Impressive Italian @ Eleven B(YOB)

19 Nov

Won't you join us for dinner?

Eleven B may be my favorite Italian joint in NYC.  Now don’t get me wrong; this place is not gourmet, nor is it going to find itself featured in the New York Times anytime soon.  But what this resto offers is better, in my book – a welcoming restaurant with great tasting classic Italian dishes, friendly wait staff, and LOW prices.  Oh, and did I mention?  If you’re drinking wine or beer – bring it in with you (no liquor, ya booze hounds).

Location?  You guessed it, East Village – Eleventh St and Ave B.  Walk inside; the tables are all candlelit and the walls are lined with shelves of books that give it a real rustic feel.  To add to the ambience, the guys serving you (often the owner himself) are straight out of the Sopranos, except instead of relishing in a life of organized crime, they love serving big portions of delicious Italian dishes.

Eggplant Extraordinaire

I’ve come here with a party of 2 and a party of 10 and either way they do a great job.  For larger parties, you can ask and they’ll make dishes family style for the table to match the size of the group – they also offer prix fixe options.

Last night, I was dining with the lovely Miss Aimee – we split the beet and goat cheese salad (LOVE it) and the eggplant parmesan, which is huge AND comes with a side of pasta or salad.  We also both managed to stop at Trader Joe’s Wine store beforehand so there was the issue of what to do with all that wine…

Bartender, I'll take a sparkling water!

Bottom line, whether you’re looking for a cheap date night or to do a group dinner/pregame extravaganza that’s NOT sushi, this place is legit.  Our total bill was $24 – yes, it is that great.  GO NOW!

Eleven B (on 11th and B) – make a reservation for large parties or if you’re going on the weekend – (212)388-9811.

Tags: , , ,

Eargasm: Not Just Girl Talk

18 Nov

Would you believe me if I told you my sole purpose for sharing music picks with you this week was to try and get people talking about something OTHER than Girl Talk? Right, didn’t think so. Anyway, as much as I’m loving this mash-up-All-Day-week we’re having, here’s some OTHER music to talk about…

Skybox – Plastic Cups: Mysteriously found this band through some Lollapalooza playlist (I think) – started off with 1 track I kinda liked and eventually came upon this one. The best thing I can liken this song to is a hipster lullaby. Give a listen, I think you’ll agree with me…

Marina & The Diamonds – Are You Satisfied: I feel like these lyrics will resonate with most of the current 20-something generation. Not to get all intellectual during your lunch hour (or whenever you’re tuning in) but there’s something to be said for the simple lyrics asking if you’re satisfied with how things are going. Wahh Wahhh…

Kelis – 4th of July (Fireworks): Kelis has come a long way since her milkshake brought all the boys to the yard, and in this track I’ve found a Gym Jam that I love and that isn’t getting overplayed on the radio right now. Therein lies the makings of a long lasting addition to my workout mix.

Oh so you DID you want to hear some MORE Girl Talk? Fine, then I’ll leave you with this little diddy (called That’s Right) featuring Peter Gabriels’ “In Your Eyes” (along with countless other tracks)…

Tags: , ,

The name says it all… GOOD BEER!

16 Nov

 

Me Likey

What they should’ve called this place is Great Beer because it is AWESOME.    The spot is on 9th St between Avenue A/1st Ave – it’s a few steps down from the sidewalk so keep your eyes peeled!  When you walk in, you’re met with walls covered floor to ceiling in beers, exposed brick and a butcher’s block bar to hang around.  Everything about this place is inviting including the peeps who work here – they’re friendly + knowledgeable.  Buy a Growler and fill it up there or choose from the 100s of loose and packaged bottles for sale there.

Growler Says: "Fill Me Up!"

As much as Good Beer is a beer retailer, it’s also a great local hang.  They always have 12 different beers on tap – the 4/4oz beer flight for $8 is a great bang for your buck. My FAVE?  The Arrogant Bastard which was a darker beer but not too heavy.  As far as eats go, the food was the biggest surprise of the evening – I had the Vegan Spicy Italian Sausage over warmed sauerkraut and it was possibly the best faux-meat I’ve ever had – it was fennel and spicy pepper heaven.  The food items also included pretzels and real meat sausages, cheese and meat plates – all were priced to keep me coming back for more.

"There's so much BEER in this Clubbb"

I highly recommend you check this place out.  It’s good for a group, a date or just stopping in to pick up beer for your next soiree.  It’s multi-purpose-awesomeness.

 

www.goodbeernyc.com

Tags: , , ,

Freakin’ Weekend Roundup

15 Nov

Soooo I got into quite a few things this weekend – some of which I would recommend to you, my dear friends, others which I will warn you to stay clear of.  So let’s get right to it…

Home on 8th – In the wasteland that is the area surrounding Madison Square Garden, this modest BYOB Thai/Chinese fusion resto on 8th Ave (btwn 29th/30th) is a great spot for a quick pre-concert dinner where you can get a little buzz on for cheap!  Must Try: Peanut Butter Lovers steamed veggie/tofu dish. YUM.

VAMOS! –Let me translate for you: GO!  This Mexican eatery on 1st Ave (btwn 20th/21st) has brunch menu items in the $10 mark and for just $6 you get unlimited frozen margaritas.  The Huevos Rancheros were a fiesta in my mouth and my dining companion (and brother) Ian had a Michelado (Bloody Mary Mix + Corona) that wasn’t included in the special but was so good that it had him at “HOLA”.

Idle Hands – This new Rock’n’Roll bar (on Avenue B btwn 2nd/3rd Sts) fell short of my hopes and expectations.  I guess I was thinking it would be more of a “Pour Some Sugar On Me” spot than a “Freak On A Leash” type joint… the music was rough.  The fact that bartenders could only pour your drinks and then the waitresses had to come over and hand them to you was as WEAK as the drinks.  Say it with me: “liquor licenses first, open the bar second”.  It made no sense but LUCKILY the fabulous Billy Hurricane’s Bar was just a few steps upstairs and that place was SO MUCH FUN.  I’ve never had as many friends walk away from a party having left their credit cards at the bar – you wouldn’t think it, but this was the indication of a GREAT time.

That’s all for now folks… enjoy the rest of your Monday, take two advil and call me in the morning!

Tags: , , ,

You MUST Try: Northern Spy

12 Nov

Don’t let the name fool you – there’s nothing sneaky about the Northern Spy Food Company’s amazing selection of farm-fresh, seasonal menu items.   This spot is my fave new resto in the East Village (12th St btwn Ave A/B) and I’m not alone – the scene was hopping with everyone from hipsters to suits to B/C list celebs – but all this was pulled off without being sceney or in the least bit pretentious.  You could’ve been in Winchestertonfieldville, Iowa (although I’m sure the food there couldn’t hold a candle to Northern Spy).

While we waited (it was about 20 mins or so), I had a glass of red and Ben had a beer to pass the time – I loved the selection of local beers for only $5.  The menu offers a lot of variety as well – there were SO many things calling out to us that Ben and I opted to order several smaller dishes that were all veggie friendly so I could partake (but don’t worry there were plenty of meaty selections too).  Keeping in mind that their menu changes daily but many similar items are always offered, here’s what our tasting tour included:

"Who YOU callin FLAT?!"

Flat Bread w/ caramelized shallots – warm, fluffy bread that’s smothered in delicate shallots and oil…  Oh.Em.Gee. Only $4?!  I’ll take another order to go… Kale Salad – the slightly bitter greens are perfectly suited to the cheddar cheese on the top, and I must mention those crunchy almonds!  It’s really quite a big portion of delish – we almost didn’t finish it.  Almost…  Gnocchi – sweet potato pillows of buttery goodness – it’s the perfect portion for sharing several items.  I think I may have had more than my fair share though… whoops… Wild Rice Salad – this fab collab of rice, feta, mint and lemon sounds simple, but is SO different from anything I’ve ever had.   Not sure why, but it vaguely reminded me of a blueberry muffin in a savory rice salad – this was a very GOOD thing.  Ben is nodding with me on this one…  Runner Beans w/clothbound cheddar – These beans were gynormous and the sharp, gooey cheddar coating each and every one of these gentle giants filled my mouth with complete and total ecstasy.

 

"What big BEANS you have!"

…Soooo yeah, I’m kind of serious when it comes to my food…  But let’s get down to biz with a bottom line: the total bill was $42, no joking.  Sure, there are def ways to go a little bigger, but for me, getting to taste a little bit of everything was the way to go.  Now GO!!!!

But wait a tick – one last suggestion… Looking for drinks before or after?  Shoolbred’s on 2nd Ave & 12th St (just 2 blocks over) is the essential cold weather bar.  Grab a draft beer (they’re 2-for-1 everyday from 4-8pm – BOOYAH) and park yourself by the fireplace.  Finish said beer and repeat.

Over and out.  Toodles!

Tags: , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →