & Kimchi. And if those don’t interest you, you’re free to customize your own hot dog, or fill up on an array of other goodies like their sausages, vegetarian chili, corn dogs, fried pickles, and even cotton candy!
For my meal, I chose the Arkansas Razorback Red. The hot dog alone is amazing; I mean it’s filled with cheese and bacon. Can anyone find a complaint to that? But then they go even further and top it with chili, coleslaw, and fried pickles. The chili and coleslaw are good, but the fried pickles are even better. Although I can’t say I have much experience in fried pickles, I can say that I will be ordering a whole side of them on my next visit.
And to satisfy my sweet tooth, I ordered some cotton candy. As of right now, it only comes in grape, but they are looking into more flavors. It was a nostalgic way to end the meal.
With its airplane theme and high top tables, DC-3 makes the dining experience fun and creative place to bring people of all ages.
Oh DC-3, you’ll always be a wiener in my heart.
Address: 423 8th St SE
Phone: 202-546-1935
Hours: Sun-Thu 11 am-9 pm Fri-Sat 11 am-10 pm
Price: Under $10
Good Morning VietNOM!
A little fun fact about my mother is that she’s Chinese, but born and raised in Vietnam. So it’s fair to say that Asian food-wise I’ve been quite spoiled. But unfortunately when the craving hits, no matter what city I’m in, I find it much harder to find a quality Vietnamese restaurant to satiate me. Imagine my surprise when I heard about the recently opened Ba Bay, which serves up what can only be described as a modernized take on Vietnamese cuisine. I was intrigued.
After a thorough assessment of the menu and recommendations from not only our really attentive server, but the owner himself, we started off our meal with a side of chicken pate. Now I’ve had a lot of pate in my day, and I can honestly say that it was some of the best I’ve ever had! It was very fresh and flavorful. But to me, what really made it special was that the recipe comes straight from the owner’s family kitchen, specifically his Grandmother’s. And don’t Grandmother’s always know best?
For my entre, I ordered the Shaky Beef, which sits above watercress puree and topped with marinated onions. Let me tell you, the first bite left me shaking from enjoyment. The meat was so tender, cooked to a beautiful medium rare, and well seasoned. I never wanted it to end.
Next, my friend ordered the special of the night: Tete de conchon, which is crispy fried pig head, cabbage and hard boiled eggs braised in fish sauce and maggi. (I know, it totally sounds prettier in French, but what can you do?) Each element of the dish perfectly complimented and balanced one another. And I’d recommend ordering it with a side of rice for maximum deliciousness.
And being a Vietnamese restaurant, we just couldn’t leave without trying their Pho. Although not my favorite dish of the night, it definitely held its own. The pho broth was really dark, MSG free, and had a hint of spiciness. Not your standard pho broth, but definitely perfect for those cold winter days ahead.
Finally, in order to get our 2-3 servings of vegetables for the day, we got a side of the bok choy that is cooked in oyster sauce and sprinkled with fried shallots. Trust me, you’ll have even the pickiest of kids eating these leafy greens.
Ba Bay’s unique menu and cozy ambiance is just what Eastern Market needs!
(Tip: When you Google Ba Bay, make sure to specify it’s in DC and that it’s Vietnamese, otherwise Google thinks you’re looking for Baby items. Oh, you were looking for baby items? Congrats! That works too.)
Address: 633 Pennslyvania Ave
Phone: 202-547-0002
Price: $8-20
Park Slope Pizza Throwdown: Round 2
I–like many other twenty-somethings in this city–am currently in the throes of academic hell week. While my first semester of graduate school is rapidly winding down, my four term papers are inching along at a snail’s pace. Secluded to my Park Slope apartment and a slue of libraries throughout the city, I’ve been forced to observe this early part of the holiday season from a distance, a requisite nonfat eggnog latte always in hand.
With long nights and boring days, the only bright spot in the season of finals is the study food. For those of you who don’t remember, study food includes all of those greasy, chewy, salty, crunchy, sweet bite-size snacks that make writing and studying just a little bit more tolerable. And as finals week only comes around twice a year, it is also a time when you can throw all of your food ethics out the window and indulge in those not-so-great-for-you treats that you typically abstain from.
While in college my vice was sugary bags of candy corn or yogurt covered pretzels that were sold in snack packs at the library, Brooklyn has presented new calorie-laden options. With my typical eating schedule effectively shot-to-’shite,’ I find myself noshing things at all hours, even not so study friendly foods…like pizza (imagine cheese and sauce dripping all over my keyboard and loaned books).
As the second installment to my Park Slope Pizza Throwdown, today I’m waxing poetic about Joe’s Pizza. Covered in Zagat, Yelp and Citysearch stickers, this place, like Pino’s, is a Park Slope landmark. Yet, unlike Pino’s it’s not packed with droves of smarmy teenagers and snot-nosed children at all hours (plus!). A friendly and efficient little shop, Joe’s has also become my go-to as it is located literally around the corner from my apartment.
While Pino’s abounds with Italian-esque options, Joe’s predominantly sticks to the basics with a small chalkboard menu offering a selection of pockets, grinders, slices and soups (with a smile!). I’ve had the sausage grinder as well as the eggplant grinder. Gooey, huge, crunchy and hot, their sandwiches satiate even the most bestial of study-induced cravings.
But let’s not kid ourselves; the issue at hand is the slice. While Pino’s tends towards chewy, Joe’s has perfected the art of thin and crispy…which I love. Their fresh mozzarella slice is the freshest and actually tastes like aromatic, green basil and new tomatoes–the freshness altogether reducing my pizza-eating guilt. Basil counts as a vegetable, right?
In the end…I can’t decide. Pino’s has a great plain slice while Joe’s has old world neighborhood charm and thin crust. I probably won’t be able to choose a winner at the end of this experiment because, in reality, if a shop can stay in business long enough to become a landmark in this cutthroat food neighborhood, then it’s going to be great.
Plain-slice-price: $2.50
Location: 137 7th Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn
Nearest Subway: B/Q at 7th Ave or 2/3 at Grand Army Plaza
Website: n/a
Ray’s Hell (Yeah) Burger
I’m a girl who likes her burgers. At almost every restaurant, if there is a burger on the menu, I’ll try it. Now imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Ray’s Hell Burger; a place not only known for their burgers, but whose burgers Obama (I don’t know if you’ve heard of him) craves and takes other world leaders to like say, the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Oh well, no biggie.
Upon my inspection of their menu, I was quite impressed with the seemingly unlimited options. On top of choosing from salivating and humorously named burgers such as, the B.I.G. Poppa (and yes, please do throw your hands in the air, if you’re a true playa) or the Let’s Get It On, you’re given the option of building your own burger. For free you can get the standard toppings like onions, pickles, and jalapenos, but go on be bold and ask about the ones they charge you for. I dare you. For an additional $1-10, you have your choice of things like double creamed brie, roasted bone marrow, guacamole, and seared foie gras with truffle oil. I think we can all guess which one is the extra $10.
But feeling like eating a classic burger, I ordered the Soul Burger Number One. It comes with applewood smoked bacon, swiss cheese, cognac and sherry sauteed mushrooms, and grilled red onions. The burger was juicy and you could definitely tell that they use a high quality meat. And although it wasn’t the best burger I ever ate, it certainly was the manliest. I’d suggest fasting for a day or so before going. I also ordered a side of sweet potato fries and their seven cheese mac and cheese, both of which were surprisingly inexpensive ($2-3)! Now, their sweet potato fries I’d order again and again, but I’d pass on the mac and cheese.
Be warned, you might encounter a bit of a wait, but nothing even the hungriest devil can’t wait around for. Ray’s Hell Burger is the perfect spot for quality burgers and a fun atmosphere with friends.
Address: 1725 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA
Phone: (703) 841-0001
Hours: Mon-Thu, Sat-Sun 11 am – 10 pm, Fri 11 am – 11 pm
Price: $2-16
Butter me up
It’s hard to believe that I go to a place completely covered in dog photos with a veggie wrap on the menu solely to eat the butter, but this guilty pleasure is true. Fetch is a warm, dog and dog-lover friendly spot on the Upper East Side that offers a lunch, twilight and dinner menu, but I’ll only go for brunch when their trademark strawberry butter is served with warm bread as soon as you’re seated.
A few blocks south of Barking Dog, Fetch is one of my favorites for brunch because I can bring my little pup to sit outside and the restaurant goes above and beyond decorating in dog theme. Every wall is packed with customers’ photos of their dogs and the management will display anyone’s as long as they bring it framed. This invitation keeps locals connected and makes every dog lover instantly feel welcome. The bar features house cocktails named after dog breeds, like the Golden Retriever, and a dog adoption mobile is often parked out front.
Fetch pairs a great menu with the decor featuring an ample variety and NYC brunch favorites alike. I personally love the chocolate chip pancakes, simple eggs with a bagel, and the turkey club. The coffee is great and the bread and butter are completely addicting. My boyfriend favors the smoked salmon benedict or The Fetch Special Scramble, which I’m gathering the courage to try. This house specialty combines ground beef, onions, chopped spinach and parmesan cheese with scrambled eggs. I captured the remains… The brunch menu offers lists for both the breakfast and lunch sides of brunch and a giant sign always hangs outside indicating which menu is available.
There’s usually a wait on the weekends, but it’s brief, you can sit in the bar area, and the staff is uniquely efficient turning tables rapidly while being friendly. As a server this is really important to me. If you’re looking for a low-key meal I recommend a weekday lunch or going after 3 pm on weekends.
Don’t forget your puppy’s picture, and if you don’t have one yet visit the adoption wall.
Location: 3rd Ave btw 92nd and 93rd
Subways: Take the 4/6 to 86th or the 6 to 96th
Hours: 11 am – 11 pm (12 am on weekends)
Price: Affordable, about $10 a meal
Website: www.fetchbarandgrill.com
1905 Bistro
Brunch, the beautiful love child of breakfast and lunch, is my favorite meal on the weekends. It’s the perfect meal to have to catch up with friends or cure your hangover blues. While going through severe bacon withdrawals (see post below) I decided brunch at 1905 Bistro was the only solution to my problem.
Although 1905’s brunch menu is limited, it certainly does not lack in flavor or appeal. And did I mention that they offer bottomless mimosa’s for $15 dollars?!!! I’ll have two orders of that thank you! Oh wait, I forgot I’m supposed to be talking about their food. Whoops. My friend ordered the Breakfast Fry, which consists of: center cut sugar cured pork loin, white boudin sausage, pepper cured bacon, and two fried eggs, with white cheddar stone grits and fried apples. She said she nearly felt her heart stop, but that it was totally worth it.
I ordered the burger, which was good but nothing too special. Surprisingly the highlight of the burger emerged when I was told they were out of ketchup. KETCHUP. Just when I was about to yell, “Blasphemy!” I was offered an array of four dipping sauces. The au jus sauce totally saved the day.
But, definitely the MVP, which I believe stands for “Most Valuable Plate,” of the meal was their pepper cured bacon. As previously noted, I have had my fair share of bacon and this was beyond my wildest dreams. It was thick cut, juicy, with the right amount of fat, and not overly salted like many bacons fall victim too. My table may have ordered 3 extra plates of the good stuff. All in all, it was the best bacon I’ve ever had. Sorry Wilbur.
Now let’s discuss the restaurant itself. I’ve heard people reference the décor as that of a “vampire saloon,” which I not only find to be fitting, but also flattering, cause vamps are SO in these days (totally Team Edward btw). So yes, while it’s a bit dark and gothic, it still has a cozy potentially romantic feel to it. And let’s be honest, maybe some things are best done in the dark. Like eating enormous amounts of bacon. Meow!
Address: 1905 19th St NW
Phone: 202-332-1905
Price: $8-27
During an awkward period in my childhood–a time when my mom had stopped cooking and my dad hadn’t yet turned into the master chef that he is today–we subsisted on fish sticks, canned tamales, crinkle-cut french fries and pot pies. We became connoisseurs of the frozen food department, deftly navigating a landscape of pot pies that only the most discerning of palates could differentiate between. There were crispy crusts, bottom crusts, low sodium, beef, chicken and vegetarian options. After much trial and error, we settled upon Swanson’s Hungry-Man variety as the best-of-the-best. While it is a period of my childhood I hold very near and dear to my heart, in retrospect, it’s a wonder we don’t all weigh 700 pounds.
That's right.
Thus, when I was choosing eateries for my Kansas City itinerary, I was overjoyed to find a restaurant that lovingly revisits one of my childhood favorites with an eye for the trendy and quaint. Since 2006, PotPie in Westport has been gaining capital as a cult favorite while staying true to its humble roots. With a few tables, a small wait staff and a menu that is scribbled on a single chalkboard nightly, the eating experience is just as comforting as the eats.
With some guiding advice from Yelp, we went for some of the fan favorites and nightly regulars: the spinach and brie tart, mussels in garlic-butter broth, chicken pot pie and beef and mushroom pot pie.
The mussels were perhaps some of the best I’ve ever eaten, which is surprising considering Kansas City’s landlocked geography. It was a good thing they served endless bread because my family and I could not stop sopping up the broth with its hints of tomato, leek and European butter. The waitress literally had to pry it away and then wipe away the excess from our place settings in order to make room for our entrees.
Now that my dad is a home chef of sorts, he’s a tough sell as far as eating out goes since he thinks he can make everything better at home. He also hates to spend less than, oh, about $4 on an entree and it’s rare to get anything more than a surprised dilation of the pupils out of him when he likes what he’s been served. He’s also a stickler for pot pie being weaned on it himself as a child. Thus, when he curtly said “not bad” to his beef and mushroom pot pie, it actually means pretty f*ck*ng great.
My mom and I also liked it very much.
Hand-scrawled menu nightly.
I may be wrong on this one, but it seems that my generation has a penchant for reviving simplistic comfort foods as full blown and highly lucrative trends; i.e. rice pudding and cupcakes. Just a thought, but if everyone could do it as well, as cheaply and as charmingly as PotPie, these delicious, gooey, meatey pastries just might be the next thing. Just saying…
Price: Under $15 per entree
Location: 904 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO
Hours: Tu-Th, 11am-10pm; Fri, 11am-11pm; Sat, 5pm-11pm
Phone: (816) 561-2702
Website: http://www.kcpotpie.com/
Home for the Holidays: Mexico Authentico
Humble Ninfa's near Kansas City, KS
You know that first time you taste real homemade, handmade pasta? How the whole experience is a kind of awakening that makes you pine for what you’ve been missing out on all of these years? How the pasta–pregnant with flavors that could only be compared to…love–quite literally melts in your mouth? How everything else comes to play second fiddle to the pasta’s simple greatness?
Well, that’s sort of what eating Ninfa’s tortillas is like.
Located in an industrial area, nestled between Argentine and the West Bottoms, family-operated Ninfa’s Tortillas & Taqueria is way off the radar of the Kansas City food scene. I would have never stumbled upon this place had it not been for my dad who stopped into this place occasionally on his brief lunch break back when he worked as a carpenter. He took me for the first time back in high school, and ever since, I’ve made it a point to visit whenever I come home.
Since moving to New York, I’ve come to miss Kansas City Mexican food. Everything in the city just seems too expensive and is never without a gimmick. Yes, I appreciate an all-you-can-drink margarita brunch as much as the next girl, but I just can’t stomach the $16 price tag for enchiladas. And to be frank, it’s sort of an all talk, no game scenario with the food failing to deliver 99% of the time.
Charmingly derelict and gimmick-free.
Ninfa’s, on the other hand, is one of those hole-in-the-wall restaurants that has the power to transport you to another place. Without all of the pretensions of an eatery that has, oh say, an interior decorating scheme, reserved parking and a hostess, the food at Ninfa’s is left to do most of the culinary heavy lifting.
When you sit down in the small dining area, you are immediately brought a stack of freshly-made tortillas onto which you squirt a generous glob of butter (who knew they still made squirt margarine?) and a cold ribbon of fresh salsa from a ketchup bottle. Gag-inducing in theory, delicious in practice, the tortillas are perhaps one of the best and freshest things I’ve ever put in my mouth.
An "oh-my-god" eating experience.
The best part is that you can actually watch your appetizer being patted out in the small kitchen adjacent to the dining area so that when they’re delivered, they’re still radiating heat from the griddle.
Ninfa’s serves up some solid entrees as well (their tamales are famous), although the tortillas do tend to steal the show. On this day, my dad had the taco platter and I had the house special chili–a very traditional take on the stew that eschews chopped veggies and tomatoes in favor of tender chunks of pork, beans and their cooking juices into which I dipped pieces of tortilla.
Who knew they still made squeeze butter?
In the largely Hispanic and Spanish-speaking neighborhood, Ninfa’s is an approachable choice that is popular amongst Gringos and locals alike. If and when you visit, don’t be turned off by the eatery’s shabby exterior; in this case, it’s truly what’s inside that counts.
Price: SO CHEAP, under $6!
Location: 964 Kansas Ave., Kansas City, KS 66105
Phone: (913) 621-1743
Yesterday, I attended Heavy Sea’s Annual Bacon and Beer Bash. Yes, you read it right BACON & BEER. Now, I won’t bore you with how awesome it was. I’ll just let you oogle over the action shots.
The list of bacon dishes.
Bloody Mary’s made with Bacon infused vodka.
BLT’s
(L) Maple Bacon, Double Smoked Bacon, Jalapeno Bacon, DUCK Bacon, Bourbon Bacon, etc.
(R) Bacon Explosion: Sausage wrapped in Bacon
Waffles served with Bacon Ice Cream
Bacon Pate
Fried Bacon Risotto
Bacon wrapped crab dip
Our table.
Bacon Popcorn & Chips
Bacon Gelato
Guys cooking bacon. Marry Me?
Pig Butchering Exhibit
Free meat from said Pig Butchering Exhibit
All in all it was a fulfilling day. And surprisingly enough, I’m still not sick of bacon. Now, I’m off to go order some at brunch!!!
Kushi: Revisited
It’s safe to say that my sister likes food as much as I do, if not more. After all, she’s the girl who pulled a muscle after eating too much shrimp. (I know…I come from a really attractive family.) But because of her love for food, I always trust her restaurant recommendations. Especially when it comes to Japanese food because she has visited that food haven so many times. So I was shocked when I came back from Kushi unimpressed and not understanding the fuss she made about this new place. But like the good sister she is, she said she would take me back and to leave the ordering to her.
Now Kushi is not your standard sushi restaurant. I have to warn you, if california and volcano rolls are what you’re after then this is not the place for you. Kushi offers up a selection of sushi that although limited, will not leave you wanting. You go to Kushi for the simple quality of the fish, not the over the top sauces and adornments you see at other sushi places. We ordered seared fatty salmon and eel nigiri. I’m pretty sure the salmon was the best thing I’ve ever eaten, and trust me that’s saying a lot. The salmon melts in your mouth and almost makes you believe that this fish has been on a diet of butter. And the generous slice of eel was not going to be a wallflower and go unnoticed. It was savory and sweet, warm and tender, and heaven in my mouth.
My sister also swears by their rice balls. (Giggles) Everyday, there is a different rice ball filling. Unfortunately for us, the day we chose happened to be the pickled plum filling. It was savory and tart, and definitely exercised taste buds I didn’t know I had. On other visits they have served the rice balls with a salmon filling, and if you have the good fortune to be there on one of those days do not let the opportunity pass. According to my sister, it will be the best $3 you have ever spent.
Kushi also offers an unrivaled grilled selection. After watching and lusting after it, we finally decided to order the duck sausage stuffed quail. It’s flash fried and then slow roasted over the grill for another 5-10 minutes. And not to sound too girly, but it was just so cute! Ahem…it was also scrumptious, tiny little drum sticks and all. We also ordered the grilled squid and fried chicken, which I would order again.
By now you’re probably getting thirsty, so let’s take a break and check out their beverage options. They offer a wide variety of Asian beers, sake, and most importantly shochu (which my sister tells me is difficult to find in this city)! Her favorite specialty cocktail is the shochu breeze. Without sacrificing the potentness of the shochu, the cocktail manages to come off as light and refreshing with help from cucumber and citrusy favors.
And let’s not forget about dessert. You cannot go wrong with any of the gelatos, but if you’re looking for a uniquely asian experience definitely go with the black sesame.
The restaurant itself is really impressive. It has a great ambiance, perfect for dates and get together with friends, and a great lofty feel to it. But what really makes it shine are its sushi and grill bars, which I highly recommend over the standard tables. You can watch all your food being made to order, ask the chefs questions, and strike up conversations with the strangers next to you! It’s casual and perfect.
Address: 465 K St NW
Phone: 202-682-3123
