You say ppudo! I’m gonna keep this one straight and to the point. Ippudo – 65 4th Ave. is fantastic. There’s been a run of Asian chains to hit the city in recent years (ie: Kyochon – 319 5th Ave.) but none, in my humble opinion, compare the Ippudo. This always-packed, always-delicious spot a few blocks south of Union Square churns out quality fare to a large, hungry audience on a nightly basis. Succulent fall-off-the-bone Samurai Ribs, Scallops in delicious ponzu (listed on the menu as Hotate Ponzu), and the uber-fantastic Agedashi Tofu all serve as the perfect run-up to the restaurants creme de la creme – Ramen. Pick and choose between seven differently prepared Ramen or go with a group and try them all. All this and a bottle of Sake make a night at Ippudo one to remember.

*There is one problem. The wait can be LONG. But here’s a tip: Stop by the early on the day you want to go. If it’s at least 2 hours in advance, they take reservations!

The Date: Saturday 6/19

Another week, another BLD. Only this time, I’m changing it up to BDD. That’s right, I’m getting rid of the L. Instead, here’s where I had brunch, dinner, and desert:

12:30 pm

1. I was tough on myself last night. Stayed out a little later than usual and, as I’m sure most of you can relate, a little slow getting up this morning. So I need the kind of meal that starts the day off right. What kind of meal is that? A Square Meal – 30 East 92nd St. A cup of coffee, scones, poached egg with hash, and a swig of orange juice later I was good to go. The restaurant sports a cool, green decor fit inside of a very small square. The menu changes daily focusing on seasonality and freshness which you taste in every bite.

From there I went to Central Park. One of Manhattan’s real gifts. I laid out my towel, put on my ipod, and closed my eyes. Music and sun are all I need on days like this.

7:30 pm

2. After a nap in the park and a shower in the bathroom I’m back out and about and ready for my next meal. I’m going somewhere I’ve never been but has always been on my “list.” Primola (no website) – 1226 2nd Ave. The vibe is calm and unassuming from the moment you walk under the blue overhang and through the front door. I decided to start with the Filetto Di Vitello Harris. Essentially this dish is veal and radicchio in a mustard sauce. The combination worked for me as I enjoyed each bite. I Chicchi Della Nonna aka spinach dumplings. Eating dumplings in a non-traditional way like this was fun. Ah, but my final course proved to be my favorite. I kept it simple and went with a grilled lamb chop and couldn’t have been happier. The meat was cooked to perfection – I could not ask for more.

Wide awake from the double espresso I drank only moments earlier I made a firm decision to get dessert. I’m not usually a big dessert person but if I get the urge (or drink enough espresso), I won’t sleep till I’m satisfied.

9:30 pm

3. This undeniable hunger brings me to one of my favorites: Two Little Red Hens – 1652 2nd Ave. It wasn’t the quickest walk from Primola but worth it to work off the food and enjoy the night. The vanilla buttercream cupcake was just what I needed. Next time maybe i’ll go all out and try one of their famed specialty cakes. I suggest you do the same.

“I wanna love you, BLD” – Michael Jackson, kind of

Welcome back to BLD. This week we take a look at the Upper West Side. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed eating!

The Date: Saturday 6/12

11:00 am: I’m the first person to walk into Ouest – 2315 Broadway. Only moments after being seated, the crowd begins to stroll in. I’ve got a long day of eating ahead of me so I’m quick to order. Plus, one look at the menu and I know what I want. A glass of fresh grapefruit juice (why doesn’t every breakfast/brunch place offer this?) and an order of the brioche french toast. My only request is that the french toast be cooked crispy. It is. I’m happy. Two more glasses of juice later and I’m effectively drunk on grapefruit. This has been a fantastic beginning to a cloudy Saturday morning. Let’s hope I can find some sun at lunch!

2:00 pm: The weather sure is strange today. First it looks like rain, now it’s sunny and muggy. Not the best day to be outside – and that’s ok with me. I’m more than happy to spend it indoors, chowing down on some grub. And I’ve arrived at my destination: Recipe – 452 Amsterdam Ave. This place is small and narrow, providing terrific character. But I’m here for the food and their market fresh cuisine doesn’t disappoint. I’m all about the juice today and I’m happy to have their house made Arnold Palmer. For those who don’t know it’s half lemonade, half iced tea – a drink made famous by it’s namesake, golfer Arnold Palmer. To start I go with a simple salad of bitter greens, a can’t-go-wrong-dish and a perfectly light lead-in to my next dish: a pulled pork sandwich with granny smith apple, pickled turnip and cabbage slaw. Man was that good.

7:30 pm: It’s been a while since I really spoiled myself. I’ve had some great meals but I mean spoil. Which is why I find myself standing at 72 West 69th St. At Telepan. It’s not my place to play favorites so I won’t. But if there were a list of Upper West Side restaurants that were necessary to check out, Telepan would be on this list. After sitting down and ordering a glass of wine my food begins to make its way out. First up – vegetable bread soup. I happen to love bread soups and their twist with parmigiano is terrific. For my mid-course I opt for the roasted asparagus. Asparagus is one of those vegetables that anyone can cook well but only some can take it to that proverbial “next level.” This one’s right up there. For a main I choose the roasted chicken. The peas, polenta, and spring onions make for a perfect accompaniment. To finish – my favorite – blood orange parfait. Delicious.

Needless to say, this was quite the Saturday. I hope I haven’t made you too hungry. Be sure to tune in next week when BLD hits the Upper East Side!

“I wanna love you. BLD!” -Michael Jackson, kind-of.

Welcome to the first ever BLD. Our attempt to take you on a delicious, one-day, culinary journey through Manhattan – one neighborhood at a time. The first stop on our tour is the East Village. Our definition being North of Houston, West of 4th Ave/Lafayette, South of 14th St.

The date: Saturday 5/22

10:45 am: I turn on 12th street heading East towards Avenue B. Pull up at Northern Spy Food Co – 511 East 12th St. sit on the curb and wait. They don’t open till 11. The clock ticks slower than usual as I take this time to contemplate what I’m about to order while browsing the menu on my IPhone. I’m in the mood for eggs. So I choose the slow-whisked scrambled eggs with house made sausage and potato flatbread. I chose well. The eggs are fluffy, the sausage a big piece of salty goodness and truly one of the more memorable flatbreads I’ve had in a while. I wash it all down with a blood-orange mimosa. This has been a terrific start to my day.

After a long walk through Alphabet City with a few stops along the way, I’m ready for lunch.

2:00 pm: Breakfast was really more like brunch and I’m still full so I opt for a quick bite. I want a hot dog. Not a dirty water dog though. Something different. I cut over to St. Marks and walk back towards first. I’ve arrived at my destination. Crif Dogs – 113 St. Marks Pl. This place has two main distinctions. First is that it’s the hidden entrance to PDT – one of the coolest speakeasy’s in the city. Second, the hot dogs are awesome. I opt for a personal favorite – the Philly Tubesteak. A hot dog, cheese, sauteed onions, and jalapeno’s. If I thought I was full before, I was wrong. But if you’re gonna stuff your face, stuff it with things you love!

No long walk this time around. I jump in a cab, go home and hit the couch – it’s time for a nap.

8:15 pm: Dinner time. I’ve got a craving for sushi and if it’s sushi in the east village it’s gotta be Kanoyama – 175 2nd Ave. I start with a 5/5 “go-go” roll. A quirky, inventive little dish. Vegetables wrapped in fluke served on a bed of their fantastic ginger dressing. Next up is the Spicy Tartar. Three crunchy cones stuffed with tuna tartar. I’d eat these any day, any time – they’re that good. The selection of fish here is so fresh and so diverse it’s in your best interest to let the chef choose for you. So I order the Omakase. I’ve learned that if you find yourself staring at something you’ve never seen before, don’t ask questions, just enjoy.

And that’s it. That’s my East Village BLD. I’m taking this weekend off to catch some Memorial Day rays but be sure to tune in for BLD in two weeks when we check out the UWS.

“I wanna love you. BLD!” -Michael Jackson, kind-of.

This Saturday I’m spending the day in the East Village. It’s the first in a series I’ll be posting here called BLD (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner not Bacon, Lettuce, Domato!).  Each weekend, with the exception of Memorial Day, I’m going to try and knock out the perfect neighborhood daily dining experience. The premise is simple. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner one neighborhood at a time in order to continue finding the best New York City has to offer. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy researching!

I had a spur of the moment dinner the other night. Wasn’t sure what I was going to eat. Walking south on 1st Ave. I started to pass Hearth and ran in to see if there was an available table for two. They had a small table asking for the check or two seats open by the kitchen. I didn’t want to wait so I chose the kitchen seats. This is definitely one of the better decisions I’ve made in a while. It’s a painfully fun experience. Fun because each dish leaves the kitchen two feet to your left and looks oh so good. Painful because you only get to eat what you ordered. I started with the rock shrimp appetizer served with Morels, Asparagus, and a few strategically placed gnocchi. Contrasting textures and complementing flavors, a great start to the meal. Next I asked for the chef’s suggestion – Pork Loin served with Morels, Fava, and Pork Sausage. The biggest problem with these seats is deciding what to get as the various dishes fly by. So ask the chef. He steered me in the right direction. To share we chose a side of the gnocchi. Hearth’s gnocchi is second to none in this city and should be recognized as such. If there was an award for best gnocchi they’d get my vote. In fact, I’m creating an award right now. To Hearth I present the MVG award for Most Valuable Gnocchi. If you’re near 12th and 1st and you’re looking for a good bite, different than your run-of-the-mill dining experience, check out Hearth – 403 East 12th St.  and sit by the kitchen. You won’t find seats like these on stubhub.

Like a New Jersey housewife, we at EE decided that it’s time for a face lift. But our parents always told us it’s what’s on the inside that counts. So we’re a little better looking than we used to be but it won’t change who we are. You can still count on us for the very best recommendations for all of your Manhattan dining needs. We’ve just made it easier for you to follow us on twitter, become a fan on facebook, and check out our recent press. You can also read more about us in our aptly named “about us” section or check out the feedback we’ve received from many of you in our “testimonials” section. Our look may be new, but we promise we’re still the same old EE you’ve come to know and love!

It’s Tuesday night. My DVR is overloaded. Just got back from the gym. I’m sweaty. I’m tired. I don’t smell that great. I need to shower. I’m hungry. I’m thirsty. So much to do. I still need to write this blog post! Ok, settle down. Let’s get this done.

The shower’s getting warm. I pick up my phone.

“One order sesame beef, one order moo shu chicken – extra pancakes please, two egg drop soups. Thanks, see you soon!”

I get into my PJ’s. Pour myself a drink. The doorbell rings.

“Food’s here!”

“Coming!”

I turn on the TV. Open up my Grand Sichuan – 19-23 St. Marks Pl. It smells so good. 20 minutes go by. Soup’s done. 20 more minutes. DVR guide still on the screen. I don’t notice. No more beef. Pour the leftover sauce over my rice. I hit a wall. Take a breath. Second wind! Guess I’ll catch up on my TV some other time.

Thanks so much to our new friend Lucy over at amNY for spreading the news about Eatery Expert. Be sure to pick up a copy of today’s paper or visit on-line! We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sing it with me. You can’t always get what you want….but if you try sometimes, you might find – you get bread and cheese! What?!?! Yes, you read it right. Bread and Cheese. What does that mean? It means that at long last I’ve found what I’ve been looking for. Ever since I was a little kid with a little palate there was one thing I wanted every restaurant to have. It was simple. I wasn’t asking for much – at least I didn’t think so. I wanted a side of tomato sauce and cheese. It didn’t matter what kind of cheese either. I’d take parmesan, ricotta, anything. I was young, a dreamer. But alas, I was shot down by one waiter after another. Occasionally I’d find a restaurant to cater to my wishes but these were few and far between. Then, only recently, at a Saturday night dinner my culinary prayers were answered. After being seated at Apizz – 217 Eldridge St. and being asked “would you prefer tap or bottled water” (for the record, I only go with tap – it’s NYC tap, the best around!) a gentleman came over to the table holding the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Bread, tomato sauce, and ricotta cheese for my dipping pleasure! Oh the joy! Needless to say I was walking out of this restaurant happy as long as there wasn’t a bug in my food. There wasn’t and the rest of the meal was great. We started with the Rocket Apizz pizza, followed by ricotta stuffed meatballs, then thin ravioli in a brown butter sage sauce with caramelized butternut squash, and finished with a double espresso for the trip home. Fantastic.

So do yourself a favor and make sure the check this place out. And don’t forget to let us know how you like it!