Bonnie’s Grill, Park Slope, Brooklyn

The thing about living in restaurant-dense area is that you begin to respond to the mention of food items with restaurant names. Fried oysters and Bloody Marys? Stone Park. Dollar oysters? Cornelius. Banana Split? Chocolate Room. Gelato? Brooklyn Larder. Ice Cream? Ample Hill. Paella? Blue Ribbon. Italian? Al di La. Burger? Bonnie’s Grill.

As far as burgers, Bonnie’s Grill definitely takes the cake in giving an authentic char-grilled experience that you will immediately taste in your first bite. This small joint gets crowded with fans eager for a burger or their equally-acclaimed wings in a no-frills business that is all about the task at hand: food.

A starter of wings (Do not get them “hot” unless you have a death wish, “medium” is plenty hot for a spice lover like me. Don’t say you weren’t warned!) well deserving of their multiple awards will remind you what Buffalo Wings are supposed to taste like. Crispy and crunchy on the outside, lathered with hot wing sauce, juicy and tender inside. Our companions for the evening ordered one large plate each.

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Apple Cider Donuts at Soon’s Orchard, New Hampton NY

I’m not a sucker for sweets. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it, even if this blog is full of dessert posts. But the truth is that I don’t seek out cakes, pastries and pies, and I would be as happy with fruit after a meal. Dessert I feel is a moment to share as a separate meal sharing a slice with tea and conversation, or as a second destination after a restaurant meal. Anyway, where was I? (Lost in sugary lies!)

Oh yes, warm apple cider donuts. From Soons Orchard, these are about the best donuts I’ve ever had. Ever. Would I lie to you? Maybe for a donut.

At 31 cents apiece, they’re not bad! They have them with brown or powdered sugar. I prefer them as a classic brown, and freshly made from the Soon’s country store. Continue reading →

Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwiches

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Did I tell you about ice cream sandwiches? I think I did here and here. But I need to tell you again, and more specifically about the wonderful thing that is Coolhaus that allows you to select your cookie and ice cream combinations on the spot. WHUT WHUT is right!

Potato chip and Skor bar cookie and Oreo coffee ice cream sandwich

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Red Onion, Woodstock NY

Is it snooty to be distrustful of people’s tastes in food when they live in small towns? This might be the snobby New Yorker in me talking, but tell me that’s not what New York does to its inhabitants. We are spoiled with the most diverse array of cuisines and such a high concentration of food establishments that intense competition quickly weeds out inferior ones within a few months of opening.

That doesn’t mean I am not proven wrong every so often. Our excursions to Sweet Sue’s in Phoenicia and The Country Inn in Olivebridge both originated from a local’s recommendation. We found Red Onion online, and though we were wary about its fine dining reputation, we were quickly reassured by Brooklyn friends who had a house up there that we couldn’t go wrong with Red Onion. Good.

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Pokpok NY, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

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Asian foodies are so demanding. When we first sat down at Pok Pok NY, our Japanese friend exclaimed, “Thank GOD there is no pad thai on the menu!” She said this because most New York Thai restaurants have identified themselves with the overused noodle dish which has become a staple as far as Thai cuisine is concerned – except that a good pad thai is absolutely rare in these parts. They normally come out dry, bland, and (sigh) Americanized.

So we welcomed the addition of Pok Pok NY into the neighborhood as authentic Asian restaurants were few and far between, plus we’ve grown tired of trying them only to be disappointed. Pok Pok was highly acclaimed, in fact we bumped into fellow food-obsessed friends who got in line with us that Sunday afternoon. Of course our group had to ruin that impression. Uggh, so demanding!

Papaya Pok Pok – Papaya, Lime and Chili Salad

We started with the papaya salad which was too hot that it was inedible. Continue reading →

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