Top 10 Overrated Dishes In NYC

Well someone finally had to say it. Some of New York’s “best of” places have become outdated and outdone. I don’t fully agree with the Post’s assessment of the top 10 overrated dishes in New York (some of the places have deserved their reputations for their delicious output), but they do make a good point that there are great alternatives. Listed below are the Post’s list and alternative suggestions as well as my own.

1. Magnolia’s Cupcakes (Post alternative: Burgers & Cupcakes)
2. Pinkberry (Post alternative: 40 Carrots in the basement of Bloomingdale’s)
3. Carnegie Deli (Scott Alternative: Katz’s Deli)
4. Corner Bistro Burger (Post alternative: Finnegan’s Wake; Scott’s alternatives: Beer Bar, Resto)
5. Mamoun’s Falafel (Post alternative: Mr. Falafel)
6. Lombardi’s Pizza (Scott alternative: Naples 45)
7. Joe: The Art of Coffee
8. Nobu (Post alternative: Any other place copying their food that’s less expensive and has less of a wait)
9. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (Post alternative: Pies-n-Thighs, Scott alternative: Daisy May’s, Hill Country)
10. Sylvia’s (Post alternative: Amy Ruth’s, Scott alternative: Mama’s Food Shop)

The Post also offers up the following suggestion for why these myths persist. “Ask someone what the city’s best burger, steak or frozen yogurt is, and you can predict what the responses will be. It’s a foodie version of what psychologist Irving Janis famously called “groupthink,” i.e., making incorrect decisions after peer pressure leads to a deterioration of “mental efficiency and reality testing.””

I will say that many of these places have garnered their reputations from their long histories and have become New York institutions. What's really interesting is that a lot of the alternatives are often derived directly from the originals. For example check out the sordid family trees of popular cupcakeries, steakhouses, and even the pizza places... makes for some excellent reading

UPDATE: Grub street also jumps on the bandwagon with their own list of overrated places including Junior's Cheesecake, The Stage Deli, and steak at The Palm.

Reel Rock Tour

As many of you know (probably because you’re a regular with me to the gym or you’ve at least tried it out), I’ve become a pretty avid indoor rock climber. This Friday the rock climbing gym we go to will be hosting the Reel Rock Film Tour. This year the tour features the film King Lines, which follows top climber Chris Sharma through some of the hardest climbs in the world. The screening will actually take place IN the climbing gym (I have no idea how they’re going to set it up for movie watching), which seems like a pretty cool place to watch a climbing movie. Beer and wine will be served! tickets are $14 at the door.

Manhattan Plaza Health Club
43rd and 10th
Doors open 8pm, Film starts 9pm.
Bonus: Josh Lowell who Co-produced the film will be on hand for a Q&A session immediately following the film.
After Party at Lansdowne Road with exclusive Drink Specials ($4 20oz Bass and Stone IPA)

Climbing Gym's myspace page here.

In the News

Cell Phone Service to Come to Subway Stations- This year, six subway stations will be wired during a two-year pilot program: 23rd Street and 14th Street on the Eighth Avenue line, 14th Street on the Seventh Avenue line, 14th Street on the Sixth Avenue line, and Eighth Avenue and Sixth Avenue on the L line. All 277 will be wired over the next 6 years. (via Gothamist)



Coney Island and Astroland may live to see another year- Rumor has it that certain coney island businesses have been receiving one-year leases to operate through next year. (via Curbed)

The new Rickshaw Dumpling has opened up near NYU. Chocolate soup dumplings for all! (via Eater)

Let's go Bowling Dude

The Daily News does a round up of New York bowling alleys upon the opening of the new alley, The Gutter in Brooklyn last weekend. The Gutter, co-owned by Paul Kermizian, owner of video-game arcade laiden bar Barcade, offers up small-batch brewed beers and artisanal beef jerky while you roll. Check out more info and pictures from gothamist here. I've only bowled at Bowlmor in the city simply because I'm lazy, but this new alley might be worth checking out. Bowlmor has a $22 all you can bowl "Monday Night Strikes" deal including shoe rental that's always fun.

It's Park(ing) Day

Gothamist reports that today is Park(ing) Day. Organized by The Trust for Public Land, various parking spots around the city will be turned into mini parks for one day. Check out the list below to see if there are any near you! Full list here. map here.

Manhattan
- 53rd St, between 5th and 6th Ave.
- Broadway, between 42nd and 43rd
- Columbus Ave. and 61st St.
- 2nd or 3rd avenue at the corner of St. Marks
- 1st Ave and 1st St
- 7th Ave, between 32nd and 33rd
- 34 Stuyvestant St (bt 2nd & 3rd)
- Stuvesant on the west side of E9th
- Stuyvesant, on the other side of the street.
- Broadway btw. 113-114
- Columbus Ave and 60th, by Fordham University.
- 563 Columbus (at 87th street).
- 7th Ave, between 24th and 26th Sts.

A Very New York Art Installation

The below post is copied directly from cool hunting. This exhibit looks very cool and perfectly intertwined with the city. perhaps something to do before or after trying out 'inoteca. I'll definitely be checking it out one of these weekends.

Mike Nelson: A Psychic Vacuum by Ami Kealoha

At a time when modern high-rise condos are transforming much of NYC's landscape, it's more and more important to preserve what makes the city unique. U.K. artist Mike Nelson embraces this sentiment with his first major installation in the U.S., “A Psychic Vacuum,” presented in conjunction with Creative Time.

Imagine a derelict building located in Manhattan's Lower East Side—former home to the bustling Essex Street Market and soon to be hot real estate commodity—its neglected innards a history lesson unraveled beneath peeling layers of paint and gleaned through the things left behind, disparate objects as easily rescued from your grandparent's attic as from the local dump. Here, Nelson gathers the clutter into meticulously crafted environments to form his dusty homage to the vanishing past.

Wandering along a seemingly endless labyrinth of dimly lit passageways through ranks of mismatched doors, the audience is transported into Nelson's shadowy world of back alley dentists, gypsy fortune tellers and blue collar VFW bars. With each turn, you seesaw between the role of fascinated explorer and anxious interloper simultaneously anticipating and dreading the anonymous occupants' return.

All of Nelson's carefully selected details create a running narrative that at once interprets the (now endangered) character of the neighborhood as a relic forgotten as the days pass by, while at the same time revering it as a still vital participant in the flow of daily life happening on these streets.

With curiosity and persistence, you will finally emerge from the simulated catacombs into the light of day, only to be confronted by the biggest revelation of the entire journey…but some secrets are best revealed firsthand. The show is open Friday through Sunday from 12-6pm and admission is free.

A Psychic Vacuum
8 September-28 October 28 2007
The Old Essex Street Market
117 Delancey Street
New York, NY 10002 map

Image via This Week in NY

by Scott Lachut

More Steak

Grub Street hops on the steak opining band wagon slapping around all other food writers poo-poo-ing both Details steak roundup, and Frank Bruni's Luger's review. Grub Street says the best steaks are not found at steakhouses at all, but weighs in with their own list of where to get steak... perhaps inspiring a little skepticism, strip club Robert’s Steakhouse (Penthouse Executive Club) tops the list. I won't knock it til I've tried it, but I probably won't be writing about it here either when I do. Grub Street's not alone in enjoying Penthouse club meat however Bruni only awarded them one star versus Luger's (albeit lowered) two. I was happy to see my previously announced favorite Spark's made the list though.

In the News

My favorite restaurant that I’ve never been to and can’t seem to get into tequila article) re-opened after they were shut down for operating their basement speak-easy without a permit.

The Frying Pan, the sunken ship resurfaced, cleaned of barnacles and host to my favorite parties, the Turntables on the Hudson parties, has signed a 5-year lease at pier 66 (between 26th and 27th) and will re-open in May 2008. Until then you can check out the Turntables on the Hudson Guys Fridays at the Spiegelworld tent down at South Street Seaport

Peter Luger’s ‘oft referred to as the best steak in NYC receives its first review in 5 years, and Frank Bruni finds it very inconsistent though he claims "No other steakhouse serves a porterhouse so breathtaking". In the end, he downgrades the legendary steakhouse to 2 stars from 3. Gothamist's pre-game analysis is very interesting with a great excerpt from the last review. My favorite is still Spark's, though I have yet to try some of the Luger's offshoots and other steak newcomers.

UPDATE to Restaurant spotlight

With almost perfect timing, 'inoteca owner Jason Denton announced today that he's just signed a lease at 323 Third Avenue to open a new Northern Italian restaurant... see the last review to know why I'll be checking it out as soon as it opens!

Restaurant Spotlight: ‘inoteca

After just barely missing Sunday’s International Pickle Festival on the lower east side, Carrie and I decided to salvage the day and take our friend Mary-Kate's recommendation to try out the wine bar and Italian small-plates restaurant 'inoteca. We put our name down and walked down the block to wait out our 20 minutes at Economy Candy.

On a brief, but worthwhile tangent, Economy Candy if you’ve never been, inspires wonder in children and adults alike with candy from every generation piled all the way to the ceilings. If there’s something your sweet tooth has craved but you couldn’t find anywhere else, I guarantee you would find it here.

Back to the restaurant… we were seated at a small table by the windows, its all windows, and light shines through in droves. Confronted with the menu which is only written in Italian, we were quite confused, however our waiter was extremely helpful and literally walked us through the entire menu and gave us some fantastic recommendations.

The menu is broken up into insalata and antipasta, pane (breads) subdivided into tramezzini (small finger sandwiches), Panini (grilled flat sandwiches), bruschette (toast with toppings), Piatti (more traditional entrees), Fritto (fried),Affettati (cured meats), and Formaggi (cheeses). The wine-by-the-glass list is extensive and we were pointed to a delicious red, the '04 Valpolicella Ca Fiui, Corte Sant Alda.

We started with olives and a selection of cheeses (one goat, one pecorino, and one blue) which came with slices of bread and then tried three brochette, noci (almost like peanut butter, but with walnuts), ricotta fresca, and fagiolo del giorno (white bean puree), all were delicious and small details like the tomato sauce on the ricotta and shredded mint in the white beans enhanced their flavors. For our main dishes, we ordered the Lasagnette Di Melanzane (eggplant lasagna) and Pollo Alla Cacciatora (crispy chicken with peppers and pesto potatoes). The chicken dish was one of the best preparations of chicken I have ever had. It was perfectly crisped on the outside, moist on the inside and the peppers added some sweetness. Our cold leftovers were still delicious the next day.

I will conclude by saying I would highly recommend ‘inoteca for a leisurely meal. Apparently the restaurant has not gone unnoticed and there is often a long wait (we went at an off hour), but they do take reservations for parties of 6 or more and there is also a private dining room downstairs that offers less hustle bustle, but we did not find it on our visit.

some further resources:

New York Magazine Review

Citysearch Review

Italian to English Menu Translator

 

'inoteca

98 Rivington St. (and Ludlow)

212-614-0473

7th Annual New York City Pickle Day!

Sunday is the 7th Annual New York City Pickle Day taking place where else but the lower east side's Orchard Street between Broome and Grand from 11am-4:30pm. Home to Guss' Pickles.
The festival boasts pickles from all cultures! - music, memory, smells, tastes, science, medicine, magic and religion. The festival is put on in conjunction with the Lower East Side Business Improvement District and the New York Food Museum. check out the online pickle museum here!

Gothamist also points out there will be pickles from Wheelhouse and Rick's Picks

Just in: Magnolia's to Open on Upper West Side

Just in from Eater, Magnolia Bakery, that fabled cupcake purveyor of Saturday Night Live: Chronicles of Narnia and Sex & the City fame, plans to open an upper west side branch.

2 no 6 no 12, baker’s dozen!

Tequila and Whiskey with a Beer Chaser

Epicurious has a great article about fine tequila, its making and origins. You can try some of these fine tequilas at these NYC tequila bars and more mapped out by gridskipper here.
Dos Caminos - over 100 tequilas
Maya - over 100 tequilas
Agave - over 60 tequilas
Rosa Mexicana
Mesa Grill they even have their own tequila guide
La Esquina - over 100 tequilas (though currently closed for lack of a permit to operate from their basement location)



Gridskipper also does an article about beer breweries in New York City, along with wineries and alcohol distillers.


I was surprised there was no mention of Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey by Tuthilltown Spirits, which is the first rye whiskey legally made in New York since prohibition according to coolhunting. I suppose its not exactly in Manhattan. It is interesting to note that New York was once well known for its Rye whiskeys as demonstrated by the naming of its most common cocktail the “Manhattan”, but has not produced Rye in over 70 years. The New York Times covers Rye’s history and current revival here.

Party at the Planetarium

Flavorpill sponsors its monthly One Step Beyond Party at the Museum of Natural History's planetarium this Friday (Sep. 14th), 9pm-1am. Tickets are $20 and include one free future museum admission. Dance and drink to world-class DJs and live VJs spinning the latest music and projecting dynamic visuals IN the planetarium. Buy tix here.

American Natural History Museum
Rose Center for Earth and Space
81st st. between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
212-769-5200

via coolhunting

American Gladiator Tryouts! Be My New Hero!

Yes, you got that right. American Gladiators will be returning to TV on NBC and here is your chance for glory.
Try outs 10am-3pm, Sat Sep. 15 at Paerdegat Athletic Club
1510 Paerdegat Ave N, at Paerdegat 15th, Brooklyn
718-209-1010

via thrillist

Oyster Festival

I don't eat'em, but you might. Saturday, September 8th is the Riverside Park Oyster Festival. It will feature Irish music, Guinness and of course Oysters. 103rd & Riverside Park 4-9:30pm.

Two Ways to Get Dirty on Sep. 18th

The french bistro Paradou in the meatpacking district is hosting Dirty Bingo on September 18th at 8pm. The rules are the same as regular bingo, but the prizes are dirtier. $2 per card per game.

Also on September 18th, 4-Foodies is hosting a BBQ tasting at Hill Country including BBQ, cocktails, schmoozing with the pit-masters and a bag of goodies, 6-8pm. $50.

Opera for All

This season Opera-for-All is offering $25 front orchestra seats to every City Opera performance.

TO SEE THE $25 ORCHESTRA SEATS: Go Here and enter promotional code OFA1 and click 'submit' before selecting a section and number of seats or call 212.721.6500. I'd recommend checking each monday at 10:00AM when available seats for the week go on sale since they'll probably go fast.

If you miss out on that deal and still want to experience the opera, fear not, cheap seats are always available in the Fourth Ring G-K ($25), L-O and Fifth Ring ($16) for all performances.

Paragon Sports Warehouse Sale

Paragon Sports is having their annual warehouse sale going on now Thurs-Fri: 9-8, Sat: 10-8, Sun: 11:30-7, Mon-Tues:10-8.
50-80% off all kinds of sports equipment, apparel and sneakers. Bring your competitive spirit cause its a madhouse there.

Warehouse Sale Entrance at 18 East 18th St. (between Broadway & 5th Ave)

thanks for the tip Hing.

20at20: Off-Broadway shows for $20

20at20 is a promotion going on from September 4-16 that allows you to see certain off-broadway shows for only $20. The catch is they only sell the tickets 20 minutes before the show starts. We went last year and it worked just as advertised.

See a list of shows and the schedule here

First Cheesy Post

Gridskipper covers the best mac n' cheese in the city. Apparently I am woefully undercheesed because I've only tried a few of these. I was also surprised to see my personal favorite (and New York Magazine’s) from Blue Smoke didn't make the list and girly Carrie's favorite S'mac only made #12. The Blue Smoke cheesy goodness can be ordered as an appetizer in the restaurant or as take out from the catering menu by the 2lbs or 5lbs.

Back by Popular Demand

After receiving a few requests to put up a blog with the various deals and tips I amass on the city, I've decided to create this compendium of (mostly) other people's NYC news, deals and my own notes.