Meat. Buns. Sauce.

The burger. So good. Right? Everyone has their own version of a burger and everyone has their own sub version of a burger and everyone has their own sauces and everyone has their own toppings, etc etc etc.

Long gone are the days of bun, tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles, meat and ketchup.

Aioli, grilled onions, avocado, 4 thousand types of cheese, chili, jalapeños, pesto, chimichurri, fried eggs, peanut butter, and a million other types of shit thrown on a burger. Everything is possible.

What do I like?

Pretty much everything. Minus tomatoes. But I do like ketchup. Weird. I know. Shut up about it.

We have been to a handful of burger places in NYC since we got here. Shake Shack, Bare Burger, The Burger Joint, Five Guys, Good Burger, and some other places where we got burgers. All were pretty good. Shake Shack is just like In and Out, Bare Burger is just like Burger Lounge, Burger Joint (the best one we've had) is just like Rocky's, and Five Guys and Good Burger are kind of middle of the road places.

Today we went to Joy Burger Bar. They are known for their sauces, and if you know me, you know I love sauces.

I got the midi size (8 oz.) Lettuce, pickles, sautéed onions, cheddar cheese, garlic mayo, dijon mustard, and honey mustard. Good burger. The bun started to get soggy which to me is always a good thing. Meat was perfect. And the sauces were delish. Especially the garlic mayo mixed in with a little ketchup.

Grilled Cheese. Hard to Mess Up.... uh

I enjoy a good grilled cheese. In fact not many other foods go better with a beer than a grilled cheese. We were meeting some friends in Astoria around 5 for some hookah, and since Mal and I hadn't really explored that area, we decided to head over early for some lunch and walking around.

Astoria is cool, but it reminds me of downtown El Cajon, which obviously isn't the most ideal place, but cool for what it's worth. I looked on my list of places to eat and there was one in Astoria. The Queens Kickshaw does gourmet grilled cheese, specialty coffees, and some craft beer to boot.

Let me preface by saying that the title of this blog post is completely sarcastic. It is VERY easy to mess up a grilled cheese. And really hard to make one that is REALLY good. The Queens Kickshaw was right in the middle. For a couple of different reasons.

Pros
1) It's grilled cheese. So no matter how bad it is, it's still gonna be somewhat good.
2) I love gruyere cheese, so the sandwich I got (The Gruyere. Pickled and caramelized onions on rye bread ) was gonna be good.
3) My sandwich came with a side of Napa cabbage caraway slaw that was insanely good.

Cons
1) Small. The sandwich looked like it was on half slices of bread.
2) The Price. For the size of sandwich we were getting, the 9 dollar price tag just seemed too much.
3) Service was also pretty bad, but I try not to judge my food on the service.

So was it good? Yes. Would I go back? Not without a drop in prices. It's hard coming from San Diego where I can go to Hamiltons and get not only one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in San Diego, but probably one of my favorite sandwiches, The Blind Tiger (sharp cheddar, beer candy apples, beer candy bacon, and grilled onions) for a dollar cheaper.

After lunch we decided to walk down to the Socrates Sculpture Park right around sunset. Which provided for an awesome scenery of the city. 

Wieners... mmmmm.....

Hot dogs. So god damn good. One of the three foods I could eat everyday for the rest of my life (pizza and sandwiches are the other two). We first ate at Crif Dogs back in January of 2011 when we first came to New York together based off a recommendation from our friend Jennie.

It is insanely good. They have a pretty big selection of dogs. And super delicious cheese fries (that are also waffle fries). I've had a couple of different dogs from here in the three times we've been. The Philly Tubesteak is by far my favorite. Dog, grilled onions, cheese and mustard. This time I also got one I have never had before called the Tsunami Dog. Bacon bits, green onions, and pineapple. Wasn't too sure when I got it but I am a fan now. So many flavors. Mal got two of her favorite dog, the Sour Cheese. Dog, cheese, and half sour pickles. Also very good.

I've had a ton of hot dogs. But Crif Dogs is by far the best.

We were in the mood for dessert afterward so went to a place that opened just today called Puddin LINK. And yes. It is pudding. And it is damn good. Lemon pudding, graham crackers, and marshmallow cream.

Please and thank you.

In Search of the Almighty Mexican Food.

Since we got here we have had 4 different Mexican food places.

The first place we attempted was actually a food cart near Herald Square called Calexico. It was definitely good. But NorCal Mexican good. Not quite San Diego.

The next place we had was Tortilleria Nixtamal in Corona in Queens. Came recommended from Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. Definitely one of the best tamales I have ever had. But still, not the same as San Diego, and it's in Corona which is as gross if not more than National City.

The next place was in Brooklyn near where Jay-Z grew up. Zocalo's is by far the most authentic Mexican food we have had here. Really really good and I can't honestly pin point what it was, but something was missing.

Today we went to a place about a 5 minute walk away from our apartment. Brooklyn Taco Company is a stand in an awesome market called Essex Street Market.

Highly recommended on Yelp and pretty much every other food blog, it did not disappoint. We decided to share 3 tacos and a tamale. The tamale was legit. In their own special way though. Filled with black beans, crema, hot sauce, pineapple salsa, corn, and cotijas cheese. Seriously good.

The first taco we had, and definitely the highlight of the three, was their award winning Guaco Taco. Tons of chopped avocado, cotija cheese, crema, corn, and a poblano sauce that was insanely good.

The next taco was the Lightly Chipotled Chicken. Basic chicken taco with an awesome amount of chipotle seasoning with onions, peppers, crema, cilantro, and hot sauce.

Mal is a big fan of ground beef tacos, so we decided to get their newest taco, The Ground Beef Taco (catchy huh?). Lettuce, crema, corn, and an awesome seasoning for the meet.

This place was good, really good. By far the best mexican food we have had out here. But even the guys working there were the first to admit that, getting San Diego grade mexican food is gonna be damn near impossible out here. We will definitely be going back to this place, considering they have a rotating menu of tacos, including a Cola and Orange Braised Pork Taco. What. 

He gave us a list of other places that "do it right" so we will see, but I am starting to think that no where can compare to the massive list of amazing mexican food in San Diego.

The search continues...

Gotta Make My Money...

So Mallory got a job! Thank god. Money is starting to become tight. And god knows I'm not cut out for working here.

What's that?

I need to work as well?

Are you sure?

Ok fine. I will be announcing my job sitch here pretty soon. But yes, the rumors are true, Mallory got a job. She will be working for this super nice salon over in SoHo for a dude named Nick Arrojo, or Bick Bonobo. Can't quite remember. But she got put on a fast track (normally takes 2 years) of a 6 month period and will be a stylist/teacher/mentor sooner than I can say Bick Bonobo. I am so stoked and proud of her. This is one of the reasons we moved to New York. The other? So I can meet some rich hussy who will pay me to provide "services." (Laundry, dog walking, bathing, etc)

So here is to Mal getting a job. Congrats babe. You get to cut hair again. That's you.

My New Favorite Salad Spot

We decided to go to this place over in NoLita today called Fiat Café. Cheap good Italian food.

Plus there are vintages pictures with gorgeous chicks with Fiats.

Their food is all around good, but they have a salad that is insane. And so so so so simple. Braseola, arugula salad with Parmigiana & lemon and olive oil. Plus I got an awesome bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.

TWO POSTS IN ONE DAY WHAAAAAAAAA?

New York Since Sunday, November 13th

We have done A LOT. And for that reason alone, I haven't really updated. Since getting here on November 13th, we have eaten a TON of food, been to a TON of rad places, and not to mention spent a serious handful of cash (but thats none of your business, so butt out.) The following pictures are some of my favorite pictures we have taken since we have been here. Also including our ridiculously crazy trip back to San Diego for Christmas. But I'll get there. These pictures are in no specific order just FYI.

If anyone knows me, they know how much I like sandwiches. Like I love them. This place about a 10 minute walk away from our sublet in Lower East Side (which will be referred to as LES) is called Banh Mi Saigon. There Bahn Mi is truly one of the best sandwiches I have ever had.

Anthony Bourdains new show, The Layover, is awesome. His second place he went was New York. We saw a ton of places that either we walk by everyday or have actually been to. He mentioned this place called BaoHaus which does Bao buns. Which are basically light rolls filled with awesomeness. We got a handful of them, as you can see. Pork belly, fried chicken, deep fried broccoli, and adobo. Insanely good.

About a month after we got here I got the unfortunate phone call that my puppy, Alex, had to be put down. She was 15 years old and had been through A LOT. Surgeries, tumors, cars, blind and deaf. She was and is a sweetheart and the best dog I have ever been around. 

On that same day, my "best" friends Matt and Steve decided it would be funny to mail me a California burrito from Estradas, some can sugar, pop rocks, and pixie sticks. Classic. And probably one of the worst smelling things I have ever smelt. But surprisingly it made my day better.

One of the first days we were here, we went to Central Park. Took this picture. And it pretty much shows what the weather has been like for about 85% of the time we've been here.

Same day.

Our buddies Jay and Morgan moved here in October. He is a huge Devils fan and invited us out to their rink to do a open to the public skate and watch the away game. He provided the jerseys in natural Storicks fashion.

Pizza is a pretty big deal here in New York. We have been to probably 15 different places since we got here. A couple that standout that I don't have pictures of are; Hakki's and Champion Pizza. These two places are right by our house and are not only cheap as hell, but damn good. Plus they are owned by this guy, Hakki Akdeniz. We have also eaten at a place in Brooklyn that does the three eras of pizza called Fornino's. They do Roman style, Italian style, and basically new wave pizza. The place below is Lombardis. Supposedly the first pizzeria in New York City. And good as hell.

Our good friends Tracey and Mike recommended a museum in Bowery called The New Museum. Awesome stuff that makes you think differently about your senses. Like this swing ride that has mirrors everywhere. 

Another really good sandwich I have had is one from a place called Parisi Bakery. Simple but really damn good. Hero bread, roasted red peppers, mozzarella, oil and vinegar, and chicken cutlets.

We've been to a couple different shows. This one at Pianos was with Kyp Malone (TV On The Radio) side project Rain Machine. 

We decided, despite everyone's warnings, to brave the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. The day before up near Central Park, they start to inflate all the balloons. So we went up there and saw a bunch of them "coming to life." Sonic was my favorite that day.

My favorite the actual day of the parade was the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

This is probably the best picture I have ever taken. Neil Diamond better be using this for an album cover.

Cooper looks like Snoopy. Actually no, Snoopy looks like Cooper.

It was cold. And there was a giant panda behind us. 

We have been to pretty much every major museum, and at the MET, I got to see this. It's ok.



I don't indulge in street food very often (mostly because there are financially equal but way better options everywhere), but Tony "The Dragon" Dragonas knows how to do Greek street food. Holy chirst.

We have a favorite bar out here called, Barcade. Basically its a bar with 30 taps or craft beer (which is hard to come by out here) and about 40 vintage 80's arcade games around the walls. It's amazing. We went to their Winter Beer Fest and had a blast (plus a shit ton of beer).

We went to the 9/11 Memorial at the beginning of December. One of the most moving experiences I have ever felt in my life. Standing where it all happened, was unreal. This is of the World Trade One. I think it is about half way built. And it is massive.

The giant pools are breathtaking. And seeing all the names around the edge is pretty moving. We were there around sunset so the colors and brightness in these pictures look great. 

I realized after we took this that it is kind of weird to pose in front of such a massive monument. Especially smiling. But the colors and lights, plus the pool make this a great picture. 

Rad pano of the North Pool. 

Another idiotic tourist mistake was coming here. But we had to see it once.

So if you haven't heard the story yet, Mal and I decided to drive home for Christmas. MOSTLY to get rid of her car (a huge financial burden). But we also decided we would surprise our families. I have video of both surprises that I will be posting soon, I just need to edit them. But this is from Christmas Eve, the night I surprised my whole family. 

This baby cracks me up. 

One of the things that we miss most about San Diego is this guy. Cooper. Cannot wait to have him at the house again.

I am gonna try and do more posts as the days go by from here on out. Even if they are very short posts about whatever food I am currently eating. We have gotten jobs, and will be talking about them very soon, just finalizing the details. So look for that. Hope everyone had a great New Years. And here it to surviving in 2012.