-
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
In Fashion – Our Favorite Layer Cakes
With all the talk about cupcakes, pies and mini desserts of all sorts, we got to thinking about classics that have come back in style and we couldn’t help but notice how layered cake has made its way back into the spotlight recently. Just think of Parm’s newly famous layered ice cream cake or Billy’s Bakery’s criminally good ice box cake. What we found were some pretty inspired and delicious takes on this old fashion cake, including Baked’s caramel...
Read MoreAbout Me
I began writing about food what seems like an eternity ago now, right around the time that Eater and Grub Street were born, back in 2005. It was a foodie free for all, food writers like me launching blogs to wax rhapsodic about last night’s dinner, dishing on the hottest chefs and restaurants. We’d race to restaurant openings as if it was opening night on Broadway and try to beat each other to the punch. Me, I was...
Read More
The Perfect Omelet
Cooking the perfect egg is an art and there are so many forms to perfect – from coddled eggs to poached and beyond. One of the most popular is the omelet, which can be tricky. Cook it on high heat and you’ll get rubbery eggs. Cook it too low and you’ll get runny. And then, there’s folding your omelet, which is the hardest of all, unless you have this Over Easy Omelet Express (pictured left). It might be a...
Read More
Edible Valentine's Day Gifts
Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. In our opinion, it’s not Valentine’s Day or a noteworthy holiday, for that matter, without the ritual sweets. Besides, February 14th isn’t just for lovers. It’s for anyone who loves a good excuse to eat! Forget roses and jewelry, there’s a number of Valentine’s Day edibles, from handmade marshmallows at Three Tarts to Kyotofu’s heart-shaped miso chocolate brownies. Look out cupid, we’re skipping straight to the sweet stuff. Kee’s Chocolates...
Read More
Valentine’s Day Dining
The holiday many love to hate is fast approaching. If you’re single, Valentine’s Day can be depressing. If you’re coupled, it can be a lot of pressure to buy roses at inflated prices or fancy chocolates. And, of course, you have to pick the perfect restaurant with a pricey prix fixe menu, a romantic setting, and aphrodisiacs of the oyster and fig sorts. Instead of giving into a “sucker’s night out” meal, we found a few great options...
Read More
Ultimate Valentine’s Day Gift For BBQ Fanatics
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we found the perfect gadget for barbecue and tech geeks. Yes, the iGrill (pictured right) is a thermometer, but it also links to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, so you don’t need to hover over the grill or even the oven, making sure you’re meat doesn’t overcook. Nope. Talk with your guests and monitor the roast’s internal temperature from your phone wherever you are. It has an alarm that goes off when...
Read More
New York’s Tea Parlor Trend
With all the buzz around coffee these days, tea sometimes gets neglected. And while New York’s experiencing a coffee revolution, there are just as exciting things happening in the world of tea. We can’t help but notice several new tea spots determined to change the way we see and sip tea. There’s the French-inspired Bosie Tea Parlor with a Bouley-trained pastry chef turning out killer macaroons and one-of-a-kind David’s Teas made with everything from popcorn to chili and chocolate. ...
Read More
Best of Bone Marrow & The City
Bone marrow is one dish that leans heavily towards the decadent end of the culinary spectrum and deliciously so. This winter, we’ve noticed quite a few unctous appearances in restaurants around the city, some prepared classically, others with a new twist. Miso-glazed bone marrow with orange and olive marmalade? That’s one we never had before Saxon + Parole recently opened. There’s everything from spoonable bone marrow at Prune to bone marrow tacos at Belcourt. Yes, bone marrow tacos. Here’s...
Read More
Rosie Cell Phone Holder
Apparently, not all kitchen essentials are for cooking, Especially not in this day and age when cell phones have virtually replaced landlines and you can pull up a recipe on your ipad or iphone. That’s why we love this practical, new kitchen tool, the Rosie Cell Phone holder (pictured right). This sleek, stainless steel holder fits onto any rail or shelf and is big enough to hold anything from a cell phone to a tried-and-true cordless phone. There’s prongs...
Read More
The Best Thing I Ate This Week – Mas La Grillade’s Oysters
I have to admit I was never a huge fan of West Village darling, Mas Farmhouse. Don’t get me wrong: The setting’s great, undeniably cozy and romantic, but I was never bowled over by the food. So when the owner and chef, Galen Zamarra, opened Mas (La Grillade), I didn’t pay much attention. That was a mistake. Zamarra’s newest venture sits on a no man’s land stretch of Seventh Avenue South near Little Branch cocktail bar. Step inside and...
Read More
New York’s Hottest Winter Cocktails
We’re not suggesting you forgo your daily cup (or three) of coffee, but winter is the perfect time to add a warm libation to your list of go-to beverages. From the Hot Buttered Mezcal at Daniel Boulud’s Bar Pleiades to Peels‘ outstanding “Ichabod’s Old Fashioned,” made with homemade pumpkin bitters & maple syrup, here’s a few of the hottest winter cocktails this season… Peels Restaurant Address: 235 Bowery New York, NY 10003 Phone: (646) 602-7015 Website: http://peelsnyc.com/ Peels specializes...
Read More
Spill Stop Lid
How many times have you stepped away from the stove for just a second only to hear that dreaded sizzle? That’s right, the pot boiled over again and now you have to clean up the mess. Whether it be boiling water for rice, pasta, potatoes or vegetables, it happens to the best chefs. Which is why we love this recent discovery – the Kuhon Rikon spill stop lids (pictured right). Direct from Germany, these colorful silicone lids prevent your...
Read More
Mini Flip Belgian Waffle Maker
Mini’s have all been all the rage this fall where dessert is concerned. We’ve seen and sampled everything from mini-cupcakes to mini-cannolis and more. If you’re like us, you like to recreate your favorite food finds at home, so we scouted out mini-makers of all kinds, from mini-pie makers to teeny ice cream sandwiches. One of our favorite discoveries is the Mini Waffle Maker from Smart Planet (pictured right). This gadget allows you to make pint-size Belgian waffles, the...
Read More
New York’s Top Noodles
Noodles mean different things to different people. For some, a deep bowl of ramen topped with a hard-boiled egg and pork belly comes to mind. For others, it’s a bowl of homemade fettuccine in brown butter sauce. Whether you like your noodles hand-pulled or knife-cut, hot or cold, wheat, rice or buckwheat, there’s oodles of fantastic noodle dishes to discover this winter. (Though you want to stick with the warm versions until spring rolls back around.) From Zabb Elee’s...
Read More
Best Thing I Ate This Week – Yakitori Totto's Salmon Siokara
There are certain restaurants you wish you could keep to yourself. It’s entirely selfish, but who wants to show up at one of their favorite spots only to find a longer line that usual and have no one to blame but themself? (Well, It’s true.) While I have mentioned Yakitori Totto in passing as one of my stand-by’s, I’ve never really shined the spotlight on it in fear I’d regret it. So I thought I’d start the New Year...
Read More
Q & A With Anne Burrell
With her spiky blonde hair and signature cowgirl skirt, chef Anne Burrell doesn’t quite fit the part of supporting character. Yet, until 2007, that’s what she played as Mario Batali’s sous chef on Iron Chef America. Before that, she trained in Tuscany, then returning to New York, worked under Lidia Bastianich at Felidiaand taught at I.C.E. for three years.But 2007 has been a very good year for Burrell: She not only made an impressive debut at Centro Vinoteca, but...
Read More
Best of Nantucket
If you’ve never been to Nantucket, you haven’t truly seen America. This quintessential, oh-so-Americana island on the tip of Massachusetts, with its vibrant blue hydrangeas and weathered shingle, New England-style houses looks like something out of the 1800’s. It’s a vacation rite of passage for just about anyone who’s felt patriotic or craved a lobster roll with a side of fries in the summertime. The food, especially the fresh seafood, is just as terrific as the pristine beaches. Here’s a few of our must visits on Nantucket…
Read More
Best of – NYC’s Healthful Haute Cooking
The holidays have officially come and gone, and as much as we love all of the festivities and food, we’re ready to come up for air. Just because we need a break from the holiday excess doesn’t mean we plan on staying in – and you shouldn’t have to either! There are plenty of ways to make the most of New York’s dining scene, while still sticking to healthful New Year’s resolutions. There’s a host of talented chefs all...
Read MoreCheck out my Book — Try This
Recent Videos
Recently Interviewed
Most Recent Gizmos
