Kumo Sushi

Someone once said, "variety is the spice of life" and to be totally honest, I don't know who said it. I also do not really know what that really means, since taken out of context it can mean just about anything. Ok, I'll stop playing dumb and make this a bit educational. The actual quote is, "Variety's the spice of life, that gives it all its flavour." This quote comes to us from English poet William Cowper and it's a perfect fit for Kumo Sushi.

I know a lot of people cringe when they hear of buffets or the term "all you can eat" but I offer the following thoughts: 1 - not all buffets are created equally (read: while some buffets may in fact be sketchy, there are others that are bigger and better and certainly worth your attention. 2 - you do not need to go to Vegas to enjoy a good buffet. 3 - Just because the buffet is in Vegas, doesn't make it all that special. Trust me, I've had my fair share and they can be brutal.

Kumo Roll (L), Spicy Salmon Roll (R)

Anyway, that's enough digressing. Let's focus on the subject at hand, Kumo Sushi (72nd St between Columbus and Amsterdam). More importantly, let's focus on the fact that they offer an all you can eat sushi option for about $27 which naturally intrigued me from afar. After drawing me in and perusing their extensive menu, I was impressed by the value they were offering since there are a number of specialty rolls that can be had as part of this special (some specialty rolls have a menu price of $8-15 and it's important to point out that these rolls are delivered fast, fresh, and at full size - since some places will scale back the size of dishes in these prix fixe type situations.)

Diamond Roll with a side of eel

The photo at left is of the Kumo Roll, having carte blanche to eat just about any roll on the menu, I figured I had to try their namesake and it was an excellent choice. The shrimp tempura was light and delicious and the eel/avocado pairing at top was full of flavor. I also kicked things off with the spicy salmon roll and wish I had another sitting beside me as I type up this review. I also wish I had one of these diamond rolls, partly because it just looks nice and reminds me of the winter and partly because it just tasted so good and I'm quite hungry right now.

I'm not sure how things were way back when and I'm not a big fan of delivery (especially pizza and sushi is a close 2nd!) but I can tell you that if you venture to the UWS for some really good sushi, Kumo will hit the spot. If you are foodventurous and want to try a bunch of different rolls, go for the AYCE option. If your appetite is not that hearty, there are a couple of lunch special options that may fit the bill and fill your belly.

Rating - 4.5/5 - I do enjoy a good buffet and this, while not typically a buffet, is a good AYCE. I found it to be fresh food and a really good value for my food dollar. I also would like to point out that I almost took a full day vacation from eating after visiting Kumo!

Their site - I can't seem to find one so I'll give you this information instead. 165 West 72nd Street, New York, NY 10023 (212) 580-5900. That's a short walk from the 1, 2, 3 line which stops right at the corner of 72nd. Now you have no excuses not to go and enjoy yourselves!

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Corey's Catsup and Mustard

I liked this glass. It held my water.

On The Road....Manchester, CT aka Burger Apathy, Part 2
I was driving through CT on my way back home and it was a sucky rainy day. I thought to myself, "Self, this sucks. What better than a cheeseburger or two to make things better?" I debated, do I go with the classic, tried and true Louis Lunch? Or do I try something new to give y'all a new review? I honestly wasn't feeling too adventurous to do both so I just opted for something new. My search for "Best Burger Hartford" quickly yielded some names that I've recognized and I settled on Corey's Catsup and Mustard in Manchester, CT.

Their burger list is pretty extensive and my decision was not going to be easy. After much deliberation my stomach and eyes were in agreement that Auntie Annie's Laurie's was the burger for me.This particular burger features: Auntie Laurie's House-Made Blue Moon Mustard, horseradish cheddar, pretzel bun, bacon, lettuce, tomato. How good does that sound?? I was literally salivating while I waited for this creation to arrive.

The burger, (at left) with bacon, cheddar, and all that other good stuff was presented nicely. The bun, was so inviting with it's golden brown glow. Seriously, look at it. Stare at it. How good does that bun look? Now gaze at that mountain of accoutrements on top of the burger, I vote yum yums.

Looks can be deceiving, don't judge a book by its cover, etc. etc. All those cliches exist because they are true. Now how can the masterpiece at left go awry? Well, let's start with flavor. The burger was ordered rare and served medium-well (honestly anything beyond the reddish-pink is well done in my brain) and as we've learned, I have two bugaboos when ordering a burger. Let's recap.

1. I'm not going to tell you how I want it cooked. You're going to ask me.
2. If you ask me how I want it cooked, deliver. It's not hard. If this is your first burger ever then maybe you get a hall pass but I am not coming to eat your first burger ever. Am I?

Just above my thumb is a scant amount of mustard...see it?

So the waitress asks me how I want it cooked and I say, "rare" with all the thickness of my BK accent. I'm assuming it was not lost in translation. Seriously though, allow me a moment to praise my waitress. Was it Corey or Kori (I didn't get the proper spelling but she was nice, friendly, attentive, and very helpful. She earned a very generous tip even though (SPOILER ALERT!!!) I was VERY disappointed with this burger.

There was nothing redeemable about this burger. The burger itself was so overdone and there was almost no mustard to speak of. I needed something to moisten this beast and debated dunking it into my water. I refrained and kept chewing and chewing until I hit mustard! EUEREKA! It was like 1849 all over again though the mustard rush was very short lived. It was gone in a flash and I was back to my dry, overdone burger. That bacon...oh bacon. I love you so much and I hate seeing you treated so cruelly. I apologize that you had to be torched to a wooden texture and I apologize that I had to eat you like that. I promise to never do it again.

My review - 1/5 - Overcooked. Dry burger, beyond crispy and flavorless bacon, enough lettuce for a side salad, and barely enough mustard to cover the tip of my finger.

Their Site - http://www.catsupandmustard.com/


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Burger Bros

On The Road....Towson, MD aka Burger Apathy, Part 1**
Just up the road from Towson University you can find Burger Bros, a burger joint that has been making a lot of noise in the local foodmunity (that's food community, I just invented it). I was recently in MD for the holidays and would like to report on a number of stops I made while there. First on the menu is Burger Bros., located at 14 Allegheny Avenue Towson, MD 21204

Their burger is described as, "6 whoppin’ oz. of hand-packed Fresh Ground Angus Beef charbroiled to perfection and served on a bun." Now, if perfection means charred to death, then this is Burger Heaven and I'm Saint Paul. I was a bit alarmed when I saw the flames from the grill shooting up about four feet high for a good twenty seconds. At that point I knew my burger was torched beyond belief and just not edible for someone like me who prefers his burger closer to it's living state.

The burger, (at left) with bacon, cheese, and sauteed mushrooms looks good enough. The bun, however, serves as a warning sign. Now I love me a lightly toasted bun and was happy to see them toasting the bun...until it turned black on the edges. I was already leery enough from the aforementioned flame show.

The Bros also serve up grilled chicken sandwiches (the thought kinda scares me) along with wings (we sampled the honey bourbon) and fries. The wings were ok. They were overcooked, which should come at no surprise, and that was unfortunate because I really enjoyed the sauce. The fries, well, as you know by now I'm not a guy that typically orders fries but if there are fries there I will try them. I really liked the fries here, natural cut and they were not overcooked (YAY!)

In all, I'm really not sure what the hype is surrounding this place. I know the area quite well and I know there are a lot of good (read better) burger options in the area.

My review - 1/5 - Way overcooked, not cooked to order. Dried out burger and overcooked wings. An overall experience that was barely salvaged by the fries

Their Site - http://burgerbrosburgers.com/ (coming soon at the time this is written) but you can click through to their menu from here.


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**Remember friends, if there's a part 1 there's sure to be a part 2!