those of you who know me know that there is nothing i love more than eating out.  but, from time to time, i also like going to restaurants…

lunch at szechuan gourmet.  szechuan style chinese food is something of a dark horse, served by a relatively small percentage of chinese restaurants.  in nyc, if you want szechuan cuisine, you head over to grand sichuan.  so when my buddy @squaredem told me that he had seen it profiled on the best thing i ever ate, i have to admit that i was a little skeptical; i suspected that maybe it had ended up on some food network star’s list of best things simply because they had never had szechuan cuisine before.  but @squaredem convinced me to give it a shot.  and now i’m greatly indebted to him.  szechuan gourmet is simply one of the best chinese restaurants i have ever been to.  following recommendations from our server, we ended up with a cucumber salad, stir fried fresh pork belly with chili leeks, and the chef’s ma paul tofu and minced chili pork, each doused in it’s own distinct tasting szechuan chili oil sauce.  the menu is huge, so i foresee many trips back in order to sample the rest of the dishes.  as a general rule, szechuan cuisine is not for those with weak stomachs, and this place is no exception.  but if you want to try something different, and aren’t afraid to play with a little bit of fire, szechuan gourmet is a must.  

35th st between 5th and 6th aves.