Stumbling Upon Serendipity

Serendipity 3

225 E 60th St.

New York, NY 10022

I admit it, I have never seen the movie Serendipity. I had not even heard of this restaurant until a week before I was leaving for New York. That is when the girls at the bank asked me if I had Serendipity on my list of places to try. I told them no, but after they mentioned Frozen Hot Chocolate and other ice cream treats, I had to succumb and add Serendipity to our food parade of the Big Apple.

Serendipity 3 was started by three friends back in 1954. Named after a crossword puzzle clue, the three amigos decorated their place with Tiffany lamps, started selling kitschy items and started hawking frozen treats. Serendipity just kind of took off. They had lines around the block and famous clientele, Andy Warhol, Bill Clinton, and Katie Holmes to name a few. Wait times for a table have said to be about three hours on a busy day. Luckily on this night we only had to wait an hour. Let's take a look inside.

Serendipity kind of had a Farrell's feel to it. Being here made me feel like stepping back in time. Their menu is huge and looked very intriguing. Two items caught my eye.

If I had not just eaten dinner I would have tried the $69 hot dog, just to say that I have had it. Really it is not that much more than you pay at the ballpark. Okay maybe a little bit more, but I could have justified it because I was on vacation. I do not think I would ever be tempted to eat a $1000 sundae. The sundae is covered in 23 karats edible gold leaf, rare chocolate, and even comes with a spoonful of Grand Passion caviar. A little too rich for my blood, so we settled on these items.

Katie could not resist the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. This oxymoron was actually quite good. It tasted just like a frozen hot chocolate. A great rich chocolate flavor in this. Katie had no trouble finishing this up by herself after we all took turns trying it.

For as long as I can remember my Dad has loved ice cream sodas. He likes them only one way though, a chocolate ice cream soda made with chocolate ice cream. Unfortunately, there are not too many places that still serve these. Lucky for him though, you can still get an ice cream soda at Serendipity. I could tell that he was very pleased with this nostalgic drink.

My Mom saw three scoop sundaes on the menu and immediately asked if they had a smaller size. The waiter sold her on this Two Scoop Sundae. Two scoops of vanilla ice cream combined with rich hot fudge with real whipping cream and a cherry on top. A sundae from long ago, this tasted very good. I am sure my Mom could have finished the three scoop sundae with no problems, but she has great willpower.

I really chickened out here. I should have gone big, but I chickened out. I ordered the Coward's Portion Banana Split. This traditional banana split came with vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice cream, rich hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry on top. The ice cream here was very creamy and held the coldness in very nicely. It was great to have real whipping cream for a change, instead of out of the can. It really made a difference.

Serendipity might be a trendy place to eat, but it is definitely worth the buzz. Although we only ate desserts here, they were all very good, and we were pleased to have been here. The service was fair, they were still really busy when we walked out of the restaurant at 10pm. Worth the wait, but they do take reservations for dinner in case you want to try the $69 dollar hot dog.

Out of five chocolate chip cookies, (because chocolate chip cookies were invented through serendipity), five being best to zero being worst, Serendipity gets three chocolate chips cookies.

For more information on Serendipity, click here: https://serendipity3.com/

Hiding Out at Burger Joint

Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien

119 W 56th St.

New York, NY 10019

As anyone that knows me can tell you, I love a good burger. I would even consider myself a connoisseur of burgers. So with all that New York has to offer, they must have great burgers right? After reading travel guides and internet blogs they all led us to Burger Joint in the swanky Le Parker Meridien.

Le Parker Meridien is one of those really nice hotels that you see in all the movies. A place so nice you half expect to run into Julia Roberts having lunch with Erik Estrada, (okay Erik Estrada would be busing the table, but they could chat a little bit while he is doing it!).

So this is the entrance to Burger Joint, as seen from the lobby of the hotel. Not exactly screaming eat here! Finding this place was more like an Easter egg hunt. It was almost like they do not want to be found. When in the lobby, just follow the curtain all the way to the left and you will not have to ask the front desk where the restaurant is like I had to.

Once inside this small fifteen table eatery, you are face to face with a board explaining how to order. Rule one, order a hamburger or cheeseburger. Rule two, How do you want it cooked? Rule three, what do you want on it? Lastly, they tell you if you are not ready to order they will send you to the back of the line. Some people may find this offensive or rude on their part, but I kind of find it refreshing. It keeps the line moving and helps get the food out faster. There is always that idiot that waits in line, never looking at the menu board until they get to the register, then they decide what they want to eat. It usually takes them forever. I say let the prepared people order first. Okay enough of the rant, let's check out the food.

Katie ordered quickly and got the Cheeseburger with mayo, lettuce, and pickles. She felt that the meat was the star of this show on this very simple burger.

We split an order of French Fries. The order was pretty good sized, bigger than the large size at McDonald's. Unfortunately, these fries were about the same as McDonald's. Basic fast food fries would sum up these spuds. 

I got a Cheeseburger with the works. The works at Burger Joint is mayo, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions. When the burger came out it looked like a salad bar, more than a burger. I remedied this by removing most of the veggies. I liked the bun on this burger, it held up to the toppings well. The burger was smaller than I would have liked, so the next time I go, I would get two. The beef itself was juicy and was cooked medium rare the way I had ordered it. The burger tasted like something you would barbecue yourself, which led to debate within our party.

My Dad felt that the burger tasted too much like the burgers he could make in the backyard, so it was not as special a burger as it could have been. I can not believe I am typing this, but I almost agree with him. The burger was good, but not much different from the backyard burger. If I lived in New York and had access to a barbecue, I am not so sure I wouldn't just barbecue a burger at home. But, on the other hand, if you're craving a homemade tasting burger, this will be the spot for you.

One last word, beware that they have very limited seating. here. We were relegated to the hotel lobby and ate on benches by the front door. Not very comfortable, but space is limited in New York, so it is understandable. It kind of made this experience more kitschy.

Out of five bones, (because a joint is where two bones make contact with each other), five being best to zero being worst, Burger Joint gets 3 bones.

For more information on Burger Joint, click here: https://www.burgerjointny.com/

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Spotlight on Sandwiches at Stage Door Deli

Stage Door Deli

26 Vesey Street

New York, NY 10007

When people think of food in New York of course deli's come to mind immediately. So when we were headed to New York I did some research and wrote down two names of delis to try. One was Katz's Deli and the other was Stage Deli, (more on that one in a later post). Anyways, we never made it to Katz's, but after visiting Ground Zero we found ourselves at Stage Door Deli.

Stage Door Deli has been around since 1972. Opened by a pair of Greek guys, they established a reputation as one of the best delis in the city. After the terrorist attacks, they were closed for six months, but in true New York fashion, they have rebounded and some may say they are better than ever.

Being a tourist in New York City, a deli like this can be a little intimidating. Knowing where to order, not being familiar with the ordering process, and the general organized chaos of a lunchtime rush can un-nerve a guy from southern California. But we managed to find our way through the big menu and got our food to our table, so let's take a look at it.

My Mom went with a Tuna Salad Sandwich here. Not exactly what you would expect to get at a deli in New York, but she could not have been more pleased. She first noted the bread was extremely fresh and soft. She also felt that the tuna had a great mellow flavor, with just the right amount of crunch to it.

More in the way of a deli sandwich was my Dad's choice, the Corned Beef Sandwich.  He was very happy with this sandwich as well. The meat could definitely stand on its own here. Very moist, with a great flavor. They do know how to cook corned beef here.

Katie went huge with the Number 1 Sandwich. The number one comes with corned beef, turkey, Coleslaw, Swiss cheese, and Russian Dressing. She liked the mellowness of the turkey and felt that it balanced out the saltiness of the corned beef to form a great yin and yang feel. She was also happy that this sandwich was manageable. We had heard that in some New York delis that they pile on the meat so heavy that it is impossible for one person to finish, this was not the case here. Katie also made mention of the freshness of the bread.

I ordered my favorite deli sandwich the Reuben. This Reuben came with corned beef, sauerkraut, melted Swiss, and mustard all on rye bread. Simply put, this sandwich was great. The cheese was melted perfectly, the meat was spiced well, and the bread, even though it was soft, held the sandwich together perfectly. I was surprised to learn that there was mustard on this because it was not very prevalent. This could be one of the best Reuben's I have ever had.

This being the first deli we had been to in New York will be hard to beat. I wish we could have come back here so we could have tried more things off of their big menu. The prices here were not at all bad, and I might even say cheap for Manhattan. All of the sandwiches were under $8.25, less than a Quizno's sandwich at home. Even though these were not the monster deli sandwiches that we had heard about, they still had a lot of meat on them, well worth the price.

So out of five boarding houses, (because the 1937 movie Stage Door revolves around occupants of a boarding house), five being best to zero being worst, Stage Door Deli gets 3.5 boarding houses.

 For more information on Stage Door Deli click here: http://www.stagedoordeliwtc.com/

Shacking Up In the NYC

Shake Shack

691 8th Avenue

New York, NY 10036

When I told my friend Mark that I was headed to New York, he told me I must try Shake Shack, or he would punch me in the face. Okay, maybe he was not that harsh, but he really wanted me to try it. So right before a Rangers hockey game we headed over to give Shake Shack a try.

Shake Shack has twelve locations, seven in the New York area, one in Connecticut, one in DC, one in Miami, and even two in the Middle East. Big expansion for a restaurant that has only been around since 2004. Let's see if they are expanding because of the food.

Here is a quick overview of the food we got. The menu of Shake Shack is pretty standard fast food fare. They feature burgers, hot dogs, and frozen custard. You order at the counter and then you wait to have your number called. We got here at about 5:30, and the good sized restaurant was filled up. We claimed our seats and then our food arrived.

We'll start with the New York Dog. The hot dog was high quality, and I really liked that it was split and grilled. It had a very good snap to it. The potato bun was good, but I should have gotten a dog with some condiments on it. This hot dog could stand alone, but it would have been made better with some toppings on it.

The Double Cheeseburger was next on our agenda. Good flavor on this one and everything about this burger indicated that it was made with fresh ingredients. The bun on this juicy burger really held up. Good burger.

The Fries here are made with Yukon Gold potatoes. They kind of reminded me of the old Carl's Jr. fries. These came out nice and hot and very crisp. Every single one was crispy, a major accomplishment.

For dessert I went with their Chocolate Frozen Custard. I am new to frozen custard, which is soft serve mixed with ice cream. The result is a dense frozen product. The custard had a grittiness to it. Not so gritty that it was bad, but the texture was a little off for me. Next time I would go for one of their Concretes, which is their frozen custard mixed with toppings and mix-ins.

Shake Shack was all it was cracked up to be.  I should have studied the menu more before I got here, but I was hungry and in a hurry to get to the hockey game. The items that I did have were pretty basic, but very good. I would equate this place to Five Guys, and I love Five Guys Burger and Fries.

Out of five bus stops, (because bus stops can sometimes be referred to as shacks), five being best to zero being worst, Shake Shack gets 3 strong bus stops.

For more information on Shake Shack, click here: http://www.shakeshack.com/

O'Brien's Welcomes Us to NYC - CLOSED

O' Brien's NYC

134 W. 46th St.

New York, NY 10036

Recently, we headed to New York City for a week to see a baseball and hockey game and, of course, to see what the Big Apple had to offer in terms of food. I have a lot of places to show you, so hop on that subway car, and let's check out NYC.

We arrived from LAX on Sunday at about 10 p.m. After a quick walk through Times Square, we were famished. I had a list of places to eat, but we wanted to go somewhere close for a quick bite, so we went across the street from our hotel and found O'Brien's.

O'Brien's is a narrow restaurant and bar right in the heart of Times Square. Dark and tucked away, this bar attracts the locals and people trying to escape the chaos of Times Square. Two stories high, with their upper level termed the "Sin Bin," this is where we are seated for our first meal in the Empire State. Let's check out the food.

Eating at such a late hour, my Mom wanted a light meal and ordered the Cream of Broccoli Soup. She felt this soup was okay, but she was much more excited about the bread basket that came with it. The soup was also average, too watery, and a little too bland.

My Dad went with the BBQ Beef Sandwich—sliced roast beef served with barbecue sauce. He did not rave about this sandwich, but when asked, he told me it was good. The winner on this plate seemed to be the fries. My Dad devoured these skinny fries, and my Mom had her fair share of these, too, so much for eating light late at night.

Katie wanted to return to her Irish roots and got the O'Brien's Classic Corned Beef on Rye. She felt the meat on this could have been sliced thinner, and the sandwich only came alive once she added the spicy hot mustard. She rated this sandwich about average.

For my choice, the O'Brien Burger was calling my name. This burger came with Irish cheddar cheese and limerick bacon. The limerick bacon had an almost Canadian bacon look and taste—a little less salty and more mellow than American bacon. This burger was fine but a little overcooked.

Okay, so the food at O'Brien's was average bar food. It did sustain us and help us go to sleep with full stomachs. The real reason to go to O'Brien's is the staff. They made us feel like locals each of the three times we returned here for a nightcap. A special shout out to our new friends, Honoree and Tunde, who we met here. You guys killed it. Thanks for everything.

So out of five shamrocks, five being best to zero being worst, O'Brien's gets 2.5 shamrocks.

For more information on O'Brien's, click here: http://www.obriensnyc.com/

Chow Time at Wood Ranch

Wood Ranch BBQ and Grill

22352 El Paseo

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

We were going to be leaving for vacation, and Katie's family wanted to see her one last time before we were off to New York. So we stopped packing and made the trip out to Wood Ranch BBQ in Rancho Santa Margarita. I have kind of become jaded when going to chain barbecue places, but I have always kind of liked WR and have yet to review it, so that is where we are headed.

Wood Ranch operates 13 restaurants, including the other OC location in Anaheim Hills. They also will be opening an Irvine location at the Spectrum this summer. Their menu features steaks, seafood, burgers, and barbecue. Their barbecue is cooked in a two-step process, first, it is roasted overnight, and then it is cooked to order.  Let's see how all the food turned out.

At Wood Ranch, they serve you these garlic rolls, instead of a bread basket. These came out nice and warm and were very full of garlic. As these cooled, they lost a little bit of their softness, but they were still pretty good.

To start off our meal we went with the BBQ Chicken Potato Skins. These potato skins came with cheese, barbecue sauce, and chicken. I felt the potato part of these was a little too crisp, and they could have been a little more generous with the cheese and chicken on these. The barbecue sauce on these was the standout flavor here.

Katie's Dad was not too hungry so he opted to get a bowl of Clam Chowder soup. This soup looked watery and average to me. Dennis did not rave about the soup but said it was fine. Not exactly a rave review for this soup.

Katie must have forgotten that she was at a barbecue restaurant because she ordered a salad. At least she got a salad with some meat on it, the Wood Roasted Tri-Tip Salad. This salad featured baby greens, romaine, tomatoes, Gorgonzola, tri-tip, and mint julep dressing. I had a few bites of this salad and found it to be quite good. The tri-tip was flavorful and the dressing was a good compliment to the meat. Katie would have liked the meat to have been warmer and juicier.

Sara and Lynn both got BBQ Pork Pulled Sandwiches. Both the sliders and the traditional sandwich are served with Carolina slaw and pickle chips. The barbecue sauce is served on the side. Sara, the kind-hearted woman that she is, even gave me half of her sandwich. Thanks, Sara! Anyways, I found the meat to have a decent flavor, not over-powering, and it was paired nicely with the slaw and barbecue sauce. I would get this sandwich again.

Kevin's, "go to",  item in restaurants is a hamburger, and at Wood Ranch, he stuck true to form with the Buckeye Burger. This burger came with BBQ sauce, bacon, and Tillamook cheddar cheese. I did not get a chance to sample this burger, but from across the table, it looked pretty good. Kevin had no complaints about this burger.

I was in a barbecue restaurant, so I went with actual barbecue food. I had the two-item WR BBQ Combo with tri-tip and baby back ribs. The tri-tip was the best thing on the plate. Tender and moist would be used to describe the tri-tip. The baby backs were good but made better by their barbecue sauce. I liked the barbecue sauce here. Usually, I am more of a spice guy, but when it comes to barbecue sauce I like it better on the sweeter side. The side items were just average. The Peanut Cole Slaw was bland, and the Lauren's Favorite Mac and Cheese was a little light on the cheese. Not so great.

We got to Wood Ranch on a Friday night at 7 and they were very busy. We were seated on the very crowded outside patio. It was way too cramped out there, and servers were having to dodge customers all night. Our overly enthusiastic server was fine but left us for long stretches of time. Luckily we were in no rush, as we were enjoying each other's company, even Sara's.

I think I am ready to deem Wood Ranch my favorite barbecue chain restaurant. Over the years they have been way more consistent than Lucille's, and way better than Tony Roma's. Geez, are there even any more Tony Romas around? Their prices are on par, if not better than other barbecue joints, with plates averaging just under twenty dollars. The barbecue here can not compete with small independent places like Blake's Place and Bad to the Bone, but I think that is because they are cooking in such large volumes.

So out of five wranglers, (because wranglers live on ranches), five being best to zero being worst, Wood Ranch gets 3 wranglers.

For more information on Wood Ranch, click here: https://www.woodranch.com/