The Kitschy Cowgirl

I'm not sure what it is about Southern/BBQ restaurants that make the owners feel the need to decorate it in the most over-the-top manner. They try to cover every square inch of wall space with every country/western knick knack known to man. Of course there are exceptions to this rule (the more classy joints), but Cowgirl fits right in with the "chotchkies galore" mentality when it comes to its decor.

Old highway signs, gun racks, and cowboy hats decorate the space and the wooden booths make you feel like you're in a western saloon. If I hadn't been to Cowgirl before, I would have been convinced that this place was a complete tourist trap. My co-workers and I went there for dinner before another colleague's performance a few blocks away. I quickly reassured them that it was a fun, neighborhood restaurant and we'd have a great meal.

Just as soon as we were seated and our drink orders were taken, chips and black-eyed pea salsa was brought to our table. As weird as we all thought it looked at first glance, this salsa was absolutely delicious. I didn't want to fill up on the chips and salsa too much, but luckily the little bowl went quickly among the four of us.

There were so many dishes that really caught my eye on the menu...I knew it was going to be a tough choice! Cowgirl was too unique to order any of the typical items like fajitas or a bbq chicken sandwich, so it was easy to eliminate those. Then, something stood out to me and I knew I had to order it...a Frito pie. Most of you from above the Mason-Dixon line probably have no clue what a Frito pie is. Imagine Frito chips (you know, those salty, greasy, corn chips) covered in chili and all the fixin's.

Cowgirl took it to the next level, further convincing me they have some creative chefs in that kitchen! Not only was the veggie chili (there is also the choice of beef brisket) served on top of the Fritos, but the entire dish was served IN a Fritos bag!!



The Fritos got soggy pretty quickly under the heat of the chili, but the first few bites had a great crunch. The chili itself was delicious...a little sweet, a little spicy, and had a lot of beans and veggies in it. The whole thing was topped with shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped onions, and jalapenos. It seemed like a small portion at first, but was definitely very hearty.

So far, so good. To add to the great experience, if you order the 32oz fountain drinks, there are free refills...and you know how I feel about that! Granted most people cannot consume 64 ounces of soda in one sitting, but then again, who ever claimed Miss Menu was "most people?!" My co-workers really enjoyed their meals too. Two got the Cowtown Quesadillas with pulled chicken and another got Papa Joel's Pulled Pork sandwich. They also liked the frozen margaritas, one was mango flavor and the other was made with Jameson instead of tequila.

If you're looking for a cute (if not slightly over-decorated!) place with a lively atmosphere, great bar scene and happy hour, and some good ol' down-home cooking, Cowgirl is the place for you. Happy eatin', y'all!

Cowgirl
519 Hudson Street
@ West 10th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Super Bowl Afternoon Delight

Super Bowl Sunday is good by itself. BBQ is good by itself. Put them together, and you have one fantastic afternoon/evening in store. A Super Bowl party usually comes with some staple food items...pizza, chips, veggies & dip,etc. And as much as I enjoy all of those things, they're nothing out of the ordinary. So, it was very exciting to hear that my friends were going to have Virgil's delivered for the big game. Even though it's across the street from my office, I haven't been to Virgil's. But since we had so much food delivered, and I got to sample so many different items, I feel like it's totally acceptable to write about it on Miss Menu...right?!

Just to humor you, thought it'd be amusing to list all of the things that were delivered (in 2 giant shopping bags): 2 salads, 2 huge bottles of Virgil's Real BBQ sauce, brisket, chicken wings, a whole chicken, ribs, coleslaw, potato salad, mac & cheese, biscuits, corn muffins, and to round out this well-balanced meal...a chocolate pie. Now, the even more amusing part is that this was said to be the right amount of food for 10 people. Problem was a few people didn't make it, so we had 6 people eating. Let's just say that there were plenty of leftovers.

While I can't comment on the atmosphere of actually eating at Virgil's, I can say that their food is pretty good. The sauce definitely made the meal and was a welcomed topping. The mac & cheese was very cheesy and had that slightly burned top that makes it even better. The chocolate pie was served with homemade whipped cream, and if I wasn't already so full from all of that food, I would have loved to finish my piece!

I'll definitely have to write another post if I ever do dine at Virgil's, but for now, this will have to suffice. To some, it's the best BBQ in NYC. I'm not sure I'd go that far. But, I do feel required to mention that many people (including some commenters on Midtown Lunch) view the restaurant as a tourist trap, with its close proximity to Times Square. Maybe delivery is the way to go!

Virgil's Real Barbecue
152 West 44th Street
b/t 6th Ave & Broadway
website
Menu Pages listing

Duke of Earl

For those of you who haven't been, Duke's is an American restaurant with a twist, offering BBQ and other Southern comfort foods like mac & cheese, Chattanooga chili, and even collard greens. In a typical attempted-kitschy style, it's decorated with old license plates and other knick knacks that are often seen in BBQ restaurants. I've been to Duke's (fka Earl's) countless times...but only for dinner.

Yesterday was an unexpected chance to change it up a bit and try it for brunch. Right away, they bring out a basket of fresh mini biscuits, blueberry and corn muffins with a strawberry butter. Perfect for tiding you over til the food comes. The full lunch/dinner menu with all of its standbys is still available, but they also have a brunch menu. I was torn...I am very partial to Duke's french fries, but the brunch items were served with home fries. Lucky me, I was able to substitute them, and get the best of both worlds...fries AND brunch!

I got the All-American Breakfast Special, which was entirely too much food...but for someone who is extremely indecisive when it comes to ordering at a restaurant, it was perfect...a little bit of everything. The eggs were cooked perfectly, which is all too often a rarity at brunch spots in NYC. It also came with two small, but delicious, buttermilk pancakes, home fries (or in my case french fries), bacon, and toast. I forwent the bacon (since I don't eat pork) and the toast, and was still plenty satisfied.

If you're looking for a nice change of pace from the usual East Side brunch spots (like Josie's and Penelope), I'd highly recommend Duke's. With dozens of TVs, it's also a great place to watch early footbal or basketball games.

Duke's
560 3rd Avenue
@ 37th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

A Total BBQ Bug-out

As I've mentioned in a past post, the casual, sit-down restaurant is hard to come by in Midtown Manhattan. But I have a few places up my sleeve for when I need a change of pace from the usual deli. One of these was Havana Central, but after my bad experience there last time, the jury is still out if I'll go back. Unfortunately, one of my other safeties Spanky's bugged me out yesterday...literally.

I may not be the typical Southern belle, especially after living in NYC for almost 5 years. Even so, I still love the occasional Southern meal, especially BBQ. Something about that cuisine is so comforting to me. Guess that's why they call it comfort food! There are dozens of BBQ restaurants in the city...some are trendy, some are chains, some are just gross. So, it's hard to find ones that aren't over-hyped, but still serve really good food, with the key to Southern food...a great BBQ sauce. That's why I was so excited to have discovered Spanky's last year. Spanky's had everything going for it...location (1 block from my office), a fun atmosphere, great (and different) food, great prices, and small crowds (despite basically being in Times Square).

So, as I said, I went to Spanky's yesterday for lunch. Everything was going smoothly at first. I usually get the same thing every time...the hacked BBQ chicken sandwich with fries. But, I decided to change it up yesterday and got the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with a great Cajun mayo. The sandwich was really good, the fries were great as usual, and (possibly my favorite part), the waitress had just brought out refills on our Diet Cokes. I was content. For those of you who may not know, free refills are VERY hard to come by in Manhattan. Quick aside...I learned this the hard way in my first month in New York. I had 2 refills (3 glasses total) while out to brunch one day, and when the bill came, the sodas cost me more than my entree. As much as I love (and am addicted to) Diet Coke, it's really not worth $12!!!

Where were we? Oh right...just as I finished my sandwich, I saw this awful looking bug crawling across my plate. I threw down my sandwich, jumped out of my chair, and screamed. I'm pretty sure the entire restaurant was looking at me. Now, this is New York after all. So, as terrible as it sounds, it's not horribly uncommon to see flies in a restaurant, or maybe even a roach scurry across the floor. But, this was a bug I had never seen before...AND it was on my food.

The bus boy quickly came over and cleared the food away, so noble of him. But, as he walked the plates back to that station where they keep the dirty dishes and condiments, etc., he knocked the bug off the plate, onto the floor, and then stomped on it....in pretty plain site of all the customers. The manager came running over apologizing profusely, and offered to comp our meal. He said that the restaurant was sprayed last night. Seems to me like they need to hire a new exterminator!

Another Midtown disappointment. I'm upset that another one of my favorite work-week lunch spots has to be crossed off the list...at least until I am no longer skeeved out! Guess I better turn to the folks at Midtown Lunch for some new lunch inspiration!

Spanky's
127 West 43rd Street
b/t 6th & Broadway
website
Menu Pages listing