Elliot Boblitt

From Sweets

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Big Gay Ice Cream Revamps Their Menu, Adds New Items

[Photographs: Niko Triantafillou]

Big Gay Ice Cream is one of the most popular dessert destinations in Manhattan. And for good reason—they sell damn good soft serve ice cream. They also have a fun brand with all kinds of whimsical flavor combinations, interesting toppings, and product names mined from pop culture (a serving of of Bea Arthur, anyone?).

When they first opened their East Village shop, Cronut-like lines ensued for weeks and their newer West Village shop, which features seating, is equally popular. You would think with all their success, they would be hesitant to change anything—"if it ain't broke don't fix it!"—but rather than rest on their laurels, Big Gay has made a number of changes to their product line including a host of brand new toppings and flavors.

The biggest change is a move to more local ingredients and house-made toppings. In March they switched from a high-end but commercial soft-serve base to a proprietary one developed with Ronnybrook farms in upstate NY. And more recently, they transitioned some of their most popular toppings, such as the graham crumbs and lemon curd, to house-made recipes. They've also added some temporary items to the permanent menu such as the Mexican and Italian Affo'Gay'tos.

In order to properly review the slew of new offerings I enlisted two self-described soft-serve fanatics to help me through the list below. Here's a quick summary of our unanimous, "go-out-and-get-this-now" recommendations.

The team was emphatic in their love for the Apple Gobbler sundae, the Whiskey Walnuts topping, and especially the newly released Hot Fudge. We also liked the Mexican Affo'gay'to with a scoop of chocolate ice cream, and the two team members who enjoy key lime pie (me being one of them) loved the new Key Lime Curd.

Click through the slideshow for more details and any qualifiers on the new line of Big Gay treats.

About the author: Native New Yorker Niko Triantafillou is the founder of DessertBuzz.com his photographs of desserts and pastry chefs have appeared in the Wall Street Journal and Dessert Professional Magazine. He is an unabashed foodie nerdling. Follow him on Twitter at @DessertBuzz.

This week marked the 20th anniversary of the MetroCard—but there won't be many more such milestones in its future. The MTA plans to supersede the MetroCard with a new form of "fare payment technology" starting in 2019. "[The MetroCard] was revolutionary for it's time," MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan told us. "It's time has come, and it's time to move on to the next innovation." [ more › ]

Despite what all the jabbering blonde bobbleheads on Fox News say, the deep freeze this week is not an indication that climate change is the Greatest Science Hoax since evolution. The scientific evidence remains alarmingly clear: unless truly dramatic reductions in carbon emissions are made worldwide ASAP, the future of civilization is bleak. But at least New Yorkers have something to feel smug about on our way to oblivion—a new study shows we're not killing the planet as quickly as those SUV-driving hayseeds in the provinces. [ more › ]

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

When we recently re-outfitted and upgraded the Serious Eats Test Kitchen with all-new appliances, little did we know that the cadillac of waffle irons we got from Kitchenaid would prove to be one of the most-used pieces of equipment in the kitchen. You've already seen the stuffing waffles that topped the list for most-delicious-thing-we-made-in-the-kitchen-all-year, but we didn't stop there. In fact, we decided to create a little game called "Will it Waffle?"

The results so far: frozen chocolate chip cookie dough does not waffle well. Stale panettone soaked in fresh egg nog does waffle well. And traditional waffle batter with lots of grated cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, and scallions does waffle well. Really well.

By the way, if you want to see a man far more waffle-rific than any of us here, check out the Waffleizer's epic (and soon to be in book form!) waffle projects.

The cheese oozes out the edges a bit and crisps up into frica-like frills, while still staying nice and gooey in the thicker sections of waffle. The bacon adds plenty of flavor, but not so much that it overwhelms. This is a waffle with some balance, especially when you douse it in maple syrup and get that whole sweet-and-savory thing going.

The question is: What should we waffle next?

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

Get the Recipe!

Apparently a pipe broke on East 12th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B sometime recently... Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C noted the Saabsicle (his term!) ... and several other cars in the same predicament.

Sucks. But it's likely much less off a disaster than our dear old friend... the Icicle Audi of East Second Street... back in the balmy days of the winter of January 2011...

(Photo/Steve Sandberg)

On Friday, we noted that several readers had expressed concern over Sapporo East. The 30-year-old Japanese restaurant on East 10th Street and First Avenue has been closed the past week or so, and there isn't any sign noting a vacation or closure on the front door.

This past weekend, a very reliable source told us that Sapporo East has closed for good.

Meanwhile, in a double whammy, we understand that Shima, another sushi old-timer on Second Avenue at East 12th Street, has also closed.



Several readers noted this as well over the weekend; calls to the restaurant go unanswered. Shima opened on Waverly Place in the early 1980s, but was priced out by NYU… arriving at its current location in the late 1990s. Sapporo East and Shima share the same ownership. It's unclear if Shima will reopen in its current form.

In September 2012, Robert Sietsema at the Voice wrote about Sapporo East, which was the oldest existing Japanese restaurant in the East Village … opening in 1983.

And then along came Sapporo East. Even the facade looked jazzy and Japanese-y, and the interior, with its bobble-headed white waving cat — the first one we'd ever seen — set the standard for dozens of restaurants to follow. In fact, Sapporo East was an early harbinger of Little Tokyo, the city of young Japanese expats that lies within the East Village, and includes sake bars, grocery stores, pastry shops, hair salons, ramen parlors, sushi spots, and dozens of other institutions centering on 9th Street but spreading for blocks in several directions.

As Sapporo East has looked on and become something of the gray lady of neighborhood, the fantastically low prices have remained.

No matter how many exasperated blog posts we publish calling for an end to the played out No Pants Subway Ride, it just doesn't make a difference. It's happening this Sunday for the 13th year in a row. In the past we've tried to toss a big wet blanket over the whole pasty thing, but our message has failed to get to the people who need it most (the pantsless and attention-starved). Now even our cranky rants are played out. So this year, we say the hell with it. If you get your kicks by exposing your bare flesh in an environment where THIS HAPPENS REGULARLY, then who are we to judge? We just hope you don't catch any flesh-eating bacteria! [ more › ]

[Via Curbed]

This past year, we've been keeping tabs on Alphabet Plaza, the 12-story mixed-used apartment building going up at East Houston and Avenue D.

In total, the building will include 135 apartments — with 30 of them designated as affordable units. Yesterday, The Lo-Down reported that the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development has shared information about the upcoming lottery for those units.

Per The Lo-Down:

Under NYC’s affordable housing program, studios will rent for $847; one bedrooms are priced at $909; 2-bedroom units are $1101. Applicants need to meet income requirements (annual household earnings ranging from $30,000 to nearly $60,000 for the largest units). Residents of Community District 3 (including the Lower East Side and Chinatown) will be given preference for the apartments.

Go here to find details about how to apply. Feb. 18 is the deadline.

The building amenities include 24-hour doorman, valet services (laundry drop-off and pick-up), fitness center, residents lounge, landscaped roof decks with BBQ area and bike storage.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: 12th-story 'Alphabet Plaza' in the works for Second Street and Avenue D

Alphabet Plaza ready to rise on Avenue D

Alphabet Plaza is rising on East Houston and Avenue D

Easy as...: Alphabet Plaza makes first appearance above ground

Alphabet Plaza starts to apply sun block

Back in June, we noted that the "rarely seen Penthouse One" at 1 Avenue B at East Houston was on the market ... with all the amenities that you might expect from a place asking $5.95 million.

To refresh your memory (key words only):

... gracious gallery foyer ... 19-foot ceilings ... Lutron lighting system ... a 63" TV home theater system ... sleek Poggen Pohl kitchen ... wrap-around terrace with built-in hot tub ... outdoor grilling station ... ... Brazilian walnut flooring ... your Ipe pergola draped in wisteria ...

Yeah, that place! Anyway, apparently there weren't any takers just yet ... the place is now on the rental market for $19,500. (A month.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
See this 'rarely seen duplex' at 1 Avenue B

In March, the New York Historical Society is mounting an exhibition of photographer Bill Cunningham's project, Façades.

Scouring the city's thrift stores, auction houses, and street fairs for vintage clothing, and scouting sites on his bicycle, Cunningham generated a photographic essay entitled Façades, which paired models -- in particular his muse, fellow photographer Editta Sherman -- in period costumes with historic settings.

Tags: Bill Cunningham   museums   photography

It's not every day we experience a Polar Vortex, or temperatures that drop this low, so while we're in the thick of it we might as well try to have fun. Here are some cool experiments you can try out in the cold weather... it's like the winter version of frying an egg on the sidewalk. [ more › ]

[Photographs: Naomi Bishop]

Just because almost anything tastes good after a long day slaloming through the snow in Whistler, British Columbia, doesn't mean you have to settle for subpar supper in this mountainside resort town. Whistler's restaurant scene has blossomed in recent years, offering the opportunity to slip off the slopes and into the bar for oyster happy hour before moving on to traditional Japanese udon noodles or local elk tartar.

Whistler has a distinct advantage among ski towns, located just an hour and half north of one of the world's best cities for eating, Vancouver, BC. Fresh seafood, local meats and produce, and well-honed technique are easy to find at many of the Whistler's restaurants—if you know were to look and how to avoid the tourist traps. Here's a cheat sheet for finding great meals in Whistler:

Ciao Thyme Bistro

Lamb on Polenta Rounds at Ciao Thyme

A tiny Upper Village bistro that does a fabulous impression a small neighborhood brunch spot—an impressive feat in a resort town full of tourists. BC specialties are integrated into traditional dishes—think eggs Benedict with crab cakes—at brunch. Lunch is worth walking the extra hundred yards from the bottom of Blackcomb Mountain to get to for freshly-made, full-flavored sandwiches. In winter Ciao offers dinner, missing no beats from the classic bistro style, letting diners cozy up to roasted chicken, acorn squash gnocchi, or short-rib ravioli.

Ciao Thyme Bistro: 4573 Chateau Blvd, V0N 1B4; 604-932-7051; website

Pure Bread

Spinach, pine nut, and feta pastry at Purebread

I've heard Vancouverites debate the drive up to Whistler just for a bite of Pure Bread's baked goods, and it's hard to argue with that. Big, crusty breads mingle with rich desserts and delicate baked goods, both sweet and savory. The huge variety that this shop is able to put out—from ultra-fluffu scones to a "Seriously Seedy" loaf that's seriously good—is impressive, and makes for some great loaf-ogling as you sip a cup of Stumptown coffee (the best cuppa you'll find in these parts).

Due to a fire, Pure Bread is in a temporary location in the Whistler Marketplace for the Winter 2013-4 season. Their Function Junction location also remains open.

Pure Bread: Marketplace, 129-4340 Lorimer Rd, V0N 1B4;
1-1040 Millar Creek Road, Function Junction, V0N 1B1; 604-938-3013; website

Bearfoot Bistro

Oysters at Bearfoot Bistro

The most eye-catching thing about Bearfoot Bistro is the price tag on their prix fixe, but where you should really be looking is the oyster happy hour. The cold waters of BC's coast are prime oyster habitat, and Bearfoot brings in some of the region's finest, serving them alongside their fancy champagne service as part of the dinner. The smart slurper, however, comes by from 3-5 p.m. any day (prime après ski time), when Bearfoot serves them up for $9.95 a dozen at the bar.

Bearfoot Bistro: 4121 Village Green, V0N 1B4; 604-932-3433; website

Rimrock Café

Beef Carpaccio at the Rimrock

The Rimrock captures old-school, ski-town coziness impeccably, with a log-cabin warmth and lived-in feel rubbing shoulders with the candlelit-classiness and impeccable service. The menu is filled with fish and game classics (the venison is always a good choice), with just a few forays into updated dishes, like the scallop and pork belly appetizer with ancho chili sauce. Nearing its third decade in a town that has seen exponential growth in that time, the Rimrock is the elder statesman of Whistler dining. Consider it an elegant, dependable old man, full of (culinary) wisdom to dispense at a leisurely pace.

Rimrock Café: 2117 Whistler Rd, V0N 1B2; 604-932-5565; website

Sushi Village

Assorted sushi at Sushi Village

Full disclosure: this has been my favorite restaurant in the world since I could still count my age on my fingers. At that time, my parents would limit our options to non-sushi items to keep the budget under control, so bowls of udon noodle soup (still just $5.45), sometimes loaded up with tempura ($9.25), were good choices from the full menu of Japanese offerings (spinach gomae, sukiyaki, plus locally-inspired items like avocado and Dungeness crab salad). As an employed adult, I feel free to spoil myself at their sushi bar, choosing from fresh uni, 'box' style sushi, and whatever else the specials menu has featured. The no-reservations policy means that waits are de rigueur on the comfy couches of the bar area, except for larger parties, who would be smart to call ahead about one of the private tatami rooms.

Sushi Village: 4272 Mountain Square, V0N 1B4; 604-932-3330; website

Alta Bistro

Striploin at Alta Bistro

Since opening in late 2010, Alta Bistro has evolved from a simple bistro with exceptional food to a true high-end, modern restaurant experience (the kind where you'd be wise to reserve way in advance). While those who may have gone in the past will mourn the relegation of the terrific-value prix-fixe menu to off-season only, the beautifully presented plates feature the kind of modern technique you'd expect at a multiple-Michelin-starred restaurant: Alberta elk tartar and duck liver parfait arrives in a little jar, with cocoa nibs and molasses rye bread crumbs spilling onto the wood board below, wowing customers as they admire the newly expanded space.

Alta Bistro: 4319 Main St, V0N 1B4; 604-932-2582; website

Araxi

Boulevardier at Araxi

This sibling restaurant of some of Vancouver's finest (West, Blue Water Café) brings a bit of big city swank up to Whistler's main square. The newly-installed oyster bar gleams, refreshing the long-standing restaurant. Fresh seafood is a star here, including the multi-tiered seafood towers. Alongside the urban shine, Araxi offers a little ski town warmth, like the après-ski bar special fondue. The most important thing that Araxi has to offer, however, is the one thing that nobody else in Whistler seems to have been able to master: a decent cocktail (try the barrel-aged boulevardier).

Araxi: 4222 Village Square, V0N 1B4; 604-932-4540; website

Zog's Dogs/Beaver Tails

Maple butter beaver tail at Zog's Dogs

This Village window is brave, featuring no indoor seating, even in the height of ski season. It has reason to be confident, though, serving up two uniquely Canadian foods: poutine, and large, flat pieces of fried dough called Beaver Tails. The tails really aren't that different from the elephant ears served at state fairs, except for the toppings, which start with the familiar (cinnamon and sugar), but expand to a variety that includes chocolate hazelnut, apple cinnamon, and, for the full Canadian experience, maple butter. The budget-snack stop by window does brisk business in hot dogs at lunchtime, but it really comes alive for prime poutine time—it's open until 1 a.m. on Saturdays.

Zog's Dogs/Beaver Tails: 4340 Sundial Crescent, V0N 1B4; 604-938-6644; Google+

About the author: Naomi Bishop is a Seattle based food and travel writer. Find her wandering through words and worlds on her blog, TheGastroGnome, where she claims that being a GastroGnome is not about sitting idly on the front lawn of culinary cottages. Follow her explorations of cooking and culture around the world at @GastroGnome. Get restaurant suggestions and locate local eats in the Northwest from her app, Unique Eats of the Northwest.

When he isn't running the country, President Obama finds time to watch every show friends say he really has to watch. He's working his way through the DVD box set of Breaking Bad, and has said he's a fan of Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, House of Cards, Downton Abbey, ... More »

Incase there was any confusion about this, Hollywood did not invent the scenario of a tongue getting stuck to a cold flagpole just for that compelling and cringeworthy scene in A Christmas Story. That is a real thing that will happen. Do not do it. In fact, do not put your tongue on a flagpole during any season, because that's gross. [ more › ]

Last week, we turned to the great philosophers to try to make sense out of the fact that Netflix was removing tons of awesome movies as of January 1st, 2014. Why would the streaming gods spite us when we still hadn't gotten to see 50 First Dates? Netflix may taketh, but it giveth in equal measure, for they have added a mountain of new movies that you can spend your snowcation binging on. Instant Watcher and Reddit have compiled all the films, and below, you can see a handy list of some of the highlights. [ more › ]

Uh-oh! Photo courtesy of EVG reader Paul G.

St. Mark's Place this morning. [Via @evgrieve]

If you are lying still in a bed of pain this morning, you are not alone. To start the new year off dead sober is a sign of bad luck, or so we've told ourselves in between bottles of Andre. There are many ways to kill a hangover before it tries to turn the rest of your waking life into one perpetual case of the spins—downing a 7-serving box of spaghetti, for instance, or ingesting headache power, or crying until the floor stops moving. There are also some decent fatty, carby, spicy, greasy eats in the outside world you can try in hopes of healing quickly. Here are our favorites, in no particular order; leave yours in the comments, and check out last year's list for additional ideas. [ more › ]

Mee Noodle Shop has its grand (re)opening tomorrow here on First Avenue just north of East 13th Street ... and they will have an open house tonight, as the flyer shows ... let us know if you go… Mee had to move away from its previous First Avenue location when the building was sold seven years ago…

Photo via William Klayer…

Previously on EV Grieve:
Starbucks confirmed for 219 First Ave., former home to Allen Ginsberg's favorite Chinese restaurant

Mee Noodle Shop returning to First Avenue (28 comments)

I have a few things to tell you about this cake today, and none of them at the outset sound terribly upbeat, but bear with me, cheer is nigh.

The first is that if you put this out in small squares, dusted with powdered sugar and in proximity to a hand-whisked bowl of lightly sweetened schlag at a packed tree-trimming party, one by one, the handsome revelers will fall upon them, take a big delighted bite, and then you might out of the corner of your eye note that cheer melting from faces into a brief pang of surprise as they realize that no, that was not a brownie, but an extremely dark and intense square of gingerbread cake. Oopsies?

The second is that yes, I know, I already have a gingerbread cake recipe on this site — what I still consider the Greatest Gingerbread of Them All — and that is still the one I make for every Christmas dinner I’m invited to. However, if there could be one bad thing about it, it would be that on a rare occasion, usually because it sat in the pan longer than it was supposed to or the baking winds were not in our favor that day, it does not like to come out of the bundt pan in one piece. Sometimes it comes out in several. Sometimes it leaves half the cake in the pan. Sometimes you’re trying to get it out of the pan a single hour before you have to be at a Christmas Eve dinner an hour twenty minutes away and you… you cry.

... Read the rest of gingerbread snacking cake on smittenkitchen.com

---

© smitten kitchen 2006-2012. | permalink to gingerbread snacking cake | 169 comments to date | see more: Christmas, Everyday Cakes, Photo

NewYork.com's real estate section unleashed a year-end listicle — 10 Most Controversial NYC Developments in 2013.

All the big ones are there — from Willets Point to the Domino Sugar Factory to 5Pointz.

And cracking the list at No. 10 — our very own David Schwimmer, who, perhaps one day, may actually move into 331 E. Sixth St.

Anyway, here is New York.com recapping Chez Schwimm:

David Schwimmer’s Townhouse, East Village
This spring the scaffolding finally came down from around actor David Schwimmer’s East Village townhouse, which has outraged nearby residents for years. In 2011 he demolished the original structure, built in 1852 and considered the oldest townhouse on the block, before it could receive landmark status in 2012. What followed was years of construction, falling debris and angry notes from neighbors, include the graffiti, “Ross is not cool” scrawled on nearby plywood in August as a welcome note to the Friends actor, who played Ross on the hit show. The result: a totally bland brick facade on a six-story mansion with a rooftop terrace.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Is David Schwimmer the 'Friends' star who now owns the demolished 331 E. Sixth St. townhouse?

Outrage over total demolition of historic East Sixth Street townhouse

Here is David Schwimmer's East Village home

I'll spare you questions like "What Does a Fox Say?" and just cut right to the chase. These fox-focused DIY projects are cute and fun for the family. You'll make them, and your kids will totally enjoy them every step of the way.

READ MORE »

From Sweets

King Arthur Flour's Dark and Dangerous Cinnamon Buns [Photograph: Donna Currie]

Opening presents can be exhausting. Pulling ribbons, tearing apart paper, dancing with joy at your new best gift. Best to fuel up, or reward yourself afterwards, with a delicious homemade breakfast. A hot, gooey sticky bun, perhaps? Or maybe a chocolate muffin with the espresso baked right in?

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Knots
Skillingsboller, Norwegian Cinnamon Buns
Mini Muffin Tin Cinnamon Rolls
Chelsea Buns (British Cinnamon Rolls with Raisins)
King Arthur Flour's Dark and Dangerous Cinnamon Buns
Classic Cinnamon Rolls

Sticky Buns

Venezuelan Sticky Buns [Photograph: Maria del Mar Sacasa]

Easy Caramel Apple Sticky Buns
Serious Eats' Caramel Sticky Buns
Golfeados (Venezuelan Sticky Buns)
Maple Glazed Sticky Buns
Monkey Bread

Other Sweet Bready Things

Cinnamon Apple Sweet Rolls
Pumpkin Sweet Swirl Buns
Soda Bread with Port-Soaked Raisins

Granola (Eat some, gift some)

Eleven Madison Park's Granola [Photograph: Carrie Vasios Mullins]

Hearty Ski Granola
Pumpkin Granola
Eleven Madison Park's Granola
Gluten-Free Almond-Maple Granola Clusters
Holiday Granola

Muffins

Coffee Cake Muffins
Apple Cider Doughnut Mini Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed Yogurt Muffins
Espresso Chocolate Muffins

Whatever convenience accompanied those smokeless e-cigarettes that have come into vogue recently evaporated on Thursday as the City Council voted to add them to the 2002 Smoke-Free Air Act, which prohibits smoking inside in public spaces. In a 48-3 vote, the legislative body passed the bill in its final meeting ... More »

Today's giveaway might be familiar to you if you're a longtime reader or big-time pizza fan. The Baking Steel is, as Kenji raved in a Pizza Lab post, "the most impressive home pizza product I've ever tested."

The Baking Steel produces some of the finest indoor-oven pies we've ever seen. It's a quarter-inch-thick, 15-pound steel plate that you place in your oven in lieu of a pizza stone. Because of its superior thermal qualities (higher volumetric heat capacity, as well as higher conductivity than stone), you can cook pizzas faster than you'd be able to with a regular stone. Kenji's pies baked in just under 4 minutes and had some of the best crust and hole structures he's ever seen seen come out of his home oven.

[Photograph: Lance Cummins]

We've covered the Steel plenty over the years, and even profiled founder Andris "Man of Steel" Lagsdin on Slice, but now we're giving you the chance to experience one of these babies in your own home kitchen.

To win, all you have to do is answer the following: What's your all-time favorite pizza topping?

You have until 10 a.m. ET tomorrow (Dec 21) to enter. One winner will be chosen at random from among the commenters. Contest winners are limited to residents of the continental U.S., and you can only win once during the duration of the Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway contest. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.

From A Hamburger Today

Cheeseburger from The Commodore in NYC [Photograph: Robyn Lee]

Food blog First We Feast recently published their picks for the best burgers in NYC for every budget, from $2 to $20 (pre tax and tip). If you don't want to click through the slideshow, we've reproduced the list (with links to AHT reviews, where applicable) below. Take a look and let us know if your favorite burger got the nod.

• $2 to $2.99: Regular slider at Mark (AHT review)
• $3 to $3.99: Double cheeseburger and fries at Steak 'N Shake (AHT review)
• $4 to $4.99: Shackburger at Shake Shack (AHT review)
• $5 to $5.99: B.G. Burger at Burger Garage (AHT review)
• $6 to $6.99: Double cheeseburger at Petey's Burger
• $7 to $7.99: Cheeseburger at The Commodore (AHT review)
• $8 to $8.99: Frita Cubana at Coppelia
• $9 to $8.99: two8two burger at two8two Bar & Burger (AHT review)
• $10 to $10.99: Cheeseburger at J.G. Melon (AHT review)
• $11 to $11.99: The Full Jim Cade at Peaches Hothouse
• $12 to $12.99: Steak House Burger at The Brindle Room (AHT review)
• $13 to $13.99: Cadillac Burger at P.J. Clarke's (AHT review)
• $14 to $14.99: Smoked Meat Burger at Mile End Deli
• $15 to $15.99: Late-Night Burger at Maialino
• $16 to $16.99: Cheeseburger at Roberta's (AHT review)
• $17 to $17.99: Griddled TM Burger at The Marrow
• $18 to $18.99: Dry-Aged Burger at The Elm
• $19 to $19.99: Whitehall Burger at Whitehall Bar + Kitchen
• $20 to $20.99: Chargrilled Burger at The Spotted Pig (AHT review)

About the author: Erin Jackson is a food writer and photographer who is obsessed with discovering the best eats in San Diego. You can find all of her discoveries on her San Diego food blog EJeats.com. On Twitter, she's @ErinJax

Love hamburgers? Then you'll Like AHT on Facebook! And go follow us on Twitter while you're at it!

Sometimes men knit. And when they do we like to salute them. So take a bow you, anonymous man on the subway this morning, for your perfect posture as you knit... a scarf? Some socks? Mittens? Fingerless gloves so you can still feel my chilled fingers against yours as we walk home from a screening of Annie Hall at the Film Forum? Glad we decided against Love Story, we both cry so much at that one, especially around Christmas... that ice skating scene! Are you knitting me a handkerchief? Because now I'm crying again. [ more › ]

Name: Oliver (graphic designer), Sherrie, and Cookie (a four-year-old Pekingese)
Location: Bronx, New York
Size: 525 square feet
Years lived in: Under 2 years; Rented

After living and volunteering abroad, Oliver and Sherrie had to start their home from scratch. Their experience in a third world country had a big influence on the way they approached furnishing their apartment. After witnessing disadvantaged families cherish what little they had and realizing how much goes to waste in NYC, every effort was made to rescue and recycle what have now become the couple’s most cherished pieces.

READ MORE »

The Frick Collection—housed in a luxuriant old mansion at East 70th and 5th Avenue—opened as a museum 78 years ago today. It remains one of the most gorgeous spaces in Manhattan, with plenty of silence and secrets to warrant return visits and ongoing fascination. It is a "happy place," if you will, where a New Yorker can retreat for some solitude and Serenity Now and all that, while sitting amongst Renoirs and Rembrandts... so let's celebrate it. Here are a few of the things worth celebrating, knowing, and basking in at the museum. [ more › ]