Lucky’s Famous Burger is Still Waiting to be Discovered

Tonight, my roommate said he wanted to eat out. He was ready to sink his teeth into something good and hearty. Since I work at a retail store and have been working more hours lately, I wanted to refrain from standing and walking as much as possible. He really wanted me to choose because he’s very indecisive, and I don’t want to choose because he fusses over my selections. I’m Asian. I like Asian food. I eat huge quantities of rice. If there is anything that would classify me as an Asian, that will be it. I don’t like gambling. I don’t drink much and never smoke. I am not good at math. I can’t play tennis. Or pool. Or ping pong. Well, I’m sure you get it now. My roommate gags when he sees rice. He likes it, but after the 3rd day of eating it, he can’t stomach it anymore. I, however, have a huge tolerance for it. It’s in my genes. =)

After some banter back and forth, I compromised and chose Creole food. I saw a picture of smothered pork chop, and I tried to convince my roommate to go to Harlem so we can get some, but since he’s from a small town in Ohio, Harlem has way too much culture for him. When people hear Harlem, they think of drive-by shootings and thugs. It’s only partially true, and not all of Harlem is bad. I couldn’t convince him, and out of nowhere, he decides we’re going to Island Burgers and Shakes in Hells Kitchen. How did that happened? When we got there, it was packed, which is typical of many eating establishments on a Friday night. We didn’t eat there and end up walking to find a place to eat. We walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. Back to being indecisive again, and I’m walking, which is what I don’t want to do. After I spew some frustration, he decided to eat at the first interesting place he sees. Lucky’s Famous Burger got lucky tonight.

It was a small and bright burger joint in Hell’s Kitchen. Their menu is small and consisted of burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, sodas, and shakes. Typical fast food fare but with higher quality ingredients. I got the Lucky’s All American Cheeseburger Combo ($10) which includes a fountain drink (free refills! whoo!) and crinkled fries. The cheeseburger was medium cooked, served with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mustard, and ketchup. I asked for no mustard and ketchup, and they were nice enough to make it to order. The fries are crispy but didn’t taste fresh. They are your typical frozen french fries.

Overall I thought the cheeseburger was tasty. The ground beef tasted like mostly chuck with a little bit of sirloin. It was a bit chewy and gritty, but it tasted fresh and juicy. It wasn’t overly seasoned or bland. Since it’s in Manhattan, expect the burger to be small. It’s served on a Martin’s potato bun. It was a great choice. The bun absorbs the grease well and held the burger together better than normal buns. It didn’t crumble or all apart as I was eating. I would definitely go back, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get there. It was good but not great or superior.

Lucky’s Famous Burger 370 West 52nd Street New York, New York 10019

Bourbon House In New Orleans Is Classy With a Few Kinks

For my little brother’s 21st birthday, I took him to New Orleans for a 3 day trip. Partly because I also miss the city myself. On Southwest Vacations, I was able to get 2 round-trip tickets and 3 days and 2 nights at the Hilton Hotel on the Riverwalk for under $450.00. While there, I tried to savor the moments as much as possible. After riding the St. Charles Streetcar, I took him to one of the Brennan’s Restaurant, Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House (144 Bourbon Street). After my huge meal at The Gumbo Shop, I need to go easy at dinner. I ordered half a dozen oysters on a half-shell ($8.00), a Bourbon “House” salad with a spicy buttermilk dressing ($7.00), a crawfish appetizer, and a side of sauteed wild mushrooms. Yup…that’s all for me.  My little brother ordered a veal dish with fresh lump crab meat and garlic mashed potatoes. We also got some fried calamari ($8.00) for the appetizer.

The restaurant has the elegant classy vibe to it. For being on Bourbon Street, it doesn’t have the touristy feel nor does it feel gimmicky. We sat near the windows, and it’s a nice view out. My little brother was excited to be in a nice restaurant for once, and since he’s 21, he ordered his first alcoholic drink. The drink set me back $15.00!

The fried calamari was crispy and had Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, but it wasn’t the best I’ve tasted. The sauce they served with the calamari was mustard based, and I’m not a fan of mustard. It was an OK appetizer.

The oysters on the half-shell, however, were excellent. They were cold, fresh, and flavorful. It was served with fresh grated horseradish and cocktail sauce. I’m usually not a fan of horseradish, but it tasted great with the oysters and cleared my sinuses along the way. I wished I could’ve ordered a dozen, but it was $20 so I had to pass on that. The salad was a plain salad. It wasn’t a superior salad, and it was topped with a stale piece of bread.

My crawfish dish was disappointing. Firstly, it was warm instead of hot when it was served. Secondly, I wasn’t a fan of having a whole dead crawfish on top of my plate. I tried opening it and eating it, but it was inedible. As I was digging into my plate, I realized that there was a piece of French bread underneath, ladled with a creamy sauce with crawfish meat. In addition to that, they forgot to bring my side of sauteed wild mushrooms. When I did receive it, it was just sauteed button mushrooms. There wasn’t anything wild about that. Paying $6.00 for a very small side of button mushrooms was exorbitant.

My little brother loved his dish. He got two veal fillets, which were breaded and fried, topped with a mound of fresh lump crab meat, and it was all sitting on top of garlic mashed potatoes, which had whole roasted garlic pieces in it. It was so much that he had to take half of the meal home with him. I didn’t tried his dish because I made a public pledge to never eat veal. He assured me it was good.

I was beyond full at this point, but the server mentioned dessert, and I couldn’t leave without sampling something. I got a creme brulee. It was simple, classic, but unfortunately, they didn’t serve it well. It didn’t have that crisp slightly charred sugar top. I’m glad my little brother enjoyed his meal. We came in on a week night and near the end of the night so I can see why things are a bit lacking. I wouldn’t write them off completely, but if I choose to dine there again, I do have higher expectations.

Bourbon House 144 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70130

Coffee, Shop, and Dinner all at Ikea Brooklyn

When I lived in Texas, the closest Ikea was a 3 hour car ride away. My first trip to Ikea was two years ago in Long Island, New York. The showrooms and their products were great, and I enjoyed trying out the sofas and rummaging through all their kitchen gadgets. I was even more ecstatic after discovering that an Ikea opened in Brooklyn in the Red Hook neighborhood. There are many options to get to Ikea in Brooklyn, including a free shuttle ride at Borough Hall in Downtown Brooklyn, which is my preferred transportation. I like going on a weekday evening to avoid all the crowds and chaos.

On this occasion, I ordered the Swedish meatballs ($4.99), which was served with mashed potatoes and gravy and lingonberry jam. It wasn’t the greatest meal, but it was tasty and cheap. The portion and price was good, and it was very filling. Overall, it satisfied my belly and my wallet.

Coffee was $0.99 with unlimited refill. You can also get BBQ Ribs (1/2 rack) on Wednesday night from 4 p.m. – close for $7.99. It is served with french fries and corn bread. On the Ikea website, they have a $0.99 breakfast plate with scrambled eggs, 2 strips of bacon, and potatoes. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m a student with a budget, and a $0.99 breakfast plate to me is like a fat man at a buffet place. Now all I need to do is try to get myself up early enough for it.

Also, below is the Ikea menu. Can you see which word is misspelled? Remember. Proofreading helps save jobs.

Ikea Brooklyn 1 Beard Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231