City Bites

The best City Bites from New York

BXL Cafe, Theatre District, NYC + Birthday Candles

We decided on a late lunch at BXL, a Belgian cafe, before heading to the American Airline Theatre to see Debra Messing in Birthday Candles. We just walked through the alleyway across the street to the theatre a block away. Three of our four ordered mussels mariniere, menu-described as "cooked in white wine and shallots ($30). One seasoned moules-eating diner described them as plump but in need of flavor saying they were cooked in water, not wine and with onions (as you can see in the photo) and not shallots. I tried their steak frites. The meat was cooked as I requested, but it was not the quality of meat [...]

By |2022-05-08T09:10:52-04:00May 2nd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Dos Caminos, Theatre District, NYC + Take Me Out

We chose Dos Caminos as it was close to the Helen Hayes theater where we were heading to see "Take Me Out," about the personal and professional complexities of baseball, America’s favorite pastime starring Jesse Williams (Grey's Anatomy), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), and Patrick J. Adams (Suits). I started with their "El Camino" margarita ($14) made with only Milagro Blanco tequila,  Triple Sec and lime juice. We both had their eggs rancheros requesting them poached instead of fried ($18) along with crisp tortillas, beans, smoked ham and queso fresco.  My first bite indicated that they had pre-plated the food as the beans were at room temperature. With my second [...]

By |2022-05-08T09:18:30-04:00April 28th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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A Return to Jane, Soho, NYC + Out of Time

After my last visit to Jane restaurant in SoHo, I received an email from Olivia, their Assistant General Manager, who provided me with her personal reservation link. Saying, "That way I can make sure you are being extra well taken care of." Interesting personal-touch marketing, I thought. When I was heading with some friends to see Out of Time — a collection of monologues by five award-winning Asian American playwrights, performed by actors all over the age of 60 — at The Public, I decided to book Jane restaurant using Olivia's link. We arrived during happy hour with two of us ordering HH drinks, the Vinho Verde ($7) and Negroni [...]

By |2022-04-23T11:18:58-04:00April 17th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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The Peruvian Restaurant Inti, Hells Kitchen, NYC + Space Dogs

We stopped into Inti, a Peruvian restaurant, on our way to the far west location of MCC Theatre to see the new musical Space Dogs about the canines that were sent into space. We decided to share the classic Banquete Inti ($43) that consisted of a tender rotisserie whole chicken, French fries, fried plantain, rice, beans and a green salad topped with avocado and sliced tomatoes. Cilantro sauce and peanuts also came with the meal. It was way too much food for the two of us! We did, though, decide to try their picarones for dessert. We were glad we did. These traditional Peruvian doughnuts — made with squash and sweet [...]

By |2022-04-09T18:22:11-04:00April 7th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Brunch at Haven Rooftop, Midtown, NYC + The Music Man

Haven Rooftop, a lively eatery located on top of the Sanctuary Hotel in the heart of the theatre district, was the perfect spot for brunch before heading up Broadway a few blocks to see the not-to-be-missed The Music Man.  Always arriving early and my friends often a tad late, I had time to notice what other tables were enjoying and asked if they minded me photographing their food. Consistent with this place's warm friendly vibe, everyone was amenable. These included the brunch pizza ($19) topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, diced bacon then sunny-side-up eggs; the scrambled egg version of the huevos rancheros ($18) with crisp corn tortilla atop black beans [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:05:06-04:00March 24th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop, Theatre|0 Comments
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Faces and Names, Midtown West, NYC + Prayer For the French Republic 

We stopped at Faces and Names, a contemporary pub serving sandwiches & bar food, for a bite before heading to City Center around the corner to see a Prayer For the French Republic, a play that friends raved about. We were seated in the cozy back room, replete with couches in front of a fireplace and TVs.  My friend went retro with a Tito's Cosmo, I  had an Old Fashioned. We then shared their Buffalo chicken salad ($16) with chopped romaine, sliced cucumbers, crisp apple slices, grape tomatoes and walnuts topped with warm, moist, well-seasoned chicken breast cut into strips. I highly recommend. Also good is their Cubano sandwich ($16) with [...]

By |2022-03-26T10:28:35-04:00March 19th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling, Theatre|0 Comments
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Revisit Marseille, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + NYC version of Company

I've always enjoyed going to brunch at Marseille in Hell's Kitchen before theatre. Service and food are generally good and the location is close to many theatres. It was only a five-minute walk to the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre where we were seeing a matinee performance of Company.    We skipped the "go bottomless" drinks of $21 for 90 minutes along with food that's available 12 to 3 pm as we were off to theatre. Instead, I sampled their purportedly spicy, Moroccan Bloody made with Absolut Peppar vodka, cumin, fennel cardamom and harissa ($12) that was tasty, yet didn't have much of a kick. My dining partner had their Le [...]

By |2022-02-22T13:40:40-05:00March 4th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, Theatre|0 Comments
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The Library at The Public, East Village, NYC + Cullud Wattah

The Library at The Public is the perfect place for a bite before theater there, especially on a cold winter's night. Being smart, that's what we did before seeing the show. Cullud Wattah is about an intergenerational household of Black women dealing with the Flint water crisis. I sipped a glass of the Library's Sauvignon Blanc, Grand Moulin Touraine 2020, France ($18) and shared Joe’s Burger ($24) that came topped with caramelized onions, bacon and cheddar cheese. It also came with a huge serving of shoestring fries that we shared with the table. Our vegan dining partner enjoyed the fried Brussel sprouts, without the bacon ($14), another had their hearty fried [...]

By |2022-01-02T10:51:56-05:00January 19th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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A Return to Bluebird London, Columbus Circle, NYC + Flying Over Sunset

Before heading to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center to see "Flying Over Sunset," we stopped at Bluebird London for dinner. The show is a fictionalized story about Cary Grant, Clare Boothe Luce and Aldous Huxley, who together experiment with LSD. Dinner was better than the show! We started with cocktails ($16 each). I had an Old Fashioned, my dining company their Planters' Punch (Bacardi Cuatro, lime, pineapple with a splash of angostura bitters) and Bed of Roses (Grey Goose, Campari, grapefruit, cava and a splash of club soda). One tried their over-priced corn soup ($16) for a small portion that needed both seasoning and more fresh corn.  I [...]

By |2022-01-17T22:24:10-05:00January 11th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Rubirosa, SoHo, NYC + The Visitor at The Public

Remember the 2007 movie The Visitor with Oscar-nominated Richard Jenkins about a college professor who returns to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his apartment? Well, that story is a musical at The Public Theater starring David Hyde Pierce. I highly recommend this 90-minute show! Afterward, we headed to Rubirosa, a place that I'd been hearing about since it appeared as a Michelin Bib Gourmand years ago, meaning it was good quality and a good value. It's a small, loud and cramped family-run neighborhood restaurant and pizzeria on Mulberry Street. We shared their two apps before the main event. First, the eponymous [...]

By |2022-01-17T22:26:45-05:00December 24th, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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BXL Cafe, Times Square, NYC + Is This a Room

I tripped over the lively BXL Cafe as it was a couple of blocks south of the Lyceum Theatre where we were seeing Is This a Room. Oddly, it was the first restaurant I've been to where the staff didn't check our vaccination card and the servers were not wearing masks. BXL has a pub atmosphere and menu along with friendly service. The food, with many Belgian specialties like mussels and frites, is okay. Nothing to go out of your way for. I had a Ceasar Salad ($11) with grilled shrimp (+$9), my dining partner the Bouchée À la Reine ($25) a puff pastry round atop chicken, bacon and diced meatballs [...]

By |2021-12-18T09:10:10-05:00December 16th, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Margaritaville Times Square, NYC + Lehman Trilogy

The Lehman Trilogy is must-see theatre where, in three acts, the show chronicles the lives of three generations of three immigrant brothers as they arrive in America in 1844 through to 2008. Three actors playing multiple characters, tell the story of this American ambition and hubris with their legendary rise and ultimate fall. We walked out of The Nederlander Theatre on West 41st and decided to grab a bite around the corner at Margaritaville Times Square, a bit hokey but fun hotel. We opted for Jimmy Buffet's restaurant on the second floor to have their "perfect Margarita" ($13). It contained their Margaritaville Gold and Silver Tequila, triple sec, Orange Curaçao [...]

By |2021-12-18T09:11:56-05:00December 14th, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Another Korean One: Bann Restaurant + All The Nathalie Portmans

(Written before COVID-19 quarantine) After seeing All The Natalie Portmans at MCC Theatre on 52, we headed out to dinner at 350 West 50th Street to Bann Restaurant, a BBQ Korean restaurant in a welcoming upscale setting. The unusual show at MCC Theatre is about a family on the brink of eviction while the 16-year-old daughter dreams of a better tomorrow and interacts with her muse, Natalie Portman playing all her iconic characters. For a full review, click here. We were seated at a table with an unlit grill between us that we used to "grill" our selection of meats, poultry or fish, which of course is the quintessential dish [...]

By |2020-06-04T09:24:50-04:00June 27th, 2020|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Aqua Boil, Hells Kitchen, NYC + Jagged Little Pill

(Written before COVID-19 quarantine) I had no idea what I was in store for when I was invited to Aqua Boil, a casual Cajun-inspired restaurant that spotlights seafood boils, encouraging diners to get messy. We arrived at the small restaurant when it opened at 5 pm, as we had a 7 pm curtain. The restaurant had only been open a couple of months necessitating the person tending bar to search the internet to learn how to make the Manhattans we ordered! Nice service, producing a quite decent version. Everything is served in paper and utensils are plastic other than the tools for the seafood. The mostly all fish cod cake [...]

By |2020-05-27T12:23:35-04:00June 4th, 2020|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|1 Comment
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Morrell Wine Bar, Rockefeller Plaza, Midtown, NYC + The Minutes

(Written before COVID-19 quarantine) We met at the elegant Morrell Wine Bar just south of the Rockefeller Plaza for dinner before heading to theatre to see Tracey Letts in The Minutes. The Castiglion del Bosco Rosso di Montalcino, 2016 ($64), a nice red fruit dry wine, went so well the Foie Gras Torchon ($28). That dish consisted of four tiny squares of toasted brioche with a slice of patè drizzled with port syrup and sprinkled with candied walnut dust.  We shared everything, which is how I love dining! Our refreshing salad ($21) contained poached pears, candied yellow beets, chevrè and mesclun in a white balsamic vinaigrette. Nice sized portion. The [...]

By |2020-05-21T09:06:30-04:00May 28th, 2020|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Return to Daniela Trattoria, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + We’re Gonna Die

(Written before COVID-19 quarantine) Before seeing We're Gonna Die, described as "the non-musical/non-play/non-concert that is not about dying" at the Tony Kiser theatre, we stopped for dinner at Daniela Trattoria. I had been to Daniela Trattoria seven years ago when the now $42 prix fixe menu was only $29. My dining partner had no desire for dessert, so we opted to skip the menu and share two entrees instead. We asked for the garlicky scampi ($30) to be served first as an appetizer. That included five shrimp with lots of white beans served with broccoli and cauliflower, the veggie of the day. For our entree, we ordered the Ossobucco ($33) [...]

By |2020-05-11T12:26:55-04:00May 2nd, 2020|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Turkuaz Restaurant, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Tina, The Musical

(Written before COVID-19 quarantine) With a 7 pm curtain for Tina, my friend and I grabbed an early bite at Hell's Kitchen's Turkuaz, which has recently relocated to northern Hell's Kitchen convenient for theatre. I had been invited by the owner, who I had met at a Broadway Association function a couple of years ago. We sat down, looked at the menu but didn't order. The owners had selected various combo plates for us to sample. We started with the cold appetizer platter ($38) with hummus, cacik (blend of yogurt labneh and cucumbers seasoned with mint and dill), eggplant salad (chopped grilled eggplant and roasted peppers), baba ghanoush (chopped grilled eggplant [...]

By |2020-04-03T12:17:57-04:00April 5th, 2020|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Aux Epices Restaurant, Tribeca, NYC + The Sickness

After being invited as media to The Sickness, I made a reservation at Aux Epices Restaurant as it was only a couple of blocks from where we were seeing the show. It's a narrow inviting restaurant with friendly service serving beer and wine. Cash only. Aux Epices means cooking with spice in French. The restaurant adheres to its namesake. The small order of BBQ spare ribs ( $8) contained three ribs well-coated in cumin-forward seasoning with the meat falling off the bone. The grilled (5) jumbo prawns come in a turmeric-ginger sauce served with a tall inverted cone of white rice ($20). I would have ordered differently had we realized [...]

By |2020-03-09T14:13:58-04:00March 9th, 2020|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Musical Brunch at Coco Pazzo, SoHo, NYC

There's nothing like a Sunday brunch with live music and good food. That's what my friend and I experienced recently at  Soho's Coco Pazzo as their guests. We so enjoyed the musician at the keyboard who played just loud enough to be enjoyable without drowning out our conversation. I started with their Dante, The Poet made with El Buho Mezcal, Campari, Solerno blood orange liqueur with Italian vermouth ($16) that packed a powerful bunch, while my guest enjoyed a Cranberry Squeeze Mocktail ($7) with juice, lemon soda and mint. We started with two salads, both of which I'd recommend. The blend of roasted ceci (chickpeas) and quinoa with over-dried cherry [...]

By |2020-03-01T11:40:14-05:00February 25th, 2020|NYC Best Bites, Theatre|0 Comments
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In Times Square: Patricks Restaurant & Oyster Bar, NYC + A Soldier’s Play

What a find. Little did I know when I walked into Patricks Restaurant & Oyster Bar (in the space where Chevy’s Tex Mex was about a year ago) that I would have a memorable meal. This restaurant is from the Wetanson family, also owners of Dallas BBQ and Tony DiNapoli’s. Patricks is basically a pub on 42 street in Times Square just down the street from the American Airlines Theatre where we saw the hunky Blair Underwood in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play A Soldier's Play.  He walked to the center of the stage, breaking the fourth wall, to talk to the audience with his shirt wide open showing his six-pack as [...]

By |2020-02-23T10:44:33-05:00February 23rd, 2020|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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