Perfect fall day and perfect fall food at the Central Park Boathouse.
The Commodore, Williamsburg
Hot damn. Sorry, but that best sums up my reaction to this place. Actually, I think my exact words were, “This is the best day of my life.”
After reading this article in NY Mag, I knew I had found my mecca (especially since the chef described it as “Applebees, but better.” Bottom line: best fried chicken I ever had, biscuits with honey butter, perfect fries, potato salad that had a smokey paprika after bite, and the adult grilled cheese (pimento-and-poblano ooey gooey goodness). All that grub (much too much) and two-for-one beers (times two) til seven, and we were out of there just $36 short. Are you kidding me!?!
Obligatory first day above 60 degrees Shake Shack outing!
Coffee and Donuts is the custard of the month on Thursdays. Don’t miss it!
Now this is a taste test I can get behind!
Yankee Stadium, The Bronx
In honor of the Twins playing at Yankee Stadium, here’s a shot of the garlic cheese fries I devoured there last week.
Whenever I go to baseball games, fairs, Coney Island, etc., I find the most disgustingly delicious food item to chow down. These fries were it, although I was hoping to also take down a Nathan’s dog (eyes > stomach). None of this newfangled sushi and gourmet deli stuff. The closest I’ll get to fancy baseball food is the buffalo chicken sliders I spotted someone carrying.
For a full list of Yankee Stadium food options, visit serious eats.
On Sunday I biked to Coney Island. The trip was fantastic, and obviously well worth a Nathan’s hot dog.
This just 100% made me want a lobster roll. Excited to check out these restaurants soon.
List’d: Paul Liebrandt Picks the Best Downtown NYC Lobster Roll
- Mary’s Fish Camp
- Pearl Oyster Bar (pictured above in my grubby paw circa ‘07)
- Lure Fishbar
- Ditch Plains
- Ed’s Lobster Bar
- Urban Lobster Shack
- The Lobster Place
I’ve always been torn between Mary’s and Pearl and it’s not surprising to me that they are at 1 and 2. The last 2 visits I’ve been more into Pearl but that is likely because at Mary’s I find myself craving the delicious trout BLT (yumm yumm YUMM!) or shrimp tacos. The menu at Mary’s is definitely more robust whereas at Pearl the oysters and lobster roll are the only reason to go…but notably a damn good reason.
I refuse to go to Ed’s because of the rumors that he borrowed liberally from the lovely folks at Pearl. But I can say that Lure’s roll is also outstanding, Ditch Plains is okay, Urban Lobster is pretty bland I think, and the other one I’d never heard of.
And for those of you who don’t know who Paul Liebrandt is, he is the man who created the awesome grilled cheese frequently featured on Gossip Girl at his restaurant Gilt which is in the NY Palace Hotel aka Serena’s home. He also owns Corton, one of the best new restaurants according to James Beard.
Do any of you have other lobster roll favs that should’ve been on this list?
Spitzer’s Corner, Lower East Side
Spitzer’s is quickly becoming my “go-to” spot on the Lower East Side. I love the casualness, the lack of pretension, the long communal tables, and the low lighting.
Although I wouldn’t chose the gastropub if i was looking for an incredible meal (each entree, while tasty, is served stand alone), it’s perfect when you want a casual bite, maybe sharing a main course and a few starters. Wash it down with one of 40 beers on tap, and you can’t go wrong.
This week I tried the three cheese truffle mac and cheese, which as you can imagine, was out of this world. Their fries are also some of my favorite in the city (seasoned and plump). The herb-roasted chicken is just ok—-nothing special.
And their sliders might just win my “cutest food ever” contest.
