Yokox

First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE: This joint serves up a 15-course omakase for just $89! It’s really close by, so we had to give it a try. My favorite items were the crab handroll, the stripekack, and the scallop with uni. Great spot! No liquor license yet, and they don’t let you BYOB, but they said the license is in the works and they should have beer and wine soon. I can’t wait to…

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Delbianco Prime

Delbianco Prime overall score: UNRATED This Italian steak joint just opened up in midtown on Madison Avenue, and the owners were kind enough to invite me in to take photos and promote on social media. Read on below, but first check out my Ride and Review video HERE! Flavor: We tried the t-bone, which was a beautiful 24oz hunk of beef. The filet side had a lot of aged flavor on it, and it was…

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The Commodore II

First, check out my Ride & Review HERE: A second location of the popular Williamsburg bar “The Commodore” just opened in the lower east side at Avenue C and Houston Street. My wife and I have been eagerly awaiting the open since we saw renovations going on there last year. The interior is really cool, almost like you’re aboard a yacht. They even have life fish in a tank along the right side…

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Mishik

First, check out my Ride & Review HERE: This place was pretty good, if you are using a flash deal. Otherwise, I would maybe skip it, unless they offer some other omakase sets with better pieces. We enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong! But for the price point without the flash deal, I would go elsewhere – somewhere close by – for omakase. My favorite items were the king salmon, the donburi bowl, the…

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Burger Queens

First, check out THIS EPISODE of Around the Hood in 8 Minutes, featuring Burger Queens. We stopped at this joint during a group ride, and it really hit the spot. The burger itself was a double smash patty, and I got the works on it in terms of toppings. The shoestring fries were also perfectly crispy and delicious, well seasoned. I would definitely go here again to try the fried chicken thigh…

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The Lions

First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE: This place has been popping up all over Instagram, and once I saw the images of their burger and mortadella sandwich, I knew I had to get in ASAP to try. We went right when they opened at 5pm on a Saturday, and the place was jammed by 5:30. Apparently everyone had the same idea! We started with the fried mozzarella and Lions baked potato (with sour…

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Beefbar

Beefbar overall score: 90 First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE: Beefbar is a global upscale steakhouse that obviously focuses on the glory of beef. They have locations all over the fanciest places in Europe, and one just landed at the old Nobu space in Tribeca. I was zipping around on my bike last summer when I saw the signage and became interested in what it was all about. Fast forward…

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Bad Hombre

First, check out my Ride & Review HERE: Amigo is now Bad Hombre! Ruben transformed the space and made it absolutely gorgeous inside. What an amazing bar, matched by amazing cocktails. We basically tried the entire menu, except for a few items here and there. As is common with Ruben’s restaurants, everything was off the charts delicious. These were some of the best, most delicious oysters I’ve…

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King's Co. Imperial

First, check out my Ride & Review video HERE: My photos of this meal aren’t that great, because I forgot my light. My video is fine, however, because the built in video light for the phone is nice. Flash photos, not so much. This place has a retro vibe, with a Polynesian, pu-pu platter and tiki drinks old school feel to it. The cocktails were great. We started with crispy fried mushrooms, pork…

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20 Grams Cafe

20 Grams Cafe is a little burger joint that operates above the Jubilee grocery store over on West Street in Greenpoint. It became popular because they sell burgers for just $2. Specifically, Hamburgers for $2.15 and cheeseburgers for $2.55. How do they do it? It’s basically a 2 or 3 ounce patty with sliced onions, similar to the Motz smash burger at Hamburger America, only smaller and cheaper,…

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Ye's Apothecary

Ye’s Apothecary is a cool downstairs spot in the Lower East Side that serves great cocktails and some tasty Szechuan food. The Szechuan old fashioned was a great way to start the meal. It IS spicy, so beware. Our favorite dish was “husband and wife,” which was a chilled appetizer of beef tripe and tendon in a spicy chili oil. The egg noodles with char siu pork was also a nice dish, but I…

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Hamburger America

First, watch this episode of Around the Hood HERE: I finally got over to Hamburger America to try out George Motz’s take on the historic Oklahoma style onion smash burger. He keeps it really simple: A meatball goes onto the flat top, it gets seasoned, and then it gets smushed into a flat burger patty with thin sliced onions. The two become one, and they’re topped with a slice of yellow American…

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L'Industrie Pizza

First, check out my Ride & Review HERE: After learning about L’Industrie’s opening in the west village, I thought it was a good opportunity to finally try this place, as the typically long lines in Brooklyn would be bifurcated now that there is a second location for Manhattanites. We still waited about 15 minutes, which isn’t that bad to be honest. Coming in at around $25 for four slices is…

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Petey's Burger

I stopped in this joint with some guys from the NYC Zooz Club after a ride, and stuffed a double cheeseburger down my throat. It was really good! I didn’t get a photo of their shoestring fries, but they were excellent. All in, with a drink, $17. Excellent deal! PETEY’S BURGER 46-46 Vernon Blvd. Queens, NY 11101

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Amber Steakhouse

Amber Steakhouse overall score: 83 I had heard good things about this place from a few different people recently, so I had to go give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised! First, watch my Ride & Review on YouTube below. Then read on! Flavor: 8 We had the bone-in dry-aged rib eye, and the dry-aged t-bone. Both had a really nice char on the outside from the broiler, and both were just slightly…

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Sushi Fan

First, check out my Ride & Review HERE: This joint has a really nice 15-piece omakase for just $85. You get a lot of what would normally be “upgrade” toppings on the pieces, too. Things like uni, foie, etc. Here are some pics of everything we had (minus the hand roll). My favorite was the wagyu beef with uni on top (obvious?). It was A5 rib eye! I would definitely go back here again, and the…

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The Baroness

First, check out my Ride & Review HERE: I’ve been meaning to get over to this joint ever since I learned that my guys over at Golden Packing supply the burgers and some other meat proteins here. So I rode up on the Zooz and met with Tyson and Lupe, both Golden gang members, to chow down. The savage wings are smoked and then fried, so they pack a ton of flavor. The burnt ends bologna was…

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