NYC Best Bites

Casa Lever, Midtown, NYC

Casa Lever provides an elegant, sophisticated dining experience. I'd like to return once their under-construction gardens re-open as I hear they are spectacular. I sipped their nicely balanced Dublino, a blend of Bushmills Irish Whiskey, blood orange vermouth and Mirto liqueur, before they served our amuse bouche of creamy gazpacho. Glutton me always requests one of each of the homemade breads offered, loving a bite of each one, especially their crusts. My favorite is the rye. So worth the calories.  The attentive staff served their Parmigiana di Melanzane ($27.00) — baked tomato eggplant — in a copper vessel, hot from the oven. So hearty, it's almost enough to be a [...]

By |2022-07-28T16:46:55-04:00July 25th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Raising Money for LDNY’s Scholarships at Docks Oyster Bar, Kips Bay

Our New York chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier (LDNY) held a four-course unique lobster experience at Dock's Oyster Bar last month on National Lobster Day. The event raised funds for LDNY's scholarships. Wine pairings courtesy of Kobrand, lobster from Aquabest NYC.  If you'd like to donate to Les Dames d'Escoffier scholarships, click here.  We started with mini crab cakes made with very little filler. I popped a few too many of them as they were that good. Before our meal, we also dined on fresh oysters, deviled eggs and lobster ceviche served with Domaine Carneros Brut Vintage Cuvee 2018. Our menu consisted of rich lobster bisque with a lobster roll [...]

By |2022-07-28T16:43:03-04:00July 23rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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First Gansevoort, then Buddakan, Meat Packing District, NYC

Those who know me know I'm a birthday glutton loving my own new year and celebrating with as many friends as possible. One of my gatherings last month (yes, it takes me a month to post something after I've tried it!) started at the Gansevoort Rooftop for yummy drinks and a great view. My friends initially arranged the dinner festivities on Grand Banks, the seasonal restaurant on the deck of a historic fishing boat, yet the day before the reservation, the restaurant canceled it for a private party! My fab friends scurried to re-group and find another place for our celebration. We ended up at Buddakan for a delicious and [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:12:44-04:00July 19th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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The Skylit Emporio, Little Italy, NYC

About a three-minute walk from the New Museum is an Italian restaurant not to be missed. Lucky me, a friend took me to Emporio for my birthday. We sat in the back, brightly skylit room. I recommend their large leg of charred octopus ($19) over smoked eggplant puree, pine nut tahini, sweet red and yellow peppers and a lemony-garlicky Salmoriglio sauce ($19). We also shared the homemade rigatoni with sausage, porcini mushrooms and fresh ricotta ($25) garnished with crushed truffles. One of the evening's specials included a Colorado lamb steak ($34), cut from the leg with a small salad of  baby arugula, fennel and mint sitting in a chimichurri sauce. [...]

By |2022-07-16T07:05:55-04:00July 16th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Nonna Dora’s, Kips Bay, NYC

Nicola Marzovilla, son of Dora, explained that he chose the location of his new popular pasta establishment by looking within a circumference of where his mom Dora lived. Addolorata Marzovilla — Dora — cooked for 30+ years alongside Nicola at the recently closed I Trulli. Eighty-five-year-old Dora makes about 40 types of pasta daily in a small glass-enclosed room visible from the dining room; for each variety, she also prepares gluten-free options. Not having a clue which of their eight Negroni's to try, we asked Nicola to choose for us. He decided on the Negroni Duo for my dining partner.  The Monkey 47 and Bresca Dorada vermouth are an ethereal [...]

By |2022-07-11T13:22:57-04:00July 13th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Birthday Celebration at Mexican Canyon Road, UES, NYC

Canyon Road, a cozy Mexican restaurant that my friends frequent often, is where we went to celebrate three of our four birthdays. We began with traditional Mexican starters: their guac (large, $17.95) and margaritas ($12 to $14). The dishes that I recommend are the slowly roasted duck burrito ($24.95) with black beans smothered with a rich mole poblano sauce and their seared ahi tuna tostada ($14.95). A fun place to meet friends to raise a Margie in celebration! Canyon Road Upper East Side 1470 1st Avenue New York, NY 10021 (212) 734-1600

By |2022-07-11T13:11:01-04:00July 11th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Mémé Mediterranean, Hells Kitchen, NYC + Plaza Suite

Mémé Mediterranean restaurant in Hell's Kitchen is named after brothers Alon and Jacob Cohen's mother, as it is French Moroccan for Grandma. There's also a West Village location. My dining mates started with Cava Rose Spritz  with Mezzodi liqueur, Pamplemousse liqueur, grapefruit juice and Cava Rose ($18). I recommend the nicely balanced Mémé's Manhattan ($17) with bourbon, rum, vermouth and crème de pêche to bourbon lovers. Our least favorite of the evening was their roasted cauliflower, which took more than 30 minutes to come out of the kitchen, especially compared to that version we devoured at Gupshup. They season that dish with Maghreb  (African) spices and lemon tahini ($14). Mémé's is [...]

By |2022-07-11T13:09:46-04:00July 9th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Fish Cheeks, NoHo, NYC + Rehearsal of School of American Ballet

With Fish Cheeks named one of the absolute best Thai restaurants in NY by New York Magazine and included in Eater's 38 essential restaurants in NY, I had to try it. The restaurant had a modern approach to traditional Thai dishes. Loved that their happy hour included cocktails at lunch for $11. We sampled their spicy mango made with tequila, mango and lime and garnished with a bird's eye chili and the very-Thai flavored "Thank You Ka" with white rum, coconut galangal, ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime decorated with drops of chili oil.   The crispy rice salad and pork ($15) is delicious with crushed crispy rice tossed with shredded [...]

By |2022-07-11T13:04:05-04:00July 7th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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John’s River Oysters at The Pavillion, Midtown, NYC

I couldn't resist writing about these amazing John's River Oysters "Vanderbilt" at Daniel Boulud's upscale La Pavillion restaurant in One Vanderbilt, the new 93-story supertall skyscraper at the corner of 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue. That's the building that houses the spectacular views from Summit. This time, I stopped there only for a cocktail and nibble. We sat in the cocktail lounge savoring delicious cocktails ($21). I had the perfectly balanced Cachaça Tiki made from Leblon Cachaça and Amaro Montenegro garnished with fresh mint ($21) and my dining partner had the Matcha-infused Reyka vodka with lemongrass Shochu, a distilled liquor, garnished with fresh basil. With our drinks, we ordered the [...]

By |2022-07-11T12:53:16-04:00July 5th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Brunch at Perry Street, West Village, NYC

Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Perry Street West Village restaurant offers relaxed elegance in a tranquil setting, something I've been researching for various meetings. We sat on the umbrellaed terrace, staring with a cocktail. I suggest their white heat ($19) made with jalapeño infused Hiatus blanco, Vida mezcal, grapefruit marmalade and Cocchi Americano over the not-so-gingery ginger Margarita made with Destilador tequila, Cointreau, ginger lime syrup ($17). If available, I do recommend their crispy soft shell crab ($28), coated — according to Suman, our server — with a mixture of Wonder flour and breadcrumbs and served with pickled caulilini (baby cauliflower) all in a sweet chili sauce ($28). I'd also recommend their chicken, [...]

By |2024-03-28T13:25:46-04:00July 3rd, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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P.J. Clarke’s-Lincoln Square, Lincoln Center, NYC + Epiphany

We chose P.J. Clarke's for its proximity to the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center. We were seeing Epiphany, a well-acted confusing, quirky and slow 2-hour show sans intermission about a group who reunited at a dinner party during a snow storm. Lunch at P.J. Clarke's wasn't much better. I've restrained myself from writing negative restaurant write-ups since the start of COVID, as my heart goes out to restaurant owners dealing with the pandemic trick-down effects. That said, I have to share. My dining partner chose a cheese-topped burger with crispy fries ($21); I opted to try their beer battered fish 'n chips with tartar sauce and malt vinegar [...]

By |2022-07-05T12:28:40-04:00July 1st, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Return for Brunch to Marseille, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + POTUS

Marseilles, the French brasserie in Hell's Kitchen where we stopped for brunch before theatre, is generally consistent — ideally located down 44th Street from the Shubert Theater where we saw POTUS, the farcical show about the women behind the President that had us belly laughing. I recommend. Seems we misread the menu, thinking the bloody Mary's ($12) we ordered were part of their $21 bottomless brunch drinks with the purchase of an entree. Our waiter corrected us after ordering our second, saying that the offering was only for their mimosas. One friend started with the four white asparagus ($17.00) topped with tiny morel mushrooms and sprinkled with almond dukkah (a [...]

By |2022-05-29T09:35:32-04:00June 29th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Rooftop Bar at Nearly Ninth, Midtown West, NYC

In a hunt for a rooftop bar with a happy hour, I tripped over the Nearly Ninth website, implying that they had one Not! The website listed a happy hour, which — after we arrived — we discovered was only for the lobby bar. We decided to stay put as we were already nestled comfortably in a private corner. I recommend their nicely balanced Elderflower Spritz ($17 instead of $10 in the lobby bar), replete with Grey Goose, St. Germain, prosecco and club soda. With that, we nibbled a small serving of blue corn tortilla chips and guacamole ($18) plus some fresh veggies that our attentive waitress Savannah managed to [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:04:32-04:00June 27th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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A Return to the Lebanese ilili, Gramercy Flatiron, NYC

The weather was good enough to sit in ilili's outside private unit with our windows and doors open. I started with their delicious and perfectly balanced Miss American Rye ($18) made from Deadwood Rye, Clear Creek Pear Eau de Vie, sweet vermouth, Valdespino Fino Sherry and orange bitters garnished with orange peel. I'd go back from that! We hadn't seen each other as my friend had moved to Florida like many New Yorkers and was in town as they were selling their NYC apartment. We had lots to catch up on. To start, don't miss their hummus — the chickpea purée blended with tahini and lemon juice drizzled with olive [...]

By |2022-07-03T09:16:25-04:00June 25th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Opening of Jue Lan Club Rose Garden, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

If you're looking for a location to enjoy good food and libations in an outdoor enclosed setting, try The Rose Garden at Jue Lan Club.  It opened last month on one of those perfect spring days with a party replete with flowing cocktails, non-stop food offerings and live music. Idyllic. All was offered gratis, yet I've added their menu prices for your info. Some samplings included their chicken satay coated in peanut sauce (3 for $22), dumplings filled with pureed edamame, drizzled with truffle oil and sitting in miso broth (6 for $20), crispy scallion pancakes with hoisin dipping sauce ($18), braised oxtail bao buns (3 for $20) spicy samurai [...]

By |2022-07-03T09:19:01-04:00June 23rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Brunch at Upstairs At the Kimberly, Midtown, NYC

Upstairs at the Kimberly is on the Penthouse level, replete with outdoor and indoor seatings. After perusing the cocktail menu, my dining partner chose the Mistress, a refreshing blend of grapefruit juice, Pisco and Elderflower liquor garnished with a ruby grapefruit slice and I tried their Cilantro Sol's medley of tequila, pineapple, ginger and chili pepper ($19 each) that was refreshing but not spicy. Most of their brunch menu offers egg dishes, something my dining partner doesn't eat. Instead of one of those selections, she ordered their disappointing lobster roll platter of two mini brioche slightly stale rolls filled with a too finely chopped blend of lobster, scallions, red peppers [...]

By |2022-07-03T09:30:42-04:00June 21st, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A return to RH Rooftop, Meatpacking District, NYC

A visit to RH Rooftop in the Meatpacking District is always a treat. The location is high above Ninth Avenue with a lush windowed dining area offering excellent attentive service and good food. I always recommend. We started with Mimosa's ($16) and their artisanal Prosciutto di Parma (some of the leanest I've ever had!) served on a large wooden platter with warmed crusty breadf rom Orwasher’s Bakery, chilled red grapes and a few chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano ($24). Although that could have been my meal, we had also ordered their warm lobster roll with drawn butter a soupçon of mayo and Old Bay seasoning ($24) and crispy French fries served [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:04:51-04:00June 19th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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John Fraser’s Iris, Midtown, NYC

John Fraser's new Aegean-cuisine Iris was on my ever-growing to-try list. I started chatting with the manager when we both realized we had recently met (and exchanged cards!) at the Terrace at the Edition Hotel, another of JF Restaurant's locations.  It became more of a drinking lunch as we were outside at this location near Carnegie Hall enjoying one of spring's perfect days. I first sampled the Iris Manhattan ($19) made with Makers Mark and served with a mini-spoon containing a Luxardo cherry, my more adventurous dining partner ordered the Son of Aphrodite ($21) that blended saffron-infused Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, passion fruit and yellow chartreuse. I moved on to [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:21:42-04:00June 17th, 2022|Bites from the Road, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to Wagamama, Midtown, NYC + Golden Shield

One location of Wagamama, the British restaurant chain serving Asian food based on Japanese cuisine, is across the street from City Center where we were heading to see "Golden Shield," playwright Anchuli Felicia King's new work about loyalties, intrigue and the art of translation. Nothing to to out of your way for. My go-to dish is always their spicy bang bang cauliflower ($8.50) as the well-seasoned florets never disappoint. I expected their bold and fiery firecracker chicken to be spicy. Not spicy, yet flavorful. The small chunks of chicken with bell peppers, chilies and scallions surrounded a serving of white rice, were missing the menu-stated snow peas ($18). My friend [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:24:55-04:00June 15th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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The Return to THE WELL Kitchen & Table for Brunch, Union Square, NYC

I highly suggest a visit to The Well on 15th Street for a bite to eat after shopping at the farmers' market. It is just west of Union Square and worth the visit. I returned recently for brunch with a friend. In looking at the offerings at their counter, we decided to try an everything bagel scone. Yes, a scone. It's filled with cream cheese ($6) and yummy when warmed a tad. Our attentive waiter Carter offered us some Ramona canned wine spritzes, complimentary. I sampled the tasty blood orange, my friend tried the amarino spritz. Surprisingly quite tasty. For our entrees, we shared their scrambled egg sandwich ($15) with tomato relish, [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:27:11-04:00June 13th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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