This small Mexican grocery/restaurant in Ridgewood, Queens is pretty cool. Mexican soap opera on the TV above a religious shrine on the wall. There’s money in the shrine. I don’t know why.
I ordered the Mole Poblano ($10.50), side of guacamole ($2) and a beer (I don’t remember how much that was).
The mole sauce is awesome. Rich and thick with a nice bit of heat.
The chicken, however, is boiled. I’ve noticed this is the common preparation in the Mexican taqueria restaurants in the area. I’ve seen these restaurants pull out these pieces of chicken from the pot and it looks gray and kind of gross. Good thing the awesome dark brown mole sauce covers it up.
I’ve also been to Guadalajara De Dia 1 in Bushwick on Wyckoff Ave. Very similar. Great sauce. Nasty looking chicken before they add the sauce. I think if you didn’t know it was gray, you’ll be good and think it’s delicious. Maybe just forget the last couple of paragraphs here.
Guadalajara De Dia 2 – 566 Seneca Ave. Ridgewood, NY 11385
Guadalajara De Dia 1 – 134 Wyckoff Ave (b/t Dekalb Ave & Stockholm St) Brooklyn, NY 11237
I’m happy to have Tio Wally (long-time Me So Hungry reader) aboard to send in his eating adventures from across America. Here he is in Kent, Washington.
I walked into Saya Thai and Japanese Restaurant and she asked, “Where’ve you been? I haven’t seen you for awhile.†I’d only been there once/twice before, but she remembered me. I liked that.
I’d called Saya at 9:30 a.m. — they don’t to open ’til 11 or so — but they graciously obliged me … if it was take-out. I like that.
When I picked up the food I reminded Denise how much I’d wanted to try their “signature dish for 23 years.†I couldn’t remember what it was called so she kindly wrote the name on a business card.
The dish is called, well, let’s let Denise ‘splain it:
“Don’t put this on FaceBook,†she demanded. Ever the credit to my gender, I lied and said, “I won’t.â€
Gai Yang is crazy good. It has the tang and bite of yellow curry but it’s “smoothed,†I guess, by the coconut milk. Although the chicken is baked, it retains that unmistakable, exquisite Thai char, not unlike satay. It’s accompanied by some sort of hopped-up soy sauce that’s delightfully hot. I wish I could say more but I’m too busy eating.
It’s served with a small iceberg lettuce salad and a yogurt-based(?) dressing. I don’t know what it is. It’s pink and it’s yogurt, I think. I’d investigate it but, again, I’m too busy eating.
I hate to resort to teen saws but … this Bai Yung ROCKS! If only I weren’t too busy eating. I’d tell you about it but, sorry, I’m too busy eating.
And so we roll.
Saya Japanese and Thai Restaurant, 8455 S. 212th St., Kent, Washington
Tio Wally pilots the 75-foot, 40-ton(max) land yacht SS Me So Hungry. He reports on road food from around the country whenever parking and InterTube connections permit.
A few days ago, I thinking about going to Potlikker. It looked interesting from seeing it on Yelp and as a Suggested Page on Facebook. Then the next day, I found a Potlikker receipt in my pocket. I was like “WTF?”
Then I realized I went there already after I had a Sakura 6 free sake dinner. Afterwards we had beer and Jello shots at the bar around the corner. Then we were heading home and I ran into my old friend Diana. She said she was meeting my old friend Hinkle. So I tagged along and ate a second dinner. I guess I had too many sakes and Jello shots to know I was at Potlikker.
Everything was pretty good from what I remembered. The thing I picked off the menu was pretty impressive looking –Chicken liver mousse, sourdough french toast points, shallot agrodolce, tempura fried parsley & homemade pickles $13. They should call it French Toast with Chicken Liver, because I thought I was just getting chicken liver and some bread.
The Brick Chicken ($23) was really good. Crispy! I’ll remember that.
Potlikker - 338 Bedford Ave (btwn S 4th & S 3rd St) New York, NY 11211
I went out to MOMA PS1 in Long Island City yesterday to check out the Andy Kaufman Effect. I was pretty hungover from the night before. So I walked into Sage General Store to get some food and avoid the strong cold winds outside.
The french toast looked really good on everyone else’s table. But I decided to low-carb it with the Rotisserie Chicken Blue Plate Special ($14). It didn’t help that the half chicken came with Mac & Cheese though. The waiter asked if I wanted Bacon Mac. I said Baked-in Mac? He was like Bacon Mac? I was like what do you mean Baked-in? It was almost an Abbott and Costello routine. A hungover version.
The Chicken was cooked really well. Crispy outside. Moist and tender inside. Only thing though, it wasn’t salty enough. I asked for salt which I don’t know if it was rude or not. It’s basically saying your food is flavorless. Well it wasn’t on the table.
The Mac & Cheese was really good. With a pinch of salt on that too, really good. Oh yeah, it was bacon in there.
Chai Tea Latte and a full stomach made me feel better. I think Chai Tea Latte is my new jam.
The Andy Kaufman Effect was pretty cool at MOMA PS1. They had panels and special guests and even Tony Clifton showed. up. I’ve been really into Andy Kaufman these past couple of months. Watching a ton of his stuff online and watching Man on the Moon again. It’s of great coincidence there’s so much Andy Kaufman stuff going on now in NY.
First, the MOMA event yesterday. Second, the On Creating Reality, by Andy Kaufman exhibit at Maccarone (Jan 12 – Feb 23, 2013). And last but not least, Andy Kaufman’s 99cent Tour at Participant Inc (Feb 12-24, 2013).
I haven’t been to Dallas BBQ in a long time. But I remember when I first moved to NYC, it was the place to get fucked up –with those Texas sized frozen drinks and half plate of monster wings. I mean the wings are so gigantic and steroid injected, you really only need a half plate to get full.
This time I went with the Henney Wings, made with Hennessy cognac. It was good. Sticky and sweet. Like a Honey BBQ sauce. I couldn’t taste the alcohol, but maybe because I was getting drunk on the Texas sized drink. Sam said he could taste the Hennessy.
I got a Texas size Blue Hawaii Bulldog …partly because I’m in my Elvis impersonation phase right now and partly because I like the blue and white swirls. The Bulldog was basically sticking a 7 ounce Corona bottle upside down into it. I was about to pull out the bottle from the drink, but realized that it would probably spill all over the table. I wonder how many people have done.
Sam got a quarter Rotisserie Chicken (honey basted). I can’t figure out how my gigantic wings come from that same chicken.
I got fucked up at Dallas BBQ.
Dallas BBQ – 261 8th Ave (@ W 23rd St) New York, NY 10011
Dang, I loved my time at Medieval Times. It was seriously awesome. I don’t ever remember having so much fun within a dining experience.
Chris got us tickets to Medieval Times. It was reduced admission with some proceeds going to Sandy victims. It was only around $30 per person. It looks like it’s usually $60, but there’s always coupons knocking it down to around $40. You just have to browse around their website for the promotions.
It was a pretty quick ride from Manhattan into New Jersey. We got there right when it all started. The place was huge. I thought they were lip syncing to a CD. But it was really the M.C. talking in his mic. His voice was so strong and bold. I was impressed.
There were pitchers on the table and was about to pour myself a glass of water. Good thing I didn’t. The waiter came around and poured it into our bowls. It was Tomato Bisque Soup. That would have been a surprise if I thought I was sipping on water. Soup was surprisingly tasty.
Then they came around with nice big slice of Garlic Bread. That was so good. Probably the best thing …and I don’t mean that to diss the other food. It was just good Garlic Bread.
Then we got a big half Roast Chicken –tender and seasoned. Herb Basted Potato – uh, alright. BBQ Spare Rib – tendy and sweet barbecue sauce. All surprisingly pretty decent food. Much better than I was expecting …and a lot of it.
Dessert was a like a Apple Turnover pastry. It was okay. But I was stuffed by that point.
They also gave me two big mugs of soda, which I mixed with airplane bottles of liquor I snuck in. I didn’t mean to be a cheat. I just didn’t realize they sold beer and alcohol. I bought a beer to make it up. Pretty good price. I think around $5-6 that comes in a decent size 3D lenticular souvenir cup. I was expecting it to be $8-12 honestly, so that was a great deal.
Free coffee even after I said didn’t want it, but then did ask for it later.
All this while this awesome show was going on, with knight and horses and a flying falcon. It was pretty insane. But in the end, it turned out we were rooting for the wrong guys. It was like a surprise twist ending, where we realize that the King is a dick and the Princess is a bitch. Seriously, they were whipping the evil bad guy at the end while they were locking him away. Wok the heck?
At the end of the show, everyone was hanging out in the lobby, buying stuff at the many gift shop counters, and getting more drunk with their kids. I was in the restroom and I swore I thought I heard some kid say, “Dad, we’re out of beer!” And then when I walked out of the restroom, I saw the cutest thing. Two tiny boys sword fighting and next to them, two tiny girls in princess outfits sword fighting with their roses.
Seriously, I really think Medieval Times is the best restaurant I’ve ever been to. Maybe the food isn’t so amazing, but it’s not bad for what is it. It’s the total package though. I’m just thinking of all the fancy restaurants I’ve been to and really, fuck those places. It just doesn’t appeal to me. You eat fancy food in a dim room and then you forget about it. You know what is awesome is yelling at the top of your lungs, getting drunk and watching knights hit each other and a falcon flying around the arena above your head while you eat chicken with your fingers. That’s just the most fun I’ve ever had dining. …if only they did all that at Gordon Ramsey’s restaurants.
Medieval Times - 149 Polito Ave. Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
The NY Times review of Guy Fieri’s Times Square restaurant is trending. The review is over the top. It reminds me of those snarky Pitchfork reviews from a few years back. I don’t know if they still write that way. I got turned off.
Anyway, Sam, Chris and I really wanted to try the restaurant after reading the review. Can it really be that bad? There were a lot of people there for lunch today. I imagine the review sparked some interest. A lot of young hipsters and business folk in suits.
The place is huge. The front of the building has a big loud television screen and fits right in with Times Square. They sat us in the back. It kinda looked like a nicer Applebee’s or Outback with some Tin Can Alley Disney feel.
I gotta say, after reading the Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews, I was a little scared of the service. But they were really attentive today. I felt like our waitress was smiling at me a little too much maybe. But I did look pretty cute today. Also I’m sure Guy came in and whipped everyone into shape after the NY Times review. So I wonder if that also carried over to the food.
We started off with the Fried Calamari. Right after I ordered it, I saw the party next to us leave with a pretty full plate of the Fried Calamari still left on the table. I thought, “Oh shit, it must suck.” But it was actually pretty good. We enjoyed them. I like the Garlic & Pepperoncini Chili Sauce that came with it …which I think is just mayo, mustard and shredded cabbage/coleslaw. It was really good for dipping. I saved the rest for my burger and fries that were to come.
Chris ordered the Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta ($21.50). The plate in the photo makes it look really small. I guess it was kinda small for the price, but this photo makes the food look ridiculously tiny or the plate looks ridiculously huge.
Sam ordered the Rotisserie Roasted Garlic-Rosemary Chicken plate ($17.50). It came with mashed potatoes. I think this looked the best and probably the best value out of all our meals.
I ordered the Guy’s Big Bite Burger with Rojo Ring, where the Rojo (onion) ring is on the burger ($17.50 …although it said $19.50 on the bill. Maybe it costs more with the Garlic Fries? I’m not sure. I thought it was coming with the fries, because I had a choice of Seasoned Fries, Garlic Fries or Onion Rings. Maybe their computers are messed up. Anyway, the menu says it’s cheaper). The burger has the Donkey Sauce on it that the NY Times review makes fun of. It was a little squirt on it. I think it was kind of like a sweet BBQ sauce, but less BBQ and more Hoisin. Burger was decent, but maybe seems like a waste to use Pat LeFrieda meat and cook it well done. Burger was better with that Fried Calamari Dipping Sauce. They should just put that sauce on everything. I love mayonnaise.
Overall, the food was pretty decent for the type of restaurant it is and where it is. Much better than other touristy restaurants I’ve been to in the area like Bubba Gump, Jekyll & Hyde and Red Lobster Times Square. The food at Guy’s is overpriced, but in line with those other touristy restaurants.
We had a decent meal and finished everything. The experience was nothing like the review. But maybe they turned everything around after Guy came back to crack the whip.
Here’s Guy’s response to the NY Times review on MSNBC this morning. What’s with the tourist that calls us pompous New Yorkers? Why the hell are you visiting New York if we are so pompous? He really loved the Pretzel Chicken Tenders.
Was the NY Times article unfair? Maybe. But I haven’t eaten here four times yet. I would have liked to see this guy’s review of Mars 2112. I thought the critic Pete Wells was a comedian at first, but I’m thinking of Pete Holmes.
Todd brought this bag of Crispy Fried Chicken Skins over for football. He found it in a bodega in East New York for $1. He thought he got the white man price.
They were like pork rinds, just as I assumed. Maybe could have used a little more salt to keep me eating the whole bag.
