NYC Restaurant Reviews

Our New York City restaurant reviews

Tyron Public House Happy Hour* , Washington Heights, NYC + The Cloisters

We traveled to the Middle Ages with my ex.expat group when we visited the Cloisters with historical tour guide extraordinaire Kevin Draper. We learned a lot about architecture, discovering that many of the old-looking structures throughout the museum are new, just made to look old. A few of us wanted to hang out to chat, so we headed down the hill from the Cloisters toward the Dykeman subway stop to grab a bite and drink. Doing so, we hit the Tyron Public House's happy hour. We chose some beverages from the HH menu, including the French Pool Boy rose ($12), the Krasno Sauvignonasse ($13), the Allagash white ($9) and their lager [...]

By |2023-10-23T10:11:37-04:00November 9th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Mitr Thai Restaurant, Midtown, NYC

We needed to wait for our last friend to arrive before the restaurant allowed us to be seated. The hostess told us that we had 90 minutes. Once we were seated upstairs, we ordered two of their specialty cocktails:  the Tuptim & Horapha with tequila blanco, basil eau-de-vie, fresh pomegranate and Aperol with an egg-free foam ($17) and the Jakapat ($17 ). The latter lychee gin martini was a bit too strong for my dining partner, who requested some fizzy water to dilute the blend of gin, Lillet rose, St Germain and lychee liqueur. Another dining partner sipped the on-draft Singa Thai beer ($10) If you do go, request the [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:44:40-04:00October 30th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Javelina, Union Square/Gramercy, NYC + Comedy at The Stand

My friends had signed up for a Shearwater Classic Schooner sunset cruise, giving them enough time to make our 8:15 reservations at Javelina, a casual Mexican restaurant on 18th near the The Stand comedy club. The cruise line chose to wait for a party of three who were late for the sail, then tacked on additional time to make up for it, making my friends very late for our res. When I explained the boat situation to the host, he said he'd happily seat me at my table as it was ready for us. While waiting, I sipped a green salt-rimmed rocks jalapeno margarita ($14)  while nibbling the fresh, warm [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:35:34-04:00October 26th, 2023|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Piccola Cucina Uptown, Upper East Side, NYC

With a Seattle friend in town, I headed uptown for dinner, returning to Piccola Cucina Uptown for the flavors of Sicily. The food and service were as good as my last visit. We began sipping the Prunotto, 2019 Occhetti Nebbiolo, Langhe, Alto Piemonte ($82) as we nibbled the bread and savory dips they served gratis. We followed that with the tender eggplant parmigiana ($21.95) and crisp Caesar salad with shaved Parmigiana ($18.95). After noticing a waiter carrying a fugassa (a paper-thin pizza) past our table, we had to order one!  That thin-crust focaccia filled with stracchino cheese and thinly sliced prosciutto ($24.95) was irresistible. This favorite of ours is not [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:30:34-04:00October 24th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Breakfast at the Standard Grill, Meatpacking District, NYC

We had the best intentions of having an extra-special New York breakfast with a friend who brought her almost 8-year-old granddaughter to the city for a birthday weekend. We tried to book breakfast at Tiffany's, Tavern on the Green and more. My friend settled on a brunch cruise, yet when she arrived dockside to board, she realized the yacht docked too late for them to catch Aladdin's curtain. We walked from Pier 62 to Little Island, then to the Standard Grill in The Standard, High Line hotel for breakfast outside as the weather was conducive. My friend had the Standard Omelet ($16) filled with mushrooms, spinach and Boursin cheese and [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:35:14-04:00October 22nd, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Portuguese Leitao, West Village, NYC

Leitao is a friendly bar and kitchen serving Portuguese food in the West Village. We lucked out with the only window table giving us great light plus little noise as we weren't seated by others. Loved that. We shared everything, eating what we ordered in three waves after our craft cocktails. I sipped their Bourbon Old Fashioned, one friend a Negroni and the other a Margarita ($18 each)—all hearty-poured, well-prepared drinks. We were off to a great start. Our first dish was their Porco Preto ($22). Those were Iberico pork ribs cooked with wine, capers and housemade Calabrian garlic chili where the flavorful meat fell off the bone.  With that, [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:35:01-04:00October 20th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Terra Mediterrania, Chelsea, NYC

Terra Mediterrania, a new restaurant, took over space that had been Le Pain Quotidien on Seventh Ave. near 17th St. I was invited to experience their offerings. This efficient service restaurant was a new concept to me. Large computer screens awaited my input. Once there, I could tailor whatever I ordered. And then, I could see my food prepared in the open, all-electric kitchen. I'd recommend anything with their kataifi chicken, crunchy from its shredded phyllo coating; I had their Crispy Caesar ($15.15). I also recommend their slow-braised short rib wrap ($13.95). Everything is fresh and flavorful. If you're in the neighborhood, try it and tell owner Rani (pronounced Ronnie) [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:34:37-04:00October 16th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Breakfast at RH Rooftop, Meatpacking District, NYC

As always, the food and setting at RH Rooftop are lovely. We arrived for breakfast as they opened and commenced the morning with mimosas ($16). Their RH Scramble offered creamy scrambled eggs with creme fraîche, an avocado half, and lots of toasted thick-cut sourdough bread and salted fresh butter ($22). The avocado toast came on charred sourdough bread ($20) with a soft-boiled egg ($3). I would have preferred a toasted bagel with the New York lox plate with cucumber, pickled onion and cream cheese instead of the sourdough bread. My dining partner, who was eating that dish, was happy with the sourdough bread ($28). We shared the thick-cut maple-glazed pork [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:34:22-04:00October 14th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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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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Breakfast At Ruby’s, Murray Hill NYC

Ruby's Cafe in Murray Hill was about halfway between our homes. We both walked to meet each other for breakfast at this Australian cafe. We started with flat whites, mine with cream, my dining partner with milk. A flat white — espresso with a thin, flat layer of foam — is stronger than a latte as there's less milk. I recommend. Instead of my usual egg breakfast, I tried their interesting-sounding smashed sweet corn fritters with a dollop of sweet corn mascarpone ($15) accompanied by bacon and a salad with lots of avocado chunks. Sadly, the salad was undressed, the fritters undercooked.  My poached egg (+$3.50) was the best part, [...]

By |2023-09-20T18:02:50-04:00October 5th, 2023|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Happy Hour *** at Fogo d’Chāo, Midtown, NYC

Fogo d’Chāo has a daily happy hour (HH) all day long. I give this Brazilian steak house a 3-star rating, as you can easily make a meal for dinner from their abundant food offerings. That is, if you're okay with sitting in the bar or patio. We sampled some HH drinks, including two of the $10 Caipirinhas, the Brazilian national cocktail made with cachaça, sugar and lime. We sampled one with passion fruit juice and another with house-made hibiscus elixir and strawberries. We then switched to regular-priced martinis and old fashioneds ($16-19). I sampled the spiced marinated chicken breast sliders topped with arugula, tomato, and pickled onion with a mango [...]

By |2024-04-20T11:14:33-04:00October 3rd, 2023|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|4 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 Friend of a Farmer, Gramercy, NYC

Servers certainly make a difference. That was the case at brunch recently at Friend of a Farmer. I arrived a few minutes ahead to secure a table. The hostess wouldn't seat me until my friends arrived. That would have made sense if the restaurant wasn't empty. Once they arrived and we were seated, our server was quick to come by to take our order. We weren't ready as we just sat down. I ordered well-drained poached eggs for the Boomer Special ($24) with lemon ricotta pancakes and crisp bacon ($24). One friend did the same. "We serve them well-drained," Joseph explained. "Otherwise, the homemade cheddar biscuit would get soggy in [...]

By |2023-09-24T11:13:35-04:00September 24th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Happy Hour *½ Iris, Midtown, NYC

In continuing my Happy Hour hunt around the city, I met a friend at John Fraser's Iris midtown. [Please let us know if you have a Happy Hour for us to try and review!] We opted for everything on the limited menu besides fresh oysters (Mystic oysters, pink peppercorn mignonette, horseradish; 4 for $14) with a glass of the Greek white offered, Assyrtiko, Peloponnese, Greece 2020 ($12) We started with pikilia, a plate filled with small portions of tzatziki (garlicky cucumber yogurt), roasted eggplant, hummus and whipped feta with a puffed warm pita and endive leaves ($18) plus their spiced lamb flatbread ($10) that's always good. The other two options [...]

By |2023-09-24T11:14:29-04:00September 23rd, 2023|City Bites, Happy Hours, 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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Back to José Andrés’ Zaytinya, NoMad, NYC

I visited José Andrés' Zaytinya the week it opened last August and thought it apropos to try again. They, of course, had ironed out their food delivery and service issues. The main difference — other than the well-trained staff — was that the portion sizes shrunk while the prices increased. But I get ahead of myself. I had planned to try the Restaurant Week menu until our waiter mentioned that the whole table had to order it. Instead, we each started with a glass of Assyrtiko, Santo Wines, Santorini 2021 ($21), a white wine similar to a Sancerre. Nice. We dipped the puffy warm bread pillows into their olive oil [...]

By |2023-09-10T15:03:27-04:00September 10th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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