The Hog from Xe May Sandwich Shop
Unfortunately I never really acquired a taste for banh mi. Which is a shame, because these Vietnamese sandwiches are probably the best bang for your buck when it comes to a flavorful under-$5 meal. I’ve had banh mi from Saigon…
Puddin’
Puddin’ is so good that I once went there four nights in a row, and I don’t even live in the East Village anymore. The only thing that would make it better is if they opened a branch by me…
DBGB Kitchen & Bar
I didn’t think DBGB was my kind of place, but I had one of the best meals I’ve had in a while. The name is a wink at the gentrification that’s been creeping up the Bowery above Houston Street. The…
Coal Yard
Coal Yard isn’t yet a place where everybody knows my name, but everyone seems to know the dude at the end of the bar who’s flinging coasters at the bartender, who merely laughs and flings them back. The middle of…
Summit Bar
If you have years of catching up to do with someone, you need a bar where you can actually chat, without feeling like a piece of driftwood being tossed around on a sea of revelers. Excellent cocktails never hurt conversation,…
After The Mars Bar, Then What?
Update: Mars Bars bas been demolished. The space is now a TD Bank. I’ve been to Mars Bar, but it was a long time ago. The place smells funky. The beer comes in bottles. The bathrooms have an especially bad…
Good Beer
When it comes to beer I’m not that picky. There’s beer and then there’s good beer, and I drink the good kind. Good beer can be almost anything: a sour lambic, a chocolate stout, even the odd IPA. Something from…
Tompkins Square Dog Halloween Parade
The puppies paraded through Tompkins Square Park in their Halloween finest this past Sunday, and once again I joined the camera clicking hordes eager to record the event. This was my fifth year photographing the event and I enjoyed spotting…
Dirt Candy
Update: Dirt Candy is reopening on the Lower East Side in January 2015. Usually I’m not eager to try vegetarian restaurants, so my excitement leading up to dinner at Dirt Candy was pretty much unprecedented. By “vegetarian restaurants,” I’m not…
Drop Off Service
Some bars seem to foster out-of-the-blue conversations with total strangers–Drop Off Service is one of them. If you’re a reasonably-attractive lady there’s a good chance someone will try to talk to you (for better or worse). Also, someone may try…