Last Minute Thanksgiving Reservations
Thanksgiving was never supposed to be a stressful holiday. So if it’s starting to feel overwhelming, you might want to reconsider cooking and eat out. You could even seize the occasion to dine somewhere you’ve been dying to try and let someone else slave over the stove. Here are some of our last-minute recommendations for Thanksgiving reservations. Cornelia Street Café Address: 29 Cornelia St Phone: (212.989.9319) Website: www.corneliastreetcafe.com The charming, homey setting at this West Village fixture is great for holiday like this one. If you ask me, the Thanksgiving menu is the real draw with offerings of cornbread stuffing, sweet potato puree, string beans, cranberry-orange relish, mashed potatoes, gravy—oh!—and turkey too. Eggnog crème brulee is a festive French-inflected end to the evening. The Farm on Adderley Address: 1108 Cortelyou Rd, Brooklyn Phone: (718.287.3101) Website: www.thefarmonadderley.com If you live...
Read MoreGrown Up Halloween Treats
You never really outgrow Halloween. You may not feel like dressing up or going to door to door for treats, but you still want to seize the opportunity to eat candy. I never turn down sour patch kids or a bag of M & M’s (especially peanut or the new pretzel variety, which happen to be very good), but sometimes you want something a little more interesting and sophisticated. We scouted out this year’s best treats for grown ups and grown up kids alike… Not Your Average Ring Pop Papabubble Address: 380 Broome St. Phone: (212.966.2599) Website: www.papabubble.com Ring pops were a favorite of mine as a kid; I loved the idea of wearing my food. Barcelona-based candy company, Papabubble, makes a version (pictured right) I wouldn’t mind wearing out at night or to the office. Funky and fun,...
Read MoreYour Guide To Valentine's Day
If you haven’t done so already, you might want to nail down your Valentine’s Day plans. ( Ladies, don’t depend on your significant other to plan ahead.) Whether you’re looking for a romantic night out, a low key evening, or a cocktail and dessert, there are lots of creative options that won’t make either of you cringe. Since Valentine’s Day falls on Sunday this year, you can celebrate your love over brunch. Prune (DIY Valentine’s Day) Address: 54 East 1st Street, nr. First Ave. Phone: (212) 677-6221 This East Village gem is known for its eclectic brunch menu, but Gabrielle Hamilton has outdone herself this year with a do-it-yourself themed meal. Take your pick, guests can be transported to Istanbul with nibbles like fried whitebait, or you can head to CapeCod with grilled hard-shell lobster and anchovy butter. Want...
Read MoreThanksgiving – Dining Out & Take-Out
Thanksgiving is a challenge even for the most gifted chef. We all need a little help or the entire night off. When you consider that some of the finest chefs in New York are cooking, it’s tempting to dine out. Whether you’re cooking, going to a friend’s, or dining out, there are tons of options… Dining Out: Back Forty Phone: (212)388-1990 Address: 190 Avenue B www.backfortynyc.com (Photo Credit: Tina Rupp) Comfort and hospitality are essential to Thanksgiving and this East Village eatery is wonderful at both. Chef Peter Hoffman has created a 3-course dinner that sounds delicious: cornmeal-dusted oysters, roasted heritage turkey with chestnut turkey sausage stuffing and pumpkin fregola risotto. Everything’s served family style, so you’ll really feel at home. Market Table Phone:(212)255-2100 Address: 54 Carmine St. www.markettablenyc.com Chef Mikey Price is great at putting creative twists on...
Read MoreNYC's Best Summer Soups
Summertime’s perfect for chilled soups. Not only are they the perfect respite from the city’s heat, but tomatoes, zucchini, and the like are all ripe and ready to be made into soup. We still love a classic gazpacho, but we’ve also found some unique newcomers on summer menus this year. Pierre Loti West 258 W. 15th St.(212) 645 5684www.pierrelotiwest.com This cozy Chelsea sister of the Iriving Place wine bar serves a full menu, including Tomato-Strawberry Chilled Soup topped with homemade Turkish cream. Both owner Orhan Cakir and chef Habib Kargin are Turkish, which explains the seamless blending of Mediterranean and French. Gramercy Tavern42 E. 20th St.(212) 477-0777www.gramercytavern.comZucchini is in season and Chef Michael Anthony takes advantage of this with Gramercy Tavern’s Chilled Zucchini Soup with Island Creek Oysters. It’s garnished with squash blossoms- the bright orange edible flowers that...
Read MoreBest of Unique Summer Treats
Summer’s in full swing. There’s a Mister Softee truck on almost every corner, Italian ice carts in front of almost every pizza parlor, and berries at every market. There’s no need to fall into the same vanilla cone or lemon ice habit because there’s too many refreshing, new drinks and desserts this year. Counter105 First Ave., btwn. E. Sixth St. & E. Seventh St.(212) 982-5870www.counternyc.comCounter has one of the city’s largest organic spirits selections, but their new cocktail popsicles are much more interesting. It’s a cocktail on a stick, and the blueberry-lemon thyme flavor infused with Square One organic vodka is a decidedly adult treat. Gramercy Tavern 42 E. 20th St., btwn. Broadway & Park Ave. S.(212) 477-0777www.gramercytavern.comLemonade’s a summertime classic, but it also makes a great mixer. Gramercy Tavern ups the ante with their Pineapple Painkiller, a pineapple-infused...
Read MoreSummer Treats
Considering the economy, this might not be the season for lots of leisure, but summer in the city’s not such a bad thing. You can still delight in lobster rolls and hot dogs and ice cream on sweltering days. Here are my five favorites for each of these three classic summertime eats: HOT DOGS Nathan’s, 1310 Surf Ave., at Stillwell Ave., Coney Island, or Citi Field No other hot dog defines New York like 90-year-old Nathan’s does. Katz’s Delicatessen, 205 E. Houston St., at Ludlow St. The secret to Katz’s killer hot dogs is that they’re thrown on the grill, thus the crusty casing. Gray’s Papaya, 2090 Broadway, at 72nd St. Perfect package – a snappy hot dog with spicy mustard and Gray’s signature papaya drink. Shake Shack, Madison Ave. at 23rd St. If you’re craving a Chicago-style...
Read MoreBest of Easter Dining
I love the signs of Easter — yellow, sugar-coated Peeps, hand-decorated eggs, and chocolate bunnies. But the best part about Easter Sunday is the main course. We scoured the city for the conventional and the out-of-the-ordinary to find out what some of New York’s best chefs and restaurants were planning for brunch, lunch and dinner on Sunday, April 12th. Inside Park at St. Bart’s 109 E. 50th Street, at Park Ave. (212) 593-3333 www.insideparknyc.com I can’t think of a more ideal setting for Easter brunch than inside St. Bartholomew’s Church. If Mimosas and Bloody Marys at church aren’t compelling enough, the chef’s resume will be. Matthew Weingarten worked alongside Larry Forgione at An American Place, Katy Sparks at Quilty’s, and won a Blue Ribbon at the Institute for Culinary Education. Brunch begins with a spring fruit ambrosia with...
Read MoreThanksgiving Dining Out
On Thanksgiving Day, you’re technically supposed to give thanks for the people in our lives and the food on our table. In America, that translates to overeating, excessive drinking and lots of leftover turkey. It also translates a lot of cooking. If you can’t bare the thought of cooking this year, some of the city’s best restaurants are offering to take on the daunting task for you. Thinking of dining out on Thanksgiving, there are lots of good options… Market Table54 Carmine Street (btwn. 7th Ave. & Bedford St.)(212) 255-2100www.markettablenyc.comIf you’re dining out this Thanksgiving, it doesn’t get much better than Market Table. Or homier for that matter. It’s hard to please everyone, but Mikey Price & Joey Campanaro have put together a menu that just might. We took at a quick look at the menu to find...
Read MoreChic Easter Brunch Eats
Abboccato 136 W 55th St., btwn 6th & 7th Aves. New York 10019 (212) 265-4000 www.abboccato.com This elegant midtown Italian offers a $65, 5-course Easter menu with Tuscan bread soup, followed by ricotta dumplings in a licorice herb sauce. For the main course, lamb chops come encrusted with porcini mushrooms and served with bone marrow flan. For $95, a wine pairing for each course is also made available for the occasion. Little Dishes 434 7th Ave., btwn 14th & 15th Sts. Brooklyn 11215 (718) 369-3144 www.littled-eatery.com If the weather cooperates, you can celebrate Easter in the back garden of this quaint Brooklyn restaurant. Brunch features biscuits with rose jamm, pork butt served with cheddar grits and scrambled eggs, or the English Ploughman’s plate. A Bellini or Bloody Mary should pair nicely with this hearty menu. Aureole 34 East 61st...
Read MoreBest Thanksgiving Take-Out 2007
Whether you’re the one making Thanksgiving dinner this year, or a guest at someone else’s table, you don’t have to make everything (or anything at all) these days. Even when eateries close for the holiday, they still make sure you’re well fed… City Bakery (212) 266-1414 3 W. 18th St., nr. 5th Ave. Although this Gramercy bakery is closed on Thanksgiving Day, it offers a catered menu that can be enjoyed at home. Turkey is a given, but their sides steal the show: an option of southwestern cornbread stuffing, butternut squash with Asian pears and hazelnuts, and spicy cipollini onions all add a bit of verve to the ensemble. With desserts, highlights include Indian apple pie ($25) and cranberry caramel walnut tart ($30). Clinton Street Baking Company (646) 602-6263 4 Clinton St., btwn E. Houston & Stanton Sts. This...
Read MoreDining Out on Thanksgiving
This year, we give thanks to all of the NYC restaurants who keep their doors open on Thanksgiving, and keep our kitchens free of mayhem and mess. No more must we wait on daunting lines at Whole Foods or slave away all day roasting turkeys. This year, you may want to opt out of an at-home dinner and dine out on Thanksgiving. Our top picks: Prune (212)-677-6221 54 E 1st St.btwn 1st & 2nd Ave Stop in this East Village gem for a New American Thanksgiving dinner. Gabrielle Hamilton whimsically substitutes braised capons for turkey and sides avail a combination of both the classic and unusual: stewed chestnuts with ricotta and sea salt, as well as butternut squash with pear and candied bacon. Chubo (212) 674-6300 6 Clinton Street This tiny yet worldly restaurant offers a four-course prix-fixe dinner...
Read MoreSummer’s Best: The Simple Things in Life
As I basked in one of summer’s simplest pleasures – Carvel’s soft serve vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles while staring into a store freezer filled with Fudgie The Whale cakes – I realized we sometimes forget the edible warhorses that have transcended the very notion of food fads. And before I descend into the chaos that is the Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center to uncover the latest fashions, I thought it only appropriate to honor the classics and reflect on summer’s greatest hits: 1) Carvel’s Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream – Top it with rainbow sprinkles or those divinely addictive chocolate crunchies, even the most devout chocolate snobs are hard-pressed to turn their nose up at this custardy creation. 2) The Lobster Roll – While it’s become a somewhat controversial of late, no one can...
Read MoreSummer’s Best Cocktails
It’s summer. Perhaps time to mix things up, maybe switch out that vodka martini for a minty mojito or opt for lillet over rose. There’s plenty of summery elixirs to be had in New York and with the onslaught of serious cocktail chefs around every corner, you’re bound to stumble upon a fresh-squeezed concoction. You just have to know where to hunt the best down, so here’s a list of the latest & greatest summer cocktails around town… Little Branch – Ease into a booth at this moody subterranean lounge with a Queens Park Swizzle – a mojito riff punched up with a bit of bitters – and let yourself be lulled by live jazz Sundays through Wednesdays. Address: 20 Seventh Ave., at Leroy St. Phone:212.929.4360 A60 – Tragically reserved for the New York elite, befriend a gifted...
Read MoreCheck out My Book – Try This
