My regular fish shack is in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the Charles River.  It’s a true shack meaning that it’s a fish shop that happens to sell a $12 lobster roll.  No tables, so you have to sit on the curb under a big oak tree to enjoy the finest lobster roll that Sully, the fish monger, whips up.    

A few weeks ago I was bent on having a lobster roll.  Driving to Boston was out of the question but I remembered a quaint little “fish shack” a friend had recommended with an unforgettable name and story.  It sounded “down home” enough.  Mary’s Fish Camp (rumor has it that it’s named after the campground in Florida) was opened by Mary after she split with her girlfriend and business partner, the owner of the neighboring Pearl Oyster Bar.  Everybody said that Mary’s had the best lobster rolls, so I began my trek through West Village to Mary’s Fish Camp.

I took my seat at the crescent-shaped stainless steel bar, glanced at the menu and ordered my market price lobster roll.  It was somewhere between realizing that I was sitting next to Friends actor David Schwimmer and the waitress telling me that the market price for the lobster roll was $40 that I realized Mary’s Fish Camp was not a fish shack.  My mind was screaming “What?  Forty dollars!” while I just smiled, a bit shell shocked, and said “That will be fine.” 

For $40 one would expect the most fantastic sandwich on the face of the earth.  Alas, it was not.  You could see the problem before you tasted it: way too much mayonnaise and, in a possible attempt to make the mayo sandwich look somewhat appetizing, the french fries were plied on top (a personal pet peeve as I am a food separatist– I don’t want my food mixing, nor do I want mayo on my fries).  Disappointment aside, Mary’s Fish Camp has a long list of spectacular-looking appetizers available at a much more moderate prices ($9-$13) and local beer from Brooklyn Brewery.    

In addition to the original restaurant in West Village, Mary and current business partner Derek Dos Anjos opened Brooklyn Fish Camp in Park Slope.  Hours and menu varies, check the Brooklyn Fish Camp website for more information.

Location: 64 Charles Street (at 4th Street) (map) 646-486-2185

Subway: 1 to Christopher Street-Sheridan Square; 

Hours:  Open Monday-Saturday.  Lunch Noon-3pm, Dinner 6pm- 11pm

Photo credit (top to bottom): flickr; personal collection  

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

A few years ago a collective gasp could be heard from Manhattan.  BLT Burger (the BLT stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel) had just opened and given birth to a real gourmet burger– a $62 Japanese Kobe beef burger.  Manhattan was left to ponder “Where does Chef Tourondel think he is?  Los Angeles?”    

Since then, the hype has died down and I decided to head up to West Village to have my first BLT Burger.  When I first walked in I thought I was in the wrong place.  The restaurant looked like it was in the midst of an identity crisis– 50s soda shop-meets-country kitchen.  This is the place that serves the $62 hamburger? 

I did have the right place and no, I didn’t have that infamous Japanese Kobe burger.  I decided on the more entry-level $11 “BLT Burger.”  In this case, the BLT does stand for bacon, lettuce, and tomato. 

To be honest the burger didn’t look like much– similar to what is pulled off the bbq every weekend– but once I tasted the heavenly creation I quickly realized that I had been missing out on the best burger in Manhattan.  It wasn’t the generic white bun, the iceberg lettuce, or ridiculously placed two slices of bacon that made it spectacular.  It was, without a doubt, the 100% all beef patty made with a mix of sirloin, short rib, chuck, and brisket, cooked exactly to my specification.  

For a place that is frequented by some of the “who’s who” of Manhattan– hello Mrs. Billy Joel!– the service was surprisingly friendly and the restaurant was in no way pretentious.  Seven types of burgers are on the menu, a variety of sides, as well as regular or spiked milkshakes.  Delivery is available with a minimum order to a limited area.    

Location:  BLT Burger,  470 Sixth Avenue (between 11th and 12th Streets)  map  212-243-8226

Subway:  F, L, V to Sixth Avenue-14th Street; 1, 2, 3 to 14th Street; N, Q, R, W, 4, 5, 6 to Union Square-14th Street

Hours:  Open daily.  Lunch 11:30am-3:30pm; Dinner 5-11pm; Delivery is available 11:30am–10:30pm. 

Photo credit: personal collection

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

 

Having been featured in Sex and the City, Saturday Night Live, and The Devil Wears Prada, Magnolia Bakery has officially achieved cult status.  On any given day you can walk down Bleecker Steet in the West Village and see a line of people on the corner of West 11th Street.  Hordes of people, mostly non-New Yorkers, patiently waiting up to an hour for their moment at the case to pick out their “limit 12″ (as per Magnolia’s policy) cupcakes.

Word on the street is that after receiving so much press, Magnolia Bakery is starting to believe its own hype.  This has sent scads of New Yorkers elsewhere to have their sweet-tooth cured.

For a more authentic New York City experience go to Billy’s Bakery in Chelsea.  Sure, Billy’s isn’t located in a quaint West Village neighborhood but locals swear by Billy’s cupcakes saying they’re better than Magnolia’s.  Bonus: It will not take a hour to get your cupcake!

Location: 184 9th Avenue (between West 21st and West 22nd Street) map

Subway: C, E to 23rd Street

Hours:  Mon-Thu 9am-11pm; Fri-Sat 9am-12:00am; Sun 10am-11pm

Check out the video below for a typical Saturday at Magnolia Bakery.  Believe me, no New Yorker would ever stand in a line like that for a cupcake!

Video of a typical Saturday at Magnolia Bakery

Photo credit:  personal collection

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Post from: The New York City Traveler