This new Vietnamese joint specializes in hot pot, but their regular menu items are pretty great too.
We tried the pork jowls, the baby clams, and the beef pho. All were awesome, and I think the pho here is my favorite of all time. Also huge props to the wagyu betel leaf wraps. I really loved those as well.
The hot pot we ordered was a mix of seafood and beef. I felt the broth was a bit too sweet, but over all it was very good.
MOC MAC
79 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
My wife and I stopped into Virginia’s during their weekend happy hour to try the famous burger.
I have to say, it was pretty good. They cooked it to a nice medium / medium rare.
For $30 it came with fries and a glass or wine or beer.
The fries were super crispy and well seasoned.
The shrimp cocktail was juicy and flavorful.
And the drinks were pretty good prices as well. $10 wine, $5 pickle back, $4 high life.
I would definitely go back to try more.
VIRGINIA’S
200 E 3rd St.
New York, NY 10009
First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:
Rosie’s is a big, fun Mexican spot on the corner of 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue. The Cake Dealer and I tried a few items at the bar. They make some nice margaritas here, so definitely start with one of those. If you want a nice bar snack, get the chicharrones. They’re huge and delicious.
One of my favorite items was the squash blossom quesadilla. Everything about this was just perfect. I wish I had ordered three of them.
The tacos here are pretty good, as are the tortillas, which are made right in the middle of the restaurant. You can watch them being made at a bar, like you’re at a sushi counter.
We tried the shrimp, fish and al pastor tacos. Of these, the al pastor was the best, with the shrimp coming in just behind at second place.
We also tried the flan, which was really light and tasty.
We would definitely go back!
ROSIE’S
29 E 2nd St.
New York, NY 10003
First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:
My wife and I popped in here because we heard good things. We started with some nice cocktails, and a beautiful bread basket with focaccia and basil-infused olive oil.
Then moved on to the roasted octopus and crispy artichokes.
Both of these were great, and the octopus came with a few pieces of crispy artichoke as well. We were glad that we ordered the artichoke side dish for some extra though. They were delicious! Also the cauliflower puree underneath the octopus was so flavorful. I could eat that like a dip all day!
In the middle course, we had the dinner special of truffle pappardelle with chicken milanese, as well as the fusili with red pesto and straciatella.
Both of these were expertly seasoned and beautifully plated. We really enjoyed these. The red pesto was a unique mix of walnuts and red pepper that I had never had before. The Milanese was fried super crisp and pounded super thin. Perfect.
For the main course, we had their crispy pork shoulder with fennel and arugula salad. At $22 this is an absolute steal.
The skin was perfectly crisp, covering a layer of deliciously sticky fat and tender, juicy braised pork. Amazing.
For dessert, we had their tiramisu. This was really nice as well.
We love this place, and we can’t wait to go back! We also noticed that they have some excellent buy-one get-one free deals on Uber Eats. Needless to say, we will definitely be going back and also ordering delivery.
HOUSE OF PASTA
511 E 12th St.
New York, NY 10009
First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:
This place is pretty great. We started with some nicely mixed cocktails, and then dug into a nice stuffed zucchini app.
It came with a bunch of dips, pickled items, sauces and bread.
We also did the lamb shank, which was served in a delicious yogurt sauce with toasted pistachios. This was awesome.
Next up, the smaller sized mixed grill. The star here was the minced lamb kebab.
The fries were good, but could have used just a bit more crisp.
For dessert, a delicious and light yogurt based pudding with banana and strawberry. Similar to a nice flan.
I would definitely come back here to try more stuff, especially their braised lamb sholder.
AU ZA’ATAR
188 Avenue A
New York, NY 10009
First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:
This new spot is located on 1st Street near 2nd Avenue. They offer a 14-course omakase for $88. We enjoyed the fatty tuna pieces, the shrimp, the king salmon appetizer, and especially the “New York” salmon piece (with tomato) and the tuna hand roll at the end.
I would definitely go back for seasonal menu changes and specials.
KAWA OMAKASE
37 E 1st St.
New York, NY 10003
First, check out my Ride & Review HERE:
My wife and I came here for a quick meal to try a few items. Here’s what we had:
Complimentary Bar Snack
Castelvetrano olives and potato chips? Both high quality? Count me ALL THE WAY IN!
Bean Salad
This was a nice, light, yet filling way to start the meal. A substantial amount of beans!
Veal Milanese
This was great. Nice batter fry on this, and it came with a bright, punchy arugula salad.
Olive Oil Ice Cream
For dessert, we had the olive oil ice cream. The flavor was a bit lacking, but otherwise it was creamy and tasty.
I’d definitely come back here to try more stuff.
BAR BIANCHI
5 Avenue A
New York, NY 10009
First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:
The folks behind Mister Paradise, one of my favorite burgers of all time, just opened up Highlife Burger a street or two up from Mister Paradise. The cake dealer and I went in to try it out, and we were very happy with the food!
The burgers are reminiscent of “In n Out,” a California staple. They’re much better, though.
The hot dog is pretty great too. It comes covered in melty cheese sauce and potato chips.
The fries are great too, though I didn’t get a photo. They’re sort of like a batter-fried McDonalds style.
I will definitely be back here for more. $7.50 for a single and $10.50 for a double are great prices!
HIGHLIFE BURGER
135 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10003
First, check out my Ride & Review HERE:
My wife picked up a Pulsd deal for this joint, which was $99 for two 18-course omakase dinners, including two shots of sake each. That’s not a bad deal!
My favorite pieces were the various jack fish (amberjack, strip jack), the ebi shrimp with tobiko, and the uni. The squid was nice too.
The most unique piece (and really delicious too) was the eel with banana! So different. I really liked that.
Service was a bit wonky, because we got started at a different time than others who were late for their reservations, and one couple was doing a different coursing than the rest of us. As a result there was a little mix up where we received our dessert before the final piece of sushi (uni), and our sushi plate and chopsticks were already cleared. But everyone was really nice, and I think the Pulsd deal was worth it. I might not go otherwise, since the regular price is a bit steep for what you get. Also… there was no shiso served at this restaurant named Shiso.
SHISO
214 E 9th St.
New York, NY 10003
First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE:
This joint serves up a 15-course omakase for just $89! It’s really close by, so we had to give it a try.
My favorite items were the crab handroll, the stripekack, and the scallop with uni.
Great spot! No liquor license yet, and they don’t let you BYOB, but they said the license is in the works and they should have beer and wine soon.
I can’t wait to go back to try it again. The chef said the fish can change on a daily basis, and he likes to use a lot of unique and different fish than you normally see.
YOKOX
41 Avenue B
New York, NY
