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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Lamano, Chelsea, NYC + Sw!ng Out at the Joyce

We quickly ordered some drinks when we learned it was still happy hour. We decided to try one glass of each of the two sangria offerings—one Cava based, the other a more traditional red ($8). We were two-fisted drinkers. I chose Lamano for its proximity to The Joyce, where we were heading to see their SW!NG OUT performance with audience participation. It was six years ago that I first visited Lamano when it opened. I enjoyed the food then and found it's still just as good. We started with everything on the happy hour menu. That included the pan con tomato ($8 for three pieces) of the tomato bread, their [...]

By |2023-07-29T11:57:10-04:00July 27th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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A Return to Zou Zou, Manhattan West, for Father’s Day

My kids chose Zou Zou's to celebrate Father's Day for its proximity to their hotel, Pendry Manhattan West, the first NYC hotel for Montage Hotels & Resorts. Zou Zou is part of the Quality Branded restaurant group that includes Bad Roman, Quality Eats, Smith & Wollensky and more. The noise level outside would have been better without the building's fan. That said, it was preferable to a noisy dining room. I must be getting old, as noise affects me more than ever! Like my last visit, we couldn't decide between five mezze offerings, so we had them all ($35) to enjoy with their crudities and grilled Turkish flatbread, bazlama. Those [...]

By |2024-10-03T15:13:53-04:00July 25th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Happy Hour*** at STK Midtown, NYC

When visiting friends wanted to meet midtown for a drink, I suggested STK Steakhouse's happy hour. It had been on my radar since my downstairs neighbor raved about the offerings. He was right. I laughed as I bumped into my friends on the street, looking for STK. Its Sixth Avenue address is confusing as the entrance is on 43. STK's happy hour, from 3 - 5:30 on weekends, is one of the best I've sampled recently. They offer good libations ($9) and lite bites ($3 - $9). That's only $9 each for a glass of Prosecco, a margarita and dirty martinis with three blue-cheese stuffed jumbo olives. The martini was [...]

By |2023-09-02T20:21:57-04:00July 23rd, 2023|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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White Oak Tavern, Greenwich Village, NYC

My young cousin is enrolled in a  songwriting program at NYU. She was chosen for one of the 42 spots as a high schooler. Impressive. Being in town for only two weeks, I asked her to pick a place to have lunch. We met at the White Oak Tavern on the weekend and dined inside as there was a street fair along Waverly. I tried their blood orange mimosa ($17) offered for brunch and chose the omelet with three fillings. It came with a leafy green salad. I filled my omelet with roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions and goat cheese. My cousin had the meatless beyond burger ($19) on a pretzel [...]

By |2023-07-29T11:37:21-04:00July 21st, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews|1 Comment
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Terra Ristorante Italiano, Greenwich, CT

We chose Terra Ristorante on Greenwich Avenue to commence the weekend's festivities. Of course, we started with cocktails with a few of us sharing my love of Old Fashioneds ($18). One had their milky rum drink, the Jungle Bird ($16), with rum, Campari, milk and citrus, another the Old School ($16, a tequila old fashioned) and my grandkids sipped lemonade while my pregnant host had a virgin mojito. We ordered lots, sharing most and digging right in. My daughter-in-law — a sommelier selected our sensuous Tuscan Promis, Gaja, Toscana ($125).   Everything was good, from the wood-fired pepperoni pizza ($25) to the steamed P.E.I mussels ($18) with organic romaine hearts [...]

By |2023-07-29T11:33:46-04:00July 19th, 2023|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|1 Comment
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Lunch at Ruby & Bella’s, Greenwich, CT

I hadn't seen my Nashville friends since I visited them pre-pandemic. They met Bryan and me at the train station so that we could start our visit on the walk to Ruby & Bella's on Greenwich's main drag. We stopped yakking only long enough to give our orders at this comfy Greenwich Avenue lunch spot. My son at the juicy Black Label Burger ($24) made from Pat la Frieda house blend, topped with cheddar and bacon on a smoked onion aioli spread brioche. I ordered the unusual buns filled with crispy cod topped with napa cabbage slaw and scallions in a soft pancake reminiscent of the Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches. [...]

By |2023-07-16T06:49:51-04:00July 17th, 2023|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants, USA Travel|0 Comments
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Lunch at La Mercerie to Commence My Big Birthday Weekend

My big birthday weekend was about to start with family and friends arriving in town. One friend offered to commence my two-day actual birthday with a light lunch. Two days? The doctor who delivered me asked my mother which day she wanted on my birth certificate as I was born at the stroke of midnight. As a birthday glutton, I celebrate both days and then some more. We met at La Mercier in SoHo, located inside the Roman and Williams Guild in SoHo, offering the everyday French cooking of Chef Marie-Aude Rose. My friend always makes birthday celebrations extra special, providing the birthday person with a crown, necklace and much [...]

By |2024-03-21T18:20:40-04:00July 15th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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IHOP (Yes, that pancake house) Pancake Tacos, East Village, NYC

My friend, a senior editor of Restaurant Business, a trade publication, asked me to join her to sample IHOP's new time-limited pancake tacos as she needed a videographer. That's such a fancy word for me holding the camera as she ate and spoke. We were pleasantly surprised. These pancake tacos come in four variations—two sweet and two savory—with an order of three tacos of the same flavor is $6, served in a metal taco holder. The Breakfast Pancake Taco comes filled with scrambled eggs, hickory-smoked bacon, a cheddar-Jack cheese blend and white cheese sauce. Salsa accompanies it. I sampled that one and found it acceptable for breakfast on the go. [...]

By |2023-07-14T11:33:03-04:00July 13th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Empire Diner, Chelsea, NYC + Kusama at David Zwirner

David Zwirner invited us to a press preview of his current Yayoi Kusama exhibit featuring new paintings, new sculptures elaborating on her signature dot motifs and a new Infinity Mirror Room.  The exhibit is open thru July 21, 2023. After the exhibit, we headed to grab a bite at the High Line Hotel, yet they weren't open and weren't opening soon. A bit hungry, we walked north on Tenth, stopping at the Empire Diner. I had an Aperol Spritz ($16), one friend a Virgin Mary ($8), the other a Watermelon Spritz ($16) while we shared crispy artichokes($14), crab Louis ($24) and tuna tartare ($22). Worth a visit. Empire Diner Chelsea [...]

By |2023-07-10T16:48:33-04:00July 11th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Campbell’s Apartment, Grand Central, NYC

More than a decade ago, when my friend said,  "Let's meet at Campbell's Apartment," I wondered whether I had met his friend Campbell! Now I know that the cocktail lounge in the Southwestern corner of the Grand Central Terminal oozes history, being the former office of financier John W. Campbell — a New York Central Railroad board member. It was also a music recital hall. Follow signs to the apartment up a staircase from the terminal's balcony to get there. Notice how the expansive high-ceiling lounge showcases 13th-century Florentine-inspired design, including a bank of century-old leaded glass windows, 25-foot hand-painted ceilings and an impressive stone fireplace. I liked my Old [...]

By |2023-07-10T16:44:09-04:00July 9th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Jupiter, Rockefeller Center, NYC + Grey House

I had to try Jupiter as my friend couldn't stop raving about it. She'd been multiple times.  I reserved a table on the rinkside terrace at Rockefeller Center, as recommended. This unusual dining underground is much quieter than inside. Cocktails ($19) first. My dining partner with a House Sprintz (Red aperitivo, sea buckthorn, natty rosé), which I'll order my next time over their version of their Manhattan 1801. We began with their fried artichokes ($17) that melted in our mouths. Not to be missed. Next, we split their house salad ($24) with asparagus spears, wild arugula, fennel, warm lentils and Castelrosso cheese. Also, delicious. Once the "Pane" ($15) basket with [...]

By |2023-07-16T07:36:10-04:00July 7th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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A Return to El Parador — NYC’s Oldest Mexican Restaurant , Murray Hill, NYC

More than a decade ago, I first visited NYC's oldest continuously running Mexican restaurant and raved about it. Could El Parador be as good? I started with a margarita, selecting their spicy jalapeño one ($15) made with pepper-infused tequila, fresh lime juice and Marie Brizard Finesse Orange and served in a salt-rimmed glass. While awaiting my entree, I nibbled their warm chips dipped in their housemade also warm salsa.  I had ordered their Mole Poblano de Pollo ($28), aware of the 25 minutes wait. The half-chicken was worth the wait, bathed in a complex mole sauce made from two dozen ingredients, including Mexican chocolate. It was as delicious as my first [...]

By |2023-07-10T16:25:04-04:00July 5th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Service Extraordinaire at Indochine + Joe’s Pub Loser’s Lounge

The location of Indochine, right across the street from The Public, was a perfect place to dine before heading to Joe's Pub's Loser's Lounge for a tribute to Hall and Oats. We sat outside as the night's weather was perfect. One dining partner and I sipped their Passion Pomegranate Margarita ($18, tequila, triple sec, passionfruit, pomegranate and lime), another the cucumber and chili martini ($18, made with vodka infused with pineapple and ginger and lime juice) and another the white Negroni ($18, made with gin, Lillet blanc and Suze). While waiting for our apps, two of us were getting "eaten alive" by bitting flying bugs; our server gave us extra [...]

By |2023-07-01T15:59:29-04:00July 1st, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Serafina In the Sky / Pod Hotel, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Wet Brain

I'm always looking for rooftop spaces for grabbing a bite before theatre. Serafina in the Sky/Pod Hotel is perfect before heading further west on 42nd Street to shows at Playwrights Horizon, Signature Theatre or Theatre Row. I sipped an Aperol Spritz ($15) while perusing the many Italian specialties on their menu. I had read that the owners — Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato — had been lost at sea when they promised to open a restaurant together if they survived. Today, Serafina has locations across three continents with dozens of restaurants in the U.S. I decided on their eggplant parmigiana — baked eggplant with fior di latte mozzarella, tomato sauce [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:12:11-04:00July 1st, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop, Theatre|0 Comments
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Drift In, Hudson River Park, NYC

Drift In — a seasonal open-air waterfront restaurant along Hudson River Park near Pier 45 from the folks that bring you Grand Banks — Executive Chef Kerry Heffernan builds his menus around sustainable, wild-caught seafood and seasonal produce. After perusing their menu, which includes a variety of oysters, many seafood dishes, burgers, salads, cocktails, wines and beers, we decided to start with their Tropicalia cocktail ($16.5). Along with that mixture of vodka, watermelon and lime, we nibbled the housemade smoked line-caught bluefish dip with freshly deep-fried chips. ($17) while savoring the water view. We both enjoyed the fresh lobster. The Maine lobster roll with herb-dulse emulsion and pickled cucumber is served [...]

By |2023-07-01T12:16:10-04:00June 29th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Lezzet Turkish Restaurant, Midtown, NYC

With perfect weather, we opted for alfresco dining at Lezzet Turkish Restaurant, midtown. I sipped a glass of their Malbec ($15), my dining partner their white sangria ($13) while we nibbled their warm focaccia dipped in EVOO. We asked them — and they accommodated — to serve our order one dish at a time, starting with their lightly dressed Greek salad with housemade dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) nicely garnished with a rose created from thinly sliced tomatoes.  Next, we split their rich musakka ($27.95), the Turkish version of layered eggplant, tomato and ground meat, interestingly garnished with a roasted tomato and roasted jalapeno. For our main entree, we share their [...]

By |2023-05-29T08:47:56-04:00June 27th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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@Nine, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Circle Line

To kick off the summer, we took the Circle Line 2.5-hour guided tour around Manhattan Island, sailing on three rivers and passing under 20 bridges with breathtaking views of the NYC skyline, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Yankee Stadium and so much more while a guide narrated every detail of the trip. After the cruise, a few of us went looking for a bite to eat, stopping at a hotel on West 42nd, whose restaurant wasn't open yet. Their staff recommended @Nine, a Thai place around the corner on Ninth Avenue. @Nine offers an all-day happy hour with martinis, margies and cosmos for only $9. I sipped their martini, [...]

By |2023-06-29T10:12:28-04:00June 25th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Brunch at Sona, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

We met for Sunday brunch, going Indian at Sona, a consistently good restaurant with exceptional food. We ordered a bottle of Pago Del Cielo, Rueda Celeste Verdejo Sur Lies, 2021 ($72) to work well with the flavors and spices of India. We started with their Chole Tikki Chaat ($18), an Indian snack that means "to lick” or “to taste” in Hindu.  So delicious I wanted to lick the last remnants of the symphony of flavors of the chickpeas with yogurt, sweet chutney and a smashed patty of potatoes. The everything bagel seasoned naan ($9) worked to sop up the smoked tomato gravy of the butter chicken ($32). And so did [...]

By |2023-06-29T10:14:38-04:00June 23rd, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Birthday at Genesis House, Meatpacking District, NYC

Friends had raved about Genesis House, the upscale Korean restaurant in the Meatpacking District curated by Onjium, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul. After glancing at the unusual menu, I decided to stop by the restaurant on the second floor of the Genesis luxury car showroom one afternoon to see if I could learn more about the experience before dining there. I met Patricia, the maitre d', who had time to show me around and give me a detailed description of the menu and its royal history as it was midafternoon. I learned that Genesis House restaurant adapts its generations-old recipes — from 300 to almost 1000 years old — to modern-taste Korean [...]

By |2023-06-29T10:30:49-04:00June 21st, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Casa Mono, Gramercy Park, NYC

I'm a Casa Mono devotee.  I'm not the only one as this tapas bar-restaurant, inspired by the cooking of Spain's Costa Brava, was awarded three stars from The New York Times in 2015 and a Michelin Star in 2009 and every year since. A must try. Our waiter Matt suggested the Silice, a rosè from Galicia, 2021, done Provençal style ($81). We sipped that while nibbling their olives, bathing in rich EVOO. I let my dining partner select the menu as it was her birthday. We started with roasted shishito ($16), peppers in a pimiento manchego cheese sauce, and their classic Ensalada Mono, a pile of lightly dressed friseé decorated [...]

By |2023-06-19T21:36:52-04:00June 18th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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