NYC Best Bites

The Tasting Menu at Hortus, Nomad , NYC

During the pandemic, my friends discovered Hortus, an Asian-fusion restaurant, and its spacious, well-lit backroom. After much negotiation, we selected their tasting menu ($70 each) instead of their Restaurant Week menu. It was similar, but without the Royal Platter we chose for our starter. That extra dish included a chilled lobster, yellowtail crudo, shrimp cocktail and one dozen oysters with many sauces, including hot butter, cocktail sauce and a not-so-spicey gochujang one. The platter contained two over-cooked claws, not the menu stated lobster tail. We sipped a deliciously bold, slightly tannic  Bordeaux Cuvée, La Petite Marquise, Saint Julien France, '16 ($80). Two of us ordered their crispy octopus leg (+$4 [...]

By |2022-07-30T13:26:07-04:00September 7th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Danny Meyer’s Ci Siamo, Manhattan West, NYC

Danny Meyer's original Union Square restaurant was my go-to for special occasions as it never disappointed. With that in mind, I was eager to try his new Italian Ci Siamo, located in a new residential development in Manhattan West, adjacent to Hudson Yards. Its menu contains seasonal ingredients, many cooked using live fire. We started with cocktails, including a martini ($19) and a cosmo ($19), each with a named vodka and a glass of the crisp Pra Otto Soave Classico 2021 ($18). Do not miss their decadent caramelized cipollini onion flaky-crust tart drizzled with balsamic and topped with a gooey goat cheese fondue topped with Pecorino ($22). This mind-blowing dish [...]

By |2024-10-03T15:20:00-04:00September 5th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Lunch at The Cookshop, Chelsea, NYC

It was too hot and humid to take a long walk in Hudson River Park one weekday. Instead, we headed to Cookshop for lunch, arriving as they were opening. I smiled as I saw the empty restaurant realizing that the popular brunch place would be packed if this were a weekend. My friends each ordered the gem lettuce salad with chunks of Persian cucumber and sliced cherry tomatoes topped with large roasted chicken breast ($23). I would have ordered a burger had I not just devoured one at JG Melon's earlier that week. Instead, I decided to on their salad Niçoise sandwich. The Pan Bagnat ($19) contained chunks of olive [...]

By |2022-09-11T03:37:30-04:00September 1st, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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An Upper East Side Institution: JG Melon, UES, NYC

No upper Eastsider I spoke to could believe I had never been to the iconic JG Melon neighborhood burger joint. I went to this laid-back pub for the first time this summer and only had to wait about 10 minutes, which I heard was not bad. There's generally a 30-minute wait for this cash-only pub on Third Avenue that's been on the Northeast corner of 74th Street since 1972. While waiting, I learned the "J" is for the late Jack O'Neill and the "G" for Georges Morgues, the original owners. "Melon" came from some whimsical watermelon artwork found in the original establishment. The owners added many more melons to the [...]

By |2022-09-11T03:38:24-04:00August 30th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|4 Comments
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A Return to Via Quadronno, UES, NYC

After playing bridge one morning, a couple of friends and I headed to Via Quadronno, a local Italian restaurant, for a bite.  Last I had been in the height of asparagus season with mine topped with fresh crab. I vowed to return. I decided to sample their home-style rendition of traditional meat lasagna bolognese ($28); one of my friends did, too. I enjoyed mine with a glass of their Montepulciano d'Abruzzo ($16.50). This classic layered dish arrived hot from the oven, so we needed to avoid touching the cast-iron pan. We asked for some garlic bread for dipping. This housemade lasagna was so hearty it satiated me until breakfast. The [...]

By |2022-08-27T11:11:52-04:00August 28th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dames at Summer Happy Hour at Vinateria, Harlem, NYC

This summer, a group of Dames — members of Les Dames d'Escoffier — gathered at fellow Dame Yvette Leeper-Bueno celebrated Harlem restaurant, Vinataria, for a summer happy hour. While sipping our beverage of choice, we sampled: fried calamari with a paprika aioli ($14) bacalao (salt cod) croquettes with a chili aioli ($8) polenta fries sprinkled with Parmigiana Reggiano and served with a apicy dill aioli ($8) honey-glazed crispy Brussels sprouts with pine nuts and raisins ($9) crispy French fries with blue cheese and scallions ($9) marinated olives with hummus and bread While there, Yvette shared that she had just been honored with an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator for [...]

By |2023-09-02T19:39:05-04:00August 26th, 2022|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Peruvian Restaurant Kausa, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC

Liking to try new restaurants, I met a friend for lunch at Kausa, a relatively new Peruvian restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. My dining partner sampled a pisco sour ($14) for the first time; it won't be her last. This traditional Peruvian cocktail combines distilled brandy, egg white, lime and bitters. I sipped a Moscow mule from a classic copper mug ($14). We had to sample the restaurant's namesake (also spelled causa), the layered potato starter. Do not miss this half avocado stuffed with Leche de Tigre (tiger's milk) marinated shrimp atop a bed of mashed potato ($18). We also shared a single order ($21) of Jalea Mixta, deciding to wait [...]

By |2022-08-20T15:52:36-04:00August 24th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Noodlove, Chinatown, NYC + The Orchard Tailor Services

My friend Barbara had been raving about Fabian, her inexpensive fabulous tailor in Chinatown. His hems, she explained, were about $10 and done in an hour! The pandemic got in the way, and I never got to the tailor until now. I walked down to meet Fabian and gave him one long dress to be hemmed and a tunic in need of tightening a buttonhole and adding a snap, something I could have quickly done, yet decided to see what it cost. Twenty-five minutes and $12 later, I walked out with my tailored clothing. Impressive. Since it was lunchtime, I decided to grab something at Noodlelove, a nearby restaurant. I [...]

By |2022-08-20T15:23:16-04:00August 20th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|2 Comments
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Founders House Pub & Patio, Milford, CT + Bedwetter at NY’s Linda Gross Theater

One Connecticut friend and I decided on a beach day at Milford’s Gulf Beach, grabbing a bite ahead of time, then spending the day by the water catching up! Like many of you, the pandemic kept me distanced from many friends. We had a quick lunch on the patio of Founders House Pub, not far from the train station or beach. We started with cocktails that seemed such a bargain compared to the Big Apple. The espresso martini was a mere $13, the Ketel One on the rocks $11. We shared two fresh salads, both of which I'd recommend.  One was an unusual chilled sweet potato and avocado with kale, roasted Brussels [...]

By |2022-08-27T11:26:22-04:00August 18th, 2022|Bites from the Road, NYC Restaurant Reviews, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse, Midtown, NYC

My last visit to Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse was for a press event celebrating their new cocktails, this time celebrating a 20-year-old's birthday with his family. Old friends from my Connecticut days. He, of course, chose the churrasco experience ($74.95) served rodízio style. A perfect way to satiate a growing boy! That's continual service of their fire-roasted meats carved at the table whenever the server sees your card on your table turned from red to green. It's served with the Brazilian sides of warm cheese bread, crispy polenta sticks, mashed potatoes and caramelized bananas. That main event offered bacon-wrapped meats, sausage, filet mignon, lamb chops, pork chops, chicken and [...]

By |2024-11-10T09:29:11-05:00August 16th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Happy Hour at Socarat, Midtown, NYC

Enjoyed another birthday celebration, this time at midtown's Socarat happy hour with a friend. During their daily happy hour from 4 to 6 pm, all tapas are half price. Some drinks, too, although we each opted for a vermouth-less martini ($17). We shared their Galician-style octopus ($10.50) in paprika oil with mashed potatoes and the grilled squid ($9) in garlicky oil, requesting both extra crispy. I'd recommend both as I would their grilled lamb chops topped with a chimichurri sauce with roasted white and purple potatoes ($10). Their shrimp arrived sizzling in hot olive oil with lots of garlic and a couple of chili peppers ($9). They were fine yet [...]

By |2023-09-02T19:39:24-04:00August 14th, 2022|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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This Year’s Sail on the “Lobster Boat,” Hell’s Kitchen, North River Lobster, NYC

A sail on the North River Lobster is something I've been doing each summer since 2014, when they began to cruise up the Hudson River and served the best lobster rolls. The cruise was free then. A couple of years ago, they began charging $10 for each sail. This year, they limit you to one of the hour sailings before asking you to leave or pay an additional fee to cruise again up the Hudson River. We discovered the final sailing was free as the vessel was not full. When a BLT is pricier than a  lobster roll, it's obvious which one to select. That and when sailing on the [...]

By |2022-08-14T07:54:41-04:00August 12th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Mels, Chelsea, NYC + Fat Ham at the Public

We finally were able to get a res at the very popular Mel's on Tenth Avenue, owned by Michelin-decorated Chef fellow Dame Melissa Rodriguez. I started with their Old Fashioned made with bourbon, cognac and amaro ($18) while my dining partner had a Cosmo ($18). We liked the flavor and heat from the chilies of the charred shrimp with a small fresh herb salad ($24), yet wished the crustacean hadn't been overcooked. We followed that with a tasty gem lettuce salad with fresh mint and grilled and marinated burrata also with heat chilis ($18). Of course, we had to try one of the pizzas. We opted for the tomato sauce [...]

By |2022-08-14T07:57:46-04:00August 10th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Lunch on 24 at Electric Lemon, Hudson Yards, NYC

I was meeting a New Orleans friend to discuss the 15,000+ cookbooks that I donated to the Southern Food & Beverage Research Center, as it has become the repository for Les Dames d'Escoffier International Collection. The purpose of the Collection is to create a place where all of the books and papers written by members of LDEI, AKA Dames, can be deposited and maintained as a coherent collection. I booked us at Electric Lemon on the 24th floor of the Equinox Hotel, as it's a quiet, elegant location to enjoy lunch and have a conversation. We each sipped their Albariño, etxea, Rorick Heritage Vineyard, Sierra Foothills, California 2018 ($21) as [...]

By |2022-08-14T08:02:47-04:00August 8th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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A Birthday Gathering at Zou Zou’s, Manhattan West, NYC

Some building mates and I celebrate our June birthdays together. This time we did so at Zou Zou's, a lively Mediterranean restaurant at Manhattan West. The restaurant celebrates the cuisine of the eastern Mediterranean from chef Madeline Sperling, who hails from Gramercy Tavern and The NoMad. It's a small 75-seat space around an open kitchen with a wood-fired hearth. We started with cocktails, including their Sumac Spritz (Prosecco, Tito's vodka, grapefruit juice and sumac bitters ($16), a Golden Negroni (Tanqueray gin, Lillet Blanc, apricot and Suze liqueur ($17) and their Manhattan West (Maker's Mark, Averna amaro liqueur with mole and walnut bitters garnished with a harissa cherry ($18). One friend [...]

By |2024-10-03T15:16:44-04:00August 6th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Food Tour of Arthur Avenue, The Bronx with Susan Birnbaum

The first stop on our tour was for Albanian spinach burek (byrek, burek, börek), the classic Albanian stuffed fillo at Tony & Tina's Pizzeria, 2483 Arthur Ave, 718.733.8094. We spent lots of time with Dave at Mike's Deli inside the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, 2344 Arthur Ave, 718.295.5033, where he showed us how to make both fresh mozzarella and burrata, the soft shell wrapped around a creamy center of torn mozzarella strings and cream. We sampled many types of fresh cheeses plus their house-made pasta in tomato sauce.     We picked up some sliced sausage from Calabria Pork Store, 2338 Arthur Avenue, 718.367.5145, famous for their homemade fresh and [...]

By |2022-08-18T12:12:09-04:00August 4th, 2022|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Don’t Miss Spanish Casa Dani, Manhattan West, NYC

The Spanish Casa Dani, AKA Dani's House, with Chef Dani Garcia is in Manhattan West adjacent to Hudson Yards. Its menu offers items inspired by Spain's Mediterranean south that combine unusual flavors and textures. I had heard that I must try it. As a spice lover, I had to sample their Piquillo-illo, an Aperol spritz made with pepper water and mastiha liqueur ($18). It didn't disappoint. My dining partner had a glass of their Telmo Rodríguez, "Basa," Verdejo y Viura. Rueda 2020 ($16), which we followed with a bottle ($60). We were served a slice of crusty bread, offered EVOO for dipping and a bowl of varied flavorful olives. We [...]

By |2024-10-03T15:28:21-04:00August 2nd, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Cocktails at The Royalton Rooftop, NoMad, NYC

Summer rooftop reservations are challenging as city dwellers all want a view and fresh air. I lucked out when looking for a place to meet a relative for a quick drink before he headed off to the theatre. I got a res at the chic Royalton rooftop, sitting inside (as it was cooler than expected). I did take a peek at their rooftop pool, something I learned non-hotel folks could pay $60 for 4 hours. I might have to try it! My relative ordered their sliders. Once I tasted a bite, I knew I had to write about them. They were that delicious. These three burgers came cooked to perfection, [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:04:18-04:00July 31st, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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The Reopened Spanish El Quijote, Chelsea, NYC

I'd been to an SVA program on west 23rd street. Afterward, we walked by the newly re-opened Spanish restaurant, El Quijote, at the Hotel Chelsea. The problem was their eleven tables were committed and the bar was three deep. Loving the vibe, we vowed to make a res and return. When we did, we started with their crispy Croquetas de Bacalao ($15 for 5), salt cod croquettes.  I'd recommend. It came with a ubiquitous aioli that accompanied most all their dishes. Their knowledgeable wine director, Claire, offered us some unusually delicious suggestions. The fresh tasting Garnacha Blanca, Celler Frisach  L'Abrunet Terra Alta, Spain '20 ($60) worked well with our menu choices. [...]

By |2022-07-28T16:56:09-04:00July 29th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Cuban-Chinese at Calle Dao Chelsea, Chelsea, NYC + Annie Lebovitz

I had forgotten that I'd been to the opening of Calle Dao as it was five years ago — pre-COVID — until I bit into one of their Cuban Sandwich spring rolls ($12 for 4) served with spicy mustard. One bite of these unusual spring rolls filled with roast pork, ham and salami — the makings of a Cuban sandwich — and my memory kicked in. We had arrived during their happy hour (weekdays 5 to 7 pm), grabbing a bite before we attended Annie Lebovitz speaking at SVA about her latest photography book, Wonderland. My friend ordered a dozen oysters ($24, HH pricing). In addition, we ordered the other [...]

By |2022-07-28T16:48:36-04:00July 27th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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