Dona
Don’t hate me because I went to Dona even before its official open on this magical Monday evening. I, restaurantgirl, had taken it upon myself, to wander selflessly from restaurant to restaurant, throwing myself at the mercy of chefs across the five boroughs, bravely risking bad service, an upset stomach, and weathering, well, the weather, all in search of the perfect dish so that you may never waste a meal again. I happily sacrificed my Saturday night to give you a sneak peek at the restaurant formerly known as Bellini (Donatella Arpaia of david burke & donatella’s first born). Did you ever have that “go to guy” you could always count on for a good time, even though you knew he wasn’t “the one”? Bellini was mine. That is, until he decided to change his name, menu and wallpaper. ...
Read MoreBuddakan
When word spread about Buddakan, a practical legend in his hometown of Philadelphia, I threw on my hot off the Barneys’ sales rack miniskirt and scurried down to his Meatpacking pied-a-terre. In my wildest dreams, I never imagined he actually owned the entire block. Rumor has it this mega-restaurateur, Stephen Starr, had magically transformed a 16,000 square foot lumber company into a dazzling two-floor dining mecca where the Asian fusion sizzles and all of Buddakan’s a stage. A theatrical maze of candlelit corridors and room for every mood, his sleek palace was a feast for the eyes and mouth. I don’t know if it was the spectacular forty-step staircase, wooden chandeliers, or massive communal table fit for royalty and of course, a princess like me, but I was ready to move in with him. Hell, I would’ve happily...
Read MoreFalai
It’s been over a week and fantasies of Falai still linger in my stomach. After building pastry castles in the air at Le Cirque, Iacopa Falai has migrated to the Lower East Side, a sudden utopia where foodie’s dreams come true. While everyone else has been busy trying to impress with the latest trend, it was refreshing to meet someone so uncomplicated, boasting of simple Modern Italian Fare — he knew what he had to offer. He wined and dined me by candlelight in his sleek new white digs. From the moment I laid eyes on the impressive bread menu (compliments of the house), it was love at first bite. I don’t like to pick favorites and luckily, I didn’t have to because Falai let me have my way with the entire...
Read MoreA Voce
So maybe I was that annoying girl in junior high who ran to the front of the line at recess, and I may have crossed the starting line before the official even blew the whistle, and just maybe, I ate at Andrew Carmellini’s A Voce on opening night. A restaurant girl never tells. Of course, I’ve been warned by countless critics to wait until after a restaurant had fine-tuned the food and ironed out all the wrinkles, but I was, well, I was hungry. By the dark of night, I scurried down to Andrew Carmellini’s new pad on Madison & 26th, a practical culinary wasteland except for Alex Urena’s new digs only blocks away. You might want to sit because what I discovered may astound you. As if he’d moved in months ago, he seemed surprisingly at home in...
Read MoreTasty Trends:Spring Forward
Daniel, Craft, Bouley, Per Se,oh my! I could go on, but I won’t make you jealous with all of the delicious details. Think of it as The Fashion Week of Food as thirty-eight of the city’s biggest chefs cooked up a sublime storm all in the name of C-CAP (Careers Through Culinary Arts). It was every foodie’s whet dream this year and I, a culinary martyr, left no dish untasted, no plate uncleaned, to bring you the hottest trends in food for spring: RETRO DESSERTS From Olives’ surprisingly satisfying Black cherry ice cream float, topped off with a rice krispie treat, to Atelier’s gourmet homage to the Mallomar (hazelnut biscuit bottom), classic favorites are making a comeback in cuisine. The pastry goddess herself, Craft’s KarenDeMasco, was out in full form, personally frying up cinammon doughnuts with the...
Read MoreCheck out My Book – Try This
