Stuttering John @ Delivery.com

Wonder who played the grandma?

Revolt of the New York Delivery Staff

Two minutes of pedaling later, he walks into a building on West End, armed with $13.71 worth of Chinese food: beef with garlic, spring roll, egg roll. He walks out with another $15 in his pocket. “They gave me $1.29,” he says with a shrug. By the time Justin gets back to the restaurant, it’s 6:39 p.m. His first round-trip of the evening—nearly one mile of cycling—took thirteen minutes. Nearly an hour into his shift, he’s made just $4.47 in tips.

In New York’s expanding service economy, deliverymen occupy a position near the bottom—earning less than doormen, security guards, nannies, maids, tailors, taxi drivers, and trash collectors and working in far more treacherous conditions. They work long hours and cover huge territories, often in inclement weather, dodging perils like potholes, taxi doors, and tow trucks (one of which killed a deliveryman last year)—all the while hoping they don’t get robbed along the way. And they do this for pay that is often less than the minimum wage.

But that may be about to change. Since last fall, some 70 Chinese deliverymen—including Justin and his co-workers at Ollie’s—have filed lawsuits against five Manhattan restaurants. Never before have so many restaurant deliverymen joined together to battle their bosses. It’s the Year of the Chinese Deliverymen—the year they decided to revolt.

(From The Deliverymen’s Uprising New York Magazine

"If eating a burger is a sin . . ."

This burger is a wonder. It's thick, it's perfectly cooked, juicy and covered in cheese and bacon. If eating a burger is a sin, this burger is like going to Vegas with a hooker who you kill, stuff in your trunk, and push off into a canyon. "Plus," says Craig. "It's really cheap."

- The Amateur Gourmet [reviewing the Corner Bistro].

Corner Bistro
331 W. 4th St.,
New York, NY 10014
212-242-9502

Katz's Being Sold? ("Go, Eat, You Never Know")

"Go, Eat, You Never Know" - Investigating a potential rumor that Katz's Deli might be sold, the New York Times' Frank Bruni pauses to revel in the glory of :

first let’s do something we don’t do often enough. Let’s take the occasion of the most recent rumors, which swirled just a few weeks ago, to pause and appreciate Katz’s. To take its measure in a format that grants it the kind of recognition typically reserved for restaurants more proper but no more deserving.

To revel in its pastrami sandwich, one of the best in the land, with an eye-popping stack of brined beef that’s juicy, smoky, rapturous. To glory in the intricate ritual of the place: the taking of a ticket at the door; the lining-up in front of one of the servers who carves that beef by hand; the tasting of the thick, ridged slices the server gives us as the sandwich is being built; the nodding when we’re asked if we want pickles, because of course we want pickles.

It’s a ritual unique to Katz’s, an argument, along with Katz’s age, to consider it the king of New York delis, reigning above the Carnegie, above the Second Avenue Deli, which closed a year and a half ago. It may reopen, but not on Second Avenue, a reminder that nothing can be taken for granted.

Katz’s shouldn’t be. At few other restaurants can you feel that you’ve stepped this surely into a living museum, a patch of urban mythology. . . .

Elsewhere on the Web

• Katz's Deli Official Website
• Visit to Katz's (YouTube.com)

New York's Best Cheap Eats

New York’s Best Cheap Eats "From #1 to #101. And introducing our second hairsplitting, new five-star ranking system." By Rob Patronite &Robin Raisfeld. New York Magazine

Cuban Chinese Food in New York City

You learn something new every day. Writing for the Gotham Gazette, Larry Tung provides the history behind Cuban Chinese Restaurants in New York City, places like La Chinita Linda on 8th Ave. (18th/19th Street):

“La Chinita Linda,” now owned by [Kenny] Yu, is one of the few remaining Cuban restaurants in the city. As the old generation of Cuban Chinese population in New York diminish, few of their descendants are holding on to the restaurant business that once was blooming everywhere in the city.

“The original owners of those restaurants are very old now,” Yu said. “In addition, the second and third generations are not interested in the restaurant business. They want to do other professional work, like [becoming] lawyers and doctors.”

Yu shares a common family history with tens of thousands of Cuban Chinese in the United States. Their history goes back to 1847, when more than 200 Chinese men arrived in Cuba to work on sugar plantation as contract workers. The growing anti-Chinese sentiment on the west coast of the United States and the Chinese Exclusion Act, enacted in 1847, also forced many Chinese in America to flee to Cuba and other Latin American nations.

By 1940, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 were living in Havana, Cuba’s capital, and other parts of the island. El Barrio Chino, the Chinatown in Havana, was once the most prosperous and densely populated Chinatown in Latin America, occupying more than 40 blocks bursting with Chinese-owned restaurants and other businesses.

But a communist revolution led by Castro in 1959 changed all that. The state took over private property and nationalized all private-owned businesses. Most Chinese fled overseas and many settled in Miami and New York . . .

Hence, Chinese food with a particular Spanish twist.

Assault with Deadly Burrito?

School Mistakes Huge Burrito for a Weapon:

CLOVIS, N.M. - A call about a possible weapon at a middle school prompted police to put armed officers on rooftops, close nearby streets and lock down the school. All over a giant burrito.

Someone called authorities Thursday after seeing a boy carrying something long and wrapped into Marshall Junior High.

The drama ended two hours later when the suspicious item was identified as a 30-inch burrito filled with steak, guacamole, lettuce, salsa and jalapenos and wrapped inside tin foil and a white T-shirt.

"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," school Principal Diana Russell said.

Reminds me of Fresco Tortilla. =)

100 Pound Woman consumes SIX POUND BURGER

CLEARFIELD, Pa. — Kate Stelnick may weigh only 100 pounds, but her appetite is remarkable. The college student from Princeton, N.J., is the first to meet a restaurant's challenge by downing its six-pound hamburger — and five pounds of fixins' — within three hours.

Stelnick didn't eat for two days to prepare for the challenge. "I felt very full, but I was too excited that I actually ate it to notice," Stelnick said.

Stelnick, 19, made the five-hour drive to Denny's Beer Barrel Pub with two friends from The College of New Jersey on Wednesday, after they saw pictures of the monster burger, dubbed the Ye Old 96er [see link for more photos].

Denny Leigey Jr., the owner of the bar 35 miles northwest of State College, had offered a two-pound burger for years and conceived of the six-pounder after his daughter went to college and phoned him about a bar that sold a four-pounder.

But nobody had finished the big burger in the three-hour time limit since it was introduced on Super Bowl Sunday 1998. In addition to the meat, contestants much eat one large onion, two whole tomatoes, one half head of lettuce, 1 1/4 pounds of cheese, two buns, and a cup each of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish, banana peppers and some pickles.

Stelnick did it all in two hours, 54 minutes.

And I thought I was such a bad-ass for eating a POUNDER from Cheeburger!

You go, girl!

Daniel Drezner on "Food Porn"

Daniel Drezner expresses his thoughts (as well as a good roundup of others) on Hardee's Monster Thickburger. The burger contains 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat, and judging by the photo on Drezner's blog, IT'S ALL GOOD.

I gotta get me some o' 'dat action. Do we have Hardees in New York City?

McDonald's Authentic Philly Cheesesteak?!?

One Fine Jay submits his review of McDonald's "Authentic Philly Cheesesteak".

Yes, you heard me correctly: McDonald's.

Authentic my ass.

We may not be Philly, but there are plenty of good cheesesteaks to be had in New York. My co-worker and I tend to favor the local street-vendor and, by special request, the "Philly Cheesesteak on a Pita." Try it sometime. You'll like it.

Fresco Tortillas - Cheap Mexican in New York City

Fresco Tortillas, 980 2nd Ave. New York, NY

New York has a lot to offer in the way of tasty lunch specials at dirt-cheap prices, but in my six years of living here, absolutely nothing -- not even Taco Bell in all its fast-food glory -- can touch Fresco Tortilla's, one of the many Cheap-Mexican-Run-By-Chinese establishments which, like Ray's Pizza, take up residence on just about every other city block.

Not to be confused with Burritoville, Blockhead Burritoes and other high-end places, Fresco Tortillas (and it's plethora of knock-offs, 'Happy Taco', 'New Taco Express', 'Fresh Tortillas', 'Tortilla King', etc.) offer practically the same menu with precious little variation: Tacos, Fajitas, Burritos, Quesadillas, Combination Plates, and the formidable ' "Fajita By The Pound" -- 1 pound of steak or chicken with a dozen tortillas.

Usually if I'm in a hurry I'll grab 1-2 "black bean and cheese" ($1.10-25); if I've got time on my hands I'll get the 'Steak and Chicken Combination Plate' (approx. $5.25), which comes with Spanish rice, black beans and a pathetic attempt at a salad on the side.

NewYorkology! =)

I've always wanted to put together a list of cool places to visit as I explored the Big Apple: great museums, cool shops, cheap eats. This past week I just stumbled across a website: "NewYorkology.com" -- that saves me the hassle. Maintained by reporter, editor and soon-to-be novelist Amy, she certainly appears to have done her homework. And it's got a food section as well.

"Have You Eaten Yet?"

The Museum of Chinese in the Americas (MoCA) examines a central image of Chinese American life – the Chinese restaurant, in Have You Eaten Yet?: The Chinese Restaurant in America, an exhibit that caps the Museum’s food and restaurant-themed season. Often the first introduction to Chinese culture for many Americans, the Chinese restaurant has functioned since the nineteenth century as a site of cultural exchange. Have You Eaten Yet? traces the Chinese restaurant’s origin and growth in America, and explores how these cultural negotiations have been made over time. It takes a revealing look at American and Chinese perceptions and expectations through historical menu collections, travel diary entries, and Chinese food myths.

“Have you eaten yet,” is a standard Chinese greeting sharing the same connotation as “how are you?” Its incorporation into the daily vernacular attests to the significance of food in the Chinese culture, where meals are a fusion of art and entertainment and a venue for dialogue and reconnecting with family, friends and guests. . . .

Link.

Ok, this doesn't qualify as 'Food' . . .

. . . nor is it remotely related to New York City, but as a transplanted Southerner I would like to register my utter disgust at this grievous breach of tradition.

I mean, the nerve of them!

Good thing I have a liking for Jim Beam and Johnnie Walker as well.

NYCTOGO.com is dead. Long live Delivery.com!

Duuuuuuuuuuuude, where's my NYCTOGO?

Heh. Seems the online food ordering website pulled a fast one on us and replaced it with Delivery.com, upgrading their website with a spiffy new design over the Labor Day weekend as well.

Now they've got some kind of DeliveryPoints thing going ("make every bit count") where you can get points for prizes. I'm eating my way toward a Nintendo Gamecube Console!

Cute logo, too.

BBQ - NYC 2004 UPDATE

photographs and an interview with founder Travis Mills, aka Cuemaster, courtesy of CityRag.com.

Be nice -- feed the Republicans. =)

New York Pizza lovers SLICE announces:

Former New York City mayor Ed Koch urged us to "make nice," to "show 'em the ropes." We at Slice listened.

America's Favorite Pizza Weblog is proud to introduce GOPizza. Although we skew blue, we're putting politics aside, hoping to find common ground in Gotham's pizzerias. To that end, we've developed this special guide for GOP conventioneers.

Anyone who wants to learn about—and eat—great pizza is welcome at the Slice table. Plus, we'd rather see the thousands of upcoming visitors spend their money locally in deserving pie shops than order in from national chains.

BBQ - NYC 2004

My wife read about BBQ NYC 2004 at a LiveJournal community and -- bless her little vegan heart -- thought it would be the perfect thing for a transplanted Southern-boy like me. She was right . . . I went as a volunteer and traded several hours of work for several heaping plates of the most delicious pork and brisket since my years in North Carolina, washed down with some refreshing beer. Here's a little description from ChowHound.com to wet your appetite for next year!

West Side Chef - 315 West 57th St.

West Side Chef is overall one of the finer eating establishments on the West Side. Good lunch specials ranging from $5-7 -- especially is the "Shredded Beef, Szechuan Style." This restaurant's attention to special instructions concerning preparation was commendable, given the tendency of many places to ignore you altogether.

Zen and the Art of Competitive Hotdog Eating

USA! USA! US -- oops.

Once again, a skinny 132 pound kid has kicked America's ass in Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, downing a whopping "53 1/2" dogs in 12 minutes to claim the title for the fourth freakin' time in a row.

Ordinarily I'd be a little disappointed in those representing the good ol' U.S. of A. for losing (and on the 4th of July, too!) -- but as WatchMeEatAHotDog.Com exclaims:

. . . the fact that he always completely shatters his competition isn't what makes him great. What makes Kobayashi great is the style and grace with which he performs. To see a 130 pound, 20 something Japanese kid come in and completely destroy a group of 300+ pound American slobs is amazing, but the fact that he takes it in stride and doesn't get cocky is truly inspirational. He carries himself with an air of genuine nobility and class, with the charisma and dignity of a true champion. He took a sport that had previously been a spectacle of people piggishly stuffing as much food as possible into their mouths and transformed it into a science, into an art, and into something that is worth being celebrated.

I love Nathan's hot dogs as well . . . in moderation, like most other things. =)

My wife was somewhat suprised to see the event covered by ESPN -- but no less strange, she thought, than watching a bunch of guys play professional poker on television.

Related Links:

• International Federation of Competitive Eating

La Crosta Gourmet Pizzeria - 436 E. 72nd Street

La Crosta 436 E. 72nd Street - makes some damn tasty wings.

Granted, they can't make them spicy -- no matter how many times I've requested that they do so, but for what they lack in spiciness they make up in taste, with meat so tender it practically falls off the bone. ^*

Haven't tried their pizza yet, but I'll vouch for their pizza rolls.

---

If I want spicy, I'll stick to the "suicidal wings" at Aiello's Pizza Emporium 383 3rd Avenue.

Culinary Report: Delray Beach, Florida

My wife finally managed to get a couple free days off from graduate school so we took a brief vacation to Delray Beach, FL to visit some friends, and while there sampled some excellent food at the restaurants along Atlantic Ave.

• Friday lunch we ate at Lemongrass Thai (420 E Atlantic Ave); I'm well aware of the fact that Thai restaurants called 'Lemongrass' are a dime a dozen, but this one had exceptional Tom Yum soup (my favorite soup in the world) and spicy red curry. My wife, being vegan, also enjoyed a well-prepared dish of tofu and peppers marinated in Panang curry.
• Friday, Dinner - Yama Japanese Restaurant - 44 E. Atlantic Ave. Your basic Japanese place; good food but nothing to write home about.
• Saturday, Lunch - we ate at Lemongrass. Again. Did I mention their Tom Yum soup was exceptional?
• Saturday, Dinner - Walking down Atlantic we passed by Cheeburger Cheeburger, a burger joint w/ 50's interior decor. They are especially famous for their Pounder, actually a whopping 20 ounces of beef before cooking. If you finish it off, they'll take a polaroid of you and put it on their wall of heroes (populated, my wife noticed, by predominantly members of the male sex; "it's a guy thing", she mused) . . . Well, at $9.95 how could I possibly pass up a challenge like that?

  
  Here's me and The Pounder. Behind me is the wall of polaroids chronicling those who had won previous battles with The Pounder.
  
  Here's a close-up of the Pounder. It took two hands to lift it. Selected toppings: Lettuce, Tomato, Jalapeno Cheese, Roasted Red Peppers, A1 Steak Sauce and 20 ounces of succulent, well-done, utterly delicious BEEF. A carnivore's dream!
  
  Here's the photo of me on the wall, the battle won.
  
  Here's a close-up of the photo -- representin' NYC, yo.
  
  Having lapsed into a food-coma as a consequence of The Pounder. I'm suprised I made it home!

  Cheeburger pretty much set the standard for me, as far as burgers go -- replacing Checkers as the top dog. They're actually a franchise with multiple locations -- none even remotely near New York city, however. =(

• Sunday, Lunch - Our friends took us to Bamboo Club, an "Asian Bistro" staffed by a waiter who was missing his lower front teeth, which he initially attributed to being a hockey player up north and later to a circus accident. We're not sure which, if either, is the case, but he was nice. The food was good, too.
• Sunday, Dinner - Tuckered out from our outing with friends and an evening on the beach, my wife and I ordered in from Pizza Rustica (1155 E Atlantic Ave). Medium 14" pies turned out to be much larger than we anticipated -- very tasty but I will confess I've developed a bias towards the New York Slice! ;-)

All in all, a very satisfying excursion beyond New York city.

The Palate King

The Palate King's Booze & Grub survey offers opinionated reviews of neighborhood restaurants . . . or, rather, tasteless verbal abuse masquerading as "restaurant reviews" -- but hey, aren't New Yorker's known for their attitude? Anyway, some very humorous takedowns of local eateries and hole-in-the-walls.

Where are you, Ray?

There are at least 3,000 pizzerias in New York, and at least 30 of them use some form of “Ray’s” in their name including but not limited to Ray’s, Ray’s Pizza, Famous Original Ray’s Pizza, Ray’s Famous Original Pizza, World Famous Ray’s Pizza, Not Ray’s Pizza, and RayBari Pizza. A quick poll of Citysearch finds 2788 results on “pizza” and 45 results on “Ray’s pizza”. The thing is, there is no Ray.

So I discovered reading NYC Eat's two-part (One and Two) post on pizza in New York city. They also mention that the The Learning Channel, which is scheduled to air a show "Pizza Wars: New York vs. Chicago" this month.

They're already taking a poll.

Supersize Me, Baby.

In case you haven't heard already, Supersize Me is about some guy from New York who had the bright idea to consume a steady diet of McDonalds for 30 days straight and chronicle the deterioriation of his health. The film comes out this week, and judging from the overwhelmingly favorable reviews a lot of people are interested in the spectacle. John Anderson, writing for Newsday, isn't playing along:

So why not order everything once (which should have taken about a week) and then eat salads for the rest of the month? It's the kind of inconvenient question "Super Size Me" can't stand up to, as Spurlock goes on to gain 25 pounds and imperil his liver.

Maybe it's the director's inherently superior attitude that's makes the film so irritating: From his self-congratulatory physical (he's in great shape, he's told repeatedly), to the decidedly unwelcome shot of his rectal exam, to the repetitious, sneering shots of wide-bottomed Americans, we get the distinct impression that he's isn't in it for the public benefit.

Meanwhile, somebody named Soso Whaley over at the Competitive Enterprise Institute has vowed to eat McDonalds for 30 days as well to demonstrate that it will help you lose weight:

I, on the other hand, am motivated to eat at McDonalds for 30 days to show just how easy it is to skew results of any test to reflect your preconceived notions and come up with just exactly the results you want to see. In my case I’m going to use some of the same parameters Mr. Spurlock used but I would rather see results which show I can maintain a healthy lifestyle and actually lose weight at McDonalds, so I will not be scarfing down Double Quarter Pounders with cheese.

Speaking of the Golden Arches, NYMetro.com profiles Lee Dunham, a New York cop "who on March 23, 1973, opened the first McDonald’s on the island of Manhattan, at 215 West 125th Street" in Harlem. Mr. Dunham reminisces about the good old days:

. . . a McD franchise wasn’t a sure thing back then, Dunham says. Harlem was on the edge. Junkies were hanging out all day "putting twenty sugars in their hot chocolate," and Dunham had to hire moonlighting-cop buddies to keep rampaging gangs like the Savage Skulls and Brooklyn’s Bedford Avenue Stompers out of the joint.

But there was no stopping the McD's Zeitgeist, which was to blow away New York burger chains like Wetson’s and consign White Castle’s funky square patties to the fast-food margins. "When I saw those limousines pulling up in front of the place with white kids from downtown, I knew I was in," Dunham recalls. Being down the street from the Apollo Theater didn’t hurt. 'I used to serve 2,200 customers a day . . . When James Brown was in town, it went to 3,200. James sold me a lot of hamburgers. They were round the block, rhinestones for days."

According to the article there are more McDonald’s franchises in New York City than in any other city in the country, more than 250 in the five boroughs, with 74 locations in Manhattan alone -- a fact which author Marc Jacobson takes none too lightly:

You might as well be Anywhere, USA. Except we are not anywhere, we are in New York, which is not supposed to be anywhere. What was wrong with just having a pizza parlor on every single block, a snarly, T-shirted dough-flinger hulking behind fingerprint-mottled counters—wasn’t that fast food enough? The notion of New York’s being home to more Ronald McDonald per square inch than anywhere else ranks as a grievous assault on cosmopolitan civic esteem.

To which I say -- whine all you want, Mr. Jacobson. If our city can host God-knows-how-many Italian pizzerias, Sushi bars and Chinese restaurants, it can certainly accomodate a couple hundred McDonalds, and have plenty of room to spare.

NYCTOGO Merchant Directory

Merchant Listing for NYCTOGO.com -- nice to see they're finally starting to expand into Brooklyn. Yes, contrary to the impression you recieve from their website, Manhattan is actually not the only burough in New York City (elitists!).

Queens? -- Any day now. *sigh*

Energy Kitchen - 1089 2nd Ave.

Energy Kitchen boasts that they are "dedicated to bringing you GREAT TASTING FOOD that's good for you! We use only the HIGHEST QUALITY INGREDIENTS for meals that are nutritionally-balanced, LOW FAT and packed with PROTEIN!" -- Not being much for "health food" I ordered from them at the recommendation of my co-worker, who testifies to the excellence of their grilled chicken sandwich . . . and I concur.

There's nothing particularly special about the menu -- except maybe for the ostrich burger, which is unusual -- but the food is well-packaged, well-prepared, and very tasty. The chicken burger came with fresh tomatoes and real green lettuce (not just your no-flavor iceburg variety), and this may sound crazy but a simple side dish of steamed spinach (just spinach) was incredible. All in all an excellent dining experience on the Upper East Side.

"a magnificent obsession that starts with rice and fish"

New York Times has an article on the history of one of my favorite foods today: SUSHI!!! . . . also included is the following instructions on 'responsible sushi eating' by the customer:

HE responsibility for great sushi extends to the customer.

The sushi bar diner is expected to order from the chef (but drinks and other food from the waiters), to pick up each piece with fingers or chopsticks (both are correct) and to eat it in one or two bites without putting it back on the plate.

Another sushi commandment, often flouted in American sushi bars, forbids dropping a piece of sushi into soy sauce and leaving it to soak. All the careful hospitality of the Japanese tradition could not conceal the shudder that ran through every sushi chef when asked about this practice. "It is very painful for us," Gen Mizoguchi of Megu said.

For the record, you should turn the piece upside down and swipe the fish lightly through the dish of soy sauce. A small amount of wasabi can be added to the dish, but too much is disrespectful to the chef and the fish, as it drowns other flavors.

Have to remember that next time I go.

L.A. Gourmet - 111 East 58th Street

Honestly, I don't know why they'd call it "L.A. Gourmet" given it's location in the Big Apple, but I'll forgive their insolence on account of their food. This restaurant is situated next to the 58th Street Branch of the New York Public Library (making it a great place to stop after browsing the stacks), serving a wide range of traditional sandwiches, burgers, wraps, etc.

My co-workers and I order from this place mainly for the burgers, which are massive. Most meat for your buck. Treat the carnivore in you to a "100% Pure Beef Burger" Deluxe ($5-6), with thick steak fries drenched in melted American cheese (get the small for $2.50 -- believe me, it's more then enough!). Your arteries will beg for mercy, but it's worth it.

The shining feature of L.A. Gourmet, and the reason it stands out in my mind from similar types of all-purpose eateries, is the great care they put into their work, from the preparation of the food to the impressive delivery: this is one of the few places that will actually remember to bring the condiments and the silverware without you asking for it.

Good Indian Cuisine in Kew Gardens

When we first moved to Kew Gardens, Queens from Manhattan my wife and I thought we'd left good Indian food behind. Thank God, one fine afternoon after attending a movie at Kew Gardens Cinemas, we turned the corner onto Austin Street to discover Mehak -- a little "hole in the wall"; not much to look at, but serving absolutely delicious "Indo & Pak Mughlai" cuisine.

Now, much to my delight, the owner has opened the much larger Darber right around the corner from where I live. I work in Manhattan, so unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to try their lunch buffet yet, but my wife and I have ordered in delivery oh, about a dozen or so times.

The vegetable dishes are $6.75, the meat entrees run btw/ $8-12 . . . I personally recommend the Vegetable Jelfrazi (prepared to taste -- I prefer very spicy) or their Aloo Gobi, with a side of Naan. The Kheer (cool rice pudding) is excellent.

• Darbar 125-22 Queens Blvd. 718-261-8900 (corner of 83rd St.)
• Mehak 83-06 Austin St.

Addendum:

The "Hot & Spicy Dill Pickles" from Just Pickles Mail Order are, hands down, the best pickles I've ever tasted . . . at least so far (my intention is to try all of them).

Just Pickles

One of my friends introduced me to a new store today -- Just Pickles! . . . they sell nothing but pickles: from kosher dills to sours to half sours to hot & spicy, not to mention sauerkraut, sweet & hot red peppers, mixed vegetables and gherkins (what's a "gherkin"?).

Apparently they've got two locations in New York City, one on 5th Ave. & 28th St., the other on Madison and 33rd. I NYCTOGO'd them and found that they're within my delivery range. Got some new pickles for the wife and some hot & spicy sours for myself. It's a garlic lover's dream!

Katz's Delicatessen, NYC

My dad came into the city to visit over the holidays -- I wanted to treat him and his new wife to some real New York food, so I took them to Katz's Deli. I confess this was motivated in part by my own appetite and curiousity. I'm embarassed to say I've lived in the Big Apple for six years now and had yet to visit the place. They were driving in from Philadelphia and ran into holiday traffic, so I spent a good hour and a half waiting in front of the deli. When we finally made it inside there was another hour-long wait in line for the food. . . . thank God I'm the patient sort, because it was worth the wait. I ordered a traditional "corned beef on rye", "grilled reuben", and a "pastrami on rye". Following a friend's sound advice I tipped the chef a dollar as he was preparing my food and he piled on the meat extra thick! -- it took a major effort between the three of us to polish them off, but we managed to do so. It was all in all an incredible culinary experience, and one that I'll gladly repeat (Hopefully next time at a reasonable hour without all the tourist-traffic). From New York First:

On New York City's Lower East Side, where Jewish pushcart peddlers once hawked street food, is the deli to end all delis. You don't go to Katz's Delicatessen for elegant décor. You don't go for the service. You definitely don't go if you're on a diet. This venerable warhorse, founded in 1888, is a timeless, unassailable living-history museum. And an eternally popular one, too. Some Sunday mornings, the line snakes all the way out the door. Devotees line up for Katz's hot dogs -- the thick-skinned, all-beef dogs are slender, sultry, and unexpectedly subtle in flavor and texture. They've been making these hot dogs on the premises since before they were called hot dogs. When New Yorkers think of hot dogs, they think of Katz's Deli. New York Magazine calls Katz's hot dogs "the best in New York."

Along the way to being the oldest delicatessen in New York, Katz's has gathered a fiercely loyal band of fans; among which are U.S. Presidents, stars of stage and screen and local and international political, social, and arts figures. Katz's has been featured in the movies. When Johnny Depp met with his FBI contact in "Donnie Brasco," it was at Katz's. When Meg Ryan displayed her orgasmic skill in "When Harry Met Sally" (I'll have what she's having) it was at Katz's.

During World War II, the three sons of Katz's owners were all serving their country in the armed forces, and the family tradition of sending food to their sons became sealed as the slogan "Send a Salami To Your Boy In The Army."

• Katz Deli Official Website
• Katz Deli Mail Order (Through NYCTOGO.com)
• Katz's Deli Reviewed by HollyEats.Com - check out her photo of a traditional Katz' Deli pastrami sandwich!

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Photo Credit: Leon

Sam's Noodle Shop & Grill Bar

When I used to work in Midtown around 54th St. we'd used to get delivery from Fu's House (972 2nd Ave, New York, NY), at least once or twice a week ($5.25 lunch specials, w/ rice and soup). Unfortunately, since our move further downtown I've had the most difficult time finding good quality Chinese takeout. My troubles were solved this past week when a friend recommended Sam's Noodle Shop & Grill Bar. If ordering for lunch I strongly recommend their "Chinatown Style Roast Meat Over Rice" lunch special. I prefer "Double Sauteed Chicken Over Rice" -- only don't get it over plain old rice, because for only .65 cents extra you get a choice of six different kinds of noodles (I recommend the udon). Like Fu's, it's only $5.25 ($5.90 w/ the noodles), and a wonderful find.

My only real gripe about this place is that no matter how often you request them to "make it spicy", they rarely ever listen. . . . either that, or my taste buds have been scarred beyond recognition.

Sam's Noodle Shop & Grill 411 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10016
(corner of 3rd avenue and 29th street)
11:00 am - 11:30 pm

Hottest Wings in Manhattan

Today my co-worker and I decided to satisfy our craving for some wings. I tend to like my wings spicy, and finding some good spicy chicken wings is easier said than done -- most of the places I've ordered wings from here in NYC put forth the claim to make spicy chicken wings, but usually fail to back it up.

Fortunately, that wasn't the case today. We did a search on NYCTOGO.com and discovered that Aiello's makes their wings "mild, medium, hot, and SUICIDAL."

Guess what I tried?

They were right.

I called them up and asked what they put in it:

"Very special sauce."

"Yes, but what kind? -- what ingredients?"

"Very special sauce. Frank's sauce."

Wish I could say more, but that is all they would disclose . . . man, talk about delicious agony of the tastebuds!

Aiello's Pizza Emporium
"Home of the Original Buffalo Style Chicken Wings - Since 1981"
383 3rd Ave. (btw/ 27th & 28th)