Big Apple Life

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

John’s River Oysters at The Pavillion, Midtown, NYC

I couldn't resist writing about these amazing John's River Oysters "Vanderbilt" at Daniel Boulud's upscale La Pavillion restaurant in One Vanderbilt, the new 93-story supertall skyscraper at the corner of 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue. That's the building that houses the spectacular views from Summit. This time, I stopped there only for a cocktail and nibble. We sat in the cocktail lounge savoring delicious cocktails ($21). I had the perfectly balanced Cachaça Tiki made from Leblon Cachaça and Amaro Montenegro garnished with fresh mint ($21) and my dining partner had the Matcha-infused Reyka vodka with lemongrass Shochu, a distilled liquor, garnished with fresh basil. With our drinks, we ordered the [...]

By |2022-07-11T12:53:16-04:00July 5th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Opening of Jue Lan Club Rose Garden, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

If you're looking for a location to enjoy good food and libations in an outdoor enclosed setting, try The Rose Garden at Jue Lan Club.  It opened last month on one of those perfect spring days with a party replete with flowing cocktails, non-stop food offerings and live music. Idyllic. All was offered gratis, yet I've added their menu prices for your info. Some samplings included their chicken satay coated in peanut sauce (3 for $22), dumplings filled with pureed edamame, drizzled with truffle oil and sitting in miso broth (6 for $20), crispy scallion pancakes with hoisin dipping sauce ($18), braised oxtail bao buns (3 for $20) spicy samurai [...]

By |2022-07-03T09:19:01-04:00June 23rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|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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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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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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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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Brunch at The Smith, East Village, NYC + Suffs at The Public

It was my first time at the East Village location of The Smith but won't be my last. We met there for brunch as it was close to The Public where we were seeing "Suffs," the new amazing musical about the American women’s suffrage movement. Brunch was as good as the show! Our just-out-of-training server, Logan was perfection. Attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. We started with brunch cocktails, I had a spicy bloody mary ($13), my dining partners each had a mimosa ($15). I'm usually a huevos ranchero breakfast person when it's offered, yet I had to sample the unusual sounding Benedict Johnny. It's cheddar cornbread served in a ~6-inch cast-iron [...]

By |2022-05-21T10:03:35-04:00May 10th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Return to L’Adresse, Midtown near Bryant Park, NYC + Beatles Cover Band

A return to L'Address as promised, this time for dinner before heading to see the Beatles Cover Band at the Palladium. That performance elicited a flood of memories from that era. We sang along, knowing most of the words. At dinner, we started with two appetizers to share with the table. I'd recommend the mezze ($25) platter with beet hummus, tzatziki, spicy feta, fire-roasted Campania tomatoes and grilled naan sprinkled za’atar. Be sure to check the menu listing for what's included, as the items on the mezze were different than on their website. So was the price. Unless you request it well cooked, skip the mushroom grilled naan flatbread topped with [...]

By |2022-05-08T09:04:54-04:00May 8th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Boqueria Restaurant, Flatiron, NYC + Affordable Art Show

We selected Boqueria for its proximity to Metropolitan Pavilion where we were heading to the "Affordable Art Show." I had been to their theatre-district restaurant location for brunch and would suggest that if you need a bite before a matinee. In the smaller Flatiron location, we sat in the bar area so that we could order from the Happy Hour menu. I sampled their HH Shishito pepper-infused tequila Margie ($11) that was not too sweet, not too spicy. With that, we ordered a few tapas, including their hearty version of patatas brava ($6). That's crispy potato chunks sitting in tomato salsa and heavily drizzled with garlic aioli. I'd recommend that [...]

By |2022-05-08T09:13:19-04:00May 6th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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BXL Cafe, Theatre District, NYC + Birthday Candles

We decided on a late lunch at BXL, a Belgian cafe, before heading to the American Airline Theatre to see Debra Messing in Birthday Candles. We just walked through the alleyway across the street to the theatre a block away. Three of our four ordered mussels mariniere, menu-described as "cooked in white wine and shallots ($30). One seasoned moules-eating diner described them as plump but in need of flavor saying they were cooked in water, not wine and with onions (as you can see in the photo) and not shallots. I tried their steak frites. The meat was cooked as I requested, but it was not the quality of meat [...]

By |2022-05-08T09:10:52-04:00May 2nd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Honeybrains, Flatiron, NYC

When I learned about Honeybrains the registered dietitian in me smiled. I laughed, though, realizing I heard about it while at the ultra-upscale Daniel's for a sous vide birthday party. I stopped by this fairly new healthy chain at their Flatiron location. The made-from-scratch food is good, fresh and reasonably priced. I liked the tender grass-fed beef that comes with basil mashed potatoes, salad greens and garlicky broccoli ($14.80) and their amazingly tender and juicy free-range chicken served over basil mashed potatoes, sautéed cabbage and fresh arugula ($13.50). I'd also recommend their sourdough bread spread with yogurt then topped with Atlantic smoked salmon ($13.50) and fresh dill. Also flavorful are [...]

By |2022-05-08T09:16:32-04:00April 30th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dos Caminos, Theatre District, NYC + Take Me Out

We chose Dos Caminos as it was close to the Helen Hayes theater where we were heading to see "Take Me Out," about the personal and professional complexities of baseball, America’s favorite pastime starring Jesse Williams (Grey's Anatomy), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), and Patrick J. Adams (Suits). I started with their "El Camino" margarita ($14) made with only Milagro Blanco tequila,  Triple Sec and lime juice. We both had their eggs rancheros requesting them poached instead of fried ($18) along with crisp tortillas, beans, smoked ham and queso fresco.  My first bite indicated that they had pre-plated the food as the beans were at room temperature. With my second [...]

By |2022-05-08T09:18:30-04:00April 28th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Bryant Park Grill, Midtown, NYC + Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures

Eighteen of our ex.expat group stopped at Bryant Park Grill for lunch before our two private docent-led tours at the New York Public library. They set up a large table near the rear of the restaurant with the park as our backdrop. To ease the often chaos at the payment of the bill for a large group, we requested one bill for every four diners. They happily accommodated. They also delivered all of our food at the same time. Impressive. Some of the tasty meals included their Tuscan tomato & white bean with shaved parmesan cheese, toasted croutons, dill & truffle oil ($11.50); wild mushroom ravioli with a grilled artichoke, [...]

By |2022-04-23T11:00:33-04:00April 23rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|0 Comments
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Sweetbriar x 2, Kips Bay, NYC

Sweetbriar in the Park South Hotel had been on our radar to meet for dinner since it opened in April as we wanted to again eat  Chef Bryce Shuman's upscale comfort food. Bryce hailed from Betony and Eleven Madison Park, where he garnered three stars from the New York Times, One Michelin Star and was named 2015 Food and Wine Magazine "Best New Chef." That and he is a friend of my dining partner. Bryce includes many of his hit menu items from his popular pandemic barbecue pop-up Ribs n Riesling. With sweetbriar focused on live-fire cooking of their seasonal veggies and meats, I thought it fitting to sample their [...]

By |2022-04-25T11:27:09-04:00April 13th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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New Handcrafted Cocktails and Bar Bites at Fogo de Chão, Midtown, NYC

This time my visit to Fogo de Chão, the Brazilian steakhouse, in Midtown was for a press event to introduce their new bar bites and cocktails. The culinary art of churrasco and the fresh, seasonal ingredients found on their Market Table inspired these new menu items. While we sipped the new cocktails, the staff passed their new bar bites.  We sat at the bar with Hugo, our friendly bartender making these new cocktails. My favorite was the Samba Squeeze Martini made with Grey Goose Le Citron Vodka, St- Germain, blood orange and guava. The other new ones include: Desert Rose: Patron Silver, Aperol, lime and aquafaba, garnished with angostura bitters [...]

By |2022-07-07T14:07:03-04:00April 5th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Tri Dim Shanghai, Upper East Side, NYC + Private Met Tour

Lucky us. We were able to arrange a private tour of the Asia Art Galleries at the Met with Joe Scheier-Dolberg associate curator of Chinese paintings and Pengliang Lu associate curator of Chinese Decorative Arts on a day the museum was closed. In keeping with the Asian theme, we decided to lunch at Tri Dim Shanghai, an Upper East Side Chinese restaurant. My table ordered several dim sum to share including their crispy shrimp balls ($12 for 6) and Peking duck roll ($12), the steamed chicken dumplings ($12 for 5) and their classic crab and pork soup dumplings ($12 for 6). The latter were served with a warning not to [...]

By |2022-04-09T18:11:21-04:00April 3rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|0 Comments
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Faces and Names, Midtown West, NYC + Prayer For the French Republic 

We stopped at Faces and Names, a contemporary pub serving sandwiches & bar food, for a bite before heading to City Center around the corner to see a Prayer For the French Republic, a play that friends raved about. We were seated in the cozy back room, replete with couches in front of a fireplace and TVs.  My friend went retro with a Tito's Cosmo, I  had an Old Fashioned. We then shared their Buffalo chicken salad ($16) with chopped romaine, sliced cucumbers, crisp apple slices, grape tomatoes and walnuts topped with warm, moist, well-seasoned chicken breast cut into strips. I highly recommend. Also good is their Cubano sandwich ($16) with [...]

By |2022-03-26T10:28:35-04:00March 19th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling, Theatre|0 Comments
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