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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Old Stove Pub, Midtown, NYC

We were invited as guests of Old Stove Pub, an Upper East Side cozy restaurant on 59th and first, to sample their fare. We began with their specialty cocktails. I tried their Sweet Devil Chiller ($20), made from the Guajillo chili, passion fruit infused mezcal and Suze liqueur, a French apéritif. My dining partner sampled the Old Stove VIP with pineapple-infused vodka and elderflower($18). While we sipped these tasty libations, we tickled our palate with their marinated cannellini beans on a bread slice. Unlike traditional fried thinly sliced zucchini, the Old Stove Pub offers flash-fried spirals served with spinach tzatziki ($18). We also tried their crab cake with pea shoot [...]

By |2023-02-11T19:53:44-05:00February 4th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Seamore’s @ Urbanspace, Theater District, NYC

My out-of-town cousins were attending a 7 pm performance of Funny Girl a the August Wilson Theatre. With little time to grab a bite, I arranged to meet them at the Urbanspace food hall. Among other restaurants, Urbanspace has a Seamore's that I thought would be quick and good for my pescatarian cousin. I've eaten at Seamore's other locations, enjoying their fresh seafood. The menu is smaller, and the seating area is minimal. I secured one of the two tables! My cousins each had a bowl of their clam chowder, lacking the rich saline clam broth redolent of Cape Cod. They also shared the guac served with chips. I ordered their [...]

By |2023-02-11T19:10:07-05:00February 2nd, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|1 Comment
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A Meal at Arca Worthy of a Visit, Tulum, Mexico

We were supposed to be six at the upscale Arca restaurant from executive chef and owner Jose Luis Hinostroza. This farm-to-table Tulum restaurant opened in 2015, offering open-fire cooking of small plates intended to be shared. Their food represents the flora and fauna of the area. With six, we would have experienced many more dishes. One of our group became ill, and three others opted to stay in their hotel room with him. (He's fine now!)  So the two of us only had room for a  couple of the chef's creative dishes.  I started with their mezcal El Solar cocktail ($7.75), which wasn't too sweet. I'd recommend.  We couldn't resist [...]

By |2022-12-27T08:06:17-05:00January 31st, 2023|World, World Restaurants|0 Comments
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Birthday Celebration at Koloman in the Ace Hotel & Nubeluz, NoMad, NYC

Our celebration evening began with drinks at the hot, relatively new rooftop bar in the Ritz Hotel NoMad. Nubeluz is worth visiting, especially with out-of-town visitors. I ordered the Foggy Hill, a mezcal drink I recommend that someone at your table get because of the lemon-thyme aromatic cloud presentation. Others had traditional cocktails. The birthday girl requested caviar bumps (3 grams Kaviari Ossetra, $18 per pump), a trendy new app where you put a tiny mound of caviar on your hand and slurp! Yum. The four of us shared all the apps. Those included sliced, grilled Trumpet mushrooms over crushed potatoes with watercress with a side sauce Vierge ($32) of [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:12:22-04:00January 28th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|2 Comments
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The Dining Room at the Met + the Tudors Exhibit

There's nothing like visiting the Met with two friends who studied Art History! Their knowledge brought to life the Tudors exhibit for me. Afterward, we headed up to the fourth floor to the Met Dining room with incredible views of Central Park. We were seated with an unobstructed view of the obelisk that's Cleopatra's Needle. The crips Joseph Drouhin Saint Veran 2020, Burgundy, France ($16) went well with the order of fettuccine with an abundance of freshly shaved white truffles, that day's special ($70) that we shared as an appetizer. Deliciously satisfying. Two of us split the crab cakes ($30.00) with spicy coleslaw and a green goddess dressing and their [...]

By |2023-01-29T07:25:32-05:00January 26th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Beach Club Kanan, Tulum, Mexico

My friend had been in Tulum all week in preparation for her son's wedding. She stayed on the beach at the Ahau, yet ate lunch at The Beach Club Kanan daily. I joined her for lunch the afternoon of the Welcome Drinks and Dinner party. Each day, she ordered the same dish for lunch, their simple shrimp with a white rice garnish and a choice of three sauces. The Kanan offered a garlic mojo, a devil sauce and a garlicky guajillo sauce. We wanted all three, as she did each day. Kenten Marin, their executive chef, had to come from the kitchen to meet us. "Who would order all three [...]

By |2023-01-28T11:15:34-05:00January 23rd, 2023|Bites from the Road, World Restaurants, World Travel|0 Comments
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A Return to the Upscale Indian Restaurant Sona, Gramercy Flatiron, NYC

I returned to Sona, the upscale Indian restaurant on East 20th Street, to celebrate my friend's wedding, which I sadly missed because Camp Grammie happened simultaneously on the opposite side of the country. Sona serves global Indian fare in a comfortable setting with attentive, knowledgeable service. We started with their seasonal version of an Old Fashioned ($19) served in stemless snifters so we could enjoy the aromatic cinnamon stick stirrer. Gobhi is one of my go-to's at Indian restaurants. This version's crispy cauliflower ($18) comes dusted with lentil powder. I'd also recommend their spice-roasted Japanese sweet potatoes (shakarkandi) that sit in a puddle of honey-yogurt flavored with pomegranates ($18). We [...]

By |2023-01-28T11:14:32-05:00January 20th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to Dame, After Stops at Bobo and Cellar Dog, West Village, NYC

Before dinner at Dame, we stopped at Bobo for their oyster happy hour to start our birthday celebration. We smiled as they brought a lemon tart with a lit candle, along with the $1 happy hour oysters (available 5 pm - 7 pm). We had asked for a candle to be added to the oyster platter, perhaps nestled in the ice, for the birthday girl. From there, we stopped at the renamed Cellar Dog for a couple of ping-pong games and laughed lots as our competitive spirits emerged. And then on to the tiny restaurant Dame for dinner. Dame has a limited menu at this British restaurant with unusually sounding [...]

By |2023-01-28T11:11:24-05:00January 17th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Toucan Sur Mer, Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium

During my Thanksgiving visit across the pond, we dined with friends at Toucan Sur Mer, a renowned fish restaurant in Brussels' Ixelles neighborhood. What's remarkable about this friendly fish restaurant is their velvety Soupe de Poissons de Roche (14,00 €), a classic French soup similar to Nice's bouillabaisse. It came with grated Emmenthal cheese and rouille, a Provençal variation on aïoli, the traditional accompaniment with bouillabaisse. Don't miss. Other good selections are their oysters  (2.50 € each) and the salmon tartare a la Japonaise (19.50 €) with grainy mustard. Four of us chose their fish & chips (24 €), crunchy fish pieces with a small salad, tartar sauce and a big [...]

By |2023-01-14T15:27:03-05:00January 14th, 2023|Bites from the Road, World, World Restaurants, World Travel|0 Comments
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Keith McNally Restaurant Group’s Morandi, West Village, NYC

We met in the West Village at one of the Keith McNally Restaurant Group's locations for lunch and catch up. It was my first time at Morandi, not my friend's; it won't be my last as the food and service were both good, just like Minetta Tavern, Balthazar and Pastis! Don't miss the Insalata di Cavolini di Bruxelles, shaved fresh Brussels sprouts, diced apple, bacon bites and grated Parmesan lightly coated in a cider dressing ($21). Our server knew we were sharing everything, so he had the kitchen split the perfectly cooked — al dente — housemade mafalde pasta. Nice touch. It came tossed with sweet sausage chunks, garlicky broccoli rabe [...]

By |2023-01-15T11:49:02-05:00January 12th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Scarpetta in the James Nomad Hotel, NOMAD, NYC

A balmy evening allowed us to dine outside comfortably as Scarpetta's guests, there to sample their new fall offerings. Be careful not to fill up on the delicious bread service with three varieties - plain, focaccia and spiraled with cured meat. It's served with olive oil, whipped mascarpone and an irresistible tomato-eggplant mixture. We started with their salad of chicory, sliced roasted apple and pickled cranberries, topped with Parmigiano cheese tossed in a light champagne vinaigrette ($20) plus their signature sushi-grade tuna susci ($27). Their signature spaghetti with tomato basil ($34) arrived tableside under a glass dome. With a purchase of that tasty dish, Scarpetti will donate $1 to the [...]

By |2023-01-15T11:51:47-05:00January 9th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Another Holiday Party at Bowery Road, Hyatt Hotel, Village, NYC

My ex.expat group decided to again hold our annual holiday party at Bowery Road in the Hyatt near Union Square. We did so as we were so pleased with our last year's event. This year was just as good! We started with an open bar, offering wine, beer, Prosecco and Aperol spritzers. Apps included their crushed avocado topped with chimichurri, served with seeded corn crackers; roasted beets with citrus supremes and yogurt sprinkled with pumpkin seeds; and burrata with roasted squash and chopped hazelnuts. The staff first served the apps, then placed them on our table for us to enjoy family style as they did our entrees. Our family-style entrees [...]

By |2023-01-15T11:58:40-05:00January 7th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Cafe Pomegranate, Zeeheldenkwartier, Den Haag, The Netherlands

We ventured out in the rain for brunch to a new women-owned cafe around the corner. It's a family affair, owned by a mom and her daughters who moved to Den Haag from Australia. The smoothie with bananas, mango and lots of cinnamon was a hit with my granddaughter, as were her ricotta pancakes (11.5 €) with Nutella mascarpone, roasted walnuts and fresh berries. Also tasty are the spicy scramble (12.5 €) with burrata, chorizo and arugula, the eggs benny with bacon and asparagus (14.5 €) and a side of parmesan asparagus (4 €). The cafe offers housemade pastries and a local bakery's pan chocolate and fruit tarts. I recommend [...]

By |2023-01-15T11:59:00-05:00January 5th, 2023|World, World Restaurants, World Travel|0 Comments
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Sapphire, UWS, NYC + Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool

(Sadly, Sapphire just closed on December 31, 2022.) Sapphire Cuisines of India on the Upper West Side is close enough to the Vivian Beaumont Theater to grab a bite before attending a show. We did just that before seeing Mike Birbiglia in his one-man show. My dining partner noticed some small batch bourbons and ordered Old Fashions for us made with Clyde Mays, an Alabama-style whiskey ($18) that we sipped while topping the crispy flatbread papadum with the two sauces. I'd recommend the Lasuni Gobi ($9), their cauliflower florets batter-fried in a garlic sauce and their fried onion fritters ($9) made using a spiced gram flour batter.    Also good [...]

By |2023-01-15T12:02:31-05:00January 3rd, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|4 Comments
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Dame Bonnie Tandy Leblang Collection at The Boyd Hospitality & Culinary Library

(With excerpts from the speech given at the library's opening.) My interest in everything culinary started as soon as I could hold a wooden spoon.   I began collecting food-related stuff early and continued most of my life. That extensive collection included cookbooks, menus, pamphlets, booklets, other food/nutrition-related books – and memorabilia, like the My*T*Fine pudding package sporting an image of Howdy Doody!   I even went the food route with my education, studying and getting degrees in food science and nutrition and becoming a Registered Dietitian. When I was getting ready to sell my cookbook-lined Connecticut home and move to Manhattan, I tried to find a home for my extensive library. Most [...]

By |2023-01-02T14:00:48-05:00December 31st, 2022|Big Apple Life, Bites from the Road, NYC Best Bites, Rambling, USA, USA Restaurants, USA Travel|2 Comments
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Ella Social, Upper West Side, NYC + Historical Society

We're always looking for a restaurant to serve a group of at least twenty of us for lunch after one of our Ex.expats of New York monthly outings. This time it was after curator-led tours at the New-York Historical Society. Dr. Wendy Ikemoto, Senior Curator of American Art, took us through the "Scenes of New York: The Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld Collection," followed by Anna Danziger Halperin, Center for Women's History, tour through "The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming." We ended up at Ella Social, with the owner being so accommodating for a prefix 3-course lunch with unlimited tea or regular coffee for $35, including tax and tip. A [...]

By |2022-12-30T16:28:11-05:00December 29th, 2022|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Katsuya, Manhattan West, NYC + Citizens

An invitation came for the opening of Citizens Marketplace at 398 Tenth Avenue. Like Urban Hawker, it is a food court. The difference is this one is anchored by two upscale restaurants, the Spanish Casi Dani and Katsuya sushi. I was invited to stay to sample the latter after their open house.  I do recommend their delicious grilled octopus ($27), their highly seasoned edamame ($13) and their crispy and crunch Japanese slaw ($19) with chicken in an umeboshi dressing. I'd go back just for the latter. Also impressive is their sashimi. It was tender, sweet and buttery; especially the toro, reported my sushi-eating dining mate. We sampled the Tuna Belle [...]

By |2022-12-30T16:35:52-05:00December 26th, 2022|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Nubeluz Rooftop Bar in The Ritz, NoMad, NYC

Nubeluz is from the Spanish words for cloud (nube) and light (luz). It's the name of the Ritz-Carlton NoMad's swanky rooftop bar with incredible city views and a unique take on cocktails from José Andrés, who also opened Zaytinya on the ground floor. The bar opened in July at the corner of Broadway and 28th street. Nubelez tries to keep it mysterious. The hostess, dressed in a gold lamè short cocktail dress, will have you wait after you've stopped at the stand to give your name -- even if you have a reservation and the rooftop is not fully committed. It's how they've been trained. Once the hostess decides to [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:03:34-04:00December 23rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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Keith McNally’s Minetta Tavern, Greenwich Village, NYC

The high-end French bistro, Minetta Tavern, originally opened in 1937, was named after the eponymous Brook that ran southwest from 23rd Street to the Hudson River. Various writers — Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Eugene O'Neill, E. E. Cummings, Dylan Thomas, and Joe Gould — frequented the tavern. Today it still has vintage decor, a warm vibe and friendly service. While sipping our hearty cocktails — my Bulleit Old Fashioned, one friend's Cosmo and Lemon Drop ($21 each), we nibbled their warm loaf of bread. Dangerously, addictive. Two of us indulged in their acclaimed burger and fries. Since we couldn't decide between the regular Minetta burger ($31) topped with Cheddar or [...]

By |2023-01-02T14:02:52-05:00December 21st, 2022|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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This Time Dinner at Electric Lemon, Hudson Yards, NYC

I've been recommending Electric Lemon on the 24th floor of the Equinox Hotel at Hudson Yards since I tasted their crab in a crunchy ginger dressing. It was that good. We started with that crab ($24) and added the cauliflower flatbread ($20) topped with hummus, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs and a bottle of Sancerre, Noël et Jean-Luc Raimbault 2021 ($78) One entree was better than the next. The juicy chicken sat atop ($34) a flavorful blend of veggies; the halibut atop a pool of beans topped with mustard greens; and the tender dry-aged duck over honey and plum-sweetened freekeh. Each worth going back for. Skip the polenta fries — it's [...]

By |2024-09-12T11:38:18-04:00December 18th, 2022|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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