So I wasn't on the computer for a little while . . .

I had totally forgotten to update! Okay, I didn't forget. It was in the back of my mind. But what do you do when you're out most of the weekend?

Well, I promised a small review of that restaurant my friend and I ended up going to last time, so here it is!

Yes, I did have my friend just stand in front of the restaurant for that first pic.

Anyway, we went to Olive Tree Cafe! It's this restaurant/bar (?) joint near West 4th. I believe there is a downstairs (which is the bar?) but upstairs happened to be where we sat to eat.
Okay, so the reason we came here was because my friend had suggested it a really cool place. And I mean, how can it not be if you can DRAW ON THE TABLES WITH CHALK?? Image 3 are the awesome doodles we both did.
We split an order of falafels (the falafel plate, not sandwich), and we each got separate drinks. I got "Rainforest Mate" tea.

Verdict: The falafels were good. They were a good size and fried well so it was crispy enough on the outside but mushy enough on the inside. The other thing I liked was that you could build your own sandwich with the platter.
The tea was nothing special. Actually, it tasted like mint gum (my friend said double mint). I drank it anyway because it was chilly that day, but I'm not a huge fan of the tea.

The service was okay. Not exceptional or anything, but the guy was nice and answered our questions.

The pricing is all moderate. Based on a price to portion ratio, I think the prices are set pretty well. Since this was my first time and I never ordered anything else, I'm not a hundred percent sure if it applies to everything on the menu. But I thought it was okay.


Sadly, this is all I could do today. My computer is lagging like crazy right now, so any further updates will have to come another time. Bye everyone!

Foodie To-Do List!

Today I'm going to reveal to you my foodie to-do list, i.e. my list of food places I have GOT to go before the year is out. This list will pretty much comprise of places I recently discovered with places I've been meaning to go to FOREVER.

I shall go by categories . . .

DESSERTS
How likely of me to start off with dessert.

1. Magnolia's Bakery
Various locations
I've been here twice before and never tried a single sweet. I think that's what you call retarded . . . Well, anyway, after some careful stumbling upon vital information via Yelp and Google, I've discovered they have a killer banana pudding that I have GOT to try. I found the recipe for it online but decided it would be best trying it out first before creating the whole batch.
If there's anything I have been craving these past few weeks, it's pudding. And boy do I love bananas.

2. Levain Bakery
167 W 74th St
(between Amsterdam Ave & Columbus Ave)
Being an avid watcher of Food Network, after seeing them on Throwdown with Bobby Flay, I realized the only thing that should be done is to GO TO THIS PLACE ALREADY AND GET A COOKIE (which would also be a great excuse after seeing some friends at my old high school nearby).
I hear their cookies are about as much as a cupcake from Crumbs ($3.75) but being as they're gigantic and thick, I think it should be worth it.

3. Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery
126 Rivington St
(between Essex St & Norfolk St)
My friend mentioned it to me once but I don't know if she's visited yet (although she probably has! [insert envy])
I was reading reviews on Yelp and decided that the Pistachio cupcake had to be had. And it seems that cupcakes are only $1.50! That my friend is called a steal, when you're used to paying double and above.


ENTREES

1. Bleecker Pizza
69 7th Ave South
(between S 7 Ave & Bleecker St)
I'm going to tell you right now I've walked in here before and left empty handed. This is mostly due to the fact that I wasn't hungry but I convinced my friend to come with me (since we were in the area) because I had walked by here before and promised myself to come back. Apart from the fact that there's a huge sign that says "Voted Best Pizza by Food Network," the line that's usually there tells me locals like it to.
NEXT TIME I SWEAR I WILL COME AND HAVE THEIR NONNA MARIA (their signature pizza).

2. Yonah Schimmel's Knishes Bakery
137 E Houston St
(between 2nd Ave & Chrystie St)
I believe I discovered what a knish was early middle school, and tried one years later to know that potatoes are just Gods gift to us and therefore, we must handle it with tender loving care thus the knish was born.
This place I discovered just yesterday when my friend and I were heading to the Mercury Lounge to buy our Rooney tickets. I just stopped, saw the words knishery, and went right in. The place was almost empty at the time and only one man working behind the counter, but I saw trays of knishes of all kinds. THEY WERE HUGE. I brought home with me a menu and decided my next visit needed to be planned out carefully so I can be hungry enough for those puppies. Reading reviews is making me lean towards a spinach or broccoli knish. Either way, I shall be seen there soon enough.

3. Taim Falafel and Smoothie Bar
222 Waverly Pl
(between 11th St & Perry St)
I think I have an incessant need to try all the falafel places in NYC, so this should be my next stop. From what I'm getting, they have awesome falafels of 3 kinds, fair prices for what you're getting ($5+), various beverage options, oh, and celebrity sightings (because they like it just that much too). So hi Taim, I'm going to be gorging on your falafels soon enough.

4. Prosperity Dumpling
46 Eldridge St
I stumbled across this place one day on Yelp (which is strange I wasn't even looking for dumplings). But after reading the positive reviews and the fact that the food is SO CHEAP and it's in Chinatown (which is also great for getting bubble tea with the extra money I'll have), I know that I HAVE to go. I love dumplings, good cheap eats, and trying new places.
Enough said.



I believe my list is done. After going to all these places, I might be in a food coma. If you know any other great food joints in NY, don't hesitate to let me know! Ah . . . he joys of eating . . .

I am so tired and yet I stay awake

I'm trying not to be a living contradiction right now. Or you know, whatever they call it that would fit with what I said in the title.


I'm so tired right now. It may be because of the evening classes I have to endure every Monday and Tuesday, or my sore legs, or so much do-over sewing in sewing class, but I am just burnt. But I hate having to sleep without taking care of things (like reading my emails and writing here), so thar we go.


The Highlights of Today

• Ate some Mamoun's Falafel for the first time. I think it's my fav next to Maoz, and it's so price friendly! The only thing is it has a very oniony taste due to the raw onion they put on the top. I don't mind, but the taste will be there for a little while. Other than that, portion and price is awesome. And my friend also got a side order of hummus and they give you extra pita bread and A LOT of hummus. You can take that baby home and put it in your sandwich for tomorrow. Yum.
• Really hott guys at St. Marks in the evening. Also cute tall intellectual types on the F train home.
• What SUCKED was this guy and girl who, the guy was looking for the girl while we were about to sit, and then she came outta nowhere and slid where we were going to sit. Which wouldn't matter too much except that I was carrying many things and also that they just didn't seem to care. Oh well . . . New York subways.
• Class ended mondo early and for some strange unknown reason, our class next next week is canceled because my professor is going to go meet the president of the Dominican Republic??? (What?) So yay?
  
  

OH, and I was just rummaging through some email and out came an email about the Top 10 WORST restaurant salads. I haven't eaten any of them (some of them from Chevy's, Chili, Quiznos) and I shall keep it that way. When it comes to salads, my feelings are I can make them and customize them, which means I'm not really going to a restaurant to get one.

This Falafel

My obsessions with falafels knows no boundaries (along with my obsessions with self serve frozen yogurt, oatmeal, and fermented soybeans), so a few days ago I went with my friend to St. Marks to get my fix of a dollar falafel.

It's on the corner of St. Marks, going down, on 2nd ave. There's a sign that says $1 falafel.

Let me just clarify ahead of time that it IS a dollar. Which means don't expect much. I was looking for a something-to-fill-me-up-but-not-too-much kinda food, and since I was in the area, I thought hey, why not?

That was my second time having the falafel. A word of advice that I noticed during my second time there. MAKE SURE TO GET IT WHEN THE TALL GUY IS THERE. There are 2 guys: one is older and kinda short? One is younger and tall. The first time I went, the shorter guy was there and he gave me a slightly less than satisfactory falafel due to it's lacking substance. The second time (being this time), the tall guy was there. He asked what I wanted and prepared it in a timely manner and was overall very nice. Therefore I prefer the tall guy.

The picture is my half eaten pocket, which I only realized at that point to take a picture of. Oops.

That picture also reminds me to redo my nails because it looks horrendous there due to it's chipping polish.