Big Apple Life

A collection of posts on Life in the Big Apple along with interviews with foodie friends

Song’E Napule New Location, West Village, NYC + PS at Pine & Polk Speakeasy

The publicist reached out about Song’E Napule's new location, down the block east on Houston from its previous location. I couldn't resist going remembering how delicious it had been. This is the fourth location of this pizzeria and trattoria. I again sampled their Parmigiana Di Melanzane ($18), thin slices of eggplant parmigiana that had melted in my mouth. So glad I did, as it was as good as last time. So was their pizza, although I ordered the 12-inch Margherita pizza ($18), topped with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil drizzled with EVOO this time. The most heavenly dish was the evening's special gnocchi potato dumplings filled with liquid [...]

By |2023-08-20T13:11:08-04:00August 20th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Newly Opened Cecchi’s, West Village, NYC

I remembered my building-mate telling me about the opening of Cecchi, a new bar and grill in our hood in the space where Café Loup had been around the corner from UPS, where I frequently drop off Amazon returns. I headed there after doing so recently to see what the hype was about. The friendly bistro is from Michael Cecchi-Azzolina (The Water Club, The River Cafe, Raoul's and Le Coucou). When I arrived five minutes after it opened, only a few seats were available at the bar. I took one and started a conversation with the friendly bartender, Frances. Prices are hefty, like most Manhattan places; I wish there was [...]

By |2023-08-20T13:17:14-04:00August 16th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Panchita’s Place, South Slope, Brooklyn, NYC + Catacombs of Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery

Panchita's place was close to the entrance of Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, where we were heading to listen to superstar Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing performing her Arctic program in the Catacombs. Death of Classical offers this and other unique classical music experiences. The 478-acre cemetery, now a National Historic Landmark, was founded in 1838. It boasts the largest outdoor collections of nineteenth- and twentieth-century mausoleums and statuary. I had Panchit's classico margarita ($14), my dining partner, their generous pour of white sangria ($12). With that, we nibbled their crispy chips with salsa so good we kept getting refills. We tried their Al Pastor Tacos ($14)  and sautèed roasted corn with epazote [...]

By |2023-08-09T13:20:07-04:00August 10th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Birthday Dinner at Bad Roman, Columbus Circle, NYC

To continue my birthday celebration, a group of good friends took me to Bad Roman, the new, impossible-to-get-into restaurant on the third floor of the Shops at Columbus Circle. We got in, as one of my friends is a restaurant trade magazine editor. Bad Roman — part of the Quality Branded restaurant group — is in the former Landmarc space in the former Time-Warner, now the Deutsche Bank Center. It's one of those fun, fashionably trendy places where you rave about the place more than the food. We arrived early to grab a drink. With it 3-deep at the bar, that wasn't happening. We got that drink and enjoyed each [...]

By |2023-08-09T12:18:08-04:00August 8th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Cucina Alba, The Lantern House, Chelsea, NYC

Since Cucina Alba opened last August in The Lantern House on West 18th Street, my friend, who lives in the building, has been raving about this Italian restaurant from the Prince Street Hospitality Group. When we arrived, she was welcomed like an old friend. We opted for outdoor seating on Tenth Avenue. I began with their pineapple margarita made with tequila reposado ($19); my friend had a mock mojito loaded with fresh mint. We had the crispy roasted artichoke hearts with s garlicky lemon dip ($24) and their unusual eggplant parmigiana ($18). The latter is a thick slice topped with ricotta and parmigiana in a puddle of tomato sauce.  With [...]

By |2023-08-04T16:52:24-04:00August 4th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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This Year’s North River Lobster Boat, Pier 81, NYC

A sail on the North River Lobster boat has been an annual event since it started its excursions in 2014 when the sail was free. This summer, like last, you must buy a $10 timed pass to sail up the Hudson for 1 hour or on the 7 pm cruise for 2 hours, a sail that goes to the Statue of Liberty and back.  This floating lobster shack offers table service with libations. We started with Aperol Spritz ($14), a Frozé (frozen rose) and a blue moon Margarita ($16) before the boat left the dock. This year instead of each of us buying our own classic lobster roll on a [...]

By |2023-07-08T14:45:57-04:00August 2nd, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dames at the Lookup Rooftop Bar at Kixby, Midtown, NYC

Our New York chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier hosted a midtown rooftop party for other organization members attending the Summer Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center at the Lookup Rooftop Bar. The Kixby hotel generously provided complimentary glasses of bubbles (Cava) to kick off the early evening meetup. Florida Dame Marie Charlotte Piro and her brother, Romain Piro, importers of Tuscan olive oil, treated us to nachos and dips served with seasonal vegetables, tortilla chips & grilled bread. They drizzled each platter with their eponymous rich oil. Those tasty nachos ($15) included spiced tortilla chips topped with chili con carne, green chili beer cheese, pickled onions, pico de gallo, [...]

By |2023-07-30T10:34:31-04:00July 30th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Lamano, Chelsea, NYC + Sw!ng Out at the Joyce

We quickly ordered some drinks when we learned it was still happy hour. We decided to try one glass of each of the two sangria offerings—one Cava based, the other a more traditional red ($8). We were two-fisted drinkers. I chose Lamano for its proximity to The Joyce, where we were heading to see their SW!NG OUT performance with audience participation. It was six years ago that I first visited Lamano when it opened. I enjoyed the food then and found it's still just as good. We started with everything on the happy hour menu. That included the pan con tomato ($8 for three pieces) of the tomato bread, their [...]

By |2023-07-29T11:57:10-04:00July 27th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Happy Hour*** at STK Midtown, NYC

When visiting friends wanted to meet midtown for a drink, I suggested STK Steakhouse's happy hour. It had been on my radar since my downstairs neighbor raved about the offerings. He was right. I laughed as I bumped into my friends on the street, looking for STK. Its Sixth Avenue address is confusing as the entrance is on 43. STK's happy hour, from 3 - 5:30 on weekends, is one of the best I've sampled recently. They offer good libations ($9) and lite bites ($3 - $9). That's only $9 each for a glass of Prosecco, a margarita and dirty martinis with three blue-cheese stuffed jumbo olives. The martini was [...]

By |2023-09-02T20:21:57-04:00July 23rd, 2023|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Lunch at La Mercerie to Commence My Big Birthday Weekend

My big birthday weekend was about to start with family and friends arriving in town. One friend offered to commence my two-day actual birthday with a light lunch. Two days? The doctor who delivered me asked my mother which day she wanted on my birth certificate as I was born at the stroke of midnight. As a birthday glutton, I celebrate both days and then some more. We met at La Mercier in SoHo, located inside the Roman and Williams Guild in SoHo, offering the everyday French cooking of Chef Marie-Aude Rose. My friend always makes birthday celebrations extra special, providing the birthday person with a crown, necklace and much [...]

By |2024-03-21T18:20:40-04:00July 15th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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IHOP (Yes, that pancake house) Pancake Tacos, East Village, NYC

My friend, a senior editor of Restaurant Business, a trade publication, asked me to join her to sample IHOP's new time-limited pancake tacos as she needed a videographer. That's such a fancy word for me holding the camera as she ate and spoke. We were pleasantly surprised. These pancake tacos come in four variations—two sweet and two savory—with an order of three tacos of the same flavor is $6, served in a metal taco holder. The Breakfast Pancake Taco comes filled with scrambled eggs, hickory-smoked bacon, a cheddar-Jack cheese blend and white cheese sauce. Salsa accompanies it. I sampled that one and found it acceptable for breakfast on the go. [...]

By |2023-07-14T11:33:03-04:00July 13th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Empire Diner, Chelsea, NYC + Kusama at David Zwirner

David Zwirner invited us to a press preview of his current Yayoi Kusama exhibit featuring new paintings, new sculptures elaborating on her signature dot motifs and a new Infinity Mirror Room.  The exhibit is open thru July 21, 2023. After the exhibit, we headed to grab a bite at the High Line Hotel, yet they weren't open and weren't opening soon. A bit hungry, we walked north on Tenth, stopping at the Empire Diner. I had an Aperol Spritz ($16), one friend a Virgin Mary ($8), the other a Watermelon Spritz ($16) while we shared crispy artichokes($14), crab Louis ($24) and tuna tartare ($22). Worth a visit. Empire Diner Chelsea [...]

By |2023-07-10T16:48:33-04:00July 11th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Campbell’s Apartment, Grand Central, NYC

More than a decade ago, when my friend said,  "Let's meet at Campbell's Apartment," I wondered whether I had met his friend Campbell! Now I know that the cocktail lounge in the Southwestern corner of the Grand Central Terminal oozes history, being the former office of financier John W. Campbell — a New York Central Railroad board member. It was also a music recital hall. Follow signs to the apartment up a staircase from the terminal's balcony to get there. Notice how the expansive high-ceiling lounge showcases 13th-century Florentine-inspired design, including a bank of century-old leaded glass windows, 25-foot hand-painted ceilings and an impressive stone fireplace. I liked my Old [...]

By |2023-07-10T16:44:09-04:00July 9th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Service Extraordinaire at Indochine + Joe’s Pub Loser’s Lounge

The location of Indochine, right across the street from The Public, was a perfect place to dine before heading to Joe's Pub's Loser's Lounge for a tribute to Hall and Oats. We sat outside as the night's weather was perfect. One dining partner and I sipped their Passion Pomegranate Margarita ($18, tequila, triple sec, passionfruit, pomegranate and lime), another the cucumber and chili martini ($18, made with vodka infused with pineapple and ginger and lime juice) and another the white Negroni ($18, made with gin, Lillet blanc and Suze). While waiting for our apps, two of us were getting "eaten alive" by bitting flying bugs; our server gave us extra [...]

By |2023-07-01T15:59:29-04:00July 1st, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Drift In, Hudson River Park, NYC

Drift In — a seasonal open-air waterfront restaurant along Hudson River Park near Pier 45 from the folks that bring you Grand Banks — Executive Chef Kerry Heffernan builds his menus around sustainable, wild-caught seafood and seasonal produce. After perusing their menu, which includes a variety of oysters, many seafood dishes, burgers, salads, cocktails, wines and beers, we decided to start with their Tropicalia cocktail ($16.5). Along with that mixture of vodka, watermelon and lime, we nibbled the housemade smoked line-caught bluefish dip with freshly deep-fried chips. ($17) while savoring the water view. We both enjoyed the fresh lobster. The Maine lobster roll with herb-dulse emulsion and pickled cucumber is served [...]

By |2023-07-01T12:16:10-04:00June 29th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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@Nine, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Circle Line

To kick off the summer, we took the Circle Line 2.5-hour guided tour around Manhattan Island, sailing on three rivers and passing under 20 bridges with breathtaking views of the NYC skyline, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Yankee Stadium and so much more while a guide narrated every detail of the trip. After the cruise, a few of us went looking for a bite to eat, stopping at a hotel on West 42nd, whose restaurant wasn't open yet. Their staff recommended @Nine, a Thai place around the corner on Ninth Avenue. @Nine offers an all-day happy hour with martinis, margies and cosmos for only $9. I sipped their martini, [...]

By |2023-06-29T10:12:28-04:00June 25th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Brunch at Sona, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

We met for Sunday brunch, going Indian at Sona, a consistently good restaurant with exceptional food. We ordered a bottle of Pago Del Cielo, Rueda Celeste Verdejo Sur Lies, 2021 ($72) to work well with the flavors and spices of India. We started with their Chole Tikki Chaat ($18), an Indian snack that means "to lick” or “to taste” in Hindu.  So delicious I wanted to lick the last remnants of the symphony of flavors of the chickpeas with yogurt, sweet chutney and a smashed patty of potatoes. The everything bagel seasoned naan ($9) worked to sop up the smoked tomato gravy of the butter chicken ($32). And so did [...]

By |2023-06-29T10:14:38-04:00June 23rd, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Birthday at Genesis House, Meatpacking District, NYC

Friends had raved about Genesis House, the upscale Korean restaurant in the Meatpacking District curated by Onjium, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul. After glancing at the unusual menu, I decided to stop by the restaurant on the second floor of the Genesis luxury car showroom one afternoon to see if I could learn more about the experience before dining there. I met Patricia, the maitre d', who had time to show me around and give me a detailed description of the menu and its royal history as it was midafternoon. I learned that Genesis House restaurant adapts its generations-old recipes — from 300 to almost 1000 years old — to modern-taste Korean [...]

By |2023-06-29T10:30:49-04:00June 21st, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Casa Mono, Gramercy Park, NYC

I'm a Casa Mono devotee.  I'm not the only one as this tapas bar-restaurant, inspired by the cooking of Spain's Costa Brava, was awarded three stars from The New York Times in 2015 and a Michelin Star in 2009 and every year since. A must try. Our waiter Matt suggested the Silice, a rosè from Galicia, 2021, done Provençal style ($81). We sipped that while nibbling their olives, bathing in rich EVOO. I let my dining partner select the menu as it was her birthday. We started with roasted shishito ($16), peppers in a pimiento manchego cheese sauce, and their classic Ensalada Mono, a pile of lightly dressed friseé decorated [...]

By |2023-06-19T21:36:52-04:00June 18th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Gigino Trattoria, Tribeca, NYC + Lower Manhattan Tour with Kevin Draper

Historian Kevin Draper is our primary go-to for walking New York City tours with our ex.expat group. He's a walking encyclopedia about the history of our city. This time, we converged on the West Side of Lower Manhattan, including Tribeca and SoHo and heard incredible stories of American pioneers with examples of transformation and revitalization. After the tour, we had lunch at Gigino Trattoria, a friendly, unassuming Tuscan-inspired Italian restaurant in Tribeca with delicious fare. Almost all of their pastas and breads are house made. Our table shared a couple salads (arugula, $15 and a mix of mesclun, arugula & spinach, $14), the Margherita pizza ($20),  orecchiette with broccoli rabe [...]

By |2023-06-19T21:34:37-04:00June 16th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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