Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (kozel)

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:58:57 GMT

Yup, I misread the date of your post. I saw the 7/13/09 and totally missed the 12/28/12 but did see the edited on 12/28/12. Mea culpa!

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (Hepcat)

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:39:08 GMT

kozel
Now that's weird! Hepcat comes back and edits a post he made over 3 years ago on a thread that's been inactive for all that time.

Optical illusion. I posted on 28 December 2012 and edited my post less than an hour later. And CCinNJ was correct. It was to insert the picture of the kind of roadside restaurant I'd find difficult to resist.

kozel
You playing with us Hepcat?

Always!

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (CCinNJ)

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 17:45:04 GMT

I bet it was to insert a picture Hepcat found...and edited to include the picture.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (kozel)

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:50:54 GMT

Now that's weird! Hepcat comes back and edits a post he made over 3 years ago on a thread that's been inactive for all that time. You playing with us Hepcat?

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (TJ Jackson)

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:25:28 GMT

Right

When I search Roadfood, I want to assume anything listed is considered (by someone, preferably MS) to have good (or better) quality food.

And yes, WJ, it'd be awesome if it was also regionally appropriate :-)

And yes, TTM, it'd be best if they were all open 24/7/365 :-)

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (buffetbuster)

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:53:35 GMT

It seems to me that a lot of this comes down to what we consider a review. Anyone can write about a place they visited in these forums and tell us what they think. In that way, I want to read about the good, the bad and everything in between. That's what the forums are for.

Then there is the formal reviews that are kept in the Roadfood restaurant database. While it is true than anyone can submit a review, there are certain qualifications it has to meet (quality photos of the food, well written with descriptions of what the food tastes like, etc.) to get added to the Roadood review section. I have a feeling (and please correct if this is wrong) that this is what TJ Jackson is talking about. And I wholeheartedly agree with him, since the last thing we need is for that area to get filled up with reviews of mediocre or worse places. It should be reserved for the best of the best Roadfood joints.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (TJ Jackson)

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:44:36 GMT

I wasn't talking about fine dining or haute cuisine in the quoted block, Hepcat, I was talking about good quality eats.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (Hepcat)

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 11:29:13 GMT

TJ Jackson
ah, so you two come here to read about mediocre food?

interesting/puzzling. but accepted. *shrug*

While Woolworth's lunch counters may not have served haute cuisine, I have very fond memories of eating at those counters. Similarly, Greasy Nick's sounds like my kind of restaurant. Local hangouts are precisely the kind of places I want to visit, and I come to Roadfood to learn about these places.

If I wanted fine dining/haute cuisine, there are guidebooks galore. But I value the unique perspective Roadfood members can provide!

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (MiamiDon)

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:04:11 GMT

Glad to read a second opinion. I'm going to be in Westchester again in ten months, and I plan to stop by if the weather is good.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (David_NYC)

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:50:57 GMT

I stopped by Greasy Nick's today - less than a 5 minute diversion off I-95. I had a cheeseburger, fries and soda. Whether or not the burger patties were ever frozen is hard to tell. However, they are made of high quality, fine-ground beef. Not the gristle-burgers you get at Jones Beach. The shoestring fries were frozen, came in large, brown bags, were extremely long (~4 inches) but were delicious. The ketchup was "cut" with white vinegar, which made for a fine condiment for the fries.

The zombie beers-du-jour were Piels and PBR. The dumpster area of the restaurant yielded an empty hamburger patty box; they are buying patties, not making them. But the brand of burgers was also a zombie brand. I haven't seen that box in a restaurant in decades. The plant number on the box now traces back to the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, only a few miles away. A cautionary message on the box read "Keep Frozen or Keep Refrigerated." Perhaps a restaurant pro can advise if some packers still sell patties vacuum packed or nitrogen flashed but not frozen.

Don't let the words "frozen patty" put you off. They may not be and the patties I saw them place on the grill today were not frozen (because they bent) at the time they cooked them. They were juicy and with the onions and cheese, delicious.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (MilwFoodlovers)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:27:06 GMT

We've got a divey tavern that we go to for blues music and greasy cheeseburgers. The hamburgers are cooked in some sort of weird broiler machine and served in a wax paper covered plastic basket. I love the burgers. I asked what kind of meat she used and she said "Oh, they're just patties from Sam's Club"! Go figure.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:54:04 GMT

Zombie beer - I never heard that before, but I like it!

We'll post a Logbook after our next visit - we'll check it out but I'd be very surprised if they are now using fresh meat. The video clip on that link is interesting, but the text below that is lifted straight from our Roadfood.com review!

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (David_NYC)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:40:44 GMT

There is a February, 2008 interview with owner Pat Leno posted:
http://www.thedoctorschannel.com/video/581.html?specialty=35
in which Pat claims he uses fresh meat. There are pictures of raw burgers on the grill. Could he possibly be using fresh meat and one of those burger forming gadgets?

Until I saw that Yahoo map, I never realized how easy it was to get to from I-95 or the Hutchinson River Parkway, so I never made the trek. But, I'll be going soon.

If he is using hard rolls, my guess it is because he is using fresh meat and the onions also have moisture on them. Most of the defunct foodservice hamburger bun bakers (Fink, Miller, etc.) made a bun so soft that a greasy cheeseburger would "melt" the bottom half down to a thickness of 3/16", and everything would start to slide in every direction. I usually ask for my burger on a hard roll in a greasy spoon around here.

Most of these summertime places around here use frozen corn, even when corn is in season. The problem is that the corn from Hunts Point (Wholesale) Market is of highly variable quality and is grown far from NYC. Frozen tastes better on average.

The part I can't understand is the zombie beer brands, such as Piel's. It it just tradition, is it to keep the cost down, is it ?????

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (the ancient mariner)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:19:11 GMT

I will be in New Rochelle in a couple of weeks and will avoid The Grease Trap again this year just as I have for the last 8. I would rather go to MacDonalds. And I haven't been there in 8 years either.

Too many good places around. Roodfood doesn't mean tourist trap.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (The Travelin Man)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:30:01 GMT

TJ Jackson

The Travelin Man

My understanding, from friends who live in the area, is that it is a legendary local hangout. It is one of those "you know summer is here when...." kind of deals. I think most towns have "that" place.

Again - and I say this without having been there - it sounds like a place where ambiance/memories are more important than JUST the food.

It also sounds like a place that is cruising on autopilot on the glory of days gone by rather than on current food quality.

I don't necessarily believe this to be true. For sure, there are some places from my own youth that would remain special to me, even though I would probably find the quality lacking now. I think the thing that would have changed the most is my perception about what is good and what isn't.

It is absolutely possible that they are serving the same food/same quality of food that they have been serving for years - that locals adore/treasure.

I have often said whenever the topic of "eating where the locals eat" comes up, that I don't necessarily WANT to eat where the locals eat. However, I would bet that Greasy Nick's is most definitely a "locals" joint - and for those seeking the "local experience," it may be a huge hit.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (Pigiron)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:29:20 GMT

TJ Jackson

brickie

Every burger joint is worthy of a review.
Just not a good review.

This is where you and I disagree, brickie

I don't come here to read about mediocrity or worse

I come here to read about good places that should be specifically sought out

Does anyone else come here to read in the hope of reading about mediocre eats?

I think its valuable to read about any place that I might potentially visit. If people come on here and tell me that it's mediocre, I find that information to be as valuable a glowing recommendation.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (TJ Jackson)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:23:04 GMT

Foodosaurus aka braunsteinm

brickie

Every burger joint is worthy of a review.
Just not a good review.

Couldn't agree more with this statement.

ah, so you two come here to read about mediocre food?

interesting/puzzling. but accepted. *shrug*

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (Foodosaurus)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:16:38 GMT

brickie

Every burger joint is worthy of a review.
Just not a good review.

Couldn't agree more with this statement.

My apologies for the double post. I thought I quoted the first time.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (TJ Jackson)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:12:55 GMT

Foodosaurus aka braunsteinm

Couldn't agree more with this statement.

which statement?

several have been made

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (TJ Jackson)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:12:08 GMT

The Travelin Man

My understanding, from friends who live in the area, is that it is a legendary local hangout. It is one of those "you know summer is here when...." kind of deals. I think most towns have "that" place.

Again - and I say this without having been there - it sounds like a place where ambiance/memories are more important than JUST the food.

It also sounds like a place that is cruising on autopilot on the glory of days gone by rather than on current food quality.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (Foodosaurus)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:11:33 GMT

Couldn't agree more with this statement.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (TJ Jackson)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:10:28 GMT

brickie

Every burger joint is worthy of a review.
Just not a good review.

This is where you and I disagree, brickie

I don't come here to read about mediocrity or worse

I come here to read about good places that should be specifically sought out

Does anyone else come here to read in the hope of reading about mediocre eats?

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:04:44 GMT

Don't forget the grease that soaks into the bun! Sometimes I think this would be a great burger: fry up a bunch of cheap burgers; throw away the burgers; fry onions in the burger fat long and slow; when they're ready, place a cut hard roll face down on the grill and onions and grease until the roll is toasted and has absorbed some of the oniony grease; lift off the roll, place some cheese on top of the onions until melted, then scoop it up and insert in the burger; eat.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (brickie)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:01:41 GMT

Every burger joint is worthy of a review.
Just not a good review.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (The Travelin Man)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:00:03 GMT

My understanding, from friends who live in the area, is that it is a legendary local hangout. It is one of those "you know summer is here when...." kind of deals. I think most towns have "that" place.

Again - and I say this without having been there - it sounds like a place where ambiance/memories are more important than JUST the food.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (TJ Jackson)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:43:03 GMT

I guess what I am having trouble with here is liking a preformed frozen patty and frozen corn cobs enough to make the place worthy of a roadfood review.

Then again, yeah, I haven't been there.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (ann peeples)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:38:16 GMT

I found Bruce and Sue's reporting to be accurate, in my eyes. It was mentioned that it was a frozen patty, but the onions, cheese and bun made it better.It was mentioned that it wasnt an eye opening burger, but it was good.And I have to say there is nothing better, on a nice summer day, to go to a place that serves food that one likes.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (carolina bob)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:29:08 GMT

I'm afraid that I have to agree, TTM. The words "frozen preformed burger" are an instant turn-off, as are "frozen corn in season". And yes, that bun is too big for the burger. The place looks nice, and to be fair to Greasy Nick's, I would have to try their burger, but right now I'm rather dubious about the whole thing.

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (TJ Jackson)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:26:10 GMT

Fair enough

Re:Greasy Nick's -Restaurant of the Day - 7/13/09 (Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle)

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:20:29 GMT

TJ Jackson

I am having a hard time understanding how on one hand you say you enjoyed it and yet on the other hand have also made mention (twice) of the frozen preformed burger used.

I would think the two were somewhat mutually exclusive.....

Not mutually exclusive for us. But that's why there's a writeup, not just a rating. If you read the review and surmise that the things that did it for us wouldn't do it for you, then you'll know that you can safely pass on it, and the writeup will have done its job.