Crif Dogs is an East Village Gem with a Not So Secret Secret

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But that all depends on your definition of gem. My definition means it’s good. Crif Dogs is a true dive, yeah Guy Fieri, I used “dive.” Trust me, I was saying it long before you got the show. Honestly, who doesn’t love a good dive?

One night I found myself in the East Village on my way to meet some people and have sushi. Now this is not a knock on sushi, I do eat it from time to time, but I have to be in the mood. I don’t eat raw fish on a whim. Plus I was in NYC and I don’t know about the rest of you but when I’m in the Big Apple I want, no, I HAVE to have at least one hot dog and it has to be from a good spot, I am not a hot dog water kind of guy, but rather along the lines of Schnipper’s, Gray’s Papaya, Nathan’s, and so on.







When I stumbled across Crif Dogs on a Saturday night you can imagine my joy and not just for the dogs. I walked in and legit had to talk myself down from a teenage era, Sega Genesis ledge when I saw the Double Dragon arcade game. Had I played I never would have left. Billy Lee, Jimmy, and a few dogs clearly would have been enough to complete my night, heck, my whole weekend actually.

After my brain nearly exploded with video game nerdiness, I found a way to order some food. I went with their Chili Dog, a well done dog smothered in homemade mustard, onions, and their signature chili sauce. The dog was deep fried (yum) and the topping worked well together, the onions were not overpowering and you could taste both the mustard and chili equally. The dog itself, made of smoked beef and pork was excellent. Try it and let me know what you think.

While I was able to decide on the Chili Dog, it was not an easy choice. Crif makes some crazy/cool versions like the Chihuahua, a bacon wrapped dog with avocados and sour cream; the Tsunami, also wrapped in bacon with teriyaki, pineapple, and green onions; or the one I will order next time, the Morning Jersey, wrapped in Taylor Ham with melted cheese and a fried egg. I may even add chili to that one. Whichever you decide I’m willing to bet you can’t go wrong or you can get your creative juices flowing and create your own from the plethora of toppings they offer.





Of course I needed a side so I went with criss-cut fries, crispy and good but I definitely should have gotten chili cheese fries. I guess that’s why “next times” were invented.

Besides hot dogs and fries, Crif Dogs has burgers with all types of toppings, tater tots, beans, slaw, and shakes & floats (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and coffee). To drink, besides soda, they serve beer!

But there is one other cool thing about Crif Dogs that is not such a secret anymore…A SECRET ROOM. If you already knew, go ahead, act surprised. This secret room complete with bartenders is on the left hand side hidden by a phone booth. The way to get access is to call the secret speakeasy like cocktail lounge, appropriately named Please Don’t Tell, and ask to make a reservation. If you think that’s not cool, well you just aren’t human.

I did not waste my time trying to get in on a Saturday since it fills up on weekends but I know I need a return visit to Crif Dogs very soon for a couple of different dogs, a lot of Double Dragon, and another dog while I sip on a cocktail on my first real visit to Please Don’t Tell.

Crif Dogs
113 St. Marks Place
New York, NY 10009
www.crifdogs.com
(212) 614-2728

Please Don’t Tell
Same Place
Call (212) 614-0386
If it existed. Shhh. Don’t tell.

As Posted on CBS Connecticut: Butterfield 8 and Treehouse Comedy: Dinner with Delicious Humor

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If you’re like me, you get bored with the same old dinner and a show. Musicals are fine, but we have all seen the same ones, with the same tunes, that play like a broken record. Good thing I stumbled across something much better that all the cool kids are doing, dinner and a comedy show, presented by Treehouse Comedy Club and hosted at Butterfield 8 in Stamford.

As you walk through Butterfield’s upscale, grown-up looking lounge area, you would have no idea that an upstairs room serves as a venue for comedians on certain weekends, until you get into the room. If you can imagine a comedy club, you think of nothing spectacular, just your basic setup of tables with a lit candle on each, chairs of course, and a bar in the back of the room. The large photos of famous comedians really enhance the vibe that this is the kind of place where a career begins. Autographed pictures from Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, and Jeff Foxworthy hang on the walls to show Treehouse’s rich history in the comedy world.

So sit back, relax, enjoy a show, but get there early for dinner.

Dinner and drinks are available during the stand-up performances but feel free to show up an hour or two beforehand if you do not wish to eat during the show. At Butterfield, there is a Treehouse Comedy special. For $22, you get an appetizer and an entrée, but the menu is limited. I chose to order off the regular menu, forget those limitations.



First up was a plate of chipotle brisket nachos with pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and chipotle pulled chicken. While the other toppings are common, the pulled chicken was pleasing, not too spicy, but full of smoky flavor. Before I knew the meat was chicken, I swore it was beef. The perfect coupling for me would be an ice cold beer and these nachos.

For dinner I sampled two items, a pan roasted chicken and Kobe beef sliders. The chicken was served with brown gravy, fresh green beans, and roasted fingerling potatoes. Usually I think chicken is a mistake, this time I was wrong. Butterfield’s version was fork tender, well seasoned with herbs, and had a crisp skin. And if you have never had fingerling potatoes, you should start now.



The Kobe sliders were good. The three mini burgers came with a vinegary lettuce slaw, chipotle aioli, and ketchup for dipping. I wish mine were cooked a little less. When I think of a high quality beef like Kobe, I think medium rare. Butterfield served them more on the medium well side but I was thrilled that they were still juicy and tender. They were fantastic with the aioli alone and with ketchup.



Butterfield offers many different salads, seafood options, delicious sandwiches, and pub classics that are perfect snacks during the show, like fried pickles, Bedford Street Wings, and popcorn shrimp. Prices are moderate as my bill came to $48 including gratuity. The comedy show is extra of course.

Now, I would be remiss if I did not talk a bit about the comedy aspect of the evening. If you are weary, don’t be. Just do it. Will you get made fun of? Yes, it’s a small room, it’s inevitable. The best part is that the room becomes one; you get to know people by being picked on together. On this particular night’s lineup, I reserved tickets for $17.50. The headliner that night was Romont Harris who has been seen on “ComicView,” “Last Comic Standing,” and “Showtime at the Apollo.” Harris had the whole room involved in his act and was hysterically funny, appropriately vulgar, and does an improv finish that will surely crack you up. Do not pass up the chance to see this Philadelphia based comic if he’s in your area.

Take your friends, take your family, they will have a blast. Treehouse Comedy Club and Butterfield 8 is a winning combination is Stamford. I will return for more laughs and more food, and if you experience it once, you’ll say the same.

Butterfield 8
112 Bedford Street
Stamford, CT 06901
(203)504-8123
http://butterfield8stamford.com/index.php

Treehouse Comedy Club
P.O. Box 452
Monroe, CT 06468
http://www.treehousecomedy.com/

Say "Szevasz" to Goulash Place in Danbury

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Credit: Roadfood.com
Goulash Place is an authentic Hungarian restaurant located in Danbury, Connecticut. Since opening in 1977, this old-fashioned eatery has been serving up Eastern European fare. And while other Hungarian restaurants in the area have come and gone, Goulash place has survived the test of time, and is still bringing in customers.
Owner and Chef John Aczel is the man behind these made-from-scratch specialties, which are both hearty and filling. The menu, which hasn't changed since 1977, is simple yet perfected. Highlights include the classics of Hungarian cooking: Cucumber Salad, Chicken Paprikash, Stuffed Cabbage, and of course Goulash.
Hungarian cucumber salad with paprika and a dollop of sour cream
Goulash can best be described as stew. Its main ingredients include: meat, noodles and vegetables (usually potatoes). At Goulash Place, you can choose from the traditional Hungarian Goulash, or sink your teeth into Transylvanian Goulash (pardon the Dracula reference).

As you can see, this goulash didn't come in a bowl, but rather on a plate. The meat (beef in this case, pork if you order the Transylvanian) is tender and satisfying. The mashed potatoes had just the right amount of chunk and tasted great with the gravy from the goulash floating to the side. The carrots were nicely buttered, and the green beans were crunchy. It's everything you could want from a dish, and then some.
I was pretty full after having just gone through a cucumber salad and my main plate, but I was willing to sacrifice my stomach in the name of Food Dudes and order dessert. It was time to have a couple of my favorite sweets, palacsinta.
Mouth-watering Palacsinta, one apricot and one chopped walnut
Palacsinta is the Hungarian word for crepe, and the thin pancakes are comparable to the French variety. They can be rolled with a number of fillings, including the traditional apricot jam and chopped walnut. And if you happen to have a real sweet tooth, you can get it with chocolate sauce inside.
The crepes are drizzled with chocolate sauce, sprinkled with confectioner's sugar, and come with a couple dollops of real whipped cream. There isn't any Reddi-Wip or Cool Whip used here. They were both delicious, and there was no shortage of filling. Needless to say, they were consumed pretty quickly.
The only gripe I can possibly have is when the check came. It wasn't the prices, which were very affordable (appetizers were $3.75, entrees were $11.75, desserts were $2.50 each). It's the way the check is presented, which is a ticker tape in no particular order. Remembering what you had is key if you're part of a larger group.

Goulash Place is the spot to go to if you want a restaurant with a home-cooked feel and Old-World charm. You'll feel like you're eating at your grandparent's house, and the surroundings remind you of a Eastern European pub. It's located in a residential neighborhood, so it can be a challenge to find. But once you've gotten there, you'll feel like you're at home.
Goulash Place42 Highland AvenueDanbury, CT 06810(203) 744 - 1971

If You Want REAL Fish & Chips Go To Westfair

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Here at Food Dudes we have a motto as it applies to dining…the more you talk, the worse the food probably is. Of course it is acceptable to rant and rave on how good something is but we stick to it, a quiet meal is a damn good one. On an unusually warm Sunday in April, Rob and I decided to try a place that he hadn’t heard about and I had, but I was well informed on the expected goodness that awaited us at Westfair Fish & Chips.

Because it was only noon, Westfair was closed (they don’t open until 1 on Sundays), this just made us hungrier. To kill time we cruised around and then headed back to the somewhat hidden seafood restaurant in the Westfair Shopping Center, and trust me, if you do five miles over the speed limit you may miss the entrance, head to the back part of the center and boom, there it is.

When we arrived a few customers were already waiting outside and a couple more came in after us as if people needed their fish fix and knew exactly when Westfair opened. We stepped up to the counter and ordered…really? Come on! You know we got fish & chips. If there is one thing you can count on, if a place is named something or they’re famous for something, we’re trying it! We snagged one of the handful of tables in the nautical themed dining area and we each waited for our two piece fish & chips.

Now, remember that whole Food Dudes motto thing? This is where it came into play. As our orders were called and we sat down, I swear to you, you have never witnessed a quieter meal. The fish was battered just right, it wasn’t too thick, it was seasoned, and the most important part, it was crispy. The cod was fresh and flaked apart as I used a combination of a fork and my hands. I threw on some malt vinegar on the fish and barely chewed. I will not hate on you for liking tartar sauce but vinegar is the way to go. The fries, or chips if you want to be a stickler about it, were nothing fancy but at the same time were some of the better ones I’ve had when paired with the battered cod. The potatoes weren’t fried to death and had some, for lack of a better term, potato to them. Spritzed a little malt vinegar on those bad boys too. The only missing ingredient, if you can call it that, was having the whole meal wrapped up in yesterday’s news.









Besides the obvious sounds of swallowing and lip smacking, here is the full dialogue:

Me: Try it with the hot sauce?
Rob: *shakes head* (this was in reference to trying fried fish with hot sauce for the first time ever)

A few minutes later…

Me: How’s the slaw?
Rob: Yeah.

For the Food Dudes, that’s a good sign! My potato salad also rocked, major props for using enough salt and whatever other secrets were in there because it was off the charts good.

Westfair Fish & Chips’ menu has many different seafood choices like shrimp, bay and sea scallops, squid, filet of sole, oysters, clams, daily specials, and much more. On top of that, most items are offered fried or broiled. If you are wondering about price, don’t. A two piece fish & chips lunch and a Stewart’s Soda came to $10 and change. Westfair even offers a one piece for $5.95 plus tax.

Being a huge fan of fish & chips I have been searching for a good place since Streets of London closed in Norwalk and now Westfair is my new go-to spot for the British classic, and to think, I was going to opt for a one piece fish. What was I thinking?

Westfair Fish & Chips
1781 Post Road East
Werstport, CT 06880
http://westfairfishandchipsct.com/
(203) 255-3184
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.-9 p.m.

Shack Stack-alicious!

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Every once in a while a sandwich, no, a BURGER comes along that we must shout-out. I give you, with much joy, the Shack Stack from Shake Shack.

Just when I thought one of, if not my favorite place to grab a burger couldn’t be any better, I fall in love with it all over again. Don’t get me wrong, I dig the Shack Burger and its big brother the Double Shack Burger but “The Stack” is in another universe.

On a night where I was starving I went to Shake Shack around 8 p.m. to destroy some food, I just left the gym hours earlier with nothing to eat so pardon the word “destroy.” The Shack Stack was the only burger I have not tried from Danny Meyer’s megahit and expanding Shake Shack empire and this was the night to get it in.

At $8.75, the Shack Stack combines two of Shake Shack’s menu items, the ‘Shroom Burger and the single Shack Burger. To break that down for you, you’re getting juicy, organic Angus beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and Shack Sauce. Wait, I’m not done. And it’s topped with a crispy, deep-fried portabella mushroom stuffed with Muenster and Cheddar cheeses.

Trust me on this one, if you’re a burger fan, and you love a good mushroom, this is your ticket to heaven. Shake Shack’s burgers are mad juicy, and mad good as is, but adding a portabella volcano of cheeses makes me want to resurrect the word “Blazin.” The shroom was crispy as advertised and the cheeses just did it for me. If I had to nitpick, you just never know which side of the sandwich the cheese will explode out of, but hey, this is one burger I will not beef with.



 Shake Shack 
1849 Post Road East 
Westport, CT 06880
(203) 682-6570
http://www.shakeshack.com/ 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shakeshackfans 
Twitter: @shakeshack

For Your Saratoga Springs Sweet Tooth: Eugenio’s Café Gelato

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For the past two years the Food Dudes visited Lake Georgeand made a long weekend out of Damion’s marathon running obsession. Sadly, LakeGeorge is kind of dead in the offseason. Actually it is a ghost town in theoffseason. Even though we missed the start of the busy season by a few weeks, afew shops were open to satisfy our foodie needs. This time we decided to makethe 30 minute drive to nearby Saratoga Springs and were delighted we did so.

For you rookies out there (we consider ourselves veteransafter one visit) downtown Saratoga Springs has a lot to offer. We noticed manycrowded restaurants, don’t worry, we will try a bunch next year or later thisyear if possible, plus coffee shops, ice cream parlors, bars, and clubs. Weactually started to wonder if we should have stayed here…
Anyway, this is not the Food Dudes Travel Guide.
The first of two places in Toga to get a shout out isEugenio’s Café Gelato. A few random facts about me:

1.          I love ice cream
2.          I love gelato more
3.          I   do not get brain freezes

That last one makes people envy my uncanny ability to shovelcold food things down and they cannot. Ha!
When we walked into Eugenio’s our sweet tooth meter wasgoing crazy. After wings and pizza earlier we needed something and this did thetrick. We just went up to the counter and froze up, not knowing what to order.As if we needed to stand out any more as out-of-towners this really made itobvious. Eventually I decided on a large with three different flavors, vanillabean, salted caramel, and creamsicle because that surely goes with the firsttwo choices.

Some of the vibrant colors of the fruit-based gelatos.

My creation. Sorry about the hand.

You know you want some gelato now.

We chatted up the nice counter lady with the Australian accent?At least I think that’s right. She told us the owner makes the gelato himselfwith local and organic ingredients whenever possible and you could really tell.Every flavor was creamy and dense like gelato should be and I did in fact tastethe salt in the salted caramel, my favorite of the three.
I could try to name all the flavors but I won’t. They justhad so many, not a complaint by the way. Rounding out Eugenio’s menu are gelatoin a cone, sundaes, shakes, a variety of coffees and teas, homemade lemonade, agelato float, and something to try on a return trip, gelato lemonade which istheir lemonade with two scoops of a fruit based gelato.
Even though Saratoga Springs had seemingly good restaurants,getting dessert at Eugenio’s would be difficult not to do. Be sure to stop inthis quaint gelato shop if you’re in the area. We know this will be one of ourfirst stops on our next visit.


Eugenio’s CaféGelato458 Broadway Saratoga Springs,NY 12866(518) 691-6000http://www.eugenioscafegelato.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EugeniosCafeGelato

Starbucks

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I have a confession to make.

For a while I was boycotting Starbucks. Between pulling the delicious and gluten free orange valencia cake to being infuriatingly inconsistent with the information they provide about the gluten status of their drinks, it was mostly a point of principle.

However, I've gone back. I'm not quite at my previous five-latte-a-week habit, but I've had two lattes so far today. (Full disclosure before you think I'm absolutely terrible: as I'm writing this it's the day after we "sprung forward," I worked an eight-hour workday and I am currently waiting for an evening class running 6 - 9:45 to start). They're delicious, and the caffeine boost - especially when workplace coffee leaves much to be desired - is a godsend.

I'm torn - I love their products, and there are really no convenient alternatives for me based on where I live and work (I hate Dunkin' Donuts). But Starbucks as a whole would leave a much better taste in my mouth (no pun intended) if they (you, if you're from Starbucks and reading this) did the following:

• Decide if you want to cater to the gluten free community or not. The orange valencia cake was great, and I can understand pulling it. But then "replacing" it with poor substitutes? I mean, really... who wants dried apple slices with their macchiato?
• And when it comes to specialty drinks - please train your customer service representatives to be consistent. If I call twice and e-mail once, I'll get three different answers. And while I get that e-mail is persistent and that in this litigious day and age you want to CYA -- it's really not helpful to only say "Um, everything can be cross contaminated." Especially when your reps will tell you which drinks do and don't have gluten. In the corporate world that's the equivalent of giving the finger (with an upward shove for emphasis) to the entire gluten free community.
• Get some gluten free prepackaged snacks. I mean look at the protein plate - would it be really hard to replace the meusli bread with flax crackers and make -one- gluten free grab-and-go option?? We're not talking gluten free bread or pastries here. It's not THAT complicated and it would make a lot of people really, really happy.
  

Do you have any other beef with Starbucks?