cover image The Chowhound's Guide to the New York Tristate Area

The Chowhound's Guide to the New York Tristate Area

Chowhound. Penguin Books, $18 (480pp) ISBN 978-0-14-303440-7

The editors at Chowhound.com, an Internet site ""for those who live to eat,"" have compiled tips from the site's message boards into an eclectic guide for those who are willing to go to extreme lengths for great grub. This directory of miscellaneous buffets, cafeterias and restaurants is broken into groupings like Lesser-Known Italians, Veg-Friendly Brooklyn and the more exotic Israeli Flavors in an Israeli Atmosphere. Woven throughout are profiles of dedicated Chowhounds, who divulge everything from their favorite haunts to their weight management tips. Though this offbeat guide initially appears to be a disorganized, A to Z hodgepodge of restaurants and locations, it's really a massive list of notable eateries missed by more traditional surveys. Honduran Breakfast, Asian Mousses and Kissable Grits-this book covers the gamut, and all of the information is conveniently indexed according to location, restaurant and cuisine. The only drawback is the reference's chaotic layout. Some words are written in all caps and some bold; the roundup headings are strangely indented; and the addresses of the restaurants appear in columns before each roundup-all of which can be an eye strain. Still, food fanatics-particularly those who live in New York City, where many of these restaurants are located-may find that navigating this book is part of the adventure.