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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La Palapa + Holiday Lounge, East Village, NYC

We met at Holiday Lounge in the East Village for a drink before dinner next door at La Palapa. Almost 100 years old, this iconic watering hole has a mahogany horseshoe bar and a hand-painted harem scene mural from its Ali Baba days. We were guests of one friend who won the dinner at a raffle at Les Dames d'Escoffier New York's (LDNY) scholarship reception. LDNY is an unparalleled collective of forward-thinking and successful female leaders in all food, beverage and hospitality sectors. We support aspiring professional women in food and beverage and champion critical industry issues. Since 1977, LDNY has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to over [...]

By |2024-08-29T07:24:23-04:00August 29th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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2024 US Open Food Tasting Preview

You'll eat well this year with expansive dining options across the US Open Tennis Championships grounds at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. I know that, as I recently sampled this year's offerings from the many celebrity chef partners. Simon Kim’s COQODAQ debuts this year, serving his black golden nugget fried chicken with seasonal truffles. Some returning celebrity chefs with offerings include Alex Guarnaschelli, Kwame Onwuachi, Ed Brown, David Burke, Josh Capon, Pat LaFrieda, Masaharu Morimoto Pat LaFried, Kwame Onwuachi Tatiana) and more. So many choices, so little time, unless you spend your time at the open just eating!  We sampled lots of goodies, including David Burke's coconut shrimp with avocado [...]

By |2024-09-04T16:00:23-04:00August 27th, 2024|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Cottage, Westport, CT

It's been almost a decade since a publicist had invited me to try Brian Lewis' innovative cuisine at The Cottage in Westport. I returned recently to share a meal with some Connecticut friends. It's a lovely small cottage, hence the name. Its ever-changing menu showcases seasonal fare — very Connecticut. The Chateau des Jacques Bourgogne, Chardonnay 2022 ($80), went well with our selections. For apps, we shared cottage-smoked meaty ribs ($25), the spicy squid with broccoli in a red chili vinaigrette ($21) and the beet and citrus-cured hamachi with pickled onions, cara cara orange and wasabi crema ($20). I couldn't miss the do-it-yourself Wagyu brisket bao buns I sampled on the [...]

By |2024-08-19T15:47:37-04:00August 25th, 2024|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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London Lennie’s, Rego Park, Queens, NYC

We drove to Woodhaven Boulevard in Rego Park, Queens, to dine at the seafood restaurant London Lennie's that's been owned and operated by the Barnes Family since 1959. The valet parked our car as we headed inside to our table. Our waitress, Mariann, listened intently as we each requested our drinks, apps and meals, indicating that one of us has a severe shrimp allergy. She never took a note, walked to the computer and entered our orders. Impressive. When Mariann returned with our beverages, she reiterated that the kitchen was aware of the shrimp allergy. We happily sipped our mojitos ($15) as we nibbled a slice of the warm small [...]

By |2024-08-19T14:49:01-04:00August 23rd, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Beth D’Addono

Beth D'Addono, a food and travel writer specializing in New Orleans (NoLA), and I met through Les Dames d'Escoffier (LDEI), a philanthropic organization of women leaders in the food, beverage and hospitality industries. She was the co-founder and, then, president of the New Orleans chapter when I was on our international board as her liaison. We became quick friends, cemented by my visits to her city. She's quite prolific about NoLA, having penned 100 Things to Do in New Orleans Before You Die and The Hunt Guide New Orleans. You can read her impactful work about The Big Easy through her regular contributions for Eater, Gambit, The Local Palate, Fodor's Guides, The Rough [...]

By |2024-08-22T07:09:14-04:00August 21st, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Waterside Dining Central Park Boathouse, Central Park, NYC

I have a soft spot for iconic New York City spots, especially those that pleasantly surprise visitors with their peaceful, charming ambiance. The recently reopened Central Park Boathouse, sitting by a tranquil lake with lovers in rowboats, is one. It's a serene oasis in the heart of the bustling city. As you sit at a white tablecloth-covered table, the peaceful ambiance of the Boathouse envelops you, making you forget the city's hustle and bustle. The Boathouse has been a backdrop in classics like “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sex and the City.”   I was fortunate to be invited to experience their offerings under the new management of Legends Hospitality, the group [...]

By |2024-08-26T14:31:50-04:00August 19th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dreamfarm Fluicer and Supoon

Every year, I attend a mini-housewares show in Manhattan to preview the latest products that will be shown at The International Housewares Association's (IHA) Home + Housewares Market at Chicago's McCormick Place in March. This time, two items from Dreamfarm stood out as products I wanted to share with you for your kitchen. The first is the Fluicer, available in three sizes for different fruits. I like the yellow, medium-sized one ($16.95) designed for lemons. It was featured in "The O List" and is a Reddot Award Winner for 2023. This juicer folds completely flat for space-saving storage and requires less force than traditional juicers to squeeze the fruit.   [...]

By |2024-08-19T17:21:11-04:00August 17th, 2024|Kitchen Counter, Drawer and More, Products, Recommended|0 Comments
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The Norm, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NYC + The Eyes of the Storm

I was a teenager when the Beatles arrived in NYC in 1963 for their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. That trip catapulted them into stardom. During that time period, Paul McCartney took photos with his Pentax camera looking out from within the Beatlemania frenzy. Hence, "The Eyes of the Storm." Those photographs and more memorabilia can be seen at the exhibit Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm, but only until later this week, specifically, August 18. As we often do when visiting this museum's major exhibitions, we spent hours in the Eyes of the Storm. Remember the quintessential Dior costume exhibit? We opted to grab a bite [...]

By |2024-08-09T08:19:52-04:00August 15th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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MOMA’s Terrace, Midtown, NYC + Watson Adventures Scavenger Hunt

Our six-person team gathered in the MOMA lobby (Museum of Modern Art) for a scavenger hunt with Watson Adventures. We had 90 minutes to find answers to the 28 questions throughout the museum. We moved quickly with each team member helping find the answers. Once found, we typed our responses into the online form. We received 5 points for a correct answer and 3 points if we got it after getting a hint.  We got 28 right on the first try; the other two on our second try.  We won the competition, winning only 20% off our next hunt. Afterward, we headed up to the sixth-floor terrace for a drink [...]

By |2024-08-09T08:15:58-04:00August 13th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Torch and Crown, Union Square, NYC

After attending a packed press party with little to no food or libations at Travelers Poets and Friends, we left looking for something to eat and drink. It was a perfect summer night, so I looked for outdoor seating, ending up at the newly opened Torch and Crown at Union Square Pavilion. We skipped the locally brewed beers for their take on an elderflower spritz called MC Lyte Spritz ($18), made with vodka, St. Germain and City Winery's cava. I had to head inside the Pavillion and stand in line to get the drinks. My dining partner used her phone to order the two-patty Lou burger ($19) with cheddar cheese, [...]

By |2024-08-08T10:03:01-04:00August 11th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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44 and X, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Almost Sterophonic

On one of those perfect summer days with the sun shining and a little chill in the air, we decided to sit outside on 44 & X's patio before heading to theatre. We each had an app from their seasonally inspired menu in the theatre district on the corner of Forty-fourth Street and Tenth Avenue and shared an entree. I enjoyed the large crab-filled blue claw fritter with a tomato tarragon sauce ($25). My dining partner savored her hamachi sashimi with fresh blood oranges and sliced avocado in a blood orange syrup ($21). We then shared the orange-dusted Maine lobster in a salad with braised artichokes, wilted leeks, roasted sweet [...]

By |2024-08-11T08:25:09-04:00August 9th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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City Winery, Hudson River Park, NYC

On a gorgeous summer day, I met a friend to wander through the shops at Chelsea Market, then headed to City Winery for lunch. We sat inside by the windows at the waterside with a beautiful view of the Hudson and Little Island. We shared their tasty Greek Salad ($19) that included baby lettuce with small piles of Bulgarian feta, kalamata olives, shaved red onions, sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes, and stuffed grape leaves. We also shared their "fun-guy" flatbread ($23) — a yummy crust topped with fresh ricotta and pesto topped with foraged mushrooms while we sipped the Casa Blanca, Chile Sauvignon Blanc. ($14). I recommend a visit! City Winery Hudson [...]

By |2024-07-02T11:15:59-04:00August 7th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Laut, finally an “A”, Union Square, NYC + Sleeping Beauties at the Met

I had always enjoyed dining at Laut, a restaurant that blends Malaysian, Singaporean and Thai food, in my hood. When their letter grade from the Health Department that promotes and protects the city's health changed from A to B to C to worse,  I avoided it. When I noticed the restaurant again sporting an "A," I suggested to my friends that we head there after attending the Met opening of Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. That exhibit contained over 200  garments and accessories spanning four centuries, all visually connected through themes of nature. To start, we shared their refreshing papaya salad ($15) made of shredded papaya with chilies, string beans, fresh [...]

By |2024-08-05T09:07:24-04:00August 5th, 2024|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Secretive Celebrations Ends at Laser Wolf, Brooklyn, NYC

I was told to wear comfy shoes, dress casually and meet at the Astor Place subway at 2:15 for a surprise birthday celebration. After exiting the subway at City Hall, we met some other friends. We walked the Brooklyn Bridge, had a drink at Time Out, then headed to the dock at Dumbo and boarded a barge for The Masterwork Series of Barge Music: a quartet (3 violins and a cello) of classical music from Brahms and Beethoven. Fabulously unique. (If you go and get woozy on the water, be prepared with Dramamine, as you might need some. One violinist shared that he had taken some before playing!) From there, [...]

By |2024-08-11T08:17:38-04:00August 3rd, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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L’Artusi, West Village, NYC

It took a few moments to adjust to the busting noise level at L’Artusi in the West Village, having just eaten at Greywind where I didn't have to strain to hear my dining partner. We were looking for a crisp, cold white on this hot summer night. We ordered the Pallagrello Bianco "caiatì," Michele Alois 2022 ($64) on the reco of our server. After he poured it and had moved to another table, we flagged him down, as the wine was almost at room temperature. He returned with three fresh glasses and a new chilled bottle, popped the cork, poured the new wine, which immediately frosted our glasses and took [...]

By |2024-07-30T07:11:12-04:00August 1st, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Jane Bertch

Earlier this month, I reintroduced my Guest Foodie column and its interview that acquaints you with the thoughts, insights and achievements of people in or related to the food industry. Today's story is about Jane Bertch, my American-Parisian friend, the impressive Dame who started our Paris chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier. At that time, I was serving on the international board of the philanthropic group as a chapter board liaison to many chapters. We met in Paris. Jane started her career in finance, moving from the corporate world to the entrepreneurial one. In 2009, she founded La Cuisine Paris. Just this year, she authored a book about starting that school. Specifically, [...]

By |2024-08-02T09:44:10-04:00July 30th, 2024|Big Apple Life, Foodie Interviews, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dan Kluger’s Greywind, Midtown West, NYC

Dan Kluger, the former executive chef at ABC Kitchen who went on to open Loring Place, is now at Greywind, a windowed 58-seat dining room on the corner of Tenth Avenue and 35th Street slightly east of the 7-train Hudson River stop. I loved how I didn’t have to strain to hear my friend. I had read—and heard—about his housemade “Cheese-its,” a giant cracker that, after biting, tasted similar to its packaged namesake. For fun, as spud-lovers, we had to sample chef Kluger’s crispy potatoes ($21) topped with smoked chili buttermilk ranch and slivers of fresh celery, even though neither of us liked the Canadian poutine, with cheese curds and [...]

By |2024-07-02T12:22:47-04:00July 28th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Le Jardinier, Midtown, NYC with a Dessert Symphony

Le Jardinier, French for "the gardener," is Chef Alain Verzeroli's Michelin-starred midtown restaurant, where my friend treated me to a birthday meal. We sat at a corner round table, which was oh-so conducive to great conversation and viewing the restaurant. I started sipping my Rogue Royale ($24), a smooth, well-balanced blend of El Tesoro Blanco, lime, blood orange, ancho chile and Grand Marnier, while nibbling the crispy breadsticks and soft rolls: my friend, a gin and tonic. With our meal, we sipped the Bouchard Pere & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Red Burgundy ($225), a Pinot Noir from Côte de Nuits, Bourgogne, France. Decadent. My friend enjoyed her buratta with red cherries and [...]

By |2024-07-28T07:52:41-04:00July 26th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Vin Sur Vingt Wine Bar, Washington DC + Carlyle in Arlington

I was in DC for my babysitter's burial in Arlington. She was not the woman who took care of my sons, but she took care of me as an infant and stayed close to me until the end. We gathered to see her buried atop her hubby, an army colonel. The night before the service, we ended up at Vin Sur Vingt Wine Bar, where my friend was a regular. We had fabulous, attentive service. We each sipped a glass of Chateau Martinet ($18), which our server continually refilled, and shared with a  Monsieur ($21) with Paris ham, gruyère and a Parmesan bèchamel, and a salad Niçoise ($24) with fresh [...]

By |2024-06-24T13:44:06-04:00July 24th, 2024|Bites from the Road, USA, USA Restaurants, USA Travel|1 Comment
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A Michelin-Starred Vegetarian Palace: Dirt Candy, Lower East Side, NYC

Dirt Candy is one of only two vegetarian restaurants in New York City with a Michelin star. Interestingly, chef-owner Amanda Cohen is not a vegetarian. She says vegetables are just candy from dirt. Amanda is a pioneer, introducing no tipping, a policy that Union Square Hospitality's Danny Meyer — who is often credited — followed. He reversed his decision when his restaurants reopened during the Covid pandemic. She didn't. She also pays her staff a living wage.  We were seated by the window and given the menu or the $105 five-course meal, gratuity included.  We opted for the $55 wine pairing with each vino from women winemakers. In addition to [...]

By |2024-06-16T08:54:52-04:00July 22nd, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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