Hoboken Road Trip Part 3 - Candy Shoppe, Elysian Cafe

Continuing their ramble up the main drag of Washington Street, the Divas decided to turn up 4th Street and head to the parks by the Hudson. It was time to sit down, rest, and work some more on the Friday NY Times puzzle. On the way to the parks we stumbled on the Candy Shoppe and, of course, had to detour in. It's candy of the old-fashioned variety: fruit slices, nonpareils, Jordan almonds, etc. Everything is the same price, so you just load up your bags and pay by total weight. I'm not sure what Diva1's favorite was [the dark chocolate nonpareils -Diva1], but Diva2 loved the chocolate 'olives'; these were almonds covered with chocolate, shaped like olives and died green with a red tip. Divine; all they needed was a chocolate martini. Alas none was in sight.

The Divas continued on up 4th Street to the parks and took a well-deserved rest, finishing off the Times puzzle, solving the problems of the world and watching the local Hoboken faithful file into the church across the street for Friday confession. When the Divas were ready to move on they zig-zagged back to Washington and continued to check out the sights of Hoboken. Much to #2's surprise #1 announced she was scouting out places for lunch. On top of breakfast and bakery and candy shop, you also want lunch? OK, I can always eat; no one in #2's family ever passes up food.

Thus we came to Elysian Cafe at 1001 Washington; it's the Hoboken version of a Paris bistro and very nice it was. We dined outside under some shade, and I tell you, I felt a million miles away from NY. It was like being on vacation. Diva1 had the house Elysian burger with some great fries (crispy, tasting of potato - you get the idea) and Diva2 had the spaghetti bolognese. It was just about as bolognese as I am; in other words, just a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, but tasty it was and it came with some lovely garlic bread. There may even have been salad; Diva2 forgets. We washed it all down with root beers and the refills (on the house) kept coming. For dessert #1 had a very tasty apple strudel and #2 had the profiteroles with white and chocolate ice cream. The profiterole dough was a little tough and hard to cut, but all was forgiven because of the whipped cream on top. This was the genuine article, thick and tasting of fresh cream, and absolutely not some spritz from a spray can. Two thumbs up from the Divas on this place. We would go back.

After lunch the Divas continued meandering up Washington, giving out prizes for the day. The children's shop (El Bambi at 1204 Washington) got a prize for the pink pig humidifier for baby's room that was in the window. I wanted that pig and I'm no baby. The horticultural prize for the day went to the most beautiful and most fragrant apricot and yellow rose that the Divas wandered past somewhere i n their travels and I think Diva1 gave a prize to the very regal elk statue in front of the Hoboken BPOE lodge. By mid-afternoon the Divas had made their way to 14th Street, so they turned down it and made their way to the ferry stop at the bottom of the street. A short ferry ride later and the Divas were back at 39th Street in Manhattan after a hard day of playing tourist.

More Hoboken adventures will surely follow; Divas intend to go back at the first possible opportunity.

Hoboken Road Trip Part 2: Carlo's Bakery

The Divas certainly did enjoy their road trip to Hoboken. We filled up at La Isla first on the theory that if we stuffed ourselves with big breakfasts then we wouldn't buy out Carlo's Bakery and have to lug 10 pounds of cookies all over Hoboken for the rest of the day. It was a good plan; I think Diva1 bought only a coffee mug and half a pound of cookies and Diva2 escaped with 2 large Black and Whites. Carlo's Bakery, for those who don't know, is an old-fashioned, old school (read slightly frowsy and slightly down at the heels) Italian bakery at 95 Washington Street, and it is the site for TLC's reality series Cake Boss. The Cake Boss is owner Buddy Valastro, but he was not in evidence when the Divas were there; Buddy's sister Mary was, however. On the Cake Boss series Mary is edited as bitchy and unfriendly to the customers; I think she's getting a bad rap. Diva2 had a small issue paying for her cookies and Mary was nice, I tell you, positively nice in straightening out the problem. Just as the Divas were leaving, a large Canadian (yes, Canadian) tour bus pulled up and 40 or so young men and women (high school trip?) piled off the bus and stormed the bakery, cameras at the ready. Hopefully Buddy put in an appearance for this group. I knew Cake Boss was a hit for TLC but somehow in my mind that didn't translate to Canadian tour buses. I can't speak for Diva1's box of cookies, but my Black and White's were mighty tasty when I finally got around to them at home over the weekend. The Divas give out prizes on occasion, and even though they didn't try any of the cupcakes on offer in the bakery, a special visual prize was awarded for the Muppets cupcakes, especially the one with the blue sparkly frosting. The Divas will be back here soon; that's a promise.

Hoboken Road Trip Part 1: La Isla

For some time now this culinary haven in New Jersey has been beckoning to the NYC DinerDivas, who were waiting only for better weather before venturing across the waters to the haunts of Hoboken. Finally on Friday the skies were clear and the temperature was neither too warm nor too cold, so the Divas met early in the morning at the 34th Street PATH station for a reverse commute across the Hudson.

First in the plans was breakfast at La Isla at 104 Washington Street, and at 9:00 a.m., when we arrived, it was throbbing with a Latin beat and a lively breakfast crowd. Luckily, there was still a spot for us in the narrow, 36-seat restaurant. We ordered coffee (black for Diva1, iced for Diva2) and sat back to peruse the menu. It was a difficult decision for Diva1, whose response to every choice was "Oh yeah, I want that!" Diva2 was better prepared: she had come specifically for the Stuffed French Toast, the chef's award-winning original creation, and only hoped that it was not sold out. Our luck held: it was available.

This is the concoction that won a Bobby Flay Throwdown on The Food Network. Ingredients include guava, strawberries, cream cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, almonds ... the question was, could it really taste as heavenly as it sounds? Diva2's blissful sigh at first bite provided the answer. Diva1 begged a bite, and heartily concurred.

In fact, Diva1 now looked at her Huevos Rancheros and wondered whatever had possessed her not to simply duplicate Diva2's order for herself. She took another sip of coffee (strong, with real body, but with not so much as a hint of bitterness), scooped up a spoonful of the rice (delicious), then had her answer in a mouthful of poached egg with spicy tomato sauce. This breakfast was a revelation for Diva1: how the various parts of a dish can meld into one yet retain their own distinct flavors.

So here's the La Isla verdict from Diva1: the service is friendly and efficient, the ambience is cheerful and lively, and the food is a delight for the taste buds. Even the price is right: not cheap, but not wallet-busting, either, especially considering the high level of care taken to prepare and serve these culinary gems.

Makes a DinerDiva want to swear off Diner food altogether and become ... egads! ... a foodie.

No, no, no, especially when you can get food as wonderful as this in this place with its honest-to-goodness down-to-earth real Diner vibe.

The Divas shall definitely return here to further explore Chef Omar's delicious take on Cuban cuisine!

Old Town Bar and Restaurant - an unexpected demerit

Diva2 had occasion to be in the Union Square neighborhood recently so she went for lunch at the Old Town Bar and Restaurant. This place is a New York institution, north of Union Square on East 18th Street, and around since 1892, if I recall correctly. There's lots of dark wood paneling and plenty of seating, at tables and at the bar - a nice comfy vibe to the place. The menu comes with an insert showing the specials of the day and including a factoid of the day, You gotta love a place that tells you one of the soup specials is corn chowder and by the way it's the birthday of James Monroe, fifth president of the US.

I got a cup of the corn chowder, which was lovely - lots of corn and potato pieces and a nice broth. However, it could have used some salt; it was definitely under seasoned in that respect. I got the clam roll, a bad choice; it was just nasty small pieces of clam previously fried somewhere else and reheated in the microwave methinks. You get a choice of one side with the clam roll so I got the cole slaw which was also under seasoned; it too needed salt. However, it was fresh and crunchy and not overly mayoed; in fact, I think the dressing may have had a buttermilk base and not mayo at all. Plus points for that.

For dessert I got the apple crumble; plus points to the waitress for asking if I wanted it heated up. Yes, please. Quite enjoyable it was too. I also ordered a cup of tea since I am not a coffee drinker. Diva2's first monthly Big Demerit Award goes to Old Town. The waitress promptly returned to tell me there was no tea; they had decided not to carry it any longer. What is the big deal about a cup of tea? It's a tea bag and some water. How hard is it to stock a few tea bags? Sheesh. Old Town, you are off my list until cups of tea return.

Troy Turkish Grill - a cure for the Port Authority blues

Diva2 went off to play in NJ yesterday and got back to Port Authority later than she intended, right in the middle of rush hour, and she was hungry to boot. What to do? The choices in PA are by and large dreadful; there are far too many coffee and pastry joints and the smell of all that pastry is enough to sicken anyone.

Nip out the back door at 9th Avenue and go diagonally across the street to Troy Turkish Grill to wait out rush hour, that's what to do. Troy is small and narrow with seats for about 15 or so and the food is basic. I had the Adana Kebob (minced lamb seasoned with spices) grilled and served on yellow rice with a little salad of lettuce, tomato and red onion and accompanied by a large warm tasty pita. The whole thing was quite serviceable and the rice had a nice spicy tang to it; I think the small pieces of something green in the rice may have been hot peppers. That would certainly account for the spicy tang. I washed the whole thing down with a Stewart's root beer and felt I had certainly gotten value for my $12.65.

Added bonus: Diva2 got to stock up on the Tamek brand of Turkish sour cherry juice that Troy obligingly carries in its soda case. Can't find Tamek anything in my neighborhood but Troy always has the cherry juice. Downing one is like drinking a cherry pie.

French fry heaven on Flatbush Ave.

So there Diva1 was on Flatbush Avenue in Park Slope, by the 7th Avenue subway stop on the Q line, facing five eateries in a row. Of course she would choose the Diner: Parkside Diner, in this case.

She almost didn't go in: the windows were shaded so there was no telling what was inside before actually going through the door, a definite turn-off. Oh, the things a DinerDiva does for the blog!

It was dimly-lit inside, the decor had a very worn, tired look in spite of the flat-screen-tv concession to modern diner life, and I spotted only two other patrons as I slid into a booth by the door. The waiter, a young man in jeans and a baseball cap, was johnny-on-the-spot with a glass of water and a menu, which he left me to peruse. The menu, too, seemed a bit worn. And tired. I probably should just order a burger, I thought, but I was really hankering for some nice crisp fresh veggies, so I took a chance and ordered the Chef's Salad, specifying no roast beef. Then hoped the veggies would not be as worn as the decor and the menu ...

The waiter took the order, took the menu, went to the kitchen in the back, and promptly returned with the news that they were out of turkey for the Chef's Salad. As I didn't want any roast beef, that left only those (possibly worn) veggies and some cheese ... I took the opportunity to order a well-done cheeseburger deluxe instead.

It wasn't at all a bad choice. The bun was something soft and nondescript, the pickle wedges limp and undistinguished, but the burger was well-done as ordered, the tomato slice juicy and the bit of lettuce fresh and crispy. The french fries were a real, welcome surprise, crisply well-done and scrumptious with an added sprinkling of pepper. In a word: yum!

One further test, however: apple pie. The waiter asked a question I considered to be a good sign: would I like it heated? Why, yes, I would. And so the pie arrived, well heated. Hot. Too hot. With a mealy crust. Oh, why oh why didn't I stop at the fries?

For a burger and fries, though, this place was just only fine. In fact, I'd definitely go back just for the fries. And a burger. At the counter. Replace the worn-out decor, and there you have quintessential Diner.

A Quick Bite at La Parisienne

Diva1, famished, on her way home, stopped in for a quick dinner at the friendly-looking restaurant-diner, La Parisienne on 7th Avenue not far from Central Park.

It did seem like a good idea at first: Diva1 was quickly shown to the one booth not yet occupied, handed the menu, asked if she'd like something to drink (yes, please, a black coffee) while a glass of iced water was placed before her. So attentive. So efficient. And Diva1 does like a place lively with folks eating & schmoozing.

There were plenty of burgers on offer, which were tempting, but Diva1 has been watching her scale march relentlessly upward this past year, so when she spotted a grilled chicken special on the menu, that's what she ordered.

Waiter: The sandwich?
Diva1: Oh. The grilled chicken special. If that's a sandwich, I guess so.
Waiter: Raises eyebrows, gives withering look to Diva, scratches on his pad. Will that be all?
Diva1: Hm. It comes with french fries?
Waiter: French fries.
Diva1: That's all then.

Reader, it was a sandwich, of the open variety, a hunk of grilled chicken lying unadorned atop a toasted burger bun. French fries, a slice of tomato and a lettuce leaf shared the plate.

Waiter: Would you like some cole slaw or pickles?
Diva1: Pickles would be great, thanks!

And so arrived a small plate bearing two nondescript limp pickle wedges.

The first disappointment was the french fries: pale, mealy, no crispy goodness whatsoever. Still, the Diva was hungry, and they were not, after all, inedible. She did not eat the sandwich as a sandwich, opting instead to eat the chicken by itself and treat the bun as a side of bread. The chicken wasn't horrible, but was on the dry side, and not quite flavorless, but almost. The tomato slice was large and juiceless, the lettuce leaf crisp and delicious. In fact, that lettuce leaf and the toasted bun were the best things about this meal.

After all that, Diva1 was going to forego any thought of dessert, but on the other hand she thought ... well, she's unsure just what she was thinking ... she ordered apple pie. Which arrived cold. And, like the tomato, juiceless.

La Parisienne. Diva1 has never been to Paris, but she imagines that no Parisian would want to be associated with such a meal. Sighing deeply, she left a now empty restaurant (no, it was not closing time), belly full but heart heavy: it had seemed so promising. Alas.

Breakfast(s) at the Nevada Diner, Bloomfield, NJ

A Diner Diva should actually eat in a diner now and then, and lucky Diva2, she had to be in Bloomfield a couple of times recently at breakfast time. The bus from NY goes right down Broad St. past the Nevada Diner, so these were my chances to check out said diner. At home I eat a light breakfast, nothing too fancy, but when I'm in diner territory the sky is the limit.

On my first visit I had a the ND's version of a Toasted Bagel All the Way and it just hit the spot; it's a bagel with lox, cream cheese on the side, and lettuce, tomatoes, onions and olives. There's not too much I can say about this; this was filling and just what I wanted and it was about the same as any other diner in the NY area would offer. Nothing to rave about, but no complaints either.

On my second trip I went for the Stuffed French Toast with a side of bacon. The French Toast was 2 big pieces of Challah Bread stuffed with fresh strawberries and blueberries. There was a big dollop of butter, with chopped pecans, on the top and maple syrup came served, not in a plastic pack, but warmed the way it should be in a nice little pouring jar. The serving of bacon was big (I think at least 6 pieces), it was nicely crisped all the way through, and it was the perfect accompaniment to the French Toast. This was a winner in my book and with a couple cups of tea I was a happy camper.

If you happen to be in Bloomfield, do stop in and give this diner a try. I will be back again the next time I have to be in that neighborhood.

A Trio of Lunches in Forest Hills

Lunch #1: Pinang, the Malaysian/Asian fusion restaurant on Queens Blvd. Diva2 knows precious little about Malaysian cuisine, but she comes here on occasion with a friend after the movies. The friend always, always orders the Spring Roll appetizer and the Chicken Satay appetizer and announces herself as satisfied with this. Diva2 always goes for something more substantial (but safe) like Pad Thai. These are good choices all, but a little skimpy on portion size.

Therefore, I decided to check the place out at lunch to see what the Mon-Fri lunch special was like. It's priced according to the main dish and includes choice of soup (wonton or something I don't know at all, called, I believe, Tom Tam or Tom Yum) and dessert of the day. I chose Wonton Soup and Mango Chicken. In due course the chicken arrived, without the soup. I had to send the waiter back for the soup and it was undistinguished when it came; in fact, the wontons were terrible - small and hard with no filling that I could discern. The chicken dish, on the other hand, was quite tasty - hot and spicy, but not overpoweringly so, and served with a generous portion of rice, all of which was needed to absorb the sauce. The dish had lovely strips of chicken, red and green peppers, onions and mango. I never did get my so-called dessert of the day; the waiter never offered it or brought it and I was full from the main course, so I didn't really need it.

Considering that this lunch was priced at $6.50 plus tax and tip, I can't really complain. However, the waiter clearly was out of his element and the place was not full at all; I'd hate to think what would happen if the waiter had been really busy.

Verdict: Pinang is a perfectly acceptable place to stop in for a quick lunch in the area, but I don't think it is going to set the world on fire. This will be an occasional stop for me, but I won't become a regular.

Lunch #2: Baluchi's, the Forest Hills outpost of this Indian chain, also on Queens Blvd. Baluchi's has a Mon-Fri lunch special - 50% off on any in-house item ordered. This does not apply to takeout. I find the food here to be decent, but overpriced, especially since it is all a la carte. I only go here for lunch, since 50% off makes a big difference. I opted for Goan Shrimp Curry accompanied by Rice and Raita.

The shrimp curry was a wonderful surprise: 5 big plump pieces of shrimp in a lovely sauce that was reddish in color, but not from tomato. The color must have been from the spices used as the sauce was listed as having lime and coconut milk but not tomato. It was not a hot and fiery sauce, but a sweetish one - cinnamon, perhaps? The dish went very well with the rice and raita. At half price off this came in around $10.00 - $10.50 plus tax and tip.

Verdict: Again, a perfectly acceptable place to stop in for lunch, but not for dinner, as the cost mounts up very quickly. This place was also not busy. Neither Beluchi's nor Pinang can seem to attract any kind of a crowd at lunch.

Lunch #3: Corfu Grill, a Greek restaurant on Austin Street in the heart of the Forest Hills shopping area. I had been here several years ago and had ordered the falafel. It was the worst falafel I have ever eaten in my life, hard and totally undigestible, so I had written this place off after 1 visit and had never gone back. However, I keep getting good word of mouth on this, so I decided to give it another shot and check out its Mon-Fri lunch special.

For the lunch special you get a cup of soup, pita with tzatziki sauce, a choice of rice, hand-cut fries or lemon potatoes, a salad and your choice of main dish. Main dish could be Spinach Pie, Dolmades, Souvlaki, Gyro, Moussaka, etc., etc., etc. I went with Spinach Pie and I chose the Lemon Potatoes.

First came a bowl of out-of-this-world Chicken Soup, loaded with rice and chunks of carrots and tasty, tasty, tasty. My only complaint, and you are going to laugh, was the square soup bowl. My spoon kept hitting the corners of the bowl and making a racket. Diva2 Moment of Epiphany here; soup bowls are usually round for a reason. They are less noisy.

Next came the main platter with a triangle of spinach pie that was warm and flaky, three big wedges of potato, warm and soft pitas, a tangy tzatziki sauce and some Greek salad. This was all basically good, although the lemon potatoes had too much rosemary on them and no discernible lemon taste. Also, the olives on the Greek salad were mushy and straight out of a can - undistinguished to say the least. The salad was also a little soggy with too much dressing.

HOWEVER, and this is a big, big however, this whole meal was priced at $6.00 plus tax and tip. I cannot stress what a bargain this was; I had a bowl of soup and a platter loaded with food for a ridiculously low price.

Verdict: Corfu Grill is a diamond in the rough, a few misses but overall the best bang for my buck that I've encountered in weeks. The neighborhood knows it too; there were seats when I arrived at 12:30, but by the time I left every seat was taken and hungry eaters were pouring in the doors. Give this place a try; I know I will be back checking out other items on the menu. Just avoid the falafel when you go.

The Divas Do DUMBO (with photos)

The 2 DinerDivas began their Down-Under-The-Manhattan-Bridge-Overpass Good Friday in Brooklyn Heights at Diva1's nabe-fave Montague St. diner, The Grand Canyon, home of the 7 oz. burger. But this was breakfast.

At 9:30 a.m. the place was filled with a good-sized breakfast crowd but still there was a comfy booth available with chairs nearby to spread our things out on as we placed our orders: a brunch-worthy Monte Cristo and tea for Diva2, a Belgian waffle and bacon with black coffee for Diva1.

The waffle arrived first, buried in what looked like at least 2 rashers of bacon, surprising Diva1, who had expected a couple of slices, maybe 3 at most. Plenty of butter and single-serving-containers of Kraft fake-maple-syrup accompanied the waffle. The waffle, buttered and syruped (and bacon put to the side), was delicious and properly puffy if a little on the bland side. The bacon, if a bit much, was nicely done, not at all limp and wimpy and not too crisp, either.

Diva2 drizzled a bit of the syrup on her Monte Cristo which she declared to be quite tasty while also noting it was a large-ish serving.

After downing our meal, we kicked back with the Friday New York Times crossword puzzle and readily proffered refills of our tea and coffee. In fact, we sat for quite some time puzzling over ... and finishing ... the puzzle without ever feeling rushed or in any way unwelcome -- quite the opposite, in fact, a neighborhood-diner-perk we appreciated and rewarded with a generous tip before leaving.


From there, we made our leisurely way through the Brooklyn Promenade, along Old Fulton Street, past the already lengthy line for Grimaldi's Pizza (we did not indulge), to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory at the foot of Old Fulton Street to enjoy some fresh, handmade ice cream.

The line into this little shop, too, was out the door, but the ice cream -- a scoop of butter pecan and another of coffee ice cream in a waffle cone for Diva2, a scoop of butter pecan in a waffle cone for Diva1 -- proved well worth the short wait. Rather than take the cones outside to eat, we sat at one of the 3 tables. Diva2 declared the coffee ice cream had the absolute perfect coffee taste; and Diva1 echoed the sentiment, noting that the Factory had achieved pecan perfection without overwhelming the ice cream with nuts.

From the Ice Cream Factory, the Divas paid a short visit to part of the newly-opened Brooklyn Bridge Park, noted an upcoming appearance of the Young@Heart singers at Ann's Warehouse, peeked in through some doors at Jane's Carousel (to be ensconced at year's end in a new pavilion in the aforementioned Park), and stopped in for some Easter goodies at Jacques Torres Chocolates, where we admired the $60 chocolate cow and where Diva1 bought the irresistible dark-chocolate-dipped Tuxedo Peeps, a requisite dark chocolate rabbit, and 2 chocolate mud cookies, one of which Diva1 ate on the spot, the other of which she gave to Diva2, who devoured it later at home.

Diva1 just wants to say not only is the chocolate the absolute best in the world, but those Peeps are the Cadillac of Peeps. Clearly not something bought off the shelf in some drugstore, they were soft and sweet little marshamallow confection perfection!

Next on the foray into DUMBO was PS Books, where the Divas lightly grazed at the shelves then gratefully fell onto the store's comfy couch to rest and chat while paging through their selections.

Next thing we knew, it was after 3:00 p.m., and time for another eating adventure, this time at the newly opened Choice Market at the corner of Jay & York Streets. Once inside this roomy eatery, we chose drinks from the refrigerated case (some interesting, different choices among the usual Cokes), perused the menu, placed and paid for our orders at the cash register, then took our seats at one of the long communal tables. A waitress brought our orders to us when they were ready:


Diva2 declared the hanger steak delicious and done as ordered: pink and juicy. Asked about the side of mashed potatoes, she said they were fine and not at all watery, which is Diva1's usual complaint about mashed potatoes ordered out. Diva1 found the salmon burger to be lovely, garnished with fresh lettuce, tomato, and crisp sprouts. Her only question was that she thought she might have preferred mustard to the mayonnaise already on the burger -- but then again, maybe not. Anyway, she hadn't been given the choice, which she thought it would have been nice to have, especially at a place named Choice. The french fries were a real treat, served hot, outsides crispy, with a side of perfectly ordinary ketchup. Only thing was the fries came already salted, while she would have preferred to add her own salt; actually, she'd have preferred pepper, no salt. The portions were perfectly sized, appetites sated with nothing left on the plate.

All this was polished off with new-to-us soda choices: Fentiman's "botanically brewed" Traditional Ginger Beer for Diva1 and Fentiman's Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger for Diva2. Diva1 definitely recommends the Ginger Beer to any true ginger lovers out there; Diva2 noted that even the Orange Jigger had a kick of ginger in it. These drinks added some decided tang to the meal!

The ambience here was casual, relaxed (as we had earlier at the Grand Canyon, we lingered here too after our meal, feeling welcomed and not at all rushed, the place busy but uncrowded), and all about good, fresh, well-prepared food. And only our earlier sweet indulgences as well as our desires to return home meant passing up the tempting desserts on offer here.

The Divas will definitely choose Choice -- and do DUMBO -- again.

ChainburgerChainburger(CheeburgerCheeburger)

Diva2 here, just back from early eats at the local CheeburgerCheeburger franchise. This is another of those faux 50s diners that seem to be everywhere these days - you know, the pseudo 50s jukebox tunes, the fake pressed aluminum trimming, the enforced hearty peppy atmosphere, the kitschy wall decor, etc. I arrived at 5:30 to be greeted by a sign announcing Family Night from 6 to 8. Apparently in this neighborhood that means 5 to 7, because when I went inside there were more kids than adults. I turned down the first table offered (too close to a dad burping a baby) and was shown to a better spot. After perusing the menu I settled on a Large Coffee Shake, Small Onion Rings and the Classic Burger (smallest of the several sizes on offer) with lettuce, tomato, onion and horseradish sauce.

Waiter/Diva2 conversation:

W: How would you like the burger cooked?
D2: Pink and juicy.
W: Well done.
D2: No, well done is NOT what I want.
W: OK, medium then.
D2: As close to medium rare as you can get it.
Waiter departs with perplexed look on his face.

The food arrived in a very odd manner. First came the shake, which was thick and tasty, but I was 3/4 of the way through it before the onion rings arrived. I was halfway through the onion rings before the burger came and there was a long, long wait between onion rings and burger. It really would have been nice to have everything come to the table at the same time. I had heard a lot about the onion rings, and in their defense, the ratio of batter to rings is good. You can actually taste the onion; it's not all batter, batter, batter. However, the batter itself is not good; there's something "too uniform and made somewhere else and reheated here" about it. The burger itself was not bad although it certainly was closer to well done than medium or medium rare. Condiments on the table included mustard, ketchup and pepper, but there was no salt in sight anywhere on my table or any table near me. Luckily the burger had enough taste that salt wasn't necessary. I wonder what happens when someone wants salt for their fries.

All of a sudden I heard a great commotion behind me and I turned around to discover that Family Night means the Balloon Man and the Face Paint Lady. The kids were all having a blast and the balloons were pretty awesome looking - the green spider was a particularly big hit. Face Paint Lady was also doing a roaring business.

Overall verdict: If you are doing errands in the nabe, you can duck in here for a burger, but I can't see making a special trip here, unless of course you have kiddies that need entertainment on a dull Wednesday night. This is not a place I would deliberately seek out again.

Lunch at Manor Oktoberfest

Diva2 actually likes to cook, but you'd never know it from the amount of dining out she's done lately. Needing some fresh air and a walk, I took off down Yellowstone Blvd. in Queens yesterday in search of a German restaurant (Manor Oktoberfest) that I heard about recently. This is their second location, and I gather they have only been here about 3 months. It's a spacious, light place with the obligatory flat screen TVs everywhere and I had to wait a bit to be seated although the place was quite empty, since I arrived at an off hour for dining - later than lunch, too early for dinner. There is a counter right as you walk in and it has a high back wall, thus obscuring for the waitstaff in the room behind that anyone might actually be out front waiting - bad design plan as far as I'm concerned.

I ordered Potato Pancakes with Applesauce to start, followed by the Schnitzel Cordon Bleu Sandwich. The Potato Pancakes turned out to be 4 oval disks about 1/4" high and perfectly uniform in size, shape and color - in other words, I strongly suspect them to be bought wholesale already made and just heated up straight out of a box. Made from scratch on the spot - no way. The applesauce was clearly straight out of a Mott's jar. That said the taste was acceptable, if not spectacular, but I certainly wouldn't order this again.

The sandwich was definitely an improvement: a fried pork cutlet with ham and melted cheese (and yes, the cheese was properly melted), lettuce and tomato and a tangy horseradish dressing served on a crusty roll. My only complaint is that the roll wasn't crusty enough and I think that's because the horseradish dressing was soaking into the roll and softening it up. The taste of this sandwich was great; that I would definitely order again. The sandwich came with a choice of sides and I chose the Cucumber Salad. Again, this item was clearly out of a jar, bought by the gallon, but I didn't object because the tangy sweet/sour dressing and the chopped onions lightly pickled the cucumber slices and the end result was tasty and a nice counterfoil to the sandwich.

Then I fell for the oldest trick in the book when I asked the waitress about desserts, which were the usual carrot cake, chocolate cake, etc. Except of course "there is the one pound slice of Red Velvet Cake, but you wouldn't want that. It's too much for one person, it's really meant to be shared." Canny waitress - she basically dared me to eat it all and I fell for it. It is an enormous piece of cake (with an enormous price tag) and I had to admit defeat. I polished off 3/4s of it, but that was all. I might actually have eaten the whole thing if it had been any good, but it was a severe disappointment. It looked great, with a great red color, but it had no discernible taste of any kind and the frosting was too tangy and overpowering for my personal taste.

I'm not a beer drinker (just doesn't agree with my wonky digestive system) so I can't report on the beer selections but they seem quite varied.

Verdict: if you live in the nabe it's a good place to stop in for a quick sandwich and a beer, but if you live out of the nabe there is no reason to seek this place out.

Lunch at Kenn's Broome Street Bar

The Diner Divas, out in SoHo on a blustery Friday afternoon, decided to see what was cooking at an ole fave, Kenn's Broome Street Bar.

First shown to a table where one of the chairs seemed too close for comfort to some stairs, we were instead seated at another table we preferred. Tea for Diva2 and ginger ale for Diva1 showed up promptly as we contemplated the menu.

Diva2 settled on the "pigwich," a grilled ham and Swiss cheese sandwich on pumpernickel bread, with a side of chips. Diva1 raised her eyebrows a bit at the mention of grilled Swiss cheese given her recent experience with grilled cheeses at Big Daddy's, but Diva2 was unfazed, noting only that yes some cheeses grill better than others. After inquiring about the soup of the day, Diva1 ordered a soup and half-sandwich combo: ham and brie with mustard on pumpernickel with a cup of cream of tomato soup.

The soup arrived in a coffee mug on a plate, half sandwich at its side. Both were delicious, the soup not your grandmother's smooth creamy bland concoction but with something -- Diva1 knows not what -- with a bit of heat in the blend that made for an interesting soup experience. The half sandwich was just right, not overstuffed; the mustard was served on the side, which Diva1 appreciated.

Diva2's grilled cheese sandwich was also a success: the folks in the kitchen here know how to grill the Swiss to perfection. The side of chips was plentiful if a bit uninspired; they were the kind with ridges.

With sandwiches eaten and with time on our hands, we each decided to order apple pie for dessert. I was happy to note that the pie drought was apparently over as the waiter asked if we'd like the pie a la mode and would we like it warmed? Yes (for Diva2) and no (Diva1) for the a la mode, and a yes all around for the warming.

And then we sat back and waited. And waited. And waited. While we'd been munching our sandwiches, the place had filled to capacity; our waiter was busy. So we waited some more. We reminded the waiter we were still waiting. He apologized, indicating all those filled tables. We joked about piemakers going out into the forest to kill trees for their apples ...

Finally the pie arrived. It was not simply warmed, but quite hot. Nonetheless, we dug right in, Diva2 remarking that the cold ice cream helped mitigate the heat of the pie. And while Diva2 would have preferred the crumb topping to have been crisper, Diva1 noted sadly that there was no caramel drizzle, no powdered sugar. And both -- as, mind you, they each polished off their plates -- noted that the pie could certainly have been juicier.

Still it was a pleasnt, if long, lunch. We'll have to go back for more sandwiches and to try some other desserts.

Lunch success at last

Today, on the spur of the moment, Diva2 had lunch at Tuscan Hills, the new upscale Italian restaurant in Forest Hills on the corner of Queens Blvd. and 77th Avenue. This place is seriously good and very definitely needed in the area . The lunch special at $9.95 is a true bargain. I had Tortellini in Brodo to start; the chicken broth was delicious, with a nice glistening layer of fat and a garden's worth of fresh chopped parsley on top, plus all those lovely tortellini. Yum! I was also served a basket of bread, which seems like overkill, since the special also came with the panini of my choice. I choose the grilled steak panini and it came with a lovely small salad. Tasty, tasty, tasty. I love this place, seriously. Thank you, Tuscan Hills, keep doing what you do.

Little Poland - Big Disappointments #2

Diva2 here: I had occasion to be around 2nd Avenue and 12th Street on Sunday, so a stop into Little Poland, a neighborhood favorite, was in order. Oh, Little Poland, you let me down. The Red Borscht was anemic in color and tasteless; if I had closed my eyes I wouldn't have known there were beets in the soup, plus it was hot. Sorry, that's wrong; it should be cold. Next came Beef Stroganoff, which was quite tasty, but the sauce was overly pink - too much paprika I suspect. Here is the kicker though; it comes with 2 sides and the waitress had to clue me in that I should order noodles as one of the sides because "the Stroganoff doesn't come with noodles". Come on now, who serves this without noodles, seriously? I also ordered Red Cabbage; it was red all right, purple in fact, but cold and utterly tasteless - no caraway seeds, no onion or apple or raisins - nothing. Dessert was a perfectly ordinary piece of babka; not good, not bad, but totally unmemorable. Little Poland, I've loved you in the past; were you having an off day or is our romance over for good?

Big Daddy's Big Disappointments

DinerDiva1 was strolling around Union Square last Sunday when she decided to visit Big Daddy's Diner on Park Avenue South (by 19th Street) for brunch. It had been quite a while since she'd last been there, but she remembered it fondly, and hoped that it wouldn't prove to be overcrowded ...

... which it almost was. The joint was definitely jumping behind its big brightly-lit DINER sign, so much so that Diva1 worried she'd have to sit at the counter or have a long wait for one of the 50's-vibe turquoise-and-salmon-colored booths, if they'd even seat a lone diner at one of those 4-person spots. Not to worry: a lone booth was available at which they readily sat little ole lone diner me, Diva1. I ordered coffee, which was quickly brought, and I settled in to read the menu, a colorful, busy affair written in a friendly, breezy tone. I chose the 3-cheese grilled cheese sandwich, adding a $2 side of tater tots.

This sure looked good when it arrived. First I tried the cole slaw, which was drenched in mayonnaise, not my favorite style but far better than many a diner coleslaw garnish. Next the tater tots tempted: they were nicely crunchy on the outside, soft & tasty on the inside ... but ... at room temperature, barely warm. Then I bit into the sandwich ... and immediately realized my mistake in ordering it. It had sounded like such a good idea to this cheese lover; alas, cheddar, Swiss, and American cheeses melt very differently from one another. The American cheese was perfect; the cheddar was warm but not really melted, and the Swiss, the poor Swiss, had turned into a rubber sheet that only wanted to stretch when bitten into. I'm sure I made for a pretty good comedy skit as I battled the Swiss cheese while eating that concoction, but eat it I did. And the tater tots, too. It wasn't inedible, after all, just ... the wrong temperature in the case of the taters and the wrong idea in the case of the sandwich.

I was hoping dessert might save the meal, so I ordered apple pie. Did I want it a la mode? No. Did I want it heated? Oh, my, yes, please. And so it arrived, served with caramel and a dollop of whipped cream. and drizzled with powdered sugar. It tasted warm and sweet and fresh. Heavenly perfection.

So, with a disappointing entree and perfect dessert under my belt, I thought I'd give the place another try for lunch this afternoon.

This time the atmosphere was not quite so jumpy; there were plenty of booths available, and I chose one near the front. Asked by the attentive waiter what I'd like to drink, I opted for "just water, thanks" and was rewarded with a tall soda-glass of iced water served with a straw and a lemon wedge. That was such a welcome surprise, I put aside all thoughts of cold tater tots and rubbery cheese, and placed my order for a tuna melt (um, American cheese with it, please) with, yes, a $2 side of tater tots.

The sandwich was huge, easily enough for a party of two, and likely well able to feed a full table of 4. The tater tots were still crunchy, delicious, and ... well, above room temperature this time, but still barely warm. I ate as much of the tuna melt as I could, visions of pie perfection dancing in my head, then had the waiter wrap up the rest to take home ... and thought this time I'd try the cherry pie. Which was on the menu. But, alas, as it turned out, not available. They had no pie this afternoon, the waiter sadly advised, suggesting cake instead.

No, I'm afraid not. My tummy was set for pie. Cherry pie. I'd have accepted apple pie, I suppose. But not cake. I didn't want any cake, thank you, just the check please.

Oh, Big Daddy, you have such a nice place: 50's decor, 2 big screen TV's tuned to sports, cheerful attentive wait-people, even on request big glasses of iced water served with lemon. And I shall surely judge all other diner apple pies by yours, and likely find them wanting. But what a disappointment. Tater tots, paid extra for, that arrive barely warm. A 3-cheese sandwich that certainly sounded good at the time, but did you ever try to actually eat it?? And dreamy delicious pie that, alas, is -- *sob* -- "not available today, sorry."

Will I be back? Maybe. Just that, you know, there are soooo many diners out there to try ...

Pub Grub (or maybe Pub Ugh)

Diva2 here. Today I had lunch in Manhattan with friends. The restaurant, Harrington's Bar and Grill, on 7th between 30th and 31st, was chosen strictly on the basis of location, to accommodate a friend who has limited mobility. It was all about location, location, location.

That said, I enjoyed my lunch - to a certain degree. I had the bangers and mash, and honestly, there was enough mash on my plate to feed a family of 10. The sausages were fine, ditto the potatoes, and the onion gravy hit the spot. I also had the vegetable of the day, which turned out to be string beans and sliced turnips. They were ok, but undercooked. Dessert was pedestrian at best; 'chocolate cream cake' turned out to be a so-so version of Boston Cream Pie.

The word from my dining companions was that the shepherd's pie was nothing special but the fish and chips earned big thumbs up. The cheesecake and carrot cake generated no comments at all.

There really is nothing distinctive about this place and it is very overpriced, the better to take advantage of the lunch crowd in this busy neighborhood or the tourist overflow from the Garden. Reduce the portion sizes (especially the mashed potatoes) and charge less, that's what I say.

A very reliable source tells me the place to go for this kind of food is The Wee Molly on 8th Avenue at 30th. (Only a block away from Harrington's but too far for my limited mobility friend to walk - alas.) It is on my list for sure.

Thus today's food adventures come to a close.

Still basking in the afterglow....

of the spaghetti and meatballs on Wednesday night. What did you think I meant?

Needing fresh air and wanting an outing, Diva2 took the bus down Queens Blvd. to the Tower Diner in Rego Park.

First the bus ride: highly entertaining in the black comedy sense. Diva2 took the first seat she could find; there was a reason it was empty. Directly in front was a religious fanatic who spent the whole time talking to air about the joys of Jehovah's Witnesses. It was a thrill when her cell phone rang and she had to have a normal conversation for 2 minutes, but boy did Ms. Fanatic get off the phone fast, the better to be talking to air again.

At last, Tower Diner is in sight. It's a funny triangular shape - methinks it might have been a bank in a former life, but it's very light and cheery. There were some unusual lunch specials (coconut shrimp with orange dipping sauce, anyone?), but in the end I went for that rainy day comfort classic of Chicken a la King. It was a great choice. It came with a decent basket of breadsticks, melba toast and a roll plus a really nice salad; the salad had generous slices of plum tomato and cucumber as well as a big slice of red onion (and the usual iceberg lettuce, of course).

The waitress was at the top of her game, asking me if she should put in the order for the C a la K while I was eating the salad, or did I want her to wait until the salad was finished? Now,please. The C a la K was dee-lish! The chicken pieces were big and the chicken had been grilled first, so it had nice color and a great taste. The sauce was quite tasty and there was a nice timbale of rice, studded with peas and carrots, to go with the chicken. The portion was huge; Diva2 took home enough leftovers for dinner tonight.

The only mistake was dessert. They were out of coconut custard pie so I had lemon meringue. Generic at its best and not helped at all by today's rainy weather; even good meringue could not stand up to this dampness.

Boring bus ride home - no professional eccentrics on this one.

2 Times in 1 Day at 3 Guys

The Diner Divas were meeting up for an afternoon together on Manhattan's upper east side, so DinerDiva1 decided to have breakfast at 3 Guys Restaurant at 96th and Madison, knowing dinner would also be there later.

DinerDiva1 arrived at 3 Guys about 10:30 a.m. Promptly and cheerfully seated at one of the large booths by a window, she was handed the breakfast menu and immediately ordered a cup of black coffee, which arrived within seconds. She'd thought she was in the mood for a cheese-and-onion omelette, but didn't see that listed among the omelette offerings. Sure, she could have asked for it and no doubt it would not have been a problem, but she thought, since this was a late breakfast/early lunch combo, the equally filling corned beef hash with 2 eggs over easy would do just as nicely. This came with home fries and whole wheat toast. Both the hash browns and corned beef hash arrived with a bit of crunchy crust on them, which, while fine for the hash browns was not a favorite for the corned beef hash but certainly not a major turnoff. The toast was acceptable, nothing special, and the eggs were perfect. A full stomach and a refilled cup of coffee later, DinerDiva1 paid her modest $9.75 bill, plus tip, and went off to meet up with DinerDiva2.

Some hours later, DinerDivas1 and 2 were at 3 Guys together at a corner booth they'd chosen away from the windows and the door. Again, seating was prompt and cheerfully accomplished. DinerDiva2's immediate request for tea was promptly delivered and we settled in to survey the wide-ranging menu choices.

DinerDiva1's settled on the feta cheeseburger deluxe, well done. DinerDiva2's choice was spaghetti and meatballs and a mixed green salad to start with. A breadbasket of rolls arrived with the salad, which looked fresh and crisp if not particularly inspired, and DinerDiva2 allowed as how she was happy to have her veggies for the day. Then it was on to the main event:

While DinerDiva1 was munching happily away on her burger, DinerDiva2 declared her spaghetti and meatballs delicious and nicely prepared, topped with cheese freshly grated by the waiter at the table. She was also pleased that the sauce was not at all watery. DinerDiva1 rhapsodized about the cole slaw, which was not the usual tasteless diner variety, and noted that next time she'll ask for a larger portion of slaw in lieu of the fries and uninspired, though certainly fresh and crisp, lettuce and slice of tomato served with the deluxe plate. Portions were large: DinerDiva2 cleaned her plate, except for the french fries, and DinerDiva1 reluctantly couldn't finish all the spaghetti--it was just too much.

For dessert, DinerDiva1 treated herself to the so-advertised homemade rice pudding, which was cool and creamy, served with nutmeg and a small dollop of whipped cream. DinerDiva2 dove into a slice of carrot cake, nicely plated, and which she said was delicious with a slightly nutty flavor. Again, portions were large, so some got left on each plate, alas.

The waiter was attentive, no one hurried us out, the restroom, down a flight of stairs, was clean and bright, the bill for the 2 of us was $46 including tip. We've enjoyed 3 Guys at this location before; we will no doubt enjoy it again. It truly is a pleasant eating experience -- enough for one of us, at least, to happily do it twice in one day.

Diva2's latest adventures

Diva2 had way too much time on her hands and an itch she couldn't scratch, so it was off for a long walk down Austin Street in Forest Hills. Destination: the Forest Hills Diner. Diva2 had spotted this place one day last year as she went roaring by on the Q23 bus, but today was the first opportunity to get there.

Forest Hills Diner is small and unprepossessing, but the vibe was very right. First plus: a very pleasant, but not overly obtrusive, waitress. Diva2 ordered the chicken salad triple-decker; Diva2 likes to order a diner classic the first time she visits a place, the better to see how the joint stacks up against similar spots. Second plus: the fries were really hot, obviously just out of the fryer, and while the chicken itself was not so chunky as Diva2 likes it in her chicken salad, it tasted fine and the bacon was perfectly cooked and had a great smoky taste. Even the cole slaw was decent - not too watery and with good crunch. This place will definitely get a return visit.

Diva2 then headed down to the Cinemart on Metropolitan Avenue to see An Education. Was disappointed in it and not sure why.

To help Diva2 get over her disappointment with the movie, there was Eddie's Sweet Shop beckoning on the next corner. Diva2 loves the idea of Eddie's, but she's not sure she actually likes Eddie's itself. It's an old-fashioned ice cream parlor that specializes in sundaes and milkshakes and the like. The place needs a bit of an overhaul; it's just too frowzy and down at the heels and dusty at the moment. The big problem, however, is the ice cream. Diva2 had a hot fudge sundae with coffee ice cream and if she had closed her eyes and just taken a bite of the ice cream, she wouldn't have known what the flavor was supposed to be. Hello, Eddie's, coffee ice cream should taste like coffee. This has happened there before and Diva2 is inclined not to offer Eddie's another chance for quite some time.

If you think Diva2 only eats in Queens, think again; there is a Manhattan diner in her future for tomorrow - report to follow.

What/where Diner Diva2 has been eating

Saturday night after the movies (Ajami - Oscar-nominated Israeli film about crime and its affect on a Jaffa neighborhood - highly recommended) Diner Diva2 hit the Flagship Diner in Briarwood. What can I say? I have a soft spot in my heart for this place; after all it has The Roast Turkey Platter on the menu every day. So what if the cranberry sauce is from a can, the vegetables are overcooked and I could make a better baked potato at home. The gravy is good and the chestnut stuffing mighty good and Thanksgiving is a religion for me. Alas for stupid me, I ordered Eggplant Parmigiana instead and got just what I deserved: watery pasta, listless tomato sauce and inattentive waitress service. Won't make that mistake again.

Yesterday, I went off to try Fuji, the new Japanese restaurant in Forest Hills. OK, it's not a diner, but I'm not a foodie, I was hungry, I wanted food. The restaurant is only a few weeks old and in the middle of its shakedown cruise. The Salmon Teriyaki was quite good, but the vegetables that came with it, for the most part, weren't hot and you get the same insipid salad you get at every Japanese place in NY, although the dressing had a nice spicy tang. Had Red Bean ice cream for dessert; it wasn't frozen properly and the sugar had turned gritty - give that a miss.

Went back again for lunch today and had the basic sushi platter. It came with a piping hot and very delicious miso soup and the insipid salad, but along with a California roll and 8 pieces of sushi it was quite a substantial lunch. Tried the Green Tea ice cream this time; it had a great deep green color and a nice smoky taste - Fuji definitely got the ice cream right this time.

Fuji also got the decor right, over the other Japanese places in this neighborhood. They put in windows along the front so one can actually see into the place and when you go in it is airy and spacious feeling. Plus they have 2 flatscreen TVs to keep diners amused and it didn't hurt that the kitchen radio was blaring classic rock; any place that lets me hear Norman Greenbaum's Spirit in the Sky at lunch gets my vote.