Best Cheap Eats & Treats...

With the new year upon us & the economy still less then spectacular I've compiled a list of quick bites that cost little but taste great & in many cases are of high quality for when your running around to get you through the day. Before I get started please note these are not the cheapest of the cheap...but the best bang for the buck for in most cases well under $10...

• Soups - Scallop & Bacon Chowder, Spicy Crab & Corn, Lobster Bisque, etc for only $3.50 ea. (sm) at The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market
• Dumplings - I love Dim Sum (aka little pleasures) but sometimes I don't crave a whole meal...so I head on over to Vanessa's Dumplings for 4 Pork & Chive fried ones for $1!(5 for $2 on 14th St) 135 Eldridge & 220 E.14th
• Pizza  - Feel free to go eat $.99 cent cardboard...but for the best Old School slice ($2.75) go to Famous Ben's at 177 Spring Street... if you want something more filling for $4.50 you can get a slice of Artichoke Pizza at Artichoke Basille's at 328 E.14th (location also in Meatpacking & W.Village)
• Sandwich - For a quick on the go sandwich the Roast Turkey On Semolina Raisin & Fennel Bread  for only $6.75 at Amy's Bread in Chelsea Market & 250 Bleeker is hard to beat
• Bao - One of the better & more interesting sandwiches I have found is the one & only Sloppy Bao (spicy red curry beef, green mango, basil, lemon grass, cilantro and jalapeno) at Baoguette Cafe  37 St Marks place is only $7!
• Taco's - I'm sorry but I just can't decide between Tacombi at 267 Elizabeth, Pinche Taqueria at 227 Mott, or La Esquina Taqueria at 114 Kenmare. They are all right by each other & for under $4 bucks a taco you can go on a Taqueria Crawl!
• Meat Pie- I discovered these down under in Oz & loved'em...Tuck Shop has some of the better ones & you can choose between beef, pork, chook(chicken),BBQ, Green Curry, & Veggie for $6. Located on 68 E 1st, Chelsea Market, & 115 St. Marks
• Hot Dogs - The Redneck is bacon wrapped w/chili & Jalapenos & the Tsunami is bacon wrapped w/pineapple & green onions...where can you get these bad boys for under $5 (regular Crif is $2.50) you ask...why at Crif Dogs located at 113 St Marks Place
• Lobster Roll - For $17 at Luke's Lobster you can get the Schooner Special that comes with a Lobster Roll, Maine Root soda, Ms. Vickers chips & a pickle...for a high quality stuffed Lobster roll w/fixings...that's a steal(in NY...highway robbery in Maine...from what I've heard). Luke's Lobster is located at 93 E.7th, 242 E.82nd, & 426 Amsterdam
  
• Sushi - For all I'm concerned (lunch specials aside) there is no such thing as cheap & good sushi. However, if you need a quick fix while in the Chelsea Market for under $6 you can get a great high quality Spicy Tuna or Yellowtail roll at The Lobster Place to tide you over 
• Hamburger - While there are many in this city...for something tasty & different I love the Bobcat(topped w/Melted Green Chiles & Jack Cheese) at Bill's Bar & Burger located at 22 9th Ave
• Bagel & CC - For only $2.50(splurge another $.50 for tomato) get a great bagel w/Horseradish cream-cheese or go crazy & for $3.50 get lox spread or caviar cream cheese at Russ & Daughters located at 179 Houston (pronounced Howw-Ston)
• Cuban - My favorite is only $7.95 at Cafe Habana 17 Elizabeth Street
• Canolli's 3 mini's for only $5...but we're not talking regular plain ones (unless that's what you want) I'm talking chocolate covered Coconut, Mint, Choc PB, etc... at Stuffed Artisan Canolli's 176 Stanton Street
• Cupcakes - Coconut Dream Clouds, Red & Blue Velvet, Devil's Food, etc for only $2.75 at the Little Cupcake Bakeshop 30 Prince Street
• Cookies- The Compost Cookie (pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch, chocolate chips) is a chocolate chip cookie on crack & roids...but in a good way & only $1.85 (3 for 5) at Momofuku Milk Bar located at 207 2nd Avenue

As the year progresses and the economy finally starts to pick up I'll work on some more upscale versions of this list...but make no mistake the snacks & treats above are delicious!

 

Top 20 of 10

Happy New Years to one and all! With all the Top 10 lists that come out this time of year I though I would do something with a twist. Below is a list of 20 favorites from 2010...

• Political Moment - Obama leaving Bill Clinton at the podium...alone...unsupervised...in his glory...
• Disaster- BP Oil spill
• Miracle - Chilean Miners...one runs Marathon other requests Wife and Mistress greet him... 
• Kill - Mosad Agents on Motorcycles take out Nuke Scientist* 
• Epic Fail - NYC Sanitation deciding to do half ass job, drink on job, and just outright ignore certain hoods...I await the Termination list...
• Sports Moment - Final 2 seconds of Jets-Steeler's game...thought entire bar was going to have a simultaneous heart attack...then PURE JOY!
• Sports Story - The Jets off the field...Ines Sainz, Feet, BretDicPic, Cussing on HBO, etc...
• Gadget - I-PAD...I don't even have one ...yet...but I'm just waiting for details on next gen
• Commercial - Beyonce's ad for HEAT http://video.yahoo.com/watch/8580199/23112085
• Art Event - Art Expo...runner ups Martin Lawrence Holiday Party and Pop Gallery's Britto/Aldrin
• Hotel Lobby - Ace Hotel...loads of comfy couches, Stumpton Coffee, a good bar...nuff said...
• Lunch Deal - L'Asso on Kemare and Mott...soup or salad w/panini and Stumpton coffee $10!
• Sports Bar - 13th Step...TV's everywhere, good food (BBQ pulled nachos) VG beer selection at 1/2 price!
• Bartender/Drink- Any combo of Heat, Fruit, and Herbs that Alexis at Poco whips up for me
• Gear - Icebreaker - keeps you warm while looking like Bond or a Bond Girl  Icebreaker.com
• Movie - Inception ...runners up include Black Swan and True Grit
• Book - Wave by Susan Casey
• Comic - Batman Inc. Bruce Wayne decides to train Batmen around the world...his travel partner Selina Kyle...(Catwoman) not exactly for kids
  
• Album - Slash by Slash the best Rock and Roll album in years...please do another w/more Fergie
  
• Web-Site - http://newyork.nearsay.com/

* http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/29/iranian-nuclear-scientists-attack-claims

The Little Cupcake Bakeshop that could...

Do you love cupcakes...I mean literally crave them? Do you wait on line at Magnolia, go to Buttercup when in midtown, hit Eleni's when in the meatpacking district, pop by Melissa's when in Soho? Good, you keep going to them because they are all very good. I just don't want any of you forming up on lines by my new find The Little Cupcake Bakeshop. However, being it's the holiday season I'm going to share this with you...as long as you promise that if it's too busy...you go for a walk around Soho & then pop back in.

While cupcakes are their speciality Little Cupcake Bakeshop also offers cake by the slice, brownies, pie, etc... The beauty of the cupcakes is that aside from being moist & topped with delicious butter cream they are just the right size for a quick little snack & being priced at only $2.75 you can satisfy your craving without stuffing yourself or paying an obscene amount for a little treat. The slices of cake are very big & only $4.75( I recommend the slices for 2...or 3 cute petite girls).

The Little Cupcake Bakeshop offers a dozen different cupcakes & cakes daily (available as 7",9", & sheets as well). My favorites so far are the Coconut Cloud, Devils Food cake with green icing & blue sprinkles, & the Blue Velvet cake. Red Velvet, German Chocolate, & Chocolate Cloud cupcakes, Banana Bread with Nutella cake & Pistachio Icebox cake are on my list to hit next. To wash it all down they have illy coffee & homemade hot chocolates (homemade whipped cream &/or marsh-mellows optional) I'm becoming addicted to the Peppermint Hot Chocolate...it is actually even better tasting then it sounds.  homemade whipped cream or marsh-mellows.

The Little Cupcake Bakeshop is located at 30 Prince St in Soho & 9102 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn   

Black Swan: Girls Gone Crazy!

Guys if your significant other wants to see this movie...do not scoff & say "no way go see it with your girlfriends". This is no chick-flick...this is the one you want to suggest that the two of you go see. Say, it's by the guy who did the Wrestler...I like his stuff...so what if it's about ballet...that's just the setting for a well written well acted psychological thriller. Now I have to admit...I was sold on seeing this when I saw Natalie Portman making out with Mila Kunis in the trailer. Movie about ballet...who cares I'm in. Plus, it had a great cast & director. Did I mention Natalie & Mila making out?

So to make this spoiler free...Natalie plays Nina a ballerina in a major troupe in New York vying for the lead in the upcoming production of Swan Lake. The Director of the Production Thomas (played by an excellent Vincent Cassel) decides it's time to find a new star. He thinks Nina is a perfect White Swan....but questions if she has it in her to let go to play the Black Swan. Can he help her draw it out? In comes Lily played by Mila Kunis as the new free-spirited addition to the trope who is the flip side to Nina's uptight perfectionist. Throw Barabara Hersey in the mix as Nina's Mom who she still lives with & Winona Ryder as the head ballerina being put out to pasture & you get some scary good girls gone crazy performances.

Yes the themes of women's relationships, sexuality, aging etc...are all here, but make no mistake this is a tense taut expertly done psychological thriller that will keep you on edge. Plus did I mention the Nina-Lily scene...

Pan-American Review: Not your Padre's Cuban

A new Latin-American contender has entered the LES side's ring with a new twist. Pan-American adds & fuses Norte Americano flavor to it's Central & South American fare. I love Latin American food & I'm a big fan of Yuca, Rayuela, Poco & Yuerba Buena to name some favorites...but interestingly enough while Chino-Latino has been around for a while this is the first time that I've really seen Americana thrown into the mix (with the exception of serving American french fries w/Cubans everywhere else in town). A great example is their take on the Cuban sandwich. Along with roast pork, swiss & pickles they add Kentucky Bourbon ham & Mortadella to the mix & serve it cut into 4 triangles of thick toast. It came with some of the better yuca fries that I've had & comes with a really tasty homemade ketchup with some Latino flavor. Some other interesting twists include using buttermilk fried chicken in their Arroz con Pollo, a mint-horseradish-mojito sauce for their take on shrimp cocktail & monkfish w/jalapeno vinaigrette in their taco's.

The decor is pretty cool & with it's dark aqua walls, green glass bottles, long curving bar, & white seating had a SoBe Miami vibe in a good way. The staff was great & really friendly. I was lucky enough to be there during a photo shoot they were doing on their drink menu & my waitress/bartendress gave me the "models" to sample. One called a Monkey's Tail(Pisco & Kahlua) was an upscale adult version of a B-52 & the Espumante Mojito (updated w/Pyrat Rum & splash of Champagne) were both delicious & expertly made.

Pan-American is a welcome edition to the restaurant row of Mott Street located at 202 Mott btwn Spring & Kenmare & is open for Lunch, Dinner, Brunch & Drinks.

Diamonds are NOT forever...

Stop me if you've heard this one before... Boy meets girl. Boy & girl date...they fall in love...11 years later they decide to marry (if you're Irish or Italian & from Queens I know you think this sounds normal...but keep reading)...boy asks girl's Father for girl's hand in marriage (girls mentions boy should discuss ring with Future Father in Law) boy gets blessing (doesn't mention anything about ring...hey who discusses ring?!?) Boy goes out and drops $30K+ on off the charts ring (No the boy in question is not a Prince of a certain Kingdom of the United) girl loves it! Tells her parents. Her father has "little" talk with his future son -in -law...seems he is "slightly upset" over not being consulted over the ring. Demands...demands that $30K+ engagement ring is...drum roll please...DESTROYED!!! Not returned...re-cut...no family ring involved here...decimated. Why...to teach boy a lesson that he will remember about the importance of respect & following instructions (best of my knowledge the Psycho-Daddy-In-Law is not Sauron, a Russian Oligarch or Saudi Sheik...actually a practitioner of medicine). Girl agrees with daddy and understands Daddy's wishes. Mom to best of knowledge ignorant or silent on subject. Boy is in bit of conundrum as to what to do...but seems to be leaning towards wishes of future PSYCHO-In -Law.

To protect the guilty & insane I will simply say that this was a story relayed to me while sober by someone(s) equally sober that happen to be acquainted with the boy in the story. Why someone would suggest something so mind-bogglingly insane or why someone else would possibly agree is beyond me. Love may be blind...but just how off the rails is it? As for the conclusion to the story...

• Does boy destroy ring...& get new one?!?
• Does boy elope with girl?!?
• Does boy hire hit-man to take out psycho-in-law?!?
• Does boy run for the hills...
• Does boy return ring...donate $$$$$$$ to good cause & find new girl & potential in-laws?!?

Stay tuned same Bat-Shit day...same Bat-Shit time...more Bat-Shit action!!!