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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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Best New Vendors Smorgasburg 2013
A tongue-in-cheek reference to the Scandinavian Smörgåsbord, an extensive buffet that features a variety of hot and cold dishes, Smorgasburg more than lives up to its name. Brooklyn’s mammoth, all-food flea market features up to 100 independent vendors, specializing in everything from Deep-Fried Anchovies and Filipino Spring Rolls, to dairy-free Ice Cream and artisanal Pigs in a Blanket. With competition so fierce, it’s more important than ever for upstart artisans to bring their “A” game. And, from what we tasted at Smorgasburg last Saturday, these elite new vendors are already rising to the head of the class.
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Best In-Between Seasons Eats
It’s a funny thing about the first few weeks of spring. No sooner do we start to get excited about longer, warmer days and farmers markets full of green, leafy vegetables, then the weather takes a turn, and we go right back to craving soups and stews for those still-too-chilly afternoons, and even colder nights. So until we can officially forgo beans for sweet peas, steak for shellfish, and cremini mushrooms for morels, we’re happily taking advantage of these “in-between season” eats.
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Restaurant Spotting – The Wallace
Ringed by a barbershop, a Subway franchise and a bodega, Brooklyn’s The Wallace seems an unlikely spot for Seared Sea Scallops with Hazelnut Cauliflower Puree, or Duck Breast with Fingerling Potatoes, Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Duck Demi Glace. And even though the restaurant is in coveted proximity to the Barclay’s Center, the massive new sports and entertainment complex on Atlantic Avenue, it’s not a place you’re likely to just stumble upon. But it’s one you might want to make a concentrated effort to seek out.
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Q & A with Dinosaur Bar-B-Que’s John Stage
When you think of the great BBQ capitals of America, like Texas, North Carolina or Tennessee, you’ll notice that East Coast states never make the list. Yet John Stage, founder of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, has spent the last 25 years working magic with a smoker, producing some of tenderest brisket, tastiest pulled pork, and most lip-smacking ribs you’re likely to find North of the Mason-Dixon line.
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Countertop Deep Fryer
With summer still a few months away, it’s the perfect time of year to guiltlessly enjoy some of your favorite deep-fried comfort foods. (We’ve got Fried Chicken on the brain right now.) But deep-frying in your own kitchen is not as simple as it may seem (unless you’re totally cool with oil-stained aprons and a few minor burns).
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Spring Dishes on the Rise
As Sohui Kim, chef and owner of The Good Fork in Red Hook eloquently put it, “Spring is when I can stop pretending to be excited about cooking with root vegetables.” It’s still a bit early in the season (ramp mania has yet to hit its peak), but plenty of restaurants are already showcasing glimpses of spring’s bounty from the Greenmarket. We scouted out a vibrant Spring Pea Soup at Market Table, Spring Garlic Risotto at Craft, and Strawberries and Rhubarb sweetening Foie Gras at Prospect in Fort Greene…
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Middle Eastern Lamb & Green Bean Tagine
When we think of Easter time, two must-have dishes spring to mind, Lamb and Green Bean Casserole. And while Easter is officially over, we’re inspired to combine the two together this spring for an unusual, but no less delicious entrée – a Moroccan-inspired Lamb and Green Bean Tajine. We’ve adapted our recipe to cook in an everyday pot, but if you happen to own a Tajine (or feel like purchasing one as they’re very attractive), by all means, use it!
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Carbone – Reviewed
There’s just something about a “red sauce” joint that feeds the soul more than any kind of restaurant imaginable. I love going out to dinner and trying new restaurants (after all, I am a restaurant girl), but that often involves concepts that are a modern twist on a classic, like Modern Mexican, a fusion of two (or more) cuisines, or a purely Greenmarket play of seasonal, local eats. Rarely do you come across a buzzy, new restaurant that peddles in Veal Parmesan, Linguine with Clams, and Lobster Fra Diavolo. It sounds almost like a contradiction in terms, but Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi have made an art of Red Sauce Italian, and by doing so, have made Italian-American cooking hot.
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Best Lamb Dishes for Spring
Chicken is by far America’s most popular protein and becoming trendier every day. And, of course, from Bacon to Belly, nothing is hipper than Pork. But with the Easter holiday upon us, and the weather just beginning to warm, the meat du jour is Lamb. There’s nothing more iconic than a Leg of Lamb as the centerpiece of an Easter table, or a surer sign of Spring than seeing juicy loins and chops appear on restaurants menus throughout the...
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The Best Matzoh Ball Soups In New York
Some grandmothers pass down recipes for Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes, while others make the best Lasagna, Arroz con Pollo, or Sweet Potato Pie. For good little Jewish boys and girls, though, nothing says grandma like a steaming bowl of Matzoh Ball Soup. And the upcoming Passover holiday makes those childhood memories even sweeter.
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The Best Spots for Easter Brunch
Having a leisurely brunch on Sunday is practically a way of life in New York. What better way to unwind after a long work week (or recover from a Saturday night-indcued hangover) than with stacks of buttery pancakes, tripped out Bloody Mary’s, fancy bacon and farm eggs, and unlimited Bellinis or Mimosas? But Easter Sunday takes brunch to a whole other level. It calls for extra special, extra creative fare often involving ham, lamb, and plenty of sweets. Not...
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Best of Dining Out During Passover
When you’re Jewish, it can be hard to get psyched about potato latkes during Hanukkah when it seems like everyone else is feasting on Egg Nog, Christmas cookies and juicy roasts. And it’s not really any easier to swallow dry Matzoh and potato kugel during Passover when Easter celebrants get to enjoy ham, lamb, chocolate bunnies, and those beloved marshmallow peeps. But the Passover Seder doesn’t need to be something you just resign to dutifully. In fact, at a...
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Italian Chicken Brodo with Matzoh Meatballs
Even if the matzoh balls were from a box mix, and the broth came from a can, nothing will ever compare to your Bubby’s Matzoh Ball Soup. That’s why we’re not even attempting to compete. Our Italian-inspired Chicken Brodo with Matzoh Meatballs is an entirely untraditional spin on the Passover favorite, but would be more than welcome on any modern Seder table.
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Gizmo Girl’s Triple Serving Dish
The fuss that comes along with entertaining a crowd is enough to make the average at-home cook go completely insane. First there’s the preparation, then there’s making sure the food stays fresh and replenished, then there’s the clean up…the list never ends. That’s why we’re big fans of gizmos that make serving finger foods even easier. Anything that helps us spread out some snacks and promptly return to the kitchen is a huge help. Stylish, functional, and dishwasher safe are the three main things we look for in new kitchen additions, and this one’s got all three…
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Best Wild Game Dishes in NY
Right about this time of year, we begin to tire of the same old roast chicken, pork chops, and grilled strip steaks. We eaters often forget there’s a whole other world of meat of the elk, venison and ostrich sorts. Well, a few, local restaurants are taking a walk on the wild side when it comes to their proteins, stocking their kitchens with pheasant, quail, and even kangaroo. Of course, rich cuts of meat like these are particularly well suited to cold weather dishes, so be sure to grab a taste before spring kicks in. Henry’s End’s Herb-Crusted Elk Chops and Casa Mono’s Quail with Toasted Quince are both excellent places to start, but these other delicious wild game dishes are worth hunting out, too!
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Q & A with Back Forty’s Peter Hoffman
When Peter Hoffman opened his seminal, farm-to-table restaurant Savoy in 1990, terms like “local,” “seasonal,” and “sustainable” had yet to become part of the dining lexicon. Now, you’d be hard pressed to find a Manhattan chef that doesn’t make regular runs to the Union Square Greenmarket, or a Brooklyn eatery that fails to cite the origins of its Heritage pork, free-range eggs, and artisanal wedges of farmstead cheese. And although Hoffman shuttered Savoy in 2011, he remains resolute in his mission to eliminate out of season, overly processed ingredients from his restaurant menus.
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Luck of the Irish Soda Bread Muffins
A dry and tasteless Irish soda bread can be just as unappealing as a sickly sweet Christmas fruitcake. Which is why we make our version with cake flour (which has lower levels of gluten than bread, wheat, or white flour,) and take special care not to knead or overwork our dough, so the soda bread doesn’t get tough. There’s also butter and oil for moisture (not a given in all soda bread recipes,) and sweet raisins, savory fennel seeds, and crunchy walnuts for interest and flavor. Oh, and did we mention that this soda bread is made in cute little individualized muffin cups?
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Le Philosophe – Reviewed
Le Philosophe doesn’t look much like a French bistro. Aside from the French food lingo printed on the walls, like “Plat Du Jour” and “Bouillabaisse,” there’s nothing particularly French about this spot, located on a chic stretch of Bond Street in NoHo. Instead of tin ceilings, tiles and red banquettes, there’s black ceilings, a sea of twinkling little votives to light up the dimly lit space, and an open kitchen with a teeny bar in the rear. (It ain’t no Balthazar.) The crowd is interesting and eclectic.
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