Growing up in Chicago, I was fortunate to be surrounded by a number of authentic neighborhood-style Mexican restaurants. I then moved to Miami, where the restaurants were mostly Cuban, and then on to Manhattan, where there are many different styles of Latin/South American style cuisine: Spanish, Mexican, Cuban, Brazilian…you name it! I have a few places I frequent, but even though I happen to live around the corner from Zarela, I’d never been there before. I am familiar with Zarela Martinez’s son, Aaron Sanchez, and I’m a fan of his food. So I was excited to visit Zarela and enjoy...

Di Fara’s… Yes, It Really Is One of THE BEST Slices of Pizza Ever! Being the food lover that I am, people are constantly talking about “THE BEST this” and “THE BEST that.” When the hype escalates to a certain point, one of two things happens: 1. I feel like it’s been hyped up so much that trying it will only lead to a let-down or 2. Okay, enough people have hyped it up and it’s about time for me to go! Number two set in for me this time around. I had heard about Di Fara’s multiple times – the amazing crust,...

Sometimes, the idea of taking the Metro North train into New York city from Connecticut or upstate New York, can seem daunting. If you aren’t familiar with the city, or the weather is bad, the whole idea of trip in to town sounds like a big deal. At least that’s the impression I get from many visiting friends and relatives and parents of small children who would like to come to the city once in a while but don’t want to deal with the hassles of hailing a cab, etc. However, did you ever think of taking the train...

I had heard the rave reviews about this pizza and wasn’t quite sure what all the hype was. There were murmurs of an artichoke pizza at the restaurant by the same name, but I didn’t know if that meant the name of the place or the actual pizza. Well, it turns out that it’s both! The lines had been out the door for months, so I knew I had to suck it up and wait. Upon my arrival, I realized the main reason that there is a line is because the place only fits about eight people inside, standing up....

This was my second time going back to Macondo. It’s always a fun, upbeat experience with a casual ambience. On this night, I went with my girlfriend and we sat at the counter, near the kitchen. Macondo’s menu happens to be more focused on small plates and I always like coming to places like this, because I get to taste multiple dishes. We started with the Almondegas, which are Brazilian-style meatballs. They were small meatballs with rice mixed into the meat, served sitting in a guava sauce. Almondegas Next was the Caraminola. These yucca balls are stuffed with tetilla cheese and Manchego cheese...

Like most other food lovers, when I travel back to a place I used to live, there are always a number of spots I must go back to. They’re not always blow-me-out-of-the-water amazing places, but rather are sometimes places that were my good ol’ stand-bys. When I headed back to Miami, I had to be sure to hit up a few of them. On my first day in Miami, I headed to La Sandwicherie for lunch. A twenty - something - year - old French Deli located on 14th Street, you place your order at an outdoor counter and sit on...

Whenever I travel to my hometown of Chicago, I look forward to three things: family, friends and food. Growing up in Chicago, most of my conversations revolved around food, or where the next meal would be consumed. Luckily, I have family and friends to guide me to the newest and tastiest local spots whenever I head home for a visit. The night before my arrival, my brother had called to warn me that we would be heading straight over to Vietnamese Town, located around the Broadway/Argyle St. area, as soon as my flight landed in the morning. The plan was to...

Wandering around the couple Avenue blocks that St. Mark’s Place (8th Street) runs along, you’re bound to find a handful of great, affordable cafés to pop in to. One of my good ol’ standbys, Café Mogador, happens to be between First Avenue and Avenue A. On this particular night, it was packed with a long wait, so my dining companion and I wandered across the street to Paprika, a small Italian restaurant with homemade pasta and northern Italian fare. It was getting late, so we weren’t looking for a huge meal, but a couple things caught our eye. We narrowed down...

Alright, I have to throw this one out to the Philly cheesesteak afficianados out there.  Which one do you love more, Pat’s or Geno’s??? Recently we traveled to South Philly to take the cheesesteak test and I must say, while they are very different, they are both delicious.  I am curious to hear what the experts have to say so please let me know. Here’s what I liked about both: Geno’s: Hot, fresh, soft roll with sweet cooked onions topped my thinly sliced and non greasy rib-eye steak that I took with American cheese.  I did not love the taste of the fries, but...