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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…
Most Recent Dish
The Bubble Lounge's Grand Marnier Chocolate Truffles
By Pastry Chef Pichet Ong(Yields 4 dozen truffles) Ingredients: 2 cups cream 675 g valrhona chocolate, pur caribe 1/2 cup milk 3 egg yolks a pinch of salt 1/4 cup grand marnier (or champagne and chambord) 500 g valrhona chocolate, pur caribe or 1 cup cocoa powder (optional) Procedure:1) Bring cream, salt, and milk to a scald. Temper onto a bowl with yolks and return pot to heat and cook with flat end wooden spatula until custard coats the...
Read MoreRotary Herb Mill
Dried herbs are a lot more convenient and often less expensive than fresh ones. I’m guilty of tossing dried parsley flakes in broth and dried oregano in tomato sauce. Truth be told, dried isn’t in the same league as fresh, fragrant herbs. Flavor always wins out. Unfortunately, it’s usually a pain to cut, wash, and de-stem fresh herbs. That is until we found this ingenious gadget. This rotary herb mill (pictured right) does all the mincing for you. ...
Read MoreNew York's Finest Ice Creams
New Yorkers take everything edible seriously. We're just as passionate about ice cream as we are about burgers and French fries. Ice cream shops come up with inventive, new flavors and combinations every year. With all the ice cream-ologists on wheels, Mister Softee's got competition. Chickalicious - Best Gourmet Soft ServeAddress: 203 East 10th St., btwn 1st & 2nd Aves.Phone: (212)995-9511Vanilla soft serve is one of life's simplest & most gratifying pleasures. Mister Softee has lots of competition...
Read MoreAsparagus Steamer
Steaming asparagus is not as easy as it sounds. So many people end up with tough, undercooked stems or floppy, overcooked ones. This is a delicate spring vegetable that requires a little extra attention in the pot. We refused to ruin this year’s crop, so we tracked down an asparagus basket & pot (pictured right.) What don’t they make these days? Apparently, a lot of chefs want to protect their precious produce. Just wash, cut off the end...
Read MoreSpring Menus & Al Fresco Dining
One of the best things about spring is dining outdoors. Everyone has finally come out of hibernation to feast on spring produce, like ramps and rhubarb. While some restaurants have to make the best of seating on highly trafficked sidewalks, others have the luxury of beautiful gardens or outdoor patios. We’ve scouted out a few of the best places to linger over ramps, asparagus, and citrus. Locanda Verde Address: 377 Greenwich Street, at North Moore Phone: (212) 925-3797 This...
Read More21 Club's Grilled Black Bass with Asparagus & Lemon Caper Vinaigrette
By Executive Chef John Greeley(Serves 4)Ingredients: Black Bass 1 oz grapeseed oil 2-3 whole black bass, scaled, and filleted with skin on Sea salt to taste 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 pinch piment de’despelette (a robust, smokey Basque pepper similar to paprika 4 lemon wedges 4 oz. herb salad (mix of micro herbs or blend of soft herbs like chervil, tarragon, and chives)Asparagus 8 pieces jumbo asparagus, peeled, split down the middle 1 oz. diced tomato, peeled Lemon...
Read MoreRecipe Sizer
I love testing out new recipes, but I always run into one problem. The serving size never fits my needs. It’s not as easy as you think to adapt a recipe that serves five to a romantic dinner for two. I’d rather to stick cooking than doing math in then kitchen. When Easter dinner rolled around, I finally got around to buying a recipe sizer. Simply turn the dial to double or triple if you want to increase the...
Read MoreQ & A with Aldo Sohm
It’s not often the world’s best sommelier gets punked by Frank Bruni. Just another day at Le Bernardin apparently. Fortunately, Aldo Sohm loves challenges, which might explain how he earned the title, “Best Sommelier in the World.” Sohm entered the competition on a whim and held has his title four years in a row. He isn’t one of those people who claims they’re “born with a wine palate.” In fact, he hated the taste the first time he...
Read MoreFirst Signs of Spring Menus
Technically, it’s spring. Though the weather’s not cooperating, there are signs on menus all over the city. Delicate ceviches, arugula salads, rhubarb desserts, meyer lemon, mandarin, and other species of citrus are cropping up at some of the finest restaurants. Which makes feel a little closer to T-shirt weather, even if it’s just indoors. Rouge Tomate Address: 10 East 60th St, btwn. 5th & Madison Aves. Phone: (646) 237-8977 www.rougetomatenyc.com The thought of “healthy food” makes most people depressed,...
Read MoreJames' Saffron Risotto with Maine Shrimp and Garlic Cream
By Executive Chef Bryan Calvert(Serves 2 large portions) Ingredients: Risotto 1 cup Vialone Nano, Carnaroli or Arborio Rice 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 cloves of garlic 1 shallot finely minced Pinch of Spanish saffron ½ cup white wine 1.5 cups hot vegetable stock 1 cup hot water 2 tablespoon butter (optional) Salt Freshly ground black pepper ½ cup grated Parmigano Reggiano 1 tablespoon chopped chives Shrimp Sauce ½ pound cleaned Maine shrimp 1 tablespoon...
Read MoreNut Chopper
Chopped nuts add flavor and crunch to everything from salads to yogurt to cookies. Just think about how much better peanut butter cookies taste with real peanuts or sauteed brussel sprouts with chopped walnuts. Chopping them yourself always sounds like a good idea until they end up everywhere but the cutting board. Not to mention it’s surprisingly hard work. Most of the time, I cave and buy the pre-chopped variety. Now, I have no excuse. This nut grinder is...
Read MoreQ & A with 21 Club's Christopher Smith
Everyone has a story. When you work at the 21 Club, you have more than most. Christopher Smith is the captain of “Upstairs at 21,” which means he’s the maitre d‘ and sommelier every evening. He’s witnessed four proposals and four anniversaries on the same night. He’s also a trained opera singer with a diploma from Italy. How does an opera singer end up working at the 21 Club? Vegas, of course. Then Christopher moved to New York, where...
Read MoreLast Licks of Winter's Best Dishes
Spring officially kicked off on Saturday, but it often takes a couple weeks for restaurants to switch modes and menus. Which means that there’s still time to savor hearty stews, braised meats, and bistro classics. We recommend you get your last licks of winter before spring vegetables replace root vegetables at the Greenmarket. Sure, some dishes are menu fixtures, but we’d rather devote springtime to the short-lived season of asparagus and ramps while we can. Bar Boulud and...
Read MoreButtermilk Channel's Famous Duck Meatloaf
It’s the perfect time to get last licks of winter, because spring has arrived. Finally. We thought we’d celebrate the end of winter with a few, hearty dishes that we’ll actually miss. This meatloaf has gotten plenty of attention since Buttermilk Channel opened last year. Who knew it was so easy to make? Ingredients: (Yields 4 portions) 1 pound ground duck meat 4oz ground duck fat½ cup minced onion (cooked) ¼ cup chopped raisins ½ cup breadcrumbs 2 tbs....
Read MorePotato Masher
Mashed potatoes are one of America’s favorite comfort foods, so it’s probably a good idea to master the art of creamy, lump-less ones. Unfortunately, that only seems to happen in restaurants. Not to mention mashing potatoes is surprisingly hard work. Well, now you don’t have to mash at all. Instead of pounding, the Simply Mash relies on rotation. Just put the boiled potatoes in a bowl, grab onto the non-slip handle, and rotate your palm in a circular motion. ...
Read MoreQ & A with Gabe and Katherine Thompson
Who would’ve thought a blind date could lead to marriage and two thriving Italian restaurants? Gabe & Katherine Thompson even get along at work in not one, but two kitchens. Gabe does the cooking, while Katherine oversees the dessert menus at both dell’anima and L’Artusi. Before becoming a pastry chef, Katherine worked as a food runner at per se, cooked savory at Italian Wine Merchants, then honed her pastry skills at Del Posto and Brasserie 44. Gabe...
Read MoreThe Plaza’s St. Patty’s Shamrock Sour
By Heather Buesing Ingredients: 1 oz. Jameson ¾ oz. Midori liqueur ½ oz. lemon juice ½ oz. simple syrup 1 egg white Procedure: 1) Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake until combined. Pour into a highball glass and serve. Address: 768 5th Ave, between 58th & 59th Sts. Phone: (212)...
Read MoreButter Guide
Baking is an exact science. Add a teaspoon of yeast to your bread mix instead of a teaspoon and it might not rise at all. Butter’s integral to baking, but iy’d not always easy to measure. Have you ever bought one of those wax paper-wrapped sticks of butter labeled in tablespoon measurements? It’s difficult to get an accurate measurement when nearly half of the butter is stuck to the wax paper. And there’s no measurements on foil or paper-wrapped,...
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