Big Apple Life

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

A Return to Le Pavillion, Midtown, NYC + The Summitt

A return to Le Pavillion, Daniel Boulud's Michelin 1-star at One Vanderbilt across from Grand Central proved the consistency of his attentive service and food. Like other of Daniel Boulud's restaurants, service at  Pavillion is as extraordinary as expected from the moment we arrived at the elegant dining room until we were on our way to The Summit, located in the same building. A postcard saying "Happy Birthday!  Thanks for celebrating with us" welcomed us as we were seated. We started with cocktails, perusing the menu and nibbling the fabulous basket of breads with the softened butter. We were hooked on the thin crisps, being offered a refill once we [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:34:09-04:00October 12th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Tacos at Tacombi, East Village, NYC

I discovered Tacombi years ago, enjoying their authentic Mexican huevos rancheros and much more. I've eaten at and enjoyed many of their city locations serving Mexican fare. So when the publicist invited me to sample the fare at their newest location in the East Village, I took a neighbor and headed over. Tacombi’s newest East Village location serves a different menu from what you would find at their other taquerias. It consists only of five dinner tacos and two breakfast ones that weren't available in the evening when I sampled them. Also, unlike the other locations, there are no seats. It's a grab-and-go or eat at their communal countertops. We [...]

By |2023-10-22T19:13:04-04:00October 10th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Trattoria Bianca, New Yorker Hotel + Bruce Springsteen

Trattoria Bianca in the New Yorker Hotel on Eighth Avenue and 35th Steet was an ideal place to grab a bite before jumping on NJ Transit to head to the Met Life (former Meadowlands) Stadium to see Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band on their 2023 international tour. We started with drinks — Aperol spritz ($14) and Dolcetto D'Alba ($14) — and their thin-crust classic Margherita pizza ($23) that needed more time in the oven. Everything else we ordered arrived at the table simultaneously, even though we had asked them to pace it. One friend enjoyed the seared tuna salad with mesclun, cherry tomatoes, green beans, egg, olives, anchovies and [...]

By |2023-09-20T18:06:33-04:00October 7th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, WOW|0 Comments
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Comodo in Freehand Hotel, Flatiron, NYC

We met again for lunch at Comodo, the Latin American restaurant in the Freeland Hotel on Lexington, between 23 and 24. It was convenient, and I hadn't been in over a year. Service was almost non-existent. That was so different from my last visit, where it was very attentive. In fact, I had to search for the server to have her take our order and any time we needed anything. I started with their mimosa with a choice of juice. I chose orange. I wanted to sample their chilaquiles, the dish created to use slightly stale, leftover tortillas. Those chips get simmered in salsa with Comodo's version a tomatillo-chipotle, one topped [...]

By |2023-10-08T09:45:22-04:00October 1st, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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City Winery, Hudson River Park, NYC

Walking Hudson River Park, the Nation's Longest Riverfront Park, is a favorite of my pastimes. If you haven't done so, the park begins on Chambers Street and goes to 59th, with Little Island and many interesting updated piers and activities along the way. We stopped at City Winery for a nibble and a glass of wine on a recent walk. We shared their Kung Pao cauliflower ($15) with Fresno chilies, scallions and crushed peanuts with a glass of the velvety and soft Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina '19 (5.5-ounce, $14). I do recommend. City Winery Hudson River Park 25 11th Ave at Hudson River Park New York, NY 10011 [...]

By |2023-09-20T16:55:50-04:00September 29th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Early Weekend Breakfast at Madison & Vine, Midtown, NYC

Madison & Vine was one of the only restaurants I could find near Grand Central Terminal that served Saturday breakfast before 8 a.m. Lucky me as I met my son coming off a red-eye before he caught his train. We yacked for hours. Having their New York Breakfast for $25 made sense, especially when entrees costs between $19 - $26, Illy coffee, $4.50 and freshly squeezed orange juice, $5. My son had the spinach, mushroom and goat cheese omelet with home fries and grilled ciabatta bread; I had the shakshuka, a North African dish. The kitchen served my poached eggs with many lamb sausage pieces floating in the spicy tomato [...]

By |2023-09-20T16:53:49-04:00September 27th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Brunch at Bar Boulud, Lincoln Center, NYC

Met an Upper West Side friend for brunch at Bar Boulud across from Lincoln Center one weekend. With weather conducive to dining outside, we did so in their large structure with ceiling fans to cool. Mimosas with fresh orange juice and prosecco ($16) started our reunion/gathering. We missed Restaurant Week this time as Bar Boulud offered it only Monday through Friday. My friend opted for their creamy omelet filled with bacon, mushrooms and gruyère served with a lightly dressed side salad ($18).  I had their Croque Madame, a hot sandwich made with gruyère, jambon de Paris, and bechamel, topped with a lightly fried egg ($23). We ended with a cappuccino, [...]

By |2023-09-20T11:43:27-04:00September 17th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Return to The Lightship Frying Pan, Chelsea, NYC

The Frying pan is one of my favorite summertime spots to dine on the water. It is distinguished by a big black iron skillet near the entrance, off West 26th Street. This historic barge, docked in the Hudson River, is a former Lackawanna railroad flatboat, now a fun restaurant. I like going late afternoon or very early evening, as later it can become like a frat party toward the back of the barge. A group of us grabbed a meal there recently, trying foods I had yet to sample. I'd recommend their hearty portion of beer-battered cod sprinkled with malt vinegar powder with tartar sauce, coleslaw and their yummy fries [...]

By |2023-09-08T23:24:45-04:00September 7th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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2023 US Open Food Tasting Preview

With expansive dining options across the grounds of The US Open Tennis Championships at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, visitors can eat well. Last week, I sampled this year's offering at an inaugural Flavors of the Open event at ACES with a tasting of the great food and signature drinks from top celebrity chef partners offering their fare during the open. Some chefs like Pat LaFrieda, David Burke, Ed Brown, Masaharu Morimoto, Josh Capon and Alex Guarnaschelli have been partners for years. Joining them this year are Kwame Onwuachi (Tatiana), Melba Silson (Melbas) and James Kent (Crown Shy), among others. Some goodies we sampled included Melba’s Spring Rolls  (peas [...]

By |2023-09-08T23:35:38-04:00August 29th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Song’E Napule New Location, West Village, NYC + PS at Pine & Polk Speakeasy

The publicist reached out about Song’E Napule's new location, down the block east on Houston from its previous location. I couldn't resist going remembering how delicious it had been. This is the fourth location of this pizzeria and trattoria. I again sampled their Parmigiana Di Melanzane ($18), thin slices of eggplant parmigiana that had melted in my mouth. So glad I did, as it was as good as last time. So was their pizza, although I ordered the 12-inch Margherita pizza ($18), topped with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil drizzled with EVOO this time. The most heavenly dish was the evening's special gnocchi potato dumplings filled with liquid [...]

By |2024-08-07T09:37:38-04:00August 20th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Speakeasys|0 Comments
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The Newly Opened Cecchi’s, West Village, NYC

I remembered my building-mate telling me about the opening of Cecchi, a new bar and grill in our hood in the space where Café Loup had been around the corner from UPS, where I frequently drop off Amazon returns. I headed there after doing so recently to see what the hype was about. The friendly bistro is from Michael Cecchi-Azzolina (The Water Club, The River Cafe, Raoul's and Le Coucou). When I arrived five minutes after it opened, only a few seats were available at the bar. I took one and started a conversation with the friendly bartender, Frances. Prices are hefty, like most Manhattan places; I wish there was [...]

By |2023-08-20T13:17:14-04:00August 16th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Panchita’s Place, South Slope, Brooklyn, NYC + Catacombs of Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery

Panchita's place was close to the entrance of Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, where we were heading to listen to superstar Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing performing her Arctic program in the Catacombs. Death of Classical offers this and other unique classical music experiences. The 478-acre cemetery, now a National Historic Landmark, was founded in 1838. It boasts the largest outdoor collections of nineteenth- and twentieth-century mausoleums and statuary. I had Panchit's classico margarita ($14), my dining partner, their generous pour of white sangria ($12). With that, we nibbled their crispy chips with salsa so good we kept getting refills. We tried their Al Pastor Tacos ($14)  and sautèed roasted corn with epazote [...]

By |2023-08-09T13:20:07-04:00August 10th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Birthday Dinner at Bad Roman, Columbus Circle, NYC

To continue my birthday celebration, a group of good friends took me to Bad Roman, the new, impossible-to-get-into restaurant on the third floor of the Shops at Columbus Circle. We got in, as one of my friends is a restaurant trade magazine editor. Bad Roman — part of the Quality Branded restaurant group — is in the former Landmarc space in the former Time-Warner, now the Deutsche Bank Center. It's one of those fun, fashionably trendy places where you rave about the place more than the food. We arrived early to grab a drink. With it 3-deep at the bar, that wasn't happening. We got that drink and enjoyed each [...]

By |2023-08-09T12:18:08-04:00August 8th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Cucina Alba, The Lantern House, Chelsea, NYC

Since Cucina Alba opened last August in The Lantern House on West 18th Street, my friend, who lives in the building, has been raving about this Italian restaurant from the Prince Street Hospitality Group. When we arrived, she was welcomed like an old friend. We opted for outdoor seating on Tenth Avenue. I began with their pineapple margarita made with tequila reposado ($19); my friend had a mock mojito loaded with fresh mint. We had the crispy roasted artichoke hearts with s garlicky lemon dip ($24) and their unusual eggplant parmigiana ($18). The latter is a thick slice topped with ricotta and parmigiana in a puddle of tomato sauce.  With [...]

By |2023-08-04T16:52:24-04:00August 4th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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This Year’s North River Lobster Boat, Pier 81, NYC

A sail on the North River Lobster boat has been an annual event since it started its excursions in 2014 when the sail was free. This summer, like last, you must buy a $10 timed pass to sail up the Hudson for 1 hour or on the 7 pm cruise for 2 hours, a sail that goes to the Statue of Liberty and back.  This floating lobster shack offers table service with libations. We started with Aperol Spritz ($14), a Frozé (frozen rose) and a blue moon Margarita ($16) before the boat left the dock. This year instead of each of us buying our own classic lobster roll on a [...]

By |2023-07-08T14:45:57-04:00August 2nd, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dames at the Lookup Rooftop Bar at Kixby, Midtown, NYC

Our New York chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier hosted a midtown rooftop party for other organization members attending the Summer Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center at the Lookup Rooftop Bar. The Kixby hotel generously provided complimentary glasses of bubbles (Cava) to kick off the early evening meetup. Florida Dame Marie Charlotte Piro and her brother, Romain Piro, importers of Tuscan olive oil, treated us to nachos and dips served with seasonal vegetables, tortilla chips & grilled bread. They drizzled each platter with their eponymous rich oil. Those tasty nachos ($15) included spiced tortilla chips topped with chili con carne, green chili beer cheese, pickled onions, pico de gallo, [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:03:06-04:00July 30th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|2 Comments
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Lamano, Chelsea, NYC + Sw!ng Out at the Joyce

We quickly ordered some drinks when we learned it was still happy hour. We decided to try one glass of each of the two sangria offerings—one Cava based, the other a more traditional red ($8). We were two-fisted drinkers. I chose Lamano for its proximity to The Joyce, where we were heading to see their SW!NG OUT performance with audience participation. It was six years ago that I first visited Lamano when it opened. I enjoyed the food then and found it's still just as good. We started with everything on the happy hour menu. That included the pan con tomato ($8 for three pieces) of the tomato bread, their [...]

By |2023-07-29T11:57:10-04:00July 27th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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***Happy Hour at STK Midtown, NYC

When visiting friends wanted to meet midtown for a drink, I suggested STK Steakhouse's happy hour. It had been on my radar since my downstairs neighbor raved about the offerings. He was right. I laughed as I bumped into my friends on the street, looking for STK. Its Sixth Avenue address is confusing as the entrance is on 43. STK's happy hour, from 3 - 5:30 on weekends, is one of the best I've sampled recently. They offer good libations ($9) and lite bites ($3 - $9). That's only $9 each for a glass of Prosecco, a margarita and dirty martinis with three blue-cheese stuffed jumbo olives. The martini was [...]

By |2025-04-14T08:03:46-04:00July 23rd, 2023|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Lunch at La Mercerie to Commence My Big Birthday Weekend

My big birthday weekend was about to start with family and friends arriving in town. One friend offered to commence my two-day actual birthday with a light lunch. Two days? The doctor who delivered me asked my mother which day she wanted on my birth certificate as I was born at the stroke of midnight. As a birthday glutton, I celebrate both days and then some more. We met at La Mercier in SoHo, located inside the Roman and Williams Guild in SoHo, offering the everyday French cooking of Chef Marie-Aude Rose. My friend always makes birthday celebrations extra special, providing the birthday person with a crown, necklace and much [...]

By |2024-03-21T18:20:40-04:00July 15th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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IHOP (Yes, that pancake house) Pancake Tacos, East Village, NYC

My friend, a senior editor of Restaurant Business, a trade publication, asked me to join her to sample IHOP's new time-limited pancake tacos as she needed a videographer. That's such a fancy word for me holding the camera as she ate and spoke. We were pleasantly surprised. These pancake tacos come in four variations—two sweet and two savory—with an order of three tacos of the same flavor is $6, served in a metal taco holder. The Breakfast Pancake Taco comes filled with scrambled eggs, hickory-smoked bacon, a cheddar-Jack cheese blend and white cheese sauce. Salsa accompanies it. I sampled that one and found it acceptable for breakfast on the go. [...]

By |2023-07-14T11:33:03-04:00July 13th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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