Pizza Friday's January 14, 2011

Place: Giovanni's NYC Restaurant
Location: 579 Grand Concourse


Oooooo Pizza, how do I love thee!!!!! Let me count the ways! 1 slice with pepperoni! 2 slices with mushrooms! 3 slices with extra cheese! and 4 slices with bacon and tomatoes!!!! Pizza, you complete me..... And Giovanni's pizza, you are almost perfection at its finest. 


This Friday I was in the fortunate situation to be near Giovanni's as I headed to watch a basketball game. Knowing it was Pizza Friday's and my hunger from not eating  all day, I decided to chow down on a couple of slices from Gio's...... I give this place a lot of respect. They never serve you a slice that has not been heated up properly.... I have had some cold, soggy, doughy pizza in my life..... Giovanni's serves up a crispy garlic crust.... The crust may be crispy, but inside is softly baked pizza dough which actually invites you to eat the whole slice  instead of leaving it for scraps inside the box....


The mozzarella cheese melts beautifully into a white topping. With a sweet taste, the gooey cheese wants to slide right off the pizza and fighting to keep it on is a great adventure. The tomato pizza sauce is a small disappointment. It was a bit bland in taste and even the pleasant taste of the cheese could not mask that fact. With a great combination of cheese and crust, the sauce left me wanting a little more.... But all in all Gio's serves up a pretty decent slice and I would definitely recommend stopping by if you're in the area and looking for something to eat..... 


Rating: 5 out of 8 slices

A Burger with Bite and Pasta with Pizazz!!!!

Place: Riverdale Diner

Located: 3657 Kingsbridge Avenue

Ohhhhh how I love everything thats bad for you..... Its's a bit of an addiction I must admit and maybe at some point I will learn how to stay away. But until then I will continue to put my taste buds to the text and see what flavors make me happy and which make me think twice before ordering it again.

This night takes me to the Riverdale Diner.... My friend "Hurricane G" had been having a long day and was dealing with personal stuff. I offered to take take Hurricane out to dinner to try and get their mind off things. As usual we are handed a menu with more food than any one place should be allowed to serve and sifting through it was a daunting task......

Cheddar and Bacon Potato Skins

As we finally decided on what to order I thought starting things off with an appetizer would be a good idea. Too bad I picked the wrong appetizer. The potato skins themselves were obviously deep fried and were so greasy it was unbearable. The bacon and cheese were a saving grace for this appetizer as the the bacon was of the thick cut variety and the cheese had a nice sharp taste and nice melty texture. The sour cream served with the meal had a nice sour taste to it as well. Sadly, we ended up peeling the cheese and bacon off of the potatoes, as the grease was just too much...
Rating: 3 out of 8 slices.

Spicy Louisiana Cajun Chicken and Pasta

Hurricane G picked this beautiful pasta dish as her main course. And far from me to not have had a chance to sample this fine looking dish. The pasta is cooked Al Dente which means perfection in my book. The Chicken was garden variety grilled chicken, nothing special about it and lacking in any seasoning. The Sauce was a different story though. Using a cream base and pepper, they added a bit of cheese to melt into the sauce. Spiced with red chilli powder, the pasta had a very easy slow burn burn. Nothing overwhelming but enough to let you know it was there. Hurricane and I agreed, a very good pasta for a diner. Rating: 6 out of 8 slices

Chop House Hennessey Burger

I love a good burger. I mean, who doesn't. Especially a burger made from fresh, not frozen, ground beef. The Chop House Burger Section had about 5 different choices, but standing out was the Hennessey Chop Burger. And does it ever stand out!!! The burger is an 8oz cut of ground beef, with an nice soft texture. The onions are spectacular, caramelized with Hennessey and made into a mess of sweet tangy flavor! Melted with cheddar cheese on top and I possibly have found a new local burger for me and my friends! Although the fries are coated fries (think Burger King) there is a secondary option I am sure (I didn't honestly check for the Fry upgrade). The Hennessey Burger is sweet, tender and a very well made Diner Burger. Rating: 8 out of 8 slices.

Overall, the meal went from bad to great. I enjoyed every bite of that burger and Hurricane G was more than satisfied with their Pasta dish. We were one potato skins fiasco away from a almost perfect experience. But I do highly recommend the Riverdale Diner!!!

Overall Rating: 6 out of 8 slices

***Disclaimer: All opinions presented in this article are solely those of its creator. Opinions are based solely on the experience presented on the given day and are not for use of public record or fact. Please take opinion solely as such and not as valid information***

Pizza Friday's January 7, 2011

Place: Giovanni's Big Pizza
Located:  839 Prospect Ave


Pizza has to go down as one of my top 5 favorite foods to eat. The taste of real melted mozzarella combining with the sweet tomato is soooo good. And serve this on a garlic crust so crispy that it almost falls apart as you fold it and all one can do is praise our Mediterranean friends for creating this master piece! Like a culinary Michaelangelo..... So every Friday I am going to find a new place here in the Bronx and see if their pizza has what it takes to be considered Italy's finest import (right next to Elisabetta Canalis of course)


Today I am keeping my review local to my neighborhood. Now, I know the South Bronx is not known for it's pizza, but there are actually quite a few places to find an extraordinary slice if you're willing to walk a few blocks. Today, after an extremely looooong day at work, I stopped by the pizzeria underneath the Prospect Ave train station and grabbed what would be the only thing I would eat for most of the day. Next time, I will just go hungry....


The after putting my slice in the oven for what seems like three minutes at the most, I was served this cold stale pizza that was possibly sitting on the counter for at least 20 minutes. I know pizzerias pump out slices like its their business, but at least heat it up longer than a commercial break. The crust, although fully cooked, was soggy and my pizza for some reason, was spicy..... Not the sweet cheesy flavor one would expect from God''s gift to man kind..... I battled through bite after bite trying to give this pizza a fair shot. But in the end, futility and the pizza's aftertaste gave way for a victory.... I threw my slice away and ordered some shrimp and broccoli from the Chinese place..... I was really hoping for a good slice...... *Sigh*..... 


So, Giovanni's Big Pizza.....You're a big disappointment!
Rating: 2 out of 8 Slices

Happy grubbing everyone!

***Disclaimer: All opinions presented in this article are solely those of its creator. Opinions are based solely on the experience presented on the given day and are not for use of public record or fact. Please take opinion solely as such and not as valid information***

A Crustaceous Quesadilla

Place: Land & Sea Restaurant
Located: 5535 Broadway  Bronx, NY

Late night food is what I am about!!!!!!!! Don't know where I got the habit from, but I tell ya, if it's late and I am hungry, you can believe I am hunting down some grub....... Well, that is exactly what happened during the early morning of January 2nd, 2011..... After catching a movie with some friends (Lil Fockers, it was eh) we decided to get something to eat... Now after being shut out of a few places up in the Washington Heights area, (We forgot all Dominican restaurants turn into clubs past midnight) We drove down to a diner local to one of my friends. Usually when it comes to diners, I order my regular: Mozzarella Sticks to start and a cheeseburger with a side of fries....  For some reason though, that night, I went a different route. I ordered something that I have not eaten in quite a while..... The Quesadilla... Now, usually when looking through the menu and finding the quesadilla, your options are either a "'Cheese Quesadilla" or you can add chicken for an additional amount....

Land and Sea you gave me a great surprise option.... Shrimp.... I am a shrimp fanatic and if everything in life came with shrimp, well,  I would be alright with that. The quesadilla consisted of a 12" flour tortilla grilled with a combo Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese and shrimp a size or two larger than salad shrimp (salad shrimp is about a quarter of an inch in diameter). Served with Sour Cream, Salsa and guacamole, I thought I was in for a flavor bonanza..... Sadly, the salsa and guacamole had no taste, only texture.... The sour cream tasted like an extra cheap no frills version of itself. The quesadilla, though cooked perfectly, also lacked taste. The shrimp were probably sauteed in oil and no seasoning. Even though the shrimp had a nice snap to it, it was bland and best.... Salt and pepper does wonders people!!!

Suffice it to say, yes, we ate our food, but, it left me with a bad (or perhaps, none at all) taste in my mouth. Washing it down with my unsweetened tea was all I could do for a little "Sabor". So, unless you'r'e completely hammered, avoid the Shrimp Quesadilla at the Land & Sea restaurant...... I definitely think they need to stick to the "Land" part..... Rating: 3 out of 8 slices

 Happy grubbing everyone!

 ***Disclaimer: All opinions presented in this article are solely those of its creator. Opinions are based solely on the experience presented on the given day and are not for use of public record or fact. Please take opinion solely as such and not as valid information***

COMING SOON

THIS BLOG IS GOING TO TAKE YOU ON A JOURNEY OF THE BRONX TO FIND ALL THOSE PLACES YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO EAT AT, BUT YOU KNEW WERE BAD FOR YOU..... LET ME BE YOUR TASTE BUDS AS I SAMPLE SOME OF THE BEST FOOD THATS BAD FOR YOU HERE IN THE BRONX!!!!!