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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Central Park Boathouse Dockside Pop Up, Central Park , NYC

For an iconic afternoon in Central Park, I suggest sitting dockside at the Boathouse alongside The Lake that officially opened in 1858. With views of the Manhattan skyline, row boats on the water, the trees changing color in front of you and others taking in the idyllic scenery, it’s pure bliss. Boat rentals are available — weather permitting — from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 until November 26. They offer a limited menu with all food served on disposables. The food is tasty, and the servers friendly. Lucky me, I was invited to sample their fare and tried several of their offerings. Our servers couldn’t have been friendlier, including Clay, who [...]

By |2023-11-06T19:54:20-05:00November 5th, 2023|Bites from the Road, USA Restaurants, USA Travel|0 Comments
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Mozart Dark Chocolate Liqueur

The press release about Mozart's four new Chocolate Liqueurs piqued my curiosity. These chocolate liqueurs hail from Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The company first macerated cocoa from West Africa with vanilla from Madagascar,  then combined three of their liqueurs with cream from the Netherlands. The dark chocolate has no cream. With an espresso martini having recently become my dessert of choice, I wondered what one would taste like if made with their newly introduced Dark Chocolate Liqueur. I had to find out. Sadly, the drink was disappointing. I then looked in their press materials to see what drink they recommended for using the dark chocolate liqueur. [...]

By |2023-11-03T10:38:20-04:00November 3rd, 2023|Food & Drinks, Of Interest, Products|0 Comments
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La Sqala, Casablanca, Morocco

La Sqala is near the old Medina and around the corner from Rick's Cafe, the institution made famous by the movie Casablanca. We canceled our Rick's dinner reservation for this more authentic one offering Moroccan cuisine in an outdoor Andalusian garden with live local music. We hoped to stop by after dinner for a drink, as most Moroccan restaurants do not offer alcohol. We had new friends to dine with, whom we met at the pool atop the Mövenpick Hotel, a 5-star hotel in central Casablanca. The four of us shared everything. We started by grazing on two mezzes (90 dirhams or about $9 for each grouping) that came with [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:11:59-04:00November 1st, 2023|Bites from the Road, Rooftop, World, World Restaurants|0 Comments
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Mitr Thai Restaurant, Midtown, NYC

We needed to wait for our last friend to arrive before the restaurant allowed us to be seated. The hostess told us that we had 90 minutes. Once we were seated upstairs, we ordered two of their specialty cocktails:  the Tuptim & Horapha with tequila blanco, basil eau-de-vie, fresh pomegranate and Aperol with an egg-free foam ($17) and the Jakapat ($17 ). The latter lychee gin martini was a bit too strong for my dining partner, who requested some fizzy water to dilute the blend of gin, Lillet rose, St Germain and lychee liqueur. Another dining partner sipped the on-draft Singa Thai beer ($10) If you do go, request the [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:44:40-04:00October 30th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Les Dames d’Escoffier New York Inducts 29 New Members

Our New York chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier inducted 29 new members last month at Al Coro restaurant. Like most all our events, this gathering raised funds for our scholarships. Since 1977, we have awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to over 1,000 recipients.  If you’d like to donate to the Les Dames d'Escoffier New York scholarships, click here. We are a nonprofit philanthropic group that helps advance and support aspiring professional women. Let me welcome our new Dames: Lorea Amatria Senar U.S Brand Manager, Bodegas LAN, part of Sogrape Original Legacy Wines Kristina Beauchamp Director of Brand Development, Junior's Bakery & Restaurant Jennifer Schiff Berg Clinical Professor, NYU Rinku [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:36:26-04:00October 28th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites|0 Comments
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The Javelina, Union Square/Gramercy, NYC + Comedy at The Stand

My friends had signed up for a Shearwater Classic Schooner sunset cruise, giving them enough time to make our 8:15 reservations at Javelina, a casual Mexican restaurant on 18th near the The Stand comedy club. The cruise line chose to wait for a party of three who were late for the sail, then tacked on additional time to make up for it, making my friends very late for our res. When I explained the boat situation to the host, he said he'd happily seat me at my table as it was ready for us. While waiting, I sipped a green salt-rimmed rocks jalapeno margarita ($14)  while nibbling the fresh, warm [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:35:34-04:00October 26th, 2023|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Piccola Cucina Uptown, Upper East Side, NYC

With a Seattle friend in town, I headed uptown for dinner, returning to Piccola Cucina Uptown for the flavors of Sicily. The food and service were as good as my last visit. We began sipping the Prunotto, 2019 Occhetti Nebbiolo, Langhe, Alto Piemonte ($82) as we nibbled the bread and savory dips they served gratis. We followed that with the tender eggplant parmigiana ($21.95) and crisp Caesar salad with shaved Parmigiana ($18.95). After noticing a waiter carrying a fugassa (a paper-thin pizza) past our table, we had to order one!  That thin-crust focaccia filled with stracchino cheese and thinly sliced prosciutto ($24.95) was irresistible. This favorite of ours is not [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:30:34-04:00October 24th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Breakfast at the Standard Grill, Meatpacking District, NYC

We had the best intentions of having an extra-special New York breakfast with a friend who brought her almost 8-year-old granddaughter to the city for a birthday weekend. We tried to book breakfast at Tiffany's, Tavern on the Green and more. My friend settled on a brunch cruise, yet when she arrived dockside to board, she realized the yacht docked too late for them to catch Aladdin's curtain. We walked from Pier 62 to Little Island, then to the Standard Grill in The Standard, High Line hotel for breakfast outside as the weather was conducive. My friend had the Standard Omelet ($16) filled with mushrooms, spinach and Boursin cheese and [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:35:14-04:00October 22nd, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Portuguese Leitao, West Village, NYC

Leitao is a friendly bar and kitchen serving Portuguese food in the West Village. We lucked out with the only window table giving us great light plus little noise as we weren't seated by others. Loved that. We shared everything, eating what we ordered in three waves after our craft cocktails. I sipped their Bourbon Old Fashioned, one friend a Negroni and the other a Margarita ($18 each)—all hearty-poured, well-prepared drinks. We were off to a great start. Our first dish was their Porco Preto ($22). Those were Iberico pork ribs cooked with wine, capers and housemade Calabrian garlic chili where the flavorful meat fell off the bone.  With that, [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:35:01-04:00October 20th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Long Branch, NJ Eating 2023, McLoone’s, Rooney’s and Turning Point

After Labor Day, my friend and I took a quick one-night trip to the shore. The beach was almost desolate; the weather was perfect even though they predicted rain. We packed rain gear that we only needed after we almost finished dinner. But I digress. After the morning on the beach, we shared a light bite for lunch — fish tacos ($18.94) and fries ($4.95)  at McLoone’s Pier House, along with one of the best cocktails I've had recently. Their Clockwork Orange ($16)  of Tanteo habanero tequila, Cointreau, blood orange puree and a Grean Marnier floater is the right combo of sweet and heat. I highly recommend. At dinner that [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:34:49-04:00October 18th, 2023|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Terra Mediterrania, Chelsea, NYC

Terra Mediterrania, a new restaurant, took over space that had been Le Pain Quotidien on Seventh Ave. near 17th St. I was invited to experience their offerings. This efficient service restaurant was a new concept to me. Large computer screens awaited my input. Once there, I could tailor whatever I ordered. And then, I could see my food prepared in the open, all-electric kitchen. I'd recommend anything with their kataifi chicken, crunchy from its shredded phyllo coating; I had their Crispy Caesar ($15.15). I also recommend their slow-braised short rib wrap ($13.95). Everything is fresh and flavorful. If you're in the neighborhood, try it and tell owner Rani (pronounced Ronnie) [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:34:37-04:00October 16th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Breakfast at RH Rooftop, Meatpacking District, NYC

As always, the food and setting at RH Rooftop are lovely. We arrived for breakfast as they opened and commenced the morning with mimosas ($16). Their RH Scramble offered creamy scrambled eggs with creme fraîche, an avocado half, and lots of toasted thick-cut sourdough bread and salted fresh butter ($22). The avocado toast came on charred sourdough bread ($20) with a soft-boiled egg ($3). I would have preferred a toasted bagel with the New York lox plate with cucumber, pickled onion and cream cheese instead of the sourdough bread. My dining partner, who was eating that dish, was happy with the sourdough bread ($28). We shared the thick-cut maple-glazed pork [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:02:54-04:00October 14th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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A Return to Le Pavillion, Midtown, NYC + The Summitt

A return to Le Pavillion, Daniel Boulud's Michelin 1-star at One Vanderbilt across from Grand Central proved the consistency of his attentive service and food. Like other of Daniel Boulud's restaurants, service at  Pavillion is as extraordinary as expected from the moment we arrived at the elegant dining room until we were on our way to The Summit, located in the same building. A postcard saying "Happy Birthday!  Thanks for celebrating with us" welcomed us as we were seated. We started with cocktails, perusing the menu and nibbling the fabulous basket of breads with the softened butter. We were hooked on the thin crisps, being offered a refill once we [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:34:09-04:00October 12th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Tacos at Tacombi, East Village, NYC

I discovered Tacombi years ago, enjoying their authentic Mexican huevos rancheros and much more. I've eaten at and enjoyed many of their city locations serving Mexican fare. So when the publicist invited me to sample the fare at their newest location in the East Village, I took a neighbor and headed over. Tacombi’s newest East Village location serves a different menu from what you would find at their other taquerias. It consists only of five dinner tacos and two breakfast ones that weren't available in the evening when I sampled them. Also, unlike the other locations, there are no seats. It's a grab-and-go or eat at their communal countertops. We [...]

By |2023-10-22T19:13:04-04:00October 10th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Trattoria Bianca, New Yorker Hotel + Bruce Springsteen

Trattoria Bianca in the New Yorker Hotel on Eighth Avenue and 35th Steet was an ideal place to grab a bite before jumping on NJ Transit to head to the Met Life (former Meadowlands) Stadium to see Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band on their 2023 international tour. We started with drinks — Aperol spritz ($14) and Dolcetto D'Alba ($14) — and their thin-crust classic Margherita pizza ($23) that needed more time in the oven. Everything else we ordered arrived at the table simultaneously, even though we had asked them to pace it. One friend enjoyed the seared tuna salad with mesclun, cherry tomatoes, green beans, egg, olives, anchovies and [...]

By |2023-09-20T18:06:33-04:00October 7th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, WOW|0 Comments
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Breakfast At Ruby’s, Murray Hill NYC

Ruby's Cafe in Murray Hill was about halfway between our homes. We both walked to meet each other for breakfast at this Australian cafe. We started with flat whites, mine with cream, my dining partner with milk. A flat white — espresso with a thin, flat layer of foam — is stronger than a latte as there's less milk. I recommend. Instead of my usual egg breakfast, I tried their interesting-sounding smashed sweet corn fritters with a dollop of sweet corn mascarpone ($15) accompanied by bacon and a salad with lots of avocado chunks. Sadly, the salad was undressed, the fritters undercooked.  My poached egg (+$3.50) was the best part, [...]

By |2023-09-20T18:02:50-04:00October 5th, 2023|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Happy Hour *** at Fogo d’Chāo, Midtown, NYC

Fogo d’Chāo has a daily happy hour (HH) all day long. I give this Brazilian steak house a 3-star rating, as you can easily make a meal for dinner from their abundant food offerings. That is, if you're okay with sitting in the bar or patio. We sampled some HH drinks, including two of the $10 Caipirinhas, the Brazilian national cocktail made with cachaça, sugar and lime. We sampled one with passion fruit juice and another with house-made hibiscus elixir and strawberries. We then switched to regular-priced martinis and old fashioneds ($16-19). I sampled the spiced marinated chicken breast sliders topped with arugula, tomato, and pickled onion with a mango [...]

By |2024-04-20T11:14:33-04:00October 3rd, 2023|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|4 Comments
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Comodo in Freehand Hotel, Flatiron, NYC

We met again for lunch at Comodo, the Latin American restaurant in the Freeland Hotel on Lexington, between 23 and 24. It was convenient, and I hadn't been in over a year. Service was almost non-existent. That was so different from my last visit, where it was very attentive. In fact, I had to search for the server to have her take our order and any time we needed anything. I started with their mimosa with a choice of juice. I chose orange. I wanted to sample their chilaquiles, the dish created to use slightly stale, leftover tortillas. Those chips get simmered in salsa with Comodo's version a tomatillo-chipotle, one topped [...]

By |2023-10-08T09:45:22-04:00October 1st, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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City Winery, Hudson River Park, NYC

Walking Hudson River Park, the Nation's Longest Riverfront Park, is a favorite of my pastimes. If you haven't done so, the park begins on Chambers Street and goes to 59th, with Little Island and many interesting updated piers and activities along the way. We stopped at City Winery for a nibble and a glass of wine on a recent walk. We shared their Kung Pao cauliflower ($15) with Fresno chilies, scallions and crushed peanuts with a glass of the velvety and soft Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina '19 (5.5-ounce, $14). I do recommend. City Winery Hudson River Park 25 11th Ave at Hudson River Park New York, NY 10011 [...]

By |2023-09-20T16:55:50-04:00September 29th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Early Weekend Breakfast at Madison & Vine, Midtown, NYC

Madison & Vine was one of the only restaurants I could find near Grand Central Terminal that served Saturday breakfast before 8 a.m. Lucky me as I met my son coming off a red-eye before he caught his train. We yacked for hours. Having their New York Breakfast for $25 made sense, especially when entrees costs between $19 - $26, Illy coffee, $4.50 and freshly squeezed orange juice, $5. My son had the spinach, mushroom and goat cheese omelet with home fries and grilled ciabatta bread; I had the shakshuka, a North African dish. The kitchen served my poached eggs with many lamb sausage pieces floating in the spicy tomato [...]

By |2023-09-20T16:53:49-04:00September 27th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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