Pinkberry
7 West 32nd Street (btwn. 5th & 6th Aves.) (212)695-9631 Hours of Operation: 7 days a week, 11 AM – 11PM daily NUTRITIONAL VALUE: Though curiously under wraps, I managed to coax owner Daihwan Choi into divulging that the medium (8 oz.) is 200 calories. All of the yogurt here is non-fat, but carbs have yet to be disclosed. INSIDE SCOOP: Pinkberry hopes to open locations on the UES (82nd & 2nd Ave.), Nolita (Prince & Mulberry), and Meatpacking (20th St. & 8th Ave.). INSIDE SECRET: There’s an off-the-menu mochi topping for in-the-know yogurt addicts or bi-coastal Pinkberry loyalists. PRICES: Original flavor – Small, $2.95, M $3.95, & L $6.45 Green Tea flavor – Small $3.90, M $ 4.95, & L $8.25 One topping is an additional $.95, $1.50 for three toppings Still reeling from the disappointment of yesterday’s...
Read MoreRussian Tea Room
150 West 57th Street (between 6th & 7th Aves.)(212)581-7100Scheduled to open last week in October Okay, so I’m a food snoop. Here’s the skinny on the Russian Tea Room to come – Gary Robins (formerly of the now defunct Biltmore Room) is set to head up the kitchen at the Russian Tea Room, which will be reinvented by the new owner, who goes only by Hussan. Having once acted as manager at Gotham Bar & Grill, Scott Kearney is moving uptown to manage the renovated four-story space. One of four sommeliers (one for each floor) leaked that the new Russian Tea Room will offer formal Russian & French fare, waiters to parade the space in coat tails and all, offering up over 40 vodkas (some never been offered in the US), and an impressive selection of caviars (sadly not...
Read MorePinkberry
I should’ve known something would go wrong. Too good to be true with no line of frenetic, yogurt-addicted women in sight, I scurried towhat would hopefully be a yogurt utopia, the potential beginning of the end of Tasti-D-Lite. I would be the first to christen the Pinkberry machine, sample the first bite (of all three flavors). Say it isn’t so – Pinkberry was still closed. Exasperated, and rightfully so as it was 10:45 in the morning, I knocked persistently until a manager inforrmed me that maybe, just maybe, they would open around 3 PM today. Door ajar, I scanned the "work in progress" and I stress "inprogress". My bet is Pinkberry will open officially tomorrow at 11AM, but I don’t want to get my hopes up again. Until then, there’salways Tasti-D-Lite. Until we eat again,Restaurant...
Read MoreGoblin Market
199 Prince Street (btwn. Sullivan & MacDougal) (212)375-8275 Savory NY video TYPE:New American cuisine VIBE: A cozy,rustic Victorian OCCASION: A boutique retreat or low-key neighborhood eats DON’T MISS DISH: Creamy shrimp risotto DON’T BOTHER DISH: Maryland crab cakes PRICE: $35 (with a cocktail) HOURS: Dinner, Sunday – Thursday, 5:30- 11 PM, Friday – Sat. 5:30-12 AM; Lunch, Monday – Friday 12-3 PM (starting October 2nd); Brunch, Sat.-Sun., 11 AM-3 PM, Monday through Wednesday, 5 PM-2 AM; Thursday-Saturday 5 PM-4 AM; Sunday 5 PM-12 AM. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES: 7 (good) SEATING: 28 seats & 8 seats at the bar INSIDE SCOOP: Shopping solo? Grab brunch at the bar. FINAL WORD: A refreshingly un-sceney Soho addition with surprisingly good food (that will hopefully fare better than Soho Cantina). Not a Goblin in sight (except perhaps for Alex Freij of Industry and...
Read MoreChat Noir
In the spirit of not just eating, but also of dining out in support of restaurant newcomers, who have chosen to brave the joyfully overpopulated restaurant world in hopes of making an impression on the city’s fickle palate, I snuck a peek at two of fall’s newest food arrivals: Chat Noir & Goblin Market. Both of these two newbies, smaller than the recent crop of mega-restaurants and thankfully devoid of over the top decor and staff with headsets, make you want to root for the little guy, or in the case of Chat Noir, the little woman. Here’s a look at Chat Noir (Goblin Market to follow next week): CHAT NOIR 22 East 66 Street (btwn. Madison & 5th Aves.) (212)794-2428 Savory NY video TYPE: Classic French (seafood-heavy menu) VIBE: A petite Balthazar with a feminine touch OCCASION: Boutique...
Read MoreHoney
243 West 14th Street (betwn. 7th & 8th Aves.) (212)620-0077 TYPE: Global cuisine VIBE: Moody Meatpacking (sans the velvet rope) OCCASION: Dining in packs or “seal the deal” late-night with a cocktail and dessert DON’T MISS DISH: Honey’s ceviche trio DON’T BOTHER DISH: Paella tapas & apple cobbler PRICE: $40 (with a cocktail) HOURS: Monday through Wednesday, 5 PM-2 AM; Thursday-Saturday 5 PM-4 AM; Sunday 5 PM-12 AM. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES: 6 (above average) SEATING: 90 seats & private room in the back (holds 40) FINAL WORD: Eat with a fast crowd – commitment phobic diners can load up on appetizers before taking their place in line at Marquee or Bungalow 8. Honey isn’t a dining destination per se, but it’s certainly an appealing Meatpacking alternative to the bouncer and velvet rope-plagued, mob scenes of late. Happily lacking the...
Read MorePicholine
35 West 64th Street (btwn. CPW & Broadway) (212)724-8585 website CODE.TV video (with Restaurant Girl) Savory NY video TYPE: Mediterranean-influenced French VIBE: Whimsical elegance OCCASION: A romantic affair or cheese cravings DON’T MISS DISH: Paella spring rolls PRICE: Wine & cheese bar – tapas & tasting plates, $15-$18 (full dinner menu also available); dining room – prixe fixe, $64 for two courses, $14 each additional course (without cocktails). HOURS: Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 5 PM-11 PM; Friday & Saturday, 5 PM-11:45 PM; Sunday 5 PM-9 PM; Lunch, Saturday 11:45 AM – 2 PM. SEATING: 15 seats in wine & cheese bar; 96 in dining room; 24 in private dining room. INSIDE SCOOP: The tapas menu is also available in the main dining room. FINAL WORD: Cheese doesn’t get any better than this. The famed Artisanal cheese cart’s...
Read MoreFIKA – NYC’s First Swedish Espresso Bar
41 West 58th Street (btwn. 5th & 6th Ave.) (212)832-0022 Website TYPE: Swedish espresso bar VIBE: Sleek coffee oasis OCCASION: A fika (Swedish for coffee break) DON’T MISS PASTRY: Vanilla dreams cookie DON’T MISS CHOCOLATE: Dark chocolate-covered lingonberry PRICE: $2-4 for coffee; $2-4 for chocolates & pastries; $8-10 for a sandwich or salad HOURS: Monday through Saturday, 7 AM-9 PM; Sunday 7 AM-6 PM. SEATING: No tables, just 7 generous counter seats and take-out. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 9 FINAL WORD: FIKA gives new meaning to the concept of the coffee break. And if you’re not a coffee drinker, you might want to pick up the habit. Starbuck’s beware: there’s a new coffee shop in town and this Swedish arrival takes its coffee very seriously. With modern trimmings – white walls, steel counters, wood stools and black & white...
Read MoreCheck out My Book – Try This
