Big Apple Life

A collection of posts on Life in the Big Apple along with interviews with foodie friends

Peter McManus Cafe, Chelsea, NYC

I had time to think about the charcoal-grilled burger and fries I was craving. Time, as I was isolating after a bout with omicron. When I was finally allowed out, I headed to Peter McManus Cafe, open since 1936. It's an Irish pub with old-city charm that includes torn plastic seats on their cozy corner round booths. I was the only person in the dining room as I went at an off time. That was even better than I had hoped for my first post-COVID outing. I ordered my medium-rare cheddar cheese bacon-topped burger with crispy fries then sat back dreaming about that first bite. It was perfection.  Juicy. Smoky.  Satisfying. [...]

By |2022-01-11T10:08:43-05:00February 15th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|0 Comments
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A Return to Bluebird London, Columbus Circle, NYC + Flying Over Sunset

Before heading to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center to see "Flying Over Sunset," we stopped at Bluebird London for dinner. The show is a fictionalized story about Cary Grant, Clare Boothe Luce and Aldous Huxley, who together experiment with LSD. Dinner was better than the show! We started with cocktails ($16 each). I had an Old Fashioned, my dining company their Planters' Punch (Bacardi Cuatro, lime, pineapple with a splash of angostura bitters) and Bed of Roses (Grey Goose, Campari, grapefruit, cava and a splash of club soda). One tried their over-priced corn soup ($16) for a small portion that needed both seasoning and more fresh corn.  I [...]

By |2022-01-17T22:24:10-05:00January 11th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Empanada Mama, Lower East Side, NYC + Tenement Museum

A group of friends first went on a guided tour of the Tenement Museum (103 Orchard Street) that allowed us the opportunity to explore the lower east side neighborhood and enter the historic tenement building to learn about the Baldizzi family and see their recreated apartment. Aldolfo and Rosaria Baldizzi were immigrants from Sicily who lived with their two young children on Orchard Street and survived economic hardships like the Great Depression. We explored how the Baldizzi family lived in their tenement home and visited where they went to school and shopped. Afterward, we walked over to Empanada Mama, a Latin restaurant in the neighborhood for a bite to eat. [...]

By |2022-01-02T10:51:29-05:00January 7th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Holiday Meal at Rolf’s Restaurant, Gramercy Park, NYC + Sharks at American Museum of Natural History

The day began at the American Museum of Natural History at the opening of the "Sharks" exhibit that brings life to the diversity of these fascinating creatures that predate the appearance of trees and dinosaurs on our planet.  The new exhibition features dozens of life-sized models ranging from 33 feet to 5 inches long, fossils from the Museum’s collections, touch-free interactive exhibits and more for visitors of all ages. After the opening, we headed downtown to Rolf's German Restaurant with its old-world vibe to meet some friends. The restaurant, in the Gramercy Park neighborhood for over 50 years, is decorated for Christmas year-round. It's these over-the-top decorations that draw the [...]

By |2022-01-17T22:27:39-05:00December 20th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Jazz Brunch at North Square, Washington Square, NYC

Every Sunday afternoon, North Square restaurant located in the Washington Square Hotel offers two jazz sets with brunch. One at 12:30, the other 2:15. The afternoon we went, the music was by the Roz Corral Trio with Roz as the vocal, Michael Kanan on the keyboard and Paul Gill on bass. We each had one of their brunch options and a bloody Mary (prix fixe $22). My friend tried the herb omelet with tomatoes and goat cheese served with a mesclun salad and undercooked potato cubes. I sampled the brunch tasting asking for poached eggs with pumpkin pecan pancakes, a chicken apple sausage and the same not fully cooked potato [...]

By |2021-11-08T09:17:19-05:00December 18th, 2021|Big Apple Life, Bites from the Road, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to Il Punto, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Green Mist

I had attended a reading of Green Mist: A Reading of an Immersive Play at New Perspectives Theatre on West 37th directed by Shellen Lubin with some friends. The story was a reflection of how privilege has shaped our society, which was somewhat reminiscent of "The Lord of the Flies." After the reading, we ended up at Il Punto, an old haunt of mine a couple of blocks south of 42nd street on Ninth Avenue that serves Sicilian fare. I hadn't been since pre-pandemic.  It was just as good as it was, although service was a tad slow, as in many restaurants these days. Two of us started with the [...]

By |2021-12-18T09:53:46-05:00December 12th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Lunch at La Brochette, Midtown, NYC

I tripped over La Brochette when looking for a place for lunch near 41st and Third Avenue where my friends were coming into the city for a doctor's appointment. This upscale, white-tablecloth restaurant that's close to Grand Central is pricey, something I should have realized when the online menu neglected to offer the cost of each dish. Two of us chose their version of the Cobb salad; one with the added chicken ($34), the other with grilled salmon ($35). Each of those additions was quite flavorful. That traditional dish usually contains rows of chopped chicken, egg, avocado, blue cheese, tomatoes and bacon over chopped salad greens. Not at La Brochette. [...]

By |2021-12-18T09:20:33-05:00December 8th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Dim Sum at Red Peony Chinese Cuisine, Midtown, NYC + City Center Dance

We chose Red Peony Chinese Cuisine on 56th Street for its proximity to City Center. We were heading there to see the yearly eclectic Fall for Dance Festival. All seats only $15. This year — because of travel restrictions — the performers were all American. As usual, it was wonderful, eliciting standing ovations. If you go, I suggest only ordering their dim sum and some soup. We sampled their crab meat dumplings in a spinach wrapper, the pan-fried shrimp and chive dumplings, the steamed shrimp shumai with pork (each $8.95 for four) and their crispy vegetable spring rolls ($11.90 for 4). Service, typical since the pandemic, was off.  Our server placed [...]

By |2021-12-05T16:50:18-05:00November 26th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Hard Rock Cafe’s “Pinktober” Raised $70K

In October, Hard Rock Cafe had their 22nd annual PINKTOBER campaign that raised over $70,000 for their charitable partners at the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Carol Keating Foundation. Last month at participating cafes nationwide and in Europe, Hard Rock donated $1 every time they sold one of their limited-time burgers — the Mushroom & Bourbon Onion Burger, The Ultimate “Pub” Burger or their Blue Cheese & Bacon Burger – or the limited-edition merchandise, other foods and beverages. Those burgers — one I sampled at the Hard Rock Times Square event celebrating the giving of the check — will be added to their permanent menu in January 2022. We [...]

By |2021-11-21T08:44:55-05:00November 19th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Return to Jones Wood Foundry Post-COVID, Upper East Side, NYC

Three Upper East Side friends and I met at the classic British food-driven pub, Jones Wood Foundry, on 76th just off First Avenue. When there in the past, I had always indulged in both their irresistible humongous Yorkshire pudding plus the creamy chicken and foie gras parfait. Sadly the large hollow popovers are only available on weekends! We four started by sharing the parfait, which amazingly costs $2 less than it did PreCovid! The pate comes with two slices of toasted brioche halved, grape chutney and cornichons ($15) that was perfect for the four of us. It was good; just not as good as in the past. I sipped a [...]

By |2021-11-23T08:27:04-05:00November 9th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Fellow Dame Surbhi’s Restaurant Opening: Tagmo, South Street Seaport, NYC

My friend and fellow Dame, a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier, Surbhi Sahni recently opened her first solo restaurant Tagmo in South Street Seaport. At Tagmo, she serves a variety of her favorite homestyle dishes from India. By the time this posts, the small shop in the front of the restaurant will be selling her sweets, South Asian cookbooks, chai and spices. Surbhi's no stranger to NY Indian fine dining; she worked at Michelin-starred Devi and Tulsi. She also was the Creative Director of Saar Indian Bistro. One friend started with their Roohafza Spritz ($8), a blend of Campari, prosecco, Indian botanical syrup and lime. The others shared a bottle [...]

By |2021-11-12T11:30:52-05:00November 4th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|0 Comments
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VisaVersa, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Letters of Surresh

Before heading to our matinee at the Tony Kiser theatre, we stopped at VisaVersa on 51st for brunch. We loved that we could order one of three cocktails — a mimosa, bellini or bloody Mary — and get refills for 2 hours for $20. I had a bloody Mary, my friend the mimosa. Our attentive waiter also placed their housemade focaccia and sliced Italian bread with softened butter on the table after serving our drinks. I ordered their poached eggs atop a crab cake ($22) with the hollandaise on the side. That platter came with lemony dressed fresh arugula. Those same greens were the base for my friend's grilled chicken [...]

By |2021-11-04T13:13:17-04:00October 30th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|2 Comments
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Boqueria West 40th, Midtown, NYC + Spectacular Costumes

We headed to the immersive pop-up "Spectacular Costumes From Stage and Screen" exhibit in Times Square featuring more than 100 of the industry’s most beautiful and complex garments. This exhibition offered close-up looks at Hamilton, The Lion King, The Marvelous Mrs. Mazel, Moulin Rouge and more. The proceeds from this exhibition raised money for the Costume Industry Coalition Recovery Fund, an alliance of over 50 NYC-based independent artisans and small businesses.  If you missed it, keep an eye out for next year's opening of the Museum of Broadway. After the exhibition, we walked a couple of blocks south for lunch at Boqueria for some Spanish fare. We sipped their Sangría [...]

By |2021-11-04T13:15:41-04:00October 27th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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A Special App at Rosa Mexicano, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

A local friend asked me to join her for dinner at one of her favorite haunts in our hood, Rosa Mexicano on 18th Street. From the dishes we ate at that meal, only the Tacos de Jefe Ceviche tacos are worth discussing. We cherry-picked that dish from their special "Tour de Mexico" monthly menu, one highlighting their chefs' seasonal favorites. The crispy corn tacos ($11 for 3) came filled with whitefish cubes, sweet potato chunks, aji Amarillo peppers, diced bacon and pickled red onions. Not a raw seafood eater yet an official taster I took a small bite: flavor nice, texture not so — at least for me. One small [...]

By |2021-10-29T11:34:06-04:00October 25th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|0 Comments
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Zia Maria, Chelsea, NYC + The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

"The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain" recounts the story of an African American veteran killed during a conflict with White Plains police officers who were sent to check on him when he accidentally set off his medical alert device. I recommend this hard-to-watch movie. It won the audience and the critics' awards when it premiered at the Austin film festival in 2019; it just opened in theaters. Faison's haunting performance of Kenneth Chamberlain deserves an Oscar nod. With the buzz it's creating, the White Plains District Attorney is reviewing the case. After the screening and talkback with actor Frankie Faison and actor-producer Enrico Natale, we headed across the street to Zia Maria [...]

By |2021-10-29T11:34:18-04:00October 19th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Pool Bar: The Rockaway Hotel, Rockaway, Queens

A trip to Rockaway Beach via the ferry had been on our radar all summer. We made a res at the Rooftop of the new Rockaway Hotel midafternoon, as we thought we'd have something to eat after a day at the beach. The weather didn't cooperate so we headed to lunch early, ending up at the Pool Bar, as the Rooftop doesn't open until 2. We all were in the mood for a lobster roll. That seafood mixed with mayo and lemon stuffed in a brioche roll hit the spot. New York City is really a small town. Seriously. We ran into my friend and cookbook author Rozanne Gold, who [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:12:55-04:00October 11th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling, Rooftop|0 Comments
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Lunch with UES Friends at Due, Upper East Side, NYC

I met some friends at Due, a classic Italian trattoria on the Upper East Side for lunch recently. We sat outside at a white-tablecloth-covered table in their spacious structure. I followed the lead of my friend, as this is one of his haunts, figuring he'd know what was good. He was right. The veal in my piccata — (Scaloppine di Vitello Picatta $31) was pounded thinly enough so all it needed was a quick sauté in lemon, white wine and capers. I washed mine down with a glass of their house Montepulciano ($17).  In addition, I enjoyed their broccoli sautéed with lots of whole garlic cloves ($11). My other friend [...]

By |2021-10-31T09:33:47-04:00October 1st, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|0 Comments
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Angelina’s in NYC: Angelina’s Paris, Bryant Park, NYC

My first visit to Angelina's (226 Rue du Rivoli, Paris) was with my two, then young, sons on their inaugural European trip in 1992. I've been back to the original cafe (opened in 1903) — and so have my sons — many times for their hot chocolate. It's like drinking a melted chocolate bar.  One cup of this can satisfy more than one; it's almost too rich for one person. This hot chocolate — a blend of three kinds of African cocoa from Niger, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire — is not to be missed. I'd been wanting to go to the New York Angelina Paris located adjacent to Bryant Park [...]

By |2021-10-31T09:26:12-04:00September 17th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|1 Comment
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L’Express, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC + Madison Square Park Bubble Man

On our way to the playground on the northern end of Madison Square Park, we bumped into the bubble man entertaining kids with his giant bubbles. He did so by both enclosing families in large bubbles and giving kids ropes connected to two sticks for them to dip into his soapy water bucket to produce free-floating ones.   We headed to L'Express, a French bistro on Park Avenue South at the corner of 20th Street after my granddaughter made new friends at the playground. I had my usual warm chèvre salad ($16) missing the traditional tomato confit and black olives. This time they offered the warm goat cheese atop crisp [...]

By |2021-10-31T09:26:19-04:00September 15th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|0 Comments
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Don Giovanni Restaurant, Chelsea, NYC + King Nyani

Reservations are not needed on weekdays to stroll along the Highline, a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail. That park was created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan. It's currently from Gansevoort Street by the Whitney Museum to Hudson Yards. We were strolling north along the park on our way to see King Nyani. Getting hungry somewhere near the 23rd street egress, we left the park and walked toward 10th Avenue. Don Giovanni's restaurant's awning claiming "The Best Brick-Oven Pizza in Town" caught our eye. That and it was the only thing open. We shared their large ($24) Margherita classic [...]

By |2021-10-31T09:26:32-04:00September 11th, 2021|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|0 Comments
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