New York City Safari

I've spent about two weeks in the city and fell in love with it all over again. I'm just taking a moment to share some of the more awesome things I've found on this visit, should anyone else should find it of interest:

Decibel Sake Bar
By far the best find on this trip. A young Japanese crowd mixed with sake lovers of all kind. The drink list is fantastic! One of those hidden spots that you have to carefully look for or you'll walk right by. Once on the street keep your eyes peeled for the little red sake sign and then head down the stairs. The first room gives you the impression that the place is tiny, but not so! The second room is much more specious. A popular spot, so if it's busy you may have to get a beer somewhere nearby and then head back.

Shabu Tatsu
An excellent place to go before hitting a sake bar. The rib eye cuts were fantastic, the shrimp generous in size. And as usual, the broth at the end of it is to DIE for.

Chikalicious
A wonderful little dessert bar - another place that can be easily missed mostly because it looks like it's a regular bar. I highly recommend the three curse prix fixe.

Mari Vanna
A very quaint russian place. The food was very much what my family would eat when we invited friends over to drink. I HIGHLY recommend Salo Plate, but don't just put the meat on the bread and eat. Make sure you use the mustard, the onion and the garlic. It offsets the salt of the meat. Also - to be done properly, you should be enjoying shots of good potato vodka.

One of By Land Two if By Sea
This is a fantastic restaurant in a historic building. The staff is charming and warm soothing decore.

The Little Giant
Seriously the best burger I've ever had. They also have a duck dish that's wonderful!

Gemma
The pizza is awesome, and I had a truffle oil carpaccio that was to DIE for.

Public
A very interesting Australian themed restaurant with Kangaroo on the menu. I especially enjoyed the snail and oxtail ravioli.

Yummy noodle
A wonderful late night place to eat. the Duck is great, so is the Crab Congee. The entrance is in a little alleyway, easy to miss.

Dervish
Fantastic Turkish food. They have a lamb dish of thinly sliced meat that explodes with flavour in your mouth! Definitely not to be missed.

Great Jones Cafe
I love New Orleans, but this place had a Jambalaya that was better than anything I'd had in NOLA. Very casual and cozy spot.

Pongsri Thai
Rumoredto be the oldest family run Thai place in the city. It has a very calm atmosphere and most delicious food. If you order a spicy dish and like things "Thai hot" you may want to let them know they shouldn't be shy with the spice.

Dervish
Fantastic Turkish food. They have a lamb dish of thinly sliced meat that explodes with flavour in your mouth! Definitely not to be missed. Originally Posted by Lauren Summerhill

New York is actually a great city for Turkish cusine (which I like very much). Dervish is definitely worth being recommend.

The spot I like best though is the Şip Şak. Orhan Yegen is the owner (and chef but he sometimes doesn't like to be called chef). An ethnic turk with an inflated ego and quite excentric. Moreover the best dishes are not on the menu!
But if you are lucky and manage to order off menu (which is tricky) you get the best turkish food in NY there.


ps: Never heard about the Mari Vanna; is this a new place?

Yummy noodle
A wonderful late night place to eat. the Duck is great, so is the Crab Congee. The entrance is in a little alleyway, easy to miss. Originally Posted by Lauren Summerhill

This place is so, so good. Found it on the recommendation of a cab driver. I should have known better than to say I wanted it spicy.

Thanks Lauren, a very enjoyable list to follow next time I'm in NY - so it sounds. x

This place is so, so good. Found it on the recommendation of a cab driver. I should have known better than to say I wanted it spicy. Originally Posted by Miguel

Good luck to you Miguel.

As a cougar - apparently - my last indulgence was with a Miguel.

And I so don't believe in paying for it as a woman.

But there are a lot of desperate women in America - hey, I'm from Europe, and I'm sure if Miguel is really from anywhere near S. America he would concur, a lot of American women have real problems with their sexuality and self respect here -

so a PAID man, as Miguel protests he is, is quite a paradox.

I live in Miami, and believe me I've seen the gigolo efforts here too. And in LA.

A gigolo is the antithesis of a real man, which is the truth and also what a lot of people here (Eccie) believe, although they won't say it publicly, monikers or not.

I look forward to my mail off the board.


Leah Ireland x

New York is actually a great city for Turkish cusine (which I like very much). Dervish is definitely worth being recommend.

The spot I like best though is the Şip Şak. Orhan Yegen is the owner (and chef but he sometimes doesn't like to be called chef). An ethnic turk with an inflated ego and quite excentric. Moreover the best dishes are not on the menu!
But if you are lucky and manage to order off menu (which is tricky) you get the best turkish food in NY there.


ps: Never heard about the Mari Vanna; is this a new place? Originally Posted by ..

I look forward to that next time I'm in NY. LOVE Turkish food.

ps: Never heard about the Mari Vanna; is this a new place? Originally Posted by ..

Go there for weekend brunch .. all u can eat and all u can drink mimosas

Lina

I look forward to my mail off the board. Originally Posted by Leah Ireland

Leah, check your inbox. Sorry to hear you had a bad experience.

Good luck to you Miguel.

As a cougar -.......so a PAID man, as Miguel protests he is, is quite a paradox.
............A gigolo is the antithesis of a real man, which is the truth and also what a lot of people here (Eccie) believe, although they won't say it publicly, monikers or not.

I look forward to my mail off the board.


Leah Ireland x Originally Posted by Leah Ireland

I'm not one to engage behind closed doors what has been brought out in front of them. To that end; What the????

I guess theres a secret conversation going on here (in which case, it is probably best kept, well...secret). But since you didn't, I'll say it right here; I can't see how any woman who has worked as an escort can call a man doing the same, the antithesis of being a man?? Would you accept someone degrading YOU because of what you choose to do for a living? I wouldn't accept that about you, nor do I accept it from you.

I still enjoy Balthazar's. Hit Chinatown after 2am for some great noodle dive's)