Oh, Agent 13, Independent George and pow...

I'm in your will, right?

With Mrs. i95 visiting her “ailing Uncle” (whom I secretly suspect maybe named Independent George ) in Florida this weekend, I took our three kids on a literal knoshing tour of lower Manhattan from the East River all the way over to the Hudson.

With MANY thanks and my sincere gratitude extended to Agent 13 for his seriously GREAT suggested walking route from the Lower East Side through and to Greenwich Village and which I adhered to as if it was a string cheese tightrope, The Travelin Man for his contagious advocacy of doing the "Brooklyn Bridge thing" and pastrami-on-wry's sage advice that “you are tourists and in my mind there is no sin in making choices that contain a tinge of touristy-ness,” in-order food stops on our 30-hours-on-the-ground in NYC tour (and having already been to the great Katz’s Deli) included:


SATURDAY:

Yonah Schimmels (137 East Houston Street)…A shared garlic and potato knish started out the day at this 99-year-young Lower East Side stalwart. Fantastic!


Pommes Frites (123 2nd Avenue)…As already formally reviewed on TOS here, this is the mecca fries and, frankly, the best ones we’ve ever had. Fried twice, crisp on the outside and soft and heavenly on the inside. Just heavenly. Had our shared small order with both the Honey Mustard Mayo and the Curried Ketchup w/ Onions. One word: Yummo.


Economy Candy (108 Rivington Street)… As also formally reviewed on TOS here – and this being our second trip to this candy castle – if you can’t find your favorite candy here then they no longer make it.


Fried Dumpling (99 Allen Street)…Oh, my. Five freshly prepared, scrumptious and cooked right in front of you Chinese dumplings for one dollar. Even. I could live here.


LUNCH: Hop Kee (21 Mott Street)…Twinwillow on TOS referenced Tony Bourdain’s recent coverage of the Cantonese on his Travel Channel program and what a great find. Downstairs and under a nondescript building on Mott Street in New York City’s Chinatown, we shared Chicken & Broccoli as well as Vegetable Fried Rice. Very, very good.


Chinatown Ice Cream (65 Bayard Street)…While I had hoped that my kids would be a little more adventurous here, nope, they ordered the standard chocolate and or vanilla. They like it. What can I say?


Italian Food Center (186 Grand Street)…Actually didn’t eat here but stopped by and will surely revisit.


Peanut Butter & Co. (240 Sullivan Street)…As already formally reviewed on TOS here, we shared peanut butter cookies here as well as stocked-up on some Honey Peanut Butter at this Greenwich Village haunt. Very good.


Faicco’s Pork Store (260 Bleecker Street)… As also already formally reviewed on this site here, two rice balls with parmesan and romano cheeses and at a total for both of just $ 1.50 were a major, delicious treat!


DINNER: Puglia (189 Hester Street)…Oh, no question, tourist as all get out. That said and as pow Baratz paened, I was in Rome (and with three little Romans) so what’s a Dad to do? Entertainment was cheesy-but-fun and the food (shrimp parmesan, baked manicotti and tortellini pesto) was actually quite “red sauce” good.



SUNDAY:

Kossar’s Bialys (367 Grand Street)..First stop and the sharing of a made-that-morning and still warm onion bialy was fantastic.


Doughnut Plant (379 Grand Street) …Just next door and as also formally reviewed on TOS here, the Doughnut Plant was a MAJOR treat. Phenomenal, yeasty doughnuts. No way we were splitting these. Everyone got their own (and then some). Superb hazelnut, chocolate and strawberry jelly filled (with the place even making its own jelly filling).


Pickle Guys (49 Essex Street)…Just looked here (as lack of immediate refrigeration on our part prevented us from purchasing) but very impressed with the selection and freshness of various pickled goods from pickles to mixed vegetables to green beans to celery.





LUNCH: Grimaldi’s (19 Old Fulton Street)… As already formally reviewed on TOS here, we waited almost 30-minutes to get into this coal-oven-fired pizza place literally under the Brooklyn Bridge and it was worth every single minute. Thin, perfectly cooked crust all made in a seemingly ancient brick oven. Highly recommend!


Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (One Water Street)… Also already formally reviewed on TOS site here, this place’s real estate and view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Wall Street skyline is worthy, alone, of an excursion here. The fact that the ice cream is also pretty darned good (double chocolate and butter pecan) sure doesn’t hurt either.


Jacques Torres (66 Water Street)… Also already formally reviewed on TOS site here – and although we didn’t eat here – this is a chocolate-lover’s paradise. We’ve long been a fan of Torres’ chocolates and it’s definitely here where you can find all of them.


Best Food: frites at Pommes Frites. Best Value: dumplings at Fried Dumpling. Song I Can’t Get Out of My Friggin’ Head: this one. Best Memory: Adventurous kids willing to try the untried as well as perpetually curious what’s around the next corner. Priceless.





Again, thanks for the great tips! :)

i95 wrote:

With MANY thanks and my sincere gratitude extended to Agent 13 for his seriously GREAT suggested walking route from the Lower East Side through and to Greenwich Village and which I adhered to as if it was a string cheese tightrope as well as for pastrami-on-wry's sage advice that “you are tourists and in my mind there is no sin in making choices that contain a tinge of touristy-ness,” in-order food stops on our 30-hours-on-the-ground in NYC tour (and having already been to the great Katz’s Deli) included...

Then over the Brooklyn Bridge and to…

LUNCH: Grimaldi’s (19 Old Fulton Street)… As already formally reviewed on TOS here, we waited almost 30-minutes to get into this coal-oven-fired pizza place literally under the Brooklyn Bridge and it was worth every single minute. Thin, perfectly cooked crust all made in a seemingly ancient brick oven. Highly recommend!


Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (One Water Street)… Also already formally reviewed on TOS site here, this place’s real estate and view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Wall Street skyline is worthy, alone, of an excursion here. The fact that the ice cream is also pretty darned good (double chocolate and butter pecan) sure doesn’t hurt either.


Jacques Torres (66 Water Street)… Also already formally reviewed on TOS site here – and although we didn’t eat here – this is a chocolate-lover’s paradise. We’ve long been a fan of Torres’ chocolates and it’s definitely here where you can find all of them.

I surely hate to sound like someone who would say "Heyyy....look at me!" (not that we would know anyone like that), but how did I end up on your pay-no-mind list? I realize it was email - and not a public posting, but 'twas I who originally suggested this little outing, oh King of All F*tards!



:D :D

p.s. - Glad you enjoyed your trip. NYC with the young'uns is fun - especially when they "get it" and it sounds like yours most certainly did.

Holy-moley, I just changed the original post, you massively unkempt pussy.

i95 wrote:

...you massively unkempt pussy.

The ONLY appropriate response.

Thank you.

Glad you had fun.


So did your wife.

Ask the poster two posts above.

All I know is that now is not the time for a "massively unkempt pussy" joke.

Nope.

That would be wrong, wrong, wrong.

Yeah. Way to play opossum there, old chap.

Independent George wrote:

i95 wrote:

...you massively unkempt pussy.

The ONLY appropriate response.

Thank you.

I disagree. Another totally appropriate response would be: Merry Christmas.

It appears that there is some sort of Italian organization that honors the Massively Unkempt Pussy.

pastrami-on-wry wrote:

Independent George wrote:

i95 wrote:

...you massively unkempt pussy.

The ONLY appropriate response.

Thank you.

I disagree. Another totally appropriate response would be: Merry Christmas.

"Merry Christmas" would have also been an acceptable answer.