Restaurants March & April & May

I am too far behind to catch all the random stops we've taken for food, but I am going to cram as much in as I can remember. As you can see, we have been a little more diverse in the types of food we have been trying. In between all the pizza places we "must check out", we try to slip in some variety with the melting pot we're living in.

Viang Ping - Taiwanese
The story behind this one is pretty crazy. In fact, it was so crazy (and horrible), that I didn't want to post about it because I didn't want to believe it was actually true. I believe it was a Thursday evening. I came home from work exhausted as usual. By Thursday, I am never motivated to actually cook a meal, so poor Lyle has to deal with food from a can. If there is no food from a can (we normally choose soup), then I sometimes resort to Belgium Waffles, because who can resist breakfast for dinner right? Well, as I open the bag of waffles, a million little "flour bugs" are dead and alive inside. I drop the bag in the sink and scream for Lyle. We are both distraught and disgusted beyond belief. Against our will, we went through all of our food on our shelves and tried to find the source of the problem. The unopened bag of waffle mix had apparently been the source (no thanks to the dirty New York groceries we purchase food from against our better judgment). We tossed more than half of our food (our bank account sure felt that one), cleaned and scrubbed and disinfected, tossed out the garbage, and escaped our kitchen to find food elsewhere. We had no plans of where to go, but were sick of the usual stuff, so we just walked until we found a CLEAN place. Luckily the Thai food was good and we may even go back someday. Above all, the service was EXCELLENT, which is pretty hard to come by in the City.
Scho Rating: 19

Luzzo's Restarante - Pizza
This classic pizza restaurant was a "must visit" recommendation from one of Lyle's dental school buddies. Lyle didn't enjoy it as much as I did because he prefers American Style pizza, but I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh mozzarella cheese dropped all over the sauce. MMM...I can still taste it. Although somewhat pricey, it was another good experience. We probably won't go back because we BOTH didn't love it, but I'm sure we're one step closer to the PERFECT pizza place.
Scho Rating: 19

Max Brenner's Chocolate by the Bald Man - Dessert
We've already experienced the beauty that is Max Brenner's twice, so I can't believe I haven't mentioned it yet. Max Brenner's restaurants are all over the world, but are most popular in Australia. He has truly made chocolate an art form and painfully delicious too. I'm not obsessed with chocolate like most people (ahem women), but even I can't get enough of the chocolate here. Lyle and I have both agreed the best hot chocolate in the City is here. Thank goodness, we don't have to keep searching for it! Also, I am not any connoisseur of grilled cheese sandwiches, but WOW, I have never tasted a better one anywhere else but here! Finally, the ice cream, the variety, and the presentation of the desserts are fabulous. We have enjoyed (although we do not recommend) the churros. We have MOST enjoyed the dip your own cone dessert...mmm.
Scho Rating: 25

Azalea Ristorante - ItalianAddress:‎
This Italian restaurant was right next to the Gershwin Theater. We enjoyed our dinner here before we went to see Mary Poppins. For going into the restaurant blind, it was a great meal. More than anything, it was a classic New York resturant, with few choices, many breads to sample, and a great atmosphere. Lyle and I truly enjoy trying new foods and experimenting. We always order something the other person would enjoy so that we can try two dishes instead of the one. We won't be going back to Azalea's, not because it was bad, but because it wasn't memorable. We're not worried, there are WAY too many other restaurants on our list!
Scho Rating: 18

Frank Trattoria - Pizza
This has become Lyle's favorite stop to get a slice of pizza. A mere two blocks from our house, it is very convenient, and I do not joke, sometimes after we go out to eat, he will pick up a slice on our way home. It has a great crust, not too much sauce, a little zing in the sauce, not too salty, and not too greasy. At $2.50 for a plain slice, Lyle is a happy boy. Don't misunderstand, he is still on the hunt for the "heavenly" slice, but this one he knows is a safe bet.
Scho Rating: 23

Grill 21 - Filipino
Again, we were feeling "daring" and decided to try this local restaurant. We could tell it was good because in this TINY space, the tables were packed full of Filipinos. Grill 21 did not disappoint. We enjoyed traditional adobo which was so so tender, empanadas, and some delicious fruit juice. We will most likely pick up some takeout from here again! Lyle's old roomie, Clark, would be so proud (as he served his LDS mission in the phillipines).
Scho Rating: 23

Caracas Arepas Bar- Venezuelan
This has to be one of our favorite places to eat so far. Okay, actually, I don't think Lyle was as impressed by it as I was, but remember, I am the one that has the Latin blood, not him, so my opinion holds more weight. Anyway, we had arepas for the first time and they were so good. They are made from cornmeal I think, and they look like a deep fried pita, with meat inside. Apparently guacamole is very popular in Venezuela which I thoroughly enjoyed. We will DEFINITELY be stopping by again, this time with a reservation, so that we can enjoy the restaurant atmosphere of Caracas, instead of just doing takeout. Don't worry, I will update further.
Scho Rating: 25

Artichoke Pizza - Pizza
You guessed it, pizza again. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to try actual Artichoke Pizza. It was good, but not great. We probably won't be going back again, just because it's a little further walk from our house, but we are sure glad we tried it because (yes) it was on our list of pizza joints to try.
Scho Rating: 19

Hudson Place Restaurant & Bar - American
We met some friends at this place up in Murray Hill north of where we live. We don't explore much north of Gramercy, so we were happy they helped us venture out of our comfort zone. There are so many restaurants up there, so I'm sure we'll be going back. The restaurant was larger than most New York restaurants, which was nice because it had an open "feel"-- that and we sat at the end of the room next to the large open windows. It was almost as if we were eating outside. We really had a great time, and I am interested in going back. We'll see if we get too distracted with trying all the other places around there.
Scho Rating: 19

PS450 - Sandwiches, Burgers, etc.
I coach the son of the owner of this place. He is also the owner of the Volstead (which I raved about here and here). My co-worker and I stopped in for a bite to eat and I will DEFINITELY be going back. The food was excellent, the service great, and even though we got our meal comp'd I would have paid full price and still been satisfied!
Scho Rating: 24

Daisy May's - BBQ
We are always looking for good barbeque, so when Lyle found out that Daisy May's won Zagat's best BBQ for 2005, 2006, 2007, & 2008, we HAD to try it. The ambiance was different than what we expected. You order your food (like you do at subway), then they quickly put your food together (because it's all buffet style, so they scoop it up and dish it up), then you take your food and sit at wooden benches in a medium size room. It was almost odd, but the meat (specifically the brisket) was REALLY good. We didn't care too much for the sides, but we will definitely be ordering some takeout from them. We're glad we went, and now we just need to try Dinosaur BBQ and see if it can top famous daves. Don't worry, Famous Daves, we are coming soon.
Scho Rating: 22

Ok, I know most of the world (or our friends and family) don't care about all these restaurants, but this writing is mostly so we can look back and see all that we've tried in NYC and help our friends do the same.