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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**Happy Hourat Rick Bayless’s Tortazo, Times Square, NYC + Doubt

I've meant to try Rick Bayless's Tortazo since it opened near Times Square about a year ago. I learned to love this Chicago restaurateur's food at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. Tortazo is a modified version of Rick’s popular airport outlets. One opened in NoMad in 2021. Times Square area is his second NYC location. This Michelin-starred chef features antojitos — Mexican bites—at Tortazo. Some are available during happy hour when I slipped in before heading to Roundabout Theatre to see Liev Schreiber in Doubt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-winning 2004 play. The drama teaches the potentially destructive consequences of being too certain about anything.  I recognized the fabulous flavors [...]

By |2025-04-14T08:01:13-04:00April 5th, 2024|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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KFC’s Chizza Pop-Up

My friend—an editor of a restaurant trade publication—invited me to sample KFC's Chizza with her on the day in February when the restaurant had transformed the store into a pop-up, serving the new menu item for free. Yes, free. There were lines around the block for the just introduced Chizza: two 100% white meat extra crisp fried chicken filets topped with marinara sauce, melty mozzarella cheese and crispy pepperoni.  Skeptical me. I was surprised at how moist, tender and tasty the fried chicken fillet topped with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni was. One fillet pizza costs $5.99; two fillets are $12.99, and the combo with a two-fillet one, French [...]

By |2024-04-24T19:01:12-04:00April 2nd, 2024|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Mark’s Off Madison, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

Mark's Off Madison had just opened in 2021 when I last visited. That time was for dinner, this one brunch. Mark's is one of Pete Wells’s 100 Best Restaurants for 2023. On the corner of 26th Street and Madison Square Park, the restaurant is from chef Mark Strausman, formerly of Campagna and Freds at Barney's New York. It's an always-packed, cozy space with a great vibe. I met a friend there for brunch, starting with a Bloody Mary ($16). We had to share their steak fries ($14) done Belgian style (double-fried) served with ketchup, garlic aioli and sauce Calypso, which according to chef Mark is "a European cold sauce that [...]

By |2024-04-07T16:43:26-04:00March 30th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Jesse Cushman’s Papa Bubble Candies

I had forgotten that I had received an email from Jesse Cushman—my son Eric's friend from Hamden—about his new business venture. He had written that he tried the corporate life, but it wasn't for him. "I bugged my friends to invest and then franchised with a custom candy company out of Barcelona called Papabubble." Then, one day, I received a candy delivery, the blue and yellow candies with the letters BOTB. It took me a second before I realized they were the initials of Bite of the Best. PapaBubble customizes flavors, colors and candy packaging—minimum 10 pounds—for corporate events, birthdays, gifts and holidays. Pricing starts at $36/lb and decreases with [...]

By |2024-04-07T16:38:17-04:00March 28th, 2024|Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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Australian Fare at Isla & Co, Midtown, NYC

Inside the Hotel Hendricks on West 38th Street near Bryant Park is a friendly little Australian brasserie where I recently met a friend for brunch. Once seated, we noticed many tables with flights of espresso martinis ($25). Interesting, I thought until I saw the menu and noticed that each mini martini contained a different alcohol: one tequila, Australian whiskey, and the third dark rum.  I'll leave that to the youngins. I ordered their traditional one ($15) instead, made with vodka, Mr. black coffee liqueur, and house-roasted espresso, and my dining partner a glass of prosecco. We decided to share two entrees, asking our server to bring them one at a [...]

By |2024-04-07T16:36:15-04:00March 26th, 2024|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Ceci Italian Cuisine, Theatre District, NYC

We ended up at Ceci Italian Cuisine on 46th Street for it's proximity to the theatre district.  It's a quiet restaurant where we could hear each other while we dined. I'd recommend their melanzane ripiene ($14) their flavorful eggplant stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella topped with tomato sauce and a house salad of greens, tomatoes and cucumber ($10). If you, like me, like to look at the online menu before dining, skip doing so with this restaurant. The menu at Ceci's is not what's listed online. Ceci Italian Cuisine Theatre District 46 West 46 Street New York, NY 10036 (212) 307-5484 cecirestaurantnyc.com

By |2024-02-17T11:03:25-05:00March 24th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Repeat: Shuka, Soho, NYC + Up & Up & Raines Law Room Speakeasies

Having had such a wonderful time at Shuka and Up & Up, I repeated the combo with my grand nephew and his girlfriend. We opted to dine outside as it was one of our spring-weather winter days. We shared some meze, including the shaved Brussels sprouts ($14) as last visit, this time adding the falafel and sweet potatoes, which I would recommend.  We continued with chicken ($22/kebab) and beef ($25/kebab) kebabs, requesting the fabulous mushroom one, but it was no longer available as their menu changes based on market availability. Next time! We walked MacDougal to Up & Up for cocktails, followed by another at Raines Law Room, which has [...]

By |2024-03-21T17:47:21-04:00March 21st, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Speakeasys|0 Comments
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*Happy Hour Rangoon, Chelsea, NYC + Philadanco! Intangible at The Joyce

After my Zumba class, I grabbed a nibble at Rangoon, a Burmese restaurant close to The Joyce Theatre, where I saw Philadanco!, the Philadelphia Dance Company, presenting Intangible. I selected the Keema Paratha, one of their signature dishes: Indian-style flatbread stuffed with spicy ground beef ($12). It's a spicy snack I'd recommend, but watch out for the very hot red pepper strips. The tasty happy hour Pegu Club cocktail of vodka, orange curacao and lime was $5 off from noon until 6 ($12). Satiated, off I went to meet my friend at The Joyce to see the amazing dance company. Happy Hour details as of 2.10.2024 Hours: 12 to 6 [...]

By |2025-04-14T08:01:39-04:00March 19th, 2024|Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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20th Anniversary of Momofuku Noodle Bar, East Village, NYC

In honor of Momofuku’s 20th Anniversary, the restaurant is bringing back some iconic dishes for each dish a month at a time. The restaurant has received numerous James Beard Awards, including “Outstanding Restaurant,” for three consecutive years. It is also honored with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, an honor for good quality, good value cooking. We had ordered their daikon and jalapeño salad ($6). We were told the daikons weren't looking good, so they didn't serve the dish; they gave us a bowl of kimchi ($7) gratis instead. To start, we had their unusual Brussels sprouts with candied toasted almonds, smoked paprika and a foam made from vegetable broth. Unusually delish! [...]

By |2024-02-16T11:55:27-05:00March 17th, 2024|Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Key West Dining: Roostica, Sloppy Joe’s, Santiago’s Bodega, Blue Heaven, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Latitudes and La Chapina

Thanks to all the Facebook friends who responded when I requested restaurant recommendations in Key West. What follows is a sampling of the places where we did eat and dishes that I'd recommend. Across from where we stayed on Stock Island is Roostica, a friendly place filled with a crowd and a great vibe at 4 pm when we went for Happy Hour. Don't miss the hearty meatball sliders, 2 for $8. We would have returned if we had had enough time. Drinks good, too. Roostica 5620 McDonald Avenue Stock Island 305.296.4999   Walking on Duval Street, Key West's main drag, we stopped at Sloppy Joe’s Bar — Ernest Hemingway's watering [...]

By |2024-03-15T09:24:16-04:00March 15th, 2024|Bites from the Road, Happy Hours, USA, USA Restaurants, USA Travel|0 Comments
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Tarallucci e Vino, Union Square, NYC

I'd been to Tarallucci e Vino in my hood before. It’s a French bistro with good wine and food. This time I ordered the charred octopus ($28) with fennel, roasted potatoes and an aside salad of arugula, celery and Castelvetrano olives. I’d go back for that. This time, the beef and pork ragù layered lasagna ($26) with béchamel and Parmigiano Reggiano arrived moist and tender, unlike my last visit. I would recommend. My dining partner indulged in the torta alla mousse di cioccolato ($11), their decadent flourless chocolate cake with chocolate mousse while I sipped an espresso martini, my latest dessert. If you’re in the hood or shopping at Union [...]

By |2024-03-25T09:09:11-04:00March 12th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Hidden Leaf, Manhattan West, NYC

It's not easy to find Hidden Leaf within Manhattan West, around the corner from Zou Zou and upstairs. We met there during restaurant week for their $30 two-course lunch. Three of us decided on their meaty Yunnan BBQ ribs (three) with preserved ginger and toasted seeds sticky sauce. The other had their hidden gem salad with pickled mango red curry cashews and a shallot garlic crumble in a vegan Nuoc Cham dressing. To start, we shared an order of their shrimp and snow pea dumplings ($19 for 5). I recommend all of the above, plus their crispy Malaysian-style fried chicken with a celery-fennel salad that we savored as our entree. [...]

By |2024-03-11T09:14:53-04:00March 10th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Greek Kyma, Chelsea, NYC + The Connector + Raines Law Room

After seeing The Connector at MCC theatre — a musical loosely based on Shattered Glass — we headed downtown to Kyma, a Greek restaurant in Chelsea/Flatiron, NYC. We were so early that the dining room hadn't opened yet. We sat at the bar and enjoyed our cocktails until we moved to our table. Once seated, we shared the tasty pikilia with a trio sampler of tzatziki, melitzanosalata, and taramosalata with pita triangles and an order of spanakopita ($19 for 3; $7 an additional one). My Greek dining partner raved, saying it was one of the best spanakopita she'd ever had. A huge compliment. Also good is their fresh lavraki ($39); [...]

By |2024-01-28T12:23:16-05:00March 7th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Speakeasys|0 Comments
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A Return to The Marshal, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Raines Law Room

My visit to Charlie Marshal's eponymous restaurant this time was with my visiting niece, her hubby and their friends. We shared three wood-fired 12-inch pizzas: the prosciutto & arugula ($28.50), the smoked duck breast ($28.50) and — the winter's specialty — the delicata squash with aged mozzarella, roasted red onion and crispy sage leaves ($25.50) along with his not-to-be-missed deviled eggs, red & golden beet salad, heirloom tomato salad and roasted Brussels sprout salad. We also shared the goat-cheese stuffed Greenane Family Farm chicken breast ($29.50), his wood-fired meatloaf ($29.50) and the wood-over braised lamb shank ($39.50) before the wives headed to see And Juliet and I went with the [...]

By |2024-01-28T12:18:44-05:00March 4th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Speakeasys|2 Comments
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Great Nachos at Rosa Mexicano Restaurant, Flatiron-Gramercy, NYC

One early afternoon, we hankered for nachos for lunch and headed to the Rosa Mexicano on 18th Street. Rosa's signature nachos ($14) were a perfect amount of chips, Chihuahua cheese, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, crema, pickled jalapeños and cotija cheese. The dish happily satisfied our craving.   I recommend it! Rosa Mexicano Restaurant Flatiron/Gramercy 9 East 18th Street New York, NY 10003-1903 212-533-3350 rosamexicano.com

By |2024-01-25T07:51:18-05:00March 2nd, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Lunch at Basta Pasta, Chelsea, NYC

On my floormate's continuous recommendation of Basta Pasta, an Italian restaurant with a Japanese accent, inside the Yinova Center in our hood, I met friends there for lunch. We opted for the $30 prix fixe with antipasti (a choice of salad or soup), a choice of pasta and housemade gelato or sorbet and coffee. Two of us started with a steaming bowl of flavorful chicken soup (+$2) with chickpeas, chicken meatballs and veggies; my other friend had their huge tossed green salad. I liked — and would again order — their Calabrian chili spicy fusilli with Iberico sausage, chopped Prosciutto and ricotta salata. My friends tried their signature Tagliolini on Prosciutto [...]

By |2024-02-25T08:39:46-05:00February 29th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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BXL Cafe, Theatre District, NYC + Merrily We Roll Along

Lucky us to be at BXL Cafe on a Friday, as that's when the day's special is fish and chips ($27).  Tender fish chunks deep fried in a batter and served with fries. The only thing that could have made it better was malt vinegar, as I had learned to eat it in London! We slipped through the parking lot from 43 to 44th Street to Hudson Theatre, where Danial Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff (Hamilton's King George), and Lindsay Mendez starred in Steven Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, the show that originally flopped and ended partnership of Sondheim and Harold Prince, director. It's now a hit. I recommend both. BXL Cafe Theatre [...]

By |2024-03-11T09:25:08-04:00February 27th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Brunch at Claudette, Greenwich Village, NYC

A carafe of their rosé spritz ($30), with blood orange juice and orgeat syrup, started our afternoon as we waited on our brunch entrees. We had lots to catch up with, as last we broke bead was before the pandemic. Deciding to share two entrees from their brunch menu, we asked Darius, our fabulous server, to deliver them as separate courses, starting with the classic Maghrebi shakshouka ($17), poached eggs in a flavorful tomato sauce. Weirdly, the last time I was at Claudette's, it screamed for seasoning. This time, it was perfection. Darius had them split the perfectly cooked medium-rare burger in half before serving it with a pile of [...]

By |2024-02-25T08:37:00-05:00February 24th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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David Burke’s Latest: Park Avenue Kitchen, Midtown, NYC

David Burke's latest restaurant, Park Avenue Kitchen, offers lots of menu whimsy, as do his other locations. It's his signature. For instance, when we stopped by recently for dinner, his crabcake ($25) was enclosed with pretzel sticks and served with chipotle aioli, his signature maple-glazed clothesline bacon gets snipped and served tableside, and the bread service offers two giant gruyere popovers and jalapeno cornbread sticks with spiced butter. I washed those down with the unusual smoky Oaxacan Old Fashion made with mezcal, tequila and chocolate bitters ($18). The two menu standouts included the tuna and salmon tartare with avocado, a shaved vegetable salad in a yuzu vinaigrette ($23), and the [...]

By |2024-02-25T08:35:43-05:00February 21st, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Ravagh Persian Grill, Upper East Side, NYC

A large group of us met at Treadwell on the UES to compete in their Monday night trivia as advertised on their site and at their restaurant. We had brought a couple of ringers. When we arrived, they told us they had replaced trivia night with college football. We quickly regrouped and decided to find a place to dine. You don't generally go to Treadwell for the food unless you're there to play trivia. I had been to the Murray Hill location of Ravagh Persian Grill after a visit to the Morgan Library, so I knew it was a good substitution. We were seated at a table in the bar [...]

By |2024-02-25T08:34:06-05:00February 19th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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