Eat to live, live to eat

Man I have been eating well the past week. It all started when J's mom came in to the city last Saturday and took us out to Stanton Social (note: Mom, Dad, you remember that place?). We had delicious tapas shared among six people which meant we got to sample a lot of different things, and I think at the end of the night my favorites were the goat cheese and potato pierogies and the French onion soup dumplings. Then of course we had dessert at Il Labratorio del Gelato (I probs spelled that wrong) and got some donuts from the Doughnut Plant to take home.

The pierogies were pretty much the best thing I had ever eaten UNTIL MONDAY when I met my roommate from London for ramen at Ippudo in the east village. Yes it was a holiday, but it was still a Monday night and we had an hour and a half wait because you know what--they're food is so freaking good people will wait that long for it on a regular basis. I don't remember what the bowl was called that we ate but it was something with a dark charred miso soup basis and it was BEYOND AMAZING. (Ed note: just looked it up, it's called kogashi miso ramen. Here's a pic that someone else with more skills than I took: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicknamemiket/3889256661/). (We also had samurai ribs and pork buns too which were also good, but that's beside the point). I'm pretty sure this particular bowl is a seasonal specialty and will soon be rotated off the menu, but that just makes me even more glad that I decided to splurge a bit and eat there randomly (well, not too random as we were technically celebrating my friend having just paid off all her student loans. A contrivance? Maybe but who cares).

It does not get better than that, but don't worry, there was still other good food in my future. Another friend just moved to the city on Tuesday from SF, so on Wednesday we went to the Breslin at the Ace Hotel. After reading all the Yelp reviews I pretty much decided that I had to try the lamb burger, and in fact that's what we all ordered, and we were all MIGHTLY satisfied. I'm not usually one to go for lamb, and even though it was great it had a definite "lamby" taste too it, but it was definitely one of the juciest burgers I've ever eaten. The fries and cumin sauce were good too, but I was beyond stuffed after the burger.

Then last night after suffering through a long panel discussion on phone apps for books (which was actually sort of interesting and informative, but also makes me head hurt to think about), a few of us met up at Gyukaku for Japanese bbq. If only we had met there an hour later we could've taken advantage of their mad happy hour specials, but as it were we were all starving and ready to eat some grilled meat and veggies. Beef, beef, beef, corn, mushrooms, sweet potatos, and rice wrapped in lettuce with this crazy good sachu sauce.... Mmmm. The mushrooms and marinated steak were both out of this world tasty. Also I totally want to go back for their bibimbap because it's super cheap and bound to also be tasty.

And it doesn't end there! Tomorrow night we are having a pizza party because some Providence friends are visiting, and in the next couple weeks I have two restaurant week reservations (at Le Cirque and David Burke Townhouse) PLUS am hosting a Chinese New Year party (which is basically just another eating fest). I haven't taken any pictures recently to document my food adventures, but I will try to remedy that going forward.

And lest you think that all I'm doing is eating out and spending money, for the record I actually used my crockpot this past weekend and made some chicken salsa chili thing, which I have been eating for lunch all week long. This weekend I think I'm going to attempt bbq pork... although really neither of these seem particularly healthy. I should probably also buy fixings for a salad while I'm grocery shopping. Mmm food.

P.S. My only gripe about any of these places I've been eating at is the reservation thing. They all have this annoying policy that even if you make a reservation, they won't seat you until your whole party is there. I appreciate, first of all, that we CAN make reservations (I'm shaking my fist at you, Ippudo and Breslin, and your no-reservations policy) but it seems absolutely ridiculous and pointless that if even one person shows up at the time of the reservation, they shouldn't be allowed to sit at the table until the others arrive. I mean, shouldn't the restaurant want customers to be seated and comfortable and theoretically starting to order as soon as possible? And what are they going to do if not everyone shows up? Give the table to someone else? It's already set and waiting, just let us sit there until that last annoying late-shower turns up (you know who you are). ANYWAY these are the things we put up with in this city in order to have an excellent meal. An excellent they are... provided everyone in the party shows up on time!