THE MEATBALL SHOP

The Meatball Shop (TMS) had this Chubby Kid on cloud 9!  Located at 170 Bedford Ave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn this is one spot that the atmosphere is right up there along with the food.  And by the looks of their door handle being a meat grinder, it should be an indication that they take their meatballs seriously.

Though it was a bit crowded, we didn't wait long for a seat at all.  While waiting, TMS had number 1 hits from the 90's  bumping through their speakers.  My foodie companion A and I was in chair dancing heaven, singing and dancing while waiting AND  while eating lol.  

TMS House Wine

Whisky Root Beer Float

As we chair danced while waiting for our meal, A sipped on TMS House Wine  and I chose the Whisky Root Beer Float.  The float was a-ma-zing!!!  Just the right amount of whisky, not a lot of ice cream  and a tasty root beer to top it off.

TMS has a complete customizable menu allowing you to compose your meals and desserts however you like.  You choose your kind of meatball (classic beef, spicy pork, cicken, vegetable or special), choose your sauce (classic tomato, spicy meat sauce, mushroom gravy, parmesean cream & pesto) then go from there. You can have them accompanied with sides, on a Hero, as Sliders or Smash (meatballs smashed on a brioche bum with your choice of sauce and cheese).

Spicy Pork Meatball hero topped w. Provolone cheese & Parmesan cream sauce and Side Salad

A and I both chose to go with the hero topped with provolone cheese and parmesan cream sauce on a whole wheat baguette but with different meatballs.  She chose the Classic Beef and I the Spicy Pork.  The Meatballs were juicy with just the right amount of heat. The Salad was also great with a light dressing and slithers of apples.

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Ice Cream Sandwich: Chocolate Chip cookie(bottom), Snickerdoodle cookie(top) w. Brown Sugar ice cream

To top off our meal, we shared an ice cream sandwich.  With the customizable menu, we mismatched the cookies. I chose a snickerdoodle (top cookie) which in a nutshell is a sugar cookie and A chose chocolate chip(bottom cookie).  The cookies sandwiched brown sugar ice cream.  Having never heard of that ice cream flavor before, A and I made a good choice.  The ice cream was creamy and really did have a brown sugar flavor.

With a rustic family style ambiance and an upbeat vibe The Meatball Shop is definitely on my "must visit again" list. The staff was warm and friendly and they too were singing and dancing as the music played.  Rating from 1 to 5, 5 being the highest, I give The Meatball Shop a 5.  

BAREBURGER

Today's adventure took this Chubby Kid and fellow blogger Amonee to Bareburger.  Located at 149 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY,  I was in foodie paradise!

Blueberry Soda

For those that have never been to Bareburger, in a nutshell it's a build your own burger spot.  You can either choose a "Barest Burger", where you 1.choose your patty/type of protein  2.choose your bun  3.choose your veggies  4.choose your cheese  5.choose your bacon.

Or you can order from the "Bareburger" part of the menu where you  1.choose your style (how you'd like your protein dressed)  2.choose your protein  3.choose your bread.  Amonee and I choose from the Bareburger section of the menu.  The Blueberry Soda (above pic) was amazing.  It was like drinking fresh blueberries with added fizz.

Maui Wowie Elk burger on a Brioche Bun

I wanted to be daring so I decided to try Elk. I paired it with the "Maui Wowie" style where the burger is dressed with: smoked mozzarella, turkey bacon, grilled pineapple, fried onions, fire roasted red peppers and buttermilk ranch.  Sad to say, I didn't like elk.  I felt like Andrew Zimmerman on his show when he tries certain things and say "this tastes gamey".  If I had to put a description to the taste, that's what comes to mind.  The waitress also pointed out on the menu that they suggest which style to pair with which protein.....the chubby kid in me obviously missed that little detail.  They did allow me to change my order without charge.  That's a plus!

Fresh Cut Fries w. 3 Special Sauces

Supreme Bison burger on a Brioche Bun

Amonee chose Bison paired with the Supreme.  The supreme dressing consists of: colby jack cheese, country bacon, chopped fries, onion rings, iceberg lettuce and special sauce.  

Maui Wowie Turkey Burger on a Brioche Bun

So here's my "redo" burger.  I decided to play it safe and chose turkey as my choice of meat still paired with the Maui Wowie dressing.  Now I must also add that I haven't eaten red meat in over 20 years. So maybe that was another reason why I was a little taken aback by the taste of the elk.  

I slaughtered this burger!  lol  I'm a picky eater and would of asked to nix the peppers and onions (as I did in the first pic)  but I went all out and boy was it good.  The turkey was juicy.  The grilled pineapple and roasted peppers kicked this burger up several notches.  Needless to say, not a crumb was left.

In addition to their burger selections on the menu, Bareburger offer salads, sandwiches, Kid "cubby" meals, a breakfast menu, organic beer & wine, sweets (cakes, tarts & milkshakes) and even something for vegans. They pride themselves in offering an all organic menu from the burgers to sandwiches and sourcing local ingredients.   

The Court Street location was very laid back, easy breezy atmosphere and everyone was very attentive. Not only did our server check on us from time to time, so did other servers and the hostess.  I rate Bareburger Court Street a 4 1/2 out of 5.

BROTHER JIMMY'S BBQ

Today's Chubby Kid Adventure takes us to Brother Jimmy's BBQ located at 416 8th Ave, NYC.  I've heard great things about this restaurant, so the Chubby Kid in me wanted to check it out with a fellow foodie friend.

Sliced Brisket Sandwich w. Macaroni and Cheese

My friend chose Sliced Brisket from the Sandwiches part of the menu which comes with one side and he chose the mac & cheese.  Here's his take on his experience in his own words.......

" Brother Jimmy's has a wide selection of BBQ meals to choose from.  Being a red meat lover, I ordered their marbleized brisket, mac n cheese and a side order of fries.  I was brought a generous portion of brisket that was tender and warm.  Not chewy like some places that serves brisket that gives an idea of what leather tastes like!  The fries were your standard fries that you would get from most chain restaurants, nothing to get excited over.  The waitresses though, were healthy looking women with nice southern smiles. That alone is a reason to stop by for a quick lunch."

Pulled Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries, Macaroni and Cheese & Cornbread

 I ordered the Pulled Chicken Platter that came with 2 sides and cornbread.  The chicken was great, it had the right amount of BBQ sauce that it wasn't too wet or soupy.  The sweet potato fries were perfect.  Most restaurants I've been to never make them right.  At Brother Jimmy's, they were just right with a good crisp to them.  And the Pièce de résistance, the Macaroni & Cheese!  I've tried this dish at restaurants and home made but this was the first one ever that tastes just like my mothers.  It was seasoned well with the perfect ratio of macaroni to cheese for the perfect amount of gooeyness...... All in all, it was great.

The atmosphere was great and the wait staff was attentive.  One minor detail that was overlooked for both our dishes, according to the menu our meals were to also be served with pickles.  Neither of us got it but it was no big deal.  I can't wait to go back, there was a Catfish Sandwich that was calling both my name.

Chillin at the Crab Spot.

One of my favorite seafood spots in NYC is the Crab spot located in Park Slope Brooklyn. They have an array of different dishes from parmesan crusted talpia to Dungess Crab & lobster pots. One of my favorites from the Park Slope gem is the grilled mahi mahi that has been marinated with a tomato butter sauce with mashed potatoes and string beans.

My next favorite is the Guacamole appetizer. It comes with flavored tortilla chips and fried Navajo bread that tastes like heaven!

 My boyfriend and I come here often and what he usually gets is the Westport pot which comes with snow king crab legs, 1 whole lobster, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob and andouille sausage.

My overall experience at the Crab Spot has been great! Great food, greats service and great atmosphere. They also have a non seafood menu for those of you who don't like to eat food from the sea. So forget Red Lobster and Joe's Crab Shack and  come to Crab Spot instead!. Crab Spot is located on 833 Union St. Btwn 6th and 7th ave. Park Slope Brooklyn. Take the B67 or B69 bus to the Union St stop. 

The Food Warriors: 168th St

My good friend and fellow foodie Dallas Penn is causing havoc on the internets once again with a new web series called, The Food Warriors.  In the premier episode, Dallas and friend visit 168th Street, NYC and ask the locals " where is a good place to eat?". 

After viewing this video I'd like to visit the 4 most mentioned restaurants just from the answers of the locals. Chubby Kid Adventures will let you know when the next Food Warriors webisode is posted.  In the meantime, let that chubby kid out and enjoy something sinful!  

Cheddar's Restaurant

While driving around searching for something to eat, during the search I realized how tired I was of drive thru fare and food I have to eat with my hands. I decided to call my foodie sidekick up to see if he had any suggestions on where to eat that was responsibly priced and tasty. After a game of NBA 2K14 we decided on going to Cheddar's and this was the result.....

Onion Rings

We started off with this huge tower of Onion Rings that has a spicy dipping sauce as well as a ranch sauce. The batter was light, crispy and fried perfectly. The onions under the delicious batter were thick cut and you could actually taste the onions that were cooked exactly how an onion ring should be, not too soggy and thin, they still had a little snap to them. The portion was more than enough for 2 people you could actually feed at least 3 on this appetizer and the price was only $4.50!

Now onto the crown jewel of the night.....

CHICKEN AND WAFFLES!!! 

This is another win from Cheddar's where it is not my first time having this at the restaurant, it was most certainly as delicious as the first time I had it. The chicken must be triple dipped since the batter has a good coating that is not too heavy and is very crispy and light like the onion rings. The waffle had a good cakey texture on the inside, my only complaint was the outside was a little over done and crispy on one side as you can see from the picture where it is a darker brown. The syrup they use is not too heavy and has a good maple flavor. It is the perfect combination of flavors and most likely the best chicken and waffles I've ever had. There was 4 huge chicken tenders and the waffle is big enough to have a bite with all of the chicken. Keeping with the Cheddar's trend of responsibly priced good food, this was only $8.50. 

Sorry Roscoe's, you may have competition with this plate. 

My friend had grilled fish tacos that I didn't get a picture of because as you can see I was too busy killing my plate! We drank strawberry lemonade that I also didn't capture an image of but was great and had real strawberries in it. The mix was also on point and perfectly blended. 

If you are lucky enough to have a Cheddar's location in your area..I highly suggest going there if you have not. 

This Cheddar's is located at 7951 W. Commercial Blvd. In Tamarac, FL.

KLONG THAI RESTAURANT & BAR

After a couple hours of art gallery hopping, my good friend and I visited one of his favorite restaurants,  Klong Thai Restaurant & Bar.  Though he kept this a secret from me for over 7 years, I'm glad he chose it for lunch.  Klong has a trendy yet laid back modern atmosphere and the menu was reasonably priced. 

Chicken Pad Thai & 3 Fried chicken shrimp Dumplings(bowl)

We both chose from the lunch menu which offers several entree dishes that comes with a bowl of vegetable broth and a free appetizer ranging from $7- $10 till 3pm .  The Chicken Pad Thai was great!  Just remember to nix the nuts if you have a peanut allergy because it's topped with crushed nuts.  The Chicken & Shrimp Dumplings served in a sweet & mild sauce was just as good.  The service was great. Our water glasses were refilled without asking and the order to table time was pretty quick.

Thai Iced Tea

Our meals were washed down with Thai Iced Tea.  Thai Iced tea, for those that don't know is Thai tea topped off with sweetened condensed milk mmmmmmmm!   Klong is a great place for tourists to stop by an have a good lunch for a reasonable price in an easy breezy atmosphere.  I rate it 4 1/2  out of 5 stars.

Klong Thai Restaurant & Bar is located at 7 St Marks Place(NYC) btwn 2nd & 3rd aves.

TURKEY DONUT ANYONE?!

When we hear the word Thanksgiving, we think of turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin/sweet potato pie etc.  But a donut?!, never.  The folks at Zucker Bakery, located in the East Village of NYC created Thanksgiving in a donut.  Yes my fellow foodies, a DONUT!!!!

To celebrate Thanksgivukkah (Thanksgiving & Hanukkah), the bakery made four limited series gourmet stuffed donuts to pay a tribute of sorts to Thanksgiving and Hanukkah is happening for the first time in over 100 years this November.  

The donuts come in four flavors, ranging from savory to sweet: Spiced pumpkin donuts with TURKEY and GRAVY filling, Spiced pumpkin donuts with TURKEY and CRANBERRY filling, Spiced pumpkin donuts with CRANBERRY SAUCE filling, Sweet potato donuts with TOASTED MARSHMALLOW cream filling.

Open everyday except Monday's, the Zucker Bakery is located at  433 East 9th Street, NYC.  You can check out the Thanksgivukkah donuts and other menu items here.