Katalog

Who doesn’t love dessert?  I could eat sugary foods for dinner if I had the option.  That’s why it was difficult to decide on what the best sugar rush I’ve ever had is.  And then it hit me.  But first, lets refer back to the show.

Stand 4 had been recommended to me by a co-worker.  They had a Yelp.com offer, and I decided to get it, since it would force me to go there.  I finally made it there for my birthday lunch.  Michael Symon said he loved the toasted marshmallow milk shake, and since I love that flavor, I went for it.  First, I had the breakfast burger, which had bacon and a fried egg on top.  It was really good.

My friend Meghan, cousin Kristy, and I each got the famed milk shakes.  I got the toasted marshmallow.  I really like that they have small portions.  After a burger, I really didn’t want a full-sized shake.  So the mini was just right.  There was a lot of marshmallow flavor in the shake, and just enough toasty-ness to make it feel like you are by the campfire.  If you are in the Union Square area, seek out Stand 4.  They have good food in a nice atmosphere for reasonable prices. (I had a $50 gift certificate, and the three of us got out of there for under $15, including tip.)

The best sugar rush thing I’ve ever had is found in New Jersey.  Salt Gastropub in Byram is this awesome place my brother took me to one day.  I fell in love with it.  Their food is classic with a twist, and they have a lot of craft beers.  I can’t get enough.  But the best thing they have is their peanut butter pie.  Its a chocolate crust, creamy peanut butter filling, and more chocolate drizzled on top.  As if that weren’t enough, they serve a blackberry jam on the side (that I’m pretty sure is homemade) and fresh whipped cream.  It’s better than the best PB&J sandwich.  My mouth waters for this pie.  Unfortunately I don’t have a picture, but trust me, its amazingly good.

Next month: Pizza!

I’m always telling my mom she would love many of the movies I have in my large DVD collection.  We just never get around to watching them.  So we came up with the idea to start watching movies she hasn’t seen and I haven’t seen in a while.  Starting yesterday, every Saturday while my dad is racing, we are going to watch girlie movies.  And since I’m always looking for a reason to try the recipes I come across, we are going to have food that somehow relates to our movie of the week.  Hence, the Flanders Film & Food Festival. 

Our first movie was Mona Lisa Smile.  I had a hard time finding a recipe for this movie, and then, Twitter came to my rescue.  I saw a post for Wellesley fudge cupcakes.  Since MLS takes place at Wellesley College, it was perfect!

The cupcakes turned out nicely.  They were fudgey and not too sweet.  It was a perfect complement to our night.  I can’t wait until next week for our next movie!

Another 3 restaurants, another bunch of great meals.  Its shocking that its taken me this long to eat at all 3 NYC MvF locations, seeing as I’m in the city 5+ days a week.  But I’ve finally gone to Katz’s, Sylvia’s, and Brick Lane, and am ready to report back.

I’ll start with Brick Lane.  Adam did the hot phaal challenge at the East Village location on the show.  I was definitely not even going to attempt that, so I went for my tried and true: chicken tikka masala.  I ordered delivery from the midtown east location.  I guess I’m used to fewer/milder spices in my tikka, but this was very tasty nonetheless.  The portion was very large, though.  It was a bad idea to order this, then sit in the middle of the row at the show I went to see after work.  I would say go to Brick Lane on a very empty stomach.  It was very tasty and flavorful, with a large menu of delicious-sounding items.

In January, my dad and I ventured downtown and had lunch at Katz’s Deli.  I had heard that you need to order a certain way or they won’t serve you, so I was a little nervous.  But everyone behind the many counters was so nice.  Not only that, the food was really good.  I am no fan of pastrami or corned beef, and my stomach doesn’t like me to eat sausage, so I figured I would have a tummy ache the next day.  But I knew my dad would enjoy himself, so we went.

My dad ordered pastrami on rye.  On the first bite, he said it was the best he’d ever had.  I had a small piece and agreed it was delicious. 

I, always keeping my blog in mind, decided to have something I’d seen on an episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate.  I ordered the knoblewurst, a garlic beef sausage.  As I mentioned, I steer clear of sausage at all costs.  But since this was beef, I hoped I would be safe (I was, fyi.)  The sausage was really good.  I got it with mustard and sauerkraut.  It was charred a bit on the outside to give it a nice flavor.  It was a great choice for my lunch.

If you want real New York food, go to Katz’s Deli.  This is where the heart of the city is.  My dad and I both enjoyed our lunch (and Adam Richman tweeted me when I mentioned I was there, so it was really exciting for me).

Today, I completed my journey when my dad and I ventured to Harlem for the first time to have lunch at Sylvia’s.

I knew from MvF and other shows that Sylvia’s is known for their ribs and fried chicken.  That’s what we ordered.  All dishes come with two sides, which is why you get so full eating there.  I had the ribs.  The sauce was different than ones I’ve had before.  It was sweet, but not like molasses-based sauces.  This one had lemons and onions in it when it was served.  It was good, but I couldn’t pin down any particular ingredient.

The mac and cheese was really good.  It wasn’t too cheesy, but it was just right.  The beans were yummy too.

My dad had the fried chicken, and gave me a small piece.  It was delicious!  I wished I had gotten that.

We got desserts to take home.  I have no doubt the peach cobbler will be amazing.

All in all, Katz’s was the best place on this episode.  All of these spots are famous in the city.  Katz’s and Sylvia’s have been around for so many years that they have rightly earned their reputation as the best the city has to offer. 

If you are visiting the city, it should go without saying that you need to steer clear of any Times Square restaurants.  Find out what place has the best kind of food you want and go there.  Chances are, you will find your new favorite restaurant.  That’s what Man v Food encourages, I feel.  I would have never gone to Harlem, or made the effort to go down to Katz’s.  But I’m glad I did.

This is going to come as a shock, being the foodie I like to think I am, but I am not obsessed with bacon.  I like it, but as a breakfast food I prefer sausage.  I really like bacon in desserts or sweet dishes.  I also love BLTs, without the T.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get to Brooklyn to try Ted Allen’s Recommendation of the BLT at Choice Bakery.  I was going to go yesterday, but my mom vetoed the decision.  I’ll still try to get there and report back soon.

But that is my favorite thing with bacon?  Its actually something I saw on another episode of Best Thing.  Its the quiche Lorraine from Bouchon Bakery.  You may know it from the Today Show, where they opened about a year ago.  Its a cute little place with soups, sandwiches, salads, and a beautiful dessert case (then again, what dessert case isn’t beautiful?)  Their quiches are the perfect portion for one and are FILLED with bacon.  Even with all that bacon, the quiche is not greasy.  It’s just flavorful and cheesy and yummy.  It is a bit of a pricy place to go (the quiche was $6), but its worth treating yourself to a delicious and filling lunch.
                      

Next month: Sugar Rush!