**Happy Hour at Aqua, Flatiron-Gramercy, NYC
A group of us met for happy hour at Aqua, a relatively new restaurant located in the former WeWork space on Broadway, which serves Italian [...]
My Favorite Basque Pintxos: The Gilda
The Gilda — a Basque-style tapa often served on a skewer — is one of the oldest pintxos in San Sebastian. The newly opened Bar [...]
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 [...]
A Celebration at L’Escale, Greenwich, CT
We joined the ranks this time at L'Escale in Greenwich, Connecticut, where we ended our meal with a sparkler and song! This waterside restaurant is [...]
Most Recent Bites
**Happy Hour at Sagaponack, Flatiron, NYC
We were interviewing a potential new New York Ex-Expats group member who was meeting a friend at Sagaponack for $1 oysters and bubbly during their happy hour. I was unfamiliar with the restaurant, even though [...]
Dame Gathering at Kyma Hudson Yards, NYC
What happens when you go to dinner with a group of Dames—members of Les Dames d'Escoffier? Someone keeps ordering until there's no room on the table for more food, or someone says, "Basta!" That's what [...]
Raeanne Sarazen
I met the amazing Raeanne Sarazen, a newbie Dame, at the then-annual Les Dames d'Escoffier conference in Phoenix last fall. She—like me—is a registered dietitian. She's also a classically trained chef, food writer, editor and [...]
Lunch at Piccola Cucina Uptown, UES, NYC
Silly us ordered a glass - when we should have ordered a bottle of the vibrant acidity Elena Walch, 2023 Pinot Grigio with flavors of green apple, as we each sipped two glass fulls We met [...]
Chinese Tuxedo, Chinatown, NYC: Third Stop on Doyer Street Crawl
Chinese Tuxedo was our third and last stop on our Chinatown, Doyer Street birthday crawl. We were seated upstairs, which was quieter and overlooked the noisy dining room. The birthday girl started with a glass [...]
Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Chinatown, NYC: Stop on Doyer Street Crawl
I arrived early on Doyer Street to meet my friend for our Chinatown birthday crawl. I noticed no line at Nom Wah, Chinatown's first Dim Sum Parlor. Founded in 1920 as a bakery and tea [...]
Speakeasy Apotheke, Chinatown, NYC: Stop on Doyer Street Crawl
Having noticed that the other Apotheke locations take reservations, I had been emailing Emilio, General Manager, about a res when I mentioned I was coming in for a birthday drink with a friend. I asked [...]
A New Chef at Le Rivage, Theatre District, NYC
Chef de Cuisine David Cámara, a veteran of Vin Sur Vingt, has recently taken over the kitchen of Le Rivage, and I was invited to sample his cuisine. We arrived one December night at a [...]