Burger & Barrel

I visited this new restaurant located in NYC's SoHo at 25 West Houston Street to try their burger.

I had the Classic ($13) - with lettuce, tomato, pickles, American cheese and "special" sauce with sweet potato fries.

The burger was served with two onion rings - the batter was great. The burger was very good and perfectly cook. The fries were the best I have ever had in NY - thin and crispy on the outside and tender and tasty on the inside with the perfect amount of salt.

I had a black and white milkshake ($6) which was just okay, but not thick and tasty enough.

Freshii

...is a new upscale deli near NYC's Times Square located at 1407 Broadway that features healthful food options.

I tried the Signature Burrito ($7.59) - brown rice, bbq chicken, red onions, sweet corn, jack & cheddar cheese and low fat ranch dressing. It was served warm with nice grill marks.

Barney's

Barney's in NYC's midtown East is famous for their avant garde window displays.

This year's Holiday Windows theme is a "Foodie Holiday" with caricatures of famous celebrity chefs and cooks.

Paradou

...is located at 8 Little West 12th Street in NYC's Meat Packing District. On Sunday nights they offer an all you can eat suckling pig dinner for $29. It includes truffle mashed potatoes (creamy and delightful), jasmine rice (fluffy), tossed salad and a glass of wine (red, white or rose). What a great deal!

The pig was moist and flavorful and the skin was crispy and habit forming. So much so that "M" and I asked for just a plate of skin.

Francois Payard Bakery

I was so anxious to try Francois Payard's new bakery/cafe when it opened in NYC's Greenwich Village that this is probably the most disappointing posts I have published.

It's a great space with a little retail shop in the front. Then the cases of appetizing sandwiches and desserts. And the chef/owner himself showed up during my visit (that's him standind near the front door).

I tried a hot chocolate ($4) which was standard. And a Croque Monsieur ($7.50) - french ham, gruyere cheese with bechamel on white Pullman bread. It was okay, but premade and reheated which took 15 minutes.

I was most disappointed with the macarons. First of all, I ordered a S'mores and Pumpkin to go. When I returned home I found that I didn't receive what I ordered and the flavors were so tepid I wasn't sure what the first macaron flavor was supposed to be. If it was S'mores then I didn't taste the chocolate nor the marshmallow. The second macaron must have been espresso because it tasted like bitter coffee and the outer shell was hard and brittle. This is the first time that I have not finished macaron and actually threw it away.

Taro Cake

"A" and "Y" brought this dessert from a Filipino bakery to our Thanksgiving dinner.

The filling is made from Taro. I think the color is "enhanced".

4Food

...is a new "fast food" restaurant located at 286 Madison Avenue in NYC's Midtown East.

All of the ingredients are organic. And the burger patties are shaped like donuts (I assume to reduce the calories). I had the Cali Burger which was hormone free beef with avocado, chili mango salsa, pickles, cheddar, mayo, ketchup and bbq sauce on a brioche bun.

The receipt doubles as a nutrition label - with each ingredient broken down to show calories, fat, carbs and protein.

The bun was a little boardy and the meat tasted healthful - in other words, no fat equals no flavor.