Magic Bean
My favorite coffee place in downtown NYC is The Bean.
Located at 446 Ave. of the Americas (or Sixth Avenue to natives), The Bean is a cozy spot with great coffee, refreshing brewed Ceylon Black Iced Tea and an array of edibles that puts Starbucks to shame. They have sandwiches, salads and yogurt from Bimmy’s (I used to work at a place where we ordered Bimmy’s deliveries all the time: they make good stuff), elegant pastries from Blackhound and a selection of vegan baked goods, including a vegan red velvet cake that I plan to try (and I’m not even a vegan).
The place has a rustic, relaxed vibe, great music is always playing (I think it’s satellite radio), the staff is friendly and there’s rentable internet service. If I lived in the neighborhood I’d practically live there. Nowadays I stop in whenever I want a treat and a minute or two to reflect. BTW, there’s another Bean at 49 1/2 First Ave. in the East Village.
The Bean, 446 Ave. of the Americas between 10th and 11th St New York City.
Robin
Hail, Caesar
A co-worker and I pop into Caesar’s, the very old-school Italian restaurant, located at 58 East 34th Street in Manhattan, for an after-work drink now and then. The place has a certain gently-worn charm and free food at the bar. The complimentary chow is usually pasta, chicken, meatballs in tomato sauce and rice and it’s very tasty (the chicken, usually either broiled or fried tastes very good). Caesar himself will greet you at the door in a nice suit and the friendly Emma tends bar. Drinks are reasonable. The bottles behind the bar have no speed pourers on them, which is unusual. If you’ve had a few and are there enough, maybe they’ll put Jeopardy! on the TV. A good place to stop off ont he way home from work and take the edge off. Caesar’s Italian & Continental Restaurant 58 East 34th Street New York NY 10016 (212) 689-1019
Tasty Toon
I just discovered an adorable animated TV show: Chowder, which airs on the Cartoon Network Thursdays at 8PM EST.
Set in the magical city of Marzipan, the show follows the adventures of Chowder, a young boy- type creature with light purple skin and a pink bunny-like hat, as he serves as apprentice to master chef Mung Daal. The whole show is based around food and recipes serve as the launching point for the stories. All the characters are named after edibles: Gazpacho, Kimchi, Pannini, Endive. The animation is very high quality and t he actors doing the voices do a great job. Chowder was created by C.H. Greenblatt, who bought the world Spongebob Squarepants. If you like food and cartoons, Chodwer is the perfect show for you. I found it a nice antidote to Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen, which gives me nightmares. Bon Apettoon!
Robin
Breakfast Au Cafe
A good place to go for an economical, leisurley breakfast in Downtown Jersey City is Legal Grounds, the coffee spot on Grand St, near Marin Blvd.
With its friendly neighborhood vibe, Legal Grounds is the place to roll into on a weekend morning after sleeping in a bit. The coffee (hot or iced) is always eye-opening and fresh. Grill master Willie can whip you up my favorite egg creation: a scrambled egg-and-cheese wrap with hot sauce. Mmm mmm. Another tasty option is their cranberry muffin; more horizontal than your standard model, but tastily cakelike and chock full of tart cranberries. Order it toasted with a bit of jelly on the side and you’re set. There’s a lso bagels (the supply of which sometimes runs out by late AM) and other kinds of muffins (such as their signature frosted green tea) too.
The only drag about Legal Grounds is that sometimes on weekends the staff prefers to have the TV audio on instead of music (Personally, I think all eating and drinking establishments should have some kind of music), but since it’s spring you have the option of sitting in their backyard and getting some sun.
Robin
Sushi Across the Hudson
It’s worth a quick trip on the PATH train to Downtown Jersey City for some great Japanese food.
I’m a big fan of Komegashi and Komegashi Too, both located in Downtown Jersey City, which offer delicious sushi and sashimi. Komegashi Too, located at 99 Town Square Place (201-533-8888), has a vibrant, lively atmosphere and plenty of seating. It’s a great place to take someone you want to impress.
I frequently go to Komegashi, at 103 Montgomery St, for an end-of-the-week treat. Things always get off to a great start with the complimentary edamame placed on the table soon after you sit down. I usuallly get the ebi gyoza — delicately fried shrimp dumplings, very light and fresh — as an appetizer, followed by the delicious spicy maki combo. The spicy maki combo has spicy tuna and salmon maki accented with yummy spicy mayo. The dish is spiced just enough to have a kick without being too hot. I am thinking of trying the chirashi — sashimi over rice– next time.
Desserts are great at Komegashi. I like the hazelnut chocolate crepe served with vanilla ice cream and the Ice Cream Tempura. The atmosphere here is quieter and more intimate than Komegashi Too — very good for conversation. The service is always attentive and reliable and the menu prices are reasonable. Defnitely worth a visit or two.
Robin:)
Snack attack
I’m not a really big snacker, but I do get the munchies here and there. These are some of my favorite things to satisfy between-meal hunger:
1) Robin’s Egg (named after myself, of course): Take a small dish or saucer and sprinkle hefty doses of salt, black pepper, paprika and, if you’re feeling adventurous, Mrs. Dash. Hard boil an egg, remove shell and roll egg in spice mixture on plate until well-coated. Keep a napkin nearby (your hands might get messy) and enjoy!
2) Pretzelnapple Cottage Cheese: At work, I sometimes grab a tub of Friendship cottage cheese with pineapple (the best-tasting variety if you ask me) from the deli in the lobby and also snag a big bag of Sunny Sam’s Oat Bran pretzels (Very low in calries and nice and crunchy). Together, these make a yummy, if a little odd, taste treat. The sweetness of the pineapple offsets the saltiness of the pretzels in a nice way.
3) Wasabi peas: Ah yes, the Korean deli favorite. Crunchy and spicy and usually a pretty good deal, pricewise. Typically found in a plastic tub near the crunchy assorted rice snacks. Good for keeping on your desk.
4) Milk Chocolate-covered cranberries from Trader Joe’s. This is my favorite snack while watching New Amsterdam (season finale April 14, bummer!). I always liked chocolate-covered raisins and these are a nutritional step up (maybe? maybe I’m kidding myself). My bud who works at a TJ’s in Jersey scores them for me. I can’t deal with the crowds at the one on 14th St.
5) Altoids Dark Chocolate Dipped Mints. Props to Marisha C.-S. for tipping me off to these. I usually prefer milk chocolate, but these are yummy nonetheless and good for stisfying a chocolate fix when you’re watching the scale. The combo of mint and chocolate is always a winner in my book.
Happy snacking!
Robin:)
Farewell Florent
The Fox 10 0′Clock News reported on Tuesday night that Florent, the venerable, reasonably-priced 24-hour French restaurant in the Meatpacking District will close in June. I was saddend to hear this. Reportedly, the eatery’s rent is increasing from $9000 per month to the astronomical sum of $60,000 per month.
I have many fond memories of going to Florent. Moslty popping in late at night after clubbing in my younger days. I remember going there late one night around 1990 with my boss from PAPER Magazine after hanging out at Siberia on Washington Street, having a bite and then going home and staying up to write a paper on John the Baptist for my philosophy class. I had a great meal there on New Year’s Day of 1997 with some friends. The last time I was there was on the day of Wigstock around 2000. I sat at the counter and had something to eat and my friendly waiter was a guy wearing pigtails and a straw cowboy hat.
I loved the goat cheese salad at Florent, and although I forget exactly what cut it was, I enjoyed their steak with frites. The atmosphere was always lively, the waitstaff gracious. I never had to wait very long for a table.
The epidemic of restaurants and businesses closing up because of skyrocketing rents is an outrage: it’s destroying the essence of the city. Florent, the Zen Palate that was on Union Square,the Cheyenne diner, two big Barnes & Noble stores all had to close due to landlord greed. Is Mahattan just going to be filled with Burberrys and Louis Vuitton boutiques? Is the decently-priced restaurant with some personality going to become an extinct species? I hope not, but things don’t look good.
Welcome to Yummyworld
Hello! This is Yummyworld, a blog mostly about, but not limited to, food. My editorial scope is mainly the New York/New Jersey area but may reach beyond.
I decided to do this blog because I have things to say, ideas, opinions, etc. about food and other topics. Please check it out and feel free to leave comments.
Warmly,
Robin Eisgrau
McSwanky Mickey D’s
If you’re not totally opposed to eating at a McDonald’s, the McD’s on Lower Broadway near Fulton Street in NYC is worth a visit due to its posh decor. The workers all wear spiffier-than-usual uniforms with golf caps and ties, the upstairs dining area is accented with purple neon, and they have live piano music. I went in there not too long ago in a bad mood and while waiting to order my Filet-O-Fish meal, heard the strains of “Daydream Believer” coming from the pianist and I immediately felt better. The next time you’re hunting through the racks at Century Twenty One and your stomach starts rumbling, you might want to check it out.
Lunchtime in Midtown NYC
New Yorkers working in Midtown are faced with a daily conundrum: where to get a tasty, substantial lunch for under ten dollars. I’ve sampled various places in my area and the best place to fill your belly around noonish is Cafe Metro.
Standouts at Cafe Metro are the prepackaged salads, which come with lush mixed greens and a protein with some thought put into it: sesame encrusted salmon, Chile chicken salad with sliced seasoned chicken breast, hummus with eggplant (I haven’t tried the tuna salad or chef’s salad, but they do look good). One of these salads and a can of soda will only set you back around 8 bucks. Not bad.
Cafe Metro is also a good spot to grab breakfast. I usually get a large iced coffee (you assemble it yourself ) which comes in flavors such as hazelnut and French vanilla as well as Cafe Metro roast, and a small oatmeal (made with skim milk) topped with a choice of sliced strawberries, bananas, granola, raisins and/or brown sugar. All for about 5 bucks and change. They do omlettes and eggs in the morning, which I should try.
There’s about a dozen Cafe Metro shops in Midtown. More info at http://www.cafemetrony.com
I used to really like Pret A Manger and I still think their sandwiches are delicious and I’m glad they have fair trade coffee and organic milk, but they are really expensive. Their sandwiches don’t fill you up, either. I once went there and got a chicken and bacon sandwich, a soup and a can of their super-whatsy vitamin blah blah soda and my total was 14 dollars. I put everything back and got some pizza down the street. I’ll still pop in for coffee but I’ll leave it at that.
