Restaurant Review

Recession proof steakhouse.

New York is full of famous steak houses. There’s Peter Luger’s, Wolfgang’s (not Puck), and of course the infamous Sparks (where a certain Gambino crime boss met his demise). Yes, all three are good and I have neglected many. But all the good places in the city have one thing in common: they’re expensive. So where can you go in the New York area for a good cheap steak; a steak for the recession minded connoisseur? Well, you’ll have to travel west across the Hudson River to Hoboken, New Jersey to a place called Arthur’s Tavern.

Full review after the jump.

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Protozoa, Bacteria, Virus Free Water. Sounds Delicious.

The last thing you want is Giardia.

When you go hiking how clean is your water? More importantly, how heavy is it? At around two pounds a liter, water is one of the heaviest things in your pack, but you never want to underestimate what you’ll need out there. So next time you hit the trail lighten your load and bring a Katadyn Hiker water filter and fill up at any stream on or off the trail.

At eleven ounces, the Swiss made Katadyn Hiker is perfect for back country. It will filter out all the nasties in any water you come across, even the dreaded giardia. I used it on a recent hike up Half Dome in Yosemite National Park (photo from my trek after the jump), and I’m glad to report an issue free trip, if you know what I mean. Too much information? Perhaps, but hey it worked and it saved my ass from getting dehydrated when my party ran out of water.

Cost: $52
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Restaurant Review

You too will be in line waiting for House of Nanking    Courtesy: Saturnism

I hate Chinese food… let me clarify; I hate Americanized Chinese food. I categorize venues like Panda Express and PF Chang’s (not good) - laden with overly sweet chicken dishes that feed America’s need to feel cultured and loaded on MSG. But there are exceptions, and good ones at that.

The House of Nanking, lies right on the edge of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Read any San Francisco guide book and it will undoubtedly mention this place. No, its not 100% authentic but in this case it works. You won’t find steamed chicken feet or Mapo tofu (two of my favorites). You’re also not likely to find Chinese families or the melodic tones of Mandarin. What you will find is food that tastes good and is properly tweaked to an American palette.

Yes they do have the ubiquitous sweet dishes like sesame chicken, and of course they have all the appetizers that you’ve grown to love. Better even, Nanking also serves up warm spinach salad topped with beef, peppers, and a dressing that has just the right amount of soy.

You’ll also find an interesting take on Peking duck. The cooks at Nanking’s replace the duck with succulent chunks of pork and roll it up in a pancake with scallions and slices of calabash. As for noodles, try the cleverly named Birds Nest. It’s not an actual birds nest (like Chinese Bird’s Nest soup), but rather a basket of deep fried noodles topped with a sweet and salty sauce served with prawns and scallions.

Just so we’re clear ahead of time, don’t go to House of Nanking expecting to order any of these dishes. In reality, you might not even get a menu. If it’s your first time there, their wait staff will most likely order for you. Trust them and trust me when I say, it’s a good thing.

House of Nanking | 919 Kearny Street, San Francisco

Know of a restaurant we should review? Email tips@gearpatrol.com and tell us.

A Timed Spin On Cufflinks

Mechanical beauty.

Eric and Anthony may like their Panerai Luminors. I prefer my Rolex Oyster. Brian actually has both, Patrick is a Victorinox man, and Ben? Well Ben uses a sundial. Either way, you get my point. Whatever the flavor, we at Gear Patrol appreciate quality time pieces. It’s not just because they look good, but because quality hand craftsmanship just isn’t readily available in this world of mass-produced foreign goods.

Enter Ricky Wolbrom, the proprietor and designer behind Watch-Cufflinks. Ricky takes time pieces to the next level by displaying the artistry behind the watch face… its mechanical beauty.

Starting her career in New York’s diamond district Wolbrom soon realized the beauty of watches reside in the inner workings of vintage watches. Inside each hand crank or automatic time piece is a work of art complete with precious metals and stones. Ricky displays this artistry as the centerpiece for rings, cufflinks, and tie tacs. Just take a look at the pictures and you’ll understand the quality and craftsmanship that went in these pieces.

The cufflinks you see here were once the heart of mechanical masterpieces. Now they’ll add instant class and uniqueness to your shirt, suit, or tuxedo. Want more than cufflinks? Wolbrom also has a full line of varying products on her site.

Oh, and be sure to keep eyes on the Gear Patrol, there might just be an extra pair floating around our offices ready to end up in your hands and on your wrist.

More photos by Nick Perry after the jump.

Cost: $85-$550 @ Watch Cufflinks
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On your face, or on my grill (as shown here), the Maui Jim Peahis are sharp.

As a guy that reads GP you must know the importance of eye protection. You probably own a pair of stylish sunglasses already that compliment your facial features. I trust you don’t have a pair of drug store brand aviators sitting on your dresser either, so I probably don’t need to tell you that Maui Jim makes glasses that protect your eyes and look good.

For those of you in the market for a new pair of shades, check out the Maui Jim Peahis. These fashion forward frames pack the same polarized lens technology that made Maui Jim famous. That means you don’t have to worry about direct glare, reflected glare, or bounce back glare. It also means your eyes will be protected from UVA, UVB, and UVC rays… and that my friends is important. I’ll admit these frames are a bit heavier than the titanium framed Waileas that I’m used to, but these also look a lot cooler. Still, I’ve worn these frames comfortably for the first three days of a cross country road trip (Ed: In case you didn’t know Marc is relocating from New York to San Diego) and I plan on wearing them the rest of the way.

Cost: $210 @ Sunglass Hut

From The Men That Brought You Multi-Tools Comes… Light

Leatherman Serac S1 looks right at home on your keychain

As a man, you’ve probably had or currently own a Leatherman multi-tool of some kind. It goes with you on your camping trips, sits in the glove compartment of your car or toolbox, or even your tactical missions… if you’re a tactical mission type of guy.

Come this Fall, Leatherman will have a new option to help illuminate your next camping trip, or otherwise, with their sweet new lineup of keychain and pocket-sized LED flashlights. The S1, S2 and S3 (S1 pictured above, S3 below) will provide up-to 100 lumens on various settings and engineered to operate on a single battery. Better yet, many of the sheaths (for the past few years) that currently hold your Leatherman will accommodate the Serac flashlight.

Cost: Serac S1 ($25) | Serac S2 ($50) | Serac S3 ($70) @ Leatherman (Fall 2008)