Shake Shack

366 Columbus Ave (b/w 77th St & 78th St)

With the onslaught of warmer weather, I keep my eyes and ears open for milkshakes and sandwiches around the city. When a co-worker mentioned the vegetarian-friendly mushroom burger at Shake Shack the same day it was featured in the local paper, I took that as my sign to visit immediately.

Not patient nor brave enough to withstand the line at their original Madison Square Park location (which can take upwards of 2 hours), I ventured to the Upper West Side. I ordered the vegetarian mushroom burger, fries topped with cheesy sauce, and the Natural History “Crunch-stellation” shake in honor of the place being literally across from the Natural History Museum.

’Shroom Burger

Crisp-fried portobello filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce

Cheese Fries

Topped with Shack cheddar & American cheese sauce

Natural History "Crunch-stellation"

Vanilla custard, malt, Valrhona chocolate crunchies and chocolate toffee

All I can say is thank you Danny! Danny Meyer, the genius behind Shake Shack (plus a number of New York City staples including Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, and Tabla) has my complete respect and adoration. The vegetarian ‘Shroom Burger was delicious! At first glimpse, I thought the staff forgot the cheese. Once I bit into the crispy sandwich, I was greeted by gooey warm muenster and cheddar completely encompassing a Portobello mushroom. Yum!

The sandwich itself was small, maybe about half the size of a normal burger. However, upon finishing it, I realized it was Danny who had the size of burgers correct; the rest of the world had them wrong. As for the fries, they too were delicious, but I prefer them without the cheesy sauce topping. They are tasty in and of themselves.

As for the shake, don’t get me started. On second thought, do. Anything that contains Valrhona chocolate has me sold before tasting. Blame that one on InterSportsWriter who exposed me to the finer dark chocolate in life. The frozen custard used in the shake was as dense as it was flavorful. With a number of toppings and mix-ins to choose from, there is something for everyone. They even have a flavor of the day! It was strawberry rhubarb during my visit.

For those brave enough to withstand long wait times, there is a shack cam on their website where you can check the line beforehand at their Madison Square Park location. Also, there are a couple other shacks opening up this Summer, including one in the Theatre District and one on the Upper East Side.

Later that day, I saw Shake Shack in Time Out New York. Good choice.

DAMAGE ~$18

VERDICT: GO NOW!

teany

90 Rivington St

It’s tea time at teany.

Despite my obsession with coffee and the jitters that result when I don’t get my fix, I’m actually a tea person. I wake up with tea every day and wind down with it nightly. Thus, a visit to teany on the Lower East Side not only makes sense, it is expected. I ventured here one afternoon following an eventful afternoon of watching people dance their way down Broadway during New York City’s annual Dance Parade.

The tiny vegan eatery opened by Moby and his ex-girlfriend Kelly Tisdale features 98 different kinds of tea and a decent selection of salads, soups, sandwiches, and breakfast items. Though crowded, I scored a table upon arrival.

I tried their “Hairy Crab Oolong” tea and a cup of lentil soup. Service was a bit slow and my tea was forgotten (I had to remind the server), but once everything arrived, it was very tasty. The tea was hot and flavorful with a distinctly peachy aroma; the soup was chunky and thick—the way soup should be.

I entered on an empty stomach. A pot of tea and a small cup of lentil soup left me full and satisfied. There is an interesting selection of vegan desserts, but my sweet tooth was not up for the challenge (rare but it happens). The place did feel a bit pricey (oolong tea starting @ $7.50), but all in all, teany is worth checking out.

There is no doubt I will be back. Hopefully the service will be better the second time around.

DAMAGE ~$15 (CASH ONLY)

VERDICT: Go