Big Apple Life

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

Lunch at Cognac, Upper East Side, NYC

One of the best parts of New York is that many people visit our spectacular city, allowing me to reconnect with friends.  Recently, a friend from Sarasota came to town, and we met for lunch at a cozy restaurant on the Upper West Side, near where I had my book group in the mid-afternoon. The restaurant Cognac is a brasserie serving classic French cuisine across its three locations, with attentive service. I ordered their tart with sliced roasted tomatoes and fresh goat cheese atop some warm puff pastry  ($21). However, I couldn’t help but daydream about the caramelized-onion tart at Ci Siamo. I paired my meal with a glass of [...]

By |2025-12-23T10:42:10-05:00January 14th, 2026|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Return for Brunch at Mark’s Off Madison, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

Mark’s Off Madison on 26th is one of Manhattan's iconic brunch spots, always packed and a bit noisy. It is always bustling, creating a lively atmosphere that can be a bit loud—just loud enough that you have to strain to hear each other. The restaurant-bakery from Mark Strausman, formerly of Freds at Barneys New York and Campagna, serves traditional Jewish food, with some rustic Italian and European options. I started my meal with their take on the classic Bloody Mary, which had a nice kick. Instead of the large smoked fish platter ($38), I opted for a side of whitefish salad ($10) and a bialy ($2), thanks to the helpful [...]

By |2026-01-11T20:01:43-05:00January 11th, 2026|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Tarallucci e Vino, Union Square, NYC + Wicked: For Good

My friend really wanted to see the second installment of Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. She enjoyed it; I thought it was at least an hour too long, but it was a fun Sunday afternoon activity. After the show, we grabbed a bite nearby at Tarallucci e Vino. We ordered the Nero d'Avola Bagilio di Serramarrocco ’21 from Sicily ($68), as my friend recently returned from there. It paired well with both our fritto misto ($21) and Pinsa Romano. The restaurant is noisy, but not so loud that you can't hear your dining partner. The first included a decent portion of fried [...]

By |2025-12-23T10:41:57-05:00January 8th, 2026|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Shuka Birthday Celebration + Art on Broadway + Billiards

We kicked off our celebration at the new production of ART, this time with Bobby Cannavale, James Corden, and Neil Patrick Harris. I had seen the original version with Alan Alda, Victor Garber, and Alfred Molina in 1998. I haven't laughed so hard since I saw the original cast of Spamalot!  James Corden stopped the show.... more than once.  I highly recommend. We stopped at Amsterdam Billiards for some fierce ping pong competition before heading to dinner at Shuka on McDougal. Once settled in, we ordered lots of their shareable mezze, including squash hummus ($12), taramasalata ($14), tahini dip ($12), crisp cauliflower ($17), crudite ($11), falafel $14) and a fall [...]

By |2025-12-23T10:41:49-05:00January 5th, 2026|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Vinateria, Harlem, NYC + It’s Only A Play

When my friend suggested going to see Terrance McNally's hilarious play, "It's Only A Play" at Morningside Theater in the Morningside Heights area of Manhattan, I suggested we first dine at my friend and fellow Dame, Yvette Leeper Bueno's Vinateria, with its Spanish- and Italian-influenced food. Yvette graciously donated the gift certificate to a Les Dames d'Escoffier raffle, which I won. She warmly welcomed us to her friendly establishment, introducing us to her special people. I started with an Old Fashioned made with Cooper's Daughter, a small-batch bourbon finished in black walnut syrup barrels. This distillery is woman-owned and family-operated, also producing its own cooperage and apples. My dining partner [...]

By |2025-12-23T10:41:09-05:00January 2nd, 2026|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Welcome Home Bakery’s Cinnamon Rolls, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

Welcome Home is a new bakery in Bed-Stuy that has received significant acclaim and celebrated its first anniversary last month.  Around the same time, the New York Times named it "Bakery of the Year" in its second (to be annual) "Where to Eaties" feature, in which author Nikita Richardson called it "a downright miracle in 2025." I'm thrilled for my friend Nanahya's daughter, Isabella, who co-owns the place with Billy Wright, whom she met while working at L’appartement 4F. Lucky me—Isabella brought her renowned light-and-fluffy cinnamon rolls to her mom's for the morning after Thanksgiving. She baked and served them to us that Friday morning. Their cinnamon rolls have a [...]

By |2025-12-24T14:26:17-05:00December 30th, 2025|Big Apple Life, Food & Drinks, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Products|0 Comments
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Les Vagabonds Boucherie, Midtown, NYC

Les Vagabonds Boucherie is a French steakhouse with a "Bohemian soul" that opened less than a year ago at 58th and First Avenue. It is definitely worth the stop. We sat down for lunch, awaiting a friend who was coming from a hospital appointment, who said to start without her. We ordered the shrimp ajillo ($28) — Gulf shrimp sautéed with toasted garlic in brown butter — along with a glass of Sancerre ($18). We enjoyed the chat and the wait. Sadly, our friend didn't feel good enough to join us. We decided to keep sharing! When we asked the friendly owner, Motrya Tomycz, if we could split the soupe [...]

By |2025-12-29T10:54:25-05:00December 27th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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José Andrés’ La Barra, Hudson Yards, NYC

During a "Greet" with some new friends from Singapore, we visited Hudson Yards and enjoyed a meal at José Andrés' Little Spain. A "Greet" is a free, informal tour of an area in New York City led by a volunteer from Big Apple Greeters, a nonprofit organization that has welcomed NYC visitors since 1992. I'm a new volunteer sharing my love of the city with newcomers. After exploring Little Spain, we decided to sit at La Barra for table service. We started with their Patatas Bravas, delicious deep-fried potatoes drizzled with salsa brava and alioli. We also ordered Pan con Tomate (toasted bread brushed with tomato and extra virgin olive [...]

By |2025-12-12T16:36:51-05:00December 23rd, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The New Motek, Gramercy, NYC

It's always a pleasure to dine with friends who enjoy sharing, as when the meal starts, one asks, "What are we ordering?" Happily, we all wanted the hot mezze.  Specifically, the crispy cauliflower, the crispy artichoke and their "latkes". I'd go again just for that head of creamy-white flower buds with the spicy harissa-honey glaze ($16), or for the potato and zucchini pancakes, served with sweet labneh and apple sauce ($16). I'd skip the crispy overcooked artichoke ($19). The Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo delle Langhe 2022 ($90) that we ordered paired well with that and what came next. Our attentive server mentioned that the braised lamb with a harissa glaze ($33) [...]

By |2025-12-20T15:41:54-05:00December 20th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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RH Rooftop, Meatpacking, NYC

With an old friend in town for a couple of days, we took a long walk, gabbing all the way. Our first stop was Hudson Yards to see the Vessel, recently reopened to climbers. After that, we strolled along the High Line to the Whitney Museum and then made our way to Little Island. This installation, which opened in 2021, was funded by the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation through a significant $260 million donation from its founders, Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg. After our exploration, we headed to the rooftop of Restoration Hardware for a leisurely lunch and more conversation. I started with their spritz ($19) made with Cappelletti [...]

By |2025-12-12T16:36:31-05:00December 17th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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NoMo Kitchen, SoHo, NYC + Bansky Museum

The Banksy Museum is a must-see, featuring a video all about the world’s most elusive street artist. After spending a morning on a tour there, we headed a few blocks away to the NoMo kitchen on Crosby Street. The hostess greeted and seated our large group at two tables. We sat awhile until we got our menus, then waited until someone took our orders, and finally sat, awaiting our food, which, an hour after we had been seated, arrived in waves. They served half our table of six; then 5 minutes later, the other half, then the other group of 8, also in waves.  At least when we finally received our [...]

By |2025-12-14T12:38:57-05:00December 12th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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TWA Hotel Paris Cafe, JFK Airport

When my friend texted to ask if I wanted to try restaurant services at the relatively new TWA Hotel at JFK, I eagerly accepted the invitation, as I had been wanting to visit since their opening about 5 years ago. I browsed the offerings online to see what was available before heading to the airport. Once we arrived in the terminal — heading back to the 1960s — we headed to the grab-and-go food hall, where each venue resembles a check-in counter rather than a traditional restaurant. There's the Corner Store, which sells pre-packaged snacks; Fly-By Bagels, offering egg sandwiches, muffins, and bagels; Vinny's Panini, serving their namesake sandwiches on [...]

By |2025-11-30T06:56:52-05:00December 9th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Friends & Family at the New ilili, Midtown, NYC

My friend invited me to attend the friends-and-family opening of the new ilili Midtown on East 53rd Street. Finding the front door was a bit tricky; I’m sure by the time you read this, they should have addressed the visibility issue with signage. I was seated in the bar area, awaiting my friend, when Ian, the beverage manager, greeted me and poured a glass of the fresh, fruity Sunset Rosé from Château Ksara, Lebanon's oldest winery. I so enjoyed it, and how well it married with our starters. This space is very bright and inviting, unlike the darker original NoMad ilili, which was initially designed as a club. As guests [...]

By |2025-12-06T07:53:14-05:00December 6th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Paris Cafe, South Street Seaport, NYC

The publicist invited us to put The Paris Cafe on our radar and come dine as their guests at the reimagined Manhattan landmark (since 1873) at South Street Seaport, with a menu that brings Paris straight to the plate, showcasing dishes that blend timeless French brasserie traditions with a fresh, modern eye. After that invitation, I thought I'd go traditional French in my ordering, starting with a Kir Royal with Champagne Lallier with creme de cassis, a traditional cocktail. My dining partner tried the happy-hour Savory spritz ($12), made with dry vermouth, cappelletti, and sparkling wine. Since we arrived between 5 and 7 pm, we added happy-hour Gougères ($1 each) [...]

By |2025-11-28T19:24:39-05:00November 30th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Lunch Special at Rosemary’s West Village, NYC

Lunch specials are always a treat to find. I smiled when I saw the board over the bar listing the $32 two-course lunch Prix Fixe menu, which also included a glass of wine for $10.   We each chose one of the salads, followed by a pasta and accompanied it with a glass of their Montepulciano d'Abruzz ($10 a glass) I had the chopped salad Siciliana ($19 separately)—a blend of chopped escarole, green olives, sun-dried tomatoes, crispy chickpeas, artichoke hearts, ricotta salata and sliced almonds, very lightly dressed. My dining partner enjoyed the baby gem Caesar ($18 separately) with gem lettuce, capers, lots of grated cheese and pangrattato—crispy, seasoned Italian [...]

By |2025-11-20T08:20:45-05:00November 19th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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May Matta-Aliah

May Matta-Aliah is Lebanese by birth, but has called New York home for the last 30 years. With two decades of wine education under her belt, May is happiest when swirling, sipping and sharing her love of all things wine. She's racked up an impressive list of wine certifications and has represented numerous wine regions as an Educational Ambassador through her company, In the Grape. May is a Dame, a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier New York (LDNY), just like me. We've worked together on various events and enjoyed some leisure activities outside the organization, including pickleball. I was able to get her to take a break from her busy [...]

By |2025-11-19T08:11:39-05:00November 18th, 2025|Big Apple Life, Foodie Interviews, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Salinas, Chelsea, NYC + Ethan Cohen’s Let’s Love!

It wasn't our first time at Salinas, so we knew to reserve a table in the well-lit garden room at the back. Unfortunately, a party was taking place there, so we were seated in a comfortable booth as close to it as possible, allowing the outdoor light to brighten our experience. Two of us started with their Sangria, a delightful blend of Spanish red wine, brandy, pomegranate, citrus fruit and red wine ice cubes to prevent dilution ($42 per half liter). We started our meal with a few shared appetizers, including the very tasty coliflor, featuring tender tricolor cauliflower served with a citrusy Greek yogurt sweetened with sweet paprika ($19). [...]

By |2025-11-01T09:57:58-04:00November 5th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Basque Food at Ernesto’s, Lower East Side, NYC

A group of us gathered at Ernesto's for a big birthday celebration. The restaurant is about a seven-minute walk from the East Broadway stop on the F train on the Lower East Side, serving the kind of Basque bar snack food that you'd find in San Sebastián - both small pintxos and slightly larger tapas. We started with interesting cocktails; many sampled their rosemary-garnished special Spanish gin and tonic ($23). I had their Pintxotins ($22) martini, garnished with my favorite Gilda: skewed olives, Cantabrian anchovies, and special whole pickled guindilla peppers. We followed our drinks with a selection of menu items. Some dishes included Gildas for all ($42 for 6 [...]

By |2025-10-02T09:21:21-04:00October 26th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Recently Opened Yacht Club, Chelsea, NYC + Circle Line

Instead of starting the summer traditionally, with a cruise around Manhattan, we did so at the end on a perfect summer Tuesday when Circle Line offers a special $20 ride for Tri-State Residents instead of the regular $51. After the perfect cruise, we headed down Twelfth Avenue to the recently opened, nautically inspired, Yacht Club on the 10th-floor rooftop at 26th Street. The must-go restaurant is from Crew, an innovative hospitality group led by internationally acclaimed chef Kerry Heffernan, which operates experience-focused restaurants and maritime ventures, including Grand Banks, Drift In, and Island Oyster. It's open for lunch, drinks and dinner from 11 am to 11 pm daily. We sat [...]

By |2025-10-02T09:20:47-04:00October 15th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Restaurant Week at The Modern, Midtown, NYC

When I looked at my calendar to see when I had last dined in The Bar at The Modern, I was amazed that it had been more than a decade. The city has so many incredible places to try, I had overlooked returning. The Michelin-starred, Relais & Châteaux The Modern offers Chef Thomas Allan’s contemporary cooking in a setting overlooking MoMA’s Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. The Bar, the less formal space, still offers the chef's cuisine. We lucked out as they were still offering the "restaurant week" menu at The Bar with a choice of two courses ($45) or three ($60). A real bargain at The Modern! My dining [...]

By |2025-10-02T09:23:19-04:00October 10th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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