Posted by: Orlick | November 9, 2009

November Food Group at Friends Korean

This Sunday 11/15 at 4:20pm,
the Jackson Heights Food Group reconvenes at Friends Korean Restaurant of Woodside.

This should be exciting. I stopped in Sunday and the chef was very happy at the prospective of having a neighborhood group like ours. Friends is a relatively new restaurant so let’s hope for a joyous welcoming to the neighborhood.

For this meal, Unless you want to order a bowl for yourself, I anticipate a family style meal paid for by equal shares – with individual drinks paid seperately. Please be aware, the prices should be higher than the average Food Group (but still Queens pricing).

Friend’s Korean Restaurant
64-16 Roosevelt Avenue
Woodside, NY
718 334 0070

Let me know if you plan on attending

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Posted in Events, Korean, Queens | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | November 3, 2009

Royal Kathin 2009 Rundown

Royal Kathin Celebration 2009
Wat Buddha Thai Thavorn Vanaram
November 1st, 2009

This was the best Thai food experience I have ever had.
The Royal Kathin Celebration 2009.

I’m not entirely sure how I should go about this. The experience was interesting, but the food was stellar. The food wasn’t that hot at all, just satisfying. The spread was magnificent. Here’s what happened:

I got there at around 10am as people started lining up with bowls full of rice as an offering to the monks. As time went by, the line kept getting bigger and bigger and the loop of parishioners expanded from the sidewalk in front of the temple to the sidewalk across the street. I have a feeling this was the largest celebration so far, with the new immigration of Thai people in Queens. In 4 years I predict this line will loop to the end of the block.

There were about 9 monks who walked around with their large bowls and everyone gave a scoop or few from their own. The monks made their way around and found themselves into the shoeless temple later. Chanting was heard, hands clasped outside and my stomach growled. I had been wanting for over an hour, and the food was out since I got there.




It was nice and all. Not too ritualistic, but more casual. People didn’t seem to have crazy decorum. Some women were dressed beautifully and other people were in jeans and shirts. At around 12.30 the feeding started. I’m not sure who has first dibs, but I didn’t see the monks after their ceremony.


There was a marvelous amount of food. The line of steam tables went on and on. I’d say there were about 50 or so dishes. Some I’ve seen before, some I haven’t. The smells from the bbq duck and the cauldrons of soup were overbearing. The possibilities were dizzying.




One side of the tent was hot foods and the other had desserts and fruit. Also there was the money dragon where people stuck money to flags onto the dragon as an offering. A man told me to make a wish as I stuck it in and I did.






I stood next to this huge pot while I was waiting for things to develop in the morning. I didn’t bring a jacket, but the steam kept me warm and the scents put me in a dreamlike state.




A nice lady took to us. I couldn’t tell if she was crazy or just foreign. She brought us plates of sweets, telling ‘these are the best, I know, you don’t.’ This was one of the items she brought us. She was a lovely woman and I love her for her grace towards us.


There were no 2nds – the food was gone too fast. A friend in our group came after the food was served, so we grabbed the last remaining offerings for him. A great plate, nonetheless. Apart from having such a range of flavors, all the food tasted so fresh and satisfying.

Just an amazing showing. This will only get bigger in the next few years as more people come over. Hopefully not so many tourists like me will come so I can eat as much as possible. I’d like to bring a dish to offer next time. How would they react to pastrami sandwiches?

Links:
My complete photo set 2009
Thailand Royal Kathin picture set
2008 photo set from Eating in Translation

Royal Kathin Celebration 2009
Wat Buddha Thai Thavorn Vanaram
76-16 46th Ave
Elmhurst, NY 11373
718-803-9881

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Posted in Adventures, Events, Queens, Thai | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 28, 2009

November Food Group – Will it be Pizza?

What a turnout for the Anniversary Group! Another record!

The next JHF Group will take place on Nov. 15th

The choices for November are as follows:
Louie’s Pizzeria on Baxter. This is the newest pizzeria for the neighborhood. Many good things have been said about it so far, and the possibility of great pizza in the area is a godsend. I’m sure Louie would put on a good show for us. I can verify that it is, in fact, good pizza.

Friend’s House Restaurant (Korean)
64-16 Roosevelt Ave.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/655292
This is a new Korean Restaurant in Woodside, which looks to be more centered to comfort foods than other Korean in the neighborhood. Very exciting stuff.

As always, send me your vote for where you want to go. I will announce the winner Nov 9th.

Discussion Board
—————————–
In related news… We are getting serious about food: I’m officially announcing The Ambassador Program. Whereas the Jackson Heights Food Group is about the neighborhood, the Ambassador Program is about the food. This new adventure may take place anywhere in the city limits and occur at anytime – whatever it takes. Here, our group will have a guide to order for the table and discuss what we are eating and why we are eating it. This allows us diners to let go, eat well, and expand our boundaries for the city, the world and our palates. Selfishly, there are a lot of cultures I don’t know about, and this seems like an efficient way to learn more and have a good time. I can’t think of a better way of doing this.

I am looking for Ambassadors. As an Ambassador, you will have complete control over a magnificent feast of your expertise, all paid for by the group of attendees. If this sounds like your idea of fun, fill out the form on the Ambassador’s page and send it to me. And if you would like to be a part of the Ambassadors Program, send me your email address and I will put you on the list.

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Posted in About Food | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 19, 2009

Introducing: The Coastline

I want to introduce a term that I’ve been using, on yelp reviews and this site with the pizza explorations of the summer. I don’t know if this is a Jeff Orlick original or not, but at the very least, it’s existed in my mind for a while. I think an introduction is in order… The Coastline.

What I’m referring to is the area where the cheese and sauce meet the crust. And I don’t think this gets the attention it deserves. Sometimes there’s a large coastline, sometimes it’s an abbreviated one. Sometimes the sea has flooded over and is now nonexistent. Sometimes it’s red, sometimes the cheese melds and bubbles with the dough. Will the cheese reach the sand? or will it be a shallow red to the dunes? I imagine the cheese as the wave, and the sauce as the darkened sand where the water retreats and the crust which can take any form of nature like dunes or a cheese-crusted marsh.

To me, it all seems natural. Maybe it’s because pizza slices and the waves were omnipresent when I was growing up on Jones Beach. Hundreds of hours spent staring at crusts has created intrigue and metaphor in my focal point, the coastline.

Let’s look at some coastlines:

Check out this slice from Gennaro’s in Staten Island. The coastline is mostly red, with a thin area of beach at the top. This creates three distinctive portions of the slice: The cheese, the sauce, and then the crust.

Check out this slice from Canteena in Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn. This slice has basically no coastline at all! The cheese and sauce go right up and even over the coast. Nice rippling, some charring of the overflow cheese was much appreciated.

Let’s look at Motorino’s pie. Some heavy char areas, lots of bubbles on the beach. High dunes not touching any waves created from their cheese dollops.

Delmar of Sheepshead Bay’s slice gets a little sandy up on the crust. The flour makes a much appreciated appearance coming up from the bottom. Some cheese bubbles on the crust is nice, but not as nice as the dough bubbles.

The DaVinci’s of Bensonhurst slice has a high coastline, with some nice bubbling. The cheese goes all the way up the beach, sometimes reaching over the dunes.

Fascati’s of Brooklyn Heights has a well defined, sturdy coastline. It’s high, stiff and won’t allow the cheese or sauce to rise up on it. The cheese does not ride up on itself and there is a good mix of waves and retreat of the cheese.

A sesame seed slice?

A sesame seed slice?

Check out this close-up of a Brother’s slice in Staten Island. Take into account this picture taken after a slice fold, but the integration of beach bubbles, waves and cheese is outstanding. This is precisely the reason the coastline needs to be defined. This is my favorite part of the slice.

Am I crazy? maybe. Sick? By the end of the pizza tour I was. Look, I’ve been staring at pizza slices this entire summer. I can’t stop creating metaphors for pizza pies. This is not a science, and there are still many terms to be defined concerning the beach / pizza relationship, but I think there is something to it. It’s a start, maybe you can come up with something. You may just wax poetic pizza too.

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Posted in About Food, Brooklyn, Pizza | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | November 4, 2009

Bocca Lupo (Wolf’s Mouth) – Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Bocca Lupo
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Cobble Hill
391 Henry Street
(between Baltic St & Congress St)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 243-2522

It took 2 trips here to finally get a table. It seems to get busy on a regular basis, enough to deter a crowdaphobe like me. I would definitely recommend taking the opportunity to come here with a group of 2 or more on an off night.

The decor gets better as you sit down. As opposed to the feelings as you approach, this is a restaurant meant to sit and enjoy your meal.

We’re here for the food right? So let’s get down to it. Italian tasting dishes, each not a bad size, about right for $7-$10. The quality of the food was excellent and the preparation was good enough to be solid.

I could do without the pesto pasta and surprisingly enough…Formaggi the meat plate. After the cheese plate, the meats just could not share the same table. I’m turning into a huge cheese mark, and these cheeses really brought out all sorts of emotions like a good cheese plate should.

Imported tuna, fennel and olive salad defied any descriptions you could place to it. While at first it wasn’t too special, at second thought it could definitely stand on its own terms as a great, fresh tasting dish. Kudos.

Marinated white anchovies with carrot fennel salad – It had 2 polarizing tastes that together made something great. There was the sweetness of the carrot salad mixed with the salty, sourness of the sardines. Yeahhh, thank you! Roast pork loin was cooked so graciously, it unconditionally hit the spot at our table. Soft soft pork slices, hit with a peppery rub, oohhhhhh…

The tables should be bigger to fit the amount of food that will satisfy you. The food comes out quickly, so for table real estate and palate satisfaction, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to order by the moment: progressive order style.

Everything on the menu is has become a turn-on, I trust that kitchen to throw anything at me; I will happily sit with my fork and dine.

Links:
Bocca Lupo on Flickr (not the restaurant, just a guy. But really nice pictures!)
NY Mag on BL – with a slideshow of an empty restaurant
Time Out Kids review
On A Brooklyn Life

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Posted in Brooklyn, Italian | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 31, 2009

Interview with Marnie Old – Presenter at Cook. Eat. Drink. Live.

Marnie Old is a “nationally-renowned sommelier, author and wine educator.” She will be presenting at the Cook Eat Drink Live event next weekend (November 6-8) in NYC. I recently got the chance to ask her a few questions about drinking, living and the event she will be featured in. Here is the entire transcript of our interview…

———————–
Your Author, JO, written at 2am: Hey Marnie, thanks for doing this. I wanted to throw a few questions at you before I go to the C.E.D.L. event – to be featured on my site, iwantmorefood.com as some added value to the usual blog rehash of an event listing. I’m up pretty late and hungry, so these questions might be a bit loopy, but that’s usually where weird creativity comes from. let’s see what happens…

First of all, I don’t know a thing about wine. I have strong sentiments towards solids, but pairings get lost in thought. I’m just starting to get into Russian beers because they are really cheap at my Trade Fair supermarket and they taste great, so maybe the gates are opening to liquid. My point is: go easy on me.

Answer whatever you like, ambiguous questions are up to your own interpretation:

JO: Where were you born and why did you choose where you currently live?
Marnie Old: I was born in Evanston, IL, but my parents were only there 2 years while my dad completed grad school. I grew up in Winnipeg, MB and was the only one in my family with dual US / Canadian citizenship. In senior year of high school, I started seeing a guy who happened to be an American from Philadelphia. After I graduated, I moved down here thinking it’d be good to see the world a little. Well, that was 1987. I’m still here and we’re still together. I love Philadelphia, and think it’s probably better appreciated by those who grew up somewhere else. People here have a built-in inferiority complex, since they’re wedged between Washington DC, the capital of the country, and New York, the capital of the world.

JO: Is there anyone at this event that you are excited to meet? or food/drink to sample?
MO: On the beverage side, I’ve admired Kara Newman’s work and am pleased I’ll get to meet Ted Allen. Food-wise, I’m curious to see what Joey Campanaro has up his sleeve and always love the good eats from D’Artagnan’s Ariane Daguin.

JO: Your date orders wine for you both. What does he order for to gain your respect? To make you chuckle to yourself ? To share your sheets?
MO:
– Respect: Something French. Not high end, just French.
- Chuckle: Sparkling reds like Italian Lambrusco or Australian Sparkling Shiraz – they’re tasty, but have a wacky vibe.
- Share Sheets: Something spectacular. The kind of wine that makes you wish the night wouldn’t end.

JO: What’s your latest imbibing discovery?
MO: Roter Weinbergpfirsich Likor – a kooky fruit liqueur I stumbled on in Germany last month. It’s made with a weird local fruit that translates as the ‘red vineyard peach’. The fruit is apparently rock hard and therefore not edible, but has the most absurdly vivid flavor – wowza!

JO: Your tastes have probably developed over your career, are there any beverages that have suddenly taken you which you weren’t a fan of in the past?
MO: Sure. Those weird and wonderful spritzy whites from Basque Country in Spain would be a good example. If I’d tried Txakoli Getariako before I got into wine, I’m not sure I’d understand that its sharp acidity are designed to balance saltiness in food.

JO: What do you hope your audience will walk away with from your presentation at Cook.Live.etc.?
MO: I’m planning to give a quick intense demo of one of the key principles behind wine and food pairing. We’ll show how and why wines taste different with salty vs. sugary sauces. I hope it’ll give people a sense of confidence in choosing wines moving forward.

——————————-
Thanks, Marnie Old, for your graciousness, forthrightness and the time you took out of your schedule to shed a little insight for the readers of this website. I wish you all the success in the world.

Links:
The Official website for the event
Marnie Old’s official website
My favorite Philadelphian, Holly Moore

Event info:

What: 2009 Cook. Eat. Drink. Live.
When: November 6-8, 2009. Friday 6-9PM, Saturday 2-6PM, Sunday 2-6PM
Where: The Tunnel/La.Venue, 608 West 28th Street, NY, NY
Agenda: Interactive food festival featuring tastings, chef demos, wineries, cocktails, popular restaurants, and opportunities for early holiday shopping.
Tickets are $65.00 per day and can be purchased online (www.cookeatdrinklive.com) or by phone: 888-695-0888.

Enjoy a taste of the good life and kick-off the holiday dining and entertaining season in NYC! Cook Eat Drink Live is a three-day modern food and wine event at The Tunnel & La.Venue (608 West 28th Street), featuring a large sampling of ultra-premium gourmet foods and spirits, plus appearances from some of the city’s premier chefs. Indulge in samples from your favorite Zagat-rated restaurant and shop for the favorite “foodie” in your life.

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Posted in Bars, Events, Interviews, Manhattan | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 29, 2009

Brozzetti’s Pizza – Johnson City, NY

Brozzetti’s Pizza
Category: Pizza
72 Baldwin St
Johnson City, NY 13790
(607) 797-9960

I came back to Binghamton 4 years after graduating. One of the main reasons was to try Brozzetti’s pizza. I never heard of it before – but it is apparently legendary!

It sits at the back of the hospital in Johnson City, and like the people who choose to drink the water in Binghamton, it’s kept alive by the hospital workers. There are no tables, so you will invariably be eating with the locals in the parking lot beside doctors and nurses taking smoke breaks out of sight of bosses (and lung cancer patients).


I wouldn’t even say it’s a step up from Elios. It is one of those crappy regional pizzas so unique that every month or so you get this irrational taste in your mouth’s mind and can’t get it out until you have another slice. The crust is chewy, and by the end of the rectangle pie the cold slices are just worthless. The sauce is a grade below Hunt’s catsup and the cheese is a blend of 2 of the cheapest cheeses at the Giant.

For some reason I want some now. Damn these masochistic taste buds!

Links:
Yelp reviews

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Posted in Binghamton, Pizza | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 29, 2009

Queens Crossing – Flushing, Queens

Queens Crossing
Category: Shopping Centers
Neighborhood: Downtown Flushing
38-21 Main St
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 888-1234
www.queenscrossing.com

There’s no one mishmosh of Flushing anymore. We are drawing lines here. Queens Crossing is caters to the new wealth of Flushing. Flushing Mall is now just a mall.

The stores are offering products in art form. Genius is encouraged in designs throughout. This clearly wasn’t meant for me, as I am more into naturally occurring creativity than that which is created in a lab. My friend was excited they had a Mango store if that means anything to you. I’m sure this is a great place to take your girlfriend.

The eateries for the proletarians are crap mall food, but Ohhh they are not pandering to them… There is a Hong Kong style tea room, offering to treat you like last century’s “English Nobility”. I passed by and was like ‘hmmm’ – not that I would ever care to go in, but still – ‘hmmm.’

The restaurants look vast and impressive. Korean-Japanese Ah Ree Soo smelled great, and the catering hall facility was plainly meant to stun. It looks like they are prepared to treat the Asian upper-class well.

The layout is intricate or confusing – however you want to spin it. It’s not a typical mall where stores are lined up next to each other; here they are fitted around each other. Maps helped me only marginally, but curiosity helped me more by wondering What’s around that corridor?

Links:
Queens Crossing on About.com

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Posted in Chinese, Queens | Tags: , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 28, 2009

Himawari – Long Beach, NY Sushi

Himawari
Category: Sushi Bars
116 E Park Ave
Long Beach, NY 11561
(516) 431-4768
Official Website

When I went, they had 1 dollar nigiri sushi from 1-3pm weekdays.. 1 dollar can’t buy ANYthing anymore, could it be true? I expected a dingy, run down, old appearance with apprentices looking to unload their leftovers. Compound that with the fact that I went on a Monday, the one day everybody’s friend Anthony Bourdain popularized as the day NOT to eat fish at a restaurant, and I assumed I was digging my own grave.

Hey, the place is pretty nice Only 3 years in business, the ceilings looked fresh, cut out with metal shutters lining the higher levels. Cool, but steering away from elegant, the dining room and kitchen full of modern touches which are hard not to appreciate.

Owner/chef Tommy seemed like a nice person, making an attempt to be a gracious host. Confident in his food, he strikes up the convo: “Is this your first time here? Ohh, you will like it.” No language barrier, Tommy is young and probably born here.

The pieces are longer than usual. Not the customary 4 fingers, more like 5 and a tail on each. I wouldn’t care for a piece of tuna again, but everything else was great, standouts include yellowtail, salmon, seared mackerel, scallop, and white tuna – yes.

The case was neat, stocked high, and meticulously clean. You can tell this is a person who cares about his product. The selections are standard; I didn’t notice any “spins”. It’s a menu kept under control.

The construction, the chef, the menu; I felt a recurring theme of youth and tradition. As the chef was making my nigiri, he became more complex – searing tuna, using the blow torch then ponzu on my mackerel… I thought to myself, “could this all be 1 dollar each??” It was, 14 pieces for 14 dollars. hmm, Pretty good deal. And good sushi. I would definitely go back – even outside the hours of 1 and 3.

Links:
8 Sushi Rules (by consensus of 4 experts)
Nice reviews on yelp

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Posted in Long Island, Sushi | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 26, 2009

Thai Thai Cuisine – Binghamton, NY

Thai Thai Cuisine
Category: Thai
584 Court St
Binghamton, NY 13904
(607) 775-9499

Hey, not bad at all. The staff is warm and accommodating and the food kind of rocks. It’s a little out of the way, but you might be in the area…

They don’t have a liquor license, but the liquor store next door does, so feel free to bring along. The big space allows you to take as many friends as you’d like, although it can get a bit crowded on Fridays and Saturdays.

Binghamton does have it’s own set of standards. Like giving your retarded cousin a head start in a race, and pretending to trip on a squirrel right before the finish line – but Thai^2 doesn’t need the head start. It would be a decent restaurant anywhere in the states.

If you don’t know where it is, it’s where the topless alcoholic and bottomless dry adjacent strip clubs are. If you don’t know where the strip clubs are, you should think twice about calling yourself a Binghamtonite.

Links:
Madame Oars & Tzers (NSFW (Not Safe For Work))
Strong reviews on yelp

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Posted by: Orlick | October 26, 2009

Margarita’s Mexican Grill – Binghamton, NY

Margarita’s Mexican Grill
Category: Mexican
1166 Front St
Binghamton, NY 13903
(607) 772-0722
Official Site

My friends swear by it. From my experiences, this was passable Tex-Mex. And while I never chose to come here, when I did there wasn’t much complaint. I will go back again, no problem.

I don’t prefer Tex-Mex, and would rather have one of it’s namesake Texan or Mexican any day. The last time I went in I asked for chicharones. The owner’s face brightened up when he saw someone who actually knew something other than tacos, burritos, and cinnasticks. Instead, I got carnitas and it was truly delicious.

The building is relaxed and low key, and in the middle of nearly nowhere. You probably won’t stop in on the way to anywhere else. So just go here for carnitas.

Links:
My Southern Tier
Flickr Pictures

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Posted in Binghamton, Tex-Mex | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 25, 2009

Ruby’s – Coney Island Boardwalk, Brooklyn

Ruby’s
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Coney Island
1213 Boardwalk W
Brooklyn, NY 11224
(718) 372-9079
rubysbarandgrill.blogspot.com/

It’s a dirty shithole. Prices are whatever and the drinks suck. One time a drunk, older lady shoved her bare breast in my face, so that was fun. There are pictures.

Ruby’s is reliable for great memories. The bar industry is limited on the boardwalk, but Rudy’s is so apparent. BiG Sign. Where else would you go?

Links:
NYMag review plus slideshow
Coney Island Fun Guide

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Posted in Bars, Brooklyn | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 22, 2009

11th Street Bar – East Village, NY

11th Street Bar
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: East Village
510 E 11th St
(between Avenue A & Avenue B)
New York, NY 10009
(212) 982-3929
www.11thstbar.com/
a review from 30 to midnight

Not a bad option. Low key, plenty of seating. Susceptible to frat guys, older men, cute girls, soft musicians, couples, groups, and white people. I would regard the people here as more non-threatening than friendly, it makes it easier to approach someone than the other way around.

Remember, dark doesn’t always mean dive as this is no dive bar. The beer isnt cheap as it’s gloom would have you believe.

I like the name. I’m not kidding, it’s not distinct but I will always remember where it is. If it were named Shrewd’s Brew it might be cooler, if it were Lenny’s it might be lamer, call it Paper Towel Washdown and it’s valid for only a limited time. 11th Street Bar by any other name I would never come back.

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Posted in Bars, Manhattan, NYC | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 20, 2009

Yakitori Taisho – My introduction to Izakayas – NY, NY

Yakitori Taisho
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: East Village
5 Saint Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-5086
written early 2008

What is this new world? It’s an i-za-kay-a... It’s a Japanese pub. Is this how they party in Japan? HOly shit, I want to go to Japan.

The block is filled with them! All the bustling makes the party overflow into the streets. I feel like I can get singed just by looking at the grillers. Everything is just so gnarly. This is what punk rock means to food. It’s like J-punk food.

This is only my second, so I don’t really know how to rate these yet. If I have to grade it on the same level as anything else I’ve seen in my life, I’d have to give it top notch rating. This is THE OPTIMAL Drinking environment. This is explained by tons of crazy food, lots of sake drinks, and ichiban & sapporo beer which always goes down easy.

There is a good amount of seating at the bar and the back room can fit about 7 tables totaling 21 people. So while this IS good for groups, it is not good for many groups at the same time. The wait wasnt so bad, even though we spent 2 hours there. There appears to be a quick turnover, it took 15 minutes for 4 of us to get fit at a t2o person table.

Fried oysters were ridiculous and the squid was out of it’s own soft cranium. Okonomiyaki (pancake with a bunch of creatures in it) was okay but it took too long to eat and I wasn’t fond of the idea of batter taking the place of beer in my stomach. I don’t even know what we ordered. If I have advice for you, it is – Keep ordering! Don’t stop Don’t Stop Don’t stop!

Links:
Official Site

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Posted in Japanese, Manhattan | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 19, 2009

Akari – Merrick, Long Island

Akari Japanese Restaurant
2063 Merrick Rd
Merrick, NY 11566
(516) 378-9888

Busy with a loyal, local following. I was surprised to see so many locals casually beside me at the bar.

I love the colors and sign out front. Somehow it stands out on the strip. Akari. SUSHI. The inside is slightly funky but fun and transparent. Sitting at the bar you can easily watch the motions of the chefs creating dishes. There is also a second level with larger tables up wooden steps that adds to the character of it all.

null

Graciously large menu, it would take 6 straight months to try everything here. Plus, for those inclined, there are around 70 rolls to choose from. Udon seems to be encouraged as many meals include a small bowl. I appreciate the daily and everyday lunch specials, but I find it a bit peculiar how they have an example under plastic wrap for public view. I guess this is a good way to make the unfamiliar familiar.

Freshness? I am not going to make a judgement yet, but this is probably not why I will come here. I doubt the regular customer is as discerning either, so I don’t think it affects business. More likely I will visit for the variety and comradery. That being said, the owner comes from a good sushi family and I never ate anything to throw my stomach, only dance on my tongue.

Links:
Official Akari Site
Great reviews on Zagat

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Posted in Japanese, Long Island, Sushi | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 19, 2009

Salerno – Italian Deli, Massapequa, LI

Salerno Fine Italian Food
Categories: Delis, Ethnic Food
4141 Merrick Rd
Massapequa, NY 11758
(516) 798-2553
(closed Mondays)

I went with the expectation of eating the greatest Italian hero I’ve ever known. Part of the anticipation came because I came on a Monday three times in a row, only to give myself repeated self-deprecating moments of remembering that they are closed Mondays. The other part was the chalk board out front advertising the Italian hero and the prior experiences walking past where I took notice of the sign’s genuine nature.

You can see the dried meats in the pictures. Looks pretty legit to me. As for the Italian hero, while not the biggest, there were some great cuts of meat in there plus roasted red peppers without my request Thank you.

Not THE greatest, but still very good (the bread could have a little more love put into it), I am still on my search. That being siad, this is a place that should be documented. This is an obviously authentic Italian store and deli which avoids the ubiquitous Boars Head meats. If you are looking for an Italian market and feel like Salpino’s might be selling out, here you will find shelves stocked 10 feet high of real Italian foods operated by no punk kids. What makes it good is not love, but it’s is serious.

Links:
Chowhounders search for an Italian hero

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Posted in Deli, Italian, Long Island | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Orlick | October 18, 2009

The Belmar Pub – Binghamton, NY

The Belmar Pub
95 Main St
Binghamton, NY 13905
(607) 724-5920

If you like the Belmar, you probably won’t like downtown and vice versa. Unlike downtown, however, there is a definite dearth of other options for a similar venue in the immediate area. The result is an uncanny amount cross breeding.

That being said, the music is not great but tolerable. The drinks prices don’t always make sense but are cheap and buybacks are possible with enough good karma.

People say it’s hipsters that go there, but I don’t think so. Just misguided youths. They don’t know what a hipster is.

I don’t remember it like this when I was in school… Serious meat market. There is about a 2:1 guy to girl ratio and it seems most have gone home with most at one time or another. And if they haven’t (or even they have), by the end of the night it gets pretty desperate with guys hanging (or more accurately “begging”) by the bar waiting for their chance of one last quip for one of the pretty bartenders. Surprisingly, I’ve seen it work.

Links:
Belmar MySpace page
Belmar on Urban Dictionary
BinghamtonLive review
Belmar on Facebook

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Posted by: Orlick | October 17, 2009

Frankie’s Tavern – Binghamton Bar, a Karaoke experience

Frankie’s Tavern
126 Henry St
Binghamton, NY 13901
(607) 773-8146

The closest possible jaunt from a game, caddy corner NYSEG stadium’s entrance and you will stumble into Frankie’s. Literally, you will stumble in Frankie’s because there’s at least 2 camouflaged steps leading up to the bar through a door always crowded with patrons possibly smoking.

We were so happy to find they were holding karaoke. It was my first real experience doing it. What a great time! The way the “stage” is set up, there is a bar on a lower level which you may find yourself singing to if anyone bothers turning around to hear your rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing”.

There is a a larger space with a pool table and other tables to sit at if you want to passively drink, think, and research your next song. I am guessing the bar was as busy as it gets, but still the queue for a song was around 4 or 5 songs. The crowd is kind of encouraging too.

The four of us probably had 10 songs altogether. We learned that some songs just aren’t good and if you like a song for it’s guitar playing, it’s probably not a good song to karaoke to. From both ends, I like it when it’s a solo rather than a group sing, but you know, sometimes people need some help.

When we finally left we were treated like kings by the ladies hanging out possibly smoking at the front door.
“Ohh, YOU were my favorite! You should try out for American Idol” (I’m not kidding)
Then we noticed nearly all the patrons were a result of the state’s mass eviction of patients from the mental hospital back in the 70’s. (I’m not kidding) – so we kinda took it with a grain of salt.

Unfortunately the nice girl who runs the karaoke machine has since moved to Texas. I may have to retire my excellent Marty Robbins rendition of El Paso, too bad. Where’s my motivation now?

Pitchers are Binghamton cheap, so that’s good.

Links:
Binghamton State Hospital RIP

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Posted by: Orlick | October 16, 2009

Yamashiro Sushi – Clinton Ill, Brooklyn

Yamashiro
Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bar
466 Myrtle Ave
(between Hall St & Washington Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11205
(718) 230-3313

–”Hey, I saw a Japanese place on the way over here. It looks pretty cool, you want to go?” –
I was attracted to the relative plainness of the signs outside. Blue and white. Big name. Dark and quiet. Looks legit.

– “Those rolls look great, I feel sorry for who was actually eating them though.” –
The rolls were impressive. We sat at the bar and watched the young chefs furiously creating intricate, mostly inside-out rolls. All sorts of tempura, roe on top, avocado accented, densely filled varieties. More than a couple of times I wondered to myself: “How are they going to fit all of THAT into a roll??” Now, I am not usually one for rolls, but watching the process here sure is fun.

– “Is there a bathroom in this place? There’s gotta be, hold on…” –
Maybe I am spoiled, but there were no hand towels at the beginning or end. For the clean conscious like me, with no visible bathroom in their box dining room, this is a bit disconcerting.

– And I said, “Not bad .” –
Portions seem fair to me. Prices are reasonable.

– “They sure do cut a lot of fish here.” –
Definitely a high volume place, so it seems everything should be fresh, though I wouldn’t count on it being supreme cuts of fish – and why would it be? Frankly, I don’t believe the patrons to be too discerning of their quality of fish.

– “That was okay.” -*
I wouldn’t travel across boroughs or even neighborhoods for Yamashiro, but it’s agreeable if you are in the area with a few friends.

Links:
Par reviews from yelp
Menu and Order online

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Posted by: Orlick | October 16, 2009

Frosty Joes – Binghamton Ice Cream

Frosty Joes
Category: Ice Cream
8 Track Dr
Binghamton, NY 13903
(607) 760-9633

Woooohoooo! – This is one of those places in the middle of America that gets tremendously crowded because of a delicious niche item they’ve stumbled upon.

They have this great ice cream machine, here’s how it works:
-There are 24 flavors to choose from,
-You pick out any combination of flavors you want,
-They create a soft serve cone in the back using the flavors you picked in a base of vanilla mixed with those types of syrup.

I had banana coconut, my friend had rum cheesecake. If there are 24 flavors to choose from, how many combinations are there? I took discrete mathematics in university, is the answer (24!)? The owners were really happy to list for us all of the combinations people have had in the past. I wonder if anybody’s asked for ‘alluvem.’

Links:
Open your own Frosty Joes (it’s basically just this machine)

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