#1 noodle joint…NYC–

Wagyu ramyun…heck yeah!

Toro, caviar, uni, egg, rice…YUH-MEEEE!

Family ramyun…mmhhmmm!

Fried chicken w/ caviar…perfect dessert.

Happy gringo…jaaaa!

WOW! Here we are gobbling away at the only Michelin-star noodle joint in the country: Jeju Noodle Bar over on Christopher St. in the West Village section of Manhattan in beautiful New York Citaaaaaay! Let’s check it out and see what’s what.

Jeju Noodle Bar is owned and operated by a dude called Douglas Kim who used to cook at Bouley and Per Se. He left those places and opened Jeju to revisit his Korean heritage and experiment with his native cuisine. His mission: elevate humble noodle dishes to the highest level possible…the result: SUCCESS.

He has elevated things so high that Jeju has been awarded one star from Michelin for the past five years…and it appears that this will continue for some time to come–jaaaa!

This place is great, period.

During our visit we ingest the following: an appetizer of chopped toro, caviar, uni, scrambled eggs and rice…this is served stacked in a slightly cylindrical presentation, and it is spectacularly good. This dish was created because the chef needed a way to utilize the soft-boiled eggs that aren’t good enough to be served in his exquisite bowls of ramyun…voila!, a magical appetizer is born…mmmm, aaaah!

Next we do ramyun–Korean noodle soup. One is called ‘family’ ramyun and the other is ‘wagyu’ ramyun…’family’ is full of pork, herbs, veggies and a perfect soft-boiled egg with magical oozing yolk…the ‘wagyu’ ramyun is full of thin-sliced wagyu beef, herbs, veggies and that perfect soft-boiled egg. Both of these ramyuns are in a broth that is succulent, rich and full of collagen–good for our skin, our health and our taste buds. . .ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

After this we do an order of the fried chicken…it comes with a drumstick and a thigh–dark meat, baby! The skin is crispy and well-seasoned, and the meat is juicy and tasty…a dipping sauce comes on the side–this is a creamy savory concoction that includes a scoop of caviar that is mixed in the sauce…we dip our chicken in this savory caviar mixture and gobble away–WOW, totally Michelin-star-worthy.

We wash the whole meal down with glasses of Chablis…delightful!!

This is a great meal served by totally switched-on staff in a soothing setting. . .we could not be happier.

The Michelin people got this right…noodles elevated to the highest level possible with lots of other tasty items available for extremely satisfying gobbling. . .we love this joint!

So, if you ever find yourself craving noodles in the West Village of Manhattan pop on over to Jeju Noodle Bar…maybe they will seat you as a walk-in. The better approach is to make a reservation, secure your seats, then leisurely arrive at your appointed time, check in, be seated, and get ready for a noodle bar experience unlike any that you have had before.

It’s lovely out there.

IN-N-OUT…FINALLY!

Double-fisted goodness–jaaa!

Delectable and delightful.

Gobbletime!

Tooling around here in Las Vegas we notice IN-N-OUT burger joints everywhere…so we take this opportunity to finally gobble the grub in one of these, and it is well-worth the wait. . .mmm, aaaahh!

IN-N-OUT joints are only found in the the western U.S….we spend most of our time in the eastern U.S., Europe and Asia. . .we gotta jump on this while the jumpin’ is good…BOOM!

The menu here is simple: burgers–single/double, cheese/no cheese…fries…drinks. . .that’s it.

We do a double–aka double-double–, a single, some fries and some iced teas.

The staff and ordering process are both lovely and easygoing…really friendly feeling.

Our burgers arrive, and they look fresh…they really look like they are made with a bit of love. . .makes us feel real good.

We sit down and eat. . .the burgers are delicious–fresh, tasty, warm meat, cool lettuce…quite soothing.

The fries are ‘meh’…nothing special…fresh-cut but not all that flavorful…California clean might be a good way to describe them.

And the iced tea is clean and tea-like. . .free-flowing, we can refill as much as we like–jaaaa!

Overall, I give IN-N-OUT a thumbs-up. I would eat here again and again just for the taste of the burger and the extremely friendly service. . .the rest of the grub is unmemorable.

The next time you are in the western U.S. pop into IN-N-OUT if you see one…grab a quick bite…then move on with your life…you will enjoy it, I gar-ron-taaaay!!

It’s lovely out there.

Oldest bar in Las Vegas…viva!

Desert drink joint extraordinaire!

Cocktails and locals…niiice!

Dis must be da place.

Fremont Street…where is everybody?

BAM! It’s a rare visit to Las Vegas…and whenever here we escape the tourist masses on The Strip and head to old Fremont Street…specifically the corner of Fremont and 9th for drinks in the oldest free-standing bar in town: Atomic Liquors–jaaaa! Let’s check it out and see what’s what.

This building was first a market–Virginia’s Market?–back in 1948 or so. Then in 1952 a couple bought the place and turned it into a liquor distribution shop…then folks started stopping in for drinks…then the couple applied for a permit to serve alcohol on the premises while also continuing their liquor distribution business, and they ended up being issued the first “tavern license” in the state of Nevada or possibly the U.S as well–license number 000001. Google to learn more…this is the basic story though I may have some the details incorrect.

Throughout the ’50s and ’60s Atomic Liquors became an escape for all kinds of folks wanting to escape the tourist crowds on The Strip…Smothers Brothers, Barbra Streisand, Rat Packers, Clint Eastwood, mobsters, secret lovers, etc. are said to have spent time out here on the corner of Fremont and 9th drinking the night away in a calm, chill and relaxing atmosphere…mmmm, aaaahh!

We love this joint! We totally understand why so many folks keep coming out here: the bartenders are relaxed chicks with lots to tattoos–in fact, lots of Vegas folks are generously tatted up–the cocktails are cool and refreshing, there are no slot machines in sight–AMAZING–and the crowd is quiet and chill. . .great atmosphere for enjoying beverages of any kind any time between the hours of 12-noon and 2:00 a.m.–jaaaa!

‘Old’ joints like this are classic Americana that need to be enjoyed whenever you get a moment to do it. . .so, the next time you find yourself hangin’ in Vegas pop on out to Atomic Liquors and enjoy a bit of old Vegas while you still can. . .you will love it, I gar-ton-taaaayy!

It’s lovely out here.

#1 Tuscan…NYC–

Burrata with tomatoes…magical.

Zucchini, cheese, olive oil…delicioso.

Vongole…in our bellies in a flash.

Bistecca…magnifico!

All goes down nicely with the right wine.

Oh so satisfied…saluti!

WOWEEWOWOW! We finally do some din-din here at I Sodi on Christopher Street in the West Village…this joint totally ROCKS…let’s check it out and see what’s what.

I Sodi was opened in 2008 by a woman called Rita Sodi, and it has been a hit from then right up to now…small place, maybe 50 seats, always packed, difficult to make reservations online…fully booked all of the time.

And now we know why: because the vibe, staff, service, beverages and food are all wonderful and absolutely top-notch. . .extremely good!

During this visit we get lucky…we stroll by, ask if any seats are available for two hungry gobblers, and BOOM we are whisked to two stools at the bar where a totally competent, welcoming and efficient bar-chick takes care of us for our meal.

We start with a standard negroni and a negroni sbagliato (made with prosecco instead of gin). . .both are soothing and delicious.

Then we move on to some antipasti…burrata with heirloom tomatoes…and thinly sliced zucchini and cheese drizzled with olive oil…mmm, aaaahh…no words, both are delectable.

For our primi we split a vongole with housemade spaghetti-like pasta. . .we gobble it so quickly that we miss snapping a photo of the dish…stupendo!

For our secondo we split the bistecca…a 41-ounce hunk of porterhouse beef cooked a perfect medium-rare. . .totally delicioso, we are happy and exhilarated and full of goodness. . .most wonderful!

We wash down the antipasti and pasta with an Etna Bianco…

…and the meat gets washed down with a Tuscan Rosso…saluti!

For dessert we do a scoop of chocolate gelato and a rich double espresso…finito.

Everything about this place is excellent…we actually feel like we are sitting somewhere in the Tuscan countryside gobbling away in a jewel-like restaurant that we and only a few others know about. . .a transporting experience that we will gush about for many days, weeks and months to come.

It remains an honor to have the opportunity to dine in great gobble joints like I Sodi.

So, if you love great grub and get the chance to dine here, then do it. . .you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy. Life is short, eat everything good that you can right NOW!

It’s lovely out there.