Yummr

I've always wanted to go to Brighton Beach to experience some of the authentic Russian food so I finally made my way down there. When I think of that part of Brooklyn I think of movies like Requiem For a Dream and Lord Of War and more recently, Eastern Promises and the Russian mafia but anyways...

I didn't do much research before venturing out to the Brighton Beach stop on the Q and let my brother do all that. He chose for us to eat at Primorski Restaurant. Boy was that an experience. It's definitely a restaurant filled with regulars and we were the only non-Russians in there... the whole time. From the Georgian Banquet section, we shared a Khachapuri (Georgian patty with cheese) for an appetizer and it tasted great. It's a patty that is enough for four people. The pastry crust was the right consistency of flakiness.

I definitely wanted to try some Borscht and got the Ukrainian Borscht which was very very flavorful. It was topped off with a dollop of sour cream (which I now know is a popular ingredient in many dishes). I think the meat in the soup was ox-tail and it just melted in your mouth. The Borscht was my favorite dish there.

After Primorski we walked around a Russian supermarket which was lots of fun. It was busy and crowded and I couldn't read many of the labels but I think I may know what a tourist feels in a Chinatown food market.

All in all, I definitely want to go back there and spend more time and probably check out a smaller cafe instead of a restaurant next time. I'd go back to Primorski with more people - check out the site!

Cajun food anyone? I discovered this restaurant a few years ago and have been back a few times because I love their Po'boys and mashed potatoes!

This place has great food and really great cornbread... the kind made with bits of real corn :-D

My friend ordered a catfish po'boy which is one of their more popular items on the menu and I tried a bite- delicious! They have an array of hot sauces lined up on their wall which I highly recommend tasting on their hush puppies. I ordered the corn fritters which are equally as good because you can dip them in the many kinds of hot sauces.   

As I said, I love their mashed potatoes which they are famous for. You can opt out of the white gravy but I don't recommend doing so.

I'd say the ACME Bar & Grill is "An Okay Place To Eat." 

If you walk down St. Mark's near third ave you will see lots of Japanese restaurants but one that sticks out the most is the one with the huge owl and blinking red eyes. He stands in front of the restaurant Kenko... next to a cotton candy machine.

I've been here a few times before and it's always very lively - mostly a lot of obnoxious loud drunks if you go in late but it's all good because their different than the norm selection of food is good to eat.

I personally like the potato croquettes that come with a plum dipping sauce. They also have things like bull penis and turkey testicles on their menu for the more adventurous. Those items may sound strange but they really aren't at all if you look around at the decor. I stick to things like Rice Balls which is really just what it's called but still satisfying to some degree.  The dishes are small but I think it's mostly because you are meant to order lots of little dishes and share. There is a minimum for each person (I think about $7 or $8) but it shouldn't be too hard to reach if you factor in drinks. I think one of the best things about this place is the tiny cup of pink sugar they give you with your bill at the end. This is when you go to the cotton candy machine outside and make a bite size piece of pink fluff.

This restaurant is more about the novelty than about the quality but if you are in the East Village some night, this is a fun place to check out. Or at least just go take a peek at the menu. That might be fun enough.

I decided to go to the Tea Lounge located on 7th Ave. in Park Slope this weekend since I needed to catch up on some magazine reading and because well, it's a lounge and they have sofas to lounge and read on.

I've gone to the one on Union St. and that one is muuuch better. First off, the one on Union St. has an equal selection of coffee and bar drinks. Second and more importantly, the atmosphere is less stuffy. The service was horrendous at this lounge. I ordered a double macchiato and it was carelessly served to me. I'm not expecting high quality service here, just some quality service. 

Another thing - I love music but the music in there was cranked way too high to do any reading or hear what the person next to you is saying.

The one on Union is so much more fun and more laid back. The lighting is dimmer but if I remember correctly, they might have also had some videogames so that's a plus.

If you are looking for other coffee shops in Park Slope, my favorite would be Cafe Sutra. Pretty decor, great service, nice patio, and desserts - I love this place!

Went to Gobo tonight on 6th ave. in the West Village and it was a fine vegetarian dining experience. We had the slow-cooked Malaysian Curry which consisted of potatoes, carrots, and soy protein, Singapore stir-fry mai-fan, butternut squash risotto with toasted almonds, and then for dessert we tried the hazelnut napoleon with raspberry sauce, gingerbread and vanilla ice cream topped with spiced berry compote,  and a generous slice of multi-layered chocolate cake dusted with green tea. Wow. That was an amazing meal. My favorites had to be the Malaysian Curry mostly because I love curry almost anything and the risotto. There were pinapples in the risotto which made it oh so much better. I pretty much devoured the choclate cake... and then felt way stuffed afterwards but it was so worth it! It was really rich and I loved the slight hint of mint.... because I love mint.

This is definitely worth checking out but it gets busy so I would make reservations ahead of time otherwise you might have to rush your meal.

Oh yeah, I also had a mixed berry sakitini - tasted like a smoothie, yummy :)