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Top UWS Neighborhood Bites
Ed I like your list and would like to add a few...Tenzan very good sushi and hand rolls. Bello Squardo execellant tapas....88 Noodle great soups in a hole in the wall on Columbus Ave......Hampton Chutney great sandwich's very different....Ivy's for Chinese(cooked for the chinese delegation while in town) and surprisingly good sushi. By the way Ed, Monsoon closed months ago.
Pizza Slice Crisis in NYC: The Ray's Syndrome
I agree Ed, manhattan's pizza slices suck. They have been going downhill for a while now. I find Sicilian slices are the only slices worth buying these days. It seems it takes more time and effort to produce the Siclian slice. The neo slices in Manhattan are cookie cutter and most have no taste or don't even taste like pizza as we remembered it. I miss the old days when you could walk into an unknown pizza joint and sample a great tasting slice you never tasted before and felt the rush of something great. Now you wouldn't dare try a new place unless it was recommended by someone unless you were starving. What can we do?
The Best Bagel in New York City
Ed I also am a big fan of absolute but the Flagel's (a flat bagel that is very cruchy and very little dough) at Goldberg's in Ft. Lee NJ and on Hgwy 27 in Hampton Bays are the best. Once you try one of these you will never go back to the doughy bagel. Goldberg's claims to have invented them but I have seen them in other places but not as good.
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How about another american favorite Pizza in the NYC?
Posted by Nycatfan, May 10, 2006 at 2:12 PM
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Neighborhood Watch: Upper West Side, West End Avenue in the 70s
Freddie and Peppers Siclian Pie is to die for what they make it. The pie takes a long time to make so they don't do it often but when they do I buy at least 4 slices and freeze them, great reheated in a toaster oven.
You can't beat Sal's regular slices though. Sorry to hear about Sal he was one of kind.
Top UWS Neighborhood Bites
Ed I like your list and would like to add a few...Tenzan very good sushi and hand rolls. Bello Squardo execellant tapas....88 Noodle great soups in a hole in the wall on Columbus Ave......Hampton Chutney great sandwich's very different....Ivy's for Chinese(cooked for the chinese delegation while in town) and surprisingly good sushi. By the way Ed, Monsoon closed months ago.
Pizza Slice Crisis in NYC: The Ray's Syndrome
I agree Ed, manhattan's pizza slices suck. They have been going downhill for a while now. I find Sicilian slices are the only slices worth buying these days. It seems it takes more time and effort to produce the Siclian slice. The neo slices in Manhattan are cookie cutter and most have no taste or don't even taste like pizza as we remembered it. I miss the old days when you could walk into an unknown pizza joint and sample a great tasting slice you never tasted before and felt the rush of something great. Now you wouldn't dare try a new place unless it was recommended by someone unless you were starving. What can we do?
The Best Bagel in New York City
Ed I also am a big fan of absolute but the Flagel's (a flat bagel that is very cruchy and very little dough) at Goldberg's in Ft. Lee NJ and on Hgwy 27 in Hampton Bays are the best. Once you try one of these you will never go back to the doughy bagel. Goldberg's claims to have invented them but I have seen them in other places but not as good.
NY's Best Bagel, Absolute or H & H?
No question about it Absolute is much better I just wish they made Bialys and Flagel's and add to that onion disc's and I would be a much happier camper
Sandwiches That Will Change Your Life
I still dream about a sandwich which I ate as a high school student and haven't seen it anywhere else. The resturant which it was served doesn't exist anymore so here it is. Chinese Roast Pork on Garlic bread toasted with a mixture of duck sause and a hint of chinese mustard. To top it off it was served with great french fries smothered with gravy.....MMMMMMM GOOD!
Fried Chicken Redux
I still miss Willams BBQ on 86th and Broadway, Great Fried Chicken and BBQ Chicken...and great potato pancakes.
ELE Local: My Quarrels with NY Mag Cheap Eats
One to add, Vinnies on the Amsterdam Ave known for their pizza but their food is great. Their Chicken Parm for $10 can't be beat served with pasta. Their other dishes are great and the prices can't be beat.
East End Finds
Yes I did they are great but please next time try a small Tortilla Soup it truly is fantastic. Even in hot weather it is a must. Anytime I pass the place I stop in even when I'm not hungry for the soup.
The State(s) of Fried Clams
I posted this before but here we go again....Bigelow's is worth the trip, I've summered in Maine and lived in both the City and Long Island and I haven't tasted fried clams as mouth watering as their ipwich clams. The seafood house in Sag Harbor is fair. But my favorite is to follow the clamers in the bay on a falling tide and pick up their left overs and steam up the ipwich clams....MMMMMm good.
The State(s) of Fried Clams
Yes I know the clam shack in Sag harbor, they are OK nothing special. The best is Bigelows, worth the trip. I spent my childhood summers in Maine and I don't think i tasted any as good as Bigelows. But the Lobster in the shacks can't be beat. I follow clamers in the bay and pick up their left over ipwich clams (steamers) and have a party.
James Beard
I always enjoy your thoughts on resturants you attend day to day. I've been following since you started this site and welcome any changes to make it better. I'm a westsider as well and loved your thoughts on our resturants. Your links to other food blogers is something I look foward to as well. Keep up the good bloging...
Neighborhood Watch: Upper West Side, West End Avenue in the 70s
Ed, what do you think of Big Nick's on 76 and bway?
The State(s) of Fried Clams
Having grown up on Boston's North Shore I can comfortably state that the best fried clams on the planet are served at the Choate Bridge Pub in Ipswich, MA. Once you have tasted them, you will thank me.
The State(s) of Fried Clams
My wife and I read the July issue of NH magazine, and saw the Best of NH Editors Choice for "Best Clams Inland" - The Dipsy Doodle in Northfield, NH. It's right off exit 19 of Route 93 - Just below Tilton. She loves fried clams and since I spent my summers growing up at the ocean on the North Shore of Massachusetts, I know good fried clams!
The Dipsy Doodle is a real old style Clam Shack / Dairy Bar Restaurant. You can eat inside or outside, we ate outside because it was a nice day and not too warm.
The clams were Ipswich and the coating was good and tasty, but not too thick to overpower the sweetness of the clam itself. We got the plate, meaning it came with French fries and their homemade Cole slaw. For an extra 75 cents each my wife upgraded to sweet potato fries, and I got homemade onion rings - both were really good.
We also noticed on the menu that their lobster rolls could be purchased cold or hot (drizzled with butter). The people sitting at the next table had ordered them and said they were all lobster, no celery or filler.
We didn't try the ice cream cones but I did have a black and white frappe with my meal and it was thick and tasty.
All in all we would say the Dipsy Doodle was a hit with our family and since it's only a half hour from where we live, I'm sure we will return.
Jeff
Plymouth, NH
The Best Bagel in New York City
Thanks for the tip, Decca. I've never heard of the Bagel Store. I will check them out next time I'm in Williamsburg.
The Best Bagel in New York City
If you're ever in Williamsburgh, my vote - hands down - is:
Bagel Store
(718) 218-7244
247 Bedford Ave
Bagel Store
(718) 782-5856
754 Metropolitan Ave
They have a nice crust on the bottom and they are chewy. To me, they are the real deal.
The Best Bagel in New York City
I didn't even know about La Bagel. I will check it out. Sounds promising. I agree with you about Ess A Bagel. Its bagels are too big and too sweet.
The Best Bagel in New York City
I don't know why Essa Bagel gets such good marks. I think their bagels are too large and too soft and have little flavor. But about a block away is La Bagel. The best I've had. Of course, I haven't sampled every bagel in the New York tri-state area, but La Bagel is my idea of what a begel should be. It's at 263 1st Ave.
The Best Bagel in New York City
Bagel Hole in on 7th Ave. in Park Slope makes a nice version of the old-fashioned chewy dense bagel that must be eaten that day. Terrace Bagel in Windsor Terrace makes very good slightly larger slightly softer bagels and good bialies. I had some good bagels from a place on Coney Island Ave. in Midwood, as well. Kosar's seems to have changed recipes withing the past year or two. Their classic bialies are no more, in my humble opinion, although the onion board (pletzl) is still tops.
H&H always was second rate. The place near Columbia is great (Absolute). Columbia Hot Bagel used to be great too.
Anyone remember the great New Jersey bagel places of yesteryear? I remember one on Chancellor Ave. in Irvington, and another on West End Ave. in Jersey City. Both were great places, basically wholesalers with small service counters. My dad would take us late Saturday night to get the early edition of the Sunday paper and hot bagels. Wiggler's in Union, NJ was great also.
I'd love to hear about other great bagels which are no more...
The State(s) of Fried Clams
Have to agree with Baha... Ken's Place in Scarborough, Maine... natives would refer to it as Pine Point... fried clams are terrific and I never leave the restaurant without a clamcake or two. But some of the very best fried clams I've ever had (and I grew up on the southern coast of Maine) are at a little shack in Wells... The Fisherman's Catch. Orgasmic!!!
The State(s) of Fried Clams
Ate at The Bite in Menemsha today and would now put them at the top of my life's list of good fried clams.
Agreed that there isn;t enough salt in most clam flour, but The Bite's seemed just right. Perfecto in fact.
The State(s) of Fried Clams
Hi
There is a clamshack called Arnolds on the cape near Eastham or Orleans ( located on Route 6 ) that has fanastic fried clams and seafood. It is definatleyt worth a trip. It ranks right up there with Lennys in CT and Kens Place in ME.
The State(s) of Fried Clams
Thanks for the tips. I live in Colorado and there is no where to find anything close to a fried belly clam. I grew up near Saybrook, CT and we always went to J. Ad's for clams.
I'm in Boston next week on a biz trip. Last time there, I was disappointed. Between the airport and Chelmsford (where I have to stay) is there any chance of great fried clams and/or steamers?
The Best Bagel in New York City
I love the bagels at David's Bagels on 1st avenue near 19th street. I like them better than Essa, which is down the street.
Sandwiches That Will Change Your Life
Hi Ed,
I read the article back in September and there was a place I was dying to try once I got home from college for winter break. It was in Rockville Centre, NY and I remember you saying it had an excellent crab cake sandwich. Can you (or anyone else reading this) post the name of the restaurant? Thanks!
Pizza Slice Crisis in NYC: The Ray's Syndrome
I wish we had the same problem in Los Angeles, perhaps it will take a few generations to build the pizza biz here, but that's unlikely. There is one good place in LA, Mulberry Street Pizzeria in Beverly Hills. Unique and great thin sliced, not messy, perfect crust.
Top UWS Neighborhood Bites
you've gotta check out Noche Mexicana at 101st and Amsterdam, some of the best mexican I've had in NYC, and beats the hell out of Taqueria y Fonda at 108th and Amsterdam.
Pisticci on Lasalle & Broadway is also not to be missed, along with Max Soha right around the corner.
Top UWS Neighborhood Bites
I haven't lived up there for a while, but I used to enjoy Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana at Amsterdam and 107th (where they have decent enchiladas and sometimes make a spot-on mole). And what about Pampa, the Argentine steak house? Cheap and delicious. There's also a couple of Mexican grocers on Amsterdam that have tamales on the weekends. But I miss Absolute Bagels the most. I live near Murray's, but it's not the same thing.
Top UWS Neighborhood Bites
I'd add Gray's Papaya for hot dog and papaya drink, Sal & Carmine's for an excellent slice, and Turquoz for very competent Turkish. Glad you included Dinosaur; they seem to get undeserved bum rap among many foodies.
Top UWS Neighborhood Bites
Ed - you missed one of THE best places to eat and hang on the entire Upper West Side. And the answer is...All State Cafe. For some reason it never seems to make Zagat's either - which is also great so you never have tourists popping in after reading up about it...
Top UWS Neighborhood Bites
Interesting what you say about Absolute Bagels. It just so happens that my favorite bialy place in Queens, Hot Bialys on the edge of Kew Gardens, is also run by a Thai family.
Coincidence...?
Top UWS Neighborhood Bites
What about Gray's Papaya?
Also, Boat Basin Cafe in Riverside Park has a great view, for when the weather's nice. Probably not worth going to for the food alone. It'll probably be closed for the season soon, if it isn't already, though.
Top UWS Neighborhood Bites
Where is Hummous? Location please?
Top UWS Neighborhood Bites
Good news - La Caridad is opening again on 78th and Broadway. They cut the restaurant in half - back to it's original size before they expanded it to 2 storefronts.
They have the best Special Fried Rice I've ever had. Chunks (yes, chunks) of ham, roast pork and lots of shrimp - I mean lots. I always have them add even more - ask for $1-2 more extra shrimp or shrimp and roast pork - you won't believe what they send. Fantastic.
Top UWS Neighborhood Bites
although i don't go to Louie's (81st & Amst.) for a variety of reasons, thought u might like to include.
as for your listings, excellent run-through; however, duly noted, most, if not all, have some negative add-on comment which is the very reason why they pretty much suck, & make an initial visit the ONLY visit. no wonder the UWS is such a wasteland that forces one to leave the area to find something decent, unfortunately below 23rd.
btw, these comments are NOT critical of the author, who has provided not only a terrific list, but also a very fair job of pointing out the good & the bad!
"Did I miss any? A taqueria on Amsterdam Avenue, perhaps? Let me know."
others(?):
Henry's on 105th & Bwy - fairly awful
Brother Jimmy's on Amst. bet 80/81st - terrible, but as one once said "bad bbq is better than no bbq"
Bistro Cassis & Citron - although the faux pas french theme by those who couldn't be further from, is way too cute
Big Nick's - only the burgers, & look past the filth
Niko's - "sensible food for sensible prices" give me a break, the place is as screwed up as the corny saying
Vinnie's - what's up with the unfinished outside - forgot to pay?
bar/restaurant(?) - sw corner of Amst. & 76th - decent, but loud
btw, & dating my uws yrs, the best bar/restaurant was in this space a # of yrs ago - JG Melon's - branch from the hated ues. food & service in the early days was excellent, but either lease expired & too expensive, or ???? anyway, this WAS a great go-to place, much better than any that exist on the uws today :( anybody else remember??????
WineandRoses - new wine bar on Col nr 74th - pretentious, & same ridiculous prices for-mediocre wines-that they know pretentious UWS'r's will pay, just as they do at Bin71!!!
obviously could list many more, but of the many others, one could close eyes, & they would ALL be the same!!
added comments, unfortunately critical:
Le Pain Quotidien: Very good (if a "LITTLE" over-priced - u think?) sandwiches, breads, soups, and pastries from this Belgian mini-chain.Rating: 3 stars
service is unbelievably bad - is it the lack of competent workers or the fault of the place??????????
Bin 71: A wine bar with shockingly good small plates. No tables, just a crowded and convivial bar.Rating: 4 stars????????
shockingly HIGH prices for shockingly average wines!!!!! when will "WE" learn all wine doesn't have to be a minimum $9+/glass!!????
Pizza Slice Crisis in NYC: The Ray's Syndrome
I haven’t noticed the dire state of the slice, partly because I never look to pizza just for a slice. In the past few years I think pizza has been upgraded from the quick slice to the ultimate pie. Maybe we should stop looking for a great slice and start searching out and enjoying all the fantastic pies out there. To me a slice is considered fast food, while a pie is a destination meal. I think NYC pizza deserves to be treated as a destination meal.
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How about another american favorite Pizza in the NYC?
Posted by Nycatfan, May 10, 2006 at 2:12 PM
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Freddie and Peppers Siclian Pie is to die for what they make it. The pie takes a long time to make so they don't do it often but when they do I buy at least 4 slices and freeze them, great reheated in a toaster oven.
You can't beat Sal's regular slices though. Sorry to hear about Sal he was one of kind.