People who have lived on the Upper East Side for years rave about this place, but a lot of transient "New Yorkers" brush off the wait and decide to go elswhere to satiate their burger cravings. Well, JG Melon's has a long wait, but trust me, it's worth it. The burgers and fries are the best you'll find in the area, and some say in the city (I'm not going to weigh in on the Best Burger debate, having just started eating red meat a few years ago). But not only that, it's such a neighborhood gem, there's a friendliness between the servers, the patrons, even the owers, that is rare to find in dining these days.
Yes the wait is long, but that's because when you get a table, all you want to do is sit and enjoy your food. Slowly. How food is supposed to be enjoyed. During the warmer months there are tables on the sidewalk, not too many, but it helps alleviate the crowd. Inside you have a typical pub, nothing fancy, but with large tables that can be pulled together for groups celebrating a post-softball team victory.
Oh, one downside is that they are cash only, but with prices so low, you won't need much more than a $20.
WHAT TO BITE? Cheeseburger, $8.75 and Pecan Pie, $5.95
Showing posts with label cash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cash. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Caffe Buon Gusto, 236 E. 77th (btwn 2nd & 3rd)
After studying abroad, one of my traveling companies and I would get lonesome for the relaxing evenings we had overlooking Rome and eating mountains of pasta. Such moods would often lead us to Caffe Buon Gusto, where you can compliment any pasta with any sauce (much like the famed Pastarita Pizzerito "chain" in Italy). The food is fantastic, the atmosphere at both locations is relaxing, and the service is always wonderful... especially when your dining companion attempts to set you on fire.
Often times I'll complain that restaurants in New York try to cram in too many tables. Then I remember that life is a business, and they need to serve more customers. Caffe Buon Gusto is a small restaurant, where the table generally consists of a bread basket, candle, oil and vinegar, your plates and glasses and not an inch of visible tablecloth. Now, the delicious bread basket has a fatal flaw. No, not that it magically gets refilled, but because they line it (or at least that day they did) with a paper napkin. Well folks, I'm pretty sure you can see where this story is going. Candle + paper napkin + small table + fearful friend = blow it out in the direction away from fearful friend and closer to me. Needless to say, we all had a great laugh after and were returned a bread basket (napkin free) and continued our evening.
While I have only ordered a non-pasta entree once, I hear that when you have it delivered (as many of my fellow classmates in law school did) they provide you with your entree, a side of pasta, a small salad and bread for the same price. Pretty fantastic, I think. What I go for however, is the pasta. It's pasta here, not macaroni. The other day I caught myself saying I never had good carbonara in the United States. I think I might have tricked myself into remembering this falsehood because carbonara is so deliciously bad for you. But when in Rome (or the Upper East Side), one can indulge in a fresh pasta complimented by a lavishly rich sauce, or any of their other numerous sauces (my flaming dining companion loves their pesto). You can also add on some protein to the pasta dish, I go for the sausage. If a seemingly endless bowl of pasta isn't your thing, try one of their delicious eggplant dishes (they do the trifecta: parmigiana, rollatina or bolognese). And you'll most certainly want to leave room for dessert. Great for a date, or an intimate dinner, but I wouldn't go here with a terribly large party unless you plan on renting out the place.
PS - This location only takes Amex so, Visa and Mastercard holders, stop bye the ATM first.
WHAT TO BITE? Carbonara over your choice of fresh pasta, $11.95
Often times I'll complain that restaurants in New York try to cram in too many tables. Then I remember that life is a business, and they need to serve more customers. Caffe Buon Gusto is a small restaurant, where the table generally consists of a bread basket, candle, oil and vinegar, your plates and glasses and not an inch of visible tablecloth. Now, the delicious bread basket has a fatal flaw. No, not that it magically gets refilled, but because they line it (or at least that day they did) with a paper napkin. Well folks, I'm pretty sure you can see where this story is going. Candle + paper napkin + small table + fearful friend = blow it out in the direction away from fearful friend and closer to me. Needless to say, we all had a great laugh after and were returned a bread basket (napkin free) and continued our evening.
While I have only ordered a non-pasta entree once, I hear that when you have it delivered (as many of my fellow classmates in law school did) they provide you with your entree, a side of pasta, a small salad and bread for the same price. Pretty fantastic, I think. What I go for however, is the pasta. It's pasta here, not macaroni. The other day I caught myself saying I never had good carbonara in the United States. I think I might have tricked myself into remembering this falsehood because carbonara is so deliciously bad for you. But when in Rome (or the Upper East Side), one can indulge in a fresh pasta complimented by a lavishly rich sauce, or any of their other numerous sauces (my flaming dining companion loves their pesto). You can also add on some protein to the pasta dish, I go for the sausage. If a seemingly endless bowl of pasta isn't your thing, try one of their delicious eggplant dishes (they do the trifecta: parmigiana, rollatina or bolognese). And you'll most certainly want to leave room for dessert. Great for a date, or an intimate dinner, but I wouldn't go here with a terribly large party unless you plan on renting out the place.
PS - This location only takes Amex so, Visa and Mastercard holders, stop bye the ATM first.
WHAT TO BITE? Carbonara over your choice of fresh pasta, $11.95
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