Royal Castle Original Mini-Burgers
Esther's Sides
Brooding Snapper
Home Made Corn Muffins
On my way back from the Marlins game yesterday, I rode my scooter down NW 27th Ave. and passed by a few of my old haunts. Chef Francois, of course (which now appears to be 'Francis'-not a great sign), which used to be my Friday night souse move, and the Fish To Go little blue shack (actual name escapes me), which had some great sides, both in the 140's. But I stopped at Esther's (motto-'Real Food To Go...Fast', as opposed to Real Food To Go Fast-different meaning altogether), and tried the fried whole snapper. Nothing too fancy, for $7.99 it came macaroni and cheese, which was bright yellow and oddly bland, and some candied yams that were like a very, very, sweet, sweet potato pie, without the crust. At Esther's they say 'you'll love our colors', and I'm pretty sure the yams' color can not be found on any palette known to man. The snapper was decent, but the extra order of collard greens were excellent-not overly tangy, and just soft enough. And the home made corn muffins were soft and a little bit sweet, with the tops a little crunchy. Excellent when warmed and buttered.
My last stop was Royal Castle. Although the prices have gone up (6 for $6), the mini-burgers still are a classic, and the service was fast. Not sure about the rest of the menu (see PJ's 'Soul Food Weekend' at http://www.pjsblog.com/ ), but if you're bringing home food, make sure you get at least a dozen, because they will not last. Feel free to ask my constant companion.
http://www.esthersrestaurant.com/
Royal Castle-Corner of NW 27th Av and 79th St