Welcome to the best burger in town. Hidden behind red velvet curtains inside the swank Midtown hotel Le Paker Meridien, is this staged hole in the wall, complete with fake wood paneling and vinyl booths. The menu and ordering instructions are written on cardboard, and you better be ready to roll by the time you make it to the counter (by that point you will have been in line for ten minutes, minimum). Nonetheless, this is well worth the long wait and jockeying for a seat. Sit down with a burger, fries that come in a brown paper bag, and a pitcher of beer. No talking.
Bobby Flay, the ginger boy badass Throwdown king, is obviously about as famous as a chef can possibly be. I like the guy, and if I one day meet him, plan on challenging him to some sort of one on one battle of wills or a slap fight or something. It just seems like the right thing to do. In the interest of increasing the likelihood of said meeting and whatever might ensue thereafter, I have spent more than a few nights at his midtown restaurant, Bar Americain. The newest of the Flay NYC establishments is large, slick, and aimed squarely at the pockets of midtown suits and Times Square tourists who need something besides Ruby Foo’s to tell their friends about when they return home. It’s a huge space, and has an over the top, big money aesthetic you are more likely to find in a Las Vegas mega hotel than on 52nd St. Consider those things and know that – believe it or not – I actually love the place. Flay has built his brand on big Southwestern flavor, and the food at Bar Americain still touts that trademark flair, but it’s more New York than Santa Fe. The twists are subtle but perfect variations on traditional American offerings like the incredible hanger steak and the tuna tartar that packs a spicy kick right at the end of a bite. Thanks Bobby for giving us a place in midtown that doesn’t suck. Now I just need a layaway plan to pay for my meal. You do that right?
Danny Meyer. Gobbling up screen time on this site just like he’s gobbling up restaurant space all over town. We finally got around to a review of The Modern, and it’s about time, they needed more good press. Or wait a minute, no they didn’t. Along with a Michelin Star and constant raves, Chef Gabriel Kreuther was honored this past year with a James Beard award for Best Chef: NYC. We’re actually still waiting to find out if we won for Most Influential Food Website: Earth. They’ll call or something right?
The best way for us to give you the lowdown on this place is to explain that it’s really two different experiences: the bar, and the dining room. The dining room is a beautiful, formal space overlooking the MoMa garden with a three course prixe fixe menu. It’s fine dining for sure, and it’s incredibly good. Think of it as a more “modern” Eleven Madison Park. The bar area is quite a bit different. It’s sleek, more relaxed, and on a good night, you’ll find some Action at the Bar. The plates are smaller and a bit more restrained, but you will still get A plus service and have a decent meal. We like the bar just fine, but what it really comes down to is this: … read more
Amidst an incredibly fast moving New York City restaurant scene, Le Colonial feels old. It’s a well established Midtown East mainstay, but just the fact that you’re on this site right now has us betting that you don’t know much about it. This is the kind of place that people find out about from their 2004 hard copy of Zagat, not the internet. I’ve never seen the actual Zagat entry (didn’t want to spend the $14 for Yelp on paper), but I can pretty much guess how it goes. “Delicious food” in a “colonial French/Vietnamese setting” with “friendly service” and “a hip and sexy upstairs lounge”. Sexy upstairs lounge you say? Tell the babysitter we’re going to be home late.
So why did we end up spending valuable time and hard earned money evaluating a place nobody is talking about? An expert. A friend of ours who was born in Saigon and raised in Cali had heard great things and been aching to stack it up against mom’s cooking. We jumped at the opportunity to bear witness to proper judgement, and came away with the following conclusion: Le Colonial is legit. Yes it’s expensive, and yes it feels a little stuffy. But the food is delicious, (mostly) authentic, and the service is great. So now that you’ve heard about it here, go eat at Le Colonial and help it get some cool back. We’re sure they would appreciate it.
Does it get any worse than Heartland Brewery? They give Hard Rock Cafe a run for their money. Average food, bad burgers, a cookie cutter crowd and the single nastiest exhaust vent I’ve ever experienced. Our office is unfortunately situated across the street from the Heartland on 51st St. and 6th Ave., which forces a walk right through that gag-inducing breeze every day. It’s just not right.
With our ingrained feeling of revulsion towards anything Heartland related, you can imagine how shocked we were to find out from a trusted co-worker that Heartland’s new burger joint, HB Burger was not only worth checking out, but home to a real quality burger.
Damn, we’re impressed HB Burger. Although the decor is typical Heartland style and your fries are still average at best, your burger is as fine as Alyssa Milano. Congrats. You’re now in our regular lunch rotation. Bonus points for serving your burgers with a very solid pickle spear.
Giveaway: Dinner On Us
