Anella, Greenpoint

(Photo from NYTimes. The one on my phone didn't do it justice!)

We went to Anella for our anniversary and it didn't disappoint. It's kind of a trip out there - off the Greenpoint stop on the G train - but I'd say it's worth it for a specialish occasion or if you have money in the eating out budget.

Oliver jumped right into the bread in the flowerpot. The menu rotates but here's what we loved:

- Appetizer of King Oyster Mushroom, Smoked Bacon, Sunnyside Egg (for him) and scallop/sweet potato ceviche for her. Delicious.

- The Chatham Cod, Coco Beans, Roasted Tomato, Sherry Vinegar entree was delicious and tasted like fall. Oliver had a pork chop which was good, but I don't think he liked it quite like I loved the cod.

We were so full, but we couldn't pass up the Almond Date Cigars (dates wrapped in phillo dough) with Honey Whipped Cream for dessert. It was a feast.

STK

Last night, I had a work dinner at STK located in the meatpacking district. The food was unbelievable. If you are looking for an upscale steakhouse with a cool ambiance for a special occasion, I recommend it. I loved the mashed potatoes and the truffle fries too. The peanut butter s'mores for dessert were not too shabby either.

Note: It may have tasted better since I didn't have to pay.

http://www.stkhouse.com/

26 Little West 12th Street
New York, NY 10014
646-624-2444

Breeze

Breeze is a Thai-French fusion restaurant that we recommend. We happened onto it a couple of years ago and have gone a few times since then. Go for lunch and get the lunch special for $6.95.

Located on 9th Ave and 46th Street.

The Biryani Cart

I'm typically a little skeptical of the food carts, but I'm a sucker for Indian food, so when Jordan told me about this cart, I wanted to try it. He told me that his coworkers will walk blocks and blocks to eat there. It won a vendy award so it must be good, right? We recommend the Chicken Biryani. It's cheap too.

Located at 46th Street and 6th Ave.

The Meatball Shop

Loved it. Dan had a hero sandwich with the traditional meatball and tomato sauce. I had the vegetable meatballs with pesto sauce.

And they have great ice-cream sandwiches.

I know I'm not the only one who's been here, so feel free to add any comments.

Meatball Shop

84 Stanton Street

Brunch: Gottino

We had a delightful, light, and well-priced brunch at this lovely little West Village gem. We sat in the back courtyard and loved their toats, waffles, steamed eggs, and fresh-squeezed oj. FYI portion sizes are small.

52 Greenwich Avenue

BCD Tofu House

We haven't eaten a ton of Korean food, so we may not be the best judge, but we really liked BCD Tofu House. It was cheap and quite the experience (ie, lots of free stuff put on our table that we didn't recognize). I ordered the soup that literally was still at a rolling boil when placed on our table. Yum.

17 West 32nd Street

best mexican food we have had in the city!!

cafe el portal.
EVERY SINGLE THING in the menu is SO GOOD!

174 Elizabeth St.

near. Spring St.

Wafels & Dinges

We finally got around to finding the Wafels and Dinges truck and were not disappointed. Thanks Rubi and Stanton for the heads up!

For up-to-minute truck location call: 866-429-7329

Which food trucks to do you love?

Kashkaval

Ok, so we used to live in Hells Kitchen and always went to this place for the baklava but never sat down and ate dinner. We finally did and it was awesome! The best is the cheese fondue with your choice of vegetables or meat for dipping. From the front, it looks like a small deli/market, but the back is filled with small tables and a bar. Late night on weekends can be a bit of a wait, but if you have time for an early dinner or something during the week, check it out! Oh- and you have to try the Baklava!! The chef is Turkish and its delicious! Its on 9th Ave between 55th and 56th St.

Edgars Cafe

This place is a great "off the beaten path" dessert cafe. They have great salads and sandwiches and yummy pies. If you're on the Upper West Side and you're looking for a place to sit and snack- its perfect. Located on 84 St. between Broadway and West End. Its also famous for being situated on the former mansion of Edgar Allen Poe and was the spot where he wrote The Raven.

Hungarian Pastry Shop

1030 Amsterdam Avenue, at 110th St.

We love baked goods and this place has one of the most amazing chocolate eclairs I've ever had in my life.  I don't know anything about Hungarian pastries, but I do know that they have some familiar tasty sweets here. They're also open late - 11:30 pm!  And right across the street from St. John - another perk!

Zaitzeff

Hardest name to pronounce or spell out but some of the best sliders we've had in New York.
I had one with a fried egg and jalapenos :)
So good.

Zaitzeff's website.

B.R. Guest Restaurants

Another restaurant group that will always aim to please is B.R. Guest Restaurants. I've eaten at Blue Water Grill, Atlantic Grill, Blue Fin, and Isabella's. My favorite of those four is Blue Water Grill in Union Square. Isabella's would come in second, located on the Upper West Side. The group also owns Ruby Foo's and Dos Caminos. I've seen quite a few reviews on Dos Caminos that have been favorable.