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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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Restaurant Spotting: Le Cirque Revitalized
Unlike tourists meccas like Tavern on the Green, Le Cirque has always been an iconic haven for local glitterati — such as Barbara Walters and Michael Bloomberg, who owns the glass-fronted, u-shaped building where Le Cirque is now housed. Recently, Le Cirque got a new chef and with it a menu makeover, making it worth a revisit…
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Trend Spotting: New York’s Renewed Bagel Obsession
We tend to take great bagels for granted, from the oversized, sesame seed-flecked frisbees at Ess-A-Bagel outposts to the highly burnished orbs at Bagel Hole in Brooklyn. But lately, a growing crew of young, hip chefs and shop owners have revived interest in the iconic breakfast item, like Black Seed and more…
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Cherche Midi – Reviewed
It’s amazing how a few tweaks can transform a space into a whole new restaurant. What was once a chichi pizza joint named Pulino’s has been triumphantly reinvented as a French bistro called Cherche Midi. Cherche Midi is a total looker. The checkered floors have been replaced with classic bistro, hexagon tile floors, the brick walls are no more, and the glaring fluorescent lighting has made way for soft globes…
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New York’s Most Succulent Summer Seafood – 2014
What’s better than ditching your puffy jackets and snow hats and eating ice cream in shorts and flip flops? Lobster Rolls, piles of Crabs dusted with Old Bay, icy raw Oysters, and Fried Clams, that’s what. While New York City may not have an ocean view, you can still joyfully overdose on shellfish this summer, with seafaring dishes from some of the country’s best chefs, such as David Pasternack’s Scallop Crudo at Chelsea newcomer…
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Urban Grilling
We may not seem like the type (hard core foodies who love a good four star meal), but we’re obsessed with all things barbecued. There’s just something so quintessentially simple, satisfying, and well, American, about grilling up burgers, steaks, corn, freshly caught fish, and even peaches…
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Restaurant Spotting: Paulaner
Originally slated to open just in time for Oktoberfest this year, Paulaner (the 375-year-old German beer brand), couldn’t have picked a better way to make its New York restaurant debut. Unfortunately, that anticipated holiday launch wound up being delayed well into November, and then the brauhaus mysteriously shuttered again a few months later, affixing brown paper to the windows and a cryptic “Coming Soon” sign to the door. But now, Paulaner is once again serving up sausages and giant steins of beer on the Bowery, and seemingly much better for the evident internal shakeup…
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Luxe Greasy Spoon Fare at Empire Diner
The Empire Diner’s reputation tends to precede it. After all, there aren’t too many 1940’s-era dining cars left in New York with glossy, Art Moderne exteriors, which has made it a sought-after city symbol in television shows like “Law & Order,” and seminal movies such as Woody Allen’s “Manhattan.” So it only makes sense that the landmark eatery’s newest executive chef, Amanda Freitag, brings her own star power to bear as a food celebrity on Iron Chef & Chopped…
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Our Favorite Frozen Cocktails
Many people think of frozen cocktails as being silly or girly, topped with paper umbrellas and maraschino cherries, and chock full of syrupy fruit juices, cordials and rum. And so what if they are? When it’s 70+ degrees outside, nothing hits the spot like a highly alcoholic, yet seriously icy libation. So leave those staid, buttoned-up Manhattans and Negronis until the fall, and get frosty this summer with a series of Tequila Snow Cones from Zengo, an amaretto-slicked Pina Colada from The Commodore, or a refreshing Beer Slushie from Uncle Boons!
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Where to Watch the 2014 World Cup
Even if you could care less about soccer, the excitement & pageantry surrounding the World Cup means that opportunities abound to indulge in fun food. The same goes for the Super Bowl, which as far as we’re concerned, is all about chili and chicken wings. Right? And since the tournament is being held Brazil this year, there’s extra attention being paid to the oft underrated cuisine, with restaurants like Favela Grill and Botequim getting the chance to strut their stuff to a wider audience, and non-Latin eateries such as Distilled and Falansai jumping on board with tasty promotions and specials…
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Seasonal Eats: Morel Mushrooms
Emerging just as the snow recedes, highly delicate Morels grow wild throughout the United States, popping up in burned or disturbed forest beds, under fallen trees, in fruit orchards and under wood mulch through the beginning of summer. So unsurprisingly, morels are currently being used (albeit sparingly) in dishes at some of New York’s best restaurants…
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Gourmet Gossip: June 2014
In this great dining city of ours, barely a day passes without news of an exciting new restaurant opening, a devastating closing, a shocking chef shuffle, or a groundbreaking, must-try dish. That’s why we’re keeping you apprised of the industry’s most noteworthy bits and bites — from an upcoming project from talented Neta alums to a fledgling hospitality group led by kooky “Angry Lobster” creator, David Burke…
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Batard – Reviewed
It’s always sad when a restaurant doesn’t work out. Restaurateurs put a lot of money into building out a restaurant in hopes that people will come and return often. But let’s be honest: Corton didn’t really work even when Paul Liebrandt was in the kitchen, so there was no love lost when he left for Brooklyn to launch The Elm. Which is exactly why Drew Nieporent smartly teamed up with John Winterman and chef Markus Glocker (Gordon Ramsay at The London) to transform what was refined, but a tad too serious into a warm, friendly neighborhood spot with good food and wine…
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The Best of Broadway Bites
‘Tis the season for al fresco food markets, and UrbanSpace has just debuted another; Broadway Bites. Perfectly situated in Greeley Square Park, at the bustling intersection of West 33rd St and Broadway and populated by tourists and local office workers alike, Broadway Bites boasts plenty of big-name vendors, like AsiaDog and Red Hook Lobster Pound. But we’d just as soon frequent food markets in order to scope out the newbies and up-and-comers, and here are some of our favorites…
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Eat (RED), Drink (RED), Save Lives
Most of us have heard of the (RED) Campaign, Bono’s global fund to help combat AIDS through the purchase of affiliated products. And he’s joined with Mario Batali and Pat LaFrieda this year to take the fight into the hospitality sector, recruiting a number of NY restaurants to serve (RED) dishes and cocktails from June 1st-10th, and pledge a portion of proceeds. So here are just a few items to order for a great cause this week…
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Inside Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place
Granted, New York is not your average city. And Hudson Eats, a 30,000 square foot complex on the second floor of Brookfield Place (formerly the World Financial Center) is definitely not your average food court. What’s that you say? Sprinkles, Black Seed Bagel, Umami Burger all under one roof?
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Q & A with Beautique’s Chef Craig Hopson
When you work for a place as legendary as Le Cirque, it can be hard to find ways to convey your own culinary point of view. “There is obviously so much history with that restaurant, and a lot of standards that Sirio Maccioni keeps in place,” admits Craig Hopson, who served as executive chef for the seminal, Midtown spot for five years. But now that Hopson has just opened his own, modern American eatery, Beautique…
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Our Favorite Al Fresco Dining Spots
After the winter we’ve had, it’s no wonder we’re all itching to spend as much time outside as possible. And that extends to our meals — because who wants to waste a leisurely hour or two cooped up inside of restaurants, when so many of them happen to boast breezy patios, scenic rooftops, sidewalk seating and pastoral backyards? That’s why we’ve rounded up our favorite spots for dining al fresco…
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The Ultimate Father’s Day Dining Guide
If your father has already accumulated a lifetime’s worth of golf clubs, neckties and “#1 Dad” coffee mugs, how about showing him you love him this year with food? We’ve rounded up a list of ultimate, guy-approved dining spots for Father’s Day, including scrumptious steaks at Marc Forgione’s American Cut in Tribeca…
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