Pies-n-Thighs: Worth the hike to Williamsburg?

Is Pies-n-Thighs worth the trip to hella out of the way Williamsburg? For those who don't know, PNT is located on 351 Kent Ave (under the W-burg bridge) but is actually located on South 5th Street. There is no convenient subway stop. The L to Bedford is quite a distance and the J, M, Z to Marcy Ave is only five or ten minutes closer.

Fortunately I hitched a ride to PNT in a car, but sadly for brunch, where I could not take advantage of the much-touted pulled pork sandwich.

Instead, we had biscuits and gravy, a throwback to my days in Raleigh, NC, filling up on sausage-laden cream and flaky, buttery biscuits. The PNT version, as you can see, has large chunks of sausage, perhaps too large to my liking.

Of the chicken and waffles, only the chicken lived up to its reputation. While the chicken was good, it wouldn't make me come out here again. In addition, the buckwheat waffle couldn't live up to my ideal waffle: buttery goodness baked up into a crunchy layer of crust. Instead, it was mostly soggy and definitely lacking in flavor and texture.

Vietnamese: New Pasteur in Chinatown

A couple days ago I went back to my Vietnamese hole in the wall in Chinatown. New Pasteur is located on 85 Baxter St 10013. Closest subway is Canal Street N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6, J, M, Z.

Must haves:
1. Salt and pepper shrimp: Shrimp is flash fried, crispy and salty. Has a beautiful thin crust on the outside. Delightfully garlicky.

2. Banh Hoi Bo Nuong (see picture!) - bbq'd beef w/ slice rice vermicelli, salad, pancakes (1st item on front left cover of the menu): Unbelievable every time. Wrap the beef dripping with juices in mint with a little bit of vermicelli noodles and scallions in a paper thin wrapper.

The great thing about this beef is the combination of texture and flavor that captures the essence of really great food. The crunch peanuts, the tender beef, the soft noodles, plus the fresh tang of mint! AMAZING!


Don't bother getting the BBQed pork, although I do think pork has the potential to have a wider flavor profile than beef. The beef is much better.