Baked By Melissa - my new love

Baked By Melissa
14th St. between Union Square West and 5th Ave.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Ordered: 1 of every flavor :) (3 for $3, 12 for $10; other amounts available)

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Conveniently located off of Union Square, Baked By Melissa offers one of the most unique - and tasty - treats in NYC: mini cupcakes. Quarter-sized but packin' the flavor of a ten-dollar bill (corny, I know), each cupcake offers a different spin on a bakery classic, and some even come stuffed with cream!

Based on my extensive experience with these bite-sized sweets (I ate a dozen of them standing outside after I bought 'em), I would suggest the Red Velvet, Peanut Butter & Jelly (stuffed with jelly!) and Cookies and Cream varieties, in that order. The rest of their 9-flavor line up includes flavors like Mint Chocolate Chip, Tie-dye, Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Cup, Cinnamon, and S'mores.

Magnolia Bakery - Get ONLY the banana pudding

Magnolia Bakery

48th St. and 6th Ave.

Rating: Cakes - 2 out of 5, Cupcakes - 2 out of 5

Ordered: 1 piece of vanilla cake, Hummingbird cake, Red Velvet cake ($5 each), cupcakes ("Hummingbird" and "German Chocolate," $3.25 each), banana pudding (small, $4.50), steamed milk ($1.50)

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Now, I hate Magnolia. For all the hype their cupcakes generate, I think they should be WAY better, nah mean? But, their banana pudding is crazy, which is why I moseyed on over there tonight in the first place.

Apparently they give out samples now, so I helped myself to a liberal portion of a 7-layer bar type of thing they had laying out, which was good enough to eat 5 small pieces worth. As I was standing there, I got distracted again from the banana pudding because I saw this white cake (that looked like funfetti) on top of the counter. I asked the girl standing there which one she preferred (there was a Red Velvet cake next to it) and she said she didn't like cake, so I asked her co-worker. She recommended the vanilla cake (which I was leaning toward), so I got it. Now, Magnolia's frosting isn't anything to write home about (which is part of my gripe with their cupcakes), but the cake was so moist and tasty that I just couldn't stop eating it. I feel like a pig in mud. What a way to end the evening (well, sort of).

(Note: added three weeks after the review above) Now, that was my first experience with their cake. My next three weren't nearly as good (their praised Red Velvet had the consistency of a dry sponge, as did the second slice of vanilla cake I tried from there). My original rating was a 4 of 5, but my last three experiences brought down the rating to a 2 of 5 (for their cakes and cupcakes. Their banana pudding is still crazy.)

Oh, and The Village Voice agrees: "Cake as dry as sawdust and frosting that's tooth-achingly sweet. And a line to get in." (see link below)

(http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2010/04/our_10_most_ove.php?page=2)

Pies-N-Thighs - food for the soul

Pies-N-Thighs

166 S. 4th St.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Ordered: Chicken-in-a-box ($10), Side of catfish (1 piece, $4), Banana Creme Pie ($4), Coconut Pie ($4)
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I was introduced to Pies 'n Thighs through my fellow food blogger, FattyStatus (check her out @ fattystatus.wordpress.com) and we both checked it out together yesterday. 'Twas good.

To start, Pies is located in a remote section of Williamsburg (well, the South Side, really) on S. 4th Street and Driggs Ave., which is within walking distance (on a nice day) from the "Bedford Ave." stop on the L train.

Both Fatty and I wanted to try what we assumed to be the staples there - fried chicken, mac & cheese, and collard greens - so we each ordered a chicken-in-a-box (which comes with 3 pieces of chicken, selections vary, 1 side and 1 biscuit) and each ordered on of the sides. When I first bit into it, I couldn't tell whether the chicken tasted like KFC or if it was just my imagination. It was my imagination. This is, perhaps, the best restaurant-made fried chicken I've had in NY yet. The skin is crispy, the meat is juicy, and the sprinkling of salt on the pieces leaves you wanting more. The collard greens were just right (cooked with pieces of meat and not too pungent) and the mac & cheese was sorta gritty, like it had been baked, if you know what I mean. The biscuits are good - not great - and not too dry. The catfish (not shown) was a bust. Avoid it.

Now, you can't have the thighs without the pies, right? We both wanted the Banana Creme pie (because it looked THAT good), so I let her get that and I got the Coconut pie. Both were good, but the Banana blew away the Coconut. The filling was very tasty (similar to Magnolia's banana pudding, for those familiar with it) and was just better all around. The one leg up the Coconut had, though, was its crust. Homemade and buttery, it was a good look.

This place is definitely worth stopping by on an off-night. Oh, and get there early. It's hummin' by 7:30.

Meatball Shop - stick with grandma's

Meatball Shop
84 Stanton St. (bet. Allen & Orchard sts.)

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Ordered: serving of spicy pork meatballs in parmesan cream sauce (4 meatballs), served with focaccia on side ($7), hero with beef meatballs and spicy meat sauce ($9), "Smash" sandwich (2 meatballs) with beef meatballs and tomato sauce ($8), cappuccino ($3).
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*Please note: I'm not a seasoned meatball connoisseur, so I'm looking for them to taste like my mom's.

First off, the owner's very cool. We (3 of us) were waiting for seats and there happened to be two free seats at the bar next to his seat at the far end of the bar, which he was using as a workspace. We asked one of the servers if it'd be cool for us to use those seats and, perhaps, his (he was using it only every now and then), and he said no prob. Cool.

Other than that, I wouldn't go back to this place. Not overpriced. Not a bad vibe (pretty cool, actually). It's just that the food isn't that good.

To start, the girl helping to seat people at the front door was the kind of person who has an attitude that you might not be able to pick up on from far away, but can't help but smell when you get close. Secondly, we weren't able to move from the bar to a table once seats opened up there. Basically, three seats became free at the long communal table in the middle of the main room right after we had gotten seated at the bar (there's only the kitchen, the bathroom, and that main room, which seats maybe 40 people between the long table and about seven 2-person tables). We (kindly) asked our friend at the front door to change seats and were told we couldn't because "tabs can't be moved between the two areas." Not the first time I've heard that, but gimme a break, please!

Another annoyance is the ordering system they've got goin' on. Patrons are handed a laminated menu and then asked to check off their orders with a dry-erase marker. I guess it would've worked if they hadn't given us a totally dry dry-erase marker. Annoyances aside, the bartender was a sweetheart (and made a pretty good cappuccino) and the ambiance is fun. I guess one way to describe it might be as a third-generation Italian's spin on a meatball-only version of an Italian family dinner. (I don't know if the owner's Italian, but that's the way I'd describe it.) Service was prompt once seated (we ordered while we were waiting, leaving the total order-to-service time at about 15 minutes).

I had the four spicy pork meatballs, which was the best dish out of the three we ordered. Meatballs were on the smaller side (no more than an inch in diameter), and tasted "herby," as another reviewer aptly put it. The parmesan cream sauce, I have to say, was pretty flavorful, but could've been on the lighter (and not as fatty-tasting) side.

The two sandwiches could've been better. The hero looked like a cheesier version of an Au Bon Pain sub and the person who ate the Smash (a smaller, rounder version of the hero) said the tomato sauce was off. The beef meatballs on both 'wiches didn't seem to make the grade either and the spicy meat sauce wasn't as palatable as its parmesan counterpart. The bread, however, was an acceptably firm baguette, and each sandwich came with a side salad consisting of arugula (which I love) and thinly sliced green apples. Couldn't put my finger on the dressing, which was oily and lightly drizzled on the salad.

They also have an ice cream sandwich that looks like it came out of a boutique ice cream shop. Looked good, but by that point I had a beef with the place and was too fed up to try it. All in all, a 2.5 out of 5.

http://themeatballshop.com/

Room Service - order in tonight

Room Service
47th & 9th Ave. (second location on 21 St. bet. Broadway and Park Ave. South)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Ordered: Golden Triangles ($5.20), Thai Mixed Chicken and Shrimp Dumplings ($4.20), Thai Dumpling Woon-Sen Soup ($3.90), Chicken in Red Curry ($8.90), Spicy Squid Ink Spaghetti ($14.90), Thai Ice Cream ($4)

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Room Service is the the type of place a student wants to go. Hip, trendy, and - perhaps most importantly - moderately priced, this Hell's Kitchen eatery is an attractive alternative to other more expensive midtown date spots.

R.S. has everything you need to start off right on a date. Cheap food (the spaghetti was on the more expensive side of the menu), trendy-Thai-place vibe, and a friendly wait staff (who allowed us to celebrate our friend's birthday with a cake we had brought in from another restaurant*).

The Golden Triangles were a good start. My grandmother might call them finger-sized fried beef patties, but really they were deep-fried wantons served with a sweet-and-sour sauce (they also have a house hot sauce available - typical chili sauce - for those who like to spice it up!). I'll probably skip the chicken and shrimp dumplings next time I go (nothing special about 'em), but would get the Woon-sen soup again.

The red curry sauce was sweet and tangy, slightly better than a massaman curry dish at an average Thai spot. The squid spaghetti comes with a LOT of noodles. Only get it if you're really in the mood for carbs.

Last but not least, the ice cream they served was too hard. Tasty, but too hard. All in all, it's a good date spot (cheap and decent food), and could also serve as a hang out spot or place to have a causal business meeting.

*Room Service charges $1-2/person for everybody who shares a dessert brought in from the outside.

http://www.roomservicerestaurant.com/

Levain Bakery - the best choc. chip cookie in NYC

Levain Bakery

167 W. 74th St. bet. Amsterdam and Columbus Aves.

The best chocolate chip [walnut] cookies (and bakery attendants) in NYC. Go see for yourself.

The Little Owl ... is a wise choice

The Little Owl

90 Bedford St. at Grove St.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Ordered (over several trips): meatball sliders (~$10), lobster bisque (~$10), Alaskan halibut (~$27), Maine blueberry cobbler topped with mascarpone gelato ($9), raspberry-stuffed beignets served with dipping nutella ($9), pear crisp topped with mascarpone gelato ($9), cappucino ($4)

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Little Owl is one of my favorite places to eat in NYC. It is, to me, the realization of what an urban oasis would be, tucked away in a quaint, out-of-step lower Manhattan neighborhood, the West Village, seemingly protected by the surrounding buildings from the busyness of city life.

Located on the corner of a quintessential West Village block, this casually romantic hideaway seats 25 people, not counting the 4 that could fit snugly at the bar. Dress code is casual, although you could go in a jacket and jeans, guys, if you're on a date. (I wouldn't go in a suit. It's not that kind of place.) I mean, the maitre d' wears jeans and a t-shirt, albeit a stylish one, for goodness sake.

The seasonal menus at this hidden gem offer a choice mix of culinary treats, ranging from unique appetizers, like meatball sliders, to more traditional entrees, such as Alaskan halibut (I went for a full dinner in the summer and only for dessert in the winter). I got lobster bisque and the sliders to start and chose the halibut for my main dish. I wouldn't do the bisque again and the sliders are worth trying, but the halibut made up for the few insufficiencies in my appetizer line up, by far. Served over a delicate mix of seasoned veggies, the medium-sized fillet was smooth and buttery, not to mention prepared like a classic dish with a twist of sophistication. My friend got the cod and it was, dare I say, even better than the halibut. Seasoned with a tangy blend of spices, it too was served over veggies and cooked just right.

Now while the main dishes were good, the real selling point of Little Owl, in my opinion, are its desserts. Maine blueberry cobbler topped with mascarpone gelato and fresh raspberry-filled beignets served with dipping nutella are just two of the tasty tidbits you can get there. They also have a pear crisp (similar to the Maine cobbler) and chocolate cake (don't get it). Both the cobbler and the crisp are similarly prepared, warm fruit chunks buried in a cobbler under a crisp buttery top, which is amazing. The cappuccino was good, too, although I'm not much of a coffee connoisseur.

All in all, Little Owl is a good bet if you're looking for a unique NYC eating experience in a beautiful neighborhood. Oh, and don't forget to visit the bookstore up the block after dinner. It's one of my favs.