Big Apple Life

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

Il Buco, NoHo, NYC + Wick and Pour

Wick and Pour, a candle-making experience on Mott Street, was our first stop at the birthday celebration. We selected the vessel and wax color, chose an aroma blend, and then made our candle garnished—in the wax—with dried flowers. That candle experience took about 2 hours, with downtime to chat. From there, we walked north, proudly carrying out finished candles, to Il Buco, the first in the Il Buco family. On NoHo's cobblestoned Bond Street, the restaurant opened in 1994 as an antique store and transformed into a restaurant serving a seasonally inspired Italian-Mediterranean menu that changes daily. We sipped our Pegaso Zeta Viñas Viejas Garnacha ($17), seated in the back [...]

By |2024-01-03T14:55:05-05:00January 2nd, 2024|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Walking the Bridge to Ignazio’s, Dumbo, NYC

When my insta-generation grandnieces visited, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge, headed to Ignazio's for pizza and planned to ferry back to Manhattan. We split the Caesar salad ($15) and sipped some pinot noir ($39/bottle) while awaiting the main event. Fresh basil garnished our tomato pizza with caramelized onions, pepperoni and artichokes. I recommend heading to Ignazio's when in Dumbo. Ignazio's Dumbo 4 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 522-2100

By |2023-12-23T16:46:30-05:00December 25th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Happy Hour *½ at Dock’s Oyster Bar, Midtown East, NYC + Gutenbert, the Musical

We laughed our way through Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad in the hilarious and unusual “Gutenberg! The Musical!" These two reunited on stage for the first time since 2011 when they performed in “The Book of Mormon." I do recommend seeing it before it closes in January. Afterward, we walked across and downtown to Docks Oyster Bar on Third and 40th to sample their happy hour. We were lucky to get one of the few tables by the bar where we could take part in their HH offerings. The best parts were they had a live trio, and we could converse without straining. I started with their Old Fashioned ($18), [...]

By |2023-12-17T09:38:09-05:00December 11th, 2023|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Pizza at Norma Gastronomia Siciliana, Kips Bay + Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

We returned to Norma's in Kips Bay after seeing the talented Taylor Swift in her The Eras Tour movie. I've been told she's the current young generation's Beatles. I so enjoyed the production and that those who couldn't afford tickets to see her in concert could see her perform. After the almost 3-hour movie, we walked up 30th Street to Third Avenue to Norma Gastronomia Siciliana, my go-to place after a film at the Kips Bay AMC. Normas doesn't take reservations, which was a problem on a Friday night. We had to wait 30 minutes and then were seated in their quieter indoor/outdoor backroom with overhead heaters. We sipped the [...]

By |2023-12-17T09:45:45-05:00December 5th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Marcus Samuelson’s Hav & Mar Seafood Restaurant, Chelsea, NYC

I started writing this post while nibbling Hav and Mar's teff biscuit and blue cornbread spread from last night's dinner. I had warmed and spread it with the honey butter our incredible server, Don, gave us to pack with our leftover bread. Be sure to get the addictive bread basket, but do not finish it, or you won't have room for the food to come. But I'm getting way ahead of myself. My friends who live in Chelsea have been raving about Marcus Samuelson's newest place, Hav & Mar, since it opened. Pete Wells (New York Times) already gave it two stars. Hav in Swedish means sea; Mar is Ethiopian [...]

By |2024-03-28T13:59:32-04:00November 29th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Rosie’s *** Happy Hour, East Village, NYC + Solo

I love New York! Where else can you see a show and have dinner for about $50? We headed downtown to the East Village to the Connelly Theatre to see Gabe Mollica in Solo, his acclaimed one-man play about friendship, following sold-out runs at the Soho Playhouse and Edinburgh Fringe. We purchased the tickets for $4.95 from Theater Extras. We stopped at the Lower East Side Mexican restaurant Rosie's from the owners of Cookshop, Shukette and Vics. Lucky us, it was during their happy hour. We started with their margaritas. I had the chile-infused tequila picante one, my dining partner the "classic." Whenever a server stopped at our table wearing [...]

By |2023-11-07T12:41:14-05:00November 25th, 2023|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Happy Hour ** at Osteria Morini, Soho, NYC

Osteria Morini, a part of the Altamarea Group (Ai Fiori, Marea), offers the spirit of Emilia-Romagna in SoHo. They also offer a happy hour. I convinced some building mates to join me to sample it. We sat at one of the hightops in the bar area, where the HH offerings are available. We sampled some of their HH cocktails, including the Aperol Spritz  ($10), Abby's Cosmo ($10) and a Cadillac Margarita ($15). The deal of the meal is their "Burger from Akron" ($13). The tasty double cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and tartar sauce would have been even more perfect had they offered fries. We also sampled some of their fried offerings, [...]

By |2023-11-17T06:50:50-05:00November 17th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to the Met Dining Room, Upper East Side, NYC + Manet/Degas Exhibit

You no longer need to be a member to dine at the fourth-floor Met Dining room. You do need a reservation. The views are spectacular. We returned for lunch recently before seeing the extensive Manet/Degas exhibit that's on through January 7, 2024. When you enter the Met, you sign in to their virtual exhibition queue for the exhibit, which closes when capacity is reached. We did so before heading to lunch. We each sipped a glass of their crisp Chablis ($20) while we shared a few dishes. First was their house-smoked brook trout ($23) with corn blini, green onion, sour cream and topped with trout roe. I'd recommend. Also good [...]

By |2023-10-23T11:24:23-04:00November 15th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to Hearth for a Birthday, Lower East Side, NYC

I returned to Hearth on the Lower East Side to celebrate my friend’s birthday. I chose it not only for its good food but for the moderate sound level of the dining room. I wanted to be able to hear her without straining. I started with their Vieux Carré ($22) with Whistlepig 10-year rye, Dudognon aged cognac and a splash of Benedictine. I liked the combination. My birthday friend sipped the Chablis Courtauld-Michelet, 2021, Burgundy, France ($22). We nibbled their cecina with our drinks, a chickpea flour pancake topped with olive tapenade ($9). I recommend. She had been to Hearth before and yearned for their bun-less burger made from grass-fed [...]

By |2023-11-19T07:44:36-05:00November 11th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Tyron Public House Happy Hour* , Washington Heights, NYC + The Cloisters

We traveled to the Middle Ages with my ex.expat group when we visited the Cloisters with historical tour guide extraordinaire Kevin Draper. We learned a lot about architecture, discovering that many of the old-looking structures throughout the museum are new, just made to look old. A few of us wanted to hang out to chat, so we headed down the hill from the Cloisters toward the Dykeman subway stop to grab a bite and drink. Doing so, we hit the Tyron Public House's happy hour. We chose some beverages from the HH menu, including the French Pool Boy rose ($12), the Krasno Sauvignonasse ($13), the Allagash white ($9) and their lager [...]

By |2023-10-23T10:11:37-04:00November 9th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Les Dames d’Escoffier New York Inducts 29 New Members

Our New York chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier inducted 29 new members last month at Al Coro restaurant. Like most all our events, this gathering raised funds for our scholarships. Since 1977, we have awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to over 1,000 recipients.  If you’d like to donate to the Les Dames d'Escoffier New York scholarships, click here. We are a nonprofit philanthropic group that helps advance and support aspiring professional women. Let me welcome our new Dames: Lorea Amatria Senar U.S Brand Manager, Bodegas LAN, part of Sogrape Original Legacy Wines Kristina Beauchamp Director of Brand Development, Junior's Bakery & Restaurant Jennifer Schiff Berg Clinical Professor, NYU Rinku [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:36:26-04:00October 28th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites|0 Comments
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Piccola Cucina Uptown, Upper East Side, NYC

With a Seattle friend in town, I headed uptown for dinner, returning to Piccola Cucina Uptown for the flavors of Sicily. The food and service were as good as my last visit. We began sipping the Prunotto, 2019 Occhetti Nebbiolo, Langhe, Alto Piemonte ($82) as we nibbled the bread and savory dips they served gratis. We followed that with the tender eggplant parmigiana ($21.95) and crisp Caesar salad with shaved Parmigiana ($18.95). After noticing a waiter carrying a fugassa (a paper-thin pizza) past our table, we had to order one!  That thin-crust focaccia filled with stracchino cheese and thinly sliced prosciutto ($24.95) was irresistible. This favorite of ours is not [...]

By |2023-11-03T09:30:34-04:00October 24th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Breakfast at the Standard Grill, Meatpacking District, NYC

We had the best intentions of having an extra-special New York breakfast with a friend who brought her almost 8-year-old granddaughter to the city for a birthday weekend. We tried to book breakfast at Tiffany's, Tavern on the Green and more. My friend settled on a brunch cruise, yet when she arrived dockside to board, she realized the yacht docked too late for them to catch Aladdin's curtain. We walked from Pier 62 to Little Island, then to the Standard Grill in The Standard, High Line hotel for breakfast outside as the weather was conducive. My friend had the Standard Omelet ($16) filled with mushrooms, spinach and Boursin cheese and [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:35:14-04:00October 22nd, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to Le Pavillion, Midtown, NYC + The Summitt

A return to Le Pavillion, Daniel Boulud's Michelin 1-star at One Vanderbilt across from Grand Central proved the consistency of his attentive service and food. Like other of Daniel Boulud's restaurants, service at  Pavillion is as extraordinary as expected from the moment we arrived at the elegant dining room until we were on our way to The Summit, located in the same building. A postcard saying "Happy Birthday!  Thanks for celebrating with us" welcomed us as we were seated. We started with cocktails, perusing the menu and nibbling the fabulous basket of breads with the softened butter. We were hooked on the thin crisps, being offered a refill once we [...]

By |2023-10-09T12:34:09-04:00October 12th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Tacos at Tacombi, East Village, NYC

I discovered Tacombi years ago, enjoying their authentic Mexican huevos rancheros and much more. I've eaten at and enjoyed many of their city locations serving Mexican fare. So when the publicist invited me to sample the fare at their newest location in the East Village, I took a neighbor and headed over. Tacombi’s newest East Village location serves a different menu from what you would find at their other taquerias. It consists only of five dinner tacos and two breakfast ones that weren't available in the evening when I sampled them. Also, unlike the other locations, there are no seats. It's a grab-and-go or eat at their communal countertops. We [...]

By |2023-10-22T19:13:04-04:00October 10th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Trattoria Bianca, New Yorker Hotel + Bruce Springsteen

Trattoria Bianca in the New Yorker Hotel on Eighth Avenue and 35th Steet was an ideal place to grab a bite before jumping on NJ Transit to head to the Met Life (former Meadowlands) Stadium to see Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band on their 2023 international tour. We started with drinks — Aperol spritz ($14) and Dolcetto D'Alba ($14) — and their thin-crust classic Margherita pizza ($23) that needed more time in the oven. Everything else we ordered arrived at the table simultaneously, even though we had asked them to pace it. One friend enjoyed the seared tuna salad with mesclun, cherry tomatoes, green beans, egg, olives, anchovies and [...]

By |2023-09-20T18:06:33-04:00October 7th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, WOW|0 Comments
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Comodo in Freehand Hotel, Flatiron, NYC

We met again for lunch at Comodo, the Latin American restaurant in the Freeland Hotel on Lexington, between 23 and 24. It was convenient, and I hadn't been in over a year. Service was almost non-existent. That was so different from my last visit, where it was very attentive. In fact, I had to search for the server to have her take our order and any time we needed anything. I started with their mimosa with a choice of juice. I chose orange. I wanted to sample their chilaquiles, the dish created to use slightly stale, leftover tortillas. Those chips get simmered in salsa with Comodo's version a tomatillo-chipotle, one topped [...]

By |2023-10-08T09:45:22-04:00October 1st, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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City Winery, Hudson River Park, NYC

Walking Hudson River Park, the Nation's Longest Riverfront Park, is a favorite of my pastimes. If you haven't done so, the park begins on Chambers Street and goes to 59th, with Little Island and many interesting updated piers and activities along the way. We stopped at City Winery for a nibble and a glass of wine on a recent walk. We shared their Kung Pao cauliflower ($15) with Fresno chilies, scallions and crushed peanuts with a glass of the velvety and soft Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina '19 (5.5-ounce, $14). I do recommend. City Winery Hudson River Park 25 11th Ave at Hudson River Park New York, NY 10011 [...]

By |2023-09-20T16:55:50-04:00September 29th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Early Weekend Breakfast at Madison & Vine, Midtown, NYC

Madison & Vine was one of the only restaurants I could find near Grand Central Terminal that served Saturday breakfast before 8 a.m. Lucky me as I met my son coming off a red-eye before he caught his train. We yacked for hours. Having their New York Breakfast for $25 made sense, especially when entrees costs between $19 - $26, Illy coffee, $4.50 and freshly squeezed orange juice, $5. My son had the spinach, mushroom and goat cheese omelet with home fries and grilled ciabatta bread; I had the shakshuka, a North African dish. The kitchen served my poached eggs with many lamb sausage pieces floating in the spicy tomato [...]

By |2023-09-20T16:53:49-04:00September 27th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Brunch at Bar Boulud, Lincoln Center, NYC

Met an Upper West Side friend for brunch at Bar Boulud across from Lincoln Center one weekend. With weather conducive to dining outside, we did so in their large structure with ceiling fans to cool. Mimosas with fresh orange juice and prosecco ($16) started our reunion/gathering. We missed Restaurant Week this time as Bar Boulud offered it only Monday through Friday. My friend opted for their creamy omelet filled with bacon, mushrooms and gruyère served with a lightly dressed side salad ($18).  I had their Croque Madame, a hot sandwich made with gruyère, jambon de Paris, and bechamel, topped with a lightly fried egg ($23). We ended with a cappuccino, [...]

By |2023-09-20T11:43:27-04:00September 17th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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