Posts Tagged ‘greenwich village’
Joy Burger in Greenwich Village
Veggie burger from Joy Burger
For years, I’ve been on the search for a quality, veggie burger. The city has quite a few burger joints to choose from and even more have been popping up recently. I’ve ventured out to them to try their offerings for those of us that observe certain dietary restrictions, or just want to give our palates some veggie-lovin’.
No matter how much I’ve appreciated the restaurants’ retro themed décor, I’ve found that veggie burgers at many of these places don’t quite match up to the savory goodness of the other items on the menu. More often than not, I resort to drowning my pre-made patty in ketchup, as to disguise its rubbery and at times, tasteless, quality.
I’ve explored my local supermarket’s stock of frozen veggie burgers also, but even those Boca Burgers weren’t hitting the spot for me. And so, it was with somewhat low expectations that I wandered into Joy Burger, near the NYU area.
Popbar in Greenwich Village
Ok, I know I’ve had my rant about good and bad gelato earlier but regardless, I have been DYING to visit Popbar downtown. Well, mostly because the big posters of the gelatos-on-a-stick-covered-with-nuts-and-chocolatey-goodness look sooo appealing, but also because I’m always passing by it when I’m in the area to eat (which is often….Noodle Bar, Joe’s Pizza, Kati Roll…mmmm).
Popbar
The thing is, every time I’m done eating at any of the aforementioned places, I’m stuffed. So, I always think to myself “next time.” That’s not without re-routing my way home just to intentionally pass by and stare at the dessert boutique longingly. That’s kind of what happened this time, but I was with friends. We just finished up a fantastic meal at Noodle Bar, and afterwards, I wanted to give them a mini tour of all the places I love to eat in the area (what? that’s totally normal). At the end, I point to Popbar: “And, I haven’t tried thisss place yet, but it looks amazing so let’s just go inside and look at the ice cream.” Again, totally normal.
Popbar display
Right away, my friends just looked at each other and were like, “Why do you want to stop in if you’re not going to eat anything?” Which is when I get all shifty-eyed: “Oh, you know, it just looks so good, doesn’t it? I swear I REALLY don’t have room for any though…” But I guess they weren’t having it… “So you always pass by but never had it? That’s it. We’re going to buy some NOW!” By the way, I just realized how creepy/stalkery this post makes me sound…passing by an ice cream store just to stare at it from a distance? I know how this might sound, but I do that with food.
Dipping in nuts
Pastas at Patsy’s – Greenwich Village
If you ever need a quick solution for a group dinner, the family style portions of Italian dishes Patsy’s (a chain in NYC) are not only generous but just so delicious. On a recent visit, my friends wanted to order the Penne alla Vodka, but I was rooting for the Pappardelle alla Toscana (pappardelle with sun-dried tomatoes, wild mushrooms, aged parmigiano and pecorino cheese in a creamy sauce). I lost over a game of rock, paper, scissors though and we ordered the penne. I was actually surprised at how tasty the seemingly simple dish was. I normally find some of the Italian restaurants to be more of the same, but here, I think the brick-oven pizzas and pastas are quality, not too expensive, and FILLING. A great combo.
Penne alla vodka, $33
Spinach ravioli, $33
Burgers at Corner Bistro
By Burger Guy
Corner Bistro
I haven’t been in NY long enough to visit my favorite food places since July. Yesterday, I was really craving some Joe’s Pizza, so I went downtown and had a burger at Corner Bistro instead [Editor's Note: If he read Shy's review, he would have known this already].
This place is well hyped among burger afficionados. Hype being the key word there. For six bucks and change you get a nice plump patty on a soft bun. The meat’s cooked pretty much perfectly and its really tasty. This is a decent burger. I don’t get the hype though…people wait outside for hours to get into this place. It makes no sense. Save yourself the trouble, it’s not all that. Not saying it’s bad, but I wouldn’t travel far to get it. Calm down guys.
The Little Owl in the West Village
Little Owl
Inside
No, it’s not just you. It just occurred to me too that I’ve been spending a lot of time in the West Village lately! I’m making no excuses for it though — it really has some of the cutest restaurants.
Brunch at The Cornelia Street Cafe & delicious gelato in Greenwich Village
I guess I’ve been spending a lot more time in Greenwich/West Village. It’s not my fault they have such cute brunch spots! The Cornelia Street Café is no exception in terms of aesthetic — it’s an inviting, chatty cafe with a very neighborhood feel and outdoor seating for sunny days. They change up the artwork monthly (when we went, it was lined with Martin Silverstein paintings). I found out later the cafe has a pretty interesting history — it was opened by three artists in 1977 and doubled as a restaurant and performing theater. People come by to read poetry, play jazz, or even cabaret. It’s now considered an NYC cultural landmark with about 700 shows a year. Unfortunately, I didn’t really feel like the food we ordered lived up to the ambiance.
Huevos Rancheros
My friend Shahla and I wanted to split something savory and something sweet, so we went for the Huevos Rancheros (fried eggs with black beans, cheddar cheese, salsa cruda, creme fraiche and corn tortillas, $10). I just didn’t feel like it had a lot of taste…we did order it with egg whites though, so that may be part of the reason. But it was a small portion as well. The buttermilk pancakes were a little better.
