-
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.
-
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…
-
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…
Most Recent Dish
New York’s Best Squash Dishes
You’d be hard-pressed to find a cold weather vegetable that comes in greater variety than winter squash. There’s sweet Butternut, creamy Pumpkin, meaty Acorn and even butter-yellow Spaghetti Squash, its silky strands resembling a freshly cooked plate of pasta. And that exciting versatility is precisely what makes squash such a sought after ingredient at restaurants, so be sure to check out the vegetarian-friendly Pumpkin Tacos at the brand new Mission Cantina, the hand-cranked Butternut Squash Panzotti at Michael White’s elegant Italian steakhouse Costata…
Read More
Seasonal Eats: Cranberries
Cranberries are intrinsically connected to Thanksgiving, whether as part of a slithery jelly that’s been slipped out of a can, or simmered on the stove into a rustic holiday relish. But why restrict your consumption of cranberries to the most basic, expected dishes? Especially now that the nutrient-rich superfruit is at the height of its season (appearing at markets from October to December), restaurants are taking full advantage, incorporating cranberries throughout their menus in all sorts of interesting ways.
Read More
Flavor Injector
A lot of thought must go into the perfect Thanksgiving meal. And even more thought must go into the main attraction: The Turkey. Just think about it, turkey has been enjoyed at Thanksgiving meals all over America for centuries, and no one wants to be the one to mess that up. Everyone wants their guests leaving full, satisfied, and happy.
Read More
Q & A with Pok Pok Ny’s Andy Ricker
New York is having a love affair with Asian cooking, and Andy Ricker’s three terrific Thai eateries are among the most respected restaurants of all. There’s the flagship Pok Pok Ny in Brooklyn, modeled after his original outpost in Portland. There’s the recently opened Whiskey Soda Lounge just next door, which showcases delicious drinking food alongside cocktails made with Ricker’s own Som Drinking Vinegars. And there’s Pok Pok Phat Thai on the Lower East Side (formerly Pok Pok Wing), which focuses on highly authentic renditions of the popular, but too often bastardized dish.
Read More
Eight Essential New York Donuts
Except for a few, potato latke-loving eateries (see our recent roundup), you won’t consistently find potato pancakes on New York menus for more than eight days of the year. But that’s not so for donuts, another highly traditional and awesome Hanukkah food. Beloved by both Jews and Gentiles alike, the sugary circles of deep-fried dough are sold fresh and warm all over the city 24/7, which can be dangerous at 2 in the morning a few cocktails deep. There are classic glazed donuts at old-school bakeries, like Peter Pan in Brooklyn, seasonal, Concord Grape-filled squares at Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side, and even elegant restaurant versions, like…
Read More
Skal – Reviewed
In my wildest dreams, I never imagined that we’d need to add Icelandic to the list of cuisines we search for when dining out in New York. In fact, I wrote a book on the world’s foods and never conceived that Nordic cooking would be relevant, certainly not relevant enough to include in my book, Try This, nevermind Icelandic. But head down to Chinatown, on the edge of the Lower East Side, and you’ll find a buzzy little spot called Skal, serving up Pan-Seared Pike with Pickled Plums & Kohlrabi in an herbaceous Verbena Sauce, and tangly Icelandic Yogurt with Grated Beetroot and Sorrel Granita…
Read More
The Sweetest Savory Desserts
Let’s face it: No matter whether you’re stuffed or trying to adhere to a diet, it doesn’t take much arm-twisting to convince you to order dessert. But sometimes, a super-sweet treat after a decadent dinner is more than our stomachs can handle. That’s why we’re excited to see more and more savory ingredients popping up on restaurant dessert menus, and we’re not talking about your average Apple Pie with cheddar cheese or cream cheese-frosted Carrot Cake. From the Beet Red Velvet Cake at Dovetail to the Chorizo Ice Cream at Oddfellows…
Read More
Sweet Potato Tater Tots with Cranberry Applesauce
Creating dishes for Thanksgivikkuh is kind of like an edible puzzle… how do you truly marry the flavors of each holiday (Hanukkah and Thanksgiving) and still end up with something that you’d actually want to eat? Well, we think these appealingly orange Tater Tots really fit the bill. They make for an ultimate appetizer or side dish for Thanksgivikkuh, yes, but honestly, we can imagine enjoying these crispy little nuggets year-round!
Read More
Festive Foods for Thanksgivukkah
For passionate foodies such as ourselves, it really doesn’t get much better than Thanksgiving. Because what other federal holiday can you think of that’s so entirely focused around eating? And this years meal promises to be the best one yet, as the once in a lifetime overlap of Thanksgiving with the first night of Hanukkah (literally, it only happens once every 70,000 years), has led to a super celebration known as Thanksgivukkah… a delicious convergence of Turkey and Gravy with deep-fried Potato Pancakes.
Read More
New York’s Tastiest Latkes
What’s not to love about potato latkes? At their most basic level, they consist of shredded or mashed potatoes, pan-fried and served with sour cream and applesauce. But lets face it, after eight days of Hanukkah, even something so delicious can tend to get, well, kind of boring. Which is why we’ve rounded up New York’s tastiest – not to mention most unique – latkes, enough to see you through the entire holiday. Because once you’ve enjoyed Toloache’s Zucchini-studded Pancakes with Tomatillo Apple Salsa for dinner and Minetta Tavern’s Poached Egg and Salmon-topped Potato Latkes at brunch, you’ll be able to wholeheartedly affirm our first statement… what’s not to love about latkes?
Read More
Egg Waffle Pan
If you’ve ever been to Hong Kong, you’ve probably had the immense pleasure of their traditional egg waffles (aka an eggette or bubble waffle) and have been craving them ever since you’ve returned to the states. If you’ve never tasted one, you’re missing out… big time. this popular, Hong Kong street snack is a sweet, soft and chewy mix eggs, sugar, flour, and light evaporated milk.
Read More
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Dining Guide
It’s hard to believe, but no sooner do we stash away our Halloween costumes than it’s time to start thinking about Thanksgiving. Not that you need to worry if you don’t have standing plans to dine on turkey and mashed potatoes at a family member’s house. Letting a great restaurant prepare a holiday feast for you is hardly a cop-out… although you’ll need to hurry if you want a shot at a table…
Read More
Gourmet Gossip: November 2013
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 a new all-biscuit eatery in the East Village, to Hybird’s surprise shutter in the Meatpacking District, and Alice Waters’ upcoming appearance in Park Slope.
Read More
Trendspotting: Korean Cooking
Asian food has been seriously in fashion among New York’s top chefs for a while now. You’ll find Andy Ricker doing standout Thai at Pok Pok Ny, Zak Pelaccio making Malaysian fusion BBQ at Fatty ‘Cue, Joe Ng & Ed Schoenfeld doing Greenmarket Dim Sum at RedFarm, and Danny Bowien cooking hip, inventive Chinese, like Kung Pao Pastrami at Mission Chinese…
Read More
Powered-Up Goji Berry Bars
Why spend upwards of $2.50 a pop on preservative-laden, store-bought power bars? Made with nutrient-rich almonds and apricots, heart-healthy oats and chewy goji berries (a proven “super food”), our homemade energy bars will get you through a marathon, a work-out session, or your regular midday slump!
Read More
Gizmo Girl’s Food Dehydrator
Fall, aka the time of harvest, has us hanging on (for dear life) to all the fresh fruits and vegetables still growing before a long winter inevitably rolls along. Just how do you preserve all those great tomatoes (amazingly still growing!), apples, pumpkin, pears and we could go on…
Read More
Where to Carb Load Before the New York Marathon
Are you scheduled to run in the Marathon this Sunday? Well, congratulations, because that gives you carte blanche to spend the week carb-loading on some of New York’s best pasta, rice and potato dishes! Of course, it would be a shame for anyone to miss out on the the velvety polenta at L’Apicio or seafood-studded Paella at Toro in Manhattan, the tofu-topped French Fries at King Noodle in Brooklyn, or the ricotta-slathered Toasts at Milkflower in Queens. That’s why we won’t tell if the only exercise you plan on getting afterwards is watching the race from the sidelines, or curled up in front of your T.V.!
Read More
Toro – Reviewed
Anyone who’s eaten with me knows I don’t care much about the scene. It’s not that I’m a hater. I just prefer great food to a great room or cool crowd. Afterall, you can’t eat decor (as they say). So I was a little wary when I walked into Toro opening week to find the 100-seat tapas spot, packed with scenesters, clamoring for a peek of the new eatery and a taste of the food (or at least I was). Housed in the former Nabisco factory, Toro boasts sky high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Hudson River. The industrial chic space is outfitted with hanging aged jamon, a bull’s head, plenty of high top communal tables to socialize while you’re nibbling on tapas, and an ivy-covered wall at the rear of the restaurant near the plancha bar, which happen to be the best seats in the house…
Read MoreCheck out my Book — Try This
Recent Videos
Recently Interviewed
Most Recent Gizmos
