Food | fabliss

Russ & Daughters | New York City

this is our second time at russ & daughters. our first time included a torrential pour and a lot of happiness… leading us to come back here for our mandatory new york bagel part deux.

we like to get to russ & daughters early since it gets relatively packed. it’s located on the lower east side, near katz’s delicatessen.

although there are a quite a number of options (a ton of different style lox and a bajillion types of cream cheese), we go for the popular: smoked salmon (not even sure which one we get), scallion cream cheese, red onions, and tomato on an onion bagel.

so much salmon…

ambience: this is a market. so there aren’t any tables or chairs inside. there’s a nice bench right outside in case you want to enjoy your bagel in the sun. also, since it is a seafood market… it will smell fishy. this is a heads up to those who don’t do well in fishy settings.
service: you grab a number and wait to be called. my suggestion is to figure out what you want while you are waiting. don’t be that person who is indecisive and holds up the line. you will get some eye rolls.
our verdict: the smoked salmon with scallion cream cheese – delicious! however, the bagel itself is not as soft as we wanted it to be (the bagel at murray’s is better). my ideal bagel would be lox from russ & daughters and an onion bagel from murrays. just sayin’.

Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St
New York, NY 10002

By fabliss | September 27th, 2014 | Food, New York, Restaurants, Travel | 0 Comments

Cafe Habana | New York City

we came here for one thing and one thing only. the grilled mexican corn ^^^

our thoughts: it was bomb. cojita cheese, spicy powder, lime… ugh so good. i could have one all to myself (it’s only 3 bucks). but since we were on a major eating adventure, we only ordered one to share. #pros

ambience: since we were looking to get in and out quickly, we opted for the to-go location right next door to the restaurant. no line, same menu, and fast service. there are a couple small tables plus bar seating at the window. that’s all you really need to enjoy your corn.
overall: the corn. it’s delicious. it’s cheap. it’s exactly what you dream it would be. next time, we want to try all the other items on the menu. we were smelling and staring at everyone’s food around us. yes, we were those people.

you made us happy, cafe habana. very happy.

Cafe Habana
17 Prince St
New York, NY 10012

Cafe Habana To-Go (right next door)
229 Elizabeth St
New York, NY 10012

By fabliss | September 26th, 2014 | Food, New York, Restaurants, Travel | 1 Comment

Tacombi | New York City

what’s better than watermelon fresca and horchata on a hot, hot day in nyc? nothing. obviously.

we stumbled on tacombi walking to the chelsea market. the big jugs of sandia drank drew us in. how stupid cute is this?

drinks: watermelon fresca is refreshing. the horchata is also good. it’s on the thicker side so we had to ask for extra ice.
service: everyone is ridiculously nice.
overall: the watermelon and horchata alone won us over. we look forward to trying food here net time.

Tacombi
267 Elizabeth St
New York, NY 10012

Neighborhood: Nolita

By fabliss | September 25th, 2014 | Food, New York, Restaurants, Travel | 1 Comment

Bianca | New York City

before coming to nyc, we had bianca bookmarked. so when we heard that this was our friend’s (he’s italian) favorite italian restaurant in manhattan, we had to go. here is what we ordered:

tagliolini ai frutti di mare ($14)
tagliatelle alla bolognese ($11.50)
pomodori ($9)
salmone croccante ($16.50)
tiramisu
panna cotta with caramel sauce

pomodori – tomatoes with red onions and anchovies. p and chris loved this.

tagliatelle alla bolognese. meat sauce. pasta is amazingly fresh! the sauce was good but a little on the bland side.

salmone croccante – crispy roasted salmon filet.

tagliolini ai frutti di mare. clams, mussels, calamari and shrimps sauteed in garlic, evo and light tomato sauce.

the panna cotta, in my opinion was just okay. the texture was on the jello-y side but smooth. it was slightly a little too sweet for me.

tiramisu (i am told) was pretty good. it is, however, more cream and less cake than the average tiramisu.

food: we would describe this place as a no-frills italian restaurant. the pastas were very fresh and have very comforting, homey tastes. our pastas were a little blander than we would have liked but so fresh that it is forgivable.
ambience: very cute. the outer front walls completely open up providing an open air space. we dined on the earlier side so appreciated the natural light. the rest of the restaurant is pretty dark, lit with candles… making it a pretty good date spot. keep in mind that the restaurant is small and the tables are crammed together. cozy is the best way to describe this place. give its size, you and your party may have to wait during peak times.
service: very friendly.
overall: very cute italian restaurant with good, fresh pasta at extremely reasonable prices. if you are looking for a casual italian dining experience, you will definitely like this restaurant. oh. it’s cash only. be prepared.

Bianca
5 Bleecker St
New York, NY 10012

By fabliss | September 24th, 2014 | Food, New York, Restaurants, Travel | 0 Comments

il Laboratorio Del Gelato | New York City

our awesome friend, lauren recommended that we stop by her favorite gelato shop, il laboratorio del gelato (near katz’s). after trying a few samples, we decided to get a scoop of the amaretto crunch and blackberry.

bomb. so bomb. amaretto crunch is so delicious. we got the blackberry since we thought it was a nice balance between creamy and tart.

ice cream: scoops are on the smaller side… but still worth it in my opinion. get the amaretto crunch. you will not regret it.
ambience: very open space. white walls accented with orange and blue. large windows with lots of natural light. limited seating along the windows.
service: staff is good. during peak times, you have to grab a number and wait to be called. they are pretty efficient at servicing people even though everyone is trying to sample different flavors.
overall: great gelato. we will be coming back, fo sho.

il Laboratorio Del Gelato
188 Ludlow St
b/t Houston St & Stanton St
New York, NY 10002

Neighborhood: Lower East Side

By fabliss | September 23rd, 2014 | Coffee, Tea, & Bakeries, Dessert, Food, New York | 0 Comments

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