Obnoxious People & Good Food, Balaboosta

Image via NY Mag

Great food and obnoxious staff yields quite the irritating combination. Does one boycott the establishment because the staff are so rude? Or ignore and get over it because the food, the vibe and the location are great?

You can be the judge. I've already tried it a couple of times and have formulated my own conclusions. 

Balaboosta is the sister restaurant of Taim and Taim mobile. The second Taim has now opened  its second location two storefronts down from Balaboosta. I've been to Balaboosta twice for lunch, once for breakfast and once for dinner. Meaning all three meals of a day have been experienced at this eatery. In all of my experiences, the hosts were obnoxious as hell in person as well as on the phone and if you can get past this, as I was quite put off at first, then take the plunge and make the reservation. 

The Food

Mediterranean

Well, this very category is what had me coming back for more, (along with the fact that I lived around the corner), although I did not need to drag my family here for graduation brunch or my grandmother for Mother's Day lunch if the food and atmosphere weren't appropriate and impressive.
Balaboosta's food is super tasty, light and fresh. Yes, as are most quality places in this city. At this point, if a restaurant's food cannot be described by those three latter adjectives then it is NOT worth the bother(ahem ilili). And, more than anything, it is doubtful whether anyone is interested in leaving  a restaurant feeling too full or heavy either. At Balaboosta the latter is something one does not need to worry about. 

They say, the lamb burger at Balaboosta is the best dish and its been raved about by the reviewers left and right. Sadly enough for you carnivores (although not for myself of course), it isn't something I'll ever be ordering but I do recommend it as everything else is great, and would only expect the most sought after dish to be just as fabulous.
One thing to skip is the zaatar potatoes. Each time I expected them to be crunchy and zesty and each time I remembered that they never really live up to either. The cauliflower salad, fried olives and mortar and pestle chummus (don't make fun, I love saying chummus with the chhhhh), are all FAB and I definitely recommend the carrot puree pizza as an entree as well. Most importantly if you're there for brunch go for the shakshuka. Yes, I said it a thousand times, I hate brunch food, but kids, I LOVE SHAKSHUKA and this is some good shakshuka! 

Fried Cauliflower

Mortar & Pestle Chummus 

Image via Google Images
Carrot Puree Pizza

Image via Google Images
Shakshuka

The grilled whole Branzino and the Red Snapper are filling and tasteful entree options.
Finally, you MUST MUST MUST, order the chocolate mousse dessert. Its served with crunchy pieces of milk chocolate at the bottom and the perfect combination of thick and thin chocolate mousse on top. It's a unique type of chocolate mousse that isn't as fluffy as the usual mousses one may have tried. Regardless, the taste and the consistency are too difficult to pass up tasting so make sure to save room for dessert. I embarrassingly wipe the cylinder clean every single time!

Wait Time & Resos

THEY ARE SO OBNOXIOUS, as has been mentioned multiple times in this post already. I've been here a number of times and their obnoxiousness is continuous  If you don't make reservations then don't bother. They wont even attempt to seat you at the bar. Actually, they might. They've lightened up a bit recently. Oh! and once you arrive with a reservation the hosts still make your party wait. Honestly, if the food, vibe and location weren't all that great then I wouldn't have come back so many times. Oh, I will admit that I did show up with my mother, sister and grandmother at 4pm on Mother's Day and it was pretty empty and so they were obviously "forced" to seat us immediately. Because, quite obviously, who would EVER want to ever have an empty restaurant in Soho on a Sunday, or at any hour for that matter?
It's terribly bad for business.
Otherwise, it's hopeless without a reservation. 

Ambiance

Downtown, casual and chilled is how I would describe the atmosphere. 

The scene is young to middle aged. I'd say there is a mix of bobos, carnivores who are there to sample the lamb burger and neighborhood locals. It's in Soho, what else would you expect?
Overall, it's not too scenie and you don't need to be all too dressed up to eat here without feeling out of place.

Image via Google Images

If you're looking for something downtown and quality Mediterranean food, I'd try it out. 

Good For: Groups, vegetarians, brunch, lunch, dinner. I wouldn't recommend coming here on a date, unless you've been dating for a while. The lighting is weird and the vibe is a tad too casual, unless its a day-date. 

Location:

Balaboosta

Mulberry St

(between Prince & Spring)

http://balaboostanyc.com/

ilili Disappoints

Four stars on yelp?
Why????

I get that yelp is supposed to be a user generated platform but that is the inherent problem. Literally anyone, and anyone is referring to individuals illiterate when it comes to taste, food and restaurant, can give ill deserving restaurants 4-5 star ratings. I know what you're thinking, what makes me different than these other yelp users? I'll give you this much, after tasting the food at ilili there is no possible way it could merit 4 stars and for that, I am unlike these yelp users. Anyone who gave ilili this many stars either lacks taste buds or is restaurant and taste illiterate. Yelp is littered with reviews from people who think they know the slightest thing about what good food actually tastes like but, in actuality, have no idea. I had read about ilili when it first opened and had seen it's pop-up at Madison Square Park Eats a couple of years in a row but never took the opportunity to try it. I live for my weekend ventures to new restaurants and figured a four star yelp review would prove impressive.
Lesson learned, skip the yelp reviews and make you're own judgements!

The Food

Lebanese

I went in hoping for a warm and tasty plate of fresh hummus paired with crispy falafel. I was not satisfied with either. The hummus was nothing special and lacked flavor completely while the falafel did not have that perfect falafel combination of crispy outside with spicy, moist and steaming-ground-chickpea inside. The only thing it did have was a cool presentation of falafel cubes instead of balls. (see photo below). Points for eye candy. Although, in a restaurant the real points should be for mouth and taste candy. 

Hummus & Babaganoush

Cubed Falafel

The babaganoush was too smokey. I normally don't love smokey dishes but when done right, I don't mind. This dish, I minded.
The warm eggplant, served with tamarind molasses was sweet and tangy although the small slivers of eggplant were somewhat (not totally though) drowning in the tamarind sauce. I'll eat anything with eggplant and enjoyed a few bites of this dish. Honestly, too many bites became too much with all that tamarind. 

Eggplant & Tamarind Sauce

We also ordered mouhamara which I had quite high expectations for. I've tasted home made mouhamara and have also futilely attempted to make my own. Expecting a paste of spicy and somewhat crunchy (its made with ground walnuts) paired with a hint of sweet and tang, this mouhamara was bland and lacking in any of the former as well as any real flavor.

I walked away feeling like the fries were the best thing on the menu and they weren't fantabulous either. I wouldn't say to run back for them or anything. They were cut fresh and seasoned with loads of herbs and spices. They were good though. I'd order them again if I were, god forbid, dragged back here.

I did not leave feeling satisfied with my Sunday lunch, was quite disappointed and proceeded to clear my palate with the lemony fattoush salad and mint tea. 

Attempting to fill up on tea and salad because nothing else was satisfying

Ambiance

ilili seems to believe it is a fine dining establishment. It starts the customer off with beautifully folded napkins, lots of forks and spoons and well dressed, pretentious waiters to go along with it. And yet, the food is no where near on par with fine dining. Everything about the presentation seems to be trying too hard to be  upscale. The waiter's "have you dined with us before" question, paired with his long soliloquy on ilili's type of cuisine as if no one in this melting pot city are familiar with Lebanese food, was ridiculous and seemed like posing pretentiousness. It would have been quite possibly tolerable and acceptable (and only possibly because poser pretentiousness is never really tolerable) if the food was actually on par with it's fine dining decor and presentation.

The crowd was mostly families and couples and the space seemed quite large for the number of people dining. 

Wait Time & Resos

There was no wait and we were happily seated immediately. I'm sure that you could most probably walk in on any given night and be seated quite immediately as the space is quite large.


Too harsh of a review?
Maybe...
Honesty is always the best policy.

Good For: I don't really recommend it being good for anything. It's nothing special. 

If you are still interested in giving it a try it's good for dinner or lunch with friends and/or family. 

ilili

5th Avenue

(Between 27th & 28th)

http://www.ililinyc.com/

More UES, Amali

If you're shopping at Bloomingdales or Barney's, visiting a museum, living in the area or looking for a good dinner spot, I'd recommend Amali.

The Food

Greek

I'd just like to preface by saying that the NYmag review over hyped this place by a tad and the only reason I say this is because I did not love the fish. The black bass, which is served whole and then filleted, is chewy and lacks flavor. Otherwise, I would really recommend anything else on the menu. Everything has a lot of flavor and isn't heaping with oil and butter. The spagehtti has pieces of tomatoes but isn't over flowing with heavy chunks and the spagehtti itself is thin and doesn't leave you feeling heavy. 

Spaghetti

I recommend the eggplant appetizer served israeli style with two whole pieces of mini eggplants and a light tahini sauce. The oven roasted broccoli are a great side order and the mini potatoes are a bit crunchy and the cheese and fresh herbs add the perfect kick. We actually ordered a second serving without the cheese and they were just as good.

Potatoes with shaved cheese

We left feeling satsified with a clean, healthy and well rounded meal that wasn't overfilling or heavy on the stomach.

Ambiance

It's modern but yet rustic and upscale. You wouldn't find this sort of layout downtown as it has a bit more of an uptown decor. The lights are dim and there are mirrors and dark wooden tables. It isn't the rustic vibe of Uva but isn't the downtown Il Buco Alimentari either. It's great for a dinner night out with friends or on a date where you're looking to impress and not in the mood to run into anyone you know. We sat for hours and finished our meal with cappuccinos and tea. 

Wait Time & Resos

We made reservations and were seated after a short wait (partially because we added another person to our party without letting them know). They weren't obnoxious. 

Good For: Dinner/Lunch with Friends or Family, Intimate and no-scene Date 

Location

Amali 

East 60th St. 

Between Lex & Park 

http://amalinyc.com/

Artisan Coffee, Blue Bottle

So, I have this thing, where I dont drink coffee on a regular basis because I used to be highly addicted to caffeine and then weened myself off. To compensate, I use every vacation and pre-vacation (the day before Thanksgiving would be an example of my "pre-vacation") to sample and drink some of the best coffee. New York really has a fabulous selection of artisan coffee shops and regardless of the area you live, work, stroll, shop ... you can find great quality coffee.

Being that yesterday was pre-Thanksgiving, I took the liberty of treating myself to a much anticipated cup of Blue Bottle Coffee.

The Coffee

I went all out. Well, not ALL out. But somewhat. I order a Cappuccino and New Orleans iced. Not something I would normally recommend doing as iced and warm coffee are quite different AND all of their espresso drinks are only made with a double shot.

I'll start with the iced New Orleans because it was thick, a tad charcoalish but SO smooth. It didn't leave a burnt or bad aftertaste and I just cannot get over how it glided down my throat so effortlessly and with zero aftertaste to worry about.
I plan on going back to get another cup today because I've been dreaming about it for the past 24 hours. The hot capuccino was just as good and quite smooth. I was only a tad dissappointed with the lack of foam. Americans seem to not realize that a real cappuccino is made with tons of foam and after drinking warm, foam filled cappuccinos for a week in London this was a bit dissappointing.
The cappuccino itself was comparable to La Colombe's Latte/Capuccino and I didn't feel as though it was anything too orginial once we're talking artisan coffee. Meaning, in my head, most artisan coffee like Stumptown, La Columbe, Think, Grumpy are all extremely good and will never disappoint  This cappuccino was on that caliber but was not far more exceptional or anything than its artisan counterparts. I would recommend any of the places above.  Like Blue Bottle they all roast their own beans and each cup is made to order.

Blue Bottle also brews its regualr hot coffee per cup and they have a station with individual filters sitting on top of the filter canister that they pour hot water over and then drip down into the cup.
See below.

They have these available for purchase.
Great investment! or gift!

Its quite cool and I dont think I've seen that before. Stumptown makes their regular hot coffee and then keeps it in a large hot water holder as do most other artisan (and non) places. I've never seen this method before and found it quite impressive, although I'm sure it does exist elsewhere. 

Ambiance

Clean, modern, cool, hipster, young... although the crowd that comes in and out are mostly business type because that's the area. But the Williamsburg location would attract more of what you'd expect.

Location
Blue Bottle
1 Rockerfeller Plaza
(Its in the Rockerfeller concourses, It's next to Witchcraft)
See website for additional locations
http://bluebottlecoffee.net/

Good For: A good cup of quality coffee. 

Nothing More English or More American, Mildreds

While meeting up with a friend in London's Soho, we stopped at Mildred's for a light lunch. 

The Food

It's funny how certain types of restaurants can be found just about anywhere. Mildred's may have the most English name out there, but its food and atmosphere were quite like certain types of very American clean-eating, hipster hubs in New York/LA. (Think Urth Cafe, Candle Caf, Bliss etc.). Mildred's is a vegetarian restaurant with food choices that may remind you of the whole foods salad bar while the warm entrees are more like a cross between New York's Candle Cafe and Westville. I know I know, I must post on these two spots and will do so soon!

Mildred's offers a number of entree specials and salad specials. All of the salad specials can be ordered together as one entree which was one of the things we ordered. The variety included snap peas, goat cheese, tomatoes, pomegranates and some sort of dandelion looking leaf, although I'm unsure of what it's called. The mix of salads all pretty much had the same dressing of olive oil, salt and pepper and could have used a bit more flavor. 

Market Salads

We all shared a hummus/babaganoush appetizer, which as you may, or may not, have come to realize, are two things I feel the need to order EVERYWHERE because I love them so much. 

The hummus and baba were both ok. For some reason, hummus never seems to excel in vegetarian restaurants but always manages to be on the menu. Not sure what that's about. I fall for it every time.

Hummus & Babaganoush

I was quite disappointed by the fact that they were sold out of a lot of their specials. We ended up sharing the baby aubergine (eggplant) and olive tagine. The tagine was savory with a hint of sweetness to it that had a great kick of big fat juicy green olives. I'd recommend the tagine and am upset that we weren't more hungry to try more stuff on the menu. 

Aubergine & Olive Tagine

Overall, the food was light, extremely fresh and, like I said, very Whole Foods-esque. It was not amazing but good quality and light. 

I'd definitely go back to try more of the entrees as the tagine dish was my favorite and some of the specials looked really great. 

Ambiance

Its located in the heart of Soho on a narrow street. It has a young and hipster vibe and the scene somewhat reminds me of Cafe Gitane, although not entirely. Gitane is probably trendier. I was there at an off hour and therefore could not totally grasp what types of crowds stroll in and out. 

Resos & Wait Time

Again, I was there at an off time and so we were seated immediately. It seems like it could get busy as the restaurant was more than halfway full at 4pm on a Wednesday. 

Good For: Lunch & Brunch with Friends, Possibly Dinner as Well,

Vegetarian/ Vegan

Mildred's 

45 Lexington Street 

London

http://www.mildreds.co.uk/

ABC Kitchen Cliches

I know, I know, it's cliche and totally old news to write about ABC Kitchen. But the food is so far from ubiquitous to pass up writing about it. 

Patience people, some (not all!) my hidden gems and unique finds will make their appearances soon enough. This blog is still a baby!

I've eaten here so many times in various capacities, with different people, and its always been so unbelievably impressive. I'm definitely raving way too often in my recent reviews, but maybe I just like my New York restaurants too much. Or maybe, I've just been giving away my favorite places, cliche or not.

Food

Let's see. Whats good? Um, pretty much everything. 

The only thing I would say to seriously skip is the crispy delicate squash appetizer with shaved parmesan  It's a round battered piece of butternut squash that tastes somewhat like a doughnut. Eh, it's nothing special. 

The roasted squash toast with fresh ricotta is probably the best dish on the menu and last night we were given two complimentary rounds of it. Obviously, we were all quite happy! The crispy thick, pumpernickle-esqe bread (I say "esqe" because I'm not quite sure what type of bread it was) is perfectly toasted and crispy. It is lined with a thin layer of light and extremely fresh ricotta cheese, topped with thick pieces of the warm butternut squash. This is a seasonal item and I'd wait for the Fall to roll around if you are an ABC first timer so that you can taste this item.

Sometimes the appetizers are better than the entrees. I would order this squash toast as an entree ANY DAY. Its filling, warm and just about perfect. 

The ricotta cheese with fig compote and grilled bread is another must-order. It has a bit more of a breakfast taste to it. Regardless, the ricotta is so light and fresh. It tastes like it is actually churned on site. And the fig jam is light as well which compliments the ricotta. The ABC ricotta seems to make an appearance in a lot of the their dishes. It blends very well being that it doesn't have too much of a heavy cheese flavor but acts as more of a complimentary taste to other parts of a dish.

I almost forgot to mention the tuna sashimi. Ughhh, its a must-order. Again, its smooth, and if you're not one for raw fish, this is the time to try it. 

The pastas, the pizzas and the fish are all great as well. Although, honestly, I really think ABC is all about its appetizers, first courses, sides and desserts. Don't get me wrong, the mains are great, but I really come back for the squash toast, ricotta and fig compote, the kale salad, the brussel sprouts (the latter two I did not mention in detail) and the dessert. Honestly, I dont come away raving about the pizza when New York has become a hub of Neapolitan pizza. Nor the pasta, it's not really about the Italian food here. Its more about the "local" and "seasonal" ingredients and what they do with them. 

Finally kids, do not overeat because you are then going to lack space for the best part.
The ABC Kitchen Sundae.
Salted ice cream, caramel popcorn, peanuts, and chocolate sauce.
It's amazingly good. 

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cake, Sundae, Chocolate Chip Cookies

ABC Kitchen food is essentially a gourmet eatery for the common man. The food is seemingly simple, recognizable and doesn't seem confusing or complicated. And yet, it is this seeming simplicity that makes one realize how amazingly complex the food is. To achieve an long list of simple dishes, all of which are smooth and perfectly executed for the sophisticated (or any for that matter) palate is not easy and Jean-George, executes quite 

Ambiance

The decor is ABC Carpet and Home turned restaurant. The side and dessert plates are composed of perfectly mismatched China. Sometimes I feel as though the cutlery and China are what you would find at a remote bed and breakfast (or in my mothers dining room), to give you a better idea. The lighting is dim and its a great spot for just about anything. It's pretty trendy Dinner, Brunch, Lunch, Birthdays, Dates, Dinner with Friends etc. 

Wait Time & Resos

Probably the MOST IRRITATING thing about this restaurant is that they only take reservations one month out. And, of course, they are ALWAYS booked that very same one month out. That is,  only unless you log onto Open Table exactly one month from the date you'd like to eat there. What I do is just make 4-5 reservations in the upcoming month of whatever I can get and then leave all the reservations there as an option. If I don't use the reservation I just cancel, its the only way. The other option is to walk in and let them seat you by the bar. Its not the same, though. You really do want to be seated at a table.
(Although I did pull a fabulous scam on them last night. But more on that another time)

ABC Kitchen

35 E. 18th St. 

New York, NY 10003

(212) 475 5829

http://www.abchome.com 

UVA

As a newly established Upper East Sider I am always searching for good neighborhood eats. For the most part, Upper East Side spots aren't at the forefront of the review books so doing some individual research to have on my repertoire becomes quite handy.

A couple of weeks ago I passed by Uva one Sunday afternoon only to notice how unbelievably packed it was. The Upper East side is not like Soho, where EVERYTHING is packed during Brunch hours. So if there is a place that is packed, in my mind, it must be worth the visit...

I also MUST thank my cousin from Beyond My Recipes for scoping it out with me the first time and then revisiting Uva another two times to confirm our recommendation.

Food

Italian/Pasta

Ugh, yes, its Italian. And I must apologize for the Italian posting overload. I promise it will subside after this one!
Of course, the Upper East couldn't get enough of its Italian restaurants. Sorry, I just have to acknowledge the Upper East Side stereotypes. 

To start, there were LOTS of options for a vegetarian, as their usually are at Italian places. The arugula salad with shaved Parmesan was quite tasty and the salmon entree was pretty good but a bit on the chewy side. I wouldn't come back for the fish. It's more of a pasta and pizza spot. The return-worthy draw was the focaccia appetizer. It comes as a mini pizza with artichokes as the base layer, topped with mozzarella and marinara sauce. The combination may sound like it shouldn't really be a combination at all but it was molded perfectly together onto the rounded foccacia and each bite was smooth and flavorful. Extremely unexpected, and yet, totally worth going back and ordering that very item as an entree instead of as a shared appetizer.
The olives weren't anything too special, they were green and black olives with pits. They were salty and for some reason had that canned black olive taste. I wasn't so into that.
Overall, nothing  at Uva was too heavy and the portions are just the right size.

Overall the food was pretty good Italian and worth the return visit if one is lacking in a reliable spot on the Upper East. Just an FYI, I will NEVER say something is "pretty good Italian" unless it really is. If I wouldn't send my father, the French food snob, then I wouldn't use the latter phrase and send you there either.

Uva is an easy crowd pleaser. Anyone, picky or not, will be satisfied here. 

It's no Il Buco but its great for the Upper East. 

Ambiance

Rustic wooden tables, homey, warm and dark lighting (see below).

Its noisy, mixed scene where any age would blend in easily. 

Resos & Wait Time

I came in on a rainy Monday evening around 8pm with no reservation and was seated immediately. It was pretty busy with almost no open tables. I would say it would have probably been a bit more difficult if it hadn't been a Monday and hadn't been raining. I'd make a reservation on a Thurs, Fri or Sat night. It it gets PACKED.

(FYI, busy is always good. It means high turnover. High turnover = fresh ingredients).

Good For: Dinner, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner with Friends/Parents/Boyfriend/Girlfriends, Low Key Date Spot

Location

1486 2nd Ave

(between 77th St & 78th St) 

(212) 472-4552

http://www.uvanyc.com

Downtown Post-Sandy Support, Il Buco

 This post is dedicated to one of my all time favorite spots which also happens to be located in a Manhattan region that lost almost a week's worth of business due to Hurricane Sandy power outages, flooding and damages.

Its funny how sometimes the best places are the least hyped about and the newer, trendier places are all the talk but without the quality cred to legitimately back them up. On Thursday night we went to this pretty decent spot on the Upper East and got to talking about how Il Bucco is some of the best pasta in the city. Being that downtown restaurants need our support for their loss of business, I felt an overwhelming urge to write about Il Buco instead.

Don't confuse this Il Buco with it's newer sister restaurant Il Buco Alimentari that I've already reviewed. 

This is the original restaurant and its fabulous.

Food

Oh. my. lord.
 I am giving away one of my best spots.
The food impresses. And, anyone you bring here will never complain about it.
Food snobs, restaurant and food lovers alike will never have a bad thing to say about the food, the service or the ambiance. Ever.
It has never failed me in all my years of taking different groups of people, Manhattanites, French and LA cousins, English family friends, as well as recommending it to others.

The menu changes seasonally and the kale Caesar salad was not on the menu when I first ate at Il Buco, (it is now a must order). I believe they age their own cheese as well but don't quote me on this, I cant remember. Regardless, the ricotta is spongy and fluffy and the olives are a must order as well. I'd recommend doing the olive oil tasting as well. Its fun and you are given the opportunity to taste good quality olive oils and differentiate various olive oil flavors. All of the pastas are made fresh. The ravioli is not heavy or starchy but airy, thin and delicate. The gnocchi isn't heavy either but fresh and just the perfect portion size for a usually heavy entree.

For dessert its all about the panna cotta with balsamic reduction. Yes, the combination may sound a bit odd, but its quite the immaculate combination. The 10 year balsamic reduction compliments the panna cotta so perfectly and the mix of the two flavors make for a surprisingly smooth palate cleanser at the end of a meal. 

Kale Caesar Salad

Panna Cotta with Balsamic Reduction 

Gnocchi
all photos are courtesy of Yelp.com 

Il Buco may be an Italian restaurant but, you'll never leave feeling stuffed or heavy. On the contrary, you'll feel as if you have just finished a healthy, clean and satisfying meal. It is with this feeling that one knows they've eaten true Italian cooking. 

Ambiance

Its quite rustic, has lots of relics and antiques hanging from the walls and ceilings. There is a full wine celler in the basement and, like Alimentari, the tables are communal but separated by enough space that the table sharing with another party goes unnoticed.

The crowd is a bit older, but quite eclectic. Il Buco is surrounded, literally within a one block radius, by all the trendy downtown spots (Peels, Gemma, Il Buco Alimentari, Acme, The Smile etc.) and yet, its the best of all of them. Without question. 

Wait Time & Resos

You MUST have a reservation and it must be in advance or there is almost no shot you are being seated the night of. 

Good For: Family, Friends, Parents, In-Laws, Family Visiting From Out of Town, Birthdays

If you have a group, a family, or anyone that you need to take out to dinner, I'd ALWAYS recommend Il Buco. The food is always reliable and there is never anything to complain about. Just MAKE SURE TO RESERVE.

Location

47 Bond St.

New york

(212) 533-1932

http://www.ilbuco.com

Food & Hookah, Fifty Five Lounge

Hookah, food and non-grungy couches is almost nonexistent uptown. So, when we stumbled upon this spot last night on our way to a neapolitan pizza spot, we ditched the pizza and hit this up instead.

Food 

I'll start off by saying that the food was nothing amazing. It was, quite possibly, a level up from bar food. Pretty standard hummous but nowhere near close to the best I've ever had. I'm a HUGE hummous lover and can tell you when I'm tasting fantabulous hummous.

 The mixed green salad had some sort of purchased dressing that tasted like it could've been from Hale and Hearty, meaning, it was good, but nothing artisan or farm-to-table-esqe. The babaganoush happened to have been really light and didn't taste like it had mayo like most cheap babaganoush. The falafels, like everything else, were no artisan falafels, but were fried fresh and the fries were the exact Manhattan diner fries you can get anywhere. They weren't really too crispy but still fresh and definitely weren't sitting under a heater either. This is what I would call upper level bar food, nothing more. The margarita pizza was long and sliced into eighths. It was quite cheesy and the sauce also tasted like a purchase and was not made fresh in-house. I used to work in an office next door to a bar kitchen and I know what bulk purchased cheese, tomato sauce and fries taste like. I'm spoiled, I guess, and I know the difference between in house dressing, tomato sauce and fries verse purchased. But again, this is a hookah "club" and so the food is not going to be anything amazing. 

Very honestly though, I'd go back. 

There aren't any spots in my hood that serve decent food, hookah and are clean as well. Most hookah places downtown are pretty dirty and dingy and I wouldn't really want to be sitting on the couch I'm forced to park myself on in order to smoke some hookah.. 

As much as I may be a food snob, when it comes to quality, sometimes I don't mind a standard spot that's going to give me everything I like all at once (hummous, hookah, music). 

FYI, the drinks were EXTREMELY watered down. 

We all left sober after 2-3 drinks a person. 

(I apologize for no food photos)

Hookah

For $40-$100 hookah, it's totally overrated. I make better hookah in my apartment that doesn't go harsh as quick as this one did. But hey, it was hookah and it hit the spot. Go for the fresh fruit flavor. It's the best bet. 

Ambiance

The lights are dimmed, the couches are clean, new and very unlike most of their hookah spot brethren. The scene is pretty random and it turns into a "club" that wants $500 for bottle service after 11pm on a weekend. Obviously, its more of a chilled spot to start out your night before 11, that plays nostalgic 90s disco/dance music. The photo below sort of over glamorizes the place  ad tad and there are no longer any curtains. 

Photo via GrubStreet 

Wait Time & Resos

There is no wait to be seated and reservations are NOT necessary. The service isn't great though. I asked for silverware three times. I needed to ask for water, and I have a feeling the waitress forgot to put in our margarita pizza order because I needed to remind her about it and it took quite some time to arrive.

Good For: Hookah, Chilled, Friends, Chilled Date 

Location 

Fifty Five

47 W. 55th St. 

(between 5th & 6th)

212-957-1899

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2011/01/hash_55.html