NYC Best Bites

The New Vegan Pure Grit BBQ, Kips Bay, NYC

Don't skip reading about this first-ever fast-casual vegan BBQ restaurant in New York City because you're a meat lover. Pure Grit BBQ is not for vegans only. Kerry Fitzmaurice, the creative mind behind this concept, started in the film industry before stopping by public relations and advertising, then moving on to create this plant-based BBQ establishment that's both vegan and gluten-free. Everything is smoked in-house and prepared with their signature sauces (a vinegar-based BBQ sauce and a hot sauce) and their rub. All three are for sale online or at the store. For a bit of whimsy, Kerry has the kitchen add Smarties to each tray. She chose that after [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:33:15-04:00June 11th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Rosa Mexicano, Lincoln Center, NYC

Rosa Mexicano was where we decided to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the celebration commemorating the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire in 1862. And, what else to start our celebration with other than a Margie?! My dining partner ordered their signature frozen pomegranate one, while I'm a bit more traditional, choosing their La Tradicional Margarita. The latter made with blanco tequila, fresh lime and agave made spicy with the addition of their "House Tres Chiles Tincture" ($15). We then ordered the Guacamole en Molcajete, supposed to be made tableside, but oddly not. Instead, it was made at the other end of the dining room. I say oddly, [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:43:18-04:00June 9th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
Read More

Il Brigante, South Street Seaport, NYC

My friend was staying at Mr. C Seaport, around the corner from Il Brigante, a cozy southern Italian restaurant she frequented while there. I'd recommend a visit. We started with their crisp Caesar salad topped with a mountain of fresh shaved Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese ($17) and their imported burrata mozzarella atop fresh arugula with Campari tomatoes ($21) that we washed down with Montepulciano d`Abruzzo, Colle Sale 2018 (Abruzzo), a full-bodied red ($56). Next we shared their fritturella mista, lightly fried calamari and shrimp ($19). We should have stopped there. Instead, we ordered their bowtie pasta with sautéed  broccoli di rape, sweet Italian sausage, sun-dried tomato, white wine and garlic ($23), most [...]

By |2022-06-19T10:22:57-04:00June 7th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

GupShup, Flatiron-Gramercy, NYC + The Stand Comedy Club

Even the drinks are delicious at the Bombay-inspired Gup Shup. My green Margie-like "hot like Kohli" was made with Espolon Silver tequila and Montelobos mezcal in a spicy-lime salted rim garnished with a hot pepper. My dining friend liked their version of a Negroni with Darjeeling tea and black cardamom added to the gin, Campari and vermouth. Our whole Tandoori cauliflower ($18) arrived as we were sipping our drinks. We were in heaven enjoying every morsel of the fork-tender chou fleur. We each commented how Miznon, known for their classic whole roasted one, paled in comparison. I'd recommend it along with a serving of their garlicky naan ($6) to sop [...]

By |2022-06-02T07:48:10-04:00June 3rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Ravagh Persian Grill, Murray Hill, NYC + The Morgan Library

My dining partner had walked past Ravagh Persian Grill on her way to meet me at The Morgan Library and thought it might be a place to get a bite after. It was. The Madison Avenue location is one of four, two in the city and two on the island. I started with an Old Fashioned ($16), my dining partner their Sabzibhang ($16), a blend of blanco tequila, Aperol and red grapefruit juice that arrived looking more like a slushy than a cocktail. Our server placed warm large Persian flatbread with two dips, one yogurt-based, the other an addictive blend of cilantro, parsley and olive oil. We ordered one of [...]

By |2022-06-02T07:28:15-04:00June 1st, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Evergreen on 38th Street, Midtown, NYC

We met near the southern end of Central Park and headed south to Evergreen on 38th Street, walking past the now-gone whimsical Plantoir, Blue installation created by married artists Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggena. Their interpretation of the trowel in motion, as if it “fell from the sky,” stood erect with its shovel end in the ground. The food photos of the dim sum on the restaurant's website enticed us to make a reservation. This Chinese spot offers a Shanghai-influenced menu with lots of dumplings selections. First, we nibbled their crisp scallion pancakes (6 triangles, $7). Our server then placed a stack of steamer baskets filled with our other [...]

By |2022-06-02T07:35:11-04:00May 30th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Chop-Shop, Chelsea, NYC + Jean-Michel Basquiet exhibit

I returned to Chop-Shop for its proximity to the Landmark Starrett-Lehigh building in Chelsea, where Jean-Michel Basquiet's family put his art on display. I had to order their nicely spiced green papaya salad with shrimp cashews and watercress ($14) again. Yes, that good. It didn't disappoint. I still wish they'd trim the watercress stems a tad. My dining partner enjoyed the poached Norwegian salmon with a ginger scallion sauce over steamed baby bok choy ($24). Although delicious, we agreed that the rice-flour-dusted, lightly fried, spicy Thai branzino filet ($24) was the thing to have. It was so delicate and flavorful with the fillet served atop the skin, all in a [...]

By |2022-06-02T07:24:14-04:00May 28th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Miramar, FiDi, NYC + Governor’s Island

Miramar, which means  "sea-view" or "sea sight," is located by the New York sea: The Hudson River. We sat outside at Miramar, enjoying the spring weather after a trip to Governor's Island. We sipped a Villa Rosa, Gavi di Gavi, Piedmont, Italy ($38) while we started on the layered eggplant and ricotta Napoleon ($12) topped with mozzarella in tomato sauce. Also good is their Mediterranean mezze ($16) with falafel, baba ghanoush, hummus and tabouli served with warm pita bread. One dining partner tried the New Zealand mussels ($18) in an herbed red wine sauce. Another had the diver scallops ($14) with greens, another their chilled seafood salad ($18) with octopus, [...]

By |2022-06-02T07:19:29-04:00May 26th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

The Smith, Midtown, NYC

We met at the Midtown location of The Smith, a casual American Brasserie, for lunch as its location worked for the group coming from different parts of the city. We laughed as we all ordered the same lunch entree with dressing on the side! Their citrus, goat cheese salad topped with grilled salmon is so yummy, thought I'd write about that one dish. Worth the visit. Ask to sit in the bright, quieter front area by the windows. Great for catching up with friends. The Smith Midtown 956 2nd Ave (at 51st) New York, NY 10022 212-644-2700 thesmithrestaurant.com

By |2022-06-02T07:13:16-04:00May 24th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Katzs Delicatessen, Lower East Side, NYC + Faith Reingold at the New Musuem

Who knew you could reserve a table at Katz's Delicatessen! I didn't until I called to see if they'd take a group of ex.expats for a pre-meal before a tour of the Faith Reingold exhibit at the New Museum. We were able to reserve a table for 13 through their catering department by paying a deposit of $10 per person. Since the closing of Carnegie Deli, Katz's is the most famous remaining Jewish-style one. It's been around since 1888. Although many of our group had never been to this iconic delicatessen before, they knew of it from film. The most classic appearance was in the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry [...]

By |2022-05-24T06:43:48-04:00May 22nd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
Read More

Miss Korea BBQ, Koreatown, NYC + A Reading: Charna Rivka

A building mate invited me to LAByrinth Theatre company's Annual Barn Series reading at 59 E 59 Theater for a sneak peek at a new play, Charna Rivka, written by David Deblinger. I found the start of the cold reading quite engaging with the ending in need of additional work — like many readings. Interesting though. After we headed down to Koreatown, ending up in Miss Korea BBQ this time ordering only their Dolsot Bibimbap ($21.95) with spicy pork, as last time the meat cooked at the table on the BBQ was overcooked. That Bibimbap dish of rice with veggies came sizzling hot in a stone pot topped with a [...]

By |2022-05-24T06:44:41-04:00May 20th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Inside Park at St. Bart’s, Midtown, NYC

We stopped by the cafe at St. Barts on their terrace under their "winter tent" to get a bite to eat after attending a funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral. We started with drinks so that we could toast our friend. One friend ordered their Vintage Negroni ($16) made with gin, Campari and vermouth, another sipped a glass of Rubio Sangiovese ($16) and I sipped their Woodford Old Fashioned ($19), one of the best ones I've had recently. The food didn't live up to the drinks. One friend tried their chicken sandwich ($23) with bacon and lemon aioli on multi-grain bread, not the menu-listed roll; she chose a salad instead of [...]

By |2022-05-21T09:41:50-04:00May 20th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Brunch at Upland, Flatiron, NYC

It's been a long time since I dined at Upland, chef Justin Smillie’s California-inspired cuisine in the Flatiron District. Generally, this Stephen Starr location was a reliable and crowd-pleasing restaurant. Would it still be? We stopped in for their Sunday brunch, starting with a cocktail. My dining partner had their Green Marjorita ($16) a smoky, yet not too sweet margarita made with Milagro Silver tequila and Del Maguey Vida mezcal plus arugula, fennel and lemon. I'd recommend. Skip the plebeian bloody Mary that tasted merely like spiked tomato juice. Brunch items are worth the trip. We shared the flavorful "Eggs In Hell,"  ($19) with  two poached eggs cooked in a [...]

By |2022-05-21T09:45:51-04:00May 18th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

AnTalia NYC, Midtown, NYC + Fran Lebowitz

We chose the Turkish restaurant AnTalia for its proximity to Town Hall where we were seeing the irreverent humorist Fran Lebowitz. As traditional in Turkish meals, we started with a mezze. That's a selection of small dishes served with bread, traditionally pita. We chose their tzatziki (chopped cucumbers with garlic and dill in yogurt), the pureed grilled eggplant and — my favorite — the spicy veggie dip made from tomatoes, green peppers, walnuts and pepper sauce (three for $21). One dining partner tried their classic vertically grilled lamb gyro ($22.50) served with tomato sauce, yogurt and pita, that needed more bread (+$1.75). Another had their whole char-grilled branzino (Mediterranean seabass or [...]

By |2022-05-24T06:46:19-04:00May 16th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
Read More

The Terrace at the Edition Hotel, Theatre District, NYC

My friend made the res as she had a special table to request at the Terrace located on the 9th floor of the Edition Hotel, chef John Fraser's all-day restaurant. Weather permitting there's a cozy terrace and garden lush with plants and ivy. I returned to The Terrace again in the spring yet three years after promising to do so. I had to sample their signature Old Fashioned (although at $24 is mighty pricey) with Woodinville bourbon, stone fruit and a hint of chocolate from the cocoa nib bitters. We shared their empire Caesar salad with ($22) Castelfranco (a type of radicchio), baby romaine, anchovies and large sourdough croutons. Very [...]

By |2022-05-21T10:25:35-04:00May 12th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Brunch at The Smith, East Village, NYC + Suffs at The Public

It was my first time at the East Village location of The Smith but won't be my last. We met there for brunch as it was close to The Public where we were seeing "Suffs," the new amazing musical about the American women’s suffrage movement. Brunch was as good as the show! Our just-out-of-training server, Logan was perfection. Attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. We started with brunch cocktails, I had a spicy bloody mary ($13), my dining partners each had a mimosa ($15). I'm usually a huevos ranchero breakfast person when it's offered, yet I had to sample the unusual sounding Benedict Johnny. It's cheddar cornbread served in a ~6-inch cast-iron [...]

By |2022-05-21T10:03:35-04:00May 10th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
Read More

Return to L’Adresse, Midtown near Bryant Park, NYC + Beatles Cover Band

A return to L'Address as promised, this time for dinner before heading to see the Beatles Cover Band at the Palladium. That performance elicited a flood of memories from that era. We sang along, knowing most of the words. At dinner, we started with two appetizers to share with the table. I'd recommend the mezze ($25) platter with beet hummus, tzatziki, spicy feta, fire-roasted Campania tomatoes and grilled naan sprinkled za’atar. Be sure to check the menu listing for what's included, as the items on the mezze were different than on their website. So was the price. Unless you request it well cooked, skip the mushroom grilled naan flatbread topped with [...]

By |2022-05-08T09:04:54-04:00May 8th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Boqueria Restaurant, Flatiron, NYC + Affordable Art Show

We selected Boqueria for its proximity to Metropolitan Pavilion where we were heading to the "Affordable Art Show." I had been to their theatre-district restaurant location for brunch and would suggest that if you need a bite before a matinee. In the smaller Flatiron location, we sat in the bar area so that we could order from the Happy Hour menu. I sampled their HH Shishito pepper-infused tequila Margie ($11) that was not too sweet, not too spicy. With that, we ordered a few tapas, including their hearty version of patatas brava ($6). That's crispy potato chunks sitting in tomato salsa and heavily drizzled with garlic aioli. I'd recommend that [...]

By |2022-05-08T09:13:19-04:00May 6th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

BXL Cafe, Theatre District, NYC + Birthday Candles

We decided on a late lunch at BXL, a Belgian cafe, before heading to the American Airline Theatre to see Debra Messing in Birthday Candles. We just walked through the alleyway across the street to the theatre a block away. Three of our four ordered mussels mariniere, menu-described as "cooked in white wine and shallots ($30). One seasoned moules-eating diner described them as plump but in need of flavor saying they were cooked in water, not wine and with onions (as you can see in the photo) and not shallots. I tried their steak frites. The meat was cooked as I requested, but it was not the quality of meat [...]

By |2022-05-08T09:10:52-04:00May 2nd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
Read More

Honeybrains, Flatiron, NYC

When I learned about Honeybrains the registered dietitian in me smiled. I laughed, though, realizing I heard about it while at the ultra-upscale Daniel's for a sous vide birthday party. I stopped by this fairly new healthy chain at their Flatiron location. The made-from-scratch food is good, fresh and reasonably priced. I liked the tender grass-fed beef that comes with basil mashed potatoes, salad greens and garlicky broccoli ($14.80) and their amazingly tender and juicy free-range chicken served over basil mashed potatoes, sautéed cabbage and fresh arugula ($13.50). I'd also recommend their sourdough bread spread with yogurt then topped with Atlantic smoked salmon ($13.50) and fresh dill. Also flavorful are [...]

By |2022-05-08T09:16:32-04:00April 30th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More
Copyright 2012 - 2021 BiteOfTheBest | All Rights Reserved
Toggle Sliding Bar Area
Go to Top