Big Apple Life

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

Spice Symphony, UES, NYC + UN Gardens

One friend who works at the UN was able to take us on a visit to the gardens. These impressive gardens feature numerous unique statues and monuments, all of which are open to the public through guided tours. After our outing, we walked west towards Third Avenue to Spice Symphony, an Indian restaurant offering a prix fixe lunch. They served us spicy samosas as an amuse-bouche while we browsed the menu options. One of my dining partners ordered their hearty portion of paneer ($20), while another opted for the shrimp salad, which came with five large shrimp ($17). Three of us tried the pre-plated lunch, priced from $16 (vegetarian) to $20, [...]

By |2025-06-13T08:55:54-04:00July 9th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour at Mermaid Inn, Times Square, NYC + John Proctor, The Villain

We grabbed a bite during The Mermaid Inn's Times Square happy hour, as my theatre-going friends are oyster lovers. That and it was close to the theatre where we were heading to the Tony-winning play, John Proctor the Villain, which I would recommend.  During happy hour, the restaurant offers the chef's choice of oysters for $2 each, with a minimum of six.  In addition to the oysters, we tried the fried calamari ($11), which was almost entirely composed of fried coating. I'd skip the lobster roll ($26), as it the crustacean wasn't very fresh. What I'd recommend is the country-fried free-range chicken, served with jalapeño cheddar cornbread and braised collard greens, [...]

By |2025-06-28T10:39:29-04:00July 7th, 2025|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Tang by Mr Sun, UES, NYC + Met Opening Superfine of Tailoring Black Style

After the Met opening of the Superfine of Tailoring Black Style, exploring the importance of black fashion, the five of us walked east to Tang by Mr Sun on Third Avenue as we were hungry. At the opening, the only food available was small paper bags filled with either pretzels or potato chips. We ordered a variety of apps as we were hungry. We started with the interesting presentation of red lychee shrimp balls ($16 for 5) on the arms of a special holder, where the server added water to dry ice at the base, and smoke appeared all around them. To that, we added chicken satay ($12 + $4 [...]

By |2025-07-05T07:42:38-04:00July 5th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Brunch at Catch, Meat Packing District, NYC + The Whitney: Amy Sherald: Four Ways of Being

Most museums in New York City offer free admission at some point. The Whitney Museum offers Free Friday Nights, Free Second Sundays and is free every day for those 25 and under. I took advantage of that second Sunday and met a friend there to see the Amy Sherald: Four Ways of Being exhibition. She's the artist who Michelle Obama commissioned to paint her portrait as First Lady, which is in the exhibit. After visiting the museum, we headed to the fourth-floor rooftop location of Catch. Sharing a little secret, if you go: the elevator button is difficult to find in the dark. We laughingly took out our iPhones for [...]

By |2025-07-05T07:46:55-04:00July 3rd, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour at Aqua, Flatiron-Gramercy, NYC

A group of us met for happy hour at Aqua, a relatively new restaurant located in the former WeWork space on Broadway, which serves Italian and Japanese cuisine in a cavernous space. The one-star rating is not due to quality but rather because of the limited options. The sushi is good, with two options, attractively presented. I sampled their espresso martini ($12 for happy hour). One person had their cocktail special, a spicy passion fruit margarita, while others sipped the happy hour wines ($10). Like many websites, Aqua is not up-to-date with pricing. As of today, June 1, the cocktails are listed at $12; they're now $16. Happy Hour details [...]

By |2025-07-05T08:01:32-04:00July 1st, 2025|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Prix Fixe Lunch at The Palm, Theatre District, NYC

When I think of The Palm restaurant, I envision a humongous steak overlapping the plate. I also think of those walls adorned with fun caricatures of famous people. Recently, I discovered that this classic establishment now offers a "Power Lunch" featuring a three-course prix fixe menu for just $34. I visited with a friend to give it a try. We both began with an over-dressed Caesar salad and their wonderful bread basket, which included fresh-sliced bread, cheesy rolls, breadsticks, a pretzel roll (my favorite) and fresh butter. I highly recommend choosing their fresh options. My dining companion ordered the "Catch of the Day," which was a fabulous branzino served over [...]

By |2025-06-02T06:42:25-04:00June 26th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Pig & Khao, Lower East Side, NYC

NOTE: After visiting, we saw this notice online: "Our last day of service will be June 22." Both the UWS and Chesea (Piggyback) locations are open.  Earlier this year, my daughter-in-law raved about a Southeast Asian restaurant on the Lower East Side where she met a colleague when in town. I couldn't resist trying it, so I made a reservation with some friends I had met on a recent trip to Ecuador. We squeezed into a cozy corner booth, and right away, the atmosphere was lively and casual, with loud 90s hip-hop music playing in the background. I love the family-style dining experience, as it encourages sharing. Once we sipped our [...]

By |2025-06-30T16:01:33-04:00June 18th, 2025|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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MAD Museum’s Robert Restaurant, Midtown West, NYC

After visiting and shopping at the fabulous MAD About Jewelry 2025,  the annual benefit awards celebration and sale of contemporary jewelry at the Museum of Art and Design, we took the elevator up for a quick lunch at Robert, located on the ninth floor. If you go, request a window seat with views of Columbus Circle and Central Park. Service is top notch in this quiet setting. We sipped the Pasqua, Rose, 11 Minutes, Treviso, Italy, 2023 ($55) while savoring our lunch. My dining partners enjoyed their toothsome pasta. One had the rigatoni ($25) with a pomodoro (tomato) sauce topped with artisanal ricotta and fresh basil, the other their penne [...]

By |2025-06-01T06:58:09-04:00June 11th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Birthday at Zizi, Chelsea, NYC

I had only been to ZiZi for their happy hour and liked what I tried when one friend suggested it as the location for a birthday gathering. Five of us went, starting with their $11 happy hour martinis! Remembering a wonderful lemon drop martini at Bar Hemingway in the Ritz Hotel in Paris years ago, I had to try the Motek Martini lemon drop one. Delicious. The five of us then shared some apps. After ordering, one server accidentally served us someone else's halloumi pesto and hummus and decided to leave it for us, which we devoured. After enjoying that, we shared the roasted cauliflower with lima beans ($16), crazy [...]

By |2025-06-07T08:11:41-04:00June 7th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Felicè 56, Midtown, NYC

A gathering of girlfriends took place at Felicè 56, which we discovered is regarded as one of the best Felices in Manhattan. At least, that's what we heard and experienced while dining with Italian royalty at this lower level location. Some of us had drinks while catching up. I recommend their Espresso Martini. Make sure to request their special pizzetta, which isn’t listed on the menu ($25). It's a small, pizza-like, unleavened bread, we ordered ours topped with prosciutto. I also recommend the fried baby artichokes and calamari ($25) as well as the baked eggplant parmigiana ($22). Management surprised us by sending out the Fusilli al Ferretto e Burrata ($29) [...]

By |2025-06-01T14:45:26-04:00June 5th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to The Little Owl, West Village, NYC

Like many West Village restaurants,  The Little Owl is a cozy neighborhood gem; this one offers bold Mediterranean cuisine with friendly yet professional service. As the waiter began describing the soft-shell crab special, two of us lit up! We had to have it, sharing an entree portion with two crabs as our appetizer ($48), while our other dining companion enjoyed their rich onion soup topped with a Gruyère gratin ($19). With both, we three sipped their Garnacha ($76) Pegaso 'Zeta', Cebreros, Sierra de Gredos, Spain 2022, then shared the asparagus & mushroom risotto ($36) with roasted cherry tomatoes and the delicious zucchini ($18) and yellow squash. Two light and delicious [...]

By |2025-06-13T08:53:51-04:00June 1st, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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John Fraser’s Iris, Midtown, NYC + All-Schubert Program at Carnegie

Before heading to an All-Schubert Program, Piano Four Hands, at Carnegie Hall, we stopped at John Fraser's Mediterranean restaurant, Iris. At this Aegean restaurant, we chose an Assyrtiko white wine for our meal. Specifically, the Atma Assyrtiko, Macedonia, Greece 2022 ($98), a crisp white variety with notable acidity. My friends selected some items from the menu I hadn't noticed before, as at Iris, I often enjoy their mezze options with their incredible spicy lamb flatbread ($18), which we did, too. Their crispy veal sweetbreads came with chili-honey savoy cabbage with a pine nut gremolata ($30) and the two meaty, small—and quite bony—pepper-crusted quail ($32). Also tasty is the branzino fillet [...]

By |2025-05-27T09:06:47-04:00May 27th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Returns to Chez Josephine, Theatre District, NYC

I love the immigrant story of Manuel Uzha, dishwasher turned owner of Chez Josephine, that I learned about on visit earlier this year. Since then, I've returned multiple times to a warm hug welcome. It's that kind of warm and welcoming place. From those visits, I'd like to recommend a couple items including their espresso martini, their country pâté with a celery rémoulade and their cheese plate with three yummy cheeses. I highly recommend a visit!   Chez Josephine Hells Kitchen 414 West 42nd Street New York, NY 212.594.1925 chezjosephine.com

By |2025-05-11T07:19:29-04:00May 19th, 2025|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Return to Serendipity, Upper East Side, NYC

Why would I return so quickly to Serendipity? Not because of its fabulous food but because my other grandkids, these two from out west, were visiting New York City this time, and I had promised them a Serendipity sundae. We arrived after a long day at the American Museum of Natural History, starting with the show at the Planetarium, and it left us very hungry as our reservation was midafternoon. I ordered the fried mozzarella sticks ($17.95) for my growing ravenous grandson, who also ordered the footlong classic served with French fries, coleslaw and pickles ($18.95). He took half home, leaving room for his Drug Store ($22.95) sundae with three [...]

By |2025-05-11T07:10:09-04:00May 16th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Bobbie Lloyd

What New Yorker isn't familiar with Magnolia Bakery? That small corner shop in New York's West Village has become a global phenomenon, now boasting 46 stores worldwide. This success is largely due to Bobbie Lloyd, their incredible CEO and Chief Baking Officer. I had the pleasure of meeting Bobbie when she joined Les Dames d'Escoffier New York (LDNY) and attended our annual conference in Phoenix, where all the New York Dames hung out. I learned that she has had a fascinating career; she served as Calvin Klein's private chef after finishing culinary school and then approached Danny Meyer at the original Union Square Cafe, where she started as a waiter. [...]

By |2025-05-10T06:59:51-04:00May 10th, 2025|Big Apple Life, City Bites, Foodie Interviews, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Sicily Osteria, Theatre District, NYC

If you're a theatergoer, I suggest dining at Sicily Osteria before your curtain. It's a warm, inviting restaurant on Restaurant Row in the heart of the Theater District and Hell's Kitchen neighborhoods. As their guests, we started with their specialty cocktails as we perused the menu. Requesting a non-sweet cocktail, our host suggested the Capri Crush made with vodka, Limoncello, St Germain, lemon juice, and egg white. It was perfect, even a tad tart. My dining partner sampled the Limoncello Spritz, a refreshing cocktail trending in Italy that replaces Aperol's bitterness with the less-complex, sunny taste of lemon. Restaurant Business recently reported that it's on trend to be the next Aperol [...]

By |2025-05-11T07:49:02-04:00May 8th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Argavi, Midtown, NYC + UN’s Focus on Woman Tour

Virginia, our passionate United Nations guide for our "Focus on Women" tour, amazed us with the figures and facts she spouted. She shared that in 1948, the UN had adopted thirty articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and we were shocked to learn that not one country honors them all. After our tour, we walked east to Argavi, a Georgian restaurant. I ordered thin slices of fried eggplant rolled around savory walnut stuffing ($16) and the traditional Khachapuri bread. I like the Adjaruli, an open-faced version topped with raw egg that gets cooked as the server mixes it with hot cheeses and butter ($18). Not to be missed. We [...]

By |2025-05-06T07:40:38-04:00May 6th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Chinatown, NYC + Statue of Liberty

We headed outside again after walking up the pedestal to and around the museum inside the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island. Tickets to the crown had sold out a month before when we booked, so we could only walk the 215 steps of the pedestal. Afterward, we headed to the Statue of Liberty Museum, which opened in 2019, where the helpful rangers gave my grandkids a booklet, pencil and directions to finish the required activities. We rested while they worked on their form. We returned to Manhattan after completing their paperwork and earning their ranger badges. They wanted Chinese; They mentioned wanting Chinese as we disembarked the ferry. I [...]

By |2025-04-13T10:12:09-04:00May 4th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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RH Rooftop Meatpacking District, NYC

After walking the High Line and Little Island with my grandchildren, we headed to RH Rooftop for brunch. It never fails to satisfy or impress. Two of us ordered the Cappelletti Spritz ($18). I'm liking all the new twists on Aperol ones that are popping up on menus. Cappelletti is similar to Campari both traditional Italian aperitivi, but made with a wine base instead of a neutral grain spirit. Another a Golden Road mango wheat ale ($8). My 9-year old grandson ordered the broiled salmon and a side of asparagus, finishing the whole thing and washing it down with Fentimans rose lemonade ($7). I tried their Caesar salad ($18) with [...]

By |2025-04-13T10:20:08-04:00May 1st, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|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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