I’m sure it’s not a shock to anyone that I have fallen behind with my Restaurant Quest updates since I’m a serial procrastinator, but I have in fact been keeping my word and trying somewhere new every week.
For Week 2, my mom (Linda) and I tried the sushi place on the corner of my block as she was dropping me off from a weekend at home. The restaurant is called Tenzan 89 and sits right on the corner of 89th Street and 2nd Avenue. We sat at one of the sidewalk tables since it was a nice summery evening, and still had good service considering it was only one poor waitress seeing all of the outdoor tables.
I am somewhat miso-obsessed and of course had to try the miso soup. I like to try the miso soup at nearly every Japanese restaurant because it’s such a basic staple and it can say a lot about a place. This was not one of the best miso soups I’ve ever had but it was still decent. Something about it just wasn’t quite right, but not the worst I’ve ever had either.
My rating: 5/10
As for sushi, I got the Double Dragon Roll, a cucumber roll, and a spicy tuna crunch roll; Linda ordered the AAC roll, which was avocado, asparagus, and cucumber with brown rice. I have to say, the sushi was actually really good and a super reasonable price. My Double Dragon Roll was filled with shrimp tempura and cucumber, and topped with eel and avocado. It was surprisingly good, especially since I’m picky about eating eel. The spicy crunch roll was just like any other spicy tuna roll but it included tempura flakes rolled into it.
The verdict from Linda was that her veggie roll was delicious and we both agreed we would come here again. And for somewhere in Manhattan, the prices were super reasonable and about the same as we would pay back home in the suburbs.
My rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Overall, we enjoyed the spot and I would definitely consider it if I’m ever in the mood to takeout some sushi, but it wasn’t anything super special. I’m very glad to have it in my neighborhood though!
For Week 3, I had brunch plans with coworkers and we tried a local spot that came highly recommended: Quality Eats. Situated right on a busy corner of the UES, I soon learned that Quality Eats is part of a larger restaurant group known mainly for their steakhouse, Quality Meats. With this in mind, they created a more casual neighborhood spot that still has a menu focused on delicious cuts of meat.
Since it was brunch, we obviously indulged with some cocktails and both my Bloody Mary and my Hemingway Spritz (rum, grapefruit, lime, Prosecco, and maraschino) were satisfying, albeit overpriced. The whole brunch cocktail menu is actually really well thought out and I would want to try most of them just based on the quality of the two I had.
My rating: 7/10 (docking a point for price)
We wanted to split a little appetizer for the table so we ordered the Monkey Bread, which I was not expecting to be the way it was. Maybe it’s just me but I was under the impression that monkey bread is supposed to be sweet? You know, like balls of dough baked together with brown sugary goodness? This monkey bread was not that.
I’m not saying it wasn’t good! It was just not was I was expecting. Instead of being sweet, this was a savory “baked potato” monkey bread, so it was topped with melted cheese and chives. The spreads were smoked salmon butter, bacon butter, and Bloody Mary butter. I tried all but the smoked salmon because I’m really not into smoked salmon, and they were both really tasty. Again, not what I was expecting but good nonetheless!
My rating: 7/10
The entire brunch entree menu sounded delicious to me, but I eventually settled on the Short Rib Hash, which came topped with two poached eggs and a Tabasco hollandaise. I usually don’t like runny eggs, so poached is normally out of the question, but breaking up the poached eggs and mixing them with the short rib hash made for such a decadent, show-stopping dish that I would eat it every weekend if I could. It was a little heavy what with all the meat, potatoes, and gooey eggs, so it was definitely a lot to handle but it was just so freaking good.
My rating: 9/10
My two pals got the LA Eggs (eggs with melted cheese, salsa Rosa, and avocado) and the Egg & Steak du Jour and both raves about their dishes as well. I also added a side of potato skin home fries because, in my opinion, every good brunch place has to have good homefries. They were crispy in all the right places and seasoned perfectly to go with any of the dishes.
Overall rating: 9/10
While pricey, Quality Eats really delivers on their name and provides extremely quality dishes and drinks. It’s all thought out very well and the ambiance is also just perfect for a chic neighborhood spot. I will absolutely return with other brunch guests and it will be firmly on my growing list of recommendations.
Week 4 was yet another group brunch, because I can’t be trying multiple new restaurants every week or I will not be able to pay my rent. So. Our group head to the Mean Fiddler, where my good pal Emily is a hard-working waitress, and where bottomless brunch drinks cost only $25.
It’s safe to say we weren’t really there for the food, but I was so pleasantly surprised by the quality of my meal that I felt it was sufficient enough to count for my Restaurant Quest. Pretty much everyone at the table ordered the Chicken and Waffles, and in my opinion, they were really, really good. They did a fine job of satisfying our more-than-tipsy group, and I would honestly order them again even if I were sober. They came with both syrup and gravy, which is important so you can choose your own perfect balance of sweet and savory.
My rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10
Obviously this is not the spot to come for any type of Michelin-star-level dining, but the food is actually good and the bottomless drinks deal is an absolute steal.
Not that anyone is anxiously waiting for my latest blog posts, but again I’m sorry for being so late with my updates. I hope to try and stay more on top of things, but knowing me, I probably won’t. Lol.
As always, feel free to send me any recommendations for places I have to try!
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