Bonnie from BiteoftheBest.com

About Bonnie Tandy Leblang

Blogger Bonnie Tandy Leblang has been covering food since before it was hip to do so! She’s penned magazine, newspaper and syndicated food columns in addition to cookbooks. Follow her on twitter @BonnieBOTB and on Instagram@BiteoftheBest and at @BonnieBOTB "I eat for a living!” is her mantra, sharing what she’s sampled so you’ll know where (or where not) to go, plus what food products and gadgets to try. For her full bio go to the about us page.
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Mind Shaft Tavern, Madrid, New Mexico

The Avis car rental man in Albuquerque suggested the more scenic route to Santa Fe on State Highway 14 that goes through Madrid (MA-drid). And and to satisfy our hunger he suggested grabbing a bite at the Mine Shaft Tavern, a rustic roadside tavern offering our first taste of New Mexican fare. Being famished, we did just that, starting with their delicious $8 house Margaritas. At that price, we had more than one, then shared their fantastic Southwestern food. The burgers come with fries and cole slaw, with the option to sub their stew (+3.50) for the fries, which we did with one burger. We worked on devouring their Classic [...]

By |2025-04-26T13:51:53-04:00April 26th, 2025|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Travel|0 Comments
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Pumpernickel Everything Bagels at Tompkins Square Bagels, Union Square, NYC

I'm in love. Although I do tend to hyperbole, when I discovered Tompkins Square pumpernickel everything bagels it truly was love at first bite. Haven't visited another bagel shop since I discovered them. That good.  I try to make most grains I eat, whole. And as a registered dietitian, that's what I recommend for other. Pumpernickel bagels are a tad healthier because they are generally made with rye flour, which is higher in fiber and has a lower glycemic index, meaning it causes a slower rise in blood sugar levels.  This fiber isn't just for keeping things moving; it also plays a role in cardiovascular health, diabetes prevention, and more. [...]

By |2025-04-13T10:19:35-04:00April 23rd, 2025|Big Apple Life, Food & Drinks, Products, Recommended|0 Comments
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Ruby’s Oyster Bar & Bistro, Westchester, New York

I jumped on Metro North to Rye, as we hadn't had time together since her December birthday other than group meals and a disco party. This gathering, just us. We grabbed a bite at the Ruby's Oyster Bar & Bistro, a lively seafood restaurant on Purchase Street, and were seated by an open window with a warm breeze. The food is fresh, nicely prepared and everything's served with a smile. I sampled their expresso martini ($16), needing a caffeine pick me up; my friend their Tito's bloody Mary ($14.50). I was in a burger and fries mood; Ruby's ($21) hit the spot, topped with Farmhouse Cheddar and bacon jam on [...]

By |2025-04-20T13:25:44-04:00April 20th, 2025|USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Balaboosta, West Village. NYC

With New York offering so many dining, it's hard to revisit ones you've enjoy. Like Balaboosta in the West Village. My friend reminded me how much we liked it and suggested it for our catch-up dinner. I've been traveling so much that we needed gab time over a meal. Appetizers and small bites or Mezze—my thing at Mediterranean restaurants. As we yakked, we nibbled the puddle of hummus ($17) with droplets of tahini, warm chickpeas and green s’chug, the green chilies and cilantro sauce with their warm pita. The cauliflower florets ($19) came topped with peanut tahini, mixed with pickle crumble and topped with small puffed corn-peanut balls, bamba. Interesting, [...]

By |2025-04-20T13:41:32-04:00April 17th, 2025|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Brunch at La Pecora Bianca, Bryant Park, NYC

Not all La Pecora Biancas are the same. Oh, they have the same menu, but what comes out of the kitchen depends on their staff. I met a friend for brunch at the Bryant Park location, as La Pecora Bianca offers ricotta pancakes—perfect for my dining partner, who doesn't eat eggs. We experienced a slow start with the service. My friend ordered the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes ($21), which come topped with blueberry compote and whipped crème fraîche, while I chose the Gramigna pasta—curly pasta with house-made sausage, broccolini, and chili flakes ($28). Although it took a while for our food to arrive, we didn't mind, as we had a lot [...]

By |2025-04-20T13:29:43-04:00April 14th, 2025|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Roasted Red Pepper, Onion, and Asparagus Scones

Dan Leader, The James Beard Award-winning visionary behind the iconic East coast bakery Bread Alone shares decades of wisdom and techniques for soul-fulfilling baking, with 60+ bread and pastry recipes in his latest book, A Slow Rise: Favorite Recipes from Four Decades of Baking with Heart.  We recently featured Dan as our Guest Foodie. These roasted veggie scones are one example of his detailed recipes!  Dan provides the ingredients in both metric and imperial (American) measurements for both 6 scones and 12. I've adapted his recipe to show the ingredients in Imperial, what we use in the US and measurements for only 6. Roasted Red Pepper, Onion, and Asparagus Scones [...]

By |2025-04-20T13:31:31-04:00April 11th, 2025|Breads, Sides & Salads, Recipes|0 Comments
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Nordstrom’s Bistro Verde, Midtown, NYC

The last time I ate at Bistro Verde I was meeting an out-of-town friend who had errands to do in Nordstrom. I enjoyed the experience. This time, I went with some girlfriends to play bingo with Drag Queen Linda.  An event that happens every other Thursday at the fifth-floor restaurant, as well as around the city. For the evening, the restaurant offers a limited menu with deals on food and drink. One friend and I tried their Aperol Spritz ($12), and another the house wine ($9). Between us we sampled the Angus beef dip sandwich with hot crispy fries ($20), their cilantro lime chicken taco ($10 each), Kung Pao Brussels [...]

By |2025-04-20T13:39:06-04:00April 8th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Armani Restauranti, Upper East Side, NYC

My dear friend, who appreciates good food, recommended Armani Restauranti for lunch. With memories of the superb meal I experienced at the Fifth Avenue location about a decade ago, I booked it with a Connecticut friend who was in town. We had an eye on their reasonable 2-course $75 prix fixe. The bread service is worth-the-calories with crisp skinny breadsticks, salty bread crisps and warm sour dough bread with a chewy crust. Our meal was less than stellar, including each of our first courses returned to the kitchen.  What I can recommend are the seasonal salad with pickled daikon and the Pappardelle, Courtyard Ragu dusted with Pecorino. When Conrad, the manager, [...]

By |2025-03-17T11:37:30-04:00April 5th, 2025|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Burger at Pete’s Tavern, Gramercy, NYC

My friend wanted to celebrate her 70th birthday at Pete's Tavern in our hood.  It's that historic tavern on the corner of Irving and 18th that's pre-Civil War. It's the popular tavern that's been around since the mid 1800s that's served WHO. It's served the oldest continuously operating restaurant & bar in New York City, one where  O.Henry, author of the “Gift of the Magi”, was said to be a regular. And their burgers are worth it, and more than a meal.  Fries are worth the calories. Truth, I couldn't even finish, taking I  half home for dinner . When you're in the mood for a burger, I highly recommend. [...]

By |2025-03-17T11:06:45-04:00April 2nd, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Almond Cake / Torta di Mandorle

  One of my favorite cooking tasks is blanching almonds. While I know they are available pre-blanched, I find the process calming. It's a simple technique. Boil the almonds for 60 seconds, then drain and rinse in cold water. Then, gently squeeze each almond to remove its skin. It’s a technique that anyone can master. I love doing this each year when I prepare this flourless Passover almond cake, Torta di Mandorla, which is delicious at any time.   I first published this recipe in March of 1982 in The New Haven Register. Almond Cake / Torta di Mandorle 1 tablespoon sweet butter 3 tablespoons matzo meal 5 eggs separated [...]

By |2025-03-15T12:23:12-04:00March 30th, 2025|Endings, Recipes|0 Comments
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Lunch at Rezdôra, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

Securing a lunch res at Rezdôra is much easier than dinner; maybe that's because the restaurant has lost its luster! I met a friend there for lunch, starting with an app that sounded so delicious when our server described it. That was their Gnocco Fritto, fried dough topped with Prosciutto di parma, mortadella & guanciale ($18). A simple dough topped with the various types of meat that were so nothing special (a waste of calories), we left one, consuming the meat that topped it. With pasta Rezdôra's speciality, we ordered two dishes. The first was their Anolini Di Parma, one of the best dishes I sampled in 2021. The server [...]

By |2025-03-15T12:24:05-04:00March 27th, 2025|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Frena, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Exile

Before heading to the MAP Theater's off-off-Broadway production of Exile, James Joyce's 90-minute play, which is rarely performed, we stopped into the fairly new Frena, where Taboon once was located on the corner of 52 and Tenth Avenue. It's a warm and friendly place decorated with lots of greenery from the ceiling. It is a modern Middle Eastern concept in Hell's Kitchen that — as Taboon did —celebrates that cuisine and its frena, the traditional communal Moroccan oven producing fresh, fragrant bread brushed with olive oil, Maldon salt, wild dry za'atar, We had to have that bread ($9) as the centerpiece of our meal, along with a trio of their [...]

By |2025-03-15T12:20:46-04:00March 24th, 2025|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dan Leader

Daniel Leader may not be a household, but Bread Alone, his family organic bakery might be. The bakery, which began in the 80s, sold wood-fired loaves at their Catskills bakery. They currently do so through farmers markets in the area. Their fermentation process creates bread that is "better for you, tastes great and lasts plenty long—without preservatives." Dan is a James Beard Award-winning visionary, whose groundbreaking books Bread Alone and Local Breads are both IACP Award winners. His 2019 book, Living Bread, brought home a James Beard Award. He's just published A Slow Rise: Favorite Recipes from Four Decades of Baking with Heart by Daniel Leader with Lauren Chattman. The heart [...]

By |2025-03-22T07:15:54-04:00March 21st, 2025|Big Apple Life, Foodie Interviews, NYC Restaurant Reviews, xyz misc|0 Comments
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Morgan Library Cafe, Murray Hill, NYC + “Imitation of Life”

"Imitation of Life" with Sandra Dee and Lana Turner is one of my all-time tearjerkers, even more so than "An Affair to Remember," whose theme song starts my waterworks. That's the 1959 remake of the Claudette Colbert one, screened at The Morgan Library, whose personal librarian, their first Director, Belle da Costa Greene, also passed. Before the showing, we stopped in the glass-enclosed casual cafe for a bite. We shared a bottle ($60) of Whispering Angel Rosé, Provence, France, to enjoy with our two shared entrees. The Everything-Spiced Crab Cobb ($34) layers Maryland crab, tomato, Maytag Blue cheese, avocado and egg in a round. We requested the bacon on the [...]

By |2025-03-15T12:20:32-04:00March 18th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dame Gathering at Wu’s Wonton King, Chinatown, NYC

I emerged from the F train at East Broadway and was delighted to arrive at the door of Wu's Wonton King, where our Les Dames d'Escoffier chapter was celebrating the year of the snake with a multi-course meal and wine pairings. Les Dames d' Escoffier (LDEI) is a group of influential and accomplished women in the food and wine world who support our communities through grants, scholarships and mentorship. My table was adorned with a roasted sucking pig, waiting to be taken away, carved and served to the large group of us.  We started with a bowl of their rich broth soup, replete with three wontons: one filled with pork, [...]

By |2025-02-28T13:57:30-05:00March 15th, 2025|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dinner at Da Andrea, Greenwich Village, NYC

My friend selected Da Andrea as the neighborhood place she'd like to celebrate her big birthday. Last I dined was lunch mid summer,  outside. This time inside the small family-style place where staff greets you as you walk through the door. It's a very friendly bistro with fine food and welcoming, attentive service. You're made to feel welcome as you walk in the door, I arrived a bit early, adorning the table with birthday beads, necklaces, a crown and a sash for the birthday girl boasting, "Its my birthday!" We like to share each course, asking Palina our friendly server, to bring them one at a time. She obliged, not [...]

By |2025-03-24T09:45:04-04:00March 13th, 2025|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour at Café D’Alsace, Upper East Side, NYC

Most everyone loves traditions. That's what we were hoping to start when we met at Café D'Alsace on the first Wednesday on the month. A few of us showed up enjoyed their discounted cocktails during happy hour. I sampled their refreshing Hugo Spritz made with St. Germain, fresh mint and sparkling wine ($12) and with that I indulged in their housemade truffle fries ($6). Screenshot Screenshot I'd recommend a top in for their happy hour. **Happy Hour details as of 02.05.2025 Hours: 5 to 7 pm, daily What’s happy? $12 specific cocktails, $7 beer, $10 wine & bubbly, plus 3 small plates.  Charcuterie, $14, Cheese selections [...]

By |2025-02-27T11:28:26-05:00March 10th, 2025|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Restaurant Week at LouLou, Chelsea, NYC

Loulou Petit Bistro & Speakeasy is a charming French bistro in the heart of Chelsea, where I met a friend for lunch during Restaurant Week. We both did the two-course $30 lunch, selecting an appetizer and an entree but skipping dessert. The portions at the French bistro are generous. We each savored each bite of their frisée salad in a citrus vinaigrette topped with a poached egg and smoked bacon lardons—a classic French ingredient of small cubes or strips of fatty bacon or pork fat.  This plentiful salad could have satisfied us as lunch. Deciding to share, we asked Gabriela, our attentive server, to have the kitchen split the entrees [...]

By |2025-02-24T10:41:45-05:00March 7th, 2025|NYC Restaurant Reviews|1 Comment
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Trattoria One Fifth, Greenwich Village, NYC

Sadly, before this review posted, One Fifth closed its doors for good.  Trattoria One Fifth is a relatively new Italian neighborhood restaurant in Greenwich Village, created by Marc Forgione. Each month, he collaborates with friends to craft unique, one-of-a-kind pizzas that feature his signature dough along with their distinct styles. As invited guests, we had the opportunity to visit when they featured a pizza from ZURiTO, a Basque-inspired pintxo bar in Boston, Massachusetts. The pizza, called The Gilda, draws inspiration from one of the pintxos on Zurito's menu. It is topped with red sauce, Cantabrian anchovies, pickled guindilla peppers, Manzanilla olives, Idiazabal cheese, and scallion oil. I loved the Gilda— [...]

By |2025-02-27T11:26:48-05:00March 4th, 2025|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Café Paradiso, Lincoln Center, NYC + The New York City Ballet

If you haven't discovered Café Paradiso at Lincoln Center to grab a bite before your performance, I highly recommend. It's a gem. The restaurant is conveniently nestled in Lincoln Center on the campus, next to the Film at Lincoln Center screening room.  The owner, restaurateur Shelly Fireman, owns Cafe Fiorello across from Lincoln Center, Trattoria Dell'Arte,  Bond 45 and more. The food blends Italian and American foods with love; Fireman spent 35 years living in Italy and was raised in the Bronx. We started with one of their refreshing spritzes. My dining partner had a Paradiso Spritz with Aperol, passion fruit and Prosecco ($15). I ordered a regular Aperol one without the [...]

By |2025-02-24T10:39:56-05:00March 2nd, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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