Cheap Eats - Veselka

I just love the East Village. It's one of those neighborhoods that has gems on every block, and so many delicious, cultural discoveries to behold (if you can put up with the dated punk trash that still tries to co-exist on St. Mark's Place in a modern 2013). Yesterday, I helped my friends from Animal Engine by teching their circus/zombie themed show, The Vindlevoss Family Circus Spectacular. Afterward we decided to get a quick bite in the neighborhood. A friend of their's who has lived in New York for more than 30 years quickly responded, "We can always go to Veselka".

I remember my first (and only previous) trip to Veselka back in 2005 when I came to visit NYC, long before I was a resident myself. It was late, and I remember stuffing my face with fried potato pancakes and sour cream until I had eaten to my heart's content. This East Village staple is always bustling. The 1st Ave and 9th St location opened up back in 1954 and has remained an iconic restaurant to date. It's a 24-hour Ukrainian joint with a classic diner feel. The food is decent (and cheap for the epic proportions) and the wait staff is authentic. I can see why it's a favorite of so many people who need to load up on cured meats after a night of boozin' it up on the LES.

We were seated immediately, and were served by a sweet, older Eastern European waitress. She was attentive and the service was friendly and fast. To start, she brought out a heaping plate of thick challah bread with butter. It was a nice start to a super filling meal.

I knew I was hungry, but I didn't know if I wanted to commit to eating several pounds of meat (as is the custom in the old country). I decided to go with the DELUXE Vegetarian combo plate ($14.25), because, yeah I was hungry, but alas, I am also a girl. All of the special plates start with soup and salad. I ordered a cup of the vegetarian borscht and they brought me a basic green salad with a creamy dill dressing.

I was in love with this borscht. I could taken a long, hot bath in this steamy beet soup. It was complex with tones sweet and sour in quality. The beets themselves had a good bite to them and the soup had the right hit of acid without being too salty. I REALLY loved this soup. The salad was fine, and the dressing was yummy, albeit a little heavy, but hey, "When in Ukraine", right? And besides, that was nothing compared to what I was about to conquer.

That's my girly vegetarian plate that you see above. Holy sh*t that's a lot of effin' food. That big mound of awesomeness on the left hand side of the plate is a meatless stuffed cabbage. It was a large green cabbage leaf rolled and stuffed with a hearty filling of wild rice, mushrooms and Ukrainian spices, then topped with a thick mushroom gravy and garnished with parsley. The the right, those lovely little dumplings are pierogies with a variety of yummy fillings: cheese, potato, sauerkraut . . . wait a minute, WHERE THE EFF IS MY MUSHROOM PIEROGI? Oh well, they must have forgot, but I think I had enough to plow through already, so I refrained from being a fatass, and just consumed the monstrous mountain of food that was already on my plate. The ramekins you see are full of sour cream and sauerkraut, standard condiments that come with most Eastern European dishes. And up top, that's a big ass helping of buckwheat.

The food was solid. I really loved the filling in the stuffed cabbage, but it was a little messy to eat. There wasn't a good way to cut into the cabbage roll without completely tearing the thing apart. The boiled pierogies were decent, but definitely not the best I've ever had. I think I liked the sauerkraut one the best. The potato was yummy, but the cheese one was a little sweet for my taste. I CAN'T COMMENT ON THE MUSHROOM ONE. I actually really enjoyed the buckwheat too. It was so fragrant and had a great, almost nutty texture. One complaint: I wish the food had come out a bit more hot. It was warm, and totally edible. Some may even prefer that heat, but I like my food scorching, so I guess I could have sent it back, but I didn't have the balls last night.

I was glad to revisit this popular East Village establishment, and I'm sure I'll be back after a late night of beers at Grassroots, or after hitting the stage at Under St. Mark's. It's not the best Eastern European cuisine I've had in the city, but the history/prices/location/hours of operation make it a place worth putting on your list of late night restaurants to check out. My friend Dave says there is a superior Ukrainian place right up the street from here. More deets on that when I have them!

THE DAMAGE: $20 (including tax and tip!)

Hella Spicy Jambalaya!

Lars was really into the idea of an Oscar's themed dinner last Sunday, and after perusing the lineup and deciding that just drinking hooch sounded kinda sh*tty, we settled on a creole favorite: Jambalaya. This was of course in honor of best picture nominee Beasts of the Southern Wild (which I still haven't seen because I suck at life). It's also been cold as eff, so the warm comfort of jambalaya sounded nice. This stuff was sooo slammin', and lucky for you I'm offering up the recipe right now. Lars is none too pleased about that. This goes awesome with a stout beer!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb Chicken Thighs (boned and skinned)
1 lb Hot Link Sausages
1 28 oz can of Diced Tomatoes with Juice
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
3 Cups of Water 1 Large Yellow Onion
1 Large Green Bell Pepper
3 Stalks of Celery
4 Cloves of Fresh Garlic
1 Tbsp Butter or Olive Oil
1 Tsp Italian Seasoning Mix (Thyme, Oregano, Basil)
1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley Chopped
1 Tablespoon Red Chili Flakes
1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Tablespoon Louisiana Hot Sauce

1 Cup Parboiled White/Brown Rice
2 Cups of Water
Freshly Chopped Parsley (for finishing garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Bone, skin and cut the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces. Add to hot skillet with butter or olive oil. Brown the meat 5 minutes or so - it doesn't not need to be cooked all the way through because it will finish in the slow cooker. Chop the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Add to slow cooker pot (removed from heat). Chop sausages into bite sized pieces and add to pot as well. Empty the chicken thighs and juices into slow cooker pot. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, and give it a good stir with your favorite (or only) wooden spoon. Simmer in the slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours. Veggies should still have a little bite to them and chicken/sausage should be cooked all the way through after this amount of time. When there is about a half hour left to cook, add rice and water to separate saucepan and cook according to package instructions. White rice will take around 25 minutes, while brown rice will be closer to 50 minutes. When you're ready to eat, spoon Jambalaya over rice and garnish with freshly chopped parsley. You may choose to add extra hot sauce or cayenne depending on your heat preference. Now who's the man? I'M THE MAN.

Chic Eats - Roberta's

My shoot wrapped early last Saturday, which meant I was stranded in Brooklyn. What better plans could be laid on this rainy day than to mosey over to Bushwick for an afternoon of artisanal brick oven pizza, local brews and hipster snark? Lars and Emily were shooting a different project in the area, and finished up around the same time, so they agreed to meet me at Roberta's around 2:30 PM. Surprise, surprise: we were actually able to obtain a table for three without a wait. This is extremely rare because this place is hella hoppin' at most hours. For realz, hipsters and boring folk (hipster perception of normal people) alike bombard this rustic pizza tavern as though they are serving gold flakes in their chili oil. Not the case, but baller pizza none the less.

I do love Roberta's, and believe me, this doesn't make me special. The first time I went, I waited three hours for a table. It was my mistake for coming on a Friday night without a reservation. The good news is, during the summer they have a great outdoor bar area with a decent local beer selection where you can hang out while waiting to nosh on slightly overpriced pie. The bad news is, if it's winter you're effed and huddled up in the front of the restaurant or in the bar area taking up space and/or pissing folks off.

This place can seem pricey, but there are a few important things to remember. They are a sustainable restaurant in that they use local ingredients and grow most of their herbs and veggies on the roof. They have a reputation for providing a killer atmosphere and tasty, unique grub. And I've always experienced above satisfactory service. The folks here are nice (even if they dress like muppets) and the pizza comes out hella fast. I assume this is to make up for the fact that you probably waited 9 million hours to get a table.

I was hungry, because that's what shooting music videos for mediocre pop stars does to me. We decided on the Romaine ($11) to start. This was a perfectly dressed salad with the right amount of freshly shaved Pecorino cheese, candied walnuts and Caesar dressing atop crisp baby romaine leaves. We were off to a nice, crunchy start. Emily exclaimed, "I could SWIM IN THIS DRESSING!" (Note: Swimming in Caesar dressing is not recommended by Roberta's or any Roberta's affiliates and is the sole opinion of one Emily Althaus.)

For pizza, we went with a classic Margherita ($12) and The Good Girl ($16) (just so you know, I'm talking about the pizza not the movie starring Jennifer Aniston opposite Jake Gyllenhall. That was actually a pretty good movie. Did anyone else see it? Definitely her finest acting. John C. Reilly was great in that too! But, I digress). The Margherita wasn't crazy or unique, but it was a very well done pie with a nice smattering of bright San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil leaves. This one did it for Lars. He can sometimes be a purist with his pizza. I enjoyed it, but at a place like Roberta's I'm usually eager to try something funky.

And that's where "The Good Girl" comes in FTW. A sauce-less pie topped with house made sausage, charred kale and sprinkles of taleggio cheese. I loved the flavor and texture of this pie. The kale has baked to a lovely crispy consistency and goes so well with the sharp bite of the cheese and the savory sausage. So yummy, so fun and Emily took this opportunity to try her hand (pun intended) at hand modeling. You'll be able to say you knew her back when!

After a couple of pitchers of Bronx Brewery Pale Ale ($16), it was time to hit the road. I have to say had the pitchers of beer not been in play, this one would have qualified as a cheap eat. A little goes a long way here, oh and they take CC now, so have no fear if you're amidst a cashless crew! Overall, Roberta's offered a lovely pitstop on a busy Saturday. Next, Lars and myself were off to the Frigid Festival to support our buds Karim and Carrie in their super fun circus show The Vindlevoss Family Circus Spectacular! (WHICH YOU SHOULD GO SEE!).

THE DAMAGE:  around $30 per person with tax and tip! Not bad.

Also these happened:

Cheap Eats - Prosperity Dumpling

FIVE DUMPLINS' FOR A MAH-FAH DOLLAR?! Oh, Prosperity Dumpling. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. This place is simplicity at its finest. Prosperity Dumpling is one of those places of legend that you hear about from your friend's friend, from a haggard old soothsayer outside of a punk club on Rivington or from some guy who comes in from Philly specifically to load up on bags of these tasty little dumplings. So cheap - seriously 5 big, crispy Pork and Chive Fried Dumplings for $1! Quarts of Soup for $2.50! Scallion Pancakes for $1-$2 depending on whether you want to add roasted veggies, chicken, pork, or duck. This place brings ballin' on a budget to a new level. (You can check out some of the silly cheap prices by clicking on the menu board below.)

Let's be real, the place itself isn't much to look at. This dumpling shack at 46 Eldridge on the LES is a hole in the wall (I can't believe they have some semblance of a website). Once you open the door and enter the all of 3 cubic feet of tile floor that the restaurant offers, you will bump into people. People will splash their wonton soup on you. Your presence will offend an old Chinese lady. You may feel a bit uncomfortable, until you see the magic hands of the disgruntled workers behind the counter. What a glorious site to behold! Hundreds of dumplings being carefully hand crafted and added to the flat pan with boiling oil and water. The sizzle is like music to mine ears.

And then you hand them the last $2.25 (cash only) in your wallet and you end up with a man's feast. Today I went for the classic pork and chive fried dumplings (because you pretty much have to) and a pint of the hot and sour soup. The dumplings are perfection, and they come in a variety of meat, seafood and veggie flavors.The dough isn't too thick, the outside is crispy in all of the right places and the pork and chive filling is flavorful, juicy and OMG, so effin' good. My method is to douse these little babies in siriacha, black vinegar and soy sauce. MSG EXPLOSION, Y'ALL! Only your heart will regret your choices. Your soul will be more than satisfied.

The hot and sour soup here is pretty slammin' too. They use a variety of mushrooms instead of sticking with just the regular button 'shrooms that I see utilized at so many other Chinese joints in town. Holy shitake, y'all! They also use wax beans to amp up the flavor. These add a great texture to the rest of the soup. They don't skimp on the tofu, so if you're a lover, be ready to nom nom. For $1.25, this is one of your best best hot and sour soup tickets in town. Hearty, thick and super yummy. And again, after finishing, the salt monster will come to take your first born.

One day I will "splurge" and buy a bag of their frozen dumplings. I believe you can snag 50 of these bad boys for $10.00 or less. WHAT A DEAL, YO! It's so cheap here, you'll have plenty of money left to make bad decisions in the East Village. Remember to remind yourself not to step into Mars Bar, or you might die.

THE DAMAGE: $2.25! WHOOOAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Chic Eats - MexiBBQ

There's a Tex-Mex place on our corner called MexiBBQ that Lars adores. Personally, I have never been wowed by the place, but considering I find myself there more often than not, I should probably write up a little review. Originally, Lars and I avoided this place because we thought it looked douchey (there's a waterfall in the back). The ambiance is actually pretty fun and lively though, and the servers are nice. Also, you can buy growlers to take home their special brews. This is a cool thing in a neighborhood that can sometimes lack decent draft selections.

I'm going to make this one snappy, because I don't think it's a place that particularly warrants a long drawn out review. Ultimately, the pros outweigh the cons, but I wouldn't claim this is a place you need to make a visit for. That said, if you're looking for a palatable bite in Astoria with a decent atmosphere, MexiBBQ is a valid choice.

PROS:

1.) Great beer list (any draft you can imagine, with a late night happy hour to boot!)
2.) Burger and Beer Monday - $10 for a damn decent burger and a draft beer.
3.) Fun for brunch - $11 to add unlimited mimosas, bloody mary's or Mexican draft beers to your brunch entree. Do it. The waiters here will make it worth your while. The brunch options are pretty tasty too.
4.) It's seriously a 90 second walk to my apartment. (Don't take that as an invitation to stalk me.)
5.) Nice presentation on dishes. They use micro greens on nearly everything, people. MICRO GREENS!
6.) Fun, lively atmosphere with a good music playlist and big booths for groups.

CONS:

1.) The food has never come out at the right temperature. My hot food always comes out kind of cold, and the time I ordered a salad, it arrived in a room temperature bowl.
2.) It's pricey for the portions that you get.
3.) The service has been inconsistent. Sometimes very slow.
4.) They recently changed the tortillas on the tacos from corn to flour? Now the tacos come out more like a toasted chimichanga, than a taco.
5.) They use micro greens on nearly everything, people. MICRO GREENS! (some people might consider that a con.)

We started with the guacamole with crispy pork cracklings and house made chips ($7). This appetizer always wins. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture, but I can vouch that the guac is a great acid level and consistency, and the pork is a fun touch. If you're not a pork person they have plenty of other creative guacamoles featuring shrimp, chicken and more. Start with one of these.

On our last visit I ordered the Devil Corn Quesadilla. This was a flour tortilla with huitlacoche cheese, mushrooms, corn and black beans. I liked the spiciness of the sauce on top and the crema that they use to balance it out, however for $12, the portion was measly, and the quesadilla came out soggy. It was almost as though the food had sat out on the counter for a while collecting moisture before coming out to me. Not the most appetizer meal I've had there. But hey, they put micro greens on top, so yeah, that part was cool.

Lars ordered the Baja Fish Tacos ($9), which he had enjoyed at MexiBBQ before.  However, we were surprised when they came out in flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas. It really took all of the traditional flair out of the dish. Though he said it made it easier to apply the mango salsa (the other version had been a bit messy), he said the flour tortillas made the dish bland and unbalanced. It's too bad. Those used to be pretty good tacos. But hey, they put micro greens on top, so yeah, that's cool.

Finally our buddy Nathan settled on some layered nachos ($9) with chicken (+$3), because he's on a diet. Let me rephrase that: he's on a "program" where he can't eat wheat. Corn chips to the rescue! This dish had refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, black olives, tomatoes, salsa, jalapenos and chicken. NO MICRO GREENS. So yeah, totally works for a diet, I mean "program", right? He enjoyed the nachos but again, they weren't anything too special.

Overall, a fun place, but nothing to go loco about.

THE DAMAGE:

NCCAF and Too Much BBQ (Ouch)

This weekend The Mannequin Room traveled to Chapel Hill, NC to perform in the North Carolina Comedy and Arts Festival (NCCAF).  The end verdict - hella fun show and way too much BBQ (blasphemy, right? No. My butt is still paying for my actions.)

I'll go ahead and preface this blog by saying I didn't take nearly enough photos, and for the most part I forgot to eat, so this is going to be more of a festival recap than a food blog. You can skidaddle if you were hoping for pulled pork food porn. I'll go ahead and say with the exception of the BBQ the food wasn't especially unique. Captain, the transformation is complete. New York has officially turned me into a food snob. Maybe next year I'll try a little harder to find some neighborhood gems, because they certainly exist. This is a college town after all.

We flew in on Thursday afternoon, and the team immediately gave me sh*t for hitting the gym within 10 minutes of checking into our hotel room. Hey, a girl's got priorities, right? Afterward, we went to a pizza place called Piola that was near our hotel so I could undo all that hard work. The thin crust pies were only $5.67 each because they run a deal Monday - Thursday from 3-4 PM. I ordered the 12 inch Firenze pizza (house made sausage and porcini mushrooms with mozzarella) on whole wheat thin crust (bonus points!). The crust was nice and crispy, but unfortunately the cheese and toppings were too sparse, and the sauce lacked flavor. It was fine for the price, but definitely nothing special. This was only illuminated by the fact that our server kept telling us that he was from Chicago and that this pizza measured up with the best of the best. Can't say I agree, but he was cool, so he receives the good effort award. We also ordered a couple of mixed green salads and a bottle of Pinot Grigio. At $19 per person with tax and tip, this qualifies as a fine Chapel Hill "cheap eat".

On Friday it was 60 degrees outside, so a fellow improvisor invited us to his brother's house for a catered BBQ and some live Bluegrass music, compliments of Chapel Hill's own Mipso Trio (keep an eye out for these guys. THEY ARE FANTASTIC!) It was a perfect day to spend time outside and stuff face. We had all the fixins - pulled pork, mac and cheese, collared greens, baked beans, Texas toast, slaw, hush puppies and the BBQ slatherings. The important thing to remember that in North Carolina people are very serious about their BBQ sauce, and their style is vinegar based. Personally, I prefer the vinegar sauce to the more popular tomato based sauces you see in other parts of the country. I also love that NC BBQ doesn't eff around when it comes to smoke and heat. Those beans were hella spicy. I ate three plates, and my butthole is still paying for it. GO BIG OR GO HOME!

That night, The Mannequin Room took the stage at DSI Theatre. We had a great turnout, and all of ourNew York colleagues came out to support. You can't ask for anything better than that. I got to play an old man named Jasper who harasses movie goers, as well as a woman who uses her family's body parts as key ingredients in her famous recipes (Auntie's Lee Press On Nails can really compliment spaghetti, apparently). It felt awesome to blow off some steam on stage with some of my best friends. GREAT JOB!

Saturday, we took a lunch trip with our friends, the Day Camp Kids. We visited a famous BBQ house called Allen & Son's BBQ. This place was so whack. Our waiter's name was Kord (yes, Kord), and I think his brain was full of molasses, or maybe bees. I almost died when they brought out the "BBQ Tray" that my friend Nicole ordered. She had used the words, "I'm gonna go ALL OUT!" and I watched her deflate when they said, "No ribs today, Maam". She settled on what she thought would be a heaping helping of Carolina BBQ. What came instead was a Lindsay Lohan sized portion. How was the word "tray" attached to this meal?  (As a reference point, those hush puppies are about the size of a gumball, and the silver platter is what you would get your rice in at an Indian restaurant. I love that they then preceded to then put a cardboard plate INSIDE of the platter. "No ribs. No Klondike pie. No Hope." - Keaton)

Other folks seemed to dig on their pulled pork and this place is apparently an NC mainstay. I had some kind of pork stew with corn and beans, and it was a bit sweet for my liking. On a positive note, this place had badass hush puppies! These far exceeded the ones we had tasted the day before. The pork I tried was smoky, and the vinegar sauce here was tasty with a nice level of red peppers. I probably would have been more into the food, had I not been paying the price for my gluttonous display on Friday afternoon.

When I went to the bathroom I noticed that there were very detailed instructions on how employees should wash their hands, like down to the steps on how to create a warm soapy mixture by which to aid in sanitation. Later when Kord messed up our friends cobbler order and said "OH I'm sorry. Sometimes I get the peaches and the apples mixed up." Whhhaaaaaa??? There were redeeming factors, but the humor of this meal alone made the entire experience PRICELESS. Also we asked Kord to take a picture of our whole group, but where the hell is Chrissie? FAIL. I only spent $10 though, so I can't complain too much.

For my last night in NC, we hit up some shows, including Casual Sex Offenders show at DSI Theatre. I loved this one, though I think the woman next to me was not a fan of my cackling. OH WELL, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET, THIS IS COMEDY! We went to BowBarr afterward, where I learned an interesting fact about the town. In Chapel Hill, if you are a bar that serves liquor only, your patrons must become "members" of your "club". For $5, I now have a lifetime membership to BowBarr and a card to prove it. I'm so cool. Now I feel like I have to go back just to get my $5's worth. Later, I hit up the DSI after party and danced like a maniac. A live DJ who's not afraid to touch Duck Sauce remixes. Mega win! Also, I was formally introduced to the Harlem Shake this weekend. WTF. Love it.

Overall, it was a fantastic weekend. NCCAF is always so well organized, and it was a delightfully refreshing trip. It's important to get out of New York every once in while to remind ourselves why we love to improvise. Meeting people from other cities is uplifting, and seeing others perform is always enlightening. I applaud Zach Ward and the whole DSI Comedy team for making the 2013 NCCAF Festival a huge success. Until next year, folks!

Cheap Eats - Queens Comfort

Deep fried mac and cheese "Atomic Fire Balls"? Captain Crunch chicken tenders? BYOB!? Holy sh*t. Queens Comfort has it all, y'all! At about 4 PM yesterday afternoon the Mardis Gras party bug started biting my ass. I couldn't just go to yoga and call it a night, NO! I had to get cray, for solidarity's sake, of course.

Queens Comfort seemed like a great option to get this night started. I had been a couple of times before, but only for brunch. The first time I went: meh. They must have been having an off day. The second time I went: passionate love affair with bechamel and eggs. And this Fat Tuesday dinner visit was the icing on the deep fried, salt laden cake.

After a wonderfully productive flow class with Esther at Anthea Yoga, I trekked over to 41st St and 30th Ave to undo all of my hard work. My two accomplices last night were Lou and Lars. Equipped with red wine, PBR and Hennessy (we left Lou to his own devices) we were ready to light the night on fire, and chow on some hella good grub in the mean time! BYOB! YOLO! 4EVR!

The thing to recognize about the dinner menu at Queens Comfort is that this is southern comfort food wearing skinny jeans and flannel. The details are in the carefully thought out chutneys, aiolis and decadent house made condiments. Short ribs are added to favorites like mac n' cheese. They have plenty of funky vegetarian/vegan options. The waiters listen to better music than you. It's playful, it's cheap, and it's tasty. And did I mention that it's BYOB?! It's a Hipster Heaven in there. We were entertained with vintage Chuck Norris movies that were projected on the white wall in the back. Like seriously, Dashboard Confessional could have started their band because of this place. Is that even a valid reference anymore? Eh, whatever.

I settled on the Meatloaf Sandwich with white cheddar, smokey ketchup and batter fried onion rings with a side salad ($12). At first, I thought it looked a little smallish, but in the end, it was the perfect size. The meatloaf was juicy and salty. The ketchup was delicious, and not at all overpowering. I do wish the onion rings had been a little crispier, but if that's my only complaint, this sandwich wins. The salad was well dressed too and I didn't even miss the tots (okay, maybe I missed the tots a little bit).

NOTE: Check out the sh*tty quality on this first pic. Thanks for nothing iPhone 4S. Lou helped me out by taking the rest of the photos with his fancy new iPhone 5. Might be time for an upgrade folks.

Lars ordered the Pig Mac ($12), a fried pork tenderloin sandwich, which was a delight to try. First of all, check out the size of this thing! If this thing went out in public wearing that bun, it would get cited for indecent exposure. The bread and butter pickles on this thing were insane - awesome crunch factor. The chipotle mayo was a great spicy touch too. Lars got fries, because he is not a girl. He said the pork was a little bland but he loved the pickles and sauce. I tried the sandwich and thought the flavor was great. The pork could have been a bit more moist, but I thought it was baller all the same.

Then there was Lou. You can always count on Lou to not F@!& around when it comes to ordering a meal. Lou decided on the Capn' Crunch Chicken Fingers ($9) and the Fried Green Tomatoes with the Lemon Pepper Ranch Dipping Sauce ($7). Holy hell those Capn' Crunch fingers were salty, sweet and totally CRAY. It came with a maple pepper dipping sauce that was super complex considering it was accompanying what looked like a child's snack. The whole plate was littered in a dusting of Capn' Crunch as though the iconic cereal mascot had shook his sugary dandruff across the dish. These were so moist, and just boombastic. The fried green tomatoes are always bomb here, though I think the dipping sauce could benefit from a thicker consistency.

At the end of the meal we had all benefited* greatly (*not an accurate statement)  from the BYOB offerings and made grand plans to go back to our apartment and watch the Westminster Dog Show. Alright, so maybe I cried a little when the Springer Spaniel didn't win the Sporting Group. Doesn't matter, that's besides the point. We know that OUR Sporting Group* (*beer sports) won the night overall! Best in shooowwwww, y'all!

THE DAMAGE: $43.60 for all three of us! That's less than $20 per person with tip. Woohhoo! (and also BYOB!!????!!!!)