Big Apple Life

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

Happy Hour at Mi Garba, East Village, NYC

We were finishing the itinerary for our upcoming trip to Thailand and decided to go out in the hood for a glass of wine and a nibble. I had walked past Mi Garba early that afternoon when out doing errands. It looked inviting. We got there in time for happy hour  (from 5 to 7) each ordering a glass of their non-buttery Chardonnay (only $9). We shared the app of eggplant parmigiana and arugula and Asian pear salad with a balsamic reduction. I'd recommend the eggplant. Still hungry, we added an order of gnocchi in a Pomodoro (tomato) sauce. Mediocre at best as the gnocchi were a bit gummy and [...]

By |2023-09-02T19:40:34-04:00January 8th, 2020|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Whitehead in the City at Lambs Club, Midtown, NYC

I dined at the Lambs Club for "Whitehead in the City: New Biology Transforming Drug Discovery" recently. The Whitehead Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving human health through basic biomedical research.  Their approach with scientists creates an "optimum environment for basic research". The most mentionable of the meal were the passed hors d'oeuvres during the cocktail reception from Chef Zakarian and his team, especially the steaming-hot, cheesy arancini and the crisp vegetable spring rolls. The meal — like for most large groups — was mediocre at best although the Halibut wrapped in Swiss chard and topped with shredded beets was an attractive presentation. The folks gathered weren't there for [...]

By |2019-11-27T14:05:59-05:00January 2nd, 2020|Big Apple Life, Other happenings|0 Comments
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BYOB to Xu’s Public House, Union Square, NYC

Can Xu's Public House, the newest restaurant to occupy the two-story space at 15 Union Square West, make it? I believe this is the third place that I've reviewed there! I stopped by to meet a friend for a drink after it opened and learned that they were still waiting on their liquor license. The owner mentioned that I could dine there and BYOB. Sounded good to me. When dining at XU's, I started with their crab meat soup dumplings with pork (three for $8). I tried to remember what I had learned at Full House Cafe about eating them so I didn't scorch my lips. I knew not to [...]

By |2019-11-24T16:22:44-05:00December 29th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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MáLà Project, East Village, NYC + Gangster Museum

I first heard about the MáLà Project at a panel of other restaurant reviewers, where two of them highly recommended the Sichuan dry-pots. We stopped in at this East Village spot for lunch before heading to the small but informative and fun Gangster Museum. (If you go, be sure to take the free tour as that's what makes this museum special.) We didn't get off to a good start as our pan-fried vegetable dumplings (six for $7) arrived cold, not room temperature but cold. Our server did take them back to heat them. I'd recommend the oddly named leftover fried rice ($13) with pork and veggies. That dish did arrive [...]

By |2019-11-20T14:07:58-05:00December 21st, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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A Quick Stop for Falafel at Taïm West Village, NYC

I had heard others rave about Taïm, the storefront falafel place in the West Village from Israeli chef Einat Admony (Kish-Kash, Balaboosta).  There are five locations of this chain; this one plus others in Nolita, Midtown East, Flatiron and the Financial District. We couldn't miss the three people sitting on the small bench outside the restaurant about to dig into their food. One had a colorful mixed falafel platter ($12.95) with both the green and harissa falafel, hummus, Israeli salad, pickled cabbage, shifka peppers, tahini, za'atar and a pita. Taïm, which means tasty in Hebrew, packs the green ones with parsley, cilantro and mint, the harissa with a signature spice [...]

By |2019-12-13T11:42:59-05:00December 11th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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Light Lunch at High Street on Hudson, West Village, NYC

On one of the past autumn days where al fresco dining was possible, we jumped at the opportunity to still eat lunch outside. We shared two lunch items from the small menu. I would recommend the one tentacle of tender tasty octopus ($17) with dabs of roasted pepper puree and slices of perfectly cooked purple potatoes. Delicious. We laughed as we saw the BLT ingredients falling from the thick crusty sliced whole wheat bread. It looked a bit deconstructed.  Once we each picked up (and re-stuffed) our halves, we wouldn't be able to put it down. Was worth every bite. I would highly recommend a stop for lunch. High Street [...]

By |2019-11-19T11:13:10-05:00December 7th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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A Little Attitude at Cafe Cluny, West Village, NYC

Cafe Cluny is a pricey corner spot in the West Village where, upon arrival, you're met with the classic NYC attitude alluded to in various sitcoms. Unpleasant. Once we were finally seated at a table to our liking, our server was wonderful and attentive. We started with their namesake cocktail, The Cluny. Think a lemon drop, served up (AKA no ice) made with Ketel One Citron, lemon and ginger. Nice ($15). Our salad contained fresh figs, lemony-dressed arugula and burrata all drizzled with a port reduction ($19).  I would recommend. I had the pan-seared halibut that had been so overcooked and dried out that the manager had the kitchen re-do [...]

By |2019-10-18T11:42:26-04:00December 5th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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Lunch at Studio at the Freeland Hotel, Gramercy, NYC

I had forgotten that I had calendar issues after upgrading to Mohave. Thank goodness my friend texted that she was running late to meet me at 12:30 at Studio on Lexington. It was 12:20. No ballet for me today. I did a quick change, put on some make-up and power walked there. I found Studio a welcoming workspace and restaurant on the second floor of the Freeland Hotel. (That is the same hotel houses Simon and The Whale, a pricey restaurant I was less than impressed with.) We shared a bowl of tomato soup with a hint of basil ($8) topped with sauteed onions, split the shaved lamb on focaccia [...]

By |2019-10-15T15:51:16-04:00December 3rd, 2019|Big Apple Life, Rambling|0 Comments
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Queensyard Kitchen, Hudson Yards

After walking up the Vessel yet again with an out of town friend, we stopped at Queensyard for a bite to eat. We chose it, as it's one of the few restaurants at Hudson Yards with windows. We opted to dine in the Queensyard Kitchen area around the bar with a more reasonably priced menu than the dining room a few feet away with tables next to the window. Having just arrived back from France, I was still on a Lillet Blanc ($11) kick so I ordered that. After it arrived warm in a sherry glass, I got up to speak to the bartender as our server was so non-attentive. [...]

By |2019-11-25T11:07:10-05:00November 19th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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Peruvian-Japanese Food at Llama San, West Village, NYC

With all the publicity, it wasn't easy securing a table at Llama San, the new modern 60-seat Japanese/Peruvian restaurant in West Village from the people behind Llama Inn. We did so and enjoyed dining outside at the sidewalk seating, enclosed by plants. I started a Flaming Creatures, their version of an old-fashioned, ($17) made with Japanese whiskey, cacao, chancaca  (a Peruvian sweetener), miso and smoke. The menu is small containing various size plates to share. Some of our party ordered the scallop ceviche with cherimoya and avocado chunks ($22) sprinkled with sesame; I ask for the duck, which came as four slives of aged duck breast over rice and banana [...]

By |2019-10-02T09:00:12-04:00November 15th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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Brunch at City Vineyard & Wine Garden at Pier 26, NYC

On one of those spectacular weather fall days, a small group of friends and I were seated outside on the patio at City Vineyard & Wine Garden.  It was like follow the leader as the first person of the group to order decided on a burger, and four of the five of us decided to follow suit. It was that kind of day. For a starter, we all shared the kale and arugula ($13) salad in an apple-cider vinaigrette with sliced fresh strawberries and a honey crisp apple. I can recommend. Their Vineyard burger comes topped with Cheddar, a fresh slice tomato, caramelized shallots and an aioli,  accompanied by Belgian fries [...]

By |2019-09-30T10:27:39-04:00November 9th, 2019|Big Apple Life|2 Comments
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Lunch at Sarabeth’s After an Ex-Expat Gilded Age NY Historical Tour

Sarabeth's is a wonderful restaurant for breakfast and brunch. Sadly I can't say as much for lunch, at least for what we experienced at her Upper East Side location. Out ex-expat group stopped in after a Gilden Age tour given by Kevin Draper, Chief Experience Officer for New York Historical Tours. His tour began at The Plaza and ended at the Cooper Hewitt Museum on 91st, stopping along the way to learn those businessmen whose fortunes were made in the American Industrial revolution. As for lunch, the service was as good as always, the food — other than the breakfast items including omelets, frittatas and avocado/burrata toast that some ordered— [...]

By |2019-09-26T15:24:01-04:00November 7th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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Skip Gina Mexicana, Upper East Side + An Evening at Streicker

We'd walked past Gina Mexicana several times while looking for a place to grab a bite after going to a program at The Streicker Center. We never got in as they were full. This time we made a res. The best part about dining at Gina Mexicana is their friendly staff, outdoor patio behind the restaurant and fresh chips with spicy salsa. Sadly, I have nothing positive to say after that. The flavorless margarita ($15) needed fresh lime, same for the guacamole that had been made with underripe avocados. We tried to doctor it with salt and lime to make it even be palatable. The trio of tacos Classico was [...]

By |2019-09-22T09:31:48-04:00November 3rd, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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Tallgrass Burger on First, East Village, NYC

Returned to the city midday after experiencing lots of mediocre food on a trip, putting me in the mood for a burger and fries. I needed something both satisfying and satiating. Off I went on a hunt for a burger place near me that I hadn't been to, finding positive writings about the grass-fed beef served at the no-frills Tallgrass Burger. I met a friend at this fast-casual (more takeout than eat-in) place on First Avenue and 13th. Food is served in red plastic, paper-lined, baskets. The condiment choice is abundant not only with the regular mayo, mustard and ketchup but also squeeze bottles of various hot sauce. We shared [...]

By |2019-09-01T11:55:37-04:00November 1st, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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Sagaponack Bar & Grill, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

A friend in my building suggested I try Sagaponack Bar & Grill, a neighborhood place with a changing seasonal menu. I recently did, arriving during their happy hour, from 4 to 7 pm, seven days a week. If you like spicy drinks, I recommend their Sagarita made from jalpeño tequila, mango puree and triple sec, only $9 during happy hour. HH wine is only $5 plus they offer a variety of mostly fried food options. We sampled the shrimp dumplings ($9 for 5) that were panfried in a batter. Interesting. Each of their large taco platters contains two fried oyster ones, batter-fried fries and greens in a light vinaigrette ($24). [...]

By |2019-09-01T09:07:12-04:00October 31st, 2019|Big Apple Life|2 Comments
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A Korean Brunch at Hwaban, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

If you follow my posts, you'll notice that I've been on an amazingly tasty Korean kick recommending some fabulous places to dine, including O:N° and Atoboy.  Continuing with that trend,  I met some friends at Hwaban, serving modern style Korean cuisine, for an unusual and attractively presented brunch. My friends each ordered  — and enjoyed — the grapefruit soju cocktail ($12) We started with housemade morning rolls that came in a steamer basket on a tray with three small dishes. One with black sesame butter, sweet red bean and berry jam ($15).  Really tasty, yet wishing the butter was softer not coming straight from the fridge, Each dish arrived attractively presented [...]

By |2019-08-30T10:56:41-04:00October 29th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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Creative Mexican at Alta Calidad, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn + Pierre Cardin

By New York City standards, Alta Calidad in Prospect Heights is a short walk from the Brooklyn Museum. We had visited the exhibition Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion that's there until January 5, 2020. It is the first NYC retrospective in forty years to focus on the legendary couturier. Chef Akhtar Nawab is serving creative Mexican fare in a welcoming neighborhood spot with reasonable prices.  His cooking was acknowledged by Michelin, awarding it NYC 2018 Bib Gourmand. We started with a Margie ($12) made perfectly with fresh ingredients.  I recommend the cocktail as I do their guac that comes with four large tostadas (crisp tortillas) sprinkles with ground red pepper and [...]

By |2019-08-31T13:02:33-04:00October 27th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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Craft Cocktails In the Basement in Chinatown, NYC

To enter this fun speakeasy, you open a bright red Coca-Cola vending machine door then head down the steps to a dark bar replete with electronic games, craft cocktails and small plates. Mixologist Dennis Condon runs Basements amazing bar program. Two of the tasty cocktails that we sampled as their guests included the “Kung Fu Kicks,” a blend of mezcal, Aperol, siracha bitters, Thai chili and pineapple juice — made more smokey with fumes from burnt wood chips. I learned that as I removed the top of the unusual vessel and smoke wafted from the drink. My dining companion tried the "5 Spiced Life" made with Gran Centenario Plata, jalapeño, [...]

By |2019-08-31T12:17:09-04:00October 15th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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Another Great Korean Meal, This Time at Hanjan, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

Our first stop was for a drink at the now-defunct Tracks Bar and Grill at Penn station. It was a perfect meeting place as our old (time not age) friend arrived in town from Newark airport. It was a short walk from there to Hanjan, a sister Korean restaurant to chef-owner Hooni Kim’s Danji, a well-liked Midtown West spot. Hanjan uses organic and local produce, meat raised without antibiotics and wild-caught, not endangered fish. They even list the farms on the menu. We started with snacks typical of Korean street markets. That included the crunchy tofu and veggie-filled fried dumplings (5 for $14) and some fried chicken. Unable to choose [...]

By |2019-10-03T15:25:48-04:00October 11th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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Cheap Eats at Zaragoza Mexican Deli & Grocery, Lower East Side, NYC

It's easy to walk right past Zaragoza, the teensy Mexican Deli and Grocery on Avenue A near 14th. Do go inside for an authentic meal that won't break the bank and grab one of the two tables in the back. At the counter is a smiling Pompeyo Martinez happy to show you his daily offerings. He serves classics like tacos, tamales, flautas and burritos filled with whatever he made that day. We opted for the flavorful roast pork taco ($3.50) double-wrapped in fresh tortillas that needed nothing additional but the squeeze of fresh lime to heighten the flavor of the tender pork first marinated for two days then simmered with [...]

By |2019-08-17T08:51:35-04:00October 5th, 2019|Big Apple Life|0 Comments
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