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From A Hamburger Today

The Black Label Blend Shines at City Burger

@jozersky: Josh, I love the book (received it happily as a birthday present) but I have to respectfully disagree on the Black Label Blend at City Burger. I was disappointed today at lunch - the flavorless overcooked burger and boring fries left me dragging my feet back to the office in defeat. My $17 for the combo (includes a fountain soda) would have been better served at 5 Napkin Burger or Prune.

I should probably also note that this was burger #3 this week so far - I was tickled pink by Park Slope's Dram Shop burger and Bar Toto panini burger so maybe I'm suffering from burnout?

From Talk

Birthday Dinner

Thanks for the suggestions so far! I was hoping for more input but I do have some time before the event in January. I really like the idea of the she-bang at Alta...that was definitely on the short list before I posted the thread and it's good to see you agree, Kathryn!

From Talk

Restaurant Near 50th and 7th

Molyvos is great! Cite was nice as well but unfortunately it has been close for a while.

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From Talk

Birthday Dinner

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From A Hamburger Today

The Black Label Blend Shines at City Burger

@jozersky: Josh, I love the book (received it happily as a birthday present) but I have to respectfully disagree on the Black Label Blend at City Burger. I was disappointed today at lunch - the flavorless overcooked burger and boring fries left me dragging my feet back to the office in defeat. My $17 for the combo (includes a fountain soda) would have been better served at 5 Napkin Burger or Prune.

I should probably also note that this was burger #3 this week so far - I was tickled pink by Park Slope's Dram Shop burger and Bar Toto panini burger so maybe I'm suffering from burnout?

From Talk

Birthday Dinner

Thanks for the suggestions so far! I was hoping for more input but I do have some time before the event in January. I really like the idea of the she-bang at Alta...that was definitely on the short list before I posted the thread and it's good to see you agree, Kathryn!

From Talk

Restaurant Near 50th and 7th

Molyvos is great! Cite was nice as well but unfortunately it has been close for a while.

From Talk

Favorite Wine Bars in NYC

Veloce family of bars in EV - Bar Veloce on 2nd Ave. (Italian), Bar Carrera - next door to Veloce, with a new room added this past summer (Spanish) and Solex on 1st Ave. (French). All 3 have great snacks and a nice selection of wine. Terroir has been a nice addition to the neighborhood as well.

From Serious Eats: New York

Pinche Taqueria: A Fish Taco Throwdown Becomes a Smackdown

Pinche is serious yum, like twice-a-week-fix type of yum. However there is a girl that works the counter there that is absolutely awful and manages to screw up an order every which way possible - I end up ordering in Spanish directly to the guys on the line behind her. Aside from her, me encanta!!

From Talk

Shopsin's: Comical Rudeness

I will always have a special place in my heart for Kenny, not just because he creates delicious dishes but because he's smart, fiercely funny, hard-working and mostly because he has the guts to treat annoying people the way we all secretly want to. Minda, Zack, Mara and Luke deserve credit for keeping Shopsin's up and running as well. Dining there never fails make me laugh and smile, no matter how bad my week has been!

From A Hamburger Today

The Sliders at Shopsin's

An order of these with cheese and onions (and soft scrambled eggs if Kenny is in the mood) are....amazing!! I could swear he puts crack in them because I'm totally addicted.

From Serious Eats: New York

Following the Times to Happy Beef Noodle Soup in Flushing

Well we went, five of us, on a sojourn to check this place out. And I have to the sad duty to report that we were served the WORST bowl of beef noodle soup I have ever had, and as a lifetime New Yorker, I have been seeking out and enjoying chinese noodle soups for at least 30 years.

But you didn't even have to be an expert to know you were being served something awful, maybe even unhealthy. Gamey beef, a thin dimensionless beef broth that offered no hint of anise whatsoever -- more like dishwater. My friend had the seafood combo noodle soup. The shrimps, still in their shells as they floated in the soup, were gluey and runny. Inedible. Faint fish odor coming from the soup. Very unpalatable. The only thing that was kinda good was the shredded pig ear. Crunchy and spicey with a light vinegary glaze.

I think the place is under new ownership. Looks recently remodeled. Red white and blue butning over the door.

DON'T EAT HERE. It could ruin noodle soup for you forever.

From Talk

Birthday Dinner

I heartily second the recommendation for Otto. Also, I'd look into Blue Ribbon Brasserie, Blue Ribbon Bakery, Freemans, Tia Pol, maybe some of the other spots that ONLY take reservations for large parties. This might be your ticket in to somewhere that usually has a 2 hour wait.

From Talk

Shopsin's: Comical Rudeness

I just have to comment on cabbies being from "somewhere else." I don't think having a cabbie that is born "somewhere else" but has decided to start a new life in New York, rather than a cabbie that was born in the metropolitan area, makes it any less of an "authentic" New York experience. I'm rather proud of New York's diversity and I think the resulting cultural richness is something that can and does draw tourists. I find New York's diversity to be "magical." As for Kenny, I am torn on whether it is worth the rudeness to try his food.

From Talk

Shopsin's: Comical Rudeness

hey, everyone, kenny is doing a reading of his new book tomorrow evening at the strand.

From Talk

Shopsin's: Comical Rudeness

So basiclly youre saying "i knew he was rude but OMG he was rude!!!!" Get a grip. From what Ive read and the movie and everyones thoughts on the man i dont think he would refer to himself as a professional. The restaurant is his life. He does what he wants.

From Talk

Shopsin's: Comical Rudeness

I don't think anyone is saying that Kenny is charming. I think we are saying that there is a certain charm--a kind of NYC magic--in his behavior, and we're glad that the dyspeptic take-no-prisoners NYC style still continues, even in one little corner. There was a time when it was practically on tourists' lists of things-to-do to get insulted by a surly NY deli waiter or a surly NY cabbie. Well, now the cabbies are all from somewhere else, and spend the entire trip on their cell-phones anyway, and the waiters are all aspiring actors or corporate-trained waitrons, and that magical NYC experience is gone.

I don't think anyone was saying Kenny finds it quaint to be a dick--he IS a dick, he admits he's a dick (he admitted it to Terracotta in the anecdote), and it's up to you to decide whether you want to brave it or not. I don't think he acts a certain way to build business. He is who he is, and that's incredibly rare and wonderful.

I also don't think the people who are defending Kenny would say we thought it was charming if he tripped blind people--because he wouldn't. He's not sadistic. He's a cranky, idiosyncratic guy who is perfectly aware of his personality drawbacks, and so tries to create a situation where as few people as possible will ride his last nerve. You could say he has all those rules and warnings for YOUR protection; he's making the effort to protect you from himself. If you choose to disregard them--well, what would you say if you kept poking a tiger with a stick and then he took a swipe at you? Would you denounce him for his violent behavior? Or would you look at your own culpability in what happened?

Geez, Kenny just wants to be able to cook. He's found a way to make that happen, and tens of thousands of lucky people have been able to benefit. If you can't cut it in his place (and, seriously--why would grits not be vegetarian? or, if they had bacon in, why would that not be on the menu?), then don't go, but don't start blaming him for the experience.

From Talk

Shopsin's: Comical Rudeness

This shtick is old. This is not a place I'm interested in eating at. But if forced to eat there for social reasons I sure as hell would not be peppering Shopsin with questions and would be sure to warn the people I came with to do the same

The original poster was inviting abuse from the second she walked in the door/ There are a million other places to eat in NYC

From Talk

Shopsin's: Comical Rudeness

Definitely freedom of speech though I probably would have left also and not returned.

From Talk

Shopsin's: Comical Rudeness

Funny how many people think that its wrong that he treats customers this way... This is America, where people are free to open a business doing almost anything they want (except drugs, violence, sex, and raw milk cheeses... go figure) If people are willing to go there, we should celebrate it as a freedom we all have to be assholes when we want to be.

Secondly, people aren't masochists, they are sadists... They want to see the other guy get yelled at, which is the genius of this... if he yells at 1 in 10 customers, he's got 1 upset customer, and 9 people who are going to be talking about this restaurant the next day. Not sure if this was the game plan going in or not, but it is brilliant.

If you don't want to be treated badly, either follow his rules, or don't go there... If you don't want strap marks on your ass, don't go to an S&M club... Pretty simple decision making skills here people.

From Talk

How do you describe texture of perfectly cooked shrimp?

(that was "the poor down in the moor" for anyone who didn't follow) :P

From Talk

How do you describe texture of perfectly cooked shrimp?

I'll jump in here before Cassendra does and point out that the Japanese "u" is a short sound. Not at all the double o in the English word "poor". Unless ofc you happen to be one of those accented English speakers who say "poor" like the "pur down in the mur."

From Talk

How do you describe texture of perfectly cooked shrimp?

If you were comparing textures a perfect shrimp would be just like a grape.

From Talk

How do you describe texture of perfectly cooked shrimp?

lol, i'm not sure, but from my minimal knowledge of phonetic Japanese, I would say: POOR-ee POOR-ee

From Talk

How do you describe texture of perfectly cooked shrimp?

@simon ~ Do you say it like "poor" or "pure"? I like it. I am going to start using it right away.

From Talk

Favorite Wine Bars in NYC

My problem with wine bars is that they are just as expensive as regular restaurants, and often don't have nearly as good a selection of food. And that's putting it mildly. Some wine bars I've seen border on being ripoffs. You would think that with the volume of wine they sell they would attempt to differentiate themselves by have a lower markup. So I'd rather just go to a restaurant that has a good by-the-glass wine list, and just order some appetizers with my drinks.

From Talk

How do you describe texture of perfectly cooked shrimp?

Well, if we have accepted al dente into our English food lexicon, not to mention all the French cooking words we use daily, I'm all for saying "this shrimp has perfect song chuy, or puri puri," since we don't have that one word that captures the meaning.

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