a little bite of everything

A cheeseburger

This is not the most delicious, delicate, perfect cheeseburger I have ever had. I can’t talk about this one because one of my dearest friends asked me to keep it secret. I was so flattered by his imagining that there are people who would actually read my posts and go as far as to follow my recommendations that I agreed not to mention it. Burger Joint’s cheeseburger is not as good but is still one of the best I’ve had in New York. Funnily enough, the tiny, unpretentious place is hidden behind a velvet curtain in the lobby of an exclusive French hotel in Midtown. You may have trouble finding it, except if you see the line coming out of the hallway.  Despite its unusual location, the joint, which simply consists in a few booths, a counter and an open kitchen (or rather, a grill), is very popular among locals and tourists and quickly gets packed and loud. Avoid the peak hours if you can: you’d still have to wait but you may get a table if you’re lucky. With its single menu above the counter that only offers burgers (5.50 USD for a cheeseburger), drinks, fries (2.50 USD) and brownies (1.50 USD), Burger Joint is a typical fast-food place, only nicer. To limit the wait they’ll tell you how to order as fast as possible (the rules are written on a cardboard above the counter): first you decide between a hamburger and a cheeseburger (with Cheddar cheese), second you choose the meat temperature and last, you choose what you want in the burger (lettuce, onions, tomato, pickles, ketchup, mayonnaise, and/or mustard). Or just say “THE WORKS” if you want everything! The meat is juicy and thick and rightly tastes like BBQ-grilled meat, the buns are soft and all the ingredients are fresh. What else can you ask for? Enjoy till it lasts and order another one.

 

Burger Joint at Parker Meridien

118 W. 57^th St

New York

A cheesecake

 

It is no secret to my friends that cheesecakes rank among my top 5 favourite desserts. All things considered, I’ll go as far as to say that cheesecakes are my ultimate favourite desserts (as of today. This may -this will- change.). Cheesecakes are very popular in NYC: they are listed on every Italian or American/ Continental menu. I even found it in a Mexican restaurant! They are so many different cheesecake recipes, but NYC cheesecake is usually invariably made of cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla and heavy cream. Obviously I couldn't resist to step into this cute little shop "EILEEN SPECIAL CHEESECAKE", which immodestly claimed to make “the Best Cream Cheesecake in New York". I had the traditional strawberry-covered cheesecake (see picture, 3.5 USD), which was the lightest, most perfectly balanced and tasty cheesecake I had ever had. I cannot say whether it’s the best cheesecake in NYC (as I haven’t tried all of them) but to be sure, the one I had was the best I ever had so far. The shop’s range of cheesecakes is amazingly varied and beautifully presented. Along with the traditional fruit-covered cheesecakes (blueberry, pineapple, strawberry, cherry or an assortment of the 4 of them), you’ll find an original range of flavoured cheesecakes, with cookies and cream, peanut butter or more surprisingly, pina colada cheesecakes. You can enjoy your individual serve of cheesecake in the little shop or take it away, but you can also order a cake for 12-16 people to be delivered.

EILEEN SPECIAL CHEESECAKE

17 Cleveland Place (Kenmare Street)

SoHo, NYC, USA