Ippudo

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Restaurant: Ippudo – 65 4th Avenue, Manhattan, New York

I’m probably one of the few people that went to college and stayed away from ramen. Ippudo, constantly crowded, often with hour-long waits, was the perfect place to change that.

Atmosphere

Ippudo can best be described as an experience. The staff is high-energy and yells out in Japanese to greet diners every time they’re brought into the dining room. (I’m assuming they’re saying ‘hi’.) Along one side, an open kitchen displays numerous ramen chefs churning out bowl after bowl while waiters and waitresses scurry around the restaurant. The dining area is decked out in dark wood and features communal as well as private seating. It can best be described as extremely organized chaos. 

This is all assuming you can get a seat. The wait at Ippudo can stretch into the 3+ hour range on weekends.

Bar at Ippudo

There’s ramen everywhere at Ippudo!

Food

I had no idea what to expect at Ippudo. As someone new to the world of ramen, the menu is a little overwhelming. I ended up settling on:

  • Hirata buns with pork: steamed buns filled with your choice of either pork, chicken, or eggplant & eringi mushrooms served with Ippudo’s original spicy buns sauce (you know them as pork buns)
  • Akamaru Modern: the original silky “Tonkotsu” (pork) soup noodles topped with Ippudo’s secret “Umami Dama” miso paste, pork chashu, cabage, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil (I added a poached egg and braised pork belly to this)

I’d heard rumors about how good Ippudo was and those rumors were dead on. Two pork buns came out as the appetizer. A good-sized pork belly was nestled in between a freshly steamed, doughy bun. It was a little bit spicy and came with iceberg lettuce. 

Akamaru Modern at Ippudo

Akamaru Modern with a poached egg and braised pork belly

I had no idea what to expect with the ramen. I was greeted with an enormous bowl of a steaming hot concoction. I quickly dove in and was met with a very rich, flavorful broth filled with lots of noodles and an ample amount of pork belly. Man was this good! The pork belly was by far my favorite part. It literally dissolved as a I tried to get it into my mouth. As I looked around, everyone else was closely huddled over their bowls, a clear sign Ippudo does things right. I tend to engulf food extremely quickly but at Ippudo I was met with chopsticks, and this forced me to take my time and taste all the unique flavors of the ramen – there’s a lot of stuff in there!

Service

The waiters, waitresses and chefs all yell to greet you when you walk into the main dining area. Enough said. The service was attentive and quick. You may be met with a long wait just to get into Ippudo, but the host/hostess is friendly and on top of the ever-growing wait list. 

Value

The pork buns ($9) and ramen ($21 with my additions) is more pricey than I expected. You’re not breaking the bank here, but it’s clear Ippudo knows the clientele is going to keep coming back regardless of pricing.

The Verdict

For my first venture into the world of ramen, Ippudo was a solid start. I don’t have anything to compare it to, but if this is the standard, sign me up for some more. I definitely will be going back to Ippudo (and getting there early so I don’t have to wait) and I suggest you do the same.

Ippudo on Urbanspoon

Eat a Burger and Win Money!

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Now here’s something I can get behind. In honor on National Burger Month, Bill’s Bar and Burger is featuring two limited edition burgers as well as giving away cash. That’s right, you can win money just by eating a burger. There’s not much better than that in my book.

Throughout the month of May, check out the Bill’s Bar and Burger Facebook page. Each day (Monday-Friday) they’ll post a number. If you’re lucky enough to order that number burger on that day Bill’s will give you $50 in cash on the spot!

As far as burger specials, Bill’s is featuring a Meatloaf Burger (Meatpacking District) and West Coast Burger – avocado, cheddar, red onion, salsa verde (Rock Center).

Bill's Burger Bar National Burger Month

Photo courtesy of BR Guest Hospitality

L&W Oyster Co.

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Restaurant: L&W Oyser Co. – 254 5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York

Only about six months old, L&W Oyster Co. is one of the newest additions to Manhattan’s seafood (more specifically, oyster) scene. The folks behind Almond are behind this oyster house. 

Atmosphere

The restaurant can best be described as black and white. It gives off both a casual and upscale vibe at the same time that portrays casual elegance. Don’t get the impression that the folks at L&W are suffering from an identity crisis. Quite the opposite. They’ve captured your typical “by the beach” seafood house and brought it to Manhattan – casual during the day but classy at night. The interior features whitewashed booths, industrial copper lighting fixtures providing light to a row of booths, black wood floors and your typical beach-themed artifacts.

Exterior of L&W Oyster Co.

Exterior of L&W Oyster Co.

Food

The menu at L&W (note that this is slightly outdated as the menu is evolving) immediately threw me off. It’s organized in a very creative way. There isn’t a dedicated section for appetizers, entrees, sides, etc. Instead, L&W categorizes its food by ‘small things,’ ‘medium things,’ ‘bigger things,’ ‘booze stuff,’ ‘sparkly stuff,’ etc. I felt like this was almost liberating and allowed me to peruse the entire menu without being confined to ordering one thing from each category.

Brooklyn Clam Chowder

Brooklyn Clam Chowder

I’m a sucker for clam chowder so I of course had to give the Brooklyn Clam Chowder a try. This cream-based chowder wasn’t your typical New England clam chowder or your Manhattan clam chowder. It’s a hybrid made with beer from the Brooklyn brewery. The color may have been slightly off-putting – tan, off-whiteish – but the chowder itself was delicious. It had enough small bits of mussels in it and was a nice consistency (not too liquidy and not too thick) to keep me happy. There were also small crunchy nuggets in it as well which I believe were taking the place of your usual oyster crackers. This was a nice way to differentiate this chowder from others.

Cioppino

Cioppino

Next up was a Cioppino (fish stew) complete with mussels, chorizo, other seafood goodness I can’t remember, all topped with a small pile of yellow rice. There were lots of mussels in this dish and I loved the combination with the seafood combination with the chorizo. I was stuffed afterward and didn’t have any bread to mop up the stew but am sure it would have been just as delicious as everything else was.

Service

Our waiter was very enthusiastic and on top of everything from the start. The food came out at a steady pace and our wine and water glasses were consistently refilled. What more can you ask for? Unfortunately, the service did slightly deteriorate toward the end of the meal and we were left waiting to order dessert for quite some time.

Value

L&W is on the pricier side, with oysters around $3 each, ‘small things’ and ‘medium things’ around $13-$16 and ‘big things’ in the upper $20 range. That being said, if you’re willing to spend some money, L&W has a menu set up for exploration.

The Verdict

L&W Oyster Co. does the perfect job of combining casual and elegant along with delicious food. The relaxed atmosphere puts you at ease as you look through a menu that disrupts the traditional way food is supposed to be ordered. I loved the Brooklyn Clam Chowder and the Cioppino and would gladly visit L&W again to try some of the other items on the menu. If you’re in the Flatiron District and looking for some seafood, you won’t be disappointed with L&W Oyster Co. 

L&W Oyster Co. on Urbanspoon

Did Someone Say “Belgian Feast”?

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Restaurant: Jacques Brasserie – 204-206 East 85th Street, Manhattan New York 

Last week, Hailey and I checked out Jacques Brasserie on the Upper East Side. The restaurant has a “Belgian Feast” special where for you get a pile of mussels, frites and a draft beer from Sunday through Thursday 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Any menu that has the word ‘feast’ in it is right up my alley – we of course took full advantage of this special.

Atmosphere

It’s been a long time since I visited France, but if I were to envision what a French restaurant looks like, Jacques Brasserie fits that stereotype. The restaurant has a small outdoor seating area and indoors is covered in dark wood and old French posters. There are lots of mirrors throughout the space to make it feel larger than it actually is (not that it’s particularly small to begin with). It may just be me in my old age (28 years old, yikes!) but the place gives off a somewhat old-timey feel.

Exterior of Jacques Brasserie

Exterior of Jacques Brasserie

Since we were there for mussels, I immediately jump to compare Jacques Brasserie to one of my favorite mussel places in New York City – BXL. Aside from the fact that one is French and the other is Belgian, I’d say BXL has a bigger bar atmosphere whereas Jacques Brasserie feels more like an actual restaurant. Take your pick for what you’re looking for.

Interior of Jacques Brasserie

Interior of Jacques Brasserie

Food

Let’s get feasting! The “Belgian Feast” special comes with a heaping pot of mussels, frites and a draft beer. On the menu, you have a choice of various flavors ranging from Marinieres (Chardonnay, garlic, parsley) to Provencale (tomato, garlic, basil) to Dijonnaise (mustard, shallots, garlic). Not wanting to get too crazy, Hailey and I decided on:

  • Marinieres: Chardonnay, garlic, parsley
  • Poulette: Chive and cream

Mussels at Jacques Brasserie

Mussels at Jacques Brasserie

First things first, you get a nice basket of warm, fresh bread sliced from a baguette placed on your table. If you’re asking why this is important you should probably just stop reading. This is essential so you have something to dip in the sauce leftover from the mussels.

Frites at Jacques Brasserie

Frites at Jacques Brasserie

I’m a guy and I can put down a lot of food. Whenever I eat mussels I often have to down a lot of the little guys until I even feel remotely full. However, the mussels at Jacques Brasserie are nothing short of enormous. These are probably some of the largest mussels I’ve had in a long time and I surprisingly found myself pretty full after eating a bucket of them. In addition to the mussels, the frites were crispy and a nice golden brown color. They were coated in lots of salt which made them nearly addictive.

Service

The service at Jacques Brasserie was nothing short of great. Our waiter almost seemed enthusiastic to serve us, like I was doing him a favor. A side effect of eating mussels is lots of leftover shells. The staff eagerly shuttled discarded shells away so we were never left with anything resembling a Jenga-style pile of mussels waiting to tip over into our laps.

Value

For $22 you get a heaping bowl of mussels, frites and a draft beer. I challenge you to find a better deal with the same quality of food and atmosphere. Great value!

The Verdict

Jacques Brasserie has been a neighborhood staple on the Upper East Side more more than 20 years. I’m not sure how long they’ve been doing their “Belgian Feast,” but it’s one hell of a deal. The food was delicious, the service was superb and Hailey and I had a great experience. The only downside is the “Belgian Feast” only runs from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. so it can be a little tough to get there for those working a little later into the night. However, if you can skip out of work on time than head on up to the Upper East Side for a little taste of France. You won’t regret it. 

*This meal was provided free, courtesy of Jacques Brasserie. 

Jacques Brasserie on Urbanspoon

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for (FREE) Ice Cream!

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Get ready to run to your nearest Haagen-Dazs because next Tuesday, May 14th is the annual Haagen-Dazs Free Cone Day. Stop by your nearest shop from 4-8 p.m. to receive a free scoop of your choice. Check out the Haagen-Dazs Facebook page to find a list of participating stores near you.

Haagen-Dazs Free Cone Day

Photo courtesy of Haagen Dazs

Is Becky the New (Baked By) Melissa?

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I recently had the opportunity to try Becky’s Bites, miniature-sized truffles (or bites, as Becky calls them) with a creamy flavored interior.
Becky's Bites Packaging

Becky’s Bites

The flavors I tried were:

  • Peanut Butter Crunch
  • S’more
  • Salted Caramel
  • New York Cheesecake

From the outside, Becky’s Bites look like any regular truffle. However, unlike Lindt’s version, Becky’s Bites give off a more homemade look. The bites are individually portioned in mini colorful wrappers, helping to distinguish the different flavors. They consist of a hard dark chocolate shell with a creamy interior. There is supposedly a crunchy graham cracker layer somewhere in between but I was left searching. While these truffles are individually portioned, that didn’t stop me from devouring each flavor.

Becky's Bites

Becky’s Bites

The interior is cream cheese based so it has a little bit of a tangy flavor. This is where the flavor is. It was a little difficult for me to distinguish between some of the different varieties, such as Salted Caramel and S’more, but the Peanut Butter Crunch bites clearly tasted like peanuts. One of the things I really liked about the interior was that since it’s soft it quickly covers your entire tongue and interior of your mouth, helping to really get the full taste of the filling. I also liked how the chocolate shell was pretty thick as opposed to just a thin layer of chocolate. You’ll always get points in my book for not skimping on the chocolate!

Interior of Becky's Bites

Interior

The Verdict

Becky’s Bites is still in its infancy. However, the company just successfully received enough funding to ramp up production in a commercial kitchen space and hopes of opening up a storefront or a dessert truck in the near future. With a cream cheese based filling covered in chocolate, I definitely didn’t mind eating a few of these (ok, a bunch of these). The chocolate hit the spot and the soft interior kept the flavors lingering in your mouth for a while. I do think some of the different varieties could have had a little more flavor differentiation between them and I couldn’t find the crunchy graham cracker layer anywhere, but I’m looking forward to seeing where Becky’s Bites ends up. Who knows, you may eventually see them in a dessert truck!

*Barton’s Bites was provided with Becky’s Bites free of charge. 

So Long Cupcakes… Hello Cake-cups

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Restaurant: Bee’s Knees Baking Co – 113 West 10th Street, Manhattan, New York

Cupcakes have been all the rage the past year. However, is it time we ditch the cupcake and go the way of the cake-cup? If you were to ask the people behind Bee’s Knees Baking Co., they’d enthusiastically say yes.

Atmosphere

Opened just last December, the Bee’s Knees Baking Co. storefront is the next evolution of a baking company known for its wedding cakes, not its miniature-sized cake treats. The store can be described as spacious, bright and modern. There is a large wooden table in the center of the store for communal dessert dining as well as bar stools lining a tabletop looking out onto West 10th Street. The atmosphere is notably relaxed and low key.

Interior of the Bee's Knees Baking Co.

Interior of the Bee’s Knees Baking Co.

Food

What is a cake-cup you ask? On it’s website, Bee’s Knees describes it as the intricate, complex textures of traditional cakes with the quick, easy-to-enjoy experience of the cupcake. The result is essentially a miniature-sized cake in a five ounce plastic cup. The concept is definitely unique and Bee’s Knees has a number of different flavors, each boasting different textures and flavor profiles. On this particular trip, I decided to go with:

  • Red Velvet: classic red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and roasted pecans
  • Honey Bourbon: bourbon cake with burnt honey cream and candied ginger
  • Chocolate Salted Caramel: chocolate cake with salted caramel and roasted pecans
  • Lemon Raspberry: yellow cake with raspberry honey jam and lemon curd
Chocolate Salted Caramel Bee's Knees Cake-cup

Chocolate Salted Caramel Bee’s Knees Cake-cup

The cake-cups are just the perfect amount of dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth. You don’t feel like you’ve just eaten an entire cake, but are rewarded with all the flavors and quality that you would have gotten if you had just gone ahead and eaten one. In most cases, the cake-cups are layered with cake, frosting or cream, then more cake on top. The cake to frosting/cream ratio is such that you’re not eating globs of icing, but instead give the actual cake part the opportunity to shine through. However, in order to get all of these flavors, you need to dig deep and pull from all the various layers – cake, frosting, cream, etc. Don’t hesitate and just skim from the top or you’ll miss out!

If five ounces of cake is took much, Bee’s Knees also offers an even smaller version of its cake-cups. These cake ‘shots’ are offered individually or you can buy a flight of them and put yourself in a dessert-induced coma.

I was a big fan of the cake-cups, the uniqueness of the flavors and entire concept. However, if there was one thing I could say needs improvement, it’s the spoons. The cake-cups are served with wooden spoons, which I didn’t particularly care for. The cake gets somewhat stuck to them and I think a regular plastic spoon would be more appealing and deliver a better overall dessert experience. (I know, this probably isn’t as Earth-friendly as the wooden option.)

Bee's Knees Cake-cups

Cake-cups

Service

The service at Bee’s Knee’s is great. The people behind the counter take the time to walk you through the various cake-cup flavors on display. They even spend time explaining a little bit about the business, the concept and just chatting. Best part, before I left, they gave me a few of the mini cake-cup ‘shots’ to take home. Great customer service. 

Value

The five ounce cake-cups are around $4 each and the mini cake ‘shots’ are $6.50 for a flight. For the quality of ingredients and amount of dessert you’re getting, I think these prices are right in line with what they should be.

The Verdict

When I eat dessert it’s often an ‘all or nothing’ experience – I either eat every single dessert in sight, or abstain from it completely. Bee’s Knees solves my problem with these perfectly proportioned cake-cups. I’ll admit, after finishing one of them I did want to have another, but they were just the right about to satisfy my sweet tooth. While many people are saying that the cupcake bubble may have popped, I don’t envision Bee’s Knees Baking Co. going anywhere anytime soon, especially if they keep innovating new flavor combinations.

Bees Knees on Urbanspoon