Restaurants
Sam's Soul Food
Sam's Soul Food boasts Southern-style cooking that's just a short walk from Yankee stadium and features oxtail, ribs and cornbread.
"If you want another great place near Yankee Stadium, I'd say we should go to Sam's on Grand Concourse for soul food. It's really good oxtail and bbq chicken in particular, but not just that. No foodies and no Manhattanites. It's like going to ... another world," said Famous Fat Dave.
Address: 596 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10452
The Feeding Tree
Right next to Yankee stadium is a Jamaican jerk joint called The Feeding Tree. It's a locals-only haunt that serves a full meal for less than the price of one beer inside the ballpark, and it's practically within sight of the upper deck seats. The jerk shrimp is worth the trip. They peel the shrimp (and de-vein them) before covering them in the jerk sauce, so all the spice goes directly into the meat.
Address: 892 Gerard Ave., Bronx, NY 10451
Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos
Tony and Carlos, executive chef at Les Halles, venture out to Bushwick for an authentic Mexican experience. The tortillas are wonderful -- thick, slightly chewy and fragrant. Also at the taquería are 7 different filling options -- carnitas, enchilada, beefsteak, cecina (salted beef), chorizo, chicken and veggie -- any of which can be had in taco, taquito, torta or tostada form. The very best of these choices, and everybody's favorite, is the chorizo.
Address: 271 Starr St., Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY 11237
East Harbor Seafood Dim-Sum Palace (Ying Bun)
Tony visits with chef Chris Cheung and friends at the best dim sum house in Brooklyn -- Ying Bun (East Harbor).
Address: 714-726 65th St., Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Diner
Diner restaurant is located on the South Side of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, one block away from the Williamsburg Bridge. Diner was opened on December 31, 1998, by Mark Firth and Andrew Tarlow in a 1920's Kullman Diner. Their menu is comprised of seasonal, simple ingredients and grass-fed animals that are butchered by Tom Mylan (butcher-in-chief) across the street from Diner in the restaurant-owned shop.
Address: 85 Broadway, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Visit the website
Marlow and Sons Restaurant
Address: 81 Broadway, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Visit the website
Golden Shopping Mall
Tony, chef Chris Cheung, and Chris's friend Ming visit the food court of Flushing's Golden Shopping Mall (Wong Jing Xian Chan). It's not a food court in the traditional sense, but rather a collection of tiny restaurants
Address: 41-28 Main St., Flushing, Queens, NY 11355
Sik Gaek Restaurant
Tony meets up with chef David Chang in Flushing, Queens. They visit Sik Gaek, an eating and drinking joint that is best described as the Korean equivalent of an izakaya. At night the line goes around the corner. Sik Gaek's biggest (literally) specialty is called a cheolpan -- a monster-sized seafood hot pot that sizzles and boils right at the table. House specialties include live octopus, intestines and every shellfish imaginable.
Address: 161-29 Crocheron Ave., Flushing, Queens, NY 11358
Visit the website
Hindu Temple Society of North America -- Ganesh Temple -- Canteen
Tony and Floyd Cardoz (of Tabla restaurant) visit a true treasure in Flushing, Queens. The canteen is in the basement of the Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthãnam temple (known as the Ganesha Temple) in Flushing, Queens. It is an eatery open to anyone, but it's also a de facto community center where kids play video games while their parents pray upstairs, temple volunteers man the cash registers, and a cartoon version of the Ramayana plays on 3 televisions. The food, all vegetarian, is good in the manner of home-cooked food.
Address: 45-57 Bowne Street, Flushing / Queens, NJ 11355
Visit the website
New Asha Cafe
Tony and lead singer for the New York Dolls, David Johansen, visit some local joints, even Staten Islanders may not be familiar with. The bread's the thing at working-class Sri Lankan joints like Staten Island's New Asha Café. The Sri Lankan rendition of dosas, called thosas, are available with or without potato filling. Breads can be paired with relishes called sambols, or with one of the fragrant curries. This joint spotlights the island's diverse ethnic population and alludes to past colonial powers like Portugal, England and the Netherlands.
Address: 322 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY
Jade Island Restaurant
Tony loves a good tiki bar and tiki bloggers and aficionados rave about this place, which looks like it hasn't changed since it opened in 1972. Tony and David Johansen enjoy boat drinks and a pu pu platter while sitting in a grass hut booth.
Address: 2845 Richmond Ave., Staten Island, NY
RSS Feeds