Big Apple Life

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

Casa Mono, Gramercy Park, NYC

I'm a Casa Mono devotee.  I'm not the only one as this tapas bar-restaurant, inspired by the cooking of Spain's Costa Brava, was awarded three stars from The New York Times in 2015 and a Michelin Star in 2009 and every year since. A must try. Our waiter Matt suggested the Silice, a rosè from Galicia, 2021, done Provençal style ($81). We sipped that while nibbling their olives, bathing in rich EVOO. I let my dining partner select the menu as it was her birthday. We started with roasted shishito ($16), peppers in a pimiento manchego cheese sauce, and their classic Ensalada Mono, a pile of lightly dressed friseé decorated [...]

By |2023-06-19T21:36:52-04:00June 18th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Gigino Trattoria, Tribeca, NYC + Lower Manhattan Tour with Kevin Draper

Historian Kevin Draper is our primary go-to for walking New York City tours with our ex.expat group. He's a walking encyclopedia about the history of our city. This time, we converged on the West Side of Lower Manhattan, including Tribeca and SoHo and heard incredible stories of American pioneers with examples of transformation and revitalization. After the tour, we had lunch at Gigino Trattoria, a friendly, unassuming Tuscan-inspired Italian restaurant in Tribeca with delicious fare. Almost all of their pastas and breads are house made. Our table shared a couple salads (arugula, $15 and a mix of mesclun, arugula & spinach, $14), the Margherita pizza ($20),  orecchiette with broccoli rabe [...]

By |2023-06-19T21:34:37-04:00June 16th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Cafe Luna, West Village, NYC

One Sunday, after the temperature turned warm, I wandered down to Hudson River Park to enjoy the weather and people-watch, ending up at Cafe Luna for brunch. I enjoyed their $23.95 prix fixe brunch special (8 am to 3 pm), including a mimosa, bellini or sangria plus an entree. I sipped their bellini — prosecco with a hint of peach. It was not that bubbly with a peach puree that I expected. Unable to use my right arm as I was still recuperating from surgery, I chose the hand-held huevos ranchero burrito, described as with refried beans, queso fresco, eggs, salsa, avocado, and jalapeño, with roasted potatoes. It begged for [...]

By |2023-06-19T21:28:29-04:00June 10th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Shopping at Union Square Market with Chef Charlie Marshal

What fun it would be, I thought, to shop at the farmers' market with a chef! I did so recently with Charlie Marshal (The Marshal). We decided to meet at Union Square Greenmarket early one April Saturday morning. That market began with just a few farmers in 1976 and has grown to about 140 regional farmers, fishers and bakers selling their products four times a week. Charlie visits on Saturday mornings. These farmers are like friends, as Charlie has been shopping at the market for ten years! His secrets: Charlie ordered ahead and gets wholesale prices; otherwise, he mentioned, he couldn't afford to shop here and pass the costs to [...]

By |2023-06-03T11:44:29-04:00June 4th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, Foodie Interviews, NYC Best Bites, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Tasting Menu at Wicked Jane, Greenwich Village, NYC

Wicked Jane's publicist recently invited me to sample New Jersey chef Zod Arifai's fare at his 3-year-old Greenwich Village 8th Street restaurant. He offers a small bar in the front room and an intimate back room with generously spaced white-linen-covered tables. I suggest Chef Zod add rugs, art or something to add warmth and absorb sound. We couldn't hear our server speak when one of the folks at the table 3-feet away from us spoke. I tried their citrusy eponymous cocktail ($18) with vodka, Cointreau and hibiscus. I liked that it wasn't sweet. Our only menu choice was whether or not to add the potato flan topped with Siberian sturgeon [...]

By |2023-06-03T10:12:53-04:00June 1st, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Sabai Thai, Kips Bay, NYC

After our first in-person Les Dames d'Escoffier Board of Directors meeting, most of us headed to Sabai Thai, a nearby restaurant, to grab a bite and continue our camaraderie. We started with cocktails and a few appetizers. Some eclectic cocktails sipped included a gin lavender rose gimlet ($18), cucumber mezcalitas ($17), a few Singha beers and some shots. The apps were all good. They included a dumpling platter ($19) with steamed shrimp, chicken and pork dumplings with a sweet soy reduction homemade curry puffs filled with potatoes, green peas and carrots (two large for $15), deep-fried spring rolls (6 poh pia tod $13) with plum sauce and chicken satay (four skewers [...]

By |2023-06-03T10:25:11-04:00May 29th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Haven Rooftop, Times Square, NYC + Shucked

I love when out-of-towners call spur of the moment to get together as their schedule permits. So when my west-coast friend asked to grab a quick bite before heading to theatre, I jumped at the chance as it had been years since we were together. The Haven Rooftop was close to both theatres and a fun casual place to get a bite. I'd only experienced and liked this restaurant's brunch. My dining partner was seeing Hadestown, and I was off to Shucked, the corny musical about a small-town woman searching for someone to figure out why all the county's corn was dying. I started with a good Maker's Mark old [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:03:20-04:00May 26th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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Great Jones Distilling Co: Tour, Jazz and Food, NoHo, NYC

We visited the Great Jones Distilling Co, Manhattan’s first legal whiskey distillery since Prohibition as media one afternoon. Our tour included an overview of the story, ingredients, process and equipment used to brew the three Great Jones whiskies – Great Jones Straight Bourbon, Four Grain Bourbon and Rye. After the tour, we had a guided tasting of their whiskeys, aged four years in American white oak, and were offered $10 off any single bottle purchased after the tour.  The Straight Bourbon has a light to medium body with a creamy and peppery taste; the Four Grain Bourbon is also medium-bodied, yet oaky and better (my favorite); the Rye is complex [...]

By |2023-06-03T10:36:18-04:00May 23rd, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Metro Marché, Midtown, NYC

I was invited but was unable to attend, the opening of Metro Marché on West 57th. Instead, I stopped by to try their fare, sampling small portions of their entrees, salads, soups and various sandwiches all made with healthy fresh ingredients. I'd recommend stopping by if you're in the area and want to grab a bite. Metro Marché Midtown 30 W 57th St New York, NY 10019

By |2023-06-03T11:39:27-04:00May 20th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dos Caminos, Times Square, NYC + Museum of Broadway

My Ex.expat group visited the recently opened Museum of Broadway located in the heart of Times Square. It is an interactive and experiential museum that takes you on a journey from the birth of Broadway to the present. For those who grew up attending theatre, it's a dance down memory lane. I recommend. Producer Merrie L Davis (Parade, Eclipsed, Company, Gigi) welcomed our group, sharing that the concept started as a pop-up and ended up as the first permanent museum dedicated to documenting the history and experience of Broadway theatre. We learned about Broadway's profound influence on shaping Midtown Manhattan and Times Square. After the museum, we walked a couple [...]

By |2023-05-18T11:28:13-04:00May 17th, 2023|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Barking Dog, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + The Thanksgiving Play

The restaurant where we were supposed to have brunch had a hastily written note saying "closed" for repairs, so I needed to scurry to find another place to eat before heading to the Helen Hayes Theatre to see "The Thanksgiving Play." That's how we ended up at the Barking Dog in the plaza between 49th and 50th Street between Eighth and Ninth. This informal, fun canine-themed restaurant serves typical brunch fare with a special menu for 4-legged friends on the heated patio. We started with their doggy-named cocktails. My dining partner chose the dog bubbles ($14) of sparkling wine, St. Germaine elderflower and pear, while I indulged in the ugly [...]

By |2023-05-12T06:45:11-04:00May 14th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Upscale Mexican at the new Caliza, Tribeca, NYC

I was invited as a guest to sample the new upscale Mexican restaurant Caliza in Tribeca on Greenwich Street. After perusing the menu, I knew I was in for a treat. I love that they make their classic margarita (I chose tequila over mezcal) with Combier orange liqueur and fresh lime juice ( $19); I requested the spicer version made with fresh serrano juice. Nicely done with just the right amount of spice. My dining partner went for their red sangria, thinking it wouldn't be as strong a cocktail. They combine red wine with Flor de Caña rum, Combier orange liqueur and blackberry cordial ($18). She needed to request club [...]

By |2023-05-12T06:43:58-04:00May 11th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|1 Comment
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Enoteca Maria, Staten Island, NYC + Dionne Warwick, St. George Theatre

Not knowing how long it would take to get there, we took an early ferry to Staten Island for our 5:30 dinner at Enoteca Maria, next to the historic St. George Theatre, where we were seeing Dionne Warwick. We arrived before the restaurant even opened, yet were welcomed and seated at the front window table to chat and people watch out the window. Instead of chefs, rotating Nonnes cook with Italian grandmother Maria the constant. Our night's menus include foods from both an Egyptian Nonna and a Japanese one. We asked Safa, our informative server, to course our selections as we had the time before their latter 7:30 seating, which [...]

By |2023-05-07T07:31:49-04:00April 27th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings, Theatre|1 Comment
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Veselka, East Village, NYC + The Merchant House

Our outing with our ex.expat group started at The Merchant House, a home built in 1832 and purchased in 1835 by Seabury Tredwell, a prosperous New York City hardware merchant. The Tredwell family lived in the now-landmark late-Federal and Greek revival-style row house for nearly 100 years.  They offer both self-guided and guided tours. After our visit, we headed to Veselka, an East Village restaurant that's been serving traditional Ukrainian food since 1954. Veselka earned a James Beard Outstanding Restaurant nomination this year based on its “food, atmosphere and hospitality while contributing positively to its broader community." Our group sampled lots of their fare, including their homemade Ukrainian meat or [...]

By |2023-04-22T07:32:27-04:00April 17th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Brunch at The Marshal, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC

I chose Charlie Marshal's eponymous restaurant for its proximity to where my dining partners were off to see A Beautiful Noise at the Neil Simon theatre. With brunch cocktails de rigueur, we began with them; two of us ordered the Bloody Mary ($12) and two the Bloody Caesar ($13), made with clam juice. With our drinks, we devoured their yummy (not to be missed) wood-oven baked biscuits with Beth's Farm sour cherry preserves and house-churned honey bacon butter (small $8.50). One frittata, made with Bulich Farm sauteed mushrooms, arugula and parmesan, came served with thick-cut bacon and roasted potatoes ($17.50). The 12-inch breakfast pizza ($21.50) is topped with aged mozzarella, Bulich Farm sautèed mushrooms and [...]

By |2024-05-11T09:06:17-04:00April 13th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Return to Balaboosta, West Village, NYC

After seeing the "birthday crown" on my dining partner, our server Mark at Balaboosta, brought us bubbly to celebrate! A perfect start to our celebratory Mediterranean meal. We shared all, starting with that night's special burrata, basil-kale pesto and a tomato-cherry jam ($21) with grilled sourdough bread; their eggplant with an almond crumble and red pepper tahini ($18); and their cauliflower with peanut tahini, lemon, Bamba ( Israeli peanut-butter-flavored puffed maize) and pickle crumble ($19). We then shared the pappardelle, chicken and greens, all worth trying. The pasta ribbons ($29) come tossed in a creamy mushroom and charred onion sauce; their tender brick chicken in muhammara (a red pepper and walnut mixture) comes [...]

By |2023-04-07T10:55:01-04:00April 9th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Celebration at Le Bernardin, Midtown, NYC

In celebration of my dining partner's cancer remission, we dined at Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin, the continually honored restaurant. Pete Wells (New York Times) again gave Le Bernardin their coveted 4-star review, previously bestowed on the restaurant by past Times reviewers. The Midtown Manhattan seafood restaurant has held that New York Times rating since it opened in 1986 when Bryan Miller gave the restaurant four stars, Ruch Reichl in 1995, Frank Bruni in 2005 and Pete Wells previously in 2012. We indulged in the 4-course Prix fixe menu for $198 and shared a white burgundy from a woman winemaker recommended by the Sommelier. We started with three tiny cups of [...]

By |2023-12-29T09:50:25-05:00April 3rd, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Brunch at Mexican Cosme, Flatiron, NYC

Cosme, Enrique Olvera's one-Michelin-star acclaimed Mexican restaurant, is a 3-min walk from the Flatiron Building. The World's 50 Best lists it as one of the 50 best restaurants. When it opened in 2014, Mexican-born Daniela Soto-Innes was their chef; she won the James Beard Rising Star Award in 2016 at age 25 and was named the world’s best female chef at 28. She is about to open Rubra in the coastal state of Nayari inside the W Punta de Mita resort hotel in Mexico. Gustavo Garnica has since taken the reins. The food and service remain outstanding. I recently took a friend there for brunch to celebrate her birthday. We [...]

By |2023-03-18T09:19:00-04:00March 28th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dim Sum Palace, Lower East Side, NYC + Museum at Eldridge Street

Our ex.expat group explored the 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue, the first great house of worship by Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the United States. We had arranged for a knowledgeable docent to guide us. He took us through its sweeping history, from the synagogue as a cultural hotspot in the bustling Jewish Lower East Side to decades of decay to its miraculous rebirth as a 21st-century museum. Always grabbing a bite after one of our outings, we walked around the corner to the new (opened in December) Dim Sum Palace, offering made-to-order dim sum and traditional Cantonese cuisine. Some favorites of our group of twenty included har gow (translucent dumplings stuffed [...]

By |2023-03-23T23:44:26-04:00March 24th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Asian-Italian Sesamo in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC

Sesamo, a relatively new Italian restaurant with an Asian accent in Hell's Kitchen, should be on your radar. Their publicist invited me to sample their tasty, unusual fare. The food is worth schlepping west to try, and the atmosphere is inviting. My dining partner tried their Boba Mocktail ($10) made with black tea, boba pearls, Yakult milk [a Japanese sweetened probiotic fermented milk beverage], lime and simple syrup. Boba pearls are made from cassava (tapioca) starch associated with bubble tea. I tried their upscale Eldest Child of Divorce ($30) with a smoky taste from the Añejo Mezcal, 16-year Islay Scotch that makes it a bit "spicier," bitters, agave and an [...]

By |2023-03-11T09:40:50-05:00March 10th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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