200 W 44th St
We came here based on a mobile search on Google places. After visiting MoMA, we were hungry and were looking for a place to eat. Using the app, we limited our search to places that cost $$ or less per person, and was rated 4 stars or higher according to the reviews. One of the suggestions was Carmine's. It was described as a family style Italian restaurant with huge portions. We got to the restaurant and took a look at the menu. Pasta dishes were about $25+, and salads were around the same. Being one of the first places we ate at in New York, we thought that if this place was 2 dollar signs out of 4, food was going to be pretty darn expensive here! We thought that "family style" meant family friendly, but we soon learned that all menu items were meant to be shared between a family of 3-4! Because there were only two of us, we kept to 2 dishes: a plate of angel hair pasta with meatballs ($26.50) and the Carmine's special salad ($25).
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| Tasty basket of bread |
We were then brought a nice basket of a variety of breads. When our meal came, of course the salad and pasta were served on huge platters. I wish I had taken some pictures of the entire dishes or with something in comparison for scale! The salad was delicious and I really liked the grilled eggplant and grilled carrots! The sweetness of the vegetables really came out upon grilling. The pasta was also tasty and the meatballs were huge! We weren't able to finish our meal. Luckily, our hotel room had a fridge and a microwave and we ate the leftovers for breakfast. Even after breakfast, there was enough food left for one more serving. Part of me wishes we could have tried the dessert, but I was afraid an order would constitute a whole cake, which would have been too excessive!
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| carmine's.special.salad |
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| Angel hair pasta with meatballs. I wish you can see how big this platter was (those were serving-sized utensils! |
I would recommend making a reservation as it is in the heart of the Theatre District and we had to wait about half an hour for a table for 2.
4/5
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Ichi Umi
6 E 32nd St
We were told to visit Ichi Umi (an all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant) by our friend Jackie, who was in New York about a month before us. They had small pieces of nigiri and maki, which was a good thing because it allowed me to sample as many different types as possible. They offered a huge selection in their buffet with some non-typical selections of maki, including some with cream cheese, bacon, or pineapple (not together!). They was no sashimi because they don't serve it at lunch. There was a large selection of salads (both Western and Japanese), hot foods (Japanese and Chinese), and desserts. Being a cake lover, I liked how they had mini 1" x 1" cakes in several fruity flavors so that I could try them all (not quite).
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| Ichi Umi buffet - so many choices! |
A lunch at Ichi Umi is $18.95, dinner is $28.95, and if you visit on a Friday, Saturday, or holiday, there is a $3 surcharge. I would go back to Ichi Umi as the price and selection is much better than what we would get in Edmonton, but I would also be willing to try out other Japanese places in NYC.
4/5
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Mad for Chicken/Turntable
314 5th Ave
Both Josh and Daniel insisted that we try the Korean fried chicken at Mad for Chicken. Its other name is known as Turntable because it's also a bar with a DJ. We split a platter of wings between the 4 of us. I was amazed at how crispy the chicken was, as it was deep fried and then covered in spicy sauce. After a few, my mouth was dying though. The spice was a little too much for me. I tried relieving my mouth with Asahi, which we ordered a 3 L tower of. In addition to being mesmerizing, the tower kept the beer from getting too flat and warm too quickly.
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| korean.fried.chicken |
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| tower.of.beer |
One thing about this restaurant is that they accept cash or American Express only. That was a first for me as an Amex user, as numerous places I go to refuse Amex.
3/5
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Shake Shack
154 E 86th St
Our trip to Shake Shack was based on a recommendation by Andrew's friend Daniel. After a stroll through Central Park, we went to the Shake Shack located in the Upper East Side
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| shake.shack |
We both ordered the SmokeShack - a cheeseburger topped with applewood smoked bacon, cherry peppers, and ShackSauce ($6.25). While the burger tasted good, I didn't like the feel of the buttered bun, as I get into a bit of a frenzy at times when my hands get greasy. We also ordered the Cheese Fries ($3.65). Our cashier gave us the option of having the blend of cheddar and American cheese sauce either on top of the fries, or on the side. When we couldn't decide, he advocated for the sauce on the side, which we agreed to. When we got our order, we saw that the fries were crinkle-cut, and we were both skeptical on how much we would like them. But as it turns out, we loved them! Normally, we don't like crinkle cut fries because they end up being too soggy, but these ones were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The sauce on the side was an excellent idea since we didn't have to get sauce on our fingers while reaching for the fries.
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| SmokeShack burgers, fries, and cheese sauce |
To drink, we had a large Fresh-Brewed Ice Tea ($2.40). I wish we had more of this stuff available in Canada. Being a tea-lover and I love the fresh and pure taste of unsweetened tea (both hot and iced). Lastly, we shared a shake in the flavor of a black and white cookie ($5). It was extremely rich and I'm relieved we shared one. I'm not sure if I could handle another one of these shakes in the future!
Shake Shack was the second American burger joint I dined at this year (the other was In-N-Out Burger) based on how much friends have been raving about them. I found that Shake Shack was far superior to In-N-Out Burger.
3.5/5
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