99 Cent Pizza Is Better Than It Should Be
The storefront on Broadway.
Earlier in this blog I made note of the Midtown pizza price wars between 99 cent pizza and Ray’s between 53rd and 54th on Broadway. As you can see in my comment to Midtown Lunch, I am not a fan of the Ray’s slice.
The pies usually don't linger.
So how is the 99 cent slice? The considerably better of the two. First of all, it has a thin crust. Since the slices – at least around lunchtime – are perpetually flying out of the oven – there’s a very good chance you’re going to get yours served piping hot. There’s a reasonable shot at least part of that thin crust it will be nice and crispy.
The slices themselves. Not bad looking, eh?
Eating it hot makes up for some of its deficiencies in flavor. At least it’s toasty. The slices are a bit smaller than most that you’d get, though.
Flavor-wise, it’s not bad. It’s not particularly good – for my favorite slice in town, see Sal & Carmine’s – but at least one can pick up a cheese flavor, even if it is slightly salty. As far as flavor goes, it is on par with most slices in town, more or less. That has the effect of making it a deal: it’s what you (unfortunately) come to expect from most pizza joints while being considerably cheaper. You don’t feel ripped off.
99 Cent Pizza
53rd & 54th and Broadway New York, NY 10019 212.307.9376The Grand Central Oyster Bar Is A Classic For A Reason… It’s Great
The "Lost & Found" sign is particularly apt.
One of my favorite spots in New York City is the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station. I love the “secret” entrance, which of course is no secret, but if you aren’t looking you might miss it. Can you see it? The “Lost & Found” sign is pointing directly at it. This entrance is in the southwest-most hallway of Grand Central, en route to the Shuttle train.
Voila. Behind this door, happiness.
OK, so it’s got a big sign on it, but nonetheless it’s in the middle of the hallway and I must’ve walked past it a million times before I realized it was there. The main entrance of course is on the dining concourse level below.
The saloon is my favorite room.
The Oyster Bar itself is divided into three rooms. There’s a proper dining room on the far end, the namesake “oyster bar,” with its curved tables and small, planted chairs in the middle, and the saloon. The whole structure is famous for its fantastic vaulted ceilings. I am particularly fond of the saloon, which as you can see has a clubby feel. There’s of course a lengthy bar and perhaps a dozen or so tables for you to either drink or eat at. It can get a bit loud, but usually strikes the right low-key vibe. It’s a wonderful bar. Why?
Notice the small glass behind the marti.
Do you see that small glass behind the one my martini is sitting in? It’s not full of water. No. The bartenders give you the “angel’s share” of your drink – i.e. that which didn’t fit in the initial pour from the tumbler. That’s service. Almost every place simply fills the glass and dumps the remainder. Not the Oyster Bar. Joy.
The namesake fare.
There’s not a lot better in this town, in my opinion, than a post-work martini and a dozen oysters with pals in the saloon at the Oyster Bar. Everything about it just works. The martinis are well poured, as previously discussed, they have a great, constantly changing selection of fresh oysters to choose from, the room is wonderful brown wood – it’s just great.
The menu is lengthy, changes daily, and is apparently written by hand.
I should also mention the Oyster Bar offers a lengthy menu of fresh seafood, which changes daily. Naturally, they offer a lobster roll (which is expensive, served with sweet potato chips, and has a pretty hefty mayonaisse component), along with a wide, wide variety of other dishes. I am partial to Dover Sole, when they have it (but it can be very pricey). My brother is a fan of their oyster pan roast, seen below.
The oyster pan roast.
There’s not a lot more to be said about the Oyster Bar. It’s a New York institution, and utterly wonderful and winning. A scene from the original “Death Wish” was shot in it – how much more New York can you get?
It’s great. Just go.
Oyster Bar & Restaurant
Grand Central Station 87 E. 42nd Street New York, NY 10017 212.490.6650 www.oysterbarny.comJoJo was Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s first restaurant in New York City. With that pedigree, how much more do you really need to know much more about it? The small, cozy Upper East Side bistro features intimate seating, low light, and a crowd of what I take to be regulars dining on the wonderful fare. It was the springboard for his dining empire. It’s a pleasure to eat there, especially since food there is such a steal: they offer a prixe-fixe $26 lunch and $38 dinner. Apologies in advance for the low light on the pictures, but the place is pretty dark, and I don’t like to use a flash – it’s rude to the other patrons.
I can't believe I'm writing about a breadstick, but I am.
Normally, I wouldn’t write about bread. Especially since amid the diet it is a huge no-no, but theirs was wonderful. Fresh, light, warm, flavorful.
The three cheese ravioli... savory, wintery, delicious.
I started with the ravioli appetizer. It’s stuffed with three cheeses. It is by far the best pasta dish I’ve had since returning from Italy. I don’t say that lightly. The pasta we sampled in Italy was overwhelmingly made from scratch (in fact we were treated to a cooking lesson at the Antica Corte Pallavicina, and the flavor of these ravioli me right back there). The pasta was fresh, with the barely-there crumble in the mouth that I notice in especially fresh made pastas.
Tastes even better than it looks, and it looks good.
I was convinced I picked the winner among the appetizers. Guess again: the missus did, selecting the crazily delightful tuna roll. The tuna is served in a warm, bread-like starch. The tuna itself doesn’t seem raw, it also is a bit warm – although I may be wrong. Either way, the result is what amounts to an adult version of pigs in blankets. It was fun and delicious. The green sauce is a soy bean emulsion, and adds a touch of hot spice to the roll if you care to dip it.
The poached lobster.
From there, the missus selected the poached lobster over lemon risotto. If it sounds good, trust me, it tastes better. Rich and delicious. Who doesn’t like lobster?
The pastry-encrusted duck in the middle was really something. Crunchy!
I indulged in the dual preparation of duck. It is served in medallions as well as a ground preparation baked in a brick pastry. The crispy shell is very alike to a proper spring roll in texture and flavor. However the ground duck within was smoky, sweet and hearty.
That's caramel ice cream and pound cake on the right.
For dessert, we went overboard with the spiced pear. It is served with a caramel ice cream and a pound cake. It’s very decadent.
Look, the meal was delicious. The appetizers were around $15 and $12, the mains $27 and $38 (for the lobster). With four drinks (two each), the whole thing clocked in at around $164. So it’s not the cheapest meal in NYC, but it seems like a bargain, considering the extremely high quality of the food. If you’re looking for a cozy place to mark a special occasion, perhaps an anniversary or something, you’d do well here without breaking the bank.
JoJo
160 East 64th Street New York, NY 10021 212.223.5656 www.jean-georges.comWu Liang Ye Pleases
Up the stairs, into Chinese food excellence.
My buddy, a former New Yorker, considers Wu Liang Ye one of the best Chinese restaurants in New York City. It’s certainly his favorite, winning because it serves far less of the Americanized Chinese food than your average place, and also the preparations are winning. I also find the place to be winning, if inevitably somewhat cramped. It is filled with round tables, in a narrow space, so you’re certain to be bumped into or stuffed awkwardly into a nook.
The cold sesame noodles are particularly special.
I am a particular fan of Wu Liang Ye’s cold sesame noodles. They are some of the best I’ve had in town, although there’s a place on the Upper West that steals my heart in this regard for sentimental reasons. The sauce coating the noodles is a bit more oily than thick (as can be the case in some cold sesame noodle preparations). The garnish is excellent, crispy and refreshing, but of course it is the flavor of the sauce – which packs a surprising amount of heat – that is the winner.
Before...
We ordered some juicy pork buns as part of the appetizer set. While I was expecting a larger version – more like steamed, stuffed bready confections I’ve had at some dim sum joints – but instead it is the more traditional, smaller bun.
... and after.
As you can see, the wrapper (or bun) portion of the dumpling is a bit thicker and doughier, but also quite rich as a result from all that devil white flour. The meat preparation inside is quite fresh, with a savory flavor that cuts into the sweet of the bun and complements it. The shredded greens mixed into the meat also help mellow the flavor. But the overall tone is sweet.
Who doesn't love fried dumplings?
Look at those fried dumplings. I think you can probably guess what I’m going to say about those beauties.
The pork filling is fresh and delicious.
What’s so startling about the dumplings is the filling. The texture of the filling is crumbly, as opposed to the dense, tense brick or patty one usually finds in a pork dumpling. The shredded scallion is lovely. The fried dumpling wrapper is crispy where it lay on the pan, slightly chewy where it didn’t.
Tangerine beef.
The tangerine beef wasn’t quite what we expected. The strips of beef seem to be dipped in flour-based coating and fried up, but not to a point of crunchiness, rather it adopts a slight, flavorful skin (which may sound disgusting) that is an excellent captor of the spice and tangerine flavor.
Prawns
As you’re probably noticing by now, Wu Liang Ye’s main courses aren’t exactly afraid of a heavy portion of sauce. The good news, though, is that though the various sauces (as with the prawns in garlic above) may be heavily ladeled on, they are not heavy in themselves. They don’t interfere with your ability to eat or overwhelm the flavor the protein they are trying to set off.
Delicious beef lo mein.
The beef lo mein was one of the better ones I’d had in a while. It’s not too greasy, the beef wasn’t just turgid strips of god knows what, the veggies were also substantial and fresh.
The star of the show.
Wu Liang Ye makes something called tea smoked duck, which I haven’t seen elsewhere. As you can see, it is a hacked up duck. I’ll bet (given its name) you can guess its preparation. The tea smoking is wonderful, adding a richness from the smoke and a slight lightness from the tea that offsets the foul’s hearty nature. It is served on the bone, so expect to do some wrestling, but it’s a winner.
As is Wu Liang Ye.
ME LIKE EAT 