Bia Garden is definitely a place I’d go back to, I just wouldn’t eat. The back Outdoor/Patio Situation is a good hang and a dope spot to meet friends for beers. The tunes were straight off what could have been my own personal iPod. Choice selections from Muse, The Verve, Pearl Jam, Cold War Kids, Silversun Pickups, Franz Ferdinand and Band Of Horses fueled a solid two hour music debate about the merits of each band and whether they’ll matter twenty years from now. I really wanted to back this place, as the vibe and service were both friendly and welcoming. Sadly, the food borders on terrible. Bia tries to make up for low quality ingredients by over-seasoning Vietnamese food. A lot of their meat dishes taste like bad takeout, and they somehow make crab dumplings taste like something from midtown office catering. Also, what’s up with a beer garden being cash only? Known fact: cold bottles of beer go down easier when they’re paid for on plastic. I’m ready for these cash only places to start using Venmo so we can pay with our phones. The future is here people.

Food Rundown:

Crab Spring Roll
As discussed in the review, these were a big-time failure.

Vegetable Summer Rolls wrapped in rice paper
A couple of cucumber leaves and chunks of mushroom in tasteless paper. I could go to Cafe Duke and get a more flavorful summer roll.

Shaking Beef
Nothing to see here people, keep it moving. This is pretty much just a big bowl of unsatisfying beef slices. All you could really taste was the spicy mustard vinaigrette.

Clay Pot Pork
It’s tough to not order something called “Clay Pot Pork”, but we wish we didn’t. This was the worst thing we tried, partially because the meat just wasn’t good and partially because it was way too spicy, and we dig spicy food.

Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Again, way too spicy and the shrimp were tough and dry. That chili salt packs a serious punch.

Crispy Red Snapper
Unlike the rest of the table, I actually really enjoyed this dish. The chili sauce the fish was served in was really good, and the presentation was definitely fun – they wrap what’s left of the snapper carcass around the crispy chunks of fish .

What we have noticed though, is that a lack of variables consistently produces the same result…most of the restaurants that specialize in one thing earn high marks from us. The following evidence supports our hypothesis: Burger Joint, Luke’s Lobster, Bark Hot Dogs, Flex Mussels, Mercadito Cantina, and Caracas.

Another test of this theory brings us to The Meatball Shop, a restaurant on the Lower East Side operating with the sole purpose of turning out ridiculously good meatballs and presenting you a few options in which to consume them. There are meatball sandwiches, meatball sliders, meatballs in sauce, and meatballs on pasta. Other than a few sides and a nice wine list…that’s it. The result? We love it. A concept that could easily have been a divey storefront serving late night heroes is instead a wonderfully executed and surprisingly nice restaurant where you can enjoy a glass of wine while you get fatter by the meatball. The staff is friendly, it’s a lively atmosphere, and the food is solid. Another specialist restaurant beats our formula. Oh well. We suck at math anyway.

Food Rundown:

The Meatballs
We’ll kick this off by tackling the meatballs on their own. The pork is by far the best, followed by the beef and the lamb (if available). The chicken meatballs are unimpressive, and the salmon one freaked me out. They are all relatively light, though eat too many and you will feel it in your gut for a day at least (trust us). While nice on their own, these meatballs are best showcased in a sandwich, rather than simply in sauce or atop a bowl of pasta.

Meatball Hero
Served on a baguette with your choice of ball, sauce, cheese, and bread type. Our favorite is pork, spicy meat sauce, and provolone on whole wheat. Possibly the perfect meatball sandwich. The only knock we have is that we’d like some more kick from that spicy meat sauce.

Meatball Smash
Two meatballs served on a brioche bun. A bit smaller than the hero with the same options, and still very good. We prefer the hero to the smash simply because the baguette holds up a little better. This got soggy pretty quickly.

Sliders
A nice way to sample the goods, we absolutely love the special lamb meatball with mushroom sauce. The chicken with parmesan cream sauce was a let down. For $3 a pop, your money is better spent diving into a bigger sandwich. Get a hero.

Mashed Potatoes
Buttery, creamy mashed potatoes with bits of skin. Rich and perfect, just don’t fill up on it.

Ice Cream Sandwiches
Order one of these or risk wasting the best years of your life knowing only the Chipwhich.

Food Rundown:

Fennel, Celery Root & Parsley with Sliced Red Onion, Lemon & Pecorino
A citrusy fennel salad that benefits from the celery root. Really nice.

Roasted Vegetable Salad
This is really just a bowl of roasted vegetables, which can be great if that’s what you’re feeling, but there are better salads to be had.

Frankies’ Greens with Cipollini Onion Cider Vinaigrette
We’ve hit the salads pretty hard at Frankies and this one is amazing, really because of it’s simplicity and that sweet and acidic vinaigrette.

House-Made Pappardelle with Braised Lamb, Tomato, Tarragon & Frankies Olive Oil
A tasty home made pasta with hearty lamb and herbs. This is a wintertime dish if I’ve ever seen one, but it’s somehow not as heavy as you might expect.

House-Made Cavatelli with Faiccos Hot Sausage & Browned Sage Butter
Aside from the massive pork shank special I ate a few weeks ago, this is my favorite of all the offerings from Frankies. Little home made cavatelli pasta with a delicious spicy sausage.

Sweet Potato & Sage Ravioli in Parmesan Broth
A fantastic light and airy ravioli, this is the perfect mix of sweet and savory. A fan favorite for sure.

Giant Pork Shank Special
Yes, I made that name up. This was a special last time I was in Frankie’s 17, and I was told that it’s on and off the menu at both locations. Remember that movie Encino Man? Yea, well this looks like something Link would have eaten before Pauly Shore defrosted him in 1992 California. So good, and so meaty.

Sorella is a great space. A sleek and modern wine bar that’s small, but there is dining space in both the front and back of the restaurant. The vibe up front is definitely cooler, and it’s where you want to be. The one problem here is the layout. While you’re waiting (and you will be waiting), you are always in someone’s way. We went as a group of four on a Saturday night and were told we’d have to wait for thirty to forty five minutes. Fair enough, we ordered a couple of bottles of wine and hung out on foot, but we were constantly on the move to avoid incoming bus boys and bathroom goers. After an hour and a half and still no table, we started getting antsy. A glass of wine on the house would have made up for the extra wait, but that unfortunately didn’t happen. By the time we were seated, we’d already downed two bottles and had two more on the way. Kind of wasted and absolutely starving, this night was starting to look like it could be a bust. Luckily, we were rewarded with an excellent meal, and even though our credit cards took a beating, the food was well worth the wait. We’ll be back.

Food Rundown:

Agnolotti
A ravioli-esque pasta filled with beef and parmesan. Buttery delicious.

Tajarin
This is pasta similar to tagliatelle served with a lamb ragu and black pepper ricotta. This is a must order, and the addition of pistachios and mint is glorious.

Risotto
The ladies at the table loved this. Creamy risotto that packed a nice little bite, this had a nice balance of apples, caramelized onions, mushrooms and robiola cheese.

Grilled Quail
My personal favorite Sorella dish, the grilled quail is light, and it’s nice and juicy. What makes the dish though is the watercress and orange salad served over an awesome bed of fried black rice. A forkful of it all makes for quite a unique flavor combo.

Gnocchi
Tiny pieces of potato gnocchi in a Castelrosso cheese cream sauce with brown butter pears and chives. Coming from me, you might not expect to hear it, but this was damn good.

Piemontese Spinach
There is a sweetness to this dish that we couldn’t quite place, but who cares where it comes from. This is excellent.

Brussels Sprouts
Eh, these sprouts were actually a little too oily because they’re deep fried. The bacon and apple were a nice touch, but skip these and go with the spinach.

Potatoes
Sorella’s version of patatas bravas, these mini chunks of potato are fully covered with speck and cayenne aioli. Good stuff.

Food Rundown:

Warm Spinach & Feta Dip
A nice dip that is more spinach than cheese. Served with thin pieces of crunchy grilled bread, this is a solid way to start things off.

Bavette
A French cut of steak, on this day’s menu it was a piece of Kobe. This was a large piece of meat, but was honestly a bit tough for what a great cut of beef it was. I found myself chewing for long periods of time and getting no results.

Dayboat Scallops
The scallops were underwhelming, and the grapes with tiny seeds in them were a strange addition to the plate. Not recommended.

Swine of the Week
Various cuts of pork get a different treatment each week. This is definitely the way to go at Little Giant, and any pork butt offering is recommended.

Brussels Sprouts
Vegetables play well at Little Giant as well, most likely a function of the excellent quality goods obtained from the greenmarket. These are small roasted Brussels sprouts with a nice hint of sweetness.

Stick to the tacos, the bocadillos, and pretty much anything with pork or beef and you’re in business. I am going to go out on a limb and guess you’ve never eaten Mofongo, but you need to. A few things on the menu were disappointing, but it’s a big menu with lots to choose from and they mix up some solid drinks which helps the cause. Overall we’re still partial to Mercadito Cantina and Yerba Buena for South of the Border cravings in the area, but we’ll happily hit Macondo for a quick one next time we’re in the neigborhood for a show.

Food Rundown:

Mofongo
Had I not seen a segment on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives that featured Mofongo, I would have assumed it was some sort of grilled monkey. Luckily, Guy Fieri stuffs his face on television for the sake of my personal education. The dish is apparently Puerto Rican in origin, and consists of fried green plantains mashed up and tossed with pork. It looks like a brown mess on the plate, but it tastes bueno. Order it.

Mango Corvina
This is a shrimp and mango ceviche with a nice spicy kick, but overall was just ok.

Skate Raya
Excellent little skate fish tacos with a white soft cheese. I didn’t expect to like these as much as I did and we went back in for a second order.

Tuna Bonita
This is one of three “flatbread” dishes on the menu. Here we go with the freestyling. I expected the tuna to be of the raw or seared variety, but instead this looks and tastes like it came out of the can. Pass, especially for fifteen bones.

Expectations are as follows: We expect flat screens, everywhere, all in HD. We expect ample seating and enough personal space in the bar area to breathe. We expect game audio during big games, not “Living on a Prayer” on full blast. We expect a just say yes attitude as opposed to just say no (Ever been to Croxley Ales? You now understand). In addition to these obvious parameters, a fun crowd (even if that crowd includes a couple Philly or Boston fans, good for shit talking), a nice selection of beers on tap and most importantly, memorable food is what we’re looking for. Hot bartenders/waitresses always a plus.

The Blue Seats thrives off their obsessive attention to detail. Cushy booths that you need to reserve ahead of time house five personal screens, perfect for following all your fantasy players on Sundays. The bar area doesn’t get overly packed and big screens consume every available inch of wall space. Their private back room and skybox make for excellent large group hangs in case any given Sunday just so happens to be a special one worth splurging for. What keeps me coming back aside from the fact that the Jets seem to fare pretty well every time I go? Magic Hat #9 on tap (thankfully, not that rare in NYC anymore) and their sesame glazed wings which are ridiculous.

Food Rundown:

Buffalo Wings
A Buffalo wing epidemic still plagues NYC. The Blue Seats isn’t here to save the day, but these are more than serviceable for now. Ten wings for an even ten bucks and you get your moneys worth. Plump and meaty in a basic hot sauce, these wings won’t win any kind of competition, but will satisfy a craving.

Sesame Glazed Wings
Easily our favorite thing on the menu, these are not your typical Buffalo wings. Big and burley just like the Buffalo wings above, these wings are covered in an addicting, dark sesame glaze. Job well done on applying a nice twist to a basic dish. The sauce is so good you’ll need to order up an extra side.

Slider Tasting Plate
A nice variety of angus beef that’ll stuff you stupid. For $14, you get a sampling of the three best burgers The Blue Seats has to offer: The Blue Seats, Carolina and Good Morning burgers.

The Blue Seats Burger
If this was a place famous for their burgers we wouldn’t be writing about it. The burgers aren’t bad at all; they’re just not amazing either. As a side to your sports, they’re just what the doctor ordered. Blue Seats burger comes served with blue cheese, smoked bacon and oven roasted tomato.

The Good Morning Burger
Served with fried egg, house pickled onions and melted American cheese, it all sounds a bit better than it actually is. The beef lacks flavor, but the onions and egg help cover that up. It’s good enough and we’ll happily take this down.

The Carolina Burger
Now we’re talking. What better way to cover up flavorless burger meat than smothering it in pulled pork belly, melted cheddar and homemade red slaw. This is one messy monstrosity, but worth all the extra napkins.

We understand that opening week isn’t easy, especially when it’s a taqueria/night club hybrid with multiple levels, rooms and bars to tend. Because we went two days after it opened, we’re going to judge Los Feliz on its potential and won’t fully hold them accountable for their suspect service and unfortunate hostess. A hostess who, when we asked for drink menus, responded with something to the extent of, “Yeah, people always ask me to do stuff like that, but I don’t get tipped out by the waitresses so I don’t do that.” Ok Crazy. Thanks for the info. A simple, “We don’t have drink menus.” would have sufficed. Although, considering Los Feliz carries all kinds of top shelf tequilas, drink menus might be a good idea.

Food Rundown:

Chips & Salsa
Points for presentation as the chips are served in their own bag and the salsa plastic squeeze bottles. The chips were nothing to write home about but, the smoked chipotle peppers in the salsa kept us digging in for more.

Puerco
While navigating through the menu, we highly recommend spending most of your time in the taco section. All tacos come in small pairs. This is the consensus best taco, their braised pork taco that’s juicy and delicious, overflowing with spices and cheese.

Chicharron de Pollo
A crafty take on the chicken taco, this features a flavorful couple bites of adobo chicken crackling, guac, grilled pineapple, red chile aioli and cotija cheese.

Pez Dorado
Their fish taco is another favorite, crispy Mahi lathered up in a nice cucumber-ginger relish with valentine aioli and avocado. This was a personal favorite of mine.

Barbacoa
The jury was split on the “Barbocoa,” slow cooked beef in banana leaves, Mexican beer, tequila, oregano and lime flavored roasted onions. The beef lacks flavor, but if you love the taste of roasted onions, you’ll dig this. Plus, respect for cooking this with beer and tequila.

Callo de Hacha
We had high hopes for this taco of seared dry scallops, chipotle passion fruit and hoja santa aioli. Unfortunately, the scallops were a little fishy and the chipotle passion fruit was the dominated your taste buds. The idea is there, it just wasn’t executed properly. We’ll be ordering this again to see if they improved.

Crangrejo Estilo Baja
We need to stop ordering soft shelled crab at Mexican restaurants (see Crema). This thing looked like a Mexican dragon roll, soft shell crab jutting out of a soft tortilla with some pickled chile and red cabbage cole slaw in the mix. Unfortunately, this wasn’t very good. Save your dollars and focus on the tacos instead of the entree section.

Food Rundown:

Carciofi
A steamed and stuffed artichoke with some delicious bread crumb and cheese filling in the center. This is an excellent way to kick off a meal.

Asparagi Con Uovo
Fresh asparagus with a soft baked egg and cheese, this is a big serving, probably too much for two. A good option for 3 or more.

Polpette
These are “spicy fried meatballs” and they are definitely spicy and definitely fried. They’re about the size of a Junior Mint … a delicious meat Junior Mint.

Gnocchi con Funghi
This was a very disappointing gnocchi. The pasta looked like scallops, and the texture wasn’t far off. A bit chewy and very dense. Not recommended.

Cannolichi
Razor clams aren’t on too many menus, and I think it’s probably a difficult thing to do well. These have been given the right treatment – white wine and lemon make makes this a bright and tasty dish.

Food Rundown:

Salsa
I ate at Mole on a recent Monday evening and they were out of salsa. Salsa. At a Mexican restaurant. Looking good out there team.

Guacamole
It’s tough to be mad at tableside guacamole. This is a good one. The medium has some kick, so if you’re averse to spicy foods (weird that you’re eating Mexican) go for the mild.

Taquitos with Guacamole
This is one of two taquito dishes that were recommended to me by a waiter. In my opinion, that’s kind of like telling someone you make a mean Hot Pocket. These appetizer taquitos are filled with potato and chorizo, and are tasty enough. At $8 though, that’s four bucks per taquito.

Sopa De Tortilla
I love tortilla soup, but this one is tomato based and not my thing. After a while it just starts tasting like plain old tomato soup.

Chile Relleno
A curious preparation for a chile relleno – these poblanos are flat and a little soggy from the tomato sauce they float in. The flavor isn’t bad, but when I think chile relleno, I think big pepper with a crispy outside.

Taquitos Borrachos
The other “don’t miss” from the menu according to a staffer, these taste almost exactly like the appetizer taquitos, even though they are filled with your choice of chicken or beef. Out of all the options, the beef is far and away the best, but they’re still just taquitos – and now they’re $5 each at three for $15. I don’t like that math.

Enchiladas De Mole Poblano
These enchiladas are probably the best thing I’ve eaten at Mole, which would make sense being that the restaurant is named for the stuff. The mole sauce has a strong chocolate flavor, and is rich and delicious.

Elote Asado
I love corn on the cob Mexican style, and Mole has it down. The lime and chili powder on the side is a fantastic addition to grilled corn with cotija cheese.