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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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First Bite: Bacchanal
We’ve gotten used to finding buttoned-up restaurants in Alphabet City, or destination-worthy eateries in industrial Brooklyn, but it’s still a surprise to stumble upon Bacchanal, situated in a former lighting shop, on the otherwise dumpling shop-dotted and Peking duck-slung border between the Bowery and Chinatown…
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New York’s Best Eating Events For May-June 2014
There are all manner of fun, food events taking place in New York on a daily basis — from lavish, charity-driven galas to crowded, walk-around tastings and an endless array of pop-ups. But unless you have the time and money to party seven days a week, you’ll have to be somewhat discerning about what goes onto your calendar. So here are just a few worthy food celebrations we recommend getting tickets for now!
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Trend Spotting: Sardines and Other Small Bait
As more and more restaurants get serious about only using sustainable fish, previously unappreciated small bait, like anchovies, sardines, whiting and mackerel, are finally being given their time to shine. And we’re not just talking about the canned stuff, unappealingly pickled and strewn on top of pizzas. The marine and freshwater dwellers are appearing on menus in a number of forms, prized by French, Italian, Spanish and American chefs alike for their strong, meaty flavor and edible, soft bones…
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Q & A with The Gorbals’ Ilan Hall
Since even runners up use “Top Chef” as a springboard to open restaurants and launch careers in various media, it’s a surprise that season two winner, Ilan Hall, has stayed under the radar for so long. Not that he hasn’t been busy; he owns the popular, eclectic The Gorbals in L.A., is currently working on opening its Brooklyn outpost in June, and hosts another exciting culinary competition (watch out, Padma!) called “Knife Fight” on Esquire…
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First Bite: Cafe El Presidente
Mexican food is one of the cuisines we crave most consistently when the weather is warm — because what’s more evocative of sun, sand and surf than spicy salsa, tasty tacos and colorful ceviches? And the addition of frosty drinks like pina coladas and margaritas certainly doesn’t hurt. That’s why spring seems a particularly auspicious time to debut the expansive Café El Presidente, an ambitious new Mexican restaurant from the awesome Tacombi team..
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Please Pass the Pintxos at Huertas
Tapas have been trending in a major way for some time now, making “shareable small bites” a fixture on menus all over New York, no matter the cuisine. But Huertas, a new Basque restaurant in the East Village, goes straight to the source of the craze, focusing on the diminutive Spanish snacks known as pintxos…
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Scrumptious Spring Sweets
We’d never dream of disparaging chocolate, caramel, apples and nuts, but we really begin craving sweets that are, well, a bit lighter on their feet once the weather warms. And restaurants are slowly swapping out intensely rich and dense desserts for sprightly, fruit and herb-based offerings, simply bursting with spring freshness, like the Sweet Pea Ice Cream Bar at Dirt Candy in the East Village and the Rose and Raspberry Vacherin at Café Boulud on the Upper East Side.
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Awesome Eats Atop The High Line
Since opening in 2011, the High Line has become a favorite destination (especially in the spring and summer) for tourists and New York residents alike. Running from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 30th Street in Chelsea, the 1- mile long, elevated park provides some of the best waterfront views in the city, boasts 210 different, lush plant species, hosts tours, lectures, performances and events, and oh yeah, is home to a number of top, area food vendors, all of whom have just opened shop for the season. So from savory Smoked Meat at Delaney Barbecue to Mango Paletas at La Newyorkina, here’s what to eat while you’re traversing the breezy, bustling High Line.
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Indoor Grilling (Yes Really!)
Sometimes, the best gadgets are the simplest ones. A humble food mill, peerless peeler, or self-explanatory spatula. Now, that it’s warming up outside, our minds and stomachs turn to the grill. Alas, it’s a challenge to grill in the great indoors (nevermind in a kitchen-challenged apartment in New York), which is why the Forman grill is such a home run…
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Gourmet Gossip: May 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 Danny Meyer’s foray into pizza to Justin Smillie’s new big money partner and Ivan Orkin’s long-awaited debut on the Lower East Side…
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Q & A with Rosette’s Executive Chef Nick Curtin
At the recently opened Rosette on the Lower East Side, Nick Curtin is fully committed to making approachable, craveable fare at a truly accessible price point. “There are a few basic ideals that we’re trying to adhere to at Rosette, like ‘flavor is king,’ Curtin says. “Our other mantra is technique over technology. We’re not about water baths and gels and things like that. We want to make food perfect the old fashioned way.”
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Our Favorite New Spring Cocktails
We’ve been lavishing lots of love on spring dishes as of late, like lamb paired with ramps and fiddlehead ferns, and ricotta-swabbed pasta dotted with asparagus tips and morel mushrooms. But restaurant cocktail menus have also undergone a sprightly seasonal makeover, and from the “Organic Pea Mojito” at Rouge Tomate on the Upper East Side to the strawberry-flavored “Kon-Tiki” at Wallflower in the West Village, we’re rounding up the most mouth-watering, warm weather libations in New York!
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Seasonal Eats: Asparagus
Even though ramp mania is still at its peak, we wanted to give another great, green spring veggie its due: asparagus. A perennial garden plant belonging to the lily family, asparagus is harvested in the spring when it is 6 to 8 inches tall. Asparagus have fleshy spears topped with bud-like, compact heads, with a sweet, buttery taste and a tender texture. And while the most common variety of asparagus is green in color, two other edible varieties are available…
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Mother’s Day Crab and Asparagus Quiche
It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday, and if you haven’t made your restaurant reservations yet, it’s not too late to do something thoughtful for Mom. And what could be sweeter than baking up a delectable brunch dish yourself…
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A Delicious Spin on the Classic Croque Monsieur
Is there any sandwich more classically French than the Croque Monsieur? The simple, yet oh-so-satisfying layered masterpiece of Gruyere (or Emmental), ham, and French bread fried in butter has been satiating hungry Parisians for just over a hundred years. Luckily for us New Yorkers, we only have to go as far as the West Village to find one of the best croques this side of the Atlantic…
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Spotlight on Madison Square Eats 2014
The 6-year-old culinary pop-up market, Madison Square Eats, just launched last Friday, with over 30 terrific vendors, both new and old. So if hunger strikes the next time you’re strolling through the Flatiron District (and you’d rather not be bothered with the crushing crowds at Eataly or crazy cue at Shake Shack), check out the delicious, diverse options, from the sloppy smoked sandwiches at Mayhem & Stout, to the elegant fish toasts at chef George Mendes’ 100 Sardines…
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Mother’s Day Dining Guide 2014
How do we even begin to show our mothers how much they really mean to us? Well, while we can’t express our undying gratitude solely through bottomless Bellinis and Mimosas, or even Toasted Meringue Yarts with passion fruit custard and vanilla gelato (check out the holiday menu at Ai Fiori!) it certainly doesn’t hurt. That’s why we’ve rounded up Mother’s Day celebrations at a few especially luxe restaurants, bound to make your number 1 lady feel extra special, like a lavish afternoon tea at the Palm Court at The Plaza, or a sumptuous brunch at the recently relaunched Tavern on the Green…
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Q & A with Momofuku Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi
It takes more to become a James Beard award winner (and one of the nation’s best known pastry chefs), than just pedestrian red velvet cupcakes and ho-hum chocolate chips. In fact, well before Dominique Ansel’s Cronut had taken New York by storm, Momofuku Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi had already introduced her own series of game-changing sweets to the culinary canon, like Cereal Milk, Compost Cookies and Crack Pie…
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