The New York Chronicles (NYC): Shake Shack (Madison Square Park, UWS, Theatre District)

A couple days in and my trip to New York was already off to a flying start: I had been to a Broadway show, visited the museums, had a slice of heavenly pizza, and topped the Empire State! All I needed to seal the deal was a real American hamburger - Heck if it was good enough for Tony Stark after 3 months of captivity, I damn well want one too! And it's not hard to see why: few things in life are more satisfying than a burger - simple, hearty, and starting at $4.50 - what more could you want! That said, I usually find it difficult to endorse chains (run of the mill food, frozen tasteless meats, and so forth), but Shake Shack is an exception. With locations all across New York City (I got a chance to stop by their Madison Square Park, UWS, and Theatre District locations) and the East Coast, they still remain true to exactly what it takes to make a good burger; no compromises involved!

Enter the freshly ground 4 oz. beef patty. Top that with a blanket of cheese, lettuce and tomatoes (onions and pickles at your discretion). Sandwich between two halves of a soft baked bun and you're done! Genius, isnt' it? Defying-ly simple, yet completely satisfying. You tell me, doesn't that sound delicious? 

Now, back to Shake Shack. The first thing you'll notice and printed in big block letters along the wall in a motto-esque warning, "Stand For Something Good." Wonder what that means? Well, let's dive into an illustrative example, shall we? Let's say.. per chance, you decide to visit Shake Shack around 3 pm. Depending on the location, chances are that there will be a line out the door. That's fine, a lot of people like afternoon snacks, right? Let's try again, 6 pm? Dinner time.. good luck. 11 pm? Surely, it still can't be busy at 11! Actually, that corresponds with when the Broadway shows are letting out so guess what? Yup, still packed! It becomes rapidly apparent that Shake Shack is a busy busy chain and you will most certainly be waiting for your burger. *BUT* the wait is well worth it. Stand for something good! I'm serious.

(Left to Right: Madison Square Park, UWS, Theatre District)
What's IN: Double Shackburger!
The extra patty is worth it and doubly delicious, trust me!

The New York Chronicles (NYC): Famous Famiglia Pizzeria!

Sometimes great food doesn't have to be complicated. And sometimes you just want a quick bite to eat or you might only have minutes before a Broadway musical -- you can't afford to wait in a long line or sit down at a restaurant! BUT at the same time, you want good food. Can all of these really coexist happily? Thankfully, with the advent of fast food and commercialism, the answer has arrived: It's easy to find a chain restaurant (large or small) or a simple joint around the corner! However, for some, the thought of reheated food and the feeling of herded cattle pushed through the store as quickly as possible are a steep trade-off! And I don't blame them. Is good food in a fast and homely setting that much to ask?

I walk in Famous Famiglia Pizzeria to find out! Just before, I had mosied through Times Square and it was getting pretty late in the evening; all I wanted was some soul food on the way home and Famiglia delivered big time!

"Is good food in a fast and homely setting that much to ask?"

What's IN: Calzones! 

(I had the sausage one specifically but they're all so good!)

Off the Trail: Food Matters arrives in New York City!

*hum* Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, There's nothing you can't do... Now you're in New York... These streets will make you feel brand new, These lights will inspire you... to write food blogs! (okay, I'll admit it, that was pretty bad but I do love the Empire State of Mind chorus haha) If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you can either click here for the music video or ...disregard the entire first paragraph and stare at the twinkly lights in my vlog =D

Right, so back to business, it's official guys: I'm going to the Big Apple! Rock on! ...actually that was a lie, I've already been here for over a week but that means, I've been stewing up a whole bunch of reviews for you guys! (Hey, it takes time to write them up!) Keep posted -- I'll being putting up a few of the more memorable ones over the next few days! PS sorry for the video quality, it was shot out of the apartment I was staying in (courtesy of AirBNB.com)