Foodie Adventures with Nach: Day 3

Nach came back safe and sound from his Thursday Philly trip, ready to go adventuring some more bright and early on Friday morning. At one point he was trying to suggest that perhaps we could start a little later in the day. Memories of the terrifyingly long day we had on Wednesday had him talking crazy when he uttered that suggestion, but that would mean fewer hours to eat. Weighing the pros and the cons, we set out early once more but it was not early enough…

Foodie Adventures with Nach: Day 2

At Aikage's suggestion, there is a change to the story formally known as "(Foodie) Adventures in How to Ignore a Hipster...".  However and despite the header image, this will not be a romantic comedy about canoedling, cup noodling, canoodling, or canned bread..ling(?).  I happened to take a  picture of some glorious art that day and this is all by chance.  None shall sully this thread! I'm looking at you, Aikage and Swan.  With that out of the way, I will be continuing the story on how Nach visited NYC and ate himself silly almost all of last week and at the start of this week.

Foodie Adventures with Nach: DAY 1

About this time last week, I was probably doing the same thing as I am now.  I was probably trying to write a blog post or at the very least, thinking of one.  The only difference being that, I was cursing under my breath thinking about how I had to leave the comfort of my house to go to dinner.  With a Hipster, no less.  That’s the real reason for the cursing… because you know, Dinner is always cool.  Hipsters… not so much!

SnackTAYku International: Hurry Hurry, Come for Curry!

It’s Saturday and the sky has been grey all morning. From the funeral service to the countryside for the burial, there’s sadness and reflection. As you’re standing there trying to fight back the tears, the sky opens up and it starts pouring. People comment that it’s a blessing as their voices become dull background chatter. Making your way through the thick mud to put that rose with your kiss on it as a final goodbye to your favourite Uncle, someone calls you Maressa.

SnackTAYku International: Dim Sum in Trinidad

Your life mission should you choose to accept it: Visiting the Chinatown in whatever city or part of the world you’re in and eating your life away at a dim sum house.  Oh… that’s just one my ridiculous life missions? Yeah well, perhaps you should consider making it yours too.  Life is just so much better with dim sum unless you’re allergic to shellfish.  If that’s the case then never you mind what I said.  That aside, for some reason I never ate dim sum when I lived in Trinidad.  I have no idea why that is but I knew that upon my visit a few weeks ago, I had to correct that misgiving.  As it turns out, fellow TAY’er and O-Decker, Supergeek, recently found a Dim Sum house where he lives in the Netherlands.  Well, oh.  Snap.  It’s Sunday, SUNday! Suuunnnddaaay.  And here’s your SnackTAYku International Main Event - Trinidad vs The Netherlands Dim Sum Battle.  FIGHT!*

Ridiculous Sightings in Retail:.. GDDH

Let's see what we got here in our salad dressing aisle... a raspberry vinaigrette.  Cool.  Cool.  Asiago Caesar dressing, garlic going down...alright, alright.  Godd...what?


What the hell is Goddess?

...
"Made with Goodness"...

What does that even mean? Because all I see is that flowers, garlic, lemons, sparklies and goddesses (plus the world) went into the making of this salad dressing.
Psh.

Hipsters.

This article may be found at the following link:  http://zarnyx.kinja.com/ridiculous-sightings-in-retail-gddh-1282978439

SnackTAYku: Eating the Rocky Mountains for Breakfast

I am a firm believer that no matter the type of food, it can be eaten whenever.  A stupidly simple statement, right? But I know we are all a little bit different.  Some of us adhere to labels of breakfast, lunch, and dinner and that certain foods should be categorized and eaten strictly during their designated time zones.  I have respect to those of you who do said things.  It may be a matter of not being able to handle heavier foods earlier in the morning too or whatever the case may be.  I understand our needs may be different.  I probably should do same but sometimes eating half a burger at 7 in the morning may be a necessary evil! A bowl of plain old cereal for dinner? Yes.  Sometimes you just have to make up for the days' prior..."misgivings" in that half a burger you may have consumed.

SnackTAYku International: Brunch at the Beach

 
Welcome back to Trinidad and "Breaking Biche".  It's like Breaking Bad but without the drugs.  It just means instead of working and you pack up the car with a cooler full of cold ones, get some beach towels and take to the windy road up to Maracas Bay.  It's here at Maracas, you will find that the dogs may or may not be allowed on the beach, the clouds hook themselves up on the mountains, a freaking rock that looks like so many you collected in your childhood may be found buried in the sand, and a bake and shark dressed up with island specialty condiments is what's for brunch.

SnackTAYku International: The First Thing You do in Trinidad

Welcome to the island of Trinidad in the West Indies.  It's here after a five hour red-eye flight from New York that upon leaving the airport doors, the heat might hit you something fierce.  If you're lucky, there's a trade wind blowing your way.  You may be met by the sun taking to the skies and giving life to the day.  Family and friends will greet you with all their love and genuine happiness melted into the warmest hugs and hellos you could find any where.  And after all that, your first stop is right across the street for breakfast from the cart selling "Doubles".

Foodie Adventures: Morso? Yes, Please!

It was great seeing a few of my friends last Friday night.  We took to the subway and headed to the Upper East Side for dinner, drinks, laughs and to celebrate missed birthdays at Morso.  On the recommendation of a friend's friend, we decided to try this place with empty stomachs and an open mind.  Unfortunately, Morso was not participating in NYC's Restaurant Week* (hell, I did not even realize that was on).

*I adore the concept of Restaurant Week.  I love that NYC Restaurants open their doors to people to afford to sample of what their establishment has to offer by tailoring a menu of some of their best selections for a three course prix fixe meal (usually).  Truly not all selections are great for Restaurant Week, and some can be really hit or miss but there are gems waiting to be discovered at any number of great places in NYC one may otherwise have not been able to try due to pricing restrictions.

SnackTAYku: At Lunch with Street Meats

Sometimes confusion sets in.  With the multitude of street meat carts, food trucks lining the streets, and restaurants all vying for your attention, it's easy to see why decisions become that much harder to make when it comes time to decide on what to eat for lunch.  To make matters worse, the rivalries between vendors result in utter chaos with territorial fights ensuing and vendors posing as other vendors.  It's a colourful business, getting lunch in Midtown.  How do you decide on which place to get good food for a fair price when everyone's just trying to addle your brain? After much consideration you may decide that lamb over rice from a Halal Food cart is the way to go.

Shake Shack's SmokeShack and Jelly's Last Donut

I tried.  I really did.  I continue to do so, actually.  After TheUnfathomableTruth's beefylicious review of Five Guys, I went out there and yet again, got another burger.  I've been trying for years to like them after everyone's constant ravings and still, my heart belongs to another and my brain just cannot grasp the Five Guys love.  I'm beginning to think there's something wrong with me.  Or maybe everything that's wrong with me can be summed up in that conversation and scenario I had with H1 the Swan that one day in December two years ago when Five Guys was voted Best Burger in NYC.  It went something like this: I raged on the streets that day.  How was that possible?! I foamed at the mouth.  I scoffed! I rolled my eyes! How? When there's damned Shake Shack in this city?! I eventually calmed down as I am calming myself now to write this Shake Shack review for you, SnackTAYKrew!

H1 the Swan and I have eaten at Sapporo on countless occasions.  That's not to say we find the ramen particularly inspired, but for a lunch option on days when we just wanted to get out of the office, Sapporo was our go to spot.  Although we've been a lot of times, due to the fact we usually end up there during lunch office hours and it's a madhouse in there during those times, I've never actually reviewed the place with pictures or written text.  Well, now's a good time as any to do so (for you, Habboi!).

After the Animal Crossing Launch Event yesterday at Nintendo World, my friends and I were famished.  Just a couple of blocks away, Sapporo made the most sense for a filling, decent yet cheap option for some food.  UI had not been before either but Em and my Imaginary Friend Fred liked their Miso Ramen quite the bit and were willing to go back for that plus the Special Set.

The Return of the Claw and More at Gleason's

I'm not sure why it took me this long to go to Gleason's.  Maybe it's due to the fact that I don't really like pizza even if the ones made at Gleason's are specialty flat bread pizzas and high class.  Or maybe it's due to the fact because the pizzas are specialty it makes me think that this place would be plagued by hipsters.

On Tuesday, X and Moodou paid us a visit and we decided to go on a foodie adventure for old time's sake.  You know, that's what we do when X comes around.  It's what we're supposed to do! Never mind we have yet to take her for Tea at Kathleen's Tea Room.  X, don't worry about it.  You saw nothing and you remember nothing about that.

Happy H1's Day

Happy St. Paddy's Day (or whatever it is you people call it)!

In celebration of her own day, H1 bought us some cupcakes.  Hiding within the chocolate muddy frosting were nasty surprises...

...the sort of nasty surprises that one may close their eyes and have nightmares about.

Or perhaps the sort that will have me sleeping with one eye open tonight.

As if these tiny, green hellions are not terrifying as is, what with a third hand growing out of their heads and straight through their hats (a feather in their cap, you say? Look again!), whilst digging their hands into their chests to tear out their hearts, then certainly...

...the "gold pots" clutched under their arms are cause for alarm.  Gold pots? Or children's heads turned to gold?!

Currently: nervously watching my back.

Note to Selves

When the Halal guys at the cart on 53rd and 6th with the famous yellow bags give you a little bit of pepper sauce upon request, do not look at them as though they have lost their ever-loving minds and ask for more.

Just in case my note was not clear enough, remember:

That shit is hot and it almost defeated us.

All I see is red.

And yet, somehow, all I can think about is eating some right now.  

Adventures in the Last Week of August

The crap month that is August is finally coming to a close.  If the Zombie Apocalypse occurs at the end of the year, I'm sure I'll quite happily take another August over that.

In the meanwhile, I will continue to speak ill of the month in which my camera broke.  Yep, August continues to prove that it is pure evil because it was all August's fault that happened! Don't you see?!

In some sort of end of August madness, I wound up coming home late three nights this week for fun events with friends.

It was as if August was trying to redeem itself for its asshattery but I know better.

On Tuesday, I attended a Yankees game at the new stadium upon invitation by a work buddy along with Alex and Active Goat T.  While my usual practice would be to root for the other team other than NY (to be a contrary jerk - no other reason), on principle I could not do so for Toronto.  You know, Canada and all... haha, Canada! I only kid.

The Delta Lounge or whatever it's called.  Too lazy now to look it up.  Laaazzzyyy!!

Oodles- of Noodle+

As if we were not gluttons enough the evening before (hell, we still have to eat a meal the day after, right?), we made our way to White Plains on Saturday to try a new Noodle place that had been getting a lot of buzz.

Sushi in the Summer Time, with a Side of Blue Pig

It's Restaurant Week once more and once more, The HOchieS & Co. found themselves at Hatsuhana for sushi.

Fake candles were on our table.  It's almost as if they recall some sort of alleged fire to cloth napkin that may have occurred at our table last year.

It was Boohead who made the request but I was not opposed to the idea either.

Mk (sans X - much to her chagrin what with the pictures of sushi torture we kept sending to her during the meal) and new frenemy, "Active" Goat T* accompanied us for a night of fishy fun.

Buns of Fun

July is just a memory at this point and all the food fun we had, I never posted.  I tend to slack in the Summer because the sun and hot weather addles my brain.  Yep, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Now that August is here, I'll just to stagger the posts of all the food (mis)adventures we had in July because goodness knows there will probably not be much to talk about in August.  Ha.

You'd be convinced I like July but you'd be incorrect.  It's still part of Summer and it's awful stuff as far as I'm concerned.

All of it!

But as I said, we did have some adventures in food.

Thanks to Alex for trying to photo-bomb my picture.