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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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Q & A with Traif & Xixa’s Jason Marcus
A Jewish chef cooking pork and shellfish in East Williamsburg, one of the largest Hasidic neighborhoods in the city, may seem like little more than a running gag. Especially when he calls that restaurant Traif. And yes, the cheeky irony may initially attract visitors this corner of Brooklyn (the colorful space festooned with heart-studded piggies is also good for a laugh). But Jason Marcus’ thoughtful brand of cooking guarantees their return, long after the joke has worn off.
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Seasonal Eats: Soft Shell Crabs
Most people think vegetables when they consider all of the culinary delights associated with the spring. But there’s an under-the-sea treat that’s equally delicious, with a season every bit as fleeting, as morel mushrooms, ramps and fiddlehead ferns. Soft-shell crab season is traditionally marked with the first full moon in May. At that time, the blue crab begins molting its shell, in order to accommodate summer growth.
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Drink Spotting: Mint Juleps at Maison Premiere
If what excites you most about the upcoming Kentucky Derby is horseracing and oversized hats, well, you’ve come to the wrong place. For us, the annual event is nothing less than an unabashed celebration of the mint julep, one of our favorite, seasonal cocktails. Considered the signature drink of the Kentucky Derby for over 70 years, the standard julep is made with bourbon, sugar, water, and mint, and traditionally served in a silver or pewter cup. But this in NYC, not the Deep South. And our cocktail scene is infinitely more exciting — so why limit yourself to sipping a single rendition of the centuries old tipple all night? That’s why we’re placing our bets on Maison Premiere as a serious front-runner this Saturday, in a race to become the city’s top Kentucky Derby destination.
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Dish Spotting: Pork Slope’s Shrimp Po’ Boy
With a name like Pork Slope, it may seem a transgression to order anything off of the menu that didn’t formerly have a snout. In chef Dale Talde’s hands, however, a seriously substantial Shrimp Po’Boy is anything but a cop-out; a mere half-hearted gimme to the other-white-meat adverse. In fact, like most of his re-worked working class creations, it’s not only insanely delicious, but a gold standard of its kind. Instead of the expected French bread (a sturdier, more reliable conveyance for the overstuffed innards of the average New Orleans sub), Talde substitutes two infinitely tastier slabs of his addictive black pepper butter toast.
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Citrus Mister
This spring there’s a new gizmo that promises to help out in a ridiculously simple yet utterly practical way. Turn your lemons or limes into little personal spritzers with this innovative Citrus Mister. Just pop the mister right into the fruit and use it just like you would any other spritzer. It comes with two sizes (one for smaller fruits like limes and one for larger ones like grapefruit) and they even throw in a little stand to place your fruit upright on while you’re not using it.
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Tacombi’s Cinco de Mayo Chilaquiles
Since Cinco de Mayo falls on a Sunday this year, it only makes sense to kick off your celebrations with brunch. And there are plenty of places in the city to indulge in hearty, Mexican breakfast dishes, like Migas, Huevos Rancheros, or Chilaquiles Verdes. We especially love Tacombi’s tasty Chilaquiles; a pile of homemade tortilla chips topped with salsa verde, crèma fresca, pickled onions, and two sunny side up eggs.
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Q & A with Arlington Club’s Laurent Tourondel
Laurent Tourondel may be a native of France, but his brand has become synonymous with American classics. Think burgers, fries and milkshakes at LT Burger in Bryant Park, and juicy sirloins and rib eyes at BLT Steak. Though he parted ways with E Squared Hospitality and the BLT empire a few years ago, he just recently returned with his own brand of steakhouse at Arlington Club and he’s taken his famous Gruyere popovers with him.
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The Ultimate Mother’s Day Dining Guide
Chances are your mom dealt with your toddler tantrums, indulged your New Kids on the Block obsession, bought you your first car, sent you to college, and suffered through your string of highly unsuitable significant others. And let’s not forget that whole pushing you out of her birth canal business. So why not make a few installments on a lifetime of payback by taking her out for Mother’s Day? From an elaborate dinner at The NoMad in Manhattan to laidback Italian at Antica Pesa in Brooklyn, and a day trip to City Island in the Bronx, this handy guide will help show your mom how much you really care.
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Dish Spotting: Pop’s of Brooklyn’s Texas Sr. Burger
Normally, wandering around NYC in search of a great meal with no concrete plan doesn’t end well. If you manage to come across a place with a decent menu that will seat you without a reservation, chances are it won’t be long before you realize why the joint wasn’t exactly packed. But, once in a while you might come across a gem that not only accommodates your poor planning, but also becomes one of your new favorites. And that’s exactly what happened when we stumbled into Pop’s of Brooklyn this past weekend in search of a quick burger and beer.
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The City’s Best Cinco de Mayo Celebrations
What immediately springs to mind when you think of Cinco de Mayo? Probably pitchers of sangria, frosty, salt-rimmed margaritas, baskets of chips and salsa, and all the tacos you can eat. But technically, the holiday commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France, at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Considered a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo has since evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, which, for the gringos among us, pretty...
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Gwynnett St. – Reviewed
I’d return to Gwynnett St. for the whiskey bread alone. It may sound silly, but it’s that good. Served warm, this crusty, homemade loaf is as sweet as cornbread, soft on the inside, and dosed with plenty of whiskey. It’s also the simplest thing on the menu… by far. The food at this newish Williamsburg spot is entirely complicated, and yet utterly satisfying, a rare feat as far as restaurants go.
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“Ramp up the Volume” Pesto with Seared Sea Scallops
Did you claw your way to the front of a farmers market stand, in order to get your hands on one of the season’s first bushels of ramps? Perhaps even foraged them yourself, on a hike through the woods upstate? Either way… congratulations! You’re currently in possession of spring’s most coveted veggie, wild young leeks with a garlic-like aroma and pronounced onion flavor. But how the heck do you use them?
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Seasonal Eats: Ramps
We’re not exactly sure when ramp-mania started. But there’s no denying that in the last few years, the onset of spring has been officially marked by the appearance of ramps on restaurant menus. So what exactly is this elusive onion that’s taken the culinary world by storm? A perennial wild leek, the ramp has broad, edible green leaves and a tender stalk and bulb with a purplish tinge, similar to a scallion in taste and texture.
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Herb Garden Kit
You’d be hard pressed to find someone in New York who hasn’t given in to the farm-to-table craze. Green markets are bigger than ever, restaurants throughout the country are striving to use fresh ingredients, and we’re all getting a little smarter about how we dine out. But just because the trend has hit the restaurant scene, it doesn’t mean you can’t take it to the next level in your kitchen at home. And you don’t have to stop with buying organic veggies from the local farmer’s market…
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“Rites of Spring” Strawberry Rhubarb Cocktail
Let’s be honest. Sometimes, a good strong cocktail is the only thing that can get you through the winter. Not that we’re abandoning the liquor cabinet now that it’s spring. Light spirits pair particularly well with warm-weather ingredients – we combined tangy rhubarb and sparkling wine for the ultimate spring cooler, perfect for a leisurely weekend brunch, as an aperitif before dinner, or for sipping while watching the sun set from your stoop, patio, fire escape or rooftop!
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Q & A with Flatiron Lounge & Clover Club’s Julie Reiner
It’s often said that there aren’t enough women working in professional kitchens. And the same seems to be true of behind the bar. But when it comes to real top of the line mixologists, there are few bigger names in the business than Julie Reiner – and that’s male or female. Owner and beverage director of the jazzy, ten-year-old Flatiron Lounge in Manhattan (which serves intricately layered drinks listed under “Whiskey,” “Brandy,” “Rum,” “Gin,” “Tequila,” and “Vodka”), and the pre-Prohibition era Clover Club in Brooklyn (known for its assortment of Sours and Daisies, Collins and Fizzes, Punches and Royales), Reiner is often credited with revitalizing the golden age of the cocktail, making American classics with fresh juices, handcrafted syrups and infusions, and seasonal ingredients.
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Spring Cocktails on the Rise
Dishes like Boeuf Bourguignon and Brussels Sprouts don’t really have a place on lightened-up, springtime menus. And neither do heady, malty spirits, like Port or Brandy, or comfort cocktails, like Rum Punch or a Tom & Jerry. That’s why bars and restaurants are making sure their cocktails are every bit as seasonal as the food they accompany, from the sugar snap pea-topped “Green Giant” at Clover Club in Brooklyn to the blood orange and rhubarb-accented “Spiritual America” at Nolita’s Pearl and Ash. So put down your wintry Manhattan and try one of these warm-weather libations this spring!
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Dish Spotting: Manzanilla’s Croquettes
New Yorkers embrace food from all over the world. We can’t get enough Korean, Thai, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese… you get the picture. But (and that’s a big but) we don’t typically take kindly to foreigners, at least not in the food department. Think about how many foreign restaurants have planted flags on our soil only to be sent back to their country defeated. Let’s be honest, many of them had it coming. But from the sea of full tables in the dining room on a recent Saturday night, that’s not the case for Manzanilla, a brand new Spanish spot in Gramercy.
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