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Beyond Goya: Miscelanea Brings Artisanal Mexican Groceries to the East Village

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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Inside Oleanders: Brooklyn’s Addition to the Hotel Restaurant Renaissance

Posted on Jul 23, 2015 in Brooklyn, First Bite, Restaurant Spotting

Hotel restaurants used to have a really bad rap, but nowadays, that couldn’t be further from the case; eateries situated in hotels are frequently counted amongst Manhattan’s finest, from Jean-Georges in the Trump Tower and Café Boulud in The Surrey, to The Breslin in the Ace, Marta in the Martha Washington, and The NoMad in, well, The NoMad…

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A New Start for Neta

Posted on Jul 16, 2015 in First Bite, Restaurant Spotting

Nick Kim and Jimmy Lau helped make Neta a star in the city’s already stacked sushi circuit, bringing their staggeringly high-end restaurant experience (at Masa and Bar Masa, respectively) to bear. But when the pair departed last year, to open their own, equally elite kaiseki spot, Shuko, it left Neta in a potentially awkward position — should they stay the course with $50 morsels of caviar-dotted toro, without the firepower of their two sushi celebrities, or find a way to set themselves apart?

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O-Ya – Review

Posted on Jun 30, 2015 in First Bite, Hottest Newcomers, Reviews, RG's Favorites

I’ll be honest: I thought I would hate O-Ya. It gave me anxiety right from the start. I mean, it’s not everyday that you have to put a credit card down for a mere two-top reservation. (Not to mention the $100 per person fee if you cancel within 24 hours.) In fact, the cheapest ticket to entry at O-Ya is $185 for an 18-piece “sushi” omakase. And if you’re really hungry or a glutton, you can splurge on a 23-course meal for a whopping $245 per person…

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Oiji Proves Upscale Korean Fare is More Than Just a Passing Fad

Posted on Jun 17, 2015 in Ethnic Eats, First Bite, Restaurant Spotting, Reviews

Korean food has definitely been on in exciting upswing in New York in the last few years, from the totally modern tapas at Hooni Kim’s Danji, to the fast-casual Kimchi Ramen at Esther Choi’s Mokbar. And with the newest entrant, Oiji in the East Village, it’s clear that interest in elevating the sweet and spicy cuisine is more than just a passing fad…

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MAMO – First Bite

MAMO

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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Meet Virginia’s : An East Village Winner from a Chicago-Based Crew

Posted on May 20, 2015 in First Bite, Restaurant Spotting, Reviews

Chicago may be considered one of the next great food cities, but it recently lost a bunch of talent to New York. The co-owners of Virginia’s, which recently opened in the East Village, first met while working at Charlie Trotter’s (chef Christian Ramos went on to become sous chef at Per Se, and Reed Adelson moved to Locanda Verde)…

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Beaubourg – First Bite

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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Lincoln Square Steak Jazzes Up New York’s Pre-Show Dining Scene

Posted on Feb 27, 2015 in First Bite, Restaurant Spotting

There are at least two nonflexible prerequisites for a traditional steakhouse; the space must be grand and cozy, and you must source and serve a perfect steak (a killer wine list and assortment of cream and butter-drenched side dishes doesn’t hurt either!). Lincoln Square Steakhouse checks both boxes, plus a few more besides…

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Zuma – First Bite

Zuma

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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Restaurant Spotting: Bara

Bara

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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Masseria Dei Vini – First Bite

Masseria Dei Vini

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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Blenheim – First Bite

Blenheim

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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A Seafood-Lovers Brunch at Barchetta

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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Floyd Cardoz’s White Street – First Bite

White Street

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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Raising the Bar (Food) at The NoMad

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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Unique Indian Fare at Awadh

Posted on Sep 10, 2014 in Ethnic Eats, First Bite, Restaurant Spotting, Reviews

For all of the cuisines represented by New York’s uniquely multicultural dining scene, there’s never been an especially strong showing of Indian restaurants. Especially really regional ones. Sure, there’s a sizable concentration of standard, tikka masala spots in Murray (Curry) Hill as well as a more recent handful of scattered, casual eateries representing the Southern, largely vegetarian side of the country. But there have been precious few places that have examined the more nuanced, hyper-regional dishes from very specific areas of India, making the newly opened Awadh a notable addition to the Upper West Side…

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elan – Review

elan

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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A Rhapsody in White: Obica Pizza e Cucina

Posted on Aug 8, 2014 in First Bite, First Bite, Restaurant Spotting, Reviews

When one of your nearest neighbors is the Italian megastore, Eataly, it takes a lot to stand out with regionally-sourced products and refined yet rustic cooking. But Roman export Obica has flourished for the last 10 years with an especially well-defined mission statement (The World’s First Mozzarella Bar). That’s why, when it comes to their new, sleekly stylish, 120-seat restaurant in Flatiron, they’ve smartly retained a distinct dairy through-line, with their prized and inarguably spectacular DOB mozzarella, flown in from Campania twice a week…

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Tessa – Review

Tessa

Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in First Bite, Reviews

Tessa had the unfortunate luck of opening with scaffolding over the entrance. I hate that for them. I mean, how do you have a fighting chance if no one even knows you’re there? That’s what I was thinking, anyway, as I headed toward the door on a recent summer night. Guess I was wrong (this time) because Tessa and its whopping, 75-seat dining room was packed, not a seat left in the house, except at the bar. So that’s where my husband and I ended up eating on a recent Tuesday night…

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