Friedman's Lunch

...is located inside NYC's Chelsea Market at 75 Ninth Avenue. I had a craving for fried chicken, but one of their fryers was being cleaned so the waiter offered me their gluten free fried chicken - using rice flour. I tried it and was pleasantly surprised - it was very crispy and I couldn't tell it was gluten free. The mac n cheese was not.

Neither was the delicious chocolate bread pudding a la mode. This generous serving was served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Pocky

I bought a box of these Pocky sticks in NYC's Koreatown at H-Mart. For $4.99 it contained 6 packages. Each package had 4 sticks. It's a nice little chocolate treat that's not too filling.

Pig on Beale

...is located at 167 Beale Street in downtown Memphis. I had the 1/2 rack of pork ribs with 2 sides (corn on the cob and onion rings) for $13.95 with sweet tea ($1.95). The ribs were very tender and the sauce added just enough flavor without being overpowering.

Gus' World Famous Hot N Spicy Fried Chicken - Memphis

...is located in downtown Memphis at 310 Front Street. This tiny restaurant is swamped with locals and visitors vying for its delicious fried chicken. The chicken is very crisp and juicy...and indeed hot and spicy!

Asia Dog

...has set up a booth at the "Eat at Madison Square Park" fest for the month of May. The dogs are $4.50 or 2 for $8. I had two all beef dogs: a Wang Ding (with pork belly) and a Vinh (banh mi style).

Service is a bit slow because dogs are made to order, but both were very good.

Bian Dang

I went back to the food court in NYC's Koreatown at 11 W. 32nd Street t Bian Dang for fried pork chops. For only $8 I received this very generous portion (3 chops) with rice, pork sauce and vegetables.

Free Korean Food

This week there was a roaming food truck giving away free food to promote Korean cuisine. On Monday I was able to catch up with it near NYC's Bryant Park on 40th Street near 6th Avenue. They were giving away kalbi (barbecued marinated short ribs) with rice and salad compliments of a local Koreatown restaurant, Don Bogam. It was very good, but not substantial enough for a full lunch...more like an appetizer.

Peels

Peels is located in NYC's Lower East Side at 325 Bowery. If you can't stand the wait for a table (and there usually is a long wait) then you can order take out.

I ordered a biscuit ($3) and fried chicken breast ($6) which made a tasty meal. It was ready in a few minutes.

The Shaved Ice Shop

...has a booth at the Hester Street Fair. For $5 you get a healthy portion of fluffy shaved ice with your choice of 3 toppings (I chose watermelon, mango and salted caramel corn) and your choice of Mango Sorbet or Green Tea Ice Cream (I kept with the mango theme). Delicious.

Ever since I visited Honolulu I have been a shaved ice fan and now I can quench my craving back home in NY!

Bassetts Ice Cream - Philadelphia

...is located inside the Reading Terminal Market at 11th and Arch in Philly.

They have dozens of flavors and I couldn't decide...so I went with an old favorite - Moosetracks!

A single cone was $3.

Mighty Balls

Is the latest to jump on the meatball bandwagon. They have a spot at the Hester Street Fair on NYC's Lower East Side. I tried beef "just balls" (3 for $7) with South African onions. The meatballs were a little dry and the onions spicy.

Donut Plant Chelsea

The Donut Plant is located in NYC's Chelsea at 220 West 23rd Street. This second location is more convenient than the original Donut Plant on Grand Street on the Lower East Side.

I had a square strawberry jelly donut ($3 + tax).

The Harrison

...is located in NYC's Tribeca at 355 Greenwich Street.

"E", "K" and I had a lovely dinner there.

We all started with glasses of white wine. "E" had the baked gorgonzola stuffed pear ($7). "K" had the marinated olives ($4) and I had the Gnocchi with oxtail, horseradish, kale and pecorino ($12).

"E" had the Atlantic Salmon with cauliflower salad, leek puree and lemon confit ($24). "K" and I both had the Potato Wrapped Trout with sunchokes, french beans, almonds and grainy mustard ($24). And we shared a side order of Sauteed Spinach ($8).

For dessert "E" and "K" both had french press coffee ($5) and we shared the brownie ice cream sandwich ($8).

Everything was wonderful.

Shopping Totes

I found these at a Marshall's in NYC for only $4.99 each...cute and ecofriendly for shopping!

Ai Fiori

Ai Fiori is located in the new Setai Hotel located at 400 Fifth Avenue. This elegant restaurant is know for it's Italian fare. But I stopped by for a quick lunch at the bar. I started with a glass of Riesling ($13) and an order of Crocchette - liquid foie gras cubes ($14) which were 6 delicately fried and oozed liquid foie gras.

Then I had a Mini White Label burger ($8) which was a great way not to overindulge in a full size burger. It was a mini La Frieda prime burger served with Neuske's slab bacon, black tomator and American cheese and was served medium rare. For such a small burger is was quite juicy!