Billyboy's Bodacious Bites of 2010

I hardly travelled in 2010 but all of these wonderful year's end recaps got me thinking:  What foods really stood out for me in 2010? What foods still haunt my taste buds months later?  So, in chronological order and without further ado...
 
The bacon cheeseburger at Peter Luger's in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC.  I went back there 2 weeks ago with my friends and it's just as amazing as ever.  Juicy and beefy.  To date, the only restaurant I actually RAN to (4 miles) for a meal!

 
Tavern-style pizza at Kinchley's Tavern in Ramsey, NJ.  My co-workers in Northern NJ said I simply had to try this so one day we took a long lunch and I was introduced to the delights of tavern-pizza.  This place definitely had more of a tavern than restaurant feel and it seemed as though everyone knew everyone else and all tables had multiple pizza on them.  This pepperoni & mushroom pizza was chewy at the center and became cracker-like towards the edges and was so thin I could have eaten a whole pie by myself.  

 
The cheeseburger at J.G. Melon on the Upper East Side, NYC.  I received a last minute call from The Travelin' Man and braved a severe rain/wind storm for this cheeseburger!  However, the chance to indulge in one of their beefy wonders and hang with TTM was too good to pass up.  Melons always has a clubby sort of feel to it and I usually have a conversation with one or two people who have been regulars for decades.

 
4-Way chili at Gold Star Chili in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.  After having seen countless pictures of this dish in RF over the years, I was eager for our layover on the way back from Disney so I could tuck into this rib-sticking delight.

 
Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Brooklyn, NY.  The first of many visits in 2010 was in the company of two wonderful Roadfooders, Chris & Amy of ayersian.  This sausage, black olive and extra basil pie still "has me at hello".

 
More to come...
 

Great start billyboy! Can't wait for the rest!

Okay, thats enough!( not really-my stomach just started growling)

Ann, I always make the mistake of reading posts like this before breakfast. You would think I would learn!

Billyboy

You've proven time and time again that you don't have to travel far to find good Roadfood. At first glance I thought perhaps you found some 5 Way Chili in the NYC area, but after reading the caption, I realized it was during your layover. However if there is one man who can find Cincinnati 5 way Chili in the NYC area- it's you!

Sesame pancake and pork & chive dumplings from Vanessa's Dumplings, Lower East Side, NYC.  After 10 visits I stopped counting.  The combination of the greasy, nutty, chewy pancake and the tender, juicy dumplings scented with ginger has won me over again and again.  Watching the ladies make them through the glass window and consuming them on the street makes for an experience I will never tire of.  One of my favorite places to bring out-of town guests.


 
Peanut butter glazed, strawberry jelly filled doughnut and Blackout doughnut from the Doughnut Plant, Lower East Side, NYC.  Shocking that this is on my list, I know.  The most surprising part is that I have not had one from this place in a month and a half.  You'll pardon me if my typing is a bit off as my hand is trembling  Pricey, yes, but always top notch and the when their doughnuts have a name listing the main ingredients not only can you taste them but they really shine through.


 
Man-Made Mascarpone & Fluent In French Toast rice puddings at Rice To Riches in Nolita (North of Little Italy), NYC.  This place has been around for over a decade selling nothing but rice pudding and I am always blown away at first bite every time I go there.  The MMM is my go-to flavor but they really nailed it with the FIFT!

 
Nutella-Banana panini from BITE in Greenwich Village, NYC.  Nutella, bananas and pressed, crunchy, crispy ciabatta bread.  What's not to utterly love?  Belushi had his Little Chocolate Donuts, I have this.

 
Lamb sausage with yogurt-mint sauce at Dogmatic Gourmet Sausage System.  I only made it here once in 2010 with Chris & Amy and my girlfriend, but what an impression it made.  A nicely charred lamb sausage encased in a hollowed out, toasted baguette and slathered with a most tasty yogurt-mint sauce.  A kissing cousin to the gyro.

 
BBQ Beans with burnt ends at R.U.B. BBQ in Chelsea, NYC.  A must order when I go here.  Some love it or hate it but I can't get enough of them.  Powerfully flavored, spicy and packs a smoky punch in the mouth!

 
Margarita slice and Spinach & Artichoke slice at Artichoke in the East Village, NYC.  A relative newcomer on the scene but a standing room only place cranking out some delicious pies.  The S & A slice tastes like the best party dip ever found it's true home on a pizza.  And it appears Old Man Parker's Major Award "Fragile" lamp has been resurrected!



 
Toasted Marshmallow milkshake at STAND in Union Square, NYC.  Like a campfire in a glass.  Nuff said.

 
Various pizzas from Pulino's Bar-Pizzeria on the Bowery, NYC.  From the top: meatball pizza with pickled chiles, rock shrimp, fennel & sausage pizza and I'm not entirely sure of the third one but it might be the roasted pork pizza we had.  There was all amazing and unlike any other I have ever eaten.  Light, crispy, chewy and abundant in flavor, they won us (my girlfriend plus two of our friends) over.



 
The "That Way" sandwich at This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef in Greenwich Village, NYC.  I HAD to include the exterior lest anyone think I was making up the name of this place. I had been reading about this spot for months and it more than lived up to my expectations.  Fall apart tender roast beef, fresh mozzarella melting under hot beef gravy and a sturdy roll that holds up well...well, it was a messy affair, but soooo good.


 
The whole menu at Shopsin's General Store in the Essex Market, Lower east Side, NYC.  A bold statement, sure and having only been there twice perhaps a bit too confident but I have never been so completely moved by food.  Everything pictured here was like an opera of tastes without a single false note.  From the crispy fried potatoes to the green chile cheeseburger sliders, apple-cinnamon pancakes and the butterscotch ebelskivers, everything was addicting.  Pricey, sure.  All fresh, local ingredients, doubtful.  However, the respect that Kenny and his family give the ingredients they have on hand has enabled them to turn out some of the most inspired food I have seen in years and all in a tiny closet of a food stall.  This approach has won them legions of fans and after having a chance to engage kenny in conversation, I count myself among them.




 
Stay tuned...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

billy, whenever I eventually get to NYC, I'm taking this post with me.  :)

Thanks so much, Nancy!  And I'm not even halfway through the year yet!

Wow, Billyboy, thanks for great tips and pics of NYC food which I never would have stumbled onto on my own. I'm way overdue for a trip there and definitely want to try some of these.
 
Next time you're visiting Cincinnati, try Blue Ash Chili, Price Hill Chili, Zip's Cafe, or Mt. Washington Chili. I'll eat at Gold Star or Skyline because they are only 30 and 40 miles away respectively, but when in Cincy, I try to hit one of the first four.

Oooooh that pizza!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, Billyboy, both for demonstrating that roadfood can be close to home and providing some new ideas for when I am in NYC.  Questions for you or anyone else who might know: Is it correct that one can only get the Peter Luger cheeseburger at the bar and before 3PM? Also, is it available Sunday?

@Mark, will do!  Cajun King led a RF tour of Cincy a while back of some of the chili parlors and I'd love to take a crack at a few of them one day.  
@Lee, which one?  
@Kenny Joe, thanks for the kind words.  As to Luger's, you can get the burger at the bar and at the tables, however they don't serve food at the bar on Sundays so table only on that day.  The burgers are only served during lunch from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.  On Sundays it's 12;45pm to 3:00pm as 12:45pm is their first service on that day.  If you go Monday thru Saturday you could try to walk in and sit at the bar to eat your burger.  I did that on a Friday and it worked out okay but coming from out of town I'd make a reservation and not leave it to chance.  I live 3 subway stops away so I know I can get there fairly easily again if need be.  Sunday, definitely make a reservation.  Cal 3-4 weeks in advance as I did and got one of the last Sunday reservations available for the burger (2:45pm).  CASH ONLY.  Dress is business casual/casual.  Here is the thread from two of my visits.  Let me know if you need any more info. 
http://www.roadfood.com/F...-2nd-trip-m552935.aspx

Hot and Cold lobster roll and Maine Root blueberry soda at Luke's Lobster in the East Village, NYC.  Another newcomer this year and the first in the city to sell a lobster roll for under $20 ($15).  They bind chilled lobster meat with mayo and then drizzle a generous amount of warm melted butter over it and served in a buttered and toasted split-top roll.  Not the same as sitting by the water in Maine during the summer but it really brought me back to having endless lobster rolls at my aunt's place just down the road from Red's Eats.  The soda had a great fresh blueberry flavor to it that I loved.


 
Pulled pork sandwich with red & white sauces from Big Bob Gibson's at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party, NYC.  My one "must have" each year at this festival of smoked meats in Manhattan.  Yes, I feel that actually going to the source, on the road and trying these in their natural state is ideal, but this is the next best thing and this sandwich with it's combination of smoke, tender and crusty parts, sweet & spicy sauce and excellent mustard slaw has wowed me every time.  

 
Hot Pork link with pimento cheese & crackers from Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q (Birmingham, AL - various locations) at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party, NYC.  My second year trying this and the combination of the juicy, smoky hot link, hot bbq sauce, jalapenos, cool pimento cheese and crackers is something I could snack on all day and put away a LOT of it!  I'm only sad I just discovered the joys of pimento cheese last year!

 
"Standing Order" concrete from the Shake Shack (Madison Square Park), NYC.  I had heard about this from ayersian when they had first tried it this summer.  When I spied it still on the menu, I HAD to try it.  Rich, dense custard that seems to expand to fill one's mouth, super fresh-cut strawberries and an orange-poppyseed caramel all conspired to make me pause several times while eating and exclaim, "Wow!  Am I really eating this?".  

 
Elote (Mexican corn on the cob) at the SeriousEats.com meet-up at the Red Hook ball field vendors in Brooklyn, NY.  In June, I went to meet some of my favorite food bloggers to chow down with them among the many Latin American street carts and trucks that have graced the ball fields in this neighborhood for many years.  While the pupusas, cashew water and watermelon agua fresca were great, this ear of corn liberally slathered with mayo, grated cotija cheese and spices had me abandoning all manners and just chowing down like a dog with a bone!

 
The "Swingle" from Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies in Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY.  After leaving the ball fields, the SeriousEats.com group walked to Steve's for this unique treat.  A frozen key lime tart (with a graham cracker crust) on a stick and coated in dark chocolate.  I think it speaks for itself.  I love the signs below, especially the schedule!  A man who has his priorities straight!



 
Shrimp and roast pork fried rice and roast pork wonton soup at Big Wong Restaurant in Chinatown, NYC.  My girlfriend's family has been coming here for years and anything with roast pork is GOOD!  That soup is so comforting.  When you walk in the sight of hanging ducks, spareribs and the thwack of a cleaver making sort work of the roasted meats is a most welcome sound.


 
Mushroom and Mozzarella pizza from Joe's Pizza in Whitesboro, NY.  My friend Doug & I ran a race in Utica, NY this summer and Joe's was our "carbo loading" restaurant of choice the night before.  He used to eat here when living in the area and a couple of RFers had suggested I try it.  This pie with its crispy, chewy crust, sweet sauce, stringy mozzarella and mushrooms was a winner for all of us.

 
Chicken Parmesan sub and a Pepperoni Roll (aka "Roni" roll) from New York Pizzeria & Restaurant in New Berlin, NY.  Doug introduced me to his hometown pizzeria and the roni roll is a buttery, spicy delight.  The quality of the dough really elevates it.  I have always been on the hunt for a great chicken parm in any form and this sub with crispy chicken tenders, ample mozzarella, sweet sauce and toasted bread might just be the one I have been looking for all these years!


 
 
Don't touch that dial...!!
 
 
 
 
 

Great looking food...and the pie guy's work schedule is everyone's dream!!

As usual Billyboy, awesome pics and choices.

how could anyone hate those baked beans?

how could anyone hate those baked beans?

Great pictures and descriptions, as always.  Even the food that I don't normally eat looks good enough to have (and I would definitley try it).  Thanks so much for the work on the report.

Alrighty then.  Chicken parm for dinner it is!  

Wow. wow. wow. The question - what can't you find in NYC?? Your food pics, as always, inspire drooling and an urge to grab my car keys and head south to the city!!

bill voss


how could anyone hate those baked beans?

bill voss


how could anyone hate those baked beans?

Bill,
It seems like those baked beans are repeating on you.
 

Hot Roast Beef sandwich from Defonte's of Brooklyn in the Gramercy area of Manhattan, NYC.  Started in Brooklyn in 1922, this shop finally made it's way to Manhattan and already has scores of fans eagerly waiting in line for their pepper & egg, potato & egg, steak pizziola and meatball parm sandwiches.  The standout here though is the hot roast beef with in house roasted beef, fresh mozzarella, fried eggplant and au jus on a sesame seeded roll.  It all just comes together so nicely.

 
Stuffed cabbage and a pastrami sandwich at Sarge's Delicatesen in Murray Hill, NYC.  One of my favorite delis for years now still serving up an amazingly rich pastrami sandwich that isn't shy with the meat and my first venture with their stuffed cabbage was sweet, sour, and tangy.  I can't wait to return.


 
Home fries and a foot-wide blueberry pancake at Mother's Cupboard in Syracuse, NY.  having wanted to try this place for breakfast for a few years now, it did not disappoint with some of the crustiest/creamiest home fries I've ever tasted.  And it was a task of epic proportions, but I managed to knock out that every spongy soft bite of that pancake (no syrup necessary).  Keep your elbows off the table!!



 
Whole and chocolate milk in the Dairy Building at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, NY.  On a hot summer day this ice cold treat was a reminder of my childhood and of what good milk is supposed to taste like.

 
Jelly bun at Holland Farms Bakery & Deli in Yorkville, NY.  After reading fellow Roadfooder Cecif's report on Utica I made it a point to come here for the jelly bun and it's freshness and great flavored jelly made it a hit with me.  Just be sure to lean forward when taking a bite!  Their signs are easy to spot and hilarious too.  Any place that calls itself my jelly bun headquarters and ships half moons is alright by me!




 
Tomato Pie from Roma Sausage & Deli in Utica, NY.  This pie has forced me to update my death row menu and add it on along with my bbq sandwiches from Voss' BBQ.  I've heard many people say that sampling is the best way to go as most folks get tired of eating the same food after a certain number of bites.  I NEVER tire of Roma's pie.  The sweet sauce, focaccia like crust and nutty salty cheese is, in a word, addicting.

 

Mexi-Dog and Turkey BBQ sandwich (with extra sauce) at Voss' BBQ in Yorkville, NY.  Like I said before, my death row meal!  I have yet to find a BBQ sauce or a chili sauce that I love as much as Voss'.  The look, feel and food and their "magnetic letter" ordering system truly embody to me what Roadfood is all about.




 
Greens Anthony and Chicken Riggies from Frankie's Taste of Italy in Old Forge, NY.  Greens and riggies are two very popular Central NY specialties and there are as many ways to prepare them as restaurants that offer them.  I had them both for the first time at Frankie's this past September and was just wowed.  The greens were very bright and full of flavor and the riggies were lighter than most versions and spicy to boot.


 
The final installment coming to a thread near you...soon!
 
 
 

Oh those last two pictures got to me...I want it now!!!!!!

Damn food porn. It should be illegal!

billyboy, Just from looking at the pictures, I feel I need to run around the block a few times.  
 
Loved everything except that Mayo Dog  Even the pigeon was walking away  I am hoping to get back up to the Utica Area this spring.  THAT is one outstanding and unique RF area.

Dam you, you had to show that Chicken Parm from New Berlin NY again??? I think that was the single most enticing roadfood pic I saw in 2010 and now I have to drool over it one more time!
 
Great report as usual, great year and great pix! Thanks and Happy New Year!

Nobody covers their home city's Roadfood scene as well as you do billyboy!  What an outstanding series of photos.  What I want to know is, with all that eating, when did you ever have time to run?

buffetbuster


Nobody covers their home city's Roadfood scene as well as you do billyboy!  What an outstanding series of photos.   

 
I wholly concur!

Bill, the beans are pretty intensely flavored and of the friends I have talked to they are split 50-50.
TnT, I'm hoping to put together another NYC Tour this spring!
Joe, actually that was grilled ear of corn.  The mayo can be a bit much if you're not familiar with it.  A few of my friends have balked at it on other occasions but I just love it!  I agree on the CNY area, Joe.  A treasure trove of great Roadfood in the Utica-Rome-Syracuse area.
Ken, glad I could give you another fix of that Chicken Parm.  It really was like none I have ever had.  I wish I could find one that good down here in the city.  I'm sure there one exists, I just need to redouble my efforts.  Happy New Year to you as well!
BB - There actually wasn't as much Roadfood as it appears with these photos.  I tried to be diligent about getting in my training as I had quite a few races on the books in 2010.  Most of my Roadfooding came on the weekends and trips I took to visit family in Central NY.
The first trip to Luger's was at the end of a 4-mile run (by design), the State Fair was after a 15K run earlier that morning, the jelly bun, tomato pie and Voss' BBQ came after a 13.1 mile bike ride to scope out my running course for a half marathon coming up two weeks later and I have a few end of year treats still to post (one in particular that had me thinking, WWbbD?) that were a post-run reward to myself!
 

Billyboy...great shots! I moved back to Syracuse last year and tried Mother's Cupboard this summer and again this fall. I had known of it for years but couldn't bring myself to go inside until I met some regulars. What a great diner experience! I had the half order frittatta on my first trip and got three meals out of it. The place is jam packed on the weekend but everyone is having fun..