City Bites

The best City Bites from New York

Jupiter, Rockefeller Center, NYC + Grey House

I had to try Jupiter as my friend couldn't stop raving about it. She'd been multiple times.  I reserved a table on the rinkside terrace at Rockefeller Center, as recommended. This unusual dining underground is much quieter than inside. Cocktails ($19) first. My dining partner with a House Sprintz (Red aperitivo, sea buckthorn, natty rosé), which I'll order my next time over their version of their Manhattan 1801. We began with their fried artichokes ($17) that melted in our mouths. Not to be missed. Next, we split their house salad ($24) with asparagus spears, wild arugula, fennel, warm lentils and Castelrosso cheese. Also, delicious. Once the "Pane" ($15) basket with [...]

By |2023-07-16T07:36:10-04:00July 7th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Service Extraordinaire at Indochine + Joe’s Pub Loser’s Lounge

The location of Indochine, right across the street from The Public, was a perfect place to dine before heading to Joe's Pub's Loser's Lounge for a tribute to Hall and Oats. We sat outside as the night's weather was perfect. One dining partner and I sipped their Passion Pomegranate Margarita ($18, tequila, triple sec, passionfruit, pomegranate and lime), another the cucumber and chili martini ($18, made with vodka infused with pineapple and ginger and lime juice) and another the white Negroni ($18, made with gin, Lillet blanc and Suze). While waiting for our apps, two of us were getting "eaten alive" by bitting flying bugs; our server gave us extra [...]

By |2023-07-01T15:59:29-04:00July 1st, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Serafina In the Sky / Pod Hotel, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Wet Brain

I'm always looking for rooftop spaces for grabbing a bite before theatre. Serafina in the Sky/Pod Hotel is perfect before heading further west on 42nd Street to shows at Playwrights Horizon, Signature Theatre or Theatre Row. I sipped an Aperol Spritz ($15) while perusing the many Italian specialties on their menu. I had read that the owners — Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato — had been lost at sea when they promised to open a restaurant together if they survived. Today, Serafina has locations across three continents with dozens of restaurants in the U.S. I decided on their eggplant parmigiana — baked eggplant with fior di latte mozzarella, tomato sauce [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:12:11-04:00July 1st, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop, Theatre|0 Comments
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Aria Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Summer 1976

It was my first night out since my rotator cuff surgery. We met for a bite at Aria's wine bar in Hell's Kitchen before heading to the Samuel Friedman Theatre to see Summer 1976, a new play by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Auburn (Proof). The show starred Laura Linney and Tony nominee Jessica Hect in an insightful story about two women who befriended one summer. Summer 1976. Worth seeing. Telka, our server, handed us a wine chalkboard, told us the night's specials and pointed to the paper menu at each place. We chose a bottle of Montepulciano from their generic list of grape varieties. The Montepulciano  2017, Podere Castorani d'Abruzzo [...]

By |2023-06-19T21:30:01-04:00June 12th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Brunch at Lillie’s Victorian Establishment + Bob Fosse’s Dancin’

I love getting discounts for theatres and restaurants. When I saw the pulsd offer for a $45 cocktail brunch in the theatre district at Lillie's Victorian Establishment, I decided to buy and finally try their service. For that price, we'd get two entrees plus either four bloody Marys or a bottle of La Gioiosa Prosecco Bottle with a carafe of orange juice for making mimosas. Sadly, the first time I booked the reservation, it didn't work out. When we arrived, there was a sign that the restaurant was closed to repair something. I tried again only because I had purchased the brunch and tried it another Sunday when we were [...]

By |2023-06-19T21:22:34-04:00June 6th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Shopping at Union Square Market with Chef Charlie Marshal

What fun it would be, I thought, to shop at the farmers' market with a chef! I did so recently with Charlie Marshal (The Marshal). We decided to meet at Union Square Greenmarket early one April Saturday morning. That market began with just a few farmers in 1976 and has grown to about 140 regional farmers, fishers and bakers selling their products four times a week. Charlie visits on Saturday mornings. These farmers are like friends, as Charlie has been shopping at the market for ten years! His secrets: Charlie ordered ahead and gets wholesale prices; otherwise, he mentioned, he couldn't afford to shop here and pass the costs to [...]

By |2023-06-03T11:44:29-04:00June 4th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, Foodie Interviews, NYC Best Bites, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Dos Caminos, Times Square, NYC + Museum of Broadway

My Ex.expat group visited the recently opened Museum of Broadway located in the heart of Times Square. It is an interactive and experiential museum that takes you on a journey from the birth of Broadway to the present. For those who grew up attending theatre, it's a dance down memory lane. I recommend. Producer Merrie L Davis (Parade, Eclipsed, Company, Gigi) welcomed our group, sharing that the concept started as a pop-up and ended up as the first permanent museum dedicated to documenting the history and experience of Broadway theatre. We learned about Broadway's profound influence on shaping Midtown Manhattan and Times Square. After the museum, we walked a couple [...]

By |2023-05-18T11:28:13-04:00May 17th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Barking Dog, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + The Thanksgiving Play

The restaurant where we were supposed to have brunch had a hastily written note saying "closed" for repairs, so I needed to scurry to find another place to eat before heading to the Helen Hayes Theatre to see "The Thanksgiving Play." That's how we ended up at the Barking Dog in the plaza between 49th and 50th Street between Eighth and Ninth. This informal, fun canine-themed restaurant serves typical brunch fare with a special menu for 4-legged friends on the heated patio. We started with their doggy-named cocktails. My dining partner chose the dog bubbles ($14) of sparkling wine, St. Germaine elderflower and pear, while I indulged in the ugly [...]

By |2023-05-12T06:45:11-04:00May 14th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Enoteca Maria, Staten Island, NYC + Dionne Warwick, St. George Theatre

Not knowing how long it would take to get there, we took an early ferry to Staten Island for our 5:30 dinner at Enoteca Maria, next to the historic St. George Theatre, where we were seeing Dionne Warwick. We arrived before the restaurant even opened, yet were welcomed and seated at the front window table to chat and people watch out the window. Instead of chefs, rotating Nonnes cook with Italian grandmother Maria the constant. Our night's menus include foods from both an Egyptian Nonna and a Japanese one. We asked Safa, our informative server, to course our selections as we had the time before their latter 7:30 seating, which [...]

By |2023-05-07T07:31:49-04:00April 27th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings, Theatre|1 Comment
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Thai at Wan Waan, Chelsea, NYC + The Joyce

I love discovering new places with good food close to a theatre! That's Wan Waan Thai restaurant on Eighth Avenue near The Joyce. We stopped in for lunch before a matinee performance of what we thought was hip-hop dance. That Joyce's production was more tale than dance. The story was of love, fear and triumph that's rooted in the traditions of Hip-Hop, not as much dance. The London Times called it "The Basquiat of the U.S. contemporary dance scene."   Wan Waan's weekend special offered a choice of an appetizer (we both chose the small spring rolls) and an entree. We chose their coconut green curry ($16) with bell peppers, bamboo shoots, [...]

By |2023-03-18T09:17:44-04:00March 22nd, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Ideal Brunch Location: Sesamo + “Wolf” at Theatre at MCC

As seasoned ticket holders to MCC's relatively new location on West 52 between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, we always look for restaurants to sample before theatre. We decided to try Sesamo, an ideally located restaurant on Tenth and 52, before heading to see Hansol Jung's "Wolf Play," about a South Korean boy being re-homed with new LBGTQ parents. A puppet represents the boy on stage. Sesamo is the Asian-Italian eatery I recently sampled as their guest and so enjoyed. We started with their $32 bottomless brunch. I tried their bloody Mary, my dining partner their red sangria. I'd recommend their chef's selection of crispy (6) dumplings filled with garam masala seasoned [...]

By |2023-03-23T23:27:51-04:00March 20th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|1 Comment
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A Quick Bite at Aperitivo, Midtown, NYC + “Untitled”

Aperitivo, located just east of Avra Madison on 60th Street, is a quiet, small Italian-style restaurant with a perfect location for a lite meal before heading to 59E59 Theater. Service is a bit off, but friendly. Our arugula salad ($17) arrived before our cocktails. I'd recommend that salad with its shaved fennel, slivered red onions, toasted pine nuts and shaved parmesan in a charred tomato vinaigrette. Delicious. Those drinks that arrived after our salad included their Cucumber Breeze, made with Grey Goose, mint, cucumber, lemon and elderflower (18) and their Tivo's Old Fashioned, made with Casamigos mezcal, reposado and sweetener ($20). Neither was what we expected. Their pizza is more [...]

By |2023-03-23T23:40:55-04:00March 14th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Cucina 8 1/2, Midtown West, NYC + Pictures from Home

In the space that housed Brasserie 8 1/2, you'll now find the elegant Cucina 8 1/2. We decided to sample it one night before heading to the theatre to see Pictures from Home, starring the all-star cast of Nathan Lane, Danny Burstein, and Zoe Wanamaker. We descended the grand stairway into the sleek, softly lit dining room. Service was attentive; the food plentiful. Since it was Restaurant Week, we each indulged in the three courses for $45, nibbling on their parmesan crisps as we perused the menu. Their insalata verde came with gem lettuce in a creamy dressing with lots of aged ricotta and Marcona almonds. The three large meatballs sit [...]

By |2023-03-11T09:46:37-05:00March 4th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, Theatre|0 Comments
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Hold Fast Kitchen & Spirits, Theatre Row, NYC + The Collaboration

Wished I had seen The Collaboration with Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope before I attended a Jean-Michel Basquiat show. The show centers around the partnership between the two artists —Andy Warhol and Basquiat—and their work. I'd recommend you see it, but it closed recently. Before seeing it, we grabbed some lunch at Hold Fast Kitchen & Spirits, a friendly pub on Restaurant Row, 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. The small, dimly lit pub has friendly service and adequate pre-theater food.  My dining partner enjoyed their hearty portion of garlicky shrimp with jalapeno grits ($18); I tried their Westside chicken sandwich ($13), with marinated thigh pieces, a tomato slice [...]

By |2023-03-11T09:48:14-05:00March 2nd, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Kimberly Akimbo + A Return to Saar, Midtown West, NYC

If you see only one thing on Broadway, see Kimberly Akimbo, the musical about a 15-year-old with a fictionalized rare disease that ages her four times the normal. The show is Tony-worthy, especially two of the performances. Victoria Clark makes you believe Kimberly is 15 instead of ready for Medicare. Aunt Debra (Bonnie Milligan) stops the show each time she belts her songs. After the show, we walked north a few blocks to Saar Indian Bistro.  The last I'd been was when we welcomed Les Dames d'Escoffier Legacy winner Chef Helen Vass almost five years ago. [Nominations for this year's 2023 LDEI Legacy Awards are open until March 17, 2023. [...]

By |2023-02-24T17:17:31-05:00February 18th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling, Theatre|0 Comments
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Patti Lupone at 54 Below, Theatre District, NYC

A friend invited another friend and me to see Patti Lupone's sold-out final performance of her gig at 54 Below. We couldn't resist. Patti has three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and two Grammy Awards and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fame. She's best known as a singer and actress in stage musicals. Most recently, I saw her performances in London and New York in Company.  (Michael Allan Galvez, photographer) As good New Yorkers, we didn't bother the famous folks we noticed in the small theatre. At one table was Kristin Chenoweth; at another were Jessica Lange, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Chelsea Clinton. We tried not to stare. [...]

By |2023-02-24T17:10:11-05:00February 14th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Sapphire, UWS, NYC + Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool

(Sadly, Sapphire just closed on December 31, 2022.) Sapphire Cuisines of India on the Upper West Side is close enough to the Vivian Beaumont Theater to grab a bite before attending a show. We did just that before seeing Mike Birbiglia in his one-man show. My dining partner noticed some small batch bourbons and ordered Old Fashions for us made with Clyde Mays, an Alabama-style whiskey ($18) that we sipped while topping the crispy flatbread papadum with the two sauces. I'd recommend the Lasuni Gobi ($9), their cauliflower florets batter-fried in a garlic sauce and their fried onion fritters ($9) made using a spiced gram flour batter.    Also good [...]

By |2023-01-15T12:02:31-05:00January 3rd, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|4 Comments
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Ella Social, Upper West Side, NYC + Historical Society

We're always looking for a restaurant to serve a group of at least twenty of us for lunch after one of our Ex.expats of New York monthly outings. This time it was after curator-led tours at the New-York Historical Society. Dr. Wendy Ikemoto, Senior Curator of American Art, took us through the "Scenes of New York: The Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld Collection," followed by Anna Danziger Halperin, Center for Women's History, tour through "The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming." We ended up at Ella Social, with the owner being so accommodating for a prefix 3-course lunch with unlimited tea or regular coffee for $35, including tax and tip. A [...]

By |2022-12-30T16:28:11-05:00December 29th, 2022|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Katsuya, Manhattan West, NYC + Citizens

An invitation came for the opening of Citizens Marketplace at 398 Tenth Avenue. Like Urban Hawker, it is a food court. The difference is this one is anchored by two upscale restaurants, the Spanish Casi Dani and Katsuya sushi. I was invited to stay to sample the latter after their open house.  I do recommend their delicious grilled octopus ($27), their highly seasoned edamame ($13) and their crispy and crunch Japanese slaw ($19) with chicken in an umeboshi dressing. I'd go back just for the latter. Also impressive is their sashimi. It was tender, sweet and buttery; especially the toro, reported my sushi-eating dining mate. We sampled the Tuna Belle [...]

By |2022-12-30T16:35:52-05:00December 26th, 2022|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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