www.cafemogador.com

Proprietor/Chef:?

Category: Moroccan / Brunch

Neighborhood: St Marks Place
101 St. Marks Place New York, NY 10009
(212) 677-2226

Mood: Great brunch spot, if you’re looking for staples, with a touch of Moroccan. I promise the food won’t be too exotic or out of this world.  You have to be willing to wait just a little bit though, but generally not too crowded like Cafe Orlin…

Tastes Like: American-ish brunch, with a faint hint of Moroccan spices…. I naturally had to opt for the “Moroccan” eggs benedict with zesty tomato & green chile pepper. I highly doubt this is the kind of food they eat for breakfast, but I politely wanted to try it anyways.  The appetizers we ordered was a hefty portion (eggplant served with pita).  The pita was thick, fluff and moist.  It was pleasantly delicious, as was the creamy sauce that topped the eggplant.  The omelette was filled with delicious, fresh, soft goat cheese.  We had to get harissa on the side…instead of one small ramekin filled, they brought out two.  Unlike Cafe Orlin, the harissa here had a pasty texture melded in hot oil.  Sexy, tasty, all the more exciting.  It was a good thing they did…we completely devoured it with our egg dishes at the very end.  The price we pay for spicy goodness!

Must Haves: Moroccan eggs Benedict for those that seek a little bit of “kick”.  Try more traditional fares like babaghanoush or hummus, because I simply couldn’t get enough of their pita bread.

Stay Away: I did not enjoy the Turkish coffee here at all.  It was a bit too strong for my taste…and a tint of spice I couldn’t quite put my finger on….

Ambiance: It looks a little dinky but made it more authenticated.  And obviously sitting outside in the warm sunshine didn’t hurt either.

Service: She was so on point it was ridiculous.  A bit busy, so we felt just a little neglected at times, but we know she didn’t forget about us.

Rating: Food is a total 4, but giving it a 5 for my overall experience

Caveat: I don’t think they use segafredo here..but whatever it is, it’s not bad.

http://www.vezzothincrust.com/

Proprietor/Chef:

Category: Pizza

Neighborhood: Murray Hill // Gramercy // West Village
178 Lexington Ave // 310 2nd ave //65 Carmine St
(212) 839-8300 // (212) 716-1200 // (212) 242-1200

Mood: Delicate appetite in a casual atmosphere.  The portions are surprisingly light (thin crust pizzas) with a ton of salad and appetizer options.

Tastes Like: crisp thin perfection, with an extra oozing layer of cheese and scrumptious toppings.  If you’re looking for a chewy crust, look elsewhere.  The pizza here is ultra thin, but still manages to hold lots of cheese & toppings for a firm, crispy bite.  Ordered the large shroom pizza consisting of shiitake, button, portobella with truffle drizzled on top. I got weak in the knees.  if you haven’t already guessed, the same owner manages Vezzo, Spunto, Posto & Gruppo.  The menu is exactly alike. Their salads are fresh & phenomenal and lunch specials are wonderful.  It’s probably not THE best pizza in the city (i haven’t ventured to the likes of Brooklyn) but something about the pizza warms my heart to its fullest content.  It may have something to do with the thin crust and its non-greasy appeal.

Must Haves: Shroom pizza

Ambiance: ordered take out @ Vezzo…dined in @ Spunto & Posto.  What you would expect an an authenticated pizza joint, commonly found with checkered table toppers and wooden chairs.

Service: 45 min. delivery // table service was a bit disjointed

Rating: 5 stars across the board

Caveat: pizza was not hot when delivered, so we took a few minutes to heat it up.  The end result was DELICIOUS!

http://tontonnyc.com/

Proprietor/Chef: Himi Okajima

Category: Japanese

Neighborhood: West Village
61 Grove St New York, NY 10014

(212) 242-3699

Mood: Fun & Exotic … if you’re not used to collagen and things of that nature.  Aside from the “exotic” stuff you’ll find other juicy items that will sure to calm the palate.

Tastes Like: unique, soul food infested with tons of unfamiliar “stuff” we’ll deem pork feet & collagen.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to invest in trying to be adventurous.  I wanted so badly to try the mish mosh hot pot loaded with all kinds of “stuff”, but it just wasn’t my night.  Instead, we opted for some quick fares, which included the tuna sashimi, avocado salad, okonomiyaki, chicken wings.  Everything else was fresh, stellar and I’d do and eat it all over again type of deal.  Quickly in our last 10 minutes before off to catching a show, we couldn’t resist ordering the black sesame ice cream.  Creamy.  The black sesame seeds were already blended in the ice cream.  Good, but definitely not the best I’ve had.  I’ll be back and will try anything at least once.

Must Haves: Known for their hot pot soups… their tuna sashimi & tofu with avocado salad is excellent!

Stay Away: Chicken wings, coated with a funny peanut flavoring.  Too greasy for my liking.

Ambiance: 40 odd seats.. filled with lots of Japanese people that automatically deems this place “authentic”.

Service: Spot on, in between dishes.

Rating: 4 stars

Caveat: One day my roommate and I were exploring W. Village and was craving sushi.  We walked in only to walk right out, two seconds later.  How could I have been so foolish at the time?  Moral of the story is if you are looking for sushi, keep looking elsewhere… you’ll find bits of appetizers here but not enough to keep you full.