Street Walking For Great Indian Food in the NYC

Biryani Cart

46th Street and 6th Avenue

New York, NY 10036

Eating street food is something everyone should do when visiting the city. Whether it is a hot dog in Battery Park, or a bag of nuts from any number places that sells them throughout the city, it is really part of the experience of being in New York.  I had a long list of restaurants to try while we were here, but I had no idea where to eat when it came to the food carts that were on every corner. Luckily for us we were staying on 46th street, which just happens to be the home of Biryani Cart.

The smell from the Biryani cart was the first thing to catch our attention. The smell of spices wafting through the air, along with the aroma of the meat got us to stop. Also, plastered all over their cart were reviews and accolades they had received. So we kind of ran into this place with some dumb luck.

I am not going to try and trick you into thinking I know a lot about cuisine from India. I don't know the difference between a Spicy Buradi and a Chennai Roll. In fact the first time we went to this cart I did not even look at the menu, and instead ordered the Spicy Gyro above. Not sure if this has a different name on the menu, but it was delicious. The meat had a great flavor, the bread a nice texture and it held up to the insides of the gyro nicely. The thing that popped out at me with this were the spices. Not just a spicy, big flavor, but savory at the same time.  On our second trip to the cart I had to get another one of these.

Our second trip, along with the gyro, we ordered the Kati Rolls. One with chicken and one with lamb. Picture a soft taco, with meat and seasoned very well and you basically have a Kati Roll in mind. Both of these were very good. We ordered ours spicy, and they were great. I would definitely get these again.

Eating at Biryani Cart really made me want to try some Indian/Middle Eastern cuisine when we got home. Katie felt that the food from the Biryani Cart was the best thing we ate on the trip. I will not go that far, but  it was in the upper echelon of foods that we had on our vacation.

So out of five Bengal tigers, (because that is the national animal for the country of Bangladesh, which is the home country of the owner and operator of the Biryani Cart), five being best to zero being worst, Biryani Cart gets 3.5 Bengal tigers.

Biryani Cart does not have a web site, but you can get reviews and info here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/biryani-cart-new-york

A Little Piece of Havana In Times Square

Margon Restaurant 

136 West 46th Street

New York, NY 10036

I was pretty excited to hear that there was a Cuban restaurant across from our hotel in New York. I have been on a real Cuban sandwich kick lately. The reviews for Margon had all been pretty positive also. Most on-line posts remarked that it was good food, for an even better price. Some have even called it the best food in Times Square. So with all this glowing praise, I could not be any happier to try it.

Margon is a very narrow, counter-style restaurant. Our first of two trips here was during the lunch rush, and organized chaos would be the way to describe what was going on here. The locals all had the system down, like ordering the Cuban sandwiches at the front part of the counter and ordering all other items at the back counter. I could tell my parents were a little sheepish about this place, so I told them I would order the sandwiches and bring them back across the street to our hotel. They seemed cool with that, and after about a five-minute wait we were tearing into our sandwiches. 

The Cuban sandwich here is a little different from what I am used to. At Margon the pressed sandwich comes with roasted pork, ham, salami, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, and cheese. The other Cuban sandwiches I have had contained all the same items, but no mayo or salami. The additional items did not make this sandwich worse, just a little different. I really liked the flavor of this sandwich. It was not the best Cuban sandwich I have had, but it was way better than most. Also, the $6 I paid for this sandwich really filled me up until dinner, so it was definitely a bargain.

Our second trip to Margon was for breakfast. The breakfast crowd at Margon is a little more subdued, and we had no trouble finding a table. My parents both got the omelet's above. My Mom went with the Cheese Omelette served with home fries. My Dad settled on the Ham and Cheese Omelette. Both egg dishes came with their choice of American or Swiss cheese, not my favorite kinds of cheese to come on an omelet. Both of my parents thought the omelet was okay, nothing special about them, except that they cost under $5, one of the cheapest items we had on this whole trip.

I went a different way for breakfast when I ordered the Media Noche Sandwich. This midnight sandwich was served on potato bread with ham, cheese, pickles, and mustard. I liked this sandwich better than the Cuban sandwich. The bread was softer, and the ham had a nice grill to it. The price you ask? How does $4 sound? Cheaper than even Subway's five-dollar foot long, and much better.

I was very happy about eating at Margon. If we had been here longer I would have for sure had some of their more exotic-sounding specials. The oxtail, lamb breast, and octopus salad all intrigued me, but those will have to wait for our next trip to the Big Apple. Also, next time I will try to avoid the lunchtime rush in this tiny restaurant.

Out of five yank tanks, (referring to big American cars of the '50s and 60's still in use in Cuba), five being best to zero being worst, Margon restaurant gets 2.5 yank tanks.  

For more information about Margon Restaurant, head to their website here: https://margon.has.restaurant/

Flopping on Broadway at Ellen's

Ellen's Stardust Diner

1650 Broadway

New York, NY 10019

I will preface this review by saying that I am not a real big Broadway guy. I have seen some shows, but I do not really seek them out. I usually only go because I know that someone else wants to go. I also have to admit that I am also put off by theater-type performers. Their thirst for attention and getting noticed usually comes off as desperate to me.

So with that said, I knew that Ellen's Stardust Diner would not be for me. I knew this going in, but I was still hoping for a good meal. I mean just because I had to listen to some song from Little Mermaid that I did not know, didn't mean they could not make a good breakfast, or a decent dessert, right?

Ellen Stardust Diner has been in business since 1987 in the heart of Times Square. Besides the singing wait staff, they have a 50's nostalgia theme going on here also. My parents, bigger Broadway fans than myself, had been here before and loved it. So we came here twice, once for breakfast and once for dessert. So let's see if the food will be a big hit or Broadway flop.

I will start with my Dad's omelet. To be honest, I did not try this omelet, and I am not even sure what was in it. From the picture, it looks like a veggie omelet. It also looked like it was a little sparse when it came to the cheese. My Dad finished this with no problem, and no complaints, so I will take that as it was good.

My Mom's standard breakfast is an egg sandwich on an English muffin. This was not even on the menu, but they accommodated her request. The bacon on this looked good, and again, I did not try this. She liked this meal, calling it, "good".

Katie followed my Mom's lead when she got the Breakfast Sandwich served on a bagel. Katie felt that this breakfast was average. She thought that the bagel was the best part of this meal.

I was not too enthused by the breakfast menu at Ellen's. I finally decided on the Breakfast Burrito. This breakfast burrito came wet style, with egg, cheese, and sausage. The burrito really lacked flavor. It was decent sized but tasted like nothing. The potatoes were equally bland and tasted like something you would get out of the freezer case at the supermarket.

Now on to dessert at Ellen's. The whole trip Katie had wanted to try New York Cheesecake, and sadly she chose this place to get it. She claimed that this was a mediocre cheesecake. I tried a bite of this also and would have to concur.

For the second time on our trip, my Dad got an Ice Cream Soda made with chocolate ice cream. Looking from across the table this looked to be a gloppy mess. No complaints from the big guy with this ice cream soda though, so I guess it was all good.

This soupy mess was my Brownie Mudslide Sundae. It came out half melted. The ice cream that was not already melted was fine, but the brownie was not anything spectacular.

I will sum up Ellen's this way. The only reason to go to Ellen's is if you enjoy singing waiters. The food we had was all average to below average. Maybe their lunches and dinners are better than what we had, but if the above is any indication, they probably aren't. The service was okay, considering that the wait staff was more concerned with grabbing a piece of the spotlight, rather than finding a bottle of Tabasco.

Out of five cattle calls, (because I imagine the waiters here have been to plenty of cattle calls), five being best to zero being worst, Ellen's Stardust Diner gets 2 cattle calls.

For more information on Ellen's, click here: http://ellensstardustdiner.com/

Getting Out the Pom-Pom's for Pommes Frites

Pommes Frites

128 MacDougal St. 

New York, NY 10012

Fries, whether French, Belgian, or Freedom are really tasty. But a restaurant that only sells fries? Fries are traditionally a side item, but can they make it when they are not paired with a hamburger or fish? If they are from Pommes Frites, I would say yes they can.

Pommes Frites is a very narrow, small place that sells Belgian fries. Located in the East Village, they have created quite a buzz for their twice-fried fries. But that is only half the story here. The fries are good, but what makes them outstanding are the tasty sauces to go along with them. Let's take a look at these spuds.

Here are two quick shots of the restaurant. Ordering is done at the counter and the fries are made right in front of you. The place kind of had an H. Salt kind of feel to it. The counter help was very nice, and allow you to try as many sauces as you would like to help you determine which one of the twenty-six sauces is right for you. They are very limited on seats here, so lots of people opt to get these to go.

The Pommes Frites are served in a paper cone, in three sizes. Above is the regular size, and it easily fed both Katie and I. The fries alone are crispy on the outside and cooked well on the inside. Not overly salted, but served scalding hot. It is best to wait a minute or two before diving into these if you can.

What really pushes these fries to the upper echelon are the sauces they have here. Katie's choice was the Sweet Mango Chutney Mayo. I liked the sweetness of this, as it reacted nicely to the saltiness of the fries. It kind of created a yin and yang effect. My choice was good as well, the Roasted Garlic Mayo. Good consistency with this sauce. The flavor was very good, and I feel that I could have done shots of this sauce straight. Fortunately, no one dared me to do this though.

Pommes Frites was definitely worth the trip. Of course, after leaving I was haunted by the thoughts of the other great sauces that were left untried, Parmesan peppercorn, wasabi mayo, and pomegranate teriyaki mayo among them. I guess that means we will have to make the 3,000-mile trip back across the country soon.

Out of five mussels, (because the national dish of Belgium is mussels served with fries), five being best to zero being worst, Pommes Frites gets 3 mussels.

For more information on Pommes Frites, click here: https://www.pommesfritesnyc.com/

Starring Role for Sandwiches at Stage Deli? - CLOSED

Stage Deli

834 7th Avenue

New York, NY 10019

When heading to New York, I looked forward to many things, such as going to a Rangers game, watching Katie experience the Big Apple, and having an excellent deli experience. New York is known for many food cuisines, but the deli has to be one of my favorites. I did some research before leaving for my trip, and Stage Deli was highly rated, so that is where we headed for one of our last nights in NYC.

Stage Deli has been around for 74 years. The list of people that have come through the door of this delicatessen reads like the Hollywood Walk of Fame sidewalk. Opened by Max Asnas, a Russian immigrant, he sold the food of his homeland and soon became the toast of Broadway. Performers would come to the deli after rehearsals or after the shows to chow down on big sandwiches. We showed up here not after going to a show but after walking through Times Square, a different kind of show. Let's check out what we ate.

Katie started off with Chicken Soup and a Matzoh Ball. This could have been the finest matzoh ball either of us has had. It complimented the soup well but was clearly the star of this dish. The matzoh had a great flavor and was not dry. It was a perfect start to this meal.

Big sandwiches are the specialty at Stage Deli, which is what my Dad went with. Here is the Howard Stern Sandwich, which consisted of pastrami, brisket, and muenster cheese. I would have thought that Howard Stern would have a tongue in it because he talks for a living, but what do I know.  My Dad made a real effort to finish this sandwich but came up short. He felt that the meat on this could not stand on its own. He alternated between using mustard and Russian dressing to moisten up the meat. The bread also did not stand up to the sandwich. It fell apart before even the first bite.

My Mom likes tuna, so it was no shock that she opted for the Tuna Salad Sandwich. She felt that this was average tuna. I tried the tuna and thought it had enough moisture, and they were very generous with the amount of tuna on it for a half sandwich.

Another specialty at Stage Deli is the open-faced sandwiches, such as the Tiger Woods Reuben above. This Reuben was made with corned beef, hot sauerkraut, and lots of melted Swiss cheese. Like my Dad said, the meat was dry and needed lots of Russian dressing. Once that was added, this sandwich was good. The bread here was a non-factor, but the sauerkraut was delicious. It was not the best Reuben I have ever had, but it was still good. I even finished this with no problem.

I liked the Stage Deli but was not blown away by it. We arrived at 7 p.m. on a Thursday and got seated right away. The service was surly but efficient. The food really came out quick. The prices were a little high, but this is New York City.

Out of five curtain calls, five being best to zero being worst, Stage Deli gets 2.5 curtain calls.

For more information about Stage Deli, click here: http://www.stagedeli.com/index.cfm

Doughnut Euphoria at Doughnut Plant

Doughnut Plant

379 Grand St.

New York, NY 10002

I have always loved doughnuts. One of my earliest memories is going to the doughnut shop with my Dad on weekend mornings, picking out the doughnuts from behind the glass case, and then eating as many as I could before my parents told me to stop.

Now that I am a grown up I can eat all the doughnuts I want. I am just glad I am separated by more than 3,000 miles from the Doughnut Plant, because if I wasn't, I would be in big trouble. Simply put, these are the best doughnuts I have ever had! I usually put my rating at the end of the post, but I can not hide my love for the doughnuts at DP. Doughnut Plant gets a 4.5 rating.

A little history on Doughnut Plant before we take a look at the doughnuts. DP was started in Mark Israel's basement in 1994. Using his grandfather's recipe, and selling to many coffee shops, he soon had a great following. After five years of making doughnuts all night in the basement, Mark finally opened a store on the Lower East Side. Lines were long and numerous magazine articles and television shows featured the Doughnut Plant. That is what brought us here, so let's take a look at this doughnut perfection.

Here is the doughnut that I probably liked the least, but it was still better than any doughnut I have ever had, the Valrhona Chocolate doughnut. This yeast doughnut was light and not greasy like other doughnut shop doughnuts. The Valrhona chocolate had a great flavor and this was inhaled by Katie and I pretty quickly.

Next up was the Creme Brulee Doughnut. Tasted as good as it sounds and looks. My only complaint about this was that it was the size of a doughnut hole. They could have definitely made this into one of their square filled doughnuts that you will see next.

My Dad went with the Coconut Glazed/Coconut Cream doughnut. I did not get offered a bite of this doughnut, so I am assuming it was up to his satisfaction. The filled doughnuts here are square. Very unique, and something they have done since 2004.

Now for Katie's favorite, the Tres Leches Doughnut. This doughnut had a great flavor and is exactly what you would expect from a doughnut named after the famous Latin American cake that is soaked in three different kinds of milk. The result is a mellow flavor and a very moist doughnut. One that should not be missed when visiting DP.

Another winner of a doughnut is the Blackout doughnut. This blew all of the other devil's food donuts out of the water. This cake doughnut was filled with chocolate, topped with chocolate, and made of chocolate. The chocolate hat trick! You would think with all of this chocolate this would be a very sweet doughnut, but it was very well balanced. Really tasty and it disappeared quickly.

The Carrot Cake doughnut above was taken to the Yankee game, and was none the worse for wear. I love carrot cake, so this was right up my alley. Tasted just like a slice of carrot cake minus the cream cheese frosting. Wish I did not have to split this with Katie and my parents.

I chose the Peanut Butter Glaze/Blackberry Jelly Doughnut to end this with because it was the best out of the bunch. Major mistake on my part not taking a picture of the inside of this masterpiece. Trust me the jelly was in there. They make their jelly on the premises., and together with the outside of this doughnut, the two flavors combine to make one of the best doughnuts that I have ever had. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.

As you can see, DP is not your typical doughnut shop. Some may scoff at the prices, they range from $2.25 to $3 each, but to experience doughnut nirvana no price is too high. The doughnuts here are made with no trans fats, artificial flavors, or preservatives. So you can feel free to eat as many as you want. They are almost good for you! Get here early, because when they sell out they close for the day. Somewhere between five and seven pm.

In case you missed it the first time, or jumped ahead to see the pictures, out of five nuclear reactors, (since I did not reference Homer Simpson until now in this post!), five being best to zero being worst,  Doughnut Plant gets 4.5 nuclear reactors.

For more information on Doughnut Plant click here: http://www.doughnutplant.com/

Stamping Our Pizza Passport at Little Italy

Little Italy Pizza

55 West 45th Street

New York, NY 10036

If you are a tourist in New York you can count on many things. Your neck will become sore from looking up at all the buildings. You will have to buy an extra memory card for your camera because you have taken so many pictures of all the sites. Your feet will be throbbing from all the walking that you have done. Lastly, tourists can count on finding one of the eight pizza places in the city that calls itself  Little Italy.

Not sure if there is just a shortage of creative names in the Big Apple, or if they used to be all together and then split up. It can get confusing for an out of towner. Luckily, Katie had her smartphone and we could look at Yelp for a pizza place near our hotel. The reviews were all pretty positive for Little Italy Pizza, so that is where we headed.

The menu at Little Italy Pizza informs us that they are not affiliated with any other Little Italy Pizza. They have been originally owned and operated since 1965. Now that is some staying power. They sell pizzas by the slice here, and they have a very good selection as you will see. When walking in the pizzas are already cooked and behind the glass case. After ordering, the slices are placed back in the oven for heating. Let's see how they turned out.

Here is a quick overview of what we ordered. Four pieces of pizza and Garlic Knots. Now for a closer look.

First up we have the Buffalo Chicken pizza. This pizza came with spicy chicken pieces and fresh mozzarella. I liked this pizza a lot. They definitely did not skimp on the chicken here. I felt it could have been spicier, but I almost always say that.  The crust was good, held the toppings well and it let the toppings and cheese be the star of the show.

I went with a more traditional route for my second slice, the Sausage and Pepperoni Slice. Once again there were toppings in each bite here. The sauce was good, but the toppings were better. Not greasy like the pizzas at home. The cheese was very good on this as well. This slice was made even better after I added crushed red pepper to it.

Let's take a quick detour away from the pizza and check out the Garlic Knots. These were very good. Loaded with garlic and very soft. The texture on these was spot on. Enough garlic to keep Dracula away for awhile.

Katie's choice was the Grandma Slice. This Sicilian slice is brushed with olive oil and garlic, then topped with mozzarella and San Marzano tomato sauce. Katie loved the uniqueness of this slice. I always want a little meat on a pizza, but this was good, even though it was meatless. The ingredients were fresh on this slice and made this pizza.

Katie could not stop raving about this White Pizza. Ricotta, mozzarella and Romano cheeses made up this grown-up tasting cheese pizza. Katie liked the buttery flavor that resulted when she bit into the slice. I liked this as well, even with the absence of meat.

Little Italy Pizza was a very good pizza place. After having too many meals standing up, my parents were very happy that this was a decent-sized restaurant with plenty of tables. I am sure that they are very busy for lunch, but we were here at dinner, and we were one party out of three others in the joint.

The prices here were also very reasonable. Slices of pizza ranged from between $2.75 to $4.95. Who says that New York is so expensive?

Out of five soccer balls, five being best to zero being worst, Little Italy Pizza gets three solid soccer balls.

For more information on Little Italy Pizza, click here: http://www.littleitalypizzany.com/client/