Our Favorite Holiday Cocktails
There’s nothing quite as festive as a great cocktail during the holidays. But far too often they can be off-puttingly sweet or just plain goofy, like egg nog-flavored this or candy cane-topped that. That’s why we’ve rounded up a list of great seasonal cocktails that manage to feel entirely celebratory while still tasting appropriately adult, like the “Chai No Lait” at Rotisserie Georgette on the Upper East Side or the Peppermint-scented “Hjalmar” at Skal in Chinatown…
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NY’s Most Festive Holiday Desserts – 2013
Halloween has candy. Thanksgiving is famous for pie. Hanukkah celebrants enjoy jam-filled, deep-fried donuts. When it comes to Christmas, it’s practically a cultural imperative to indulge in an endless array of sweets (the likes of gingerbread cookies, marzipan and fruitcake). Which is why we’ve rounded up some of the most festive, decadent desserts imaginable at bakeries throughout New York, from the extravagant Buche de Noel at Maison Kayser to the traditional, sugar-dusted Stollen (and not so traditional Cornflake Peppermint Cookies) at Momofuku Milk Bar in Union Square.
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Awesome International Holiday Feasts in NY
One of the most wonderfully unique things about New York is its incredibly international dining scene. And that extends to the holidays, when there’s really no need to limit yourself to meals inspired by the expected American, British, or even French or Italian traditions. So from a Jewish (Chinese Christmas) at Parm to a Scandinavian Smorgasbord at Aquavit and a Greek feast at MP Taverna, here are a few places where you can experience Christmas culinary customs from around the world… without actually having to leave NYC.
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What to Eat at New York’s Top Holiday Markets
We all know how stressful it can be shopping for Christmas gifts; criss-crossing the city in an attempt to find the perfect present for everyone on your list, and not stopping until the growling of your stomach overtakes the sound of carols blaring through the store speakers. Well thank goodness for New York’s amazing holiday markets, which have the process of shopping down to a science. You’re practically guaranteed to find great gifts for almost everyone you know, and from Union Square’s Christmas Stollen courtesy of Momofuku Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi to BrisketTown at Brooklyn Night Bazaar, you won’t even have to starve in the process…
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The Feast of Seven Fishes Dining Guide 2013
Being that we’re obsessed with seafood, we really start wishing we were Italian around this time of year. That’s because their Christmas Eve centers around the Feast of Seven Fishes. Several of New York’s great restaurants are offering under-the-sea spreads set to rival those of any self-respecting Italian kitchen, from Osteria Morini in SoHo to Esca in Midtown and Roman’s in Fort Greene…
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New York’s Tastiest Apple Desserts
One of America’s favorite desserts is undoubtedly Apple Pie: It’s traditional, comforting, and well, very American. But there’s a lot more to apples than just deep-dish double crusts. From the Apple Cheesecake at Blue Hill to the Honeycrisp-layered Mille-Feuille at The Elm in Brooklyn, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite apple desserts, boasting the delicious versatility of the beloved fall fruit!
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The Best Holiday Gifts for Foodies
Our requisite holiday gift list only seems to grow every year, including trinkets for our tech-obsessed nephew, our tough-to-please sister in law, and our baby cousin who only likes pink. Luckily, we’ve got you covered on perfect present ideas for that hardcore foodie in your life (because honestly, we all have one nowadays), from a freshly baked bread of the month club to an ingenious 10-in-one bartender tool…
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What to Eat at the New Gotham West Market
Not that there aren’t some real bright spots in the area (like Esca and Danji), but for the most part, Hell’s Kitchen has largely been known as a restaurant wasteland. How could it be anything else, with a name like that? Well, believe it or not, Hell’s Kitchen has suddenly become a hot dining destination with the introduction of Gotham West Market, a high-end food court akin to hubs like Chelsea Market or the High Line.
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New York’s Best Squash Dishes
You’d be hard-pressed to find a cold weather vegetable that comes in greater variety than winter squash. There’s sweet Butternut, creamy Pumpkin, meaty Acorn and even butter-yellow Spaghetti Squash, its silky strands resembling a freshly cooked plate of pasta. And that exciting versatility is precisely what makes squash such a sought after ingredient at restaurants, so be sure to check out the vegetarian-friendly Pumpkin Tacos at the brand new Mission Cantina, the hand-cranked Butternut Squash Panzotti at Michael White’s elegant Italian steakhouse Costata…
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Eight Essential New York Donuts
Except for a few, potato latke-loving eateries (see our recent roundup), you won’t consistently find potato pancakes on New York menus for more than eight days of the year. But that’s not so for donuts, another highly traditional and awesome Hanukkah food. Beloved by both Jews and Gentiles alike, the sugary circles of deep-fried dough are sold fresh and warm all over the city 24/7, which can be dangerous at 2 in the morning a few cocktails deep. There are classic glazed donuts at old-school bakeries, like Peter Pan in Brooklyn, seasonal, Concord Grape-filled squares at Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side, and even elegant restaurant versions, like…
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The Sweetest Savory Desserts
Let’s face it: No matter whether you’re stuffed or trying to adhere to a diet, it doesn’t take much arm-twisting to convince you to order dessert. But sometimes, a super-sweet treat after a decadent dinner is more than our stomachs can handle. That’s why we’re excited to see more and more savory ingredients popping up on restaurant dessert menus, and we’re not talking about your average Apple Pie with cheddar cheese or cream cheese-frosted Carrot Cake. From the Beet Red Velvet Cake at Dovetail to the Chorizo Ice Cream at Oddfellows…
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New York’s Tastiest Latkes
What’s not to love about potato latkes? At their most basic level, they consist of shredded or mashed potatoes, pan-fried and served with sour cream and applesauce. But lets face it, after eight days of Hanukkah, even something so delicious can tend to get, well, kind of boring. Which is why we’ve rounded up New York’s tastiest – not to mention most unique – latkes, enough to see you through the entire holiday. Because once you’ve enjoyed Toloache’s Zucchini-studded Pancakes with Tomatillo Apple Salsa for dinner and Minetta Tavern’s Poached Egg and Salmon-topped Potato Latkes at brunch, you’ll be able to wholeheartedly affirm our first statement… what’s not to love about latkes?
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The Ultimate Thanksgiving Dining Guide
It’s hard to believe, but no sooner do we stash away our Halloween costumes than it’s time to start thinking about Thanksgiving. Not that you need to worry if you don’t have standing plans to dine on turkey and mashed potatoes at a family member’s house. Letting a great restaurant prepare a holiday feast for you is hardly a cop-out… although you’ll need to hurry if you want a shot at a table…
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Gizmo Girl’s Food Dehydrator
Fall, aka the time of harvest, has us hanging on (for dear life) to all the fresh fruits and vegetables still growing before a long winter inevitably rolls along. Just how do you preserve all those great tomatoes (amazingly still growing!), apples, pumpkin, pears and we could go on…
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Where to Carb Load Before the New York Marathon
Are you scheduled to run in the Marathon this Sunday? Well, congratulations, because that gives you carte blanche to spend the week carb-loading on some of New York’s best pasta, rice and potato dishes! Of course, it would be a shame for anyone to miss out on the the velvety polenta at L’Apicio or seafood-studded Paella at Toro in Manhattan, the tofu-topped French Fries at King Noodle in Brooklyn, or the ricotta-slathered Toasts at Milkflower in Queens. That’s why we won’t tell if the only exercise you plan on getting afterwards is watching the race from the sidelines, or curled up in front of your T.V.!
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Mitchmallows
Marshmallows are something we generally reserve for popping on top of hot chocolate or roasting over an open flame. But the artisanal, homemade squares at Mitchmallow are delicious enough (not to mention interesting enough) to be eaten out of hand. There are over three dozen incredibly diverse, multi-layered creations, from Classic S’more, Creamsicle, Sweet Potato Vanilla and Peanut Butter and Jelly, to Wasabi-Ginger, Tempura, Wine and Cheese and even BLT… tomato with bacon! (That sounds a little scary, doesn’t it?) And for Halloween, there’s Candy Corn and Green...
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La Maison du Chocolat
This Paris-based chocolatier is as posh as any Madison Avenue boutique — although instead of silk scarves and Birkin bags, the glittering glass cases hold finely crafted candies filled with Fennel-infused Ganache, Honeyed Cognac, and Gianduja Praline. At $65, the limited edition Sleepy Hollow Pumpkin concealing Amanda’s (cocoa-covered Almonds) and Rochers Suisses is a bit of a splurge, but sure to make a statement as the centerpiece of an especially elegant Halloween...
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Deliso Confections
Who would have imagined that a former Wall Street stockbroker would go on to make some of the best chocolates in Brooklyn? It’s worth a pilgrimage out to Bay Ridge for a box of Anthony Deliso’s work-of-art and flavorful truffles, made with 100% Belgian chocolate and real fruit purees, top-shelf liquors, freshly ground nuts and all-natural infusions. We especially love the tiny Dark Chocolate Coffee Cups filled with espresso cream, beautifully balanced Sea Salt Caramels, and the boozy Bourbon Pecan Truffles, the nut-studded chocolate shells giving way to a geyser of full-bodied whiskey...
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Neuhaus
Hershey’s, Mars Bars and Milky Ways are great when you’re young. But as you get older, you crave chocolate that, well, actually tastes like chocolate. That’s where this famed Belgian manufacturer comes in. They really know their way around a cocoa bean (the company was founded in 1857), so pay a visit to the New York flagship store for Peruvian Chocolate Praline, silky Pistachio Truffles, buttercream-based Manon Sucre, Dark Chocolate Orange Tablets, or impossibly decadent candy bars, studded with Wild Strawberries, Feuilletine, Speculoos, or crunchy Gianduja and Puffed...
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Sokerbit
Nordic cuisine has become one of the hottest and most pervasive trends on New York’s food scene, so it’s hardly a surprise that the obsession has extended to candy. This seriously modern West Village shop exposes a sweet side of Scandinavia way beyond Swedish Fish, with Lucite trays full of Banana Bubs (banana-caramel foam biscuits), Cocosar (coconut-covered licorice), and perfect for Halloween, 8 oz. jars of teeth-chatteringly sour Gummy...
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