Posts from the ‘American’ Category

Nov 2

Blue 9 Burger

I'd heard they were like In-n-Out, so I thought I'd give them a try. But
then, I've only ever eaten one lukewarm In-n-Out burger on an airplane, so
it's not as if I have much point of reference. That said, I did like Blue
9's burger and fries. In fact, that's all they have on the menu, which is
kind of refreshing in these days of haute fast food, all crazy with
remoulade and Niman Ranch wieners (Blue 9 does have a chili mango sauce next
to the ketchup pump, but that's okay).

It's not cheap as fast food, but it's not like a sit-down restaurant
either. I think the cheeseburger was $3.50. The reason I mention this is
because on our way out, a scruffy guy out front who looked like he was going
to ask for change or a cigarette instead asked, "Is the food cheap?" I don't
know why that struck me as so amusing. It had never occurred to me to ask
someone that on their way out of a restaurant–maybe I should give it a try.
I wasn't sure how to answer. I think I said something along the lines of
"not, cheap, but not expensive, sort of in the middle." Not too decisive, am
I?

I'm very curious to see how long this restaurant holds out in this
cursed spot. The last two didn't even make it past the six month mark.

Blue 9 Burger * 92 Third Ave., New York, NY

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Nov 1

Washington Park

This choice threw me for a loop. James called me up Thursday night to
announce he'd made reservations at "Jonathan Waxman's new restaurant." Er,
okay. He's not retarded, but he's not really up on chefs, recent openings,
what's hot and all that crap. (He'd also made reservations for Les Halles
the following night, but that choice wasn't surprising considering Mr.
Bourdain's recent successes as author and television show commentator.) It
weirded me out a bit, but who am I to look an expensive gift horse in the
mouth?

The vibe is sort of an anachronistically yuppie, business casual affair.
James claimed a table of men behind me were very "Bonfire of the Vanities."
And without ever having seen that movie, I'm pretty sure what he meant. But
the '80s are big at the moment, right?

The menu is all about the market (not the stock market), what's fresh,
what's in season, all that Chez Panisse philosophy. I had to question James,
"You know this is California cuisine, right?" knowing his fear and
disdain for all things West Coast. But if a menu is going to be seasonal,
for my taste, autumn is the time to go. I had red pepper pancakes with
salmon, caviar and creme fraiche for a starter (James the lobster taco),
then the duck breast with roasted acorn squash and chestnut puree (James
couldn't resist the name-dropping Niman Ranch pork). The dessert was
something pecany, possibly gingery, artfully arranged with a crispy
caramelized sugar decoration and a small scoop of pumpkin ice cream.

The waitstaff was all tricked out in Thomas Pink, the linens were Frette, and the silverware was all
silver, duh. Come to think of it, I doubt I've ever actually eaten
with real silverware. The meal was fun, if not a tad decadent for an
unemployed sap like me.

*Hmm, Washington Park's sudden demise baffles me. (6/11/04)

WashingtonPark * Fifth Ave., New York, NY

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Nov 1

Starfoods

It's a "French-American roadhouse," if there is such a thing. I think
this means serving things like rabbit with grits. Starfoods seems potentially
scene-y, though it was pleasantly low-key during opening week. The Space
Invaders tiles in the bar are cute. In fact, I'd be more likely to stop
back in the bar than the restaurant and I can't say why for sure.

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Sep 2

In N Out

After recently reading the "New York Times" article on this cult-fave chain,
I had to check it out for myself. I didn't know they had them in the Bay
Area, but out of the corner of my eye I saw the bright sign beckoning off
the freeway on the way to San Francisco. In-N-Out would have to wait until
our return drive (a mere three hours later) en route to the airport.

On our way back, the problem was neither of us could remember where we'd
seen the sign and by the time I spotted it, it was too late and we'd missed
our exit. Taking the next exit, we did lots of winding, fighting (we were
cutting it way close to flight time) and weaving through what turned out to
be Daly City. I was sorry we didn't have more time, as I've been crazy for
Filipino food lately and I know this neighborhood has the largest population
outside the Philippines. (It was, and probably still is home to my aunt
Amelia that I haven't seen in like 25 years because she's got some issue
with my dad or something). Given a full day in Daly City I would've gone
nuts, totally non-East Coast chains like Jollibee (I've never eaten there, but
the Aloha Burger on their site inspired me to create my own burger with
pineapple and bacon. To my bafflement, it has since been removed from their
site.) and Goldilocks have set
up shop in town. Asian strip malls also called to me as we maniacally drove
past. Grand Opening banners graced a place cunningly called Porridge King.
Congee in a mall? So not New York.

We managed to park, run through the insane drive-through line and
quickly ordered a double double (for James) and a cheeseburger for myself
(damn, if I hadn't just eaten a huge bowl of duck wonton noodles minutes
earlier). I'd heard about this not being the fastest of fast food, and after
a few minutes that seemed like hours we got really nervous. Wouldn't it suck
to miss your flight for a burger?

It all worked out. We hightailed it out of there and made it the airport
just in time to face a fully booked flight with seats not together. Well, at
least we had our lukewarm burgers to keep us company. Actually, we were able
to swap seats with a kind man, but I was prepared to take solace in my
burger.

In-N-Out* 260 Washington St.,
Daly City, CA

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Aug 17

Trailer Trash

1/2

The latest addition to NYC's growing trash trend. I was kind of curious
about the place, and it was across the street from the theater where we saw
"The Good Girl" (the same theater where we had our first date ["Blair
Witch"] and hadn't been back to in almost three years). I would say Trailer
Park isn't trashy so much as kitschy. The place is overflowing with
'70s-'80s memorabilia like Dukes of Hazzard pics, which realistically you
wouldn't find in the average mobile home. I can see it being more of a
thriving bar scene. The burger wasn't bad, but nothing special. I did like
sweet potato fries, though–and you're not going to find those in a trailer
park.

Trailer Park * 23rd St., New York, NY

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Aug 10

Chubby’s

Eschewing the usual Pat's and Geno's for more adventurous territory, we
headed out Torresdale Avenue in search of the unfortunately named Chink's.
After getting lost in all sorts of pockets of shady NW Philly, we finally
made it to Chink's just in time for them to put a sign in the window saying
that they'd run out of food(!?).

Plan B: Second best name, Chubby's, clear on the other side of town. Oh
well. Theses joints must form in clusters, as another cheesesteak purveyor,
D'Alessandro's is right across the street a la Geno's and Pat's. I chose
Chubby's since it wasn't as packed and appeared to be the comfier of the
two: wood paneling, booths, table service, cold bottles of Yuengling and
ashtrays galore. My kind of place.

I did the cheesesteak with mushrooms. James was adventurous, trying the
cheesesteak with pepperoni, which somehow differs from a pizza steak, which
was also on the menu. That's a head scratcher. What's the difference between
a cheesesteak with pepperoni and a pizza steak? Tomato sauce? The meat is
chopped rather than sliced, which isn't bad, just a minor deviation. Next
time it's Chink's or bust. (8/10/02)

Chubby's * 5826 Henry Ave., Philadelphia, PA

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May 12

BB Sandwich Bar

I knew the big deal was the cheesesteaks, and that's what I went for. What I
didn't quite realize was that that's the only item they serve. The
whole experience is mildly disorienting at first. It's unclear if you're
entering the right establishment, as the door is inside a hallway, reggae
music was playing and no signs or menus were anywhere in sight. Though the
front of the building proclaims BB Sandwich Bar, I feared I'd stepped into a
Jamaican pattie joint. "We only have the cheesesteaks sandwich" proclaimed
the quiet Eastern European counter woman. Well, good enough, that's what
we'd come for anyway. I love the absurdity. I thought Hero's Sweet Potatoes
was single-minded (I know they do Korean food now), but this took the cake.

The sandwiches are prepared in batches so ours were ready to go. They
are not traditional, nor claim to be, though I wouldn't deem them overly
foofy either. The deal breaker for many would be the substitution of kaiser
roll for Italian bread. That doesn't bother me, but I am sort of a purist
where the cheese whiz is concerned. They cram a good portion of meat topped
with caramelized onions, spicy pepper relish and scant provolone. That's my
only beef–more cheese taste. I mean, cheese is in the name, right? Of
course that didn't stop me from quickly devouring their cheesesteak and
contemplating a second. Too bad they're not open late Sat. nights, I could
really go for one now.

BB Sandwich Bar * 120 W. Third St., New York, NY

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Mar 8

Bonnie’s Grill

In the spirit of trying restaurants near my neighborhood while grabbing a
good burger at the same time, Bonnie's jumped out, stood at attention and
delivered. I was always wary of this place, and for no good reason, it turns
out. They have solid offerings like beef on weck, pulled pork sandwiches and
Buffalo wings. Recently I've developed an addiction to french fries, and
their accompanying chipotle mayonnaise (they appear to have a hot spicy
theme, which I didn't know about) revved up the yum factor. The clincher in
my thumbs up assessment was the beer of the day that included Krista in the
name (can't remember the exact brew, unfortunately). Despite its
un-rareness, I never see my name anywhere, so the novelty swayed me.
(3/8/02)

I've been back plenty of times since March '02, but Bonnie's is just one
of those places you take for granted. Totally hungover on a Sunday after my
birthday party, I became entranced by Bobby Flay grilling burgers on TV (you
know I was out of sorts if I was actually paying any mind to Mr. Flay) and
became obsessed with finding a burger a.s.a.p. It was Bonnie's who came to
my rescue with a nice plate of Buffalo wings, medium rare cheeseburger and
perfect fries. The fries are really good, they might be lightly seasoned,
but I'm not sure with what. They now have plastic dispenser bottles of the
chipotle mayo on the tables, which is great for the mayonnaise-phobic like
me who like control over their condiments. (7/24/05)

Bonnie's Grill * Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, NY

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Feb 24

Tally Ho

I regret never getting to eat in our hotel restaurant, Gamay, as it was
closed on Sunday and that's when we thought to try breakfast or lunch. The
front desk clerk alternately suggested nearby, Tally Ho and added it's "the
best breakfast in town." We figured this must be some cross-arrangement
(ever the suspicious New Yorkers) since it sounded like a pat response. But
lo and behold, as we rounded the corner, their sign proudly proclaimed "the
best breakfast in town." What do you know? Hearty omelets with a few oddball
options like jambalaya and alligator sausage are a great way to start the
day.

Tally Ho * 400 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA

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Feb 24

Gumbo Shop

This was James' dinner choice, which was fine. I wanted to go to Jacques-Imo's
for dinner. We compromised, and he got Sat. night while I got Sun. evening.
Unfortunately my pick was closed in Sunday (we ended up at Mother's
instead).

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