Pulino's Bar/Pizzeria

Believe what you heard about the latest feather in the Keith McNally cap. It is a stunning corner spot with a similar design to Pastis and Schiller's. The pizza here is perfect. I went for brunch and started with a bitter chocolate, orange and cranberry scone for $3. Housemade and delicious. For the main I went with the Spinaci(half) for $9. The spinaci is a pizza with a soft egg, spinach, mozzarella, marscapone and grana. The thinnish crust is pizza perfection- well cooked, only ever so slightly charred. Flavors of this pizza are super. The hot chocolate though beautiful was a little weak for my taste.
MUST GO!

Landmark Tavern

This 100 year old tavern in Hells Kitchen on 11th Ave is a landmark in so many ways. A beutiful wood laden front dining area with windows on two sides, provides a nice view. The service here is friendly and personal. The menu offers traditional Irish bar fare and it is done well. Nice raisiny bread starts the meal service. I went with a burger with cheese and asked for the garlic mayo with my fries. This unadorned burger was perfectly cooked with it's cheddar cheese perfectly melted. The fries were good bar fries and the garlic mayo a delish compliment. The shepard's pie pictured was also super rich and tasty. We finished the meal with homemade ice-cream of hazelnut and vanilla- a silky finish.
GO!

Chef 28

Can you say Spare Ribs? On a non-descript block and having not been here since it was renovated a few years ago- I was pleasantly surprised. While not cheap, lunch specials generally run under $10, but not by much. Greasy, fat wontons just like I like them start the meal. I went with the wonton soup which was good with big wontons. The ribs were a delicious surprise- meaty, carmelized, porky goodness. I will return for those ribs.
Go!

Delta Grill

While fiending for chicken fried steak and a comforting meal, I headed to Delta Grill for lunch. Long a mainstay on Ninth Ave, the fireplace and Cajun comfortable dining room are a welcoming sight on a cold day. They have lots of lunch choices all $14 and under- not the cheapest on the Avenue, but certainly well worth the price. Soup and half sandys run $8.95 which are some of the cheaper options. The $11 chicken fried steak was absolutely delicious. Crunchy fried steak smothered in onion gravey, alongside mashed potatoes with some spice from jalepenos. The veggies on the plate were cooked al dente and smacked of lip smacking butter. A lip smacking, stick to your ribs meal. All the Cajun and Creole Louisiana faves are featured here in an authentic setting.
GO!

Minetta Tavern

A space that looks like a mini-Sardis with cramped red banguettes and old celebrity photos. Minetta Tavern, offers celebrity style dining to the average joe with deeper than average pockets. There was a D-lister present whose name escaped us, but the show is the food itself. Balthazar bread arrives first and then the absoloutely most professional service and knowledgable waiter. We were seated at a two-top and the place quickly filled with folks and conversation. This was a stellar dining experience and recommended for a special occacion or just for a special night out. I ordered the special appetizer of roasted brussell sprouts, shaved parmesan and a poached egg wtih bacon lardons. The brussell sprouts were shredded and the flavors were a great mix of savory and bacony. Of course, the star of the show was the Cote de Boef(medium rare) which is marbled rib eye and bone marrow roasted(pictured above). Some of the best meat I have ever tasted was on this dish($110). The salty marbled rib eye and the gelatin like innards of the bone marrow made for a naughty pleasure. The pommes aligots- basically mashed potatoes with cheese curds were a good side dish to the spectacular main. We exchanged the boring hazelnut crepe for a chocolate dacqoise which is chocolate ganache with hazelnut meringue and was positively foodgasmic.
MUST GO!

Brooklyn Commune

Newly opened Brooklyn Commune was teeming with toddlers and their harried parents on their first Saturday opened. A lovely corner space on Prospect and Greenwood Avenues, the spot fills some sort of need for a cafe/market for locals. Having some local mission in mind- their appears to be house made jams and granolas as well as a nice selection of salads and sandys. I went with the BLT(pictured) for $8 which features sugar glazed bacon, avocado and tomato with tomato jam on grilled country bread along with a few taro chips and some steamed yellow wax beans. The bacon on the sandy(not cooked to order) was tasty though the tomatoes were mealy and underripe which ruined the sandy's texture. The house mixed chocolate which went into the hot chocolate($2.50) was dastardly good- rich, dark and lovely and not to be missed. Other items like breads(TomCat and Orwarshers) and cookies(Amy's) are imported. If you want to relax- skip the prime times as waits for food can be lengthy as well as the noise levels from lots of kids can be daunting.
SLOW GO!

Astor Bake Shop

An oasis in the middle of the desert, this expansive corner spot with high ceilings showcases the baked goods of it's expert owner/baker. Having been a pastry chef at some of Manhattan's top restaurants- he opened his own joint in the lovely Astoria 'hood. Delectable baked goods, and smells abound here. I found Astor while chowing down at the Foundry event for Queens Harvest(the first Queens food co-op). Pumpkin eclairs, apples covered in chocolate and pecans, coconut cake, the lovely rustic apple pie(pictured) I particularly enjoyed the red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting to which the baker adds granualated sugar on top for some flavor and "textural contrast". Their are some savories on the menu including a burger and chicken sandwich. The space and relaxed vibe lends itself to some major sweet tooth satisfisfaction. If I lived nearby, I would live in here. 12-23 Astoria Blvd.
GO!

Queens Eats

Queens Eats was a benefit at "The Foundry" in Long Island City to benefit the first Queens food Co-op named the Queens Harvest Food Co-op. A brilliant industrial space featuring some top Queens restaurants including M Wells, De Mole, Testaccio, Vesta, Market and Bareburger. Bakeries such as Cream and the fabulous Astor bakeshop sweetened the pot. Standout savories included the frank with beens and homemade slaw from my beloved M Wells and brisket and slaw sliders on brioche roll from Market. The Astor baker rocked out with red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing with some granulated sugar on top.

Food Parc

A food bazaar with a high tech twist. Order from computer stations around this multi-culti food spot. Italian pizzas and paninis, burgers and grilled cheese, Asian flair at Redfarm stand and desserts at the dessert station. Luxe, loungey seating inside are great. Food is hit or miss as the burgers rock out with Pat La Frieda meats. The Redfarm stands offer some innovative choices like smoked bacon egg rolls and water chestnut and arugula salad with passion fruit dressing- both yum and under $10 plus made to order. The 3B Burger Station offers made to order burgers with meats from Pat La Frieda. A cheeseburger, fries and a small drink run under $10. Patty is cooked on the flattop and steamed with American cheese, a special sauce and lettuce and tomato. Fries are cooked and salted to perfection. You can eat well and cheaply here if you choose wisely. Sixth Ave. and 29th St.
Go!

Hallo Berlin Express

German soul food at a narrow spot with a food cart inside. This express cart is sort of like eating at an indoor food cart and the food is quite good. The single soul food special at lunch($7.50) is quite the deal. Choose your wurst, and that is chopped and mixed with fried(pan) with red cabbage and a nice spicy mustard. Sort of a hearty, porky mix. I choose the bratwurst twice which is panfried and the combination of flavors- spicy, sour, hearty is a satisfying combination of tastes served with a fresh roll. Double soul mix with a second wurst is a little pricier. This is a lunch deal.
GO!

Blackburn Burger

A ninth Ave. burger spot is enticing especially when the lunch special here is $7.95 for a main and side or salad. I went with the Blackburn burger- a 100% lean beef burger on a seeded bun with romaine lettuce, tomato, pickles and cheddar. A pretty stellar burger albeith cooked medium well and not the medium requested. A side of grilled fingerling potatoes with a dab of pesto was yummy. On my second visit, I had the spicy corn and shrimp soup served with freshly baked bread. Repeat on the potatoes for a nice light lunch. Service is charming and friendly.
Go!

Qathra

Qathra is a new coffee house/cafe on the ever burgeoning Cortelyou Road scene. It orders it's bread from Balthazar and serves it's food with a Middleeastern twist. On a pretty fall day- it is crowded and the lovely garden beckons. I had a creative lunch sandwich of hummus, avocado and sprouts on an everything focaccia(pictured). The sandwich was under $10 and enjoyed the outdoor garden. The service is decidedly more friendly than the other folks on the road. Brownies which are baked in house(also pictured) looked delish. Other baked goods come from Balthazar and the busy cafe is definitely embraced by the hood. Cortelyou Road area.
GO!