Phaaling in love
Saturday, July 24th, 2010
(4 out of 5 hot dogs)
Loading ...Brick Lane Curry House Too
235 E 53rd (2nd and 3rd)
Time: Everyday, 11-4
Price: Curry, appetizer, samosa, rice, naan, dessert, $10
One pleasant afternoon, I ordered the Brick Lane lunch special to-go, and brought my meal out to a bench on the East River, so that while I contemplated the curious spices of India, I was able to enjoy peaceful views of oily seagulls perched on tires, and the owners of Peking Dragon China House fishing for their nightly special (I’ll blog about that later!) A boat passed, and was it just my imagination, or did I hear gunshots? And I could have sworn I saw two Russians dump a body overboard before paddling away, but alas I was too engrossed in the texture of my paneer to know for sure. How does it stay solid on my fork but then melt so perfectly in my mouth? My curry was gone, so were the Russians, and anyway dark clouds were beginning to roll in from the north. I stood up, glanced at the river one last time and let out a deep deep sigh. And I thought to myself, Life is Good.
Aside from their feast of a lunch special, Brick Lane is also home to the infamous Man vs Food challenge, “The Phaal,” apparently one of the spiciest curries in the world. If you manage to finish, you get a beer, an official certificate, and your picture on their website- woop woop!
Urban Lobster Shack is located in a secret underground food-court. It’s sort of a lunch-speakeasy for people who have boring office jobs in midtown. When you enter the discreet office building location, a security guard gives you the evil eye as you turn left and go down an escalator into the seedy underbelly of Manhattan. The “Shack” is less of a shack, and more of a kiosk that could easily be converted to hawk bedazzled cell phone cases during other business hours. The lobster roll is tasty, although it fills you up only about as much as a hotdog (coulda eaten 3 of ‘em). The side salad and a mini-cup of coleslaw are fine too, but don’t do much to curb that terrible hunger that is slowly, minute by minute, engorging my body and soul.
Remember when “Snow Day” used to mean- hot cocoa, sledding and snow-ball fights? Now that we’re all growed up we know the real meaning- start drinking earlier. Last week’s blizzard was the perfect chance to hit up happy hours that normally you’d “flake” out on. I had the margarita, knowing well that the tequila would keep me toasty in the wet/bitter/cold that was last Wednesday. It was great for $2, although a little sickeningly sweet by the bottom. The appetizers were deep-fried delights; I tried the frickles (fried pickles with horseradish sauce) and onion straws (pictured above), which were both about $4 at the half-off bar price. Brother Jimmy’s also has a load of other deals, including all-you-can-eat bbq, ladies night, and Southern ID discounts depending on which night you saddle up! Hit it up today, or wait for the next snow day (tomorrow?)
This past Saturday was absolutely frigid. I left my chick at home, and endured weather of -79.6 degrees, fighting off leopard seals along the way all in the name of “Peter Night” at Antarctica. Translation: I got unlimited free drinks until 1:00 AM. I started off around 8 o’clock with a Michelob Light, for which I received a lot of grief from my friends. So I stepped it up to whiskey and Coke that arrived in a pint-sized glass and was my downfall. All I know is I woke up wearing my shoes, and using a pizza box for a pillow. Check out the name night calendars at 
With six locations, unlimited drinks, unlimited chips and salsa, all for the same price as a movie ticket, this is my go-to drunch in NYC (drunk + brunch = drunch). The adorable little stuffed monkey decorations throughout the restaurant somehow makes it okay that you are getting sloshed on Sunday and it’s not even noon. Good news: Blockheads also has a lunch special during the week (Chips, Soda, and entrée for $9). Better news: $3 frozen margaritas ALL DAY EVERY DAY. They don’t take reservations, but despite the amazing-ness of this special, I have never had to wait for a table. The waiters here are really nice too; they even came up with a nickname for my table, “los borrachos.” I’m not sure what it means, but I like the way they roll the ‘R’s!’ The weekend is approaching, I suggest you hop on Google Maps and figure out the Blockheads that is closest to your apartment (or the apartment of your co-worker who is pretty hot, but really annoying, but you’ll probably hook up with anyway after the Holiday Party).
Appeasing my current fondness for French Cuisine, I had brunch at Le Bateau Ivre (meaning ‘The Drunk Boat’ in French). And a fitting name for a brunch spot, with everyone packed together in one room, recovering from the night before, alcohol sloshing in their bellies below. I sampled the French toast (or is it just known as ‘toast’ in French restaurants?) which came with a fruit salad, a cup of tea, and a tart bellini. This is clearly a departure from the glorious all-you-can-chug brunch spots, as you only get one spiked beverage with the meal (and the price is on the steep side). However, it wasn’t the food or the drink (although tasty) that brought me here; a jazz trio the plays live music from 11-4 that is the real draw. With open air from the midtown streets, and catchy tunes thumping away, this is the perfect place to hit up if your parents are in town, or if you’re trying to impress someone, or you’re working the evening shift and cannot get too too plastered before work.
For the third installment of Mim’s meals, we wanted to switch it up, so we went to (surprise!) a French restaurant on the upper east side. When we opened the front d’or, it was like opening a time capsule, where the décor and food hasn’t changed since the 1930’s when Le Veau opened. Robert, the elderly owner sits in the front both overseeing, while his daughter (played by Juliette Binoche in ‘Mim’s Meals: the Movie’) cheerfully works the floor. Mim and I both started with the onion soup. I don’t consider soup a real food, and don’t usually waste my time with it. But the this soup… Out. Of. This. World. I could eat it seven days a week. I leaped at the opportunity to order frogs’ legs ($28) for my entrée, and they didn’t disappoint, all sauteed and garlicky and such. Mim had the coq au vin ($25), which was also top-notch. For dessert we had parfait au rhum, which was coffee ice cream with rum in it. We, of course, told our server to go heavy on the rum, so he brought us the whole bottle to pour as we pleased.
There’s nothing better than great gelato, or even average gelato for that matter. I didn’t even realize it was possible to make crappy gelato, until my trip to Melt. Good thing it is “made exactly like they make it in Italy.” Really. I didn’t realize the gelato in Italy has artificial sweeteners and little bits of ice. I ordered the vegetable panini, which turned out to be a limp tomato, basil and mozzarella. Technically, tomatoes are fruits and basil is an herb. Maybe there was something growing on the cheese that constituted ‘vegetable,’ but one can only hope. The salad was a toddler’s handful of greens soaked in oil. I had high hopes for this lunch special, but all my hopes were melted, in a bad way.
Almost a year ago, Plaxico Burress, the Giants receiver, shot himself at Latin Quarters. At some points during my evening here, I wanted to do the same. $10 doesn’t seem bad for dancing and dinner, but it turned out to be a money pit. $3 Mandatory coat/bag-check, $40 minimum for cards at the bar, $8 small plastic cup of watery drink ($5 coke) until 8 O’clock, and then $12. The buffet was just rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes and rolls, which was fine, but I was expecting a little more. I cowered in a booth with my four female dance-partners, while old men slowly walked by leering. Thankfully, the salsa lessons started at 8:30 in the VIP Lounge, where an instructor taught us to kick-ball-change for thirty minutes. Then he turned down the lights, turned up the music, and we got to get our latin-groove on in private. AYAYAY! The night was definitely a change of pace, so if you are curious to add a little spice to your hump-day, check it out, but be sure to line your pockets with cash beforehand.