Posts from the ‘Shovel Time’ Category

Sep 23

Pizzeria Uno

1/2 *The East Village Uno is no longer. I had no idea there were three other Manhattan locations. (11/07)

Number one, huh? Well, I don't know if I'd go that far. I've been curious about this seemingly suburban oddity on Third Ave. for some time now. Like who is it meant for? Homesick NYU students? Low-grade thrill seekers like myself? I guess it's not that far fetched, Dominos and Pizza Hut both seem to thrive in a city known for authentic pies. Why not throw a little Chicago deep dish into the mix.

Pizzeria Uno succeeds (with me) on two counts. One, the novelty factor. I'm not familiar with the chain, as it's not a West Coast thing. And I can't resist an uncharted sit-down franchise. Two, the disgusting nostalgia aspect. I don't know if it's the World Trade Center horror or what, but I've been craving all sorts of weird food I normally wouldn't. Thick crust pizza with sausage and green peppers, for one. I hate sausage and peppers, it's the kind of icky topping my mom would order when we were kids and I'd scornfully pick off. But I found myself eating an iceberg lettuce salad and combo pizza without even flinching. So, this is what the world's come to?

I felt sort of weird and conspicuous sitting in the window of the place, the same way I do when sitting outside at Dallas BBQ, like jeez, someone could see me. As if I'm better than cheesy, mass produced food. Later that night I saw our waitress at James's corner bar, Finnerty's and I semi-cringed. But then, what's more humiliating–to eat at Pizzeria Uno or to work there? Yeah, answer that.

PizzeriaUno * 55 Third Ave., New York, NY

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Sep 16

Paul’s Palace

Palace may be a bit of a stretch. Joint, perhaps. I must've walked
past this nondescript place a million times and never even noticed. It's
just like that. I was told they had a good Philly cheesesteak, which is good
information to have.

Saturday night, it was the first weekend out since the World Trade
Center attack, and people were drinking more than usual. Talk turned to
cheesesteaks (not that inebriation and cheesesteaks necessarily go hand in
hand). James became convinced we needed one, unfortunately Paul's had just
closed (he called). He became utterly obsessed with the idea of driving to
Philadelphia to get a 24-hour original (see above review). I like whimsy and
spontaneity as much as the next person, but just wasn't in the mood that
evening.

The next day we were grocery shopping when I brought up Paul's. It
appeared that the previous night's mania had already slipped his mind. We
decided to have a go anyway. I opted for a big, messy, blue cheese burger. I
hate to be a party pooper, but I almost prefer flat, dry, fast food burgers.
Blasphemy, I know. Real restaurant burgers are always drippy and
unmanageable (I had to eat this one with a knife and fork. But then, I do
the same thing with pizza, which is a total NYC faux pas). I was just about
to start talking about how I'm not even a burger fan, it's not a craving I
have very often, but dammit, typing this is making me really hungry for one.

Of course James got the cheesesteak, however, it came with provolone.
People have this notion that cheese whiz is low brow so they change the
cheese. Fine, but it's not authentic, and just plain wrong. I think it was a
perfectly fine sandwich, but not a primo Philly specimen. The hunt
continues…

Paul'sPalace * 131 Second Ave., New York, NY

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Sep 4

Mooza

The garden, the garden, the garden–that's all I've ever heard about this
place. I'm not even a garden person (if there is such a thing), but I was
finally convinced. Perhaps a little too late, as it was the Tues. following
Labor Day, and while calendar-ly inaccurate, the end of summer to the rest
of the reactionary world. Bah, it's still warm out.

It was my second anniversary with a former stalkee. Convincing on object
of obsession to go out with you is no small feat in itself, but maintaining
the whole affair for 730 days (was there a leap year in there?) deserves a
celebration to be sure.

And there's where Mooza came into play. Gardens are romantic, no? I
didn't want a break the bank bash, nor did I desire a bland burrito in the
East Village. This was middle ground, an appropriate choice. We both had
black currant champagne cocktails, and shared a ceviche. There was also a
mussels dish with shrimp tempura as a starter. I opted for a seafood pasta
special, while James tried a lamb concoction with a cranberry sauce (nothing
like the jellied Thanksgiving variety). All was pleasing, though half-way
through the meal I realized we were the only ones left in the garden. It was
mildly disconcerting. I don't feel that 11pm on a weeknight is ungodly for
dining alfresco (though I've been getting tired earlier and earlier these
days. I just can't admit to the fact that I'm now 29. I don't care if my
bones ache and bags form under my eyes–I'm not going to bed before
midnight!). I can only attribute the sparse clientele to perceived change in
season. A little nip in the air isn't going to put a damper on my spirits,
no way. (9/4/01)

Mooza shuttered some time ago. I think it's One91 (so clever) now.
(6/6/05)

Mooza * 191 Orchard St., New York, NY

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Aug 24

Time Cafe

I like Time Cafe, though it's not the sort of place I go out of my way for.
It's just there, relatively reliable. It's where friends take their families
(though I never have), acceptable for out-of-towners and good enough for a
pre-Fez show bite to eat. I'm particularly fond of their pizza with ham,
apples and honey. On the recent visit I opted for the soft-shell crab
special, which was also a bit fruity with the accompanying jicama apple
slaw. I hate to say it, but the dish was altogether too tart. Crab should be
crabby, not mouth puckering. Ah, but look who's the crab now.

This occasion was a birthday, and for once I was at a table where the
guests remarkably managed to put in the correct change, over actually.
What's normally a brow-furrowing ordeal with my usual groups of friends
became nearly pleasant with these folks I only know in passing. Perhaps it's
time to trade in dining companions. Are friends who feign ignorance about
amounts ordered when the check shows up really friends?

Time Cafe * 380 Lafayette
St., New York, NY

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Aug 21

Blue Ribbon

1/2

I've never been to the original so I won't commence with the Manhattan vs.
Brooklyn comparisons. I am aware they're known for their seafood, which is
boldly displayed in the front window. The spendy, yet impressive looking
fruits des mer platters are a signature item, which I hope to try at some
point. As it was a random weeknight, I went the other direction and tried
the duck with spinach, sweet potato puree and a cassis sauce. Very nice. The
shrimp and chorizo appetizer was also pleasing. Duck? Chorizo? Well, no one
ever said I was a light eater.

The vibe was more welcoming than stand-offish, moderately upscale, yet
mellow. You could call it a potential date place, which made me glad I ended
up there with a boyfriend, not the stalkerish chap I was out with earlier
who'd half-heartedly suggested the very restaurant (take note: don't attempt
Blue Ribbon with the unemployed, it'd just ruin the fun). If by chance the
ambience causes you to forget you're in Park Slope, glance up from your
goodies and observe the proliferation of children, young pregnant women and
lesbians. Ah, the incongruous flavor that makes up this semi-suburban 'hood.

BlueRibbon
* 280 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, NY

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Aug 19

Mike’s City Diner

There was a line out the door Sun. morning, which I took to be a good sign
(though I suppose lines are typical during the weekend brunch hours–not
that I would know, I only get up early enough to eat breakfast out like four
times a year). There was a long wait, but I didn't know anywhere else to go
in town and figured it'd be the same everywhere. I ordered what I think was
called an Emergency Room Special (scary, no?) and was treated to an obscene
amount of food: two huge pancakes, two eggs, almost half a plate of home
fries, three strips of bacon and two pieces of toast. It was pretty
impressive. What was even more impressive was the skinny guy sitting next to
us who ordered the exact thing after I did, and polished off the whole plate
and was digging into his pancakes while I was still picking at mine. My
dining companion ordered a side of corned beef hash and the portion almost
filled a dinner-sized plate. Not that quantity equals quality, but I was
pretty happy with the meal. The waffles also looked really good–maybe next
time. (8/19/01)

Mike's City Diner * 1714 Washington St., Boston, MA

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Aug 18

Buzzy’s Fabulous Roast Beef

It seemed like the Philly cheesesteak stand of Boston so I had to check it
out. As it was around 2am, the place was hopping and a huge line was
forming. One might consider changing the name to Buzzed, as I could see how
the place might get a little rowdy. The lines certainly didn't move as fast
as in Philly, though the people were chattier. That's one thing I noticed
about Boston, people aren't so hard as to not comment or compliment. Much
ado was made over my Hello Kitty tattoo, and I got into a discussion with
some teenage girls about the Hello Kitty toaster (they were envious). I
guess Boston's not all bad.

I'd already eaten dinner that night so I didn't want to go too
overboard. I got an Original Buzzy's Roast Beef sandwich, no fries, rings
etc. It was alright, but nothing special. I'm not sure what cheese was on
it, something white. And it was cold. Was it supposed to be? I also felt it
should be more like $3.95 or $4.95 than $5.95, but that's just me. I think
Buzzy's is more of an experience/institution than an amazing food venue.

Buzzy's Fabulous Roast Beef * 327 Cambridge St., Boston,MA

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Aug 18

No Name Restaurant

I'm not sure how I ended up here, it was the first place I ate at and didn't
have my bearings yet. I think I was looking for clam chowder. Not big on
atmosphere (but I didn't really expect it to be). I had a seafood platter
filled with lots of breaded, fried stuff. The amount of tartar sauce served
was baffling, it practically took up a third of the plate. It made me wonder
if there are people out there who actually eat all their tartar sauce (and
coleslaw).

No Name Restaurant * 15 1/2 Fish Pier St. W.,Boston,MA

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Aug 18

Pho Republique

This was the sort of place that made a fun Sat. night stop. Boston's weird,
or maybe I just didn't have any inside scoops. It's totally Ally McBeal.
Like everyone's in khakis or else they're Irish obsessed ruffians. The only
places that seemed remotely hip or interesting ended up being predominantly
gay. Are there no moderately cool people in their 20s in the entire city?
Everything's upscale or college-ish. I just wanted an unpretentious place
where culinary savvy youngsters could get a little dressed up, have a nice
cocktail and the like. Well, this was it pretty much.

We had shrimp spring rolls, which had a green (spinach?) and cream
cheese in the filling, served with a tangy/sweet dipping sauce. The
creaminess of the cheese was a nice contrast to the crisp eggroll skin. And
it's nice to see dairy in Asian food every now and then. For an entre I
tried the salmon and mussels with a coconut milk, tomato, saffron and bacon
sauce. Wow, this was really tasty, albeit rich (though not heavy). I ordered
a coconut martini and later a monkey bite. Whoo, both were strong. I'm a
sucker for foofy drinks with tropical fruit. By the time we finished dinner,
the bar scene was jumping so we headed to that half of the restaurant.

The amusing part was the "theme" or whatever you want to call it. The
waiters all wore camouflage in some form (shirts, shorts) and dog tags, and
James even got winked at (not that I should be surprised. He seems to get
more attention from men than I do. And it's not like he's some hot number
[though of course, I like him] he just has this gay aura. I thought he was
queer when I first met him). Vietnam War chic? Who knew. I also found the
clientele amusing. The men (which predominated) were typical, but the women
were all straight out of some bad '80s Hollywood movie art gallery scene,
complete with shaved, spiky, colored hair and zany geometric patterned
blousey shirts. Weird. And believe me, they weren't being new wave retro.
Most were in the late 30 to 40 age range and were certainly not trying to
pull some newfangled fashion coup. I was highly freaked out by the 4 ft.
nothing tan woman with the blue bangs and numerous piercings who sat next to
us as we were leaving. She probably had on a Swatch, but I didn't look. All
I know is that if I were a lesbian, Boston would be at the bottom of my
list.

PhoRepublique * 1415
Washingon St., Boston,MA

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Aug 10

Shima

It was blistering hot, I was in the East Village, sushi seemed appropriate
and Shima was there. I'm not a sushi expert by a long shot so in a
neighborhood with practically one place on every block, you've got to dive
in. I was perfectly content with my sushi for two and cold sake. I'm sure
there are better places in the vicinity, but that's not something worth
stressing over.

Shima* 188 Second Ave., New York, NY

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Posts from the ‘Shovel Time’ Category

Pizzeria Uno

Paul’s Palace

Mooza

Time Cafe

Blue Ribbon

Mike’s City Diner

Buzzy’s Fabulous Roast Beef

No Name Restaurant

Pho Republique

Shima

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