NYC's Corner Bistro

Corner Bistro is nearly perfect. I packed in here with wonderful my sister, Laura, and a bunch of strangers on a Friday night while visiting NYC. We all stood in line in a small aisle between the bar and a few tables. The line moved pretty quickly, and the wait was made easy by the beer. McSorely's was available in two varieties, Dark and Light, which in real terms means one that's more malty, or one that resembles an amber ale. Both are decent, but I prefer the dark. At the price ($2.75 for 12 oz) you really can't beat it. I love an decently obscure local brew.

The burger is the reason to visit. The price is great, it's cooked to order, and it's damn good. It will please anyone, whether you like a big juicy burger or a little giddle patty, it's perfectly in between and so delicious. It's probably about a 7oz burger, and the namesake, the Bistro burger, comes with onion, lettuce, tomatoe, pickles, cheddar cheese, and bacon on a squishy white bun. I went with a simple cheese burger on my visit, which I recommend because the meat is flavorful enough to carry the burger. It's hand delivered daily from a butcher around the corner.

The service here is quick. I'm sure it's partly because the menu is so small, but the staff is efficient in the tiny kitchen. Alongside the burgers, fries are crispy shoestring fries that a glistening with hot oil. Like the burger, these are classic fries, and complete the meal.

Bottom Line: There's not much to say about Corner Bistro, because it needs to be experienced. I love this place, wish it was on my block, and look forward to my next visit. If you don't stick to a burger, fries, McSorley's combo, you're crazy.

Deluca's

I love good breakfast, authentic eateries, and a wild environment; and, Deluca's has it all. It's no surprise that one can wait up to an hour in a line snaking down the block for a table on Saturday or Sunday morning.

While my friend Chris and Callen were waiting in line for Pens tickets, I decided to hit up the Strip District and check out this breakfast institution. It's been featured on the Travel and Food networks, and I knew I was in store for something special. There was a huge line of people waiting in freezing weather. Since I was alone, I decided to try and skip the huge line and nab a seat at the bar, which was a stellar idea.

The service here was great. Although everyone working here was buzzing around at incredible speeds, they still regularly checked in on me. After I ordered my food, it came out quickly and I had my refills of coffee. The atmosphere here is my favorite part. A long, counter bar runs the length of the establishment. Behind it are cooks hard at work on equipment that must be at least fifty years old. It it's not broken, don't fix it! I was also in the back, in full veiw of a wipeboard that helps employees keep track of everything. They needed to order five box of coffee and also didn't want employees to forget the holiday bowling party. Simply put: this place is fun.

The coffee is whatever, not bad, not great. For the food, I knew as soon as my eyes set on it: MOAB, or mother of all burritos. This was a huge soft tortilla filled with chorizo, scrambled eggs, hot banana peppers, tomatoes, onions, avocado and homefries. It's topped with salsa, cheddar and sour cream. Overall, delicious. There's a lot of flavors going on, but I really enjoyed this, and it was certainly filling enough to keep me going until dinner. Deluca's doesn't use the best ingredients, and it wasn't the most delicious breakfast, but I really enjoyed my visit. I'd go again.

Bottom Line: Enjoy the show by sitting at the bar. Marvel at the staff, and soak up the atmosphere. The food's not bad either. Cash only.

Sassafras International Cafe

Sassafras, you're misplaced. Olde City is a sea of poor service, overcrowded bars, and annoying patrons. You escape the pitfalls and stand out.

I've been meaning to eat here for years. And there's a lot to like about this place. As soon as you step inside, the decor stands out. Simple, historic, well taken care of. A long wooden bar leads along one side with small dining area in the back. There's a fireplace, but sadly, it's not in use. There's also an awesome textured ceiling. And I hear the lady's room is a sight to see.

I was out with my good friend Cambria while we were waiting for a showtime of "Black Swan." I didn't get anything to drink, but the beer list was respectable. Lots of local beers. There isn't anything that isn't readily available elsewhere, but still good choices nonetheless. There's also an extensive whiskey list.

Our server was excellent. He had a fantastic dry sense of humor, and he was on top of everything all evening. He knew a lot about the menu, including the fat content of all of the different burgers, which was helpful info and impressive. We both opted for burgers, medium-rare lamb for myself and veggie for Cambria. They were served with sweet potatoe fries and garlic aioli, and both of these were great.

My burger was excellent. It was juicy, and cooked exactly right. The lamb was a great meat for the burger, with a different taste than beef but the same consistency and texture. There are a lot of options for toppings and cheese, but I went simple with American cheese. Overall, it's an excellent burger, and probably the best in the area. It's also pretty sizable, I'd guess between 6 and 8 oz. The veggie burger is impressive, with a red bean and wheat base. It actually tastes good and has a pretty palatable texture. I don't eat veggie burgers often, but I could certainly enjoy this one.

Bottom Line: I don't make my way down here often, and Eulogy is still my first choice. But Sassafras has a nice bar, a great atmoshpere, good service, and tasty burgers. It gets my recommendation, even if it may be quite some time before my next visit. Still, I wouldn't recommend showing up here after 8:30 on the weekends.

Primanti Brothers

I've been busy with classes, but that's all done for a few weeks. I've been doing some traveling, and I want to get some pictures up about some of the food I had outside of Philadelphia. When I get back to Pittsburgh, I always make an attempt to eat at Primanti Brothers. These sandwhichs are delicious, and impossible to imitate. They stack griddle cooked meats, prefectly seasoned cole-slaw, and fries on squishy white bread in a heavenly combination. The sandwhiches are whipped out on pieces of wax paper and the whole atmoshpere of the place is quick and gruff; get in, eat, and out.

I was out with my good friend Callen and we split two different sandwiches, the pastrami and the capicola. Both were excellent, but I prefer the pastrami, which in my mind, is the best and most classic sandwich they serve. There's actually a lot of options on the menu, but stick to the

I love this place, its a Pittsburgh institution, and I recommend everyone to hit it up when your in Pittsburgh, and regularly if you live there.