New York Burger Co.

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Located right up the block from The Shake Shack, the New York Burger Co. is a much calmer and less crowded version of its competitor. And New York Burger Co. puts up a good fight. New York Burger Co. is a very simple burger place with no frills of any kind. They just serve up good burgers at good prices. $5.50 can get you a mini-cheeseburger, fries and a soda. The burgers were surprisingly good. The burgers were quite large and tasted phenomenal. The beef is thick and grilled to perfection. I went to the Burger Joint last Saturday and quite honestly, I couldn't decide which I liked better! New York Burger Co.'s fries were great as well. Aside from the Burger Joint, most burger places serve mediocre fries. But New York Burger Co. deviates from that statistic by serving great fries in good portions. One problem I have with The Shake Shack is that I always leave hungry. But with New York Burger Co. that's no issue as you get the most bang for your buck here. If eating at the "in" burger place is a necessity, you may want to go over to the Shake Shack. But if you're just looking for a really good burger, look no further than New York Burger Co.!
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Pop Burger (Meatpacking District) & Sushi Zen

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Sorry for not updating my blog recently but here's two new restaurant reviews, Pop Burger & Sushi Zen. I'll start off with Pop Burger. Pop Burger is a "chain" (there's two of them if that counts as a chain) of burger joints. Now, while not as popular as 5 guys, In-And-Out Burger, The Shake Shack or the Burger Joint, Pop Burger does however bring something new to the burger trend. Pop Burger serves sliders instead of actual burgers, and they come two to a box. They also have a pretty cool lounge area in the back which makes it fit in perfectly with the other restaurants in the Meatpacking District. However, the front area isn't anything spectacular. Its ran just the same way as the Burger Joint, you order then wait for your name to get yelled across the room for you to retrieve your order. The burgers are good, but not up to the quality of the Burger Joint and the fries were mediocre at best. The main reason I'd go there is to get a full meal for under $15 in the Meatpacking District, but if you're seeking a good burger head on over to the Shake Shack.
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Sushi Zen is located in the theater district and is a modern Japanese restaurant. The dining room is interesting as it features a bamboo structure that covers 75% of the ceiling. And that's all that was good about Sushi Zen. The service is awful as the waiters don't speak English at all. The sushi is as good as Megu's, and if you read my review of Megu you'd know that isn't a good thing. The sushi has an abundance of wasabi which diminishes the flavor of the fish. The menu also isn't all that creative as other than sushi, that's all Sushi Zen offers. For good sushi, go to Sushi Seki. For a good ambiance, go to Megu or Buddha Bar. There's no reason to go to Sushi Zen...at all.
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Net Air Yeezy to Drop June 6th

If you couldn't grab a pair of the Pink/Black Air Yeezys yesterday (May 2nd) there's another chance...but in a slightly less desirable colorway. The new Net Air Yeezy sneaker will be released on June 6th (which is a Saturday) at House of Hoops, Nike's 21 Mercer st location and select FootLocker stores. They'll retail for the same as the other Yeezys which is $215 (plus tax makes it about $234). The release should be crazy as these shoes are extremely limited in quantities. A word of advice, if they don't have your size just grab any size you can and sell them on FlightClub (they're asking $800 for the Black Air Yeezys that dropped yesterday). So good luck in getting a pair and I hope to see you on line with me (preferablly at 21 Mercer St)!

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Nike Air Yeezy Release TOMORROW!

Nike is releasing the Air Yeezy sneaker in a new colorway TOMORROW! For all those in New York, they'll drop at the Nike store on 21 Mercer st as well as Footlocker and House Of Hoops. They'll go for $215, and around $800 on FlightClub (depending on if they'll sell as well as its previous release). But if you aren't in line already, GET ON THAT! Seriously, go buy a metro-card and get the 7 in Flushing, but first buy a sleeping bag and food on Main St 'cause you know once you're in line you're not moving. Then get the N at 42nd st to Soho. I personally dislike the Air Yeezy series and only would cop for resale value, but if you're looking to rock 'em get in line within the next hour to have a remote shot at getting them. Good luck!


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Mind Over Matter - Mixtape by Orenzo Jones

I'm not too sure how to add music directly to my blog but this is the best I can do...sorry! But I saw my man Orenzo on Springfield Blvd. yesterday, and he was kind enough to give me a copy of his mixtape. So of course I listened to it and it was HOT! Orenzo is a great rapper who uses meaningful lyrics and catchy beats (produced by Moddie) to create an album that's fun but unlike most rap of today's age, it actually makes sense and has meaning to it. Great mixtape, hit up Orenzo if you're interested in a copy. His blog is: http://youknowthevision.blogspot.com/. Below are just a few of the songs featured on the tape that I'm in love with, just click the link and it should forward you to your computer's audio player that should play the song.


05 Track 5.wma


11 Track 11.wma


02 Track 2.wma



03 Track 3.wma


08 Track 8.wma

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Bape x Ghostbusters

*A Bathing Ape just dropped a new release. This release features Ghostbusters characters and slogans and of course Baby Milo with the Ghosts. I am actually pretty upset about the timing of this release as I just bought a Bape shirt yesterday and now this release just dropped! But in case all of you readers have better timing than I do, the tees release in Bape NY & Bape LA Thursday and sell for about $88. Get them at Bape before they become sold out! Then you'll be forced to pay CliffEdge's insane prices!

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R.U.B., Matsugen & Megu

Sorry for not updating the blog lately, but I do happen to have 3 restaurants that are in dire need of reviewing. R.U.B. in Chelsea, Mastugen & Megu in Tribeca have all been visited by me within the past week.

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R.U.B. (or Righteous Urban Barbecue) is located in Chelsea and was named one of the best BBQ spots in NY by Time Out. Well let me just tell you Time Out lied. R.U.B. is a no frills BBQ located not too far from the far superior Hill Country. There really isn't a theme in R.U.B. as the decor doesn't say "western" or "BBQ" or anything like that. It actually looks like a normal restaurant where you'd go to get a burger. I wasn't impressed upon arrival, but I decided still to give it a try since Time Out gave it such a great review. The menu is a bit different from its competitors Hill Country and Wildwood BBQ, as they feature items like duck and go a bit further by offering different ends of pork ribs (such as the long end or short end) rather than the "you get what you get" policy. One thing that was a big turn off is that R.U.B. doesn't provide you with...well...rub at the table to put on your ribs (ironic right), only BBQ sauce. The ribs weren't anything spectacular and the BBQ sauce was quite thick compared to its competitors. The food was mediocre at best and as much as I hate to say this, Blue Smoke was better. Don't bother visiting R.U.B., please go to Hill Country instead!

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Jean George Vongeritchen's only Japanese/Soba restaurant lies in Tribeca, NY. Originally I was planning to go to Nobu for lunch as they have the Tribeca Film Festival lunch special (a 3 course lunch special for $25), but of course Nobu isn't open for lunch on the weekends! Matsugen wasn't too far off so I went there. Matsugen also has a $24 bento box special consisting of 5 menu items, as does all of Jean-George's restaurants. The 5 items are a salad with carrot dressing (typical Japanese salad), which was fine 3 pieces of sushi (tuna, yellowtail and salmon), which were fresh and tasted surprisingly good for a restaurant that specialized in Soba instead of Sushi. Tempura shrimp and vegetables which were good (once again nothing to rave about). The hot mushroom soba which was difficult to eat, but tasted very good. I went mainly for the soba, so if Matsugen messed that up we'd have a big issue. Finally we have the vanilla pudding which was possibly one of the worst deserts I've ever eaten. The restaurant itself is dead at lunch time, but is never the less gorgeous. Its of Modern-Japanese decor with a communal table, full sushi bar but no lounge surprisingly (or I didn't see it at least). The manager doesn't speak too much English and didn't know how to check me in using the computer, so I had to check myself in using their computer. Self check-in at a 3 star restaurant, great! All and all Matsugen's bento box really made it worth the visit. Though the dessert was lethal, the soba was phenomenal, the sushi was fresh and the overall decor made Matusgen a restaurant I'd return to!

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Megu, located in Tribeca is a Japanese restaurant whom rivals Nobu and Matsugen. Upon arrival you are greeted by 2 receptionists in short cocktail dresses, as is expected in all trendy restaurants at dinner time. There is a structure of the Japanese flag in the front of the "lobby", if you could call it that, which adds a nice touch to the restaurant. When walking in the the main dinning room you are greeted by the entire wait staff in Japanese. The best thing about Megu is the decor. There is a giant bell above a 5 foot Buddha ice sculpture in the center of the dinning room. More private seating is located behind the Buddha and off to the sides. There is a bar upstairs as well as a private dinning area which is quieter than the main dinning area. The bar features glass cases full of Japanese wrapping paper and modern art hung around the bar. By the bathrooms there is a light fixture surrounded by mirrors which give the effect of seeing 1000s of these fixtures. It almost gives Buddha Bar (or 25 Little West 12th st) a run for its money. But, once you get past the decor, the food is sub-par. We ordered the Omakase as well as a 9 piece sushi platter and Foie Gras skewer. The Omakase featured 7 courses, none of which were something innovative or anything to rave about. The sushi (even the toro) was fresh, but not up to standards with other sushi places such as Sushi Seki. The Kobe beef was prepared the same style as the restaurant Japonais' Kobe Beef, on a rock and a cognac is poured on it to produce flames. The Kobe Beef wasn't anything special and I don't understand where this whole trend of Kobe beef came from as Fillet Mignon is just as good and cheaper. And really, if Megu can't produce good sushi or specialty dishes such as Kobe Beef, then why visit it. For $160 a person you may as well go to Daniel, Bouley, Nobu 57, Jean-George, Le Cirque or any other top restaurant in Manhattan as the food will be 50 times better and at least you could say you ate at Le Cirque instead of Megu. If you want a Japanese restaurant with a crowd and have to pay the same price you would at Nobu visit Tao, Buddha Bar or Ono. If you want good sushi at not a ridiculous price visit Sushi Seki or Matsugen. If you want an outstanding decor with overpriced mediocre Japanese food, Megu is the top choice!

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