Caracas Arepa Bar: Why am I Not Eating This Everyday of My Life?!

When I first moved to New York , one of the first places I ate at was Caracas Bar in the East Village. I never went back since, because it was so freaking small. Thankfully in Williamsburg, they have another restaurant. I figured it has been at least 2 plus years since my last arepa, and I wanted to check it out.

 Buddy and I went on a dinner date and was I surprised at how much room this location has! It was a fairly nice night, so we decided to sit outside. It was super cute and romantic.

 We got there around 6pm ( yeah I know, just call us senior citizens... and Im not afraid to admit I LOVE tapioca pudding) and it was still happy hour. We both got a beer (Magic Hat)  and shot deal. The shot was a Venezuelan rum. It was sweet, but still made me make that "face" after taking it.
Price: $6.00

 Braised Beef Arepa

This was a special that night, it was slow cooked beef sliced and layered with red onions and plantains. It came hot and packed with flavor. Especially after a nice drizzle of the special sauce they had sitting on the table. The beef was tender and easy to bit into. I would definitely order this again

Price: $7.00

 Reina Pepiada

This was shredded chicken mixed with avocado salad and served cold. It was probably the tastiest chicken salad I have ever had.  Filled to capacity and the arepas crunchy texture complimented this perfectly. I would order this again, and again, and again...

Price: $6.75

Yoyos

These were sweet plantains stuffed with white cheese. Buddy really loved them, and it came with a side of maple sauce. They were just okay for me, the cheese wasn't even melted and it just tasted like wheat bread sandwiching under ripe bananas and tasteless cheese. Would not recommend.

Price: $5.50

Verdict: Boy were these satisfying! One major stand out was the spicy sauce they had sitting on the table. It was DELICIOUS. They should bottle that shit up and sell it! I would purchase it in a second.  The staff was attentive and the food came out fast. I can't wait to go back!

Caracas Arepa Bar

291 Grand Street

Brooklyn NY 11211

http://www.caracasarepabar.com/

Crawdaddy's: I Ate a Reptile!

I will be honest, I have never, ever had cajun cuisine in my life. I know. I suck. Thankfully, the people of West Chester PA seem to be fond of this type of cuisine, and I had a pick between High Street Cafe or Crawdaddy's. Alas, High Street Cafe was all booked, so off to Crawdaddy's it was!

The interior seemed more like a log cabin, rather then being in the streets of New Orleans. Almost depressing? 

 Mint Julep

Extra long straw. It was awkward.

Price: $9.00

 Complimentary Bread

Mini wheat bread topped with cajun spices. Nothing special, but something to nibble on if your stomach wants to eat itself.

Blackened Alligator

Thinly sliced alligator topped with honey mustard. This tasted like cheese steak. Minus the roll. It was a little on the greasy side, and a bit overcooked, but over all pretty satisfying. Would I get it again? Meh, probably not.

Price: $10.00

 Crawfish Etouffee

Etouffee means to be smothered in liquid. This was made of a roux of onion, peppers, and scallions. Pretty tasty, and came in a gigantic portion. Definitely large enough to split between two people. Just a tad bit spicy, but still a complete comfort food. The flavors really popped in this and the rice soaked up all the sauce perfectly.

Price: $19.00

Voodoo Crawfish

XXX Spicy BBQ sauce served over rice and a side of sour cream. Hot, hot, hot! Now I know why they give you the side of sour cream! Other then the heat, the sauce was almost gelatinous, slightly sweet, and pretty tasty. My only gripe is that crawfish are just shrimp with smaller bodies, why such hype??

Price: $10.00

Verdict: Egh, Louisiana, you were just okay. Maybe another restaurant will do you better justice.

The Rabbithole: A Dinner Experiment

Rabbithole, conveniently located 1 block from my apartment, and yet I have never been there for dinner. The brunchs have always been delicious, and I am hoping the same for dinner...

Grilled Vegetables

This was made with goat cheese and fig vincotto. F.Y.I- vincotto means to be cooked down with wine. DELICIOUS, flavorful, softly cooked and a fairly large portion. Sweet, sour, creamy, perfect. A nice appetizer or even a light dinner if you are not too hungry.

Price: $11.00

Fries with Aoili Dip

Nice quality fries, the kind you wonder why you are still eating them when you are full. They are crisp and came out hot as hell. The sauce tasted like sour cream with a bit of garlic. It was tasty, but could have used another herb, like rosemary to liven it up a bit.

Price: $4.00

Angel Hair Pasta

This was made with tomato, garlic, basil, a splash of olive oil and shaved Parmesan.  My roomate ordered this, and it was finished before I could even ask for a bite! She said it was super garlicy (but that is a good thing).

Price: $11.00

Grilled Salmon

This was made with roasted sweet potato, beets, parsnip and string beans in a dill horseradish sauce. Dana ordered this one. I had a bite, the salmon was cooked perfectly and flaked off effortlessly with a gentle push of the fork. 

Price: $16.00

Skirt Steak Salad

This was made with oranges, and blue cheese. Nick got this one, however, he ordered it medium rare and it came out medium well. It was still flavorful, if not a bit chewy.

Price: $15.00

Fish and Chips

This was stout beer battered cod with hand cut fries ain a remoulade sauce and side of vinegar. I ordered this one. The  batter was like the texture of the outside of a corndog. A little soggy since they didn't bring it to me right away. The cod was extremely moist and fell apart after each bite. I ended up having to use a fork to finish this dish. It was okay, but I would not order this again.

Price: $11.00

Verdict: Very slow service, we even had to wait for our menus! There are definite hits and misses for dinner. The grilled vegetables were superb. I would order that again and again!

The Rabbithole

352 Bedford Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11211

http://www.rabbitholerestaurant.com/

Joe's Shanghai: "Ir'll Be Aout 5-10 Minrutes"

Oh Joes Shanghai...I have eaten here many times, so much so that I almost got sick of soup dumplings (gasp!) But it had been about 5 months since I last came here and I was ready! I went with Buddy's sister Dana, her fiance Nick, Emily, and Meg to feast on some super cheap delicious Chinese foooooooood.

By the time all of got there, it was about 8:30-9:00pm. The wait? A hour. I don't know about everyone else out there, but I have never waited that long to eat here, ever. We took our number (39) and stood outside in the putrid summer street smell of chinatown. 20 minutes later, the girls comes around yelling numbers,

" 30?! 31?! 32?!" No one answers. "33?!....34?!....35?!?!" Still, no one speaks up.  

" 36?!...37?!...38?!?" I am literally about to pee my pants...."39!?" 

"US!!!" We all scream. We follow her to the entrance. She tells us to wait there. She then lets 3 other groups in front of us!!?? But we were there first! I felt like I was on an episode of Seinfeld when they all went to the Chinese restaurant. Finally, another 25 minutes later, we were seated....

Xiao Long bao (soup dumplings) 

We got 2 orders of the pork and 2 orders of the pork and crab.. The key to eating these (and not burning the shit out of you mouth) is to bit a tiny bity part of the top to let the steam out. Don't bite too much or the juice will go everywhere!

The pork dumpling (insert Homer Simpson drool here)

Fatty, succulent broth with mixed pork and ultra thin dumpling skin.... sigh, it's the ultimate comfort food.

The Crab and Pork Dumpling

Nice chunks of crab in this one, and a little more spice. Call me old fashioned, but the pork was the winner out of the two kinds.

Price: $6.65

Bok Choy

We also decided to get something somewhat healthy to make ourselves feel less guilty about being huge pigs to add a different textural crunch. The bok choy was fresh and after a nice dollop of hot oil, it was perfection. 

Price: $6.00

Scallion Pancakes

And of course, how can you leave a Chinese restaurant without an order of scallion pancakes? These were sinfully greasy, with a crunchy shell and a fluffy, chewy interior. The french fries of Chinese food (but way way better than french fries).

Price: $ 2.35

Me, Meg, Emily, Dana, and Nick

Full, and satisfied....

Verdict: If you don''t want to wait for food, come here early or during the weekday lunch. Also I noticed that all of the soup leaked out on the second set of crab dumplings... fluke or is this happening a lot more to other people now? hmm....

Joe's Shanghai

9 Pell Street

New York, NY 10013

joeshanghairestaurants.com‎

Baoguette: Why Do I Keep Torturing Myself with Spicy Food?

I recently got a deal on Dealist for $7.00 for any two 2/3 sandwiches at Baoguette. Since I already had  their classic bahn mi, this was the perfect opportunity to try the other sandwichs they had to offer!

Spring Roll

I went with Melissa, and Nikoma and she ordered this as an appetizer. It was filled with pork and seriously looked like a turd. Fortunately, it did not taste like it. It was super crispy, though the meat was a little tough and a bit too oily,  it was still satisfying. It  could easily replace a meal for someone who is not too hungry. 

Price:  $4.00

Aww how cute! A turd wrapped in a lettuce blanket.

Veguette

For my first sandwich, I decided to go with the veguette. This was made with  kung pao soy protein, daikon, cucumbers, and cilantro. I told the waitress that I wanted it extra spicy since last time, it wasn't spicy enough. BAD idea. They added, sriracha sauce and jalapeño  (which I could take), but they ALSO added those little green chiles. It was all nicely chopped up so it could hide in every nook and cranny waiting to attack my tongue with their spicy seeds. My eyes were watering by the 3rd bite. I don't know what happened to me, I used to be so good with spicy foods, but now it just  seems as if my tolerance abandoned me. 

 The soy protein however, was actually very well marinated, tender and fun to eat. None of that rubbery silliness happening here.

The Catfish

This was made with fried catfish, pickled red onion, cucumber relish, and honey mustard sauce and it was  my favorite out of the two. The catfish was perfectly cooked,  light and flaky. It had a  nice crunch that came from the crust of the fish. Though towards the end of the sandwich,the textures ended up being mushy (with the help of the onions and honey mustard sauce).  The sauce was just a tad tart, and didn't overwhelm the other flavors, and I learned my lesson from last time and took all the chiles out before eating this one.

Price: Both sandwich normal price are $7.00

Baoguette

Multiple Locations

www.baoguette.com

Black Lab Bistro: Table on the Road-er- Outside Please!

After Buddy picked me up from the train last Friday, we headed down to our parents neighborhood to grab some food in Phoenixville. It was already 9:30pm and I had not eaten since 11am. I. Was. Starving.

When we got there, it was still pretty poppin! Since it was such a nice night, we wanted to sit outside.  This is the table they gave us. Practically on the road. Well I do love the smell of exhaust when I try to eat. Fantastic. Buddy looks like he is passing gas, or smelling it. Either way, gas was involved somehow.

Complimentary Bread

Yum, my favorite buttery rosemary herb spread. The bread is forgettable, but the butter is very tasty, especially for how hungry we both were!

Price: Free

Lobster Mac and Cheese

I normally dont order appetizers, but I felt like I had been on a fast for the past week so I picked the most luxorious sounding thing on the appetizer menu. This was in a small tart dish and disappeared as quickly as it arrived. The menu says there is truffle oil in here. but I didn't really taste any. But who really gives a shit about truffles anyway? They are overrated.

Anyway, the mac and cheese was super duper, uber velvety to little chunks of loster meal hidden in every nook and cranny. The pasta was cooked a little over al dente, but thats okay, it just added more to the creaminess. The generous topping of panko crumbs was nice, but ended up being a bit soggy.

Price: $12.00

Colossal Lump Crab Cakes

Buddy ordered this dish. These are the best crabcakes. EVER. No seriously, they are fucking amazing. Chunks of crab, not that mushy pulverized crap. With the nice sear of the pan  to add crunch and the tangy, tart tartar sauce, this is a solid meal. And look, it even looks like a face, how cute!

Price: $26.00

Pan Seared Red Snapper

This was on their specials menu for the night. It was topped with lobster chili sauce and came with coconut rice and edamame. Super creamy sweet rice paired with buttery fish. An interesting combination in my mouth. Maybe not the most successful thing they had ever put out but satisfying none the less.

Price $26.00

Black Lab Bistro

248 Bridge Street

 Phoenixville, PA‎ 19460

www.blacklabbistro.net

Dinner: When a Waiter Shakes His Head Violently...LISTEN

Last week I met up with some friends after work to grab a bite to eat. We opted to go uptown instead of downtown and ended up at Pam Real Thai. We had heard the 2 following things about this place: It was dirt cheap, and it was authentic thai food. Authentic cheap and in Midtown?? How could I not check it out?

Casey and Anj already eyeing up people's food

Hawaiin shirt guy was the owner

Thai Iced Tea

Casey got this and naturally I had to try a sip.Wow, was this sugary. The texture was almost like melted ice cream with all the cream and condensed milk they added ( or because Anj  was performing some crazy Croatian voodoo with her hands we will never know....)

Price: $1.50

Pad Gra Prow

Casey got this, and it was shrimp sauteed in basil, garlic, bell pepper and chili. I tried the sauce, it was sweet but she said after a couple of bites her mouth was on fire. I believe her.

Price: $ 10.95

This happens to me everytime.

Kaeng Tai Pla

Okay, this is what the menu says: "A unique southern Thai dish in NYC. Fermented fish kidney with tumeric, lime leaves, chili paste, and assorted vegetable!!!! The most hot and spicy Thai food!!!!".  Well. How can I resist a food description like that? And with all those exclamation points?? I placed the order with our waiter and he shook his head violently. " No, no do NOT get this!" he warned. " Too spicy and salty!"  But for some sick reason the more he suggested against it, the more I longed of the dish. : "Yes, yes! I like spicy and salty, bring it on!" I insisted.

I got it with mixed seafood which consisted of only squid and mussels. I took a sip of the broth. Wow, he wasn't kidding about the salty part. 3 bites later? The dish sent my mouth into hell. I love spicy dishes, but this was like lighting my tongue on fire and trying to eat at the same time. The heat of the broth plus the heat of the spices was madness. The flavor? Sardines come to my head first. I guess I should have listened to the waiter. 1 tinger head for this dish.

Price: $10.95

Raad Ma Seafood 

Melissa go this one, flat rice noodle with gravy, and Chinese broccoli. I had a couple of bites to save myself of the heat of my dish once in a while. The gravy was sweet and marinated into the noodles. I wish I had gotten this instead!

Price: $ 9.95

Rama

Anj got this one. It was chicken, steamed veggies topped with peanut sauce. I tasted her chicken, a little over cooked and tough, but the sauce was creamy. The topping of peanuts added a nice texture.

Price: $8.00

Melissa, Me, Casey and Anj

I was surprised to see that Casey and I were the color of crimson red considering our dishes were spicier than a spice girls undies. Casey texted me the next evening quote: " My stomach is still on fire from that Thai dish last night!"  

Verdict: Best Thai I have had in Midtown by far ( maybe not my particular dish) but all of my friends dishes were pretty tasty! The service was patient, attentive, and efficient. Also I saw PAM herself back in the kitchen cooking. It is rare to see the cook pictured on the menu actually in the kitchen these days. I am willing to go back again, and next time I will listen to my waiters suggestions!

Pam Real Thai

404 W 39th Street

New York NY 10019

www.pamrealthaifood.com