New York’s Best Ice Cream Sandwiches
New Yorkers have always been serious about their sandwiches. We’ve got everything from Katz’s legendary pastrami on rye to Sara Jenkin’s porchetta on a ciabatta roll. Recently, we’ve become just as serious about our ice cream sandwiches.
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Seasonal Treats: Raspberries
Raspberry season is officially upon us, which means you don’t have to settle for frozen or canned raspberries (gasp!) when a craving strikes. Freshly plucked raspberries are everywhere right now and you won’t just be seeing red.
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Soft Shell Crab Season
Summer marks the rise of some of our favorite foods, whether it be fresh fruits, summer soups, or chasing down the ice cream truck. For the seafood lover, summer months mean the return of soft shell crabs – and what a glorious return it is.
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Seasonal Eatings – Fava Beans
Fava beans are one of the hardest beans to crack. They’re fat and puffy and if you don’t know what to do with them, completely confusing. Not to mention the fact that they’re only available in the summer. While browsing through the local markets this time of year, look for the seasonal beans that look like larger lima beans in knobby green pods.
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Best Popsicles In NYC
If you haven’t noticed, popsicles have gotten quite the makeover over the past few years. It seems like we went from Push-Up Pops and Good Humor’s choco-dipped vanilla ice cream pops overnight. There’s a new batch of local shops with their own, innovative twists.
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Sexy Spring Cocktails
We’ve been known to enjoy a cocktail (or three), and what better way to celebrate the warm weather than with a fresh from the garden libation? The city’s hottest bars and restaurants around the city have swapped out their stiff winter warmers for lighter, brighter concoctions in honor of spring. With fresh ingredients, like mint, muddled strawberries and cucumbers, seasonal libations are high on our radar right now. Especially the ones at the newly minted Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg. There, you can savor the waterfront views at The Ides, the rooftop bar, and sample a “Chihuahua,” a citrusy blend of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and tequila served in a highball glass with a salted rim. And there’s plenty more to enjoy all over town — from ABC Kitchen’s “Strawberry Royale,” an idyllic combination of fresh strawberry juice and sparkling rose, to...
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Summer on the Plate
One of our favorite places for a mid-morning stroll is the Union Square Greenmarket, or really any one of the city’s greenmarkets for that matter. There’s something so satisfying about the sight of August heirloom tomatoes, corn, hard-to-find peppers, peaches and beautiful berries of all sorts. Lugging them home and whipping up a sensational meal is a whole other story. That’s why we’re lucky to have so many talented chefs and farm-to-table restaurants that take advantage of summer’s bounty everyday. Whether it’s fresh corn stuffed into ravioli or sandwiched in a tricked-out exotic lunch treat, there are all sorts of ways to get your summer produce fix. Peaches: Grilled Peach Banh Mi at Num Pang Num Pang Address: 140 E. 41st St. between Lexington and Third Aves. Phone: 212-867-8889 Website: www.numpangnyc.com Num pang are the Cambodian equivalent of a banh mi and...
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Our Favorite Seasonal Summer Dishes
Now that we’ve reached the halfway mark of summer, we thought we’d look back at our favorite seasonal dishes and go back for seconds before autumn arrives. You’ll want to take advantage of heirloom tomatoes, asparagus, corn, all things shellfish and even summer truffles, scattered over Dovetail’s salt baked onion. There’s Casa Mono’s simple, yet outstanding, razor clams a la plancha, Scarpetta’s asparagus and mussel soup and Miriam’s zucchini cakes. September is coming soon, and we plan to use this list to relive the best parts of the summer before it disappears. Bell, Book & Candle – Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes 141 W 10th St. between 6th and 7th Ave. (212)414-2355 Website: bbandcnyc.com This West Village newcomer has already received plenty of attention and a repeat audience. While anyone can say they’re organic and sustainable nowadays, this spot is so...
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New York’s Best Summer Sips
You won’t hear us complaining, but it’s definitely hot outside. (We’d take the heat over frigid temps any day.) Besides, there’s plenty of places to grab an ice cold drink (not the alcoholic kind). In fact, the options have gotten a lot better than your average iced tea or coke. There’s grown up slushies, made with fresh fruit purees and herbs, Arnold Palmers with fresh-squeezed lemonade, and milkshakes. (No one said cold wasn’t sweet.) All of these libations are non-alcoholic, so they’re perfect for the hottest part of the day. When you’re through with work, you can spike your ginger-blueberry mint slushy with tequila. Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain Address: 513 Henry Street (Caroll Gardens, Brooklyn) Phone: (718)522-6260 Website: www.brooklynfarmacy.blogspot.com At the forefront of the soda fountain renaissance, Brooklyn Farmacy is definitely onto something. We only wish there was a Manhattan...
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New York’s Best Summer Soups
When we think of summer, soup isn’t exactly the first thing to come to mind, except gazpacho of course. The cooling combination of tomatoes, olive oil and vinegar has made gazpacho a summer staple. Light and flavorful, this chilled, Spanish soup can be the perfect beginning to a meal, or lunch in and of itself. Lately, we’ve noticed (and eaten) some very creative renditions and a few non-gazpacho. From super seasonal toppings at Salinas to Balaboosta’s honeydew and cantaloupe version, we’ve compiled our favorite, cold summer soups from around the city. Tia Pol 205 Tenth Ave. (at 22nd St.) (212)675-8805 Website: www.tiapol.com What better place to get Spain’s most famous soup than at one of the city’s best Spanish tapas bar? Served in an elegant glass, this gazpacho follows the classic recipe of cucumber, tomatoes, green peppers, sherry vinegar...
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New York’s Finest Ice Cream Shops
If you’re like us, the recent heat has been making you crave the sweet, cool relief of ice cream. These gelaterias and ice cream trucks can serve as oases during your hot summer walks. We listed a few of our favorites, some new and trendy and some old NYC classics. There are ice cream types for everyone, whether you’re looking for exotic flavors, authentic gelato, or want to top your sundae with everything but the kitchen sink. Can’t stand the New York heat? Go get some ice cream. At Restaurant Girl, we look forward to the summer warm weather and the ice cream that goes hand in hand with it (mostly we’re excited about the ice cream.) There are a million different types of cool sweets to be had in New York, from Italian ices to gelato, soft-serve to...
Read MoreBest Northern European Eats
Right about this frigid time of year every year, it gets hard to motivate out of the house. Really, the only thing inspires me to brave the outdoors is hearty, warming foods, so this season I’ve turned to Northern Europe — experts at cold fronts and frigid winters, these cuisines really know how to get people through frigid winters. There are some very compelling dishes and new restaurants, like Vandaag or Edi & The Wolf, to go out for dinner. Vandaag Address: 103 Second Ave., at 7th St Phone: (212) 253-0470 If you haven’t been to this Dutch newcomer in the East Village, you’ll want to put it on the top of your to-try list in 2011. The setting is cozy, yet elegant, and the food is excellent. So are the cocktails, which are thoughtfully imagined by Katie Stipe,...
Read MoreBest Of – New York's Fall Dishes
My favorite eating season is fall. It doesn’t get much better than autumnal fruits, like concord grapes, pumpkins, pears, plums, and apples. And there’s loads of fragrant truffles (for a price, of course), duck, wild game and brussel sprouts. This year, some of New York’s best and newest restaurants have come up with some delicious ways to celebrate the season. There’s an outstanding concord grape tart at ABC Kitchen, pumpkin ravioli and a brioche-like pastry studded with concord grapes at Babbo, and apple cider doughnuts at Hearth, to name a few. We’ve picked our favorite savory and sweet nods to fall from a few of New York’s finest restaurants, so you can start and finish in season. BabboPhone: (212)777-0303Address: 110 Waverly Place, nr. 6th Ave.It’s hard to go wrong at Babbo, especially if you linger in the pasta section...
Read MoreNew York's Best Fall Dishes
Fall doesn’t offically begin until September 22nd, but it’s starting to feel like summer’s already gone. Many restaurants have changed their menus with an eye on fall. That means plenty of pumpkin, zucchini, apples, brussel sprouts and meat. There’s roast chicken with pumpkin pie, dinner and dessert in one, at Park Avenue Autumn, and exotic pumpkin soup in Queens. For Oktoberfest, we recommend you head to Prime Meats in Brooklyn to feast on their vast array of sausages, homemade sauerkraut and beer. Turkey Leg Sandwich – Henry Public Address: 329 Henry St., btwn. Atlantic Avenue & Pacific Street Phone: (718) 852-8630 You don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to get your roast turkey fix. Henry Public makes a turkey leg sandwich that just might be better than the turkey your family serves every November. In keeping with tradition, the...
Read MoreBest of – New York's Summer Eats
What’s not to love about summer? Of course, there’s the beach and the sun, and more importantly, all of the season’s fruits and vegetables. Summer is practically synonymous with grilled corn, lobster rolls, citrusy ceviches and soft shell crab and the city’s filled with great ways to seize the last few weeks of summer. Red Hook Lobster Pound – Lobster roll Address: 284 Van Brunt St., nr. Verona St. (Brooklyn) Phone: (646) 326-7650It’s hard to imagine that just a few years ago lobster rolls weren’t easy to come by in New York. Lucky for us, there’s plenty of places serving terrific renditions of this choice seafood sandwich. Our favorite is made by the Red Hook Lobster Pound, which uses fresh-caught lobster, literally right off the boat. And it happens to be a bargain at $15, compared to some of the other...
Read MoreNYC's Gourmet Picnic Baskets
The dog days of summer are upon us, so we might as well take full advantage of them. While everyone else is picnicking in the Central Park, why not throw a picnic on the High Line or even Lincoln Center? Several of the city’s best restaurants and chefs have packed a basket full of homemade treats for you, some of which even include Frisbees or corkscrews to guarantee a fun afternoon outdoors. RG writer – Sam Dangremond Blue Ribbon Bakery Market Address: 14 Bedford Street, nr. Downing Street Phone: 212-647-0408 This Greenwich Village shop has packed up picnic feasts, designed to feed four. There are two feasts to choose from, including the Westsider ($175,) filled with an assortment of country pate, pork rillette, aged manchego, a choice of house-smoked red trout or smoked salmon, honey banana bread, maple-flavored sheep’s...
Read MoreBest Soft Serve In The City
You never get too old for soft serve. There’s something about the sight of the ice cream truck and the snowy white swirls of vanilla soft serve on a sugar cone. Nowadays, there’s a lot more options that just Mister Softee. Soft serve’s gotten an artisanal makeover and places like Chickalicious are upping the ante with real, vanilla bean-specked version. This spring, there’s everything from from ginger and passion fruit soft serve at Bar Breton to blueberry muffin at Momofuku Milk Bar, and even white sesame at Kyotofu. Kyotofu Address: 705 9th Ave Phone: (212) 974-6011 You don’t have to suffer a soft serve-less life because you can’t eat dairy. This Asian dessert bar, located in Hell’s Kitchen, performs both savory & sweet wonders with tofu. But their finest work is soy milk soft serve (pictured right.) The...
Read MoreNew York's Finest Ice Creams
New Yorkers take everything edible seriously. We're just as passionate about ice cream as we are about burgers and French fries. Ice cream shops come up with inventive, new flavors and combinations every year. With all the ice cream-ologists on wheels, Mister Softee's got competition. Chickalicious - Best Gourmet Soft ServeAddress: 203 East 10th St., btwn 1st & 2nd Aves.Phone: (212)995-9511Vanilla soft serve is one of life's simplest & most gratifying pleasures. Mister Softee has lots of competition these days, but the one we'd watch out for is Chickalicious. This is a whole new level of vanilla soft serve, specked & with vanilla bean. I haven't even gotten to the unique toppings. Forget sprinkles and peanuts. Chickalicious has homemade hot fudge, shredded kataifi, pistachios, & dark chocolate pearls. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory - Best Exotic Flavors Address:...
Read MoreLast Licks of Winter's Best Dishes
Spring officially kicked off on Saturday, but it often takes a couple weeks for restaurants to switch modes and menus. Which means that there’s still time to savor hearty stews, braised meats, and bistro classics. We recommend you get your last licks of winter before spring vegetables replace root vegetables at the Greenmarket. Sure, some dishes are menu fixtures, but we’d rather devote springtime to the short-lived season of asparagus and ramps while we can. Bar Boulud and DB Bistro Moderne 1900 Broadway, between 63rd and 64th Streets 55 West 44th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues Phone: (212) 595-0303 Last Licks: Coq Au Vin or Braised Oxtail Consomme with Root Vegetables The French have always had a way with hearty, bistro classics, like cassoulet and tarte tatin. And nobody does French better than Daniel Boulud. Cafe...
Read MoreBest of — Freezer Aisle Ice Creams
There are lots of reasons to get depressed about the end of summer, like all of the ice cream carts disappear from the streets til next spring. Thank god for the freezer aisle. Even when the Van Leeuwen truck goes into hibernation, you’ll be able to find their ginger, red currant and pepper mint & chip ice cream in the supermarket. These days, it seems like everyone has upped their game with some terrific and imaginative flavors, which also happen to be a lot less expensive than going out for a scoop of ice cream. Sometimes, it’s nice to eat a bowl of ice cream at home in your pajamas, especially when you’re craving ice cream in the middle of the night. Forget the usual suspects like vanilla and Chunky Monkey, there’s everything from champagne sorbet to coconut crunch....
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