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.