manhattan's chinatown is one of my favorite spots. it's dirty as hell and crowded as a 6 train car at 8am, but god love it. the locals are rude, yell in your face, and do not give a second thought to pushing you out of their way. and even though every time this happens to me i have a "wtf" moment, i immediately think, well, better this immigrant carting around a barrel of fish tell me to move than an uptight stockbroker on his cell phone zipping through wall street. i don't know, somehow the latter seems less warranted and more offensive.
anyway, not only is chinatown great for cheap eats, but also for cheap groceries. i'm not sure how a bag of oranges rings up for something like $.50, but hey, i'll take it. especially when i'm spending over $4 on a head of organic broccoli at whole foods. my wallet appreciates a break every now and then. but if you are the "organic only" type - i'm not judging, if i could afford it i would be too, and by afford i mean spend the money i spend on alcohol on better produce - then chinatown is excellent for asian spices, as well. and i know if you're buying organic, you're also cooking with worldly spices :p no, but really...you are. and it's great. i believe international cooking should be a staple in every household. variety!
i recently went to freemans on chrystie street in manhattan. it's pretty great. however, i am convinced you're going for the ambiance, not necessarily the food. not to say it wasn't very tasty, but i'm not sure any meal at a restaurant is worth waiting an hour and a half for, let alone for brunch. since, you know, it's eggs. or at the most, fancy french toast. regardless, there is a reason why this place is always packed and it's because once inside you feel like you've left new york and entered taxidermy heaven (read: vermont, new hampshire, upstate ny, etc.) but, it's the decent kind of taxidermy, not the texas roadhouse corporate type. it's the decor that speaks, i am anti the nra, but pro the aesthetic appeal of country themes and would like to channel a simpler period of time. one with banjos, record players, coal fueled stoves, and books in print. i'm not sure whether or not i sound like a hater right now, but if i do, it's not intended. it is simply the way i see it. because i definitely get the appeal of this theme. it's undoubtedly nice to look at, especially when done right.
anyway, i don't think i would wait here for brunch again, but it's certainly worth a try. and if nothing else, while at freemans it sort of feels like you're in a levi's commercial-- hipster friendly, lots of plaid shirts, bright cardigans, and a ton of beards.
went to big wong in chinatown this weekend. i love b. wong and highly recommend it. and not to bust out the "trust me, i know because i'm asian" guns...but trust me, i know because i'm asian. it's good, cheap chinese food. one of the best spots for roast pork. never disappoints.
also, their celebrity clientele, which is comprised of like, three celebrities total, (according to the photos they post on their cash register, anyway) includes donnie wahlberg. be still my six year old heart.
i resisted purchasing a smart phone long enough. last week i succumbed to temptation and gave into the glorious iphone. i've never loved an inanimate object so much. i love the photo applications- almost as much as the slumbering man i sketchily took a photo of above does.
it's okay, we shared awkward glances when he woke up. the subtext of that moment being: i know you just took a photo of me, however, i am too tired to care.
