Black Oak Nights – New York

The Monday after the Super Bowl probably isn’t the most productive day of the year, which explains why there aren’t many people planning parties for this evening. However, with Fashion Week in our sights, there are a few things to check out this week, and a couple of places to get “thrown.” Read the rest of this entry »

Interested in an afterwork spot that can reinsert the soul into your New York City lifestyle after 10 hours of work has sucked the energy right out of you? Well, try anyone of these establishments, as they are sure to comfort your afterwork quest for relaxation and a peaceful mind before you have to get up and go back to work all over again!

Tillman’s – 165 W. 26^th Street, New York, NY
How can someone go to Tillman’s and not like it? It’s one of the best experiences in all of New York City, and there is no doubt that it’s a place where anyone can fit in. The music selection is on point, with both new and old musical choices from the hip-hop, R&B and soul genres. They even have the occasional live performance at Tillman’s. Of course, the weekend DJs (such as Qool Marv) add some true class to the joint, with an onslaught of Neo soul, Afro-beat and underground hip-hop. Tillman’s is also a great place to just chill. With swinging barriers that give each patron or party a since of privacy, it’s wise to come with a partner or a group of people if you’re interested in stirring up conversation. As for the food, it’s first rate—what you might call—gourmet soul food. In fact, “The Mack” (macaroni and cheese), which is made with sage, peas, mascarpone, bacon and bread crumbs, is reason enough to come to Tillman’s. Read the rest of this entry »

The best part of the summer is rooftop bar hoping. And in New York City, you only get a window of about 8 weeks to truly enjoy it, so to aid you in your skybar ventures, I’ve laid out a few of Manhattan’s most laudable rooftop locales.
Read the rest of this entry »

During these difficult times, it can be hard to justify spending more money on a plate of food than you spend on your monthly subway fare, but often, high-price dining is just yet another costly byproduct of living in New York City.

So what can you do?

Revolt!

Fight back! Don’t pay the exorbitantly high prices for a plate of food you can down in 2 minutes. Go to the places in New York City where your money gets you more bite for your buck!

Here are a few places with recession-like prices, all of the time!

Croxley Ales – 28 Avenue B, New York, NY
Can you even imagine paying just 10-cents for every buffalo wing you eat? Well, every Monday and Wednesday, you can do just that by heading over to the Lower East Side for a good, cheap time at Croxley Ales. They have the best wing deal in town, given you choice of buffalo, barbeque, teriyaki and other delectable chicken wing flavors, all for the low-low price of 10-cents a piece. There is a drink minimum of $4, but with their world-class selection of international beers, it would be tough for any beer drinker to voluntarily drink anything less than $4 worth of suds. So head over to Croxley Ales this week and try out this amazing deal, and I’m sure you’ll be headed back time and time again. Maybe I’ll see you there!

Better Burger – 178 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Who says eating cheap can’t be healthy? Well, even in this economy, it’s quite possible to get a delectable and healthy meal for a reasonable price—sort of. Call it the vegan of carnivorous dishes, but the “better burger” is made up free range beef, thus guaranteeing you some of the healthiest red meat available. On top of using grass-fed cows, Better Burger cooks their burgers on charcoal, fat-draining grills (ala George Foreman) to make sure your better burger is as free of fat as possible. To top it all off, your burger is served to you with romaine lettuce and tomatoes on a whole-wheat bun. All of this comes for just $5.99! Yes, it is that cheap, and it’s twice as good. For a little extra, you can get some of the tastiest fries you will have ever had, as they are sprinkled with olive oil and then baked to perfection.

Burrito Box – 885 9th Avenue, New York, NY
Looking for a healthier, cheaper alternative to Chipotle? Well, try Burrito Box, the gourmet, organic choice for Mexican food. Burrito Box has the best select meats, vegetables and beans. Their burrito choices include the Grilled Chicken, Grilled Steak, Chili Con Carne, BBQ Chicken and my favorite, Chicken Ranchero. You also have the option of having your burrito served in a whole-wheat or spinach tortilla. They have plenty of options for vegetarians, including burritos stuffed with spinach-Portobello, spinach tofu, vegan chili or mixed vegetables. And I would be remiss not to mention their offering of nachos, quesadillas and taco salads, all of which I have tried, all of which are unbelievably good, and all of which are listed for less than $7 bucks. Go ahead, you can thank me!

Burgers! How can you not love them? They are the common man’s food alternative to steak and filet mignon, and sometimes, they’re even better than the real thing. Besides, unless you work for AIG, who can afford to cough up $35+ for a decent steak in Manhattan these days?

I didn’t think so.

So to help you out, here are some of New York’s best, and cheapest, burgers:

M2M – 2935 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
Yes, that’s right! Travel on up to the Upper West Side to get one of the best burgers in Manhattan. Columbia students already know about this diamond in the rough, but allow me to share it with New York City’s masses. I don’t know what they do, or how they do it, but somehow these seemingly amateur short-order cooks serve up one of the best burgers I have ever had in New York City. In a place where they’re selling Tropicana fruit punch and sushi, you can still go to the order station, ask for a cheeseburger deluxe, and be blown out of your mind as to just how tender and flavorful the burgers they make are. Not to mention, any deluxe burger order comes with fries, which just happen to be some of the most addicting fries I’ve ever had, despite the fact that I’m pretty sure they come straight out of wholesale bag. I usually go for the ultimate death nail of a burger, a double-patty with cheese and bacon. Sure, it doesn’t do much for my heart, but my stomach never complains.

Blue 9 – 92 3rd Avenue, New York, NY
Blue 9 doesn’t have the biggest burgers or the most tender burgers either. But what they do have is a piece of meat that is so full of flavor, oils and is prepared with a careful touch right up until they stuff it in the greasy bag they give it to you in. Their burgers are placed in a nice little bun, served with tomato and onions, and you have the option to turn it into a heat-producing firecracker or you can simply get the “Blue 9” burger, a double cheeseburger with more taste in a single bite than just about any other burger in Manhattan.

Shake Shack – Multiple Manhattan Locations
I wasn’t sold on the merits of the Shake Shack burger at first—that is until, of course, I tried it! With several Shake Shack locations now in Manhattan, you really have no excuse not to have tried this L.A.-style burger. Loaded with everything from lettuce, tomato, shake sauce and Portobello mushrooms, the Shake Stack burger is my favorite. Like Blue 9, they aren’t the biggest burgers in the world, but the Shake Stack burger is a double-stuffed. The fries here make the burger, and if you’re feeling extra risqué, you have the option of adding cheese to those fried potatoes. So the next time you see that giant line oozing out of the Shake Shack venue during lunch time, don’t question those patrons’ merits. Just grab a spot in line next to them!

What goes up but never comes down?

You said it, my friend!

Pizza prices!

And that very thought is something that patrons of Di Fara Pizza will have to reconcile with, because according to “Slice” (the New York City pizza blog), their favorite pizza slice is going up a whopping 25%, from $4 to $5, and it’s not going down—ever!

So what kind of pizza is worth $4, nevermind $5! Well, according to patrons of Brooklyn’s Di Fara Pizza, located at 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY, this slice of pizza is made with such Italian authenticity that it is well worth the price…and the wait!

Some people wait upwards of an hour to get a slice of pizza from Di Fara. Combine the long wait with the price increase, and one would think that that business at Di Fara was doomed to slow down. But after a recent visit to this popular pizza haven, it didn’t appear that Di Fara was experiencing any kind of a let down. In my experience, you wouldn’t be hardpressed to find someone shelling out $50 or more on a couple of pizza pies from Di Fara, where a whole pie with nothing but cheese cost $25! Twenty-five bucks for pizza, and you have to wait? You would think this is a 5-star restaurant.

But that it isn’t. Di Fara is in a shabby hole in the wall right next to a 99-cent store. Not to say that it takes away from the quality of its product, but one can safely assume that the high price of pizza here doesn’t have anything to do with excessive overheard.

Perhaps the high price does have something to do with the fact that every pizza made at Di Fara is made by one guy: Domenico DeMarco. Domenico is not your average short-order cook, but instead he is an Italian immigrant chef, who believes in using nothing but the finest of ingredients. But according to Slice, Domenico’s recent splurge on toppings may have something to do with his “overuse” of ingredients. According to the New York Times, “[Domenico] has been more generous with them, part of what [his daughter] called his new heavy hand.” Of course, it doesn’t help that patrons are allowed to choose their own individual toppings for each slice.

What’s really amazing though, is that with the new 25% increase in price, there will be a 16% drop in service. Di Fara will now be closed 2 days a week (Mondays and Tuesday) to help ease the stress of their sole and aging pizza-maker, Domenico.

Despite the price, long lines, and unattractive storefront, don’t count Di Fara out on the account of exterior details. You should venture to Di Fara Pizza and make your own determination, because surely if anyone went by facts, common sense and reviews alone, there’s just about no way anyone would justify buying a $5 slice of pizza. So try it yourself, and then you be the judge.

If you are wondering how the recession is truly effecting our eating habits, look no further than beef to explain away some of our nation’s recent dietary trends. It’s pretty hard to pay $20 or more for a decent steak in New York City when the town is awash with massive job cuts on Wall Street and as the real estate market folds like Bernie Madoff investments. But that hasn’t stopped New Yorkers from enjoying the very meat that saw this country thru wars, civil and revolutionary, as well as political and social movements—not to mention other recessions. What meat is that?

Beef!

It’s what’s for dinner!

However, during these economic times, beef is not too popular in T-Bone or Filet Mignon form. Heck, the New York Strip isn’t even too popular in New York City these days. Instead, the burger, far more affordable than steak, has seen a major resurgence over the past year and half. In fact, as of this past January, the number of New York City restaurants offering burgers was up 7% compared to two years ago. Perhaps you should take advantage of it.

Sure, you could hit up the usuals; you know, the Blue 9’s, the Shake Shacks and the Five Guys of the world. But now, some places are serving up burgers made from Kobe beef, New York steak, and short-rib patties, causing the “delectability factor” of burgers to reach an all time high.

So where can you find these mouth-watering treats? Here are just a few of the choices out there:

Bar Artisnal – 268 W. Broadway, New York, NY 10013
How can you say no to the burgers of Bar Artisanal? Of course, the burger of choice there is unquestionably the Artisnal Blend. Raved about in New York Magazine, the Artisanal Blend burger combines short rib with chuck beef in a combination so flavorful and juicy that you won’t believe you’re eating a burger. Served with house-made remoulade on brioche, the Artisanal Blend burger is just as classic as it is rare, and that’s a hard combination to come by in the world of hamburgers. So Tribeca’s secret is out. The Artisanal Blend burger is not just for the bankers and lawyers down on Wall Street looking for a lunch prix-fixe. Now you too know about this beef delicacy, which can be yours for the relatively low price of $13.

Five Napkin Burger – 630 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10036
Yes, the name of this burger-joint does coincide with its dietary concerns—or lack thereof. Five Napkin Burger caters to an extremely carnivorous crowd that likes to get dressed up before they scarf down their greasy—yet extremely tasty—treats. Their signature burger, the “Original 5 Napkin Burger,” is their signature burger for a reason. This greasy, juicy, sizzling, 10-ounce, beef monstrosity comes covered in rosemary aioli, Comte cheese and caramelized onions. Made from fresh-ground chuck, the Original 5 Napkin Burger oozes with flavor, which is possibly addictive, because I keep going back to pay the $13.95 just to taste God’s gift to burger-lovers every where.

BRGR
I know BRGR can seem like a pretty trendy place that probably doesn’t have a decent burger in the joint, but that perception couldn’t be further from reality. With a selection of burgers and burger toppings that combine to give you a multitude of personalized options, BRGR is second to none when it comes to “having it your way.” That said, do it my way and try the Rainforest Burger, which is made of grass-fed beef, gruyere, avocado, mayonnaise and L&T. FIT students and Chelsea residents are already familiar with this place, which is why BRGR is making out like bandits with the Rainforest Burger and all of their menu options. So don’t be the last one to check it out. For just $9 you can try my favorite burger from here, and for as little as $7.55, you can choose from an array of signature burgers and toppings and still have enough money left over to pay for the cup of coffee you’ll need just to prevent the itus from hitting you on your way out the door.

During these difficult times, it can be hard to justify spending more money on a plate of food than you spend on your monthly subway fare, but often, high-price dining is just yet another costly byproduct of living in New York City.

So what can you do?

Stop throwing away your money! Instead, use it to buy some food that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg and still taste good! Here are a few options to consider next time you find yourself wanting something good to eat without the usual New York City surcharge.

Blue 9
Home of the Blue 9 burger, this burger joint keeps the food fresh and the prices down. Blue 9 hails from Indiana, but with this being their only location, they have adopted a Greenwich Village flair that is second-to-none. Offering fresh smoothies and some of the best fries on Earth, Blue 9 finishes you off with the Blue 9 burger, a double-patty, double cheese, fresh ground beef piece of heaven. It’s greasy. It’s juicy. It’s tender. And you can experience the Blue 9 burger for less than $5. That’s hard to beat considering just how popular of a place this is. Located only steps from numerous NYU dorms, Blue 9 hasn’t jacked its prices up to take advantage of its superb location—not yet anyway. So enjoy it while it last!

Koronet’s
Well, I picked a spot near NYU, now I’m bringing you up by Columbia University. Koronet’s is a staple of the CU community. Freshmen unofficially have to be broken into the student body with a giant slice of Koronet’s pizza. The slices are so big and so enormous, that even some of the hungriest of eaters often share their slice with a friend or two. And when I say big, I don’t mean Pizza Hut or Papa John’s XL pizza slice big. I’m talking about slices so big, that most Columbia students don’t have dorm rooms that measure up. You can get them with toppings, but most people just opt for the plain cheese slice, which is promptly transferred from platter to plate in 10 seconds, always piping hot, and always with the option of adding your favorite spices and cheeses to your slice before you walk away. As for the price, no need to pull out your credit card. In fact, you can be a student for the night and pay in nickels and dimes. It won’t take you long to count your pennies, because a slice of Koronet’s pizza will only run you $2.75. If I had a calculation of the price per square inch of Koronet’s pizza, rest assure, it would be the best deal in town.

Tortilleria Nixtamal – 104-05 47th Avenue, Queens, New York, NY
Okay, so there aren’t a lot of you who will find yourself wondering about Queens at 3am in the morning, but maybe you should be. Tortilleria Nixtamal (TN) is definitely worth the subway fare and your time. Honestly, unless you are Mexican or have been to Mexico personally, you have never had a tortilla this good. Their tortillas are made fresh from dried corn (nixtamal) and are ground into mesa (corn dough). So what do they put on their cooked-to-order, steamy, corn-flavorful tortillas? Well you have a range of options, including fish, which is a favorite of regulars at TN. But you also can choose from beef, steak and pork. TN also serves up some mean tamales, which come filled with chicken, rajas or pork. And don’t forget about your more creative tortilla-filling options, such as peppers, Italian sausage and mozzarella. I mean seriously, what’s better than Mexican and Italian food all wrapped up in one tasty tortilla? That’s right! Nothing!