Coffee Shop – Rays Picks NYC

Hiroko’s Place

Hiroko’s Place
75 Thompson St
New York, NY 10012
(212) 625-1303

*This venue is now closed.

Lost among all the high end shopping and boutique stores in SOHO is a small Japanese restaurant called Hiroko’s Place. Located along Thompson St., it feels more like a café than a restaurant. There are eclectic patterned seat covered steel Windsor chairs, different shapes of tables, and plush sofas and chairs. The walls are nicely decorated with Japanese watercolor art, a curio cabinet is filled with porcelain tea sets and figurines, completed with bookcase filled with Manga books. The floor to ceiling store front windows brighten up the inside on a sunny day.

Hiroko’s Place specializes in a Japanese style of cooking called yoshoku (meaning Western Food). Unfamiliar with the general public, yoshoku was first introduced during the Meiji Restoration in the mid-19th century. A period when Japan transformed from a secluded nation into adopting Western ideas which the emperor believed was a means to the nation’s future progress. During this process Japan adopted Western food and put a little twist to it.

Like many first time diners I was baffled on my initial visit at Hiroko’s Place. Expecting the staple Japanese dishes – rolls, udon, and yakatori – on their menu. Instead, I was presented by what we Americans call comfort food.

There are a few Japanese inspired appetizers like the crab and shrimp shumai and the Kara-age (Japanese style fried chicken) which is a great way to start a meal or just to snack on. The entrée choices are broad, from spaghetti and casseroles to sandwiches!

The Mushroom Spaghetti greets you with its earthy aromatic mixture of mushrooms making it one of my favorite dishes in this restaurant while its Sea Food counterpart is just as delicious. Their Chicken and Vegetable Curries has a gentle touch of spiciness and when the curry sauce is mixed with the white rice it becomes a hearty dish. The Pizza Toast and Casserole Sea Food gratin are both similar in that they are filling dishes. On my last visit here I had the Fried Shrimp, one of their specialty dishes. Deep fried jumbo shrimp covered in panko (Japanese style bread crumbs) served with rice and eggs.

The best dish that I’ve tasted at Hiroko’s Place is the Omu Rice (rice omelet) that is stuffed with fried rice, chicken, and vegetables. For a dollar more the omu rice is transformed into Anpan-Man Omu Rice, presented with a smiling face and Japanese inscription designed in ketchup.

Hiroko’s Place offers desserts that are not too sweet and go well with the in house made coffees. A Green Tea Parfait served in a tall glass and the Custard Pudding A La Mode are both packed with fruits and ice cream while the A la Mode is served with a glass of liquid sugar to sweeten it up to your liking.

Unfortunately there are no alcoholic drinks served at Hiroko’s Place which can be discouraging for some, but the siphon coffee maker behind the bar brews a potent cup of coffee that any caffeine snob can appreciate. They offer an array of teas and milkshakes as well.

Food prices are inexpensive, large plates are no more than $20 dollars and appetizers average at $8, a surplus for an individual to do more shopping in the neighborhood!

Guests are greeted in Japanese by the staff when you walk in and as you leave. It is a popular spot among native Japanese diners which occupy the restaurant at any given day of the week. On one of my visits I overheard a guest talking to his companion that the food that they serve at this restaurant was close to the one that he had served in Japan. Hiroko’s Place is authentic as it gets!

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Montreal, Canada Trip 2012

Being from New York City where different types of cuisine is available, it’s hard to satisfy a New York City diner. Yet, I’m always willing to try food from different parts of the globe. After my trip to Barcelona, Spain last April I wanted to go to Europe again before the summer was over, but decided to postpone till next year. A friend of mine recommended Montreal, Canada and since it is so close to New York City it was an ideal place to spend the weekend. So I did.

Montreal has a European feel, where the French accent is evident throughout the city. Though their cuisine dominates the gastronomic scene, it does make me wonder why the Michelin Guide was not published here. Who knows?

The weekend that I spent in Montreal I had some memorable dishes as well as some forgettable ones. There were some places that I would go back to and recommend, like AIX Du Cuisine Terrior. I enjoyed my fine dining experience here and also the great drinks and delicious food at the trendy Bar and Boeuf Bistro Gourmand.

I had my first ever escargot at Alexandere et Fils . The snails were cooked in garlic butter sauce and served without the shell. The snail has a calamari texture, rubbery but easy to break down. Combine that with the garlic butter it was very good. It took for me to go to Canada to try this dish when it is available here in NYC.

There was so much said about how good Montreal’s bagels were, better than New York City bagels! Being a New Yorker, our bagel is the best bagel in the world! A friend (who was born and raised in Montreal) recommended Fairmont bagel, but due to time constraints I never had a chance to go. Although it does seem like all the bagels are similar in taste and texture in this city. I had a bagel at Coin Delices Du Monde in Old Montreal. The bagels here were smaller and softer than in New York. It was good and tasty and I can’t really compare the two since I like them both. I’m just used to the good old NYC bagel. Their croissants were freshly baked straight out of the oven and every bite was tremendously amazing.

The rooftop lounge, Terrasse Nelligan at Hotel Nelligan, is a nice way to have a night cap or end the day after a long walk around Old Montreal. I enjoyed the view of the St. Lawrence River as well as the Basillica of Notre Dame while I consumed a bottle of MTL, a locally brewed beer. This light beer was perfect for a nice summer afternoon relaxation drink.

The “Chicken Lasagna” at Café Via Crescent in Downtown Montreal was another first. It caught my eyes while looking at their menu. The dish was creative, made with chicken, spinach and cheese layered with lasagna without tomato sauce but rather with chicken stock. It was tasty and had a similar texture and taste to chicken noodle soup but better. They also served Olive oil with Jalapenos with their bread. That’s another first and it has a lot of kick to it, perfect for lovers of spicy food.

You can’t visit Montreal and not have their national food, “The Poutine”. I asked the staff at the hotel where I was staying, “Where can I find the best poutine in the city?”. I was surprised by his answer, that I can have it anywhere throughout the city. When he says anywhere, he means it. Even Dairy Queen had it on their menu. So I stopped by La Belle Province on Peel St. in downtown, the first place I saw that serves the dish. Poutine consists of French fries, gravy and cheese curds, it’s basically a heart attack on a plate! The saltiness of the gravy, combined with the grease from the fries and richness of the cheese makes poutine and ideal drunk food. Even better than pizza.

The dining atmosphere in Montreal is also different from the US. The service and hospitality that I experienced was subpar and consistent to all the establishments that I visited. It was lacking the warmth that I was accustomed to in New York City restaurants. The 15% percent gratuity is somewhat required at the end of every meal and the servers will let you know that service was not included on the bill.

Montreal possessed some very good restaurants and exceptional dishes that tourists can enjoy while visiting this beautiful city. It’s a certified foodie town.

Alexandre et Fils, 1454 Peel Street Montreal, QC H3A 1T5, Canada (514) 288-5105

Coin Delices Du Monde, 109-111 de la Commune West, Montreal, QC H2X 2C7 Canada (514) 995 1312

Terrasse Nelligan (Hotel Nelligan), 106 Rue Saint Paul Ouest Montreal, QC H2Y 1Z3, Canada (514) 788-2040

Cafe Via Crescent, 1418 Crescent Street Montreal, QC H3G 2B6, Canada (514) 843-3896

La Belle Province, 1216 rue Peel, Montréal, QC H3B 2T6 Canada Phone: 514-878-8020

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The Bean East Village

With two locations, and a third opening soon, The Bean is one of the few local independent cafe’s here in Manhattan. A mix of cafe and internet cafe, this small community coffee shop has a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

Both cafe’s are equally popular and busy, but the East Village location is a favorite. Once located down the block east of the current location on 1st avenue, The Bean was booted out to make way for another Starbucks. Although it hasn’t suffered from the franchises bullying, regulars frequent business from early morning until closing keeping a steady stream of patrons.

The Bean East Village gives off a warm, homey feel with it’s large windows and variety of comfortable seating, the corner location creates a spacious and roomy place to sit back and relax. Bench seats decorated with colorful plush pillows and small marble round tables line against the floor to ceiling windows on your right as you walk into the main entrance. A large table, etched impressively with spices give additional seating for those with laptops, and toward the back two well used love seats, coffee table, and high-back sitting chairs give this area a feel of sitting in your own home with friends just chatting. A small internet bar is also available for patrons use, while cool art works are hanging on the walls throughout the space.

At any given day the café is packed with East Villagers along with their dogs and young college students working on their thesis (NYU is a few blocks North). The staff here are courteous and efficient, and look just like they’d also be sitting in the cafe enjoying a cup on their day off.

The Bean is mostly known for it’s coffee, but also serves a vast array of pastries, sandwiches, and signature teas and Latte’s. They also have pastries and sweets for the Vegan . The Dirty Chai Latte, their signature drink is a must have. It consists of a Chai Latte with a shot of espresso. The espresso compliments the sweetness of the Chai as the steamed milk regulates the latte overall. It makes for a perfectly balanced latte, although it was far from the “life changing event” that the lady behind the counter told me it would be, nevertheless it was delicious.

With a great atmosphere, unpretentious environment, friendly staff and most of all great coffee. The Bean in the East Village is a treasure that East Villagers possess. It is a café that locals can brag about to their friends and families. I don’t think you can do that with your local Starbucks.

The Bean
54 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10003
(212) 510-7714
Official Site

For individuals who are ordering medicines online, there are several significant factors that must be considered. Internet is an ideal practice to get medicaments. Several medicaments are antifungal medicines. There are at least some medicaments for each sicknesses. Levitra is a treatment prescribed to treat few ailments. What do you have to consider about cialis vs viagra? When you buy remedies like Levitra you should ask your pharmacist about viagra vs cialis. Many drugstores describe it as viagra or cialis. Many probably sure the forcefulness of Levitra is well documented. In addition, there are some of explanations and pharmacists are ordinarily able to pinpoint your problem through biological tests. Ordinarily the treatment options may turn on erectile disfunction medicaments or counseling. Your generic is for you only. Never give your drugs to other men even if their status appears to be the same as yours.

Lost Weekend NYC

Lost Weekend NYC
45 Orchard St
New York, NY 10002
(917) 261-2401
Official Site

Like most New Yorkers, I enjoy a good cup of coffee, especially when I’m sitting and writing my reviews for RaysPicksNYC. So, you can understand why I was very pleased to come across a small coffee shop here on the (Lower East Side). I wouldn’t call myself a connoisseur when it comes to coffee, but I do know a good cup when I’ve had one and The Lost Weekend NYC coffee shop has plenty and much more.

This neighborhood coffee shop is where locals pack the place (especially on the weekend) with their laptops to take advantage of the Free Wi-Fi offered or just to stop by for a cup of coffee. It has a very homey atmosphere and the barista is friendly and engaging as well.

Lost Weekend NYC serves Blue Bottle coffee beans brewed in a poured over style and the beans are grounded per order to ensure the freshness of each individual’s coffee. It’s time consuming to produce a single cup and one can wait quite awhile, especially during busy surges, but it’s well worth the wait.

When I first had their coffee, I had it with just skim milk. It was so strong that it was almost undrinkable for my taste. But, when I had it with cream it was terrific! The cream seemed to balance out the coffee’s strong roasted taste. The latte’s here are probably the best I’ve had so far in NYC. They have a natural sweetness which is perfectly proportioned with the steamed milk. Cookies or a muffin, which are also served there, compliments the coffee and espresso.

Lost Weekend also serves tea, hand bagged individually at the time of your order. They specifically use Darjeeling, a light tea grown in the Himalayan Mountains. Darjeeling is a comforting and delicious tea that can be had with milk or by itself. So if you are not a big coffee/espresso fan, there is still something you can enjoy here at this café.

Located along Orchard St., Lost Weekend NYC is not your average coffee shop. It’s also an accessory store, gallery, and clothing store. At first glance it seems like another pop up establishment. Its floor to ceiling store front glass windows and wide open space were once used for either a gallery or a boutique. It has an artsy clean interior with white walls that display photography of edgy surfers and a video reel that plays continuously. Unfinished, but smooth concrete flooring is covered with steel pylon in the middle. A couple of wide wooden tables paired with industrial steel stools and a red sofa facing the windows give the place a relaxed feel.

Unlike the novel, The Lost Weekend that depicts five days of drinking binge, there isn’t any alcohol to be had in the place, other than artisanal coffee specially crafted for its patrons. The coffee here can be enjoyed by both connoisseur and regular folks. This is my pick for a coffee shop in the Lower East Side.

For individuals who are ordering medicines online, there are several significant factors that must be mature. Internet is an ideal practice to get medicaments. Several medicaments are antifungal medicines. There are at least some medicaments for each sicknesses. Levitra is a curing prescribed to treat few ailments. What do you have to consider about cialis vs viagra? When you buy remedies like Levitra you must ask your dispenser about viagra vs cialis. Many drugstores describe it as viagra or cialis. Many probably sure the forcefulness of Levitra is well documented. In supplement, there are some of explanations and pharmacists are ordinarily able to pinpoint your problem through biological tests. Ordinarily the treatment options may turn on erectile disfunction medicaments or counseling. Your generic is for you only. Never give your drugs to other men even if their state appears to be the same as yours.

Grounded

Starbucks may still be a dominant force in NYC, but there are numerous coffee shops in the city that have the advantage of being less crowded, more relaxed and full of atmosphere. The West Village is full of such places. Grounded, located on Jane Street is one such spot. It might be a bit complicated to find with all of the West Village’s crisscrossing streets, but once you find it you will be back again and again claiming it as your hidden gem.

This wonderful spot has all the makings of a home away from home; great ambiance, rustic décor, fixtures that appear to be flea market or antique store finds, several dark metal very worn chairs, mismatched tables of various styles and shapes, outdoor wooden benches straight from someone’s garden and a weathered wooden counter top by the wall. Numerous live potted plants hang or lay all over giving the space an indoor garden feel. In addition, there is also a bookcase filled with donated books, multiple antique-looking ceiling fans that actually work and exposed brick yellow washed walls that display artwork from local and aspiring artists. At the front of the shop menus are written on a chalk board that hangs behind the counter. Right next to the counter is their open makeshift kitchen.

Grounded serves organic coffee, tea, hot chocolate and smoothies (in the summer.) They also serve bagels, croissants, assorted pastry and made to order salads and sandwiches. Organic coffee beans are available by the pound as well as organic tea. I am not a connoisseur of coffee, but I do enjoy their latte – neither bitter nor too sweet with perfectly steamed milk.

I’ve written many of Rays Picks NYC’s postings while sipping coffee here. I don’t come here for the coffee or for the food (even though the food is good,) but I come for the cozy feel and the vibrant atmosphere. The friendly, young, hip and unpretentious West Village crowd is very comforting and engaging. The noise is at a minimal and the eclectic music playlist plays at a perfect volume making it a great place to work and to meet up for nice conversation. The staff is great, the service is amazing, and no one bothers you no matter how long you’ve been sitting in the shop. Oh, did I mention that is has free WiFi?

As I mentioned, I’m not really a coffee a drinker but I do enjoy sipping coffee while having a nice conversation in a relaxing setting, or sipping while working on my computer or reading. Grounded is my ideal place for those activities and I’m sure it will become yours as well. Just make sure you check out the location on Google Maps or Foursquare in advance or you just might miss it.

Grounded
28 Jane St
(between Greenwich Ave & 4th St)
New York, NY 10014
212 647 0943
Official Website

For individuals who are ordering medicines online, there are several significant factors that must be considered. Internet is an ideal practice to get medicaments. Several medicaments are antifungal medicines. There are at least some medicaments for each sicknesses. Levitra is a therapy set to treat few ailments. What do you have to view about cialis vs viagra? When you buy remedies like Levitra you should ask your pharmacist about viagra vs cialis. Many drugstores describe it as viagra or cialis. Many probably sure the forcefulness of Levitra is well documented. In complement, there are some of explanations and pharmacists are ordinarily able to pinpoint your problem through biological tests. Ordinarily the treatment options may turn on erectile malfunction medicaments or counseling. Your generic is for you only. Never give your drugs to other folk even if their condition appears to be the same as yours.