NYC Restaurant Reviews

Our New York City restaurant reviews

Han Dyanasty, East Village, NYC

After attending the Obie Awards at Webster Hall, we headed out for a bite to eat and ended up at Han Dynasty, where I had dined before, a couple blocks away. We managed to slip in before they closed. Don't miss their spicy pork Dan Dan noodles ($8.95) with scallions, chili oil and Sichuan pepper.  Or the dumplings ($6.95) or wontons ($6.95) in chili oil.  Also good are their crispy chicken wings ($1o.95), their black mushrooms with bok choy ($12.95) and the shrimp and veggies ($21.95). In fact, everything we had was worth ordering again. If you haven't yet tried Han Dynasty, I suggest a trip to the East Village [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:07-04:00June 4th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Osteria Morini, Soho, NYC

After coming from A Taste of... in celebration of Scotland week, I was meeting a friend for dinner, then heading the opening of Nobody is Perfect, a new East Village Italian restaurant. And so, we decided to share a couple items at Osteria Morini, one of the Altamarea Group (Ai Fiori  Marea, and Bedford Post Inn). We ordered the Ligurian Vermentino 'Il Bianco' | Il Torchio, 2015, ($52,) rich enough to stand up to our meat dishes and light enough for the salad. Inspired by the classic Italian pasta, Osteria Morini's cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) salad ($14) features romaine with an anchovy dressing, topped with garlic breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano and [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:07-04:00June 3rd, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Shorty Tang Noodles, Chelsea, NYC

Heading home from a wine tasting sans food, I stopped in at Shorty Tang Noodles to grab something to eat. The menu outside on Eighth Avenue highlighted their cold noodles with sesame sauce that in 2007, NY Times Sam Sifton wrote, "best cold sesame noodles Manhattan ever tasted."  According to the restaurant, Shorty Tang was purportedly the first to bring these cold sesame noodles to the US. I had to try them. Sadly, these noodles were not "soft and luxurious, bathed in an emulsified mixture of sesame paste and peanut butter, rendered vivid and fiery by chili oil and sweetened by sugar, cut by vinegar, made fantastic by technique" as [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:07-04:00June 1st, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Beaubourg, Financial District, NYC

Finding a place to get something to eat in Brookfield Place is not hard; finding a place with table service takes a bit more looking. We did just that ending up in the French restaurant Beaubourg in Le District after a site visit at ICE (Institute of Culinary Education) for an upcoming event. My friend started with half a dozen fresh East Coast oysters ($18).  I was craving a cheeseburger and fries ($18), having just arrived home from Cuba. I ordered mine medium; my dining partner rare. No surprise, they both arrived rare. They took mine back, returning it well-done - which is often the case. Our well-trained waitress took [...]

By |2019-05-17T16:11:39-04:00May 29th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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La Palapa, East Village, NYC

After seeing the "Zookeeper's Wife," a beautifully filmed Holocaust movie about a couple who sheltered Jews in the Warsaw Zoo, we headed to La Palapa on St. Marks Place in the East Village for a south-of-the-border bite at my friend Barbara Sibley's place. With our happy hour margaritas ($10), we ordered the guacamole ($14) served with house-made cumin spiced corn chips. Loved — and devoured — the three flavorful dips that the server placed on the table. That trio consisted of a salsa guajillo (mild roasted dried chilies), salsa verde de tomatillo  (medium fresh tomatillo salsa) and the piquant salsa de Serrano torreado (spicy roasted Serrano chilies in vinegar). So [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:07-04:00May 28th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Freda’s Caribbean & Soul Cuisine, Morning Side Heights, NYC

One friend, who always looks for cheap eats, had suggested Freda's Caribbean & Soul Cuisine, serving Caribbean and Southern fare on Columbus. She had eaten there with her fam before a Solstice concert at the Cathedral of St John the Divine, suggesting "the oxtail and jerk chicken both which came with yummy sides." When another friend and I planned a walk from one end of Central Park to the other, we chose this spot on Columbus and 109th as a perfect destination. I walked up from 15th Street to 42 to meet her for the walk. By the time we arrived, we had worked up quite an appetite, stopping across [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:07-04:00May 27th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Norm, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NYC

About a year ago, The Norm a restaurant inspired by the diversity of cultures in that borough, opened at The Brooklyn Museum. Michelin-starred Chef Saul Bolton of Great Performances offers an eclectic mix of Indian, Mexican, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, Indo-Chinese and all-American multi-cultural flavors in the unusual menu. I was invited as a Great Performances guest to sample the fare. I knew I was in for a treat, as I had been at many of their other locations including Signature Cafe, Dizzy's and The Garden Court Cafe, to name a few. But first we stopped in at the George O'Keefe  Living Modern exhibit that's open through July. To start, there's [...]

By |2024-07-13T14:31:15-04:00May 25th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Loring Place, Greenwich Village, NYC

My friend was eager to dine at Dan Kluger's new Loring Place, named after the street his dad grew up on in the Bronx. Kluger started at Union Square Cafe and most recently hails from ABC Kitchen and ABC Cocina. We had high expectations, sampling a few of his small and large shareable plates. The crisp asparagus fries with a lemony-parmesan dressing ($14) were done to perfection!  That dip helped the flavor of spiced cauliflower that came with Meyer lemon jam and chilies ($11).  The mushy cauliflower (not  "crispy" as the menu described), which needed of a  smidgen of salt, was not to my liking; nor was the accompanying too sweet [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:07-04:00May 21st, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Mozzarella e Vino, Midtown, NYC

Mozzarella e Vino is located opposite MOMA on 54th Street, in the space that Il Gattopardo had occupied until the owners Gianfranco and Paula Sorrentino decided to moved the latter up the street in September 2013. As I was their guest, the manager said he'd like to bring us what he considered the best they had to offer. How could we resist? We started with a tasting of their mozzarella that arrives from their cheese making facility in Italy twice a week (Tuesday and Friday). We sampled the Buffalo mozzarella, smoked mozzarella and creamy burrata (made in Puglia) served along with sliced flavorful tomatoes. Also good is their Sicilian caponata [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:07-04:00May 14th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Ear Inn, Soho, NYC

After a morning packing meals at God's Love We Deliver with a group from the Manhattan Women's Club, we wanted a place to grab a bite. One of the members remembered a bar not far from where we were called Ear. Her recollection was that in the 70s part of the  lights of the "B' went out and was never replaced making that letter look like an "E." Thus the bar became Ear. Funny story. On reading about the history of this speakeasy, I learned that this multi-story, Federal-style townhouse is the James Brown House built in the 18th century. This bar on the ground level — one of the [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:07-04:00May 13th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Sinigual, Murray Hill, NYC

Restaurants near Grand Central are perfect for meeting friends from the upper east side. Looking for a place there is how I discovered Sinigual, the contemporary cantina serving traditional Mexican cuisine where we met for a bite. Our friendly waitress put down a trio of goodies to sample with our margaritas: a sweet margarita butter mixed with salt, sugar and lime juice plus two spicy salsas served with warm tortillas. We asked for more of the two salsas for the chips with our guac. Since I had three evening tasting events, I only wanted something light to nibble as we got caught up and enjoyed our drinks. My friend had [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:07-04:00May 11th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Lamano, Chelsea, NYC

There's a new stylish Spanish tapas place not to be missed. It's located around the corner from owners Jorge Guzman and Chef Mario Hernandez Mexican Temerario in Chelsea. Both from Handshake Hospitality, who also own the Black Ant. I was invited to sample their tapas. The intimate atmosphere reminded me of the small Spanish places in Barcelona, and the small savory dishes are as good. We started with a non-menu item from the chef — scampi with chimichurri flavored with black squid ink. Next, their flavorful pintxos (small snack) of boquerones (white anchovies) atop Catalan tomato bread with shredded Manchego cheese ($6). A perfect combo of salt, crisp and fat! [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:07-04:00May 5th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Bouchon Bakery & Cafe, Columbus Circle, NYC

With the arrival of spring, we were out for a long walk around Central Park. We had a destination in mind. A friend told me that I had to try Turnstyle, "the underground market" down one of the two orange subway entrances near 58th and 8th. Not! I'm a food snob. Once I saw this fairly new marketplace, I neither wanted to eat underground; nor to dine in a subway station. And, I wanted wine with my meal. We headed back to the Time Warner Center where — on the way to the ladies room — we had passed the inviting sandwiches from Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery. One area is [...]

By |2017-09-04T11:29:32-04:00May 3rd, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Kings of Kobe, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC (The Hairy Ape)

After seeing the talented Bobby Cannavale in Eugene O'Neill 's "The Hairy Ape" at the Armory (also with David Costabile), we walked over to Hell's Kitchen to sample the fare at King of Kobe, known as the "The Burger & Hot Dog Monarchy." As their guests, we tried lots of the offerings beginning with Manhattanite ($8.75) hot dog topped with caramelized apples, frisee, shaved cheddar and a wasabi aioli. Neither I nor my dining partner generally eat hot dogs but agreed this one could change our minds. The fried balls of Mac & Cheese ($7.25) come creamy on the inside, crisp outside. The four rounds are a meal in themselves [...]

By |2017-09-07T15:40:22-04:00May 1st, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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ABCV, Flatiron, NYC

We were having a hard time choosing from chef Jean-Georges' unusual new menu at his third ABC Carpet & Home restaurant, so we ordered the multi-course "beauty & wellness: tasting menu" ($48).  ABCV — which celebrates vegetables and grains — is next door to ABC Cochina, sharing shares one wall. The chickpea hummus, green from the Thai basil, came with one small house-made whole grain pita and a cupful of fresh crisp veggies including fennel, watermelon radishes, cucumbers, celery and lettuces. We used some of that crudité to dip in the shallot and herb labneh, which arrived with red pepper dusted cucumber chunks and crispy sunchoke chips for dipping. The [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:08-04:00April 29th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Hourglass Tavern, Theatre District (When it Was You), NYC

Eating after theatre worked best as the one-woman show "When it Was You" at the Clurman Theatre was about 70 minutes. Meaning we could relax and not rush off to catch the curtain. Ana Reeder's performance about a women who had once dated in high school a man who became a mass shooter was riviting. We headed to Hourglass Tavern, the tiny 3-story renovated nineteenth-century brownstone (build in 1894) on theatre row. From what I read, each table originally sported a working hourglass (now there are a couple as art on the walls). Their motto was you wouldn't miss the curtain of your show, as the service would take only the [...]

By |2017-09-04T18:34:39-04:00April 27th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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La Guarida, Havana, Cuba

Most everyone I spoke to who had been to Havana recently recommended the upscale paladar La Guarida for dinner — the place where Cuban director Tomás Gutiérrez Alea filmed Strawberry & Chocolate. It's one of the few places offering elegantly served quality food; we learned they send their chef to France to learn to cook. We walked up the crumbling grand staircase to the restaurant above and — since it was raining —  skipped the new rooftop bar. Our starters from the varied menu included thin slices of fresh snapper carpaccio with a pepper sauce and citrus vinaigrette ($8), an unusual seafood "lasagna"with "noodles" of thinly sliced papaya garnished with [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:15:37-04:00April 25th, 2017|Bites from the Road, Rooftop, World, World Restaurants, World Travel|4 Comments
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Saigon Shack, Greenwich Village, NYC

Saigon Shack is a good cheap eats place in the village almost around the corner from Skirball Center for the Performing Arts where I was heading to see the National Theatre Live performance of Amadeus with Lucian Msamati as Salieri and Adam Gillen as Mozart. From what I read the Pho was the thing to try. We did. The Spicy Saigon Shack Pho ($11.95) with thinly sliced raw beef (cooked in the hot broth), some overcooked beef balls, shredded house brisket and Vietnamese ham. It's served with a plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil and unnecessary fresh sliced jalapeños ... as the added chili oil provided more than enough heat. [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:08-04:00April 16th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Agern Restaurant and Bar, Grand Central Terminal, NYC

Make a special trip to Grand Central Terminal, not for a train, but to dine in Agern Restaurant and Bar, tucked away in what used to be a hairdressing salon and in the old days, the former men’s waiting room of GCT. Open less than a year, this Nordic eatery from Claus Meyer of Noma in Copenhagen and Icelandic Chef Gunnar Gislason has already earned a Michelin star. The unusual menu spotlights the New York region's wild and farmed ingredients, done Nordic style. Wines offered are from the U.S. For lunch, Agern offers two courses for $65, three $75, or each one a la carte. We each opted for the [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:08-04:00April 10th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Shanghi Heping Restaurant, Chinatown, NYC

A food friend highly recommended Joy Luck Palace on Mott Street for good Chinese. As we arrived, we dodged hoards of people emerging from the place and inside we bumped into the owner.  John apologized that his restaurant was closed for a private party. Not wanted to let us down, he suggested his friend's place next door at 104 Mott — Shanghai Heping Restaurant. If we didn't like it, he said, he's pay for our meal. How could we resist? Our Kung Pao Chicken ($11) — nicely flavored, yet with too tiny chicken chunks and sans any veggies — arrived before any of our appetizers. The dish was fine. I'd [...]

By |2017-08-20T13:01:08-04:00April 8th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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