Americans have been pairing fried chicken with breakfast breads for some time now, but Astro attempts to deliciously inch over the boundary. They’ve paired their chicken with an eclectic array of thirty doughnuts. These definitely aren’t the kind of doughnuts you’d find on the desks of DC’s Police Department, although I admit police know their breakfast pastries. These doughnuts have more of a boutique filling and are similar to the flavors that ignited Georgetown’s cupcake craze. Some doughnuts, like Vanilla Glazed and Maple Bacon (it really has bacon on it!), are available every weekday. If you’d like to try the more novel flavors like Grapefruit and Creamsicle, you’ll have to visit the website to check their baked goods schedule. But be sure to come early because Astro closes when they run out, and they run out quickly! Doughnut prices range from $2.50 to $2.85.
DC's Chinatown has a new resident, and with the quality food they are serving, they look to be here for a long time. Daisuke Utagwa’s Daikaya has been wowing its patrons since they opened their doors in February and already word is spreading that Daikaya has the best ramen in the city. Not to be confused with the kind of meal you may find steaming throughout college dorm rooms, this Sapporo-style ramen has a rich and versatile depth. Whereas other ramen can be salty and overpowering.
Chef Daisuke emphasizes balance in his bowls and leaves space for different flavors with which you’ll happily immerse your tongue. A key difference you’ll notice between Sapporo ramen and Hakata-style ramen is the stir frying of the bean sprouts, ground pork, nori, and scallions. This adds a char reminiscent to the flavors you’d find at a barbecue pit. One thing you can be sure of about this ramen is that no ingredient or technique is wasted, from the construction of its broth using pork bone marrow to the imported noodles swirling around the bowl; this is a complete and amusing eating experience.
National Meatball Day is March 9th and in honor of this spectacular meaty occasion, Daniel Mancini will be offering a special buy one, get one free meatball deal on Friday and Saturday at his restaurant walk-up, Meatball Obsession, in Manhattan.
Daniel and his partners launched MamaMancini's, a retail meatball company, in 2007 using his grandma's delicious recipe. One of the great thing about these meatballs is that you can select what kind of meat you'd like, whether it be beef, turkey, chicken, or pork sausage. The savory meatballs are slathered in authentic Italian red sauce and are reminiscent of a traditional, home cooked Sunday dinner. Whether you eat them as is or with pasta, they are a treat in themselves. Can't make it to take advantage of this awesome deal? MamaMancini's are offered at numerous local grocery stores throughout the city and country.
The end of August marked a great occasion for the Glaze Teriyaki chain. Hailing from Seattle, Glaze Teriyaki showcases delectable Japanese/Korean street food to metropolitan areas. Glaze Teriyaki opened its first restaurant in Midtown East in New York in 2010, and after much success, the branch has expanded to Union Square.
Owner Paul Krug and Chef Dennis Lake joined forces to open this second location downtown. The menu at the Union Square location remains the same as its Midtown sister, and trust us, this is a good thing. The simple menu consists of traditional teriyaki plates, where you can choose from chargrilled chicken thigh or breast, Japanese bbq hangar steak, organic salmon, pork loin, wok vegetables, or soy maritnated tofu as your main entree. Served over a bed of short grain white or brown rice, along with a side salad, the dish is a steal, with prices from $6.75-$9.50. The dish comes with so much food, it's enough for two meals. Pair with it some side dishes and you'll leave a happy customer. Sides range from $3-$5 with options like edamame, cold sesame soba noodles, shishito peppers cucumber salad, crispy gyoza, and spicy Asian bbq pickles. Chef Dennis Lake is passionate about the Glaze Teriyaki franchise and sure knows how to whip up some good grub. Another plus of dining at Glaze Teriyaki, besides the fact that it's quick and affordable, is that the restaurant is dedicated to using all natural proteins and local products whenever possible.
Translating as “The New” from Spanish, La Nueva is a South American-style bakery located in Jackson Heights, Queens. Situated on 37th Avenue and 87th Street, La Nueva compliments its busy surroundings, not to mention the loud music playing at immeasurable volumes out of other establishments and cars passing by. Getting there by subway, one must take the 7 from Manhattan, and enjoy the elevated view this ride offers once the train emerges into Queens. By bike, one will likely become distracted by the intense jumble of interesting urban planning that surrounds this area.
Desi Galli, a new Indian café, located in the Murray Hill, neighborhood appropriately nicknamed Curry Hill, has opened its doors recently. Owned by the popular Bhatti Indian Grill, Desi Galli serves classic Indian street food staples, such as chicken tikka or lamb bhuna, in a unique and nontraditional way that separates Desi Galli from other Indian eateries.
Recently, ethnic sandwich shops have opened around the city. By taking flavors and ingredients that are outside the comfort zone for many New Yorkers and creating something utterly familiar, such as a sandwich, has been very successfully for many eateries. Desi Galli, which means Indian alley, follows suit of Korean and Vietnamese sandwich shops, such as Kimchi Taco Truck, Num Pang, and others, to create customizable sandwiches using authentic Indian flavors. The foundation for the two sizes of sandwiches (roll-in and slide-in) are India’s world class bread varieties such as Northern India’s parantha, roomali roti, a bread from Central India, and Galli’s own whole wheat vegan parantha bread. Along with traditional fillings found on the "Galli Signature Roll" menu, Desi Galli offers their patrons vegan options such as spiced chickpeas, spiced potatoes, and more.
Bistro 61 on the Upper East Side is offering up an enticing new special. Enjoy all you can eat mussels and fries paired with a glass of wine or beer for just $28.95 This great deal is offered up every Monday through Thursday, perfect for de-stressing after work. But that's not all that's going on at Bistro 61.
Their summer special that is available every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until Labor Day includes a three course dinner for the price of your entree, including any daily specials.
Stick around the city on the weekend and reep the benefits! Make reservations by calling 212.223.6220.
For those of you who aren't writing off Euro 2012 soccer just because you don't get to see David Beckham bendin' it around, there is plenty of time left to enjoy the game.
Granduca di Sicilia is offering some great specials for the remaining games. Watch on their giant wall-size screen and take your choice of ciabatte (Italian sandwich) and a Moretti Blonde beer or soft drink for just $12.
Turn it up a notch and for $13 you can get a 14-inch Margherita pie and a Moretti. All of the bread at Granduca comes straight from their wood-burning oven and their sandwiches include fillings such as mozzarella, spicy Italian sausage, broccoli, and potato.
Don't let Euro 2012 pass you by without taking advantage of its deals!
Hours: 12PM-11PM
Situated between 2nd and 3rd Avenue, it takes after its original MacDougal Street location, except with shorter lines. They offer their falafel sandwich, now priced at $2.50, a signature classic wrapped in tin foil, complete with ample tomatoes, lettuce and tahina sauce (be sure to grab extra paper napkins!). Mamoun’s also offers a vast selection of discounted Middle Eastern Cuisine, with options like lentil soup, tabouleh, hummus and shawarma. There are a couple booths inside Mamoun’s St. Marks, as well as a few small outdoor-seating tables, a perfect vantage-point to enjoy some cheap-eats while you check out the heart of the St. Marks scene.
Sure, NYC bodegas are convenient, typically have good variety, and obviously really ridiculously adorable cats. But hidden within such benefits are some very serious cons, namely the "Entrapment" style price gouging. No, I'm not talking about the $5 11.2 oz. coconut water or the $6 bowl of borderline rotten fruit --at least they have price tags attached (most of the time). I'm talking about the menu and prepared food items, and unpriced mystery products.
Recently, I stumbled upon a bodega called City Market Cafe on 5th Avenue near 23rd Street. Truthfully, I thought I had found my new go-to breakfast spot. I ordered a one egg and cheese sandwich on a roll. At only $1.75 plus .50 cents for cheese, it was a steal! Add on $1.95 for a small iced coffee, and I was styling at under $5 bucks for breakfast. However, when I went up to the register, the cashier rang my sandwich up for $2.45. --.20 cents more than it was listed on the menu. Oh well, it was .20 cents, whatever, I was getting a great deal anyway so I went on with my day. I returned again the following morning for another breakfast sandwich. I did notice the menu had two prices for egg sandwiches listed as one egg for $1.75 and two eggs for $1.95. I thought to myself, "Oh the lady must have assumed I had a two egg sandwich." Followed by, "Wait, why did she automatically charge me for 2 eggs instead of asking if I had one?" Again, it seemed wrong but I overlooked it.