Miss Menu

For Good Noodles, Go "to the Republic for which It Stands"

2009-06-10T20:30:00.003-04:00

As the expression goes, time flies when you're having fun - especially when a lot of that time is spent eating your way through the Big Apple! Last week marked the 6th anniversary of me moving to NYC - hard to believe it's been that long. Six years ago, MP and I arrived a few weeks after graduation, with no job and no real place to live. We had 10 weeks in the NYU dorms to get our lives figured out. But, before we dove straight into job hunting, we wanted to celebrate our first night in the city.

Since this was pre-Miss Menu, we wandered over to Union Square and looked around for a restaurant, and ended up at Republic. Right then and there, I declared to MP that a tradition should be started of returning to Republic every June 1st to celebrate our anniversary. It seemed really cheesy at the time, but 6 years later, I always look forward to this dinner!
This year, we walked downtown to Republic on an iffy day weather-wise, but hoped to score a table out front. Lucky for us, there were two open when we arrived, and we were seated right away. The tables outside are pretty cramped, but if you've ever dined inside the restaurant, you know there's a good chance that you'll be seated at a table with total strangers. So, I'll take the former option any day!

Although I'm usually not one to order the same dish every time I go to a restaurant, I do so at Republic. Guess it's part of the tradition! As usual, I got #31 - Pad Thai, with rice noodles, chicken, bean sprouts, egg strips, garlic,carrots, scallions...hold the peanuts. The menu has some interesting appetizers and salads, but I love their pad thai, so there was no messin' around.

The flavor was great, with just the right amount of heat. On some occasions, the chicken has been somewhat overcooked and flavorless, but this year, it was moist and flavorful. They always go a little overboard with the bean sprouts, but it adds such a nice crunch to the dish. The portion was huge, but it was hard for me to put the chopsticks down!

MP changed it up this year and went with #21 - Chicken broth noodles, with glass noodles, shredded chicken, watercress, bean sprouts, wood ear mushrooms, and shallots. She thought it was a great flavor, but heavy on the salt...and that the watercress was a little too bitter.

If you are looking for super-authentic noodle bowls, Republic is not for you. It's more of a trendy take on a classic. Apparently the restaurant has caught wind of that and hiked its prices since last year. A bowl of pad thai for $13 is no bargain. It was definitely more like $8 when we started going there. But, I guess that's the price you pay for livin' in the big city!

We weren't sure if it was because the waitress was so crazed, or if it's just more relaxed dining al fresco, but we weren't rushed out at all. Usually they will drop the check off before you ask for it and hover waiting for you to get up from your table. But, we were able to enjoy the nice weather and reminisce about all the crazy adventures we've each had and those we've shared in the past 6 years. It's been a wild, fantastic ride, and I can't wait to see what else is in store for me, for us, and for Miss Menu!

Republic
37 Union Square West
b/t 16th & 17th Streets
website
Menu Pages listing

You Can Bet on Bettola!

2009-06-02T11:19:00.001-04:00

Last week, MP invited me to join her parents and her for dinner. I was really excited to see them, and also excited to be relieved of restaurant selecting duties! They picked Bettola on the Upper West Side. On a stretch of Amsterdam that is almost solid restaurants, I almost walked into the wrong one...and MP's parents actually did. The tiny lettering on the awnings makes it a little tricky!

Inside is a warm, cozy atmosphere with exposed brick walls and dim lighting. The wood-burning oven is definitely the focal point featured dead center at the back of the small dining space - as is the Italian flag.

We looked over the menu, and oohed and ahhed over a lot of the dishes. I knew I definitely wanted pizza, especially from a wood-burning oven. We were all interested in the same dishes, so we ended up sharing a bunch of things.

We started with two Insalata Di Farro with seasonal greens, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was pretty straightforward, and a nice start to the meal. MP ordered the zuppa del journo, which was a carrot, celery, and onion puree. It was a pretty crazy color of orange, but had a great flavor. And, it was even better with focaccia from the bread basket dipped in it.

We decided to order three pizzas to share, and figured with 4 slices in each, it would be the perfect amount for the four of us! First up was the Regina Margherita, with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil. To me, margherita pizzas are the perfect kind of pie...simple, flavorful, and delicious. The tomato sauce was bold and tangy, and there was the perfect amount of cheese. As with all of the pizzas, the crust was crispy without being too dried out.
The second one was the Salute made with whole wheat dough with grilled and roasted vegetables. The variety of veggies was nice...I think I spotted zucchini, eggplant, onions, mushrooms, and red peppers. But, there was entirely too much rosemary...completely overwhelming the entire pizza. It was definitely still edible, but it would have been so much better if they went a little easy on the rosemary.

The third one was the Bianca, with mozzarella, parmigiano, mushrooms, and truffle oil. Between this pizza, and the panini I had recently at 'inoteca, I have officially become obsessed with truffle oil, especially when it is paired with a great melted cheese. This pizza was out of control good. It was at this point that I decided I wish I had the whole thing to myself! But, I was glad I was able to try two others, so I sucked it up and enjoyed my slice and a half! The mushrooms were tasty and the thick layer of the two cheeses were delish, but the star of this pie was obviously the truffle oil.

We went on the earlier side on a Wednesday night, and despite it being pretty empty when we arrived, the restaurant had definitely filled up by time we left. The service was good, although it was very hard to understand the server because her Italian accent was so heavy. How authentic!

There are dozens and dozens of great restaurants on the UWS. Menu Pages has 59 Italian restaurants listed in the neighborhood. But, if you're looking for a simple, relaxed setting for a great, Italian meal, I would definitely bet on Bettola!

Bettola
412 Amsterdam Avenue
b/t 79th & 80th Streets
website
Menu Pages listing

Somethin's Missin' in This Kitchen

2009-05-26T17:18:00.000-04:00

As always, when AS and I have plans for dinner, we start throwing around a few ideas over email that afternoon. Last Thursday, I emailed her with a few ideas of neighborhood places we haven't been to before. The night before on my walk home from 'inoteca, I noticed Turkish Kitchen and thought how I really needed to try this place. So, Turkish Kitchen was my top pick, and she was excited to try it too.

I never really hear people talking about this restaurant, and I think as soon as we walked in, I realized why. The crowd was older...and not just middle-aged, but senior citizens. Not sure how that came to be, but this crowd seemed like repeat customers, which is a good sign in my book.

The server came over to greet us and give us our menus, and seemed less than thrilled that we weren't ordering cocktails. But, we moved on and took a look at the menu. We definitely wanted to share a few things, so we decided to get an appetizer, a salad, and an entree.

First up was the Shepherd salad, which consisted of fresh tomato, cucumber, parsley, green pepper, and onion. It was similar to what I know as an Israeli salad, except the vegetables were in larger pieces rather than being finely chopped. The presentation was beautiful, but the flavor was just a little strange. Not sure if that's the difference between Turkish and Israeli salads, but it seemed to have a little too much acidity...guessing from lemon juice.

We ordered the Cacik (like a tzatziki), made with homemade yogurt mixed with chopped cucumber, garlic, mint, and dill. It was so tasty...really light and refreshing, and had a great flavor with all of those ingredients coming together nicely. It was served with fresh bread that was similar to a very thick, fluffy pita. The bread basket kept refilling without us asking, and we were worried if we'd still have room for dinner!

For the entree, we got the Martarli Tavuk Sis...chargrilled of chicken breast, fresh mushrooms, green peppers on a skewer, served with rice and roasted potatoes. AS and I were joking how sometimes chicken kebabs can be sort of bland, and we asked to keep the cacik on the table in case we wanted to dip the chicken in it. But, we were both pleasantly surprised at how moist and flavorful the chicken was. The mushrooms and green peppers had the perfect grill flavor, without getting too charred the way peppers can sometimes. The rice even had a great taste too it, and the roasted potatoes weren't listed on the menu, but were a welcomed addition (and were dipped in the cacik!).

The food itself was fantastic, but the service wasn't the best. Turkish Kitchen seemed to think it is a much fancier dining establishment than it actually is. Yes, there were white tablecloths, but it was hardly that type of place. The server again gave us a little attitude when we only ordered just those three items, but as AS pointed out to me, two appetizers were the same price as ordering an entree, so it wasn't like we were only spending $20.

When we were ready for the check, it took another server, a bus boy, and finally the maitre d' to get our server's attention. There were so many employees running around, but something seemed to be missing. Service wasn't so bad that I wouldn't return, but in a time when people are cutting back on dining out, I'd be grateful for any and all customers to walk through that restaurant door, regardless of how little or how much they're spending.

Turkish Kitchen
386 Third Avenue
b/t 27th & 28th
website
Menu Pages listing

'inoteca? Check.

2009-05-26T11:34:00.001-04:00

My restaurant "to do" list is never-ending. This is by no means a bad thing, but there just aren't enough meals in a day and days in a week to get to every spot on there. My wallet and waistline would also be less than thrilled if I ate every single meal out just to cross restaurants off my list.

There has been one on there for a few months now...'inoteca. Well, it really was on there as Bar Milano. But, the Denton brothers decided to close Bar Milano, and re-open it as an 'inoteca like their other two locations downtown. When I was put in charge of planning a dinner with some friends, 'inoteca popped in my mind immediately!

AM, LR, CD, and I went last Wednesday night...and despite the host on the phone making it seem like reservations were hard to come by, there were a handful of tables open the entire time we were there. (Just a quick tip - I originally tried to make a reservation through OpenTable, but they had nothing available between 5:45 and 10:15. When that happens, always call the restaurant and double-check.)

When we looked over the menu, we quickly realized that it was all in Italian (how authentic!)...and tried to figure out what was what. We asked our server to help us decipher everything, and she began to answer each of our questions, and also pointed out that on the back of the wine list was a glossary with definitions/descriptions of only some of the menu items. What?! Some of you may disagree with me on this one...but seems like the restaurant could find better ways to have the servers spend their time than translating most of the menu to the customers over and over again, night after night. I personally don't think it would take away from the authenticity or the Italian vibe if they had descriptions next to the less obvious menu items. But alas, we figured it all out and placed our order. We decided to order a lot of different dishes to get a taste of as many dishes as possible.

We started with the insalata di verdure di primavera. This was a small salad made up of fresh, Spring vegetables including ramps (finally got to try them!), peas, asparagus, pearl onions, carrots, and mint. The light dressing complimented the light flavor of all of the vegetables really well. I would definitely recommend avoiding eating a whole leaf of mint, though...not very pleasant.

In addition to the salad, we also started off with five bruschette: fagioli, tapenade, fig marscapone, pepperonata, caponata - also known as cannellini beans, olive spread, fig and marscapone cheese (ok that was straightforward!), stewed red peppers, and marinated eggplant. Each one was absolutely delicious and so full of flavor, but I definitely liked the pepperonata the best.

For the second round, we started with a panini, with fontina, truffle oil, spinach, mushroom. This thing was absolutely outrageous. The fontina was delicious, but what really took this thing over the top was of course the truffle oil. The bread was perfectly crunchy and provided a nice contrast to the cooked spinach and mushroom inside.

Next up was the lasagnette di melanzane, which our server described as a lasgana with thin slices of eggplant instead of noodles. The tomato sauce was so flavorful, and the fresh riccota on top was a nice touch.

To round out the entrees, we had the baked maccheroncini, which we thought was maybe a fancy version of mac & cheese. Wrong! Only thing similar about it was that it was small pasta and that there was cheese in it. But, in this dish, the pasta was served with zucchini, squash, tomatoes, a tomato sauce, and mozzarella. The garlicky flavor was so good and the tomato sauce had a lighter, tangy flavor to it, rather than a classic red sauce.

We couldn't resist trying some of the desserts, so we ordered an affogato and a Nutella panino. The affogato was a glass with two scoops of vanilla ice cream that were "drowned" in espresso at the table. I'm not a big coffee fan, but this was so delicious. The only disappointing part of the entire meal was the Nutella panino...and that is coming from someone who loves all things Nutella. There were two TINY triangles of panini with an even TINIER amount of Nutella spread in between the slices of bread. The two triangles side by side were probably the size of a credit card. After having a big panini during the main course, I expected this dessert portion to be a decent size too. Not so much.

In many recent meals, I've started to notice one thing that is quickly becoming a huge dining pet peeve of mine...the servers and busboys constantly coming by asking to clear your plates even when there are a few bites left, or clearing a tiny piece of the straw wrapper off the table. I just want to eat in peace and not to have to shift around so people can reach around me to grab things. I'm pretty sure that 'inoteca and all other restaurants do not have a shortage of plates and silverware that they need to be cleared and taken back to be washed immediately. And, I'd rather have a straw wrapper on my table than have a server's arm reach around my head to reach for it. Ok, just had to get that off my chest!!!

I guess it's tough to expect everything to be perfect when we ordered seven different dishes and when the waitstaff is still somewhat new. But, despite these small missteps, the meal and overall dining experience were fantastic. I may have finally been able to cross 'inoteca off my "to do" list, but would have no problem adding it back on to try some of the other dishes, or try 'inoteca's other locations.

'inoteca
323 Third Avenue
@ 24th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Everything But The Kitchen Sink - NoLa Edition

2009-05-19T11:08:00.008-04:00

Just got back from a fantastic weekend in New Orleans for my brother's graduation (Magna Cum Laude!) from Tulane University.All of the graduation festivities were great, but a huge highlight of the trip for me was the food! My brother is even more of a foodie than I am. And, after 4 years in New Orleans, he was eager to show my family some of his favorites, and also explore a few food spots he hadn't made it to yet.

Soon after landing, we headed towards a tiny BBQ joint called creatively named...The Joint! Damn good BBQ. And very cool to be able to see the smoker in action!

After graudation, we went to Willie Mae's Restaurant for some fried chicken. Willie Mae and her employees consider this to be the best friend chicken in the country. We begged to differ, but it was still very tasty...and a fun experience.
Graduation dinner was at Upperline Restaurant. The owner has an insane collection of art that decorates every inch of the restaurant and gives it a really awesome ambiance. It's almost equal parts art gallery and restaurant! And, the food was out of this world. I was a more adventurous eater than I've been in probably 15 years on this trip. A few things I had solely because of the "when in Rome..." philosophy: turtle soup, fried oysters, duck, gumbo, shrimp. Glad I tried all of this to get the full NoLa experience, but don't think I'll be eating any of that again any time soon!

And, here are a few food-related odds and ends from the rest of the weekend:

Pralines (yum) cooling in the French Quarter

Crazy assortment of Cajun spices - Voodoo seasoning, anyone?

(click to enlarge)

A lot of cities feature sculptures that are painted by local artists and places throughout the city. Cows in Chicago, apples in New York City, turtles in Charleston. In New Orleans, it's streetcars. And, this one happened to be painted like a shrimp po' boy!

Such a great weekend. As the song goes, I now "know what it means to miss New Orleans!" Congrats, Z...I am so proud of you!!!

Cinema Cafe - Take 2

2009-05-13T21:40:00.000-04:00

There are some restaurants that I really want to like for various reasons, but just can't. Whether they have a great atmosphere, great location, outdoor seating, etc. Cinema Cafe is one of those. It has such potential...it's 2 blocks from my apartment, has great outdoor seating with very amusing people watching (at the prime intersection of Murray Hill), and a menu with a wide variety of food. Problem is, every time I've gone there, I've found the portions to be on the smaller size and very overpriced, and the service to be subpar.

When SS and I decided to meet there for brunch one Sunday morning, a few things went through my mind. 1) I hadn't been there for brunch in years. 2) I hadn't written about Cinema Cafe on Miss Menu. 3) I saw signs in the windows showing recession specials and prix fixe options. 4) It was pouring down rain and it was so close to both of our apartments.

Ok, maybe it was time to give Cinema a "Take 2." Even at the peak brunch hour, we were able to get a table with no wait. Things were looking up! I noticed that the prices were more in line with a normal brunch menu, so that was encouraging too. The brunch menu features an entree, a cocktail, and coffee/tea for $13.95. The same entrees are available on the regular menu for $10.95 and $11.95.

Not really in the mood to drink, I decided to order off the regular menu. I went with the wild mushroom & gruyére omelette, with shiitake, portobello, crimini, and button mushrooms. I am a huge fan of gruyere and pretty much order any dish I see that features this great cheese. The mushroom variety was a nice change from the standard button-only mushrooms. All the brunch items are served with home fries and seven-grain toast. The home fries were delicious...had a nice crunchy texture on the outside, and had onions and red peppers mixed in for a little extra flavor.

SS ordered the brunch menu and started with a screwdriver and coffee. She got the four seasons egg white omelette, with spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, and tomatoes. Pretty straightforward dish, but she enjoyed it a lot.

The service was a little spotty...my water glass remained empty for most of the meal. But, I think they may have been short a server or two. Our server was friendly and very apologetic for running around so much. The ambiance is just so-so. The cinema theme gets sort of lost in the shuffle unless you're there at night, when the large projection screen showing black and white silent films is more apparent. If you have the choice, opt for a table to the right of the bar in the "lounge" area...very comfortable arm chairs!

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by my most recent experience at Cinema Cafe. Guess it helps to go in with lowered expectations, but I will definitely keep it in mind for future meals.

Cinema
505 Third Avenue
@ 34th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Miss Menu Mentions - SeamlessWebber

2009-05-07T13:14:00.006-04:00

SeamlessWeb is the "simple, fast, and fun way for you to order food online from over 2,000 of the best delivery and takeout restaurants in New York and other major cities across the US and London." I've used the site a handful of times, and must say...it is pretty darn convenient. Not to mention, it's gotta be one of the better business ideas I've come across!

SeamlessWeb has its own food and restaurant blog called Insider's Network. Here's my profile as a SeamlessWebber!

"Every Thursday, a different SeamlessWeb customer tells us all about how he or she uses the site. If you pay close attention here you just might learn something. This week we have Shayna, who is known to her friends as Miss Menu, and would be really happy if she could find a Mexican BBQ joint."

Name: Shayna

Age: 28

Occupation: Marketing Manager

SeamlessWeb User Since: December 2008

Where Do You Use SW? Home and friends' apartments

Favorite Kind of Food: Tie between BBQ and Mexican. Growing up in Atlanta, I was alway surrounded by a lot of great BBQ and Mexican places. So I love trying them in NYC to see how they compare. Some can hold their own, but others seems to be missing a little of that Southern charm!

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Indian. Try as I might, I just can't get into curries. And even when I order a "curry-less" dish like Chicken Tikka Masala, I still don't love it.

Favorite Place(s) to Order From on SW: Baby Bo's Cantina (My favorite dish is the Vegetable Enchiladas Suizas, which comes with beans and rice. The different sauces they use are incredible!), Libretto's Pizzeria (I go for the plain pizza every time. Why ruin perfection by adding toppings?), Ethos Greek Cuisine (My roommate and I have it down to a science. We order Tzatziki with pita to start. Then we share Elliniki, a classic Greek salad, and Kotopoulo Giouvetsi, which is boneless chicken breast baked in a pot with orzo, tomato sauce, and feta cheese.)

Least Favorite Thing About Calling Restaurants? Busy signals.

Closest Previous Brush with Internet Fame? I started a blog called Miss Menu as a way of sharing my great NYC dining experiences with my friends and family. A year and a half later, I still can't believe that people besides my mom and dad are reading it!

Favorite Celebrity Chef? Anthony Bourdain. He really sees an importance in learning about other countries and cultures, mostly through their cuisine. That's what I love about New York City...when you're not able to travel to those far off places, you can easily take a culinary trip around the world without leaving the five boroughs!

Favorite Cartoon Growing Up? The Simpsons. (Ed: Need we say more?)

Plans for Tonight? Going to The Australian with co-workers for Happy Hour, then heading down to the East Village for dinner and drinks with some friends at Mercadito.

Can't Judge A Menu By Its Cover

2009-05-06T20:38:00.000-04:00

It's never safe to judge a sushi/Japanese restaurant by the looks of its delivery menu. Sometimes the sketchiest "restaurants" have really well-designed menus. And sometimes the good restaurants have really crappy menus. So, I was a little skeptical when AS suggested we go to Nomado 33 for dinner one night because I had only seen a cool looking menu slid under my door.

Nomado 33 is located directly across the street from 2nd Ave Deli, which would explain why I couldn't picture its location. I always walk on the south side of 33rd St so I can catch a whiff of the deli goodness that permeates the sidewalk! It also doesn't help that the storefront is very unremarkable. When we got there, we were both pleasantly surprised by the interior though. The space was light and modern, with windows that look out onto a "courtyard." We got there at 6:30, and it was pretty deserted...but by time we were paying the bill an hour later, about half of the tables had been filled.

Nomado 33 calls itself a sushi fushion restaurant since they incorporate food into the rolls that are anything but traditional. I glanced over the menu and a few of these caught my eye...mango, banana tempura, rolls with names like "Pizza" and "Snow White."

I started with a miso soup. It was pretty standard. I decided to order a couple rolls...the vegetable tempura roll and the bec roll. The vegetable tempura was so good. The tempura wasn't too greasy and the veggies still had a nice crunch to them. The bec roll was one of the fusion rolls, and was fantastic. It had spicy tuna, avocado, jalapeno, crunch with a soy wrap. It had all the right components...heat, texture and great fresh fish.

AS ordered the chicken teriyaki. It came with the choice of a salad or miso soup, and she opted for the miso soup as well. When the dish came out, we were both laughing at the amount of chicken that was on the plate. It was easily enough for 2, maybe 3 people. Even with me trying a few bites, there was still so much left over. The sauce had a great flavor, and the steamed broccoli that came with it was a nice addition to the side of brown rice.

Nomado 33 is a welcomed addition to the neighborhood in my book. I'm definitely looking forward to a return visit. And, I will now be adding its fancy menu to my menu box!

Nomado 33
165 East 33rd Street
b/t 3rd & Lexington Avenue
website
Menu Pages listing

Chef Marcela's "Fresh Mexico" Tasting Event

2009-05-01T11:24:00.008-04:00

I was fortunate to be invited to a fantastic foodie event last night. It was a tasting and pairing to celebrate the release of Chef Marcela Valladolid's first cookbook Fresh Mexico: 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor.
Growing up in Tiajuana, Mexico, attending school in San Diego, and then cooking school in Paris, Chef Marcela takes classic Mexican cooking from her childhood and adds her own twist, successfully creating simple, fresh Mexican dishes that incorporate ingredients from different cultures and cuisines.

The event was held in penthouse suite at the Hudson Hotel. It was a gorgeous setting with great city views from the terrace.

We were greeted with Marcela's Fresh Mex Margarita, a light and refreshing cocktail. Chef Marcela spoke about the five tastings of recipes straight from the pages of her book. The owner of L.A. Cetto Vineyards also discussed the fantastic Mexican wines that he selected to pair with each course.

Rosemary-skewered shrimp

Butternut squash and chipotle soup

Easy chicken mole

Also served was a rack of lamb with ancho crust. And, to round out a delicious tasting, Marcela's mom's strawberry tartlets were brought out.

Check out Chef Marcela's website for more information about her cookbook Fresh Mexico and her show "Relatos con Sabor," which airs on Discovery en Espanol.

Food2 Freebie Friday

2009-05-01T09:27:00.006-04:00

Today marks the first official Food2 Freebie Friday! My friends over at Food2 are giving away Food2 swag and other goodies to celebrate the launch of the site.

Check out the Freebie Friday info here...there are a few different ways to get your name in the running to win some fun/goofy stuff. Happy Freebie Friday!

Rating for Phoenix Gard: PG...Pretty Gross

2009-04-29T22:56:00.006-04:00

Last night I met AS and SN for dinner. Usually they rely on a Miss Menu suggestion for where we should meet, but yesterday SN said she got a recommendation from a co-worker and thought we could give it a shot. I've walked passed Phoenix Garden probably 500 times on my way to and from work. It has a big, green awning, and is set down a few steps so it caught my eye. But, since you can't see inside at all, I always thought it seemed sketchy and probably best left for delivery. I heard a few good things and read a few decent reviews, so I tried my best to go in with in an open mind and not rely on my impressions from walking by. FAIL. I should've stuck with my first impression!

Phoenix Garden is one of the few real (and I'm not talking 2 tables in a fast food place) sit-down Chinese restaurants in the area, despite there being dozens upon dozens of take-out/delivery options. I was hoping that this could become my little hidden gem of a restaurant in my neighborhood. Instead, it quickly became a place I will never return to and never recommend! I so rarely have a terrible meal in New York, and always loathe when I do.

When we walked in, it was pretty empty, but the place filled up really quickly. The decor was minimal, and it was dark and dreary inside. We looked over the menu and decided to get soups and split two entrees family style. Usually this would be plenty of food, but the waitress copped an attitude and tried to convince us that the portions are small and we should get another dish. She suggested the most ridiculous (and expensive) things...lobster, fried shrimp paste stuffed vegetables. Finally we put our foot down and added an order of dumplings.

We each got an egg drop soup, and it was fine. We asked for crunchy noodles, they had none. We got an ordered of steamed vegetable dumplings...the order came with three, and they fell apart the second you tried to pick them up out of the bowl. Then came the chicken with mixed vegetables...it was fine, but nothing remarkable. I've had better Chinese from the fast food places where you order from a picture menu behind the counter. We asked for a side of brown rice, since the menu said rice was served with the entrees. They only had white rice, which isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but seemed a little strange. We also ordered a chicken lo mein that was bright yellow, had a weird texture, and had no flavor. You know it's bad when you have to douse it in soy sauce for it to be edible.

The service was horrendous...rude and unhelpful. The busboys and servers were constantly reaching over us to clear off unused bowls and plates as if they had a severe shortage. AS finally said, "you can leave it, we are fine" just to get them to leave us in peace. And, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, even the water tasted bad! How do you mess up NYC tap water?!?

I am usually comfortable to admit that maybe I had a fluke of a bad experience, but there is absolutely no way that I could've gotten this wrong last night. The three of us all agreed that it may have been the worst Chinese food we've ever had. The tiny silver lining? Phoenix Garden is BYO. Unfortunately, it would take me many, many bottles of wine to ever consider a return visit!

Phoenix Garden
242 East 40th Street
b/t 2nd & 3rd Ave
website
Menu Pages listing

Giving Chada a Chance

2009-04-28T16:07:00.001-04:00

I'm always excited to see new restaurants opening in my neighborhood...and had my eye on Chada since it opened in November. The first few reviews that were posted on Menu Pages said that the portions were small and over-priced. Not my ideal Thai dining experience. But, MP and I checked the site again and saw some of the newer reviews, it looks like the owners of Chada may have taken note of the criticism.

The restaurant is small, with about 25 tables, but has an open, modern feel. The decor combined with a decent sized bar gives Chada a lounge feel. More on that later. On the cold Tuesday night we were there, there were maybe 4 other tables filled. But, the delivery guys were in and out quite frequently. I'm hoping they do a big delivery business since the sit down portion didn't seem to be fairing so well.

I looked over the menu to see if they had any interesting dishes, in addition to the usual Thai options. One thing caught my eye...an incredibly reasonable prix-fixe menu for $17.95. I was really hungry, and eager to try more than just one item, so I went for it. It included the following:
Choice of salad or one of three soups
Choice of 5 appetizers
Choice of 6 entrees
Choice of 2 desserts

Up first was a Thai Salad, with mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, onions, bean sprouts and a peanut sauce dressing. All of the veggies were very fresh and the dressing wasn't too heavy with the taste of peanut.

Next up was veggie spring rolls. There were two small rolls filled with cabbage, carrots, celery, and vermicelli and were served with a sweet plum dipping sauce. There were just fantastic...plain and simple. The flavor was great and they were crispy without being oily.

For my main course, I ordered my Thai go-to dish Pad See Ew with veggies. Pad See Ew usually comes with Chinese broccoli, but this had green beans, carrots, and regular broccoli in it as well.

It wasn't the largest portion of Thai noodles I've ever seen, but given that I was having a 4-course meal, I was very OK with it. The sweet soy sauce was great, and I really enjoyed this dish.

For dessert I decided to go with the Dippin' Donut Holes, which were freshly made and topped with condensed milk. Wow. Granted, it's hard for anything sweet that is fried and topped with a sweeter sauce to be bad. But, these things were fantastic...similar to a zeppole or beignet, but a lot lighter.
MP went with a much lighter dinner and ordered the Thai Salad to start, and the Cashew Nut entree with chicken and steamed vegetables.

I noticed it said on the menu that Chada is available for private parties, and with my birthday approaching, I looked around and thought it could be a great space to have my party. I spoke to one of the owner's daughters and she gave me some of the details. I was sold. Now I just had to convince JS and ME about my idea because I was having a joint party with them! It all worked out so well. We had the entire space to ourselves. We were able to bring our ipod to play music. They offered us an option of a $30 open bar for the first two hours of the party, and also had some drink specials available. Needless to say, it was a fantastic night. Great space and great friends.

If you're looking for a really reasonable Thai restaurant that has a lot more atmosphere than some of the other places in the neighborhood, definitely give Chada a chance. And, if you're looking for a space to host a party or event, keep Chada in mind. Times are tough and restaurant competition is stiff, but I'm rooting for Chada to make it.

Chada
637 Second Avenue
b/t 34th & 35th Streets
website
Menu Pages listing

Dos Thumbs Up for Dos Caminos

2009-04-26T17:41:00.000-04:00

While I don't have any immediate family close by, I am lucky enough to have three cousins in NYC. JB's sister AB came to visit one weekend, and the five of us decided to meet for brunch on Sunday morning. They wanted to do some shopping in SoHo after we ate, so we opted for a place downtown. KS picked Dos Caminos Soho, and while I had been to the other locations for brunch and dinner, I hadn't been to this one...which I believe is the original.

Dos Caminos has a full brunch menu on the weekends, as well as some additional dishes. When you order an item from the brunch menu, a cocktail (margarita, mimosa, bloody mary, screwdriver, etc.) and coffee/tea are included. A pretty good deal if you ask me.

We all decided we wanted to start with an order of guacamole. While we definitely could have gotten away with ordering a small batch, we ordered the larger one...and it was way too much. By time our meals came, we had gone through 2 baskets of chips and most of the guacamole! Sure, there's a thing called self-control, but I have none around chips and dip! It was delicious as always with the right amount of kick and not too heavy on the cilantro.

For my entree, I decided to go with the Chilaquiles, which is a baked tortilla casserole with sunny side up eggs, chihuahua cheese, and tres chiles salsa. I've had chilaquiles before at other restaurants, but this version was very different. On the bottom was a black bean spread. That was topped with red and blue corn tortilla chips covered in the salsa. Then, the eggs were plated on top of that, with a sprinkle of avocado, cheese, and garnish.
It was absolutely fantastic. The flavors all went really well together. The eggs weren't overcooked. My only complaint was that the tortilla chips became soggy after a few minutes of being covered in sauce and heat. There could be worse things...

...Like the problems with KS's order. She ordered the Dos Caminos Rancheros, which was a crisp tortillas, fried eggs, black beans, smoked ham, and queso fresco. After seeing that there was turkey bacon on the menu, she asked if she could substitute the turkey bacon for the smoked ham. The waiter said it would be no problem as each dish is made to order. When it came out, it looked a lot more like ham than turkey bacon. She decided to check with the waiter, who confirmed it was turkey...but mentioned casually that there was bacon in the ranchero sauce that covered the entire dish. One would think that if a diner was asking to substitute something for pork, it may be helpful to mention pork being used in the sauce! It was only his 4th day, so we cut him some slack...and he sent the dish back to be remade with no sauce.

My other three cousins really enjoyed their meals...their only complaint was how large the portions are. I can't say I always see that as a negative, but guess they were surprised by it! LS had the breakfast quesadilla with scrambled eggs, bacon, chihuahua cheese, warm handmade tortillas. JB had the quesadilla benedict with ham, cheese and black bean quesadilla, poached eggs, and a roasted poblano hollandaise. And, AB had the wild mushroom and huitlacoche omelette with goat cheese, epazote and salsa verde.

Aside from a few mishaps, I think the meal was great overall. The atmosphere was fun and lively, but luckily it wasn't too crowded. And even on a rainy day, it was nice to have skylights overhead to let some natural light in what would otherwise be a pretty dimly-lit restaurant.

On nice days, the large patio out front is open, and I'm sure it's packed. I have now added it to my "to do" list for after-work, outdoor drinks for this summer!

Dos Caminos
475 West Broadway
@ Houston Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Don't Forget to Eat Your Greens...and Pinks, and Blues

2009-04-22T12:17:00.005-04:00

Chef Michel Bras has created a dish in his restaurant in Aubrac, France that may change your view on vegetarian food. And, a handful of French restaurants have taken note stateside. Check out the full post at FOOD2.

Click here to see all of Miss Menu's FOOD2 posts!

A Restaurant Taking It Above and Beyond

2009-04-14T09:29:00.010-04:00

There are a handful of well-known restaurants at pretty high elevations - the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Space Needle in Seattle, etc. - but this new “restaurant” concept reaches new heights! Check out the full post at FOOD2.

Click here to see all of Miss Menu's FOOD2 posts!

Everything But The Kitchen Sink - S'meeps Edition

2009-04-09T22:38:00.006-04:00

With Easter quickly approaching, Peeps have been a hot topic around here. I recently came across what I think may be the best use of Peeps ever...S'meeps! Imagine the goodness of s'mores taken to a whole new level by replacing a plain ol' marshmallow with a Peep.
And, you don't even need a campfire to make these - they can very easily be made in the oven. Set the temperature to 350...and get ready to see the cute little Peeps (and the chocolate bars) melt! Just keep an eye on them because while melted Peeps are delish, burnt Peeps aren't so great.

Just Like Grandma's

2009-04-07T10:40:00.001-04:00

To some, comfort food consists of things like fried chicken, mac & cheese, or ice cream. But to me, nothing is more comforting than homemade matzah ball soup. So many great places in NYC to find a great bowl...2nd Avenue Deli, Katz's, the list goes on and on.

A few years ago, I discovered a hidden gem of a delicatessen named Cafe Edison near my office in Times Square that isn't completely overrun with tourists. Reason being it's in the lobby of the Edison Hotel, and has a very unremarkable storefront. But, once you step foot inside, it's like you are transported back to the 1930s. And, by the looks of the crowd, the patrons may have been dining there since then!

I went with ME one day during our lunch break. We were both starving, so we knew a lot of food was in order. I had forgotten, though, how massive the portions are, so I think it's safe to say we ordered entirely too much food! It was a given that I was ordering the matzah ball soup, and ME wanted to try the mushroom barley, so we went ahead and put that order in right away. When it came out, I was a little scared. This was enough soup to feed at least 2 or 3 people! But, I got to work and did my best!
It was just as delicious as I remembered. The matzah balls were delicate and fluffy, just like my grandma's. The broth was really flavorful, and the noodles were a nice touch. Only complaint I had was that the chicken was sort of odds and ends pieces of dark meat...not my fave.

I had read in NYMag's review of Cafe Edison that the kasha varnishkas was a must have. We thought we'd share a small side of that to go along with our sandwiches, but didn't realize that it would be this much! This kasha was delish, especially the edges that got a little crispy. For those who may not be familiar with this dish, it's essentially buckwheat and bowtie pasta made with chicken stock and some seasoning. So simple, but so good. My grandma would be thrilled to know I enjoyed it so much since I used to make a fuss about eating kasha growing up!

At this point, we were both pretty full, but knew we had a ton of food still in store for us. I couldn't decide what sandwich to order, so I asked the waiter, who has probably been working there since the restaurant opened, what he recommended. He said the fresh-carved turkey was fabulous. So, I asked if I could make that into a turkey reuben. Sure enough, it could be done! It was served open face, which meant a lot more turkey and a lot more cheese. I probably got through 1/4 of the sandwich and called it quits. Luckily, the waiter was happy to box it up for me, Russian dressing and all!
ME knew he had to go with the delicatessen staple of pastrami on rye. He said the meat was very flavorful and cooked really well. Even though it wasn't stacked as high as some other delis, it was still way too much food, and he took half home too!

If you are looking for a classic New York delicatessen and are in Midtown, I would definitely recommended Cafe Edison over those other guys (Carnegie, Stage, etc.) It's not a tourist trap where they rush you the whole time, the prices are much more reasonable, and there are no stupid rules like a minimum order amount or no sharing. Remembering how great the food was and knowing that this spot is only 2 blocks from my office means I will definitely be going back very soon...and very often!

Cafe Edison
228 West 47th Street
b/t Broadway & 8th Avenue
Menu Pages listing

J'aime Beacoup Bar Breton

2009-04-01T19:41:00.000-04:00

To round out my week-long birthday celebrations (yeah, I'm that girl!), AS wanted to take me out to brunch. Even though it as her idea, she of course left it up to me to pick a place. The forecast had said terrible rain, so I didn't want to trek too far, but also was not in the mood for yet another Murray Hill brunch.

Then, I remembered reading about Bar Breton's opening on NYMag's Grub Street. Bar Breton caught my eye for a few reasons, mainly because I am obsessed with crepes and galettes as you may remember from these posts, and even my Midtown Lunch'er profile. Based on the photos I had seen, the restaurant also looked like it had a really cute, quaint atmosphere.

Since the day turned out to be gorgeous, all of the front windows of the restaurant were open, letting a ton of light into the whole place. Everywhere you looked, there were so many decorative details...from bar stools looking like buttons to a really cool sculpture hanging at the front to some dishes being served on large stone slabs.

I knew without even looking what I wanted to order...but didn't mind perusing the menu to see what else they had available for brunch. I wanted a galette with eggs and cheese, just needed to find the right one! Now a quick culinary lesson - galettes are crepes that come from Brittany, France (Breton is French for Brittany) made from buckwheat flour, so they are the base of savory dishes, versus crepes that are used as dessert.

AS and I both decided to order the Mont St. Michel, which was a galette with 2 sunny-side up eggs, gruyere cheese, & black forest ham. We asked for it with no ham, which the waiter said was no problem since each galette is made to order. Not sure if they did it as a substitution or if it just wasn't mentioned on the menu, but finely chopped mushrooms came in the galette as well. It was served in the typical style with the edges folded over and mixed greens on top.

That first bite with the perfect combo of flavorful galette, slightly runny egg, and rich gruyere was absolute heaven for me. AS really liked it too, but I'm pretty sure she was laughing at my over-the-top reaction to the dish! I can't explain it other than it's like a comfort food for me since I ate this so many times during my semester studying in Paris. C'est magnifique!!

For dessert we decided to split a crepe with Nutella. This was one of the coolest presentations of a crepe (or any dessert for that matter) I've ever seen! I could have easily eaten all 6 pieces, but was glad we didn't go overboard.

I am eager to go back to Bar Breton to try their other entrees, and see how it stacks up against other bistros and cafes I've been to around the city. And in Paris, for that matter. The place wasn't too packed during a weekend brunch, which was a nice change from a lot brunch spots. The waiters were very friendly and the service was very prompt.

One last thing - I usually don't mention dietary-related items on Miss Menu, but thought it may be helpful to point out that galettes are gluten-free...for any of you who may have a gluten-free diet.

Bar Breton
254 Fifth Avenue
b/t 28th & 29th Streets
website
Menu Pages listing

Happy at Haru

2009-03-29T19:56:00.002-04:00

My friend JK wasn't able to make it to my party last Saturday, but wanted to take me out to dinner and drinks for my birthday. Who am I to turn that down?! He has been telling me about Haru's Sake Hour for years now, but I still hadn't made it there. So when he suggested that for Monday night, I was excited to finally give it a shot.

Haru has a few locations around the city (along with one in Boston and one in Philadelphia), and I had been to the Midtown ones for work lunches, but hadn't been to the newest one on Park Avenue South right near Union Square.

The interior is so nice...massive floor to ceiling windows allow for great people-watching from the bar area. There's a sleek, modern vibe without being over-the-top trendy.

Haru features a "Sake Hour" every weeknight from 5-7pm, featuring a small menu of appetizers and drinks priced around $5 that are only available in the bar area. We started with an order of edamame and a Sapporo, and then took a look over the options. I decided to go with the spring rolls, spicy tuna roll, and California roll. The vegetable spring rolls were delicious, although a little greasy, and were served with a great pickled plum sauce. Both the rolls I ordered were very fresh and the portion sizes were definitely larger than expected. JK really enjoyed his rolls as well.

While the prices aren't dirt cheap, they are pretty reasonable for an upscale sushi restaurant. But, if you order a few rolls and drinks like we did, the bill usually ends being about the same amount as if you ordered sushi off the regular dinner menu in the main dining room. It was a really fun departure from the typical nachos/wings bar food at happy hour though. And, the atmosphere is just a touch classier!

Haru
220 Park Avenue South
@ 18th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Will Always Yearn for the Yurt!

2009-03-16T21:52:00.000-04:00

I've shared a lot of my incredible dining experiences on Miss Menu in the past year, but all of these pale in comparison to the one I just had in Park City, UT. I don't use the word "amazing" very often, but our trip to The Viking Yurt truly was amazing.

We heard about The Viking Yurt from none other than US Magazine in a Sundance Film Festival wrap-up. After talking to our new best friend and owner of the Yurt, Joy, we took a vote and decided that we had to give this adventure a shot.

The evening starts with a sleigh ride up the ski slopes to an elevation of 8000 feet...so steep that there are seat belts involved! This offers the most ridiculous views, especially at sunset. Once we reached one of the ski lodges, we got off the sleigh and put on snow shoes for a 300 yard trek through the snow-covered forest.

Emerging from the trees, we saw the Viking Yurt...a simple structure built into the side of the mountain with no electricity or running water. Sounds a little rustic, right? Far from it. We were in store for an evening filled with flowing wine, a roaring fire, live piano music, and a 5-course, top notch dinner prepared by Chef Adam Findlay.

Upon arrival, a hot drink was served called glog. Yes, glog. Glog is a non-alcoholic berry based drink spiced with cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon. It was delicious, and the perfect way to warm up after the sleigh ride and snow shoeing.

First up was a selection of cheeses, crackers, and fruits. Fresh Vermont cheddar, Maytag blue, and brie. Yum. While there was beer, wine, and cocktails available on the menu, there was also the option of BYO with a corkage fee. We brought two bottles of white and one bottle of red. They both went so well with the cheeses.

Next up was a cauliflower pear soup with lavender essence and white truffle oil. It was hands down the best soup I've ever had. Creamy, hearty, and rich. Each flavor really came through, but none overpowered the soup.

After that was a shaved fennel and watermelon salad topped with a parmesan crisp. This was so light, the kind of dish you'd expect to have in the summer, and was a nice contrast to the heavy soup before it.

To cleanse our palates, lemon sorbet was served in rocks carried back from Norway - in keeping with the Scandinavian theme. Each rock came with a number engraved on the bottom indicating which region of Norway it came from.

For the entree, we had wild salmon with a miso glaze, served with whipped potatoes and baby carrots with a red wine reduction. When Chef Findlay was announcing the menu at the beginning of the meal, I thought miso glaze and a red wine reduction on the same plate sounded pretty strange...but wow, was I wrong! Even though salmon isn't my favorite fish, this dish was out of this world.

And, last but certainly not least, dessert. A frozen chocolate mousse was removed from its mold and topped with a rich raspberry sauce, fresh raspberries, a piece of peanut brittle, and a chocolate cigarette. Un. Real.

It's hard to put this amazing experience into words, but I hope I did it at least some justice. Take a look at the Viking Yurt's website for more descriptions and photos. And, if you are ever in Park City, or anywhere in Utah for that matter, you must...I repeat MUST venture to the Yurt!

The Viking Yurt
The Canyons Ski Resort
website

Everything But The Kitchen Sink - Park City Style

2009-03-05T23:14:00.005-05:00

I'm off to Park City, UT for a long weekend. I'm really excited, except for one minor detail - I don't really ski. Hopefully that will all change within the next 48 hours! If the skiing thing doesn't work out though, I'll have to get back in my comfort zone. I've heard that there are some incredible restaurants in Park City. So, check back on Wednesday for a Miss Menu recap of the Park City dining scene!

Centro In My Mind

2009-03-02T22:05:00.002-05:00

I was heading to SN's birthday apartment party on the west side with AS and JM, and we thought it'd be fun to grab dinner nearby for a change of scenery. I use to go over to Hell's Kitchen a lot for lunch during work, but haven't since the weather turned cold. We didn't get a chance to scope out a restaurant beforehand, so we did something Miss Menu really doesn't like to do...roamed the street looking for a restaurant!

Luckily for us, it was one of the easiest restaurant hunts I've ever had. Knowing how many restaurants line 9th Avenue in the 50s, we told the cab to drop us off at 50th & 9th. We figured we could get out there and work our way up since SN lives on 60th.

We peaked in the windows and looked at the menus of a few places, but nothing was really grabbing our attention. We ended up at El Centro, a lively, crowded Mexican restaurant. It was perfect. They had a table available for us right away, and a pretty extensive, reasonably-priced menu.

At first we were seated right at the door, which made us uncomfortably cold. Luckily, the table next to us opened up a few minutes later and we moved over to a great corner table. It gave us a great view of the restaurant...right next to the wall adorned with metal - OK, I have NO clue what these things are!

Chips and salsa were brought out right away, and I was a huge fan of both. The chips were hot and really salty, and the salsa had a great flavor and just the right amount of heat. After perusing the menu, I decided to go with my old standby, enchiladas suizas. Yes, I've ordered these recently, but they are just so darn good! I ordered the grilled vegetable enchiladas that came in homemade corn tortillas, topped with lettuce, queso blanco, crema fresca, salsa verde and radish. It came with a side of black beans and rice.

The vegetables had a great flavor, and surprisingly had quite a kick to them! The crema fresca helped though.

AS ordered the burro vegetarian, which was a stuffed homemade flour tortilla with monterrey jack cheese, pico de gallo, and crema fresca. It came with a small side salad as well. She really enjoyed the veggies that were inside and commented how she liked that the outside of the tortilla was grilled lightly, adding a nice texture.

JM decided to go for a more creative dish and ordered the pan-seared striped bass, which was served with roasted sweet plantains, a mixed salad, and black beans & yellow rice. He loved it and said the fish was cooked really nicely. And, the sweetness of the plantain complimented the seasoning on the fish really well.

Top 40 music was playing pretty loudly, which, for a Saturday night, was a lot of fun. But, I can see how that'd get a little old on a quieter weeknight. We didn't get any drinks, but the margaritas on the table next to us looked delicious too! The waitstaff was friendly, coming by multiple times to ask how everything was. All in all, we had a great experience there. It may not have been our first stop in the restaurant hunt, but it should've been the centro all along!

El Centro
824 9th Avenue
@ 54th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

A Late Night Food Vic-Tory

2009-02-28T20:10:00.001-05:00

After leaving SN's birthday party, ME and I headed back to the east side in search of a spot to grab one more drink and late-night food. We stopped in a few bars, but they were too crowded to order food. We stumbled across a Japanese yakitori restaurant. There was no bar, but there was a beer and wine list. So, we figured that'd do the trick!

We sat at the bar that lined the grill area, which had its pros and cons. It was great to be able to see firsthand how the yakitori grilling was done, but even with a huge exhaust system, it got pretty smokey and drafty.

We ordered a starter to share to go along with our yakitori. The Imo Mochi & Mushrooms may have looked a little less than appealing, but the taste was out of this world. The sauteed sticky potato cakes were absolutely delicious. The mushrooms and the sauce they were in were great too. This was definitely unlike any dish I have ever had...in a very good way!

I ordered one shitake (Japanese shitake mushroom) and one sasami ume shiso yaki (chicken breast with plum and shiso sauce). ME ordered one harama (skirt steak) and one teba (chicken wing). We both enjoyed our yakitori, but wish we had ordered more! But, we didn't want to get a second round because this batch took a really long time to come.
For a really different dining experience, definitely check out Yakitori Torys. I haven't been to Japan before, but it feels like a really authentic spot. I will definitely be heading back to try more of the different yakitori choices and some of the other appetizers and entrees. And next time I'm going to make sure I'm sat at one of the tables and away from the grill!

Yakitori Torys
248 East 52nd Street, 2nd Floor
b/t 2nd & 3rd Avenues
website

Everything But The Kitchen Sink - Gelato & Crepe Cafe Opening

2009-02-24T21:27:00.005-05:00

Walking down Second Avenue on Saturday night, this banner caught my eye.
Crepes? Gelato? Two of my favorite European exports in one location? I'm there!

Melt Gelato is a national franchise opening its first NYC location on April 5th. Featuring 30 flavors of gelato, savory and sweet crepes, panini, and a full coffee bar, Melt Gelato plans to open its doors just in time for the warming weather. If all goes as planned, franchise owner Joe Sparacello hopes to open 5 or 6 additional locations in the New York area in the next few years.

Melt Gelato
1053 2nd Avenue
b/t 55th & 56th Streets
website

Ah! Fajitas

2009-02-23T21:48:00.004-05:00

For dinner tonight, I met my friend RG who recently moved back to NYC. We wanted to meet at a restaurant that was halfway between our apartments, and decided on the Turtle Bay area in Midtown East. Once we met up, we remembered a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant we use to go to a lot back in the day...Ah! Chihuahua's. That was easy!

Ah! Chihuahua's is not the most eye-catching from the outside, but take a deep breath, open the door, and your slight hesitation will quickly be forgotten once you are greeted by the very friendly staff. There are only about 10 tables in the whole restaurant, but on a cold Monday night, we certainly had no problem getting a seat. I've been during lunch, when they offer really affordable lunch specials, and that is another story!

Chips and homemade salsa were brought out immediately, and I have to say, this salsa was better than I remember. While we were looking over the menu, RG and I were thinking about each ordering different enchilada dishes. But, when the server brought out sizzling fajitas to table behind us, we quickly changed our minds! They smelled delicious, and looked like the perfect dish to share.

We decided to start with the panchos appetizer, which are nachos topped with beans, cheese, tomatoes, onions, and guacamole. Gotta be honest here, I'm not totally versed in the world of nachos. So, I'm not sure if there's a different term for a heap of tortilla chips piled high with all the fixings, versus 8 large chips laid out side by side and individually covered in different toppings. Panchos was the latter. Some of the chips had refried beans and melted cheese, others had fresh guacamole, and some had melted cheese with onions and jalapenos. All of them were delicious, and it was the perfect-sized starter.

We also ordered the fajitas pollo - marinated strips of grilled chicken breast with tomatos, onions, and red peppers. A side plate came with refried beans covered in cheese, sour cream, yellow rice, fresh guacamole, and shredded lettuce. The corn tortillas were fresh and piping hot. The chicken was spicy and flavorful, and the veggies were grilled nicely.

Aside from the various Mexican knick-knacks on the walls, Ah! Chihuahua's is pretty bare bones with cheapo plates and silverware, and plastic cups you'd find in a cafeteria. So, don't come expecting anything fancy. But, do come expecting food that is simple, tasty, and reasonably priced.

Ah! Chihuahua's
330 East 53rd Street
b/t 1st & 2nd Avenues
Menu Pages listing