Patsy's

I've been to Patsy's three times now... Twice while waiting for Serendipity and a third because I genuinely like it.

While I've seen tables around me order various entrees and appetizers, I always stick to the pizza. It can get a little pricey with toppings, but luckily, I like a classic pizza or one with fresh mozzarella - simple and satisfying. Patsy's pizza is never an oil slick and has a great thin, slightly crispy NOT chewy crust. Occasionally there is some charring, a risk of a coal oven pizza. I have also split the basil, mozzarella, and tomato appetizer three ways with a great deal of pleasure.

The service is slow but once your order is in the food comes promptly, servings are generous, and I have never had to wait for a table. In my mind these qualities make Patsy's a reliable meal choice.

Location: 206 East 60th Street (near 3rd Avenue)
Hours: Sun-Thurs 11:30a-11:00pm, Fri-Sat 11:30a-12:00a
Cost: $$

Momofuku Noodle Bar

Mom was in town this past weekend and as she is always up for food adventures, I thought Momofuku Noodle Bar was the perfect place to go. The rave reviews from critices, the chef's credentials, and the relatively affordable prices had placed it on my list.* Actually, all the listings online put it in the $ category, but I am placing it in $$ category since it is only that cheap if you eat an appetizer as a meal.

We arrived at 3:30 pm and there was still a wait for lunch. Momofuku's decor is minimal, think a single bar with a row of wooden stools, and the restaurant is tiny. That said the service is efficient and from most of the seats you can see the kitchen at work, which is always fascinating to me.

Mom and I split the steamed buns with Berkshire pork, the sauteed sugar snap peas with fresh grated horseradish, and the tsukemen (dipping broth, chilled noodles, shredded berkshire pork, and poached egg). The sauteed sugar snap peas outshone everything else we consumed; I would go again just for their simple, buttery goodness. In fact, that might be the only thing I would repeat order from our meal as nothing else left a strong impression.

Location: 163 1st Avenue at 10th Street
Hours: Sun-Thurs 12:00p-4:00p, 5:30p-11:00p; Fri-Sat 12:00p-4:00p, 5:30p-12:00a
Cost: $$

*It actually doesn't take much to get on the list of places I want to try; I'm discriminating and yet the list is so very long.