Twilight Diner: No Vampires Here

Dating a musician has its sacrifices....many, many of them. For example, instead of spending an awesome Friday night in NYC, I am stuck on a chinatown van crammed with valley girl college students for 7 hours in traffic( Yes 7. Left at 4pm, got there at 11) to Penn State to meet him at a show. It was my first time at Penn State, and I can't ever imagine anyone ever wanting to go to school here, it is in the middle of NOWHERE. Anyway, I digress... The day after, we were headed to East Stroudsburg PA for another show and stopped off yet again (can you guess?) in the middle of know where to grab breakfast. Only food place? Twilight Diner.  A single creepy looking restaurant with its only surroundings being the forest.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Buddy got this, and of course, I stole a bite. It was actually really good! The chicken breast juicy, the lettuce and tomato's fresh. The kaiser roll also tasted fresh baked. Only downer was the the pickles were sweet. Ugh, I hate bread and butter pickles... some things are just not meant to taste sweet.

Price: $5.50

Grilled Cheese

Not much to report here...like simple home made grilled cheese.

Price: $4.00

Pizza

Aaron, their manager got this. It looks like an neglected child very simple, but he claimed it kicked Pizza Huts ass.  To each his own. I guess the sausage turds are what is really off putting to me.

Price: $6.00

Turkey Club

Hmm.... somehow I feel like I am the one that picked the tastiest lunch...? I ordered it with sweet potato fries. My club was actually delicious. Ample bacon, fresh turkey and perfectly portioned. The sweet potato fries were actually some of the best I've ever had! They were crisp flavorful and hit the spot.

Price: $6.50

Teaberry Ice Cream

They also had a bunch of Hershey's ice cream flavors on their dessert menu. Never one to pass up dessert, (or ice cream for that matter) I went with Teaberry. It was okay, great as a gum flavor, a bit too much as an ice cream flavor

Price: Free! Waitresses treat

I hope the waitress appreciates our present.  I always wished that people left me food art when I used to wait tables.

Verdict: This place might be in the middle of know where, but is fresh, fast, and cheap! I guess a good thing about going on the road is finding all these little fun places to eat. Next time any of you happen to find yourself outside of Happy Valley and are starving and on the road (hey never say never) This place will fill your stomach, but not empty your wallet.

Twilight Diner

603 N Mill St
Loganton, PA 17747

(570) 725-3911

John's of Bleeker Street: Meh....at Least You Can Profess Your Love

  

John's of Bleeker, the last stop at Scott's Pizza Tour that I attended last year. Being so stuffed from eating all the pizza before I got a chance to eat this one, I forgot what this pizza tasted like. So what is a girl to do? Go back to get some more of course!

 Kind of stuffy inside, not enough windows and random flies attacking everywhere!

 I went with Buddy,  when I went to the bathroom, I came back to find this new "art" on the table...(insert "AWWWW" here)

 We decided to get a 16 inch half a plain and half a white.. are you drooling now? Well you should!

 Plain

This was a sturdy slice, not too thin, not too thick, the bottom had a great crispy crunch to it. The sauce was slightly sweet and a little too much on the light side. It was "the standard" slice. It actually tasted better once it got cool and after a nice drizzle of garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.

White Pizza

Again, the standard white pizza, it would have been nice to see a couple of dollops of ricotta cheese and basil, but after the shower of garlic and more pepper flakes, it was a-okay. 

The upskirt

Price: $15.00

Verdict: Would I go traveling over half an hour for this pizza? Hell no. Did it satisfy the craving for pizza? Yep. The service was a bit rocky however, I had to stalk a waiter down in order to get service, though it wasn't even busy. Joe's or John's, the West Village is full of good places to eat!

John's of Bleeker Street

278 Bleeker St

New York, NY 10014

http://www.johnsbrickovenpizza.com/

No.7 Sub: Mystery Meat is Greasy but Tasty

 So I got a new job. What does this mean for me? A new area to explore food of course! I am currently RIGHT across the street from Koreatown, which also means I am much closer to No.7 Sub. On my first day at my new job, I decided to celebrate and treat myself to one of their tasty sandwiches.

Roast Turkey

This was made with bleu cheese, pickled melon slices, dijon, and basil. Okay I see all the ingredients here, but... WHAT KIND OF SHENANIGANS is that massive pulverized meat blob in the center of my sandwich?!? I was utterly confused when I unwrapped this. Could they have messed up my order? Is this a joke? Did they accidentally throw that in? I even decided to look at their online menu to see if they did mess my order up...nope. No other kind of meat that even slightly sounded like this blob of meat. Well, anyway I guess onto the tasting?....

I took a bite, I could barely taste the turkey itself, the flavor of the ultra salty, greasy mystery meat over powered anything the turkey had to offer. On the other hand, there was just enough blue cheese to add some tang and the melon was a delightful refreshment after each bite (it was actually my favorite part of the sandwich). I got a couple bites of basil, but not much, though the basil was fresh and fragrant. This was a pretty heavy sandwich, I still couldn't figure out what kind of protein it was, but I was anticipating meat constipation for the next 3 days. Bring on the laxatives....

Price: $9.00

Verdict: Maybe not the best sandwich I have had from there, but this will not detour me from going again. There is a massive line out the door during lunch rush for a reason.  They also started serving breakfast sandwiches and I am very excited to try one!

No.7 Sub

1188 Broadway

New York, NY 10001

Sakura: The Owners Favorite Color Must be Green....

Over this past weekend my stepdad Bruce, was nice enough to take me to Philly to get some errands done. Since we were in the Chinatown area, we decided to grab lunch there. He had been wanting to try a new restaurant that had opened (and was really excited since he saw pink sushi wrappers there) it was Chinese/ Japanese fusion. Though there were a lot of great dim sum places around, I couldn't say no, especially since he was treating! ^_^

Green walls, green chopsticks, green sign, green menu.... geez louis this owner likes the color green!

Soup Dumplings (Xiaolongbao)

Well lookey here, they serve soup dumplings! I opted for the pork and crab mix. The skin was ultra thin ( just the way it's supposed to be) and the flavors in the soup were fantastic, but with an almost sour after taste. The pork and crab mixture had the consistency of ground beef, and not as filled as say Joe's Shanghai in New York. Still, it was satisfying none the less.

Price: $5.95

Angry Dragon

Bruce and I both wanted to get something light (since we both knew we were going to be stuffing our faces with other goodies while walking around) so we decided to get some sushi as our main course. This was a shrimp tempura roll with papaya, spicy tuna in soynori, topped with spicy crab and a honey miso sauce. This was very satisfying, sweet, crunchy, salty, and most of all... FILLING! I was surprised at how nice the presentation looked, I guess whenever I think of Chinatown I think " dirt cheap ugly delicious food"

Price: $ 11.95

Amazing Tuna

We ordered one more house special sushi roll afterwards. This one was made out of white tuna tempura, spicy tuna, cucumber topped with peppered tuna and spicy mayo. More salty, and definitely spicy, the fish was fresh and again, the presentation was lovely.

Price: $11.95

Verdict: I guess the only thing I didn't like about this place was the price; how can a person justify spending 12+ dollars for 1 sushi roll when they are in the heart of Chinatown and could get 4 meals for the same price? Especially since you can find sushi just as good at a suburban "fusion" restaurant located in a strip mall. Other then that, the food was satisfying and pretty tasty...oh, and by the way, it is a BYOB, so maybe this would entice some of you out there?

Sakura Mandarin

1038 Race Street

Philadelhpia PA 19107

Lunch: A Guaranteed Greasy Keyboard and Food Coma

There have been a lot of talk about kati rolls lately and so I wanted to join in on the shenanigans. Off I went to see what all the fuss was about on my lunch break! 

Oh, and just a little history about kati rolls: They are an indian street forrd, the "bread" is a roti flatbread or paratha. Inside they usually stuff various savory spiced meats/ potatoes/ and eggs.

Jesus... what was I walking into?? The line inside was insane....insane!!!! ( okay maybe not that insane, but it was pretty damn crowded)

 Guys hard at work. ( Why does this remind me of the episode in Seinfeld where Kramer flew in all the Dominicans to roll cigars but ended up rolling crepes?)

After waiting 20 minutes (!!?!?!) I rushed back to the office I opened my to go bag.  Just taking them out, my hands were covered in grease ( though I shouldn't be surprised since I watched the guys behind the counter drowning the bread in oil).  These were also pretty big, about 7 inches... I was waiting for a stomach ache and food coma ahead.

Unda Beef Roll

This was with pickled red onions, eggs and beef in a spicy green coriander sauce. The bread was pretty flaky and chewy (just like if naan bread had sex with pastry dough and gave birth to this). The eggs however, were ridiculously over cooked and dry, I immediately needed a glass of water. The beef had an interesting texture... pliable, almost spongy. I wasn't a huge fan of that texture, but the spices completely marinated into the meat and the onions added a nice fresh hit. The whole roll could have used another healthy douse of sauce, over all pretty dry. 

Price: $ 5.75

Unda Aloo Roll

This was with egg and potato along with the red onions, and spicy coriander sauce. The potato was pretty much flavorless other then the sauce that they added. The texture was great however, soft, and mushy (which helped moisten the dry eggs).  Again, this could have used another helping of sauce to add some more flavor.

Price: $5.25

Verdict: Well after eating 1/2 of each roll my hands, face, keyboard, mouse and other various items on my desk ( and quite possibly even items on my coworkers desk) had a nice coating of grease.  On the plus side, I had tomorrows lunch...on the minus side; like I had predicted my stomach began yelling at me as I proceeded to pop some Tums later on that day. This would be incredible drunk/hangover food but as a lunch sober? Not so much ( which is why I have the feeling they are open til 5am on weekends...)

Kati Roll Company

49 West 39th Street
New York, NY 10018

www.thekatirollcompany.com

Lunch: $2.25 for a Tiny Macaron?! It Better Give Me an Orgasm!

I had always passed this place while walking to Penn Station to catch a train. Finally I made it my priority to check this place out on my lunch break since it looked so gosh darn cute. I have had 1 or 2 macarons in my life time, but was never a huge fan. Maybe this trip will change my mind?

Even a little line for lunch makes me nervous...I don't like waiting more than 5 minutes for food during lunch. I feel like I'm wasting precious "me" time!

I want their uniforms as a costume. They are freakin adorable! Oh, and the space was small, crowded and cramped. Not for the claustrophobics out there.

With is display, how can you not get a macaron? The colors are hypnotizing!

Mango and Lemon Macaron

They had samples of the macarons on the counter for people to nibble at while waiting to get  food. Naturally I had to try some!

Mango: This was the orange one. No mango taste whatsoever. Pure (overly) salty whipped butter. I wouldn't recommend getting this flavor.

Lemon: Tart,  subtle hint of lemon. Lemons a pretty boring flavor in general, so I'm glad I at least tried it since I wouldn't have purchased this any other time.

The Norvegian

This was made with filone bread, smoked salmon, capers, cream cheese mixed with dill and scallions. Tiny ass sandwich. The whole thing was about the size of half a normal sandwich you would get at a deli. However, they make it up by the nice hefty portion of salmon. I loved the bread, airy light and fluffy like a cloud. All the flavors blended together nicely except for the capers. They were vinegary and overpowered the rest of the subtle flavors of the sandwich. Even hours later I could still taste the capers in my mouth. Blegh.

Price: $7.75

Honey Lavender

Of course I couldn't leave the cafe without trying a macaron of my choice....but hmm, 2.25 for a itty bitty little macaron?? When I can get a gigantic cookie for half that price? It better be worth it!  I took a bite... thin crispy shell, airy chewy center. I was really enjoying the texture. Alas, it should have been named ginger honey instead. All I tasted was ginger. The lavender part must have been referring solely on the color.

Price: $2.25

Verdict: This place is a little gem in the mass industrious jungle of midtown. A little Parisian escape that I would gladly visit again. Everyday they have a different featured sandwich of the day. Wednesdays is fresh crab! I will be checking that out for sure. Oh... and am I a fan of macarons yet?.... Maybe much less of a fan then the cupcake or Neapolitan pizza fad, but if there is an interesting  sounding flavor, I just might get one.

Macaron Cafe

485 7th Avenue

New York, NY 10018

www.macaroncafe.com

Lunch: Who Cares about the Mini Paninis, Give Me Chocolate Martinis!

 My boss Ana, had a birthday recently over the weekend, and since our team couldn't celebrate then, we decided what better way of celebrating then to go to a wine and chocolate bar during lunch! We picked Ayza, located in Murray Hill

They had large umbrella's in the outdoor seating area, so whether be rain or shine; people could still choose to sit outside.

We opted for the indoor seating since it was so humid out. Though I don't know how much it helped since they kept the doors open. The occasional fly came over to say hello at times.

Once seated, we each recived complimentary shots of their red sangria. It was fantastic, instead of the fruits being infused with alcohol (which is what usually happens); the alcohol soaked up all the flavor of the fruits. It was a thicker sangria, but the best I have tasted yet..... though after the shot, I felt very tipsy. A little sangria can really mess you up for the rest of the day!

Complimentary Bread Basket

The dip was olive tapanade accompanied with pumpernickel bread and baguette slices. The tapanede was tart and made my mouth pucker. 

Price: Free

Hummus and Smoked Chicken Panini

We all got the lunch special which gave you a choice of soup or dip, panini or  tartine. It also comes with a small mesculn salad. Donna ordered the "roasted marinated smoked chicken breast" it came with "irish" cheddar, cranberry mayo and dijon mustard.... all I have to say is WOW, that is a lot of ways to cook one piece of chicken. She got the side of hummus which was blended with parsley, black olives and olive oil.

Price: Lunch pri-frix $9.95

Hummus and Tomato Coulis Toast

Carly also got the hummus, but opted for the tartine. The "tomato coulis toast" was basically a pizza... they really like to create lavish names for their food! Mozzeralla cheese, basil, crushed pepper, sundried tomatoes and garlic. I tried her hummus, very creamy, you could taste every ingredient.

Price: Lunch pri-frix $9.95+ 1.00 (for all tartines)

Chilled Gazpacho and Smoked Salmon Tartine

I opted for soup, since it was so hot out. I have always had green gazpacho, so it was interesting to try the tomato based one. Acidic, tart  and with a hint of  dill and cucumber. They blended it so that you could still get some small chunks of tomato. The smoked salmon tartine was made with cream cheese, chives, red cabbage olives, shallot and tarragon. The cream cheese tasted very sweet; like marzipan. It complimented the salmon very nicely and I loved the touch of lemon zest on top.  Recommended for those of you who love salmon.

Price: Lunch pri-frix $9.95+ 1.00 (for all tartines)

Hummus and Artichoke Tartine

Ana ordered this. The tartine was made with bresaola, diced tomatoes, caper mayonnaise, cucumber and chopped dill.

Price: Lunch pri-frix $9.95+ 1.00 (for all tartines)

Hot Artichoke Hearts and Portabella Panini

Kristina got this one. The artichoke hearts were served hot and mixed with cheddar. The panini was made with roasted peppers and mozzarella cheese. It looked so yummy for the tummy.

Price: Lunch pri-frix $9.95

Twenty-Layer Crêpes Cake Brûlée

We finally move on to my favorite part of every meal (seriously; even breakfast needs a designated dessert slot!).....The sweets!

Holy moley, way better then a cannoli! This was ridiculously light and airy with a hard "brulee" top shell. It came with a raspberry sauce which I found completely unnecessary, and over powered the delicate texture of the cake slice. Worth more then the price of lunch? You betcha!

Price: $11.00

Italian Bomba Tartufo

Essentially a large Neapolitan ice cream scoop, dipped into a layer of dark chocolate. Standard ice cream, I disliked how the chocolate shell was so thick.

Price: $7.00

Belgium Chocolate Covered Strawberries

2 Massive strawberries with a chocolate hide thicker then elephant skin. It took 3 of us to pierce through the shell with a knife. I was actually very disappointed to discover the strawberries had been frozen, so when I took a bite, it was this mushy, soggy mess. Not the strong sassy texture a strawberry should be.

Price: $8.00

(From left) Donna, Ana, Carly, Kristina, Me, and Cherry

Verdict:  If you are going here to expect a large meal for lunch... then you better order double. But for those of you who want to keep "portion" control in mind( what the hell is that??!),this is the place to go. More of a romantic spot than anything else. Oh, and I almost forgot... they infuse the water with cucumbers! For some reason, that really made my day.... anyway, bottom line; fun, petite, high quality food.

*F.Y.I: I really wanted to try their chocolate martini's, but they were 15 to 17 dollars! I don't care if they were mixed with puppy and kitten tears, that price is outrageous!

Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar

11 W 31st St

New York, NY 10001

www.ayzanyc.com