NYC Best Bites

NEW! Clara, New York Historical Society, Upper West Side, NYC

After visiting some exhibits at the New York Historical Society, we headed to Clara, their new sustainably focused restaurant from the Oberon Group (Rhodera, Rucola and June Bar). The restaurant is named in honor of Clara Driscoll, who designed many iconic lamps in the museum's Gallery of Tiffany Lamps, with some of them adoring the restaurant's shelves. Clara's offered Chef Diego Moya's contemporary takes on various dishes. We shared their fried Brussels sprouts in a puddle of apple-vinegar white bean purée ($18) and the hearty wild mushroom trofie — short, thin, twisted pasta from Liguria — garnished with lots of toasted hazelnuts ($29). I recommend a visit to both Clara [...]

By |2024-01-14T13:44:56-05:00January 8th, 2024|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Happy Hour**at Jane, NoHo, NYC

We had come to Jane's for their "NYC Happy Meal" or a Ketel One Martini and Rosemary French fries ($22) that we saw on their website. When the bartender handed me the smaller menu without it, I mentioned that to the manager, who did honor the online offering. We were happy, sipping our Ketel One martinis and nibbling their large portion of fries; we both added the tasty, filling mini-burger with cheddar, bacon, caramelized onions, tomato, pickled green tomato, lettuce and jalapeño marmalade while my dining partner had their version of pigs in a blanket ($5) with sesame dusted puff pastry and kimchi aioli. Happy Hour details as of 11.30.2023 [...]

By |2024-01-14T13:54:59-05:00January 5th, 2024|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Il Buco, NoHo, NYC + Wick and Pour

Wick and Pour, a candle-making experience on Mott Street, was our first stop at the birthday celebration. We selected the vessel and wax color, chose an aroma blend, and then made our candle garnished—in the wax—with dried flowers. That candle experience took about 2 hours, with downtime to chat. From there, we walked north, proudly carrying out finished candles, to Il Buco, the first in the Il Buco family. On NoHo's cobblestoned Bond Street, the restaurant opened in 1994 as an antique store and transformed into a restaurant serving a seasonally inspired Italian-Mediterranean menu that changes daily. We sipped our Pegaso Zeta Viñas Viejas Garnacha ($17), seated in the back [...]

By |2024-01-03T14:55:05-05:00January 2nd, 2024|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
Read More

Walking the Bridge to Ignazio’s, Dumbo, NYC

When my insta-generation grandnieces visited, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge, headed to Ignazio's for pizza and planned to ferry back to Manhattan. We split the Caesar salad ($15) and sipped some pinot noir ($39/bottle) while awaiting the main event. Fresh basil garnished our tomato pizza with caramelized onions, pepperoni and artichokes. I recommend heading to Ignazio's when in Dumbo. Ignazio's Dumbo 4 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 522-2100

By |2023-12-23T16:46:30-05:00December 25th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Happy Hour*** Michael’s, Midtown, NYC + Rockettes

After taking my grandnieces to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes, we headed to Michaels for their happy hour, where Basdeo Balchan, their manager, welcomed us. We sampled many of their well-blended cocktails, including the Southside of 5th Brokers (gin, lemon juice, mint), Last Blast (bourbon, citrus, prosecco), Lil Pumpkin (vodka, pumpkin spiced Kahlua, espresso) and the Tranquilo (tequila, cranberry juice and fresh jalepeño) along with their appetizers, some of which have a Korean accent from their new chef. The sweet and spicy Korean fried shrimp ($18) comes in three pieces, also available as chicken; the vegetarian summer rolls come with a carrot ginger sauce and the duck-confit [...]

By |2023-12-31T20:17:42-05:00December 19th, 2023|Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

The Greek Periyali, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC + ChefWise by Shari Bayer

We met our friend, Shari Bayer, the publicist for Periyali, at the restaurant to discuss her new book, ChefWise, and sample their fare. Our host greeted me upon arrival and welcomed me to Greece, jesting, "No passport needed." Mak, our waiter, also welcomed us, sharing that he had been with Periyali since they opened on December 21, 1987. He recalled the exact date because it is his birthday. I sampled their El Grego ($22), a blend of bourbon, Amaro Nonino liqueur, spiced honey and bitters. With my cocktail, we started nibbling their five mezze offerings, which are always yummy. These included their taramosalata (a fish roe spread with olive oil and [...]

By |2023-12-17T10:35:54-05:00December 16th, 2023|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
Read More

Jose Andres’ The Bazaar, Ritz Hotel, NoMAD, NYC

I had been to Jose Andres' Zaytinya, also in the Ritz Hotel, a couple times, but this was my first The Bazaar experience. The three of us met to celebrate our birthdays together. Two of us had one in June, the other in October. I started with their Leatherette ($22), a blend of Torres 20-yr brandy, rye whiskey, east India sherry, sweet vermouth, and lavender bitters garnished with a fresh lavender bud.  One other friend had a glass of crisp Godello ($18), Rafael Palacios Louro, Valderorras, Spain 2022; the other with Touriga Nacional Tinta Roriz, Carlos Paposo Ideal, Dão, Portugal ($19). Our first courses arrived almost at once with our drinks. [...]

By |2023-12-17T09:32:43-05:00December 13th, 2023|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
Read More

Happy Hour *½ at Dock’s Oyster Bar, Midtown East, NYC + Gutenbert, the Musical

We laughed our way through Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad in the hilarious and unusual “Gutenberg! The Musical!" These two reunited on stage for the first time since 2011 when they performed in “The Book of Mormon." I do recommend seeing it before it closes in January. Afterward, we walked across and downtown to Docks Oyster Bar on Third and 40th to sample their happy hour. We were lucky to get one of the few tables by the bar where we could take part in their HH offerings. The best parts were they had a live trio, and we could converse without straining. I started with their Old Fashioned ($18), [...]

By |2023-12-17T09:38:09-05:00December 11th, 2023|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
Read More

Pizza at Norma Gastronomia Siciliana, Kips Bay + Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

We returned to Norma's in Kips Bay after seeing the talented Taylor Swift in her The Eras Tour movie. I've been told she's the current young generation's Beatles. I so enjoyed the production and that those who couldn't afford tickets to see her in concert could see her perform. After the almost 3-hour movie, we walked up 30th Street to Third Avenue to Norma Gastronomia Siciliana, my go-to place after a film at the Kips Bay AMC. Normas doesn't take reservations, which was a problem on a Friday night. We had to wait 30 minutes and then were seated in their quieter indoor/outdoor backroom with overhead heaters. We sipped the [...]

By |2023-12-17T09:45:45-05:00December 5th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Marcus Samuelson’s Hav & Mar Seafood Restaurant, Chelsea, NYC

I started writing this post while nibbling Hav and Mar's teff biscuit and blue cornbread spread from last night's dinner. I had warmed and spread it with the honey butter our incredible server, Don, gave us to pack with our leftover bread. Be sure to get the addictive bread basket, but do not finish it, or you won't have room for the food to come. But I'm getting way ahead of myself. My friends who live in Chelsea have been raving about Marcus Samuelson's newest place, Hav & Mar, since it opened. Pete Wells (New York Times) already gave it two stars. Hav in Swedish means sea; Mar is Ethiopian [...]

By |2024-03-28T13:59:32-04:00November 29th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Rosie’s *** Happy Hour, East Village, NYC + Solo

I love New York! Where else can you see a show and have dinner for about $50? We headed downtown to the East Village to the Connelly Theatre to see Gabe Mollica in Solo, his acclaimed one-man play about friendship, following sold-out runs at the Soho Playhouse and Edinburgh Fringe. We purchased the tickets for $4.95 from Theater Extras. We stopped at the Lower East Side Mexican restaurant Rosie's from the owners of Cookshop, Shukette and Vics. Lucky us, it was during their happy hour. We started with their margaritas. I had the chile-infused tequila picante one, my dining partner the "classic." Whenever a server stopped at our table wearing [...]

By |2023-11-07T12:41:14-05:00November 25th, 2023|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
Read More

Cafe Luce, Midtown East, NYC

I tripped over Cafe Luce when looking for someplace to meet a friend passing through town. She was traveling from Cape Cod to Florida and staying on Sutton Place. With a limited amount of time, the midtown location was necessary. Cafe Luce is a small Italian cafe on East 53. The owner, Michelle, opened the smaller space during COVID, according to her brother Joseph, our server. When next door became available, she purchased it, doubling the space. Don't miss their perfectly prepared octopus tentacle ($21) — tender, charred and moist — with a small roasted red pepper and lettuce salad. I'd return just for that. It paired well with a [...]

By |2023-10-25T13:57:28-04:00November 23rd, 2023|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Happy Hour ** at Osteria Morini, Soho, NYC

Osteria Morini, a part of the Altamarea Group (Ai Fiori, Marea), offers the spirit of Emilia-Romagna in SoHo. They also offer a happy hour. I convinced some building mates to join me to sample it. We sat at one of the hightops in the bar area, where the HH offerings are available. We sampled some of their HH cocktails, including the Aperol Spritz  ($10), Abby's Cosmo ($10) and a Cadillac Margarita ($15). The deal of the meal is their "Burger from Akron" ($13). The tasty double cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and tartar sauce would have been even more perfect had they offered fries. We also sampled some of their fried offerings, [...]

By |2023-11-17T06:50:50-05:00November 17th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

A Return to the Met Dining Room, Upper East Side, NYC + Manet/Degas Exhibit

You no longer need to be a member to dine at the fourth-floor Met Dining room. You do need a reservation. The views are spectacular. We returned for lunch recently before seeing the extensive Manet/Degas exhibit that's on through January 7, 2024. When you enter the Met, you sign in to their virtual exhibition queue for the exhibit, which closes when capacity is reached. We did so before heading to lunch. We each sipped a glass of their crisp Chablis ($20) while we shared a few dishes. First was their house-smoked brook trout ($23) with corn blini, green onion, sour cream and topped with trout roe. I'd recommend. Also good [...]

By |2023-10-23T11:24:23-04:00November 15th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

A Return to Hearth for a Birthday, Lower East Side, NYC

I returned to Hearth on the Lower East Side to celebrate my friend’s birthday. I chose it not only for its good food but for the moderate sound level of the dining room. I wanted to be able to hear her without straining. I started with their Vieux Carré ($22) with Whistlepig 10-year rye, Dudognon aged cognac and a splash of Benedictine. I liked the combination. My birthday friend sipped the Chablis Courtauld-Michelet, 2021, Burgundy, France ($22). We nibbled their cecina with our drinks, a chickpea flour pancake topped with olive tapenade ($9). I recommend. She had been to Hearth before and yearned for their bun-less burger made from grass-fed [...]

By |2023-11-19T07:44:36-05:00November 11th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Tyron Public House Happy Hour* , Washington Heights, NYC + The Cloisters

We traveled to the Middle Ages with my ex.expat group when we visited the Cloisters with historical tour guide extraordinaire Kevin Draper. We learned a lot about architecture, discovering that many of the old-looking structures throughout the museum are new, just made to look old. A few of us wanted to hang out to chat, so we headed down the hill from the Cloisters toward the Dykeman subway stop to grab a bite and drink. Doing so, we hit the Tyron Public House's happy hour. We chose some beverages from the HH menu, including the French Pool Boy rose ($12), the Krasno Sauvignonasse ($13), the Allagash white ($9) and their lager [...]

By |2023-10-23T10:11:37-04:00November 9th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
Read More

Mitr Thai Restaurant, Midtown, NYC

We needed to wait for our last friend to arrive before the restaurant allowed us to be seated. The hostess told us that we had 90 minutes. Once we were seated upstairs, we ordered two of their specialty cocktails:  the Tuptim & Horapha with tequila blanco, basil eau-de-vie, fresh pomegranate and Aperol with an egg-free foam ($17) and the Jakapat ($17 ). The latter lychee gin martini was a bit too strong for my dining partner, who requested some fizzy water to dilute the blend of gin, Lillet rose, St Germain and lychee liqueur. Another dining partner sipped the on-draft Singa Thai beer ($10) If you do go, request the [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:44:40-04:00October 30th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Les Dames d’Escoffier New York Inducts 29 New Members

Our New York chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier inducted 29 new members last month at Al Coro restaurant. Like most all our events, this gathering raised funds for our scholarships. Since 1977, we have awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to over 1,000 recipients.  If you’d like to donate to the Les Dames d'Escoffier New York scholarships, click here. We are a nonprofit philanthropic group that helps advance and support aspiring professional women. Let me welcome our new Dames: Lorea Amatria Senar U.S Brand Manager, Bodegas LAN, part of Sogrape Original Legacy Wines Kristina Beauchamp Director of Brand Development, Junior's Bakery & Restaurant Jennifer Schiff Berg Clinical Professor, NYU Rinku [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:36:26-04:00October 28th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites|0 Comments
Read More

The Javelina, Union Square/Gramercy, NYC + Comedy at The Stand

My friends had signed up for a Shearwater Classic Schooner sunset cruise, giving them enough time to make our 8:15 reservations at Javelina, a casual Mexican restaurant on 18th near the The Stand comedy club. The cruise line chose to wait for a party of three who were late for the sail, then tacked on additional time to make up for it, making my friends very late for our res. When I explained the boat situation to the host, he said he'd happily seat me at my table as it was ready for us. While waiting, I sipped a green salt-rimmed rocks jalapeno margarita ($14)  while nibbling the fresh, warm [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:35:34-04:00October 26th, 2023|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More

Piccola Cucina Uptown, Upper East Side, NYC

With a Seattle friend in town, I headed uptown for dinner, returning to Piccola Cucina Uptown for the flavors of Sicily. The food and service were as good as my last visit. We began sipping the Prunotto, 2019 Occhetti Nebbiolo, Langhe, Alto Piemonte ($82) as we nibbled the bread and savory dips they served gratis. We followed that with the tender eggplant parmigiana ($21.95) and crisp Caesar salad with shaved Parmigiana ($18.95). After noticing a waiter carrying a fugassa (a paper-thin pizza) past our table, we had to order one!  That thin-crust focaccia filled with stracchino cheese and thinly sliced prosciutto ($24.95) was irresistible. This favorite of ours is not [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:30:34-04:00October 24th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
Read More
Copyright 2012 - 2021 BiteOfTheBest | All Rights Reserved
Toggle Sliding Bar Area
Go to Top