NEW YORK: Frying Pan

www.fryingpan.com
205 12th Avenue, New York, NY 10001
212 989 6363

Price: Reasonable
Rating: Good atmosphere, bad food
Directions: CE to 23rd Street, but I suggest taking a cab
Reservations: Unnecessary
Must Get: White sangria

Looks are deceiving. This burger was one of the worst ones I’ve had in a while. It was dry and flavorless. The garlic fries weren’t even that garlicky! But I know, I know… This place isn’t known for their burgers; it’s known for its decor, location, atmosphere, and of course alcohol. That being said, I would love to come back here at night to try their seafood dishes…

NEW YORK: Suenos

www.suenosnyc.com
311 W 17th Street, New York, NY 10011
212 243 1333

Price: Reasonable
Rating: Good
Directions: L to 8th Avenue, ACE to 14th Street
Reservations: Necessary for a big group
Must Get: Cornbread and black bean sauce

I’ve been hearing about this place for the past four years from my former boss who lives across the street the restaurant. Their salsa and guacamole were great, as well as their surprise appetizer of cornbread and black bean sauce with creme fraiche. Their duck confit tacos and corn on the cob were not hits for me though. The duck was too sweet for my palate though my boss Ann loved them and raved about them to Chef Sue Torres who actually came out to talk to us later. The corn just does not stand a chance compared to the corn at cafe habana. I had a bite of my co-worker’s chicken enchiladas with mole sauce and loved it though I am not usually a fan of mole.

I would definitely come back and try their other dishes. What sealed the deal for me was Chef Sue Torres coming out to ask us how everything was. More chefs should do that.

NEW YORK: Frame

www.cafeframe.com
424 W 33rd St, New York, NY 10001
212 273 3730

Price: Reasonable/Expensive
Rating: Good
Directions: ACE to Penn Station
Must Get: Udon, Salad

Unfortunately for me and my coworkers, the food scene near my workplace is minimal to non-existant unless you are fans of fast food and Thai. Frame opened up a year ago, but for some reason no one at work discovered it until a few weeks ago. It’s an upscale deli, think dean and deluca without the ridiculous prices. They get their pastries from Ceci cela, their bagels from h & h, their bread from sullivan street bakery, the list probably goes on but that’s my knowledge of the place and it’s food. Their salads are inventive for a deli, their sushi is fresh, and the options are extensive. It’s nothing worth the trek out here for, but for someone who works nearby it’s amazing.

NEW YORK: The Standard Biergarten

www.standardhotels.com/new-york-city/bars/biergarten/
848 Washington Street, New York, NY 10014
212 645 4646

Price: Reasonable
Rating: Good
Directions: L to 8th Ave, ACE to 14th St
Reservations: Unnecessary
Must Get: Andouille sausage

Joe and I met up with his friend here for the Argentina vs Germany game, not knowing that it would be a beer garden and we would be the only people rooting for Argentina during a very sad, sad game. This outdoor space under the High Line is a good hangout spot for friends over beer, meat, and bread. You purchase tickets at the front for $8 each. Each ticket gets you either a beer, two sausages and a salted bread roll, or the biggest pretzel you have ever seen. I had their cheddar and andouille wursts (sausages). Both were good, but the andouille was definitely the better of the two. I’m not a fan of sauces in general and especially not one of mustard, but I highly recommend you put some of their sweet mustard on the side of your sausage platter. It’s not sweet at all, tangy would be a better word for it, but it’s such a great pairing for their wursts and sauerkraut.

NEW YORK: Fat Witch Bakery

75 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10011

Price: Cheap/Reasonable
Rating: Great!
Directions: ACE to 14th, L to 8th Ave
Reservations: You don’t need them
Must Get: Lemon Bars

I’m not a huge fan of sweets, but the lemon bars here could possibly change my mind. It’s sweet, but not toothache causing. The pie-like crust on the bottom is the best part; I could easily eat a whole pie of just the crust in one sitting. Yum. The lemon bars are only sold during the summer though, so I might have to come back soon to get some more.

NEW YORK: Tavern on Jane

31 8th Ave, New York, NY 10014
212 675 2526

PRICE: Reasonable/Expensive
RATING: Good/Great
DIRECTIONS: L to 8th Ave, ACE to 14th St
RESERVATIONS: You don’t need them.
MUST GET:

This cute and cozy place is a great place to go when the line at Corner Bistro is unbearable. Pictured above is their yellowtail club; it was delicious. Joe was also a big fan of his turkey burger. But although their food was amazing, the best thing was their handcut fries dipped in their ginger wasabi mayo.

NEW YORK: Hill Country BBQ

30 W 26th St, New York, NY 10010
212 255 4544

PRICE: Reasonable/Expensive
RATING: Eh…
DIRECTIONS: FV to 23rd St., RW to 23rd or 28th St.
RESERVATIONS: You should make them!
MUST GET: barbecue chicken

This Texas BBQ restaurant offers an all you can eat deal on Monday nights for just $25 a person. Sounds like a good deal, but I’m still not sure if it was worth it. I’ve never been a big fan of dry rub, but even Allison, a native Houston-er, says this place is just not memorable. The all you can eat deal features their brisket, pork ribs, bbq chicken, and most of their sides (some like the mac and cheese seen above costs an extra $2). The chicken is the best out of the three meats– it was moist and savory. The other two were too dry for my taste. As for the sides, I think the potato salad and green bean casserole were the best ones we got. Katie raved on and on about the cornbread though, so maybe that’s the way to go if you give this place a shot. (I didn’t try any because I didn’t want to fill up on bread.)