Big Apple Life

Home/Big Apple Life

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

Island Oyster on Governors Island, NYC

Once a year, I would find a friend who wanted to join me on a trip to Governors Island to dine at Kerry Herffernan's Island Oyster, a seafood restaurant located right off the dock serving sustainable seafood in an upscale high-end waterfront establishment that felt like dining at a resort. We'd sit at the tables, sipping the on-tap Rosésoaking in the amazing views of lower Manhattan. Wanted to support the restaurant, I took my annual trip thinking that it wouldn't be much different — other than socially distancing — as it was always an outdoor restaurant. I was so wrong. The trip over was still a lovely short — 5-minute [...]

By |2020-09-12T11:56:31-04:00September 12th, 2020|Big Apple Life, Rambling|0 Comments
Read More

Alfresco Dining COVID Phase 2 at The Leroy House, West Village

I'm fine with alfresco dining but not waiting on the street until a table opens up. So I secured a res at The Leroy House, a neighborhood place on the ground floor of a beautiful townhouse that until last year was Harwood on Hudson before that Piora — for me and a friend. Like other restaurants, they enlarged their dining area well into the street and spaced their tables at least 6 feet apart unlike many other outdoor establishments. I hadn't seen my friend since quarantine started in March. We were getting together as she was heading into the city so we had lots to catch up on. We each [...]

By |2020-08-22T08:09:04-04:00September 2nd, 2020|Big Apple Life, Rambling|0 Comments
Read More

COVID Phase 2 Lunch: La Pecora Bianca, NoMad, NYC

Dining in the middle of Broadway and 26th Street with the subway running beneath is truly a unique New York City COVID experience. I ate lunch there with a neighbor recently. La Pecora Bianca gave us one-use paper menus plus a wax paper sandwich bag to each store our mask while eating. We shared a shaved Brussels sprouts salad that the menu described as containing pickled raisins, sunflower seeds and parmesan ($16). As you can see, our salad was mostly the shaved sprouts with a couple of sunflower seeds and raisins, yet little cheese. The better choice was the chicken paillard ($21) topped with fresh arugula, marinated tomatoes and parmesan [...]

By |2020-08-22T08:04:41-04:00August 29th, 2020|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
Read More

COVID Phase 2 Lunch: L’Express, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

L'Express didn't disappoint. It never does when I order my two regular offerings at this consistently good French bistro on the corner of 20th and Park.   My friend and I shared their medallions of warm chèvre (Montrachet goat cheese) atop mixed field greens ($15). We followed that with their a tender and juicy Moroccan-spiced lamb burger ($19), cooked to medium, served with cornichons, a sliced tomato, thickly sliced onion and fries. With that, you get ketchup for dipping fries and harissa for spreading on the lamb. We sat at an outside table on 20th, each sipping a delicious cappuccino ($5) while yakking for hours as there were empty tables. [...]

By |2020-08-21T19:29:36-04:00August 26th, 2020|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
Read More

Alfresco Dining COVID Phase 2 at La Palapa, East Village, NYC

We headed to St. Marks Place in the East Village for a south-of-the-border bite at La Palapa, my friend Barbara Sibley's place. Barbara has weathered many a crisis, staying open, caring for her staff and feeding others as so well told in the  Zagat article. She's one amazing lady! We, of course, began our meal at one of their outdoor tables with Margies ($13) and their guac, made to order, with house-made cumin-spiced corn chips ($15). That came with three sal