A little thank you to you

I would like to take this post to thank everyone who reads our postings, follows our blogs, and recommends people to our pages. The support is definitely appreciated. With that being said I would like to ask you all to utilize the contact information below (and will also be placed below each post). Follow the Twitter/Instagram pages. Follow both blogs. In addition to the accounts we'd like to encourage you to please reach out to our newly created email account. Any questions, comments, criticisms, observations, recommendations, chanllenges, etc...we'd ask that you send them our way. We're constantly looking to improve our content so any information you care to share would be greatly appreciated.

Again, thank you all for the views and support!!!

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Quick Bites - Smorgasburg Vol. 1

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnndddddd GO!

What is Smorgasburg?
Smoragsburg is a weekend (Saturday only) food festival located at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 5 (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) throughout the month of November. The name is a play on the words "smorgasbord" and "Williamsburg" hence the name "Smorgasburg." Very similar to the Broadway Bites, there are several restaurants that come together to setup booths with a limited menus for people to try their cuisine.

Thanks for the English lesson...what did you get from Smorgasburg?
The sarcasm is definitely NOT needed! Anyway, what I got was:

- Brooklyn Wok Shop: Pastrami Dumplings

Unfortunately, I devoured my food before taking a picture so I found this on the internet

 - Ramen Burger: Plain Ramen Burger

- Landhaus: maple cinnamon bacon

- Crazy Legs: turkey leg and an apple cider

How was everything?
- The pastrami dumplings from Brooklyn Wok Shop were pretty damn good. Never thought pastrami and dumpling would be in the same sentence together but it works. I'd definitely order it again

- The ramen burger was ok. I think that the hype overwhelms the actual burger. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely tasty if you're in to Asian seasonings on a burger, accompanied by 2 patties made of ramen noodles. But as far as waiting on long lines and breaking my neck to get one, I would not.

- That Landhaus bacon was probably the highlight of the trip! That little chunk of bacon was so juicy, so flavorful, so.....PERFECT! I regret only buying one but I think in the interest of my health and sanity it was better that I stuck to the one piece. I will definitely be back for more though!

- Unfortunately, the turkey leg from Crazy Legs was disappointing. With such a large amount of turkey meat I was expecting it to be flavorful with some hard, crunchy skin. Wasn't the case. The seasoning on the turkey leg was sweet (wasn't feeling that at all!) and the skin wasn't crunchy AT ALL (not feeling that either). Now that I think about it the Apple Cider was hands down the better part of my order from there.

Recommendations?
If you're going to be in that Williamsburg area or don't mind traveling for an assortment of different foods I would definitely say try Smorgasburg out....PREFERABLY THAT LANDHAUS BACON!!!

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Quick Bite - Broadway Bites Vol. 1

Aaaaaaaaannnnndddddd GO!

What is Broadway Bites?
A food festival hosted by Urban Space where several restaurants/food vendors setup small booths in the Herald Square area and showcase a select number of items from their menu (sometimes specialty items are introduced which aren't on the standard menu).

What have you had from there so far?
- Mason Jar: BBQ bowl - mashed potatoes under BBQ pulled pork, onions n mushrooms, and BBQ sauce
 

- The Cannibal: pork belly grilled cheese sandwich and a pig's head Cuban sandwich

- Asiadog: Wangding - beef hot dog with BBQ pork belly, onoins, and cucumber. And Luke - beef hot dog with chilli and onions

- Mimi Coco: Juicy shrimp Teriyaki balls
 

How was everything?
- Mason Jar was very good. Small bowl packed with BBQ goodness. Don't let the size fool you though. It may not look like much but it's very filling! Also, don't worry about breaking you pockets because the bowl is only $7

- The Cannibal was amazing! If you're into dead flesh carnivorous meals , this is the place you want to be. Prices are a little steep at $12 a sandwich but the pork belly grilled cheese is definitely worth it!

- Asiadog was good. Just a regular beef hot dog with some toppings and Asian seasoning. Not a bad buy either at $5 per dog (2 for $9)

- Mimi Coco was really good. 6 Teriyaki balls with tons and tons and tons of flavor, not really heavy like that, and for $6 bucks!

Recommendations?
Based on the places I've been so far I'd say go to The Cannibal, Mimi Coco, Mason Jar, and then Asiadog. 

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Quick Bites...

So it has been brought to my attention that some folks think my posts are a little...eh..."wordy." Well screw all of you! Just playing. Honestly, I really appreciate the criticism. In my defense, when I'm talking about food good food there is no quick way for me to explain it. BUT! I would like to try out something new. For certain venues (fairs, festivals, delis/cafes) I will be doing Quick Bite postings. Brief, to the point postings about my food experiences. 

Hopefully I can stick to keeping it short and you guys enjoy them. I'd ask that you please continue with the questions, comments, and criticisms though. Anyway I can change/improve on my content definitely helps.

Friggin Complainers! Peace, Love, & Food...

Jacob's Pickles...

I just want to say that over the weekend (Friday) I had THE MOST amazing restaurant experience! Last week a very very good friend of mine asked me a rather interesting question. "Have you ever been to Jacob's Pickles?" *Immature Pun Alert!* Don't know who this Jacob is and I definitely don't want anything to do with his pickles! What actually came out my mouth was: "No." She sent me the link and with one skeptical eyebrow still in the air (from the name of the joint)...I thought...venue I've never been to with someone I love breaking bread with?....I'M IN!

So what is this place? A pickle restaurant?
I know that's probably what you would think at first glance of the name, but no. It's a very down home, southern style-ish, restaurant that takes much pride in their biscuits, beer, and for obvious reasons their pickled products. Very cozy, very southern but still New York (if that even makes sense)...exposed brick and wood panels, mason jars, long high tables, etc.

You mentioned that you had THE MOST amazing experience...what was so amazing about this pickle place?
Pickle place? SMH! Aside from the look, the food and service was outstanding! Upon arrival, we decided to have a seat at the bar and indulge in some Cpt. Lawrence Pumpkin Ale while we waited to be seated. The bartenders were cool as hell! Because of the mixed reviews about the original selections we were making, they let us try it before we confirmed order (thus leading to the Pumpkin Ale). Beer sample...check! The wait was no longer then 10-15 minutes (which actually wasn't all that bad considering the amount of people in there). Quick seating...double check! Our server was THE. BEST! Very pleasant, very engaging, and more importantly very knowledgeable about the items on the menu. *Tangent* too many times I've gone to a restaurant and the server doesn't know anything about what I'm asking. Yeah they can tell me what's in it and how it's prepared but when you get down to brass taxes I want to know should I or should I not order it. *Back to the post* If I'm making a decision that chances are I'm going to regret, I don't mind if the waiter steps in and advises me otherwise. This dude did just that. Very attentive, didn't let the crowd discourage him from checking up on us frequently...just an overall good waiter. Great service...triple check! And last but certainly not least...THE FOOD IS AMAZING!!!...which sealed the deal

Sounds like you did have a pretty good experience...what did you order to eat?
Surprisingly/Unfortunately, we did not get any appetizers. After seeing the portions of the entrees we didn't want to find ourselves in a situation that would lead to us having to be wheel barreled out the door. So we got the Country Sausage Beer Mussels (for me) and the Honey Chicken & Pickles (for her). I start of with my order...

The Country Sausage Beer Mussels was nothing like what I expected! I'm thinking some sliced sausage mixed with some mussels (already taken out the shell) soaking in a pool of beer broth. It was similar to what I thought but not exactly. It came out in this HUGE (took up the whole plate huge) cask iron pot FILLED with mussels, some diced sausage, a biscuit cut in half, soaking in the still bubbling beer broth, and a side of fries (as if I really needed that!). Overwhelmed at first because of the whole look and size of everything, I managed to conquer the beast one mussel at a time. Let me just say that the mussels and sausage was good, but once dipped in that broth it took the meal to a whole new level! Kinda like a tangy, slightly fishy...but not really. I can't even really put it in words to be honest. What I will say is that I wasn't disappointed with my selection. Now on to her order...

The Honey Chicken & Pickles, I feel embodies a lot of what this place stands for and you'll see why I say that as you keep reading. First off, this is a sandwich ladies and gentleman, but don't think it's just a pickle and chicken sandwich. The chicken is buttermilk fried and the pickles are their in home hot sours. Oh and lets not forget that it's all in between 2 of their humungous, flaky biscuits! And are you ready for this?...wait for it....wait for it....a side of some of the cheesiest grits you will probably ever have in your life. *Tangent* Let the record show that neither one of us are fans of grits, but these made us quickly reconsider our dislike! *Back to the story* You have 2 ways to eat this beast of a sandwich...either dislocate your jaw and take as many bites as you can...or take the girly way out and knife n fork it. *we knifed n forked it* Before chowing down there was a slight audible play called, and a side of gravy was thus entered into the mix. That gravy! LORD JESUS that gravy! It basically turned an already outstanding dish into something heavenly! It's like a white sausage filled gravy. I mean...I'm sure there was much more to it but again I'm at a loss for words. It LITERALLY had to be taken away from the table so I wouldn't dip my finger in there trying to get every last bit of the remains.

OH. MY. GOODNESS! I don't even know what to say to all that...
Sorry to cut you off, but that's not it. After we struggled through all that food we were basically strong armed into getting dessert...Fried Oreos to be more specific. It came with a side of this frosting/whipped cream stuff...OH MAN! The GM Manager wasn't lying when he described those things as crack! Thought I was going to end up scratching and shaking looking for my next hit of these fried oreos! And I think that's pretty much all I have to say about that.

DAMN! Are you sure there isn't anything else?
No. That was everything that we ordered. There was absolutely no way anything else was going to fit inside our bodies. 

This may be a bit of a stretch question but was there anything that you didn't like about this place?
To be honest, I can't find one thing that I didn't like about this place. Ambiance was great. Service was excellent (even the GM Manager stopped by to chat it up with us for a little bit). Food was amazing! The people we shared the table with were friendly. And to top it all off, the Captain from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit came in and had dinner (not with us but he was there).

I think I already know what you're going to say but any recommendations?
This is a hands down a MUST GO place! You would be seriously missing out on a great experience if you chose not to come here! Oh and before I forget...their prices are COMPLETELY reasonable! Even more of an incentive! No BS put this place on the top of your "TO GO" list...I promise you won't be disappointed!

Jacob's Pickles

509 Amsterdam Avenue

(212)-470-5566

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Melba's

I've been to Melba's before...several times actually. Don't know why I never said anything about it before, but I'm putting something up about it now.

Been there several times and just now deciding to put something up? Why?
I don't know. Noticed I didn't have a posting for it yet and since I just went over the weekend with a friend of mine what better time to put something up then right now?

I guess. So what is Melba's?
A restaurant in Harlem that serves American comfort/soul food. Very small/intimate setting. Great for drinks or taking someone on a hot date. I'm not sure if they still have this but on certain days they have live music. Definitely a nice spot.

Sounds good. During this most recent visit what did you guys end up getting?
Since we were there for brunch, my friend got the fried catfish with a fried egg and french fries and I got the fried chicken and waffles. First off let me tell you that their catfish is excellent! Usually when I go there during breakfast/brunch hours that is always my first choice! Lightly fried, plump piece of fish...definitely a must order if and when you go here. The chicken and waffles were surprisingly really good as well. The waffle was nice and light, the fried chicken was seasoned very well and not over fried...just a good meal overall.

I know you said you've been here before...what were some of the things you had in the past?
THE BRAISED SHORT RIBS! I'm going to go on record and say that these had to have been the best short ribs I've ever had from a restaurant and that is no exaggeration! They are cooked PERFECTLY! Every single time I've gone there and got that, it's been amazing! Outside of the short ribs, I've had their turkey meatloaf, and a whole gang of their sides. Each visit has been just as good if not better then the last visit...when it comes to the food anyway.

Wait! What's that "when it comes to the food..." supposed to mean?
Every time I go here the food is consistently great! No complaints what so ever about the food. Service...that's something different.

What happened with the service?
Normally, the service is satisfactory. But during this most recent visit, it was borderline dreadful! We walked in and had to wait about 5-8 minutes for someone to even acknowledge us. Our food took way too long to come out. And our server was H.O.R.R.I.B.L.E.!!!! How was he horrible? Let me count the ways...
1 - he had an accent. Not that there's anything wrong with that but when you become hard to understand...there's a problem
2 - he completely disappeared! We were sitting there with no food, running low on beverages, getting frustrated about the food taking so long and he was NOWHERE to be found! Then after about 10 minutes he comes walking through the front door. WTF dude! You are aware that you have customers to tend to right?
3 - he was not attentive AT ALL! When he finally managed to stop back at our table (after we waved him down like crazy) and we placed an order for more coffee, he just goes off to do his own thing. He randomly pops up (with no coffee might I add) and decides to have a chat with the manager. Seeing this we decided to approach him (mid his conversation with the manager) and ask about the coffee that he was supposed to get 10 minutes ago!
4 - after we ate, we ended up sitting there for so long that we had to go through a different server to get our check
5 - he finally brings us the check and it wasn't even ours!

We just paid the amount that was on the bill and walked out. I don't even think the bill we were given was even close to what our tab should have been. Needless to say he got a $0 tip!

DAMN! That bad huh? Is it always like that?
That's what's so surprising about the whole thing. Their service is usually pretty decent. I'm guessing this was an off day for them but it was a really BAD off day. And I'm sure the manager (who was sitting right there at the bar where you can see any and everyone) noticed some of what was going on. Not once was there an intervention or a "Is everything OK over here?" "My apologies for the delay..." Nothing. I don't come here all the time but I hope and pray that this isn't how their customers will be treated going forward.

Sheesh...is there anything else that I need to know about Melba's?
Outside of this previous visit, the only issue I have with this place is the size. It's very small and on a crowded day it can be pretty loud and very stuffy. Also, people get into the habit of sitting and staying there for longer then they need to. Not saying you need to eat and run but if it's crowded and there are people waiting to sit, consider moving your festivities to the bar or another location. Aside from that I absolutely love this place.

Recommendation?
I know my review of the service was pretty bad, but I don't want to that to discourage anyone from going and trying out the food. I can obviously look pass the size and the wait time. But horrible service is a huge turn off. Yes the food is amazing and the ambiance is cool, but if the service is shitty then it brings the whole experience down. I will be back there again, but hopefully the next experience will be nothing like my last.

Melba's

300 W. 114th Street

(212) 864-7777

Ricardo's

A few Saturday's ago my father turned...*probably shouldn't put his business out there like that*. I'll just say we celebrated his birthday a few Saturdays ago. In true father and son fashion, what better way to bond with the big guy other then tearing up some hot, sizzling, medium cooked steaks?! Since he had never been and I had only gone once, I decided to keep it local and take him to Ricardo's Steakhouse in Harlem.

Steakhouse in Harlem? Seriously?
I know it seems a little out of the ordinary to have a steakhouse in Harlem. It may not necessarily be the prime location for a steakhouse, but when you think about it there really isn't a default location for a steakhouse. So YES! Steakhouse in Harlem! What I will say is that it's not your typical, suit and tie, business meeting steakhouse though.

Well what kind of steakhouse is it then?
It's way more upbeat! Music is different, vibe is different, service is different, menu is different. It's just an overall different experience from your more "traditional" steakhouses. Not a bad thing of course, but it's just different (sorry for the excessive use of the word different). It has a more urban feel to it. Don't think you're going to walk in to a place that's playing some soft Jazz or Classical music. Or the wait staff is going to be pouring wine while resting the bottle on their forearm ever so gently. As stated on their website, "What makes Ricardo different from other steakhouses is that from the time the doors open to the minute we close, it's SHOWTIME."

Sounds like a place that focuses more on presentations and appearances and not overall experience...is that true?
I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, they are definitely about the presentation. Palm trees in the front, art all over the place, attractive wait staff, etc. BUT...in addition to the appearance the food is really good as well.

Speaking of the food...what did you guys have?
To start we shared an order of mussels with red sauce and beef empanadas. The empanadas were pretty regular. Light crust packed with ground beef. They were good, but nothing to write home to mom about. Those mussels though!!!!! A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.! The red sauce had diced tomatoes and onions and was seasoned VERY WELL! Like, when we were done with mussels and there were no more shells in the bowl, I took a spoon and continued to eat the red sauce (very fat ass of me I know). But yeah...it was that good!

For our main course we both got the special which was the rib eye with mashed potatoes, string beans, and jumbo shrimp...a meal to die for! Everything was very well prepared and well seasoned. Needless to say we DESTROYED our orders and were very happy campers after the fact.

That all sounds really good, but I'm confused...they have empanadas at a steakhouse?
I did say that this is not your "traditional" steakhouse. It's like a steakhouse with a bit of a Latin twist to it. They do have some items on the menu that you would find at let's say a Ruth Chris or Capital Grille, but they also have items that kinda separate them from the norm. Trust me...it works, and it works WELL for them.

Very nice...what else do I need to know about this place?
As much as I love this place, there are some cons. First, let me warn you that this is NOT a big venue. Space is very limited. My father and I sat towards the front by the bar which is a heavy traffic area. You have everyone walking by your table trying to get to theirs and depending on how crowded the bar gets, you may have some folks standing right by your table. There is seating in the back, but those tables are really close to each other. Secondly, I absolutely LOVE the music that they play. It puts me in such a "ready to keep the night going" of a mood. With that being said, the music can be a little too loud. This place is always busy so trying to talk above the several other conversations going on and the loud music can be a bit much. If you can deal with space restrictions and somewhat overbearing noise, you'll have a great time!

Recommendations?

DEFINITELY visit this place. The wait staff is cool...and very attractive. The food is great. The music is banging! Good for a nice afterwork meet up. Dinner with friends or someone whom you fancy (just be ready for the noise). I think that's all I have to say about that.

Ricardo's Steakhouse

2145 Second Avenue

(212) 289-5895

SPUR TREE!!!!

So for my mother's birthday last week, I had the bright idea to take her to dinner...because who doesn't like to stuff their face on their birthday? Decided to take her to a place I had been to before and am quite fond of called Spur Tree waaaaaaaay down at almost the bottom of Manhattan.

Spur Tree! Sounds fancy....what kind of place is this?
Spur Tree is a Jamaican and Asian fusion restaurant. Classic Jamaican meals and drinks with a little bit of that Asian persuasion.

How the hell does Jamaican and Asian food even make sense together?
First, you need to open your mind. Second, it's not like you have some left over pork fried rice and just so happened to buy some curry goat and you eat everything off the same plate. It's NOTHING like that! Think more along the lines of a steamed jerk pork bun. Or Red Stripe beer battered shrimp tempura. Or a Dark and Stormy beverage that's sake based. Think more along those lines. I'll agree that it may not sound like something that makes sense, but it works! TRUST ME!

That actually doesn't sound bad. So what did you and everyone in your party end up getting?
For starters we had the Jerk Chicken Wings and the Shumai with shrimp, which were both excellent. The entrees ordered were Jerk Chicken, Seafood Roti, and Grilled Salmon with Jerk sauce and a side of Mac n Cheese. Note that all entrees came with a side salad. And we washed everything down with a Dark n Stormy, Lemon/Lime Sakitini, and a Ting a Ling.

Sounds like it was a feast to me...how was everything?
Starting with the drinks, the Dark n Stormy was just as I remembered it. Mild to heavy ginger taste and a smooth kick from the sake. I just had a little sip of the other drinks, but they were good as well. The appetizers were really good! Out of the 2 I think the Jerk Wings may have been my favorite but the Shumai is definitely a solid choice that won't disappoint. And for the entrees...the Grilled Salmon and Jerk Chicken were amazing, but the award for meal of the evening HAS to go to the Seafood Roti. It was prepared in a way that I haven't seen before. 

So if you've had roti before you're use to the contents being inside the actual bread or wrap or whatever you wanna call it. Not this one. The roti bread was rolled up and cut in half (so it kinda looked like a wrap) and the seafood (curry salmon, scallops, and shrimp) came in a bowl where it was just soaking in juice. Separately each item was great, but when you manage to pry your face out of the bowl of seafood goodness, take the roti bread and dip it in the juice. OH! MY! LAWD! Had me ready to steal my mother's food! Didn't even make any sense how good that damn roti was!

Glad to hear that everything went well. Anything else I need to know...service? Atmosphere?
Service is usually pretty pleasant. As far as the atmosphere...I love it! It's very mellow and laid back. Dim lighting, decent music...good for a quick rendezvous or an intimate dinner date. One HUGE issue that I do have with this place though is the size. Its seems like every time I go to Spur Tree, their popularity is becoming greater and greater and attracting more and more people. With that being said, the size is extremely limited! If you can get there at a time that when there aren't a lot of people, you'll have a great experience. But if you get there during their peak hours, you and your party may be sitting shoulder to shoulder with the customers sitting next to you. Other then that, this place is golden!

Good to know!

 

Spur Tree

76 Orchard Street

New York, NY 10002

(212) 477 - 9977

You got BBQ in Times Square???

I'm going to start off and say I took no photos of my meal because I straight up devoured it, and I'm not mad at that ONE BIT!!!

So where did I go you ask, I went to Virgil's BBQ in Times Square on 44th btwn 7th and 6th.  You're probably asking yourself, "this dude went to Lunch...in Times Square?? What a Joke, he doesn't know food." Well, "food expert" I do know about food (check out nominny.blogspot.com - this is a shameless plug) and you obviously have never been to Virgil's.

I was very skeptical about going because IT IS Times Square, and frankly it's a hot spot for tourists. However, I took the really long walk of 2 minutes, got a seat at the bar, and opened up the menu.

You're instantly greeted with a 3 page folding menu with one full page dedicated to beers and drinks, and I have to say the beer selection was quite impressive and took my by surprise.  I started my meal off with an always solid Six Point Sweet Action (my #1 favorite). It did not disappoint one bit, because really, Six Point just does not disappoint plain and simple.

For lunch, I went with the Brisket with a side of Mac N' Cheese and Cole Slaw.  As I was waiting for my food, I realized that this place wasn't as big as I thought it was, however, I only went to the first floor, so I'm not quite sure if there is a second floor of seating.  If not, it seems MUCH bigger from the outside.  It is a cool little joint though, that I can see myself going back and enjoying a happy hour there or something.  The clientele was a mix of business people from the area and tourists. A very large bar area with about 50 bar stools, and 5 TV's evenly spaced apart showing NFL Network, Golf, and Tennis.

After a few minutes passed, my plate was put in front of me, my mouth watered immediately.  I dug in first to the Mac N' Cheese, and it did not disappoint one bit.  The cheese was a blend of a cheddar and jack, as it definitely had a very nice flavor to it, also, it was a creamy cheese so don't expect some half-assed melted cheese on some pasta. I took a bite into my cole slaw and very much enjoyed it, however, it was your typical finely chopped cole slaw, nothing more, nothing less.

I took a swig of Six Point, cleaned my pallet, and cut a nice chunk of my brisket. I took that first bite, and, honestly, I wasn't instantly impressed with it, but after that second bite, WOW!! It was so tender and juicy that I didn't even need a knife to cut it. Sitting next to me was a bottle of Virgil's sauce, so I poured a healthy dose of it on top of my meat. Again, you're sitting there asking yourself, if the meat was so good, why are you putting BBQ sauce on it...it's because I LOVE BBQ SAUCE...deal with it! It had the right amount of kick to it as well, and just enhanced my meal to pretty good, to pretty damn good!

Honestly, I walked away from Virgil's extremely impressed with the quality of the food, beer and drink selection, and the service.  My only gripe is that it's dab in the middle of Times Square, down a side street of course, but still, the location takes away from it honestly.  But, also, a very smart move on there part for making delicious, quality food and putting it in the busiest parts of New York City.

If you're around the area, if you're visiting from another state or country, or you just want good BBQ....check out Virgil's, you'll thank me. Also, for you lazy people out there, or if it's raining, they do deliver as well.

Virgil's Real Barbecue

152 West 44th Street (Between Broadway and 6th)

New York, NY 10036

(212) 921-9494

Gotta love when they appreciate their guest...

So on September 9th, Havana Central decided to give a little something back to the people that help keep them in business...THEIR CUSTOMERS! As a token of their gratitude they held a Guest Appreciation Day where all customers on that day, at any time during that day, were able to eat all they could for $12! ONLY $12 STINKING BUCKS! Me being the man I am, I just HAD to see if this was a serious offer. Ok, I'm lying. I wanted to eat all I could for 12 bucks...sue me!

How the HELL did you find out about that?
To be honest, I got really lucky. A coworker of mine told me about it a few days in advance. Excited about the offer but skeptical about whether it was true or not I was actually going to pass on the festivities. However, my coworker went, said it was legit and she had a really nice time. After hearing that, my fate was pretty much sealed.

Uh....was it really $12?
Surprisingly, it was! I always get a little edgy when venues use words like "all you can eat" and "unlimited." I go, I indulge, and then because of some bullshit fine print I'm stuck with a ridiculous tab that I wasn't expecting. Didn't happen here. I was with a friend and when the bill came it was $26 and some change (you know they're going to add tax in there).

Nice, but enough about the setup. What kinda food does this place have?
CUBAN!!! I'm sure I've mentioned before, the type of fan I am when it comes to Spanish cuisine so I'm not even going to tell you how I was pretty much in my glory the whole night!

So with the whole menu at your disposal what did you decide to order...if not everything?
If I could have ordered everything I certainly would have tried! I failed to mention before that this all you can eat business had some restrictions to it. I'll detail those and then get into what I ordered.

1 - the whole menu was not up for grabs. Select items from the appetizers, entrees, and dessert menu were selected 
2 - you could only order per person and once the current dish was finished. So you couldn't walk in there, order everything from the selective menu, and sit and have Sunday dinner at your table. You had to order an entree, EAT the entree, and then order the next item. Ordering something that you weren't going to finish was HIGHLY unadvised!
3 - there was a maximum amount of time that you could sit if you were partaking in the all you can eat. I believe it was an hour and half. Can't say I blame them either because I damn sure wouldn't want someone eating, chilling until their food digest, and then have them start ordering more food. That just doesn't make sense.

So, to answer your question, I RAN THROUGH basically the whole all you can eat menu. 

More specifically?
- Picadillo: Cuban ground beef
- Pernil: roast pork
- Ropa Vieja: braised beef with onions and peppers
- Empanadas: beef picadillo, Cubano, chicken Sofrito, shrimp Sofrito (x2), spinach and goat cheese
- Rice and Beans: yellow rice and black beans
- Maduros: sweet plantains
- Flan: caramel custard
EVERY PLATE WAS CLEEEEEEAAAAAN when I was done! I play no games ladies and gentlemen!

WTF! You could have fed a small to mid sized village with all that damn food! Was it any good?
You bet your ass it was. The pernil was VERY GOOD! I'll even go out and say it was the best thing that I had. Followed by the empanadas. With the exception of the spinach and goat cheese one (which wasn't even all that bad), all the empanadas were great! Highly recommend the shrimp and chicken ones. The ground beef, the braised beef, flan, and sweet plantains were enjoyable as well. Nothing really stood out about them, but they were good.

Was there anything from the all you can eat menu that you didn't try?
Basically, the soup, salad, sandwich, and chicken (because most chicken at Cuban spots taste the same). I don't doubt that those items are good, but I wanted to cut to the chase and not fill up on things that I didn't really have much interest in.

Fair enough...how was the venue?
Venue was amazing! It's spacious, very clean, pleasant staff, outside seating if you're into that. Overall, a very nice venue. Good for an after work cocktail or an intimate evening with a significant other. Just to give you the heads up though...this place can get pretty loud. With the background music and customers shouting over each other...the noise level may get a little high. Other then that I have ABSOLUTELY no complaints! 

Recommendations?
Go here! The staff is good, the food is great, the experience is worth it! They have several locations (and I've been to just about all of them), but if I had to pick one to go to, it would definitely be their location in Ridge Hill Mall (out in Yonkers).

 

Havana Central 

238 Market Street

Yonkers, NY 10710