Pillow Cafe- Clinton Hill BK

Pillow is the neighborhood joint I would hang out in and probably work in if I were self employed again and in my neighborhood more than 2 days a week. That said, sometimes I'm too lazy or cheap to walk all the way up the street for Pillow and instead I go for its more affordable and less interesting though certainly solid neighbor Square Root at Classon. 
Pillow is run and I assume owned by two very kind women that I have meant to introduce myself to many times. One works the coffee and drinks, the other works the line. Its a cute neighborhood cafe and there are a few things that really stand out.  
Spiked lemon ginger tea: I love that this is served in a clear mug. I need to get some clear mugs. They really add to my tea drinking pleasure. And this is a beautiful drink. They use lemon bits and ginger bits and honey and whiskey if that's your thing (its mine). Each ingredient forms a layer and the color of the water becomes golden and warm. I could easily guzzle 2 or 3 of these but I only ever get one because the place is cash only.  Things I like to eat...

Garden Bagel: I've gotten the ingredients to make this at home because I think its a grade a combo of edible items. The bagel: I'm an everything or sesame fan, cream cheese OR their homemade artichoke cream cheese which I haven't tried because i'm afraid to mess with the chemistry of the already perfect garden bagel, tomato, lettuce, red onion, cucumber, pesto. Its the pesto and the cream cheese that really set off the dish, that's right i called it a dish.

Bacon Burrito/Veggie Burrito: Ole! This is a very good breakfast burrito! I like that most of what they serve comes with greens because you can feel like you're getting a little roughage palate cleanser. This one also comes with guac and sour cream.  The bacon burrito has a hell of a lot of bacon. Maybe a bit too much bacon for me.  If I were to design my own version of this burrito I would put the two into one and have the broccoli/pico burrito with maybe one strips worth of bacon in there. They don't do substitutions at Pillow though. I applaud this. Yes I have my preferences but doesn't the integrity of the chef mean something? And people go so far with substitutions its absurd. As a server I can tell you that substitutions just mean time and irritation.

I usually settle on the veggie scramble at Pillow, lots of broccoli, I LOVE BROCCOLI. little toast, some potatoes that I'm indifferent to but always eat anyway...UPDATE it appears Veggie Scramble is not on the menu, at least the online menu. Get the Burrito and take the shell off, same thing.

Pillow is located at 505 Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill BK near Hall St. You would think it would be a big Pratt hangout but I don't know where Pratt kids hang out because I only see them in twos and threes around the neighborhood. Maybe they have a secret lair.

Trader Joes

 Trader Joes, you have enhanced my life ten-fold since moving in a block away from my office. Thank you very much! I partake of your produce and dairy products, your juices and pretzel thins but what I'm here to talk about today are some of your prepared meals. I could rave about the carrot cake sandwich cookie with cream cheese filling but I won't let myself buy them anymore because my chin starts to double and i can't afford new clothes.  Come on over to the frozen foods section with me for a moment...




Turkey meatloaf muffins: I like when things masquerade as other things, like for instance the turkey meatloaf muffin. Its a meatloaf disguised as a muffin. With its adorable turkey meatloaf base and its sweet little layer of spinach and parmesan mashed potato on top its just the right size for me and comes in a convenient frozen package of four. There is some gravy stowed in there somewhere because when you cook them there is a certain amount of juiciness. I would give the turkey meatloaf muffin a 6 out of 10. It scores 3 of those points for originality and convenience and the remaining three for being above edible in the tasty territory.


French style flatbread with ham, caramelized onion, and gruyere: so very very delicious. Try not to eat the whole thing, i dare you. When you tear a piece off, its just the right thin, creamy subtle rich tangy yum yum yum

Sweet potato frites and spanikopita triangles: Unrelated but both satisfying snacks. I'd eat them at the same time and call it a meal.

Frozen Mahi Burgers: I'm venturing more in the territory of actual food preparation, beyond heating things up which is my specialty, with the mahi burgers. In essence I am heating up the mahi burger but they inspire me to take it beyond because a defrosted mahi patty by itself doesn't sound at all delectable.  I often cook onions with them and nestle the little guys fully cooked into TJ's sandwich thins because i'm not that into bready bread, unless i'm just eating a hunk of bread but if bread is the carrier of my food i want it thin.  I add TJ's tartar or cocktail sauce and some greens.

I plan to add to my TJ's section over time but in conclusion, I'd like to thank Trader Joes for providing me with affordable toiletries, pet food, paper products and vitamins which i've never purchased at trader joes but i see they're available and that is helpful in addition to your many sumptuous foodstuffs. And y'all are so nice. Work on the balcony display, its kind of pathetic.

The TJ's I go to is on 6th ave and 21st and is big and the lines are decent, especially during weekdays until about 6pm.

'Wichcraft - Madison Square Park (the menus are all the same)

Allllright, I found pictures of two of my favorite sammiches at the 'wichcraft (not pictured: frittata with tomato coulis which is also awesome)

This one to the left here is the grilled cheddar with ham, pear and mustard. the ingredients in this one are amazing but everytime i order it I'm gambling. It can be at times a teensy weensy bit charred beyond recognition. But do not, i repeat, DO NOT, ask them to go a bit lighter on the panini press because it will no longer be a grilled sandy at all. the cheese will not melt, the pears will sit listlessly wondering where all the heat is? Why aren't I squished sensually against the ham and cheddar, caressed by the mustard? Much better to take your chances because 4 times out of 10 it will be grilled to perfection and when its burnt just remember how much you like those flaming marshmallows from the campfire after you've snuffed out the fire with your graham cracker. I don't fault the culinary wizards at the craft for the inconsistency, they're busy yo and they crank out some delectables in record time.

THIS SANDWICH IS DIVINE. What you see here is the pole caught tuna with thinly sliced lemon and fennel and an olive tapenade. Fennel, who knew. Fennel should get married to lemon and tuna because they are just perfect for each other. The downside of this sandwich is that it falls out of the bread. alot. This is why yesterday I got the pole caught tuna over greens and it was great that way because i could stab every morsel with my fork and believe me i did.

I have to knock on Mr. Colicchio's choice to winterize the menu in one instance! The roasted turkey avocado grapefruit with kalamata olive vinaigrette salad was perfect. The choice to replace the grapefruit with bacon was the opposite of perfect!! bacon does not winter make! Even a winter fruit would be ok but you totally and irrevocably (unless you change it back) changed the makeup and weight of the salad. How about a tangerine? that's a winter fruit. change up the vinaigrette if you have to but god damn, bacon? There are other dishes on the menu with bacon, give me my fruit! Also the new mozz/butternut squash/brown butter is seriously lacking in flavor and made me feel like an old lady without her dentures in eating it.

On the whole 'Wichcraft is a stellar institution. The $1 oatmeal sandwich cookie with caramel filling makes for a delish treat too. They're all over the place but the one i go to is on 20th btw 5th and Broadway NYC.

Kuma Inn - My fledgling review

What better place to start than with the best meal I've had in my whole life. I have no memory whatsoever so I can say this with complete conviction! These are items we ate and I'll take it from there: steamed edamame with thai basil-lime oil, drunken spicy shrimp finished with sake, kalamansi and thai chilies, grilled salmon, potato hash, and coconut rice.

First off this place is byob which is fucking rad! I don't know if there's going back for me to paying too much for alcohol and practicing wallet-careful moderation. I know this will seriously limit my dining options but what is better than byob? I'm highly enthused about the concept which is in no way new but hasn't captured my attention until recently. We brought Prosecco. And because the place is very tiny we had to wait for a bit to be seated but listen to how nice the host was:

They uncorked our Prosecco and gave us glasses while we sat in chairs on the waiting wall and after about 10 minutes they brought us a bowl of the edamame described above. Edamame is generally like peanuts at a bar to me. I am indifferent except for their ability to calm my hunger, whats to like? BUT THIS EDAMAME IS DIFFERENT. I have now said multiple times to multiple people that I wanted to pour the oil into a glass and drink it. I did manage to almost pour some onto some girls sitting next to us when our table became available because i had already consumed a few glasses of the bubbly.

Next up was the drunken shrimp. I would have loved to be a little shrimpy swimming in this sauce because that's how tasty it was. The salmon was awesome too and anything with the word coconut automatically makes me happy. Potato hash, Yes Yes Oh my dear lord!

Another thing I like about Kuma Inn is that there were kids sitting at one table that were holding up the turnover and i joked that they shouldn't let kids eat there to which the host responded - we don't encourage it, we have no high chairs or booster seats. Very very good Kuma Inn, no offense kids.

And look how unassuming the place is! We planned to go downstairs to the bulgarian bar thats supposed to be a wild time but the line was a little out of control for 10 degree weather. oh...Kuma Inn is on 113 Ludlow in LES NYC. Near Delancey.