New York Pizza & Subs (Vinton, VA)

 You knew it was coming, after a trip to NYC this is a great place for pizza comparison. Mentioned in the Ray's blog from New York, I present to you the New York Pizza in Vinton, VA. I have been here numerous times before, but never to give a critique. Looking back on this experience I would have to say it was great like always. The staff was friendly and the taking of our order was prompt. The only downside is the wait for the fresh pizza, but you can't rush greatness. The pizza pictured to the side is a slice of the White Pizza. Similar to the Ray's Pizza slice from NYC to bring final judgement between which is better. Ray's had spinach, feta cheese, and mozzarella cheese; while NY Pizza has mozzarella, ricotta, olive oil, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms. By far the NY pizza has a better taste and toppings were super fresh. The crust of the NY pizza tasted much better than Ray's and wasn't slightly chilled as found in NYC. Coming in at a 9 on the devouring scale, this place is great for pizza and should be considered for that particular craving. So what does all this mean? You don't have to leave Roanoke to get great NYC pizza, just head to NY Pizza and you will have a slice of Manhattan right in front of you.

The Olive Garden (Roanoke, VA)

When it comes to fine Italian food, this place is not on the top of my list. We decided to go to the Olive Garden with some friends, so I decided to break out my keen food senses. I had to remain unbiased, even though I truly think this place is over rated. The wait wasn't that bad, which was a shocker because this place is always busy. The salad and breadsticks were OK, but still the same bland taste you always get. The main course was a meal off the seasonal menu, the Carbonara Ravioli with Chicken. Stated on the menu as parmesan and pancetta-filled carbonara ravioli with pan-seared chicken in a creamy parmesan sauce. Looked good as you can see on the picture above, but yet again it was just OK. With fancy wording like that it should be pretty good not just OK! So like a typical Olive Garden experience it was just OK. Disappointing because I had hoped for a new light for this place, but really nothing has changed. Landing in at a dismal 4 on the devouring scale, this place should be a pass. I know many of you love the Olive Garden, but why? It is a sad excuse for Italian cuisine, and you can get better in the freezer section of the grocery store. So if you come here, just hit up the unlimited soup and salad. That is, by far, the best thing on the menu.

Qdoba Mexican Grill (SoHo, NYC)

When looking for a quick place to grab lunch before the bus left, Qdoba Mexican Grill seemed to be a good bet. Knowing what Moe's and Chipole had to offer, I thought that their counterpart may dish out some good eats. I decided upon the Queso Burrito (pictured above) with steak, queso sauce, black beans, cilantro lime rice, in a burrito shell. The overall taste was OK, nothing to write home to mom about. The seasoning for the steak was overpowering and the queso was too smoky from the fire roasted chilies. Disappointing experience due to the great ones had from their rivals. Hitting a 4 on the devouring scale, this is a place I would think twice before going to again. Rule of thumb though, bring antacids with you for the ride home. You will be thanking me later.

Little Cupcake Bakeshop (SoHo, NYC)

 Walking the streets in Greenwich Village, we came upon this cupcake shop and decided to stop in. Having such a good cupcake shop in town, I figured that this place could be a great out of the box experience. The decor of the Little Cupcake Shop was very quaint, and the service was prompt and friendly. However the final result of a classic yellow cake and chocolate was poor at best. Pricing was that of Bubblecake's, but the taste lacking. The cake was dry, not moist, and the icing had too much coca powder. Sad to say I will not be visiting this cupcake shop again due to taste. Falling in at a 2 on the devouring scale, this is yet another mistake on my New York adventure. So lesson learned and moving along for the next, more exciting place.

Ben Ash Delicatessan ( 7th Ave., NYC)

Well friends as you can see I went many places in the big city, and this place is one I wish I could have a do over. Not in a good way, but to go back to the Carnegie Deli across the street. Being close to our hotel this place seemed to call to me the whole time I was in NY, it looked promising with all those nice pastries that could be seen in the windows. Well, the last evening there I decided to try it out. Big mistake from the get go! Lesson One: If you are in NYC and a restaurant is mostly empty, don't go there!
Lesson Two: When you look on the menu and see that french fries for a side is $6, then beware!
Lesson Three: When the waiter states only 5% of the people that eat there are New Yorkers, red flag!
I hope that everyone can learn from those lessons, and apply them to big city food endeavors. Pictured above is the Brisket of Beef, Pastrami & Corned Beef sandwich. Looks pretty and comes with a side of cole slaw, but sadly no. It was just OK, nothing great and lacking flavor. I mean when I pay $20.95 for a sandwich I should get $20.95 worth in a sandwich. If you look back to the Carnegie Deli write-up you will see a mountain of sandwich and I only paid $18.75. Now that was a sandwich, this was not! Literally ten bites and done. Service was OK, a little creepy because of the waiter. So looking back I would say this was a forgetable experience, and receiving a 2 on the devouring scale. Please learn from my mistake and go to the Carnegie, even if you have to wait it is worth it. This place should be ashamed for using the name delicatessan in New York City. So folks steer clear and no matter how good it looks, it isn't that good. Promise!

Suzie's Finest Chinese Cuisine (SoHo, NYC)

While in the China Town area. I thought that I may be able to get a good bite of Chinese food. So walking the streets of SoHo I came upon Suzie's Finest Chinese Cuisine. A quaint shop located on Bleecker St., and with looking at the menu a very affordable restaurant. So like many Chinese place I like to order what is usually a house special, the General Tso's Chicken. That way I can compare taste and cooking styles. The great part about Suzie's is that you get a ton of extras that go with the meal. Starting off with bits of fried won-tons, duck sauce, and hot mustard. Followed by hot and sour soup, which had a great taste. Finishing off with the main course of the General's Chicken, white rice and egg rolls. Everything was very well done and prepared. the soup was excellent, the chicken was white meat and the Tso's sauce was superb. Would I say that this was the best Chinese food that I have ever eaten? No, but is is pretty close. Suzie's captivates me due to sheer quantity and taste but did not sway me from the love of the Red Palace. In the world of authentic Chinese food this rates tops, and gets a 9 on the devouring scale. So if you find yourself wondering the streets of Greenwich Village, grab your chopsticks and come hungry to Suzie's.

Sabrett Hot Dog Stand (Near Brooklyn Bridge, NYC)

What is the undoubtedly the food of NYC? The hot dog, of course! So on the walk back from the Brooklyn Bridge I thought it was no better time to enjoy this meaty masterpiece. Coming upon the Sabrett hot dog stand, at the corner near the walking entrance to the bridge, I knew they could satisfy my craving for this NYC staple. The bun was a little stale, but the taste of the hot dog was heightened by the spicy brown mustard. Overall it was a tasty hot dog, and did give me a look at the eclectic hot dog stand. Landing in at a 7 on the devouring scale, I would come back for another and maybe more around the city. So if you need a quick fix for food around the city stop in and grab a dog or two.

Sigmund Pretzel Cart (Outside the MET, NYC)

New York City has a great variety of food options, and for all you foodies out there that haven't been, Go! I mean you can literally find food on every corner, including in front of major museums. Located outside of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, sits this delectable Sigmund Pretzel cart. Filled with all different kinds of pretzel configurations, and the original salted or unsalted pretzel. So going out on a limb I selected the cinnamon raisin pretzel, and it was a great choice! Not a hard pretzel, but soft and it had a great balance of cinnamon and raisins. Dusted with pure cane sugar on top, it was the thing that put it over the top. Who knew that a pretzel cart could be so exciting, and the flavors were better than any pretzel chain. Falling in at a 9 on the devouring scale, the only draw back was that it was in a cart and not a store. In their defence. I wouldn't have come across this place if it wasn't a stand. So before spending many hours in the MET, grab a bite at the Sigmund Pretzel cart. It will fill you up and will not disappoint you, leaving a little extra change to buy a gift in the gift shop.

Pasticceria Rocco (SoHo, NYC)

 What goes better on a warm NYC night then sitting back with good company in SoHo in a nicely done bakery shop. Welcome to Rocco's, where if it is a baked good made from sugar it will most likely be found there. There isn't much seating in here, so hope to come at an off time. Also, glance quickly at the menu or your server may give you the cold shoulder. On this night things seemed to go well, except for how long we had to wait for our check. So on to the food; starting off with a piping hot (and small) cup of espresso. This small wonder could keep an entire office of people going and wake the dead! Now that is a serious cup of joe. With being in NYC, how could you not try a piece of authentic NY cheesecake? Pictured second, it was nice and thick like a good cheesecake should be. Topped with fresh ripe strawberries in a sugar glaze, just sheer perfection. I then choose another staple of the Big Apple, the cannolo (pictured last). A simple and delicious treat made from a fried pastry stuffed with a cream cheese and sugar mix, finished off at each end with chocolate chips and a light dusting of powdered sugar. Now how could you argue with a list like that? Everything about this pastry was just like it should be and was one of the better cannolis I have ever had. None the less I was quite full from my experience and granted Rocco's with an 8 only due to the wait from the check after it was clear that we were through

How Am I Doing?

So here is the chance for you, the consumer, to tell me how I'm doing. As with any of my blogs you will find a comments section at the bottom of the post. Feel free to tell me what's up or if the blog entry was helpful. Thanks for reading and keep looking for new updates. You never know when your favorite restaurant will show up!