As you can see, we had every right in the world to be skeptical of the Vinny Vella's Pizza fliers strewn across our apartment building hallway. Yes, that's a gun and a cross hanging from his neck in the caricature drawing!

But just like I had the vision to see a place I could call home out of a color block walled den of filth, porn, and Gilmore Girls screen savers (if I've never told you the story of the first time we saw our apartment, remind me the next time we meet) – I could, despite what seemed like the obvious, consider the preposterous idea that this would actually be good pizza and (unlike Fornino that totally abides by the silly “no delivery past McCarren” policy) one that we could have delivered to our front door.

Vinnie Vella is indeed a shining example of the phrase no reward without risk. The pizza is more than good. Friends have even declared that the Grandma's Favorite, which has fresh mozzarella and chopped up garlic, is the best pizza they've ever tasted! Yes, ever! And they weren't even that drunk. It's really remarkable, and you may not believe me, but the Grandma's crust is nice and thin without ever being crunchy (I can't stand crunchy bottom pizza – it calls to mind frozen junk), it features the?right amount of cheese, the sauce is present but not overwhelming and the garlic adds bite.

The only other pie I've tried and recommend is the Vodka. This one is heavier, and richer due to the creamy red sauce, but still a winner particularly when you end up with a bite with an unmistakable bacony kick. I can't recommend the white for being way too cheesy.

Vella himself is somewhat famous but to look at the vanity of his shop, you'd think he were DeNiro rather than a mobster character actor. A friend use to live next to him in Little Italy and everyday as she walked her puppy he'd stop every one hanging out on the stoop to announce “Hey, you know what dat is? A fox walking a fox!” So it seems he's also a comedian.

Not sure what prompted the man to open a pizza parlor but I am just glad he did. Never again to I have to bemoan the absurd lack of decent pizza available to us. Sorry Triangolo, while I loved the stories of Steven Seagal getting hummers down below in your restaurant, your slices made me pout.

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Posted on December 15, 2008

When you have a aching for Greek food, there's only one neighborhood to go to: Astoria but there's so many places to choose from once you're there. I've found a few great ones, like Zenon Taverna, and they're all very unique in their cooking. S'agapo is a new one for me and one I will be recommending to people for years to come. First, they take reservations, which is a god send if you've ever stood in line hungry at the wonderful nearby Taverna Kyclades.

We got a table for six but with a menu this enticing, we ate for about double that. The appetizers were especially hard to resist and we filled ourselves with grilled marinated octopus that was laugh out loud yummy and tender. Next were the cheese and mint dumplings with drizzled honey – that I expected to be like the Afghan version Mantu, but came out looking like plump empanadas only twice as light and fluffy.

The dip selection (get a large if you have more than a few people) was exceptional with my favorite – taramasalata, a decent hummus, a smoky babaganoush, and a few less typical ones like roasted red pepper spread, a parsley mixture, and an interesting dip made of chopped grape leaves. An equally unique half pear half cucumber hybrid accompanied.

Our entree, a huge seafood plate for two was good. Simple preparation (olive oil, lemon, salt pepper) and fresh fish (salmon, calamari, swordfish, scallops, shrimp) is always a great combo, but it wasn't quite as wow as the appetizers. My friends enjoyed their lamb chops and grilled octopus. Amazingly we still managed to stuff in a dessert, a warm custard with a phyllo dough crust that was enough for us to all share.

It has a definite grandma, grandpa feel to it, but cool grandparents that lived it up in the day more than you or I. In the bathroom my friend found a framed nude charcoal drawing of (possibly) one of the owners looking stunning. The service was friendly and helpful but not phony and the other owner, who sat quietly and dignified over the books even sent over a shot of vodka which was very, very kind of him. It's a place that takes deserved pride in their food, even their olive oil is home made.

We really splurged on all that food plus drinks and the bill came out to about 50 per person, but a lesser fatty with more self control than the bunch of us could walk away satisfied for a lot less.

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Posted on December 1, 2008

Hiroko's Place is a comforting, welcoming spot with overstuffed couches, Japanese reading materials, a smiling staff, and a windowed kitchen where you can watch the chefs make all the home cooked meals. The menu is very unlike the Japanese cuisine that most Americans are familiar with and would probably confuse anyone who's only had sushi and hibachi (including myself before I moved to the city).

Instead it's real Japanese comfort food that a few spots in the city are great at introducing us to: try Aburiya Kinnosuke – for the high end, Uminoie – for a great unpredictable place that, unfortunately takes forever (hours actually and the only reason I've yet to recommend it) and Cafe Zaiya for cheap and excellent snacks (the spicy cod roe nori pizza actually makes me miss working in midtown).

Jim tried omurice – the ultimate comfort food for a little kid, even right down to the funny face drawn in ketchup on it – a perfect example of the cheery joy the restaurant exudes. The thin omelet shell opens up to a pillow of ketchup flavored rice and chicken. My dish, a very simple spaghetti, nori and spicy cod roe combo was right up my alley flavor wise, the kind of dish I would make for myself on rainy Sundays all the time if the roe were easier to come by (note to self to find some for my fridge).

You'll really want to give yourself some time to enjoy Hiroko's Place, the home cooked meals take their time (which shows in the quailty) so, sadly clock-wise, it's only barely doable for a lunch hour. The environment too, really spacious and open in start contrast to most bustling spots that cram as many two tops in as possible, begs for?relaxation. It's only been a day between eating there and writing this and I am already craving it.

So I went back and I reordered that amazing dish and Jim got to try what my future brother and law raved about during his trip to Japan a few months ago, the egg salad sandwiches (fried scrambled eggs, mayo and thin cucumber slice with spicy Cheeto type things). As the weather gets crummier there's no way I will not be heading back to try the hamburg rice.

While I wish it was just a little cheaper and quicker for a speedy workday lunch, as a restaurant without those needs, it's truly, truly a wonderful find in the neighborhood.

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Posted on November 17, 2008

Restaurants category pick for the week of 1/14/08
Here's what I said then:

I can almost recapture a warm, yummy-in-my-belly feeling just writing this; see, Ramen Setagaya, the new noodle spot on First Avenue, was such a pleasing eating experience that even thinking back on all the details of the meal is satisfying. And it's all in the details when it comes to ramen, the simple but complex dish treated with reverence and awe in Japan. At least, that's what I'm lead to believe by the movie Tampopo.

Foodies here in the states also take this bowl of noodles, egg, pork, vegetables and broth (all of which you can see in this lovely photo from Gothamist) very seriously and, if they're to be believed, Ramen Setagaya is the very best in the city. If you don't trust them, listen to the spirited chef Charlie Huh, who famously challenged Momofuku when he opened. And if you feel you can't trust any of the above, you can always listen to me.

While I cannot compare this to all the competition, this was not only an exceptional ramen, but one of the most gratifying food experiences of any kind. Most run of the mill ramens that I've had suffer from the sad indignity of flavorless broth. Here however, the broth is fragrant, rich, full of flavor with a fishy tinge of greatness. Floating in the broth are toothsome curly ramen noodles the likes of which top ramen has never known. Also present? Fresh scallions for crispness, seaweed, bamboo shoots, and beautiful pork slices. Two of the slices are glistening and fatty and melt in your mouth, the other two are hearty and lean. But what amazed me the most was the egg. Cut in half in the perfect state between soft and hard boiled, most people would have to take a photo to see an egg kept in that condition.

The food is so good, including their gyoza, that we didn't even mind a wait (there was a line at 5:00 pm, only thirty minutes after they opened for dinner) or the stools. The tiny space is bustling and transports you to a ramen house in Tokyo, which always reminds me of Blade Runner – although this spot is too bright and cheery for the likes of a robot killer.

Restaurants category pick for the week of 5/26/08
Here's what I said then:

In a ramen loving town like this one, Ippudo is possibly the most anticipated – the mecca of authentic Japanese ramen. I was lucky to avoid the notorious hour long waits by going at lunch hour during the week. On my sister's advice, who visited the chain in Tokyo, I ordered their specialty : shiromaru (white broth) which is the cloudy, porky broth with intense flavor that takes 14 hours to make.

I am perhaps a slightly bigger fan of Setagaya's clear broth, but this is one superb bowl of ramen. On future visits I'd like to try the shiromaru with special sauce out of curiosity.

At lunch the menu offers a side dish of spicy cod roe and rice, yum. Other non-ramen dishes are available (but that's not why there are lines out the door, is it?).

The atmosphere is nice and upscale with arty bamboo fixtures and natural?surfaces of wood and stone. A tranquil environment to enjoy your ramen which I prefer to stools and rushing.

Ippudo is considered by many to be the only “real” ramen option in the city and “ramen king” Shigemi Kawahara is revered by ramen maniacs, (so my Setagaya comment is sure to upset some). And I can't really comment on that, as I am no expert in these matters. I do know that this meal, which runs about 12-16 dollars is worth every penny and I am thrilled to have this outpost in New York. I can't wait to go back.

Runner Ups:
Franklin Corner
Savoy
Alta
Shopsin's
Bozu

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Posted on November 3, 2008

Good food and cozy atmosphere are key to Grape and Grain's charm, but the local hidden gem also possesses a less easily definable quality. It's a warm, welcoming place, the kind you find yourself lingering in with lively conversations, adding your wine induced laughter to the spot's joyful din. It was only made more pleasant by the playing of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, and yes, the entire album, even the unfairly underplayed and excellent Never Going Back Again and I Don't Want to Know.

We booked a table for a Friday night out with a big group and were greeting by a very friendly and accommodating staff. We started with two orders of spicy pita chips and bean dip (a favorite of my friends who had been there before) and it set the tone of a yummy meal. Our cheese plate was great with the soft Vermont choice (sorry the specific name escapes me) being my favorite.

For a main course Jim and I shared a sandwich of salami, roasted red peppers, manchego and arugula – a nice flavor combination that would be worth trying at home too. We also split the ultimate comfort food for non health conscious people, a tasty meatball pizza. I know nothing about wine, but the red my friends chose for the table was good and affordable. They also have three Chimay options and other beers for non winos.

They accept reservations, which was a god send on a packed weekend evening, but it's a pretty laid back spot where you could probably snag a table for two without too much of a wait. It's a good place for groups or an inexpensive, but still intimate and romantic date. The lighting is dim enough to afford no really good photos with my camera, but on the plus side, the votive candles make everyone look attractive.

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Posted on October 20, 2008