Tastee Corner

Tastee Corner is a little diner a block or so from V's place. We checked it our for Sunday brunch and had a good diner experience. I wouldn't expect much more. The staff is really friendly and prices are good, as is the food. I've gone back a few times for a quick bite to eat before work and the service is quick. The atmosphere is typical diner, but very friendly and community-centered. For a quick, cheap breakfast, I'll go back.

1849

1849 is your home away from home. Friendly atmosphere, superb food, and a staff who care. We also grind our own burgers, which taste great and are considered to be the best burgers in town! So come in to 1849 today where our philosophy is to be the best at everything!

I came across 1849 while looking for a quick bite to eat in the village before heading to a concert at a nearby club. The happy hour specials were enticing–5¢ beers with the purchase of an appetizer–as was the atmosphere: red velvet sofas and chairs with trophy bison and deer mounted on the brick walls, with music playing pretty loudly. It was kind of western saloon meets sports bar. And who can turn down 5¢ beers?!

We ordered chips and guacamole as one appetizer, which were fine though the guac serving was rather small. I've been craving BBQ since I came to NYC–It's tough to get good BBQ in the city (though I've got a few places in mind to try out), and I can't grill myself–so for my meal I ordered the appetizer portion of ribs. They were good and messy as ribs should be, though a little dry. The portion was just right really, I didn't need a full order by any means. As the burgers come recommended, V ordered one, and I tried a bite or two. It was good, but nothing to write home about (ironic, no?).

1849 has a great atmosphere and reasonable prices, but be careful: though our beers were each a nickel, the check had a 20% service charge for table service (even for just the two of us)! Next time I'll go back just for a drink.

SoHo Cafe & Grill

SoHo Cafe & Grill isn't even in SoHo. It is a little restaurant near my Astoria apartment. Situated below "The Rock" fitness center, from what I can tell, it caters to that health-centered crowd with fresh juices and other health-food. Ironically it was the waffle-fries on the take-out menu that enticed me to try it out. I've eaten there s a few times now and am still not sure how I feel about the whole experience.

The first time we were there we tried wraps including the California Shrimp Wrap with avocado, mesculin greens and sundried tomato; and the Sicilian Wrap with grilled chicken, mozzarella, peppers, and lettuce. Both wraps were slightly off in one way or another. The shrimp was little baby shrimp that wasn't particularly appealing, while there was so much chicken in the other wrap we had to take at least half of it out just to eat it, though the mozzarella was very fresh and added a lot to the wrap. Really our favorite item was the black bean salad served on the side.

On a second visit I had a delicious and filling Cobb salad. It had plenty of shredded chicken, a good coating of dressing, large chunks of avocado and a good portion of bacon. It was probably more than I needed to eat, but at least seemed healthy! I saw but didn't try the tuna melt, which looked more like it came from my toaster oven at home than from a restaurant's kitchen - it was on thin sliced plain bread and had what appeared to be process American cheese melted on top. It was served alone on the plate - a little garnish would have gone a long way toward changing my first impression of the dish.

One other complaint about SoHo Cafe is the clatter of the juice machine. On our first visit we were seated right next to it and the noise was understandable but annoying. On our second visit, we were seated almost as far from the machine as we could get and it was still noisy and irritating to talk over while enjoying our meal. I guess I'll occasionally drop in for something at this conveniently located and affordable cafe, but I don't plan on dining-in much more.

Jerry's Restaurant

Jerry Joseph took a run down cafeteria and turned it into Jerry's--an upscale diner complete with booths, original stainless-steel fixtures and a counter that is not simply a bar, but a place to eat good food.

V's love of mushrooms and our recent experience with Manchego cheese while traveling in the Caribbean combined in one item I found on Jerry's brunch menu so we headed downtown to try it out. It was very good, but I read an inaccurate online menu and was a little surprised by the higher prices.

The decor was comfortable with cool cow-print (or cow skin) booths and bar stools. I didn't get too far into the narrow-but-long restaurant, but it looked more spacious in the back, where the bar is located. The service was a little pretentious, though I suspect that is normal for the neighborhood.

We both tried omelets, V choosing the Mushroom and Manchego while I tried the Chorizo, Onion and Red Pepper omelet. Our server wasn't terribly friendly, I think he could sense we weren't from SoHo, but came all the way from Queens...such tourists. So when I asked if my omelet was served with cheese, he just pointed at the menu, which said nothing about cheese. I added havarti.

Both omelets were tasty, I think we each preferred our own. I felt like V's was too mushroomy, but to her that is what made it good. For me most anything with onions in any form is good. My dish had a good combination of flavors including the onion, though the oil from the chorizo was a little unattractive on my plate. The home fries served on the side weren't anything special. I did enjoy the light salad of fresh greens served on the side, with a nice slightly creamy dressing that was not too overwhelming, but nicely coated the entire salad.

Overall it was a good meal, though the service could be a bit more friendly and the prices a little easier on the wallet.

Family Corner

I dropped in to this little diner on the corner of 21st Ave and 31st St. this morning after moving my car for the alternate-side parking. I can't comment much on the food, I had a breakfast sandwich that was tasty, but the atmosphere and people really make Family Corner a nice place. The cooks were friendly, the guy who rang me up was friendly (he may have been the owner), and all together everyone seemed nice. Plus, the rest of their diner-esque menu looks appealing for a quick bite now and then - each category on the menu is a 'corner,' like the Breakfast Sandwich Corner, the Omelet Corner, the Sandwich Corner, etc etc. They cooked up my order very quickly, and it came to $2.15 - not bad, and they offer delivery.