Me Likey "Mikey"
MIKEY LIKES IT ICE CREAM | 199 Ave. A (bet. 12th & 13th) | 212.470.0426 | mikeylikesiticecream.com
Lower East Side
Vanessa's Finesse
VANESSA'S DUMPLINGS | 118A Eldridge St. | 212.625.8008 | vanessasdumplinghouse.com
Sammy Prima
...Both the chicken parm and roast turkey sandwiches excelled, as expected; taste explosions both, yet staying true to form.... [Full Post]
Raining, Katz('s), And Dogs
...The dual textures was a novel thrill, as was the different spice and seasoning components in each of the salami slices. The firmer salami highlighted a slight tang of garlic and paprika, while the softer salami had a more subtle taste, letting the niblets of minced fat lead the flavor charge.... [Full Post »]
Ssäm I Am
...the percentage of lean, slowly roasted duck meat to the slightly rendered, protective layer of fat to the self-basted, crispy skin was outstanding to visually behold as well as slowly consume, enjoying the purity of it all at first that it took me a while to even address the possibilities of adding the condiments.... [Full Post]
Ippudo, Finally
...First of all, the noodles are made expertly in-house, and are thinner than their college dorm counterparts, so they naturally absorb much more of the lusciously rich broth's flavor while maintaining a pliable firmness that gives them proper slurp as well as chew.... [Full Post]
Gettin' Siggy Wit' It
...The abundance of slightly toasted sunflower seeds made for great textural contrasts, as well as adding very pleasant nutty and floral points in taste and aromatics, complimented expertly with rich, layered, spicy, acidic notes of a beet-horseradish mayo dipping sauce.... [Full Post]
Grub Med
...The broadly seasoned merguez's flavors delighted my taste buds, from the tip of my tongue to the back of my mouth, and the herbaceousness of the olive oil and sparse caramelization of the sautéed onions countered nicely any gaminess of the lamb's inherent properties while supplying that last bit of moisture to the lamb's more naturally lean meat.... [Full Post]
Getting My Fill
...The hot dogs were excellent, with casings that snapped loudly through the top of my head with each bite and clear juices full of the layers of its seasonings as spices. The eggplant relish was bright and earthy and a good compliment to the plain hot dog, while a drizzle of sriracha sauce added extra zing on top of the jalapeños that flicker the front and back of my tongue.... [Full post]
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]
Down For Chinatown
... With the unfortunate exception of the shrimp paste (better in idea than in execution), this dish was quite a winner. The pork and beef were nicely seasoned and tender, and were enjoyed more with wrapped in the lettuce with a leaf each of basil and mint, some rice noodles, and a drizzle of house-made vinegar dipping sauce. The springs deftly crispy and not greasy on the outside and chock full minced veggies and meat on the inside.... [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...]
Pulino's Just Might Deserve (and Survive) The Hype
...But eventually you have to give McNally some credit. I've liked—if not raved about—the food at Pravda and Balthazar, and frequented those for many years regardless. Pulino's will have its heralders—and, I'm sure, some detractors—but longer after fanfare, discussions and debates have subsided and been forwarded to the new "next big thing", people will be squeezing in rezys and inviting their friends to grab a bite and a beer here with them.... [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.]
