Bonnie from BiteoftheBest.com

About Bonnie Tandy Leblang

Blogger Bonnie Tandy Leblang has been covering food since before it was hip to do so! She’s penned magazine, newspaper and syndicated food columns in addition to cookbooks. Follow her on twitter @BonnieBOTB and on Instagram@BiteoftheBest and at @BonnieBOTB "I eat for a living!” is her mantra, sharing what she’s sampled so you’ll know where (or where not) to go, plus what food products and gadgets to try. For her full bio go to the about us page.
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Rosa Mexicano, Lincoln Center, NYC + Robert Downey Jr. in McMeal

After seeing Robert Downey Jr. in McMeal at Lincoln Center Theatre, we crossed the street to grab a bite at Rosa Mexicano. The show is Ayad Akhtar’s new play, which closed in November, about a literary icon who gets assistance from AI. The subject matter reminded me of Glenn Close in The Wife. With five of us, we started with a double portion of their tableside guac ($32)— served with warm corn tortilla chips and roasted tomato salsa—and margies, with one ordering the frozen blood orange ($16). Being hungry, I overindulged in the guac and chips! Four of us then shared two orders of the roasted half chicken ($31) with sautéed [...]

By |2024-12-20T09:51:09-05:00December 20th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Matto Wine Bar, Shelton, CT

We took a break from packing my friend's home for her move to meet a mutual friend in Shelton for a meal. We were yakking so much that we almost missed that our water hadn't even taken our drink order. When he finally did, we quickly also gave our app order. Like many restaurants, the apps were much more interesting and flavorful than their entrees. We were happy with the old-fashioned iceberg wedge salad ($14.95) smothered with blue cheese dressing with crumbled gorgonzola and pancetta; sauteed calamari with white beans, arugula, cherry peppers, roasted tomatoes ($16.95); grilled octopus with shishito peppers, potatoes and a roasted red pepper aioli ($16.95); and [...]

By |2024-12-15T14:47:58-05:00December 17th, 2024|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Raku It’s Japanese II + American Museum of Natural History

On my granddaughter's last full day, we started at the planetarium show inside the American Museum of Natural History, where we watched the awe-inspiring Worlds Beyond Earth, featuring scenes depicting the evolution of our solar system. The program told the story of the worlds that share our solar system and the unique conditions that make life on Earth possible. Afterward, we headed to the Davis Family Butterfly Vivariuam, which has 80 species of butterflies among lush vegetation in tropical temperatures. Both exhibits are time-ticketed. After leaving the museum, we walked down Columbus Avenue until we tripped over the Upper West Side Raku. It's Japanese II, as they all wanted ramen. We [...]

By |2024-11-10T11:03:29-05:00December 14th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Whelk, Westport, Connecticut

Our evening started with cocktails and apps at The Whelk that included friendly service and good food. Some favorites include the smoked trout dip with dill, topped with trout roe and sourdough crisps ($18), hamachi crudo topped with jalapenos ($20) and fabulously rich maitake mushrooms with nduja (spicy, spreadable pork sausage from the Calabria) in garlic butter with an egg yolk ($21). I'd recommend a visit to The Whelk. After apps, we walked up the street to Kawi Ni for dinner, a writeup forthcoming! The Whelk 575 Riverside Ave, Westport, CT 06880 203) 557-0902 thewhelkwestport.com

By |2024-12-12T07:49:48-05:00December 12th, 2024|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Lunch Bargain at Fogo de Chao, Midtown, NYC + Rockefeller Center Tour

A midtown lunch for $20. Yes, I am talking about New York City! If you haven't yet tried Fogo de Chao's Market Table for lunch, I highly recommend. During the day, the continually re-filled market table costs a mere $20; at dinner, almost twice as much as they prefer, you indulge in the Churrascaria, as it's a Brazilian steakhouse offering a selection of roasted meats. A larger group of us headed there for lunch after a wonderfully informative tour of Rockefeller Center's sights and stories, learning about the rich history and architecture of the 12-acre campus. The photos of the market table say it all with their fresh and roasted [...]

By |2024-11-10T11:03:21-05:00December 10th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|1 Comment
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Mush Foods’ 50CUT: Mushroom and Mushroom Root Blends

An editor friend invited me to sample meatballs at Fieldtrip, a fast-casual restaurant in Rock Center serving rice bowls with veggies and ethically sourced proteins. Those jerk meatballs were my introduction to Mush Foods 50CUT, a line of mushroom and mushroom root blends. They contain no artificial preservatives or additives. Afterward, their publicist offered samples to work with at home. I started cooking with Mush Food 50CUT  products made from various mushrooms. These blended solutions reduce—rather than eliminate—meat. If you replace half the ground meat in dishes, you instantly reduce environmental impact. These products are made with mushrooms such as oyster, trumpet, shiitake, and lion’s mane grown in upstate New [...]

By |2024-11-15T08:41:01-05:00December 8th, 2024|Food & Drinks, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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Shopping on Main then Nômade, Westport, NYC

After a stop at the farmers' market, we walked to Main Street in Westport to grab a bite at Nômade upstairs in their outdoor seating as the weather was unseasonably warm. We started with Bloody Marys ($15) while perusing the menu, and then each had a salad before continuing in and out of stores on Main Street, helping the Westport economy. The signature tavern chopped salad with chicken ($28) contained romaine, brown rice, Kalamata olives, capers and vegetable confit in a light sherry shallot vinaigrette. I had their warm goat cheese salad ($18) topped with a generous portion of salmon (+$14) that consisted of lettuce, sliced pears, way too many [...]

By |2024-11-10T11:03:11-05:00December 6th, 2024|Bites from the Road, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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New Mikado, Chelsea, NYC

After taking my granddaughter to The Lion King, her first Broadway show, we headed downtown to New Mikado, a Japanese restaurant, as she had requested salmon sushi for dinner. We started with appetizers of tasty pork, shrimp and snow crab dumplings topped with caviar ($20 for four), which I'd recommend. We also got lucky with some items' pricing as it was still happy hour. Our edamame cost $1, the cucumber salad with sesame sauce only $3 and the white wine only $5.  Oddly, our edamame, although good, were unsalted and chilled. Also tasty and not at happy hour pricing is their West 14 ($12), a blend of milk tea and rice wine. [...]

By |2024-12-05T07:28:18-05:00December 4th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Colossal Sundae at Serendipity, Midtown, NYC

My 7-year-old granddaughter had just arrived in the city from Den Haag. Before flying across the pond, she had studied Serendipity's menu with her parents to decide which treat to indulge in. She chose the unicorn bliss sundae that contained rainbow-striped cake, confetti sprinkles, a sugar cone, ice cream, cherries, whipped cream and cream cheese icing. Since Serendipity has a minimum, we ordered food—not something I'd recommend. We ordered one footlong ($18.95) with French fries, another footlong topped with mac n' cheese ($25.95) and their unremarkable nachos with Tex Mex chili, queso, jalapeños and pico de gallo with added guac ($22.45). We didn't eat much, so most of the food [...]

By |2024-11-10T11:03:00-05:00December 2nd, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Cafe Luxembourg, Upper West Side, NYC

My Upper West Side friends always raved about Cafe Luxembourg, but I only recently got there. I should have gone when it was in its heyday. We sat outside on an unseasonably warm day and had difficulty getting our server's attention, who was more interested in flirting with one of the other waitstaff. When we finally did, we ordered cocktails to enjoy while we caught up, as my dining partner was in from Florida to meet her new grandchild.  I loved my Better than Bond, a stirred, not shaken, blend of Hendrick's gin, Tito's vodka and Lillet Blanc; my friend tried their Luxembourg Manhattan made with Bulleit bourbon, Antica Formula [...]

By |2024-11-30T11:36:58-05:00November 30th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Litchfield’s, Wigwam Resort, Phoenix, AZ

Five of us slipped away from the conference crowds into Litchfields, the on-site restaurant and popped a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château La Nerthe, Rhône Valley, France 2019 ($135) to accompany our dinner. One had the Duck Bolognese Pasta ($44) with butternut squash, spinach, spiced pine nut and parmesan. Two tried the lamb chili ($18) topped with Crow's dairy goat cheese, Fresno chile and cilantro, served with a blue corn muffin. One the crab cake ($22) topped with avocado crema, guajillo chile and mezcal-infused jícama, another Mary's farm roasted half chicken ($28) with fingerling potatoes, carrot mole and pistachio pesto. The table also ordered blistered shishito peppers ($14) and charred broccolini [...]

By |2024-11-10T11:02:38-05:00November 28th, 2024|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants, USA Travel|0 Comments
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Orso, Theatre District, NYC + The Counter

Orso on Theatre Row was one of my go-to's when I lived in Connecticut and came into the city to the theatre. The food was consistently good, and I often saw a celebrity at a table. We started with a white pizza topped with fennel sausage, romano and mozzarella cheese, sprinkled with rosemary ($24). It could have been our meal! I had their rigatoni with a bolognese meat sauce ($28) and my dining partner, the sauteed calf's liver with fried onions ($32). Sadly, nothing stays the same. The service was lackluster, but the food was fine. I loved that they still served on a beautifully painted Italian terra cotta dinnerware. [...]

By |2024-11-26T07:45:06-05:00November 26th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Wren & Wolf, Phoenix, AZ

While in Phoenix for the Les Dames d'Escoffier (LDEI) conference, we left the Wigwam and headed into town for dinner at Wren & Wolf one evening. We started with caviar bumps ($12), minuscule compared to what we had at Nebulez. We also shared charred bone marrow with noble toast, chicharrón and chimichurri ($19), a dozen oysters ($23), crème fraîche tuna tartar ($29) and za'atar man'ouche—flatbread with herbs—($16), with gruyere, manchego, artichokes, kalamata olives and micro arugula. Some of our entrees included the rib-eye steak ($69), Faroe Island salmon ($39), and sea scallops ($54). We washed those down with a glass of wine ($14 - $16). If you're visiting Phoenix, this is [...]

By |2024-11-10T11:01:53-05:00November 24th, 2024|USA, USA Restaurants, USA Travel|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour at LS Social NYC, Chelsea, NYC

LS Social is a fairly new neighborhood cozy and casual cocktail bar on 17th Street near Union Square. I chose it to meet a new friend for a drink because it was close to home, as I had an upcoming Zoom board meeting to attend. I was early, the first customer that day, so I began chatting with Ron, the owner, who opened this—his first restaurant about two years ago—and Michael, the bartender. I liked their flavorful white Negroni made with gin, Lillet blanc and vermouth blanc, as the New Amsterdam gin was not juniper-forward, giving a smooth taste to the cocktail.  My friend first sampled their Sturm Collio Pinot [...]

By |2024-11-29T09:36:41-05:00November 22nd, 2024|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Fall Fest: Cider, Beer & Spririts Stroll + Luna Red, San Luis Obispo, California

While visiting San Luis Obispo, we attended the inaugural Fall Fest Stroll, run by Downtown SLO. The walk included cider, beer or spirits and bites offered at about 20 shops, followed by a short terrace reception. The net proceeds of the event benefited their clean and safe program. After the event, which featured lots more spirits than food, we headed over to Luna Red on Mission Plaza to share the paella their globally inspired menu is famous for. We shared the de la luna ($52) with housemade aji amarillo-seasoned chicken, chorizo, soft-cooked eggs and English peas over a layer of soccarat — the caramelized, crispy rice — on the bottom of the [...]

By |2024-11-10T10:59:42-05:00November 20th, 2024|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Two Countertop Beverage Appliances Brita Electric Water + Hamilton Beach® FlexBrew®

At a recent product showing, I found two appliances from Hamilton Beach that warm the heart of a New Yorker with a small kitchen and little countertop space for devices. I had started researching Brita water filters after finding that my crisp New York water wasn't tasting as good as it used to. I wasn't sure I wanted to give up space in my 24-inch refrigerator for the pitcher. When I saw the compact size — less than 5 inches wide! — of the new Brita Hub™ Compact ($119.99) with a 9-cup (72 oz) water reservoir detaches from the hub for an easy fill-up at the faucet with a 2-year [...]

By |2024-11-20T12:25:45-05:00November 18th, 2024|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More, Products, Recommended|0 Comments
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Dinner at Eleni’s, Gramercy, NYC

I had been to Eleni's, a Gramercy area Greek restaurant on Third Avenue, but only for lunch. We decided on it for dinner based on my recommendation. We were early for our res and walked into a half-full restaurant with many tables available. We requested one away from the large party. We were told no, and we asked for another one. The eponymous owner barked at us, saying no to each one we asked for and saying it was reserved. Someone should give Eleni a copy of "Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect" by Will Guidara. Perhaps she saved those tables for her regulars [...]

By |2024-11-17T06:01:27-05:00November 16th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Drift In, Hudson River Parkway + Elephant Migration, Meat Packing, NYC

The migration of 100 life-size elephant sculptures began in Newport, Rhode Island before the herd took up residence in the meat-packing district of New York City. They stayed there through late October, when they headed south to Miami, Florida, before heading to Browning, Montana, in May 2025. Like many others, we walked in amazement among the giant creatures we learned were for sale. You can purchase a limited-edition, life-size sculpture supporting the conservation work and bringing a message of coexistence into your world. These elephants aim to raise funds for non-profit conservation organizations and foster awareness about wildlife's challenges. According to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, "Each elephant sculpture is made [...]

By |2024-11-17T06:07:06-05:00November 14th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Breakfast with a view at Vista Steak and Seafood, Pismo Beach, California

While on the Central Coast of California, we dined at Vista, one of three family-run restaurants on the bluffs in Pismo Beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We started brunch with oh, so reasonably priced cocktails—at least compared to Manhattan. The Bloody Mary is $11, the Raspberry Bellini, $12, the Beefeater martini, $12, and a glass of red blend wine, $10. Our waitress was only one of two handling the fairly large restaurant that morning and did so with smiles, apologizing for the wait.  We didn't mind as we were catching up! One indulged in their salmon board (taking much of it home) that included a bagel and cream cheese, smoked [...]

By |2024-11-17T06:06:53-05:00November 11th, 2024|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Pre-Theatre Menu at the Greek Kellari Taverna, Theatre District, NYC + Our Town

After reading Ann Patchet's Tom Lake for one of my book groups, where they put on a production of “Our Town,” by Thornton Wilder, we realized that show was coming to Broadway and vowed to go together. We did. I highly recommend the production with Jim Parsons playing the narrator. Before the show, we opted for the $65 three-course pre-fix dinner at Kellari Taverna. We all nibbled the olives, hummus and radishes. One started with the cauliflower soup, and the other three enjoyed their gently pan-fried tender calamari with onions, peppers, capers and fava bean spread. One chose the swordfish daily special, another the lavraki (also called branzino or Mediterranean [...]

By |2024-11-03T08:02:32-05:00November 8th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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