Irish Breakfast at Baker St

What's cooler than having lunch in a dark Irish pub? Having breakfast for lunch in a dark Irish pub? Yes, I think so. I've never had an Irish breakfast, but one of my facebook friends keeps posting pictures of breakfasts from different cultures. Now I want to try all of them.

I guess they like Sherlock Holmes? It's definitely a cool logo.

I don't really like sausage, and there were two different types on this plate. I didn't eat much of that. Of course, I substituted sweet potato fries for regular fries. Then the whole thing was balanced out with toast, eggs, and baked beans. So much food! I felt like I would explode. Seriously, who eats this much? Well.... me, I guess. I'll totally eat it again if I have another chance.

My lunch buddy had sliders with cottage fries. When I saw that in the menu, I thought "wtf are cottage fries?" Now I know, but I don't think I'll be trying them anytime soon. I like shoestring fries and sweet potato fries best.
My buddy and I had an awesome waitress named Hilary. Ask for her if you decide to go. You won't have to wait a long time for her to bring more coffee. I need my coffee. We also had a chance to speak with the manager. She's super nice, and her accent is fantastic. I like Irish pubs so much better when they're run by actual Irish people and not just Ireland enthusiasts.

Irresistible Double Chocolate Muffins/ Christmas Cranberry Muffins

Chocolate always seems safe. In my entire life, I think I've met less than five people who don't like chocolate. I've been trying to get into flax seed and wheat germ, but I've only used them in smoothies so far. So, of course, I found a recipe incorporating all three of those things.

Combine flour, flax seed, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and chocolate chips in a large bowl.

Chocolate and chocolate chips. That's such an awesome site. I already knew it would turn out well.

In another bowl, beat the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.

Yeah, buttermilk. Now I have a container of buttermilk in my fridge not getting used. I guess I'll have to find a way to get rid of it soon.
I really don't know why they always say to mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. It's all getting mixed in one big bowl eventually.

Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing just until combined.

The texture isn't what I would like it to be, but there's nothing I can do about that. It's probably caused by the grainy ingredients.

Spoon equal amounts of batter into muffin cups.

The batter is very thick, so the muffins will probably be dense after baking.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 to 30 minutes.

I left them in the oven a little too long, so the tops were a little hard. I don't think anyone minded because they got eaten. Maybe my consumers were extra forgiving because it's double chocolate.


I wanted to bake something for the holiday season, so I searched for "Christmas muffin recipes". I got lots recipes involving cranberries, but I have no idea what cranberries have to do with Christmas. I decided to make Christmas cranberry muffins since I had all of the ingredients except one.

Chop 1 cup cranberries coarsely

I've never used cranberries before except for that once time a couple years ago when I made cranberry sauce. What? They expect me to cut them up?

Place them in a small bowl, stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar and let them sit for 30 minutes.

I threw them in the blender. Some of them are still mostly whole, so I fished those out and cut them up.

In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a second bowl beat together milk, vanilla, melted butter and eggs. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix with a few strokes, only enough to blend.
Fold in the cranberries (and their juice, if any)

And at this point, I started eating it. The batter was extremely sweet, which was great for balancing the sourness of  the cranberries.

Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full and bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Everyone loved these muffins, except one girl who doesn't particularly care for healthy-type things. She tasted a chocolate one and said "EW!" It was pretty hilarious.

Coney Island Taste

In my mind, I've created a category of food I refer to as "Spanish". I realize this isn't a good term to use because it covers everything from Mexican to Dominican to Ecuadoran, but everyone around me keeps using it and making it more ingrained. The food in this restaurant is actually Peruvian, but when I saw it, my brain went "Ooh! Spanish food!"

Peruvian American? Well obviously I'm not going into an exotic restaurant to get American food.

Maduros! Also known as fried sweet plantains. I love these and I eat them as much as possible. I always get them at "Spanish" restaurants and Chinese restaurants. Yeah, those guys have it, too, oddly enough.

This is something like a tamale, but they called it something else. You can choose which meat you want inside. I chose pork. I don't know why. It's not that I love pork. It's just that I tend to default to pork when I can't make a decision. Chicken in "Spanish" restaurants is often too dry and stringy for me and it gets stuck in every single gap in my teeth.

I guess that's an olive? I tried to eat it. It was unpleasant. I don't know why I tried to eat it when I don't like olives. I must have been tired. I loved the rest of it, probably because the outside is cornmeal. I'm assuming. I'll eat just about anything with corn.

The little things. They bring your silverware in a little basket. That's so cool. I'd love to be eating at this place right now. I'll probably go back if I'm ever in the area again.

Ellen's Stardust Diner

I found a diner with singer waiters and waitresses. Yes, they actually exist. Ellen's Stardust Diner is located at Broadway and W 51st St. Whenever I pass a restaurant, I tend to stop and read the menu. I was drawn into this diner by the breakfast offerings. Then when I got inside, they told me they don't serve breakfast all day. What kind of diner doesn't serve breakfast all day? Isn't that the main reason people go to diners? I know it isn't just me.

It looks normal enough from the outside.

The interior of the restaurant is full of flashing lights that wreaked havoc with my picture quality. I know I don't take good pictures, mainly because I'm too lazy, but these are worse than usual.

I was already seated when I found out I couldn't have breakfast, so I decided to just try something else. I read the entire menu a few times because I'm that indecisive. Eventually I decided on the "Carl Perkins Pork 'n Beans". The menu says "12 hour slow-cooked braised pork with white bean cassoulet, chorizo and corn bread."

I really like the presentation. Beans and chorizo in the middle with corn bread and pork triangles on the outside. At first, I thought the pork triangles were just fat, but then I decided to try and eat one. I'm glad I did because it was fantastic. I cut the fat part off, though. Yeah, I'm that person. I do the same thing with pork chops and steak and I soak up the grease from my pizza with napkins before I eat it.
The corn bread could have been a little sweeter, but that's just a personal preference. I'm definitely more used to canned pork and beans, and it was interesting trying something fresher and of better quality. I could definitely get used to it.
I also had an egg cream. If you don't know, that's milk with seltzer water, and it also comes in chocolate. At this diner, they make it at your table. Apparently that's how it's traditionally done. I think that's a little bit much. I'd rather have it brought to me already mixed so I can just drink it and not have it overflowing the cup and on the table.

The singers kept walking on this narrow platform that was right behind me. It was a little weird looking up and having someone right there or just feeling them behind me. The wait staff is composed of aspiring musical theater stars, a bunch of Rachel Berrys and Kurt Hummels, I guess. They send around a container for donations, and they're required to use the money to take a lesson in acting, dancing or singing. I guess they're really serious about making it. If you want to be in a musical, it's probably better to have your resume say "singing waiter" than just "waiter," and most of them are really good. Way too many Disney songs, though, and it was very, very loud. Even so, I wouldn't mind going back with a friend some time. I know some people who would really enjoy the experience.