I had the famous upside down Sicilian slice, which is unique because the cheese is under the sauce, directly on the dough.
This was awesome, and it definitely lived up to the hype. The dough itself was a little dense, but not enough to feel very heavy. It had a nice crisp on the outside. I also thought $4 was high, but not out of step with what other popular pizza joints are charging for a regular slice these days. And a Sicilian slice always feels more substantial than a regular slice.
The regular slice was … well … regular. You could get something on par with this at almost any NYC slice joint in town.
That said, it was still good to above average.
For dessert, the classic spumoni, of course. I got the small size for $5, which consists of chocolate, pistachio and cherry flavors.
This place is iconic, and an absolutely legendary NYC institution. I highly recommend a visit, especially on a nice summer day when you can sit outside.
L&B SPUMONI GARDENS
2725 86th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11223
I stopped in this little joint as I was riding around Sunset Park, and I have to say I was impressed!
I ordered a margarita slice and a grandma slice, and I had the guy warm them slightly and slice for me, so I could shovel them down my throat faster without getting shit in my beard.
I think I liked the grandma slice SLIGHTLY better, but both were awesome. Nice sauce, not too sweet, great crisp on the crust without being dry. I’d go back.
I finally got a chance to try Roberta’s, and I have to say it was good!
I tried the pepperoni slice, and the “fire and ice” slice. I think I preferred the “fire and ice,” which seemed to be fresh burrata and Calabrian chili “bomba” style sauce. Incredible! Great crust, no flop, quality toppings.
20 Grams Cafe is a little burger joint that operates above the Jubilee grocery store over on West Street in Greenpoint. It became popular because they sell burgers for just $2. Specifically, Hamburgers for $2.15 and cheeseburgers for $2.55. How do they do it? It’s basically a 2 or 3 ounce patty with sliced onions, similar to the Motz smash burger at Hamburger America, only smaller and cheaper, with less of a toasty bun.
I liked it so much I went back the next day and ate two more. The tots are also really good, and you get a bunch for just $3.
I had heard good things about this place from a few different people recently, so I had to go give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised! First, watch my Ride & Review on YouTube below. Then read on!
Flavor: 8
We had the bone-in dry-aged rib eye, and the dry-aged t-bone. Both had a really nice char on the outside from the broiler, and both were just slightly over medium-rare. They were both really juicy, though, so that made up for any slight overcooking. Both were on the mild side for dry-aged flavor, but they both packed a punch for beefy, satiating flavor in general. I give the rib eye a 9/10, and the t-bone a 7/10, bringing the overall score to an 8/10.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9
Everything here is Certified Angus Beef brand (typically prime) and dry-aged. They cover all of the major cuts in various sizes, with shared steaks coming to the table in “sizzling plate” format.
Portion Size & Plating: 10
The portions are great here. Our sides were quite large, and the appetizers were big too. The plating is standard clean white elegance, cast iron skillets, etc.
Price: 8
Some stuff here is really well priced, like the cocktails, whiskey pours, apps, sides, desserts… especially when figuring in the price. But the steaks themselves are at midtown prices despite the “mom and pop” nature of the place and the neighborhood.
Bar: 5
Sadly, I had to dock some points here because there is actually no place to sit at the bar. It is a service-only bar with no stools. Our table was beside it, though, so we got a good look at their bottle selections. They have a really awesome spirits list, and they made some great cocktails, so don’t let the score here deceive you.
Specials and Other Meats: 9
There were no real specials read to us, but they offer lamb, chicken, duck and numerous other interesting proteins that I’d like to come back and try. Next visit, we are definitely getting the bacon (had to be 1.5″ thick for $18 – like a steak in itself), the roasted duck legs (plural, for $39), and the lamb chops (looked like four per plate).
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9
We started with the escargots, which were served in a really nice creamy mushroom broth/gravy, and had to have at least a dozen snails in the order. A great deal.
The steak tartare was a little bit too finely minced or ground, but the flavor was great, as was the portion size.
The roasted potatoes with peppers and onions were also a massive portion size, but the only negative here was that the dill was a little bit overpowering. It did smell nice though.
The sautéed spinach and mushrooms side was soupier than I expected, but really nicely flavored. This was just the right side for the steaks in my opinion.
For dessert, we had a scoop of espresso ice cream (very nice and creamy), the chocolate mousse cake (perfect thickness, richness and you could tell it was homemade instead of pre-purchase from a box like many midtown steak joints give), a glass of Hakushu 12yr ($30) and a double espresso. The double espresso was the only bad item of the entire meal. it tasted like burnt bean water.
Seafood Selection: 7
This was a rare occasion in which we tried absolutely no seafood. I saw the shellfish coming out though, and it all looked nice. Next time we will definitely delve into their raw bar selections and broader seafood entree menu.
Service: 10
Service was excellent. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and super helpful/attentive without being pushy, annoying or intrusive.
Their table bread is similar to Luger’s style – a stuffed onion roll.
Ambiance: 8
For a small neighborhood mom and pop joint, they really did a great job with making the place feel like an old-timey, age-old steakhouse that’s been there forever. It’s been there since 2010, and in that time it has established itself as a staple for the neighborhood drawing in weekly regulars as well as exploratory outsiders like us.
I will definitely be back for more!
AMBER STEAKHOUSE
119 Nassau Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
Some foodie friends from Instagram gathered for a taco crawl of Sunset Park’s best and most price friendly selections.
First was Tacos el Bronco. There’s a sit down spot on 4th Ave and 44th Street, but we hit the food truck nearby. We did a beef tongue taco and veal head taco. The veal head was slightly better since it was sort of stewed, and had more flavor. The tongue needed a hint of salt.
Next up was Don Pepe Tortas & Jugos. Here we tried a watermelon juice, the special “arab” beef taco, which was spicy and delicious, and a cemita (grilled sandwich). The arab taco was the winner here.
For the last spot, we went to a hidden speakeasy restaurant in the back of La Union Deli Grocery (Mi Pequno Chinantia). Here we tried a goat taco and mixed meat pork taco. The mixed meat was the king here. The goat was a little too gamey for us. We also has some tamales here too. The verde was really delicious.
TACOS EL BRONCO
Food Truck
5th Avenue at 37th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11232
DON PEPE TORTAS & JUGOS
3908 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11232
LA UNION DELI GROCERY CORP
(MI PEQUNO CHINANTIA)
4011 5th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11232
This joint serves up great pub food for a great price. I came here with a gang of miscreants late night after a whiskey event in Industry City, and I must say: Salty Dog did not disappoint.
I shared the fried chicken sandwich and burger with my wife. Both great. Excellent onion rings and fries too.
I took my wife to Ume for her birthday. This place serves an Omakase set of 12 pieces for $73.
Everything is really delicious, but my favorite three bites were the red snapper (center, with broccoli florette), the fatty tuna belly, (bottom center, with truffle) and the quail egg with crispy fish skin (center right).
We also grabbed this “literally everything don” bowl, which was better than the actual omakase (and more killing) for just $60.
Really enjoyed that.
A few negative things to note here: the enclosed outdoor garden area is too cold for winter dining. They leave the door open between the inside area and the garden, so even if you’re sitting inside, you’re going to be cold. To make matters worse, they double down on that chill factor with their “no shoes” concept (my toes were icy). Sitting on the floor isn’t too comfortable either but I’m not really gonna complain about that. I didn’t mind it so much.
Tsuta is the world’s first Michelin starred ramen joint.
It just opened this past Friday, so there was a line when my friend and I showed up to try it. We waited about 1.5hrs in the bitter cold, but once that ramen hit our lips, it was worth it.
I tried the spicy mala tonkotsu ramen, which had a nice tingly broth from the Szechuan peppercorns that are infused in it. All of their noodles are soba, which I was initially worried about because I generally prefer egg noodles with thick broth ramen. But these noodles were perfect, and they went well with the rich, spicy broth.
This was $20 for the regular sized bowl. It comes with one slice of chashu pork. I added the seasoned soft boiled egg for an additonal $4.
Our apps came out after the ramen, which wasn’t so bad considering the place was brand new and absolutely slammed. Some of my friends who also went complained of even worse problems. Of these, the chicken was probably the best, but I’d rather share a second bowl of ramen than get these again.
Next visit, I’ll have to try their signature bowls (shio and shoyu), which feature truffle oils.
