Love it
Reviewed by mollie
at July 26, 06:39 PM
HOLY FUCKING SHIT. the chocolate bread pudding was insane. It reaffirmed my belief in sweets. Oh my god. I am fantasizing about it right now. As far as steaks go, the hanger steak was a lot better (more tender & flavourful) than the ny strip. I don't really know why I ordered the strip. Shoulda gone for the fried chicken. MY BAD.
Love it
Reviewed by mollie
at July 26, 06:36 PM
CALAMARI! i love that spicy mayo dipping sauce that it comes with. the cornflake-crusted salmon i got was great, and i like that it came with a big pile of.. kale, was it? something like that. good hearty roughage. delightful.
Never again
Reviewed by mollie
at July 26, 06:30 PM
I hate to be the bad guy, but I really don't like this place. Getting served takes fucking FOREVER, but that's excuseable if the food's good. I thought the pulled pork was dry and the coleslaw was too vinegary. Also, the mac & cheese still sucks. Bleh.
Love it
Reviewed by mollie
at July 26, 06:24 PM
forget about all my past criticism of this place. this is the best burger i've had in years. most likely the best burger in williamsburg. the fries are perhaps a little thicker than they used to be, and the flavour of the meat is absolutely perfect. the pickles were a delight.
Love it
Reviewed by mollie
at June 18, 11:34 AM
yum! they make all kinds of beverages here, like smoothies and fizzy drinks sweetened with agave nectar (it doesn't raise your blood sugar, the nice woman there said). there's a small selection of food, but i didn't try it. the mojito (non-alcoholic) was totally refreshing and flavourful, and cheaper than i expected.
Like it
Reviewed by mollie
at June 6, 07:48 AM
The skin on their fried chicken is just a flour coating, not a crispy batter (think KFC). But it still tastes good. Also the mac is nontraditional—it was served out of a cast iron skillet and contains some spicy tomato stuff. But this was a year ago (?) when they first opened, so I don't know if things have changed since then.
Like it
Reviewed by mollie
at June 4, 09:11 PM
Wicked overpriced, but a fun atmosphere. I think it's best to get the bottle of beer + glass of sake ($5) and a snack (hah) rather than a full dinner.
Never again
Reviewed by mollie
at June 4, 09:05 PM
If I were vegan, I'd give this place another shot. Spring rolls were atrocious.. not enough filling so instead of frying properly, they filled up with oil and were all limp. Entrees weren't memorable or creative, although i've heard good things about this place so it's possible I went on an off night? i dunno. The table next to us got moo shu something-or-other and it looked decent. I guess this is promising option if you are vegan and don't feel like cooking or eating in Manhattan.
It's ok
Reviewed by mollie
at June 4, 08:43 PM
Wildly inconsistent. The best part about brunch is the 2 for $6 cocktails. Worst part: service. One time the home fries were crispy and delish, the next time they resembled colourless, boiled white cubes of sadness.
Like it
Reviewed by mollie
at June 4, 08:37 PM
I wonder if LT is owned by the same people who own Amarin, because the food tastes almost exactly the same (well, just the Pad Thai and Pad See Ew. anyway—I haven't had anything else there). Even the spring rolls are slender and open-ended and perfectly fried. The only difference: they use Chinese broccoli! woo!
Never again
Reviewed by mollie
at June 4, 08:19 PM
The faux buffalo wings are yummy but a little heavy, and for some reason there are 5 to an order. I'm not sure if it's a soy or gluten base, but regardless, you're probably eating too much of whatever it is. It would be nice if the order was smaller/cheaper and also if the employees weren't so rude. Next time I get a faux chicken craving I will just buy a box of Quorn nuggets at Whole Foods!
Like it
Reviewed by mollie
at June 4, 08:13 PM
A pretty good local Thai spot. I like their Pad See Ew (with beef, medium spicy) a lot, especially because the noodles aren't all choppy like at a lot of other Thai places. Sux that they don't use Chinese broccoli, though.
Like it
Reviewed by mollie
at June 4, 08:03 PM
My favourite slice around the Bedford area. Get the Grandma, or if you're really starving you might try the Eggplant Special, which is quite tasty but very heavy (seriously, all that breaded and fried eggplant weighs a lot). Don't waste your time at Anna Maria's unless it's 3am and you are drunk.
It's ok
Reviewed by mollie
at May 22, 12:31 PM
yes, it's the original hipster brunch spot. delicious bloody marys with celery and stuff in 'em, and hearty homestyle breakfast offerings that you could make yourself if only you weren't hungover. go williamsburg!!
Love it
Reviewed by mollie
at May 20, 09:35 PM
Went again, ordered the Smoked Salmon Plate, loved it. I also sampled my friend's Huevos Rancheros and was pleasantly surprised. In my experience, most places that don't specialise in Mexican cuisine but serve HR never seem to do it correctly. Dumont is an exception. They keep it simple—eggs (oddly, they'll only do scrambled or over-easy, but i like over-easy to who carez), black beans, some nicely toasted high quality flour tortillas (I usually prefer corn but these somehow worked), basic chunky guac, and the star, an elegant tomato reduction with a touch of cream.
Never again
Reviewed by mollie
at May 19, 03:42 PM
Dude, fuck the brunch at Diner. 1) You can only get homefries with burgers. 2) Omelettes are bright yellow. wtf? Homefry quality is HIGHLY INCONSISTENT: some were mushy, colorless and bland, while others were nearly deep-fried and well seasoned (although a little salt was necessary. 3) Bloody Marys ($9 after the recent price hike) are frankly missing a certain depth—not enough Worcestershire, I'm guessing. Ridiculous. The food didn't even look attractive, and breakfast food doesn't even have to be that attractive. It's more about quality, which Diner sadly lacks at brunchtime. Another person in our party ordered the Egg Sandwich with Bacon. It was quite good, though nothing I couldn't make (better) at home, and I was offered a bite (yay) and instead of enjoying it, what appeared to be an entire runny yolk shot out of the sandwich and all over my pants. Will it stain? Who knows. Regardless, you simply do not make an egg sandwich with an aggressively soft–cooked egg! And may I add that I also ate dinner there recently, and the specials—we had vodka-artichoke risotto and pork something with some kind of hearty and slightly bitter green (think kale)—were really bland and just gross. We did like the dessert, this banana cake thing with some chocolate sauce and whipped cream. But honestly, how could you fuck that up? I'm beginning to think they're only competent in making burgers (and mayonnaise). Anyway, the quality here has really declined recently and it makes me sad.
Love it
Reviewed by mollie
at May 7, 03:18 PM
One of the very best places in Williamsburg, frealz. I went last Saturday for brunch and shared the my regular order, the smoked salmon plate ($9) and also got the mushroom and bacon omelette ($11). So good! The salmon is silky and delicious with a little pile of thinly sliced red onion and some capers and a nice hearty bagel that's toasted and lightly buttered. mmm. The omelette was delish as well—very buttery and not browned at all, classic omelette style. And the homefries were absolutely TDF—like french fries in little cube shapes. I used to think it was hard to fuck up homefries, but I now realize this isn't true. Also small pile of mixed greens = A+. I've found myself thinking about this meal every day since I ate it.
It's ok
Reviewed by mollie
at March 22, 10:24 AM
I've only had the burger here, not the signature porterhouse. Burger was meh. Enormous and dry steak fries. Also the atmosphere is very, um, unique--bright lighting, lots of dark wood, fratty--but I guess a fun "experience." or something. I would like to try the steak, but honestly I probably won't because I value a pleasant eating experience and also Prune, in the East Village, makes a hell of a ribeye with a bunch of herby butter on top! TDF.
Like it
Reviewed by mollie
at February 15, 07:49 AM
i enjoy sparky's once in awhile. it's a wee bit overpriced but the stuff is organic and maybe free range, so that's good. menu highlights: coleslaw just like i like it (finely shredded red cabbage, a substantially vinegary flavour, and not too sweet) and macaroni & cheese that makes you feel like you're eating at a much fancier place. it involves béchamel and they even heat/broil it to order so it takes a few minutes longer but the resulting bubbly crust is an absolute delight!
in the mornings, sparky's morphs into a breakfast joint called egg. i've never been but have heard good things.
It's ok
Reviewed by mollie
at February 12, 08:58 PM
Is this where we went the other night? Um, the food was ok, although honestly the duck spring roll was absolute mush in the middle (i know it was clearly described as duck/taro, but still, i expected a firmer interior). the wide rice noodle dish was pretty good, in the way that only a huge pile of noodles can be. the shrimp was large and tender. however, the rice noodles were cut quite sharply and uniformly—unfortunately i prefer a less rigidly cut nood. also to be honest, they weren't seasoned very well. i tasted mostly soy sauce and oil. again, not bad, and tasted great because i was starving, but i wouldn't order either dish again.
Love it
Reviewed by mollie
at January 30, 08:27 PM
Part of the reason why I haven't moved in three years is because I live one block from Diner, and can eat their delicious burgers and steaks whenever I want. This is also why I got fat a couple years ago. the fries are medium-thick and have skin and come with the best homemade mayonnaise ever. i wish they would experiment with it in aioli form. the burger meat itself can be a little bland sometimes, but with all the fixins—cheese, ketchup, mayo, red onion—it's almost perfect (note: sometimes i find the burger meat at dumont (or dumont burger) a bit TOO seasoned).
Love it
Reviewed by mollie
at January 11, 06:15 PM
Bonita has specialties that I love. The sangria is rich and dense and not too sweet. Salads are generously sized and packed with nuggety bits like beets, carrots and pumpkin seeds, and a delicately applied lime vinaigrette. Brunch options are great (yum, huevos mexicanos) and on the cheaper end.
Fish tacos are fine, but it's hard for me to spend $7 on two fish tacos when I've had better ones for 99¢. Oh well. I don't think burritos are really their specialty. They're not as flavourful as some other items, and they're large and cube-like and therefore chained to the plate (I prefer to hold my burrito). If I want to order a tortilla item that's not tacos, i'd probably go with their chicken enchiladas. The only problem: no rice and beans on the side.
warning: they don't have a liquor license (but the new location in ft. greene does), so margaritas are made w/ white wine. get the sangria, it's great.
Like it
Reviewed by mollie
at January 11, 01:33 PM
Dumont Burger is a little offshoot of the main Dumont on Union in Williamsburg. People got really excited when DB opened, because who doesn't love a burger, and it seems to be very popular—very crowded all the time.
The burgers are delicious, and I only have a few beefs (heh) with them. 1) buns are a little too sweet, like potato bread with added sugar; 2) fries are on the thin side (not shoestring) and skinless; 3) instead of regular chairs where your feet touch the floor and provide stability while you stuff your face, Dumont Burger only has backless stools. This last beef precludes me from ever going there, which is kinda sad. They also use prepared mayonnaise, not homemade, but that's minor complaint; I'm kind of a mayonnaise freak.
Dumont Burger SHINES in the homemade pickle (and picked red onion) and flavour of the beef itself (they season the meat with what seems like garlic, s&p, maybe a little worcestershire) departments.
It's ok
Reviewed by mollie
at January 11, 01:18 PM
I love that a Korean restaurant opened in my neighbourhood, but I don't like that it's not very good. It just isn't. Overpriced, small portions. The space is attractive and there's a bar area in the back, but I can't really go there again because there's better places in the hood, and there's definitely better Korean in New York. I guess if someone else really wanted to go there and they were paying, I'd go.
Like it
Reviewed by mollie
at January 9, 11:33 AM
La Villa uses good mushrooms. The pies are pretty cheese-heavy—and it's run-of-the mill mozzarella, which I don't mind but I thought I should mention—and taste great with a lot of beer. Yes, good for delivery.
It's ok
Reviewed by mollie
at January 8, 06:41 PM
I thought it was a little weird that my vegetarian taco was so enormous: a corn tortilla piled with what seemed like 16 oz of beans, rice (?!?!), guacamole, YOGURT, cheese and who knows what else. I couldn't even eat it properly because stuff was oozing everywhere. Taste-wise, it was decent, but sort of reminiscent of El Loco Burrito in Williamsburg (unseasoned and bland, not very Mexican). Next time I'll try the meat stuff—seems like it'd be at least a little better than the veg. I think in general, though, Mission-style isn't my preferred style of Mexican food.
Love it
Reviewed by mollie
at January 3, 11:26 AM
ginormous lunch portions. where else do you get soup and salad? also, it tastes really good. the only thing that upset me was the decision to bring two of us soup & salad, and the other two of us sat there like bumps on a log. they could've brought four soups, and then four salads.
It's ok
Reviewed by mollie
at December 29, 09:58 AM
this place made me a little uncomfortable. too crowded, awkward seating, crazy lady waitress. and the pizza wasn't amazing. worth a trip if you're already going to coney island, but it's not a destination. like ben said, it's all about difara.
Love it
Reviewed by mollie
at December 29, 09:54 AM
If you buy beans, you get a free cup of coffee, which is truly delicious. I also liked the lighting. And the dudes who work there were pretty cute.
It's ok
Reviewed by mollie
at November 8, 08:31 AM
moutarde is basically "fancy french food" for people who have never had real french food. not that it was terrible (we devoured everything), but it wasn't great either.
we ordered the sirloin steak w/ bernaise sauce and scallops in a creamy herb sauce w/ carrot & sweet potato (?) mousseline (i.e. puree).
the steak was simultaneously dry and medium-rare, and the accompanying fries were those skinny ones that aren't really my favourite. they were good though. but dry steak, ew.
the scallops were slightly tough, but not too much to be quite good, and the sauce was tasty. good for fry-dipping (ditto for the bernaise). no complaints w/ the mousseline.
Like it
Reviewed by mollie
at August 22, 03:10 PM
Yum. The corn on the cob was really good. I was only snacking, though. Next time I'll go there really hungry and stuff my face!
