Escape to Brazil but stay in New York

When I visited Rio last year I ate at a churrascaria chain called Porcao. I was so excited when they opened a location in New York on Park Avenue. This carnivores dream is not just about the food as the atmosphere and service also set it apart. I have dined at dinner several times and on this occasion stopped by to make sure that the service was similar at lunch. We were welcomed and seated in the airy dining area and offered the option of the Executive Lunch which consists of selecting a specific meat (salmon, chicken or beef) and the buffet or to have the Rodizio. Of course we went with the Rodizio!

What is the Rodizio you ask? Tender cuts of meat, poultry, seafood, pork, and lamb are served on skewers to your table. This continues throughout your meal with different choices and cuts of meat such as skirt steak, turkey wrapped in bacon, filet mignon, and sirloin offered. You are given a small coaster that you turn to let the waiters with the skewers know if you are still being served. Green means “Keep it Coming”. Red indicates “I am too full or don’t want anything for now” Read more

Patsy’s Pizzeria in NYC

There is a reason this establishment has been in business since 1933. The food is great! With 6 New York locations you will find a Patsy’s in many areas in Manhattan. We went to the one on the East side for dinner while we waited for a table at Serendipity 3 (see the review for Frozen Hot Chocolate and other sweets). We were prepared to order our drinks when we realized there were no refills. Don’t go extremely thirsty. And unfortunately after walking all over the city shopping on this very hot May day we were extremely thirsty! They serve three sizes of the bottles of sparkling water. Order a large bottle as the medium and small are significantly smaller and you will end up ordering another bottle even if it is just one person drinking it. The Iced Tea is sweetened and the beers on tap and house wines were reasonably priced.

For an appetizer we had the Fried Zucchini and Eggplant with a garlic yogurt dip. The two vegetables are lightly fried and paper thin. It is a perfect light snack before the meal. The Calzones and thin crusted pizzas were excellent and tasted very similar to pizza I have had while traveling in Italy. Be careful about the number of topping you order for your pizza or calzone. Each topping is $2.75 and that can quickly add up. Also order the large as it is only $2 more but is considerably larger than the regular pizza. When you pay that much per topping you might as well pay two more dollars and have your money go a little further.

The service was good though the dining room has way too many tables in it. It was difficult to move chairs to sit down and I was either being hit or accidentally hitting another diner while eating. The food is excellent so if you can get a table around the border of the dining room or outside on the street it is worth it.

Patsy’s Pizzeria’s East Side location is 206 East 60th Street NYC 10022

212-688-9707

There are locations in Greenwich Village, Murray Hill, On the Upper East Side, On the West Side and in Chelsea.

Want to know others think of Patsy’s Pizzeria? We have added an Urbanspoon counter to provide you with that information in real time.

“Frozen Hot Chocolate” and other sweets

 

We exited the 6 train at 59th and Lexington and walked up the street to Serendipity 3. They were known for their desserts and I couldn’t wait to try the famous Frozen Hot Chocolate. My friend ran in to the restaurant to put our name on the list and the rest of us waited outside with a few other people waiting for a table. The entrance and inside waiting area is EXTREMELY small so if you are in a group send one person in to check and everyone else should stay outside. We were expecting to wait by the number of people outside but were surprised to hear 2 1/2 hours! Having been here several times before my friend insisted this was normal and we decided to try another place for dinner and save Serendipity 3 for dessert. (See the review of Patsy’s Pizzeria for more information about our dinner) I suggest that other visitors do the same because when we returned a little over an hour later we only had to wait another 15 minutes before we were seated upstairs near the window.

So of course we ordered a Frozen Hot Chocolate (see the picture) and it tastes exactly like a very rich and slushy hot chocolate. For true hot chocolate fans you will not be disappointed but it is more a drink then a dessert. If you come for a meal then order the frozen hot chocolate as a drink in the same way you might order a milkshake. It is large so you may want to share it with your tablemates since it comes with multiple straws.

We all ordered desserts. That were huge. And Amazing!:) I had the Strawberry Fields Sundae. A large sundae cup is filled with homemade strawberry ice cream, a light and fluffy cheesecake, fresh strawberry topping and whipped cream. It can only be described as decadent. Read more

Review of Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk

Hotel: 

After arriving after midnight we were greeted at the hotel by Justin at the front desk. He was very friendly and nice and we quickly were checked in and on our way to our room. Unfortunately, though the lobby is very nice and spacious do not get your hopes up, the rooms are very different. The beds seem to be on the newer side but the dirty carpet and older bathroom make the room seem dingy. Many of the travelers in our group complained of weird smells, non working light fixtures, and even a dirty bathroom. The beds though large with newer mattresses had three very small pillows. Luckily there were extra pillows in the closet. The rooms have a portable phone allowing you to walk around and talk on the phone. The hotel offers free wireless internet access but unfortunately the network is not secured and the data over the network is not encrypted. For individuals that are unsure of the security there is also free internet access right next to the front desk in the lobby.  One other problem in the hotel is the lack of signage. The lower floor is very maze like and finding your way to and from the restroom can be a bit of a challenge. Also the wake-up calls are inconsistent so if you have an important meeting or early morning flight have a back-up method to wake you in the morning. The hotel offers a diverse channel selection and the Wyndham By Request program is one of the best hotel reward programs. Regardless of status or how often you stay at Wyndham’s all members receive a welcome drink and snack of their choice waiting in their room upon arrival.

Restaurant:

I have never in my life received such horrible service in a hotel restaurant. The serving staff paid no attention to details and was extremely slow. One group waited over 20 minutes for a menu before giving up and leaving. As a diet soda drinker, I often order a lime or lemon with my Diet Cola. I am still waiting for the lemon I asked for 5 times. Our diverse order of entrees took over 45 minutes to arrive to our table and included the spinach and chicken quesadillas, burgers, and a southwest salad. Unfortunately, though the burgers were requested to be cooked medium well to well done all were served extremely rare with both having middles of uncooked hamburger meat.  The Quesadillas were good served in a tomato basil tortilla with chips and salsa on the side. There are several other restaurants in walking distance (see our review of b.b.’s) so if possible eat somewhere else. 

Overall Review: Hotel has some great things (free wireless internet, friendly hotel staff, Wyndham by Request Program) but the overall experience was not the best. Hotel restaurant avoid if possible.

« Previous Page — Next Page »