Kombit Haitian Food

Crown Heights, Brooklyn

I love Haiti.  I love Haitian food.  I found this gem of a restaurant back in 2006 while on summer project.  Ever since then every summer we've spent in NYC with a group of college students we take them there.

Kombit- Haitian Kreyol for community.  You will certainly get a taste for more than just the food.  The artwork, music, and Haitian brothers and sisters who own this place, make you feel as if you're in Haiti.

Me and Pascal (one of the owners)

We always order family style and Pascal and I preorder the food.  For appetizers we get accra (root vegetable grown in Haiti), sweet potato (not like ours in America...so much better), and fried plantains (they're double fried- you haven't had the best til you've had these).  If you like spicy then you have to try the picklease on the table.  It's like a Haitian slaw but hot.  It's awesome on the accra and sweet potato.

Summer with Haitian sweet potato, akra, and plantain

For our main course we get griot (fried pork), diri ak pwa (rice and beans), chicken in sauce, and legume (yummy vegetable stew).

Yummy Haitian food

To drink you have to order the ju citron.  It's basically Haitian limeade and it's my favorite drink ever.  OF ALL TIME.  They also let us try the cola champagne (sweet orange Haitian cola).  Pascal brings out sugarcane for our students to try at the end of the meal.  It's amazing!

Expect to have a true brush with Haitian culture and experience the laid back atmosphere (i.e. if you're with a big group, you will wait on your food).  If you're not Haitian ask the owners about their culture, the music, the artwork, the food...they love their country and love to talk about it.

Also, if you visit in the winter months, ask if they have SoupJouMou.  It's an amazing squash vegetable soup, but it's only available when the squash is.

Sugarcane

Crown Heights, Brooklyn

Caribbean food at its finest.  Students of ours from Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn wanted us to try authentic Trinidadian and Tobagon cuisine.  So, we all went to Sugarcane in Crown Heights/North Park Slope and boy was it yummy.  I tried shrimp dishes, oxtail, jerk chicken wings, macaroni pie, and plantains.  Yummy.  It's not far from The Chocolate Room if you wanna walk and get dessert or coffee. afterwards.

Junior's Cheesecake

My favorite cheesecake is New York style cheesecake.  My favorite NY cheesecake is Junior's.

My favorite Junior's cheesecake is the Chocolate Mousse.  It's perfect because the tartness of the layer of regular cheesecake balances out the sweetness of the chocolate mousse cheesecake.  And then of course the side is loaded with mini chocolate chips...how could you go wrong!?!

My hubby once threw me a surprise birthday party at Junior's after seeing Jersey Boys on Broadway. Friends of mine who were on summer project with us in NYC met us there for cheesecake.

My surprise birthday party in 2007

My 26th birthday

One time after seeing Rent on Broadway we went to Junior's for dessert afterwards and saw the lead in Rent eating with his friends- how fun!

My friend Charlotte and I with our Junior's

The original location is on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, across from Long Island University-Brooklyn, one of the schools we worked at when we lived in NYC.  It's near the Brooklyn Promenade, NY Transit Museum and Brooklyn Bridge.  There's a ton of Brooklyn memorabilia at this location.  

Brooklyn location corner of Flatbush and Dekalb

There's also a Times Square location and one located in the Grand Central Dining Concourse.  Oh and while you're there...you have to try a famous Brooklyn Egg Cream.  That deserves a blogpost all of its own.  

*If you're looking for something cool to take home as a souvenir that's not a touristy item they have awesome coffee mugs and saucers and cookbooks.

*If you get home and you just can't live without this amazing cheesecake, you can order them online and have them shipped to you at home.  

Hill Country Chicken

Madison Square Park

One day during a lunch break for a conference we all were craving Shake Shack.  We got there and didn't have time to stand in the line before some of us had to leave.  So friends of ours suggested walking a block to 25th and Broadway and eating at Hill Country Chicken.

Yummy, yummy, yummy.

The fried chicken was moist and tender on the inside and perfectly crunchy and crispy on the outside.  I got a fried chicken breast and easily could have split it with my hubby.

They have amazing homemade pies.  You can purchase by the slice or a 3 inch pie cup.  I've tried the lemon meringue and the cowboy pie and both were great.

Happy eating.

*Hint: if you're with one other person I suggest getting tap water, one fried chicken breast and a 3 inch pie and splitting it- you'd be able to eat for $10!

Little Italy

Little Italy in Manhattan used to be where the Italians lived in NYC, now the "real" Little Italy is on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.  This blogpost is about the Little Italy in Manhattan: the one most visitors want to see.  Although some restaurants are still run by Italians here, a lot of it is touristy.  But, I still love taking visitors here.

Little Italy is located on Mulberry Street right off of Canal Street (Chinatown).

After you turn onto Mulberry from Canal, Positano's is a little restaurant 1/2 a block up.  They have yummy pasta dishes and reasonably priced as well.

Positano's my 1st visit in 2005

Keep going down Mulberry Street and you'll hit cute and quaint Cafe Polermo on the right, home of the "World's best Cannoli."  Trust me, it's amazing and deserves the title.  They also have great pineapple sorbet here.

Samantha and Rebecca eating the world famous cannoli

Go up to Hester Street (on the left you'll see the Italian-American museum- opened in the last few years and tells the story of the neighborhood) and take a right.  You'll see the general store which has been open since 1910.  My favorite thing I found there was old photography postcards for sale.

E. Rossi & Co. Since 1910

Next door to the general store is Ferrara's, established in 1892!

Ferrara's established in 1892

 Look at this dessert case and I won't have to explain.

The gelato is good to the last drop

Amy Ruth's

Harlem

I love Amy Ruth's.

They have great soul food.  The owner grew up in a southern kitchen learning to cook from his grandmother.  This comfort food is fabulous.  What they're famous for is their chicken and waffles.  Y-U-M-M-Y!

Tom with chicken and waffles smothered in gravy

Abby and Mark with their soul food

Chicken and waffles was first served as early as the 1930s in Harlem at three different restaurants/clubs. You must go to Harlem to eat chicken and waffles.

Summer Project 2005

Their honey fried chicken is amazing as well as the sides of baked mac n' cheese and veggies.  To top it off they have a Kool-Aid flavor of the day.

Honey friend chicken, mac n' cheese and fried okra

Subway tile art at 116th Street stop in Harlem

Corn Dogs and Orangeade

Coney Island, Brooklyn

Some other time I'll do a blogpost on the many things to do and experience while in Coney Island, but today I'm going to just blog about Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs.

1916 Polish immigrant, Nathan Handwerker opened his first hot dog stand in Coney Island, manufactured with a recipe from his wife, Ida.  Nathan's is mostly known to people outside of NYC for their annual hot dog eating contest on July 4th.  This actually has a history that goes back to the year of Nathan's beginning.  Four European immigrants were arguing over who was more patriotic and the winner was the one who ate the most of Nathan's hot dogs.

Summer Project 2009 celebrating my birthday 

My favorite thing to get there is a corn dog (which I dip in mustard), crinkle cut french fries with cheese on top and my absolute favorite (I could drink a gallon of it).

Me on my 27th birthday

On the boardwalk at Coney Island

Shake Shack

Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Mets

The original location of Shake Shack is amazing, all outdoor seating in the heart of Madison Square Park. 

With the foliage on the roof you would almost miss it if it weren't for the long line.

On their website there's a link to be able to see the live camera feed of the line so you can adequately plan your lunch break or snack time.  One great thing is the long line is almost always for the hot food line.  The cold line (drinks or concretes) is always short. 

Summer Project 2010

The ShackBurger is amazing...why?  Grass-fed, no hormone added meat, patted fresh with the signature Shack sauce.  Amazing.  Tip for tourist: burgers are prepared medium unless you ask for something different.  My friends who love mushrooms and/or are vegetarians love their 'Shroom burger.

Now, let's talk about their custard ice cream.  OH MY WORD.  Every day chocolate and vanilla are available along with the "flavor of the day."  This is what is so fun.  Examples of flavors in the fall: Cinnamon Pear Crumble, Waffles & Bacon, Salty Chocolate Peanut Butter, Candied Apple, and Pumpkin Pie.  Mouth salivating yet? 

They have cones and milkshakes available but let me educate you about their specialty: The Concrete. Think McFlurry but 10x better.  Made with dense, rich custard ice cream and mix-ins.  You can customize your concrete or get a signature one (different at each NYC location).  

At the Brooklyn location they offer Brooklyn Whoopie Pies but with Shake Shack custard ice cream in between the layers of yummy chocolate cookie/cake.  

Things to do around each location:

1. Original location: Madison Square Park, Flatiron Building

2. Grand Central Terminal, Lower Level Dining Concourse.  Upstairs in Grand Central there's a 

     Pylones Store and a annex of the MTA Transit Museum Store (both great for gifts).  

3. UWS (Upper West Side): American Museum of Natural History, Central Park (Belvedere's Castle,       Shakespeare Garden, Boat House) (All indoor seating)

4. UES (Upper East Side): a few blocks from Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenhiem Museum, and     Central Park (all outdoor seating)

5. Battery Park City: 9/11 Memorial, St. John's University, Borough Manhattan Community College, 

    City Hall, Brooklyn Bridge 

6. Theater District: right in the heart of everything, specifically close to Minskoff Theater and Port 

    Authority.  

7. Brooklyn: close to Polytech, City Tech, Borough Hall, Transit Museum, Brooklyn Tabernacle, and       Fulton Mall.

8. JFK (Terminal 4)

9. Citi Field (Mets Stadium) 

  

#1 Garden

Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

Every neighborhood has one.  A hole in the wall Chinese take out restaurant.  We weren't expecting much when we tried ours...boy were we wrong.  We ordered Sweet and Sour chicken coming home late from Polytech University one Wednesday evening.  

Brandon at Polytech University

It was so delicious and huge (one order was enough for both of us and some leftover) that we made it a weekly tradition the first year we lived in Brooklyn.  Every Wednesday when coming above ground in our sanctuary of a neighborhood we would head there and go to our cute little garden level apartment in a beloved Brooklyn brownstone.  Sound dreamy?  It was dreamy.  

#1 Garden Chinese Restaurant

We've also had the Beef Chow Fun (amazing), egg rolls, and their chicken wings.  The next year we moved next door to #1 Garden and ate it the first night we moved into our place.  

Some of the moving crew

Dizzy's Diner

Park Slope, Brooklyn 

When we lived in Brooklyn the original location of Dizzy's on 9th street wasn't far from where we lived and our landlords told us about this place as a "must visit" for brunch.  It's smaller and there was always a wait on the weekends- we knew it had to be good.  

Then a couple of summers ago we were subletting a place in north Park Slope and there was a new location a few blocks from where we were with more space!  Our kids loved it, mostly because their pancakes and waffle brunch options are awesome!  We loved it because the food was awesome and it's truly a neighborhood diner but with exceptional food.

 Myra Grace had to pet Dizzy's pig out front every time we walked by.  FYI: The only reason their restaurant grade was pending is they had literally just opened.  

Our kids liked it so much by the end of the summer we had to buy Myra Grace a shirt.  She loves her shirt and even though she hasn't been in 1 1/2 years she still says "I'm a Dizzy's kid" as she wears it. 

Myra Grace sporting her shirt on the stoop

One Girl Cookies

Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

DUMBO, Brooklyn

One Girl Cookies original location is in the beautiful neighborhood of Cobble Hill on the tree lined Dean Street.  It's aqua color scheme and the fact that it appears to be in an old garage is just perfect...oh and also they have amazing baked goods.  

Cobble Hill location

One of the first weekends we lived in BK 

We visited on Election Day and everything was red, white, & blue

My two favorite things at OGC:

Famous Pumpkin Brooklyn Whoopie Pie and Red Velvet Cake

The DUMBO (District Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) location is at the corner of Main St. and Water St. around the corner from Jacques Torres and not far from Grimaldi's.