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The Halal Guys –

First up from our dining vade mecum, a street vendor institution*: The Halal Guys. Where Chef’s Eat specifically mentions eating from the stand on 53rd Street and 6th Avenue. Upon arriving at that intersection, I found two options, one cart on the Southeast corner and a second on the Southwest. Lacking further direction and the desire to cross two streets, I went with the Southeast.

While waiting in line and debating which dish I should try, I assumed that this, like many other quick Manhattan lunch options, would come in at around $10-12. As the line moved forward, the menu board eventually came into view—I pleasantly discovered sandwiches to be $5 and rice plates only $2 more. With $12 already in my mind, I figured “Why not try one of each?” I ordered a gyro sandwich and a falafel rice plate.

Back at the office I devoured both, much to the amusement of my coworkers. The gyro was flavorful and tender—certainly satisfactory, but not necessarily earth-shattering. The rice dish was OK. I found the falafel to be adequate, but the rice was quite bland and the lettuce just didn’t make any sense to me.

*I use the word institution here because this team has earned the designation. They started as a hot dog stand at 53rd and 6th in 1990 and have grown to an international food chain with locations across the United States as well as the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Canada.

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Fuku+

Rules were made to be broken. That’s why for the first post of our revival we will be detailing a meal eaten at a venue not showcased in Where Chef’s Eat. We are posting retroactively to get caught up (amazing how time flies in a new place) and we are starting with my low-key birthday lunch at Fuku+.

I just needed to put something back quickly before heading back to work and settled on David Chang’s rendition of a classic fried chicken sandwich. This version had well-seasoned breading around a whole chicken breast, served with pickles on the bun. I ordered loaded fries for the side dish and washed it down with a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Overall the sandwich was excellent and I will certainly go back again on a future lunch break—the place was not crowded—but will skip the upcharge and go with some standard fries next time. The loaded version is decent, but cheese sauce just didn’t cut it. No real melted cheese is a deal breaker for me.

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How We Eat—The Revival

It has been quite some time since we’ve regularly posted on the blog—after documenting a year’s worth of dinners every day, we were both burnt out…

In July, we moved to New York. Ellen now works in editorial—I am still working for the man, though ironically, I actually work for a woman. Professional duties aside and now that we feel settled in the city, we thought our move would be a great reason to relaunch How We Eat. This time around we will be more focused on the restaurants and other food establishments we visit, and hope to provide a bit more commentary.  

Our primary guide will be Where Chefs Eat, a compilation of restaurants submitted by famous chefs from across the world detailing where they themselves enjoy eating. As we eat our way through the book (and elsewhere), we will be sure to share our experiences.

We hope you find this rendition of How We Eat even more satiating than the first.

Happy Eating!

The Editorial Staff at How We Eat

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A little London fare from Ellen’s quick trip across the pond... Nutella waffle in St. James Park; Pork belly dinner at the Fellow; Mince beef pie, classic mash and gravy at Mother Mash; Fish & chips at Fishbone

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Central #3 (Deserts)

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Central #2

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Central #1

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Central, Lima

For Colton’s Birthday, pre-fixe lunch at the #4 restaurant in the world

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First up....Boule. I thought a baked a brick when it first came out of the oven but despite being a little crispy and a tad flat, a decent enough first attempt. Cross-hatching definitely needs some work though...

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I can't remember when Colton gifted me this book, but this week I finally managed a successful sourdough starter. Now it's time to bake all the bread!

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Match 65 Brasserie - neighborhood French Fare after Ellen's first day at her new job.

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First home cooked meal in the New York kitchen - Monkfish Filets Dijon Style. Appropriately a NYT recipe. http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1959-monkfish-fillets-dijon-style

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NYE at Fiola

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Happy Thanksgiving!

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If Famous Artists Made Thanksgiving Dinner by Hannah Rothstein Related: Famous Paintings on Bread by Ida Frosk

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Huevos rancheros

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Mushroom butter pasta with broccolini