On line or In line?

So there's a lot to mention in the past week or so, food-wise.
1. Thai food ala Lantern
2. Burgers courtesy of Paul's
3. Cool Kid Hot Dogs via Crif Dog

So I guess we should get started?


Lantern exudes that sort of typical New York milieu one imagines, if one is unfamiliar with the city. So it's rather fitting that when Julia's friends from home came for a visit, this is where we dined one night. The soft lighting and sophisticated-casual air of the night time crowd belies the simplicity and honesty of the food; it is easy to see that Lantern, with its tree arrangements and mirrored walls, is striving to go beyond a nice Thai place. With a well designed bar and snappy service, it certainly is getting there. The Lantern lemonade is a delightful Asian twist on a simple drink: the lychee pairs wonderfully with the triple sec in this vodka based cocktail, which isn't too cloyingly sweet.

I went with a simple wok-fried basil chili beef entree, hoping the spice would keep me warm in the middle of this dreaded east coast weather. And while I wasn't sweating bullets, it certainly brightened my palette. Delicious, yet unremarkable or forgettable. Lantern is an excellent way to seek out a taste of exotic, cultured, or chic without overwhelming oneself.

*As a side note: their bathroom is amazing. Check it out.

Tuesday came and marked another meeting of the TNBC (the week prior was cancelled due to the proximity of thanksgiving). Our destination of the evening was the East Village standby, Paul's. I had been here a number of times but my counterpart had not so we decided to pay a visit. Quaint and simple, its open kitchen, vinyl table cloth and (at heart) basic menu harkens back to greasy spoons. To ensure juiciness, Paul's is well known for using metal lids to steam their burgers on the cooktop, and while it doesn't promote the browning (due to the maillard reaction) it does seem to hold in the moisture (I put it to the test by ordering a medium-well burger versus my standby choice of medium rare). At 1/3lbs, it is certainly filling but when compared to the likes of Stand, seems dull. The Wonder Bread buns (of which I took notice a fresh delivery sitting on the counter) are another dull note. But at around $5.50, it's hard to challenge a better quality/quantity ratio (especially in these times of economic hardship).

Crif Dog conjurs everything I expected out of New York (in fact the whole night kind of did): you take a low class object, the hot dog, and hype it with style and hipster goodness. The place is filled with anti-establishment memorabilia, 70s arcade games, and used to carry cans of PBR (for that extra ironic hipster touch). The night began with seeing a movie with my friend Jill. After our plans of eating dinner beforehand were halted by time constraints, our tummies were rumbling even during the scenes of vampire feeding. We headed to late night East Village favorite, Crif Dog. I had my usual, a Chihuahua (bacon wrapped and topped with avocado and sour cream) and a Tsunami (also bacon wrapped, drowned in teriyaki sauce, and topped with pineapple and scallion) washed down with good ole root beer (the beer signs have been taped over, stating BYOB). Deep fried goodness. On reflection, though I love avocado, I think the bacon might be a bit overpowering on the chihuahua. However, on the Tsunami, its savory flavor plays wonderfully with the sweetness of both the teriyaki and the pineapple. Love them to death.

We also had the bonus of watching people watch other people go into PDT. Short for Please Don't Tell, PDT is a speakeasy-esque cocktail lounge that requires reservations which people fight to get into. Also super NYC-y. While I have never been, as I've been writing this, I've decided I really want to go to one of these places soon, just so I can know the experience (and sound way cooler to out of towners). Maybe impress a date there.

SO hey, if you have an at PDT (or Milk & Honey or Angel's Share or any of the other establishments I don't want to embarrass myself in) please take me along.