South American Food |

I hope everyone is off to a fantastic New Year! How did everyone spend their New Years Eve? Hopefully with a glass of champagne in one hand!? (I love this photograph from Red Haute and Bothered on Tumblr. I just had to share it with you).

Instead of going into all of the stereotypical New Year’s resolutions… I want to share with you a few of my favorite posts from 2011. I’ve discovered so many fantastic restaurants here in New York — and I hope everyone is able to try some new and interesting cuisine in this upcoming year!

For the overall tastiest dish in New York City — Al Di La Trattoria in Brooklyn, New York — fits the bill! I never go to Brooklyn, but I would happily go any time if it meant I would be eating at Al Di La.

My favorite meal while out of New York City was from — Antico Noe — a sandwich shop in Florence, Italy. I never imagined that a sandwich could be this delicious! I plan to go back to Florence one day, just so I can eat here!

The best burger award goes to — Minetta Tavern — their Black Label Burger is the reason why you need to make reservations one month in advance! And do not offer to share this burger with anyone. Trust me, you’ll want it all to yourself. (*and eat it the way the chef prepares it, do NOT add ketchup.)

For an affordable, yet trendy and sophisticated menu, the award award goes to — L’Artusi — I love that the menu changes seasonally, and the portion sizes are fantastic!

The most exotic restaurant surly is — Ventanas — this Spanish-Moroccan fusion restaurant has mastered the tastiest dishes and has an incredibly entertaining ambiance.

The fastest and tastiest restaurant award goes to — La Esquina’s Taqueria in Soho — it’s hard not to stop here for some tacos and grilled corn whenever I am shopping downtown! Plus, it’s a great place to take friends to when they visit, no one dislikes their food!

The best comfort food award goes to — The Meatball Shop — the unfortunately long wait keeps me from going back, but the food is delicious and insanely cheap! Who wouldn’t want a bowl of spicy pork meatballs?

Pizza may have been around for centuries, but Co. in Chelsea knew what to do to have people re-discovering it again. Even though it’s a bit pricey for pizza, you’ll love every bite!

The best South American food goes to the 24/7 joint in Hell’s Kitchen — Empanada Mama. The avocado salad is to-die-for but all of the empanadas are fantastic! This is obviously what they are known for, so you must order a bunch when you go (plus, they are wicked cheap!).

My friends Kelly and Ken took me to Empanada Mama the other night for dinner in Hell’s Kitchen. Let me tell you right off the bat how incredible the food is here! First of all, everything is so inexpensive! The three of us had drinks and dinner for $50 (in case you don’t live in New York City, that’s pretty inexpensive). The empanadas are what you have to order when you come here. Of course there are other great things on the menu, I can’t wait to order the avocado salad (it looks incredible). And the guacamole is outstanding! When you order the guacamole, it comes with a side of nicely salted plantain chips — the two are the a perfect combination.

There are so many options on the menu, I was extremely overwhelmed when I ordered for my first time. But I had to remind myself that I would be coming back for other meals and I didn’t have to worry about ordering everything. (Look at the menu below, you’ll see exactly what I am talking about.)

I ordered the Cheesesteak Empanada that has skirt steak and mozzarella cheese with a Latin twist, as well as the Shredded Beef Empanada that comes with onion slowly cooked beef that’s marinated in a traditional Colombian spices.

The cheesesteak empanada really hits the spot for someone who loves cheese and hard core steak. The cheese was nice and hot and creamy when I split open the empanada. The dough on the outside is perfectly cooked — nice and crispy on the outside, and doughy on the inside.

I can’t wait to go back to eat at Empanada Mama again… Luckily, this joint is located in Hell’s Kitchen (not too far from my apartment, but very close to my office) and they are open 24/7. Since the restaurant practically seats only 20 people, you may want to order your food to go if there is a massive line/wait.