Grilled Mexican Corn on the Corner of Prince and Elizabeth street

Restaurant : Cafe Habana
Location : 17 Prince St. New York, NY 10012
Website : http://www.cafehabana.com/


Tucked into the corner of Prince and Elizabeth street is a delicious little Latin haven... fusing the savory tastes of Cuban and Central Mexico. The place didn't look like much when we first got there... but stepping inside felt like stepping into one of those little side street habanas in Mexico. Very small... very casual... with the delicious scent of rice and grilled corn permeating the air.



Bunnie's Rating

Money : Cheap... definitely a yummy cheap bite to eat with good quality Latin food!

Must Try : Their corn is famous! Definitely give it a shot!

Type : Casual small restaurant... I wouldn't come here with more than 4 people because the booths are very small and the restaurant is pretty cramp. But with all the open windows, theres always a nice breeze blowing through the restauarnt! Good place to go with a small group of friends... might be a little too noisy for children.

Reservations : No reservations... first come first serve. But this place DOES tend to sometimes have a line coming out the door so try (if you can) to not go at peak meal hours!



So speaking of the corn...

We had heard that their corn was some of the best Mexican corn around! Of course we had to give it a try!
My friends tasted their corn appetizer... grilled hot and sprinkled with cheeses and spices that slowly melted from the heat of each kernel. Add a quick squeeze of lime!



And let the entrees begin!

This was their pulled pork... served with a hefty portion of sweet, soft and juicy meat, Spanish rice, and some beans. The pork was really really good...



And this was the Sincronizada Toluca...
Yummy and light... tortillas with chorizo, mozzarella cheese and avocado with a side of salsa!


I had the Steak and Corn Salad...
Skirt steak grilled tender and sprinkled with crispies and their famous grilled corn and covered in their house vinaigrette... SO good...


Pros:
Delicious casual Latin street food with a seat! Great place to walk over to when you are shopping in Soho and want a nice quick cheap bite!


Cons:
Small menu... limited items. But what they do have, they do very very well.



So the next time you are in Soho and in the mood for some yummy Latin food... Definitely come by this place for a quick bite!


Until next time foodies...


Eat. Drink. And have Dessert!!!

Top Chef's Backyard Bliss on Prince

Restaurant : 24 Prince
Location : 24 Prince St. New York, NY 10012
Website : http://www.24prince.com/


My friends and I were wandering around Soho one beautiful Monday afternoon and our tummies had just started to rumble... so the hunt for a place to eat became our mission. Going through our Goldilocks syndrome (This ones wait for a table is too long... This ones menu isnt very exciting... This ones too small... This ones too big...) Ahhh we FINALLY found a place that was JUST right...

A cute little place nestled in the middle of Prince Street, 24 Prince had a very welcoming entry...
Open and airy with friendly people and comfortable looking seating...
After seeing the sign that there was backyard seating, I was sold...
Ive always been one to love eating al fresco, but with streets in NYC just being way too close to the restaurant, with way too many cars... and way too many people crowding the sidewalks... Its just not quite so easy to find a good place to eat outdoors without feeling like your food and drink will constantly be sprinkled with little bits of NYC grimy yumminess...

The inside had a nice bar and nice seating, but my heart was set on the backyard... which was completely adorable! Nice seating with a simple gazebo if you weren't in the mood for direct sunlight.


Bunnie's Rating

Money : Moderate. The quality of the food without question is delicious!

Must Try : Their Iced Tea's were delicious! The have one infused with peach and one with pear... we tried the pear and it was SO yummy... if you like your iced tea sweet, just ask for some simple syrup!

Type : Typical small NYC restaurant layout... Long and narrow... but nicely designed with dim lighting... trendy... The place looks like it could accommodate large parties... (10-12 max?) But I would call ahead of time if that was the case... Otherwise, its a nice little lunch/brunch spot for a small group of 2-4 people... great little spot for a date or just catching up with friends.

Reservations : I was only there for lunch... haven't tried dinner yet... For lunch, reservations definitely weren't necessary.

*Insider Tip!*
Found out this charming little spot's chef and co-owner is Nikki Cascone! She was a Top Chef Chicago contestant for Season 4 on Bravo. A really sweet Chef who was trained at Jean-Georges and decided to start her own little place. I applaud you Chef Nikki... the food was delicious!


And speaking of the food...

Here's what my friends and I tried and all loved...


This was the Ham and Cheese Melt
(Mmmm cheesy salty goodness...)


The Chicken Sandwich
(Refreshing and delicious)


The Hanger Steak Sandwich
(Mmm... steak!)


And the Fish and Chips (herb fries)
(Mine!! ^_^) The Herb fries were AMAZING... and the Fish was flaky and sweet and not oily!



Pros:
The food and drinks were delicious... and the proportions of the dishes were perfect... and the ambiance was fun! Definitely a new hidden favorite in Soho!


Cons:
Seems like a place that could probably get pretty packed up in the evening... but other than that, nothing really comes to my mind!



So if you are in the Soho area... and can't think of a place to eat... Definitely give this place a try!!

Until next time foodies...


Eat. Drink. And have Dessert!!!

Delish BBQ Anytime of the year... WITH a reservation!

Restaurant : Dinosaur Bar-B-Q
Location : 646 W 131st St. New York, NY 10027-7948
Website : http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/nyc


Who doesn't get a craving now and then for some REALLY good BBQ?
I know I do... Probably ever other month or so?
And in a city like New York City.. who needs to ONLY have BBQ in the Summer???

My friends and I search high and low together to find the BEST BBQ NYC had to offer... and I think... wait, I KNOW we found it!!

Deliciously rich and moist ribs... savory side dishes... addictive appetizers... topped off with some good ole fashioned southern sweet tea! You really cant go wrong...



Bunnie's Rating

Money : Moderate-cheap (espcially for the quality and quantity you get)

Must Try : The wings... the ribs... the sweet tea... and the mac'n'cheese (if you are a true mac and cheese lover!) And if you are really lucky... see if they have the Cajun Corn for the veggie of the day... amazing...

Type : Big and loud... The kind of place you would stereotype a biker gang to stop off at to grab a bite. But the place is always hopping with both a great food and bar scene... live band music on fridays and saturdays is always fun!

Reservations : DEFINITELY... They accept open table reservations or you can call. A warning... take their reservations very seriously... I reserve up to 2 weeks prior to eating there if I want to go on a friday or saturday night... no joke. If you decide to walk in... you will probably have to wait anywhere between 2-4 hours for a table... So... if that was the case... they have a take out booth right past the hostess desk!

*Insider Tip!*
Even with a reservation... aim to be at the restaurant with your WHOLE party about a half hour prior to your reservation... because you will still have to wait 20-30 minutes for a table...
Personally, I think reservations just means you get bumped to the front of the line!



So let me start out by saying their wings are AMAZING...
So good that we got this sampler platter (everything else was good too... MMMmmm Deviled eggs... Ol' Bay Shrimp... Onion rings...)


AND an order of Wings for the table! Our favorite marinade is the Mild Garlic Chipotle sauce...
Sweet and mildly spicy with a nice hint of garlic...
If your tongue prefers a more intense burn, they definitely have spicier ones...
But there's also (as always) extra sauce in jars on the table to share in case you want to customize!


Just a little zoom in of HOW DARN GOOD THESE WINGS ARE...
Fresh... juicy... falling off the bone...

(Im shocked you are still here reading this and aren't up in Harlem banging on Dino's door yet)


SO... On to the main event!
THE RIBS!!!


Delicious and tender... so amazingly good...


Pros:

Great place for groups big and small! If you reserve ahead of time enough, they will accomidate! The prices are decent, the food is good, and the ambiance is fun! But expect to be screaming over the restaurant noise at each other as the night progresses.
And afterwards, you can always stop by the Take-Out table behind the Hostess desk... they sell all the Dinosaur BBQ sauces for like $3 each!!!!

Cons:

Can get crowded and noisy really fast as it gets late... do NOT attempt on Fridays and Saturdays without a reservation... simply put... not gonna happen...
Also, make sure that when you bring friends or family, that they would be okay with the noise level... can get pretty intense... especially when theres a big game going!
Its pretty out of the way as well... so plan accordingly!



So... until next entry my fellow obsessive eaters...

Eat. Drink. And have Dessert!!!