The Meatball Shop! Get it to go and eat at the park

Skip the 2 hour wait at The Meatball Shop and get yours to go and enjoy a nice night at the park (or the benches on Allen St...heheh)

Last Friday my boyfriend and I went to The Meatball Shop after hearing raves about it from everyone.  Everyone I know was so surprised I hadn't been yet, so I had to change that status quickly.

Upon hearing that the wait was at least 1 hour and 45 minutes - we proceeded to head straight to the take out counter and get our sandwiches to go.  Note - no sliders to go, you an only do the hero sandwiches.

No problem as I had already heard the spicy pork really was the must have meatball of choice.  We went with one spicy pork and tomato sauce and one with parmesan cream sauce.  I was partial to the parm cream sauce, but the tomato sauce is a pretty good classic choice as well.  The meatballs were made to order - perfectly juicy and seasoned nicely.  Not really spicy, just packed more of a punch than your usual ground meat.

Surprisingly the sandwiches weren't even that messy!  Paired with the salad garnished with crisp sliced apples - for 9 bucks, this was a pretty good deal.

And definitely don't forget dessert - the ice cream sandwiches are amazing.  Mix and match your favorite freshly baked cookie with your ice cream of choice.  I went with espresso and chocolate chip cookies, while my boyfriend did the blackberry/raspberry with brownie cookie!  Yum!!!  And since the cookies are soft and fresh - the sandwich is pretty manageable to eat without it totally falling apart.

The worst thing about most ice cream sandwiches is a stale cookie.  No chance of that here!

The Meatball Shop
84 Stanton St.
NY, NY 10002

Fatty Cue - Delicious off beat bbq in Williamsburg

After reading wonderful reviews of Fatty Cue, including a very complimentary review from the New York Times, I decided I had to try it. 

On a nice weekend a couple weeks ago, my boyfriend and I made the short trek over the river to Williamsburg to check it out.  Luckily since it's summer and no where is ever that crowded on the weekend, we didn't have any wait for a table on a Saturday night at 7:30pm.  Shocker above shockers for a place that has been getting so much fame recently (being labeled one of the best bbq joints by Vanity Fair as well!)

Fatty Cue is located on South 6th Street in Brooklyn - note that it is not on North 6th Street.  I got confused by that one.  Take the L train to Bedford and walk several blocks south past the bridge to 6th street....

Anyhow - the decor is interesting - dark and woodsy with a rustic feel mixed in with an Asian vibe.  Note the cheap plastic Asian plates they use (the kind you find in Chinatown).  The restaurant is several floors with small seating areas on each floor anchored by a skylight and a floating metallic pig. 

Onto the food - we started off with the 'Cue coriander bacon, white peach seasonal salad and the bowl of noodles.  Delicious.  The bacon was thickly cut with a curry custard - super juicy, fatty with a tang on the end.  Served up with sliced toast.  The bowl of noodles was also delicious - served in a broth of meat juices, the broth was light yet strong in flavor. The noodles were ramen style, perfect comfort food reminding me of an upscale cup o noodles.  In a good way.

The only mishap was the peach salad - but no worries, that's only seasonal anyhow.

For our mains - we shared the beef brisket and the pork ribs.  Yum, yum, yum.  The brisket was served bao style (make your own brisket buns! with chili jam, red onion and bone broth).  As it came to our table, several tables around us proceeded to say "I'll have what they are having."  Super tender and juicy - it was the best beef bao I've ever had.

The pork ribs were huge slabs of pork with just the right amount of fat.  Juicy and tangy with Indonesian long pepper - they were a nice variation of the bbq staple.

No room for dessert - no problem.  A nice end to the night is a walk over the bridge down into the Lower East Side. By the time you reach Clinton Street Baking Co. - you may have worked up room for a waffle cone and ice cream from the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.

A great summer evening option!

Fatty Cue
91 South 6th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211

The Hunger Series Volume 2 - Argentinian BBQ

The Hunger Series is a pop-up themed restaurant concept developed by Top Chef alum Camille Becerra and hospitality gurus Alan Philips and Josh Shames of SKY Group.

The core focus of The Hunger concept is to create memorable culinary and social moments that exist briefly and then disappear. 

The evenings will be set up like a fabulous dinner party, where all guests sit at the same time and simultaneously share an evening. A moment in time similar to the many great moments that take place every day in New York, and then fade out as quickly as they popped up.   Kinda of like the supper clubs happening around the city...except these are open to everyone!

This edition will feature a delicious asado style Argentinean BBQ from Monday, August 2^nd until Friday, August 6th at The Yard at The Soho Grand Hotel (310 West Broadway).   Reservations are $65 per person, which includes tax and tip and seating will take place each night between 6pm and 10:30pm.  For more information or to reserve your seat, visit thehungernyc.com.

 

Shake Shack B Line - Concretes/Custards Galore - but NO SHAKES

So now that I live very close to Madison Square Park, I've been trying to take advantage of my proximity to Shake Shack!  Unfortunately I haven't been too successful, as during the summertime the line NEVER seems to cease.

Your best bet for a burger may be near closing time....

However - I have discovered the merits of the B Line.  The often ignored line.  The line that isn't a line.  Fastest way to a delicious dessert anywhere!  Custards, concretes, you name it!  Just no shakes...

The custard is somewhat described as a blend of premium ice cream (hard) + soft serve. Put them together and you get a perfectly rich thick and creamy dessert that proves that the sum of to things is often better than the parts.

I usually just go for a sundae - part vanilla, part chocolate with nuts on top!  But you could also make your own blend with a variety of mix-ins (cookie dough, toffee, shortbread cookies....etc) or choose from any of the special blends.  I kinda think of it as a fancy upscale version of the old McDonald's McFlurrys or Dairy Queen Blizzards.

Or if you are feeling more daring - you often can't beat the concrete special of the day....

Gives you an excuse (or me an excuse) to pick up dessert here everyday of the week!

Yummmm.....

Fresh Direct - 4 Minute Meals are a city girl's savior!

So a couple of weeks ago my good friend Emily introduced me to the magic of Fresh Direct's 4 minute meals.

Omg - how did I live without these before???  I think I may have tried Fresh Direct once many years ago, and then finding it a bit expensive and realizing I almost never ate at home, I quickly abandoned it.  After spending the past year in a tiny apartment with no working oven, I thought there was nothing I could do except do takeout.  EVERY NIGHT.  Which is not only expensive, but oh so bad for you.

Maybe that's why I gained 10 pounds last year!

Anyhow...onto Fresh Direct.  These 4 minute meals are awesome!  Think of it like a fresh version of a tv dinner.  All you need is a refrigerator to store, and a microwave to heat.  You don't even need a plate!  What's amazing is that the ingredients are all fresh - no preservatives, and they cook in the microwave right before your eyes.  I mean - the shrimp goes into the microwave raw, and comes out perfectly cooked.

I'm talking shrimp, lamb, beef - restaurant quality.  Prices per meal range from $6.99-$12.99 depending on what you choose.  Choose from dishes by Tabla, Terrance Brennan, Rosa Mexicano...

Seriously - I place my order for every Sunday night, and I have my meals for 2-3 days a week (I leave one weekday to go out, and obviously my weekends are for exploring!)

Takes the pressure off figuring out what you're gonna eat every night. 

I know, I know...I should cook more - but until then - these will have to do it! 

Some disclosure - the meals are on the small side (but hey - maybe it's good to have some portion control).  Also - don't order en masse....they only stay good for 3-4 days.  Hence, they are FRESH!