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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Joy Bauer’s Turkey Reuben

One morning,  I caught my friend Joy Bauer — the health/nutrition expert for NBC's TODAY show and an RD, like me — doing her segment where she swapped ingredients to make a Reuben sandwich "more nutritious and still delicious." That classic sandwich features corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and dressing between grilled, buttered slices of rye. Instead, Joy used lean turkey instead of the marbled fatty corned beef and skipped buttering and grilling the bread. Simple. That reminded me that I still had sauerkraut and Reuban dressing from a generous get-well food delivery that some friends sent from Katz's. The giant food delivery included a Reuben package of rye bread, [...]

By |2023-09-20T11:39:31-04:00September 19th, 2023|Entrees, Recipes|2 Comments
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Brunch at Bar Boulud, Lincoln Center, NYC

Met an Upper West Side friend for brunch at Bar Boulud across from Lincoln Center one weekend. With weather conducive to dining outside, we did so in their large structure with ceiling fans to cool. Mimosas with fresh orange juice and prosecco ($16) started our reunion/gathering. We missed Restaurant Week this time as Bar Boulud offered it only Monday through Friday. My friend opted for their creamy omelet filled with bacon, mushrooms and gruyère served with a lightly dressed side salad ($18).  I had their Croque Madame, a hot sandwich made with gruyère, jambon de Paris, and bechamel, topped with a lightly fried egg ($23). We ended with a cappuccino, [...]

By |2023-09-20T11:43:27-04:00September 17th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Caló Kitchen + Tequila, Laguna Niguel, CA

We stopped to have lunch at Caló Kitchen + Tequila restaurant before heading to Barnes & Noble for a book for my granddaughter. My daughter-in-law, granddaughter and I nibbled on their shrimp ceviche ($17) and their warm, wonderful beans and salsa with chips while the adults sipped margies. I tried their Cadillac one made with milagro blanco and Grand Marnier, asking for their spicy twist ($15), while my d-i-l had the grilled pineapple chile one ($16). Both delicious. When ordering from our well-trained waiter, Alex, I realized he knew his Mexican sauces. As a New Yorker, I was fascinated by the enchilada discussion. My d-i-l was hoping for Enchiladas Suizas, [...]

By |2023-09-20T11:48:01-04:00September 15th, 2023|Bites from the Road, General Food Info, USA Restaurants, USA Travel|0 Comments
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Driftwood Kitchen, Laguna Beach, California

For my last night before heading home, I wanted a casual restaurant with good food where my son and I could sit outside along the Pacific. My daughter-in-law suggested Driftwood Kitchen in Laguna Beach for good food on the ocean. Great suggestion, as the food, service and views are quite good. I sipped a margarita-like upside-down 42 caddy ($16) made with Cointreau, Don Julio 1942 anejo tequila and lime juice while my son tried their high tide ($16) made from Dikel 8 rye,  fresh pineapple juice, ginger, lemon sour mix and fresh mint. We sipped our cocktails as the sun set over the Pacific with a rainbow visual in the [...]

By |2023-09-20T11:50:35-04:00September 13th, 2023|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Back to José Andrés’ Zaytinya, NoMad, NYC

I visited José Andrés' Zaytinya the week it opened last August and thought it apropos to try again. They, of course, had ironed out their food delivery and service issues. The main difference — other than the well-trained staff — was that the portion sizes shrunk while the prices increased. But I get ahead of myself. I had planned to try the Restaurant Week menu until our waiter mentioned that the whole table had to order it. Instead, we each started with a glass of Assyrtiko, Santo Wines, Santorini 2021 ($21), a white wine similar to a Sancerre. Nice. We dipped the puffy warm bread pillows into their olive oil [...]

By |2023-09-10T15:03:27-04:00September 10th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Rex and Rose Pop-Up, Ladera Ranch, California

While at our cousins' reunion, those descendants of my father were invited to brunch at Rex and Rose Brunch Pop Up at my son Eric's home. We were asked to book a time slot. Upon arrival, our order was taken, then we were given a number and escorted to our table. The neighborhood kids (ages 3 to 11) were trained to be runners. When our food was ready, one brought it to our table and returned the number to the reception desk. The food was phenomenal and served with big smiles! I sampled the breakfast burrito of scrambled eggs, cheese and bacon rolled with potatoes and guacamole inside a flour [...]

By |2023-08-28T12:53:05-04:00September 9th, 2023|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|2 Comments
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Return to The Lightship Frying Pan, Chelsea, NYC

The Frying pan is one of my favorite summertime spots to dine on the water. It is distinguished by a big black iron skillet near the entrance, off West 26th Street. This historic barge, docked in the Hudson River, is a former Lackawanna railroad flatboat, now a fun restaurant. I like going late afternoon or very early evening, as later it can become like a frat party toward the back of the barge. A group of us grabbed a meal there recently, trying foods I had yet to sample. I'd recommend their hearty portion of beer-battered cod sprinkled with malt vinegar powder with tartar sauce, coleslaw and their yummy fries [...]

By |2023-09-08T23:24:45-04:00September 7th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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P.J. Clarke, Brookfield Place, NYC + Barbie

Like millions of others, I decided to see Margo Robbie and Ryan Gosling in the blockbuster that put Greta Gerwig on the books as the first film directed solely by a woman to cross $1 billion in global box office sales. Barbie's existential crisis is fun and thought-provoking! I do recommend seeing it. After the movie, we headed to P.J. Clarke's On the Hudson to sit outside Brookfield Place by the Hudson, watching the ships go by, with the Statue of Liberty in the background. While deciding what to have, we nibbled on their crispy onion strings with a Dijon aioli ($10). One of my friends had the lemon chicken [...]

By |2023-09-08T23:32:34-04:00September 5th, 2023|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Las Brisas, Laguna Beach, California

I booked outside tables at Las Brisas so those arriving from the East Coast could enjoy dining with fresh ocean air along the Pacific. The restaurant offers California cuisine with a touch of Mexico. The restaurant was also able to accommodate our large group. Our dinner was the night before our "TAG, You're it" cousins reunion commenced in Aliso Viejo, California. Almost fifty relatives worldwide attended, with many cousins' offspring never meeting. We hoped to pass the baton to them to plan our next gathering and stay connected. [It worked. Our kids are now planning the next reunion.] About 25 of us were at dinner, divided among three tables on [...]

By |2023-09-08T23:16:22-04:00September 3rd, 2023|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Brunch at Home Bistro, Murray Hill, NYC + Mission Impossible

We were heading to AMC to see Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One and were looking for a place for a quick brunch before going. I had promised to return to Home Bistro after meeting owner/chef John Sierp when I arrived for an opening that wasn't! He was so hospitable I vowed to return. This time, we indulged in their Bottomless Brunch Drinks ($20) with their 1.5 hours of unlimited Mimosas, Tequila Sunrises, Aperol Spritz, Frozen Margs, Bloody Marys, Bud light Drafts, Screwdrivers for $20 to the cost of any entree (minimum $10). We chose the Aperol Spritz served in a mason jar. As we were sharing, [...]

By |2023-08-28T12:52:24-04:00September 1st, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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2023 US Open Food Tasting Preview

With expansive dining options across the grounds of The US Open Tennis Championships at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, visitors can eat well. Last week, I sampled this year's offering at an inaugural Flavors of the Open event at ACES with a tasting of the great food and signature drinks from top celebrity chef partners offering their fare during the open. Some chefs like Pat LaFrieda, David Burke, Ed Brown, Masaharu Morimoto, Josh Capon and Alex Guarnaschelli have been partners for years. Joining them this year are Kwame Onwuachi (Tatiana), Melba Silson (Melbas) and James Kent (Crown Shy), among others. Some goodies we sampled included Melba’s Spring Rolls  (peas [...]

By |2023-09-08T23:35:38-04:00August 29th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Shoreside Meal at the Little Pub, Stratford, CT

Little Pub is a waterside cafe on the Connecticut Sound in Stratford, with good food and friendly service that friends had suggested. I met friends there recently. We sat outside on the deck with the water lapping shoreside, sipping our dirty martinis ($15) while nibbling their crispy fries ($3) and catching up. Our entrees were tasty. I tried the Thai sesame grilled salmon ($17)s over fresh greens with carrots, red onions and Mandarin oranges in a light citrus-ginger dressing, all topped with wontons and drizzled with a spicy wasabi sauce. My gluten-free friend tried the Napa salmon flatbread ($17) — sans bread with her blackened salmon over shredded cabbage, pico [...]

By |2023-08-27T08:37:12-04:00August 28th, 2023|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Happy Hour* Barn Joo, Union Square, NYC

I'm on a mission to discover worth-it happy hours (HH)in my greater hood.  My first time here, Barn Joo offered a grumpy hour from 11:30 am to 4 pm, which preceded their happy hour! Last time, I didn't try a HH cocktail as I was in the mood for an Old Fashioned. Barn Joo's was really good but didn't have the HH discount. So this time, I sampled their serrano margarita It was fine, just nothing I'd go back for. The only food specials are fresh oysters and cocktail shrimp, $10.50 for half a dozen. The service is consistently friendly. I ordered their bibimbap with spicy pork, which was even [...]

By |2023-09-02T19:36:17-04:00August 26th, 2023|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Seamore’s, Chelsea & Brookfield Place, NYC + Philobulus at The Joyce

Odd, I know,  to dine at a Seamore's twice in two days, but I did. The first time was downtown in Brookfield Place after the Les Dames d'Escoffier scholarship event at the Institute for Culinary Education. It's our annual event to honor our recipients. Since 1977, we — Les Dames d'Escoffier New York — have awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to help advance female professionals in our industry. A few of us grabbed a bite afterward, with Seamore's being the only place able to accommodate our group at their flagship largest location. Their oysters ($18 for 6) and the lobster roll are fresh ($34). You can get the roll [...]

By |2023-08-24T08:32:11-04:00August 24th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Beso Restaurant St. George, Staten Island

There was a tornado watch as we boarded the Staten Island Ferry, dampening our chance to sit outside but not our excitement about going to Beso, a Spanish tapas restaurant my friends love. The restaurant is about a 10 minutes walk from the ferry terminal. Beso, a multi-floor yet cozy restaurant, is bright and colorful, with fun people photos adorning the brick-walled space. My friends have been to and love it for its special pre-fixe menu offering six tapas from the dinner menu and two desserts with coffee or tea for $89. We sipped their traditional white sangria - our first pitcher mango flavored ($36 + $3 for the flavor), [...]

By |2023-08-22T07:03:07-04:00August 22nd, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Song’E Napule New Location, West Village, NYC + PS at Pine & Polk Speakeasy

The publicist reached out about Song’E Napule's new location, down the block east on Houston from its previous location. I couldn't resist going remembering how delicious it had been. This is the fourth location of this pizzeria and trattoria. I again sampled their Parmigiana Di Melanzane ($18), thin slices of eggplant parmigiana that had melted in my mouth. So glad I did, as it was as good as last time. So was their pizza, although I ordered the 12-inch Margherita pizza ($18), topped with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil drizzled with EVOO this time. The most heavenly dish was the evening's special gnocchi potato dumplings filled with liquid [...]

By |2024-08-07T09:37:38-04:00August 20th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Speakeasys|0 Comments
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The Long Room, Theatre District, NYC + Good Night Oscar at the Balasco

We met at the noisy—yet inviting—The Long Room, an Irish pub across from the Balasco Theatre, where we saw Sean Hayes's well-deserved Tony-winner performance as Oscar Levant in Good Night Oscar. His tour-de-force performance is not to be missed. Unless they extend the run, you have only until Sunday, August 27, 2023, before the show closes. The Long Room offers some cocktails named after Broadway shows. For a nanosecond, I thought about ordering the "Good Night, Oscar" and instead chose the yummy "My Edelman's Old Fashioned" made with rye ($16); one dining partner enjoyed a gingery mule and the other a glass of wine. The friendly manager, sporting a genuine [...]

By |2023-08-20T13:12:57-04:00August 18th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Newly Opened Cecchi’s, West Village, NYC

I remembered my building-mate telling me about the opening of Cecchi, a new bar and grill in our hood in the space where Café Loup had been around the corner from UPS, where I frequently drop off Amazon returns. I headed there after doing so recently to see what the hype was about. The friendly bistro is from Michael Cecchi-Azzolina (The Water Club, The River Cafe, Raoul's and Le Coucou). When I arrived five minutes after it opened, only a few seats were available at the bar. I took one and started a conversation with the friendly bartender, Frances. Prices are hefty, like most Manhattan places; I wish there was [...]

By |2023-08-20T13:17:14-04:00August 16th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Cafeteria at Stone Barns,Tarrytown, NY

When visiting a friend in Irvington, we decided to dine at Stone Barn for lunch and a walk around the grounds. The rain negated that plan! We had prebooked and paid for lunch at The Cafeteria, an intriguing place within Stone Barn where you gather your meal onto a tray. While doing so, I ran into Chef Dan Barber. He's the one who spearheaded the farm-to-table movement. Dan received the James Beard "Best Chef New York City" in 2006 and "Outstanding Chef " in 2009. That same year, he was named among Time magazine's 100 most influential people worldwide. Ferran Adrià (of elBulli fame) penned the Time piece, mentioning Dan's [...]

By |2023-08-13T07:39:18-04:00August 14th, 2023|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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Lord’s (Sister to Dame), Greenwich Village, NYC

Lord's is the second restaurant from chef Ed Szymanski and his partner, Patricia Howard, paying homage to British bistro food. The first is Dame; both have a limited ever-changing menu. We continued the never-ending celebration of my big birthday outside at this restaurant on La Guardia Place. I chose their unusual snap pea martini to start; my dining partner their minty gin and tonic. They combine Beefeater gin, blonde Lillet, Chartreuse and pureed snap pea leaves, then garnish the green-tinged martini with snap pea oil. Don't miss their Scotch egg, the quintessential British snack. They wrap the egg with curried ground lamb, roll it in breadcrumbs, and then deep fry it, [...]

By |2023-08-09T19:02:59-04:00August 12th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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