TGI Sunday

I don't know why this place hasn't already been written up. I have been to Chat n' Chew a handful of times and have always enjoyed it. In fact, I've recommended it to friends more than any place else. While not a bad place to have a laid back dinner, this retro themed snack shack really shines at brunch.

Rusty license plates, old jukeboxes, a tin pig, and a glass display case of 3 layered cakes welcomes you in alongside a chalkboard of daily specials. Fares ranging from challah french toast to roadside chili warm everything from your stomach to your craving for nostalgia.

A few notes on personal favorites:

Now, I love huevos rancheros; Eggs, beans, salsa laying on a bed of cripsy tortilla chips. Maybe I'm just a sucker for Mexican in the morning, (that or I've fallen victim to the average breakfast joint's excuse for vegetarian brunch fare) but when its done right...damn tasty. To top it off, I stole a bite from my friend's blueberry pancakes smothered in blueberry sauce and laced with blueberry syrup; oh man fluffy, buttery, and...well...blueberry; you don't need to order them for yourself but you need to make sure someone at your sitting with does.

All in all, Chat-n-Chew is a downhome, easy to love place. If your in the mood for a low key night but your appetite has you hungry for more- you will surely be able to please both; without taking a hit to your wallet.

Turn up the Decibel

I've been to a few speakeasies before. Out of the way places you just need to know about. A small sign outside is all the notice you are going to get. While many of these places provide the kitsch of 1920's Americana, at steep prices most of them are unattainable on a regular basis.

When walking in little Poland last night my friend brought up Decibel sake bar. I'm not sure what I was expecting. Maybe the ultra commercialized dribble you get all too often, or perhaps the ever popular over sanitized Japanese restaurant. But one step in the door and I knew this place was a keeper.

A twenty minute wait to get a table and there is no option to put your name down as the hip materd in the kimono says, “I just remember your face."

For a visual reference, Imagine wall to wall Japanese graffiti, random bits of kitsch, a hello kitty shrine (an antique wood engraving, not the new shit) and some drops of anime for good measure. I've never been to Japan but what I've seen of it visa ve The Fast and the Furious and reruns of Anthony Bourdain I think it was a close approximation.

Reading the menu was a crash course in Japanese boozing (minus the obligatory karaoke): tons of sake, shochu drinks (distilled alcohol from sweet potatoes, supposedly with medicinal benefits), and a sampling of bar food…

Bar food... I'm not talking salted nuts, burgers, or fries...edamame, fried seaweed, and some pretty decent sashimi. I've never tried kohada (a mix between mackerel and herring) but served marinated with a little soy sauce and wasabi I can't even describe how good it was. Fishy but not overpowering, tender not gamey at all definitely something I would recommend.

Decibel was reasonably priced, offering the ability to enjoy the place on a budget (or in a recession) as well as the opportunity to drop a bill on a bottle or box of fine sake. Oh and unlike the American version of the speakeasy, name dropping is definitely allowed- it is in fact encouraged to be splattered all over the walls beneath the Saki lined cornice of this joint.

DECIBEL

240 E 9th Street

New York, NY 10003

(Between 2nd & 3rd AV)

New Spoon?

Dip your spoon anywhere good recently? Yeah you know what I am saying. The SpoonFeeder is looking for some feeding of its own.

Take this opportunity to share your favorite spots....

Not Rays, Not Famous, Good Pizza

When I talk of authentic Italian pizza I don't mean famous rays. Pizza straight from Italy is always thin crust covered with fresh ingredients of which anchovies and zucchini are always options.

I had walked by the restaurant Posto about a week earlier and saw diners feasting on the signature Italian dish. I wasn't let down by the pizza. Pies cooked to order on thin crust covered with buffalo mozzarella or fresh ricotta, perfection. It was without a doubt the closest thing to eating in Trastevere.

The restaurant wasn't pulling any punches it even served wine out of small cups...normal for getting served house wine in Rome, less common for dinner in NYC.

If you pass by or just have a craving, Posto is worth a visit. Just don't expect good service. Like any authentic Italian eatery the food delivers ~ the service doesn't.