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Small Shops

East Village, Small Shops
A Plate O’ Lamb Meat at Xi’an Famous Foods – NYC
04.03.11 | Permalink | 5 Comments

I was in the mood for noodle soup yesterday, but mistakenly ordered the Stewed Lamb Ribs & Spine ($9.75) at Xi’an Famous Foods. A mistake, but not a loss. The meat was tender and smoky with lots of different textures. Some parts were meaty, other parts more chewy or fatty. The stewed bones come with plastic gloves so you can eat with your hands. Chopsticks won’t work here except to poke out marrow and the spinal cord. David asked if I wanted him to sit next to me to keep me company. I said, “No, this is going to be a dirty affair.” MORE »
Bakery, LES, Small Shops
Morning Doughnut Fun at Doughnut Plant – NYC
02.18.11 | Permalink | 15 Comments

This past Sunday was spent eating Chinese food, but the previous Sunday was spent eating doughnuts, er…. and then eating Chinese food. Nicholas was back in town and we decided to meet up for some doughnut fun at Doughnut Plant. His sister (T), Robyn, and Robyn’s friend Alex also joined in on the morning doughnut eating action. Of course at first there was a lot of bitchin’ on my part because Nick wanted to meet at 10 am and at one point someone suggested 9 am. My reaction: ‘Hell to the no!’ After many, many emails (all protests on my part), we finally settled on 10:30. As expected, I was late, Nick almost missed his bus back to Philly (SORRY!), and many tasty doughnuts were eaten. MORE »
Food Courts, K-Town, Small Shops
Big Bowl Mul Naengmyun at Food Gallery 32 – NYC
01.23.11 | Permalink | 3 Comments

I’ve been eagerly waiting to go to Food Gallery 32, the new Korean food court in K-Town. Finally, last week, I took a trip down. Twice to be specific. If you’re familiar with the food court in H-Mart on Broad Avenue in New Jersey, it’s similar, but much, much bigger. Like in H-Mart, you order and pay at one station, and then go to the restaurant from which you ordered to pick-up your food. At Food Gallery 32 though, you also get the added bonus of a buzzer (à la Outback Steakhouse). When the buzzer flashes and vibrates, it means your food is ready for pick-up. I’m kind of used to this type of ordering system, so I thought it was pretty straightforward, but when I ran into Gordon and the lovely ladies of Lunch Studio on a visit, they told me it was confusing. I guess it’s even more so if you’re not too familiar with Korean food and need to refer to pictures or visuals at the individual restaurants.

So far I’ve only tried Big Bowl at Food Gallery 32. Kal Guksu (칼국수, wheat flour noodle soup; $6.95), was way too salty, but I was really happy with their Mul Nang myun (also spelled mul naengmyun, 물냉면, noodles in icy cold beef broth; $7.95). MORE »
Flatiron, Food Halls, Restaurants, Small Shops, Specialty Markets
Dinner & Dessert at Eataly – NYC
10.05.10 | Permalink | 9 Comments

Eataly — the 50,000 square foot Italian food hall by Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and Lidia Bastianich — is becoming one of my favorite places in New York. If you haven’t been yet, I always tell people it’s like an Italian version of Mitsuwa (Yaohan for you old-schoolers that can’t accept change), but more cramped. If you’re not familiar with the Japanese marketplace in New Jersey, it’s like Whole Foods combined with a fancy food court. Or better yet, a food court for old people. Eataly isn’t perfect. Layout is problematic; dining areas are haphazardly scattered about, so it’s not unusual to have your table bumped by a cart as the driver rounds the corner to the fresh pasta case. People bumping is also common. On my last visit, I was treated to a show when two couples got into a shouting match over one party getting pushed by the other. But if you can get beyond the crazed environment, a great meal plus dessert can be easily had. MORE »
Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Small Shops
The Hawaiian Dessert Edition – Maui, Oahu
09.03.10 | Permalink | 4 Comments

With the help of shave ice, staying cool in Hawaii was pretty easy. And when we grew tired of shave ice (not me, David), there was always tart pineapple soft serve, guri-guri, and a variant of shave ice called snow. Cool yet? MORE »