Author: Chris Barrus

Sunday aftermath

Saturday night really didn’t end until sometime around 5 this morning. After leaving Taverna Kyklades, we adjourned to the Bohemian Hall Beer Garden nearby and took advantage of the cheap pictures of Spaten. Finally got a change to tell the Big Texan steak story which I really need to get down in written form here.

Geeta recommended a place in the East Village called Alt.Coffee for wireless access and that pretty much became my home away from home for the rest of the day. Strong coffee. Comfy chairs. Free wireless. Got a chance to quench the demand for FAP pictures and just take it easy for the day. Interestingly, the desktops they have there are all running Linux. Very cool.

Go there and spend money…

Alt.Coffee
139 Ave. A
New York City, NY
(212) 529-2233
http://www.altcoffee.com

The NYC Food Tour – Part 3

After leaving Coney Island, our last stop for the day was a completely excessive bacchanalia of food out at Taverna Kyklades in Astoria. There were eight of us there and managed to get a pretty good variety of dishes – fried cheese, an utterly unbelievable grilled octopus (easily the best I’ve had), even the first salad course was a knockout. Main dish highlights were Ned’s stuffed shrimp and my grilled swordfish, but everything there was just stunning. Anthony M. described the scene as if someone had unrolled a carpet of food onto the table.

Also have to mention the market next to the restaurant which had the best looking shallots I’ve seen anywhere. I wanted to buy a bag to take home.

Taverna Kyklades
33-07 Ditmars Blvd.
Astoria, NY 11105
(718) 545-8666

bread octopus shrimp swordfish

The NYC Food Tour – Part 2

Next stop Coney Island. I’ve always wanted to go out there, but until now never really had the time or cooperative weather. Still unbearably hot out, but the ocean weather helped moderate things, or at least gave the illusion that it was cooler. Walked around Brighton Beach, fell behind by drooling over every Russian market and restaurant, and took pictures of everything. By the time we got to Coney Island proper, about all I could do was stand in the water hose on the beach and then drink beer.

I did get a Nathan’s hot dog. Precisely, a chili-cheese dog and it was superbly good. Certainly the best in NYC and of a quality that could challenge my beloved Pink’s in Los Angeles. The secret ingredient is the bun – high quality bread that’s just grilled enough to give it a slight toast texture on the inside to the whole thing doesn’t go to pieces from the juices of the dog.

nathans nathans2

The NYC Food Tour – Part 1

Recovered badly from the previous night so by the time we caffinated and figured out that the northbound 110 St. subway station was closed on Saturday we were a couple of hours late to meeting folks at V&T Pizzeria for the beginning of JBR‘s New York food tour. We did manage to have a slice each, and indeed it was superior to most of the other pretend pizza I’ve had (including Chicago). I suspect that it would be much better warm!

However the knockout punch came next door at the Hungarian Pastry Shop. Holy cow! Low key college vibe to the place (Columbia is right across the street), but the desserts are obscenely good. Hell, I even ate something with cherries in it, and I never do that.

V&T Pizzeria
1024 Amsterdam Ave (between 110th and 111th Streets)
New York, NY 10025
(212) 663-1708

Hungarian Pastry Shop
1030 Amsterdam Ave (between 110th and 111th Streets)
New York, NY 10025
(212) 866-4230

 

hungarian-pastry

JetBlue from Long Beach rules!

While other folks are having problems with airlines and the the awful state of affairs in which you have to figure out which airline sucks the least, I have to admit that I’ve fallen for JetBlue. Direct flight from LGB (Long Beach) to JFK with no layovers or plane switching. Reasonable airfare. Comfy seats for my 6′ 3″ frame and accompanying 15″ PowerBook G4. Satellite television in every seat. Amazingly, JetBlue is profitable and hasn’t gone whining to the federal government at the slightest drop of a loss. I can’t recommend them highly enough, and will continue to vote with my dollars. They’re one of the cult brands I’m happy to be a cult member over.

Flying out of Long Beach is wonderful, it’s how I’ve imagined flying in the 1940s was like. The airport terminal still has it’s period deco architecture and is decorated with period travel and flight posters. There’s no gates really, passengers still go outside to board their planes on the tarmac. Very relaxing place. And you can’t go wrong with the free 802.11b.

lgb-jetblue

lgb-poster