Dessert Truck

DessertTruck is a new mobile food concept based in the heart of New York City at 8th St and University Place. Using great ingredients and the highest standards for execution, we bring desserts from the world of fine-dining into the realm of everyday enjoyment. At our mobile food truck, there's no BS, no pretension. Just really good desserts.

I couldn't agree more with this description of the Dessert Truck. Simple. Quick. Cheap. DELICIOUS. V and I stopped by for a bite after a lite dinner and it was an amazing way to cap off our meal. (Especially for $5.) We ordered the Chocolate Bread Pudding, which is their "take on a classic chocolate custard dessert, topped with vanilla crème anglaise." It was served warm, in a little tinfoil dish that was a perfect size to get the great taste but not overwhelm you with sweetness or richness (or calories). I could have eaten the whole thing myself, but it was nice to share. I'd definitely recommend this, and I'll surely go back. Fortunately it is not that close to our apartment that it will become a regular destination. And next time I'm going to try it with the bacon crème anglaise. It sounds weird but the server told us it is the best thing on the menu!

Grey Dog Coffee

In search of a lighter, healthier, dinner one night, we wound up at Grey Dog Coffee, known in the neighborhood for its friendly service and relaxed atmosphere. Upon entering, we were slightly confused, wondering if we should wait to be seated, seat ourselves, or order at the counter. We eventually ordered at the counter, chose our seat, and then the food was served to us. The people watching was great as the crowd was very diverse. Even the servers had their own eccentricities that made the experience unique.

The food is standard fare, including sandwiches, salads, burgers, and breakfasts. We each tried a salad: the Cobb salad, and the seared tuna steak salad. All of the ingredients were very fresh and combined to make a great dinner salad. The portion was big enough to be a satisfying meal. Each was served with a piece of onion focaccia bread. I liked that they automatically served my dressing on the side, and that they would probably have allowed us to sit there all night if we wanted to.

All in all, a great spot for a light meal or a cup of coffee (except I don't like coffee).

Written by V.

Totally Baked

Yet another restaurant devoted to one food item: baked potatoes. Anyone who is a potato fan should not pass this place up. It is a casual fast food style place, and focuses on the lunch crowd, closing at 6pm many days. It was clean, and the woman who helped us was especially friendly and helpful. There were huge pictures of potatos on the wall, and Mr. Potato Heads for sale. The potatoes are served with small side salads in over-sized cardboard boxes with plastic utensils.

We could not afford the $55 truffle baked potato, so we had to settle for $10 choices. For this amount of money, we still expected a good sized portion of potato. However, the potato was small. There were ample toppings on each. I tried the wild mushroom (of course) which included chanterelle, shitake, oysters and crimini with shallot, chive, and manchego cheese. I wished for more cheese, but was very pleased with the variety of mushrooms and the overall taste of the potato.

Clark enjoyed his potato with grilled rosemary skirt steak, caramelized shallots and blue cheese. The steak was tender and it was a delicious combination.

We'll go back when we can afford the truffled potato (not likely).

Written by V.

Goodburger

At goodburger freshness is everything. That’s why in a world where food is often chemically processed, prepackaged and frozen, each and every goodburger is made the old fashioned way.

There are so many different hamburger places in the city, each trying to come at this simple food from a different angle. goodburger's attempt is, in my opinion, high class McDonald's. And I really don't think that even with the hand-made burgers and all-natural ingredients, that it is quite worth the price.

V and I paid about $30 for two burgers with fries and milkshakes. The burgers were good, but I've definitely had better. Same goes for the rest of the food. They also offer beer and wine, which we passed on. The atmosphere is rather fast-food like and there are a few flat-panel TVs showing sports, with music blaring through the restaurant a notch too loud. I'm not sure what else I missed, but it just didn't seem worth it to me. I don't think we'll go back.

Craftbar

Craftbar is Craft's informal sister-restaurant, where Chef Tom Colicchio applies the same philosophy of simple food derived from the finest ingredients, to casual dining.

I've seen Tom Colicchio as head judge of the reality cooking show, Top Chef. I didn't know much about his cooking style but I guess the show worked for him because I looked up his restaurants in New York and made a point of going - to one of the cheaper ones at least.

Craft Bar has an odd atmosphere, it seemed kind of unfinished to me. High ceilings, white walls, a cement floor...the one unique thing was a catwalk crossing the space, though it didn't seem to have any purpose other than for storage. I suppose the atmosphere was good for the young, casual crowd. The servers were dressed casually, with black t-shirts and pants.

As a starter our server brought little crispy bread sticks that had a nice saltiness that I couldn't resist. We each ordered appetizers. I had the pecorino fondue which had a little sweetness to it, with a few hazelnuts on top. I didn't think of it as fondue, more just a broiled cheese with some chips. But regardless, it was cheese and it was good combination of sweet and salty. V had a squash and gruyere soup that was not too sweet and a great dish for fall. Another appetizer was the chickpea fries, which were rather interesting. They were very thick, probably half-inch square and a few inches long, they were 'supple' but not very crispy. The olive aoli dip that came with them was very good.

For entrees we each tried something different. V and her friend, Lonestar, each had the chantorelle risotto that I found to be really, really good - it was very smooth, almost cheesy. The braised short ribs, in a mild consommé were delicious and very tender. The hangar steak, which I ordered, was fairly peppery, but quite tender, which is a feat with this cut. The onions and potatoes on the side were also very good.

Overall I found the menu at Craftbar to be well...crafted. The dishes were unique, and along with that, the service was very good. It ended up being an expensive meal, but we went all out, with two courses each and plenty of drinks. I was definitely satisfied with the meal and the restaurant as a whole. I'll have to try the other Craft restaurants now!

Crumbs

The great thing about New York City is that there is something for every niche, and because of the diversity and size of the city, so many unique places can thrive. For example Crumbs is a bakery near Union Square that just makes really unique cupcakes. My brother and I happened upon the place and were entranced by the delicious looking treats. I tried a cookie-dough cupcake and it was good. It just looked like cookie dough frosting but tasted more like regular frosting, on a white cupcake. A little bit of a let down. There are so many more flavors to try though, I'm sure they get it right on a few.

Republic: Think Noodles

Think Noodles: Fresh, Fast and Affordable. Our innovative and stylish noodle emporium seats 150 in a crisp, graphic space. Come enjoy a bowl of noodles!

Republic is a trendy but affordable noodle shop at Union Square. The restaurant is bigger than you'd expect once you get inside, with cafeteria-style communal table-and-bench seating, but it is a cool atmosphere. The pictures on the walls were poster-sized black and white photos of people with noodles in interesting positions (like, noodles for hair).

I ordered the BBQ pork, which our server told me was a cold dish with vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, scallions and cucumbers. The pork was kind of a thin slice of a pork chop sliced into strips. It was pretty good, but the cooler temperature made it a little odd to me. Plus the noodles were really short, I'd say 2-3 inches, which made eating them with the chopsticks a little difficult.

V tried the glass noodles, which came with chicken and cilantro and a ginger dipping sauce. The dish was hot and very flavorful (the bite or two I tried, I liked better than mine). I think that the temperature of a dish can really affect the flavor, and the contrast between V's noodles and mine really evidenced this.

We dined with B & B, who tried the tofu udon, and the pad thai. I didn't try their dishes, but heard good things! We also had a pitcher of the Asian sangria, a unique and well done twist on typical sangria - with white wine, pears and fuji apples. My only complaint was the service: slow and fairly inattentive, though we did get lots of water refills! I see more I'd like to try on the menu, and for a cheap dinner in Union Square, Republic does a good job.

Mesa Grill

Since its debut in 1991, Mesa Grill continues to be one of the most critically acclaimed restaurants in New York City. Critics tout Bobby Flay as one of this nation's foremost practitioners of Southwestern cuisine. The distinctive decor of Mesa Grill is a Southwestern playground of whim and fantasy.

In going to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, I anticipated a classy restaurant experience with unique combinations of food. The atmosphere was relaxed and had a southwestern flair to it, and the crowd seemed largely business groups and older couples. The only disappointment was that the courses were poorly timed and the waiter was lacking in friendliness.

I began with the “rough cut" raw tuna nachos with mango hot sauce & avocado crema. I recommend going just for this dish! The raw tuna was heaped high and positioned between the mango hot sauce (which was quite sweet) and the avocado crema. The sweet and salty contrast between the two sauces was the highlight of this dish. Although it came with just 8 chips laid out on each side, it turned out to be the perfect amount.

For the main course I had grilled mahi-mahi with roasted pineapple-cascabel chile sauce and caramelized pineapple-green onion salsa. The fish was grilled to perfection, and the sauce was delicious. The pineapple was a nice touch that gave it the southwestern flair for which Bobby Flay is known.

Dessert was an 'ice cream sandwich' that was composed of thin, dark chocolate wafers surrounding rich dark chocolate ice cream. The perfect sweet treat to end the night!

Although it is an expensive place, this was definitely a culinary treat!

Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man

Max Brenner, the bald man, is creating a new chocolate culture.

There is a wide variety of good looking food on the menu at Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man and the restaurant is very unique, but there were some things that made me think it is some kind of chain. There's Max Brenner wallpaper and Max Brenner floor tiles, and the "hug mug" (which I'm surprised didn't have a tiny ^TM on the side). As it turns out, yes, there are numerous Max Brenner locations: two in New York City, 11 in Australia, and more in the Philippines, Singapore, and Israel — of course! I knew I'd seen it before.

The real surprise for me at Max Brenner was the diversity and uniqueness of the cuisine. You'd expect a chocolate restaurant to have some really good chocolate dishes and everything else to be secondary. What I found while dining here was a delicious brunch that really made me think about breakfast food differently.

Who's ever had mustard on a waffle? And mustard from a beaker no less! I tried the Croque Madame Waffles, served with two eggs sunny side up with melted cheddar cheese and smoked ham, as well as the Bavarian Waffles which come with smoked kielbasa sausage cooked with onions and melted cheddar, both served over waffles with a mustard sauce on the side. Both were very good but I preferred the croque madame. The egg yolk and cheese made a nice sauce and were very flavorful, and the mustard sauce added a nice little spice that wasn't overwhelming.

I suppose I should also comment on the chocolate. One Max Brenner specialty is the hot chocolate, of which I had the dark, in the "hug mug." Quite good, very rich and chocolatey. I tried a sip of the white hot chocolate which I found to be too sweet for my tastes, but if you like white chocolate, I'd say it was great. They also serve an Italian hot chocolate which is much thicker than the standard but tastes the same. There are a million other chocolate treats too, of which I had none, but they look very tempting, I'll be back some day I'm sure. Especially next time I'm in Singapore.