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Air’s Champagne Parlor is All About the Bubbly
Beer, wine and even cider bars abound in NYC, but Air’s Champagne Parlor is one of the few area drinkeries devoted to bubbly. To be fair, the Riddling Widow briefly preceded it, but owner Ariel Arce was actually beverage director during its tenure, as well as Birds & Bubbles before that, and Chicago’s Pops for Champagne (not to mention Grant Achatz’s exclusive, original The Office) before that. Meaning her reputation as queen of Cuvèe absolutely proceeds her.
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Where to Celebrate Oktoberfest 2017
If you’re already mourning the loss of summer, Oktoberfest is a reliable way to get you over the hump. Essentially spanning the duration of fall (kicking off on September 16th this year & extending all the way to October 31st, allowing revelers to seamlessly transition to Halloween), the 16 to 18-day festival is a giddy saturnalia of German culture…
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Spotlight on the Finalists for the 2017 Vendy Awards
As a fun challenge to the James Beard Awards, the Vendy ceremony — now in its 13th year — is dedicated to honoring the very best in street food. So here’s who’s in the running during the September 16th event at Governors Island; from an artisanal twinkie baker to an upstart french toast sandwich maker, to a Chinese meat skewer purveyor, whose been tapped for the Vendy Cup…
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New York’s Best Cookies
Vosges Haut-Chocolat 1100 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10028 (212) 717-2929 www.vosgeschocolate.com Vosges is known for folding unusual flavors, like wasabi and bacon into its chocolates, and the same goes for its exotic cookies. Caramel, toffee, and chocolate chip adhere to the classics, but go for the most unique: the Naga cookie. With an orange hue, the cookie is chock full of coconut, milk chocolate chips, pumpkin puree and sweet curry. It’s the perfect mate for a warm cup...
Read MoreApril is Pastry Month
In honor of the largely unsung artists who create the divinely sweet endings to many of our perfect meals, we are celebrating some of the city’s finest pastry chefs throughout the month of April. Many often work as diligently in the kitchen as the executive chefs, yet receive far less acclaim for their labors. These confectionary experts will be featured in our weekly “Behind the Kitchen Doors” interviews. We will also showcase their recipes in each Friday “Dining Out”...
Read MoreMerkato 55
A splashy and unlikely outpost for African cooking. 55 Gansevoort St., between Greenwich & Washington Sts. (212) 255-8555 Dinner, Mon.-Sun., 5:30 p.m.-midnight CUISINE Pan-African VIBE African chic brasserie OCCASION Trendy group dining; casual date. DON’T-MISS DISH Lamb tartar; octopus with cured beef; jerk pork belly. PRICE Small bites, $4-13; appetizers, $10-17; entrees, $18-30; desserts, $4-10. RESERVATIONS Recommended Opening a Pan-African restaurant in the Meatpacking District doesn’t exactly sound like a sure thing. After all, this is a part of...
Read MorePerilla’s Duck Burger
by Harold Dieterle (Serves four) Ingredients 3 teaspoons olive oil 1 onion, very finely chopped 5 cloves garlic, very finely chopped 1 pound ground duck 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped basil 2 tablespoons chile sauce, such as sriracha or sambal 1/4 cup panko 2 large eggs, lightly beaten Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and 3 cloves garlic. Cook, stirring,...
Read MoreQ & A With Mike Price
Chef and co-owner Mike Price is so attached to Market Table that even he got married in this 40-seat market-cum-restaurant. Who better to cook for the occasion than chef Joey Campanaro (The Little Owl)? Regulars who pack into this Greenwich Village eatery even came by to watch the ceremony through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Dinner highlights included Market Table’s signature gnocchi with braised short ribs and crab cakes. Before launching Market Table, he trained at the CIA and then went...
Read MoreCommerce
Nostalgic for an old New York. 50 Commerce St., between Bedford and Barrow Sts. (212) 524-2301 Dinner: Mon.-Sat., 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 5 p.m.-11 p.m. CUISINE: New American VIBE: Charming tavern OCCASION: Neighborhood dining; group dinner DON’T-MISS DISH: Marinated fluke sashimi; red snapper with Thai-inspired herb broth PRICE: Appetizers, $11-19; entrees, $23-44; desserts, $9-16 RESERVATIONS: Recommended Cue the historical relevance of 50 Commerce St.: Nestled on a cobblestone-paved corner in Greenwich Village, this address has seen a Depression-era speakeasy,...
Read MoreMia Dona’s Roasted Pork Chop with frisee, lardoons & farm egg
By Michael Psilakis (Serves 6) Ingredients: 6-bone rack of pork chops, chined, untrimmed of fat, tied with butchers twine between each rib 6 farm eggs Fennel Pollen Salt & pepper 4 cloves of garlic 2 shallots ½ Cup of red wine vinegar 1 tsp dry oregano 1 Tb. Dijon mustard 1 Cup mountain gorgonzola cheese or Roquefort Extra-virgin olive oil 4 slices of double-smoked bacon cut into lardoons, rendered, fat reserved 2 bunches of frisee 2 Tb. pickled...
Read MoreQ & A with Oceana’s Ben Pollinger
Chef Ben Pollinger is not another seasonal American chef boasting organic ingredients from local farmers: he’s doing his own part to provide the ingredients himself. With a 500 square foot organic garden, Ben is as enthusiastic about his spring plants as the spring dishes on the menu at Oceana, a well-respected seafood restaurant in midtown. His mantra: “It’s all about relationships: the relationship between the farmer and the soil, the relationship between the fresh ingredients and preparing techniques; most...
Read MoreSapori D’Ischia
A fettuccine worth traveling for. ADDRESS: 55-15 37th Ave., near 56th St., Woodside. PHONE: (718) 446-1500 DINNER: Tues.-Sat., 5:30-11 p.m.; Sun., 3-10:30 p.m. Closed Mondays. CUISINE Regional Italian VIBE Charming market-restaurant OCCASION Destination dining; authentic Italian supper DON’T-MISS DISH Fettuccine al’Antonio; polenta-crusted tilapia PRICE Appetizers, $9.50-$14; entrees, $17-$26; desserts, $7 RESERVATIONS Accepted No ice. No tap water. No cheese on seafood dishes. No lemon peel in espresso. These are just four of the “Ten Commandments” patrons must abide by...
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 &...
Read MoreOceana's Sauteed Nantucket Bay Scallops With Citrus Salad and Mamey
By Executive Chef Ben Pollinger(Serves 4 as an appetizer) Ingredients: 1/2 pound Natucket Bay Scallops 1 Cup mamey pulp 1 Tbs fresh lime juice Segments from the following citrus fruits: pomelo, cara cara orange, sweet lime, ponderosa lemon, Satsuma mandarin. Reserved zest of all fruits except the pomelo. 1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbs ginger, minced 1 Tbs chilis, sliced 8 leaves Thai basil chiffonade 8 leaves mint chiffonade 8 leaves cilantro chiffonade Salt, fresh ground pepper...
Read MoreGizmo Girl’s Turtle Cupcake Mold
Because St. Patrick’s Day is coming up next Monday, we’ve decided to share a festive green gizmo this week. Never mind purchasing a cake, the “Turtle Pull A Part Cupcake Mold” will make you look like an artful baker. It’s easier than making a turtle-shaped cake, and to top it off, the mold is silicone, making for an easy release of the baked cake for icing. Ice it green, and it’ll accompany your frosted mug of green-tinted beer perfectly....
Read MoreHamptons Restaurant Week
Taking a cue from New York’s longstanding restaurant week, the Hamptons are offering a tempting version of their own, showcasing a burgeoning restaurant scene. Nearly 70 restaurants will participate in this year’s Sixth Annual Hampton’s Restaurant Week including venerable stalwarts such as Della Femina, 1770 House, and Nick & Toni’s, as well as newcomers, such as Matto (pictured right), Muse, and Wei Fun. Along with a surprisingly affordable three-course prix-fixe menu for $21.95, the Hampton’s Restaurant Week also boasts...
Read MoreSouth Gate
We have some reservations. ADDRESS:154 Central Park South PHONE: (212) 484-5120 DINNER: Sun.-Thur., 5.30 p.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. CUISINE Seasonal American. VIBE Sleek hotel eatery. OCCASION Hotel dining; dessert destination. DON’T-MISS DISH Buttercup flan; flash-seared calamari. PRICE Appetizers, $10-$21; entrees, $24-$39; desserts, $9-$12. RESERVATIONS Recommended. How fitting that South Gate premiered just on the heels of the highly anticipated unveiling of Alain Ducasse‘s Adour. After all, South Gate, and its chef, Kerry Heffernan, were installed to fill...
Read MoreThe Smith’s Green Bean Salad
By Brian Ellis (Serves 4 as an appetizer) Ingredients For the Salad: ½ lb haricot verts (blanched and shocked) 1 bunch frisee lettuce (washed, large stems removed) 2 oz. slivered almonds (dry roasted) 1 pt cherry tomatoes (washed and split in ½) Preparation for the Salad: Blanche the haricot verts in boiling water for about three minutes then shock in ice water. Drain on paper towels and reserve. Wash frisee, remove any large stems, and chop into bite-size pieces. ...
Read MoreGizmo Girl’s Cereal Bowl
No longer must you rush through your bowl of cereal to avoid corn flakes that quickly dissolve into a soggy mess. We stumbled upon the “Eatmecrunchy” bowl designed to separate the cereal from the milk by elevating the cereal on a shelf, while the milk sits below. After you’ve leisurely finished off your crunchy bowl of cereal, the shelf is removable for easy cleaning. New Yorkers rush enough; Here’s a little opportunity to actually enjoy getting up in the...
Read MoreQ & A With Todd Mitgang
Chef Todd Mitgang recently made his solo debut at Crave Ceviche Bar in midtown East. At the youthful age of 27, Mitgang saw instant success, long waits and already has plans to expand his eatery into a neighboring space. Before his popularity at Crave, Mitgang studied at FCI, then landed his first job out of school at Soho’s Kittichai, where he was positioned as Chef de Cuisine. At Crave, Mitgang devotes his undivided attention to ceviches, curing an impressive...
Read MoreAdour
ADDRESS:2 E. 55th St., at Fifth Ave. (212) 710-2277 DINNER: Mon.-Sat., 5.30 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 5.30 p.m.-10 p.m. CUISINE: Contemporary French VIBE: Elegant affair OCCASION: Fine dining, special occasion DON’T-MISS DISH: Ricotta gnocchi; diver scallops with black truffles; beef tenderloin. PRICE: Appetizers, $17-29; entrees, $32-49; desserts, $14. RESERVATIONS: Required. In recent years, New York has been the thorn in Alain Ducasse‘s side. An exalted French chef, Ducasse has amassed an empire of Michelin-starred institutions, including Le Louis XV in...
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