Rios Churrascaria

Rios Churascaria opened quietly at the old Porcao space on Park Ave. South. Soaring space, churascarias are the ultimate activity food. A huge salad bar pales compared to the old Porcao. Some options look a day old. Nicely cooked pork ribs were the star of the salad bar. The meat service was dissapointing with lots of varieties though most was overcooked and flavorless. It took several requests to get extra cheese bread and fried bananas. Given the prices I would say this is a fun space though better churascarias are found elsewhere.

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James Beard House

Al Safa Restaurant

Looking for more Middle Eastern adventures, I wandered down 5th. Ave and stumbled upon Al Safa restuarant. This corner spot is Lebanese and boasts pictures of the country under the counter. The distinction at Al Safa are the tiny pies baked here(pictured above). Lahmajeen with ground meat, onion, green pepper, tomato and spices, the ubiquitous spinach pie as well as pizza looking pies. I tried the cheese pie which is small with edges darkly baked with mozzarella cheese and spices in the middle.
Dishes of tiny roasted potatoes with lemon and spices and fried eggplant were among the appetizers. I also ordered the deep fried cauliflower which were juicy deep fried vegetables and the Lebanese garlic sauce. Different from Turkish it is a billowy fully potent garlic sauce which went perfectly with the cauliflower. The mini cheese pie was delish and the cheese tasted feta like. Other stews viewed while a middle eastern woman ordered looked great as well. Bathroom in basement.
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Salumeria Rosi

Craving cured meats on the Upper West Side, this small market sells good quality pork. The marketplace also bakes it's own procuitto bread, properly darkly baked and absolutely the tops I have tasted. The doughy little ricotta bread on the right is original and super tasty with pasta or delightful dipped in olive oil. The attached restaurant offers small dishes and accompanying wines. Next store is the latest branch of Jacques Torres chocolate to sweeten up your taste buds after all this savory stuff.
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Momofuku Milk Bar

The wow factor at this modern cutting edge bakery is the intoxicating smell as you enter. Experimental, innovative baked goods are consumed standing up at David Chang's Milk Bar. Banana cake, banana cookies, and the ever popular crack pie. The baked goods look unusual compared to a more traditional bakery. I have tried the banana cookie which for $1.75 was very good. The properly darkly baked breads while looking lovingly baked at $9 are prohibitive. Soft serve ice-cream flavors currently serving chocolate malt and graham cracker along with extra add-ons. The chocolate malt is a tasty treat served in a plastic shot glass. The hazelnut crisps, I added on lacked flavor and tasted greasy.
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Primehouse

Restaurant week lunch is $24.07 and this is the second year I have eaten here for that event. There are three courses for the restaurant week special, an appetizer, entree and dessert. Now Primehouse is part of the restarant conglomerate B.R. guest and that means great service and very accomodating staffers. The space istself is large airy on a corner with a hip, modern decor. The food here is well done. You start with a wheel of bialy like house baked bread, one plain and one with olives. Delish with whipped butter. I had the cerviche which was shrimp marinated in citrus and olive oil with tiny pieces of orange. Absolutely phenomenal flavor. For the main, I had the short ribs braised in a red wine reduction with Winter root vegetables. Wow- super taste and the veggies like parsnips and carrots are perfectly cooked. The dessert was a chocolate raspberry torte which was layers of chocolate cake and raspberry mouse with housemade raspberry vanilla swirl ice-cream. The other dessert of lemony creme brulee with cookies was good, but the superstar dessert was the chocolate raspberry torte, two of my fave flavor combos.
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Butter Lane

So many cupcakes, so little time. Another cupcake joint on East 7th. Street. What sets this spot apart is that the cupcake people are friendly and best of all you can take advantage of the frosting tasting, yes they are on the counter so you can try before choosing your cupcake of choice. I ordered a banana with cream cheese frosting which was full of pieces of banana, dense and sweet. Nice light and sweet frosting. The chocolate frosting and vanilla cake, I enjoyed with coffee the next morning was made with a dense, dark chocolate. They also serve a french chocolate frosting which is lighter and sweeter than the American chocolate, I had.
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Alloro

Mangia e parla en Italiano at this once a month class held at Alloro Restuarant. The class is $60 and includes some conversation a three course meal plus a glass of red wine. The amount of language was minimal, but the good company,super nice hosts and wonderful authentic food made for a great evening. You are given a choice of three appetizer and three entree items and following three dessert items. For the first course I ordered a multi-layer flat bread over an artichoke salad with bacon gelato on the side. The salad was tasty, and a nice balance with the flat bread and savory bacon gelato. My friends appetizer of eggplant parmigiana with a mozzerella ball was delish. For the main, I ordered the chocolate gnocchi with wild boar ragu which was a rich dish. My companion's main of al dente saffron rissoto with licorice was again delish. Desert was a choice of ricotta cheese cake or coffee mouse filled cannoli. My lemony ricotta cheese cake with cinnamon ice-cream was spot on. Either for dining or speaking and dining Alloro is molto bene.
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Point Brazil Restaurant

Obrigada for this cute corner joint on 31st. Street one block off the hub of Broadway and Steinway. Too snowy to explore further, this crowded little joint looked like there was good food and beckoned me in. This is a self-serve churrascarria one of several in the nabe. The buffet hosts Brazilian specialties such as tiliapia in a coconut cream sauce, potato salad, white rice with black beans with sausage(fejoidish dish) okra, a torta with chicken, and beans with seasoned yuca flour with sausage and much more. Just the buffet is $4.99/pound, but the buffet with carne sliced by the meat man is $5.99/pound. There were approximately 8 different kinds of meat featured here. Skewered meats salted and cooked include top sirloin, chicken wrapped in bacon, linguica(brazilian sausage), pork spare ribs etc. The meat server was accomodating as I asked for fatty pieces of top sirloin. Salty, fatty goodness that went perfectly with the selections from the buffet. All washed down with a combo of guava and passion fruit juices. I was offered a tropical dessert of coconut pineapple cake and tasted homemade and was indeed made by the owner's sister. This family owned churrascaria cares about their food and customers. Clean, big bathroom in the rear.
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Bussaco

Big, beautiful Brooklyn space sans the Park Slope stroller set, Busacco for brunch was great. Soaring space with black booths in back, I was seated at one of the spacious booths as the spot was not full thankfully on Sunday. The brunch menu rocks with a $15 prix fixe which includes a mimosa and coffee. Brunchy items like Swedish pancakes with ligonberries as well as breakfast pizza with potato, egg and choice of meat and the unusual dim sum for one which bacon, eggs, sticky rice, shrimp dumplings and sausage. I went for one of two lunch items which included a cheeseburger with Vermont cheddar or fried poisson and waffles. The fried chicken and waffles was perfection. Small in size though high in quality, the chicken was crispy, perfectly cooked and salty which enhanced the skin and juicy meat of the chen. A properly well cooked waffle with apple butter balanced out the savory chicken and the collard greens added a little vegetable action to the mix. A rich hot chocolate served in a glass was a nice compliment to the meal. Next time, the Spanish tango sundae with Il Laboratorio chocolate ice-cream, hot fudge and peanuts is a must.
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Bar Carrera

Situated down the block from the Village East Cinemas is the double storefront of this Spanish tapas and wine bar. The bar is as crowded as a Madrid original and the dining area next door with high tables and stools provides moody lighting for a romantic stop before a movie or just to drink and eat. The vibe in the room was very friendly and relaxed. A large selection of regional Spanish wines and sherries. My sherry fino which was slighly sweet was yummy. A plate of hams and cheeses included Serrano ham, chorizo, several semi sweet cheeses and a few olives for color. A warmed mini baguette was served with the dish.
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La Esquina Criolla

Absolutely authentic Argentine cuisine on the corner(esquina) of Corona and Junction Blvd in Eastern Queens. Since spending a month in Argentina in 2000, this is the closest I have come to a real taste. Esquina sports plain decor, but killer meat cooked on an uneven griddle over flame. I started with a chicken empanada full of moist chicken, bits of egg and red pepper. A side dish of Argentine sausages(salchichas) and a good fresh roll and butter filled me up from the jump. I ordered number six which was two beef short ribs and a skirt steak(entrana) which was $14 and worth every dime. I waited awhile for the steak which made me very nervous, but it arrived perfectly cooked with two huge short ribs and the smaller skirt steak. Argentine meat cuts are different from the American so the beef short ribs are huge and absolutely delicious. A side of oven baked potatoes came with the meat which was almost an afterthought with the huge, heavenly meat in front of me. Less expensive meat sandwiches are also available though those with sandwiches were showing dish envy at my gorgeous meat. If you are a carnivore this is a.......
MUST GO!