Oh...Republic Serves Asian Food?

Still Can't Call Myself a "New Yorker"

Sometimes it is painfully obvious that I am still relatively new to living in Manhattan. I was recently reminded of this fact when Melissa suggested grabbing a bite to eat at Republic (http://www.thinknoodles.com/findex.html). I had mentioned that I felt like something Asian - maybe Chinese or Thai, so I was confused when she suggested this place. I had (how embarrassing!) thought that it was a burger place. It is near Heartland Brewery...the signage looks very similar...so, you can see how I'd be confused! Clearly, I had said something sacrilegious. EVERYONE (except little ol' me until then) knows this place has yummy Asian food.

Melissa RAVED about the Spicy Beef noodle soup - similar to Pho. This bowl contains heavenly noms, like wheat noodles, rare beef, garlic, onion, lemongrass, chili peppers, bean sprouts, scallions and fried shallots. For $15, this bowl will FILL YOU UP!

Spicy Beef Noodle Soup aka Bowl of Awesome Deliciousness

This restaurant has a great reverse happy hour that starts at 10pm. Cocktails that are normally $11 are $7 and beer/wine is around $4. We each got a frozen Lychee-tini!

Lychee-tini - it creeps up on you!

This is a lovely spot. I'm glad I'm no longer in the dark! If you haven't been here, please enlighten yourself as well!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Jury Duty has a Silver Lining

Excellent Dumpling House Offers a Great Lunch

Ah, to be a part of the justice system! My civic duty was recently called upon through a jury summons! While I was waiting for hours, I spent some time researching where to have lunch - best use of my time for sure. Since I was in Chinatown, I started to crave soup dumplings. Based on the amount of time I had and my location, I chose Excellent Dumpling House (no website, http://www.yelp.com/biz/excellent-dumpling-house-new-york).

I didn't have breakfast, so I was hungry! I ordered the Chicken with Garlic Sauce lunch special - $6.95 (served with choice of soup, fried rice and a spring roll!). I ALSO wanted the pork soup dumplings, so I ordered those too - #yolo

The Hot and Sour soup was really tasty - large pieces of tofu that were delicious.

Hot and Sour Soup

The soup dumplings were great! The dipping sauce served with them was sooooooo tasty!

SOUP DUMPLINGS

By the time my entrée came, I was losing steam! I ate all the chicken and most of the peppers, but I couldn't really tackle the rice or spring roll. The chicken was very saucey. The chicken was tender and great quality - especially given the cheap pricing. Sometimes, I am a bit weary of chicken at cheap Chinese restaurants.

Chicken with Garlic Sauce Lunch Special

If you find yourself in Chinatown at lunch time, especially on jury duty (eek!), this is a good bet.

Cheers,

Liz

 

Here Kitti(chai), Kitti(chai)

Boozy Thai Brunch

Melissa has grown to be a very close friend of mine over the past year. She recently celebrated her 25th birthday and invited some of us to the $25 bottomless brunch at Kittichai (http://www.kittichairestaurant.com/). She keeps me young - turning 30 in August. EEK.

I have heard rave reviews about it, so I was eager try it out. Thai is one of my favorite cuisines, so combining it with unlimited cocktails is always a good time! I started with the Bloody Mary. It had a weird taste to it, so I ate the olive to cleanse my palate and moved ON.

Bloody Mary - Just say NO!

Melissa invited both friends from Stern and beyond - I always love the opportunity to meet new people. Her other friends are really great, especially Dayna.

Dayna and Melissa, looking for refills, obviously.

In the picture above, Melissa has the Lychee Bellini in the cocktail glass. It was lovely - just the perfect amount of sweetness. I really enjoyed this one!

I also tried the Blood Orange Mimosa. It was ok. Based on the color, I doubt it was anything more than regular OJ.

"Blood Orange" Mimosa

The beautiful birthday girl - Melissa! Love her so much!

PUG!

After looking at the different brunch options, I decided to go the savory route. The Shrimp Pad Thai was delicious. Melissa commented that the portions used to be much larger. It was quite tasty, so I would have been happy to have eaten more.

Shrimp Pad Thai

We HAD to have a Stern photo shoot!

Melissa and Diana

Dipti and Hannah

This is a super hip spot but beware, since it is bottomless, some younger "just turned 21" folks come there that get super wasted and loud (at least that was our experience).

Cheers,

Liz

 

Surf's Up

Tropical Happy Hour in Hell's Kitchen

After our cocktails at Havana Central, we went over to Reunion. Their happy hour is Mon, Thurs and Fri from 5:30pm to 8:00pm. I would love to check out Taco Tuesday for some great taco deals.

The happy hour deal is great here - drinks are 50% off. Normally $12-$14, they are $6, What an awesome deal in such a great environment! I love the lighting and décor.

Interior Bar

I ordered a Frozen Mojito, the Mermaid! It was phenomenal! I enjoyed it so much I drank it way too quickly. Can you say BRAINFREEZE?!

$6 Frozen Mojito

I love the tongue-in-check signage around the bar. It really adds to the whimsical feel of the space.

#truth

I want to come back here for some food. Watch out Taco Tuesday!

Cheers,

Liz

 

The Best Hour is Happy Hour

$6 Mojito? Yes Please!

Melissa and her friend Dayna were going to catch a Broadway show, If/Then, so we opted to do happy hour in the Theater District. Melissa suggested going to Havana Central (http://havanacentral.com/) since the Mojitos are $6!

Normally, I don't give Mojitos the benefit of the doubt. I'm not the biggest fan of mint in my cocktails. Melissa convinced me to give it a shot and since I trust this lady, I let her be my "spirit" animal, pun intended.

Mojito!

I really enjoyed the cocktail. I loved that it was served with a stick of sugar cane. It absorbs the sweetness of the drink and it compliments the sweetness already in the sugar cane. It is tasty (but messy) to chew on.

I know Times Square can be SCARY but if you happen to find yourself in the area, this is worth your attention.

Cheers,

Liz

 

Tao Lunch Prix-Fixe

$27.50 Gets You a Fancy 3-Course Lunch

I read recently that Tao is offering a Dim Sum lunch on Sundays. I brought it up to Melissa and she suggested that we check out the $27.50 3-Course Lunch instead. It is from Monday - Saturday till 5pm.

After we spoke to the server, I knew what I had to order as my appetizer. I got the Crispy Vegetable Rolls with Duck Mustard Sauce. I figured it would be a small serving but it was actually three large rolls! I was impressed.

Crispy Vegetable Rolls with Duck Mustard Sauce

Melissa felt like venturing into the soup option. It looked delicious and had ample (4!) dumplings!

Spicy Thai Seafood Dumpling Soup

I haven't had good Kung Pao Chicken in awhile so when I saw it on the menu, I knew what I wanted. It was a large serving and I took a lot home for later!

Kung Pao Chicken

Melissa got the Hanger Steak with Miso and Asian Spiced Fries. She ordered it rare and really enjoyed it. I tried one of her fries and it was much better than I expected from an Asian joint.

Hanger Steak with Miso and Asian Spiced Fries

For my dessert, the most interesting option was the Chocolate Zen Parfait. It had layers of milk and white chocolate with nuts mixed in between. The scoop on the top was whipped cream and disappointingly not ice cream. Looks can be deceiving!

Chocolate Zen Parfait

Melissa got the Mango Sorbet, Seasonal Fruit and Coconut Milk. It looked like a fruit chowder with an island in the middle.

Mango Sorbet, Seasonal Fruit and Coconut Milk

I loved checking out the Koi fish under the "floating" Buddha. Adorable!

Koi Fish Pond

This lunch special is a great deal if you want to eat at this otherwise expensive Asian hotspot.

Cheers,

Liz

 

Happy Hour in the Deep Blue Sea

Mermaid Inn for the Win!

I love a good happy hour deal. Frank and I wanted to catch up and he suggested the Mermaid Inn (http://www.themermaidnyc.com/uws/). I had been to the East Village location once and loved the selection of snacks and cocktails. It is lovely to find a location that serves up fancy cocktails at happy hour pricing and not just basic drinks (vodka soda or rum and coke).

The happy hour is from 5-7pm daily. Cocktails are $7, Wine by the Glass is $6, and Beer is $5.

Entrance

Isn't the cover on the butter adorable?

I started with the Gone with the Gin, made with gin, grapefruit liqueur, thyme and lemon. It was refreshing and light and FAR TOO easy to drink! I highly recommend it!

Gone with the Gin!

Oysters are $1 each during happy hour - a great deal! We got a dozen to split. The two sauces served with them (cocktail and mignonette) offered a nice enhancement to the natural briny ocean flavor.

One Dozen East Coast Oysters

The Mini Mermaid Fish Taco is made with blackened tilapia, avocado, and smoked jalapeno. At $3 each, they were a bit pricey given the size! They flavor was wonderful though and the fish was super fresh.

Mini Mermaid Fish Tacos

We got an order of calamari ($7) which was served with a very unusual dipping sauce. Frank thought it may have had tamarind in it. I'm so used to marinara sauce that is was a change for sure!

Fried Calamari

For my second cocktail, I ordered the Kentucky Green, made with bourbon, apricot and green tea syrup. I loved how the green tea syrup brought out the flavor of the bourbon. An awesome combo!

The Kentucky Green

Frank ordered one grilled shrimp & avocado slider for $7. It seemed a bit overpriced for the small size. Frank did say the flavor was quite tasty.

Grilled Shrimp & Avocado Slider

The Yelp! Check-in deal is awesome - you get 1 free side even without purchasing an entrée! What a deal at happy hour! Naturally, we got the most expensive side: smoked gouda mac & cheese. It was rich and delicious...and FREE!

Yelp! Check-in!

When we were finished, we were surprised with a complimentary chocolate mousse! It was the perfect size and the perfect flavor to end our meal with!!

Perfect size!

Mermaid Inn gives you a Fortune Teller Miracle Fish when they present the check. It is a nice touch. Love it!

Your Future is in the Palm of Your Hand!

The happy hour here is wonderful! I encourage you to check it out at either the UWS or East Village location! Also, there is outdoor seating but it was too hot!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Thin Crust Pizza in Midtown

You Will Definitely Have Room for Dessert

Aish and I were in the mood for Italian, specifically pizza. My family has gone to Vezzo (http://www.vezzothincrust.com/index.html and had rave reviews. I knew it was thin-crust. Sometimes I'm on the fence with thin-crust. Especially when it is priced the same as New York Style pizza. Since there is less bread, it is much less filling. Also, if you like toppings on your pizza (like most people) the thin-crust does not support much weight. Anyway, onto my experience at Vezzo!

I've been drinking more beer lately and I was craving a Peroni. I noticed that it was on draft, so I was excited! My server informed us that the draft system wasn't working, so I opted for a Pacifico.

They were out of Peroni, so I had to go with Pacifico

I noticed Sweet Italian Sausage was an option for a topping, so I went for that and fresh basil. The level of basil was a little overwhelming and seemed like a salad instead of a topping since it wasn't wilted down.

Marinara Sauce and Cheese, Sweet Italian Sausage and Fresh Basil

Aish got the vegetarian pizza (Giardino). The weight of all the vegetables didn't stand a chance to the thin crust. Also, there were full pieces of roasted garlic. Aish commented that it was a bit intense. Chopped up garlic would likely be better and more enjoyable. The size of the toppings were just too huge for such a thin pizza.

Guardino - Marinara Sauce & Cheese, Broccoli, Fresh Tomatoes, Sweet Red Onions (kept those off), Roasted Garlic, Spinach

I don't think I'll be coming back here. The pricing is the same as pizza places I prefer with thicker crusts (like Garlic) that are more filling. It is more of a personal preference.

Cheers,

Liz

 

In the Zona (Rosa) for Mexican

Heading to Williamsburg for Guac!

After two weeks in Ireland, I was craving Mexican food. The various cuisines that we did try there (Thai, Moroccan, French) were fantastic, though I didn't manage to have any Guacamole and Tacos during my time on the Emerald Isle.

Christine suggested Zona Rosa (http://zonarosabrooklyn.com/), a fun spot in in Burg. I got there a couple minutes early and ordered a Modelo Especial. I drank a lot of beer in Ireland and it has grown on me. Who says you can't change?

Beer helps when you're sweating your face off. Thanks humidity.

We had to get guacamole. I was really glad we did - great portion size and the chips were hot and perfectly salted.

Ample portion of guacamole and chips - plus some salsas!

Christine ordered the Tamarindo, made with mescal and tamarind juice. She said it was great! The smoky flavor of the mescal complimented the sourness of the tamarind.

Zempasuchitll Tamarindo

We got two types of tacos to share. On the top, Tacos de Carnitas made with Braised Berkshire pork Mexico City Style and topped with onions and cilantro. On the bottom, Tacos de Carne Asada con Hongos y Queso. The pork ones were FAR better than the steak ones. I felt the steak ones were too fatty in texture. On top, they came with three salsas of various spice levels. I didn't use any of them though.

TACO TOWER!

This is a great Mexican spot. There is ample outdoor seating upstairs but, given the weather, we opted for air conditioning inside!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Reservations Suggested

Fancy Happy Hour at The Flatiron Room

Note: since I posted this, the owner reached out to me, Happy Hour is from 4-7pm and ALL signature drinks are $10!

Since I returned from my trip to Ireland, I've wanted to catch up with many of my friends, especially Melissa! I did research on some fun places for happy hour. The Flatiron Room (http://www.theflatironroom.com/) has a happy hour from 5-7pm and features a bartender's selection of specialty cocktails for $10 each (Margaritas and Manhattans offered when we were there) as well as $10 flatbreads (the one we got was originally $17, so a great deal!). During the week, live music from 5:30 to 8:30pm adds to the ambiance.

For my first cocktail, I ordered the featured margarita - it was lovely! I am always a fan of the coupe glass.

Margarita

VIP Room only please

Some of the many whiskeys

Interior and stage for Live Music

After we got our first cocktail, we ordered the Pig & Fig Flat Breads. This yummy one features guanciale (unsmoked Italian bacon), black mission fig and arugula! It was so good, we ordered two!

Pig & Fig Flat Bread

After the first cocktail, I got a Manhattan. It featured a spritz of Absinthe which I asked to not have on my drink. Just not a fan. The adjusted cocktail was great!

Manhattan

The interior of the bar has a wonderful vibe.

The bar

I recommend coming during Happy Hour, though it would be better if ALL specialty cocktails were $10 and not just the bartender's selection.

Cheers,

Liz