La Fonda

The front for real Mexican cooking in the heart of El Barrio on the corner of 103rd Street and Lex. on the #6 line. This corner spot serves up a wide selection of Mexican foods cooked to order. A friendly waitress started me off with a small portion of tortilla chips and tasty salsa. The flor de calabaza burrito served on a homemade corn tortilla with the requisite radish, lettuce and tomato was absolutely delish and not often seen on alot of Mexican menus. The dishes on the menu are mainly under $10 and La Fonda is a nice sunny, comfy spot to chow down.
GO!

Johnny's Famous Reef Restaurant

At the tip of the Puerto Rican Riviera on the Long Island Sound sits Johnnys Famous Reef Restaurant. If you are from the Bronx, Johnnys is famous and I was introduced to the spot by a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx and fell in love ever since. This is an old school style joint where the food is served cafeteria style(serve yourself). No fuss, take your food outside and enjoy the amazing view. Lots of food here is fried with a tried and true recipe and it rocks. The fried clams are a New England classic and absolutely the tast of summer. Raw clams, fried shrimp, corn are all great. My only gripes with Johnny's are the canned beers(not good enough for the chow) and the bathrooms outside are a little gritty. Otherwise, this spot is one of a kind and the kind of place where patrons would not want it to spruce up or change a thing. Also, prices are reasonable- you could feast for two for about $40.
Must Go!

L.A. Burdick

It is hard to find very high quality chocolate at reasonable prices. L.A. Burdick offers just that. Without the fanciness or pretentiousness of some high end shops this one aims to please and the friendly shop clerk gladly offered up some samples to help me decide. I bought two gift boxes for Father's Day and a small bag of leftover chocolate pieces for $8. The bag of chocolates was a variety of whole pieces and absolutely divine. Can't wait to restock those delectable bits.
Must Go!