Hearth
Marco Canora’s four-course holiday menu at Hearth reads like a greatest hits list of Feast of the Seven Fishes favorites. Clams Oreganata with Roasted Red Pepper, Lemon Zest, and Parsley? Check. Shrimp and Mussel Cacciucco, the classic fish stew from Tuscany? Check. A simple fried fish (in this case, flounder), with a spritz of lemon and aioli? Check. The all-important air-dried salt cod called baccala, reimagined here as a pungent topper for crusty crostini? You better believe...
Read More
Lupa Osteria Romana
It’s no surprise that noted Italian-American restaurateurs Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich pull out all the stops at Lupa for their annual Christmas Eve feast. There are, in fact, more than seven fishes presented over a span of seven courses, including Amberjack (served crudo-style with giardiniera), Lobster (folded into a risotto), Arctic Char (accented with winter truffle), and even Eel (topped with crispy...
Read More
Saul
Chef Saul Bolton will host the feast for the eighth year running at his Michelin-starred Brooklyn restaurant, Saul, as well as at (appropriately), his newly opened Italian-American spot, Red Gravy. But don’t go looking for tomato sauce and deep-fat frying at either place. Instead, guests can expect refined fare like Salt Cod Soup, Main Diver Scallop with White Beans, Squid Ink Spaghetti with Sea Urchin, and for dessert, a velvety Chocolate Budino (shellfish thankfully not...
Read More
The Perfect Holiday Gifts for Foodies
There’s a lot to be joyful about during the holiday season – city streets aglow with twinkly lights, chestnuts roasting on an open fire (or in the case of most apartment dwellers, a gas-lit stove), and of course, receiving lots and lots of presents. What’s not so jolly? Tearing through Manhattan in a desperate search to find the perfect gifts for friends and family. But there’s no need to let the stress of shopping put a damper on your holiday merriment, especially if they’re foodies. Our edible gift ideas are sure to be their favorite thing under the tree this year! Brooklyn Brewshop Grabbing a beer at a bar is fun, but learning how to make one at home is a whole other level for a beer lover. These kits from Brooklyn Brewshop contain everything your friends will need to whip...
Read More
The Best Hanukkah Latkes
With all of Christmas’s in-your-face spectacle, it can be hard to remember that a somewhat subtler holiday, Hanukah, is right around the corner. The festival of lights begins this Saturday, in fact, an eight-day celebration that includes menorah lighting, dreidel spinning, present giving, and most importantly, lots and lots of fried food. The star of any Hanukah table is undoubtedly the latke, a crispy potato pancake cooked in plenty of hot oil. When the festival of lights rolls around this year, we’re turning to this fail-safe recipe for our own latke enjoyment, and think you should too.
Read More
North End Grill
It’s hard to believe Danny Meyer’s Modern American Grill opened a year ago right around this time. You could celebrate Thanksgiving or the fact that Chef Floyd Cardoz has been back on the dining scene and as creative as ever. Either way, you’re in for a great meal. Chef Cardoz is offering Pumpkin Soup with crabmeat, and a very un-Thanksgiving (and delicious sounding) Lobster Egg Custard with sea urchin and bonito flakes. And those are only two of the appetizers. You’ll have plenty of entrees to choose from, including Heritage Turkey with corn bread stuffing and gravy, and Quinoa Mustard Pilaf with mushrooms and chestnuts, communal sides included. And last but not least, a choice between four holiday inspired desserts including Chestnut Doughnuts with chocolate dipping sauce. Prix Fixe menu, $85/person, 11:30am –...
Read More
Back Forty
A farm-to-table locavore Thanksgiving dinner may not be what you’re used to at home because it’s so much better. Peter Hoffman crafts a locally sourced, holiday menu at both Back Forty outposts where his large-format, laidback dinner is perfect for a group of family and friends. The menus vary depending on location, but both offer up a three-course meal, served family-style. For the first course, you’ll be enjoying either a rich Autumn Vegetable Minestrone with ricotta dumplings, or Chicken Liver Mousse with house pickles. Second course includes Pumpkin Ravioli, Grass Fed Steak, Salmon, or Turkey Breast. And for dessert, plan on enjoying a slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake, Apple Pie, or Pecan Tart. 3-course family style, $60/person (East Village) $65/person (SoHo), 2pm –...
Read More
Craft
If you’re looking for a truly traditional Thanksgiving meal that you don’t have to cook yourself, consider making a reservation at Craft this holiday. This Tom Colicchio original is known for its simple, seasonal and flavorful fare, and their holiday menu follows suit. Start with a first course of Crisp Bacon with apples, followed by a Roasted Free-Range Turkey, a side of Sweet Potato Puree, and end with a slice of Sugar Pumpkin Pie. And that’s just one of the options from the American nouveau crafted menu. Prix Fixe menu, $135/person, 2pm –...
Read More
No. 7
Sure, Tyler Kord’s sandwich shops (No. 7 Subs) are all the rage these days and rightfully so, but it all started with this teeny Brooklyn joint and some serious talent. Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to revisit or experience it for the first, not to mention what a great deal it is. It’s not every day that $85 will get you a three-course family style dinner, including wine, beer, and leftovers. And remember: there’s always the extra beer and wine to be grateful for. 3-course family style (includes wine & beer), $85/person, 3pm & 6pm...
Read More
Bar Boulud
The great thing about living in America is eating just about anything is patriotic, including French food. That’s right. I said it. Why not have apple tarte tatin instead of apple pie? Or coq au vin instead of turkey? If you’re going to do it, do it right. Daniel Boulud has always set the standard for French in New York, so we suggest you head to Bar Boulud for their three-course, Thanksgiving menu. Just how do the French celebrate? Here, they start with a Peekytoe Crab Salad, or Beef Tartare . As an entrée, Chef Olivier is cooking Roasted Turkey, Ravioli de Champignons, Mediterranean Sea Bass, or Steak Roti. And there’s desserts aplenty, including a selection of glaces, sorbets, and fromage. Not to mention, they’ve got an innovative and expansive wine list, so it won’t be hard...
Read More
Valentine’s Day Dining
The holiday many love to hate is fast approaching. If you’re single, Valentine’s Day can be depressing. If you’re coupled, it can be a lot of pressure to buy roses at inflated prices or fancy chocolates. And, of course, you have to pick the perfect restaurant with a pricey prix fixe menu, a romantic setting, and aphrodisiacs of the oyster and fig sorts. Instead of giving into a “sucker’s night out” meal, we found a few great options we could actually get excited about. Valentine’s Day could be an excuse to sample sexy Austrian food at Edi & The Wolf or take a couple’s cooking class at DeGustibus. Here’s a few of our favorite options… Millesime 92 Madison Ave btwn 28th & 29th St 212.889.7100 www.millesimerestaurant.com Millesime has a reputation for being one of the most romantic date spots in...
Read More
Our Favorite Christmas Treats
The holidays are about presents and family, but we’re most excited about the food. We don’t care if it’s Hannukah latkes, gingerbread houses, or Christmas buche de noel. For the best in holiday traditions, we’ve gathered a standout line-up of must-have treats this season. For starters, there’s old favorites, like Balthazar Bakery where they raise the bar on fruitcake or fresh-baked pannetone at Grandaisy spackled with rum-soaked raisins. We discovered mince pies at Brooklyn’s DUB Pies and even peppermint cornflake cookies from Momofuku Milk Bar. Ready, set, celebrate the holidays! Duane Park Patisserie Address: 179 Duane St., btw. Greenwich & Staple Sts. Phone: (212) 274-8447 Website: www.duaneparkpatisserie.com Rumor has it Christmas pudding can be traced back to Medieval times, when the Church decreed that pudding should be made on the 25th Sunday after Trinity with 13 ingredients to represent...
Read More
Best of Christmas Day Dining Out
Christmas is just over a week away, and if the idea of whipping up a holiday feast in a New York kitchen has you feeling overwhelmed, you may want to keep reading. We’ve checked out what’s for dinner (and brunch, too) at the some of the city’s finest restaurants and compiled a list of our favorites. From braised Christmas goose at Wallse to a Chinese feast Fatty Crab-style, it’s just a reservation away. Lyon Address: 118 Greenwich Ave., btwn Horatio & Jane Sts. Phone: (212) 242-5966 Website: www.lyonnyc.com This year, this charming, West Village spot is hosting brunch and dinner. Take your pick. After you’ve worked up an appetite opening presents, consider brunch at Lyon for the “Double Pink: Salmon & Champagne,” a salmon en croute stuffed with spinach and aromatic rice, served with a beurre blanc sauce, and...
Read More
New York's Best Feasts of Seven Fishes
When most people think of Christmas, they imagine sugar cookies, egg nog and baked ham. But there’s another tradition you might want to celebrate if you’re a fan of seafood dubbed the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Any tradition involving fresh fish and the Italian kitchen is worth investigating. A tradition rooted in Southern Italy, the Feast of the Seven Fishes – also known as La Vigilia – is celebrated on Christmas Eve to commemorate the wait for the birth of Jesus. In food terms, it’s a Christmas Eve seafood throwdown with seven different seafood dishes, but chefs stateside are known to cook up much more. With all the great Italian chefs in New York , just imagine the possibilities and the serious spreads of frutti di mare. In fact, more than a few restaurants offer prix fixe menus...
Read More
Where To Dine Out This Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s time to decide. If you’re among the scores of people opting to dine out this Thanksgiving, choosing a restaurant can be almost as overwhelming as hosting your own Thanksgiving dinner. We’ve done the work for you, scouting out a slew of noteworthy Thanksgiving menus this holiday, leaving you only one task – calling in your reservation. Back Forty in the East Village is braising turkey legs, while in Harlem, Red Rooster is preparing for their first annual Thanksgiving feast. If you prefer Brooklyn, there’s Fatty ‘Cue and iCi Restaurant. Did we mention the Latin flavors on deck at Palo Santo or the Austrian-inspired dishes at Wallse? And just because turkey steals the show this time of year doesn’t mean there aren’t a few vegan-friendly dishes to indulge in too. Red Rooster Harlem...
Read More
Thanksgiving To-Go
What’s not to love about Thanksgiving? It’s that one day of the year that’s almost entirely dedicated to eating. Of course, there’s football games and parades, but we give particular thanksor the smorgasbord of food that awaits us. But for many of us, cooking the entire meal from appetizers to dessert can be daunting if not down right unrealistic. Fear not, because there are plenty of places to pick up turkeys, sides, phenomenal pies, or even entire meals around the city. Whether you’re hosting or a guest this Thanksgiving, you won’t be short on delicious dishes. We found one-stop shopping at Butterfield, deep-fried turkeys at Jive Turkey and even gluten free pies at Baby Cakes. Check out the best of Thanksgiving to go… Jive Turkey Address: 570 Myrtle Ave., btwn. Classon & Emerson Aves (Brooklyn) Phone: (718) 797-1688 Website:...
Read More
Halloween Eats & Sweets
So we’re too old to go trick or treating. That doesn’t mean we can’t get into the Halloween spirit and eat our way through the holiday. There’s a slew of creative sweets to indulge in this month far beyond M & M’s & mini-snickers bars. If you thought Serendipity’s hot chocolate was over the top, you should see their “Cookies and Scream” sundae. And just down the street Dylan’s Candy Bar has a Haunted Halloween sundae of their own with pumpkin ice cream and candy corn. If you’re throwing a party, Jacques Torres chocolate haunted house doubles as decoration and dessert. That’s just for starters. Jacques Torres Chocolates Address: 350 Hudson Street between King and Prince Sts. Phone: (212) 414-2462 Website: www.mrchocolate.com We’re suckers for multi-function goodies of all sorts, so we’re loving the Jacques Torres where Halloween decorations double Halloween treats. The reigning king of...
Read More
Memorial Day Dining In NYC
We weren’t sure it would ever arrive, but it’s finally Memorial Day weekend. Bring on the sunshine, the rooftop bbq’s, and monster weekend traffic getting out of the city on a Friday afternoon. Some New Yorkers will head upstate to country houses and others will don their Nantucket reds and lobster belts to head up to Martha’s Vineyard. The Hamptons will go from ghost town to can’t walk or park anywhere. But not everyone has the luxury of leaving town and really, there’s no reason to. There’s plenty of great food activities to indulge in this holiday weekend — from the Fatty Cue’s pig in a blanket party to the month long food festival in Madison Square Park or all-you-can eat crab deal at Fish on Bleecker. Here’s our favorite Memorial Day dining ideas. Madison Square Eats Address: Worth...
Read More
Easter Dining Out
Most people spend hours, even days, preparing a memorable Easter Sunday meal. After all, Easter’s a serious religious and food holiday with traditions, like roasted lamb, ham, and hot-cross buns. Though it’s fun to host friends or feed your family, sometimes you just don’t feel like spending hours in the kitchen while everyone else is hunting for eggs. It just happens to be a great holiday to bypass the kitchen and make a reservation. Even if you don’t celebrate Easter, you’d be wise to seize the marvelous, Easter brunch options around the city. Manhattan’s got plenty of great brunch spots to start and they all up the ante for this holiday with everything from sweetbreads with baked eggs at Michael White’s Osteria Morini, wood fire-roasted lamb at Peasant, or poached eggs with fontina sausage buns and hollandaise at The...
Read MoreWhere To Eat: Holiday Shopping Edition
During the holiday season, you always end up logging too many hours shopping for friends and family and too little time for a good meal. Sure, you can grab a fast food fix as you zip around the city, or you can take a few extra moments to savor the season. We’ve compiled a list of great pit stops to refuel before you head back out into the cold and crowds. Some finds are so good that you don’t need a reason to stop in for a bite. Fifth Ave Fifth Ave between 50th St and Central Park essentially is a holiday shopping wonderland. There’s Rock Center, Sak’s Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys at the northernmost point; that’s some hardcore shopping. Consider taking a break at the Sea Grill in Rock Center where you can...
Read MoreCheck out My Book – Try This
