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Vinegar Hill House, Brooklyn, NYC

By |2017-08-20T13:01:40-04:00January 13th, 2014|NYC Restaurant Reviews|

With my walk over the Manhattan Bridge to eat at the Vinegar Hill House near the waterfront in Brooklyn, I finished what I termed my "bridge trifecta," now having walked to Brooklyn across the each of the East River bridges.  I was expecting a bit upscale restaurant, as my walking-friend had spoken about it for so long and it was hard to get a reservation. It is anything but. Vinegar Hill House, a small approximate 40-seat restaurant, is what I've found to be — like many over-hyped  Brooklyn places — nothing special. It's a small neighborhood restaurant with tiny tables, inexperienced servers with attitude and okay food. I tried the [...]

Holeman & Finch Public House

By |2017-08-31T16:19:39-04:00December 23rd, 2011|USA Restaurants, xyz misc|

We started with the small pot of decadently rich chicken liver pate sealed with apple cider jelly accompanied by green tomato pickle and toast ($7). Worth the visit alone. Loving good bread, we added an order of the H&F Bread Box ($5); so worth the calories. Our bottle of a Domaine de boisson, cotes du rhone, France, ($36) worked well with the pate. We shared an order of their roasted baby carrots ($9) and pickled green strawberries (yes strawberries!) topped with a chiffon of fresh sorrel. Also good was the fish (flounder) and chips (potato wedges) served British-style, with a vinegar dip ($14). In addition, we had some pasta carbonara, a [...]

NYC’s 2018 Michelin Bib Gourmands

By |2017-10-24T09:55:00-04:00October 25th, 2017|Big Apple Life, Rambling|

This week announced the 2018 Bib Gourmands, a collection of venues where patrons can enjoy two courses plus a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less. Any restaurant that receives a Bib is ineligible for a star. The over 120 restaurants who have earned this recognition across the city's neighborhoods are listed below. A Bib Gourmand designation, reserved for a select number of restaurants rated by Michelin’s team of anonymous food inspectors, denotes establishments where diners can enjoy a great meal for a good value. In New York, these restaurants are as diverse as the neighborhoods in which they are found. Here are the New York City 2018 [...]

Cooks & Captains, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY

By |2017-11-06T09:15:18-05:00November 5th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|

After being invited by the publicist for Cooks & Captains, I headed to Park Slope, Brooklyn to sample the cooking of chef Tristen Epps. We wanted to sample many dishes, so the chef offered us smaller than normal portion sizes — other than his crudo, already tiny. We started with the thinly sliced Hamachi poke ($12) with artichokes, eggplant and nasturtium leaves ($14) and the thicker black bass tirade with chilled sweet potato-pasilla broth, dukkah crumble and fresh mint created by chef Tristen Epps, formerly he as a sous chef for Marcus Samuelsson Group. The Hamachi earned him a finalist on the third season of ABC’s "The Taste.” We then [...]

The Cottage, Westport, CT

By |2017-09-01T16:55:27-04:00February 9th, 2016|USA Restaurants|

Brian Lewis recently opened The Cottage, a 44-seat restaurant (formerly The Farm), across the Boston Post Road from The Westport Country Playhouse. Like his former place The Elm, Brian considers the restaurant a modern American one, featuring changing seasonal menus that spotlight regional local farmers and artisans. His creative dishes show off his skill at highlighting the flavors and textures of individual ingredients adding a soupçon of the culture of Italy, Spain, France, Japan and/or New England. I was invited to sample his cooking recently. Brian made us small plates of practically the entire menu! (If you'd also like to have a tasting menu, all you need to do is [...]

Corte D’Aibo, Monteveglio, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

By |2017-09-01T16:32:51-04:00January 26th, 2016|Bites from the Road, World Restaurants, World Travel|

Owner Antonio Capelli greeted me as I arrived in December at Corte D'Aibo, a rustic farmhouse located in Monteveglio not far — a short 30 minute drive — from Bologna. Their rooms (only 12) are quite spacious with views of the organic vineyards and surrounding hills. Each morning Louisa served me breakfast with yogurt, granola, fresh fruit and a tray of homemade cakes. Dinner at Corte D'Aibo was much more extensive with regional specialties and, of course, wine produced directly on the farm. The night we dined together, we began with an aperitivo of fried bites plus sliced meats with some Pignoletto Doc Frizzante. After that a delicate homemade onion soup [...]

Andaz Fifth Avenue, The Shop & The Bar Downstairs, NYC

By |2017-08-20T13:01:34-04:00August 7th, 2014|NYC Restaurant Reviews|

Andaz Fifth Avenue offers two midtown Manhattan eateries — The Bar Downstairs and The Shop — for you to try if you're in the area, or need a quick bite before theatre. I stopped by The Bar Downstairs in the hotel’s cellar to experience their Ceviche Saturdays (offered only through August 30th) where they serve a trio of ceviche along with Billecart-Salmon Brut for $80.00. That spicy trio includes Ahi tuna with navel orange, lime, serrano pepper, red onion and avocado oil; striped bass with serrano pepper, red onion, ginger, olive oil and cilantro; and rock shrimp with serrano pepper, cilantro lime juice, red onion and olive oil, all served with crispy [...]

Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, East Village, NYC

By |2017-08-20T13:01:37-04:00May 14th, 2014|NYC Restaurant Reviews|

I was invited to sample the Bromberg brothers’ latest venture — Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, a stand-alone, serve-yourself chicken place in the East Village. The fried chicken — a popular part of the menu at the Bromberg's Blue Ribbon restaurant on Sullivan Street for more than twenty years — now stars at this fast-casual place launched in August. I brought along a friend to help me sample their crispy bird and sides. The chicken — first dipped in an egg white wash, then into a blend of flour and matzo meal — is deep fried in soy oil, then hand-seasoned with their special blend of salt, pepper, paprika and garlic. [...]

Empellon Cocina, East Village, New York City

By |2017-08-20T13:01:47-04:00February 21st, 2013|NYC Restaurant Reviews|

Empellon Cocina in the East Village is the Alex Stupak's second Mexican eatery, with the first being Empellon Taqueria across town in the West Village. This is not a local taco joint nor will you find traditional nachos, enchiladas or chile rellenos. Instead Empellon Cocina serves up elegantly composed plates with familiar Mexican-inspired flavors. Those unusual Mexican presentations began with the margaritas. I sampled the Reposado Margarita made with handcrafted barrel-aged Espolón premium tequila with notes of butterscotch, pepper and vanilla combined with fresh lemon juice and agave nectar ($15), my companion the ¿Por Que No? made with Pueblo Viejo Blanco tequila ($13) with cilantro and spicy green Serrano chile. Both [...]

Lowcountry

By |2017-08-20T13:01:53-04:00April 6th, 2012|NYC Restaurant Reviews|

I visited Lowcountry for brunch one Sunday recently when guest chef Ron Eyester from Rosebud in Atlanta was in the kitchen, cooking along with Lowcountry chef/owner Oliver Gift (previously at Commerce & Blue Hill at Stone Barns). I enjoyed the hospitality so much that I returned a few weeks later for dinner! At brunch, I indulged in a refreshing mimosa made with blood orange juice, Grand Marnier and cava ($12). The others were more daring, sampled brunch cocktails including the dirty white Mary ($12) made with crop organic tomato vodka, house made pickle juice, sliced green tomatoes and Tabasco sauce. Now that drink jump-started them. (I tried it again when [...]

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