Bubby's in Tribeca

I walked to Bubby's from my hotel just a few blocks away based on a recommendation. The restaurant has a home town kind of feel inside with wood bench seating and solid oak tables that instill a farmhouse look. The bus boys appear to be the only staff in uniform with the wait staff dressed in a casual affair. The menu plays to old American classics like meatloaf, burgers, and a variety of specials with everything from pork chops to a southern boiled food plate (shrimp, sausages, etc).

I opted for the meatloaf with mashed potatoes and asked the waitress for her recommendation on a second side, which ended up being mac n cheese. The food came out very quickly, maybe because I was dining alone and they thought I was depressing the other diners? Whatever the reason it was fine by me as I dug right in. The meatloaf was a good size but lacked any creativity; they claim home-style cooking and they are spot on, because it tasted like home. The mac n cheese wasn't the best I've had but it was still good and the mash potatoes had a good consistency. Like I wrote though nothing really included creative elements, and maybe that's more of a revolution in New York with every restaurant trying to differentiate themselves from the pack.

The restaurant was certainly popular having both parties of young business folk schmoozing at the bar conversing about their weekend conquest plans as well as families with grandma and grandpa. I took a moment to just relax and take it all in. It was a good three or more years since I last visited New York and I needed to readjust to the extremely fast, gritty pace of the city. As such I ordered up a Vermont sour cherry slice of pie.

Bubby's started life as a pie shop so I really expected something incredible. Unfortunately that was not the case. The pie basically tasted like cherry pie filling from a can, albeit a good brand, but something I could certainly make at home. And the ice cream felt a bit icey, like when you leave it in the freezer too long. At $7 for the pie and $3 for the ice cream it just wasn't worth it.

All in all the restaurant lived up to its home-style claims and had that been what I was after it would certainly have hit the spot, but I was left wanting. If you miss your mother's cooking go to Bubby's but for all other cravings it's best to seek elsewhere.

Kansas City BBQ

I recently discovered I'd be going to Kansas City to visit a customer corporate headquarters to help out with an install. Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered hearing KC, as the city is affectionately referred to by locals, is home to great BBQ. For whatever reason I was under the impression white BBQ sauce was a popular option, but alas that was untrue. What is true is the BBQ is pretty darn good. My coworker and I visited Jack Stack, a restaurant said by some to be the place and others a complete tourist trap. Their menu is full of options ranging from salads to steak and of course includes KC staples such as "burnt ends" and dry rubbed ribs. We started with grilled chicken wings and followed with a full rack of spare ribs and fixins. One of the more bizarre elements was the white toast slices coming with both meat dishes; not garlic toast, just dry white toast. The sauce on the ribs was a tangy sauce leaning more towards sour than the traditional sweet sauce I'm used to, and the meat was tender and juicy. All in all it was definitely good BBQ so if you're in the area make the trip.