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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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7 Beer Cocktails We’re Digging in New York
Beer cocktails aren’t exactly new. They’ve been around for a while, from the classic “Shandy” to the “Cerveza Preparadas” in Mexico. But in the past few years, the beer cocktail trend has been given new life, as innovative bartenders blend brews with house-made syrups, spices, and fresh squeezed fruit juices. Some beer purists balk at the idea of diluting a beer with mixers and trendy add-ons, but many beer aficionados see a beer cocktail as a chance to improve their favorite brews.
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Macaron Baking Set
It feels like just yesterday that everyone in New York City was talking about where to get the best cupcake. Though the cupcake craze hasn’t really died down (you’ll still find a line out the door at Magnolia almost every day), there’s a new dessert in town that you can suddenly find just about anywhere in the city: Macarons.
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New York’s Best Ceviches
Most people used to think of ceviche as, well, just uncooked fish. But there’s an art to un-cooking and what originated in Peru and Ecuador has become a mainstay on menus all over the country.
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Gizmo Girl – Aeroville’s Killer Cup of Espresso
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re obsessed with all things coffee. We know it’s hard to recreate a true barista experience at home but we’re always trying. Now, it may not look like much, but this puppy is years in the making. Aeropress Espresso Maker is founded on air pressure brewing, which shortens filtering time, and more importantly, eliminates the bitterness you often find in your garden variety espresso. How long does it take exactly? 20 seconds. That’s it...
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Best Bacon Bites in New York
Bacon is one of those foods we just can’t resist (even though we should!). No matter how hard we try to keep our eye on the fruit plate at breakfast, we somehow find a way to sneak in an order of bacon. Thankfully, science is out to prove there’s a reason for our obsession with bacon. Studies have shown that bacon contains chemicals that trigger an addictive response in our brains. Really. And in New York, there’s some seriously...
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Q&A with Crave Fishbar’s Todd Mitgang
Not many chefs get the opportunity to be a Chef De Cuisine at just 22 years old. Todd Mitgang managed to graduate from the French Culinary Institute and land himself in the modern Thai kitchen at Kittichai, inside the stylish, Thompson Hotel. Mitgang has seen it all over his ten year career. His breakout success, Crave Ceviche Bar, was destroyed by a freak crane accident in 2008, forcing him to close his restaurant and start virtually from scratch. His next...
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Best of Date Night
Whether it’s a first date or a night out with your serious significant other, picking the perfect dining destination is crucial. The restaurant you choose will help set the tone for the night, and potentially beyond. Pick a bad spot for your first date, and you may not get a second date. Choose the wrong place (a crowded sports bar, for example) and, well… you might end up sleeping on the couch. Finding a spot that offers the perfect...
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Meatopia
If you haven’t heard of Meatopia, you might want to familiarize yourself this coming weekend. Just what is Meatopia? We like to think of it as a Carnivore’s Disneyland with succulence everywhere you turn. In fact, forty great chefs from all over the world will be descending on Randall’s Island to cook for the occasion, including April Bloomfield, Michael White, and Joey Campanaro.
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Sriracha on the Rise
Momofuku Milk Bar Pastry Chef Christina Tosi’s Crack Pie is the ultimate holy grail of pies. Many have tried to replicate this pie (especially now that Milk Bar has a cookbook out) to no avail. Why is it called the Crack Pie? Well, it’s so good that it’s the only fitting description is that it’s “as good as crack.”
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Home Canning Set
Fall weather may not be here yet (thankfully), but we don’t mind looking for ways to get into the spirit. Why not try a new hobby this year and master the art of canning? You can preserve all those great cucumbers in pickle form or make tomato sauce or even tomato jam while they’re still ripe on the vine for a few, more precious weeks. Unfortunately, canning can be an Olympic sport of sorts for home cooks. If...
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Last Licks of Summer
Just because Labor Day is around the bend doesn’t mean summer’s over. Not until September 22nd anyway. We say there’s still plenty of time to enjoy all that summer has to offer — watermelon, corn mint, sugar snap peas, and crab. And chefs all over the city are using these fresh, flavorful ingredients to create dishes that capture the essence of the season. There’s the Watermelon Gazpacho at Bell Book and Candle, Locanda Verde’s Burrata with Wood-Fired Peaches and...
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Seasonal Eats — Cucumbers
You can get a cucumber any time of year these days, but once you try a cucumber in the summer, when they’re meant to be eaten, you’ll have a hard time going back to the ones found in the supermarket. Now is when cucumbers are being harvested, and not the usual ones you see everywhere. This is the time for kirbys, burpless and lemon cucumbers.
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Ice Bottle Chiller Mold
We’ve still got a little summer left and that means more outdoor entertaining. If you love wine as much as we do, you know that white wine is best when properly chilled properly. Sure, the good old ice bucket will work, but in no time, you’re left with a a bucket full of water and a soaking wet bottle. Not the best way to entertain guests. This Ice Bottle Chiller Mold makes your wine the center of attention, while...
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Blueberry Soup Fix
What’s more summery than plump, indigo-stained blueberries practically bursting at the seams with sweetness? Berries of all sorts are the emblematic fruits of summer. And unlike ice cream, you don’t have to feel guilty about loving them! Not to bore you with the details, but blueberries have immeasurable health benefits. They have an extremely low glycemic index, which means they don’t impact our blood sugar levels. Another plus is that they also have tons of antioxidants, which means they...
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Portable Ice Maker
Just imagine drinking a cold margarita on the beach, or by the pool, or even tailgating this football season. There’s only one problem. Ice. And that’s a pretty big problem unless you’re tossing a bag of ice in the truck. Still, that will melt before you know it, so we searched for a solution. Voila, the Portable Ice Maker. No drain or plumbing required. Seriously. It has an illuminated, easy touch pad for easy use and makes up...
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Summer’s Best Corn Dishes
Summer may be winding down, but things are just getting exciting where corn is concerned. We sampled the city to find the best corn dishes in New York, from the Chilled Corn Soup at Blue Hill to the Sweet Corn Panna Cotta at Esca. Right now is the perfect time to get your corn fix, so check out our list to see where you can get the ultimate taste of summer…
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Blackberry Bliss
Blackberries, otherwise known as brambleberries, brumblekites or lawers, are a summertime staple. That’s when they’re at their peak: Juicy, tender, and utterly delectable. But unfortunately for blackberry lovers, they’re famous for their short season and their delicate nature. So if you’re hoping to get your blackberry fix this summer, avoid the grocery store (unless they carry super local berries – these guys don’t ship well) and head to the local farmer’s market instead. That’s where you’ll find the plump, deep...
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New York’s Best Summer Desserts
Where dessert is concerned, summer might just be our favorite time of year thanks to ingredients, like fresh strawberries, refreshing mint, and tart blueberries. There’s an abundance of stone fruits and berries that are just hitting their peak at this time of year, which means lots of sweet and juicy desserts.
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