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!

Carnegie Deli (7th Ave, New York, NY)

Quite possibly the world's most famous deli, the Carnegie boasts pictures and autographs from many famous people and entertainers from around the world. This wasn't the reason for my stop though, I knew that NYC would have a great corn beef and pastrami sandwich somewhere and I could smell it two blocks away. Located on 7th Ave. you can't I mean CAN'T pass up this place. Slow roasted corn beef and pastrami on wheat bread piled high and held together with two chopsticks. Now that is what I call a sandwich, but they call it a "Woody Allen" (pictured right). I found out later that this was the medium size for this sandwich, there is a bigger one. I couldn't even finish that medium, what if.... The prices here are equivalent to what you get, and even though this sandwich cost $18.75, it was worth every penny. The service was good and slightly entertaining, and the overall experience was great. With all these great aspects, and eating in a great NYC staple this place gets a 10 on the devouring scale. So come one, come all to experience the wonder of some of the best corn beef and pastrami you will ever taste.

Ray’s World Famous Pizza (Seventh Avenue, New York City )

So in the event you decide to travel with the food maestro, you may have an opportunity to guest blog on here. So with no further waiting I give you Ms. Ruth Anne Potts and her view on Ray's Famous Pizza.

    They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but absence wasn’t necessary for my heart to grow fond of Ray’s World Famous Pizza! From the first slice of veggie pizza that I ate the Thursday we arrived in New York City, my taste buds began to tingle, and I knew I would be coming back for more. Little did I know I would be coming back for more on Friday…Saturday…and even Sunday morning for breakfast. After all, Ray’s World Famous Pizza is conveniently open 24 hours a day.

    As customers choose their slice of Ray’s World Famous Pizza, it is heated up in an oven for a few minutes, warming it to that just-right temperature and giving the thin crust a perfect level of crispiness while still maintaining a sweet chewiness. The fresh toppings on Ray’s World Famous pizzas add unique flavoring, with no two pizzas ever quite being the same. But the secret to Ray’s pizza, the reason why it had me coming back for me each and every day, lay in the spot-on tomato sauce. The Italian influences in NYC surely pay off in making this to-die-for sauce. And Ray’s isn’t frugal with its sauce…something I am forever grateful for! While Ray’s World Famous Pizza cost me between $6-9 for a slice of pizza and a Diet Coke (depending on the type of pizza I chose), I was completely content with the price. It’s a whole lot better than the $23 grilled cheese sandwich meal I pretty much threw away to get a slice at Ray’s!

    While you may read Rick’s review of Ray’s World Famous Pizza and believe it leaves much to be desired, please keep in mind that no taste buds are exactly alike. And while Rick gave Ray’s a 5 on the devouring scale, I must give it an overwhelming 10! I mean, look at the picture! I was always so eager to stuff my face that I never even remembered to pause for a moment to snap a shot for you!
So if you find yourself in New York City, do yourself a favor and stop by Ray’s World Famous Pizza on Seventh Avenue. Your taste buds will thank you, and you, my friend, will thank me!

By Ruth Anne Potts

Special thanks to Rick Horne for allowing me the opportunity to complete this guest food review on Contemplatively Consuming!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4