What's New in New York City: BurritoVille Reopens!

I think I hear the angels singing in heaven: BurritoVille is open again! At least the one on Water Street is, according to Eater.com. When Columbia first wrote about their closing, we never thought we'd see our old friends again. The wiki on them reports many more will be opening soon:

The Financial District location (36 Water Street) that re-opened on July 6, 2009 is just the first of several planned locations in New York City and throughout the country. In NYC, many of the new locations will be at or near the old stores. (Planned locations are 226 West 23rd Street and 36 Seventh Avenue).

I'm crossing my fingers for the one on West 72nd Street to open again. Pumpkin needs a Vegetarian Sloppy Joe with tofu sour cream! (Or at least her Mama does. ;)

Eating out for $2 IS Possible... who knew?

Columbia's burger - delicious and the fries were made right on the spot. Oh, so good!

Last month I saw a deal on dealhack that got me curious. I'd heard of restaurant.com before and how you could get a $25 gift certificate for $10, but dealhack had an 80% off code for the site. That meant a $25 gc for $2!?! I decided to take a look. There were tons of restaurants in our area that were offering gift cards, but there were SO many restrictions. Then I found one neighborhood restaurant without restrictions: Roth's Steakhouse. Columbia had taken me there once for a birthday dinner (pre-Pumpkin) and I remembered it being fantastic. I checked out their menu and we could easily eat lunch or brunch their for $25. I bit. And then I bit again. I ended up getting 4 gift cards. Then I felt buyers regret. What if it didn't work? What if I just wasted $8. Ugh.

BUT IT WORKED!

We went for brunch. They were pleasantly not busy and we were able to sit outside where Pumpkin could be entertained by the passerby's. They were very kind about us having the gift certificate and were very familiar with it. We did end up spending a little more than $25 gc covered but we wouldn't have needed to. The portions were huge (Pumpkin could have shared with us rather than ordering her the side of grilled asparagus but it was delicious!) and the food was fantastic. We had such a fabulous time and are anxious to use a another of our gift certificates (because of course we still have 3 left).

One of the best ways to get the deals at restaurant.com is to sign up on their site. They send out a lot of emails but the I think the treat of eating out for cheap is worth it. Also, you print out the gift certificate at home so there's no waiting for them to send it to you. Quick, convenient, a guilty pleasure without the guilt... I think we might have to head to Roth's again this weekend. =)

Here's restaurant.com's latest deal:

This ends May 25th 30th (offer extended!), but there's sure to be another offer after that. They seem to restock gc's at the beginning of the month so the best deals can be found towards the end of each month.

Paying too much for produce? Try your green grocer

One of the best parts of my commute to Elmhurst is passing by the local fruit stand, "Mango Rico". I stopped by one day because the produce I needed was so expensive at the nearby Associated Supermarket that I couldn't bring myself to buy it. So I thought, eh -- I'll try it. Now I can't remember the last time I was in the Associated.

CBS News ran a video the other night -- it seemed a fluff piece, easy to ignore -- but I looked over at JC and we both nodded a telepathic "that's what I'm talking about" at each other. The piece was about knowing where to get groceries in this time of recession. (You can watch the video or read the transcript if you missed it.) It claims the best places to get produce, fish, meats and more are:

• Chinatown
• Astoria
• Flushing
• Arthur Avenue
• Flatbush Avenue

I can attest to the deals around Canal Street and Mott streets too. Perfectly high-quality produce for insanely cheap prices. Big bunches of slim asparagus for $1, gorgeous bundles of baby spinach for $1.25... While most people try to get out of jury duty, my recent stint on Centre Street might have been the best thing that could have happened to dinner.

link to video
link to article / transcript

What's your tipping policy?

I'm a very inconsistent tipper. Now more than ever, I'm trying to restrict what I spend, so I think about it frequently. To make it more confusing, I must not know all the rules. I've had the conversation with people over the years, and everyone has different ideas of what's an appropriate tip for a given situation. Here are the categories in which my confusion lies:

1. Take-out Food
   This is what got me started thinking about it again today. With our first attempt at Taco Soup brewing for dinner (and more than a few lunches) JC and I caved and enjoyed Lenny's for lunch. I thought I'd pocket the delivery tip and go pick it up myself. Online, I was confronted with a tip box at the end. Huh? Why else would I pick it up? Call me crazy, but the main reason I'm picking it up is to save a couple of dollars on delivery. I left it blank, but surely felt some guilt about it. Paying by credit card makes it worse, since that tip line shows up, looking all blank and lonely. Sorry, tip line, but you're sleeping alone tonight. Am I the only one who leaves the tip line blank for take-out??
   
   
2. Delivered Food
   JC and I have disagreements over this. I used to tip 15%, as that's what I thought tip practically translated to (I believe it's Finnish in origin....) Anyway, we ordered with a few friends one night and I figured the tip was about $20 for bringing food from 5 blocks away. After a few awkward glances around the table, we figured tipping for delivery is more of a set-price thing, loosely based on (distance) x (the number of bags delivered) / (the temperature) + (Preciptation) / (Mode of Transportation)... and somehow pie gets figured in there (the dessert, not the mathematical constant, which would be too easy).... Now it's "ahhhh, give him $3". I'd like to see that tip calculator.
   
   
3. Sit-down Food
   My general feel here is 15-20%. It's rare that the tip is ever dependent on quality of service, though if someone goes above and beyond, we try to be generous. Lousy service still gets at least 15%, but as they say, "you can't put a price on talking smack behind someones back." - author unknown
   
   
4. Service for something included (ie. leaks repaired by the landlord)
   This might make a difference in the type of apartment you live in. If you're in a full-service doorman type building, it might be expected that you tip anyone who comes into your apartment to do work. Of course, if you got it like that, props to you -- it might be in your nature to tip anyway, and this point is moot. In the past month we've had no water for a 36-hour span, and no heat for the same amount of time three days later. You can rightly assume that we're not living with the Jeffersons. We generally don't tip for landlord service, but we'll offer coffee/coke/water, etc.
   
   
5. Service such as furniture delivery, man with a van, etc.
   Another confusing one, as you've generally paid a shipping cost for your item, possibly a large amount. So how much more do you tip for a service you already paid extra for? I figure you can probably size up number of people * bulk of delivery * time spent in your home... In my experience, this usually comes out to between $5 and $15 per person.
   
   
6. Taxis
   A co-worker from around 2000 had some formula in his head which was something like "I round up until it hits $10, then I round up and add a dollar". I thought this was pretty measly (consider a trip that totaled $9.70), but with small totals and cabbies that don't really deal with change, this is usually my least consistent place to tip. Granted, my taxi days are few and far between now, but occasionally it happens. My preferred method in the past year has been to use a credit card, and just tip a dollar or two on a short ride. No change, no fuss, and no ATM charges...
   

Do these "rules" sound way off? Are there exceptions to the rules that I'm missing? I'd love to hear your thoughts (...um, unless you're the cashier at Lenny's. :)

As if you needed a reason to eat cupcakes...

Eat your Cupcakes for a Cause! Until Sunday, October 26th, you can buy cupcakes at a participating bakery and part of the proceeds will go to CancerCare for Kids. If you'd like to choose a more healthful way to help out, you can send an e-cupcake to a friend and $1 gets donated to CancerCare for Kids. I sent one to Columbia with a pumpkin I drew on it... or at least it looked something like a pumpkin.



Find a bakery near you or look below for NYC bakeries.

Amy's Bread
672 Ninth Avenue
New York NY 10036

Amy's Bread
75 Ninth Avenue, Chelsea Market
New York NY 10011

Amy's Bread
250 Bleeker Street
New York NY 10014

Baked
359 Van Brunt Street
Brooklyn NY 11231

Buttercup Bake Shop
141 West 72nd Street
New York NY 10023

Crumbs
Upper East Side
1371 Third Avenue
New York NY 10075

Crumbs
Upper West Side
321 ½ Amsterdam Avenue
New York NY 10023

Crumbs
Wall Street
87 Beaver Street
New York NY 10005

Crumbs
Bryant Park
43 West 42nd Street
New York NY 10036

Crumbs
The Village
37 East 8th Street
New York NY 10003

Downtown Atlantic Bakery
364 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn NY 11217

Dylan's Candy Bar
New York City
1011 Third Avenue
New York NY 10021

Ivy Bakery
278 87th Street
Brooklyn NY 11209
Kumquat Cupcakery
190 S. 8th Street
Brooklyn NY 11211

LaGuli Pastry Shop
29-15 Ditmars Blvd
Astoria NY 11105

Little Cupcake Bakeshop
9102 3rd Avenue
Brooklyn NY 11209

LuxSugar
PO Box 3164
New York NY 10063

Make My Cake Bakery
121A St. Nicholas Avenue
New York NY 10026
Oxford Bake Shop
104-01 Liberty Avenue
Ozone Park NY 11417

Petite Treat
26 Farrell Court
Staten Island NY 10306

Sweet Revenge
62 Carmine Street
New York NY 10014

Tribeca Treats
94 Reade Street
New York NY 10013
Whole Foods
Bowery
95 East Houston St.
New York NY 10002

Whole Foods
Chelsea
250 Seventh Avenue
New York NY 10001

Whole Foods
Columbus Circle
10 Columbus Circle, Suite SC101
New York NY 10019

Whole Foods
Tribeca
270 Greenwich Street
New York NY 10016

Whole Foods
Union Square
4 Union Square South
New York NY 10003

William Greenberg Jr. Desserts
1100 Madison Avenue
New York NY 10028

Goodbye, Burritoville

Returning home late last night, we decided to have ourselves a quick order-in dinner. I was in the mood for a burritoville burrito (the vegetarian sloppy joe, or the mega soy, to be precise) so I dialed up menupages and my jaw hit the ground: all burritoville locations are now closed. I'm not sure when it happened, but it looks like they started closing in August. I literally sat there, getting more hungry, dumbfounded and unsure what to do next. I never even got to say goodbye.

Why, Buritoville? Why did you decide to go? Your reasonably priced burritos and free chips and salsa will not go silently into the night. Of course, they never did before, but that's another story. You were a hearty meal when I needed you most.

I'll miss you old friend...

CityScoops: Does your mail have cupcakes?

Oh please say you didn't throw this magazine out! I have absolutely no idea how this magazine comes into our house, but I usually thumb through its 11 pages and see what's going in. It has a couple of feature articles and some few mini reviews, what's hot, etc. Sometimes it goes right into the recycling bag, but JC decided to check out this issue. I see her going through some coupons (like the ones that come in the blue val-pak envelopes) and her eyes got moist and she said with a smile, "Columbia... you're never going to believe this..." Preparing myself for disbelief, I sat down and drew a deep breath. She holds up something more mighty than a wonka golden ticket -- a coupon for a free cupcake at the (recently mentioned) Buttercup Bake Shop on West 72nd street! If this magazine is in your house, tear off that plastic protective sheath, run (don't walk) to west 72 and thank me later.

Columbia recommends the Lemon or Chocolate Chocolate.
JC seconds the lemon recommendation and also suggests chocolate with vanilla icing.

Link: Buttercup Bake Shop
Link: City Scoops

Leaving a tourism short list for visiting friends and family

My sister and her family are coming to spend the weekend at our apt for Columbus Day. We won't be here (more about that tomorrow) so we wanted to leave them a few neighborhood spots to visit. Here's what's making the list:

• Bagel Talk bagel shop
  It's not H&H, but it's not H&H's prices either. While a bit divey, the bagels are great (the ones that Zabar's buys even) and they have a huge selection of cream cheeses, including tofu.
  
  
• American Museum of Natural History
  Yes, it's a huge tourist destination, but there's a reason for that. It's AWESOME! It's also close by. As a "suggested donation" entry, it's the perfect spot to stroll around and pass some time on the cheap. I've also found that if you're not careful, you might just learn something. Consider yourself warned.
  
  
• Buttercup Bake Shop
  The cupcakes are delicious and reasonably sized at this West 72nd street cupcakery. We used to frequent Crumbs on Amsterdam, but you could choke a horse with their oversized $4 cupcakes. The cupcakes at Buttercup are about half the size, with a price that matches. Buttercup was a refreshing change, and they offer a 20% discount for teachers (which will come as a nice surprise to my bro-in-law).
  
  
• Riverside Park, during sunset
  It's such a beautiful stroll when the weather is nice. It's probably getting too cold now. As a reformed Long Island boy, my heart will always have a soft spot for beaches and waterways and after summer the park's groupies make their exodus.
  
  
• The playground at 77th and Amsterdam
  We've been itching to take Pumpkin here since before we were even expecting her! My 9 year old niece and 3 year old nephew are going to have such a good time!
  
  
• Arties
  Arties pseudo-authentic Jewish deli, that has some eclectic foods, great soups and enormous onion rings. It's is a fun place to go and has a little something for everyone. Plus, it's fun to sit in their solarium and watch the passers-by.
  
  
• Central Park
  Pack a picnic and find a patch of grass. Head over to the CP zoo, or just find yourself lost in this 843 acre oasis.
  
  
• IMAX Movies
  Who doesn't want to see a movie on a 7-story tall screen? If the weather punks out, it might be just the thing to do. Head down to 67th and Broadway on a Friday morning or weekend morning and see that first-run IMAX movie at a discount.
  
  
• Jeckyl and Hyde Club / Mars 2112 / Other theme restaurants
  While these aren't everyone's favorites (I think it's something New Yorkers or adults are too cool for) I would have killed to eat here as a kid! The closest I had to a theme restaurant as a child was Chuck E Cheese, a restaurant who's theme is "Mice"... Ummm, yeah, well we have some of rodent themed eateries too, I guess...
  

As I make this list, I realize there are so many more places to share and love in this great neighborhood and city! I'd love to hear what's on your short list for when company visits.

Pitching the Menus

Google ads, don't you listen to our woe?? I went on this morning and saw an ad on A Home in the City for "Menutopia" -- serving menus to all places in the city. Why would you tempt us and our cost-minded readers with ads of encouraging the delivery boy to beat you??

Okay the truth is, sometimes you have to order in. I thought that JC's idea to get rid of the take-out menus was perhaps a little bold, but we should do as we say and we pitched the whole lot. A friend saw them in our recycling bag and looked at me like I'd lost my mind. He paused for about a second, and then said, "ehh, there's still menupages."

Even if you have no intention to stop ordering in, you can get rid of the clutter (binder / folder / pile / etc ) and go digital. Now if I can just stop them from sliding those tempting menus under our door we'll be all set.

Surviving Street Fairs

I noticed that our block had barricades at the end of it this morning, and that meant one thing to me. Riot. Street fair.

We've missed most of the streetfairs this summer, and I'm sure this is near to the last of them. I used to love people watching and enjoying a mozzerepa... oh, heavenly corny goodness. But today, as we take Pumpkin to her first street fair, here's how we're planning to beat the $5 lemonades and !!**CHEAP SOCKS**!!.

Columbia and JC's Three Step Plan to Financially Surviving Street Fairs

1. Eat before we leave
Heck, drink first too. Today on the menu is BLTs on JC's homemade bread, and some leftover "let this cold go away" soup.

2. Plan your attack
Street fairs usually don't surprise folks who have gone before. I know we don't need a Shammy Mop, we don't need a 1lb container of sage, and... well, I might need !!**CHEAP SOCKS**!!, but that can wait. We know we want Mr. Pickle's briney goodness, and hopefully the farmer's market is there too for a couple of squashes. Other than that, it's a no-buy zone. ...wait, are those the sweet sounds of Raggaeton filling my ear cavities??? No, Columbia -- stay sharp.

3. Make a budget
We're allotting $10. In our days of frugal living, blowing $10 seems a little wasteful, as I think those pickles are about $6. But if we go with a $$ amount in mind, we're less likely to walk home with a ficus and a persian rug, both of which will be eaten by our terrorist cats. Bring only what you want if that's helpful to you.

That's it. We're off. ... oh, I did NOT plan on there being zeppolis and Italian sausage...

Local Eats: Niko's

While we are trying to eat out less, it would be a lie to say we haven't enjoyed the culinary opportunities the UWS offers in the past few years. We usually try for less expensive options, but we will sacrifice some plastic for something outstanding.
A favorite of ours is Niko's.

Niko's is a Greek resturant at the corner of West 76th and Broadway. Appetizers are about $10, plates from 15-25, or more if you're getting something exotic. With the exception of one piece of poorly cooked tuna in 7 years, I've never had a bad meal there. The Greek specialties are always great, Fish is always (despite said tuna incident) always awesome, portions are sizable, drinkable Greek wines start at $15/bottle, and I can say hands down, the lamb shank in orzo will give a warm bear-hug to your soul. A couple can expect to spend anywhere from 50-100, depending on how you order (appetizer, wine, seafood, specials, etc). The check is delivered with a piece of sponge cake and "shot" of dessert wine for each guest.

DW and I have a special place in our heart for Niko's as it was the place we went the night we got engaged in 2005. The string lights in the 76th street side "sun room" made her ring sparkle like a diamond twice the size (Mental note, gents: The aforementioned $15 bottle of wine may be necessary to convey this optical illusion). Food, service and ambiance has never let us down; Niko's is a great choice for couples or those entertaining visitors to NYC.

Link: Niko's Mediterranean Grill and Bistro