Best Chilaquiles: The Cure for the Common Hangover...

    With all the "Best Of..." lists coming up now that Spring is attempting to be Sprung I thought I would put together a few off the beaten path starting with Chilaquiles. I love brunch & on a occasion a beverage or so... I discovered Chilaquiles some years back at Cafe Habana. I was looking for something different & the dish described on the menu as "broken up tortillas bathed in tomatillo sauce which I love & topped with chicken, crema, & cotija cheese(the goat-cheese they put on their corn)" had my name all over it & I loved it. At the time I just thought it was something they came up with & didn't realize that it was a Mexican mainstay hangover dish made with leftovers...(ever notice this being a recurring theme with many great dishes?)

    The term Chilaquiles means broken up sombrero & generally consists of broken up tortilla's drenched in a spicy sauce. Generally I've found it topped with shredded chicken, cheese & crema....but sometimes it has eggs & or steak. While I found it first with tomotillo sauce it is usually offered with a fiery red sauce as well(I think it started out that way). The following are some of the best I've found...

Barrio Chino - I love this little place & it has a great version made with a fiery & smoky chipolte red sauce with a choice of eggs or steak up top & black beans on the side. Have it with one of their great margarita's for some of the dog that bit you the night before...try the Habanero Grapefruit if you dare...

  
Cafe Habana - Where I first discovered this great dish. They do it as stated with  sauce & shredded chicken. For another $2 bucks & a protein boost get it Trucker Style (topped w/2 fried eggs). I usually go coffee here but if you're up for a beverage go with their Morita (exactly what it sounds like...combo of Mojito & a Margarita...muy bueno)

  
Hencho en Dumbo - One the one hand this one is served in a really tasty spicy sauce that really had the tortillas drenched in the sauce so that they really soaked it up compared to many of the others. It came topped with an egg & the menu said shredded chicken. Now in all fairness they were very good...but were a little too light on the chicken for me...mas pollo por favor
  
Papatzul- This place has been around a little while now (in the old Lucky Strike space) & I finally hit it this weekend (kicking myself I haven't been here before). While all the versions listed are great these might just be my favorite. They came in a choice of verde (tomatillo) or roja (poblano) topped w/shredded chicken, cheese & crema. What really made these stand out as good as they are on their own are the side sauces you can get (not listed as an option... I just asked about some I saw in other dishes & they gave me a couple). The jalapeno was day-glo lime green & pretty hot for the cucumber of hot spicy peppers. The drunken pasilla sauce was amazing! The best condiment bar none I've had recently...it was delicious & the sauce tasted like it was loaded. They had a good selection of margarita's but I went for Tamarind Aqua Fresca (Spanish for water refreshments blended usually with liquefied fruit) which was delicious & only $3 bucks for a large glass. I'll be back here to further investigate their menu.

    The average price at all the above locations is $12 (some charge an extra $2 bucks for chicken or eggs) & it's fairly filling. So next time you are looking for something a little different hungover or not give this tasty dish a whirl...



Barrio Chino is located at 253 Broome Street
Cafe Habana is located at 17 Prince

Hencho en Dumbo is located at 354 Bowery
Papatzul is located at 55 Grand Street

The Breslin Room - Greek Lamb Feta-Chee-Burgah...!

My brother recently (he is married w/kids & lives on Long Island*) read about the Greek Lamb burger at The Breslin Room & wanted to check it out. He's a big fan of them as is & read that this one was the best. He had a biz meeting in the city tonight so we met up at 7pm. I warned him that there might be a wait & he thought I was crazy "it's a Monday night who goes out on a Monday (see above*). Turned out the wait on a Monday night at 7pm (like who in NYC eats dinner at 7pm?!?) was only 30 minutes. We went into the Ace Hotels bar for a drink since I think it's an awesome space plus we can chill on the couches. Well the place was packed with all the coach space taken up & busy at the bar...plus two smoking hot hostesses were carrying clipboards & working the entrance to some event in the downstairs lounge. I asked him to to look at the space & crowd & said if I showed you a picture of this what night would you guess it was? He answered "Who the hell are all these people...do any of them work (again see above*)?"

The space is one of the better looking versions of a la Gastropub that I've seen which kinda makes sense it it comes from the same folks that run Spotted Pig. Once we sat down we both ordered up the infamous Lamb Burger (comes topped w/feta & red onion on a great bun) it also comes with the twrice cooked fries & a side of cumin mayo for the burger & fries. As a side we shared the broccoli & aged cheddar. It was all very good...the burger being especially juicy... my bro thought the lamb burger was the best he's had... I think a coin toss between this one & the one at Anthos. The thrice (3X) cooked fries were great but it was the broccoli & cheddar appi that I thought stole the show. Overall the menu is fairly limited with about a dozen appi's, 5 + specials entrees (I would like to see a few more entrees), a bunch of sides & a fair amount of desert puddings. Judging by what I saw of our fellow diners plates I'm guessing 80% + order the Lamb burger. For desert we shared the Dark Chocolate Brownie w/Salted Carmel Ice Cream in Bourbon sauce...very good & not as sweet as it sounds in a good way. The Breslin Room also has a great cocktail list & I went with their version of the love-child of a Michelada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelada) & a Bloody Maria (tequila instead of vodka) that they call Bitches Brew...they add Mescal to the mix & used Tecate in a can for the beer...classy plus beer in the can totally worked with the "Hmmmm am I an Williamsburg or is Williamsburg in da house" vibe going on at the Ace Hotel.

The Breslin Room - 20 W 29th St (btwn 5th & Bway attached to the Ace Hotel)

ObamaCare-Grade F...My Day at the Doc's

I recently had a wonderful experience at my Doctors office that I thought I would share. I was low on a prescription for an inhaler that I need on rare occasions (either the poison they release when heat & air ducts are re-opened or dust). I hardly ever need it now but sometimes I do & I'm going away on vacation so I thought better safe then sorry. I called my Doctors office for a renewal & was informed I has to come in. So, I figured fine at least he can see me on short notice...I'll jump on the subway, pay the co-pay for not even having to see him & pick it up at the DR across the street from me(since there is a DR, Chase, & Starbucks on every other street in NYC good luck figuring out where I live). I show up at the Doc's office & I'm asked if I want to pay the $100 at once or spread out? I'm like what, a $100...my copay is like $10?!? I don't even need to see him, I just need a refill on an existing prescription . I am informed that there is a $100 minimum off a $400 of this, that etc... Luckily my Doc is very good & agreed that this was insane & was able to fill my request. As it turns out that while my 1yr annual is still covered I have to meet a $100 deductible until healthcare kicks in. What the hell is the point of my company & I paying thousands of dollars a year if I'm going to have to pay a $100 just to walk in his office to meet a deductible!

Now this isn't the first time I have heard of a like change in one's healthcare plan this year. It seems many plans have. Now one of my good friends did point out that ObamaCare has not passed yet so it's not Obamacare but the horrible American Healthcare system (he lives in Canada....shout out Bro!) Well I have a feeling the Healhcare companies factored in O-care that has driven up all these charges vs. Obama seeing these changes coming but trying to get out in front of it. Sorry but I think....NOT. Especially since I have asked my Docs what my visits would be if I just paid them direct...hint only about a few hundred a years vs thousands...

Now don't me wrong...while I think ObamaCare is a disaster (yes with 2 or 3 very good provisions out of 2000 pages) & has to be repealed...the Healthcare companies are criminal institutions that charge exorbitant fee's due to the fact that Litigation in this country has become a national pastime & of course no Interstate trade...HELLO...free market economy anybody?!?

What sets me off is that if this is where things are going I don't want a Healthcare plan...I'll pay as I go...but ObamaCare is based on everyone pays or is fined. Again I don't care what your politics is but why pays thousands of dollars for hundreds of dollars of service & get hit for $100 a visit when you go to see a Doctor that is supposed to be covered by Healthcare!?!

PS...There is a silver lining to he story...along with not getting hit for the visit...my prescription cost under my Healthcare plan was....$0.00...let's repeal this thing before it goes to a $100 bucks a .03 cent pill:)

Mara's Homemade: Good Golly Miss Mara!

I stumbled upon Mara's Homemade (http://newyork.nearsay.com/nyc/chelsea/restaurants-beer-bourbon-bbq-festival-bacon-hot-sauce-popcorn-whiskey-bubbys-wild-turkey-tasting-class) at the Beer-Bourbon-BBQ festival last month where I had their awesome Grits w/Bacon, Cheese, & Jalapenos. I figured that they must be from down south & googled them...well it turns out that they are...if you live north of 6th street & Ave A... I then passed by them on my way to meet some friends for drinks in the area & when I saw Mara's Homemade's menu I knew I had to hit this place.

Last week one of my best friends Paul was in from out of town on a business trip & wanted to catch up. As usual we had to make a stop at McSorleys so he could pay homage to the Beer Gods...from there we popped in at the 13th Step for a beer & catch the Knicks pre-game show (the college crowd on the prowl)...then it was time to eat. He asked me where next...threw a few choices at him & when he checked out Mara's Homemade on-line his eyes lit up...so we headed on over. While it was busy on a Thursday night they were abe to squeeze us in (literally).

We started with Andygator beers from Abita & then started go through the menu...which for the record I hate...as in I hate it because there are so many choices jumping off the page trying to get in my belly (I mean pre-abs in training)! There are not only loads of appi's & main dishes primarily w/seafood...but then there is an entire section of BBQ on the next page. Don't even get me started on the full page of deserts on the back of the menu...

We started with the Crawfish Mac & Cheese (very tough craw-choice between this & the stuffed bread or cheesecake...not counting the craw boils) which was loaded w crawfish tails & delicious (a piece on like delights... Crustaceans w/Mac & Cheese will be forthcoming)! From there we both decided to stay healthy & go with some nice good for you Catfish. Paul went Creole that was in a as he described awesome buffalo wing like sauce w/tomatoes, onion & collard greens. After the 2CheeseCrawMac I needed to go green & healthy so I went with the Josh...lightly cornmeal dusted & flash-fried, covered in gulf coast shrimp & crawfish that were smothered in a spicy cheese sauce...with collard greens on the side...thus healthy & green:) I washed the rest of this down with another beer. We never quite made it to dessert...though the Red Velvet Cake & Bluegrass Pie did sound pretty awesome...my Heart told my stomach where it could go while my brain was screaming at my heart to shut up.Appi's are in the $5-12 range, entrees average $22 & deserts clock in at $7.00 I'm amazed that we can get Cajun/Creole this good outside of the Big Easy so like the man said...I'll be back...fo sho...true dat!

Mara's Homemade - located at 342 E 6th Street (btwn 1st & 2nd Ave)

Michael Andrews Bespoke

I am neither blessed with the 40 suit/32 inch waist physique of a male model nor cursed with a pear shaped flat butted beer belly of a pregnant guy. Yet it seems that these are the two types that the Menswear industry seems to cater to. Of course I'm sure many if not most of you buy your suits off the rack with some alterations & have physiques that are far from average. The thing is I simply cannot ...have not been able to since shortly after college. I cannot take advantage of a certain purple colored dinosaurs namesakes bi-annual sales, nor a guys-house-o-guys outlet. Nope...due to a combo of genetics & some time in the gym I'm more suited to wear chain-mail, w/a round shield strapped to my back with a battle-axe slung over my right shoulder. Not exactly ideal for meetings in Corporate America.

For many years I had a great tailor...but he was no young pup when I started going to him & most of his staff were also of a past generation. In time he & his partners retired & one of my longest & deepest relationships came to an end. Just finding another tailor is not a no-brainer...while there are many to choose from you really need to find the right fit so to speak.

It was through a combo of Google & guts that I came upon Michael Andrews Bespoke. Something about the website, what it said they were about & the fact that they were on one of my favorite streets at the time Clinton in the LES (due to the success of the business Michael has re-located to Soho) said I need to check this place out. When I came upon the address  I rang the bell & descended down a flight of stairs & found myself in a blue walled labyrinth & thought I stumbled unto a secret entrance to the Bat-Cave. When the door opened I felt like I was transported to small high-end Men's store on Madison Ave.

After a meeting to discuss what I was looking for Michael the owner decided that he was going to need to build me "mock-suit" to figure out how to best work with my "challenges" (not H-back of Notre Dame issues but sloping shoulders & deep pecs are not a good combo for a suit). After some work, trial & error & a lot of patience on Michael & his teams part he totally nailed the suit & it fits like a glove. Aside from it's great fit it is also the attention to detail like working button holes, metal buttons, a checkered interior & winged lapels (suits start at $895 & up...my range including all the extras was on;y $1195) which make MAB suits such a great value while fitting & looking so damn good. I mention these because Michael caters both to those of us who need custom cut & those that do not need it, but want a better fit & things like choice of interior, pockets, buttons, lapels, etc... Michael also does great shirts ($165 & up) with again your choice of collars, cuffs, colored buttons, etc... In addition Michael carries ties, cuff-links, socks, etc...& also does custom shoes out of Italy($850 & up).

I am currently awaiting my new gray "Mad Men" suit (my midnight blue suit is my Bruce Wayne suit) & instead of getting Spring shirts from my usual spots will be going custom. Also of note is the decor of MAB that has a modern upscale Men's club  look which is cooler then most lounges & has a far better stocked bar to mull over which pattern & colors to go with...

Comic Book Justice

Where do we get our sense of Right & Wrong...? Our parents & family of course...School, Religious Institutions...a combination I'm sure...but why do some of us embrace Rule of Law while others myself included have more of a sense of Justice. They are not one & the same.

Law - is a system of rules and guidelines, usually enforced through a set of institutions"Law should govern"

Justice - is the concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, fairness, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics

 To help put this in perspective do you think someone like  Mohamar Qaddafi should be arrested & tried by International Law & face incarceration & rehabilitation or do you think his palace should be stormed & that he & his sons should be strung up in public?

While watching an interview of Nathan Filson (Castle, Firefly) he mentioned how he read comics as a kid & they gave him this strong sense of right & wrong...an "overdeveloped sense of justice" his world formed by "comic book justice". Being a comic book "geek" I guess I must have picked up some of that as well. My Dad was more the type who believed in justice & I have noticed that my Niece & Nephew have always been fascinated by good guys vs bad guys (I tackled this in one of my earlier blogs http://hunter-funemployment.blogspot.com/2009/10/anakin-skywalker-conundrum.html) Maybe a strong sense of justice is something hard-wired into some of us...while evil or wrong is in others. For those of you who thinks comics are for kids & geeks...you clearly never read any. They are written at the college level vs. the NY Times which is written at the Jr High level. No worries if you can't tackle the big words & literary & historical references...you'll be waiting on line this summer to watch movies based on them. Furthermore, while not a devout religious person...many of the stories in the Bible center more on Justice then rule of Law (plus is the origin of Superman anything more then a retelling of the story of Moses in the basket & how many Jesus resurrection stories are there...)  I'm not knocking the Rule of Law & it's importance in our society. It's just that laws & legal systems can be manipulated while Justice requires moral conviction. It's maybe why when W made comments like "with us or against us", Axis of Evil" &"Wanted Dead or Alive" I agreed with him & saw what he meant. It's why when I hear Eric Holder make comments about trying 9/11 Islamic Terrorists as criminals in civilian count in New York City I light on fire...