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From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

I am personally glad you did this review. Given the restaurant's pedigree and knowing Sam Hazen's eye for detail and good taste, I was heading to Lucy's the first chance I got. I remember Sam's cooking at Cascabel & how he turned Tavern on the Green around. I am a little shocked at the miserable review, but this was definately a public service. I will wait to see if Lucy's straightens its self out before making the trek. Thanks Carey for the 411.

From Serious Eats: New York

Book Giveaway: Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC

People don't give the original Westville enough credit. If you want a very good buger, a Niman Ranch hotdog, a choice of farm fresh veggies, a piece of real good trout, a dinner size salad and county fair worthy desserts with no attitude and flexible service, Westville, in their tiny kitchen, makes for a very good stop.

From Serious Eats: New York

The Dessert Files: One Girl Cookies

For the most part I can agree with your assessments. This is a well thought out piece. I still think you are being overgenerous about the whoopie pie (chocolate) which is tasteless and hard. The place is adorable, but the cookies are overrated in taste - they look great - but don't deliver. The attitude on how great these pretty little things are is over the top. The whoopie pie ice cream sandwich was also a big disappointment and given that they are using Salvatore's of brooklyn ricotta cheese - tasteless.

From Serious Eats: New York

What's Your Favorite New York Cheesecake?

When they are fresh & not very cold, S & S and Juniors are on a par - very good NY Cheesecake, but Veniero's is pure sugar. I would like to see what using Salvatore's ricottta can do for a cheese cake.

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From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

I am personally glad you did this review. Given the restaurant's pedigree and knowing Sam Hazen's eye for detail and good taste, I was heading to Lucy's the first chance I got. I remember Sam's cooking at Cascabel & how he turned Tavern on the Green around. I am a little shocked at the miserable review, but this was definately a public service. I will wait to see if Lucy's straightens its self out before making the trek. Thanks Carey for the 411.

From Serious Eats: New York

Book Giveaway: Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC

People don't give the original Westville enough credit. If you want a very good buger, a Niman Ranch hotdog, a choice of farm fresh veggies, a piece of real good trout, a dinner size salad and county fair worthy desserts with no attitude and flexible service, Westville, in their tiny kitchen, makes for a very good stop.

From Serious Eats: New York

The Dessert Files: One Girl Cookies

For the most part I can agree with your assessments. This is a well thought out piece. I still think you are being overgenerous about the whoopie pie (chocolate) which is tasteless and hard. The place is adorable, but the cookies are overrated in taste - they look great - but don't deliver. The attitude on how great these pretty little things are is over the top. The whoopie pie ice cream sandwich was also a big disappointment and given that they are using Salvatore's of brooklyn ricotta cheese - tasteless.

From Serious Eats: New York

What's Your Favorite New York Cheesecake?

When they are fresh & not very cold, S & S and Juniors are on a par - very good NY Cheesecake, but Veniero's is pure sugar. I would like to see what using Salvatore's ricottta can do for a cheese cake.

From Serious Eats: New York

Serious Eats Finds New York's Best Bagel

While I am not happy with bagel makers on a whole who did not reduce the price of their bagels after the price of flour went down, I must say that Rolen Bagels (who also own Corner Bagels West 235th off Netherland Avenue) Riverdale Avenue & 256th Street in the Bronx are very good too.

From Serious Eats: New York

The Dessert Files: The Top 5 Pumpkin Sweets to Kick Off Autumn

The whoopie pies at One Girl Cookies are a disappointment if you have ever had a Maine pie.

From Serious Eats: New York

Raising the Bar: Devilishly Good Eggs at Pegu Club

Dinosaur BBQ has been making great Deviled Eggs on horseback that you can match with the best chicken wings in NYC. Never fried & smoked for hours finished off on the grill.

From Serious Eats: New York

New York City Wine and Food Festival: Ticket Giveaway, 'Pairing Like A Pro'

Zinfandel is the labradour retriver of wines, it wags its tail & is happy with everything. That being said, a big Zinfandel like a Turley Black Sears or a Biale Lodi goes really well with that giant T-Bone or Porterhouse.

From Serious Eats: New York

Coffee Chronicles: Behind the Scenes at Counter Culture

Hi Allison,

I have no connection to these guys, but they are awesome & unknown outside of new England. I've brought them back for a few restaurant friends & now we take turns bringing it back or ordering by mail.

www.coffeebydesign.com

Some of the best restaurants in New England use them.

My favorite blends: Rebel blend, Midnight Jazz, Alonzo's Dark & Bakery blend. They don't sell some of their restaurant blends to the puiblic.

From Talk

"Thanksgiving dinner" sandwich in NYC

Shopsin's has the best Thanksgiving on a sandwich that you won't eat till the next day.

From Slice

Angelina Pizzabar: Pizza Concept or Seriously Delicious?

Mathew Tivy is a wonderful chef, I am really sorry to hear this place is such a dud. This is the third place I've read about this place being not just bad, but bad with an attitude.

From Talk

Good take-out food near van Cortland Park (Bronx)

Liebman's is like eating rubber, Cold cut City is a mediocre at best, Garden Gourmet is a decent option.

From Talk

Best pre-theater restaurant?

Orso hands down. They willeven ask you what show you are seeing & time dinner accordingly. James McMahon is the consumate GM professional. Pizza, risotto & taramisu to kill for....

From Serious Eats: New York

Sugar Rush: Ice Cream at Jacques Torres

The ice cream was great, we've been there twice and the scooper could not have been nicer. Yes, itwas $3 a scoop, but it was a large scoop. You go to almost any other ice cream place it's $4+ for a scoop. The Chocolate/Banana or the Chocolate/Raspberry were intense. The Rocky Road was sold out both trips....Next time Rocky Road.

From Serious Eats: New York

Sugar Rush: Yogurt, Uvetta, and Mandorla Gelato at Grom

No Contest, Van Leeuwin ice cream truck or Jacques Torres ice cream is more flavorfull and also priced better. These two use great ingredients and the people working on the truck or in Mr. Chocolate's know what they are doing, are nice and have an interest in serving a great product. GROM is a automaton atmosphere for a very grainy product.

From Serious Eats

Grilling Tips: John Stage

The Dinosaur BBQ cookbook is easy to use. We just made the potato salad w/ peppers & asparagus....delicious & try the Dino Ranch dressing, you will never use bottle Ranch dressing again!!!

From Serious Eats

Interview with a Supermarket Kosher Food Buyer

There is variety at Fairway for kosher foods that you don't find anywhere else in the City. Also the prices, where kosher can get high, has the best around!

From Serious Eats: New York

Win Tickets to the Hot Dog Hootenanny

My favorite's are Rutt's Hutt for pure dog with their sweet mustard relish, for a dog with toppings is Super Duper weenie for great added taste & Sper Dawg in Chicago for a dog "dragged through the garden." The Varisty with chilli in Atlanta and a half-smoke from Ben's Chili Bowl in DC. I do miss Spanky's and I get the Dine's fix from the Hasting's Farmer's Market.

From Serious Eats: New York

Win Tickets to Taste of Tribeca

I love Marc Forgione, Tribecca Grill & Bouley Upstairs, but I would really like to try Centrico!

From A Hamburger Today

Grand Opening of Flip, a New Burger Joint in the Manhattan Bloomingdale's

I see my burger money going someplace else. I think "Macy's" forgot that their sales numbers were not great & that they needed to bring in customers, not repel them. Go to Shake Shack....

From A Hamburger Today

Overcooked Burger Send-Back Success at Bacchus in Brooklyn

If you order a burger a certain way, say rare or medium rare, and it comes well done...send it back. Why eat something you didn't order? If it is ordered rare and come rare & just plain sucks, then move on....

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

I'm sure you must feel you had it coming (I should've known, etc), I'm happy you chose to out them. I thumbed through my Zagat last week, checking my experiences against the ratings. I got several attacks of apoplexy. How could these anonymous morons rate this place or that one so highly? But Zagat is a democracy, and opinions are culled, and even dare I say, interpreted from many opinions. Grand Sichuan 9th Ave, one I especially hated for precipitously declining food and offensive servers, got raves. Bar Stuzzichini, one of the finest affordable Sicilian kitchens, passed for good, when after ten visits, I found to be stupendous.

We can all agree on one thing: My stomach and I have been friends too long to pull a thing like that on it..

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

@Carey Jones,

I was really pleased to read this review yesterday just before heading one block from my office to try this place for the first time. It is true that good places to eat around here are limited to Mooncake Foods, my favorite Halal truck, and the French Macaron Cafe, so I truly had high hopes for Lucy's. THANK YOU FOR THE WAKEUP CALL that was this review, but especially, thanks for the heads up about the ambience!

I felt like I was in a cross between the bar at the Cancun airport, and a hooters. CREEPY. However, I ordered the Baja sliders, and those tiny little burgers, covered in mystery sauce they may have been, were COOKED TO PERFECTION. None of the other sliders in the neighborhood come close to the medium-rare perfection of these tasty little treats. I chased them down with the most delicious Michelada I've had in months (I was able to substitute the recommended Corona Light for a Negra Modelo, thank goodness).

Despite being scantily clad on the rainy day that it was, the servers were very friendly. I think it's terrible that they have to wear those outfits, really.

@megperks - REAL Mexican food goldmine on East 116th Street, try Taqueria El Paso, among others.

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

All I can say is "WOW" I mean dayam... this is really a terrible, terrible review. I have friends who work in the area and will definitely be warning them from this... the anger spews from the monitor and hurts! It burns!

PS I'm with the people who said it's good to see the mediocre reviews too.

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

I work in this area and so sad that we have hardly any good lunch options. Mooncake is the only place I can bring a friend to so far

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

It is also good to put up mediocre and bad reviews to give contrast to the glowing ones. Maybe Ed would lose the "Easy Ed" nickname he has gotten for consistently positive reviews (unless there is some additional reason earning him the name...)

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

"If a restaurant is at 34th and 8th, the food's probably not very good."

This made me LOL. 34th street is the worst street in all Manhattan.

From Serious Eats: New York

Serious Eats Finds New York's Best Bagel

I like Area Bagels in North Park Slope on 5th Avenue, which makes a very respectable bagel - not too big, some crunch to the crust and soft inside. The owner learned bagel making from a place out in Little Neck on Horace Harding Parkway that dates back to the late 1940's when the bagel baking union controlled the business and its quality. I will have to re-try Bagel Hole although I remember not being too impressed years ago.

Maybe my preference of getting a plain buttered (not toasted bagel) let me enjoy a fresher bagel in the store, rather than taking it home, missing out on the short freshness life.

From Serious Eats: New York

Serious Eats Finds New York's Best Bagel

Agree with one of the above posters that Jumbo on 2nd Ave. (Manhattan) extremely underrated, and that both H&H & Ess-a-Bagel horribly overrated. Tal (a chain) is pretty decent. David on 1st Ave. had a great pumpernickel. And there's actually a good bagel now in North Brooklyn: Baker's Dozen, on Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint. But for me, the number-one bagel is "Hot Bagels" on 79th st. & Metropolitan in Middle Village.

From Serious Eats: New York

Serious Eats Finds New York's Best Bagel

Personal Favorites:

Brooklyn: Montague Street Bagels
Manhattan: Ess-a-Bagel

Favorite used to be Bagel Zone (Ave A between 3rd St & 4th St), until they changed their name and stopped baking their own. Was the perfect bagel -- crisp on the outside, soft and bready on the inside...I'd pay a ridiculous premium just to taste one again.

From Serious Eats: New York

Serious Eats Finds New York's Best Bagel

I agree that Daniels in Murray Hill is pretty good. My all time Manhattan fav though, is Jumbo Hot Bagels on 56th and 2nd Ave. They are boiled, baked and delicious just like a bagel should be.

From Serious Eats: New York

Book Giveaway: Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC

I really enjoy mamoun's falafel by Washington Square Park. It is so flavorful and the perfect amount of food.

From Serious Eats: New York

Book Giveaway: Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC


i think piadina in the west village (10th street and 6th ave) is one of the best italian resturants in nyc- afforable, delectiable, amazing

From Serious Eats: New York

Book Giveaway: Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC

I've lived in Macedonia, Sierra Leone and now the Netherlands. None of them do good mexican food ! I would love to visit New York City to eat proper mexican, but also bagels and bahn mi.

From Serious Eats: New York

Book Giveaway: Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC

Never been to NYC but subscribe to Time Out New York and New York magazine mainly to learn about living there ESPECIALLY the food! It seems to me the vendors at the park in Red Hook would be the first place I'd hit.

From Serious Eats: New York

Book Giveaway: Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC

I love Laut downtown. Great food and great prices. Plus everyone there is very nice, even when our one friend had a few too many Sake bombs they couldn't have been more welcoming.

From Serious Eats: New York

Book Giveaway: Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC

I don't know any off the radar places as I only visit NYC 2-3 times per year, but I love Penelope Cafe for breakfast. Great food, and I really enjoyed eating breakfast at the bar.

From Serious Eats: New York

Book Giveaway: Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC

Definitely not off the radar but I love:
* Banh mi at Baoguette, Murray Hill
* Chinese sausage at Kuma Inn, LES
* Bacon wrapped prunes (devils on horseback) at Freeman's, LES
* Red chicken curry at Rice, Murray Hill
* Soft pretzels at Zum Schneider, EV
* Brussels sprouts at Side Car (PJ Clarkes), Midtown

From Serious Eats: New York

Book Giveaway: Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to NYC

Taco Mix in East Harlem. Best squash blossom and huitlacoche quesadills!

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