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One Sharp Cookie Eats
Flora C.
Location: New York
Blog Posts: 11
Member Since: 5/20/2007
Favorite Cuisine:
Japanese,
Recent Eats
Nov 17th
Nov 10th
Nov 10th
Nov 6th
Nov 4th
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Community Food & Juice
As for those of you who don't know, Community Food & Juice is the offspring of my beloved Clinton Street Baking Co., whom of which still holds the 3- hours-wait record yet to break.
Eager to try the new joint, which promises healthier fare than the original, such as whole wheat biscuit (as oppose to buttermilk), 7 grains waffle and new entrees like veggie scramble, I promptly arrive at 11:30am on a saturday morning.
And of course there would be people waiting!
but I was a little surprised by the magnitude (20+)
Morningside Height is such an ordinary neighborhood that few people would travel this far up for a meal.
Streets are supposed to be populated by Columbians at 11pm, not 11am.
If something can drag these college kids out this early, it must be pretty good.
>>> Fast forward 1 hour <<<
I am sitting in the restaurant, picking which I should try for brunch.
The space is much more roomier than Clinton St., modern PVC chairs and wooden tables and earthy tone decor, somehow reminds me of... West Elm, if you know what i mean.
So I picked the 7 Grain Waffle roasted pears, toasted hazelnuts, warm apple butter .
Waffle was pretty soft. I didn't like it as much as Balthazar's (see my other posts), which is soft inside, crispy on the outside.
But the roasted pears were really good. It didn't feel sticky or strict out of a preserve jar, but very freshly made.
Apple butter was good, sickenly sweet though. and the toasted hazelnuts...were not toasted, felt like someone spilled them on the dish accidently when it was heading out.
Overall, it was okay, a little disappointed, since it didn't quite live up to Clinton St.'s standard.
But if this is just a random restaurant, I would certainly think it is above average for the quality.
Community Food & Juice
2893 Broadway (112th St.)
New York, 10025
Tel: 212-665-2800
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Dear Max
Dear Max,
Look, i am not a judging person.
The fact that you are bald have nothing to do with my discontent towards your restaurant (ok, maybe a little, coz you look mean on that menu. that's not a very flattering picture of you.)
but the fact that you make me wait for 1.5 hours on a cold saturday night is just unacceptable. no one makes a girl (well, in this case, four.) wait that long, even the Chocolate God.
and the thing is, you are not.
Your chocolate tastes like Hersheys not Caldbury, and even worse they taste like the ones made in US, not Europe. Trust me, there is a big difference. Being the Chocolate Expert and all, of course you would know, right?
And your perception for girls confuses me.
On one hand, you feed me all these different types of chocolate, but when I asked for an extra bowl of marshmallows, you looked reluctant. Maybe you think I am indulging myself too much? Is that why it took you another 20 minutes to final grant me 6? Well, guess what, I could have walk across the street and buy a bag of 50+ marsh myself. I was being polite to ask you first.
By now, i am sure you see where this is going.
I don't think we are going to see each other anymore.
Best Wishes,
Max Brenner
141 2nd Ave. (9th St.)
New York, 10003
Tel: (212)388-0030
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Location Matters
Sometimes if you have so-so food, the location maybe what keeps you operating.
In this case, its' Klong.
Been there several times, Not that I dont like their food, just not memorable at all.
This time I had the Klong Pad Thai, which is regular seafood pad thai wrapped with an egg -white crepes. it was good, light and not too greasy.
but here's my question:
if you make a special trip to St. Mark's, why would you go to a thai restaurants that you can find anywhere around the corner (for take-out and stuff), instead of the authentic japanese food that you cant find anywhere else in the city?
Long lines wating for Taisho next door maybe the answer.
Klong
7 St. Marks Pl. (bet. 2nd & 3rd Ave.)
New York, 10003
Tel: (212)505-9955
Choux Factory - Beard Papa's tastier half
It's hard not to compare the two Cream Puffs' store side by side, when there are two and only two.
Let's start with my brief association with the Papa first - been there, no like it.
Well, I am biased since I dislike all airy food, e.g. cotton candy, souffle, whipped cream..etc. you get the idea.
While some people like Beard Papa's puffs because it's puffy, I find it too airy, like I am not eating anything but foam.
However, I dont hold grudges since all cream puffs are not created equal, so i decided to give Choux Factory a try.
Instead of refridgerating and premaking their puffs, they are known as "pipe to order," which means they only start to fill the custard into the puff as you place your order. so that they puff would remain dry and crunchy, not soaky as it would if it stay with the custard for too long.
I took a bite and to my surprise, the custard was more like a dense chocolate mousse (I ordered chocolate, they also have vanilla and pumpkin and something else, i forgot.) than chocolate whipped cream, which is what I expected.
It feels more like a soft-serve than cream.
I think I am liking cream puffs after all.
Choux Factory
1685 First Ave. (87th St.)
New York, 10128
Tel: 212-289-2023
Balthazar - You're now in Paris
Heard/read about this place a million times, how it has remained popular through the long years and intense competition in NYC.
Now we know why.
One minute you are in the tready SoHo scene, but once you step in, it feels like you are in a busy restaurant in the 1960s Paris.
Tall wood panels and columns, big mirrors, a classic french restaurant...
weirdly enough, it reminds me of Ratatouille.
maybe it's because how the waiters are dressed - you know that butler cardboard sometimes you find outside of beat-up diners? The white shirt and black vest with a towel on the arm with heavily waxed hair?
Exactly.
Had the Waffles with warm berries and Eggs Benedicts for Brunch.
The waffles were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
I have yet to find a competition for my beloved Clinton St. Baking Co., but I think this has come closest.
The warm berries sauce was surprisingly not very sweet or heavy (like most jam), but refreshing with tinty taste.
The Eggs Benedict was okay, but I wasn't feeling savory that day, so you cant take my words for it.
Overall, I think it delivers excellence quality with reasonable price, since I think so many places in the city charges too much for their average brunches.
The Best Part - NO WAIT on a busy busy busy Sunday Morning at 12pm!
Thanks to the superfast and attentive service. We were only there for 30 minutes but felt extremely satisfied and up to go!
Balthazar
80 Spring St. (bet. Broadway & Crosby St.)
New York, 10012
Tel: (212)965-1414
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