Gourmet Gala at Per Se
Chef Thomas Keller will generously host the annual March of Dimes, “Gourmet Gala,” at Per Se on Tuesday, November 6th. Gourmet’s editor in chief, Ruth Reichl, will serve as the honorary chair for this culinary tasting and kitchen tour at one of New York’s most esteemed restaurants. To purchase tickets, visit website March of Dimes or call (212) 353-1012. Location: Per Se Address: 10 Columbus Ave., 4th floor Hours: 7pm-10pm Phone: (212) 353-1012 ...
Read MoreFiamma
Fiamma is reborn, better than ever. 206 Spring St., near Sullivan St., (212) 653-0100 Dinner: Mon., 6 p.m.-10p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 6-11 p.m.; Fri., 6 p.m.-midnight; Sat., 5:30 p.m.-midnight. CUISINE Modern Italian VIBE Civilized glamour OCCASION Special occasion, intimate date DON’T-MISS DISH Tuna crudo, Le Marche lasagna PRICE Prix fixe, $75; desserts, $12. RESERVATIONS Highly recommended When chef Michael White departed Fiamma Osteria, restaurateur Stephen Hanson (founder of B.R. Guest Restaurants) was forced to find a chef capable of protecting his upscale Italian’s star stature. Fiamma had never been just another B.R. Guest restaurant. It was the luxury convertible in an 18-car garage filled with reliable, hospitality-driven establishments (Dos Caminos, Ruby Foo’s). Hanson seized the opportunity to upgrade: He changed the plates, the menu, tweaked the decor and even dropped the “Osteria” from its title. Most importantly, he secured chef Fabio...
Read MoreAutumn’s Best
Seeing as seasonal and Greenmarket ingredients are this year’s black, the latest menus are wearing autumn’s best and brightest edibles – pumpkins, chestnuts, root vegetables and countless varieties of squash. We thought we’d highlight a few particularly pleasing offerings: The Orchard – John La Femina’s (Peasant) LES restaurant, diligently turns out global, seasonally-driven dishes. This time of year he effortlessly sates with butternut squash agnoletti mingled with toasted hazelnuts. 162 Orchard Street, (212) 219-8570 Back Forty – Previously the chef at Savoy, chef Peter Hoffman has ventured off on his own at this newly minted East Village spot. Heeding the seasons and Greenmarket at every turn of the menu, Hoffman highlights parsnips with a simple, salty tossing of white anchovy and an aleppio vinaigrette. 190 Avenue B, (212) 388-1990 Momofuku Noodle Bar – Brussel sprouts reach their peak of...
Read MoreStanton Social’s Pumpkin-Goat Cheese Croquettes
This week Chris Santos shares a highlight from Stanton Social‘s fall specials, a vegetable I’m extremely partial to – the pumpkin… Pumpkin-Goat Cheese Croquettes drizzled with maple mascarpone & crispy sage Croquettes 1 lb pumpkin puree 1 lb goat cheese eggs 1 bunch thyme picked 2 cups fine bread crumbs salt to taste 1 bunch sage Mascarpone Maple Drizzle 1 cup mascarpone 1/2 cup heavy cream 3 tbsp maple syrup Mix thyme, goat cheese and pumpkin puree in a small bowl. Refrigerate. Make small 1 ounce “balls'” of the mixture. Dredge in beaten eggs, then coat with coarse bread crumbs (panko works best). Refrigerate again. For the mascarpone – mix 1 cup mascarpone, 1/2 cup heavy cream and 3 tbsp maple syrup. Pan fry the croquettes until golden. as they are frying toss in leaves of sage. Remove from...
Read MoreQ & A with Harold Dieterle
Though Harold Dieterle found celebrity as the first winner of Bravo’s Top Chef, his life-long culinary experience has involved less glamour and more hard work. His Sicilian mother’s home cooking ignited Dieterle’s fascination with food, propelling him first toward a home economics class in middle school, and then as a dishwasher at The Marina on Fire Island. Realizing his growing affinity for the professional kitchen, he traveled to Spain in 1995, garnering stages under the country’s most revered chefs. Upon returning to New York later that year, the Long Island-native began his formal culinary education at the CIA. Chef positions at East Hampton’s Della Femina and the Upper East Side’s Red Bar followed, and then in 2002 he met Jimmy Bradley, owner of The Harrison. Studying under chefs Joey Campanaro (of current Little Owl fame) and Brian Bistrong, Dieterle...
Read MoreBacon Hits Happy Hour
This weekend we stumbled upon a truly peculiar cocktail at Double Down Saloon, the New York spin-off of an infamous Las Vegas bar. This artful dive bar serves up a house-infused bacon vodka. Committed to his peculiar vision, the owner has special bacon flown in from Kentucky, which he then fries up and soaks in high-quality vodka to create a “Bacon Martini” or Bloody Mary. And if bacon vodka wasn’t sufficiently audacious, each martini is topped with a juicy stick of Slim Jim to gnaw while sipping. Bartender Joan likens the libation to “a good scotch.” Address:14 Avenue A, just above Houston St.Phone: (212)982-0543doubledownsaloon.com Until we eat again,Restaurant Girl**Don’t forget to subscribe for Restaurant Girl’s weekly...
Read MoreTailor
Expect the unexpected. 525 Broome St., between Sullivan & Thompson Sts. (212) 334-5182 Dinner: Sun.-Thurs., 6 p.m.-midnight, Fri.-Sat., 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Closed Mondays. CUISINE Progressive American VIBE Stylized speakeasy OCCASION Adventurous dining DON’T-MISS DISH Passionfruit poached char, Crumble cocktail. PRICE “Salty” small plates, $15-$17; “sweet” small plates, $11-$12; cocktails, $13-$15. RESERVATIONS Reservations accepted Tailor is an adventure in dining – a walk on the wild side of food. Pastry chef Sam Mason demonstrated his innovative technique at WD-50, home of molecular gastronomy and cutting-edge cuisine. At his funky, new SoHo restaurant, Mason unleashes an unusual vision of “salty” and “sweet” small plates. His menu obscures the line between savory and sweet, food and drink, and just about everything in between. Picky eaters beware: Chicken and vanilla ice cream make no appearances on the menu. Think foie gras with peanut...
Read MoreQ & A With Ralf Kuettel
Ralf Kuettel acquired his passion for nature’s edible bounty honestly. Reared in the foothills of the Swiss Alps, the budding chef grew up roaming the Turbenthal woods and tending to livestock and produce on his parents’ farm. Kuettel embraces a culinary concept that showcases the rich flavors of each season’s flora and fauna, as well as the classic Franco-Swiss technique he studied as a young man. Kuettel first ventured onto the New York restaurant scene in 1989 at Union Square Café under Chef Michael Romano. One year of intense kitchen training later, Kuettel took a brief hiatus to the West Coast, but the allure of New York’s restaurant scene drew him back. He launched himself into a four-year turn as executive sous chef at Soho’s Zoe. After short-lived stints at Cena and the Chelsea Wine Vault, Kuettel at last...
Read MoreBLT Market
1430 Sixth Ave., at Central Park South; (212) 521-6125 Lunch, 11:45 a.m.-2 p.m., Mon.-Fri.; brunch, 11:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun.; dinner, Mon.-Sun., 5:30-10 p.m. CUISINE Seasonal New American VIBE Farmhouse chic OCCASION Family dinner, pampered affair DON’T MISS DISH Veal-and-pork ricotta meatballs, American kobe skirt steak. PRICE Appetizers, $12-$21; entrees, $26-$38; desserts, $9-$11. RESERVATIONS Recommended. When the chef launched BLT Steak, he lured with freshly baked popovers just as suavely as he persuaded with a succulent porterhouse. Now Laurent Tourondel runs a booming corporation: BLT Fish, BLT Prime and BLT Burger are all notches on his rapidly expanding belt. At BLT Market, he bows to both seasonal and artisanal themes. It’s impossible to miss the signs. Just check in at the hostess stand; whitewashed shelves are stacked with artisanal goods: domestic olive oils, as well as vinegars and syrups from...
Read MoreAnita Lo’s Kimchee & Tofu Dumplings
We’re launching into fall with a new Friday feature: “Dining Out At Home.” This week chef Anita Lo divulges a recipe inspired by the newly sanctioned Rickshaw Dumpling Bar. She even created this dish, exclusively for Restaurant Girl readers. If you’re so inclined to take on a chef’s recipe – we highly encourage it – please send us a photo of the finished product and any kitchen disaster or success story that transpired. (We’ll happily post them!) When the feeling moves us, we’ll even publish our attempts at recreating a dish or two. Without further ado, we bring you Anita Lo’s… Kimchee and Tofu Dumplings Ingredients: -1 quart kimchee, squeezed dry -1 package firm tofu, drained -1/4 cup scallions, bias cut -1 bunch shiso, finely chopped -3 Tbsp. soy sauce, or to taste -1 egg, beaten with a pinch...
Read MoreA Taste of Fall
Experience a Taste of Fall at Taj Lounge this Tuesday, October 23rd. Chefs Floyd Cardoz (Tabla), Kirk Johnson (Eleven Madison Park) and Johnny Cardenas (Four Seasons) will all be on hand. All proceeds will benefit Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), a non- profit organization to provide scholarships for students in the restaurant and hospitality industry. To buy tickets, simply call (212)974-7111 or...
Read MoreCity Harvest’s Bid Against Hunger
City Harvest is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with its annual fundraiser, Bid Against Hunger. The fund raising goal for this year’s event is $565,000, which will help feed over 8,600 hungry New Yorkers for an entire year. Throughout the event, 50 of NYC’s most talented chefs will be offering tastes from their finest dishes, while guests will be able to bid on exclusive auction packages through both live and silent auctions. When: Tuesday, October 23rd VIP Reception 6:00pm 7:00pm Event Begins Where: Metropolitan Pavilion – North 125 W. 18th St., btwn. 6th and 7th Ave. Confirmed guests include: Billy Crudup, Rachael Ray, Amy Sedaris, Lauren Hutton, Michael Imperioli, Nicole Miller, Maurice Dubois and Mike Lombardi. For event inquiries, tickets or to make a donation, contact Naomi Giges at 917.351.8778 or ngiges@cityharvest.org. VIP admission is available from $500-$1,000....
Read MoreLos Dados
73 Gansevoort St., near Washington St. (646) 810-7290 Hours: Dinner, Sun.-Thurs., 5:30-11 p.m., Fri. & Sat., 5:30-midnight CUISINE Regional Mexican VIBE Dimly lit, cavernous space OCCASION Festive group dinner, night out DON’T-MISS DISH Grilled shrimp & Yucatan pork achiote tamal. PRICE Appetizers, $7-$17; entrees, $13-$19; desserts, $7-$10. RESERVATIONS Recommended. Baskets of tortilla chips and kitschy Mexican shrines might be the last thing you would expect from the Meatpacking District, especially from David Rabin and Will Regan, the pair responsible for such exclusive clubs as Double Seven and Lotus. Here, no clipboard-wielding hostess or velvet rope stands between you and the entrance of Los Dados, the district’s first Mexican eatery. Parties and clusters of strangers congregate over Margaritas along a communal table in a dimly lit dining room. Regan and Rabin have enlisted chef Sue Torres to execute “Mexican home...
Read MoreAccademia Di Vino
1081 Third Ave., near 64th St. (212) 888-6333 Open seven days a week, noon-midnight. CUISINE Italian VIBE Sprawling wine cellar OCCASION Neighborhood bites, casual family affair DON’T MISS DISH King salmon crudo, truffle pate pizza PRICE Appetizers, $4-$15; Entrees, $14-$45. RESERVATIONS Recommended Apparently, New York can never have too many Italian eateries. At least, that’s what the latest battery of restaurateurs is banking on this season. Enotecas, vinotecas, trattorias – they are the latest incarnations of Italian fare. Accademia di Vino aspires to be all three. In the landscape of the upper East Side, partner Anthony Mazzola (‘Cesca) tempts fate in a space that has housed several short-lived pursuits – Mainland, Wild Tuna and Ollie’s – to name a few. Mazzola has recruited chef Kevin Garcia, who also helms ‘Cesca’s kitchen, to undertake an ambitious menu. Its street-level wine...
Read MoreCrave Ceviche Bar
946 Second Ave., near 50th St. (212) 355-6565 Dinner: Sun.-Wed., 5:30-10 p.m., Thu.-Sat., 5:30-midnight. CUISINE Creative ceviche VIBE Lively neighborhood haunt OCCASION Solo flight, casual date DON’T-MISS DISH Spicy yellowfin tuna; Kona kampachi PRICES $8-$25 RESERVATIONS No reservations accepted There are those few precious restaurants you contemplate keeping to yourself. It is a selfish act, though not an unreasonable one, as a way to safeguard tiny haunts harboring gutsy chefs and even gutsier flavors. Crave Ceviche Bar is one of those rare finds in a part of town better known for its happy hours and expense-account dinners. Candlelight dances about the beachy nook, marked with white paneling, wood floors and exposed brick walls. Scribbled on a blackboard are not daily specials, but the names of hopeful diners anxious for one of 21 seats. This is the first obstacle. The...
Read MoreAthens Tavern
Owners Antonia Sapounakas and Nicos Gregoriou are set to introduce Athens Tavern, their contemporary Greek restaurant, to Queens this Wednesday, October 17th. The pair are so passionate about authentic cooking, they’ve brought Michelin-starred chef Yianni Baxevanis over from Greece. Far from the forests of Athens where he forages his own herbs, Baxevanis has created a rustic selection to highlight these imported, hand-picked seasonings. The 85-seat spot is decorated with burgundy painted walls, wood floors and Greek murals. Homemade bread, fresh anchovies and marinated cherry tomatoes are courtesy of the house at this warm, Astoria eatery. Appetizers include Mizythra cheese with orange and rose sauce, grilled sausages, and steamed mussels with fresh herbs. Baxenavis’ signature dishes include rabbit with bergamot and mashed sweet potatoes; baby lamb casserole with lemon sauce; and wild greens. Instead of the standard by the pound...
Read MoreQ & A With Sam DeMarco
Having grown up in an all-Italian Brooklyn household, Sam De Marco was raised on the caliber of authentic home cooking most New Yorkers travel to the Italian countryside for. He worked his way up the ladder, training under David Burke at the The River Cafe as well as Gray Kunz at Adrienne. Having forged on to develop his own imaginative global fare at both District and First, De Marco’s since reemerged at Fireside in The Omni Berkshire Hotel. In this sleek library nook, he infuses his signature global technique into comfort food, serving smoked prime rib with horseradish cream, sea scallops “Wellington”, lobster salad on a brioche bun, and wild boar bolognese strozzapreti (a nod to his Italian roots). He’s even got his own signature cocktail: Chef Sammy’s cucumber gimlet. Status: Single/Married/DivorcedMarried and a beautiful 1 year old daughter...
Read MoreQ & A With Marc Meyer
Having begun his career over twenty years ago at Odeon, Marc Meyer has since become quite an entrepreneur. With restaurateur and wife Vicki Freeman, the pair own and operate three thriving NYC restaurants – Provence, Cookshop, and Five Points – a significant feat in one of the world’s most fickle cities. While they succeed at mixing business and pleasure, Meyer concedes to a bit of time in couples therapy during the launch of Five Points. Five Points’ brunch has such a cult following that it compelled Meyer to write a book on the very subject. But most recently, the chef’s been spending time in the kitchen at his latest venture, Provence, where he serves a grilled pork loin with apricots, blueberries and radicchio as well as wild striped bass with corn pudding and corn & tomato salsa. What did...
Read MoreCentro Vinoteca
Address: 74 Seventh Ave., nr. Barrow St. Phone: (212) 367-7470 Dinner: Mon.-Sun.CUISINE Inspired Italian Vibe: Stylish West Village clamor Occassion: Night out downstairs, intimate date upstairs Don’t miss dish: Rabbit involtino, fennel pollen-crusted porkchop Drink Specialty: 25 well-priced quartinosPrice: Appetizers $3-$18; entrees $19-$36; desserts $8 Reservations: Recommended a week in advance This is chef Anne Burrell’s domain. Visible through an open kitchen, Burrell (Felidia, Savoy) dons a cowgirl skirt and a newly minted executive chef coat, her spiky-haired likeness stitched onto the sleeve. She’s the embodiment of a rock star chef: ambitious, saucy and thrilled to be making her long-awaited debut. These traits texture nearly every fearless dish on the Italian menu, a welcome detour from the garden variety trattorias of late. Owner Sasha Muniak (Gusto, Mangia) and designer Thomas Juul-Hansen have morphed what was formerly Lemongrass Grill...
Read More4-Foodies at Chinatown Brasserie
On Tuesday October 2nd, 4-Foodies takes a trip to Chinatown for its fourth tasting event at Chinatown Brasserie: Dim Sum Du Jour. Guests will sample a variety of Cantonese specialties – shrimp dumplings, beef buns with scallions, and vegetable spring rolls – prepared by Hong Kong native Chef Ng. Tickets can be purchased online at www.4foodiesusa.com for $50 per person. Currently open to new members, the group holds monthly events at renowned restaurants throughout Manhattan. Where: Chinatown Brasserie When: 6-8 pm, Tuesday October 2nd Address: 380 Lafayette...
Read MoreCheck out My Book – Try This
