4Food-NYC

4 Food
286 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10017


As seen on
-FoodOgraphy

4Food brings ordering your burger to a whole new level. The menu changes daily based on the most popular burgers which you can make online yourself. You can totally customize your burger, name it, and then it goes on the master list where others can order it also. The most popular make it to the interactive menu board. Every burger has a hole in the middle, like a doughnut, for you to fill with a scoop of your favorite toppings. Mac and cheese, mushrooms, veggies, pulled pork you can cram all that stuff into the hole in the middle.

I love this concept, the inside is clean and modern, and it's fast and efficient. The choices are endless, super unique for sure, and the food tastes good. But the portion size is very small. I was actually really surprised when I went for the first time. The burgers look nothing like the pictures you see. Particularly the brioche bun, which looks huge, thick, and fluffy on the menu, but is SO flat and thin when you actually order it. The patties are really thin, and they put just a little bit of all the things you add on. One burger is really just a snack instead of a meal, so either get a couple sides or an extra burger. No complaints about taste, though. It was tasty and quick but would need to eat 2 to be full, lame. Its a cool concept and they have ipads on all the tables to make your burgers on. It was only a few blocks from Grand Central which made it a real nice spot to grab something for the train.

 

Holey Cream-NYC

Holey Cream
796 9th Ave
(between 52nd St & 53rd St)
New York, NY 10019

As seen on
-Unique Sweets
 
My wife had one request for her birthday. A doughnut ice cream sandwich from Holey Cream. So we stopped in for this heart attack donut ice cream sandwich. Originally, we were going to each get our own sandwich....until we found out that the doughnut is HUGE, you get THREE SCOOPS OF ICE CREAM, then topped with a syrup of choice AND THEN the ice cream is topped with any toppings of your choice AND THEN the doughnut is covered in toppings.. That's when we decided it was better to share. Overall, I can't say that the dohugnut was that good but this was the most glutinous dessert I have ever had... But as for creativity, Holey Cream takes the prize. They had a pretzel ice cream that was very good. Their red velvet and cookie dough  were also yummy. As far as ice cream goes, Holey Cream definitely hits the spot with their homemade concoctions. They also had a variety of muffins/cupcakes and other sweet goodies....but trust me, one donut ice cream sandwich will fulfill a few peoples sweet tooth for a while.

Bouchon Bakery-NYC

Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Cir
3rd Fl
New York, NY 10019

As seen on
-The Best Thing I Ever Ate

Located on the 3rd floor of the Time Warner Building, Columbus Circle, the Bouchon Bakery is owned and operated by the famous Thomas Keller. World renowned as maybe the best chef in America if not the world, Thomas Keller brings his desserts to a bakery inside a mall. Located next to Per Se and Landmarc, which are two of the best restaurants in Manhattan, Per se is also owned by Thomas Keller and has a several month waiting list. Per Se is several hundred dollars per person and you don't get to pick what you eat so you start to realize that Bouchon Bakery might be the fanciest upper crust bakery in all of Manhattan. Bouchon has a sit down cafe area with wait staff and a to go bakery section. I grabbed some baked goods to go. This is really a killer location with an amazing view of Columbus Circle and Central Park. With tons of pastries to choose from like macaroons, croissants, cookies, and some small sandwich's and quiche I grabbed a huge homemade oreo cookie and a huge nutter butter. I was not fond of either I am sad to report. The oreo tasted burnt bitter and the filling like butter. The nutter butter wasn't very sweet or peanut buttery. So expensive luxury snobby food doesn't always taste the best. Thank God for that. Places like this aren't made for me. Ill take the hole in the wall bakery any day.

Ess-A-Bagel-NYC

Ess-A-Bagel
831 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10022

As seen on
-The Layover
 
I'm slowly trying all the classic NYC bagel joints one by one. This time around Ess-A-Bagel. Ive heard great things about Ess-A and after seeing them mentioned on Anthony Bourdain's new show they were the obvious choice. I've already had H&H, Tal, and Murray's. My father said this place has the best Lox he has ever had and he's had alot of lox. I judge all bagel places on my staple, an everything bagel with scallion/chive cream cheese. Got here Saturday around noon and this place had a line 20 people deep. I got my go to and my wife got a wild card of a bagel. Cinnamon raisin with banana walnut cream cheese. They had alot of awesome choices of cream cheeses and cured fish like sturgeon, lox, or nova. We walked to a park to indulge. At first bite disappointment set in. My bagel was stale and old and gross. I asked my wife how hers was and she said it was great. So I tried hers and her bagel was totally different. Crusty on the outside and gooey on the inside just like a perfect NY bagel. Mine was definitely at least day old. How the hell does this happen in a place with such high turn over. ARRRGGHHH! My bagel was actually bad. So They loose points for their bagels not being consistent.  I would go back to try the lox but otherwise i'd go somewhere that rotates their old bagels and gets rid of them. It's unfortunate because they might be the best bagels in NY i just got shafted.