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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Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, Midtown, NYC

I first ate at Pera with a Turkish friend fifteen years ago and have frequented it both up and downtown. I hadn't returned to the midtown one in ages. This time, I went with a friend after the fabulous multi-media event at the Morgan Library about the life of Bella Costa Greene. Safa, our server, offered us a sip of the medium-bodied Greek Assyrtiko Moschopolis ($58) before we ordered a bottle to accompany our trio of dips ($19). Pita chips accompany the hummus, smoked eggplant and spicy pepper muhammara. Pita bread costs extra. The skewered marinated chicken breast shashlik arrived overcooked yet flavorful ($26). The fries, though, were perfectly crisp [...]

By |2024-11-28T11:42:21-05:00January 3rd, 2025|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Essential by Christophe, Upper West Side, NYC

Standing on the subway platform after Kevin Draper's lecture "The Second Toughest Job in the World: A History of New York City Mayors, 1700-1950" at New York Historical (no longer Society!) to grab the B downtown, I met this adorable, perky woman. We started talking about restaurants and squeezed in lots before one of us got off the B train. She mentioned working at the Michelin-starred Essential by Christopher and said I had to try it. I convinced a friend to join me at the inviting bar to sample some Chef Christophe Bellanca's dishes. The restaurant started us with an amuse bouche that I thought needed a touch of color. That [...]

By |2024-11-29T09:31:20-05:00January 1st, 2025|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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An UWS find: Harvest American Bistro + New York Historical

If you haven't heard, the New York Historical Society has dropped "society" to become New York Historical. A change they think is more welcoming. Go figure! We bought tickets to their lecture, "American Chefs: From the White House to Julia Child, " but we didn't get the lecture. Instead, we had a delightful evening hearing Julia Child's "grand-nephew" (Not the heir kind of nephew — one who is the grandson of her husband Paul's grandfather's twin brother.) Paul Prud'homme regaled us with stories about the White House, Presidents and his great aunt's tales, all from his recent book, "Dinner with the President." Afterward, we walked down Columbus past the newly opened [...]

By |2024-12-30T03:08:03-05:00December 30th, 2024|Big Apple Life, Foodie Interviews, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Japanese Restaurant Momoya SoHo, Soho, NYC

The Japanese restaurant Momoya recently opened a sleek new incarnation in SoHo at 47 Prince Street, corner of Mulberry Street. This is the third, more upscale location of this Japanese restaurant. As their guests, we were celebrating a birthday and started with three of their apps, including lots of cooked items and sushi. We nibbled on their organic edamame with sea salt ($10), crispy chunks of karaage, and the Japanese fried chicken ($15) with a spicy sesame-mayo. I'd skip their delicious-sounding fried spring roll ($13) filled with lobster, fish cake, jalapeños and shiitakes as we found that the cheese in this didn't work. At least for us. We did enjoy [...]

By |2024-12-28T08:50:02-05:00December 28th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Osteria Nonnino, West Village, NYC

I always like trying new places, especially friend's favorites. When I asked, my floormate shared Osteria Nonnino, her favorite West Village restaurant. It's an inviting Italian place with large glass windows on the corner of Hudson and Horatio.  I decided to try it. I arrived early and witnessed a tableside preparation of tiramisu for my neighbors, who were so close it was as if we shared a table.  Yes, the tables are very close along the banquette. The server poured fresh espresso over housemade ladyfingers in a small au gratin dish, topped it with creamy mascarpone and sprinkled it with cocoa powder. I knew what we'd have for dessert! Once [...]

By |2024-11-17T07:45:08-05:00December 26th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Rosemary’s, West Village, NYC

Rosemary's on Greenwich Avenue in the West Village was convenient as it is halfway between us. We started with their Point Judith calamari fritti ($19), with garlic aioli lemon, requesting some Pomodoro sauce to dip. They heated some just for us, delivering it as we had almost finished the squid. With that, we enjoyed gratis focaccia ($9). Next, we each ordered one of their pasta, realizing after being served that we could have easily shared as the portions were large. This gave us each lunch for the following day to take home. I do recommend both their rigatoni all arrabbiata ($22) topped with burrata and Calabrian chilies and their linguine [...]

By |2024-12-24T08:16:31-05:00December 24th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Kawi Ni, Westport, CT

After enjoying cocktails and apps at The Welk, we walked up the street to Kawi Ni to continue our meal. Our servers were friendly and attentive. We started with drinks and our first wave of foods, which included the addictive cabbage ($11) flavored with sesame, wasabi and honda shi (Japanese dashi stock made of dry bonito), ume cucumber salad, pork ($16) and shrimp ($18) Szechuan dumplings. Next, chicken karaage ($14) and my favorite dish, the spicy lamb Dan Dan noodles ($22). Not only was everything we had delicious, but the service was amazing, which is why I recommend a visit to Kawi Ni. Kawi Ni Japanese 19A Bridge Square, Westport, CT 06880 [...]

By |2024-11-14T12:24:27-05:00December 22nd, 2024|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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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; sautéed calamari with white beans, arugula, cherry peppers and roasted tomatoes ($16.95); grilled octopus with shishito peppers, potatoes and a roasted red pepper aioli ($16.95); [...]

By |2024-12-25T08:18:11-05:00December 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 Westport 575 Riverside Ave, Westport, CT 06880 203) 557-0902 thewhelkwestport.com

By |2024-12-24T11:02:10-05:00December 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|0 Comments
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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, CT

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 |2024-12-23T13:22:46-05:00December 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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