Spain Restaurant

113 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011-7829
(212) 929-9580

I've been here on several occasions, most recently for a friends birthday dinner and the place hasn't changed in many years. The waitstaff are still the same old guys that barely crack a smile, the once white walls are still dingy, and the furniture and paintings are still dark and brown.
The menu is also consistent and consistently good a plentiful!

Once you sit down and order a drink, "tapas" or small plates of appetizers are brought to your table as part of your dinner. Spanish sausage, lamb ribs (in what seems like Chinese oyster sauce), steamed mussels in diced onions and vinegar, and bread with margarine.

To start, I ordered Snails In Burgundy Wine and they were fabulous!
My entree was Paella Valenciana with Lobster and it was enough for two!

Appetizers run about $6 each and entrees are less than $20.
The sangria is simply delicious and we had three pitchers!
This establishment does NOT accept credit cards! CASH ONLY!

Heard that this restaurant is packed on the weekends. I went on a Monday and it was pretty quiet.
Judging from the menu, this restaurant is part Spain and Basque (Spanish with French influence)

Definitely check this place out!

Costco Harlem

517 E 117th St
New York, New York 10035
United States
(212) 896-5873

Warehouse Hours

M-F 10:00am - 8:30pm
Sat. 9:30am - 6:00pm
Sun. 10:00am - 6:00pm

This branch opened on November 16, 2009 and every visit has been great!
Staff welcome you at the front doors with a smile and everyone is cordial even to the checkout.
When it first opened it carried a little of everything and some specialty foods that I have never seen even at the Queens branch.
Some items seem higher priced here than branches in Queens and Brooklyn but I think that may be due to the Manhattan real-estate.

International House of Pancakes

155 Dolson Ave
Middletown, NY 10940

(845) 343-0880

Better known as IHOP, this chain in Middletown, NY is a delightful experience! Great food and great prices! Fast and attentive service with the exception of the host that was no where to be found. A waitress about to take her break filled in and sat me and my dining guest.



The menu













The first time I went I had the Hawaiian pancakes breakfast. Banana pancakes with macadamia nuts, syrup and whipped cream. 2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausages, 2 pieces ham, and hash browns. It was quite filling!








My next visit, I had the Holiday Pancakes (Pumpkin) with the full breakfast of 2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausages, and hash browns.

Ihawan

40-06 70th Street
Woodside, Queens 11377











This Filipino restaurant is located on the second floor with a small bakery downstairs. Great home cooking and prices! Instead of a turo turo where you point to dishes that are sitting in heated restaurant pans, you order from a menu and the dishes are cooked to order. Service could be more cordial but you come here for the food and not the decor.
A view of the menu can be found here.





Small tables line the spare wooden floor with a waiter or two walking about taking orders.











Pinakbet (pumpkin & string beans stewed in shrimp paste) Sinigang Na Baboy (pork and vegetables in tamarind soup), Lechon kawali (roast pork), pancit bihon









Avocado milk with ice...refreshing!

Krystal's Cafe

6902 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside, NY 11377
(718) 898-1900









This Filipino bakery also offers delicious food and has seating downstairs and upstairs where you will find the all you can eat buffet for about $8. Sodas are included that you pour yourself from plastic pitchers. The variety of dishes offered changes daily. Flat screen televisions broadcast ABS-CBN Filipino shows. This is one place that has great rice congee like "arroz caldo" which is made with chicken. It's good with "tokwa't baboy" which is vinegared pork ears and fried tofu.
Pleasant staff.

Casa Manila Newark

665 Newark Ave
Jersey City, NJ

(201) 386-8900 ‎


This restaurant is quite noticeable from the outside with it's large windows. This place is a "turo turo" like many of the Filipino restaurants and offers a variety of dishes that you can have with a side of rice. I had the paksiw na lechon (stewed roast pork) and pinakbet (stewed pumpkin, green beans and eggplant in shrimp paste) with a side of rice for about $5. Pleasant staff and clean decor with a large flat screen television broadcasting Filipino Variety shows. Lots of seating.

Fiesta Grill Newark

655 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306
Phone: 201.656.7060






This restaurant is the Newark New jersey branch of the chain. It is not as glamorous looking as the West Side Avenue branch but offers the same homemade Filipino cooking. This place is a "turo turo" or "point point". A variety of Filipino dishes are in metal pans kept warm from below and you point to what you want. Prices are average for the neighborhood (about $5 for 2 dishes and a side of rice). Odd that EVERY dish offered had a chili pepper or two stuck into it for garnish. If you are allergic to peppers then beware of this place. Food was tasty but the decor is lacking.