Thursday 4 February 2016

Eating in Hells Kitchen

Whilst in NYC we rented an air bnb apartment in Hells Kitchen, which was an awesome location for eating and drinking! After sampling many local restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner I decided upon three locations, which must not be missed!

First up was a lunchtime pizza! We were recommended Don Antonio by our air bnb host and the reviews on TripAdvisor backed up his claims! As we had tickets for a Broadway show we went early at 12pm on the dot. Lucky we did as the restaurant was already buzzing and a queue was beginning to form! The restaurant has lots of tables incredibly close together so creates a very intimate feel! Imagine exposed brick and basic wooden tables, not too far off an Italian countryside pizzeria.

The menu is huge and filled with, you guessed it, pizza! After much deliberation I opted for the Noci e Zucchini, which was smoked buffalo mozzarella, cream of walnut, zucchini, basil and extra virgin olive oil (22 USD). The hubby chose the Margherita with Prosciutto and mushrooms (17 USD). So this isn't a cheap pizza option but they are delicious! Had I eaten here on day one I think I would have had all meals at this restaurant. One pizza is enough per person to leave you stuffed or take a slice home for later! They are light and fluffy, full of topping and oily (in a good way)! You must go here whilst in NYC, it would be a crime not to visit!


The next must go to venue is a Mexican dinner at Arriba Arriba (on the corner of 9th ave and 51st st). The restaurant is very dark with a DJ playing music (think old school classics) so perfect for a night out with friends. It's super packed at weekends so try and go early to secure a table. Tables are pretty squished together but it all adds to the night out style atmosphere. Margarita's are a must here. They come frozen or on the rocks, in various sizes and in every flavour imaginable. Corn chips and salsa are served whilst you browse the menu and wait for the main event.

I chose a taco salad, which had the most moist and succulent chicken I have ever tasted marinated in the most delicious BBQ sauce. It was a seriously generous portion too, I couldn't eat everything and so the hubby stole some for his fajita's! The salad was served in a crisp, flour tortilla shell and came with rice, beans, lettuce, tomato, jalapeno, onion, guacamole, cheese and sour cream. I promise not only is this salad packed with flavour but it will definitely fill you up too! The hubby had beef fajita's. The portion was large and the fajita's were the best I have ever eaten in a restaurant. The steak was marinated and grilled and served with beans, tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, onions, guacamole and flour tortillas.

This restaurant is seriously great. The food is good, the margarita's are amazing, the atmosphere is wicked and the price isn't too bad either. The waiters are lovely and I can guarantee you will have some fun here. We have no photo's as it is dark inside but grab a group of friends and enjoy yourself.

Finally a brunch / lunch at 5 Napkin Burger should be on the to do list! Make a reservation as this place is packed out at the weekends. The Hells Kitchen branch is large, light and airy. We had a booth so felt quite private despite being in a bustling restaurant. Firstly on arrival order a milkshake! This was one of the best I have ever had! It had large chunks of vanilla ice cream mixed in, super indulgent and delicious.

Being a burger joint we felt it would be rude not to select burgers from the menu! I don't think a starter is needed, the burgers are pretty filling on their own, especially if coupled with a milkshake. I personally opted for the avocado ranch. 8 oz. fresh ground beef, pepperjack cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, ranch. The boy opted for a lamb kofta. Lamb & beef ground with onions, garlic, parsley & spices, tomato, cucumber, pepper & onion relish, tahini sauce. All burgers come with hand cut chips. Food is quite pricey for a burger, mine was 16.50 USD and the hubby's was 17.50 USD. However, we were beyond full until dinner time and they were good quality plus very tasty.



Hells Kitchen is full of wonderful places to eat and drink, I don't think you will go too badly wrong wherever you choose to try! However, the pizza, Mexican and burgers we ate were insanely good and come highly recommended from me.

No comments:

Post a Comment