Guest Post- Sushein

I recently went with my wife to Sushein. A brand new revolutionary kosher sushi restaurant located in lower Manhattan.

The thing that really sets this place apartment from other sushi establishments is that they have a conveyor belt leading from the sushi chefs in the back of the restaurant, going all the way down to the front with loads of fresh sushi being piled onto it non-stop.  The variety is fantastic and its very exciting to try new rolls because you never know what's going to come in front of you next.  All of the plates that come down the conveyor are color coded, and each color represents a different price (i.e. red=$3.25, grey=$5.50, etc.).

There is also a made-to-order menu as well for lunch and dinner just in case the conveyor is not for you.

The service is constant, fast, and pleasant. One side of the conveyor is bar-style seating, and the other side is booth-style. 

Very hip and stylish décor and ambiance as well.  Check out the online menu.

I definitely recommend Sushein, whether you are looking for an affordable night out, great tasting and innovative sushi rolls, or just something a little outside the box.

Sushein 

325 Broadway (between Thomas and Worth)

www.sushein.com

(212) 962-2500

Hours of operation:

Sun 1pm-11-pm

Mon-Thursday 11am-11pm

Fri 11-am- 2:30pm.

Winter Saturday night

Closed- IMA Restaurant

I have just confirmed that Ima's has also closed down.

Not surprising. I liked the place but with Mabat being the 600 pound gorilla and Royal Persian being the cute small homey place run by Sabba and Safta, who needed an IMA ? Aren’t grandparents always better?

Breaking news- Sammy's Deli closed

Regrettably I have just confirmed that Sammy’s Deli has closed.

I happened to love the place (clean, new, spacious) and the service was good as well.

Food was great (best kugel in Teaneck though Petak’s is getting close)

Unsure if its temporary or permanent, but its closed.

What he should be doing is moving the retail out of that whole building, and doing a joint venture with the owners of the gas station (Rafi Levy) in making a block long building with underground parking , first floor retail (Sammy’s moves back) and 4 stories of higher end rental/ condo apartments above for the empty nesters in town. (I’m unsure if the Chinese takeout building was sold yet, but it was for sale a while back).

The Queen Area/ Plaza district wad rezoned for 5 stories with a setback so its “shovel ready” after permits are processed.

More to follow…..

Guest Post- "Noi due" – “The Two of Us”

This dim lit basement restaurant is a perfect choice for a casual brunch or a dinner with friends or family.

The decor-dim lit basement with wooden furniture, snapshots of Italian suburban scenes hanging on the walls, and a vast choice of wines covering the walls behind the main counter-make you feel like you walked into a real Italian Tavern.

As they take no reservations in advance, there may be a short wait before you are allowed in.  Due to the great food and friendly atmosphere the place is always packed -but don’t get scared off by the line outside the door!! You  will always be greeted by a friendly girl or the Italian manager who will take your name down and make sure you get a table prepared for you in no longer than 10 to 15 minutes. 

As you wait for your food you can relax by watching the “pizzaiolo” twirl the pizza dough on his finger before he acrobatically places it in the brick oven placed in an open area at one end of the restaurant.

The food is served to you fast and the friendly waiters are always around to replenish your bread/water or get you anything you may need. 

The menu is not long but everything on it is excellent, as their logo suggests on the menu: “poco ma buono”- “little but good”. Choices of appetizers, pizzas, pastas, fish and salads.  Pasta is always “al dente” and as close to authentic Italian pasta as you will possibly get in a kosher restaurant.

The “poco ma buono” concept goes for the portions as well.  They are not huge so that you can actually leave the restaurant fully satisfied but without that feeling of being stuffed and not being able to move.

The desserts are great but the “Dolce di Lecce” is a must! Be careful because it’s addicting!

The cleanliness of the place is apparent through and through. The food is fresh and clean, the waiters are put together, and the bathrooms are shining too!! As you make your way to the bathroom you even get a chance to check out the cooking crew in the kitchen; and if there is a person or two in line before you, you can observe them cook and will notice that the kitchen (the most important place of the restaurant) is very clean as well.

The overall atmosphere is fun and friendly.  Always full of people which makes it a very happening place.   The waiters add a “fast-pace” edge to the ambiance as they rush-almost run- from table to table serving all their customers.  And the vastly diverse crowd allows everyone to feel at ease no matter the attire or the religious views.

Whenever I’m in the city and in need of a meal I always make sure to stop by “noi due” EVEN if it means taking an extra train to get there! It’s worth it.

Noi Due
143 West 69th Street
New York, New York 10023
212.712.2222
http://noiduecafe.com/Home_Page.html

Maoz Vegetarian

As many of you know, I love Israel. From the flights (nothing beats business class on miles) to the Kotel, from the food to the hotels, I can go there monthly.

The ability to pretty much be able to stop and eat anywhere is the best part of the food aspect. Walking down a street, smell fresh pita and walk in and get one- in Jerusalem yes, the rest of the world, regrettably NO.

UNTIL NOW

Maoz Vegetarian is an Israeli Falafel “stand.” In reality, it’s small stores located throughout the City (currently six of them). They also offer great delivery service, which I used yesterday (and lord knows I can go on about delivery services- that used to be my job at my Brooklyn office at 1pm everyday).

They offer whole wheat and regular pita, salads, fries and freshly squeezed juices. The salad bar options are the traditional ten or so salads.

The best thing about the place- the fries are either regular, sweet, or a mixed bag of both. What a great idea. Not sure why no genius has thought of that before.

They offer a few “deals” which basically make it easier to order.

They are well staffed and the line moves fast. Thankfully, Maoz takes all credit cards, though the average bill is only $10.

Here is the one down side - there are no damn seats! I understand their model, but I ate one of my meals there on the street curb outside next to a homeless man! They need to work on some benches or something, outside regulation permitting.

All in all, very worthwhile.

Maoz

212-777-0820

212-265-2315 deliveries

www.maozusa.com (you can order online)

locations: 200 West 40^th St @7^th Ave, 2047 Broadway, 59 East 8^th St, 683 8^th Ave, 38 Union Square East, 2857 Broadway @ Columbia

Guest Post Basil

After taking two weeks off to catch up at work, I am back!

See below for a guest post re Basil. While I agree its worth the trip to Crown Heights, its NOT worth the trip from Teaneck unless you are already suffering in Brooklyn (like me).

From what I hear, the lines in Basil are always out the door. This Saturday night was no different. The wait for a table of 4 was 30 minutes. We read the menu while we waited so as soon as we sat down we knew exactly what we wanted. We flagged down the waitress, who was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, and was able to offer some suggestions before we ordered.

The appetizers were amazing and arrived quickly. Their Basil fries put a spin on the classic shoestring french fries, the fritto misto were unique and fried to perfection, and the baked brie was unbelievable. The eggplant parmesan salad was ok, nothing to rave about however, the wild mushroom pizza with goat and mozzarella cheese really hit the spot. The creamy cheese in between mushrooms really complemented the thin crust and had the perfect consistency. The other mains were pretty good too with the exception of the linguini. It was overcooked and needed seasoning desperately.

Although the service was pretty good for a busy Saturday night dessert took forever. We waited a good 20 minutes for funnel cake and Napoleon. The desserts were good, but not worth the 20 minute wait (especially when you're paying a babysitter on top of it all!).

Basil is an all around good restaurant with food food that's different and edgy. Definitely out of the box and worth the trip to crown heights.

Basil Pizza & Wine Bar

270 Kingston Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213

(718) 285-8777

Guest Post- Chai Ko Topas

Have you eaten here yet? Talk about getting the BEST bang for your buck in town!  My family, plus my sister, 6 people total literally ate like kings for a very reasonable price.  My short ribs order basically consisted of an entire cow.  Oh, and it only cost $26! 

We had four appetizers, a massive soup (which could've been for 3 people), 3 mains and 1 dessert.  Here's the best part.  Coupled with my 10% Yavneh discount ( http://www.ypaaonline.org/ ) the total cost for all of us was $140 including taxes and a 20% tip.

The food was excellent and very fresh.  The service was top of the line and the food was brought to our table quickly after it was ordered.  I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice dinner at a relatively affordable price point.  (Make sure to go soon before everyone realizes how good this place is and they raise their prices!)

Chaiko Tapas
515 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666
201-530-5665
http://www.chaikotapas.com/