(Yvo actually reviewed another sister restaurant, Toloache, this morning.)

After arriving, we were warmly greeted by the hosts and promptly seated in the tiny restaurant. I would recommend making reservations since the restaurant filled up quickly shortly after we were seated, a little past seven on a Saturday night. Soon after, our waiter came over with the menus. He was also extremely friendly. I presented him with a printout of the certificate as was required with this deal. He told us that he didn’t think the restaurant accepted these anymore, let alone on a Saturday night, but would check with the Manager. I read the certificate a couple of times before arriving to check that there were no weekend restrictions. Since, there were none listed, I was a little perturbed that we faced an issue with the waiter. Fortunately, when he came back he informed us that the Manager agreed to let us use the certificate. It was a relief, but I was worried that this incident could lead to terrible service from the staff. I ended up being worried for naught as the service was excellent throughout the meal. The waiter even offered to bring CT a new cocktail in case the one she ordered was not to hear liking.

CT says: I was questioning a few ingredients in the cocktails, since I didn’t want something too sweet. The waiter was very patient with answering my questions, and nice enough to check up after it was served that it was, indeed, what I wanted. It was!

We started off with the Ceviche Mixto ($14). It had shrimp, octopus, clams, red onion, rocoto (South American chili pepper), cilantro, maiz cancha, and lime juice. As ceviche aficionados (earned through our travels in Panama), we can say it was a very good preparation. The octopus(my favorite) was extremely tender with hardly any of the usual chew associated with it. Maiz cancha was giant corn kernels, which were good and quite different from the corn we usually get in NYC. There was so much going on in the bowl that we needed to get a close up shot too.

Since we got guacamole at their location in the East Village, we decided to try something different. Picada ($9). It was a little basket of fried awesomeness with yucca, tostones, chorizo, chicharron and a spicy rocoto salsa. The picture doesn’t do it justice at all. The yucca was made into little balls that were quite light and airy. I love the salty, crunchiness of tostones as opposed to their sweeter and mushier maduros counterparts. To the left of the yucca was one of a couple chunks of deep fried pork belly. It was pretty great; how could it not be? However, the true star of the dish was the fried chorizo bites. They were super flavorful with plenty of that spicy chorizo flavor, that is like no other sausage. I am glad we decided to try this instead of going for something we already had before.

The menu was quite small, but that didn’t make it any easier to pick what we would have for dinner. Still, we did decide it would be more reasonable to share one of the smaller plates and one entree.

For the entree, we chose the Lechon ($24). It was suckling pig with yucca puree, habanero mojo de ajo and chicharron. The pictures don’t do this dish justice because it was a HUGE portion. The pork was very juicy with plenty of intense flavors. Crispy pork skin mixed in brought a good textural contrast too. To put it simply, it was one of the best preparations of pulled pork I have ever had. The habanero was subtle, but built up slowly to give that nice back of the throat heat. I was surprised by how much pork was on the plate. It had to have been at least three normal servings worth. I couldn’t stop eating it and kept going long after CT threw in the towel. It was quite reasonably priced for the amount of food it was and I think I willhave to order it again on the next visit.

So big, you need to see it from both sides.

CT asked for some hot sauce on the side, as she usually does at most restaurants. Here was the great homemade hot sauce that was very spicy. I was pretty happy with the intense spice levels already in the dishes, so passed on adding extra.

For the small dish, CT decided we should try the Tallarin Saltado ($14). It was oxtail and noodles with scallions, piquillos, peas and a poached egg. I haven’t seen pasta dishes on that many Latin menus, so I thought it was quite a risk. Boy was I wrong. It was awesome. The egg was perfectly poached as you can see by its shape and runnyness. The oxtail was super tender, almost like short rib with some more of that slowly building heat from the peppers. The dish ended up being somewhat of a take on a carbonara. CT really hit the jackpot with this. I would highly recommend it.

All in all, it was a great meal with all aspects being top notch. We were very happy with all of the dishes and the level of service. Although there was a little hiccup with the Restaurant.com certificate, it was quickly remedied. It also helped that the waiter was very generous with the table pours of the two glasses of wine that I ordered. He actually forgot to put the second glass on the bill, but I reminded him since the restaurant deserved to be paid for it and I believe in karma. I would be interested to see if their West Village location has such an impeccable dinner service too. Definitely check out Yerba Buena, you won’t be disappointed!

© TT for The Feisty Foodie, 2012. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: ceviche, restaurant.com, suckling pig

But no worries, we ordered from the Lunch Set Menu instead, which included pork rice to start. I barely touched this – it wasn’t particularly interesting, but were I hungrier, it would have been fine.

The lunch set menu also included gyoza, which were a little oily and not very crisp. They were nice to munch on though and inoffensive, but not particularly wonderful – as in, they come with the meal, great, but I wouldn’t order these separately.

As for the ramen – I chose shio ramen, because I prefer the salt based broth – and I found the broth really tasty. The noodles were pretty standard, but nicely chewy and pretty good. I enjoyed my bowl very much!

Yvo says: While this place is right next to Minca, they’re both super far east from where I normally hang out. I enjoyed my ramen very much, but I don’t know if it was enough to get me back in the area on a regular basis. I suppose we’ll see as I continue my ramen journey…
recommended

© Feisty Foodie for The Feisty Foodie, 2012. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: gyoza, noodles, Ramen

As things happened, it took about six months for us to make it down there for lunch. The shop was quite small and on a very quiet stretch of Orchard Street. Signage is minimal, so it was easy to miss. It turns out the shop focuses on New Orleans fare as that’s where the owner is originally from. It was very sparsely decorated in a very shabby, hole-in-the-wall way. As long as the food is good, I couldn’t care less how a place is decorated.

They didn’t have many choices when it came to drinks either. CT had an iced ginger tea ($1.75) and I had a “Big Shot” orange soda. This was a New Orleans brand of soda. Even though I hardly ever drink soda, I decided to make an exception this time. It was refreshing, but expectedly the same as pretty much all other brands of orange soda. The tea tasted as if it was made in-house. It was super gingery, so it had some real spice/heat to it. I stole some at the end of the meal as it made a great digestif.

CT immediately ordered her chicken biscuit without even looking at the miniscule menu. It came on a buttermilk biscuit with cole slaw and gravy for $6.50. Quite different from the one you can get at Pies & Thighs. The owner/cashier seemed a little surprised we wanted it to go, but it wasn’t very often that it gets to 60 degrees in January, so we took our food to the nearby park. Once unwrapped, we understood the strange look. It was not a sandwich meant for travel, even a couple of blocks. It held up pretty well and although a bit messy, the flavors more than made up for it. The chicken was nicely fried with a good bit of crunch and the cole slaw cut any greasiness. The biscuit was nice and fresh and hardly crumbled at all, yet wasn’t a rock.

I tried ordering the po-boy but unfortunately they were out, so the owner sold me on the Beef ($8). It had braised short rib, horseradish sauce, arugula, cherry tomatoes on Challah bread. While it makes a fine French Toast or bread pudding, I was a little surprised to see it as a sandwich. Even though it was toasted, it was still a bit floppy, so the paper wrapping was needed to keep it all together. The short rib was excellent! Super tender and flavorful. The horseradish brought a little zip along with the peppery arugula and sweet cherry tomatoes. It was a very good sandwich.

We shared a bag of Zapp’s chips, which were imported from New Orleans. I chose the Cajun flavor to stay as classic as possible. I assume that is the most popular flavor, but I have yet to visit New Orleans. I prefer kettle chips over regular potato chips since they get crunchier. The flavor was like a muted salt & vinegar with a bit a spice. I enjoyed them and glad we shared.

I also ordered some “ben-yays” (3 for $1) for dessert. The owner gave us these on the house, which was a pleasant surprise. These little fried balls of dough and powdered sugar really hit the spot after the savory meal.

All in all, Cheeky Sandwiches make some fine sandwiches. Prices were super reasonable and service was very friendly. Since I am not usually in that area around lunchtime, I don’t know when I will return, but I definitely want to try that po-boy.

© TT for The Feisty Foodie, 2012. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: beignets, chicken biscuit, sandwiches

After a brisk walk, I was thirsty, so I ordered a strawberry lemonade.  Surprisingly very strawberry-tasting, it was also a little too tart for my tastes.  As the ice melted, it became a little less bracing, but the initial sip was pretty in-your-face-I’m-lemon. 

The specials of the night all sounded fantastic, but when we heard “fried chicken with mashed potatoes and sauteed kale” we both perked up.  Communicating telepathically is something I practice with all my friends – no, seriously, if you ever see me biting my lower lip and staring at a friend, I am trying to send them a mental message – though it doesn’t always work.  This time, it worked as Hungry turned to me, looked me dead in the face and said, “Do you want to split the fried chicken… as an appetizer?”

Yes.  Yes I do.  And yes, yes we did.  Though the place is quite dark and I only had my point&shoot camera so you can’t see, I will tell you about this fried chicken.  First of all, it was all dark meat.  There were four pieces, and though I don’t remember the price, it couldn’t have been that awful.  The mashed potatoes were super creamy and flavorful, there was some ridiculously good gravy, the greens were cooked perfectly, and there was a side dish of unnecessary (but delicious) honey. 

And the fried chicken was crisp, tender, juicy, moist, and fantastic.  Even though it sat on top of a mound of hot mashed potatoes, it didn’t get soggy – maybe we ate it that fast?! – and it was just so good.  The skin was crispy, revealing a moist meat underneath, flavorful, just… I would totally go back just for this, because it was really good.  Really… really… good. 

Then our burgers came.  Since my throat was hurting, I asked to switch my fries for a salad as I’d done last time, and was informed it would carry a $2 surcharge – but I could choose any salad I wanted.  I chose the same one as last time, and it was, as last time, fantastic.  Love that raw kale, pear and pecorino salad… I made Hungry try some and she also thought it was very good. 

Unfortunately, as I was pretty full from my half of the fried chicken plate, I couldn’t appreciate the burger.  It was still very tasty, and cooked properly, but after eating so much fried chicken… I was pretty much done for food.  I soldiered on and managed to finish it at least, because it would be a damn shame to leave any behind… Still a very good burger but so far, nothing I’ve had at Brindle Room was bad (well, I didn’t like the duck confit poutine that much, but it wasn’t bad – just not to my taste!). 

Yvo says: Seriously, if you haven’t been to Brindle Room yet for the burger, what are you waiting for?  You don’t like burgers?  Then get the fried chicken, which is incredible.  (It’s a special, though, so check before you go if they have it!)  Come on, really.  Are you not reading? 
highly recommended burger & fried chicken… what else do you need?

© Feisty Foodie for The Feisty Foodie, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: fried chicken

Because I was dying to try it after the All Clad Chef’s Tour, I suggested The Meatball Shop, and she politely didn’t mention she’d already been.  What a nice date

After getting lost because I thought this was on East 7th, not Stanton Street – and I assure you, those two streets are not even close to each other!!! – I arrived to a patiently waiting Sarah.  I’ve been late twice now, and am determined to not let it happen a third time!  So sorry, darling! – but wisely, she had a book with her, because she must have other friends who are routinely late.  I must try that – bringing a book when I’m meeting friends who are routinely late.  I sat down and quickly ordered the lemonade of the day: blackberry.  I was surprised when it came so red – I don’t have much experience with blackberries (beyond my Torch, ha… ha… *crickets*) but this was nicely tart, slightly sweet, and if it tasted like blackberries, I would have no idea.  Tasty. 

After we discussed our order at length, we decided on the smash – two balls smashed on a brioche bun – with what I believe were the classic beef meatballs topped with parmesan cream and mozzarella, plus the family jewels (a sunny side up egg).  And a salad.  This is $8. 

PERFECTLY fried sunny side up egg, one of my huge pet peeves is going anywhere for sunny side up eggs and getting one that’s undercooked (runny white) or overcooked (solid yolk).  Both are highly offensive to me, and I drooled a little watching Sarah try to cut this in half as the yolk ran everywhere.  So good.  I loved the parmesan cream, and the meatballs were, as expected, fantastic.  I would definitely go back to get the parmesan cream over pasta or mashed potatoes next time.  I’m already mentally planning my next visit, to be honest. 

While waiting for me, Sarah chose two sliders to share. 

The special meatball of the day, Buffalo chicken with blue cheese dressing, was a huge hit.  I don’t really order chicken (aside from fried or wings) when I go out, and would never have thought to order a chicken meatball, but this was genius.  Just the slightest burn of heat (great for me) and the cooling creaminess of the blue cheese – awesome sauce.  Perfect.  I think just one was the perfect amount too – well, half, as we split everything. 

I am pretty sure this was the spicy pork with spicy sauce, but I’m not entirely sure – I just remember it was GOOD.  That’s what matters, right?  That it was GOOD?  Yum. 

Because we’re gluttons – or just like to eat, whatever – we ordered dessert too. 

LOOK HOW TALL THAT IS.

Don’t believe me?  Here’s my finger for scale!  I have the most famous fingers on this blog, as they’re in tons of pictures to show scale!  Anyway, house-made mint ice cream with the special cookie of the day – chocolate wafer – holy crap, those are the chocolate cookies of my dreams.  And the ice cream was minty-fresh, with bits of fresh mint strewn throughout, and so tasty without being too sweet.  I picked up one cookie (and helped Sarah take the other one; I’m a lady, see?) and nommed it while scooping bits of ice cream into my mouth.  Love, love, love.  

I definitely am planning a return very shortly.  The lighting was gorgeous for a lazy afternoon lunch, and it was laidback in there.  We sat at the bar, we weren’t bothered, and all this (plus a seltzer for my svelte lady), with tip and tax, came to $16ish/person.  Not bad… not bad at all.  

Then I wandered up to Madison Square Eats… will post tomorrow! 

Yvo says: I really enjoyed our meal, and I totally want to go back to try more combinations of things and some things I missed on this first visit.  Very reasonably priced, love the atmosphere and service, just a great time and a casual place to enjoy a meal with a friend.  Love.  And no, the chef who called me ‘cute as a button’ wasn’t there, but I didn’t go to see him!   Maybe next time.  Ha!
recommended

© Feisty Foodie for The Feisty Foodie, 2011. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ice cream, Meatballs