NYC Best Bites

A Return to Il Punto, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Green Mist

I had attended a reading of Green Mist: A Reading of an Immersive Play at New Perspectives Theatre on West 37th directed by Shellen Lubin with some friends. The story was a reflection of how privilege has shaped our society, which was somewhat reminiscent of "The Lord of the Flies." After the reading, we ended up at Il Punto, an old haunt of mine a couple of blocks south of 42nd street on Ninth Avenue that serves Sicilian fare. I hadn't been since pre-pandemic.  It was just as good as it was, although service was a tad slow, as in many restaurants these days. Two of us started with the [...]

By |2021-12-18T09:53:46-05:00December 12th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Mary Lane, West Village, NYC

Like others, I had been reading about the new neighborhood restaurant The Mary Lane, from Blackfoot Hospitality—the team behind Market Table, The Clam and Little Owl—and decided to try it. The restaurant is named after an heirloom fig varietal. We started with Old Fashioned, made with Four Roses, as that was the only bourbon in house. For our app, we shared the flavorful Jonah crab salad with crispy slices from a Mutsu apple, some charred avocado chunks, shredded radicchio and radish slices ($19). I'd recommend. I ate their sautéed Nova Scotia halibut (a tad overcooked, but flavorful), with roasted market grapes, leeks and bon shimeji (brown beech) mushrooms ($38), while [...]

By |2021-12-18T09:17:13-05:00December 10th, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews|3 Comments
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Lunch at La Brochette, Midtown, NYC

I tripped over La Brochette when looking for a place for lunch near 41st and Third Avenue where my friends were coming into the city for a doctor's appointment. This upscale, white-tablecloth restaurant that's close to Grand Central is pricey, something I should have realized when the online menu neglected to offer the cost of each dish. Two of us chose their version of the Cobb salad; one with the added chicken ($34), the other with grilled salmon ($35). Each of those additions was quite flavorful. That traditional dish usually contains rows of chopped chicken, egg, avocado, blue cheese, tomatoes and bacon over chopped salad greens. Not at La Brochette. [...]

By |2021-12-18T09:20:33-05:00December 8th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Return to Estela, Lower East Side, NYC

Last I dined at Estela was when it opened in 2013; it was a wonderful laidback small bistro then with Uruguayan chef Ignacio Mattos combining boldly flavored ingredients. Since then it's been touted worldwide, including being named one "The 40 Most Important Restaurants of the Decade" by Esquire magazine. It also now has a Michelin star. Again as during my last visit, we didn’t take the servers’ advice on how many plates to share. He suggested sharing seven; we ordered four and were more than satiated. The showstopper this meal was the endive salad with walnuts, anchovies and ubriaco rosso, a cheese. The leaves of that edible Mediterranean plant were [...]

By |2021-12-06T07:20:28-05:00December 4th, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Trip to Shukette, Chelsea, NYC

Much has been written about Shukette including a great review by Pete Wells (New York Times), which makes reservations difficult. Since we had planned to take a friend for her birthday, I diligently got on Resy four weeks out to book dinner and grabbed a decent time. The name Shukette, like its sister restaurant Shuka, derives its name from the Hebrew word for an open-air market, shuk. Both serve the creative cooking of Brooklyn-born Chef Ayesha J. Nurdjaja who helmed the kitchen that night. Sadly there was no room outside, so we had to dine in the restaurant, which is quite noisy. We almost had to shout to hear each [...]

By |2022-09-16T06:44:33-04:00December 2nd, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews|4 Comments
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Daniel Boulud’s New Le Pavillion, Midtown, NYC

Le Pavillion, Daniel Boulud's latest restaurant, is located in the new skyscraper just north of Grand Central Station on 42nd Street. The building also hosts The Summit, with the second-highest outdoor deck in the city. The restaurant's lush elegant setting, just two flights from the entrance, reminded me of the now-closed Four Seasons. Once seated I noticed the spectacular views of the Chrysler building thru the windows. Instead of white tablecloths, the tables are covered with a white round sturdy (yet elegant) paper covering. The service was exquisite as I'd expect from a Daniel Boulud restaurant. The prix fixe menu contains seasonal ingredients from both land and sea — terre et [...]

By |2022-01-31T13:45:25-05:00November 28th, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dim Sum at Red Peony Chinese Cuisine, Midtown, NYC + City Center Dance

We chose Red Peony Chinese Cuisine on 56th Street for its proximity to City Center. We were heading there to see the yearly eclectic Fall for Dance Festival. All seats only $15. This year — because of travel restrictions — the performers were all American. As usual, it was wonderful, eliciting standing ovations. If you go, I suggest only ordering their dim sum and some soup. We sampled their crab meat dumplings in a spinach wrapper, the pan-fried shrimp and chive dumplings, the steamed shrimp shumai with pork (each $8.95 for four) and their crispy vegetable spring rolls ($11.90 for 4). Service, typical since the pandemic, was off.  Our server placed [...]

By |2021-12-05T16:50:18-05:00November 26th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Sala Thai, Upper West Side, NYC + Birthday Celebration

We all met at Sala Thai to celebrate my sister's birthday; I was also considering it for the Patron program for The Public. We shared everything. Not going to the Upper West often, I hadn't realized this was right next door to Mimi Cheng's, a women-owned dumpling house that's been on my radar. I'll have to return. Our apps included the veggie-filled cold summer rolls ($10 for 6); the chicken and potato-filled curry puffs ($12 for 4), grilled skewers of marinated chicken in a peanut sauce served with grilled brioche ($12 for four skewers) and my favorite, their Pla Muk Tod, crispy coconut fried calamari ($12) with a roasted bell pepper-peanut vinaigrette [...]

By |2021-11-21T08:46:15-05:00November 21st, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Hard Rock Cafe’s “Pinktober” Raised $70K

In October, Hard Rock Cafe had their 22nd annual PINKTOBER campaign that raised over $70,000 for their charitable partners at the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Carol Keating Foundation. Last month at participating cafes nationwide and in Europe, Hard Rock donated $1 every time they sold one of their limited-time burgers — the Mushroom & Bourbon Onion Burger, The Ultimate “Pub” Burger or their Blue Cheese & Bacon Burger – or the limited-edition merchandise, other foods and beverages. Those burgers — one I sampled at the Hard Rock Times Square event celebrating the giving of the check — will be added to their permanent menu in January 2022. We [...]

By |2021-11-21T08:44:55-05:00November 19th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Michelin-starred Rezdôra, Birthday Celebration, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

To get a reservation for my friend's birthday, I found out how far in advance Rezdôra booked on Resy then grabbed the date I wanted and walked over to the restaurant to ask for the time we preferred. It was worth the effort. If you're not familiar, Rezdôra is Stefano Secchi’s Italian restaurant with one star from Michelin, three stars from Pete Wells (New York Times). We opted for their regional 5-course pasta tasting ($95 each) along with the wine pairings ($55 each). To start the celebration, we each sipped a refreshing Aperol Spritzer ($15) while nibbling the amuse-bouche of mini-cannoli filled with Swiss chard and Parmigiana cheese sprinkled with [...]

By |2025-03-04T10:38:45-05:00November 16th, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews|1 Comment
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Return to Jones Wood Foundry Post-COVID, Upper East Side, NYC

Three Upper East Side friends and I met at the classic British food-driven pub, Jones Wood Foundry, on 76th just off First Avenue. When there in the past, I had always indulged in both their irresistible humongous Yorkshire pudding plus the creamy chicken and foie gras parfait. Sadly the large hollow popovers are only available on weekends! We four started by sharing the parfait, which amazingly costs $2 less than it did PreCovid! The pate comes with two slices of toasted brioche halved, grape chutney and cornichons ($15) that was perfect for the four of us. It was good; just not as good as in the past. I sipped a [...]

By |2021-11-23T08:27:04-05:00November 9th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Fellow Dame Surbhi’s Restaurant Opening: Tagmo, South Street Seaport, NYC

My friend and fellow Dame, a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier, Surbhi Sahni recently opened her first solo restaurant Tagmo in South Street Seaport. At Tagmo, she serves a variety of her favorite homestyle dishes from India. By the time this posts, the small shop in the front of the restaurant will be selling her sweets, South Asian cookbooks, chai and spices. Surbhi's no stranger to NY Indian fine dining; she worked at Michelin-starred Devi and Tulsi. She also was the Creative Director of Saar Indian Bistro. One friend started with their Roohafza Spritz ($8), a blend of Campari, prosecco, Indian botanical syrup and lime. The others shared a bottle [...]

By |2021-11-12T11:30:52-05:00November 4th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|0 Comments
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Return to Riverpark, Kips Bay, NYC

It's back. Riverpark, one of Tom Colicchio's restaurants, is now open Monday through Friday from 4 pm - 9 pm for what they call light bites and a bar menu. If you haven't been, this modern American restaurant using seasonal ingredients is located on a garden plaza at the east end of 29th Street with views of the East River. While sipping the Domaine Anne Gros & Jean-Paul Tollot La Cinso Cinsault, 2016, ($68), we shared the fritto misto ($16). It included crispy calamari, shrimp, cod, zucchini strips and mushrooms with a spicy green sauce. The dish was so plentiful that we could have stopped there. We didn't. My dining [...]

By |2021-11-04T13:11:14-04:00November 1st, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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VisaVersa, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Letters of Surresh

Before heading to our matinee at the Tony Kiser theatre, we stopped at VisaVersa on 51st for brunch. We loved that we could order one of three cocktails — a mimosa, bellini or bloody Mary — and get refills for 2 hours for $20. I had a bloody Mary, my friend the mimosa. Our attentive waiter also placed their housemade focaccia and sliced Italian bread with softened butter on the table after serving our drinks. I ordered their poached eggs atop a crab cake ($22) with the hollandaise on the side. That platter came with lemony dressed fresh arugula. Those same greens were the base for my friend's grilled chicken [...]

By |2021-11-04T13:13:17-04:00October 30th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|2 Comments
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Boqueria West 40th, Midtown, NYC + Spectacular Costumes

We headed to the immersive pop-up "Spectacular Costumes From Stage and Screen" exhibit in Times Square featuring more than 100 of the industry’s most beautiful and complex garments. This exhibition offered close-up looks at Hamilton, The Lion King, The Marvelous Mrs. Mazel, Moulin Rouge and more. The proceeds from this exhibition raised money for the Costume Industry Coalition Recovery Fund, an alliance of over 50 NYC-based independent artisans and small businesses.  If you missed it, keep an eye out for next year's opening of the Museum of Broadway. After the exhibition, we walked a couple of blocks south for lunch at Boqueria for some Spanish fare. We sipped their Sangría [...]

By |2021-11-04T13:15:41-04:00October 27th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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A Special App at Rosa Mexicano, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

A local friend asked me to join her for dinner at one of her favorite haunts in our hood, Rosa Mexicano on 18th Street. From the dishes we ate at that meal, only the Tacos de Jefe Ceviche tacos are worth discussing. We cherry-picked that dish from their special "Tour de Mexico" monthly menu, one highlighting their chefs' seasonal favorites. The crispy corn tacos ($11 for 3) came filled with whitefish cubes, sweet potato chunks, aji Amarillo peppers, diced bacon and pickled red onions. Not a raw seafood eater yet an official taster I took a small bite: flavor nice, texture not so — at least for me. One small [...]

By |2021-10-29T11:34:06-04:00October 25th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|0 Comments
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A Return to Cafe Fiorello, Lincoln Square, NYC

I'd been to Cafe Fiorello before. I wondered if the antipasto (5 selections for $27.75) would be as yummy and whether they'd offer their freshly baked cookies. During my past visits, the manager walked around the restaurant carrying a cookie sheet filled with just-baked goodies straight from the oven to offer gratis to patrons. We started with cocktails. My friend asked for a Hugo ($17), a new refreshing drink combining prosecco, sparkling water, Elderflower liqueur and lots of fresh mint and I tried their Old Fashion ($19). Both drinks were good. We ordered our antipasto: cauliflower Milanese, broccoli rabe with garlic and olive oil, cumin-scented heirloom carrots, eggplant caponata and [...]

By |2021-09-18T08:11:53-04:00October 21st, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Zia Maria, Chelsea, NYC + The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

"The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain" recounts the story of an African American veteran killed during a conflict with White Plains police officers who were sent to check on him when he accidentally set off his medical alert device. I recommend this hard-to-watch movie. It won the audience and the critics' awards when it premiered at the Austin film festival in 2019; it just opened in theaters. Faison's haunting performance of Kenneth Chamberlain deserves an Oscar nod. With the buzz it's creating, the White Plains District Attorney is reviewing the case. After the screening and talkback with actor Frankie Faison and actor-producer Enrico Natale, we headed across the street to Zia Maria [...]

By |2021-10-29T11:34:18-04:00October 19th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Another Location of Bice Cucina, SoHo, New York City

I was looking forward to sampling the Italian fare at the new Soho location of Bice Cucina. This restaurant originated in 1926 when Beatrice Ruggeri, known as Bice, opened a restaurant in Milan. Now her children and grandchildren run her restaurants around the world, including two in New York City. Bice Cucina SoHo is owned by Beatrice’s grandson, Raffaele Ruggeri, and his long-time friend, Peter Guimaraes. We met Raffaele when we dined. My friend started with a pinarita ($18) made with tequila and pineapple juice, I sampled the Bice Old Fashion ($17) made with Angel's Envy, brown sugar, bitters and soda ($17), garnished with a dried orange slice. I'd crown [...]

By |2021-10-23T11:13:14-04:00October 17th, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews|3 Comments
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L’Adresse, Midtown near Bryant Park, NYC

A friend who moved to Florida during the pandemic was in town. We met midtown at L'Adresse, an American Bistro serving seasonal fare located by Bryant Park. We settled in at an outside table as the weather was balmy. As our attentive waiter placed my L'Addresse Old Fashion ($16) on the table, he also served us two thick slices of black bread and soft butter. So delicious that we figured what followed would be tasty. We were right. In the mood for eggs, I ordered their shakshuka with the eggs baked in a spicy tomato sauce along with spinach and feta. Large slices of Italian bread accompanied the baked dish [...]

By |2021-10-23T11:15:51-04:00October 15th, 2021|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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