Our favorite restaurants in the US
New York Restaurant Week is now extended until Monday, September 5th (Saturdays excluded), featuring over 250 restaurants offering three-course lunch and dinner menus, at $24.07 and $35.00 plus tax, respectively. For additional information and a full listing of participating restaurants and their menus, click here. -guest contributor
Boston Restaurant Weeks runs for two weeks this August. Specifically, the restaurant weeks will run from Sunday, August 14 to Friday, August 19 and Sunday, August 21 to Friday, August 26 featuring over 200 restaurants offering prix fixe menus for lunch and/or dinner: 2-course lunch for $15.11, 3-course lunch for $20.11, and 3-course dinner for $33.11. Some restaurants participating include Mistral Restaurant, Davio's Boston, Taj Boston, Wine Cellar Restaurant and Warren Tavern. For additional information and a full listing or participating restaurants and their menus, click here. -guest contributor
Since Taste is a local neighborhood restaurant, I've eaten there numerous time. It's a small 50-seat place in a comfy setting, with the food a few steps above family-style chain restaurants. On one visit I tried the special, a delicious sounding pan-roasted rockfish with fresh creamed corn, spinach and tomatoes, crispy soft shelled crab and sweet pea and horseradish puree ($22). Sadly it sounded better than it tasted as it was missing (no pun intended) taste. The only thing discernible in the puree was the peas — I would have loved a bit of the advertised horseradish kick. But luckily I also ordered the now-signature, always tasty “chop/chop” salad. According [...]
Beacon's 9th Annual Chowder Fest takes place on Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at Beacon Restaurant and Bar (25 West 56 Street). Kicking off at 6:30 pm the event will feature a variety of chowders and dishes including New England style clam chowder, Manhattan style clam chowder, seafood chowder, grilled lobster and more. Also included will be unlimited Brooklyn beer and Beacon's Vodka Spiked Pink Lemonade. For ticket information ($85 per person) or to learn more, click here. -guest contributor
The Pacific Dining Car — a tasty destination in Los Angeles — is one the cities oldest restaurants, now run by 4th generation family member Wesley Idol. The original car, located in downtown LA since 1923, offers an array of mouth-watering dishes 24/7 including cowboy steak, blueberry or banana walnut pancakes, famous strawberry shortcake and a great hot cup of Joe. This summer the Pacific Dining Car revamped the late night menu, weekly entertainment, specials for kids and a variety of other “social makeovers” to draw foodies and a nightlife crowd. It's possible you’ll brush shoulders with one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces as everyone wants a great meal. - [...]
I do love the age we live in, the amazing accessibility to vast information in the palm of your hand. I sometimes wonder how we ever functioned before smartphones, before you could find any little thing, online, in seconds, from almost anywhere on Earth. I was recently in Washington DC for a friends wedding, having not spent any real time in the city in over a decade. A good friend let me stay in his apartment while he was gone for the weekend, a wonderful spot just off of Dupont Circle. The neighborhood is in the heart of the city, making for a good selection of walkable restaurants, none of [...]
The Pond House Cafe in Elizabeth Park is a perfect destination for brunch — before or after a walk through their incredible rose gardens . As we sat there trying to decide what to order, all the food that was served at tables around us looked inviting. We settled on the Veggie Burrito ($11.42). A delicious flour tortilla full of refried beans, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions and a smidgen of of mozzarella and Parmesan. I'd highly recommend that. The Pond House Cafe's brie and apple omelet ($7.25) was interesting but quite bland. I would have preferred the Granny Smith apples sauteed in butter and brown sugar (or something) before [...]
Park Hyatt Chicago’s new restaurant NoMI Kitchen opened June 3rd. NoMI Kitchen is based on the idea that the center of the home is the kitchen, where family and friends gather – an everyday occasion place. The new unique design presents the kitchen as the focal point, showcasing the culinary team. Rich, wooden tables in place of white tablecloths and contemporary tones of dark browns, creams and pops of color infuse the space with warmth and complement the original mosaic tile floors. A new artisanal cheese cave featuring imported selections is located in the Wine Cellar. NoMI Garden adds a new backdrop to its outdoor terrace with a 30 ft [...]
We walked in the door 10 minutes before closing — we weren't interested in dining, per se, but just wanted some decent fresh food. We were welcomed, as they began to empty the huge cases filled with an array of the freshest seafood I'd seen in some time. Needing just a nibble, we ordered a Ceasar salad - fresh but over dressed and their crab cake (full of crab with so little filler, it almost fell apart). Perfection (other than the buttery sauce City Fish served with it). Next time I'm in Boca, I'll leave more time to experience City Fish Market's full menu as this just whet my appetite. [...]
Spice Market, located inside the W Atlanta-Midtown, is offering a special $5 menu from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in July. In the bar area, guests can choose from a selection of drinks and dishes priced at just $5 each including: • Whiskey Passion Fizz • Brancott Sauvignon Blanc • MacMurray Pinot Noir • Crios Malbec • Charles de Fère Sparkling Wine • Vietnamese Spring Roll • Fragrant Mushroom Egg Rolls with Galangal Emulsion • Crispy calamari with Basil Salt and Citrus Sriracha Emulsion • Chicken Skewer with Lime Dipping Sauce • Charred Chili-Rubbed Beef Skewer with Thai Basil Dipping Sauce Spice Market (in [...]
My first visit to Oaxaca — New Haven's newest edition to its lineup of authentic ethnic restaurants — was the week it opened during the city's restaurant week. I'd say that was a mighty brave time for international chef-owner Prasad Chirnomula to open. Prasad is best known for Thali, his Indian restaurants in the state (New Haven, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Westport). From what I tasted then, I knew I would be in for a treat once the restaurant got into its rhythm. Oaxaca is located on College Street in the previous home of the Ethiopian restaurant Caffe' Adulis. The new hip restaurant is named for the cuisine of Oaxaca de [...]
The key to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so celebrate Father’s Day this year with Benjamin Steakhouse and their prefix menu. With 30 years combined experience, Chef McLeod and Benjamin Prelvukaj have designed a “Manhattan Mecca” for steak connoisseurs — home to many New Yorkers. Benjamin Steakhouse prides themselves in delivering an unprecedented dining experience. Celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, June 19th at Benjamin Steakhouse with the following prefixed menu ($64.95 per person, not including tax & gratuity) PREFIX MENU Choice of Appetizer Four Extra Large Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with Arturo’s Cocktail Sauce Lobster Bisque Soup with Lump Lobster and Toast Two Crab Cakes served with Seafood Sauce, [...]
The Lounge at Gotham Steak, the restaurant’s upstairs dining room has been converted into a chic dining and lounge space complete with new lighting and a house DJ, who spins eclectic tunes Wednesday through Saturday evenings. Gone are the white tablecloths and the new, more casual atmosphere features a new lounge menu; The Dining Room continues to serve Gotham’s full a la carte menu of tender aged steaks, succulent seafood and delicious sides. Gotham Steak, a two-level restaurant that sits just off the historic lobby, is a creative reinterpretation, in both cuisine and design, of a traditional steakhouse. With seating for 300, the dining rooms are outfitted with upholstered custom [...]
A national survey released in April might alter the perception that McDonald’s has the best tasting French fries. Call it common knowledge, call it a preference, call it American folklore, but somehow the myth of the Micky-D's french fry lives strong. Though, maybe the winds are a changing... The results of a national taste test are out, consumers said Wendy’s new fries taste better than McDonald’s fries. 56% of consumers taking the test chose Wendy’s, with 39% choosing McDonald’s, 4% had no preference. Ken Calwell, Wendy’s chief marketing officer noted the immense nature of the task, stating “We’re taking on the giant – McDonald’s – with our natural-cut fries with [...]
Explore downtown New Haven's food culture with the Downtown Culinary Tour on June 4, 2011 at 10:45 a.m. Departing from John Davenport's Restaurant at the Top of the Park (Omni New Haven Hotel ) the tour stops at nine restaurants and eateries that may include Louis' Lunch, The Cupcake Truck, and York Noodle House. Tickets $59. For information and reservations call 203.777.8550. Additional Tours will take place July 9, August 6, September 17, October 15, November 12, and December 10, 2011. -guest contributor
I'm always up for trying the new restaurants, especially after being pitched at tease about the new place by a public relations firm. (Actually the firm works for Info New Haven, promoting all area restaurants.) Red opened recently on Orange Street in the former Foster's, with the same owner (Ming Lau) minus the eponymous chef-partner Dave Foster. It's purportedly a French-Asian bistro. The wine offerings are mainly from California, but we settled on a New Zealand Matua Sauvignon Blanc ($28). We started with their moules-frites ($12), Asian-style mussels in a black bean sauce served with taro root french fries. Interesting flavor - but both the mussels and fries needed a [...]
The Palm Springs Restaurant Week will be held Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 12, 2011. Encouraging guests to “Eat, See and Stay,” Restaurant Week will feature creations from 100 locations, in addition to value priced specials from top hotels and attractions. Area restaurants will offer diners a three-course prix-fixe menu for $24 or $36. Last year’s menus offered a multitude of flavors to tempt every palate, from eclectic dishes including Hawaiian tuna mojito ceviche, to traditional American cuisine like braised short rib with fall root vegetables, to East Coast thin style pizza. For a complete list of participating restaurants and menus, as well as special hotel packages and other [...]
When Season's 52 first opened in 2003, I was invited to a business dinner at Season’s 52, a Darden restaurant in Orlando. I was impressed by the food (super fresh and well prepared) and the concept (a menu that changes seasonally, with weekly local specials, using fresh local ingredients). I’m not a chain-restaurant diner, but with that experience so good, I visited again, this time to the Boca Raton location. The evening started with perfection. A friendly, engaging server, who — since I was wearing black — switched the white napkin to a black one “so I wouldn’t get lint on my clothes” and explained the restaurant’s health concept with no [...]
On one of the first warm days of spring, I wanted to dine al fresco so I met a friend and dined on the outdoor patio of Scoozzi. The prix fixe lunch menu for lunch ($18) was such a bargain, who could resist that or the wine supplement at $14 for two glasses? The Caesar with torn romaine hearts, focaccia croutons and topped with white anchovies was refreshingly fresh. Perfectly matched with the Pinot Grigio Il Giardino '08. And having just returned from a Chicken Media Seminar in Charleston (SC), where the nutritional and taste aspects of chicken thighs were touted, I couldn't resist ordering the oven roasted Murray's chicken [...]
In writing about the semifinalists for the James Beard awards I noticed Le Farm — a restaurant in Connecticut that I hadn't experienced. I had to sample it — as it was one of two Connecticut restaurants that were even mentioned. I wasn't disappointed. The small restaurant is located in a small shopping center on the Post Road, near the Westport Playhouse. The smoked trout with fried chunks of potato, seasoned with horseradish came topped with a not too rich (Read: nicely balanced) roe hollandaise ($16). My favorite dish of the evening. The griddled chorizo came with an onion dressing and a way too salty cheddar grit cake ($15), which [...]
