Veronica's Kitchen - Food Truck

Undoubtedly, Veronica's Kitchen is one of the best food trucks in the city. Downtown, spitting distance from the east river, a small Jamaican food cart resides that puts out wonderful West Indian food that will make you feel "irie".

Pictured on the right is a large portion of Jerk Chicken with yellow rice, mac & cheese, and some of their fresh made hot sauce on top. The chicken was seasoned with typical West Indian seasoning causing the skin to be delectable. The meat was perfectly cooked and wonderfully moist / tender. The mac & cheese was amazing, especially after Miss Veronica ladled some of the jerk sauce over it. It was warm and baked to perfection. It only perhaps needed a little bit more of salt, but the jerk sauce was sufficient. The yellow rice, as always, was fantastic as it was cooked perfectly and also had some of the stupendous jerk sauce on it. Besides the superb chicken, you should flock down to Miss Veronica's for her homemade hot sauce! It is sublime, but definitely not for the faint of heart. Its fresh and vibrant flavors are matched with a punch that would impress both Mike McCallum and Glen Johnson. This is a must visit, 4.5 out of 5.

Steve T Hots - Rochester

Rochester is known for many things like snow, cold, Xerox, snow, Kodak, RIT, snow, minor league sports, the wonderful University where I went to school (Go yellowjackets) and of course MORE SNOW! The thing that most "down-staters" don't know about is the treat know as a garbage plate. While there are many imitators ("Trash plates") the place to go to get one is Nick Tahou's, but as I have recently found out the family has split the restaurants and the one I normally go to on Lyell is now known as Steve T Hots.

The the most popular plate to get (and pictured) is the cheese burger plate with everything. This includes a bottom layer consisting of half macaroni salad and half home fries. Then a helping of chopped onions are placed on top. That is then followed by two cheese burger patties that have been slathered with mustard. Then finished a healthy ladle of an oily meaty concoction called "hot sauce". This is then enjoyed with a couple pieces of bread and a combination of ketchup, Frank's red hot, and mustard to your personal tastes. I know the picture to the right looks like something that someone may have already eaten, but I promise you it is wonderful and something that you should experience. The macaroni salad is delicious and not overly mayo-ed. The home fries have a perfect crispness while not being over cooked. Everything on the plate just works together in harmony. As one can imagine this is best enjoyed post midnight, but I had this for lunch the other day and was equally satisfied with the results.

This is a must for anyone visiting the Rochester area and gets an 8.5 out of 10. The only reason it can't score higher is that the presentation is an absolute mess.

Sticky Lips BBQ - Rochester

Went on a quick weekend excursion back to my home away from home and the first stop was a trip for lunch. Now while I, like most who spent loads of time in western NY, am rather partial to Dino BBQ my friend told me we should try Sticky Lips at their newest location on Jefferson Road. Knowing that Dino now had a location in Harlem (review) that I could visit at any time I decided why not give this new place a shot. I took a look at the menu and decided to go with the "Jane Russell" with all american sauce and sides of fries and Mac &Cheese.

 The first thing I tried was the pulled pork (bottom left quadrant) and found it to be moist and work well with the BBQ sauce that poured on top. It was a little bit fatty and I like mine with a little bit of crispiness to it, but all-in-all something I would definitely order again. Next, I moved on the the beef brisket and decided to get adventurous and try some of the other sauces that were provided on the table as the "all american sauce" was not a great match for the delectable meat. First I tried the "Carolina Clipper Mustard Sauce" and while the sauce was delicious (and good with the fries) but it over powered the meat. I then tried their "apple bbq sauce" that tasted like I had dipped my meat in smokey apple sauce (not for me), but then I happened upon "Betty's Burning Lips Sauce" and the match was made in heaven. The flavors of the marinated meat matches really well with the sauce that had a bit of a kick. The fries that were on the plate were crispy, delicious and clearly made in fresh oil. The Mac & Cheese was by far the most disappointing thing on the plate. I would venture to guess that it came from a box or is made else where as it was really not worth eating. I thought the corn bread was pretty good, but would have been nice had it been served with some butter and while warm.

Overall I give Sticky Lips a 6.5 out of 10 as the food was rather good and would have gotten at least a 7.5 but the Mac & Cheese atrocity was hard to get past. 

Dinosaur BBQ - Harlem

As one of many who spent a good bit of time braving the cold of Western NY, I eventually moved down state and was thrilled to discover that my old friend Dino BBQ (menu) could be found in a northwestern corner of Manhattan. It was nice to feel the familiarity of my home away from home, along with my old favorite the "tres Hombres" who had made the trip as well. Of course, there was plenty of time to reminisce during my 2-hour wait to be seated, which ended up being quite worth the wait.

As always, I started with the pulled pork that was wonderfully moist, but not overly fatty. These ribs certainly rival any others from the traditional BBQ places here in the city. They are moist in the middle, but the skin is a crispy delight and the BBQ slathered on it really raises it to unbelievable heights, making it a star dish. They really are just finger and bone-licking good! While the sauce served with it is a perfect compliment to the meat, I found myself wanting quite a bit more. Ultimately, I could eat a full rack of them without a problem and would probably still crave some more.

The third meat on the plate was the beef brisket served with it's own sauce and pickled jalapenos. Like its brethren, the brisket was expertly done in flavor and texture, and was matched with a perfect sauce. The Syracuse Potatoes (the ones in the little paper box on the top of the plate) were good, but needed some salt to really get it where it needed to be. The fries were actually better than I had remembered, but still were not overly great.

I am a devoted fan of Dinosaur BBQ and think all BBQ fans need to try it. I give Dinosaur a 9 out of 10, but I have to say that the Harlem version is not as good as the Rochester one.

Mr Chow - Midtown East

It’s that time of winter again here in NYC.......RESTAURANT WEEK!! Well it is actually 3 weeks long, but we’ll let that slide. For those who don't know what it is, let me explain. Most of the restaurants in the city open their doors to the masses for a three-course dinner menu for $38 per person. Many people take this opportunity to go to more extravagant places they normally would not get to experience due to financial constraints. I spent a chilly NYC night at the world famous Mr. Chow's looking to warm up to some upscale Chinese noodles.

The restaurant is hidden among a residential street and could easily be mistaken for a luxury apartment building based on its façade. However, upon entering, the main dining hall is a bustling open space filled with mirrors and upbeat music ranging from techno to the Killers. The posh wait-staff who resembled French garcons busily dished out hot Chinese food on silver platters. This wasn’t your typical NYC Chinese restaurant.

For starters, we ordered Mr. Chow's Noodles and Mr. Chow's Ribs. The noodles were phenomenally cooked—fresh and tender—and the minced meat mixture that accompanied it provided great balance and flavor. The only thing I would comment is that I thought it needed some heat to it, but as soon as the plates were served, the waiter brought over a pot of chili sauce, which worked perfectly. A pretty cool feature of the evening was a noodle making demonstration by one of the chefs. He came out into the dining room and showed everyone how they hand make their noodles. The skill involved was rather remarkable. The ribs, on the other hand, were not remarkable. While the meat was tender and slid right off the bone, it was a bit fatty and didn't have that crispy glaze that one has come to expect from great ribs. It was rather dry and didn't have much flavor to it; we both found them to be the least successful item eaten that evening.

For the main course, we got the Velvet chicken and the beef with shepherd's purse. While the chicken did not look that appetizing (in fact, when I saw it on someone else's table I thought it was a noodle dish because the diced chicken were so tender and slender), it ended up being a pretty delicious dish with a good bit of spiciness to it. The person I was with believed it to be a little too spicy, but I loved it. The beef dish was pretty good, and the leafy green veggies that were wilted over it (shepherd's purse) gave it a nice brightness. I found the beef a bit on the chewy side and lacking a little bit of punch that would bring it over the top. Maybe it needed a touch of salt or garlic to really sparkle.

Along side the main courses, we were served green beans in XO sauce and shrimp fried rice. The green beans were cooked exactly as I like them, almost fully through, but leaving that nice crunch when you bite into them. They also worked really well with both the chicken and the beef dish. The XO sauce gave it a rich tangy / sweet flavor that really paired nicely with the rest of the meal. The shrimp fried rice was also a good accompaniment, but was rather delicate. Normally I am a fan of darker fried rice and this one was rather light, but was good nonetheless. While it didn't bring that much flavor to the party, it matched perfectly with the velvet chicken and brought the heat down a bit. The meal was then finished with a bit of vanilla ice cream and frozen berry sorbet (not pictured) that was a refreshing closure to the meal.

Overall, the meal was very good and a place I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy Chinese food in a more upscale, fine dining setting. However, there is one thing that does need to be mentioned that cannot be seen in the pictures above—that is the wait-staff. As I have heard Tom Colicchio say on multiple occasions that "people come for the food, but come back for the experience" and that includes the wait-staff. Every person we encountered at Mr Chow's was wonderful, hospitable, and attentive. They had fun with each other and with us, making a good evening that much better. I give Mr. Chow's an 8 out of 10.

The Smithfield - Chelsea

As a devoted soccer (or as most of the people I watch with call it "football") fan, I am always looking for the next great place to catch my favorite team (#COYS!) play their match. Recently I took a trip to The Smithfield (menu) to watch my boys play a match. As you may be aware, I used to frequent a Lunasa (review) when I lived on the lower east side, but when I moved I decided to follow my favorite bartender to the new mecca for watching footy in the big apple.

As my club we playing a game later in the morning (11am NY time kick-off) I decided to try the namesake burger (cooked medium). The first thing I always look for from a burger is whether it is cooked to the temp requested and the burger was cooked almost perfectly this time. The candied foie gras combined with the truffles to give the burger an earthiness that it received beautifully, but could be overpowering at times. The biggest victim of that was the aged balsamic. I would have liked there to have been more of the balsamic reduction as you got only a hint of it as you ate the burger. I feel as if a little more would have really made it the burger sing. The fries were really delicious. I believe they were freshly done and it really showed.

This is definitely something I would recommend for those who are there for a game (great atmosphere) and need a bite to eat. I am going to give the Smithfield a 7.5 out of 10, but with high hopes for the next thing I eat there.

Restaurant Week - Jojo

For those of you who are unfamiliar, it is restaurant week here in New York City. What that means is that a large number of restaurants, from everyday places to places with michelin stars, throw open their doors to the masses and allow people to come try their food on a three course Prix Fix menu for $35 a person. While most restaurants place their menus online, Jojo apprently did not feel a need to do this as the menu you see shown here is rather different to the one that was on their website.

There was some debate as to whether the following should even been brought up, but it is my blog so it is going to be. When we went to Gramercy Tavern on Saturaday night the place was packed. When I tell you it was packed, every table was filled and the place was about 3 deep at the long bar. We were seated about 5 minutes early for our table and there were only 2 other people waiting who were also early for their reservation. We showed up about 8:25 for our 8:30 reservation and we immeadately startled by the large number of people standing in the cramped little door space. By my count there were about 18 people waiting there. When we checked in they said that they would let us know in 5 minutes how long the wait would be. At 8:40, they had not come back to us yet so we checked with them again and they said they were still unsure and they would let us know in 5 minutes. At 8:50 two separate couples walked in, said they had 9 pm reservations and were seated almost immeadately. We were finally seated at 9 pm at a table that was made for one person. It was almost impossible to eat the food we were served as we almost had to take turns so that we wouldn't smash knees and legs under the table.

We got water, bread, butter, and a little bowl of sea salt (remember this) pretty quickly along with our menus. Then prix fix menu difference from the website was not a big deal so we ordered one of each of the appetizers. The one thing you will notice as you read my posts going forward that every other restaurant gives you 3 options per course and Jojo only provides 2.

We decided to try both of the options for appetizer. The chilled cucumber yogurt soup was first. The green color was very striking, but the first thing that I noticed was that its viscosity was a bit low and it should have been thicker. Once I got to tasting it the only thing I could say was that it was a bit odd, but in a good way. The soup was served cold, but had some heat (spiciness) that was very unexpected but was good. I also found the fresh berries in it to also be odd, but also a wonderful addition and I found myself wishing there were more of them. We finished the bowl clean, but again I just found everything about it oddly satisfying. As someone who is not a real fan of tomatoes unless they are in a sauce or ketchup form I was rather surprised how much I liked the heirloom tomato salad. It was fresh and vibrant. Kirsten loved it and finished it off. I thought it was well balanced and everything you would want a starter salad to be.

For main course we both got the fried chicken. First and foremost the chicken was cooked to perfection. It was moist on the inside while beening crispy on the outside. The coating was cooked through and flaked nicely. I thought the seasoning was rather good, but could have used a bit more cayenne; although I am a spicy food fiend and it was delicious without it. The corn was also delcious and it was clear from the presentation and taste that it had been cooked on the cob and then cut off. I know this is more time consuming for the kitchen, but it was really worth it as I could have eaten bowls of that corn. I was not a huge fan of the sweet chili sauce you see around the plate. I thought it was to citrusy, expecially after using the lemon that was provided. I also must give kuddos for giving a very large portion of very good food.

As we were about two-thirds the way done with the main course, I was talking and looked over at Kirsten and she had a look of shock and disgust on her face. I figured she was making the face at the three old ladies sitting at the table near to us as they were carrying on a bit as they got up and left, but then I got the explanation. What Kirsten saw was the waiter taking the sea salt bowls off of two tables, carrying them over to the waiter station and dumping them back into a larger container, then refilling them from the same container and placing them on a different table. I am not a health inspector and have never worked in a restaurant, but that is disgusting and unsanitary. Even though we were given a little spoon with the sea salt, we noticed from then on every table used their hands to salt their bread. Think about that for a minute. Yeah that is truly vile.

For dessert we got one each of the warm choclate cake and the marzipan cake. Both were really good. The warm chocolate cake was actaully a lava cake and the middle oozed out just as one would like it to. The marzipan cake was pretty good, but when eaten with the apricot lime compote was really phenominal. I would call it a very good ending to a some what disappointing, and some what revolting, meal. Based on the food alone I would have given Jojo a solid 7.5 out of 10 as the food was prepared well and very flavorful. However a dining expierence is not based upon food alone and due to what I witnessed (especially the "dirty salt") I have to give them only a 5.5.

Editorial Note: After this was written (but before posting) Matt recieved a call from Hannah (the manager of Jojo) who found his card in the check holder and read his tweets about the timing it took to be seated. She apologized profusely for the wait time siting that it was the first evening of restaurant week and they were fully booked. She has invited Matt back again after restaurant week to "recieve the full Jojo treatment". MA