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The Big Chifa of Northern Boulevard
As we were presented with our check for our meal at Chifa, there was some grumbling from the Westchester contingent that it wasn’t right that Zio and I ordered soup as appetizers. “I didn’t think we...
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The Big Ceviche Chill
I had my gas tank full even before Gerry announced where we were to meet. There would be no doubt that he would have us (Zio and I) travel to Westchester. And that county has more than its share of...
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Curry Exotica
“Why did you pick this place,” I asked Eugene as we warmed up inside Amarin Café, the “modern” Thai restaurant he chose that was surrounded by Polish restaurants in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. “Because we...
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A Creole Chill in Cambria Heights
I had maneuvered the car on top of a mound of snow. I hesitated before opening the door. The temperature was barely in double digits and the city had just been blanketed with a foot of snow. I was a...
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Uni and Ovaltine
I was in the rest room of the Cutting Board, on Bayard Street in Chinatown staring at the cheery murals in front of me when I heard Zio’s voice. I got to the restaurant before Zio and he must have...
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Scungilli and Red Sauce in the South Bronx
I pulled into Venice Restaurant’s private parking lot just off 149th Street in the Bronx and noticed its neon sign claiming the restaurant’s establishment as 1951. How did an Italian restaurant in...
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126th St Soul
To answer the question above: Yes, I am feeling hungry. My question is: Can my hunger be satisfied without conditions?Filed under: Cheap Eats, Cheap Eats in New York City, Food, Harlem, humor, New...
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A Taste of Ghana on the Grand Concourse
The palm oil, okra, and tomato sauce spiced with cayenne peppers coated the fingers of my right hand. The fish I had used those fingers on was now just a skeleton. The thin napkins I had quickly...
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Momo Moments in the East Village
“What made you choose this place?” I asked Eugene as our group convened at the Cafe Himalaya in the East Village. “We’ve never had Himalayan food before,” was his response. “Himalayan food?” “Yeah.”...
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Vietnamese by the Numbers
It was located on a decrepit stretch of Central Avenue, also known as Central Park Avenue, between Hartsdale and Scarsdale in Westchester. “Remember what was across the street, Gerry?” Eugene said to...
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Rum and Roti in Parts Unknown
“Why isn’t The Bronx a city?” Eugene inquired as we sat around a table in Melanie’s Roti & Grill Restaurant on Castle Hill Avenue. “It’s a borough,” Gerry explained. “Yeah, but what’s a borough?...
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A Feast for Five Faux Kings in Greenpoint
“I had one of those korytos at another Polish place here in Greenpoint,” Zio told us all just before we were to order one at Krolewskie Jadlo. “The meat was dry.” We hesitated, looking at him. The...
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The Little Shop of Dumplins
Eugene, Mike from Yonkers, Gerry and I were gathered around the bar in the adjoining cluttered dining room of the mostly take-out, Jamaican fish joint, the Dumplin Shop. Located just off the...
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Man V. Mofongo: The Battle in the Bronx
When Mike from Yonkers sent out his email declaring Caridad & Louie’s the destination for our group, he prefaced it by stating: “I hope we didn’t frequent this place. (I have an odd feeling we...
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The Arepas of Astoria
“Haven’t we been here before?” Eugene queried via email after Zio announced his choice, Arepas Café, conveniently located in his home base of Astoria. “No,” I responded. “We’ve had cachapas,...
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Eating a Muslim Lamb Chop during Ramadan in a Chinese Restaurant in Flushing
“Massage?” A tiny Asian woman, cell phone clamped to her ear, asked Eugene as he and I walked down Prince Street in Flushing. “No thank you,” Eugene responded politely. “Massage?” She asked again as...
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Papa’s Karaoke in the Kitchen Blues
“Are you ready to sing,” Beth, the hostess of Papa’s Kitchen asked me as I entered the empty, yet cozy Filipino restaurant on Woodside Avenue in Queens. I was the first to arrive and her question to...
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Neckbones’ Calcutta Christmas Carol
Gerry, when he announced his pick, called the location we were to visit the “childhood home of our fearless leader.” The fearless leader he was referring to was me and I wasn’t so fearless in...
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The Wong Wonton Mott Street Revolt
The winter of El Nino was finally becoming harsh and noodles and soup seemed like a good idea to both Zio and I. I had told him to meet me at a place called 102 Noodles Town, but before I got to the...
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A Feeding Tree Grows in the Bronx
The snow was melting rapidly from a “historic” storm named Jonas. But there were still dirty gray mounds around the esplanade of Yankee Stadium, which happened to be just a block from where Mike from...
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