Filed under: Eat | Tags: breakfast, brunch, cheap, eggs, EV, LES, sandwich, Zaitzeff
Zaitzeff is best known for its juicy Kobe beef burgers, but what you probably didn’t know is that they have a really delicious egg and cheese breakfast sandwich that is $4.75. It’s made with organic eggs and melted cheddar cheese, and you can request tomatoes, avocado, or bacon. I just requested Tabasco.
Behold.
The bacon here is not nearly as delicious as the bacon at Frankie’s/Cafe Pedlar at 17 Clinton St. just on the other side of Houston, but the eggs are cooked much better than at Frankie’s (just cooked, not overcooked), and I like the Portuguese bun better than an English muffin or biscuit any day. On a street where you have several excellent breakfast sandwich options (Clinton St. Baking Co., Frankie’s/Cafe Pedlar), Zaitzeff is definitely one to try.
Eat: Zaitzeff (EV/LES) 18 Ave. B at 2nd St. Sun – Thu, 12 pm to 11:30 pm; Fri & Sat, 12 pm to 1:00 am. There are also locations in Financial District and Midtown.
Filed under: Go, Listen | Tags: Alphabet City, Christmas, DJ Nickodemus, EV, funk, James Brown, Nublu
It’s December 25th, and it’s my first Christmas in the city. My brother is in town visiting since our parents are out of the country. As such, we’ve been attempting (and failing) at trying to experience a very New York City Christmas. Instead, we spent Christmas Eve eating Cuban food in the West Village, then drinking beers, playing pool/shuffleboard/Scrabble/listening to live jazz (Eddie Wyatt) at Fat Cat. Today, we went to go 92Y Tribeca for Chinese and a Movie – a Leslie Nielsen double header of Airplane and Naked Gun, complete with a Chinese food buffet. No one told me it was going to be vegetarian, and for that, I would dock the experience at least a bit. Still, Shirley, you can’t go wrong with the classics.
Tonight, we’re cooking at home before heading out to Merry James-mas! at Nublu (62 Ave C between 4th and 5th Sts; nublu.net; 10pm, $10) on Avenue C to celebrate and remember James Brown, who passed four years ago today. According to Time Out NY, every year since that sad day DJ Nickodemus (from Turntables on the Hudson) has hosted a James Brown Christmas tribute. Nickodemus will rework James Brown classics against the backdrop of timeless J.B. videos. The Pimps of Joytime will also perform live. Covers, classics, mashups, Funky People 45′s, The JB’s, videos & all things that’ll get you on the GOOD FOOT! In Funk We Trust! $10/ 21 & over.
Filed under: Do | Tags: bar games, bars, beer, darts, dive bars, EV, LES, NoHo
There’s something intensely satisfying about hurling a sharp, pointed object at a wall while intoxicated, especially when said activity is socially sanctioned. Enter: darts. Socially sanctioned throwing of sharp objects while intoxicated!
But where does one find a dartboard? I did a quick search on Yelp, and thought I’d share my downtown finds with you fine folks. Aren’t you lucky you read this blog, you fun seeker, you?
East Village:
- Ace Bar 531 5th between A and B
- Duke’s 129 Ave. C at 8th
- Doc Holliday’s 141 Ave. A at 9th
- The Edge 95 3rd St. at 1st Ave.
- The HorseBox 218 Ave. A at 14th
Lower East Side:
- Stanton Public 17 Stanton St. between Bowery & Chrystie
- Welcome to the Johnson’s 123 Rivington between Essex and Norfolk
- Boss Tweed’s 115 Essex at Rivington
NoHo:
- Bleecker Street Bar 56 Bleecker St at Crosby (near Lafayette)
- Puck Fair 298 Lafayette at Houston
If you want to find bars that have dartboards in other parts of the city, you can do your own, customized search on Yelp.
Don’t hurt anyone!
Filed under: Eat | Tags: Asian, cheap, Chinatown, Chinese, EV, Flushing, noodles, offal, soup, spicy, Xi'an Famous Foods
Behold: the perfect noodle.
The $5 “spicy and tingly lamb noodles” (D1) from Xi’an Famous Foods are definitely spicy, and I suppose the tingle comes from the burning sensation in your mouth that intensifies with each glorious mouthful. I had to pat dry the tiny beads of sweat that appeared on my nose after the first few bites, but I didn’t care because it was so messing good. The ancient city for which this restaurant is named (Xi’an) is home to the famous terracotta soldiers and fuses Middle Eastern and Chinese flavor profiles together seamlessly. The smokiness of the cumin, the mellowness of the lamb, the crunchiness of the bean sprouts and scallions, and the crazy heat from the chilies all added to the dish’s hearty, toothsome goodness. The thick, chewy noodles have a delightful texture, and they are pulled and cooked to order by this woman and her magic hands:
She takes the fat pieces of dough and splays them across the counter so that they stretch and flattens them with a few quick pounds, and then she takes the long, flat noodles one by one and *poof* magically whirls them around with a few quick flicks of the wrist and voila! They become thinner in width (though still thick in girth) and they are tossed into the pot to cook. (more…)
Filed under: Drink | Tags: beer, Cafe El Portal, cocktails, EV, Mayahuel, Mexican, michelada, Nolita, recipes
Photo credit: CaboSanLucasVillas.net
When I was in Mexico last November for a friend’s wedding, I was introduced to a fantastically refreshing beer cocktail called a michelada. I drank several over the course of the week in various parts of Mexico: Acapulco, Mexico City, and Veracruz. Each one was slightly different from the last, but we did pick up a shortcut from our bartender in Veracruz: Maggi Jugo.
Basically, a michelada is a savory beer cocktail. It is always served in a glass with the mix at the bottom and the beer on the side, and you pour the beer into the glass when you are ready to drink. In some ways, it’s a lot like a bloody mary. It seems to be more of a daytime drink than a dinnertime drink, and some bars serve the mix with Clamato juice.
There’s no single right way to make a michelada, as it varies by region and by establishment, and it all comes down to personal taste. We experimented with different proportions at home, and this is what we came up with:
- 1 (12 ounce) bottle Mexican beer – it’s a michelada claro if you go with a light beer like Sol or Corona, and it’s a michelada obscura if you choose a dark beer like Negra Modelo or Indio. I prefer the obscura, but it’s all a matter of preference.
- 3 key limes, juice of – juice of three regular lime wedges will do just fine, too.
- 1 tablespoon of Clamato or other tomato juice (OPTIONAL – In Veracruz, they didn’t use any tomato juice at all) – my buddy Jason swears by Mr. & Mrs. T’s Bloody Mary Mix.
- 1 tablespoon Jugo Maggi seasoning – this magical michelada sauce tastes a little bit like soy sauce and worcestershire sauce mixed together, but lighter and more spiced. If you don’t want to go out to the grocery store and pick up a bottle of this stuff in the international foods aisle, you can substitute 1/2 tbsp worcestershire, 1/2 tbsp soy, and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Tabasco (or other high vinegar hot sauce) to taste
I like to make my micheladas look pretty by rimming the glass with lime juice and dipping it in Tajin Clasico Seasoning, which is described by the manufacturer as a powdered salsa with salt and lime. It’s a little spicy, it’s tangy, and it’s salty. I like to rim beverages with it, or sprinkle it on fresh fruit or black beans or anything that could use a little zing.
Directions:
- Rim chilled tall glass with lime juice
- Dip rim of glass upside down into small dish of Tajin Clasico Seasoning (or celery salt, if you prefer)
- Combine all ingredients except beer in bottom of glass and add ice
- Garnish glass with a lime wedge and/or a peeled cocktail shrimp, if you’re feeling fancy
- Serve glass and bottle of beer separately, allowing guest to add beer as they drink
I understand that Mayahuel in the East Village serves an excellent and spicy michelada, though I haven’t personally checked it out myself. They use a sangrita as the base (spicy drink mix made with tomato juice, orange juice, and spices) plus lime and Negra Modelo. $9. They also serve cheladas, beer cocktails with lime and salt. $7. Cafe El Portal in SoHo also serves micheladas and cheladas for $6 a pop.
Happy Cinco de Drinko!
Filed under: Drink, Eat, Go | Tags: cheap, cheapish, cocktails, drink specials, EV, food specials, Mayahuel, Sunday, tacos
I am a big fan of specialty tequila den Mayahuel, so when I read on Eater that they were starting a Sunday food and drink special, I was ecstatic. $1 tacos (chicken, pork or chorizo soft tacos topped with cilantro, radishes and lime) are usually $12 (for 3, I think). The cocktails are in the neighborhood of $12-16 a pop, and go for $10 on Sundays.
Beware the wait: I went to Mayahuel this past Sunday around 9 pm and was told that the wait was 2 hours long. Apparently, we are in a recession and everyone wants a piece of the $1 taco action. Get there early, and try the pilot punch.
Go: Mayahuel, 304 E Sixth St (between Second and First Ave). 212-253-5888
Filed under: Drink, Go | Tags: cocktails, EV, Mexican, mixology, taxidermy, tequila, trendy
In the mood for a drink that makes you go, “Damn, that’s good!”? Here are 3 of the most buzzed about mixology meccas in lower Manhattan. 3 photos – you name the bars. Answers after the jump.
They’re all popular East Village watering holes with reputations for making impeccable drinks. Have your guesses ready? Click “more” for the answers. (more…)
The good folks at WinedandDined.com (God bless them) have posted another wonderful list of restos to check out on the cheap, or in this case, free with purchase of booze, mostly. The Ultimate Guide to Free Food features a neighborhood breakdown of drinking deals that come with free nibbles, some substantial (mussels w/marinara, bagels & lox) and some less so (mixed olives, edamame). Click the link above for the full list, see below for the East Village list.
My favorite ‘hood for dining is the East Village, and I like to call it my ‘hood even though I’m technically a LESer since I live just south of Houston. Same same, right? Here are their East Village picks. (more…)
Filed under: Drink, Eat, Watch | Tags: beer, crab boil, EV, Mermaid Inn, Mondays, seafood, videos
La Révolution des crabes
Uploaded by kingarthur22. – Independent web videos.
My favorite crab-related video ever (with the notable exception of Sebastian performing “Under the Sea” in The Little Mermaid). Viva la crabolution!
I was reminded of this video when pondering the subject of crabs after the Monday Night Crab Boil at the Mermaid Inn. I went in with high hopes, but in retrospect, perhaps my hopes were too high for a $22 crab dinner in New York City, even if it is the rather affordable East Village. (more…)
