Vynl

754 9th Ave.  New York, NY
www.vynl-nyc.com

Price: $$
Favorite dish: Kung Pao Shrimp Tacos

   This past weekend, my parents, sister, and cousin, Justin, were in the city for Justin's delayed Bar Mitzvah gift, which made for a great weekend to spend time with my family.  Of course, every time they are here for a visit, we make sure to try new and unique restaurants so we get a little taste of everything.  My parents found the restaurant Vynl, located in Hells Kitchen, which houses a music-themed decor, from the walls covered with music posters to each bathroom being a different musical theme (Elvis, Dolly Parton, Nelly, and Cher).  The ambiance was really fun and and funky, and was definitely different from any other restaurant I have been to before.
The menu options were Asian Fusion, which came as a bit of a surprise, however the food options were certainly eclectic, as you can order anything from meatball and tuna sliders to all-day breakfast.

Here's what we ordered:

Kung Pao Shrimp Tacos with cabbage-bell pepper slaw, honey peanuts, and spicy lime creme

Wok Sauteed Calamari with kalamansi, cherry peppers, thai basil, and garlic

Thai Deviled Eggs topped with crispy shallots and basil

Seared Tuna Sliders with with thai spiced aioli and cabbage slaw 

Tofu Pad Thai with bean sprouts, carrots, peanuts, and cilantro

Mac n Cheese with cheddar, jack, and goat cheese, panko cheddar crust, and a side salad

[mac n cheese]

Grilled Cheese with white cheddar, gruyere, bacon, and sun dried tomato jam on on country sourdough bread

[grilled cheese]

Tofu and Eggplant Stir fry with squash, red pepper, sun dried tomato, string beans, jalapeño, and soy garlic sauce

Fried Chicken and Waffles with maple tobasco

Overall, our meal at Vynl was really delicious.  For a starter, we had the deviled eggs, which I thought were really good, but I didn't think they were anything particularly special. The Kung Pao shrimp tacos, however, were great and super addicting.  The tacos were super flavorful, and the peanuts added a really nice salty touch. This was definitely my favorite dish of the meal! The calamari were also amazing-- I'm a huge fan of calamari so it did not disappoint.  The seared tuna sliders were really delicious, which says a lot being that I am not the biggest fan of raw tuna.  I really liked the thai spiced aioli that the tuna was paired with, which made the slider really tasty.  For dinner, I ate the tofu pad thai, which tasted like a pretty standard version of typical pad thai.  It was a tad bit over-salted, however I still enjoyed it. The mac and cheese was great--it was served in a cast iron skillet and had a perfect mix of cheeses.  Justin enjoyed the grilled cheese with bacon, and said it was one of the best things he has eaten.  The tofu and eggplant stir fry had a great mix of vegetables and the soy garlic sauce added a really nice sweetness.  My dad decided to try out the fried chicken and waffles.  I tried the chicken and it was so warm and moist.  As expected, the waffle was also a great addition to the meal.

Vynl was such a fun place to eat and enjoy dinner with my family.  I really loved the decor and the theme of the restaurant, which really made it a fun place to spend time.  I can certainly see myself going back to Vynl in the future, and I recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a chill and fun crowd for a night out.

XOXO,
Danielle

Amy's Bread

672 9th Avenue (between 46th & 47th)    New York, NY
www.amysbread.com

Price: $ --Inexpensive: easy to walk and in and walk out quickly with a quick bite to eat. Most of the pastries sell for no more than $3.75 each.
Favorite pastry: Cinnamon Challah Knots

     On our way to the theater last night, we decided to pick up something small and quick for dessert. Although we were originally looking for frozen yogurt, my dad spotted Amy's Bread across the street and immediately decided we were going there. After making our way past the crowd of people trying to exit and the people inside, there were so many different types of breads that my mouth was watering. I have a weakness for sweet pastries, and everything that was there seemed delicious.
     Jaynie decided she wanted to try the chocolate chip twists, which she claimed would be "better without the chocolate" (what is wrong with her)?  I tasted it and I thought it was so good, so I don't know what she was thinking.  My dad and I both got a cinnamon challah not, which was PERFECT. With the challah already being a tad sweet, the cinnamon sugar added a touch of sweetness and flavor that was just delectable. I could've kept eating more of these. Finally, my mom decided to go a different route and order a lemon bar, another one of my weaknesses. I tasted it and it was also so good. It was sweet and tangy and very lemony, It had a great crust on the bottom, and was gooey and absolutely scrumptious.


Here is a preview of what Amy's Bread has to offer:

I definitely need to head back over soon, since there are like 65 other things that I need to try. Amy's Bread also features house made muffins, with the selections changing regularly. There are also other breakfast pastries, scones, cakes, cupcakes, biscotti, bread, and even savories, such as pizza, sandwiches, and salads.

I'm looking forward to my next excuse to head back to Amy's Bread...
Keep checking in…much more to come!!!

XOXO,
Danielle

44 & X

622 10th Avenue  New York, NY

www.44andx.com

Price: $$$

Favorite Dish: Spicy Salmon Tartar

Last night, my mom, dad, Jaynie, and I were going to see the Broadway musical "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert," so beforehand, we planned to grab a quick bite to eat in Hell's Kitchen. After eagerly reading all of the online reviews, my mom found 44&X, which fortunately is located in Hell's Kitchen, and is also not too far a walk from Times Square. The restaurant was a nice little place, and it was a comfortable and enjoyable place to eat at. I enjoyed the majority of the meal at 44 & X--I thought the food was pretty good and there were some fun dishes offered on the menu. 

Here's what we ate:

Because of our absolute love for anything and everything with goat cheese, we decided to order the goat cheese and pistachio soufflé, served on a bed of thinly sliced asian pears, and a pomegranate jus. This dish was good, but tasted a bit more like ricotta cheese than goat cheese. In fact, I couldn't really tell that it had goat cheese in it at all. However, the pears were ridiculously sweet and juicy, and the cheese was yummy paired with the pistachios. Pretty good.

As another appetizer for the table, we ordered the spinach and wild mushroom raviolio, with Maryland crabmeat (my fav),  gruyere cheese, and a coconut poblano emulsion. I had really high hopes for this dish, considering I absolutely adore a good ravioli, but I didn't end up loving it. I thought the pasta was good, but I wasn't crazy about the sauce that it was served with. 

Jaynie's main course: roasted rack of lamb, with an artichoke and wild mushroom gratin, grilled asparagus, and pan juices.  It was also served with some kind of potato quiche…Jaynie and I aren't exactly sure what it was but we really enjoyed that. 

I was having a lot of trouble deciding what to order as my main course, so I decided to order two appetizers as my entree. My first dish was a Maine lobster taco, with a charred tomato salsa, avocado relish, cilantro, and an herb salad. I really liked this dish. The lobster was cooked perfectly and it very flavorful. It tasted even better inside the flour tortilla, with a little bit of the avocado relish (basically guacamole). The dish could've gone a little lighter on the tomato salsa, since there was a ton left-over at the end once I was finished eating; however, all-in-all it was really tasty.

For my other main course, I ordered the spicy salmon tartar, with daikon radish, seaweed salad, jalapeños, salmon roe, and a soy dressing. this tartar was delicious, but a little bit too much for one person. Raw (sushi) salmon is one of my favorite things to eat, and so this dish was perfect for me. I really liked the combination of the tartar and the salmon roe, and the seaweed salad on the inside pulled it all together. The kick of the jalapeños was a great flavorful touch.

My mom ordered the parmesan crusted tilapia, served with creamy polenta, baby spinach,  a wild mushroom salad, and a lobster reduction. 

My dad's main course was the braised short ribs, served with basil mashed potatoes,  and a black truffle port wine reduction. I tasted a bite and the meat was really delicious, but my favorite part of the meal was the basil mashed potatoes. They were really creamy and tasted great with the short ribs.

Although the dishes were pretty good all-in-all, I'm not sure if I would say the restaurant was one of my absolutely favorites. The service was very slow, even though we, along with other customers, had to get to the theater on time for the show at 8. However, the food was tasty, once it arrived, and there were many interesting dishes on the menu that we didn't try that also sounded like they could be good. 

Until next time…

XOXO,

Danielle