"J" is for Joup Jumplings at Joe's Shanghai!

Around 7:30, a group of seven zupperites huddled in a small alley off Bowery, fidgeting and mouths watering as we waited in anticipation of sinking our teeth into the famous soup dumplings from Joe's Shanghai. Thanks to our seasoned vet, Butter My Rollman, we were amply prepared for the great (and often dangerous) art of eating soup dumplings. We graciously perused the menu out of habit, but we already had a shortlist of desired items in our minds. Rollman & Sweeney took initiative and ordered the night's spread. Within a few minutes, cold TsingTaos and three baskets of dumplings were planted at center table.


We began by pouring a small amount of the table "soy" sauce mixed with a sriracha-like sauce that looked like it was studded with red pepper flakes. After several jokes related to men's "tonsils" and such, we dug in. Obeying Rollman's direction, we each slowly nibbled on the outside of the tender pork dumpling, letting a bit of the hot steam escape. After another small nibble or two, we began sucking out the soup. Just the broth alone packs a ton of shanghai flavor (mmm... salty! mmm... porky!) With one bite, there was an explosion of juicy, ground pork with the lingering taste of tender dumpling dough. Good thing I was wearing my napkin as a bib - the small explosion of flavor went dribbling down the sides of my spoon on more than one occasion. The third basket was filled with crab and pork (and the same dribbling smiles from the crowd, although I do think the pork were the best).

Just as our smiles faded with the last trace of dumpling, we were brought new rounds of TsingTao and steaming plates of meat, vegetables and shanghai noodles. Had we not dug in like animals, we might have noticed that two of the dishes didn't resemble what we ordered (or what we thought we ordered). The General Tso's chicken and vegetables and beef with string beans were the crowd pleasers, while the crispy chicken (which wasn't so crispy) and the noodles (which weren't the little flat ones we were seeking) were still tasty, but didn't really wow. But hey, they had a tough act to follow. It wasn't really their fault.

All in all, a culinary feast and success. As we relaxed, fat and happy, we recalled the past 10 months of fine New York dining and toasted making it to "J" night. We've had babies, marriages, new jobs and new members (a special welcome to newest member Tenny Pearson!). I'm feeling a bit nostalgic (perhaps I'm still giddy from my love affair with the dumplings last night) and extremely proud of our little club. Now, forge on zupperites! We've got some "K" eatin' to do.

"I" is for Il Vagabondo

"I" is also for "I barely remember all the details so we'll just stick to some key memories of the night in this entry". We surprisingly found Il Vagabondo tucked in-between two brownstones on the UES. When I heard that the restaurant had bocce courts, I just assumed Covitz was a zupperite rookie (this being his first pick) and it would be some sprawling dining hall with mediocre red sauced pastas. But, I was wrong. LIttle did I know the place has been around for 40 years and has a dedicated crew of regulars. We walked in and shared cold Peronis at a classic, long wooden bar. We were then brought to one of the back rooms (we were in the smaller one), squeezed around a red checked tablecloth, and shared some precious moments:

- Alison contemplates the seafood pasta and decides to interrogate the waiter on what kind of seafood is actually in the pasta. To which his lengthy reply was "Errr... Uhhh.... Ehhh....Oooh...I'm not really sure". (Quick! Name something that swims in the sea! A seafood dish typically eaten by human beings! Just make it up for goodness sake!) She makes a bold move and orders it anyway, and ends up quite enjoying the mystery-seafood-meat selection.
- Alison shares the sad news that Dave is moving to Austin, but not to fret because she already has dates lined up on sugardaddie.com and gothicmatch.com
- We learned about Phil's special relationship with his cat, and what a sweet little thing she is. Andrea shares how Phil's cat is nasty and mean, and something about liking to sit on people's faces. Hmmm.
- Mike ordered the veal parmesan special and by the looks of his clean, shiny white plate, he enjoyed it throroughly. The meat was pounded super thin, but still very tender (and as Mike would say "I'd eat toe smothered in that sauce")
- Jane watched Mike eat and silently wondered to herself if she was about to marry someone who was "letting himself go"

And alas, we were wussies and didn't end up playing bocce. But, if you're looking for a low-key Italian place, a good game of bocce or just a classic New York experience, take a trip to Il Vagabondo. NB: Maybe even check out the room to the right where it has a larger, more livelier room and a view of the kitchen.

"Hecho en DUMBO" hace para un tiempo muy divertido!

Either the club is getting more press, or its members are getting better looking (I think it's fair to say the latter), but we had another record turnout for our first ever Mexican fiesta! The food was amazing but I'll get to that later. I think it's more important to first highlight some of our special guests. This gentleman actually shouldn't be that special considering his name is etched above on the zupperite blog wall. Mr. Paul "Dinner's Over That's All" Foulkes made a cameo! There was shock and applause as he rode in. And then grumbling because we used to like making fun of him for being the only charter member to never show up. Thanks for showing up, Paul.

Also making guest appearances for the first time were the two men of the hour, Mr. Ian Kalman and Mr. Sean Farrell. They paid us a visit while on a break from their intense National Greeting Card Show. (go to www.baldguygreetings.com to pick up your own set). The two not have not only dazzled us with their greeting card talent (yes, there is such a talent), they also apparently dazzled the judges and took home the "Louie Award" in the under $3.00 category! Seriously. They have awards for greeting cards. I'm not kidding. No, I won't get out of here. Look it up. It's not a joke. They really have awards in the "under $3 category." And they name the awards after fat guy names like "Louie." Anyway, Congrats Sean and Ian. We are impressed.

Also, sidenote, the lovely Wixoms showed up between shoots in Shanghai and LA. And they both had cut 3 inches from their hair! As I always tell Mike, the couple who trims together, stays together! Eww. Anyway, nice to see the dedication, guys.

Being a California girl, I've been underwhelmed by the Mexican food in New York (I know I still have a lot to explore but typically it's overstyled and expensive), but this was pretty damn tasty. We ordered a smattering of plates ranging from Burritos de Res (carne asada), Carnitas & Poblano Chile tacos, and the quasi-famous Queso Fundido. The queso came out in good size crocks -- somewhere between hard and soft (not gooey, and yes, that sounds pornographic). It comes with warm flour tortillas (basically a fancy way to make delicious quesadillas). The pork was tender and juciy - no frills - just the meat and a little salsa. The sopas were good (I'd recommend crab with avocado) but the dough was a bit thick in comparison to the toppings. Since Molly was the host and had already downed a shot of tequila, she went for it and ordered rounds of dessert. Two plates were served: one was barely worth remembering, and the second was an interesting selection of coconut fried-cupcake-macaroon type cookies, each with a different piece of fruit on top. The most interesting choice was one with avocado - the sweetness and fried coconut crunch went surprisingly well with the buttery smoothness of the avocado.

So once again, we conquered another letter with flying colors. Hooray for terrific company, and hooray for Dumbo Mexican!

NB: the sign on the door says something about a Scandinavian design store. Don't be fooled. Scandinavian design doesn't taste nearly as good.

"G" is for short and sweet, like "Gus"

I’m thinking Gus’ was fun. I’m thinking Gus’ was mostly tasty. I’m thinking some people could have used a little more seasoning on Gus’ food. I’m thinking it wasn’t that big of a deal. I’m thinking that’s not why you go to Gus’. I’m thinking you go to Gus’ for Gus. I’m thinking Gus is different. I’m thinking Gus has a dynamic personality. I’m thinking Gus truly appreciates you coming in to his restaurant. I’m thinking Gus makes you feel happy that you went to his restaurant. I’m thinking if all restaurant owners were like Gus, I’m thinking eating out would be a lot more fun. I’m thinking I would go back to Gus’. Because I’m thinking I’d like to hear what Gus is thinking about dinner tonight.

"F" is for "F Yeah, Five Points!"

I don’t know what fat little babies wrapped in puppies and stuffed with kittens tastes like, but if it tastes anything like the grilled double-cut Berkshire pork chops at Five Points, well, then call me a cannibal and order me a double portion of babypupitten, ‘cause that shit is tasty!

After figuring out that our first option for dinner (Freeman’s) wasn’t going to work out due to the size of the Zupperite crew and the late-night timing they were offering us (we’ve got a pregnant woman and cranky men that need to be fed early and often), we stumbled upon Five Points Restaurant. And I think I speak for everyone when I say, “Suck it, Freeman’s! We found better!”

Actually, I’m sure Freeman’s would have been great but we were no worse off, and possibly even upgraded, by going to Five Points. They sat us at a great group table in the back room (the one with the skylight above) and it felt like we were sitting down for a rustic meal in the countryside (although we were actually just around the corner from a questionable Manhattan alley). And if we had only eaten the appetizers and not been allowed to eat anything else, the meal still would have been rock solid. I don’t know what was in that pizza (three buttery cheeses? truffles? garlic? magic?) but I’d like to marry it. Or at least make sweet love to it. I’m not kidding. If those ingredients approached me in a bar and said, “What’s up, handsome? I’m in town for a fresh ingredients convention and, well, I’m feeling a little lonely… Wanna get freaky?” I’m doing it. No joke. Judge me if you want but it was that good.

We had some other apps that I’m sure were just as good but I had my truffled magic pizza blinders on and blocked the rest out. Except for the patè that Vescovo ordered “for the table.” Apparently in Matt’s world, “for the table” means “Matt’s plate.” “Hey does anyone want to get some really warm and mushy patè as an appetizer? Anyone? Anyone? No? Okay, great, I’ll order it.”

When dinner came, I think everyone got something delicious to eat. But to be honest, I’m not quite sure. I was still reeling from the pizza buzz when my Double Cut Bershire Pork Chop came out. After one bite I went dark. Completely catatonic. I could have been eating with the Smurfs for all I knew. The cut was thick and juicy and it came nestled in a bed of shaved, roasted brussel sprouts. Drool-city. Later, when I came to, I learned that some of our folks got the sea scallops, the buttermilk chicken, the cavatelli and the duck. Rumor has it they all loved it. But did they love theirs as much as I loved mine? Is that even possible? Can you give 110% out of 100% like every little league coach demands out of his kids? I don’t know. But I think it’s definitely worth going back to Five Points to find out.

Oh, and one last thing. Foulkes is 0-6. He’s like A-Rod with runners in scoring position.

"E" is for Elia and OOPA!

Dan had the brilliant idea to ditch the Manhattan dining scene for a culinary adventure in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. He dared us to leave the island and join him in his new Brooklyn apartment for a pre-dinner screening of Saturday NIght Fever -- with the added bonus of boogie-ing down with special guests Mr. and Mrs. Rollman. If you can't make it out in the picture, Mrs. Rollman is, amazingly, only 4 feet tall and Mr. Rollman is bald. (Sidenote: Dan has a washer / dryer in his apartment so feel free to bring dirty clothes if you ever visit).

In case you're wondering what Bay Ridge or Saturday Night Fever have to do with '"E" night (all 3 of you who actually read this blog), Bay Ridge is home to the set of Saturday Night Fever and a delicious Greek eatery called "Elia". While the jury's still out on Saturday Night Fever, "Elia" is definitely worth the (really super far) trip to Bay Ridge.

The meal started at a cozy round table when our Greek waiter showed up with a block of creamy, yet firm cheese set on fire. With singed eyebrows we devoured the artery clogging deliciousness. After the cheese flambé, we had more appetizers that were authentic and tasty -- mediterranean spreads, warm-doughy-pita bread, salad and olives. When it came to the entrees, we weren't too adventurous in ordering: Moussakas and the Halibut special. They were both quite impressive. Simple, fresh, satisfying.

We dined like Greek gods, drank like Kings (Coors Lights) and listened to tales of Rollman travels and conquests (well, maybe not conquests but we did hear about Kew Gardens). I suppose if I was a real food critic, I wouldn't give anyone above 2 stars, but what the hell? It was a splendid night indeed - 3 1/4 stars!

"D" is for Darnivores at Dinosaur BBQ

For an ultra-American BBQ joint, it was surprising that the theme of the night was two Spanish words: Tres Hombres. All 14 of us sat down at a large wood table and looked to the BBQ "expert" Colin for guidance. Majority of us newbies went with his recommendation of the "Tres Hombres" platter -- 1/4 rack of ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork and two tasty sides (ranging from cajun potatoes to baked beans). Only tubby Tyler got nervous and decided it wasn't going to be enough. He insisted upon getting a 1/2 rack of ribs, an order of pulled pork and a side of brisket (he slipped into a slight coma at some point on the subway ride home). The pork was melt in your mouth, with just the right amount of sauce and kick. The brisket depended on what piece you got (the crispy ends had tons of smoky flavor) and the ribs were lined with plenty of stick-in-your-teeth tender meat. And the wings! Lest not we forget the wings! The giant wings were glazed with BBQ and were nice and juicy - we got these as an appetizer but basically could have stopped right there.

And our turnout? We didn't think we could beat "C" night's turnout of 13, but leave it up to smoked artery cloggers to inspire a crowd. We had 14 people, including 5 out of towners. Although they claim it a pure coincidence, Rivitz & Tyler showed up in NY again right in time for "D" night. Rivitz was so excited, he even made his parents trek from Baltimore to Harlem to check it out. That's dedication - we might have to invite Mr. & Mrs. R again for next month.

And the most exciting news of the night, we're expecting a new Zupperite into the family! Not A Meal Missin' Nissans are expecting our littlest member yet. I'm sure they'll think of a great name that will fit nicely with the club. Mike & I are thinking: Zane or Zike (although Zemily and Zolin are nice too).

Well kids, it just keeps getting better & better! Dinosaur BBQ gets 3 full stars for ridiculous food (taste and portions), fun atmosphere, cheap (thanks Hilary! ) and of course a great turn out. Cheers to Allison - good pick.

p.s. mental note, next time you eat a small petting zoo, do not take the subway home.