The Burger Bar

On Saturday I finally tried the new Burger Bar restaurant opened by Hubert Keller in Macy's. The elevator to the 6th floor in Macy's was so crowded that we decided to take the escalator up. When we finally made our way through all the holiday shoppers, I was not surprised that there was a 30 minute wait for a table. Luckily, there were a couple of seats at the bar that we could eat at. I was so hungry that I couldn't decide on what I wanted to eat. There are so many different types of burgers to choose from, like the Surf n Turf Burger, the Nacho Burger. Everything sounded so good to my empty belly that I wanted to order half the menu. I decided on the Burger Bar sliders so I could try 3 different ones. I also got the sweet potato fries because the bartender said it was his favorite and I am a sucker for other people's favorite food or just a sucker for bartenders. The food came out pretty quickly, which was a good thing. However, I have to be honest (and as much as I wanted to love the food) it wasn't that great. The sliders were tasty. But when my friend asked me which one was my favorite, I couldn't tell because all three tasted the same to me- good but not amazing.The sweet potato fries were not as amazing as I thought either. They were too skinny for their own good. They barely had any meat on them to even dip in ketchup. I wanted to tell the bartender that he should try the sweet potato fries at Pacific Catch, because he has been clearly deprived of tasty sweet potato fries. I decided not to burst his sweet potato bubble though. The food was good but honestly not as good as I thought it would be considering all that I've heard, the wait and the price.

Is SOMA for the weekdays?

Is SOMA for the weekdays? I am starting to think so. Last weekend, I went to a couple places in SOMA because I had 101 excuses for not wanting to leave my zipcode. It was too cold, too hard to find a cab, etc. Plus staying in SOMA gave me the opportunity to go to Ironside restaurant for dinner. I have been excited about trying Ironside because the relatively new restaurant is owned by the same people who own District, one of my favorite places in SOMA. Ironside is a really laid back restaurant that offers wine, beer and an all American menu. The house red wine on tap was really good and inexpensive but I wasn't thrilled about the pizza that I ordered. I actually was disappointed because the pizza at District is so good. I expected Ironside’s pizza would be just as good if not better. I should have tried the Wild Boar Sausage that everyone is raving about. Overall, I did find that the place is a nice new addition to SOMA and would be a great place for lunch or after work drinks. After Ironside, we checked out Eve Lounge. I like the concept behind the lounge. They‘re going for a elegant, sultry feel. I didn’t really feel like they’ve got it yet. The crowd was pretty random. I also found the décor a bit off. The black and white pinup films they projected on the wall were interesting but gawky. I especially felt it was awkward to watch them over a small table of business men out for a drink. I’ll give Eve another chance on a weekday night before trying it again during the weekend.

Manhattan High Line Over the Hudson

I did a lot of walking this past week through NYC's streets, parks and stores. On our way to Chelsea for late afternoon snack on Sunday we discovered the new High Line Walkway which opened this year after five years of construction. It's elevated railroad line from the 1930s that has been transformed into an urban walkway garden. The walk is very enjoyable. It's not as green as walk through Central Park but it offers an amazing view of the Hudson River.

HanGawi A Vegetarian Shrine

One of the restaurants we tried during my recent trip to NYC was HanGawi in K-Town. This is the first vegetarian Korean restaurant that I've been to. I usually think of Korean BBQ and drool when anyone mentions going out for Korean food so I was a little disappointed to hear, on our way to lunch, that it was a vegetarian restaurant. I was deliciously surprised to find everything we tried also drool worthy good. My favorite dishes was the fragrant bamboo rice, which takes awhile to cook so order it early. I was also delighted by the ambiance. HanGawi's space is very balanced and "zen-like." The only thing that was a bit off is that we had to take our shoes off when we entered the restaurant. I didn't have a problem with this until I had to go to the restroom. I walked down to the restroom barefoot and right outside the door the only option was to wear a communal slipper. The thought of how many other people wore the slippers before me put a bad taste in my mouth.

Who Knew Apothecary Is So Good

My friend took me on a quiet Monday night in NYC in search of a neighborhood bar in China Town. After walking through many empty streets, we stopped in front of some run down building in a desolate back street where she said she wanted to pick up some "dumplings." When we walked in I was surprised to find a hidden lounge inside decorated like an old pharmacy. I really enjoyed the night as it started with complimentary drinks and a live band. If you go to Apotheke, be sure to try the "Deal Closer," and pay attention to the ice. This place is all about the details.