nyc - chelsea: billy's bakery

tommy satisfies his sweet tooth at billy's...


chocolate and red velvet cupcakes

tommy says: the cake is perfectly moist, but not too moist, and the frosting is the right amount of sweet. easily the best cupcakes in the city. magnolia's, crumbs, buttercup, and the rest can't compete.

billy's bakery

184 9th Avenue

New York, NY, 10011

(212) 647-9956
http://www.billysbakerynyc.com/

nyc - madison square park: shake shack

tommy satisfies his burger craving at shake shack...


shack burger, cheese fries and soda


a fury friend scavenges for fries

tommy says: one of the greatest fast food burgers. the shack sauce on the burger is awesome! the crinkle cut fries are so crisp on the outside and are simply delicious, the cheese on the fries are ok, but not necessary. lines can get long, especially when the weather is warmer, so be sure to check the live camera for an idea of how long you'll have to wait before devouring these bad boys.

shake shack

madison square park

new york, ny 10010

(212) 889-6600

http://www.shakeshacknyc.com/camera.html

nyc - soho: antique garage

tommy devours a delicious dinner at antique garage in soho...


calamari


lamb shish kabab


grilled turkish meatballs: mixture of ground beef and lamb seasoned with turkish spices, served with rice pilaf, roasted potatoes and tzatziki


baklava: baked layered phyllo dough stuffed with pistachio nuts in light syrup
profiterol: dark chocolate pastries stuffed with cream

tommy says: the calamari was perfectly cooked, the lamb shish kababs were flavorful, and the meatballs (favorite pick) were oh-so-good. the grilled chicken (not pictured) was so tender, and the tzatziki that came with all of the dishes was phenomenal. the baklava was just a little too sweet, but the flaky phyllo was nicely crisp, and profiterols were pretty good as well. an amazing ambiance and decor rounded out a fantastic dinner.

antique garage

41 Mercer St

New York, NY, 10013

(212) 219-1019
http://www.antiquegaragesoho.com/

nyc - soho: snack

tommy snacks at snack in soho...



greek salad


tiropitakia: cheese triangles


spinach pie


lamb sandwhich

tommy says: overall everything was pretty good. the lamb sandwich however, was exceptional! it was sooo tasty and the portion size is quite generous (the portion in the photo was just 1/6 of the entire sandwich). yumm!

snack

105 Thompson St

New York, NY, 10012

(212) 925-1040

http://www.yelp.com/biz/snack-new-york-2

nyc - koreatown: gahm mi oak

tommy warms up with a bowl of sulung tang at gamiok...


bin dae duk (mung bean pancake)


kimchee


sulungtang

tommy says: the perfect way to thaw out from being out in the cold. the bindaeduk has a nice crisp outside and yummy. the kimchi and sulung tang are known worldwide and with good reason. come any time, open 24/7.

gahm mi oak

43 W 32nd St

New York, NY, 10001

(212) 695-4113

http://www.yelp.com/biz/gahm-mi-oak-restaurant-new-york

nyc - murray hill: pasticcio

tommy kicks off his ny tour with some italian at pasticcio



grouper pantelleria: filet of grouper sauteed in wine with lemon, garlic, and capers


chocolate cake


tommy gets a little tongue action from a fellow diner

tommy says: the grouper wasn't bad and had a nice essence of lemon and the chocolate cake was actually decent, however, in a city that has such an extensive selection of italian food, this may be one to pass on...

pasticcio
447 3rd ave

new york, ny 10016

(212) 679-2551

http://www.pasticcionyc.com/nyc/index.htm

west la: chabuya tokyo noodle bar

tommy slurps up some ramen at chabuya on sawtelle


spicy green onion ramen in pork broth

tommy says: mediocre ramen... the broth lacked the rich smoothness and was a bit on the greasy side, although the spice was nice. the noodles were run of the mill as well. if you are in a pinch and traffic is absolutely horrendous, chabuya may have to suffice, but otherwise it would be worth it to drive to jtown for a superior bowl of ramen

chabuya tokyo noodle bar

2002 Sawtelle Blvd

Los Angeles, CA, 90025

(310) 473-1013
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chabuya-tokyo-noodle-bar-los-angeles

west la: asakuma

tommy gets fishy at asakuma in west la


marinated albacore salad


tuna & salmon sashimi


marinated black cod


tiramifruit


coffee jello


red bean ice cream

tommy says: all the fish was fresh and the black cod was perfection! the tiramifruit was full of berries and pretty good. the only complaint, the portions of sashimi were a bit skimpy. go for early dinner special (before 7pm) to make this dining experience more affordable... and be sure to get the black cod!!

asakuma
11701 Wilshire Blvd

Los Angeles, CA, 90025

(310) 826-0013

http://www.yelp.com/biz/asakuma-los-angeles

los angeles: chocolat

tommy experiences disappointment at chocolat...


jalapeno macaroni & cheese gratine: elbow macaroni and four cheeses


ovaline burrata: ovaline mozzarella, beefsteak tomato, basil and extra virgin olive oil


halibut steak with couscous


rack of lamb: roasted baby rack of lamb with a garlic butter sauce served with seasonal vegetables and potato au gratin





steak au bleu


chocolat fondue: fresh strawberries, banana & kiwi and hot chocolat


chocolat and grand marnier combo soufflee

tommy says: overall, the food was disappointing especially considering the price. mac & cheese and burrata were good. the lamb was tasty, but the halibut with couscous was dry, flavorless, and inedible. the soufflee was ok, but did not live up to the hype.

Chocolat
8155 Melrose Avenue

Los Angeles, CA, 90189

(323) 651-2111

http://www.chocolatrestaurant.com/

santa monica: musha

tommy stuffs his face with more izakaya action at musha



duck


tofu cheese with honey


squid sashimi


kakuni: braised pork with potato and egg


pumpkin croquettes
spicy tuna dip with rice crackers


tofu fries
tuna yukke: sashimi tuna with korean style marinade and quail egg


brown rice risotto

tommy says: i heart musha. duck was tender and flavorful, tofu cheese was oh so smooth, squid sashimi was slimy and salty (in a good way), tuna yukke was quite tasty with a subtle sweetness, spicy tuna dip was delicious, pumpkin croquettes were crisp, sweet and not greasy, and brown rice risotto was unbelievably creamy. tofu fries were just average.

musha

424 Wilshire Blvd

Santa Monica, CA, 90401

(310) 576-6330

http://www.yelp.com/biz/musha-restaurant-santa-monica

koreatown: LA family house

tommy gets carnivorous at all-you-can-eat korean bbq

assorted panchan

kalbi, chadolbegi, samgyupsal

grilling the meat

tommy says: my favorite spot for all-you-can-eat korean bbq! the salad is very tasty, and the banchans aren't too shabby. the nengmyun is hit or miss and service can be spotty, but overall it's great.

LA family house

3077 W 8th St

Los Angeles, CA 90005

(213) 386-7890

santa monica: father's office

tommy scopes out the scene at father's office in santa monica


the infamous burger and sweet potato fries


the basket of fries

tommy says: the burgers live up to the hype and the sweet potato fries are not to be missed. numerous beers on tap complete this hearty meal. the downside - be prepared to be on the prowl for seats! almost got into a scuffle over a table...

father's office
1018 Montana Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90402
(310) 393-2337

http://www.fathersoffice.com/

dolce enoteca e ristorante

tommy checks out the scene at dolce (how very LA of him)



complimentary bread, cured meat, and cheese


burrata with tomato and prosciutto


tuna tartare


milanese: osso bucco over saffron risotto


tortino caldo al cioccolato with vanilla gelato

tommy says: this is definately a place to go if you are a scenester. ambiance was too cool for skool, service was great, food was so-so. the bread basket had a nice selection and was pretty good as was the cured meats. the burrata was delicious, but the tuna tartare was just average. osso bucco was disappointing, but the warm chocolate cake was tasty. if you must go, go on mondays when it is 50% off, the quality of the food doesn't justify the regular price.

dolce enoteca e ristorante
8284 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 852-7174
http://www.dolcegroup.com/dolce/

ktown: suhrabal

tommy gets down with a little seoul food

assorted panchan

yetnarl bulgogi

also ingested but not photographed: murl nangmyun, kalbi dolsot bibimbap, kalbijim

tommy says: excellent service and pretty good food. the assortment and quality of panchan was good as was the yetnarl bulgogi. the murl nangmyun noodles were chewy and the broth wasn't bad. kalbi dolsot bibimbap and kalbijim were ok. price was pretty good when compared to other non-all you can eat korean bbq.

suhralbal
100 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 388-1975
http://www.yelp.com/biz/suhrabal-restaurant-los-angeles