I am Gonna Sit at The Counter

Do I believe in love at first sight?  I don't really know because stuff like that is way too deep for me.  Do I believe in lust at first sight?  Yes!  I am in LUST.  With what you might be asking??? A hot Yankees fan.  Nope!  Charlie Sheen.  Yes!   The Counter a new burger chain in Times Square.  YES! Yes!! YES!!!
A few weeks ago one of my Mediavest Ad Agency friends told me about The Counter and how awesome it was.  I think the topic came up because I told her about my love of sauces.  She mentioned that you can create your own burgers there from lots of different varieties and add any type of sauce you could imagine.  Wow, sauces galore. I was in!!  A few days later we planned a lunch with her team.
The second I walked in I could tell this place was going to be great and the lovely gay couple next to me talking about doing each other because they were bored only added to the ambiance!!!
To start everyone is given a sheet of paper and pencil where they can fill out what they want for their custom burger.  You pick the meat, cheese, bread, (or no bread and make it a salad), toppings and ... wait of it...SAUCE!
I went with a amazingly fantastic pick.  I got a veggie burger with grilled pineapple, craisins, lettuce and carrots.  For my sauce pick, well I couldnt just pick one, so I picked two and alternated my dips.  I went with the apricot sauce and the honey mustard.  Both were delish!!!!  Others that stood out to me were the Basil Pesto (duh, never met a Pesto I didnt like) and the Peanut Sauce (same could prob be said for Peanut Sauce).  From the pictures posted I think you can tell just how delicious it was.  I can firmly say it was one of the best veggie burgers I ever had in my life.  I know I need to go back and try the beef too.  If they can make a veggie burger that fab, I can only imagine what they can do to a cow.  Moo Moo!
The Counter also has great side dishes/appetizers.  We went with the sweet potato fries which are always a hit and the fried pickles.  Amazing!!!!!
What is great about this place is that you can have fun and order fun stuff and stay kinda healthy if you don't go crazy with the fried stuff and stick with the veggies and salads.  
According to their website they have a lot of locations on the West Coast.  I hope they expand and open up more in NYC so I can sit at Counters beyond Times Square!

VICTORY!!!

Wow, that was way easier than I expected it to be.  I finished 2 Chipotle burritos in under 15 minutes and am really not even that full.  I went with one steak burrito and one chicken burrito. I def liked the steak one better.  Truthfully I found the chicken a bit gross, I am just such a picky chicken eater.  I went steak first and it was no problem.  It was delicious and went down easily.  The chicken was a bit harder, not because I was full, because I just didn't like the quality of the chicken.  Everyone in the office was quite impressed with how easily I did it.  The other person participating also finished his easily but as one of my co-workers said it isn't as impressive to see a big dude eat 2 burritos, it is cool that you can do it.  DUH Winning!!!!

My pre-eating technique was drinking the night before and not eating a huge dinner then only having a granola bar for breakfast.   I am going to skip dinner tonight but have a feeling I might be hungry again soon.  I am pretty gross.  Healthy Rori starts RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!  I was thinking of giving up candy for Lent but then realized I am a Jew and then also realized I didn't want the Taste D/candy store to go out of business because I am celebrating a holiday that isn't even mine.

The Burrito Challenge

It is March, I am going to Miami in less than a month, will be spending a big part of my summer on the beach in Fire Island and like always have eaten like a pig, drank like a fish all winter long and for the first time in a long time have not made the gym a priority.  Instead I have been focused on other things like watching Californication and Improv.   I recently decided enough is enough, I am going to get back on track and get in shape again!  Too much going on to let it all go.   But alas I heard a competition calling and I needed to participate.  My co-workers made a statement that Chipotle Burritos are so big how do people eat them.  Of course I had to butt in and say no they arent.  I could probably eat 2 (when will i ever learn to just keep quiet).   From there my co-workers challenged me to prove it to them and I said sure, no problem. I do not let people challenge me and then back down.  If I say I am going to do something, I am. Why can't I just be normal and say, yes the burritos are so big, it is so gross to eat so much food.  Nope, gotta act all big and bad.   From that tiny statement, it has now turned into a floor wide event with another person also participating.  Granted this dude is probably 6 foot tall and has at least 50 lbs on me.  Many people have tried to give me advice on how to do it. I am torn.  There are some days I do have a huge appetite and can eat a gross amount of food, but that is usually when I am drunk or hungover.  Most of the time when I eat I get sick afterwards.  I am very worried what will happen on Wednesday at noon in the 4th floor conference room.  Do I show up to work hungover in the hopes of it helping me scarf down my two burritos or do I do the challenge RAW?  Raw like the RorDAWG!  I guess healthy March will start after Wednesday!

Taco Ew

I think I might have to become a vegetarian again.  Prob not because it was getting kinda annoying not being able to eat meatballs or chicken parm but this story is pretty gross.  I used to eat a fair amount of Taco Bell in high school and college.  I guess I don't really eat it anymore but how gross is it to find out that only 36% of the meat is actual beef.  Here is the list of ingredients.
Water, isolated oat product, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, oats (wheat), soy lecithin, sugar, spices, maltodextrin (a polysaccharide that is absorbed as glucose), soybean oil (anti-dusting agent), garlic powder, autolyzed yeast extract, citric acid, caramel color, cocoa powder, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), natural flavors, yeast, modified corn starch, natural smoke flavor, salt, sodium phosphate, less than 2% of beef broth, potassium phosphate, and potassium lactate.

It is not the worst list ever.  Water, chilli pepper and onion powder aren't that scary.  I think just knowing that it is less than half actual beef is the weird part.
Here is the link to the article from Gizmodo.
http://gizmodo.com/5742413/this-is-what-really-hides-in-taco-bells-beef
Yo Quiero Taco Bell!

Brother Jimmy's is Gonna Pack Some Meat

Nina just let me know this breaking news but Brother Jimmy's is going to be opening up ANOTHER location, this one in the meatpacking district.  I think we have enough Brother Jimmy's in the city already.  It is bad enough there is one in cheeseball heaven Windsor Court.  I have a feeling this one is going to be even cheesier and be a hot spot for bridge and tunnel action.  No thank you.

Here is a link to the story so you can check it out yourself.

 http://therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/35754?utm_campaign=Feed%3A+trdnews+%28The+Real+Deal+-+New+York+Real+Estate+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner

This is totally random but they should open up a Brother Jimmy's at the Jersey Shore.  That would be AWESOME.  I would pay to chill with my girls JWoww and Snookie there.

RorDawg Likes Blue Dog

I apologize a lot, mostly for not blogging enough.  So I apologize but I am back.  I figure I would start the new year of blogging by writing about my new favorite lunch spot near my new office.   My new friend told me about Blue Dog Cafe and said I would probably like it.  At first I couldn't remember the name which is kinda ironic because you would think RorDawg would remember Blue Dog but no.  I guess all those white wines are getting to my brain, or perhaps it is old age, who knows? 

There are two Blue Dogs in NYC, one on West 56th and the other on West 25th near Madison Square Park.   The atmosphere here is not like your typical NY lunch spots.  It looks like it should be in some hippie town not the middle of a bustling metropolis.  Also there is nowhere to sit which is kinda annoying.  It would be nice to take a friend here and enjoy a nice lunch but not possible with no seats. 

Everything at Blue Dog is fresh and homemade.  Pretty much the opposite of everything in my kitchen.   They have a large breakfast menu that has lots of interesting sandwiches like Nutella and Banana as well as all these fresh fruit drinks and smoothies.  I have never had any of these but I am sure they are good. 

When I go for lunch I pretty much get the same thing every time.   I get a small soup and half a sandwich.  The soups I love are all vegetarian (of course) and my favs are the minestrone, lentil and garden vegetable.  For sandwiches, I stick with two and both are fab!  My true number one is the fresh mozzarella, pesto, basil and tomato sandwich on a lovely baguette.   That is when I feel like splurging.  When I am trying to be "healthy" I get the hummus and avocado sandwich on whole grain braid.  Also delish!!!  I read some reviews on Yelp on this place and it pretty much got rave reviews overall so I am clearly not the only fan.

If you live or work by this place you should def check it out.  It is a little pricey, but whatevs.  It is worth it for the quality.

IHOP - To the Hip Hip Hop, a You Don't Stop

This must be a big deal because not one, but two of my friends (and I only have like five) sent me this breaking news.  It seems that IHop will be opening more locations in Manhattan, most importantly a flagship hub in Times Square.  I am kind of indifferent towards IHop. I like it, but I am never like oh man I gotta go to IHop.  I would never eat anything but the pancakes here.   I think the best thing about IHop is the variety of syrups you can chose from.  That is pretty rad!  I am on their website now and it looks pretty good actually.  They have Simple & Fit options that are under 600 calories.  I am always into crap like that.  They have a Blueberry Harvest Grain 'N Nut Pancake that comes with a scrambled egg substitute.  I wonder if I could actually substitute the substitute for real eggs?  They also have a 55+ menu which I would bet my entire snow globe collection on that my parents order from that.  That isn't embarrassing at all.

To Veg or Not to Veg

I have something very shocking and important to share with all of my dedicated readers, 12 days ago I decided to become a vegetarian.  I have just been really grossed out by most meats lately that I figured it would be easier if I stopped eating it all together.  I don't even like animals, so the act of killing them is not what upsets me.  I think I dislike them so much, I don't even want to eat them. Blah!
Of course I realize what this means for the blog in that I am not sure I can fully be a trusted source of chain restaurant knowledge but I am going to give it a try.  When I think about what I am going to miss most, food at baseballs games is what I think about it.  I can't imagine seeing Jeter and not eating a hot dog at the same time.  That being said in the 12 days I have been a veggie, I haven't craved any meat.  Now I am not guaranteeing this veggie thing is permanent, but for now it is brussel sprouts and cous cous and hummus for me!
I have decided that today's post will be dedicated to the chain meat meals I will miss most (in no particular order)

1)  A hamburger from Houston's
2)  ChickenNuggies from Md Donald's
3)  Thai Chicken Pizza from CPK
4)  Filet Mignon from Del Friscos
5)  Baja Chicken Burritto from Baja Fresh
6)  Chicken Rice Bowl from Pita Grill
7)  Szechuan Beef from PJ Changs
8)  Chicken Parm from Carmines (yeah that one is really gonna hurt)  I guess I can get Eggplant Parm there but I can see this really annoying my family.
9)  Sesame Jack Chicken Strips from Friday's
10)  Meatballs, everywhere!

Kanye I Knew I Liked You For a Reason

Kanye, with all the BS you pull it is hard to like you but your new album got ridic reviews and I just read you are a chain restaurant owner.  OMFG that is amazing!  We have something in common, we love the chain (restaurants, not gang).  You own them though, I just eat at them and write about them. 
The article I read on Consequence of Sound says you already own 2 franchises of the chain Fatburger and are planning on opening 10 more.  Kanye, did my blog inspire you?  Not sure, but you inspire me.  In honor of your love of the chain I am going to to try to get tickets to your show tonight!
Below is a link to the article I read that mentions Fatburger.
http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/11/23/kanye-west-set-to-expand-fatburger-empire/
One more thing, we kind of have a similar style in this picture.  Gotta love the cable and collar!

With The Seven, Seven-Eleven, Seven-Eleven Seven Even Back do Lil Joe

Today was a good day.  There is a new chain opening up in the Hill they call Murray and not just any chain but a mega chain.  On 28th street there will now be a 7-Eleven.  Yup the Big Gulp is coming to the hood.  I actually have mixed feelings about this.  Part of me sees this becoming a homeless hangout. Also, I don't think I would ever eat any of their hot food.  It totally grosses me out, probably as much as when I see hot dudes dating ugly girls or obnoxious Mets fans or hippie liberals.  Also, I don't like Slurpees.  Icee drinks should not be carbonated.  But, there is also a part of me that is kind of excited.  7-Eleven reminds me of high school and I love being nostalgic.  I remember going there all the time to get their  iced coffee coolata kind of drink.  I can also see myself enjoying all of the beverage options.  For example, I imagine them having every flavor of Diet Snapple and Vitaminwater Zero.  What a treat!

Lavo was Lame-O

In honor of the President Brett's birthday this weekend my family and I dined at the new midtown hotspot Lavo.  If you read some of my earlier posts you know how excited I was about the opening of this Las Vegas Italian mecca.   I was a bit disappointed with the atmosphere in the New York location.  It was very understated but not in a good way.   I thought it would be a bit more glam, glitzy and fab (like me - on a good day of course!).  I am not really sure what the restaurant was going for, maybe some sort of older rustic thing, I wasn't feeling it though.
The food overall did not stand out.  We started the meal with kobe stuffed riceballs that were just ok.  I have had better riceballs at many other Italian restaurants.  Those balls should have been awesome because they are a mixture of everything I love Kobe (the beef and Bryant), some cheese (just a bit), rice and fried goodness, yet somehow they disappointed.  The restaurant also gives you fresh, hot garlic bread to start.  Really, you can't go wrong with butter and garlic drenched bread.  For my entree I got the Rigatoni Melanzana which was just rigatoni with some fresh mozzarella and eggplant.  I get this a lot at Max in NYC and it is much, much better there and probably half the price.  My brother got the chicken parm, which was a huge portion and very good.  If I ever go back I would get a chicken dish instead of the pasta.  The dessert was actually awesome.  We got the Roasted Apple Napoleon which was just a delish apple pastry with cinamon gelato.  That was by far the best part of the meal!  I can't believe I am saying this but the dessert was probably even better than my glass of rose.  That is saying something.
If I ever go back to the NY Lavo, I would go later in the evening hoping that the scene would be a bit better and share a few dishes with friends.  I am glad I went, but don't think I will be running back anytime soon.  I shouldn't really be running anywhere anyway because I tend to trip over my own feet on the east river and have cuts and bruises everywhere now.  Ooopppss!!

I Wish I Parked My Car in Harvard Yard

I am obsessed, obsessed, with all things related to Mark Zuckerberg and the background information on how Facebook started.  I read everything I can find about it (well just what is on NY Mag, Gawker and the Post - but that is a lot).  I relish stories like the one my friend Merryl told me about Zuckerberg's sister stealing all of her clothing when she was at sleep away camp. She even cut her name tags out.  Obviously the obsession has to do with the opening of The Social Network this weekend.  In honor of the opening, I decided to dedicate my post to Harvard, where clearly I should have spent more time.  Perhaps I would be Mrs. Mark Zuckerberg today, but I spent my time drinking dollar beers at Great Scott and shopping on Newbury Street. Stupid girl!  Oh if I could turn back time. I can't, even Mark can't do that, but what I can do is write about my favorite chain restaurants in Harvard Square.  So here it is!

John Harvards - A great American chain with lots of awesome salads, burgers and chicken sandwiches.  I remember very well the bread they serve before the meal was amazing.  They also have a ton of great craft beers.

California Pizza Kitchen  - who doesn't love a good gourmet pizza (see JAP chain write up below)

Bertucci's - Good Italian food, big portions, but sometimes I think I ate too much and it made me sick.

Border Cafe - This is just another name for Jose Tejas, THE BEST CHAIN EVER.  Yes they took my Nevada fake ID here, but it has been 10 years, I am over it!

Fire and Ice - This was a staple of where you would go when your parents were in town.  Now that they opened one up in the Palisades Mall, it doesn't feel as special.

I need to write a special note for a chain that is no longer there, the TGI Friday's.  They allowed me and my friends many nights of fun that included chocolate, bananas, mudslides, DJ's wanting to go to Revere Beach and if I remember correctly a fight with the Harvard Hockey Team (Mark wasn't on that, if he was, we wouldn't have fought with them).

Happy New Year Japs!

Happy New Year to all my Jewish friends.  In honor of the year 5771 I decided to create a list of the Jappiest chain restaurants around.  I actually can't believe it has taken me this long to create such an important list for my people .   It just dawned on me when I was getting my coffee this afternoon that it would be such a genius idea.   I ran upstairs, Macchiato in hand, and told my favorite Jap that this was going to be created as soon as possible.  Without further adieu, put down your shofar and get ready... I present to you the most Jappy chain restaurants in the USA!

1) Haru - Japs love sushi and with the many outposts in NYC, this media lunch staple is a Jap heaven!  Miso Eggplant??
2) Tasti d Lite - This sort of frozen yogurt chain really started the trend of allowing Japs to indulge in their sweet tooth.  Where else could one enjoy cookies and cream for 100 calories?
3)  Berry Wild/Pink Berry/Red Mango - I am lumping all 3 together for this list because every Jap has her fave among them.  These more natural frozen yogurt chains are all the rage.  Even mommy dawg is into them with all of their fresh fruit and other fun toppings.  I am a moochi kinda lady.
4)  Houston's - What Jappy girl doesn't love to go to Houston's?  With their array of fun salads, delicious burgers, spinach artichoke dip and now SUSHI!!  This is a Jappy must!
5)  California Pizza Kitchen - With prime spots in all of the Jappy locations (Bloomingdale's, Murray Hill, Garden State Plaza, Prudential Center, etc) it is almost by default that this chain is so beloved.  I might even consider this an old-school stomping ground.
6)  Nobu - What Jap does not dream of her honeymoon in Mykonos and dinner at Nobu or her anniversary date and the chance of spotting a celeb there in NY or LA.
7)  Chop't - A salad chain must be included and this is the one I picked.  A bit pricey, but with all the fancy, low call dressings, it is a Jappy lunch dream.
8)  Dos Caminos - This made the list over the other Mexican chains because of their small portions (those tacos are tiny) and because of their new meatpacking district location.  Ample outdoor seating, yes please!

I would appreciate comments with ones I might have missed.  I am pretty, pretty low on the Jap totem pole (if I am even on it) so any feed back would be helpful. 

Eataly is Ecstacy

I came, I saw, I ate, I drank, I met Batali, I conquired Eataly!
When I first heard about Eataly opening, I was beyond thrilled.  My favorite chef Mario Batali would be opening an Italian mega food complex based on a similar concepts in Italy (hence why it is a chain and I am writing about it).   When it opened this week, I knew I had to be go and check out this land of white cheeses, tomato sauce and wine.   Having recently traveled to Italy and eating and drinking my face off, I knew I would be an expert on judging Eataly.   So this Saturday, I shook off my normal Saturday morning hangover, went for a run and made Nina come with me to see what all the buzz was all about.
There was a line just to enter, but we only waited around 10 minutes until the security man allowed us in.  When you first walk in it looks like a fancy Italian supermarket, but as you navigate through the complex you realize there is more.  What really stood out to me was how you would be in the seafood section and all of a sudden there were tables and people eating, that is how it was throughout.  We started at the wine bar of course as we waited for our table in the pizza/pasta restaurant.  Because it is so new and opened ahead of schedule there were some hiccups in the service.  They ran out of wine glasses so it took some time to get our delicious rose.  Nini and I didn't care, we were chill, just enjoying the atmosphere and the fact that seconds before I took a picture with the captain of the orange crocs club.   The same can't be said for the miserable chubster we were next to at the wine bar with the red glitter flip flops who called the establishment a sh*t show and was being quite mean to the nice men behind the bar.  If I have learned anything in my 29 years on this planet it is that you be nice to your bar tender.  Be nice to anyone who can provide you with wine!  So, after our glass of vino we proceeded to go to the pizza/pasta restaurant because it was time to check on our table.  Lucky for us it was almost ready!  Right before we sat I noticed my favorite sommelier from Otto was working there.  For some reason I feel like we are friends, but that can just be my imagination, I am not sure.  He seemed very stressed and unhappy, it was sad.  Anyway, Nina let me pick our food, that was nice, so we got the Margarita Pizza and the Pesto Pasta.  You can tell by the pictures, it was delicious!!!  The pizza was extra, extra soft and the pesto was flavorful without being too greasy.   You could totally tell the pasta was homemade too.
I would definitely come back here soon and explore more of the different eating options.  I am excited about the beer garden on the roof and Manzo's (like the Real Housewives of NJ last name - so funny) restaurant.  It is kinda of sad that I don't really know how to cook because I imagine food shopping here would be fun.  I could probably get some good Truffle Oil. 
Welcome to NY Eataly and welcome to my heart! 

Real Chains of New Jersey

I am writing this blog in utter shock of what I am watching on TV.  The Real Housewives of NJ are so nuts and disgusting and crazy and fake and broke.  These so called women or womans, whatever they call themselves should be ashamed   Gross.  Thank god for that fine piece Albie, brings some class to that show.  I also think Danielle's daughter is really pretty and should be a model.  Good luck!
Anyway, I can think of one good thing coming from NJ and it is not these women or Xanadu.  It is CHAIN RESTAURANTS!
So without further adieu here is my list of chain restaurants I want to go to but am scared I might run into a housewife (also known as my fav NJ chains).  I will pick 5 in honor of every housewife (I dont't forget about nutso Dina).

1)  Jose Tejas (no shock there)
2)  P.F. Changs
3)  Joe's Ameican Bar and Grill
4)  Houston's
5)  Bahama Breeze

Oh Theresa just said "Do we believe everything the NYPost writes."
Umm Yes.  DO NOT PUT DOWN THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE BLOG!

Pop The Champagne, It's The Birth of a Chain

Mazel Tov Lavo!  Congratulations and welcome to the world of chains.
It is with great pleasure that I announce that Lavo will be opening in NY, therefore having 2 locations and being a chain.  The original outpost is in fabulous Las Vegas at the luxurious Palazzo Hotel.  Lavo is run by the same peeps that run Tao and I certainly love me some Tao.  Lavo is an Italian restaurant.  I went in Vegas and from what I can remember, which sadly is not much, it was quite lovely and quite delicious.  I do remember the nice waiter that Nini became friends with and eating meatballs that were yummy and a pasta dish.  I was kinda a hot mess that night, not gonna lie.  Oh well.  Now that it is opening up in NY I can have it again soon.  My bro claims he has a connection and can get us into opening night.  Fingers crossed!!  If that happens, you can expect a full blog posting on it.

My Response to Eater's List

My heterolifemate, Nini just sent me a link from Eater naming their picks for the top 10 chain restaurants that need to come to NY.  I am outraged that they did not contact me, the NYC chain restaurant extraordinaire, for input.  By not contacting me, they totally messed up and missed so many key chain restaurants that need to come to NYC.  Here are their picks with my comments.  Sonic (ok might be cool), Waffle House (no let it be a southern thing), Krispy Kreme (we had and we have enough donut stores -this is the most egregious pick), Dairy Queen (eh), Denny's (no, it is really for WT and I like my island for the lack of WT), Cracker Barrel (this is a country thing, good, but not for the city), P.F. Changs (yes, yes, yes) Chilli's (sure but not necessary), Chick Fil-A (yeah I would hit that) and In N Out (obvi yes).


For the correct list of the the top 10 Chain Restaurants that need to open in NY.  See below.

10)  Blue Ice Gelato
9)  Yogurtland (bc it is now Phileo)
8)  Katsuya
7) Panera (would be great for lunch, better than freakin Le Pain)
6) In N Out (give Shake Shack a run for it's money)
5) Cheesecake Factory
4) Del Taco (heard it was good)
3)  P.F. Changs (my parents would prob visit me more, if that is even possible)
2)  Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (please)
1) JOSE TEJAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (no shock here)

OBIKA not Obama

My favorite O, besides Olen is not Obama, but Obika.
What is Obika you may be asking yourself, well it is a fabulous mozzarella bar in Rome Italy that has found success in other cities like London, Paris and good ol'NYC!  There is never a bar I do not love.  I was lucky enough to experience this mozzarella "bar" in Campo di Fiore a lovely square in the darling historical city of Rome.  I went to Obika after a late afternoon excursion with my travel buddy JM that included gelato.  When we walked passed Obika, we knew we had to try it because it just looked fabulous.  I am so glad we did.  The focus of the menu is of course, mozzarella which is just perfect for me because it is the only cheese I really like.   We got the Burrata with pesto sauce, basil and tomato (see photo above).  It was truly outstanding and delicious!  It was so creamy and wonderful and the pesto was perfect!  JM and I weren't hungry so we tried not too pig out to much but it was really hard.  To go with our lovely appertivo snack we each had a wonderful glass of refreshing Rose.  I really can't think of a better way to end a day in fabulous Rome.  Especially when on said day, one gets their luggage back!!!!! What a way to celebrate the return of Big Bertha back in my arms.  
Now, as I mentioned before there is also an Obika in NYC but that location seems to really be a bar within the IBM office building.  Not sure what I think about that.  I wish Obika would have opened up in the village where one could sit outside and people watch the way you can in Rome.   Perhaps one day! (cue in One Sweet Day by Mariah Carrey music now)

Ronaldo McDonaldi

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A trip to a foreign land would not be complete without exploring what the McDonald's is like in that land.
It is fun to see the different personalities each country brings to its best restaurant, McDonald's.  When I was in Italy I was pretty sure that the McDonald's there would have pizza, kinda like when they tried to introduce the McPizza in the USA.  I am glad that didn't work out.  Anyway, I was wrong, no McPizza.  The menu in Rome was very similar to the one in the US, just a bit abridged.  One thing that did totally stand out to me though was that they had fried shrimp!   I thought that was cool.  As always, I was there for one thing... the Chicken McNugget.  On my last day I fought through my infantile ear infection, exhaustion & dizziness and found the McDonald's right across the street from the Pantheon, how historic!   Jen M was kind enough to go with me on this expedition.  It was an expedition because the Trevi Fountain McDonald's had no power and was closed. 
Overall, I thought the chicken nuggie was pretty good, but still prefer the American version.  I think the American version has a lighter more airy batter.   This nuggie was a bit more crisp and hard in Italy.   The meat was totally white and for my chicken, I like that.   Jen M said she prefered the Italian version.  Really, both are quite delicious!  The dipping sauces are similar to what I found in Spain, honey mustard, bbq and some curry thing.  I just went with the bbq and honey mustard one.  I guess it is Italy, it would have been cool if they had a pesto or tomato dipping sauce.  I love some sauce!
So, there it is, one more McDonalds conquered.  I can't wait for my next one!

Ice Ice Baby

Blue Ice, Ice Baby.  That tune was in my head throughout my fantastic voyage to Italy.  One of the greatest food discoveries I found during my travels was the glorious gelato chain, Blue Ice.  These are everywhere in Rome.  In fact on one cute street near Campo di Fiore there are two only about 50 feet away from each other.  It is safe to say that Blue Ice is the Starbucks of Rome.  Between me and my travel buddies we were able to sample many, many flavors.  Some of the favorites were the Black Cherries and Cream, Coconut, Grapefruit (of course), Raspberry, Stracciatelli and Tiramissu.  One of my travel companions did not like the Tiramissu, but the vacum (me) came in to scoop it up and enjoy!
So if you are ever in Rome and need a refreshing treat, I really recommend stopping by Blue Ice.  After so many days of delicious gelato, it makes going back to Tasti D, extra hard!

Bad Salad's, Bad

Beautiful day in NYC if you love the heat like I do!  Too bad my office is so cold I might freeze in a heatwave, lovely.
While reading The Daily Beast this AM I came across this long list of VERY unhealthy salads.  These are VERY bad for the super bridesmaid diet.
Everything you think would be bad is bad.  The fried chicken and buffalo chicken salads, anything with blue cheese, etc.  I was upset to see one of my favorite salads on here, The Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad.  One surprise that did stand out to me was the California Pizza Kitchen Salad Miso Shrimp Salad.  That sounds pretty healthy to me but it has over 1100 calories!  Oh well, Ill stick to their Spinach Artichoke Dip and Roasted garlic Chicken Pizza.
Check out the full gallery here.  I have a feeling they only tested a few places and that every chain had salads with over 1,000 calories in them.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1818/1/?redirectURL=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-07-05/40-most-unhealthy-salads/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsR1

Central Park Chain Emerges From The Meadows

In honor of my girl Brookie's upcoming nuptials this weekend, I decided to start blogging again and drinking more Stoli Raz.   I was in Central Park today getting some sun so I could be a tan bridesmaid when I saw a chain arise in the distant meadow.  Many thought it was too hot for the sun today, but not I and not Jen Roy.   Good thing I worship the sun because as I sweated in the meadow I saw the first Central Park chain, and what was this chain you may ask?  None other than one of Brookie's favorite spots, Le Pain Quotidien.  I am not a huge fan of this place because I think it is kinda expensive for what it is but I eat her with Brookie because it's a bit nicer than your typical Manhattan deli lunch spot.  No matter what, I am glad to see a chain in Central Park and could see myself getting some bread with some crap on top of it while I continue to go to Central Park this summer burning my skin.
So in honor of Le Pain Quotidien and the future Mrs. Weissman I lift up my $4.00 favored iced tea from Le Pain Quotidien and I say Mazel!

Chang Up Your Kitchen

I was at the movie theater this week when my eyes and ears were shocked by the sight and sound of a new commercial airing before Sex and the City.  (side note, I still don't understand commercials in movies)  Anyway, one of my favorite chains, P.F. Changs now has frozen meals available in your grocery store.  You can either stir fry them in a pan (Iam so inept I cant even do that) or heat them in your microwave.  The packaging recommends stiry fry but I would try microwaving them just to see.

They offer the following varities (my favorite dishes are not available)
Beef w. Broccoli, Orange Chicken, Sweet N Sour Chicken, General Changs Chicken, Shrimp in Garlic Sauce, Shrimp Lo Mein, Ginger Chicken and Broccoli, and Shanghai Style Beef.
I have yet to try them yet, but please comment if you have.
I doubt they will be half as good as they are in the restaurant but are definitely a welcome addition to the frozen food aisle.

No Reason For This List

Want to know the best way to ruin a lovely 90 degree NY day?  Publish an article about the worst chain dishes in terms of calorie and include one of my favorite dishes on that list.
Yup, PF Changs has the honor of being included on this list.  My go to dish, the double pan fried noodles has over 1,800 calories.  Wow!   I guess when something is not fried once, but twice, the calories add up.
I wonder if I will keep on eating it knowing this info now, probably. 
For more delicious un-nutritious dishes check out the link below.
http://www.cspinet.org/nah/articles/xtremeeating2010.html

Pita Grill is Pita Good

Anyone that lives in NYC knows Pita Grill.  It really is a staple of NYC eating and I am shocked that I have not written about this grill sooner.
I became a fan of this restaurant when it opened up it's Murray Hill location a few years ago.  Everything in the restaurant revolves around, you guessed it, a Pita.  They have various sandwiches served on a pita, platters that include pita and sides where you can dip your pita.
I have a few favorite go-to's here.  For sandwiches I enjoy the Thai Chicken Lite, which is a delicious piece of grilled chicken, lettuce, onions and tomatoes, I get it without the tomatoes obvi and a lite thai peanut sauce.  What I also have been doing lately is adding hot sauce to the equation.  Another sandwich that I like is the Hawaiian Pita, you can get it with Steak or Chicken.  Both are good.  The only bad thing about their sandwiches is that they can be rather messy to eat because a lot of the time the food falls out of said Pita.
When I am on the hungrier side, I get the platters.  All sandwiches can also be platters.  The platters include rice and veggies, but the great part is that you can substitute one of those for hummus.  I sub the veggies for the California Hummus which is excellent.  They add cilantro to it which gives it a fun kick!
I also really like the Pita Salad.  It is what one might refer to as a "Rori" salad.  It comes with craisins, chicken and grilled eggplant.  It is also served with feta cheese, but I HATE feta so I order it without the cheese.  Another menu option here are the rice bowls.  Cousin usually gets that and it looks delicious.  It is essentially a big bowl of rice and salad all mixed together.  Next time I go to Pita Grill I will try this.  They also have paninis but I think if you are at Pita Grill you shouldnt get a panini, save that for somewhere else.
One thing kinda annoying about Pita Grill is that because it is so good, if you dont place your order before you arrive you probably will have to wait a good 15 minutes or so for it to be ready.  Not a huge deal but good to note.