Hudson River Cafe

Hudson River Cafe in Harlem, looks like nothing special - even a bit like a dive, peeking out from its spot under the overpass by the river.

Inside, it is sleek and modern and empty. Christmas Eve, we came here, looking for good food and drinks to celebrate Barb's birthday. We scored 1 of 2.

The hostess was a little weird but the busboy and waiter made up with plenty of attention - we never lacked for water, for clean plates or anything else that we might normally have had to wave down for but due to the slow night, we had plenty of attention.

Downstairs, was a smaller area set up with a bar, seating, hostess stand and kitchen. It was expanded by promise of seating outside in an enclosed space with another bar.

We chose to sit upstairs and spied a room closed off - it might have been a dance floor but we don't know.
Just the drink menu was confusing enough as we just had no idea what to choose. Barb got a sampling of their sangria but it wasn't the best so she opted out of it. Finally we settled on the Pomegranate Martini for Barb and the Very Berry Caipirinha for myself.

Pomegranate Martini

Barb was not thrilled with her pomegranate martini. I expect it didn't have pizazz one might expect from pomegranate but it was clear she was not enamored of the drink.

I concurred. My Very Berry Caipirinha was not the tastiest drink nor was it strong. I am not an alcohol enthusiast by any means but this was one big disappointment. I am not certain it was the drink itself or bartender but something tells me that the bartender was not into his job that night.

Very Berry Caipirinha

After sipping our drinks, we concentrated on getting some food order in. As we could not decide, we finally chose two appetizers (luckily not four) - the empanadas and the buffalo shrimp.

Empanadas

The empanadas came in a trio. There was beef, chicken, cheese w/ collard greens. Interestingly enough, I have never tasted collard greens in my life. I think it's lack of southern cooking in my life...(Melba's?). :)

Collard Greens with Cheese

The Collard Greens was surprisingly good. It reminded me of spinach and cheese. Then again, I doubt that anything you fry would taste bad...so these empanadas were already delicious because of the crispy crust.

Beef Empanada

The beef was very good. Again, very flaky crust; good seasoned meat inside. It was hard to cut in half but we did it.

Chicken Empanada

This was just as good as the beef one. I admit a love of empanadas to begin with - mostly the one I found called "Argentinian Empanada' but empanadas are good. No matter what. :)

Buffalo Shrimp

Buffalo shrimp. Need I say more? After liming it up, these tasty and well cleaned shrimps paired well with the bleu cheese dip. It had the right amount of spice cut by the citrusy lime and cooled by the dip. Needless to say we polished off this plate - just the shrimp though.

Costillas de Buey

Barb ordered the Costillas de Buey, which are braised short ribs, pomegranate & rioja red wine reduction, manchego yucca mash. However she subbed the yucca mash for mashed potatoes instead. These were plated as seen above with a lovely orchid.

Seafood Paella

I should have ordered something less daunting but I went for the full monty - half lobster, various seafood as you can see and squid ink rice.

As expected,  I couldn't finish the massive plate. I tried to pick off as much shellfish as I could - meaning my favorite lobster and mussels but I managed some rice, clams, and squid. :)

We had to get ours in doggy bags to go. :X

However, because it was Barb's birthday, we had to get dessert in. Even if it meant, unbuttoning the jeans and praying not to explode. :)

They disappointed us with not having flan - by that I meant me...but they had the tres leches cake (3 milk cake) so we shared that.

As the waiter knew it was Barb's birthday, she got a candle too. (sorry, I only use my iphone now since I hate carrying lots of items).

Tres leches cake topped with candle

Luckily no singing was involved! Barb made a wish, blew out the candle and cut the cake in half. It was good - not that sweet but it was not as good as Agozar's.

I have to admit - all latin places are compared to Agozar's in my mind. :)

Hudson River Cafe

697 West 133rd Street 

New York, NY 10027-7303
T.  (212) 491-9111

Hours:

Happy Hour 4pm to 7pm (Subject to change due to private events)
Dinner Tuesday thru Saturday 5pm to 12am,
Sunday and Monday 5pm to 10:30pm
Saturday & Sunday Brunch 11am to 4pm, Dinner 5pm to 1030pm
Live Music Schedule (Sat and Sun From 11am to 3:30pm)

Happy Hour 4pm to 7pm (Subject to change due to private events)
Dinner Tuesday thru Saturday 5pm to 12am,
Sunday and Monday 5pm to 10:30pm
Saturday & Sunday Brunch 11am to 4pm, Dinner 5pm to 1030pm
Live Music Schedule (Sat and Sun From 11am to 3:30pm)

Zaitzeff Burger

David wanted burgers so he suggested the evil McDs!!! However, we ended up going to Zaitzeff Burger on 2nd Ave.

Well done just the way I like it.

McDs, it is not! They grill to order. But the extras range from cheese to onions, about $1 onwards per topping but worth a look.

The special is more than enough to satisfy a lunch appetite.

Fully assembled again after ketchup

The burger itself was pretty lean, and they listened when I asked for really well done. It was still moist served on a muffinish looking bun. I think it's sourdough or something. xP Very nicely seasoned and the cheese gave it more flavor.

Crispy tasty fries served in a paperbag.

The fries were crispy and served up in a paper bag. This was not a good idea as the bag is not ventilated so the fries started to get soggy. They were still nicely seasoned but not too salty!

All in all, this was a very good burger, with decent fries even if the carryout is not ideal.

Zaitzeff Burger
711 2nd Ave, between 38th and 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
tel. 212.867.3471

El Parador

El Parador is a Mexican restaurant on 34th street, near the NYU Medical Center.

I went to lunch with Ravi, David, and Jane.

We had toyed with getting the prix fixe lunch special but decided to not get it. Good decision all around.

They served nachos with very fresh hot salsa, with the right amount of tang, spice, and herbs.

Just these chips with the salsa was worth the visit!

Jane got the tostada salad, of course. Ravi got the chicken enchiladas and David got chicken burrito. All were really good. Their plates were practically licked clean. (＾ｰ^)ノ

Jane's Chicken Tostada Salad

David's Chicken Burrito

Ravi's Chicken Enchiladas

I got the camarones al ajillo. The six shrimp were very clean. But the sauce was not as garlicky as I would like. I kept the pot to grab the sauce because I needed more to flavor the rice.

Camarones al Ajillo

It was good but not as good as Agozar's. And what appeared to be just a smidgen of food turned out to be a lot. I was stuffed.

El Parador
325 East 34th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel.212.679.6812
Hours: Monday - Saturday, 12 noon-Midnight

Closed Sundays in August and major holidays.

Afternoon Tasting Hour Special

$5 beer, sangria & house margaritas; 1/2 price select appetizers. At the bar only.
Monday-Saturday, 3-6 PM

Arriba Arriba

After a grueling week at work, I needed a break. Barb cancelled Gravy because she was working late. Since I owed her toys for her toy drive, I decided to buy them and go uptown.

Dark but interesting

Arriba Arriba is a Mexican restaurant in the upper 80s on the East Side. As you can see, they have decor that reminds me of the desert at night - skull included. O_o

Mango Marguerita

We quickly got our mango margueritas in. - Yum. Great drink after a long week.

 After furiously debating over which dish to choose, I went with the mole poblano, in the end. Barb got the camarones al aljillo or shrimp in garlic sauce.

Shrimp in Garlic Sauce

Yellow rice and salad

My Mole was ok. Truth be told, the mole dishes at Mole on 2nd Ave was better. It was somewhat indescribable tasting although it was chicken breast meat but rather uninspired and rather limp tasting. All in all, I did notice it was more non-ethnic crowd. The lone female waitress was inattentive to us but super attentive to all the other tables. We had the nice male staffers taking very good care of us. But the food was just not inspired.

Pollo Mole Poblano

Rice with Black beans

Arriba Arriba
1463 3rd Ave, between 82nd & 83rd Streets
New York, NY 10028
tel. 212.249.1423
Hours: No idea - not on website.

Baba...what?

Baba-burger! Babaganoush is a eggplant spread that is popular in the Mediterranean. It is also the only form of eggplant I will eat. However, this vegetarian burger is made out of a nicely seasoned flattened falafel - a patty - topped with arugula, 'goat cheese', and two slices of tomato in a whole wheat bun.

Baba-burger

However, I tasted no goat cheese - only the babaganoush and the arugula. I tossed out the overly ripe tomato slices. But even without the goat cheese, the babaganoush was delicious over the equally delicious flattened falafel burger.

I was not disappointed in either the size or the taste. Both were satisfying but I was looking forward to goat cheese. ;P

Crisp
684 3rd Ave (@ 43rd St
New York, NY 10017
Hours: Mon-Fri 10:00am-9:00pm, Sat-Sun 12:00am-8:00pm

Cake Boss Cafe

After you go through an exhibit @ Discovery Times Square, you can load up on Sugar at the Cake Boss Cafe.

KA got the layered cookies and a chocolate with nuts tart. She says the tarts were like eating Baci with a crust. The tricolor cookies were ok but not fantastic but way better than some of the other bakeries. However, the flavor was warped by being refrigerated.

Chocolate Nut Tart, Tricolored cookies

I just got the lobster tail. This flaky layered concoction was filled with a lighter than custard vanilla flavored filling and was not as messy or sweet as I was forewarned and expected. It was quite delicious. I liked the flaky layers and the filling a lot.

Lobster Tail

Cake Boss Cafe @ Discovery Times Square
226 W. 44th Street, between 7th & 8th Avenues
New York, NY 10036
Hours: M - F 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, Sat & Sun - 11:00 am - 6:30 pm
Admission to Discovery Times Square exhibits is not needed to visit the Café.

Public House

Yesterday, we went out to Public House for lunch. The Public House is a sports bar/restaurant - at the bar and some tables, you have a view of the large screens filled with sports images.

It is a rather large and open space. Beware though - get a reservation because they fill up and if you like sitting in booths, then a reservation is a must.

After debating over the many dishes on the menu, we finally ordered:

Pulled Pork on Poppy seeded Bread

David got the luscious looking pulled pork on a poppy roll with shoestring fried onions, pickle and he substituted the coleslaw for the well seasoned fries (salted and herbed). I was offered and tried some of the pulled pork. This pulled pork was moist, well seasoned and beyond easy to eat. And eat. And eat. But I only took a small forkful. It was not drowning in a well of sauce and was absolutely delicious.

Mediterranean Salad with chicken

Rania made the calorie conscious choice of the hummus with pita bread salad - aka Mediterranean salad with chicken. It's got that brown dipping sauce. Very delicious, she said.

And I broke my usual beef-free diet by having the Public House Burger. As always, I like my burger really well done. So my well-done burger came really well done like I requested. Love it! It was not as moist because it was really well-done. In this case, I would have blended the meat with chopped onion before grilling it because that adds moisture and flavor.

However, it was still a very tasty burger - served on - get this - English Muffin!! You had your choice of toppings, from mushrooms to bacon to onions, etc. I chose mozzarella cheese and bacon. And they did what most places do not... Well done bacon!! It was lovely, super crispy and just awesome.

Public House Burger, with mozzarella and bacon

I always cut my burgers - this time in just halves and then demolished it all. I did remove the sliced of onion and the tomato first before I added ketchup. It was a decent burger - should have more taste in the meat itself but with the saltiness of the bacon and the mozzarella, it turned out fine.

Now the one that you must taste here is definitely the french fries. This time it was a bit saltier than usual but it was well peppered with herbs and salt. Dipped in ketchup, it was nice toasty crunch! Much better than many places. They should give mayo so you can have ketchup mixed with mayo for an even tastier combo. :)

All in all, Public House is a great lunch or happy hour spot. I've had their appetizers and they're delicious.

Public House

140 East 41st Street

New York, NY 10017

tel. 212.682.3710

Hours:  

Lunch Daily: 11:30am - 5:00pm
Dinner Nightly 5:00pm - 11:00pm

Chicken parm

For a quick bite outside the office, we went to Abitino's on 2nd.

We all decided to have the same thing - chicken parm sub - to stay and drinks.

Abitino's is one of the many pizzerias in Manhattan. The decor is non-existent and the tables and chairs are distressed. It looked like they may be planning to spruce up the place or the menu broke because when we were there, we did not see the menu.

The chicken was pounded flat, breaded and fried. The chicken was placed on a toasted bread. Then a slightly seasoned tomato sauce was poured or in this case, lightly brushed on.

It was rather dry for me. The sauce was not that fantastic and it was actually bland and had little by way of flavor. Oh and mozzarella was rubbery where it had cooled.

It settled in your stomach like a brick. I think next time, I will stick to the stuffed shells, lasagna or calamari.

Abitino's Pizza
733 2nd Ave (between 39th St & 40th St)
tel. 212.661.1919
Open: M - F 9.30 am - 10.45 pm, Sat 10 am - 10.45 pm, and Sun 11 am - 10.45 pm

Healthy Huevos Rancheros

Healthy Huevos Rancheros

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1 small or medium tomato, diced
• 1/3 avocado, diced
• ½ lime
• 1 corn tortilla
• 1 fresh eggs
• 1 Tsp fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
• Vinegar 1-2 tbsp
• Strawberries (5) cut in ¼ s

Method

1. Make the salsa first by chopping the onions, tomatoes and avocado, and then toss them in a bowl with lime juice. Add cilantro, salt and pepper to taste as needed.  
2.  Prepare the poached egg. Add the vinegar to the water, bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, add the egg to the water gently. Watch the egg, once it floats to the top after approximately 1-3 minutes it is done.Take the egg out of the water gingerly so you do not break the yoke.
3. Prepare the (store bought) corn tortilla in the microwave while the egg is poaching; it usually takes 1 minute in a damp paper towel.
4. Arrange the plate; put the cut strawberries to one side of the plate. Place the tortilla on the bottom of the other side of the plate, place the poached egg on the tortilla and layer the salsa mixture on top of the egg. Top with a little more cilantro salt and pepper to taste.

 Enjoy!!!

Total Calories =262

Delicious Rolls from Hiroshi

I had no idea what I wanted so I just ordered three rolls from Hiroshi.

I ordered the sweet potato tempura roll, pumpkin tempura roll, and avocado cucumber roll. Two rolls would have been sufficient. But I did my best to finish.

Three rolls from Hiroshi

The pumpkin was very good and it was not too sweet.

The sweet potato roll was wonderfully sweet and delicious.

The avocado cucumber roll was refreshing between the two tempura rolls.

Hiroshi
585 3rd Ave #38
New York, NY 10016
tel (212) 661-9288
Hours:
Lunch: Mon - Fri, 11 am - 3 pm
Dinner: Mon - Fri, 5 pm - 11 pm
Lunch & Dinner: Sat - Sun, 2 pm - 11 pm

Energy Kitchen

I got Energy Kitchen's five egg whites, turkey bacon on honey wheat English muffin and their C boosting smoothie blend.

The sandwich was good and still warm even though they were so slow in delivery. The turkey bacon was just the right crispiness - not burnt and not floppy soft. The egg whites were firm and the cheese is decent for american cheese...

Honey Wheat Muffin with Egg whites, turkey bacon and cheese

The smoothie was delicious but the only size is a filling 24 ounces. The Vaccinator is their vitamin c booster, and it was very tasty. It was made with orange juice, strawberries and banana.

Vaccinator

Energy Kitchen 

300 east 41st street (at 2nd ave)

New York, NY 10017

tel. (212) 687-1200

Hours: 

Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 10:00pm

Saturday, 9:00am - 9:00pm

Sunday, 10:00am - 9:00pm

Breakfast @ Panini Tozt

We all know Tiffany's doesn't serve breakfast but Panini Tozt does. I used to go there all the time but  I don't pass by it any more.

Croissant with egg, cheese and turkey bacon

Now I order from them instead. This time I went with a turkey bacon cheese and egg croissant and a vanilla yogurt parfait with fruit and granola.

Croissants in NYC are never as good as in Paris. This croissant was neither flaky nor buttery. But my turkey bacon was extra crispy as I like it and the egg was scrambled and fluffy. The cheese was plain old American fake orange stuff.

The parfait was made with vanilla yogurt, kiwi slices, strawberries, pineapple, and granola.

Fruit Parfait

I also has an Earl Grey tea with splenda and skim milk. They always get it right with the right amount of milk.

Panini Tozt

589 1st Avenue 
New York, NY 10016-6413
tel. (212) 213-9199
Hours: 24 hours a day

Esperanto (brunch)

Esperanto

145 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009

(212) 505-6559

I had the Huevos Rancheros, which is basically a fried egg on a fried tortilla with fresh salsa. Some Mexican versions of this same dish may have a warm salsa. The meal came with a side of homemade potatoes that were seasoned with paprika and cayenne and it also came with a side of black beans.

The fresh salsa consisted of tomato, red onion, cilantro and chive, it was bright and refreshing. I do not taste any citrus...sadly. The black beans taste homemade but it could also be a doctored up version from the package.

The tortilla was not homemade, but I liked the crunch with the egg and maybe the citrus at second thought would not have been good with the egg.

I am going to get their most popular brunch drink...waiter says they make a great Bloody Mary! Ok let's see.

BTW great day outside while I wait! And Bubs is happy sitting outside.

There staff was very friendly and helpful!!!

I liked this place; I would like to come back at night to see the live music!

I will ask which band is most popular to make a second trip and I will update the blog!

Wow, the bloody Mary is not too strong, but it was spicy, I really liked it! Lots of pepper good balance of tomato, can't taste the alcohol, so that is good. The alcohol should not over power the other flavors.

This place was really inexpensive!!! Can't beat the prices...
Friendly staff, good food, decor and ambiance are just ok, but I still liked it.

Quickie Japanese Lunch @ Aki's

Friday, we went to lunch with Ravi. At first we were going to Hiroshi but ended up at Aki aka Tony's for their bento box.

Aki is typical pseudo Japanese fare made by Chinese chefs. The place is clean, according to their rating.

Salmon Teriyaki Bento Box for $8.95

Service is so-so. Our waitress did not pay attention to David as he asked for tea for the table. But she got both our drinks and orders right.

Ravi and I got curry shrimp bento boxes and David stuck to the salmon teriyaki box. 

I can't comment on his bento but it looked good. I don't generally eat teriyaki as good as it may be.Nor do I eat salmon.

Curry Shrimp Bento Box for $9.95

I can say that the California roll was fresh and the shrimp shumai has always been my favorite from here. Just the right amount of seasoning and soy on it. I did not need any more seasoning or soy.

I got shrimp curry which was over white rice. The shrimp was clean - about six were included. There were sliced onions, green peas, and diced carrots. I ate all but the onions, as usual. There was also some green veggie too.

They were in a medium spicy curry - I am not sure it was true Japanese curry but it was good. The rice soaked in the curry so it was quite tasty.

The bento came with a bland miso soup and a few pieces of lettuce drenched in their ginger salad dressing which I never eat. At $9.95, it was a quick and filling lunch.

Aki Sushi
720 2nd Ave
(between 38th St & 39th St)
New York, NY 10016
tel. (212) 922-1168
Hours: Your guess is as good as mine. They do not list this on their site. But you can order through Delivery.com, Seamless.com and their own site.

Cafe Pick Me Up

Cafe Pick Me Up
145 Avenue A
New York‎ NY‎ 10009-4949
United States

Strong coffee (Cafe Latte)
Recommendations: Mamas potatoes & flaky buttery croissants.

I had scrambled eggs with white cheddar and ham on a croissant. (You can choose various types of bread instead of croissants) The eggs were light and fluffy, the white cheddar and ham didn't add much flavor in this case, but it added salt and salt...not surprising but good.
The Atmosphere is really what I enjoy about this place. There is a quieter side in the back with cozy couches and Jazz music playing! It reminds me of my college days @ SUNY New Paltz. I love it, it is just how brunch mornings should be, relaxing.
Come with friends or alone; you will still feel comfortable. Tompkins Square Park is across the street, so you can always pick up a coffee, something to nosh on and stroll in the park.
The wait staff is friendly but very busy, so unlike most New Yorkers you need to have a little patience if you want a second cup of coffee or an additional croissant. The bakery goods are not made here, however they are delicious.
Wow, Otis Redding just came on! Gonna sit back relax and enjoy it!
(Chuck Johnson R.I.P.)