Tag Archives: comfort food

El Cartel Brings Colombian Home-Cooking to Hell’s Kitchen!

close up on sangria photo by gail worley
Frozen Red Sangria is What You Need (All Photos By Gail)

There’s no doubt about it: it’s a scorcher out there. On a hot summer night in NYC, you want three things: cold drinks, delicious food, and air-conditioning — and if you can add a little atmosphere, all the better. If you find yourself in Hell’s Kitchen, looking for a break from the heat, a refreshing cocktail and some hearty eats, I recommend a new restaurant that tics all the boxes: El Cartel. Open for just over a month, El Cartel specializes in Colombian cuisine, serving a variety of regional favorites including fresh Shrimp Ceviche, Cazuela de Mariscos, Red Snapper, Chuleta de Cerdo, homemade Empanadas and a sampler platter known as Bandeja El Cartel (more about that coming up). Continue reading El Cartel Brings Colombian Home-Cooking to Hell’s Kitchen!

Product Review: Bob Evans Side Dishes

bob evans sides lead image
Photo By Gail (All Other Images Courtesy of Bob Evans)

Do you like comfort foods? I sure do. My dream trip to the buffet includes a plate full of mashed potatoes, rice, and macaroni and cheese. Just being serious. That said, I am not much of a home cook, so it’s a big win to find convenience foods that deliver great taste and high quality to my single-lady life. This brings me to the products featured in today’s review: a selection of homemade-tasting side dishes from Bob Evans, a trusted name in quality foods for over 60 years. Bob Evans sides not only make your life easier — giving you all kinds of options when it comes to meal planning and prep — but each dish is created with only all-natural ingredients for delicious taste you could otherwise only get from homemade foods. What a game-changer.
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Pink Thing of The Day: Pinky’s Space

Pinky's Space
Photos By Gail

Pinky’s Space is an adorable little French / Southern Comfort Food restaurant that always has something fantastically Pink and eye-catching displayed in its front window. When I passed by on a recent Saturday afternoon, I had to cross the street to get a snap of this adorable Pink Gorilla and his little Japanese friend, Domo. I want to eat there.

Pinky’s Space is Located at 70 East 1st Street (Just West of First Avenue), East Village New York City

Pinky's Space

Here’s A Second Photo Without The To-Go Coffee Cup!

Ivy Bar and Grill Elevates Neighborhood Bar Fare to Gourmet Eats

Ivy Signage
All Photos By Gail and Anne Raso

A comfy and welcoming bar and grill can easily become a favorite neighborhood hang out based on atmosphere, drink specials, favorite beers on tap and its number of wide screen TVs; with the quality of the food served being mostly inconsequential. And while the menu offered at Ivy Bar and Grill, open since February on Eighth Avenue and 56th Street, would indicate that they are not aiming to become an upscale dining establishment, the quality and taste of the new American comfort food they serve up says otherwise. I enjoy a good watering hole as much as the next New Yorker, but I am also a huge foodie, and Ivy is the first bar I’ve found that could seriously become a destination based on its cuisine. My dining companion and I discovered a few new favorites on our first visit this past week.

Continue reading Ivy Bar and Grill Elevates Neighborhood Bar Fare to Gourmet Eats

NYC’s Hole Gallery Opens Pop Up Restaurant Hole Foods on 14th Street

Hole Foods Restaurant

While we were sorry to say goodbye to Chef Dave Martin’s woefully short-lived Meatball Factory, which shuttered its doors at the end of April, the space at the corner of 2nd Second Ave and 14th Street didn’t stay empty for long. In an exciting “Contemporary art gallery meets fun summer eatery” venture, the folks at The Hole Gallery have launched a pop up restaurant, cleverly named Hole Foods, which will serve a rotating menu of seafood and featured comfort food dishes in a vibrant, modern art gallery setting.

Continue reading NYC’s Hole Gallery Opens Pop Up Restaurant Hole Foods on 14th Street