NYC Best Bites

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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Lunch at Marseille, Hell’s Kitchen + Little Bear Ridge Road

I jumped a subway from my pickleball game to try to get uptown quickly to meet friends for a quick lunch at Marseilles before theatre. Always a good choice. To make up for my lateness, I ordered a chicken salad from the menu so it would be ready when I arrived, so we'd get to the curtain on time. I walked in as our fab server, Carlos, placed my grilled chicken salad with mixed greens, celeriac remoulade and cherry tomatoes in a mustard vinaigrette ($24). It was just missing the menu-stated haricot vert. So tasty, though. I'd order it again. One dining partner savored their crab salad with asparagus, shaved [...]

By |2025-11-28T19:09:27-05:00December 3rd, 2025|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|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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Birthday at Crown Shy, with a pre-drink at Saga

Before heading down to the lobby of the Art Deco landmark building at 70 Pine Street in Manhattan’s Financial District for dinner at Crown Shy, we took the elevator up to the 63rd floor for amazing views and a glass of wine at Saga. Service at Saga was lacking. In fact, after sitting for 30 minutes enjoying the view, I had to flag down a server to bring us menus so we could order a glass of rosé and get to dinner on time. Crown Shy's service was the complete opposite: attentive and helpful. It's what I'd expect, as they do have a Michelin star, one that they've held since [...]

By |2025-10-31T08:44:50-04:00November 28th, 2025|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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Argentinian La Boca at Faena, Chelsea, NYC

My friend has been watching out of her Chelsea window as the new Faena, New York, was being built. The hotel and restaurant had recently opened, and we decided to sample it on an odd afternoon, as we couldn’t get a reservation otherwise. The restaurant is Chef Francis Mallmann’s tribute to Buenos Aires’ iconic neighborhood, featuring bold colors and curated gold accents. The chargers at the tables are gold-rimmed, rose-embossed Villeroy & Boch china, which sets the mood. We started nibbling the crusty, baquette with fresh butter as we looked over the menu. We decided to share their oversized fried artichoke, served in a vast puddle of sesame yogurt, topped [...]

By |2025-10-02T09:21:41-04:00October 31st, 2025|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Frena, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Caroline at MCC

Before heading to MCC, the far west theatre west of 10th Avenue, we stopped at Frena, where Taboon once was located on the corner of 52nd and Tenth Avenue, for a quick bite before our 6 pm (odd time, I know!) show, Caroline. The weather cooperated, and we were still able to sit outside and enjoy the last nice days of summer. The three-woman powerful show explores the challenging dynamics between three generations of women. This thought-provoking 90 minutes of theatre is not to be missed. As for Frena, we once again indulged in their mezze, featuring a trio of choices ($26) served with their addictive, freshly baked bread. We [...]

By |2025-10-02T09:21:30-04:00October 28th, 2025|City Bites, 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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West Bank Cafe, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Pen Pals

Our friend, who had purchased the theatre tickets, booked the West Bank Cafe for brunch before the show, thinking that our show was on 42nd Street at Theatre Row. When she arrived, we had a good laugh that we had to go back downtown to Union Square area to see our show. Pen Pals at the DR2 Theatre (103 E 15th) is an emotional show about a long-distance friendship between two women who grew up communicating through letters. I highly recommend this Off-Broadway play, featuring a rotating cast that changes approximately every two weeks. Be sure to grab a tissue before heading to your seat. Our brunch at West Bank included [...]

By |2025-10-02T09:21:05-04:00October 21st, 2025|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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*Happy Hour at Barlume, Gramercy, NYC

As I was walking toward Barlume to sample their Happiest Hour, I realized that the new Mediterranean restaurant, which opened on Broadway in January in the space where Beecher's had been.  If you missed it, Beecher's was a cheese shop offering free samples of their award-winning cheddar and a restaurant serving what was claimed to be the “world’s best” mac & cheese. It was that good.  I had high hopes for Barlume, where I stopped by for their $15 martini and fries offering from 4 to 6 p.m. daily. I was seated outside, close to the grate where the Lexington Avenue subway passed underneath —a fun spot for people-watching. Service [...]

By |2025-10-18T09:44:15-04:00October 18th, 2025|Happy Hours, 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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Travelers Poets and Friends, Greenwich Village, NYC

Last year, we attended an overcrowded press party at Travelers Poets and Friends, where there was little to no food or libations, and left looking for something to eat. We liked what little we sampled, so we decided to try it during Restaurant Week for their $30 dinner. It's an Italian bakery, cafe and market serving pizza, pasta, pastries and other goodies in a casual setting. Our appetizers consisted of the fried local calamari with spicy San Marzano marinara sauce, the chef's pick of seasonal greens and veggies with a Manodori balsamic and the grilled sourdough bread with eggplant caponata, pine nuts and stacciatella cheese. One was yummier than the [...]

By |2025-10-05T08:49:52-04:00September 24th, 2025|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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