"new england" whoopie pies
Not as melty, just as tasty – maybe more so? Plenty to share, eh? Wish you were here.
O’Neill’s was a Bar/Restaurant/Banquet Facility located in the Maspeth neighborhood of Queens. The institution, as I wrote on a cocktail napkin at the end of my meal, was the home to “great burgers (and) terrible service.” But for $5 burgers with unlimited toppings, I’ll put up with a forgetful waitress who doesn’t deliver with a smile. Unfortunately, O’Neill’s burned to the ground earlier this month in a tragic grease fire (hmm, maybe that’s why the burgers tasted so good). All 20 patrons and members of the staff were immediately ordered out of the building when cooks ran out of the kitchen. Let me repeat, all twenty patrons. 20, in a place that had the capacity to hold, in my estimation, well over 300 people. O’Neill’s was the subject of graffiti and smashed windows, and cars parked outside were victim to vandalism. So they were hurting – it’s still a shame.
O'Neill's; Northern Wall
But no fear – Maspeth has a ton of great food. Fame Diner, Connolly’s Corner, Maspeth Ale House, Hush, and Good Eats, all located on Grand Avenue offer excellent food, and , at the risk of sounding cliché – at great prices. Believe me – I’ve been there.
http://queenscrap.blogspot.com/2011/05/oneills-restaurant-destroyed-by-fire.html
Location: in our hearts, and (not-so-) fond memories.
Merrion Square. Twelve Words: Free Burger with Every Beer, Free Dozen Wings with Every Pitcher.
Within walking distance from the ballfields in Central Park. Great Pizza nearby, but that’s entirely not necessary considering the exorbitance of food.
Where: 1840 2nd Avenue, between 95th and 96th. Upper East Side
Proud Supporter of Local Brew
The first thing you notice when entering Tom’s Restaurant is that this isn’t where Seinfeld was actually filmed. There is no “booth,” and the whole place is much bigger than you’d anticipate.
behold! looks familiar...
Tom’s Restaurant is a diner of Greek-descent style. That being said, the menu is a book. Its greasy, laminated pages have food categorized arbitrarily. Words are misspelled throughout the menu as if it were printed hastily. The owners opted to exercise every acceptable spelling of omelet (omelette, omlet). I wonder, why not choose one spelling and stick with it? Menu items are listed multiple times between page one and page eight, and I’d wager my tip that it was never proofread.
Regardless of menu idiosyncrasies, my approach upon getting into Tom’s springy leather booths was to close my eyes and imagine exactly what it was that I wanted in front of me. The kitchen is an arsenal. If I want something, they can make it. Sesame bagel, toasted with cream cheese. A side of bacon. Coffee. Simple yet delicious. Next time I go I hope to order something definitely not on the menu, but feasible considering the variety of foodstuffs in the kitchen. Something along the lines of a breakfast sandwich served on a glazed donut. Imagine it: you’ve seen a breakfast sandwich – eggs, cheese and bacon – served on toast, on a bagel, an English muffin, hell, even a croissant. Why can’t the serve one on a glazed donut. Even if it’s not on the menu, just make it – charge me an extra buck. I’d like to try this creation from Tom’s before Dunkin’ or DQ starts mass-producing it.
From what I recall, Tom’s didn’t have a Big Salad on the menu. The Greek entrepreneurs missed their chance to capitalize on the pop-culture reference, but in sum, they don’t capitalize on their famed location in the first place. If you inquired with any of the waitresses about the show, expect an underwhelmed response. They seem like the type of folk who judge people who just stop in because they recognize the façade from Seinfeld, like they’d instruct the cooks to spit on a sandwich if they caught wind you’re a tourist.
Location: 2880 Broadway at 112th St.
Perk: Nobody rides the “3” Train after 3:00am. You’ll have free reign of your car.
orangutangin' and documentin'
fresh pineapple, right off the rind
birthday present comes in the mail!
carrot cake pancakes
What’s new? Well, lots of things. More on the NPR Jack White installments. Here he talks about his love of accents and one of the records he made for The Green Series – a spoken word series. Actually today on the Bill Mack Show (the live daily show I produce on the Willie Nelson channel) Wanda Jackson did a phone interview. Sounding like your great-grandmother, this woman still has her raspy rockabilly voice. 73 and still rockin’ she lets Jack White riff (and produce) her record. How can you not love her? You will dig it. She talked a lot about her love of Jack White. How working with him has really impressed her, made her love younger performers (and their love of roots music) and really re-kick started her career. Technically I am one step closer to him. Bill told her I told him to bring up Jack White, and he now officially knows about me. He must.
The Strokes were on SNL and Julian Casablancas in the end of their first performance said something along the line of “oh fuck!” or “fuckers.” Which I’m sure will piss off Lorne Michaels more than he already is. Pitchfork did this. A nice little retrospective of of their career. “Nowhere to go but out of style,” where have I heard this before?
Lady Gaga can do something right. And speaking of New York magazine, when I was home this weekend my dad told me that Frank Rich was leaving his post as the New York Times Op-Ed Sunday essayist for New York Magazine. He wants to do more with radio and television, and surprise surprise, nytimes wont let him. Go figure.
One of my favorite bands from senior year that I’m always sure no one has heard of, Beach Fossils, just released a new EP. Go here to download it. Almost every night I’ve been downloading more and more music, updating and re-updating my ipod, and dropboxing among people to find more music. Its no longer something that needs a reminder, it just is. Thank god.
Here is more New Yorker fun with Tina Fey. I’m pretty sure the only person who doesn’t find Tina Fey funny is my dad. His comedic appreciation level stopped at Seinfeld. Doesn’t even branch out to Curb Your Enthusiasm, poor thing. How can you hate Larry David and love Seinfeld? The man is a mystery.
I’ve started eating plain oatmeal every day for breakfast at work. Instead of instant packets. Since I read this, and fallen completely in love with Mark Bittman, I found more ways to hate McDonalds. It not only keeps me full for longer, but also is an appetite suppressant.
And for my next trick, I’ll pay too much for CAKE tickets. May be the last tour. I got them for the last of a three night sold out stand at the 930 club here in the district. Excited? You bet I am.
I won’t mention Charlie Sheen. Instead I’ll tell you that I impulsively cut off all my hair. It’s too short to put in a pony tail. I’ve even taking a liking to wearing earrings so I don’t look like a 12 year old boy. I think it’s growing on me.
Technically its vegan, but its vegetarian chili. Includes: kidney beans, white beans, jalapeno pepper, yellow bell pepper, zucchini, one red onion, big can crushed tomatoes with juice, plenty of cumin, oregano, pepper, some salt, plenty of fresh sliced garlic cloves and some veggie soup stock. I was planning on cornbread, but our oven is down.
chili
Breakfast: tofu scramble with fresh chopped cilantro and broccoli sprouts and robusto cheese. Before placing on saucer, do some stripes of spicy mustard. Plenty of black pepper.
breakfast
The "Bomb" from the "Hero King" of Queens
It’s got ham, turkey, roast beef, salami, cheese (provolone and American) lettuce, tomato, roasted red peppers, mayonnaise and oil on a thirteen inch sesame seed loaf. Plus the old-fashioned soda. The reviews for Sal, Kris, & Charlie’s Deli do not disappoint.
Two kids, three instruments. Great use of orifices.
These two kids, whom I assume hail from NYU, were performing near Union Square Park. I caught them playing “Yesterday” by the Beatles, followed by a Tom Petty song which escapes me now, but what really matters after such a great ballad. I just hope those recorders aren’t donated to first grade classrooms in Harlem. These kids aren’t even busking… or at least hadn’t acquired any donations yet.
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