Veritasty: Truthfully Delicious

Alex lives down the block from a local neighborhood-y place called Mona Lisa Bakery.  They are known primarily for their Italian pastries (my family used to buy cheesecake from their old storefront on Bath Avenue and it was a joy for little ol' me to stand and gawk at the beautiful cookies and cannoli in the glass case), but they also serve sit-down meals of pizza and pasta.  I've eaten here a handful of times because it's so nearby, the prices are decent, and sometimes you just crave Italian food like someone's nonna makes it.  This weekend, however, having dinner at Mona Lisa Bakery was among one of the worst ideas ever to strike a human's brain. When we entered the restaurant, it was Live Music Saturday.  Not like a saxophonist playing jazzy tunes in the corner.  Rather, like a busty 50-something blond lady in a red sequin dress (which had an inappropriately-high slit) singing karaoke in front of spinning strobe lights.  We were a party of five ...

Every Wednesday, on my way to Nutrition class, I pass a little (emphasis on "little") restaurant on 12th Street near University Place.  It's a small sandwich shop called Num Pang.  My friend works there so I always walk past and shout "HI SARAH!" with a wave as I walk to my 3-hour-long dreary class.  One day, we finally decide to get lunch here, and as luck would have it Sarah wasn't there, but nonetheless we had some delicious food. Num Pang specializes in Cambodian-style sandwiches.  I'm not that familiar with Cambodian food, but it seems similar to banh mi sandwiches.  I've heard lately that Mario Batali has collaborated with Num Pang to create a sandwich.  When we went there, they were filling an enormous order: two entire cardboard boxes to deliver to some fancy shmancy event.  I was excited: this must have meant their sandwiches were awesome. And awesome they were.  I had the pulled duroc pork sandwich and Alex had hoisin ...