Tag Archives: restaurants

NYC Restaurant Week

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Have you ever wanted to dine in an expensive restaurant…a Michelin star restaurant? Have you ever wanted to eat like royalty? Have you ever wanted to eat at a fine dining restaurant for a reduced price? Well, now’s the time that you can because it officially Restaurant Week in New York City. Restaurant Week has become a phenomenon for both mid-summer and mid-winter in New York in which it captivates the culinary world to share the inexpensive costs of normally financially exuberant meals. The entirely of Restaurant Week is to enable restaurants to create better sales for their business by offering more affordable prices in order to encourage more customers to dine at their restaurants. It helps restaurants to evoke their culinary skills to customers that under other conditions would not be able to purchase these gourmet meals. It also helps to increase foot traffic when it is a slow time of year for business.

It is nationwide event that takes place all over America but is widely appreciated in New York for its constant expansion of food. Restaurant Week in New York has already begun on January 23rd and will run until February 10th. It is being offered in over thirty-five neighborhoods with over three hundred eighty-five. There are so many restaurants that are a part of this special culinary-inspired week that the options are endless. With a vast variety of cuisines and culinary styles, there are so many choices to decide to dine. The discounts are eligible only on weekdays excluding Saturdays, although certain restaurants will include their discounts on Sundays. It works based on a prix-fixe menu which is usually a three-course meal that is set a fixed price with a few options. The three courses consist of an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert. The reduced prices apply for both lunch and dinner; the lunch prix-fixe menu costs only $29 while the dinner prix-fixe menu costs only $42.

You can make reservations on OpenTable and on NYCGo as well as browse the restaurants that are participating in Restaurant Week. There is also a chance to win a $50 gift card to go towards your next meal for any of the participating restaurants when you snap photographs of your prix-fixe meal and post it to Instagram with the hashtag, #NYCRestaurantWeek, daily through the entirety of Restaurant Week.

Comment below if you would be interested in dining at any of the participating restaurants for New York City’s Restaurant Week or if you have in the past.

The Best Things I’ve Ate This Summer So Far

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I think you already know by now that I always look forward to the summer because it’s the time of the year where I have more flexibility, have more time to go out and enjoy food with my family, boyfriend, and friends, and an opportunity to try restaurants and places on my list.

Since summer is half over, I’d like to share with you some of the tasty drinks and dishes that I’ve experienced and enjoy during the summer so far:

soup

This Lobster Bisque from Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston, MA is lobster heaven! It’s by far the BEST lobster bisque I have had! It’s bright, warm, and inviting and has rich lobster flavors and juices.

baked crumb topping

During my Memorial Day weekend trip to Boston, I also visited Quincy Market and this one spot called Boston Chowda Co. I saw that they had Maine Lobster Pie which was filled with their Rockport lobster bisque and topped with their seasoned Ritz Cracker crumbs. The pie was absolutely wonderful and delicious! It was extremely creamy and the lobster meat was full of flavor! Who would have thought a savory pie could taste so amazing?

fruit floating on top of a clear, carbonated drink in a glass

I am a sangria lover! Last month, my boyfriend and I went to our friend’s birthday dinner which was at a Portuguese restaurant and they had White Sangria, so of course I had to have it. It was actually very light and refreshing, but didn’t have strong aromas like a red sangria does.

a pink smoothie

Since my internship is close to 42nd street in the city, I’ve been making a lot of visits to Jamba Juice for their freshly made smoothies. My favorite one so far is the Gotta Guava smoothie which contains guava juice blend, frozen peaches and strawberries, and sherbet with pineapple ice. It is super refreshing especially on a hot day and full of tropical goodness!

prosciutto on toast

I came to Piccoli Trattoria with my boyfriend and friends for a double date dinner and an item we ordered that I found absolutely divine was the Proscuitto E Peccorino which is fig jam, Proscuitto de Parma, and Gorgonzola cheese on a toasted rustic bread. It’s super tasty with a mix of salt and sweetness from the fig jam and Proscuitto. I really enjoyed this appetizer and it’s possibly one of the best ones I’ve had so far.

Korean meat and vegetables in broth

I’ve also visited a new ramen spot in Brooklyn Heights with my boyfriend and two other friends as well. I’ve tried Tonkotsu Ramen in a lot of ramen restaurants, but so far my favorite one is from the new ramen restaurant: Kogane Ramen. I really enjoyed this particular bowl of ramen because it had the right amount of fattiness and pork bone based broth. The noodles were straight and cooked al dente. I took my time eating this ramen so I was able to enjoy and savor every taste and texture in this bowl.

ravioli in sauceMy boyfriend and I celebrated our 5.5 year anniversary at one of my favorite restaurants, one that I’ve spoken previously about on The Buzz: Mussels & More.  One dish that we tried was the Lobster Ravioli which I absolutely enjoyed! They were quite big and they were truly delicious and the sauce went extremely well with the toasted bread that they gave us on the side.

I guess it’s pretty apparent that so far this summer, most of my favorite dishes are seafood and lobster related. I enjoy seafood very much except for oysters and scallop (for personal reasons). I’m excited for the food places I am planning to visit for the rest of this summer and to see what they offer.

What are some dishes or drinks you’ve enjoyed or tried this summer?

Food Places I Want to Try

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I’m so glad the summer is here because that means there’s some time in my schedule to enjoy food with friends, family, and my boyfriend and it also means a chance to try new food places and restaurants. I am a little sad that half of 2016 has passed, but at least there’s a lot to look forward to during the final half of 2016.

I’ve been trying a lot of new restaurants and spots the last three months and I’ve finally been catching up on my Yelp reviews and blog posts on the food blog, so be sure to check those out. Any way, with 6.5 months left of 2016 I hope to be able to try these food spots/restaurants:

an indigo seafood restaurant with a yellow awning

Image Credit: DNAinfo

I found out about Mussels ‘N Sausages on Yelp. I wonder if it has any relationship to Mussels & More (one of my favorite restaurants). Mussels ‘n Sausages is located in Astoria, Queens and is a French, seafood, breakfast & brunch type restaurant. They have a pretty interesting menu and my primary reason for wanting to try this restaurant out is because I’ve developed a love for mussels.

a restaurant table

Image Credit: Yelp

As you may already know, I love coffee! I haven’t tried too many coffee spots, but one place I am dying to try is Coffee Project New York. It’s an experience of coffee on a whole different level. Deconstructed is what sums up the coffee here. I’m pretty excited about giving this a place a shot, hope to try it soon.

a restaurant and a bowl of food

Image Credit: Yelp

Momosan Ramen & Sake is one of the latest and greatest craze of in the world of ramen. It’s great because it’s the first ramen restaurant that Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto opened in The Big Apple. I’ve been to Bobby’s Burger Palace which was started by Iron Chef Bobby Flay, but for an Iron Chef to open a ramen restaurant is golden! It’s been opened for nearly two months and I still haven’t tried it. I know the lines and craze is probably crazy right now which is why I am going to wait a little bit longer. Hopefully I’ll run into the great Iron Chef on my first visit.

a small Christmas tree and a bowl of food

Image Credit: Yelp

One of the major dessert spots that has been blowing up on my Instagram and Facebook feed is this newest spot: 520 Desserts in Flushing, Queens. I must admit the desserts look a lot more attractive then what you can find in Brooklyn. One dessert that I’ve seen around my feeds is the: Honeydew Shaved Ice bowl. I love fruits and honeydew is one of my favorite melons, so this is absolutely honeydew heaven! Hope I can try this place out this summer.

an ice cream cone

Image Credit: Yelp

Another place I want to try and that I found on Yelp is 2nd City which is a casual, Filipino restaurant in Manhattan. I love and admire Filipino cuisine, but when I saw the Ube ice cream on Yelp, I knew I had to add 2nd City to my list on Yelp of places to try. I’ve tried Ube butter before and it is absolutely wonderful. I can’t imagine what new heights Ube ice cream can have on me.

a pizza restaurant with a gray awning

Image Credit: Yelp

I was deeply disappointed when I found out Pie Face closed all of their New York locations because I never got to try their sweet and/or savory pies. On Saturday evening, I passed by Petee’s Pie Company and they had a sign that said “The Absolute Best Pie in New York” , so of course with words like that I can’t not try it. They don’t have savory pies here, but everything sounds amazing and tempting.

a silver tea kettle, four white mugs, and four brown paper cups

Image Credit: Hoodline.com 

Another coffee spot I want to try is Blue Bottle Coffee which is quite famous. I definitely want to try their cold brew as I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. They have a location that’s just a few blocks from school which is convenient for those that are interested in trying too.

So here are just a few places I hope to try by the end of 2016 and hopefully if I try them I will definitely write a review on The Buzz or on my food blog.

What restaurants or food places would you like to try?

Why I Started a Food Blog

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I started blogging at the age of 14 and I’ve been doing it for 14 years. As you already know I am an active Yelper and have been an Elite member since 2011. I started using Yelp mostly because my sister noticed I like to eat a lot and said I should start writing reviews and it’s from that moment on that I started Yelp in July 2010.

A few years ago I started blogging just about life, but then my boyfriend told me that I should start a food blog – a blog about all things related to food and I thought he was crazy because it requires a lot of sweat, time, creativity, and content. Also what could I possibly blog about? I didn’t know anything about starting a food blog until I did my research, read other food blogs, and attended  a few social media marketing conferences.

a screenshot of a blog page

I started food blogging about five years ago, but I didn’t develop my current food blog: Ambitious Eats until June 2013 when I decided to bring my social media marketing, photography, and writing experience together. I love food and I love to write and share my experience with food and restaurants with others. Food makes me happy and it’s my passion. Besides just eating, taking pictures of it and posting it on Instagram – I’ve always wanted to take it a step further and share my experience in words on blogging.

I’m not looking to be a food blogging superstar or to be as famous as The Pioneer Woman, but in five years I hope my food blog will have a domain name, redesign my blog layout, be invited as a guest to restaurants to sample and blog about them, attend more blogging conferences, and just really bring together my social media and blogging skills together. I also would love to include more recipes because I feel I don’t do that enough and I should.

Do you have a blog and what do you like to blog about?

 

My Favorite Places to Eat in Brooklyn

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I’m a lifelong resident of Brooklyn and every day there’s always a new place to eat or drink that’s opening up in Brooklyn and everywhere else. As a lifelong resident of Brooklyn, I would like to share with you my favorite places to eat here and why. Hope you’ll feel inspired to try these if you happen to be in Brooklyn.

plates of sushi and salads

There’s a lot of Japanese restaurants nearby where I live, but my favorite one is about a 10-15 minute walk and it’s called Samurai Fusion Sushi which is in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. I like going to Samurai Fusion Sushi because they have a variety of sushi rolls to pick from and they are very fresh and tasty. The restaurant isn’t very big, but it feels very calm and relaxing to eat there. The food here isn’t crazy expensive either.

outside of a cafe with pictures of food dishes

One of my favorite brunch spots is Cafe Luluc (not too far from school, located in Cobble Hill). I usually come on the weekends when I want to go to Cafe Luluc and there’s always a line especially around 10AM-1PM, so brace yourself. However, the line and wait usually moves quick. I’ve only been here for brunch and their brunch is pretty good, top notch. Their pancakes are soft, fluffy, and tasty and I highly recommend it. Just an FYI, this restaurant is cash ONLY.

desserts

Prince Tea House opened its second location in Brooklyn last year and I was so excited to try it out. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. Prince Tea House isn’t a restaurant, but it is a tea house and they are best known for their teas of course, light desserts, and snacks. There’s a bit of a wait at night, but if you’re looking for a pleasant experience with tea and snacks, this is your place. I highly recommend the Lady M’s Mille Green Tea Crepe cake, it is literally layers of green tea deliciousness and perfectly moist!

plates of savory food

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is one of the newer restaurants in Brooklyn and one of the few BBQ restaurants here in Brooklyn. I absolutely love coming here all year round. Their food is top notch especially their chili , brisket, and mac-n-cheese! I’ve also done catering from here for family dinners and food was cooked just right. Never a disappointment here.

seafood dishes

Another favorite restaurant of mine is Mussels & More which I have briefly mentioned in past posts on The Buzz. Last year, I was on a total seafood and mussels binge. I’ve been to Mussels & More a few times and the food and service never disappoints. If you love seafood or mussels, this is the spot to check out. You don’t have go very far for good quality seafood dishes. Their mussels are excellent and come in a variety of flavors and broth.

Well that’s a few of my favorite places to eat in Brooklyn. If you have any questions regarding the places I’ve mentioned, please let me know.

What are your favorite places to eat near where you live? 

Good and Affordable Eats in Downtown Brooklyn

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Finding good quality and affordable food in Downtown Brooklyn for a student can be mission impossible sometimes and as a student I must admit there’s not much in Downtown Brooklyn that’s within our budget, but while attending City Tech for the last few years, working in Downtown Brooklyn for over 3 years, and researching on Yelp I have come to realize there are certainly good food for an affordable price from anywhere between $5 – $15.00 and here are five places I would like to share with you where you can get a good quality meal for a good price:

food dishes

Brooklyn Fare

Besides Trader Joe’s (located in Cobble Hill), there’s another supermarket/organic market where you can build your own meat entree or vegetable entree or pick up a sandwich. This market is known as Brooklyn Fare and it’s about a 10-12 minute walk from school. Their meat entrees are usually $9.99 and for vegetable entrees are $8.99 (prices may have changed). It’s a great place to visit and they have a lot of great products you may not find at Trader Joe’s.

a smoothie and some green vegetables

Cafe Metro

Cafe Metro is by far one of my favorite places to go to for lunch because it’s my to-go place for salads! Panera, Au Bon Pain, Hale & Hearty, and many other restaurants and fast food casual places have salads and provides a customer with the option to build their own salad, but I find that it’s a lot more expensive at these places. I spend just a little bit under $10 for my salad, but I can add a lot of different toppings and special toppings without an extra charge unlike other restaurants. If you love salads as much as I do, than you will love Cafe Metro. Lines can get crazy between 11:30AM-1PM, so I usually pre-order my salad to avoid the crazy lines.

sandwiches and smoothies

Hanco’s

When I first discovered there was a Vietnamese spot that opened up in Downtown Brooklyn, I was very excited about this! Vietnamese food is almost no where to be found in our area. If you love Vietnamese food, check out Hanco’s as they have an array of items such as banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) , pho, rice vermicelli, bubble teas, coffee, rice dishes, and various appetizers. It’s a little more expensive than what you can find in South Brooklyn and Chinatown, but you won’t be spending $15+ on a sandwich or a bowl of noodles for sure.

a warp sandwich and a sign that says "Court Order: get served!"

Court Order

Last December, I stopped by Court Order for lunch because I remembered my boyfriend said they had pretty good wraps and soups and all made from scratch, but what he didn’t tell me was that Court Order actually gives student discount (must present school ID) which is 10% off, but you must spend $5.00 or more. I actually found out during my first visit and took advantage of that student discount. How many restaurants/food places do you know that gives you a student discount? The food is pretty good here and mostly under $10, now that’s a good deal!

dumplings

Golden Fried Dumpling

Golden Fried Dumpling has been in Downtown Brooklyn for 3+ years now and it still remains as the most cheapest, affordable, and tasty dumplings on this side of Brooklyn. The price range for their dumplings range from $1.00 – $5.00. Now I mean seriously, where are you going to find hand-made dumplings for that cheap in Downtown Brooklyn? Any way, besides dumplings there are other menu items that are just as inexpensive like: sesame pancake sandwiches, rice & noodle dishes, buns, soups, and etc. I wouldn’t recommend eating here as they have very limited space and seating area in this establishment, but it is worth checking out.

Hopefully I have inspired you and woke you up to a few places that have cheap and affordable eats that can fit within your budget as a student. If you would like to read more about different restaurants in Downtown Brooklyn that I’ve tried you click here or if you want to hear more about affordable restaurants, click over here.

Are there any restaurants in Downtown Brooklyn you feel are affordable and has good quality?

The Best Things I’ve Ate In 2015

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Hi everyone! I am happy to say that I have returned back to The Buzz for this semester and will be continuing sharing my food adventures and food blogging tips with you.

I would like to start off by sharing a list I’ve compiled of the best things I’ve ate in 2015 and where you can find it. 2015 was really an amazing year and I had a great opportunity to try a lot of different foods and cuisines. Here’s my list and I hope it’ll inspire you try to these dishes and drinks –

*Note these dishes and drinks aren’t arrange in any specific order*

a glass of sangria

Red Sangria

15. I typically don’t drink Sangria during brunch, but since it was offered during the brunch weekend special if you order a brunch, eggs, or omelets. I really liked Parigot‘s Sangria because it was refreshing, fruity, and had floral and plum aromas. I also liked that were chunks of apples, pears, and oranges.

a takeout container of ravioli

Wild Mushroom Ravioli

14. Last September, my boyfriend and I went to the NYC Dumpling festival and one of the dumplings we tried was the wild mushroom ravioli and oh boy, was it mushroom heaven! I really love mushrooms, so discovering a creamy mushroom-filled ravioli was like a treasure. I’ve never had ravioli quite like this one before.

a slice of Caesar Salad Pizza

Caesar Salad Pizza

13. Who knew that a salad pizza could taste so good? During my first visit to Luigi Pizza, I ordered a Caesar Salad slice and man, was it one of the best slice of pizza I’ve had so far! The Caesar salad slice had a nice crunch to it and it had crispy chicken, romaine lettuce, cheese, and Caesar dressing around the slice. It was mouth-watering delicious!

Affugazi Affogato dessert

Affugazi Affogato

12.  The first I stepped into Brooklyn Farmacy, I was excited and hooked! The sundaes at Brooklyn Farmacy are awesome. The first sundae I ordered was the Affugazi Affogato. It’s really a great combination of chocolate and espresso! I enjoyed the large scoop of vanilla ice cream encased in a hardened chocolate shell which was almost impossible to break through.

a glass dish of Homemade Grass Jelly with Mixed Fruits & Ice Cream

Homemade Grass Jelly with Mixed Fruits & Ice Cream

11. Last Summer, I discovered this dessert during a trip to Toronto, Canada from Tracy Dessert. The homemade grass jelly with mixed fruits & ice cream was the absolute perfect solution to a hot, summery day and man was it hot the day I had this dessert. Everything tasted fresh from top to bottom. The grass jelly tasted really fresh and yummy, compared to the ones I’ve tried in New York.

a Roast Pork Taco

Roast Pork Taco

10. I typically don’t eat tacos, but when my friends brought me and my boyfriend to Tacos El Bronco I was excited to try something different for once. I tried the roast pork taco and it was absolutely delightful! It was warm, vibrant, and delicious! The guacamole had a nice and rich creaminess to it. The taco wasn’t spicy at all which I liked. The roast pork was really tender and moist. This taco was screaming and bursting with deliciousness!

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

9. I’ve had different versions of Linguine with White Clam Sauce, but the best one I’ve had so far was from Mussels & More. Their version was on point! There wasn’t too much sauce and the sauce was just the right thickness. I also liked that it wasn’t too garlicky and you get a combination of clams in a shell and chopped clams.

Breaded Baked Clams

Breaded Baked Clams

8. Another dish I tried from Mussels & More that was different and that I truly enjoyed was the breaded baked clams. The staff here highly recommends ordering the clams breaded because it tastes a lot better and they were right! The breaded baked clams had a crisp and crunchiness to it, but also tender.

Bisque Mussels

Bisque Mussels

7. I think it’s pretty apparent that 2015 was the year I went crazy for mussels and seafood. A meal at Mussels & More wouldn’t be complete without some… mussels and so far my favorite one is the bisque mussels. They were soaked and tossed with lobster, brand, tomato, garlic and cream. Yum! Doesn’t that sound good? It’s truly a pot of lobster and mussel goodness. The mussels are cooked to perfection at Mussels & More!

Spam Fries

Spam Fries

6. I tried out Manila Social Club with my boyfriend and friends and one of the menu items we tried was their Spam fries. I have had Spam fries at a different Filipino restaurant before, but the ones from Manila Social Club were unique in terms of taste, presentation, and creativity. I think it’s adorable how they set the Spam fries in the famous Spam can itself. The Spam fries were crispy on the outside and moist like Spam should be on the inside. I also found it interesting that the Spam fries weren’t overly salty.

crab dip with crostini

Crab Dip with Crostini

5. Last Labor day weekend, I went to Ocean City, MD with my boyfriend and friends and one of the restaurant we visited was called Hooked and we tried an appetizer that I was completely “hooked” on called: Crab Dip with Crostini. This was one of the best appetizers I’ve had so far. The crostini was toasted, fresh, and crunchy. The crab dip was amazingly delicious with just the right amount of cheese to make it gooey and delicious.

a white dish of macaroni

Chessie’s Crab Mac-n-Cheese

4. While we were on vacation at Ocean City, MD – my boyfriend and I also tried out Shenanigan’s Irish Pub & Grille and I ordered their famous Chessie’s Crab Mac-n-Cheese which sounded and looked divine! The Chessie’s Crab Mac-n-Cheese consisted of twisted Cavatappi pasta with their Harp® lager and white Irish Cheddar sauce loaded with lumps of yummy crab meat and topped with Old Bay bread crumbs. The lumps of crab meat was really fresh and was no joke!

Crabmeat Salad

Crabmeat Salad

3.  I typically don’t order salads at Asian restaurants and Prince Tea House isn’t known for their sandwiches or savory menu items, but I really enjoyed their Crabmeat Salad. I really liked the salad because it was very simple and tasty at the same time. It tastes similar to kani salad, but with greens and tomato to mix in. They provided a serving of ranch dressing for me, but it wasn’t necessary.

a lobster salad

Lobster with Assorted Seafood on Yee Mein

2.  My family and I were having dim sum at Golden Bay Restaurant one weekend and my dad ordered the Lobster with Assorted Seafood on Yee Mein. This was probably one of the most interesting Lobster dishes and with an assortment of seafood. I really liked the noodles, creativity and presentation of this dish. It is expensive, but well worth it.

Lobster Salad

Lobster Salad

1.My boyfriend and I went to a friend’s wedding banquet at Royal Queen in Flushing, Queens last year. The dishes we had that night were extremely unique. One of the dishes we had that I really liked was the lobster salad because it was served individually and the lobster meat was covered in mayonnaise and served with melons in the center.

So this list covers the best eats I’ve enjoyed in 2015. I am looking forward to more eats this year.

What are some of the best things you’ve ate or done in 2015?

The Art of Inexpensive Fine Dining

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Image by: Simon Pielow

Image by: Simon Pielow

In the hustle and bustle of our tedious schedules with school, work, or personal responsibilities, we sometimes forget to treat ourselves to a splurge every now and then. We probably have all dreamt of having the chance to eat at a fine dining restaurant especially as New Yorkers as New York is prospering in terms of the culinary scene. But with holidays such as Valentine’s Day approaching, it puts an impending pressure to impress by way of expensive outings or gifts. But as Restaurant Week has now come to an end and is over before the Valentine’s festivities. Restaurant Week began January 18 and concluded on February 5, 2016. This week is devoted to reducing the normal pricing of fine dining restaurant for about three weeks to purchase a prix-fixe menu which varies in prices. Lunch costs only twenty-five dollars while dinners costs thirty-eight dollars, reservations are highly recommended as many restaurants will receive a high demand of customers. The best days to reserve is between Monday thru Wednesday as there is lower demand and will have more available reservations rather than Thursday and into the weekend.

A prix-fixe menu, literally means a fixed priced menu, which is a three-course meal that consists of an appetizer, entrée, and dessert as beverages, tip or tax are not included in that price. These menus have fewer options but are more cost efficient in the end. So even if you miss restaurant week, you can still choose this option to save on restaurant all year long but there will be another restaurant week in the summer. Although, the dates have not been released yet, it will most likely be in mid-July to the beginning of August.

The Chicken Kiev at Gotham Bar & Grill (Image by: Brianna Vasquez)

The Chicken Kiev at Gotham Bar & Grill
(Image by: Brianna Vasquez)

I understand that with the financial struggles of college or other financial burdens, it can be difficult to find not only the time but money to contribute to splurging on a culinary outing. Personally, I struggle with this notion as I never like to spend money only save it to eventually have plenty of savings. But recently, I was talking with my mom who explained to me that while savings are important to afford certain debts that need to be paid accordingly. It is also important to put some savings just for yourself to splurge on whether it be a CD you’ve been obsessed with or a candy bar you’ve been craving. You have to splurge on yourself every now and then because after all the hard work you endured, you deserve it. I am still trying to abide by this concept although it is hard, I find that I am more motivated and dedicated to completing certain tasks as I set personal goals for myself to achieve in order to be rewarded by way of something as simple as watching a movie on opening day.

Comment below to share items that you like to reward yourself with in the hectic madness of our lives.

My Favorite Places For…

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So I’ve been discussing a lot about my favorite food blogs, my favorite places to eat, my favorite foods to eat and hopefully you’ve enjoyed that. However, I haven’t told you where’s my favorite place for dessert, my favorite place for brunch, my favorite place for pizza, my favorite place for a burger, and the list can go on and on and on.

Today I want to share with you my favorite places for:

Burger

sweet potato fries

I’ve been going to STOUT since I was about 21 years old and it’s never failed to disappoint. STOUT is an Irish pub and it’s original location is on West 33rd Street and Avenue of the Americas. They have an array of menu items I enjoy, but I always enjoy their burgers and you can different toppings to it. The burgers are massive, juicy, and delicious and their sweet potato fries are  amazingly delicious so I guess that’s a +1 for me.

Sushi

four sushi dishes

I really like the ambiance, service, but most of the all the sushi from Samurai Fusion Sushi. They are beautifully plated and neat. They also come in a variety of sushi rolls. Their rolls are always made to order and absolutely fresh. I can’t seem to find any other sushi that is as good as the ones from Samurai Fusion Sushi.

Ramen

a tray of soups and other dishes

So it’s pretty apparent that I love ramen especially in this chilly weather now. I’ve been to a lot of Japanese and ramen restaurants in the past four years, but the one place I will always love to go for ramen no matter how crazy it can be is: Santouka at Mitsuwa. It’s the first place I’ve ever been to have real and authentic ramen. They don’t have that many broth/varieties to choose from, but the ramen and broth here are full of flavor, deliciousness, and hearty!

Ice Cream

ice cream cones

One of my favorite places for ice cream is Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. It’s been around for a long, long, long time and their service and ice cream never disappoints. I always enjoy coming here during the warm weather and it is always packed here! My favorite flavors here are: almond cookie, lychee, pumpkin pie, and green tea! So good, rich, and tasty!

Brunch

two glasses of iced tea, and two food dishes

I absolutely adore doing brunch with my boyfriend, friends, and family. One of my favorite places for brunch so far is: Cafe Luluc which isn’t so far from City Tech actually. I found out about this little French restaurant on Yelp last year and have been here a few times so far. The food here are rustic, classic, simple yet so delicious and irresistible. They sure know how to make some good Eggs Benedict!

So these are just some of my favorite places to go for certain foods and I do have a lot more I can list, but you can always ask me yourself what do I like and where would I go for it.

Where do you like to go for a good burger, pizza, sushi, brunch, coffee and etc?

My Top 5 Favorite Places to Eat

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Every foodie has at least one or two places they love to eat at frequently besides their own home. I think that growing up in New York City there’s a lot of different restaurants and foods that I’ve grown to love and deeply enjoy.

As a foodie and a person that loves trying new things and adventure, I’d like to share with you my top 5 favorite places to eat.

five food dishes

 

1. Cocoron has been one of my favorite Japanese restaurants so far. They have two locations in the Lower East Side/Chinatown section of Manhattan. Cocoron is unique and different from other Japanese restaurants because they are best known for soba noodles (Japanese name for buckwheat noodles).

I love the dip soba sets they have because it’s cute, exciting, and a do-it-yourself meal. The dip soba set includes a mini burner with a bowl of boiling broth filled with meats and scallions and a plate of soba noodles. Basically, you will dip your noodles in the boiling broth for a minute or two and then eat it.

Recommendations: Chicken meatball dip soba, Grilled duck with blueberry jam, Warm Japanese style curry soba, Coconut milk with frozen berries

pizza, french fries, calamari, burgers

 

2. STOUT is my go-to-sports bar and also a place to sit back and enjoy delicious foods. They also have two locations in Manhattan, but I’ve only been to the one in Midtown. I find it more enjoyable and relaxing to come during lunch time rather than dinner time. Lunch time is a laid back and not rowdy. Dinner time can get crowded, rowdy, and less enjoyable. The food here is absolutely delicious and I sometimes come here just for the Wisconsin style thin crust pizza because it’s that good!

Recommendations: Fried calamari, Wisconsin style thin crust pizza, Sweet potato fries, Stout burger

three food dishes and two drinks

 

 

3. Cafe Luluc has become one of my favorite brunch places! I am so glad I found this gem because their brunch is amazing. I’ve been here twice so far and the service has never disappointed and the quality of the food is top notch and inexpensive. I really enjoy their Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine and how it’s accompanied with fries and a refreshing field greens salad. Cafe Luluc isn’t too far from City Tech, so if you ever find yourself wanting brunch or any type of meal, just pop in to Cafe Luluc.

Recommendations:  Eggs Benedict, Mixed berry Pancakes, Mimosa, Brioche French toast

five food dishes

 

4. Ramen Misoya happens to be one of my favorite ramen restaurants. It’s located in the East Village on 2nd Avenue and just off of St. Marks Place. I like that their ramen is different from other ramen restaurants I’ve been to because their style and presentation is a lot more vibrant and warm. The service here is pretty on par, but it’s the food that’s the most up to par.

Recommendations: Miso chicken curry ramen, Kome miso ramen with cha-shu, Gyoza

five food dishes

 

5. Another favorite restaurant of mine is Maharlika. I never thought I would enjoy Filipino cuisine, but I do. It’s completely different from other Asian cuisines that I’ve tried so far. At Maharlika, I love their spam fries and kare kare (oxtails braised in peanut butter sauce w/ grilled bokchoy, roasted eggplant, & long beans). Everything here is just pure comfort food and full of deliciousness.

Recommendations: Spam fries, Lumpiang Barquillos, Kare kare, Sisig

What are some of your favorite places to eat?