Pam Real Thai Food

When I was in Thailand this past summer, my tour guide, a jovial jokester named Art, brought us to the little home restaurant his mother owned and ran. The old woman spoke very little English, but she did manage to leave me with a bit of wisdom. She said, in heavy accent, "when you go back to America and you go to Thai restaurant, order the pork."
Fast forward to yesterday afternoon in Hells Kitchen NYC. My sister and I had just arrived and on the train in we had looked up "authentic Thai food". Our search had produced Pam Real Thai Food. A tiny corner of Siam stuck on W. 47th Street. After we finally found the small and somewhat dineresque looking place we were seated and handed the ten page menu, riddled with reviews from the likes of the New York Times, The Village Voice, and The Post. I greeted the young waiter with a "sawat di kah" and ordered a Thai iced tea. The taste immediately brought me back to the hot streets of Bangkok. I ordered the Crispy Pork with Basil and Sierra got a simple Pad Thai. Both dishes were amazing. The noodles were by far the best I have had in America. And my pork was just so delicious and double fried that I nearly ordered another. A great place and a great value. Go eat there.

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Meskerem Ethiopian Cuisine

Just north of Greenwich Village NYC, there lies a much smaller, and presumably much cleaner version of Addis Ababa. For all you non-geography bee winners like myself, that is the capital of Ethiopia, and also the home of some of my favorite African food. The staple of all Ethiopian food is a thin, moist, and porous bread like wrap made from tef, called Ingera. It is spread on the bottom of all the dishes and used to scoop all the food in leu of any utensils. It's tangy yet mild flavor is a great complement to all of the things on the table. Although slightly too spicy for my taste, everything we ordered was seasoned to perfection. If you are as adventurous as my sister and I, opt for one of their raw dishes. Worlds away from the likes of French steak tartare, or even Korean Yukhoe, this dish has all the cool texture but a flavor all it's own. This restaurant, while delicious tasting, and with great service, was sparsely decorated, but not in a way where I would have expected more. A must try.

Molly's Pub and Shebeen

3 RD AVENUE, NEW YORK - Floors covered in saw dust, this old world looking bar has just as much to offer the drunken Irishman as it has for the chow hound. My one complaint would be the amount of potatoes. On the potato skins, there was too much potato, in the French fries, there was too much potato. I know I was in an irish place and I'm sorry about that whole famine thing a while back, but I did not come to have a a whole sac shoved down my throat (pun intended). But all in all the burger was very good. Better than i expected actually. The bun was crisp yet moist and the meat tasted very quality, cooked expertly. Large in size and melt in your mouth. This burger holds a candle to - dare i say it - state road in MV (see best burger in the world). Although i must warn that service was spotty and although i liked the fact that the waitress looked like a portly celtic woman instead of a bitchy twenty something "actress", she was often no where to be found. There were a verity of menu options I will be sure to return to sample including fish and chips and chicken pot pie.

Wild Edibles - 535 Third Avenue, NYC

As I entered the small Murray Hill seafood market and restaurant that is Wild Edibles, I took in the fish monger decor, complete with white tile walls and old school oyster posters. Sierra, who is an oyster shucker extrordinare, expertly ordered us a selection from the raw bar. Being it the early evening and the clear abundance of staff, I was sorely disappointed when it took a good 30 minutes for our oysters to arrive. Sierra and I could have had those shucked, cleaned, packed up, and sent to grandma in half that time. When it did arrive, we still were in for a roller coaster of happy surprises and offensive oversights. Along with the standard cherrystones, which we always enjoy, we also got the house oysters of the day, and a sampling of sweet and creamy west coasters, kumamoto, and skookum. They both stood up well to their Washington state heritage, sweet and creamy, a definite new favorite. But the unfortunate part of our experience was the bits of shell I found in my oyster. Not only that, but they were shoddily shucked, leaving the bottom muscle still attached to the shell. So that, compiled with the painstakingly lethargic service, I would have to say this place needs a serious makeover in the staff department.

FOR WHAT IT IS: three out of five forks
OVER ALL: two out of five forks

PS: this is not to say I would not return. Their great choice of oysters remains unchallenged in my sister's neighborhood. If your a deep sea lover with a budget, check in early because house oysters are only a dollar until 6 pm.

Miranda Restaurant 80 Berry St. Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

Last night, I found myself in the "hipster haven" of the tristate area after a day full of moving my sister into her new apartment and then thrift store shopping at Beacons Closet (a really top notch second hand store, if this wasn't a food blog, this place would get a five star rating, minus the surly help.) So naturally the family walked around for a while with grandma complaining about the lack of posh-ness of every restaurant, my sister checking for her gluten-free options, mom stalking each menu for vegetables, and dad bemoaning the prices, we finally settled on this small but cozy Latin American/ Italian fusion place. We were greeted by the chef owner Sasha Miranda himself, a touch I always appreciate. As he regaled us with stories of his culinary training and heritage I took in my surroundings. There were Mexican wedding style flags hanging above the bar and exposed brick walls to truly give the restaurant a Tuscan villa/ south of the border vibe. My mom always says that the sign of a great dinner is good bread and salad, and by that measure, this place gets high marks. We were offered a choice of bread to dip in a sun dried tomato pesto with oil and every salad on the table was delicious. Sierra got a baby octopus arugula salad with a fairly tangy lemon dressing and slivers of avocado. It was defiantly an M.V.P (most valuable plate) of the night. The soup was almost as tastey but twice as innovative, first presenting us with the corn, crab, and seasonings in the bowl and the pouring the creamy yet sweet yellow soup into the bowl. I will admit that my parpardelle ragu was slightly sub par, but that is partially my own fault because I know I prefer a boar or even duck sauce but I ordered the lamb anyway. It was garnished with a light mole sauce which added a sweet touch. The best entree was the duck breast and the creamy polenta, although would have preferred them more seared and pinker. The dessert was decent, but it reminded me that tres leches cake is not as as creamy as the name suggests.

FOR WHAT IT IS: five out of five forks
IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS: four out of five forks

Rosy Tomorrows 15 Old Mill Plain Rd # 1, Danbury, CT 06811 (203) 743-5845

decked out with old circus and carnival signs, drag queen mannequins, and tiny trains that circulate the upper floor, Rosy Tomorrows truly is a unique eatery. because of it's family friendly draw, the place is packed. But dont be fooled, this does not mean the food is great, it just means the service is bad. there was one exceptional bartender though, his name was Pete, so if you get a scorpion bowl, get it from him. The 10 page menu is chock full of all kinds of Tex-Mex-Americana goodies, some a little more cheesy and delicious than others. The potato skins were greasy, orange, and perfect, but my sister Sierra, my regular partner in crime, and i were less than impressed when the second layer of "Mucho Nachos" were a barren, cheese-less wasteland. (my best friend Carly's mom, Mo, makes great nachos because she does it in a big flat cookie tray so the toppings are evenly distributed.) I ended up getting a blue cheese bacon burger, which was actually quite tasty, but sierra's salad was in too small of bowl, and not pre-tossed, so it was impossible to mix. and i am all for a little roasted pear in my arugula salad, but not when it is mushy and canned.
P.S. while it is good for a last minute burger and potato skins, its not the place to take your in-laws.
FOR WHAT IT IS: 4/5 forks
IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS: 2/5 forks

El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant 20 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810-6639 (203) 730-9470 ‎

Since my first visit to this small authentic Mexican restaurant in Danbury, it has become a definite favorite, not for birthday dinners, but for Wednesday nights when I'm not in the mood for lauren's whole roast chicken. For what it is, it is the best. Prices are really good and you surely get quite the bang for your buck. if your a newbie to the Mexican food scene, try something simple like a black-bean enchilada, or a chicken burrito, but if your the south of the border connoisseur like myself go for the latin tripe and the ceviche, even the shredded beef chimichangas are delicious. also, bring small bills for the juke box and don't miss the margaritas (so I've heard). and all of the girls that work there are friendly and adorable.
p.s. when ordering at any mexican restaurant, about 85% of what you order will look, and taste pretty much the same.
FOR WHAT IT IS: 5/5 forks
IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS: 4/5 forks