Piquin

Today I had the good fortune to have lunch at Super Antojitos. Despite my rants about not being able to find good Mexican food were I live in a previous post, this place proves that not all is bad around here. In addition to the authentic food (I'm not from Mexico, so don't take my word for it), eating here has the benefit of being offered some of the owners homegrown piquins. Never having tried one before, I quickly chowed one down, resulting in some serious pain along with a very welcome endorphin high. Needless to say, I was hooked.

To learn more about this fiery little pepper I consulted my favorite cookbook, The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia. As the title implies, it's more of an encyclopedia than a cookbook, albeit one with lots of recipes. If you're into spicy food, I highly recommend it. Not only does it come loaded with seriously nice and spicy recipes, it will also give you the lowdown on everything you ever wanted to know about chili peppers. So, what about piquins? According to the book, it's an extremely hot pepper, but I could have told you that without looking it up.

Eating the Big Apple

A few nights ago I went to this new chichi Mexican restaurant at (of all places) the local strip mall. The food was pretty good, but not what I would expect from a Mexican restaurant in Southern California (hence the strip mall). I mean come on, we're just north of the border here! It's pathetic how difficult it is to find a good Mexican eatery around here. And it's not just Mexican food, name the cuisine and surely there will be a franchise catering badly to it. Don't get me started on all the cookie cutter chain restaurants that infect the area. That, however, is the subject of a completely different post.

SoCal aside, I'd like to focus on one of my favorite places for a night on the town, New York city. What follows is my own, highly personal, and very incomplete list (in no particular order) of must visit restaurants in the Big Apple.

• Great Jones Cafe - Seriously laid back cajun joint, highly recommended.
  
• Republic - Good noodle lunch spot in Union Square.
  
• Asia de Cuba - Hip, expensive and fun!
  
• Balthazar - Get your steak frites fix well into the wee hours at this SoHo brasserie.
  
• Pastis - Another brasserie, but in The Meatpacking District.
  
• Pam Real Thai Food - Best Thai food in NY (or even the world outside Thailand)? Cheap and tasty, try their chicken curry noodle soup!
  
• Blue Smoke - Ribs and tequila southern style.
• Zum Schneider - Best (German) beer joint in NY.
• McSorley's Old Ale House - Second best (Irish) beer joint in NY.
• Bubby's - Come here for brunch with your kids, and if you're lucky, Harvey Keitel might be there (he lives in the neighborhood).
  
• Pipa - If you like tapas, this is the place to be.
  
• Good World Bar & Grill - Bar/club in China Town that serve Swedish meatballs, what more do you need?!
  
• Zarela - Mexican restaurant with the BEST margaritas in NY, ask for baked cheese and pepperoni (not on the menu).
  
• Tehuitzingo - Ok, this hole in the wall joint is actually a deli/grocery that sell tacos in the back, but good and cheap. Eat here and you'll qualify as more local than most New Yorkers. Their pork tacos are to die for. Enjoy with a Jarrito.
• Rainbow Room - Bar with a view in Rockefeller Center. Seriously kitschy but still a must for the view. Needless to say, go at night.
  
• Hogs & Heifers - Biker bar that inspired Coyote Ugly Salon, which in turn inspired the really bad movie Coyote Ugly.
• Shanghai Cuisine - Good Chinese grub, try their dumplings (xiaolongbao).

Obviously a lot is missing here, but hey, it's a start!