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/

Pizza Perfection at Grimaldi's?

Grimaldi's Pizzeria

1 Front Street

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Pizza is to New York, as fake body parts are to LA. New York just does pizza well. Some say it is the water, some people claim the cheese is the key, and still, others say the cooking process makes all the difference. Whatever the reason for this, one place kept coming up when I was doing research on where to get a great pizza in the city, Grimaldi's.

Grimaldi's, located right under the Brooklyn Bridge, has become the favorite pizza of countless celebrities, politicians, and foodies from around the world.  The line at Grimaldi's is legendary. People have waited hours to get a seat inside the bustling restaurant. Once inside you are squeezed into your table, almost elbow to elbow with your neighbor. The menu here is not too complex. They have one appetizer, (antipasto), calzones, and of course the reason we are here, pizza. 

The pizza here is cooked in coal ovens. Coal is said to make the pizza's come out with a smoky flavor and a crispness that is not possible when cooking with gas or wood ovens. Coal ovens have been banned from newer restaurants, so there are only a handful of restaurants that still have them. Let's see if coal makes a big difference. 

We opted to get the large pizza with pepperoni and sausage. After the first bite, I noticed the difference right away, the cheese was fresh mozzarella. Not the rubbery stuff that you get at Pizza Hut, but the real thing. Very milky, and it seemed to enhance the slice instead of over-powering my taste buds. The pepperoni was much better here as well. Peppered better than any pepperoni I have ever had. The sauce on this pizza was not overdone either. Sparsely splashed over the pizza to complement the basil leaves. The crust was good as well. The nice crispness to it, but soft on the inside. Between the four of us, there were no pieces of crust left on any of our plates. Not sure that I have ever seen that happen before with four people. 

One last picture to show you the lack of grease left on the pan. The result of this was a light tasting pizza that was full of flavor. The large was eight slices, and I could have probably eaten one whole large pizza by myself. I really savored my two slices and was a little sad when they were gone. 

Grimaldi's was all it was cracked up to be. Some may scoff at the lack of variety on the menu, but it is better to do one thing exceptionally well, than doing a lot of things marginally well. The service here was fair, for how busy they were, but they have to be used to the crowds by now. Another criticism I have heard about this place was the price of the pizza. The large pizza has a base price of $14 and an additional price of $2 for each topping that you choose. I did not find this to be outrageous, but it could add up quickly if you wanted a pizza with everything. Luckily, I like my pizzas more on the simpler side. In my opinion, Grimaldi's deserves all the press and praise it receives. 

Out of five Christmas stockings, (because Grimaldi's could use all the coal that has been found in my stocking to make pizzas for a year!), five being best to zero being best, Grimaldi's gets 4 solid Christmas stockings. 

For more information on Grimaldi's, click here: http://www.grimaldis.com/index.html

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/

The Anatomy of a Good Hot Dog at Gray's Papaya?

Gray's Papaya

2090 Broadway

New York, NY 10023

Everyone loves a bargain, especially in very expensive New York City. After going through the Met and a quick walkthrough Central Park we worked up quite an appetite. We had been in the city for a few days and I had yet to have a great hot dog. So I was very excited to try Gray's Papaya.

Gray's has been open since 1973. Started by a former partner of Papaya King, Gray's has left the shadow of its competitors and been named the best hot dog in the big apple, been featured on numerous TV shows, and become part of pop culture by being featured in a plethora of movies. Enough of the buzz about Gray's, let's check out the food.

At Gray's, it is all about the Recession Special. The special includes two hot dogs and a 14-ounce drink all for the incredible price of $4.45. A real steal in New York. We got two of the specials. The first two frankfurters we got had sauerkraut on them. The kraut was not of the highest quality, but it was definitely better than the weird onion mixture that we got on the second special. The sweet onions were not very good, and I ended up taking most of it off of the dogs. The frankfurter was a little salty but had a very good snap to it.

Naturally, at a place that has papaya in the name, they have a Papaya Drink. Not only do they have papaya, but they have other fruit juices as well, including banana, pina colada, and pineapple. The papaya drink reminded me of a drink I used to have at Orange Julius. A little frothy, and a great neutralizer to the saltiness of the hot dog.

I will admit that this was not the best hot dog I have ever had. I did however like it, and I thought they were well worth the money. My parents would not agree with this statement. My Dad would not even finish his hot dog. He found this place to be the worst restaurant on my list. They might have been put off by the eating while standing up situation here, or maybe they really did not like the taste of the frankfurter. The menu here is very limited, but I am sure that is how they can keep selling their products at such low prices. Everyone should at least say they have been here at least one time to experience true New York.

Out of five ropes, (because the stem and bark of the papaya tree are used in rope production), five being best to zero being worst, Gray's Papaya get 2.5 ropes.

For more information about Gray's Papaya, head to their website here: http://grayspapaya.nyc/

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/