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We should have known to pay attention when this place was nearly empty and there was a wait everywhere else in Union Square last night. But, alas, we were hungry, and the menu looked quite appealing for me and my vegan friend. It also has a lovely blue galaxy-like ceiling which was nice- and the booths were cozy and quiet. Ok. Let’s start with the air conditioning. Blowing on us so hard that our candle wouldn’t stay lit. Next came the kimchi pancake appetizer. Looked kind of like potato latkas. One bite was very meh. The next bite had a piece of plastic in it. Now, mind you, I realize this is not the waitresses fault, and when I pointed it out to her she did exactly what she was supposed to do- apologize and take it away. She did not, however, offer another app at no charge or maybe a free drink/dessert. The entree- shrimp soft tacos, was pretty good actually- but they forgot the guac and I had to request it. My friends’ entree sucked. So not going back. Oh well. Plenty of other choices in the area.

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Now that’s a darn good burger. If you have plenty O’ time to wait in that long line, it really is worth it…and who doesn’t like eating outside in the park on a lovely day? I had a shack burger and shared fries with my Dad and Bro. Deeeeelicious.

Follow up:
DANGER: A new one opened. SHIT. It’s MUCH closer to where I live AND there is never a long line AND there are indoor tables to sit at. Now I’m really in trouble. In boot camp, my nickname became ‘shake shack’ because going to get a concrete and a burger after our workout was frequently my reward for working my ass off. Concretes are AMAZING. Ya know what else is amazing? The ridiculous vegetarian option. You THINK you are making a healthy choice but noooooooo, not even close. This portobello burger is deep-fried with cheese in between 2 mushrooms. AND it has some creamy mayo-y sauce on it to boot. HAHA. Ya. Not that figure friendly after all….but sooooooooooo yummy.

Follow UP:
OMG OMG OMG even more danger coming. They are opening another new one and it’s even closer to my place. Guess my 10 mile runs are going to start happening more often. Oiy.

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Had a quick bite with a friend here in the downtime before an audition. Can’t beat the happy hour prices. 20 minutes, edamame and spicy tuna roll, under $10 total. D for done. Out the door in a flash.
thank you Haru.

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I’ve lived across the street from this place for almost 2 years and never went in…Strange, huh? I don’t know why, but for some reason the places that are closest to me are the most neglected. Well, my folks were coming in to meet me with short notice and we couldn’t get a reservation anywhere so we decided on a whim to give Dresners a shot..Especially because we had initially planned to eat at the greek place next door to it (called Rafini’s I think) but there were literally 2 people inside on a friday night at 8pm so we thought it was probably awful. Anyway, this is really a nice neighborhood spot. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t expect downtowners to venture to the UES for it, but if you live in this hood give it a try…You’ll be pleasantly surprised. My mom had some AWESOME french onion soup. The entrees were all cooked nicely, not too buttery/oily, and very flavorful. The desserts that we shared were spot-on. I’ll definitely come back again now that I know it’s better than I had expected.

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WOW, NY Magazine was right, this is the f-ing BEST chocolate cupcake in the city. Magnolia, little red hen, crumbs etc, can all kiss my fat chocoholic ass. YUM!

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OH. MY. GOD.
I never even used to like olives, save for the tasteless black olive slices found on pizza- but then again, what item, when smothered in cheese, sauce and pizza dough is NOT delicious? Anyway, I was over at a friend’s house making dinner and saw like 6 differerent plastic containers in his fridge filled with olives. I was like, huh? Why so many kinds? And it was then that my new found taste for olives began it’s development. Green olives hand stuffed with gorgonzola. Stuffed with goat cheese. Stuffed with provolone. Spicy little tiny black olives with pits. WOW. So, I went in. I had a lovely time telling the olive maestro which ones I wanted to try as he moved around from barrel to barrel filling up containers. And then we moved on to the pickles. Horseradish pickles. The BEST new pickles ever. Super garlicky-licious pickles. I have now made a schedule change to include a once monthly stock-up visit. I LOVE finding new reasons to love living on the UES even though I constantly get harrassed for it by my downtown and brooklyn based friends. Ha! So there. You don’t have an amazing pickle and olive place within walking distance do you? So ha. I do. And if you want, come visit my up here in “above 14th st land” and I’ll take you there.

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This 5 star rating is only in regards to the following specific dessert. It’s all I’ve tried.
So. Here’s an idea. If it’s cold out, and you’re sulking and crabby, have some ice cream!
“ice cream?” you exclaim. Just wait, I’ll explain.
First of all, you’ll need to be in your own little world just enough to tune out the snooty people around you. Sit at the bar if possible. All the way over to one side. Now order a bowl of gelato with a tiny little white porcelain pitcher full of HOT CHOCOLATE. Not, hot chocolate the drink, but hot, melty, glistening, simply de-fucking-licious chocolate. It’s okay if you want to email me to say thank you.

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I had a delightful dinner with my father this evening at the Oyster Bar. We sat in the casual area at the bar where we could watch the shucking. I immediately felt the sense of a well-preserved spot that had probably been exactly the same for 50 years or more. The service was polite and available, but not overly present, which I liked. The food was suberb. I had the lentil crab soup which was hearty and wholesome. That’s a recipe I’d love to have. Dad and I each polished off a dozen assorted clams and oysters which were all fantastic and exactly the way they should be- cold, fresh, sweet and slippery. MMmmmmMmm. I am glad I got a chance to eat here and will most likely go back the next time I’m having an oyster craving. By the way, the whispering wall is right outside of the restaurant so make sure to try it out- it’s pretty cool.

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I’d been meaning to try Pure for a while..mostly for the novelty of the whole raw food movement…something that I understand and respect, but could never really stick to. I met a friend for dinner at 6:30 on a Wednesday night and we were one of 3 tables with people in the whole restaurant, which made me feel a little guilty that we were just sharing one app and one entree. Anyway, while the menu was quite appealing sounding, none of the dishes that we were leaning toward were recommended by our waiter so we tried others…Overall, it was interesting. Great presentation, and very unique flavors…but the flavors were all VERY strong and really competed with each other more than they complimented each other. For what it was, it remained kind of a novelty of a meal, but the prices made it less than fun. We skipped dessert after we nearly passed out at the $17 price tag for one. I mean, c’mon. You don’t even have to pay for gas or electric ovens!! Shouldn’t that keep costs down?? Our one entree and one appetizer (which left me feeling hungry enough to go get a cupcake for $5 at whole foods) came to $56 including tip. Seems rather ridic, no? I will not be going back. I should mention the one saving grace (aside from my awesome company) the service was impeccable. Friendly, attentive, not too-in-your-face, quick to refill low water glasses, and very helpful with advice and suggestions.

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Hype Hype Hype. I am really getting sick of sub-par vegetarian places that get slammin’ reviews. I can cook better than this with a blind fold, nose plug and a hand tied behind my back…AND I would never charge you 200 times the cost of the indredients for the meal!
The atmosphere is nice- and if there wasn’t a group of 3 obnoxiously loud girls sitting next to us, it would have been even better. The waitress, though polite when she came around, didn’t even check on us after we were served our bland meals…and we had to flag her down to order dessert. Actually, the bus boys were the best part of the staff- refilled water frequently and cleared plates in a very timely manner.
Overpriced, under-talented, Completely and totally overrated.