Best Of Everything
City Guide: Best of Paris
I’ll be honest: I’ve never been tempted to stray from Manhattan, that is until I lived in Paris for two glorious months. Wandering the gorgeous and curiously clean streets, perfectly manicured gardens and parks of Paris makes you wonder why the hell we don’t all get on a plane and move to the city of love. And not just for love or for beauty, but mostly and most importantly (to me anyway), for food! Paris is a foodie’s paradise…
Read More
Best of San Francisco
Living in one of the most exciting food cities in America (that being New York, of course!) can make it rather hard to get excited about other domestic cities. So it says a lot that I’m so fired up about San Francisco’s food scene right now. And I’m not talking about the local, seasonable and sustainable California food movement that Alice Waters made so famous. There’s a thrilling slurry of ambitious, young chefs, bakers and bartenders who are making San Francisco a very compelling dining destination…
Read More
Gourmet Halloween Treats
What would Halloween be without candy? Ooey gooey chocolate bars, sweet and stretchy gummy bears, red braids of licorice… we love it all. But with a city full of artisanal marshmallow makers and high-end truffle shops, why limit yourself to the same old Snickers and fun-sized packets of M&M’s? These gourmet Halloween goodies will really endear you to the trick-or-treaters this year — from the elaborate edible pumpkins at Maison du Chocolat in Midtown to the Swedish sugar skulls at Sokerbit in the West Village.
Read More
Best Of Venice
One of my favorite things about Venice is that there are no cars allowed. It’s one of the few enchanted walking cities, notably quiet and blissfully stuck in the past. Instead of taxis, there are vaporetto boats and gondolas with men in striped shirts rowing mostly tourists through the narrow canals. Then, there’s the food, which seems to evolve around seafood of the briny sorts: Cuttlefish baked in squid ink, Steamed Spider Crabs and Scampi come immediately to mind. There’s the oh-so-traditional Squid Ink Risotto studded with Cuttlefish, Spaghetti with Eggplant and Tomato, Ricotta Ravioli, Artichokes every which way, fried squid, calamari and shrimp with a squirt of lemon and salt. For dessert, there’s nougat, biscotti and the holy grail of sweets, gelato, of course. My favorite spot and the most famous shop is Boutique Del Gelato with a killer dark chocolate variety and an even better Banana and Zabaglione flavor.
Read More
Best of Bangkok
It’s one thing to eat Thai food in America. It’s another thing entirely to eat Thai food in Thailand. The flavors are brighter, brighter, and more, well, Thai. If you get the chance to go to Bangkok, eat your face off. Seriously. Aside from seeing the Golden Buddha, The Grand Palace and a few other buddhas, you’ll want to focus your efforts solely on food. Especially the street food and just as importantly, the dive joints.
Read More
Valentine’s Day in NYC
Valentine’s Day comes with very high expectations, but it’s not easy to plan something original and impressive every single year. Most guys will just stick with a classy dinner, but with everything New York has to offer, why not plan something a little different this time round? I’ve found six great Valentine’s Day activities around the city that are sure to impress. And don’t worry, they’ve all got great eats, of course.
Read More
The Glory of Grains
We always crave comforting, earthier fare when temperatures decline, and few things satisfy that craving more than unprocessed whole grains. Nutty, complex, and versatile, grains like quinoa, farro, barley, and amaranth can serve as a base for pretty much any dish and chefs across the country have been discovering the glories of grains.
Read More
Soups Worth Slurping This Winter
Winter is here and it looks like it’s here to stay. And what better way to ring in the new season than with a warm bowl of soup? Luckily, New York has everything from traditional Tomato soup to more exotic Pork Belly Ramen bowls and authentic Mexican Pozole, so no matter what you’re craving, there’s a bowl out there for you.
Read More
Restaurant Boy’s Essential Eats: Queens Edition
Choosing the right place for the occasion isn’t always easy in a city filled with so many choices. As your Restaurant Boy, I want to make sure the men know the essentials (or at least make sure the women know where to direct their man).
Read More
The Best NYC Restaurants of 2012
How do you translate a year of exciting new restaurants into one, short “Best Of” list? These 10 restaurants made the grade as our best of the year because invariably, their names were on our lips (and their food in our stomachs), for the better part of 2012.
Read More
Where to Celebrate New Years Eve in NYC
December 31 is when all of the best restaurants in town throw their most extravagant and glamorous parties. We’re not going to pretend that you won’t have to lay down some serious dough for a late night seating, but dancing the night away at SushiSamba, sipping bubbly at Arlington Club, or catching a glimpse of the ball drop at Aureole are all excellent ways to start the year off right.
Read More
Restaurant Boy’s Essential Eats: Brooklyn Edition
Choosing the right place for the occasion isn’t always easy in a city filled with so many choices. As your Restaurant Boy, I want to make sure the men know the essentials (or at least make sure the women know where to direct their man).
Read More
Restaurant Boy’s Essential Eats: Manhattan Edition
Here at Restaurant Girl, we consider knowing how to select the perfect place for dinner an essential skill. Of course, picking the ultimate spot in a city so full of choices isn’t always easy – so whether you’re looking to get down and dirty with a plate of barbecue, need a romantic (but not too romantic!) place to take a first date, or just want to decompress after work with a good, stiff drink, we’ve got five ideal options for you.
Read More
Our Favorite Spots for Holiday Sweets
Secret Santa exchanges, fabulous parties, and tree lighting ceremonies are one thing, but when you love food as much as we do, nothing quite beats the anticipation of eating lots and lots of holiday sweets. Whatever treats or sweets you prefer, one thing’s for sure; there are plenty of places in the city to satisfy the most decadent holiday craving.
Read More
Where to Eat at NYC’s Holiday Markets
While it can be hard to remember to take a snack break after a busy day of exercising your wallet, there’s no need to shop till you drop. Almost every holiday market has a wealth of fantastic food stands to choose from, ensuring you’ll be refreshed and reenergized for another round of shopping in the stalls.
Read More
Best Places to Celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes
No one caters a celebration quite like the Italians. And if you ask any seafood lover, the penultimate Italian spread is La Vigilia, or the or Feast of Seven Fishes, traditionally held on Christmas Eve to commemorate the time spent waiting for the midnight birth of Jesus. So if you’re Italian (or never pass up on an opportunity to dig into a delicious Insalata di Mare or fragrant Zuppa de Pesce with mussels and clams) be sure to book a table at one of these holiday-ready restaurants.
Read More
Post-Thanksgiving Flavors You Can Still Crave
Thanksgiving may be over, but we’re not ready to let go of our favorite holiday flavors just yet. Thankfully, satisfying a lingering craving for turkey, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes is infinitely easier than heading to the stove — these terrific local restaurants are dishing up T-Day inspired goodness all season long.
Read More
Thanksgiving’s Dining Out Guide
Whether you’re going home, staying in the city, or braving the kitchen yourself, there’s a good chance you’re hoping for a great meal this Thanksgiving. The good news is that if you don’t feel like cooking, New York is a great place to be on this food-centric holiday. Some of the city’s best chefs will be happy to cook for you. In fact, you may want to reconsider staying home when chefs like Floyd Cardoz will do the cooking for you. There’s Pumpkin and Sage Tortelli at Mailiano, Quinoa Mustard Pilaf at North End Grill and much more. We’ve got an assortment of menus guaranteed to make your holiday memorable and delicious… and you won’t even have to do the dishes...
Read More
Fall Cocktails We’re Digging
If you think eggplant can only be found in the summer, well, think again. Eggplant’s high season runs through fall, which means these next few weeks might be your last chance to sample this nightshade vegetable grown locally. We like to think we know a lot… but we had no idea that eggplant isn’t a vegetable.
Read More