Aquagrill

Looking back onto my list of restaurants that I want to go to, I saw one that really stood out to me. Aquagrill.  Doesn't it just roll off your tongue?  Anyway, I was thinking of that among other things as my family (Big Family) waited patiently to be seated at this densely packed neighborhood restaurant.  The first thing that I noticed as I stepped off the subway was just how blue the outside of the restaurant was.  That was until I remembered that the restaurant was meant to be Aqua, and I continued on my trek towards the best oysters in town. Normally, I'm not a fan of oysters, but when we finally sat down at our beautiful table, and I opened my Aqua menu that I realized how good the oysters looked.  We ordered around forty oysters for the table, and I got my first soft shell crab.  I t was deep fried and very crispy, but overall very delicious.  For my entree, I ordered grilled scallops with mashed potatoes, which was a tad bit overcooked and very plain.  The waiter who we ordered with was very nice and very enthusiastic, but the guy who served us water spilled some on my grandma.  The highlight of the meal would have to be the oysters which were very fresh and very sweet.  This restaurant did not live up to my expectations even though the meal itself was very good. I rate Aquagill a 8.3/10.

Sparks Steakhouse

As I entered Sparks Steakhouse from the chilly New York sidewalk , I instantly noticed how loud the steakhouse was. Not that it surprised me. My host that evening, my friend, Adam Mimeles had already warned me of the dangerous chemical reaction that happens inside the steakhouse. This is the equation: Rowdy Businessmen+Beer+One of the Best Steaks in Town=A Noise That Resembles a walk off Home Run at Yankee Stadium. As I said, I was not surprised. As the professional waiters escorted us to our table, I realized we were located right next to a table of a dozen drunk businessmen just off from work. Now this just keeps getting better and better. Our steaks arrived on a piece of old china, which really made me think of the decor. This steakhouse was one of the last classic steakhouses in all of New York City, complete with wood paneling and chandeliers. However, I was surprised when the steak arrived just flat on its plate. It seemed as if the kitchen made no effort whatsoever to make the dish even look vaguely nice. That stunned me for a few seconds, because I was expecting one of New York's favorite steakhouses to put a little more effort into the dish. However, all was forgiven as the steak was exquisitely cooked. It was juicy but crispy at the same time. It was the best steak to ever enter my mouth. Then came the sides. Mushroom caps that were sauteed in oil, or may I say drowned. However, they were delicious and almost all of them were eaten. As I looked over from time to time to my host, I could see that he was enjoying his enormous steak almost as much as I. Our favorite side however, were the hash browns. We both had to fight to see who got the delicious crunchy part. Then came the dessert. Adam ordered the classic New York cheesecake, while I ordered the mango sorbet. However, the generous portions proved too much for us and we sadly gave up our desserts to our waiter. The check came and I estimated that the price tag was around $70 per person, which was a deal compared to the amazing meal we had just witnessed. As I exited the restaurant, I realized I had won one thing and lost one thing. I had won one of the best meals I have had in at least three years and I have lost partial hearing in both of my eardrums. I give Sparks Steakhouse a 9.4/10.

BRGR

Located right in the center of Chelsea, BRGR will give you some of the best burgers in town.  When you walk in to the joint, you would probably be expecting some sort of McDonald's type of ambiance.  Instead, you are wowed by the raw space, but at the same time, impressed by the pop art that covers the rest of the restaurant.  You order with the helpful but not exceptional staff, then sit down at the table of your choice.  You barely have to wait 10 minutes before the food is brought to your table by the staff.  I think I speak for all when I say that everyone just smells the burger for at least 20 seconds before opening your jaw agape to devour the delicious burger.  I highly recommend ordering the double patty burger because it gives you even more of their delicious meat to eat.  The bill is not expensive at all and what makes you feel even better about the meal is that all the beef and bacon is grass fed and that all of their lettuce and tomatoes and mushrooms were all grown on an organic farm.  I give this excellent burger joint a 9/10.

Sweet Sue's

The smell of the juicy pancakes wafted into my nose as I stood under the aging sign for Sweet Sue's.  As I entered the restaurant, I noticed immediately how loud it was.  I was not surprised however, as I had already visited this prominent restaurant many times with my grandfather, who absolutely loves the restaurant and its pancakes.   It took the waitress a little bit of time to seat us, so we just seated ourselves.  The service was not exceptional at all but the food was absolutely delicious.  I ordered a banana-chocolate chip pancake and some fries.  The  fries were delicious, but the pancake was the best pancake I have ever eaten.  It was enormous, and usually large pancakes are doughy and lumpy, but this pancake was juicy and delicious.  The decor was definitely nothing special, but there were reviews scattered everywhere explaining in depth how good Sweet Sue's was.  In fact, it won an award for the best pancakes in the entire Catskill mountain region.  The decor was relaxing, the food was amazing, but the service was mediocre.  I give Sweet Sue's a 8.8/10.

Red Onion

Nestled in the shadow of the Catskill mountains,  the Red Onion was anything but sleepy.  Even though we were the first occupants of this lively restaurant, the kitchen was ready to cook and our waiter was alert and attentive.  As we began to order our meal, more and more people began to file into the rest of the restaurant.  I ordered a cornet of fries and some scallops served with mushrooms and gnocchi.  The main problem with my entree was the fact that the food made me sick, thanks to the fact that the scallops were drowned in truffle oil.  In fact, I had to go outside multiple times to try and get all the oil out of my system.  The main  reason that I ordered the fries was to see if the fries were at all influenced by Belgian cuisine.  While they were not, they still were very good.  The decor was mostly pictures of nature and scantily dressed women, not exactly the most enjoyable thing to be looking at during a meal.  Other than that, the atmosphere was enjoyable and the decor was pleasant.  The service was knowledgeable but unenthusiastic.  The food however was very rich and mediocre.  I give the Red Onion a 7/10. 

Last Chance Cheese

Recently, my friends took me to a restaurant called Last Chance Cheese.  The restaurant was located in the sleepy town of Hunter.  The restaurant itself was partly antiques, partly candy shop and partly restaurant. The food was Continental American and Italian food, but it did not impress.  I ordered a Ceasar salad that was very dry and they forgot my anchovies.  Talking about forgetting, our waitress forgot to bring us water and overall just did not do a very good job.  The decor was very interesting, taking into context that there were many antiques strategically placed around the restaurant.  For my entree, I ordered a chicken parmesan.  It was all right, but I was not impressed.  In fact, I was slightly disappointed in the fact that they failed to execute such an easy dish.  However, this restaurant had imported over 300 beers and over 100 different kinds of cheeses.  We ordered some s'mores for our dessert, and we had the privilege to cook it at our own table.  However the real highlight of this meal was the shop.  I got to buy a package of pixie sticks which I am going to put in a cup and drink it from a straw.  Thank you Taliana.  I rate this restaurant a 5.8/10.