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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A return to RH Rooftop, Meatpacking District, NYC

A visit to RH Rooftop in the Meatpacking District is always a treat. The location is high above Ninth Avenue with a lush windowed dining area offering excellent attentive service and good food. I always recommend. We started with Mimosa's ($16) and their artisanal Prosciutto di Parma (some of the leanest I've ever had!) served on a large wooden platter with warmed crusty breadf rom Orwasher’s Bakery, chilled red grapes and a few chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano ($24). Although that could have been my meal, we had also ordered their warm lobster roll with drawn butter a soupçon of mayo and Old Bay seasoning ($24) and crispy French fries served [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:04:51-04:00June 19th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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John Fraser’s Iris, Midtown, NYC

John Fraser's new Aegean-cuisine Iris was on my ever-growing to-try list. I started chatting with the manager when we both realized we had recently met (and exchanged cards!) at the Terrace at the Edition Hotel, another of JF Restaurant's locations.  It became more of a drinking lunch as we were outside at this location near Carnegie Hall enjoying one of spring's perfect days. I first sampled the Iris Manhattan ($19) made with Makers Mark and served with a mini-spoon containing a Luxardo cherry, my more adventurous dining partner ordered the Son of Aphrodite ($21) that blended saffron-infused Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, passion fruit and yellow chartreuse. I moved on to [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:21:42-04:00June 17th, 2022|Bites from the Road, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to Wagamama, Midtown, NYC + Golden Shield

One location of Wagamama, the British restaurant chain serving Asian food based on Japanese cuisine, is across the street from City Center where we were heading to see "Golden Shield," playwright Anchuli Felicia King's new work about loyalties, intrigue and the art of translation. Nothing to to out of your way for. My go-to dish is always their spicy bang bang cauliflower ($8.50) as the well-seasoned florets never disappoint. I expected their bold and fiery firecracker chicken to be spicy. Not spicy, yet flavorful. The small chunks of chicken with bell peppers, chilies and scallions surrounded a serving of white rice, were missing the menu-stated snow peas ($18). My friend [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:24:55-04:00June 15th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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The Return to THE WELL Kitchen & Table for Brunch, Union Square, NYC

I highly suggest a visit to The Well on 15th Street for a bite to eat after shopping at the farmers' market. It is just west of Union Square and worth the visit. I returned recently for brunch with a friend. In looking at the offerings at their counter, we decided to try an everything bagel scone. Yes, a scone. It's filled with cream cheese ($6) and yummy when warmed a tad. Our attentive waiter Carter offered us some Ramona canned wine spritzes, complimentary. I sampled the tasty blood orange, my friend tried the amarino spritz. Surprisingly quite tasty. For our entrees, we shared their scrambled egg sandwich ($15) with tomato relish, [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:27:11-04:00June 13th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The New Vegan Pure Grit BBQ, Kips Bay, NYC

Don't skip reading about this first-ever fast-casual vegan BBQ restaurant in New York City because you're a meat lover. Pure Grit BBQ is not for vegans only. Kerry Fitzmaurice, the creative mind behind this concept, started in the film industry before stopping by public relations and advertising, then moving on to create this plant-based BBQ establishment that's both vegan and gluten-free. Everything is smoked in-house and prepared with their signature sauces (a vinegar-based BBQ sauce and a hot sauce) and their rub. All three are for sale online or at the store. For a bit of whimsy, Kerry has the kitchen add Smarties to each tray. She chose that after [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:33:15-04:00June 11th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Rosa Mexicano, Lincoln Center, NYC

Rosa Mexicano was where we decided to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the celebration commemorating the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire in 1862. And, what else to start our celebration with other than a Margie?! My dining partner ordered their signature frozen pomegranate one, while I'm a bit more traditional, choosing their La Tradicional Margarita. The latter made with blanco tequila, fresh lime and agave made spicy with the addition of their "House Tres Chiles Tincture" ($15). We then ordered the Guacamole en Molcajete, supposed to be made tableside, but oddly not. Instead, it was made at the other end of the dining room. I say oddly, [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:43:18-04:00June 9th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Il Brigante, South Street Seaport, NYC

My friend was staying at Mr. C Seaport, around the corner from Il Brigante, a cozy southern Italian restaurant she frequented while there. I'd recommend a visit. We started with their crisp Caesar salad topped with a mountain of fresh shaved Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese ($17) and their imported burrata mozzarella atop fresh arugula with Campari tomatoes ($21) that we washed down with Montepulciano d`Abruzzo, Colle Sale 2018 (Abruzzo), a full-bodied red ($56). Next we shared their fritturella mista, lightly fried calamari and shrimp ($19). We should have stopped there. Instead, we ordered their bowtie pasta with sautéed  broccoli di rape, sweet Italian sausage, sun-dried tomato, white wine and garlic ($23), most [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:22:57-04:00June 7th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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GupShup, Flatiron-Gramercy, NYC + The Stand Comedy Club

Even the drinks are delicious at the Bombay-inspired Gup Shup. My green Margie-like "hot like Kohli" was made with Espolon Silver tequila and Montelobos mezcal in a spicy-lime salted rim garnished with a hot pepper. My dining friend liked their version of a Negroni with Darjeeling tea and black cardamom added to the gin, Campari and vermouth. Our whole Tandoori cauliflower ($18) arrived as we were sipping our drinks. We were in heaven enjoying every morsel of the fork-tender chou fleur. We each commented how Miznon, known for their classic whole roasted one, paled in comparison. I'd recommend it along with a serving of their garlicky naan ($6) to sop [...]

By |2022-06-02T07:48:10-04:00June 3rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Ravagh Persian Grill, Murray Hill, NYC + The Morgan Library

My dining partner had walked past Ravagh Persian Grill on her way to meet me at The Morgan Library and thought it might be a place to get a bite after. It was. The Madison Avenue location is one of four, two in the city and two on the island. I started with an Old Fashioned ($16), my dining partner their Sabzibhang ($16), a blend of blanco tequila, Aperol and red grapefruit juice that arrived looking more like a slushy than a cocktail. Our server placed warm large Persian flatbread with two dips, one yogurt-based, the other an addictive blend of cilantro, parsley and olive oil. We ordered one of [...]

By |2022-06-02T07:28:15-04:00June 1st, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Evergreen on 38th Street, Midtown, NYC

We met near the southern end of Central Park and headed south to Evergreen on 38th Street, walking past the now-gone whimsical Plantoir, Blue installation created by married artists Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggena. Their interpretation of the trowel in motion, as if it “fell from the sky,” stood erect with its shovel end in the ground. The food photos of the dim sum on the restaurant's website enticed us to make a reservation. This Chinese spot offers a Shanghai-influenced menu with lots of dumplings selections. First, we nibbled their crisp scallion pancakes (6 triangles, $7). Our server then placed a stack of steamer baskets filled with our other [...]

By |2022-06-02T07:35:11-04:00May 30th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Chop-Shop, Chelsea, NYC + Jean-Michel Basquiet exhibit

I returned to Chop-Shop for its proximity to the Landmark Starrett-Lehigh building in Chelsea, where Jean-Michel Basquiet's family put his art on display. I had to order their nicely spiced green papaya salad with shrimp cashews and watercress ($14) again. Yes, that good. It didn't disappoint. I still wish they'd trim the watercress stems a tad. My dining partner enjoyed the poached Norwegian salmon with a ginger scallion sauce over steamed baby bok choy ($24). Although delicious, we agreed that the rice-flour-dusted, lightly fried, spicy Thai branzino filet ($24) was the thing to have. It was so delicate and flavorful with the fillet served atop the skin, all in a [...]

By |2022-06-02T07:24:14-04:00May 28th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Miramar, FiDi, NYC + Governor’s Island

Miramar, which means  "sea-view" or "sea sight," is located by the New York sea: The Hudson River. We sat outside at Miramar, enjoying the spring weather after a trip to Governor's Island. We sipped a Villa Rosa, Gavi di Gavi, Piedmont, Italy ($38) while we started on the layered eggplant and ricotta Napoleon ($12) topped with mozzarella in tomato sauce. Also good is their Mediterranean mezze ($16) with falafel, baba ghanoush, hummus and tabouli served with warm pita bread. One dining partner tried the New Zealand mussels ($18) in an herbed red wine sauce. Another had the diver scallops ($14) with greens, another their chilled seafood salad ($18) with octopus, [...]

By |2022-06-02T07:19:29-04:00May 26th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Smith, Midtown, NYC

We met at the Midtown location of The Smith, a casual American Brasserie, for lunch as its location worked for the group coming from different parts of the city. We laughed as we all ordered the same lunch entree with dressing on the side! Their citrus, goat cheese salad topped with grilled salmon is so yummy, thought I'd write about that one dish. Worth the visit. Ask to sit in the bright, quieter front area by the windows. Great for catching up with friends. The Smith Midtown 956 2nd Ave (at 51st) New York, NY 10022 212-644-2700 thesmithrestaurant.com

By |2022-06-02T07:13:16-04:00May 24th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Katzs Delicatessen, Lower East Side, NYC + Faith Reingold at the New Musuem

Who knew you could reserve a table at Katz's Delicatessen! I didn't until I called to see if they'd take a group of ex.expats for a pre-meal before a tour of the Faith Reingold exhibit at the New Museum. We were able to reserve a table for 13 through their catering department by paying a deposit of $10 per person. Since the closing of Carnegie Deli, Katz's is the most famous remaining Jewish-style one. It's been around since 1888. Although many of our group had never been to this iconic delicatessen before, they knew of it from film. The most classic appearance was in the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry [...]

By |2022-05-24T06:43:48-04:00May 22nd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Miss Korea BBQ, Koreatown, NYC + A Reading: Charna Rivka

A building mate invited me to LAByrinth Theatre company's Annual Barn Series reading at 59 E 59 Theater for a sneak peek at a new play, Charna Rivka, written by David Deblinger. I found the start of the cold reading quite engaging with the ending in need of additional work — like many readings. Interesting though. After we headed down to Koreatown, ending up in Miss Korea BBQ this time ordering only their Dolsot Bibimbap ($21.95) with spicy pork, as last time the meat cooked at the table on the BBQ was overcooked. That Bibimbap dish of rice with veggies came sizzling hot in a stone pot topped with a [...]

By |2022-05-24T06:44:41-04:00May 20th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Inside Park at St. Bart’s, Midtown, NYC

We stopped by the cafe at St. Barts on their terrace under their "winter tent" to get a bite to eat after attending a funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral. We started with drinks so that we could toast our friend. One friend ordered their Vintage Negroni ($16) made with gin, Campari and vermouth, another sipped a glass of Rubio Sangiovese ($16) and I sipped their Woodford Old Fashioned ($19), one of the best ones I've had recently. The food didn't live up to the drinks. One friend tried their chicken sandwich ($23) with bacon and lemon aioli on multi-grain bread, not the menu-listed roll; she chose a salad instead of [...]

By |2022-05-21T09:41:50-04:00May 20th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Brunch at Upland, Flatiron, NYC

It's been a long time since I dined at Upland, chef Justin Smillie’s California-inspired cuisine in the Flatiron District. Generally, this Stephen Starr location was a reliable and crowd-pleasing restaurant. Would it still be? We stopped in for their Sunday brunch, starting with a cocktail. My dining partner had their Green Marjorita ($16) a smoky, yet not too sweet margarita made with Milagro Silver tequila and Del Maguey Vida mezcal plus arugula, fennel and lemon. I'd recommend. Skip the plebeian bloody Mary that tasted merely like spiked tomato juice. Brunch items are worth the trip. We shared the flavorful "Eggs In Hell,"  ($19) with  two poached eggs cooked in a [...]

By |2022-05-21T09:45:51-04:00May 18th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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AnTalia NYC, Midtown, NYC + Fran Lebowitz

We chose the Turkish restaurant AnTalia for its proximity to Town Hall where we were seeing the irreverent humorist Fran Lebowitz. As traditional in Turkish meals, we started with a mezze. That's a selection of small dishes served with bread, traditionally pita. We chose their tzatziki (chopped cucumbers with garlic and dill in yogurt), the pureed grilled eggplant and — my favorite — the spicy veggie dip made from tomatoes, green peppers, walnuts and pepper sauce (three for $21). One dining partner tried their classic vertically grilled lamb gyro ($22.50) served with tomato sauce, yogurt and pita, that needed more bread (+$1.75). Another had their whole char-grilled branzino (Mediterranean seabass or [...]

By |2022-05-24T06:46:19-04:00May 16th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Quri the Quinoa Peruvian Vodka

Just arriving on our shelves is Quri, an award-winning Peruvian vodka made from quinoa sourced from a single-family farm and ancient Andean glacier water filtered through volcanic stone. It's one of two vodkas in the world made from the locally originated grain, with Quri the only one produced in the Andes. If you're not familiar with this nutritious grain, quinoa seeds are richer in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins and dietary minerals than many grains. Quinoa has been farmed for over 5000 years by the Incas. And now, it's the base for this vodka, one with a mission to better the lives of the Andes people. The distinct slightly grain [...]

By |2022-05-24T06:47:49-04:00May 14th, 2022|Food & Drinks, Products|0 Comments
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The Terrace at the Edition Hotel, Theatre District, NYC

My friend made the res as she had a special table to request at the Terrace located on the 9th floor of the Edition Hotel, chef John Fraser's all-day restaurant. Weather permitting there's a cozy terrace and garden lush with plants and ivy. I returned to The Terrace again in the spring yet three years after promising to do so. I had to sample their signature Old Fashioned (although at $24 is mighty pricey) with Woodinville bourbon, stone fruit and a hint of chocolate from the cocoa nib bitters. We shared their empire Caesar salad with ($22) Castelfranco (a type of radicchio), baby romaine, anchovies and large sourdough croutons. Very [...]

By |2022-05-21T10:25:35-04:00May 12th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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