• burgers,  flatiron,  restaurant reviews

    Restaurant Review: Fresh-N-Fast Burgers

    I was skeptical at first, but like many New Yorkers, I call the burger from Shake Shack in Madison Square Park my favourite in the city (and maybe tie it with the burger from Cozy Soup ‘n’ Burger in the West Village). So naturally when I heard the burgers from the new Fresh-N-Fast on 23rd St. compared to the ones at Shake Shack, I had to go. I also heard them called blatant ripoffs of California’s famous In-N-Out burgers, so I had to bring along my San Franciscan friend Beth to act as judge. The problem was, um, that Beth had never actually eaten an In-N-Out burger, something which I…

  • american,  flatiron,  restaurant reviews

    Restaurant Review: craftbar

    Our first visit to craftbar was so outstanding that my boyfriend and I decided a couple of weeks later to visit for his birthday to try more of the menu. We had opted for the large charcuterie plate to start the first time around and regretted not getting to taste more appetizers, so this time, we went for three starters: Pecorino fondue with acacia honey and hazelnuts The “fondue” wasn’t liquid by the time it got to our table, but the sweetness of the honey was a treat, and the hazelnuts were hugely complimentary. Pecorino-stuffed risotto balls The risotto balls seemed like they’d be easy on the palate, but once…

  • flatiron,  french,  pure carbs

    The City Bakery’s Pretzel Croissant Ain’t No Pretzel

    I didn’t love the pretzel croissant. It has its own website. People who care about food gush about it. But I was unimpressed. It was flaky, buttery, light, and bread-flavoured, which are all of the things a croissant should be. So maybe the problem is that I like pretzels much more than I like croissants, and this was no pretzel. There was no thick pretzel skin, no dense pretzel insides, and no salt in sight, let alone the chunks of crystals I want to see. But it was a good croissant, and I was still finding butter flavor trapped in between my fingers for hours after eating it. Don’t ask…

  • american,  flatiron,  restaurant reviews

    Restaurant Review: Tom Colicchio’s craftbar

    You know you’re living a charmed life when you and your boyfriend read Serious Eats’ Top Five Fancy-Pants Doughnuts in New York City article, decide on a whim that you’re in the mood for some of those fancy-pants donuts, and head out to Tom Colicchio’s craftbar to get your fix. You may remember that Kamran took me to craft for Valentine’s Day this year and that it remains to this day the best meal I’ve ever eaten without question. craftbar being the less formal sister to that restaurant, I was prepared for a difference in quality or service along with the difference in price. But no! We were seated in…