This slice joint up by Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen serves up some solid NY style pizza. First, check out the Ride & Review HERE:
I really enjoyed both slices that I tried, and I’ll definitely be back for more. Their “any two slices for $6” lunch deal is pretty great, considering that no slice is off the table. Go big!
ZILLIONS
360 W 42nd St
New York, NY 10036
This new Hell’s Kitchen burger joint is a great throwback to the old fashioned counter style diner joints, like Mikey’s in the Lower East Side (RIP).
This place is absolutely fantastic. Check out my Ride & Review HERE first.
The fries could have used another minute in the deep fryer, but the onion rings were absolutely perfect.
This simple and delicious burger should be at the top of your list of places to try, ASAP!
I loved those steamed onions, and the babka was nice too. I can’t wait to go back!
LOVELY’S OLD FASHIONED
642 9th Ave
New York, NY 10036
First, check out my comprehensive Ride & Review video HERE:
My wife and I have been on a mission to try all the under-$100 omakase joints in our area, and there are a lot!
Sushi Kai offers a delicious 13-piece meal for $85. We both really enjoyed it, and from what I understand, they are still offering BYOB.
My favorite pieces were the wagyu + uni, the hand rolls, the shrimp + foie gras, the fatty tuna with caviar, and the scallop + caviar.
We will definitely be back! Here are some more pics (I especially loved the anniversary bowl they gave us on the house):
SUSHI KAI
332 E 9th St
New York, NY 10003
First off, check out my YouTube Ride & Review video HERE.
This joint popped onto my radar via Instagram, and I saw a couple of dishes that I really wanted to try when I browsed their menu online, Namely, the mortadella and foie gras terrine, and the dry aged prime rib. There were some pasta items on the menu that looked good too, so I rounded up another couple to give this place a thorough try across the entire menu.
This joint serves eastern European flavors and derives inspiration for dishes from India, the Baltic region, Russia, Scandinavia and more.
The cocktails I tried were split down the middle: One was great, the other was too sweet. If you like margaritas, get this horseradish and cucumber version with smoked salt. Amazing.
Skip on the old fashioned – it’s way too sweet.
We decided to start with the foie gras and mortadella terrine. All of us were excited. It was good, but I think we all agreed that we like both items separate rather than together. Good flavor, thoughtful presentation, etc. It’s just that 2+2=4 in this case, not 5. Math.
Next up was the mushroom patty melt. The bartender recommended this, and it turned out to be our top two or three item of the night. I never would have ordered it otherwise. It was both beautiful and tasty.
It comes with two “long tots” which eat like a cross between tots, fish sticks and knish. Enjoyable.
For the middle course, we tried two items under the pasta menu: spaetzle and kasha varnishkes. The kasha varnishkes were bowtie pasta shaped noodles, cooked al dente, and served with a mix of caramelized onion, couscous and herbs. It was good but a bit heavy on the onion. My buddy said there wasn’t enough butter. The spaetzle was the better of the two. In fact, that was my favorite item of the night.
For the mains, we ordered the braised pork belly, the dry aged prime rib, and a side of saag (Indian style stewed spinach).
The pork belly was good. It had a nice flavor despite some of the leaner portions being slightly dry. Nice touch with the charred lemon.
The prime rib was dry and mealy/grainy in texture. I’m not sure what happened here, because even though it was overcooked there should have been a lot of juiciness left. The dry aged flavor was nice though, at least, but the jus should have been left in a gravy boat on the side rather than poured over the entire plate without asking. The jus was over-reduced and a bit bitter, sadly. Also, at $120 for 20oz it’s way steep, even with the boiled potatoes as a “composed dish” rather than “a la carte” like a steakhouse. 6/10.
Here’s a shot of the saag. I always love this stuff. It’s my go to order at Indian restaurants.
Dessert was a beautiful and warm sticky bun with apple and a touch of flake salt and spices like cardamom. This was a hit.
Over all this place served up a good meal, but not great. I was disappointed by the prime rib and probably wouldn’t go back.
MISCHA
157 E 53rd St
New York, NY 10022
This joint is on Houston Street in the Lower East Side (they have a Bronx location too). I had been meaning to ride over and check it out, but one night just recently, Uber Eats showed me a push notification that they had a “buy one get one” offer for their cheeseburger. I gave it a shot.
I liked it! It eats similar to a Shake Shack burger. Sides/fries and chicken items were good as well. I’ll definitely be hitting this spot again when I need a fast food burger fix.
MILK BURGER
321 E Houston St
New York, NY 10002
I finally made it over to Ernesto’s! I’m happy this place is really close to home. Check out my Ride & Review video HERE first, and then read on below.
Firstly, the cocktails here are excellent! A bit pricey at $18, but worth it for the skill and flavors.
We tried a bunch of starters. Everything was excellent, but the stand-outs were the croquettes, the squid, the anchovies and the tripe.
Potato Tortilla:
Croquette:
Asparagus Carbonara:
Fried Squid:
Anchovies:
Tripe:
They didn’t have the txuleta (vaca vieja) special on this trip, so we went with the rabbit rice and the blood sausage. Both were great, but we preferred the blood sausage out of the two. It was light and refreshing, which was a complete surprise to us. Blood sausage is usually so heavy!
For dessert we had flan and Basque style cheesecake. Between the two, the cheesecake was the winner.
I will definitely be back here to try the steak when they have it on special again.
ERNESTO’S
259 E Broadway
New York, NY 10002
First and foremost, check out my Ride & Review video HERE on YouTube:
This small sushi counter offers an $88 omakase, which consists of two appetizers, ten pieces of nigiri sushi, two hand rolls and a bite of dessert. Here are the two apps:
The nigiri:
This tuna with truffle oil was so good:
Scallop with uni – delicious:
Since my wife can’t have scallop, they gave her this uni piece instead:
This salmon with shaved manchego cheese was wildly unique:
Below is the chef, and the final piece (which was our favorite): Fatty tuna belly with caviar and truffle oil.
The hand rolls (eel + foie gras, and tuna) and dessert (melon):
This is probably one of the best deals I’ve come across when you line it up with quality and portion sizes. I left full/satisfied, and every bite was better than the last. The staff was super nice and offered us a free shot of yuzu sake in return for us offering the chef a glass of our wine.
I highly recommend this place, and I will definitely be going again, as their BYOB policy is a very attractive lure!
MATSUNORI
151 Allen St.
New York, NY 10002
My wife and I came here as guests of the restaurant. They just opened last week, and they’re the same ownership team behind Atto Prime and Tudor City Steakhouse. Check out my Ride & Review video first, then read on.
Flavor: 9
We had the porterhouse for two. It was pretty great. Excellent crust, perfectly overcooked, and it was very tender. It was a bit mild on the dry aged flavor, and that’s why I took a point.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9
There’s a good selection of prime cuts here all day long, and everything is aged in-house.
Portion Size & Plating: 8
The plating here is 100% standard steakhouse style, and the portions are all big enough to share when it comes to sides, and most apps and desserts.
Price: 8
Prices have gone up significantly lately in the city, especially for beef. But this place is keeping it pretty friendly compared to others I’ve seen in the area that have really jacked up their prices. A steak for two is still under $120, and most single cuts are under $60.
Bar: 7
The bar here is beautiful, but they only serve wine and wine style cocktails, as they are still waiting for their liquor license.
Specials and Other Meats: 9
There were no real specials read to us, but they did have lamb, chicken, and this absolutely delicious, tender and mild “Serious NY Veal Chop” on the menu. We loved it – 9/10.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
Excellent oysters Rockefeller, creamed spinach and truffle creamed corn. I highly recommend all of these.
For the desserts, I say stick with the creme brulee. The others were good, but not up to par with that one. The cheesecake was a close second, but it ate a slight bit salty. Great creamy texture though.
Seafood Selection: 8
Based on what I had (the oysters) this place is legit for seafood. I’d have to go back and try more to really level this section up though.
Service: 10
Service is impeccable here. Nobody does it quite like these lifelong steakhouse and restaurant industry professionals. Great focaccia and toasty table bread too.
Ambiance: 7
They definitely made the best of this narrow space, which, I think, used to be a sort of mini-market, perhaps Japanese. It looked familiar to my wife and I when we were there. Great job on the renovation, and I think the outdoor seating area is going to be awesome.
I can’t wait to go back and try more steaks!
BENNY JOHN’S BAR & GRILL
8 E 48th St
New York, NY 10017
First, check out the Ride & Review video of this joint!
Okay, now on to the written.
I heard about this place through a food friend, and it sounded enticing. I love tofu skin, for some weird reason, and this Korean style omakase features a majority of the pieces served upon fried tofu pockets called yubu tarts.
$75 gets you 13 high-quality pieces. See them all below, with my highlights for favorites.
Cacio e pepe.
Citrus cured bass.
Scallop.
Squid was swapped out for my wife, since she can’t do scallops.
Hiramasa.
Smoked duck breast pastrami – a top piece.
Shrimp – a top piece.
Ponzu salmon, everything spice with horseradish – my favorite.
Poached lobster – a top piece.
Beef tartare – a top piece.
Pork belly “ssamjang” – a top piece.
Tuna tataki hand roll – a top piece.
Crispy chicken on a stick.
Sea salt + earl grey tea ice cream.
I would definitely do this omakase again. It was good!
DDO BAR
Olly Olly Market
601 West 26th Street
New York, NY 10001
Albert’s is a fancy bar that just opened up near Grand Central that features some really nice cocktails and a killer menu. I highly recommend the Salt & Pepper Martini, which is made with celery salt and sun dried tomato -infused vodka.
This joint is brought to you by the folks behind the great upper east side spot The Penrose, so I didn’t expect any slack!
I stopped by one Friday after work to meet my wife for a drink, but we ended up ordering their jojo fries, and their t-bone for two, which is a dry-aged 35oz beast that also comes with two sides for $150. What a deal!
We went with the lemon and walnut crispy Brussels and the spatzl “mac” and cheese. Both were incredible!
The steak itself was an easy 8/10. It had mild aged flavor, but it ws cooked to a perfect medium rare with a great, deep golden brown crust all over.
I’ll definitely be back to try the tartare, the strip steak frites, and the burger.
ALBERT’S BAR
140 E 41st St
New York, NY 10017
