Big Apple Life

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

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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Rooftop Lounge at Electric Lemon, Hudson Yards, NYC

I hadn't visited Electric Lemon in about a year. It had been my top recommendation for others until my last visit, when my favorite dish, Electric Lemon’s deviled crab, wasn't up to its usual standard. Would it be good again? I hoped in wonder. I met a friend to enjoy a rooftop outing before the weather changed. If you haven’t been, the restaurant and lounge are located on the 24th floor of the Equinox Hotel at Hudson Yards, offering spectacular views. This one includes the Shed and the Vessel, which is now open again The afternoon was so windy that a stemmed cocktail flew off a table and broke. Our [...]

By |2025-10-07T08:50:08-04:00October 7th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to Mary Lane + Josh Sharp & Jean Smart

We stopped in for a mid-afternoon brunch at Mary Lane (part of Blackfoot Hospitality - Little Owl, The Clam and more) before heading to Greenwich House Theater to see Josh Sharp deliver his hysterical 80-minute 2000-slide one-man show. We had an attentive staff as we enjoyed an afternoon meal. We started with cocktails that included their first crush ($12) and a couple of Cappelletti spritz ($12) as we got caught up. Our server took our order, then asked if we might want anything else, as the kitchen was closing shortly. We knew that. Our show started at 5, so we leisurely sipped our drinks, awaiting our selections. One had their [...]

By |2025-10-05T08:43:25-04:00October 5th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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A Return to Cafe Luxembourg, Upper West Side, NYC

My friend and I returned to Cafe Luxembourg to use the gift certificate she had received, following the poor service and food we experienced during our last visit. Although we wondered whether the meal and service would be better, we were excited to spend time together, as she now lives in Sarasota. While we were perusing the menu, sitting at one of the outside tables, a bartender stopped by the table and asked my friend whether he might put her Poland Spring water on ice so it would be chilled when we left.  Now, that's service. Next, we met Peyton, who was quite friendly and attentive. Neither she nor he knew about [...]

By |2025-10-05T08:46:23-04:00October 2nd, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Red Hook Lobster Pound, Red Hook, Brooklyn NYC

Sometimes, you find yourself at the right restaurant at the right time. After a morning at Ikea in Red Hook, Brooklyn, we ended up at Red Hook Lobster Pound. Our friendly server, David, mentioned that, in addition to it being Restaurant Week, it was also Lobster Wednesday, when their classic lobster dinner was just $25 instead of the usual $52. This incredible meal features a 1.5-pound, fresh Maine lobster—straight from the tank—served with boiled potatoes and deliciously sweet corn, which was even sweeter than what I've picked up at the Union Square Farmers Market. We learned that the lobsters arrive fresh from Maine twice a week. We donned our lobster [...]

By |2025-10-05T08:48:33-04:00September 27th, 2025|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Han Dynasty, East Village, NYC + Superman

Each summer, we go to at least one blockbuster movie at an AMC theatre, as we like the luxury of sitting in their comfortable lounge recliners. This summer, we saw the fun Superman movie with David Corenswet (Clark Kent/Superman), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), and Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luther) at the AMC Village 7. Pure fun. After the movie, we walked North a block to Han Dynasty—serving Sichuan fare since 2013—for a bite and cocktails. I sampled their delicious smoky Old Fashioned ($16). One dining partner had their Shiso Lovely (light rum and pear with muddled shiso leaf finished with club soda) and the other a glass of Sauvignon Blanc ($14) from [...]

By |2025-09-21T11:12:45-04:00September 21st, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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House of Pasta, Lower East Side, NYC

There was a mix-up with the time. House of Pasta on the Lower East Side took our reservation for noon, but said they didn't open until 12:30. Carlos allowed us to wait inside and yack while he finished setting up, then became our awesome server. I met a friend at House of Pasta on the Lower East Side for my birthday celebration. We had to reschedule our luncheon many times since June, which has stretched out my celebration. As a birthday-a-holic, I don't mind. The House of Pasta is a must-go for a casual, delicious, reasonably priced lunch. Carlos, our server, couldn't have been more attentive or hospitable. While perusing [...]

By |2025-09-21T11:15:19-04:00September 16th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Chelsea Living Room, Chelsea, NYC + Little Island Concert

Before heading to Little Island for the eclectic multi-faceted talented performances of The Joyful Noise, where we were all on our feet dancing by the end, we stopped at Chelsea Living Room for a bite. We each started with their happy hour $10 spritzs – one Aperol, another Campari and a Hugo made with St. Germain, Prosecco and club soda before browsing the menu. I sampled their plebeian fried tempura cod fish sandwich ($39) on a challah bun topped with watercress and Kaluga caviar, served with tartar sauce and skinny fries. One friend tried the CLR burger ($30) with Snake River Farms American Wagyu topped French triple crème cheese and [...]

By |2025-09-21T11:19:44-04:00September 9th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Member Night + The Leopard at des Artistes, UWS, NYC

Walking through the American Museum of Natural History on member night felt surreal, especially since the space was empty—just as I imagine it would be if we spent a Night at the Museum. We covered a lot of ground, including the immersive, 360-degree invisible worlds experience that lasted 12 minutes. Loved it and must remember to take my grandkids there during their next visit. (photo credit Alvaro Keding / © AMNH) The experience in the new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, Invisible Worlds, offers a breathtakingly beautiful, scientifically rigorous, and engaging view into networks of life at all scales. It is powered by scientific data and celebrates [...]

By |2025-09-08T05:14:31-04:00September 7th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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***Happy Hour at Boqueria, Times Square, NYC + John Krasinsky in Angry Alan

The staff at Boqueria tapas bar were friendly and understanding when my friend was stuck in traffic due to flash flood warnings. As she was already almost an hour late and I had been at the table, I started on Happy Hour at Boqueria, Times Square with a HH glass of their Castilla y León Tempranillo ($8) and their potatoes brava ($6) with crispy potatoes, salsa brava, pimentón all drizzled in garlic aioli. We perused the menu together during her drive, and once she got to her parking lot, I put the order in so the food would be there when she arrived, as we had a theatre that evening. [...]

By |2026-01-14T12:19:48-05:00September 5th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to Laser Wolf, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC

The ferry took us from the 34th Street station to DUMBO, where we stopped for a cocktail at Time Out's rooftop bar before getting back on the ferry for a couple of stops north to Williamsburg. My California-based niece reminisced about her development work at this location about a decade ago when she was with West Elm. While there, we took advantage of Time Out Market's summer chill-out deal offered when the weather reaches 90 degrees or above. That included frozen drinks for $10-$ 12, which two of us partook in—frosty espresso martinis, specifically. Once we arrived at Laser Wolf in the Hoxton Hotel in Williamsburg, we perused the menu and ordered the fabulous date-harissa-coated [...]

By |2025-08-11T08:02:30-04:00August 23rd, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Malibu Farms, South Street Seaport, NYC

Our ex-expat group spent the morning taking a tour with historian extraordinaire Kevin Draper, who provides outings through his company, New York Historical Tours, as we had done numerous times before. This time, we visited the history-rich South Street Seaport. After our tour, we stopped by Malibu Farms, a reasonably priced dining option in South Street Seaport. It features an organic farm-to-table menu with waterfront views, located right next to Jean-George's The Fulton. The hit of the lunch was the poke bowls, both the Surfer's with crudo salmon and the Swimmer's with tuna crudo ($24) ($28). Each came with brown rice, sliced avocado, marinated cucumbers, a wakame salad, and some sprouts [...]

By |2025-07-27T08:01:28-04:00July 27th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Elegant dinner at Chef Michael White’s Santi, Midtown, NYC

My birthday celebrations began with a dinner at Michael White's newest iteration, Santi, an Italian restaurant off Madison Avenue. As you expect with him at the helm, the service is outstanding. I smiled seeing the table placecard that greeted us with a "Happy Birthday." Our amuse-bouche was a spoonful of mozzarella and fresh peaches. From there, we started our feast, sampling so much of the menu that I had lots of leftovers to take home. Our apps included two tasty creations from the sea: a warm seafood salad with Ligurian olives, tomatoes, and bottarga ($36), and a crispy soft-shell crab with ramp aioli and a pomodoro verde ($39). With that, [...]

By |2025-07-27T08:14:52-04:00July 17th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Lunch at Jean George’s The Fulton, South Street Seaport, NYC

On one of the overcast, damp June days, we headed to South Street Seaport for lunch at Jean-Georges The Fulton. We had hoped to dine on the patio but instead sat inside, overlooking the harbor. The food was attractively presented, the service was outstanding, but I felt something was missing. Oh, everything was tasty, but just missing the finesse of making the flavors perfect, as usual in Jean-Georges' dishes. For starters, we shared the unusual and tasty fresh mozzarella and warm octopus with lemon zest ($32) and the Long Island fluke in a spicy habanero vinaigrette ($19). We paired these dishes and our entrees with a Sancerre, Domaine Pierre Martin, [...]

By |2025-07-27T08:23:45-04:00July 15th, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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