General Greene

Laurel found the restaurant on Yelp after diving through some other choices. Across the street from Loulou, a place our good friends Davis & Amanda like to go and we will soon try, General Greene is the kind of place I can get behind. It's in the centralized Fort Greene area, features some southern options, and had a short wait. The only downside is that it's slightly more expensive than other places.


The menu offers a number of choices, including everything from smoked trout pressed sandwiches and cobb salads to sides of mac & cheese, candied bacon or a ham and gruyere bread pudding (which was tempting). Or you can get what I was most excited about - a three-egg skillet, filled with your choice of sausage gravy and a biscuit, or chorizo, zucchini, and chickpeas, or blood sausage and apple, topped with creme fraiche, among a number of other options. Laurel and I immediately decided to get the 3-egg skillet with sausage gravy and a biscuit ($13). Normally we try to get something different to share multiple opinions, but we couldn't resist the urge of sausage gravy. And boy was this gravy smooth - with chunks of sausage and the right amount of pepper, and a big thick biscuit to soak it up. Honestly, I expected more of a scrambled egg as opposed to them just cracking three eggs in a skillet and was perhaps a little unwelcome to the fact that it was slightly crusty. Overall however, it was a nice balance. Our dining companion decided on the skillet with blood sausage, apple and creme fresh (pictured below). He seemed rather satisfied with his choice as well.


General Greene overall has a nice light to it, with a majority of the walls being windows, and the wait staff is somewhat attentive. Granted, when we got there, a couple decided to get up and leave after only ordering water because they had apparently been waiting so long. We didn't have that problem. And there was a little boy in there who was playing with dinosaurs, and then started pretending to be a dinosaur, stomping around and growling. He was the best kid ever.


If you are in the neighborhood and the mood for a slightly different approach to brunch, check out General Greene. -Jennifer



General Greene is a place I've read about multiple times and have made many-a mental notes to eat there one day. The stars finally aligned and we went for some Saturday brunch.

There was a short wait, but we were there at prime brunch time. Our server was cute and friendly and reasonably attentive. As Jennifer pointed out, the menu has a nice range of options, and I need to try to the ham and gruyere bread pudding for my life to be complete. They also have a bar and featured on the board above were fountain floats. The skillet (as seen below) was pretty delicious, but too freakin hot to eat upon arrival. And for about 10 minutes afterwards. And being me, I was too hungry to wait, and therefore blew on each bite repeatedly and lightly burned my mouth.. repeatedly. But according to the tastebuds that were not too singed to taste, it was pretty delicious. The sausage gravy was very good, and the biscuit wasn't bad either. The eggs were a bit overcooked, but not terribly so, and all of it together tasted comforting.

I will be back to General Greene to try some different options and different meals. The space is nice and airy and the atmosphere is relaxed. They have some moderately priced, comforting options that have the potential to keep me coming back. -Laurel

Address: 229 Dekalb Ave. at Clermont Ave. (Fort Greene, Brooklyn)

Website: http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/general-greene/

Payment: credit, cash

Delivery: no

Open Late: til 11pm

Large Group Friendly: Yes, I would say so

Bar/Happy Hour: Yes

Fat Hippo

Fat Hippo is a recent comfort food-focused opening in the Lower East Side that has garnered a fair amount of buzz. I heard about the place from Matt, and upon inspecting the menu, a consensus was made that we needed to try this place out. We made a reservation (rumor was that it was often crowded), and gathered five peeps to fill out the minimum needed to keep said reservation. And then we ate.. a lot.

The space is smallish with low lighting, modern booth seating, and a bar along one wall. The bar is currently full of glasses, since they are awaiting a liquor license and are BYOB. Luckily there's a convenience store across the street (although I think the guy working there literally makes up the prices on the spot judging by what size bill you pull out of your wallet), and they will happily supply the glasses and chill your remaining drinks until you're ready for them.

We decided to order two of the chocolate and chili ribs appetizers ($8) and a side of mac 'n cheese ($4) to share. The picture above looks a little sad because we devoured half of everything before we remembered to snap one. The ribs were tender and had a great taste from the glaze. We all ended up wanting more, but my only issue was the small portion (2 big ribs) and I could have used a bit more kick. The mac 'n cheese was some of the best I've had in a while-- cheesy, creamy, well-cooked pasta, with crusty Parmesan on top. I'm going back for this if nothing else.

I ordered the Grilled Marinated Pork Chop (above, $13), bone-in and cooked to order, with pulled-pork stuffing and brussel sprouts with bacon and maple-jalapeno mustard sauce. See what a healthy meal this is shaping up to be? I'm eating greens. Anyway, the pork chop was delicious. Flavorful and tender, and a large serving even with the big bone. The stuffing was slightly sweet and tender, and a great pairing with the pork. The brussel sprouts were perfectly cooked, but the sauce was a bit strong and acidic, competing with other flavors on the plate.

Overall the food was very good and ultimately satisfying, and the service was attentive. They did awkwardly ask us to finish our drinks at the bar after we ate in order to free the table for another reservation, and then didn't seat anyone there for the rest of the time we were there. There was also really no good place to stand since the bar was crowded, so it was awkwardtown for a while before we left. That, and a lady got very sick outside of the bathroom I was in and an ambulance was called. But that is not a story for a food blog.

Fat Hippo is worth a try if you're in the mood for some semi-fancy comfort food in the LES for decent prices. Get in while they're still BYOB and save even more! -Laurel

As Laurel said, Matt recommended this place, and I was perfectly enthused to try it. When I called to make the reservation, they were very nice, explaining the perfect times to come (during the week, or if you choose the weekend try and come at 7pm or 10pm, if you can't get a reservation, as they only take them for parties of 5 or larger). The food is Southern comfort mixed with a splash of class. Not to say that Southerner's don't have class, but Southern food can be a bit...messy.

Case in point: the chili and chocolate prime ribs. They were absolutely delicious, but considering I didn't remember to take a picture until after I had already dug my grubby hands into them, I had to hold my camera with my pinkies and take the picture with my ring finger. This proved to be difficult, and made the picture look pathetic. However, trust me, the food is not pathetic. Upon the first bite, the mixture of the sweet and spicy hit my tongue with a surprise. The meat wasn't falling off the bone as I like, but it was still tender and juicy. The pickled watermelon, carrots and slaw on the side were a nice balance, although I wasn't a fan of them alone. The macaroni and cheese was some of the best I've had in a while. The cheese smooth, yet a little crusty on top, and the pasta was cooked to perfection. The waitress recommended it, and it was a great recommendation.

Something the waitress didn't recommend was the meatloaf (not to say that she point blank said, "Do not get this," but she didn't mention it when we asked for her favorites.) However, the Turkey Meatloaf with Taramind Ketchup and mashed potatoes and green bean casserole ($12) sounded like exactly what I wanted that night. After trying everyone else's food - Laurel and Lauren's porkchop, Stan's fries from his burger entree and Matt's chicken (below), I have to say I made the wrong choice. The meatloaf was good, not great, but good. It was exactly what you would expect from meatloaf - tender, juicy and not overly flavorful. The mashed potatoes and green bean casserole were very tasty - exactly as your mother would make them.

However, Laurel's pork was oh-so-tender, and the piece of chicken I tried from Matt's plate made me die and go to heaven. He ordered the Trailer Park Chicken Sampler ($15). This included beer can roasted chicken breast, southern fried drumstick, smoked thigh meat, sautéed collard greens, raisin sauce and corn bread. A lot, right? I believe I only tried the beer can roasted chicken breast, but it was enough to make me want all of it. The only reason I didn't order it was because it seemed like a lot of meat. Bad decision.

One thing that none of us tried and I wish I had been in the mood for, was the Burger Fondue. Even though the restaurant has only been open for a short while, they are already famous for it. I'll be back, definitely. - Jennifer

Address: 71 Clinton Street (at Rivington)

Website:http://www.yelp.com/biz/fat-hippo-new-york

Payment: cash only

Delivery: no

Open Late: yes

Large Group Friendly: Not really, but they do take reservations of 5 or more if you plan ahead

Bar/Happy Hour: Coming Soon! (BYOB)

Crif Dogs/PDT

When I used to work near downtown in Nashville, there was this amazing place where we would always go to get hot dogs - Hot Diggity Dog. Every dog was $2.50, regardless of what you got on it, and I was always completely satisfied and stuffed. (I actually just looked on their website, and their hot dogs cost 25 cents more now...hmm, stupid recession.) The people who worked there were from Chicago, and knew how to grill a dog, not to mention how to smother it with unhealthy things. And they had veggie dogs, which is hard to come by.

So when I moved to New York almost 2 years ago, I was excited. Hot dogs are New York's specialty, right? However, after getting a cart dog, I was grossly disappointed. No flavor, who knows how long the dog had been sitting there, and no selection of toppings. That's when someone at our office mentioned Crif Dogs.

You can get your dog with literally anything you can think of on top, and you can also get it wrapped in bacon and deep fried or, like Hot Diggity Dog, as a veggie. I've ordered from this place more times than I can think of, and also stopped by for a snack in the middle of the day, as well as late at night. Honestly, I haven't ventured too far from how I like my dogs: covered in chili, onions and slaw. My favorite thing to order is the Spicy Redneck (a house dog wrapped in bacon, with onions, slaw, chili and jalapenos, $4.50). I've also tried the Chihuahua (a bacon wrapped dog with sour cream and avocados, $4.50) and it was one of the best things in the world, and I've had a corn dog ($4.50), which might have been the largest corn dog I've ever had in my life. The breading was delicious and deep fried golden brown, and slightly sweet. The fries are delicious, fresh waffle fries (which I have had plain and covered with chili and cheese), and the root beer float is good too, but one time we ordered, the girl forgot the float part, and only sent the root beer.

PDT (Please Don't Tell) is a bar connected to Crif Dogs, and although some people don't know about it, it's not a super exclusive club, just hard to get into (literally and figuratively). We finally did one fateful night and snagged a booth. I had a There Will Be Blood cocktail with chocolate liqueur, blood orange liqueur and bourbon. It tasted like bourbon, until I got to the cocktail part, but I wasn't complaining - it cost $13. And you can get special hot dogs in there - I remember reading that one of them had hummus on it. YUM.

Go here. You will be a changed person. - Jennifer

Crif Dogs is a place I have admittedly never seen during the light of day. Actually, I'm not sure I've ever eaten here before 2 AM. But boy does it sound like a good idea at about 2 AM.

They offer a myriad of options, but all of the hot dogs are cooked in the deep fryer. Some are wrapped in bacon and then fried (for good measure). Toppings include chili, onions, cheese, peppers, avocado, sour cream, and a host of other combos. Last two visits I've had a Philly Tubesteak (with cheese and onions, $3.75) and a Chili Dog (mustard, onions and chili sauce, $4). They also offer corn dogs, fries and burgers, along with shakes and beer.

All of the dogs are admittedly tasty, and the topping combos are excellent. There's really nothing better when you're hungry and it's late, and that's why you can find us there in these situations. Another thing about Crif Dogs is PDT (Please Don't Tell), a bar hidden inside the hot dog joint. It's hard to get into and we've tried multiple times to no avail, but on this particular night we struck gold. And possibly sat at Justin Timberlake's table (eh?). The drinks are a bit pricey ($13 cocktails), but are interesting and stiff. You can even order dogs in the bar.

Craving something meaty late at night? Then this is where you should be. -Laurel

Address: 113 St. Marks Pl (Near Ave. A)

Website: http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/crif-dogs/

Payment: Credit ($10 min) , Cash

Delivery: Yes!

Open Late: Sun-Thu, noon-2am; Fri-Sat, noon-4am

Large Group Friendly: Not really, but sometimes there's a little space

Bar/Happy Hour: Cheap beer at Crif Dogs, amazing drinks at PDT

Cake Man Raven Confectionary

Cake Man Raven is a legend in Brooklyn, and for those in the know, in all of NYC (see celebrity photos). He's know for one thing: red velvet cake. That's practically all his shop offers, and that's what they are famous for. And boy, do people love red velvet cake.

I am certainly not as big a fan as many of the die hards out there, but I can't deny liking it, and living so close I knew I had to give it a try. Multiple times upon walking by the storefront was closed, so contrary to the hours listed on their website catching them open seems to be a bit of a gamble. So when I was walking by headed to Target and I saw they were open, I had to go in and try this place out.

The interior is small and taken up almost entirely by a glass bakery case, and it was filled with big slices of red velvet cake, packaged and ready to go. Two options: with or without nuts, both costing $6 even. I got a no-nuts and went on my merry way. As you can see below, the slice was huge and the cake was definitely that distinctive red color. The cake was fairly moist with a slight cocoa taste, and the cream cheese icing was very creamy and in perfect proportion to the cake. Upon taking a couple of bites I was fairly impressed, but not wowed. After a couple more bites, I was more impressed. After eating half of that slice, I was hooked. I don't know if he puts crack in that cake or what, but it's delicious for no specific reason other than it just is. I would definitely recommend for red velvet lovers in the area-- and make sure you check out their annual parade down Fulton Street. Last year featured free cupcakes. -Laurel

One of my mother's best friends makes a to die for red velvet cake. So rich and creamy, everything is made from scratch, and she puts lots of cocoa in it, to where it looks like chocolate sauce between the cream cheese icing and the red cake. And that cream cheese frosting is absolutely delicious. I've had my mother order it for me more than once (they're so good she sells them). Therefore, my expectations for red velvet cake are rather high, but I still love it no matter who makes it.

When Laurel first moved to the Clinton Hill neighborhood, she mentioned this Cupcake Parade, and I was inherently interested, however, I was immediately disappointed that we missed it. And as she said, every time we subsequently passed this bakery they were closed, so I was even more disappointed.

So when we finally got this infamous red velvet cake, my hopes were really high. Luckily, they weren't completely dashed. Their red velvet cake is good, not great, but good. The icing was absolutely delicious, so rich you know it can't be good for you. The cake was not overly moist as I like my red velvet cake - in fact it was a touch (just a touch) too dry for me, but the flavor was delicious. I only took a few bites as I couldn't pry it from Laurel's hands (kidding - she left half for me, but I opted out). Honestly, I think the cake was only a bit dry because it was sitting in a cardboard box behind the counter with a ton of other cakes, which means who knows if it was made that day, or another day. I'd like to try it again fresh, but who knows when I'll get that chance again. - Jennifer

Address: 708-a Fulton St. (Brooklyn)

Website: http://www.cakemanraven.com/

Payment: Cash for in-store purchases

Delivery: no

Open Late: Mon-Sun 9-10pm (not entirely true..it's a gamble sometimes)

Large Group Friendly: no, unless you're taking them cake to another location

Bar/Happy Hour: no

Dessert Truck

First of all, they should rename this truck HEAVEN ON WHEELS, and I seriously doubt I'm the first person to say that. As a frequenter of the St. Marks area, I've seen the Dessert Truck a few times, and always thought, "Man, I should totally try that." However, I am uncomfortable with food carts and trucks just because I'm untrusting of where they came from. Basically, I'm an idiot. The Dessert Truck is a place where good things are reincarnated into magic things. Melt in your mouth, can't get enough, MAGIC.

Okay, now that I've sufficiently made you think I'm exaggerating, let me explain. The Dessert Truck really is gourmet desserts on wheels. Everything is $5, but they're all worth every cent. This is not your normal dessert shop. Firstly, it comes from a truck (duh), secondly it's not just the standard cupcakes or cookies (still welcomed and delicious, just can't compete), and thirdly, they beat Bobby Flay on a Throwdown! for Chocolate Bread Pudding.

After perusing over their choices (warm brioche doughnuts, vanilla creme brulee, warm slow baked apples, and well, more), I chose the crowd favorite - Chocolate Bread Pudding. However, I picked the vanilla custard sauce rather than their famous bacon one. A choice I debated on, but am ultimately completely and utterly satisfied with. The first bite of the warm pudding with vanilla custard made my head explode. Gooey and not overpoweringly chocolate, the pudding glided down the back of my throat making my entire body happy. In fact, after almost getting hit by a car, Laurel and I decided that the Dessert Truck is dangerous because it would make you willingly die just because you'd be so happy at that exact second. I scarfed the rest of it down a little too quickly making sure I got every last drop which made my stomach want to explode, but I was still unquestionably happy. Next weekend I'm going to drag my parents there and I'm 100% trying it with the bacon custard.

This discovery is bad for me, because as a now patron of Yoga to the People, which is just down the street, I'm going to end up going there more often. But I'll have just burned off the calories, so that's okay, right? RIGHT? - Jennifer

PS - In the picture below, doesn't it look like a beam of light is coming out of Laurel?

I want to go to there.

That pretty much sums it up. I had just eaten a gigantic burger and still decided it was time to finally try this baby out. My life will forever be changed.. largely meaning my body mass and sugar intake. Oh Dessert Truck, where have you been all my life?

First off, the guys are really nice and happy to make suggestions. I had been craving a donut for I don't know how long and they had "warm brioche donuts" on the menu (which are really just bombolonis, but apparently people couldn't pronounce it). Everything about that sounds good. Warm... yep, I like warm things. Brioche... eggy bready goodness. Donuts... well, of course. Put it all together and you get sugar dusted, fluffy donut holes filled with a lightly sweet custard. So very delicious.

I also got a taste of Jennifer's bread pudding and it was so very good. I'll definitely be back to have either of those again or try something new, and I suggest you do the same. But beware! You might become addicted like us. -Laurel

Address: St Mark's Place and 3rd Ave (Mon-Sun, 6pm-midnight); E 55th St, just off the NE corner of Lexington (Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm), or check their website or their Twitter for their updates.

Website: http://www.desserttruck.com/

Payment: Cash

Delivery: No

Open Late: Midnight

Large Group Friendly: As many as the sidewalk can hold

Bar/Happy Hour: Nope