Nick's Travel & Food Blog

Pies ‘n’ Thighs – Brooklyn, New York

I know it may be difficult for some to grasp but a good biscuit is a challenge to find. A good chunk of my family is from the south and growing up biscuits were a breakfast meal. My grandmother can make some awesome bread which is similar to a biscuit except flat. This biscuit from Pie’s and Thighs reminds me of someone who knows what they are doing back there for sure. The biscuit has a crunch on the outside but when you bite into it, it’s quite soft. This biscuit was cooked to perfection, if I can say that. Add some jam and butter and you got yourself an amazing biscuit. Just try not to hurt yourself because it’s one of those where you cant just have one. Pies ‘n’ Thighs also has fried chicken, which is quite good and a few pies, that I have yet to try. I can only imagine the pie is good and something that you can eat and reflect like Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black. Enjoy.

Westville – New York, New York

This place is what I call the epitome of heathy. I like this place because you can get a plate of just veggies and their veggies are oh so good. So let’s get right into it. The plate at the bottom is a plate of their market vegetables with brussels sprouts (with honey dijon), toasted sweet potatoes with sour cream and scallions, asparagus with parmesan and kale with spinach, shallots, and pumpkin seeds. The plate on the very top is their Greek Salad. However, you already know the plate I like of the two and is what you should be coming here for; all those vegetables. Of course, they have other vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, and mixed mushrooms but either ones that you decide they will be great because they are cooked really well and the taste is amazing. They do have other menu items as well such as fish, shrimp, chicken or steak which are also enjoyable. I miss going to this place since I’m no longer in this specific area of the city but it’s a nice atmosphere, even for a date night, and the service is great. I think you should definitely try this place as it will surprise you on how good it is. Note: since we’re talking about fresh vegetables, prices can tend to be higher but it is well worth it with no doubt.

Burger and Barrel – New York, New York

It’s #DoubleTakeTuesday! Today is that day. Now only if I could say #DoubleTakeTuesday like Lebron when he says #TacoTuesdays! I guess I’m working on it. So when I here that a burger was ranked in the top 10 in New York, you know I had to try it. I must say, this burger didn’t let me down at all. First it’s called the Bash Burger and it has caramelized onions, bacon jam, pickles, special sauce, and american cheese with a fried onion on top. Did you see it? It has bacon jam. Now what burger you tasted had bacon jam on it. I mean that with sincerity and all jokes aside. I can’t really explain this bacon jam but it’s something about it that taste so good. It’s like little bits of bacon in a remoulade of some sort. You have to taste it to see what I’m talking about. The seasoning on the burger is also on point and all the ingredients just come together so well on this burger. The bun is also soft so when you bite into it, it’s quite awesome. The only unfortunate item is that the sides are extra so this place can set you back much for two people to dine in. It’s worth it though and you have to try it out, at least once. I’ve been here a few times and everytime, they were consistent along with the presentation. The ambiance of the restaurant is also nice but I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Till next time.

Fresh Coast – Newark, New Jersey

What can I say? Newark really has some good food places honestly. Don’t let it slip from your radar. With so many new trends coming along that say healthy, you can get lost on what is so called healthy food. When I think of healthy food, it sure better be good. This place is known for their poke bowls and I’ll be the first to say it’s a hidden gem. In the picture I built my own bowl with brown rice, grilled chicken, sweet teriyaki, scallions, red cabbage, and crispy onions. This bowl was surprisingly good as I wasn’t expecting the different items to come together pretty good. It’s low in calories which is nice for like lunch or dinner and you won’t feel overly full after eating it. Of course you can swap the chicken for the fish but I’m not really a fan of salmon not cooked. They also have quinoa bowls, oatmeal, pudding and some other items that I didn’t try yet. I’ll definitely be back here and the vibe reminds me of Playa Bowls and the staff is great with recommendations of its your first time trying. Hope you enjoy.

Luke’s Lobster – New York, New York

With so many lobster places in New York it can be quite a difficult time trying to find the right one. I must say Luke’s prices are expensive but the taste of their lobster roll is pretty good. You know that picture of it looks scrumptious. 😂. However, a legitimate argument could be made if it’s worth it but I’ll leave that up to you. So let me tell you what their rolls are like. Their rolls are made with wild caught lobster in a buttered bun with mayo, lemon butter and seasoning. What I can say is that this roll is quite soft and the toasted butter on it makes it that quite good. The lobster is most certainly fresh so they don’t skip on quality here. They also have crab and shrimp rolls as well if you prefer that over the lobster but hopefully you won’t. Thats really all they serve here which is a good thing because that means they know what they are good at and not trying to do too much. I hope you like the roll, until tomorrow.

Peg Leg Porker BBQ – Nashville, Tennessee

This BBQ place is one that I can say, I like. In the picture you have the full rack of dry ribs with two sides. The sides chosen were the Mac and Cheese and BBQ beans. The ribs were good to the point where I even pulled the skin off the bone which usually I don’t do. However, I made an exception on these because it was good. The flavor was there for sure and they were smoked just right. The side of the two that I enjoyed were the BBQ beans. For the Mac and Cheese, I was expecting a little more, maybe baked but it wasn’t. Anyway, when they say BBQ beans they mean just that. The beans had little pieces of bbq in it. It’s hard to explain but it was like you were tasting bbq food at the same time you ate the beans. I’m really not sure how they did it but oh my was it outrageous. It had the smoky flavor and the best balance of seasoning. I’ll be back here just for those beans. It’s nothing like I’ve had before and it made my day. When you go, make sure you grab that side especially if you like beans. In regards to the place, you place your order and wait to be called. Don’t be surprised if you’re waiting on a never ending long line but thankfully I didn’t experience that. They have plenty of seating and it’s your usual bbq place with a few seats outside as well when it’s warm anyway. I think you’ll like this place as they have other shops in the area since it’s by the Gulch.

Hattie B’s Chicken – Nashville, Tennessee

Let me tell you that besides Shack Shake’s chicken sandwich, this might be the best chicken sandwich I’ve had to date. When you look at this chicken sandwich, it’s a fried chicken sandwich in a fresh bun, cole slaw, nashville comeback sauce and a kosher pickle on top and inside. You can choose how how you want it but I decided to go with mild because me and hot food don’t go well together. The chicken sandwich is served with one side, so I choose the fries. I do want to warn you that you will wait in line and I waited about 40 minutes but it went really quick by talking to other people in line. Lol. That’s what happens you know, you start talking to other people about if it’s worth it. When I was finally at the order counter, you order your food and they will bring it to you. When I finally took my first bite, the chicken sandwich was well seasoned, crispy but also tender. It was cooked just right and the chicken breast was quite big. It’s kind of difficult to cook a big chicken breast just right and they were able to do it, so I’ve got to 👏🏾 them for real. I’m still questioning how I ate the whole sandwich right now as I could barely eat the fries. The cole slaw was also great on top because it added a great balance and usually I’m not the best fan of cole slaw but this was just right and not tangy or overpowering. You have to hold this chicken sandwich with two hands and just get in there. The cole slaw will fall out and it may take you a while to get it in your mouth because of how big this sandwich is but when you finally do, it will be like nothing you’ve tried before. Don’t try cutting this sandwich because it’s going to be an even bigger mess. Additionally, they have fried chicken which I tried and Leah wanted hers medium. Let me tell you, I was sweating a little and wondered if they turned on the heat because I was hot. If you’re able to eat this and want dessert, they have a cupcake place right next to it which I’ll discuss at other time. Look if you’re in Nashville and don’t go to this place, what we’re you thinking about 🤦🏾‍♂️. You’ll enjoy it for sure and it seems that this place is consistently good which is difficult to find places like that. Buena suerte. You got this.

Martins Bar-B-Que Joint – Nashville, Tennessee

I have a serious question and hopefully someone can help me but is BBQ supposed to be room temperature or luke warm? Honest question and I’m not even trying to be funny. Lol. But seriously, this is #DoubleTakeTuesday and this hashtag was created to give some honest feedback on many popular places that look good in photos but are they really good as it seems. Anyway, this is Martins and they have a few locations in Nashville and I’ve heard rave reviews about them so I wanted to try it out. The photo is their Big Brother Sampler from the menu. It contains 4 bones, 6oz Brisket and a choice of two sides. The sides that you can see is the mac and cheese and green beans. First I want to say that the mac and cheese was really good. It was baked and not just cooked over the stove which I enjoy. The other item that was good was the green bean broth. I’m not sure how they made the broth or what type of flavor that was used but it was quite good. The green beans on the otherhand were a little too big for my liking but I know that some people would enjoy it however. In regards to the brisket and ribs, they were okay. For some reason they both lacked flavor and it was room temperature. I’m not sure why that happened but I’m guessing since they have so many people some days, they leave the bbq out but I do feel like it should be heating in something so it stays hot. I was a little disappointed because I was really expecting some really good bbq which turned out to be not quite good. So far, I’ve only had one really good bbq place in Texas but I’m still on the look out for other places. So my recommendation would probably not be to go to Martins if you’re in Nashville. Nashville has another good bbq place that you should definitely go to which I’ll be highlighting soon.

Loveless Cafe – Nashville, Tennessee

The Loveless Cafe. What can I say! I can say much but I will start by saying, after this, I ran like 5 miles lol. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch but I walked that. In the picture you have biscuits, and then the fried chicken with a red velvet, chocolate chip waffle. Yes, weird combination but when the server (Tammy you were awesome) offered it, I was like yes, definitely. The waffle didn’t disappoint. It was fresh, and you can taste the red velvet with the chocolate chips. The chicken was crunchy but also with some added flavor and it was tender. The biscuits were on point. The biscuits came with three spreads to choose from but I enjoyed the strawberry without any butter. The biscuits were unlimited because after I ate three, another eight came out, ready to go. Then I was asked if I wanted to take some home, I gave the longest pause, then kindly said no. I know, I ate too much and there was no way I was going to eat more biscuits. They would’ve had to roll me out of there because of being so full. Anyway, the biscuits were fresh, soft and made just right. It’s not a flaky biscuit but it’s really good. If you go, make a reservation but they don’t accept reservations on Saturday or Sunday. Thankfully when I went, it was empty which was surprising but I’m not complaining. If you go, you’ll enjoy it and the prices are so reasonable for the amount of food you get. Now, let me go before I think about going back real soon.

Roxy’s – Boston, Massachusetts

When it comes to grilled cheese, I’m not sure how some dip it in tomato sauce. I haven’t tried doing that and probably won’t since my allergies will be funky so I’ll just take mine plain with tator tots on the side. This place is known for their different grilled cheese sandwiches and their hidden arcade game room. Yes, I said it right; hidden arcade game room. If you don’t know this place, you wouldn’t even know they had one unless you asked. In the picture the grilled cheese that I had was the classic three cheese that has vermont cheddar, muenster and fontina cheeses served on their locally baked bread. Additionally, I ordered the truffle tator tots. The different cheeses on the bread came together pretty well but I wish the bread was a little softer with a little crunch. However, the tator tots were on point. For some reason, having tator tots makes it special. They were a little crunch but soft on the inside and the truffle tasted good.