I’ll see you at Crapplebee’s

So you’ve read our previous blog on the do’s and don’ts of eating out (and if you don’t remember it here’s the link) and now you want to apply the teachings we have passed onto you in a real world scenario. Lucky for you our faithful readers the Chef and I
happen to be eating out experts. Whether it be the diviest of Chinese food restaurants, to the classiness of Blue Smoke, to the outright bottom of the barrel that is Crapplebee’s- we are here to help you with some places that you can chow down. And we will also tell you places you should definitely not go to at all. Just cause if you do I will probably de-friend you on Facebook due to my intense dislike of said place. So in no particular order I’m just going to throw some places I like to eat out there and probably ramble off on a tangent or two along the way. Oh and btw if you are curious as to what exactly Crapplebee’s is I am going to let the Chef explain that one to you. It’s called a lead-in for a reason people.

                
Just a little background on me, and my food preferences. When I was a little J I was an extremely picky eater. Often I would go to my Grandmother’s house (either Grandma I was picky at both their houses) and she would have all these amazing dishes on the table and I would eat none of it. Most of the time, my one Grandmother would be nice enough that she would go downstairs to her second kitchen and make me some chicken cutlets to go with my plain white rice. I was pretty bad. Then I can remember the day it all changed. It was 1992. The day before my parents, brother, and I left for a trip of Hawaii. I remember sitting in a Chinese restaurant and all these amazing looking dishes I never ate were passing right in front of me. So I just decided to give them a try figuring it could not hurt.

                
It was at that moment my palate was opened to a world of many different foods. From then on I couldn’t try enough different foods fast enough. I realized there was a whole world of different foods, and flavors, and styles of cooking that were out there and I had been missing out on. Better late to the party then to miss the party altogether right?

                
Now one of my favorite places to go eat is a Mexican place called Cozymel’s. Now let me preface this by saying I think the food is pretty good but I understand some people might say it is just standard Mexican fare. For me though it is one of my favorite places to go and eat. First of all they always start you off with a tray of nachos and salsa which is one of my favorite dishes (fyi I make an amazing chicken nachos. Come over sometime and I’ll make it for you). Then I usually gravitate toward the burrito or its deep-fried brethren the chimichanga. There is nothing better than an overstuffed burrito with beans, rice, and some nice shredded pork. It is just about one of my favorite comfort foods out there. If you ever drive by a Cozymel’s in your travels you should stop in and give it a try if you enjoy Mexican food. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the choice.

                
One of the places I love to go to when I just want messy food is White Castle. You know the story. Belly bombers are made from horse meat, boots, and pigeons. You know what though? I do not f***ing care at all. Cause when the crave calls you must answer. And it is a wonderful feeling to just sit there with 10 burgers staring back at you taking up an entire table knowing you are about to eat all those wonderful little burgers. You put a side of fries on that and you have yourself one of the most perfect 1 a.m. foods ever invented.

                
This isn’t about a restaurant per-se as much as it is a whole cuisine. In the last couple of years I have taken a liking to Indian food. On an Indian menu you find one of the most diverse flavor palates available in the entire food world. They use multiple curries, and sauces that just are rich and amazing when you have them. I sometimes toy with the idea of being a vegetarian just to see if I could actually do it for like a month. If I did Indian food would be my staple food for that time period. For a couple of reasons, one being the majority of Indian restaurants caters to the vegetarian crowd. My favorite dishes are the saag with paneer, or spinach with cheese that is mixed together in a kind of porridge, and anything with chickpeas in it. Usually I prefer chickpeas that are cooked in yellow curry sauce. You put that on top of a plate of rice and then pour some daal (lentils that have been made into a stew) on top and you have one flavorful meal in front of you. For me the only negative is usually Indian restaurants are quite pricey when compared to normal restaurants. The amount of food you get is a lot smaller portion-wise then you would at a T.G.I. Friday’s, or other food chain. My guess is this probably has to do with the fact that most Indian people eat less food then the rest of us. So there is no need to give people eight portions of food when they would normally only have four. I usually like to catch a lunch buffet as for something like $10 or $12 you can get as much food as you’d like which means I get to go to town on all the chickpeas and lentils I can eat. And of course I always save room for the gulab jamun.

                
Sushi is always a favorite food of mine and as long as prepared correctly. In this case while places like Benihana’s are ok I would say that if you want the best sushi you need to go to little mom and pop restaurants. That way you can get the best food preparation possible and not have your sushi made on a conveyor belt like when you go to McDonalds. My favorite place is called Sushi Palace in Great Neck, NY (Link: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/201/1488246/restaurant/Long-Island/Sushi-Palace-Great-Neck) . The all you can eat sushi buffet for $25 is a great way to go if you are hungry. The sushi they make there is all very good. I would recommend the Godzilla Roll, and the sweet potato roll which are served warm instead of the usual cold way most rolls are served. And of course you can always get your traditional sashimi if you so desire.

                
As for a great ribs place you and you are willing to spare no expense, the place you should go is Blue Smoke (http://www.bluesmoke.com/blue/) right off of Lexington Ave. The ribs there are Kansas City style and are some of the most tender and succulent you might ever bite into. And as a side you cannot go wrong with the truffle coated mac and cheese which is probably one of the best I’ve ever had.

                
I could meander on for hours about places I like (Buffalo Wild Wings but only before a concert, cause that’s the tradition) and how good soul food is (Jacob’s on 128^th ST makes a mean sweet tea to go with my collard greens and fried catfish) so I think I’m going to stop it right here. In the end we all have our favorites and that is the beauty of food. No matter what you choose there is something for everyone. So I encourage all of you not to stick with your favorites and pigeonhole yourself by eating at the same places and having the same foods every time you go out. You have all driven by a restaurant and said I wonder what the foods like but have never stopped in. Next time you do that on the way to place you always go to eat maybe you should pull over and give that new place a try.

                
Who knows you might just like what you find.

                

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 So, you wanna.........

....Get Laid.

Gentlemen, if you want to impress your date, celebrate a romantic milestone, or just grease the way to some horizontal dessert at your place after dinner, the place to go is The Blue Water Grill. By far, my all-time favorite restaurant to go on a date. The seafood tower to start is loaded with all your favorite sea creature friends- oysters, clams, mussels, lobster, and crab. Even if I happen to go during Restaurant Week, I'll splurge (or my date will) for the extra expense of the seafood tower. It's worth it, and I could care less what I get for an entree as long as my meal starts with that tower. I've had many different types of entrees here, from seafood to sushi to short rib. Everything has been great. Dessert is decadent and small enough to so that you're not waddling out at the end of the evening. Despite the different company I have shared meals with here, I have not regretted any one of them. Downstairs, they have a live jazz band playing on certain nights. It's not cheap and you should dress to impress. Check out the menu before reserving a spot. You'll want to know how much credit you have available before committing. There's an 80% chance that you will get laid that evening....several times....She may even bring a friend.

....Pig Out on Sushi

I would agree that the best places to go for sushi are the Mom and Pop sushi spots that only seat a handful of people. There are awesome joints like Megu which will cost you a paycheck when it's all said and done, and there are American-friendly spots like Benihana (please don't go there, opt for Shiro of Japan instead). The thing happening now with a lot of spots are all-you-can-eat sushi for a fixed price. Let me explain something to you. Sushi is mostly rice. Gluttonous, sticky, white rice. It's filling. There is only so much sushi you can eat before your stomach explodes. And even after you eat all you can, your local all-you-can-scarf sushi joint will STILL be making a ton of money off you because the cost of the fish they put in there is no where near the amount of money they charged you for your seat. I've been to Sushi Palace, and I'm not a fan. That's a different blog all together and you can read my review Here.  If you want a decent Japanese Buffet, with hot items as well as sushi, I would head to Minado on Glen Cove Rd in Carle Place. It's not cheap- about $30 for lunch and maybe almost $40 for dinner. (I'm not sure on those prices. I haven't been back in a while.) But, the service is better, you pick out what you want, the place is busy so the food is constantly moving and fresh, and you control what's on your plate at your own pace. I'm all about the control when it comes to my meal, and Great Neck has NOTHING on Manhattan when it comes to Sushi. 

....Drink Good Beer & Scarf Cheap Wings

Hands down; CROXLEYS!!  I had my first Lindman's Framboise here! I must give my thanks to my cousin Lilia for first taking me to this spot on New Hyde Park Rd. In fact, I forgot my ID at home, and she drove me all the way back to get it otherwise we wouldn't have been able to get in. We pigged out on 20 cent wings and awesome craft beer. I learned to love beer here. Whenever we had a bad week or we just needed to catch up with one another, I would get a text that read "Croxley's?" and I knew to be ready for her to swing by and come get me. The rest of the menu is less than awesome, but you're going there for the beer, the awesome wings, and probably to watch a game. That's cool. Since Lilia has moved to Boston, the only time I've come back to Croxley's has been with J. And it's almost always raining when we go. It will be a Tuesday or Wednesday night. We'll get more wings than we can eat, drink too much beer, and catch up on what's been going on since we last hung out. It's certainly one of those spots that holds a tender place in my heart because the people I have shared a beer here with have all been some glorious mother fuckers. 

....Quell the Munchies (and you're broke)

Taco Hell. Yes, I admit it. I inhale Taco Bell the same way a 300-lb college stoner does when he only has a $10 bill in his pocket to hit that spot. I like it. I do! I do! I admit it, and yes, I'm ashamed!! But, it's my junk food of choice. I do not condone that monstrosity, the Dorito Taco, although I haven't had Cool Ranch yet, so the jury's still out on that flavor! I like Mexican Pizzas and the hard Taco Supremes. I do. And a large Mountain Dew, please. I have nothing more to say about it. You've already gotten the worst out of me!   

....Pee Out of Your Butt

These are places that have given me the worst food poisoning I have ever experienced in my entire life. I thought I was going to die. I thought I'd share!!

Kun Jip - K-Town in Manhattan. It was a busy Friday night and my date ordered a BBQ dinner. They flash grilled the chicken before it was completely done in order to make us eat and get out faster, and before I knew it, I was puking in the ladies room. As if ralphing up my dinner wasn't enough, I was home ill for two more days because the dinner that never ended decided every single particle of food or drink that entered my stomach would be evicted immediately. Fun times! 

Dhaba - Lex and 27th in Manhattan. I was the girl Friday of a highend showroom. Our dresses were hand-embroidered in India, so whenever the owner of the manufacturing company came to town, it was my job to wine and dine her. I ate at this cursed restaurant for 3 days in a row, and was ill each and every time afterwards. By the time she was on a Lufthansa flight back to India, I had lost nearly 10 lbs, was severely dehydrated, and ended up in an ER with an IV in my arm.    

Honorable Mentions:

Before every concert at the Barclays, J and I always go to:

I get the jalapeno poppers and an order of the boneless Mango Habanero chicken strips. Decent craft beer menu, not as extensive as a good craft beer bar, but better than your normal wing franchise. Good times! 

When my mom and I brunch, we always go to:

I don't even order cheesecake most of the time. The menu itself is HUGE. I always try and get something different, but I usually end up getting my favorites. The Chicken Bellagio is one of my top picks the last few times I've gone. The service is always on point, and the Coke or Iced Tea flows like it's the Land of Milk and Honey. No one leaves unhappy at the Cheesecake Factory. You'd have to be a real Debbie Downer to hate on this place. 

My 2nd favorite spot to dine (but only in the winter):

I only go in the fall or the winter because the only reason I want to come here is for the duck. They don't have it on the menu in the summer so it's pointless for me to even step foot in this place. It's all about the duck.   

Chinatown Lunch:

When you go to Joe's it's all about the soup dumplings. If you come here and DO NOT order soup dumplings, bend over and kick yourself in the ass, because that's what you are- an enormous ASS. There are several spots- Chinatown, Midtown, and Flushing. I have been to Chinatown and Flushing. Flushing has some rude fuckers up in that bitch. I prefer Chinatown. You never know what celebrity you'll be sharing your table with, and it's within walking distance of my job. SOUP DUMPLINGS!! 

So, when the fancy strikes you for a night out for dinner or lunch or brunch, try out one of these places and let us know what you think! Tell them Kat sent you!