Yard House: Great Food, Great Service, Overall A+

Steele Platt founded Yard House in the early 1990’s. The first Yard house was located in Long Beach in Southern California. His idea to create top-notch quality food at affordable prices combined with over one hundred beers on tap won over the hearts of the locals. He then realized that his concept could be expanded, and decided to open multiple locations. 

Today, there are multiple Yard house’s in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Virginia, and Texas.

Onion ring tower

Yard house features American fusion cuisine. There are over 130 items on the menu ranging from appetizers, salads, pastas, sandwiches, tacos, grilled burgers, individual-size pizzas, seafood, steaks and ribs. 

The Kids Klub menu includes fresh-to-order favorites including a selection of healthy items for children. The atmosphere can be described as lively, classy, and young. Flat screen TV’s pointed in every direction broadcast the day’s news and sporting event. It is a place that can be enjoyed by families and friends.

Upon arrival to Yard house in Yonkers, my friend and I waited around a half hour for our handheld buzzer to alert us that our table was ready. It was a Friday around 8PM, so the amount of people there was excusable.

Summer salad

We ordered the onion ring tower for an appetizer and I had the summer salad, which consisted of romaine lettuce, strawberries, avocado, oranges, candied walnuts, leeks and spiced balsamic vinaigrette. It was delicious and tasty. The ingredients were very fresh and complemented each other well. I ordered a strawberry daiquiri to compliment my food and it was just right. Not too strong, not too weak, the bartender put just the right amount of rum. I was a happy camper!

The bill came out to around $70, which I thought was understandable for an order consisting of two alcoholic drinks, an appetizer, and two salads.

The posh, young crowd made us feel as if we were right at home and the waiter was extremely attentive, helpful, and patient.

Upon leaving Yard house I was extremely satisfied. I felt, as though it was money well spent, the food and service could not have been better.

I recommend this restaurant to a person in there 20s or 30s who enjoy an upscale, lively place with great food and people.

For another take on Yard house in Yonkers, here is Melissa S.’s review from Yelp.com:

I wanted to rate it a 3.5 and I'll tell you why...
Positives: 
1. Service is good.  Servers are very knowledge of there products and have patience with you. 
2. Setting is great for any customer-family, date, and group of friends. 
 3. 130 beers to choose from-any beer lovers dream 
4. Happy hour deals that are beneficial considering the prices are a little steep on some items.
 5. TV's all over so great to go to for sporting events.

Negatives:
1. Not impressed with the food. Small portions, big price.  And taste is decent. 
2. The parking situation within the complex stinks.  Its $3.25 per car even if you're there an hour.  And Yard House doesn't validate the parking ticket, other places in the complex do.

Introducing the New and Improved Moonstruck Diner!!

Moonstruck on 58th

         Moonstruck Diner/Restaurant on East 58th St. is a young, cool place to visit, grab a sandwich and a glass of wine, and just kick back and relax. The atmosphere is cozy and fun, complete with shiny booths and a futuristic flare. Weird, spiral lights peek out from the walls and ceilings. Red, green, and yellow lights glow and will give you the feeling that you have walked onto another planet.

         Recently, Moonstruck has been expanding its space. Another room has been added featuring more spiraly lights and a section of baked goods including various types of cakes, pies, and pastries. After some inquiring, I found out that they currently changed owners, which meant that the cooks, and entire staff is being changed also.

          The food is better than ever. The price is rock bottom, especially for the midtown East side of Manhattan. It is not your typical diner food. The veggie burgers are out of this world delicious, the fries are just the right amount of crispy, and the chicken soup will cure the worst of sicknesses. The new chefs are amazing, named Choi and Roberto, and will wave at you as you walk by the entrance of the kitchen when they see you. The staff is overall friendly and kind, as well as extremely attentive.

My recent lunch at Moonstruck Diner.

           For my lunch yesterday, I decided I would order the veggie burger without the bun, a side of tomato as well as a side salad (as you can see, I'm watching my figure!) The food was prepared to perfection and not only was it delcious, it looked amazing. The chefs at Moonstruck take pride and truly love what they do. They do not just cook your meal, they arrange it to look visually appealing also.

            Overall, the bill came out to be about $15, not bad for a diner in an exceptional area of NYC, huh? I recommend stopping in for a bite if you're ever in the area and the best part about it is that they're open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week! You just can't beat it.

             Moonstruck's menu can be found here. You will notice that the prices are extremely affordable, averaging in at around $10 for breakfast, $11 for a sandwhich, burger, or wrap (including fries), and about $25 maximum for a complete dinner including sides, salad, and optional soup. Overall, I think the prices are very fair considering this diner's location and it's quality of food.

             For another take on Moonstruck Diner on 58th, here's Jenny C.'s review from Yelp.com: "On a scale of new york city, this place is average good.  But, I come here all the time because it's convenient, there's always room, they have everything you could possibly crave on a Sunday morning, and their salads are bangin'!   Oh, and plus one, they have sanitary hand wipes for all you germaphobes out there."

Yucatán's Opening is a Far Cry From Grand.

        The cool, baby blue awning catches your eye as you walk down Williamsbridge Road in the Bronx.Yucatán Restaurant describes its food as "a blend of Mexican and Caribbean" tastes that will awaken your senses like never before. Oh, how I wish it were true...

        The hostess greeted us graciously when we arrived and attempted to seat us rather close to the noisy bar where sports games were turned up loudly. Strike One.We politely asked for a booth, she obliged.

        We were given nachos and salsa to munch on before our meal arrived.The salsa was OK, just OK. In my opinion, the Tostitos salsa available at the supermarket is better. Strike two.

        We began with drinks. I ordered a strawberry daiquiri and my friend ordered a Malibu bay breeze, both tasted as though they were virgin. Strike three.

Burrito from Yucatan

        For my main course, I decided on the steak burritos (see picture to left). The portions were rather large, but the food was sub-par. I had asked for my meal to be prepared without cilantro and the waiter assured me that everything was made to order. However, when my food arrived there was cilantro in it. I asked for it to be taken back. Strike four.

        My friend ordered the chicken quesadilla's. After trying some of her food, my mind was made up. I would never come back to this restaurant again. The chicken was very dry, even paired with cheese and toppings. It seemed as if it was pre-made and thrown into the oven five minutes before it was served. Strike five.

Yucatán's bar area

        Our bill came out to a lot more than expected, about $95 for just two people. This confused me, since we hadn't even ordered appetizers! I guess the minute amount of alcohol poured in our two drinks really put the check over the top.

We were shocked to find that the restaurant did not have change for large bills. We witnessed waiters and waitresses scrambling around, speaking angrily in Spanish to each other, trying to figure out what to do. I'm not sure where they came up with the change, but eventually they did. Shouldn't a restaurant be prepared for situations like this?

        All in all, it was a disappointing experience. Restaurant goer Edgar S. on Yelp.com, also had a similar dining experience. He said "I didn't get nachos. The bathroom had no paper towels (I had to dry my hands and face with a bar napkin that was stuck all over my face and hands.) I overheard the waiter tell a patron they ran out of chorizo. I was told I would get salsa and never did and apparently they had a hard time getting my change from my bill." Apparently, Yucatan Restaurant is not too fond of giving change to customers.

       I would not reccommend Yucutan Restaurant to anyone looking for a relaxing, enjoyable dining experience. From the service to the food, Yucatán is below average. Don't let the pretty awning fool you.

Do You Crave 4 Cupcakes?

     Crosby Avenue in the Bronx is now home to a new upscale cupcake boutique, Craving 4 Cupcakes. Once only located in Manhattan, this adorable pink-themed store brings life and elegance to the once dreary and grey Pelham Bay area.

     Craving for Cupcakes offers a wide range of good, but pricey treats for cupcake lovers of all ages. Upon arrival, the smell of baked goods hits you. You may think you've died and went to cake heaven.

     This mini boutique delivers to all five boroughs of the New York City area including Long Island. Minimum order for delivery is two dozen cupcakes which you can personalize according to flavor, frosting, and topping. The options range from the typical chocolate or vanilla cupcake to the outrageous meringue, Oreo cookie and peanut butter flavored cupcake.

     I decided to walk in and sample a few cupcakes myself. I decided to order the typical chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting, topped with sprinkles.It was good, but I'd choose my grandmothers cupcakes over these any day. Also, $5 for a rather small cupcake is a little too pricey to keep me coming back for more.

    Cheesecake is also on the menu and I decided that a small bit couldn't hurt. Toppings to choose from include  cherry, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, and pineapple. The cheesecake is much better than the cupcakes. It is rich and creamy - it is melt in your mouth good. I ordered mine topped with strawberries. They tasted fresh and complemented the cake nicely.

    Birthday parties for children can also be held at the bakery. Here, kids can learn how to bake and create their own personalized cupcakes for one another.

   All in all, Craving 4 Cupcakes offers a friendly, warm and fun atmosphere. However, their cupcakes can use some improvement and their price should be toned down. Their delivery charges are also a bit outstanding compared to the quality of food they offer.