NYC Restaurant Reviews

Our New York City restaurant reviews

A Return to the Met Dining Room, Upper East Side, NYC + Harlem Renaissance

As I've previously mentioned, you don't need to be a member to dine at the fourth-floor Met Dining room, but you do need a res. Before heading upstairs to the dining room, we first visited the Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism exhibit, which explored how Black artists portrayed everyday modern life. We sipped a glass of the  Alsaisian Lucien Albrecht Pinot Blanc, 2019 ($15) while sharing the cauliflower salad with tahini, arugula, and a lemon salsa verde topped with fried cauliflower ($18) and the wine-braised octopus ($23) with crispy potatoes (I'd have loved more!), pickled red onions, and black garlic aioli. We had the day's special ($38) of lightly fried fish [...]

By |2024-03-29T07:30:10-04:00April 26th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Cafe Chelsea, Chelsea, NYC

Inspired by the long tradition of French bistro dining, Café Chelsea in the historic Hotel Chelsea offers an all-day menu with a contemporary take on classics. We stopped in for brunch and were seated at the comfy front window booth with the sunlight pouring in. Idyllic. Like Raines Law Room, the reconstruction of the Chelsea Hotel seems as if from a previous century, when it's new. After we dined their director of guest services showed us around all their offerings. Spectacular facilities. My friend ordered a Gruyère omelet with a green salad ($21). I sampled their burger and fries ($32). I'd recommend either. I do not recommend their over-salty bloody mary [...]

By |2024-03-28T15:22:22-04:00April 24th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Toloache, Midtown, NYC + Enemy of the People

I hadn't been back to Toloache since it reopened after the pandemic. Like many other restaurants, their website prices are lower than you'll pay. We started with their yummy guac ($16) with the accompanying salsa ($2 for extra) and chips. Delicious with their Cadillac Margie—the Oro Blanco ($18), made with Espolon reposado and Cointreau. Our dishes included their Ensalada de Jicama ($13), which included jicama, radishes, mixed greens, avocado, orange, almonds, and a tamarind vinaigrette, along with grilled chicken (+$8);  the enchiladas borrachas ($26) of pulled chicken, tomatillo-5 chiles salsa, Mexican cheeses, crema and an avocado-radish salad and the Quesadilla de Camaron ($17) with mini shrimp atop a tortilla with [...]

By |2024-03-23T10:31:05-04:00April 19th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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An Irish Pub: The Long Room, Theatre District, NYC on St. Patty’s Day

My grand-niece and her college roommates requested going to an Irish pub when visiting on St. Patty's Day. That's how we ended up at The Long Room in Times Square. The place was packed and noisy, offering a special holiday menu and live music. We all had draft beers ($9 - $10) — including one Guinness — with our food. We tried the spinach and artichoke dip in a cast-iron skillet along with pita bread not the crispy chips menu described. We shared sweet potato fries ($12), a classic burger ($21) with fries and ale-battered fish and chips.  Noisy, but fun.   The Long Room Times Square 120 W 44th [...]

By |2024-03-17T10:43:19-04:00April 16th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Cacio E Pepe, East Village, NYC

I dined with the owner's relatives at Cacio e Pepe six years ago. I loved it and couldn't wait to return.  After the watery Cacio e Pepe at Basta Pasta, we decided to visit the original eponymous restaurant on Second Avenue for the minimalist classic dish of pasta, butter, cheese, and pepper. When two of us arrived, our server mentioned that happy hour was ending and offered a glass of house cabernet ($9) before the discounted time ended. Nice. When our friend arrived, she offered her a glass, implying she was offering the discounted wine. We shared two appetizers, the fabulous Timballo Di Melanzane ($16) — layers of molded eggplant parmesan. Delicious. [...]

By |2024-04-21T20:48:51-04:00April 14th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Haven Rooftop, Midtown, NYC + Prayer for French Republic

Haven Rooftop, atop the Sanctuary Hotel, is in the heart of the theatre district, making it a good spot for pre-theatre brunch. We stopped in before heading west on 47th to see the final performance of Prayer for the French Republic. We started brunch with mimosas ($13) and a virgin bloody mary ($12). Yet instead of egg options, two of us chose their lobster roll served with fries ($30), another their perfectly sliced heavenly chicken in a beurre blanc sauce with mesclun salad and fries ($28). Food was good, as always. As the play began, we realized we had seen it before. My memory isn't that good, but my computer [...]

By |2024-04-21T21:01:20-04:00April 11th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Three days a month: Marc 179, Tribeca, NYC

A building mate emailed me about the opening of Marc179, Marc Murphy's  (Landmarc, Ditch Plains and Chopped) latest unique venture in Tribeca. Marc 179 is open only three days a month. offering a rotating $75 prix fixe menu, plus a small but inviting wine list. When not used as a restaurant, the space will be MM Kitchen Studio, a private event space, demo kitchen, and filming studio. Marc179 takes reservations two months in advance, and the menus are published one month out. The upcoming dates already posted include April 11th-13th, May 16th-18th, and June 20th-22nd. When I visited in March, the prix fixe menu included an arugula salad with pan-roasted [...]

By |2024-04-21T20:50:04-04:00April 9th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Brunch at Sesamo, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + White Chip

We returned to Sesamo for brunch before heading to MCC to see White Chip, a play with a stellar lineup of producers, including Jason Biggs, John Larroquette, Hank Azaria, and Annaleigh Ashford—the wife of Joe Tapper, who plays Steven, the lead. The play takes its name from the Alcoholics Anonymous sobriety-chip system; each of the many times Steven — the main character — resolves to stop drinking, he gets a white chip. He has a bowlful. For brunch, I started with a bloody Mary ($15), followed by Shakshuka, as I had to have it again as it was so good last time. Not this time. It was way overcooked, even [...]

By |2024-04-07T16:49:59-04:00April 7th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Happy Hour** at Rick Bayless’s Tortazo, Times Square, NYC + Doubt

I've meant to try Rick Bayless's Tortazo since it opened near Times Square about a year ago. I learned to love this Chicago restaurateur's food at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. Tortazo is a modified version of Rick’s popular airport outlets. One opened in NoMad in 2021. Times Square area is his second NYC location. This Michelin-starred chef features antojitos — Mexican bites—at Tortazo. Some are available during happy hour when I slipped in before heading to Roundabout Theatre to see Liev Schreiber in Doubt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-winning 2004 play. The drama teaches the potentially destructive consequences of being too certain about anything.  I recognized the fabulous flavors [...]

By |2024-04-07T16:48:05-04:00April 5th, 2024|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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KFC’s Chizza Pop-Up

My friend—an editor of a restaurant trade publication—invited me to sample KFC's Chizza with her on the day in February when the restaurant had transformed the store into a pop-up, serving the new menu item for free. Yes, free. There were lines around the block for the just introduced Chizza: two 100% white meat extra crisp fried chicken filets topped with marinara sauce, melty mozzarella cheese and crispy pepperoni.  Skeptical me. I was surprised at how moist, tender and tasty the fried chicken fillet topped with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni was. One fillet pizza costs $5.99; two fillets are $12.99, and the combo with a two-fillet one, French [...]

By |2024-04-24T19:01:12-04:00April 2nd, 2024|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Mark’s Off Madison, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

Mark's Off Madison had just opened in 2021 when I last visited. That time was for dinner, this one brunch. Mark's is one of Pete Wells’s 100 Best Restaurants for 2023. On the corner of 26th Street and Madison Square Park, the restaurant is from chef Mark Strausman, formerly of Campagna and Freds at Barney's New York. It's an always-packed, cozy space with a great vibe. I met a friend there for brunch, starting with a Bloody Mary ($16). We had to share their steak fries ($14) done Belgian style (double-fried) served with ketchup, garlic aioli and sauce Calypso, which according to chef Mark is "a European cold sauce that [...]

By |2024-04-07T16:43:26-04:00March 30th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Australian Fare at Isla & Co, Midtown, NYC

Inside the Hotel Hendricks on West 38th Street near Bryant Park is a friendly little Australian brasserie where I recently met a friend for brunch. Once seated, we noticed many tables with flights of espresso martinis ($25). Interesting, I thought until I saw the menu and noticed that each mini martini contained a different alcohol: one tequila, Australian whiskey, and the third dark rum.  I'll leave that to the youngins. I ordered their traditional one ($15) instead, made with vodka, Mr. black coffee liqueur, and house-roasted espresso, and my dining partner a glass of prosecco. We decided to share two entrees, asking our server to bring them one at a [...]

By |2024-04-07T16:36:15-04:00March 26th, 2024|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Ceci Italian Cuisine, Theatre District, NYC

We ended up at Ceci Italian Cuisine on 46th Street for it's proximity to the theatre district.  It's a quiet restaurant where we could hear each other while we dined. I'd recommend their melanzane ripiene ($14) their flavorful eggplant stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella topped with tomato sauce and a house salad of greens, tomatoes and cucumber ($10). If you, like me, like to look at the online menu before dining, skip doing so with this restaurant. The menu at Ceci's is not what's listed online. Ceci Italian Cuisine Theatre District 46 West 46 Street New York, NY 10036 (212) 307-5484 cecirestaurantnyc.com

By |2024-02-17T11:03:25-05:00March 24th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Repeat: Shuka, Soho, NYC + Up & Up & Raines Law Room Speakeasies

Having had such a wonderful time at Shuka and Up & Up, I repeated the combo with my grand nephew and his girlfriend. We opted to dine outside as it was one of our spring-weather winter days. We shared some meze, including the shaved Brussels sprouts ($14) as last visit, this time adding the falafel and sweet potatoes, which I would recommend.  We continued with chicken ($22/kebab) and beef ($25/kebab) kebabs, requesting the fabulous mushroom one, but it was no longer available as their menu changes based on market availability. Next time! We walked MacDougal to Up & Up for cocktails, followed by another at Raines Law Room, which has [...]

By |2024-03-21T17:47:21-04:00March 21st, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Speakeasys|0 Comments
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Happy Hour Rangoon, Chelsea, NYC + Philadanco! Intangible at The Joyce

After my Zumba class, I grabbed a nibble at Rangoon, a Burmese restaurant close to The Joyce Theatre, where I saw Philadanco!, the Philadelphia Dance Company, presenting Intangible. I selected the Keema Paratha, one of their signature dishes, of Indian-style flatbread stuffed with spicy ground beef ($12).  It's a spicy snack I'd recommend, suggesting you watch out for the very hot red pepper strips. The tasty happy hour Pegu Club cocktail of vodka, orange curacao and lime was $5 off from noon until 6 ($12). Satiated, off I went to meet my friend at The Joyce to see the amazing dance company. Happy Hour details as of 2.10.2024 Hours: 12 [...]

By |2024-02-16T11:55:08-05:00March 19th, 2024|Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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20th Anniversary of Momofuku Noodle Bar, East Village, NYC

In honor of Momofuku’s 20th Anniversary, the restaurant is bringing back some iconic dishes for each dish a month at a time. The restaurant has received numerous James Beard Awards, including “Outstanding Restaurant,” for three consecutive years. It is also honored with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, an honor for good quality, good value cooking. We had ordered their daikon and jalapeño salad ($6). We were told the daikons weren't looking good, so they didn't serve the dish; they gave us a bowl of kimchi ($7) gratis instead. To start, we had their unusual Brussels sprouts with candied toasted almonds, smoked paprika and a foam made from vegetable broth. Unusually delish! [...]

By |2024-02-16T11:55:27-05:00March 17th, 2024|Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Key West Dining: Roostica, Sloppy Joe’s, Santiago’s Bodega, Blue Heaven, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Latitudes and La Chapina

Thanks to all the Facebook friends who responded when I requested restaurant recommendations in Key West. What follows is a sampling of the places where we did eat and dishes that I'd recommend. Across from where we stayed on Stock Island is Roostica, a friendly place filled with a crowd and a great vibe at 4 pm when we went for Happy Hour. Don't miss the hearty meatball sliders, 2 for $8. We would have returned if we had had enough time. Drinks good, too. Roostica 5620 McDonald Avenue Stock Island 305.296.4999   Walking on Duval Street, Key West's main drag, we stopped at Sloppy Joe’s Bar — Ernest Hemingway's watering [...]

By |2024-03-15T09:24:16-04:00March 15th, 2024|Bites from the Road, Happy Hours, USA, USA Restaurants, USA Travel|0 Comments
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Tarallucci e Vino, Union Square, NYC

I'd been to Tarallucci e Vino in my hood before. It’s a French bistro with good wine and food. This time I ordered the charred octopus ($28) with fennel, roasted potatoes and an aside salad of arugula, celery and Castelvetrano olives. I’d go back for that. This time, the beef and pork ragù layered lasagna ($26) with béchamel and Parmigiano Reggiano arrived moist and tender, unlike my last visit. I would recommend. My dining partner indulged in the torta alla mousse di cioccolato ($11), their decadent flourless chocolate cake with chocolate mousse while I sipped an espresso martini, my latest dessert. If you’re in the hood or shopping at Union [...]

By |2024-03-25T09:09:11-04:00March 12th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Hidden Leaf, Manhattan West, NYC

It's not easy to find Hidden Leaf within Manhattan West, around the corner from Zou Zou and upstairs. We met there during restaurant week for their $30 two-course lunch. Three of us decided on their meaty Yunnan BBQ ribs (three) with preserved ginger and toasted seeds sticky sauce. The other had their hidden gem salad with pickled mango red curry cashews and a shallot garlic crumble in a vegan Nuoc Cham dressing. To start, we shared an order of their shrimp and snow pea dumplings ($19 for 5). I recommend all of the above, plus their crispy Malaysian-style fried chicken with a celery-fennel salad that we savored as our entree. [...]

By |2024-03-11T09:14:53-04:00March 10th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Greek Kyma, Chelsea, NYC + The Connector + Raines Law Room

After seeing The Connector at MCC theatre — a musical loosely based on Shattered Glass — we headed downtown to Kyma, a Greek restaurant in Chelsea/Flatiron, NYC. We were so early that the dining room hadn't opened yet. We sat at the bar and enjoyed our cocktails until we moved to our table. Once seated, we shared the tasty pikilia with a trio sampler of tzatziki, melitzanosalata, and taramosalata with pita triangles and an order of spanakopita ($19 for 3; $7 an additional one). My Greek dining partner raved, saying it was one of the best spanakopita she'd ever had. A huge compliment. Also good is their fresh lavraki ($39); [...]

By |2024-01-28T12:23:16-05:00March 7th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Speakeasys|0 Comments
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