Burgers on CRACK: Grill Em' All Food Truck

 WARNING: this post contains obscenely good burgers. Just preparing you.  

As I was doing some research for a project at work, I stumbled upon Burger Conquest, a blog alllll about burgers and their promotion of "Grill Em' All's Victory Lap in NYC". If you've seen The Great Food Truck Race on Food Network, you would have seen the crazy antics of this food truck across the United States and ultimately to New York City where they won the race and a smooth $50,000. Naturally, when I found out they were coming back to New York and that it would be the weekend my parents were coming to visit, so began to devise a plan. We ended up have a late sunday commute into the city, with our first stop being Rub BBQ on 23rd to pick up a Grill 'Em All burger. It was a good thing we had gotten there right at 1:00 pm, because by the time 1:30 rolled around there was a line down the street waiting to taste this food truck glory. We waited about 45 minutes before being seated, from which we ordered one of each of their specialty burgers: The Behemoth, The Blue Cheer, and The Pantera. Menacing names for menacing burgers. We also ordered some fries and a beer milkshake. Yes, a milkshake with beer in it. Let that one sink in. Let me tell you--- they did not disappoint. Although they successfully put me and my parents in a food coma for the rest of the day, it was worth it. Here's the breakdown by burger:

The Pantera: Beef and pulled pork patty with deep fried mac&cheese, house cured bacon and a garlic aioli

 What I liked: Hi. Do you see this burger? there's fried macaroni and cheese on it. and bacon. Thick-cut, crunchy, fatty, bacon. Its probably a heart attack on a bun, but we live in the land of the Doubledown. We brought it upon ourselves. And I'm not hating it. The burger was bangin'. All I can say.

What I didn't like: I'm not the biggest fan of pork. Its just a preference. I've never really yearned for a pulled pork sandwich, so I don't really yearn for this either. But it was still awesome, I just probably wouldn't order it off the top of my head.

The Blue Cheer: Cranberry gastrique, Maytag blue spread, potato chips

 What I liked: This was everyone's favorite burger at the table-- I got to talk to both Matt and Ryan from Grill 'Em All after, and they said it was one of their favorites as well. The flavors just work together so well-- the sweetness of the cranberries with the slight tangy-ness of the blue cheese and the crunch of the potato chips-- it was ideal. Also, I think this was my favorite actual patty of meat-- I'm not sure what it was but it was seasoned so well and cooked to perfection. This was the belle of the ball.
What I didn't like: Nothing. I wish I had only gotten this for myself and I could have eaten the whole thing.

The Behemoth: Grilled cheese buns, smoked cheddar,  applewood smoked bacon, beer soaked onions

Let me just preface this in saying that this had been in my mind what I was most excited to try. On the show, everyone raved about the behemoth-- I don't know if that was because the burger was so good or just the mad scientist idea of making a burger with grilled cheese buns. Either way, I knew I had to order it just to say I did. 

What I liked: I've said it before-- I love cheese. All kinds. Doesn't matter. I haven't found a cheese I didn't like. If I was stuck on a desert island and all I had was a fridge full of different cheeses, I would never leave. So grilled cheese is obviously an ideal sandwich for me. And Grilled cheese with a cheeseburger? Duh. It was cheesy goodness. Once again, the bacon was crisp and delicious, and the burger was ideal. 

What I didn't like: I don't think I'm a fan of the whole beer soaked onion thing, but thats just because I don't really like beer. They gave an odd flavor accent to the burger that definitely stood out among the other ingredients, but it didn't put it over the top for me. This burger also was the burger that pushed my cholesterol over the edge and put me into a sloth-like daze, so at that point I had to put it down and take a break.

Black Chocolate Beer Milkshake: vanilla ice cream, Shiner black beer, chocolate

I just thought I would add this as well, for all who didn't know what a beer milkshake would look like. There it is. Again, I don't love beer, and it really had beer in it, so I wasn't dying to slop one of these up on the weekends. But I will admit it was good. 

Overall, It was a good time. The parentals and I walked it off in central park post-burger coma, and then we headed to the parent's weekend party at my house. I'm glad I got to share my family weekend with such an awesome trio of burgers. One point-- they are based out of LA, so if you're in the area, go to www.grillemalltruck.com and see what this scary goodness is all about! 

Also, don't forget to check out Burger Conquest-- without their post, I would have never known! To see their posts on the event, go to burgerconquest.blogspot.com 

Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

The Most Dangerous Combination: Artichoke Pizza

Artichoke signature slice: Spinach and artichoke sauce with mozzarella cheese

First, I would like to apologize for the lack of posting! It's been a busy couple weeks, but the upside to this is that I have a lot to post! My parents came to visit last weekend, which turned into an adventure that should have been called "Lets go find every awesome food place we can find and eat everything". Basically. Anywho, today I am talking about one of the most decadent creations I have ever heard of-- the signature slice at Artichoke. For those of you not familiar with Artichoke, it started as a little hole in the wall in the East Village, serving up humongous slices of glory late into the night. They just opened their second location with a full dining room on the west side at 17th and 10th (and guess who works a block away?! THIS GIRL). After a brief description of their pizza by my friend/fellow intern/ foodie-in-crime Andrea, we planned our first Friday lunch outing (now deemed "Foodie Fridays" and the one thing I can always look forward to each week :) and that first outing was to Artichoke.

Here's the thing: when you have things that are incredibly delectable on their own, and you merge them into one, it can either go horribly wrong or create an indescribable right. The latter happened when Artichoke created their signature slice: Pizza + Spinach and Artichoke Dip= God's gift to New Yorkers.

After getting down from the proverbial cloud I end up on from just thinking about this pizza, I need to be frank for a second-- this is NOT your stereotypical New York pizza. the crust is thicker and more fluffy with a good crust on the bottom (It reminds me of a pizza place back in Cleveland that I actually don't like, but it works with the artichoke pizza) and there is no tomato sauce. But if you love cheese, spinach and artichoke dip, and bread all rolled into one, you'll be good to go. I have also heard great things about their crab slice (All I know really is that there is crab involved) but have yet to try it. Until I get to try that, here's what I thought about Artichoke!

What I liked: The idea. Obviously, whoever made up this pizza was either pregnant and having conflicting cravings or just had the munchies, but I definitely thank them. The pizza is delicious. Super delicious. And its filling-- I don't know how anyone could eat more than one slice (Although if I was drunk enough I would probably try-- I admit that I'm a drunk eater. It's a problem) The artichoke sauce is creamy and rich, and the crust is perfectly crispy and crunchy. A definite must try for NYC.

What I didn't like: As tantalizing of a slice of pizza an Artichoke slice is, it's something you know is horrible for you while your eating it and you want to stop yourself but you can't. Why is this a bad thing? Because of how you feel later. Its wonderful as you eat it, but for me the richness of the entire slice made me feel queasy later in the day. Like I said earlier, it is very rich. Take that as you may, it is something I know I can only have once in a blue moon. Eh. Also, my slice was a bit under-seasoned, but that was easily fixed with a couple shakes of some parmesan and red pepper flakes. To each his own!

My Rating: 7 out of 10! Its a pretty fair substitute for a tino's #4. It's actually quite similar to it.

Like I said, I have a lot to post this week, so keep your eyes peeled! Until then, have a great week :)

food and friends: Coconut Shrimp and Sweet Potato Fries!

Baked Coconut Shrimp with a Spicy Orange Marmalade Glaze (sides of Sweet Potato Fries and Sauteed Spinach)

What I love more than anything is having the time to cook a good old fashioned home cooked meal with a friend. These past couple weeks, Sam has been my cooking partner-in-crime in making super delicious meals for dinner. This particular night, we decided to try our hand at a healthier alternative at a restaurant classic-- Baked Coconut Shrimp! When thinking about what to pair with this, we kept healthy by baking some yams to make fries and sauteing spinach. We had a couple problems along the way with breading the shrimp, but in the end they turned out alright. Overall, it was a delicious treat!

Great ingredients= Great Food: The Lobster Place

Red Chile Crusted Sea Scallops with Mango Tortilla Salad (sorry for the poor quality!)

Up until this point, I've only talked about places I go to eat, which is super awesome for me... IF I had an unlimited budget. But, as a jobless college student, I have to find ways to get my gourmet on without spending outrageous prices (yes, I just said that). A simple solution? Cook for yourself! Any time you go to a restaurant, their prices are based on the price of the ingredients plus a profit, so cooking for yourself cuts out a big cost and can provide you with multiple meals! Here's one of my more favorite meals of recent: red chile crusted sea scallops with mango tortilla salad and a citrus vinaigrette! Scallops are one of my favorite things to eat, so I'm a bit biased in saying that anything with them in it is automatically fantastic. But with seafood, especially, its really important to get fresh, well preserved fish, which is part of made this great. This meal was especially delicious due to the amazingly fresh sea scallops I got at the Lobster Place after work, right in Chelsea Market (of coursee). They have all types of seafood from fish to clams to live lobsters! They also have super yummy soups, sushi, salad, and sandwiches if you want to grab something quick (I recommend the spicy tuna wrap!).

If you'd like the recipe for this dish, head on over to foodnetwork.com! (link will go straight to recipe). It was lots of fun to make the tortilla strips, and corn tortillas normally come in pretty large packs so you can make extra to snack on. The viniagrette was delicious, and the salad was great for a second day meal. This recipe is definitely good ol' Bobby Flay at his best.

Other than that, midterms are over! I've been a bit quiet in the past week as a result of locking myself in my room to study, but expect a lot more reviews and cooking posts soon! Restaurants/Recipes up to bat include: Baked Coconut Shrimp, Sauteed Shrimp, Artichoke Pizza from Artichoke, and the God of sandwiches, the #4 with eggplant from Tino's. Get excited!

Oh My Thai! Chelsea Thai Wholesale

Pad See Ew: stir-fried flat noodles with beef, egg, and vegetables

On one of our many lunchtime hunts for good food in Chelsea Market, Andrea and I decided on Chelsea Thai Wholesale, a seemingly hole-in-the-wall that cranks out awesome looking thai food on a daily basis. The menu is pictures of each dish on a wall with a short description, so if you are wary of what to get by the name, hopefully you'll find some guidance in this type of point and choose menu. I love trying new things, but when it comes to thai I usually just go for good old Pad Thai-- I know what it is, I know what it tastes like, and I know I won't be disappointed. But this time, I chose the Pad See Ew-- stir fried flat noodles with beef and egg on Andrea's recommendation (she is quite well versed in Thai food, if I may say so myself). I don't quite remember the name of the dish she got, but it was the same type of noodles with beef and a spicier sauce. Here's what went down:


What I liked: I really loved my entire dish-- the noodles had a great texture to them, the meat was cooked well, and for under $10, you can't beat this dish! The portions were huge as well, so I had some to take home :) I tried some of Andrea's dish as well, which was equally tasty-- I'll definitely go back another time for lunch!

What I didn't like: Like a lot of the little eateries in the market, it becomes veryy crowded at lunchtime, and with limited seating/standing room to wait for your food, it can bring down the overall experience quite a bit. I also wish they took credit cards, because I really don't like carrying cash around. Meh

Rating: 8 out of 10. I would substitute my regular tino's sandwich for this any day (well, I would have to be in the mood for thai, but you know)

I definitely encourage everyone to check it out!! I talk about Chelsea Market a lot because I work there, but honestly its one of my favorite places in New York City-- If you've never been, its absolutely a sight to see!

Bar Americain: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Wild Sea Bass with Roasted Corn Sauce, Cockles, Summer Squash, and Thyme

After a week of contemplating and self-reflection, I have decided to finally post my true feelings on Bar Americain, Bobby Flay's modern american restaurant in midtown Manhattan. I will preface it with one disclaimer: I really do love Bobbly Flay, I love his recipes, I love the different shows he's involved with on Food Network (and I'm not just saying that because I work there) and I would love to grab a beer with him. Well, he would have a beer I assume, but I would probably have a cosmo. ALRIGHT-- other than that, here we go. To start off, I went all out for this meal-- My main course was wild striped bass, with a roasted corn sauce, cockles, summer squash, and thyme with a side of asparagus... all things I love. It had been a rough week and I needed some me time and a splurge on my meal. I had met up with my friend Thea who also has a very picky palate, so I knew regardless of what I thought, I was in for a treat with her review as well. She chose to have the Filet Mignon, which came with a house made steak sauce, and an order of the cauliflower and goat cheese gratin (which the waitress highly recommended, deeming it the best side on the menu). We hit this meal home with banana, walnut, and hazelnut crepes with a clementine butter. Any time with Thea is a good time, so I would say we definitely left with good spirits. Here is how the night panned out:

What I liked: If you ever have a chance to peek inside Bar Americain, I suggest to do so as it is beautiful inside. Its very dimly lit, with warm lighting and unique lighting... it almost had a sort of fancy modern hotel feel, but I was okay with that. The service was great as well--  I get nervous going into some restaurants as a college student, as I have had experiences before where the waiters get quite snoody and stand-offish because they automatically think they won't tip you well or that you'll be obnoxious... yet our waitress was very helpful, nice and informative throughout our meal. As for the food, the bread they bring you is AWESOME-- some sort of cornbread with spice in it-- the cornbread was always warm coming out, and the spice was very subtle and gave you a peppery afterthought almost-- a good combination. I really loved the sauce the seabass was in, and the flavor of everything was quite good. Finally, the crepes for dessert were excellent. I wish I had gotten a picture. They were presented as three mini crepes surrounded by the clementine butter. I loved the butter as it gave the crepes a sweet yet savory touch that is unlike anything I've ever had before. I would definitely recommend them.

What I didn't like: Oh jeez here we go. If you are going to put your name on a restaurant, like Bobby Flay has with Bar Americain, I expect an almost unquestionable level of quality-- like the man himself is back there grilling up a steak for you. This may be naive of me to say, but in a restaurant where you are paying that much to eat such a caliber of food, the socks of every customer should be blown of by how good the food is. For me, this was not the case. Yes there were a few stand out items, but overall, I was sorely disappointed. The bass was fine, but the way it was prepared (skin side super crispy) made it difficult to cut and eat-- something I don't want to have to deal with. Maybe I just don't like the way it was prepared, I don't know. The fish was fine, but there was nothing that really blew my mind with it. Also, the menu advertised the "summer squash" as part of the dish, which was almost undiscoverable in my dish. The vegetable had been chopped so finely that I could barely taste it. I understand that there is an artistic quality to presenting the food, but if I can't taste part of the dish, it was a fruitless attempt. The cockles were cockles, very small, but overall couldn't complain about them I suppose. My side of asparagus was undercooked for my liking, and the green peppercorn sauce that came on them didn't do really do anything either way to help/hurt them. Overall, my main course, which is the most important part of the meal, was just kind of on an "eh" level. Thea also had some comments about her steak, which was extremely over charred on the outside (she asked for it medium or medium well I believe) and the "highly popular" cauliflower and goat cheese gratin left something to be desired. We both decided it would have done much better with some parmesean added to it and a bit more seasoning-- it was very bland for something that should have been so awesome. 

Overall Rating: 6 out of 10-- I mean I'm being a bit harsh on my critique, everything was okay, and was definitely better than a microwave meal. On a scale of tinos sandwiches, though, I would rather have the 6/7 #4's from tinos for the same price I paid for my one meal at Bar Americain. 

I suppose thats about it. Regardless of my opinion on the food, I still had a great time with a great friend. And we milked our approximately $130 paycheck for all it was worth, asking for more bread to take home, multiple boxes of matches, and filling out the survey in which they ask for your birthday (which I hope brings a discount to Bobby's restaurants?! maybe?!) The restaurant is convinient for theatre go-ers that are grabbing a bite before a show, but otherwise, I would say Bar Americain is over-priced and overrated. After reflecting on my splurge, I probably wouldn't go again and spend as much money for such a mediocre meal, which I'm really sad to say because, like I said before, I love Bobby Flay. I guess I'll just have to stick to Mesa Grill on Union Square. 

Bowery Eats: pop-up sandwich shack!

Frencheese Sandwich: Bowerey Eats (notice the watercress forest)

Alright, so it wasn't really a pop-up shack, but its a hidden jewel of Chelsea Market known only by workers on their lunch break... Bowery Eats located inside Bowery Kitchen Supply! Amidst plates, wine glasses, and cheese graters, Bowery Eats a lunch-only hotspot serving sandwiches, wraps, and salads! Needless to say it was quite an experience... The store itself is cluttered from wall to wall with kitchen supplies, and the food counter is squeezed in near the back of the store. All of the sandwiches sounded delicious, but I finally decided on the "Frencheese" sandwich-- there were four different types of cheese on this thing (brie, morbier, and two others I'm blanking on at the moment) with cucumbers, pickles, watercress, and dijon on a white baguette. Ultimately, the sandwich and a drink cost me $10, which isn't horrible (and the sandwich was huge! I saved half of mine for later :) )! Here's what I thought:

What I liked: The cheese. You could put four kinds of cheese on anything and it would be infinitely better than it was before. The pickles/cucumbers added a really nice crunch to the sandwich that I didn't expect. I also really like that you can pick your bread for the sandwich and even make it into a wrap!

What I didn't like: The dijon mustard was very potent, and I often got bites of the sandwich that were wayyy too mustardy... Also, there was a small forest of watercress on my sandwich, which kind of detracted from the sandwich overall (not because it made it taste bad but it was just annoying and I ended up having to take it off and rearrange my sandwich contents multiple times). Finally, this was a cheese sandwich. No meat, some veggies, four different kinds of cheese. That being said, I wrongly assumed that my cheese sandwich would be toasted in some way. It wasn't. I put the cheesey bottom of the bread in the microwave to melt it, which did help, but I wish it had been melted in the first place. Sigh.

Overall, I liked the sandwich, but I wasn't in love. I'm not counting Bowery Eats out yet, as maybe I just didn't pick one of their best sandwiches. I've heard nothing but good things from others so I'm definitely willing to give them another chance.

My overall rating: 6 out of 10. I would maybe trade one tino's sandwich for it. Maybe.

Thanks to my fellow intern Andrea for the suggestion!