718 Restaurant

http://www.718restaurant.com/
35-01 Ditmars Blvd
Astoria NY 11105

(718) 204-5553

Ratings:  5 Stomachs - Blissfully Full

Nice French bistro located in Astoria where you would normally find Greek fair food.  The atmosphere is dark and a little noisy, mostly from the bar.  Parking is on the metered street but it ends at 7PM.  Side street parking is available with a little hunting.

Scallops on top of risotto.  Very good.  Risotto is cooked very well and the scallops are done just right.

Cerviche.  Very good.  Great lime flavor with a tomato based flavoring.

Mussels with bacon and melted swiss cheese.  Very good.  Lots of food for this plate.  Great sauce for dipping bread.

Sauteed spinach with garlic.  Very good.

Caracas Arepa Bar

http://www.caracasarepabar.com/manhattan.php
93 1/2 E 7th St.
NY, NY 10009
(212) 529-2314

Ratings: 5 Stomachs - Blissfully Full

A small restaurant with a few tables which fills up quickly after opening.  Parking is a hit or miss on the streets of the East Village.


Guasacaca and Chips, Venezuelan style guacamole with chips.  Very good fried chips like "TerraChips", not too salty and not greasy.

Arepa De Pabellón, shredded beef, black beans, white salty cheese and sweet plantains.  Very good.  Breading is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Arepa La de Pernil, roasted pork shoulder with tomato slices
and a spicy mango sauce.  Very good.  Pork is not dry and full of flavor.

Arepa La Sureña, grilled chicken and chorizo, with avocado
slices and the classic and always enigmatic spicy chimi-churri sauce.  Very good.

Don't know the name, it was the special of the day.  It was good, but not as tasty as the others.

Mapo Korean BBQ Restaurant

No website.

14924 41st Avenue, Flushing, NY
(718) 886-8292

Ratings: 5 Stomachs - Blissfully Full

A friend couple told us of this place having the best Kalbi in Flushing/Murray Hill.  It is a quaint little corner restaurant across from the Murray Hill LIRR station.  There are several restaurants in this neighborhood so finding parking during prime dinner time is hard.  Either get there early for dinner or enjoy a nice walk from where you can find parking.

A kind group of Korean speaking waitresses greets you in Korean as you walk in.  As you are seated, the waitress will hand you their menu.  But right off the bat, she will inform you politely and smilingly in Korean or Chinese (Mandarin), which we did not understand, that you need to order 2 BBQ dishes for cooking at your table.  As you spend time perusing the menu, she will kindly point out, what you should order.  Basically, 2 orders of their house special Kalbi and nothing else on the menu.  As first timers and didn't understand the language, we were like to ourselves "Huh?  What about the other dishes?".  Well, after a few minutes of convincing, we took the plunge based on our waitresss' suggestion.  In the end, it turns out this is how the locals order.  Because the extra dishes they bring out along with your meat order was what we would have ordered through the menu.

As for the taste, it was phenomenally delicious.

Oh, this place used hardwood charcoal to grill the food.  No GAS!  Not many left for Korean BBQs places using charcoal.  This added a wonderful taste to the grilled meat.

View of the restaurant's outside.

The collection of Banchans given to go with the meal.  The onion dish (bottom right corner) is very good.  No big onion flavor, just a mild tangy flavor.

Bring out the heat.  The lovely smell of hardwood charcoal burning.

Kalbi meat cooking on the grill.  Very good.  The meat is well marbled with fat.

Cut up and grilled by our waitress.  The Kalbi is just waiting to be devoured.

Good tasting pan roasted corn dish.

Nicely bubbling egg custard dish.

Soondooboo chigae.  Very good.

Anthony's Pizza

http://anthonysbrooklyn.com/
426A 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 369-8315

Ratings: 4 Stomach - Well Fed

Nice little pizzeria in Park Slope.  This brick oven pizza is very good.  This place is much better than Grimaldi's.

Original House Pizza with Peppers and Prosciutto
  Very Good.  The crust is crispy and thin, with just the right amount of sauce.  The prosciutto is not over salty either.

Pio Pio Peruvian Restaurant

http://piopionyc.com/
84-02 Northern Boulevard, Jackson Heights, NY
(718) 426-4900

Ratings: 3 Stomachs - Just Satisfied

A few locations throughout NYC.  This was from the Jackson Heights location on Northern Boulevard between 84th and 85th Street.  Parking is a bit of luck.  Meters on Northern Boulevard is normally full due to other restuarants in the area.  Sides streets are the best bet but still a good hunt.  The atmosphere is noisy  with people chatting over the loud music.  Nice big restuarant with open floor space which can handle large parties.  Service is fast.

Chicken Pio
    Very good rotisserie chicken
    Not dry and flavored very well













Ceviche Limeno
    So - So.  The shrimp was good but the corvina chunks were all right.  The marinated lime juice was just OK.












Ceviche Mixto
    Very good.  This mixture was a lot better than the other Ceviche.  The marinade was strong but not over powering.  Just the right amount of lime to give you a nice punch with the avocado.  The shrimp, octopus, and squid were all very tasty.







                    Sangria
                       Too much rum.

Pho Bac Restaurant

www.phobacny.com
82-78 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY
(718) 639-0000

Ratings: 5 Stomachs - Blissfully Full

Been going here for over 10 years now and the food is still the best in Vietnamnese food.  Located within a parking lot, parking can still be a fight especially after 8PM.  On street parking is tough but manageable a few blocks away, assuming you don't mind walking.  The Pho is quick but the rice/vermicelli dishes takes a little while.  However, it is well worth the wait.  Only place that has Asparagus & Crabmeat Soup and it is something as a must have for every visit.

Asparagus & Crabmeat Soup
  Very Good

Combination Rice Noodle Beef Soup with Rare Beef and Omosa
  Very Good

Grilled Pork on Vermicelli
  Very Good

Summer Roll
  Very Good

Mara's Homemade

http://marashomemade.com
342 East 6th Street, New York, NY
(212) 598-1110

Ratings: 4 Stomachs - Well Fed

Not a very large seating restaurant but well worth the wait for the food.  Parking on the street would be a hit or miss, so do it NYC style, and take the subway.

 Beignets
  Very Good
  The beignets were very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  A little on the small side but a second order is very fulfulling.

Fried Green Tomatoes
  Very Good.  Nice crispy cornmeal exterior with a soft and tasty tomato on the inside.  The remoulade dip is very good too.

Alligator Bites
  Very Good.  Nicely marinaded bites of alligator meat giving it a salty and tangy flavor.

Hard Shell Blue Crabs #2
 Good, spicy (lips burning), but small

Lobster Roll with No-Mayo Coleslaw
  Very Good.  Losbter roll with light mayo, not a lot of fillers and very tasty coleslaw.