Saturday Brunch-In in Throggs Neck!…read more Lena Trattoria has been in the "Neck" for two years and they have made their mark. As they continue to respond to customers' feedback they are introducing a new Luxe Brunch menu and we were granted the opportunity to check it out. On a warm Saturday afternoon we arrived and were greeted by Shah. With our plus 1's we were checked-in and then grabbed seats. As we perused the new brunch menu we also had the opportunity to take in the design of the place. Very fresh and aesthetically pleasing with a modern design. Lena, gives an open yet intimate vibe. They have the perfect back drop for a group or date night. The staff was extremely pleasant and helpful as we all made our selection for the 3 courses. While there is ample to choose from, a couple of observations, there wasn't many protein options especially for people like me whom do not eat red meat or pork. As well as there were no side items listed even for an a-la-carte charge. However, I'm sure you can order additional items. The service was great even when they fell a little behind. The entertainment was amazingly perfect, a saxophonist who did his damn thing! The food was good a the drinks were flowing. Personally, I would have liked more continuity between all three courses. If you don't pick wisely you will end up with a carb-heavy meal. Without realizing it serval dishes have bread. Which is not bad, I love me some bread, but by the end it was too much. Again it's because I should have paid closer attention to my selections. I selected the lobster roll to start, fresh and nice flavor, however filling to bread ratio was not balanced. This could have just been an oversight because of the size of our event. I went with the french toast for my main course and it was perfect. While it was available, no syrup was needed. Again with no side options for a protein, they were nice enough to allow me to order grilled chicken breast. Sounds like a weird combo, but with limited options available for me, it went well. The chicken was flavorful, nicely seasoned and surprisingly very tender and juicy. Lastly for dessert I opted for the bread pudding (again my fault... too much bread). It was tasty but capacity had been reached, so I only had a nibble. Brunch @ Lena's was a lovely treat and an amazing sit down event. Thank you to the oh so fab Shah! To the manger, staff, and owners of Lena Trattoria for both their hospitality and generosity. Just A Note: Lena Trattoria gives you the vibe of a restaurant in city without the congestion pricing. Go check them out!

4.5 We had the chance to try Lena Trattoria's new brunch…read moremenu, and it was such a treat! The food was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented, and the staff were amazingly friendly, attentive, and genuinely excited about the new offerings. There was a variety on the menu, with something for almost everyone to enjoy. The space itself is beautiful and inviting, being perfect for a relaxed weekend brunch. It has that cozy-yet-upscale feel that makes you want to linger a little longer over your coffee. The only downside was that there weren't many substitutions available for those who don't eat pork, which was a bit of a letdown. We mentioned it to the manager, and they were kind enough to make other provisions for us, but it would've been nice if those options were already available. A few items didn't include any protein, and there wasn't an option to add sides, which would've been a great touch. The drinks were fantastic because they were fresh, flavorful, and regularly refilled. And Absolutely awesome live music! It created such a fun, lively atmosphere that had everyone smiling and even dancing a little. I've enjoyed dinner here several times, but now I'm so happy to have them as a go-to brunch spot too!

Our 2nd elite experience at New Territories in the last year and it was just as good as our 1st…read morevisit! Being that this was our 2nd time here, we were much more familiar with their offerings, which mostly revolve around Asian-themed flavored ice cream. Although the elite experience did not come with complimentary ice cream, we still came primarily for that because it was so good last year. For this elite experience though, we were offered a complimentary double lemon float (lemonade with lemon sorbet) + a BOGO Açaí bowl. Since we were really hear to satisfy our ice cream craving, we ended up skipping the BOGO Acai bowl, but instead got the complimentary double lemon float and ordered a caramel crunch + strawberry cheesecake ice cream cup. The lemon float was very refreshing and a great pick me up on a summer day. As for the ice cream, it's ice cream, need i say more? OK, I will. I loved the strawberry cheesecake ice cream. I admit that I have a certain, special place in my heart for strawberry, but when mixed with cheesecake it was bliss. KUDOS TO YOU SARA B. FOR SETTING THIS ELITE EXPERIENCE UP!!!! IT WAS FANTASTIC!!

What a great experience! It was my first visit at New Territories, a Hong Kong inspired ice cream…read moreand dessert shop. I was able to find street parking right in front of the store. When I walked in, I was greeted by two employees. They were super informative about the menu and so much fun to talk to! The Yelp Experience allowed me to get a BOGO Acai bowl and double lemon floats. For the BOGO deal, you have to choose the same kind of acai bowl for both. I chose the Nutella Acai (~$12) which came with blueberry, granola, strawberry, banana, coconut flakes, and nutella drizzle. While I waited for them to prepare everything, I browsed through the store. The interior is super colorful and bright. They have a small section selling merchandise and Asian snacks as well as a freezer filled with pints of their homemade ice cream. I ended up getting my bowls and floats to go and they packaged everything perfectly and safely. I LOVED the double lemon float! Very sweet, tarty, and refreshing on a hot summer day. I gave the acai bowls to my parents and they both really enjoyed it. I had a few bites and the fruits were fresh. The granola really made the flavors and textures better. I would come back here to try their specialty: bubbles waffles! They also have a lot of unique ice cream flavors, including Asian-inspired ones, that I really want to try.

We were welcomed with tables set up with yelp placemats and giveaways plus Live music by a…read moreguitairist. I joined a group of ladies from Brooklyn and Manhattan. Was very nice meeting and chatting with them. We were offered drinks right away (margaritas for us) and after that, our table was always filled with dishes and sides to taste. A fave is their Fried crackling chicken which lived up to its name - so crispy and tasty, and went well with the rice and beans, and squid ink rice, which was a surprise addition to the dinner menu. I love flan and theirs was light and a great ending to the meal. Everything was good! Very grateful to Katey for the invite, Yelp, and to La Caridad 72 - Gary and his staff - for being a gracious host and for the delicious dinner that evening.

La Caridad 72 is on W 72nd St., is close to Central Park & was near the 72nd St. B & C train…read morestation. The Yelp Dinner Party at La Caridad 72 was amazing! Thanks to Yelp Manhattan Community Manager Katey G. & to La Caridad 72 Owners Gary & Irene for the fantastic experience. Special Shout-Out to the hardworking, dedicated La Caridad 72 Staff & especially to Ana & Willy for the wonderful customer service! Ana is friendly & hilarious & both Ana & Willy are terrific! La Caridad sells a fusion of Chinese & Cuban Cuisine & the original location was created in 1968. We learned so much about La Caridad & the love that was poured into making the fabulous dishes. Simplistic decor & comfortable seating arrangements in the form of traditional style as well as booth style seating are all w/ in this restaurant. We were greeted by a nice live guitarist playing wonderful music while getting settled to enjoy our dining experience. Sharing a table w/ Yelp Bronx Elite Bernice, Yelp Queens Elite Marie R. & Yelp Manhattan Elite Katie made the event all the more memorable. We definitely enjoyed each others company talking, laughing,& sharing great information. When I say we enjoyed ourselves from the beginning to the end of the dining experience....I meant it - lol. From the first strong Margarita to the last Margarita & every morsel of food...it was all so good! Yelp Menu: 1st Course - Fried Crackling Chicken 2nd Course - Sweet Plantains, Yucatan Fries 3rd Course - Ropa Vieja w/ White Rice & Black Beans 4th Course - Fried Boneless Chicken Crackling Special Surprise- Squid Ink Rice 5th Couse - Flan for Dessert The Fried Chicken Crackling, Boneless Chicken as well as the Ropa Vieja were flavorful. The Ropa Vieja tasted absolutely delicious like it was a homemade dish & all of those dishes were well-prepared & well-seasoned. Thanks to La Caridad 72! Instagram - @lacaridad72nyc

I asked a coworker to come join me last minute to come have some pho on this dark, damp day, and he…read morewas very curious to see what a Yelp Elite Event was all about. Although try as hard as he might, he didn't get the Elite treatment since he's not even close to my level; I said this could be you one day! Walked right up to the counter and placed our orders with minimal issues in deciding what to go for. I opted to claim my chicken spring roll, a smoked beef brisket pho, and a Vietnamese cold coffee to stay. These three items where under $30 all together, and was grateful to get to be a part of this YEE experience! Shoutout to the Brooklyn Yelp Team! The chicken spring roll was bouncy, and the chicken inside looked like a chicken wing; very visually satisfying. The peanut dipping sauce was very flavorful and deep in umami. A great addition to the meal; highly recommend! I couldn't get over how packed my beef brisket pho was! I've been to some places that have way more broth than the noodles ratio, and this place made it 1:1. It was such a comforting bowl to have on such a damp fall day; really happy with the depth of the broth. How could vegan beef broth be so good?!?! What else blew me away was my coworker's vegan chicken in his pho. It tasted EXACTLY like chicken! Great texture and plenty of meat in every noodley bite! The Vietnamese cold coffee was also a very pleasant first time surprise! I've never had it before, and loved how refreshing, light, and sweet it was! It really would be lovely to have on a super hot and humid day, that's for sure. Great depth of flavor in the coffee itself with Lucy's adorable packaging. Come for the vibes; come for the pho; come for the love of Lucy's!

I am 100% coming back to Lucy's- I am obsessed! The inside is very cozy and cute (great date night…read morevibes), but we took ours to-go so this is their takeout review. The food was packaged securely in their own reusable bags and fully maintained their quality! The shrimp spring roll was big and delicious, and the pho was some of the most comforting I've had in a while. You get a really big portion that is very much worth what you pay, not to mention the smoked brisket is so TENDER, you'll fall in love. I also saved my Vietnamese Coffee (comes bottled as shown) for the next morning and it was SO TASTY. Not overly sweet but still very addicting. Revived my morning. Between the tea or the coffee- go for the coffee. 10/10 experience, I'm excited now to try all the variations on their menu!

I was invited to the "Food in Focus" event due to the fact that one of my reviews was being…read morefeatured in the gallery space. This was definitely a unique event in and of itself since the last time it occurred was apparently over two years ago and that it featured actual content from reviewers for restaurants all throughout the lower east side! The event itself was unique in a lot of ways! Hosted within a small gallery space in the LES, it featured both pictures and snippets from reviews related to restaurants in the neighborhood. After hearing presentations from some members of the corporate team it was clear that the event was organized to promote restaurants in the area, as well as Yelp's reservation platform. What was really awesome is that Yelp also donated $250 for every restaurant that had a representative show up to City Harvest, which is New York City's largest food rescue organization, feeding the more than 1.2 million New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. They also had a great spread for us to enjoy! Chicken skewers, a diverse cheese platter, and marinated beef made for some savory snacks. They also had a selections of beverages for people to enjoy while browsing throughout the space. Overall a really unique and interesting event! I'll be excited to see if they try this out for different neighborhoods, but until then thanks Ruggy and staff for another memorable Yelp event!

YELP is a scam. Sales Associate Hadi Hamoudeh is a liar. Charged me as much as $40 per click!!! Did…read morenot get one lead almost $800 in fees over less than an 8 week period. He charged me $160 for an account upgrade that I did not authorize and did not get. I received a ton of calls when he was trying to sell me this service but now that I have a complaint you won't answer the phone and won't call me back. Stay away from this company. If you want to learn about them check the complaints at the BBB.

I'm soo happy I finally got to experience Tiny's Cantina over the weekend for brunch. The weather…read moremight have been brisk outside but the staff brought the warm and coziness to the restaurant vibe inside. I came here around noon and the place haven't been filled up yet but that was truly toward my benefit as my waiter, Jeff was extra attentive (yay me!). He offered me both brunch and regular menu and was very friendly and eager to assist me if I needed it. After making all my choices, he complimented and said I made good choices and whether if that was true or not, it made me felt happy. Lol. All of the food portion were huge. I ordered their wings as my appetizer, shrimp/bacon taco for entrée and tres leche for dessert. With that they also offered me some fresh fried taco with homemade salsa that was really delicious and made me wanting more even though I had to pace myself. Presentation wise, it was all instagramable. They restaurant is very conscious about presentation so that was a huge plus. As for taste, it was all good. I especially enjoy my shrimp/bacon taco as it was huge and those trio-side sauce (hot sauce, green sauce and pumpkin sauce) was just outright slamming. As for portion it was larger then life, especially for one person. Honestly I think it could feed two people as I ended up taking half of it home. Overall, I enjoyed myself, felt really relaxed, enjoyed their playlist and especially my waiter, Jeff that help tied my experience with Tiny Cantina in nicely. Thank you again to our CM, Morlene, Jeff, my waiter and Tiny Cantina for this special treat!!

This place was super cute. I had the burrito bowl. It was good. Probably something on the healthier…read moreside considering the grilled chicken and fresh ingredients. The only gripe I had was seasoning. It lacked flavor which is huge in Latin food. Mexican food is probably one of my favorite types of cuisines because of the fresh ingredients, because of all the time, energy and culture attached to the food so it was slightly underwhelming. A bit bland. But the service was great. Our server was so nice. We got the highly instagramable pizza. It was lovely and very filling but couldn't done with a feels radishes. If you love radishes, get the pizza. The drinks were refreshing and tasty. Definitely recommend checking it out. My Yelp fren had the diablo shrimp which was spicy. It looked really good and seemed super flavorful.

Just realizing that I never left my review on this event, despite uploading my pictures some time…read moreago. I love the simplicity of the restaurant. It's a short menu and your options are limited, but like I said, I appreciate the simplicity. This is what they offer, and what they offer, they do it well. We got a greasy smashed cheeseburger and greasy fries, but I'm saying "greasy" in a good way. That's the type of burger and fries that I yearn for, and I got it!

Thanks again to the owners of 7th Street Burger and their staff, for the immense amount of…read moregenerosity and love they continually show us Yelpers every time a new location is up and running. As always, a limited menu, but they do what they do... GRRRREAT! I came on a Friday evening and found parking right in front. There was a wait, we placed our order and was able to customize as per usual w/ doubles and fries, sauce and all impossible for me. Since we happened to find street parking we decided to stay and eat this location has tables. Hallelujah! 7th Street burger is quickly becoming a favorite burger spot in the city. As they continue expanding their empire and "Take Over" of the city, they would need to make it to Harlem and THE BRONX to officially win everyone in my crew over. Again thanks to 7th Street Burger's staff and owners who take such great care of us Yelpers and to Katey and Yelp NYC. Just A Note: They now have cookies (the banana pudding has been discontinued) The Impossible Burgers have GREEN wrapping (green=plant) and the Beef Burgers have RED wrapping (red=red meat).

One of my favorite parts in the BK!!…read more Down. Under . The .Manhattan Bridge. So much history here! So many landmarks but my favorite is bridge! Try visiting at night at view the beautiful bridge. Lots of night life activities! Live performances! Vendors! Come during the summer!

I wanted to walk down the Brooklyn Bridge and check out DUMBO…read more Timing didn't work out though, and I read that the Brooklyn Bridge didn't end out convenient for checking out DUMBO (instead the Manhattan Bridge would work out better). So we took the subway out and headed to the popular Manhattan bridge view on Washington St, which is blocked off as a pedestrian area. Walked through the Main Street Park, past Pebble Beach, and towards the encased carousel. We learned a few things. Man is it loud here! The trains on the Manhattan Bridge make such noise! Don't pick a hotel here unless they are able to promise noise blocking construction. Okay, maybe that's the only thing I learned, since the other is more specific to me - don't walk around DUMBO when it is hot and humid. I was a blob, and just wanted to sit in the shade and drink water.

Thank you Rokstar, Hailey, Katey, and Yelp…read more This ended up being the perfect pitstop on my way home. This one is located inside the Food Bazaar on the 2nd level. It is simply a walk up counter with a couple tables if you want to enjoy your food hot on the spot. I decided on the chicken sandwich & cajun garlic fries combo with a Sunkist Grape. It was late so I simply waited for my order and took it to go. Definitely, worth trying and on a return visit I will probably opt for a sandwich without the slaw. I didn't enjoy and it made the bread soggy. Just A Note: The "Rok" in Rokstar is for the Republic of Korea

NYC Yelp Elite Week offered the opportunity to check out Rokstar Chicken - Harlem, located on…read moreE125th Street inside Food Bazaar's supermarket. Rokstar's kiosk can't be missed, as it's easily identifiable once hopping off the escalator to the 2nd floor. Rokstar's concept is easy and consistent. Choose your batter, choose your chicken, choose your flavor and sides. Wait for your order, in this case Chicken Wings and Boneless Chicken, to be freshly prepared within 15 mins. Once your order is ready, a text message is sent and you're good to go. Natalia, our counter server for the day, was very sweet and completed our orders as requested. Thank you Rokstar and CM Katey for the opportunity.

Absolutely recommend this place! The ambiance right away pays homage to the Filipino culture. The…read moretropical design, the shack bar, and the big screen playing Filipino movies were all done respectfully. The drinks were also so good. We ordered an ube horchata and mango float Food wise, we ordered the bbq skewers, the mushroom sisig, the lumpia (egg rolls) and the beef tapa. Everything was artfully prepared, and nothing tasted too salty or overwhelming, which I liked. The staff and manager were so lovely and accommodating. The manager even took time to chat with us after and tell us about how he came to Kalye. Only thing, the food is a bit pricy ($24 for the sisig, for example). Nonetheless, it's a night out! If you're hesitant, don't be! Give it a try.

Huge thanks to Yelp NYC and Hailey for this wonderful Yelp Elite Experience. I've been to Kalye's…read moreother location on Broome Street, but this was my first intro to their Rivington location. I must say I was really impressed by the space, décor and ambience. The check-in and pickup was so smooth. It was a hard choice, but I ended up with the Beef Tapa and Fried Lumpia for the comp meal. And after perusing the menu, I also ordered the Sliders and Pork Skewers. The food smelled so good that I ended up scarfing down one of the Lumpia on my walk to the subway. The Lumpia was easily my favorite out of the items I took home. They come 6 pieces per order and were massive, easily double the size of normal Lumpia. The Beef Tapa came with rice, fried egg and slices of tomatoes and cucumbers. The meat was flavorful, and this was a hearty dish. The items I paid for were also quite good. The sliders came two per order in the bright purple Ube buns. So very tasty. The Pork Skewers were great and paired well with the vinegar dipping sauce. I honestly think that I prefer this location over their Broome St location. The food just tasted better. I noticed that previous reviews for this Experience mentioned that they were given Yelp bags with their order. Unfortunately, I didn't get one. I went on the last day of the Experience so I think they must have run out. Nevertheless, I'm so grateful to have gotten this delicious meal. Thank you so much Kalye for your generosity.