Defonte's of Brooklyn by way of Manhattan


So I read about this place in NYmag and decided to give them a shot.

I picked up a #34 (see above) which is the roast pork special for lunch earlier this week and added a #1 for lunch the next day.

It was really good for a deli sandwich. I liked the little crispy piece of eggplant. The eggplant that was supposed to be on my other sandwich too. The eggplant that was completely missing from my sandwich the next day. Two people made my sandwiches. The lady on the #1 gets a -5 for leaving that crispiness out. This sandwich was better than the #34 if you prefer cold sandwiches.

I tried to ask the guy making my #34 for some of the pan juice from the pork on the sandwich, but all he did was clarify, nod and wrap up the sandwich. -_-

#34: Pork hero with hot roast pork, swiss, fried eggplant and hot salad

#1 Nicky Special with ham, capocollo, salami, fried eggplant (sigh), provolone, hot salad, marinated mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, oil and vinegar

I will say that the cold cuts taken separately were nothing special. I ADORE Genoa salami... and this salami was bland when I ate a piece from the last part of the sandwich I couldn't finish. It had little to no flavor and it was mushy.

I really need to haul ass to Parisi one of these days.

Oh, before I forget. The macaroni salad? It smells better than it'll ever taste. Pass.

Defonte's of Brooklyn
261 3rd Ave
(between 21st St & 20th St)
New York, NY 10010

Defonte's of Brooklyn on Urbanspoon

Tebaya...no


So after I scored a calphalon pan, some chi silk infusion and some drinking glasses from TJ Max I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond (both on 18th & 6th). After leaving with a Brita and some other things from BBB I walked over to 7th.

On the way there was this tiny little shop that had Japanese fried chicken wings.

I had to stop in.

I got an order to go with some of their potemochi (toooo mushy to even have a picture of, bleh).

When I got home I had high hopes for these wings. Look at them. They're little, beautiful, sesame-speckled temptresses. Then I bit into them.

The chicken itself was kind of meh. This isn't the meaty wing you'd get someplace else and the flesh was kind of stringy.

The skin was no longer crispy because of my journey and I longed for more of the sauce to compensate.

I'll try to give them another shot fresh, but I don't know if it's worth it or not.

Tebaya
144 W 19th St
(between 7th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10011

Tebaya on Urbanspoon

Liberté Méditerranée Yogourt



I love this stuff. I adore it. I could live off of it as my only yogurt source.

Forget you Fage... you're lovely, but this, this is creaminess beyond your imagining.

8.5% milkfat so better for you than ice cream, but ever so delicious.

My favorite flavors are the peach passion fruit, blackberry (mind the seeds) and plum walnut.

Sushi Yasuda... eh

So I got their takeout and can't directly compare an order of takeout to an omakase, but I can do take out to take out.

For the same price as that huge thing of sashimi at Umi sushi (and a lil bit more). I got this.

First, the salad.

The salad looks delicious upon first glance. Upon first taste it was very salty. Instead of the normally sweet sesame ginger dressing this one was quite salty.

Then there was the crunch.

After taking a few chopsticks-full of sushi I looked in the bowl to discover these little fishy larvae creepy-if-you-think-about-what-you're-eating-too-long things.

I ate it anyway. meh

Now onto the sushi and sashimi.

I was so excited to get to them that I kinda forgot to take a picture till I'd cleared out a roll and 2/3 types of sashimi. I'll leave you to imagine the beauty of an untouched box.

So... I've also decided that I like it when the restaurant gives you their house soy mixed instead of the little packets of red Kikoman that are too salty to put near rice. I didn't use much at all because of this and it was harsh if I missed the fish and hit the rice.

The wasabi was grainy which I guess means rustic and homemade, but to me it was a little gritty on the tongue.

The ginger was very fresh.

The rice was excellent.

The fish was very fresh and tasted like it should. I didn't expect anything less.

I'd still rather go to Asabu for as much seared otoro, Spanish mackerel and salmon as I could eat.

What's with every upscale sushi place having something that stares me in the eyes?