One Place A Day

Pho Thai

Fresh shrimp spring rolls, melting crispy curry samosas, addictive edamame, juicy chicken wings, flavorful beef yellow curry, and a hearty pho. What more can you ask for? Oh yeah, of course a Vietnamese iced coffee to top it all off. We had a grand ol' time here. Seriously some of the best food we've had. Those sides we're just to die for. Edamame was more addictive than usual. Those spring rolls were packed with freshness and overall yumminess. Those crispy curry samosas, the way they melted in my mouth, I want them right now. If we went back, we'd order the same exact thing EXCEPT for the curry (and also naturally we'd HAVE to get new things since that's just like what we have to do). Don't get me wrong, the beef yellow curry was incredible. It was great. But, their main thing was the pho. And tasting some of t's, I knew which one was better. Regardless, incredible food overall. They got good problems going for them.

J Mart

some of the freshest fish ive ever had, ever. like seriously tho legit. jado and i got a set of nigori and a set of sashimi. the nigori tasted better but the sashimi felt more fresh and you felt the texture more. man was that food interesting. im such a raw fish guy now. i had this one sushi ball lookin thing (caviar i guess) and man was it just splendid. all of it was so good tho but wow, i just never had anything like that

One Trick Pony

Maple fig latte. She was yummy! And sweet. They have their own custom syrups which was nice to see. We got in at the right time, it got packed once we ordered. T got a blueberry latte. She was a darker more bitter one which I liked, and t did too! Overall, I approve.

Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center

This was really fun! I typically am conservative when it comes to any animal-related activity, due to the fact that I'm ignorant and am unsure / uneducated on whether or not the animals are being manipulated or not being taken care of in some way. But this seemed to check the boxes: they weren't displaced, we don't really disrupt but just observe, and the people on the boat that were speaking seemed really knowledgable. Again, I am ignorant, and could be totally wrong, but this seemed ethical to me. And it was a great time with the gals! We were able to walk around, look at the dolphins. It was a beautiful time in the sun. And I love water!

Soosanghan Pocha

food was spot fuckin on. our issue was that we ordered too much lmfao. got some apps like the corn cheese and bulgogi nachos and *mwah*, they were fantastic. i think we all collectively liked the nachos more but man that corn cheese hit. we also got sweet and spicy chicken and i think some other sort of beef or chicken dish. the chicken was better. the other was good too but we were too full tbh by the time we got to it lmfao. ive also been here another time with the karaoke and it was so much fun! plus the photo booth outside, this place is amazing.

Indian King Biryani House

Has become my top work food spot very quickly. Great size meal for lunch, plus it has a buncha other things I can order if I feel hungrier. Baseline though, the platter is just so solid. The white sauce, hot sauce, the freshness. You can't ask for anything better. Top cart right now. Shoutout to my one co-worker.

OK Café

Cute, tiny café that is present as you walk the streets of Astoria. Was looking for a place to sit and work while I wait for my brother to arrive at JFK. And this was perfect. The person running the place was super kind and friendly, showing me what they offer. I got this mushroom coffee that was poppin' and a biscuit with egg. Both really good! Dogged the biscuit, and downed that coffee.

Hen House

Went here once before and I didn't like it. This second time though, which I count as my first time, was awesome. Great food, really swell quality. Reminds me of the breakfasts at home in the way some of the things tasted. And the sauces, amazing.

Farida

Went with my co-workers for lunch. Was quite the aesthetic. Definitely felt outside of wall street and lived within it's own walls of isolated cultural vibes. Appreciated that. Also appreciated the food, ofc. It was a good bunch of us (~5 people) and so the portions felt smaller but, they were quality meats and the way they were delivered was great. Great meets with great sauces, what more can you ask for?

OG BURGER BOX

I went here twice. The first time it was solid. I got a hot dog and a burger. The chili is great, on the dog or standalone. I liked it quite a lot. And the burger...it's hit or miss right now. The first time I had it it was solid. On par with a five guys, if not better. But that second time it was burnt on the edges, you can feel the grease lathered all over it. Just not good. No like. Not good for tummy x 2.

La Mixteca

Some gooooood food. We went for Nour's birthday. Was a ball of a time. Nestled in the town of Butler, well I mean, not really nestled, but it's just there, is some really good Mexican food. With a wide array of options, I had a torta and the birria tacos. And the birria tacos was good but tbh not that flavorful. But that torta. That torta is to die for.

Jerusalem Falafel

Incredible falafel. Been having some really good falafel lately but this is at the top of that list. A good falafel sandwich isn't just about the sauces. It's about the other supplements to the falafel. Like tomatoes, cucumbers, that pickled purple / pink thing I always forget the name of. Those are as important as the falafel! To not make the falafel dry. Then comes the sauces, which it sure did have, especially a delicious riveting hot sauce. The falafel itself was solid, crispy, and warm. Seriously top notch, top notch.

TC's Little Taste of Saigon

Hearty, tasty broth. Really great broth with incredible flavor. Nestled in a house, this restaurant provides a real homey and cozey feel, which makes the pho even more apt. Also had some spring rolls that we demolished.

So Moon Nan Jip

this place was good. it was a good time. that JAP CHAE WAS BOMB. the galbi and the brisket were good, but felt it was low in quantity. i never had jap chae that came out steamin, so fresh and delicious with great additives. yummy! also had a kimchi pancake that was solid. and this place put me on soup.

Pompton Espresso Bar

Simple, quiet, coffee. One hot black house coffee and I'm good for several hours until I leave due to the overuse of the singular jazz track they keep on repeat. It's great coffee. It gets me in my mood. And tbh, I dig the music. It comes to create this quiet calm atmosphere that you don't find in many public places anymore, especially cafés. You have the occassional person with no headphones talking in meetings (yes, that's happened here), but overall you're in for a peaceful time. At the end of the day, just wear your headphones and you'll feel in your own world.

Tabare

Great place. Romantic, very cute vibes. Seating was outside and real tight. You could hear everything. Was only cash. These aren't necessarily bad things but aren't good. The main thing which is the food felt lower than what we expected. We also had a long, long day. Had a solid steak as well as a nice meat sandwich. But, neither were spectacular. Solid, great food. But wasn't anything spectacular.

Tony's Asian Fusion

Incredible sushi. If it's this good takeout, it must be even better in-person. Really good sushi I mean, some of the most carefully done I've seen in awhile. Those noodles with beef were also delectable. They were done really fresh. And it's impossible to hate on rangoons. High quality here.

Café Gelateria

the ice cream was great (or gelato?). the drink was great and the books were really cool to view - really great service too

V-YAN Hot Pot & BBQ

i got the spiciest hot pot. dont do it again man. it gets into your throat and u cough a lot. just do the mild. or just another one. but it's great flavor, and the meat is solid

Croton Point Park

yeah i mean really there was nothing wrong. we came on a sunday and it was nowhere near packed. so much space. even with it raining the day beforehand there were some dry patches here and there. we picnicked near a tree and yeah it was just, beautiful. we had our drinks, our speaker, our space - it was like we were in our own bubble. it was awesome. the trees were beautiful, we took so many pictures, there were more places to walk, they had big bathrooms. yeah i mean there really was nothing i could say that went wrong here. so perfect

Shawarma Serrano

i ordered the shawarma and i said “con papas fritas” (with french fries) and i thought they were gonna come on the side. but they were inside as yall can see lmfao. and that was great. that extra crunchy with the shawarma was great. but i wish it had more white sauce. because i had most of it at the end and it was SO fucking good.

koiKOKORO

i am obsessed with that shirt, as you can tell. this was great. although it seems they mainly do pick up orders, it was still such a nice place to sit and have a meal. we might've gotten one too much. we got these chicken wings, dumplings with these crispy deep fried rice balls. after we had two very good sushi rolls (that you gotta eat quick!), some beef bao buns, spicy crunchy edamame, miso soup (and wait!), a bibimbap bowl! that last one was the one that we shouldn't have gotten, cause we didn't even touch it LOL. everything else we ate and tried but the bowl we just couldn't even cause we were so full. t took it to go. the service was great, the place was filled with cultural items and just felt so homey. loved it.

Museo Moderno

truly a really cool museum. with a nice cafe that you can sit down at to start, after you have three floors. the exhibitions were wildly different while i was there. one about the manifesto verde, or green manifesto. another one about space and connecting space to ancient times. another one about the human mind that was kinda freaky. there were all really interesting exhibitions, albeit maybe not fully into most of the artworks. but some, like the “eduardo basualdo pupila” exhibit, that shit was freaky. and that was definitely interesting. really well built and structured museum though - great stuff

Aslam's Rasoi

best mango lassi ever. some of the best lamb ever. but no curry :/ no curry came with the meal which was a bummer but it was still excellent. the goat cheese naan was incredible. and again, best mango lassi ever.

Sey Coffee

solid ass coffee. got iced coffee, black. so fucking good. they gave me water on the side, but sparkling. bleh. the place was magnificent. such a vice. garage-like vibe but so peaceful, so communal. area was awesome. i loved it. man that iced coffee tasted so unique and good. gulped the fuck out of it

Halmaejib

man this was probably the best seafood i ever had. so solid. the makgeolli was so solid too. the broth was great, the scallion pancake was good too but the main greatest one was the octopus and meaty stuff. man they had amazing side sauces too YUM.

Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat Art Collection

now this place takes itself very seriously. not that it shouldnt, but it does. compared to museo moderno. so it seems that there was one floor closed today. there was the ground floor 1, ground floor 2. then upstairs floor 1, upstairs floor 2. upstairs floor 1 was closed, upstairs floor 2 wasnt but it seemed some sort of event was going on. the artist's paintings that were up there seemed to be from kids but i couldnt be certain. it just wasnt like anything important from what it seemed, compared to the ground floor stuffs. the ground floor stuffs is where it actually had the quality paintings. and it was extremely informative. each new category there would be new text accompanied with it. an english version you would be able to scan with a QR code. so it takes you on this “journey”, and really explains to you what was happening during the time period or what is happening in a certain category / artists. really cool stuff. and really beautiful collection. i really enjoyed a lot of the art pieces here

Sendero de los Arrayanes

easy trails that are comfortable and quite fun with the most incredible views

Southdown Coffee - Patchogue

I love windows. Not many cafés that I go to I sit next to the window. But here, I do. And I also like their coffee. And I also like their avocado toast. A lot. As well as their salad. As well as their maple french cruller. The food here is really good, and their coffee is solid. Love their seasonals, like their ginger turmeric latte. I added four shots of espresso to it and it's still great (as well as their maple spice latte).

Nyack Beach State Park

simple but lovely. went here on a cloudy day in the summer where the waves were crashing against the wall. and it was such a vibe. it was so nice. i think that was the perfect environment to just sit on the bench and talk. was really, really nice and beautiful. didnt do the hike or walk around but i bet that adds a lot to it.

Pompton Queen Diner

How long have I been coming here now? What, probably since I was like, literally a kid lol. I genuinely can't remember the first time I came here. It's been for as long as I can remember. And the quality is still there. Relative to other diners in the area, this is the top diner for me. Gives me a solid sandwich, with some stellar disco waffle fries, plus some neat coleslaw on the side, and we got the full deal (don't forget the diet soda!).

Qahwah House

I'm bad with names, especially because I don't come here often enough. But I really do love the coffee here. It's just a solid coffee that is unique, and that you truly won't find anywhere else. I know I also said the same about Thumbody, and it's true with there too. But here, the coffee is different not because of difference in the modern sense, but difference in the ethnic sense. Qahwah House displays a wide range of coffee from the Yemeni culture, something it can proudly say not other cafés really do in our areas. And boy are the Yemeni coffees (and teas) incredible. Whether it's the cardamom rich Adeni Chai, or light roast version of it, Rada'ey, Qahwah House offers several Yemeni coffees (and teas, again!) that are truly so tasty and rich. Their modern coffees and lattes are also great. Like I love their pistachio latte. They truly do it the best, tbh, but it is just so sweet lol. Their pastries are almost always really good but again, also really sweet haha. You'll notice a pattern where it's not that I don't love sweets—quite the opposite actually. But I just haven't been eating them too often. All in all, Qahwah House is a place one MUST go to when in NJ (or any other state where they have a location, like NY).

Yann Couvreur

great drink and sweets !

Thumbody

I've come here so many times. It was hard to choose the right picture. Has some of the most unique coffee I've ever had. Have you ever had several different "eggy" coffees? Neither have I, until I was recommended it here. Although I typically go for their cold brew or Vietnamese iced coffee (they'll even have spin-offs of that one too). With a solid set of pastries, and a legitimately cool aesthetic like no other (they legit have a mini record shop!), Thumbody comes out as one of the coolest cafes in the area. Definitely the most unique (like look at their mascot!).

Efi's Gyro

Seriously so so yummy. Extremely flavorful gyro. It's addictive to eat. The meat is great, the bread is great, the fries with it is also great, but that sauce is just out of this world. They also have a fries with that sauce and I'm telling you, I can scarf that down in an instant (the fries are also cooked really well). There are no words but to try this now.

SGD DUBU SO GONG DONG TOFU & KOREAN BBQ

So so good. I'm not a soup guy, and totally not a stew guy. But this place seemed like it was well known for it's soups / stews, and in general Korean culture is. So I said why not, it's the one area I have yet to explore in Korean food culture. And I'm so happy I got it. This was one of the most flavorful things I've ever eaten, Korean-wise. It just makes sense that stews are more flavorful than physical solids. Don't tell me how or why but that just makes sense in my head (also thinking of pho). I got the kimchi beef spicy tofu stew. It was spicy, so flavorful, and very hot / fresh, which is why it took me so long to eat it. By the time it chilled a bit I was full because we both also ordered this bibimbap dish with it (incredible combo for so much food). But it was too much. With the japchae appetizer, we were full (which by the way the japchae + bibimbap were also both incredible). Cannot wait to come here and get the stew again.

Black Magic Bakehouse

Got on line outside. It was packed on the inside. Most of the pastries were sold out. Thankfully we were able to get this warm crispy pastry with chocolate and peanuts and caramel. This is the type of pastry that makes you realize why pastries are from heaven. Just so good, the crisp on that dough was so good. I got a hot pumpkin spice latte and although it was good, too much foam, not enough latte. But was still great. Cute place, great bathroom!

Nom Wah Tea Parlor

the food was good. good quality. the spring roll i felt was very plain and basic in flavor, it needed stuff. the duck sauce helped but that felt like cheating. the bun was incredible. the dough was just so good. the house soup dumpling was very quality. but again, all the flavors werent anything insane. just good, solid food. and of course i fucked up those sesame balls. the bathroom was old as hell lol. not only is it super tiny but like the sink has two faucet heads one for hot water and one for cold. pretty cool though.

Al Hara Shawarma

Incredible. Some of the best, if not the best, shawarma I've had in the states. Located in Boonton (yup, not Paterson), you'll find yourself to a wonderful nook of Syrian identity nestled in this Boonton downtown. I went after being at Boonton Coffee Co. and my god, it was just so so good. The shawarma was so phenomenal. It's the type of thing where you don't know where the food went cause you scarf it so damn fast. The owner and people working are just the sweetest, most kind people. The fries as well we're just out of this world. I would love to eat here every day but I fear what would happen if that were to come true.

Parque Vicente López y Planes

beautiful park. absolutely beautiful. so cute to see the kids with their parents. the buildings dont fuck up the sunlight. great sunset. so great to read a book and relax. beautiful trees.

Playa San Martin

really cute beach with of course again, beautiful views of lago lacar and the mountains. really chill too, with kids and people playing wiht their dogs. so beautiful

The Beehive

i got the hot buttered cider. it was so good. i just was in a rush cause im going camping in like two hours. service was awesome. vibes were awesome. and the drink was phenom.

El Nuevo Hornito

Great pizza. Really great pizza. The faina was really interesting. Got a jamon y queso faina. That cuatro quesos was incredible. The meat was awesome too.

Captain Jack's On The Coast

Yummmmmmy. I've been maturing more and more when it comes to seafood. I really liked the shrimp sandwich I got here (definitely not the proper name). And there's nothing like eating seafood while looking out at sea (and the boats! boats!).

Caravan Uyghur Cuisine

Rich and flavorful. Nothing but flavor in every single plate. From the noodles to the meat, to the veggies, it was filled with flavor from end to end. The service was wonderful and so so kind. The aesthetic throughout from the platery to the wall paintings were just so interesting. Close to my office, I'd love to come again.

Court Square Diner

This is what diners are all about. Retro aesthetic, latest place open, safe shelter during the rain (or shine), and anything you can imagine is here. Quite a wide array of things to choose from but, I always had a limited set of things I wanted to get in my mind. Something something chicken, something something burger, with disco waffle fries, and get me a diet coke too, please. My cousin and I would come here not too often but not once in a blue moon, either. It was that thing that never changed, no matter what era we were in. Gave me that sense that everything is going to be alright.

Monsignor (Msgr.) McGolrick Park

Ah, so lovely. Those were some of the nicest flowers I've ever given timaf, period. Such a delightful farmers market. Such an insightful book vendor (#communism). And such a lovely place to just sit down, chill, and play. We picked up some fruit, flowers, and just sat. Drank some coffee. Closed her eyes for a second and to reopen them with my phone in her face. Trees, gorgeous. Lighting, it's all there. Go there. Right now. Even in the winter I bet it's a beaut.

Aleppo Sweets

Warm, familiar, home. Syrian breakfast but on a whole 'nother level. Randomly, we find a straight up Syrian restaurant here in Providence RI. Although it has "Sweets" in it's name, don't be fooled. For it does everything. Tbh I am not sure the exact distinctions between haleb (Aleppo) cuisine and the one I grew up with (since my family was from the outskirts of Damascus), but damn did it feel like home. But again, elevated. Everything tasted so damn GOOD. Just the quality of the khbiz (bread), the hummus, mahamareh. And oh man the fatayer. You know we took leftovers.

Boonton Coffee Company

Well well well. This is probably one of my most visited cafes. I am in love with Boonton. But over time, I've come less and less because of it's mainstreamification, cause it's always so busy! There's nowhere to sit. But it's coffee, it's food (when I get it), great. Above par cafe quality. I love sitting by that window on rainy days.

Druther's Coffee

Has really solid coffee. Never once did the coffee feel subpar or watered out. The coffee always comes out strong, even when they're in latte form. The flavor of the lattes too are strong and genuine, not the cheap feeling. They're baked goods are great, and have great seating. Love me the windows surrounding the place. Bathrooms are good, not great but good and well-kept.

Flower Barn Florist and Gift Shop

Beautiful flowers, amazing service. The owner really knows his stuff. And not because I know my stuff, but because he always be telling the truth about the world. Happy wife, happy life. As well as having a beautiful array of flowers. Some that I've never really seen before.

Hong Ban Jang

Ain't nothing winning my heart over this one. I have been here so many times, it's more than the fingers on my two hands. Everything is perfect here. The place. The service. The food. I actually forgot, they have one flaw: the bathroom. The bathroom is almost always in not the best condition. But that also does show the sort of "realness" that you get out of a place like Hong Ban Jang. Only Korean people come here. I'm almost always the only white person. The food is just so immaculate I mean, everything I've gotten has tasted splendid. The jajangmyeon, the japchae, the kimchi fried rice, the wings, the kimchi fried rice with squid, the gunandu, the tangsuyuk—I'm not lying I can go a lot longer. Really, the last thing I have yet to truly deep dive here is the jjamppong. I know some of y'all will call me a fake one for not giving that a true deep dive since that's one of the things they're mainly known for. But hate all you want, I'm enjoying their food!

Kravory Cafe

It's hard to complain about this one. Put bread with cheese and some other additive and you have a recipe for some very tasty dishes. The mhamara was great, but the cheese with soujouk (it was soujouk) I think was my favorite. Ofc, given it's name, the sweets were delicious but too much for me lol.

Sunn's

Such incredible korean food. I love Korean food, and not just for the flavor, but for the cultural aspects. Such as banchan. It reminds me of the Syrian breakfast that I have with my family in not only again, the flavor, but in the sharing aspect. It's so well done here. And don't even get me started on the taste, because it's of course there, all delicately spread out with such magnificent service.