173 Irving Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11237 (Neighborhood: Bushwick)
Pricing - $/$$ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - Mexican
http://monterosgrill.com

It's breakfast time in Bushwick and since my older brother abandoned us in his apartment since it was Monday and he had work to go to, my younger brother and I wandered around town looking for a place actually open for breakfast. Our original choice of seeking out Peruvian chicken was a fail at that hour but luckily for us, Montero's was ready for our consumption. Walking inside, we saw that it was deserted (who eats breakfast on a Monday anyway?) but the staff quick to answer our door opening. Courteous people!


You tell me you serve authentic Mexican cuisine, you better deliver. I grew up in Orange County, CA so there are plenty of other restaurants to compare the food to! My first thought upon seeing the menu is that these were normal casual restaurant prices at about $8 a plate. Okay, I can't argue with the economy on the ground so I'll take that price point at a Mexican joint. My order was for their Huevos Rancheros (two eggs over medium served on top of fresh corn tortillas and their housemade tomatillo sauce, Cotija cheese, and grilled Mexican chorizo). May I say that these were just lovely? Was the presentation nice? No but who cares when the attractiveness happens in my mouth? The tomatillo sauce was bright and the grilled chorizo reminiscent of a welcoming Mexican home I never experienced.The Mexican rice was also oh so wonderful with its tangy tomato flavor. I also had a cup of bean soup (or was it sauce?) that was great too.


My younger brother ordered the Puebla Style Tortas (filled with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, refried beans, quesillo, mayo, jalapeno peppers, and his choice of carne enchilada for the meat) with a side of fries. This would have made the perfect lunch for me. He only offered me a bite before his teenage self devoured the whole thing (or inhaled?). The meat was tender and well-seasoned; the vegetables fresh. The cheesy melted goodness greatly complemented the bun. The French fries were just about some of my favorite fries ever tasted. Think of a seasoned potato wedge but in fry form - delicious thought, no? We had a good meal there and definitely good service. Eat up here if you can!

Photography by Minerva Thai.

941 Willoughby Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221 (Neighborhood: Bushwick)
Pricing - $ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - Coffee & Tea
http://littleskips.com

Though this is typically a coffee joint, I came here looking for sandwiches for lunch and to take with me on the plane back home from my NY trip earlier this month. It was the only place within walking distance from my older brother's apartment that had fair reviews for their sandwiches. Of course, when you walk into a coffeeshop looking for sandwiches, you get okay sandwiches.


Our first perception when my little brother and I stepped in was that it was fairly hipster. I mean, just looking at the people behind the counter wasn't enough. The place was jam packed (on a Monday oddly enough) with people on their laptops dressed in their hipster gear. This is not a bad thing; forgive me if it comes off that way. I just want y'all to be aware of what you'd typically see there. I liked the space but maybe I'm also more inclined to that style. Oh no - am I a hipster?


[Disclaimer: forgive my poor pictures but we got the sandwiches to-go so there wasn't any pretty set-up.] So my little brother opted for a Special sandwich in addition to the coffee I got him (I spoil him, I know) which was the Frankie (on sliced whole wheat - smoked salmon, goat cheese, apples, spinach, capers, and raspberry Dijon vinaigrette). It was fairly good but considering how strong of flavors both smoked salmon and goat cheese are on their own, I'm not sure they complemented each other as much as they fought for attention. I also learned that I should probably not eat either of those two before I get on a flight because I didn't feel all too good on the plane. Blame my sensitive stomach, hah.


Our flight sandwich was one that I chose for how well it would hold up through the airport - the Italian (a panini of Mozzarella, pesto, tomato, and balsamic vinaigrette with an add-on of proscuitto). I really enjoyed the bread and the freshness of the Mozzarella. There was a tad too much of the dressing though. I mean, it really soaked through the bread. I didn't mind the abundance of pesto however because pesto is just awesome okay? The sandwich held up well during the traveling.


My lunch, however, was one that I had to eat right away considering its ingredients. I had the M Train (sliced whole wheat with goat cheese, pesto, turkey, hard-boiled egg, spinach, tomato, red onion, and honey). It was similar to a mix between the two above mentioned sandwiches. The egg and spinach definitely gave it a fresh taste but otherwise, a standard sandwich.


Just a little note, they give chips per sandwich order. I'm not sure where they get their chips from but I know it isn't housemade. They were delicious though, very delicious. I'm sure that Little Skips is lot more coffee-oriented since they ARE a coffeeshop but hey, if you need a solid sandwich (not bad or super amazing), you can give them a visit.

Photography by Minerva Thai.

261 Moore St, Brooklyn, NY 11206 (Neighborhood: Bushwick)
Pricing - $$/$$$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Pizza, American
www.robertaspizza.com

It's funny how unaware I am sometimes since I don't watch very much TV. I landed in NY late on a Friday night and was hungry, so my brother (who lives in Bushwick) excitedly took us to Roberta's, saying that it was a highly recommended place. Of course, later I learned that it's been aired on several shows and written about with much praise...but I didn't know that when I walked in which actually was a good thing. I mean, who wants to be let down when expectations are too high? However, I did appreciate learning about their rooftop garden and how they do urban farming for their produce!


So excuse my poor photography but it was midnight after all and in general, everything was dimly lit. The restaurant itself is so unassuming and definitely not a place you'd just find while looking for food. It was just a brick building amidst other abandoned warehouses but once you walked inside, you could see everyone bustling with life. The fired-up oven was burning with hot flames and the ambiance a little hipster, a little young, and a lot of fun. In fact, I really wanted to return just to sit at the awesome-looking bar. It was hard to hear even across the table while we conversed but I suppose that's the nature of the place.


Don't come in here expecting a cheap pizza joint though. Even with the wooden and brick decor that might make it look a little more on the lower price range, general food runs from $15 upward. We snagged ourselves a meat plate for a $12 price tag first. The meats were USA cured - La Quercia prosciutto from Iowa, Biellese finocchiona from NY, and Alps Sweet sopressata from NY. The prosciutto was more ham-like and very soft, slightly melting in your mouth. The finocchiona was heavily laden with other herbs and spices in the curing process probably; its texture was the best of the three. The sopressata held up to its sweet description as it was definitely a lot sweeter than others I've had but not in a bad way. In fact, with the bits of black pepper, it had a nice flavor profile that was both sweet and savory. The meat choices were well-done.


Now here's why I don't give the place the highest of praises though - our pizza. While greatly amused by the titles of the food (there's a pizza called "Erryday I'm Brusselin'"!), I wasn't so keen on the prices but was open-minded to the offerings. I guess others praise the pizza immensely here; unfortunately, I can't join that crowd since our pizza was slightly burnt (always an overpowering taste) and just alright. We chose "The Sound & The Fiore" (mozzarella, fiore sardo, delicata, calabrian chili, red onion, garlic, sage, and oregano) which had some flavorfully spicy kicks to it but nothing wowing. It filled us up for the night though but at that price? No thanks. Maybe I'll have to dig a little deeper into my wallet and snag an entree next time to see what all the buzzing is about for Roberta's.

Photography by Minerva Thai.