Big Apple Life

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

A Quick Lunch at Jams, Midtown, NYC

We had a short time to grab a bite near my daughter-in-law's hotel before she hailed a taxi to JFK. That's how we ended up at Jam's, Johnathan Waxman's midtown restaurant serving seasonal food. It was unseasonably warm, so we grabbed a table outside. Jams guacamole and chips ($18) were tasty, with flavorful black corn nixtamal chips served with mashed avocado flavored with lots of cilantro and lime. Refreshing, especially after some unripe guac I had had recently at a high-end Mexican chain. I recommend their flavorful multi-colored beet salad containing pomegranate arils, chopped pistachio nuts and fresh arugula in a tahini yogurt. So good, as was the fresh cauliflower [...]

By |2022-12-18T22:48:03-05:00December 12th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Misirizzi, NoHO, NYC + Raisin in the Sun

Misirizzi on East 4th Street is a small Italian restaurant with friendly, knowledgeable service and good food. And it's around the corner from The Public, where we saw Raisin in the Sun. This powerful play, first introduced in 1959, is about a family's experiences with racism and housing discrimination as they try to improve their lives.  Since it was a warm fall evening, we ate outside and decided that when we returned, we'd sit inside by the fireplace. I recommend the julienned endive, crumbled gorgonzola, candied walnuts and sliced pear ($14) salad. Also tasty is the baked butternut squash, escarole and chickpeas with Ricotta Salata ($14).  Don't miss their homemade lasagna [...]

By |2022-10-30T20:33:41-04:00November 29th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Cafe Fiorello, Lincoln Square, NYC + School of American Ballet

The School of American Ballet (SAB), the most renowned ballet school in the US. founded by George Balanchine in 1934, welcomed my Ex.expat group one morning recently. If you're unfamiliar, SAB has been the official training academy of the New York City Ballet for the past seven decades. Its purpose is "to provide dancers as well trained as any other technician, whether a surgeon, architect or musician." We attended an advanced practice session taught by the amazing Suki Schorer, a Balanchine Trust répétiteur who has turned out ballerinas for over 50 years. From 1959 until 1972, Suki danced with George Balanchine's New York City Ballet. To learn more about SAB, [...]

By |2022-12-04T17:05:59-05:00November 27th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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STATE Grill and Bar, Midtown, NYC

I was invited to dine at State Grill and Bar, the upscale, ground-floor Empire State Building restaurant, for a tasting. What intrigued me was a fixed-price meal package deal available when you buy a ticket to the observatory on top of the Empire State Building. When you do, you will be prompted, depending on the time of your visit, to buy a two-course lunch ( $40) or a three-course dinner ($60).  Or you can purchase an add-on meal while visiting the 80 or 86th-floor at one of the kiosks. Tickets to the observatory start at $42 for seniors; $44 for adults; the rates are higher during sunset. We each began [...]

By |2022-11-20T14:21:19-05:00November 19th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|1 Comment
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The Always Wonderful Casa Mono, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

I needed Spanish food. Seriously, I was in withdrawal, having returned recently from San Sebastian. That's why I selected the Michelin 1-star Casa Mono to meet a friend for lunch. It never disappoints. Since I chose the place,  I let my dining partner, a wine professional, Wanda Man, founder of Wine With Wanda and East Coast Editor, The SOMM Journal, select our wine. After chatting with their Somm, she chose Sin Mas 20 ($59), a fun, funky red from Galicia. This light-bodied, low-alcohol wine "had a Kombucha quality that the Somm described. But the fruit was fresh and bright, with no oak. A very good match with our meal," said [...]

By |2022-11-20T14:21:27-05:00November 7th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Stand Comedy Club, Gramercy/Flatiron, NYC

We'd always gone to The Stand for evening comedy shows. When I learned the restaurant was serving lunch, I convinced some friends to sample it with me. Even though we were the only ones in the restaurant, our food took a long time. When the food arrived, the double patty burgers ($18) were not hot and had no fries. While — oddly — the other sandwiches came with an abundance of hot crispy fries. The porchetta ($15) with broccoli rabe on focaccia was the tastiest. Do go to The Stand for the comedy and friendly staff!  No drink minimum at the shows, with tickets only ~ $10 - 20. The Stand [...]

By |2022-11-01T09:44:31-04:00November 2nd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Smith, Lincoln Plaza, Lincoln Center, NYC + Porky and Bess

I liked brunch at The Smith downtown, so I thought we'd be fine at the Lincoln Center one. We stopped in for dinner before seeing Porky & Bess across the street at the Met. I recommend their alcohol-forward, nicely blended Wild Horses ($16) cocktail made with mezcal, tequila reposado, amaro and various bitters. It was the best part of the meal. The brick-pressed chicken was fine, just not as moist as expected. Wished they'd offered a choice of dark meat. The chicken came atop baby spinach and smashed garlic potatoes. The server kindly replaced the smashed for fried! Both came drizzled with a lemony chicken au jus ($28). My other friend was [...]

By |2022-09-18T16:15:32-04:00September 23rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Swagat, Upper West Side, NYC + Shakespeare in the Park: As You Like it

Swagat is a small and cozy Indian restaurant on the Upper West Side, a good spot to dine before heading to the Delacorte to see "As You Like it," one of this year's two productions of Shakespeare in the Park as it's about a half-mile walk to the theatre.  Swagat, a Hindu word meaning "welcome," is a sister to Madam Ji, another Indian place I've enjoyed. Their aloo papri chat ($12) — a traditional Indian street snack — contained crunchy flour crispies with potatoes, chickpeas and flour straws with mint, tamarind and tamarind sauces. Their crispy cauliflower (lasuni gobi $10) comes tossed in a tangy garlic and tomato sauce. Don't [...]

By |2022-09-22T07:06:37-04:00September 19th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Danny Meyer’s Ci Siamo, Manhattan West, NYC

Danny Meyer's original Union Square restaurant was my go-to for special occasions as it never disappointed. With that in mind, I was eager to try his new Italian Ci Siamo, located in a new residential development in Manhattan West, adjacent to Hudson Yards. Its menu contains seasonal ingredients, many cooked using live fire. We started with cocktails, including a martini ($19) and a cosmo ($19), each with a named vodka and a glass of the crisp Pra Otto Soave Classico 2021 ($18). Do not miss their decadent caramelized cipollini onion flaky-crust tart drizzled with balsamic and topped with a gooey goat cheese fondue topped with Pecorino ($22). This mind-blowing dish [...]

By |2024-10-03T15:20:00-04:00September 5th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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An Upper East Side Institution: JG Melon, UES, NYC

No upper Eastsider I spoke to could believe I had never been to the iconic JG Melon neighborhood burger joint. I went to this laid-back pub for the first time this summer and only had to wait about 10 minutes, which I heard was not bad. There's generally a 30-minute wait for this cash-only pub on Third Avenue that's been on the Northeast corner of 74th Street since 1972. While waiting, I learned the "J" is for the late Jack O'Neill and the "G" for Georges Morgues, the original owners. "Melon" came from some whimsical watermelon artwork found in the original establishment. The owners added many more melons to the [...]

By |2022-09-11T03:38:24-04:00August 30th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|4 Comments
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Dames at Summer Happy Hour at Vinateria, Harlem, NYC

This summer, a group of Dames — members of Les Dames d'Escoffier — gathered at fellow Dame Yvette Leeper-Bueno celebrated Harlem restaurant, Vinataria, for a summer happy hour. While sipping our beverage of choice, we sampled: fried calamari with a paprika aioli ($14) bacalao (salt cod) croquettes with a chili aioli ($8) polenta fries sprinkled with Parmigiana Reggiano and served with a apicy dill aioli ($8) honey-glazed crispy Brussels sprouts with pine nuts and raisins ($9) crispy French fries with blue cheese and scallions ($9) marinated olives with hummus and bread While there, Yvette shared that she had just been honored with an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator for [...]

By |2023-09-02T19:39:05-04:00August 26th, 2022|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Noodlove, Chinatown, NYC + The Orchard Tailor Services

My friend Barbara had been raving about Fabian, her inexpensive fabulous tailor in Chinatown. His hems, she explained, were about $10 and done in an hour! The pandemic got in the way, and I never got to the tailor until now. I walked down to meet Fabian and gave him one long dress to be hemmed and a tunic in need of tightening a buttonhole and adding a snap, something I could have quickly done, yet decided to see what it cost. Twenty-five minutes and $12 later, I walked out with my tailored clothing. Impressive. Since it was lunchtime, I decided to grab something at Noodlelove, a nearby restaurant. I [...]

By |2022-08-20T15:23:16-04:00August 20th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|2 Comments
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Food Tour of Arthur Avenue, The Bronx with Susan Birnbaum

The first stop on our tour was for Albanian spinach burek (byrek, burek, börek), the classic Albanian stuffed fillo at Tony & Tina's Pizzeria, 2483 Arthur Ave, 718.733.8094. We spent lots of time with Dave at Mike's Deli inside the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, 2344 Arthur Ave, 718.295.5033, where he showed us how to make both fresh mozzarella and burrata, the soft shell wrapped around a creamy center of torn mozzarella strings and cream. We sampled many types of fresh cheeses plus their house-made pasta in tomato sauce.     We picked up some sliced sausage from Calabria Pork Store, 2338 Arthur Avenue, 718.367.5145, famous for their homemade fresh and [...]

By |2022-08-18T12:12:09-04:00August 4th, 2022|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, Other happenings|0 Comments
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The Reopened Spanish El Quijote, Chelsea, NYC

I'd been to an SVA program on west 23rd street. Afterward, we walked by the newly re-opened Spanish restaurant, El Quijote, at the Hotel Chelsea. The problem was their eleven tables were committed and the bar was three deep. Loving the vibe, we vowed to make a res and return. When we did, we started with their crispy Croquetas de Bacalao ($15 for 5), salt cod croquettes.  I'd recommend. It came with a ubiquitous aioli that accompanied most all their dishes. Their knowledgeable wine director, Claire, offered us some unusually delicious suggestions. The fresh tasting Garnacha Blanca, Celler Frisach  L'Abrunet Terra Alta, Spain '20 ($60) worked well with our menu choices. [...]

By |2022-07-28T16:56:09-04:00July 29th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Raising Money for LDNY’s Scholarships at Docks Oyster Bar, Kips Bay

Our New York chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier (LDNY) held a four-course unique lobster experience at Dock's Oyster Bar last month on National Lobster Day. The event raised funds for LDNY's scholarships. Wine pairings courtesy of Kobrand, lobster from Aquabest NYC.  If you'd like to donate to Les Dames d'Escoffier scholarships, click here.  We started with mini crab cakes made with very little filler. I popped a few too many of them as they were that good. Before our meal, we also dined on fresh oysters, deviled eggs and lobster ceviche served with Domaine Carneros Brut Vintage Cuvee 2018. Our menu consisted of rich lobster bisque with a lobster roll [...]

By |2022-07-28T16:43:03-04:00July 23rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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First Gansevoort, then Buddakan, Meat Packing District, NYC

Those who know me know I'm a birthday glutton loving my own new year and celebrating with as many friends as possible. One of my gatherings last month (yes, it takes me a month to post something after I've tried it!) started at the Gansevoort Rooftop for yummy drinks and a great view. My friends initially arranged the dinner festivities on Grand Banks, the seasonal restaurant on the deck of a historic fishing boat, yet the day before the reservation, the restaurant canceled it for a private party! My fab friends scurried to re-group and find another place for our celebration. We ended up at Buddakan for a delicious and [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:12:44-04:00July 19th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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Fish Cheeks, NoHo, NYC + Rehearsal of School of American Ballet

With Fish Cheeks named one of the absolute best Thai restaurants in NY by New York Magazine and included in Eater's 38 essential restaurants in NY, I had to try it. The restaurant had a modern approach to traditional Thai dishes. Loved that their happy hour included cocktails at lunch for $11. We sampled their spicy mango made with tequila, mango and lime and garnished with a bird's eye chili and the very-Thai flavored "Thank You Ka" with white rum, coconut galangal, ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime decorated with drops of chili oil.   The crispy rice salad and pork ($15) is delicious with crushed crispy rice tossed with shredded [...]

By |2022-07-11T13:04:05-04:00July 7th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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John’s River Oysters at The Pavillion, Midtown, NYC

I couldn't resist writing about these amazing John's River Oysters "Vanderbilt" at Daniel Boulud's upscale La Pavillion restaurant in One Vanderbilt, the new 93-story supertall skyscraper at the corner of 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue. That's the building that houses the spectacular views from Summit. This time, I stopped there only for a cocktail and nibble. We sat in the cocktail lounge savoring delicious cocktails ($21). I had the perfectly balanced Cachaça Tiki made from Leblon Cachaça and Amaro Montenegro garnished with fresh mint ($21) and my dining partner had the Matcha-infused Reyka vodka with lemongrass Shochu, a distilled liquor, garnished with fresh basil. With our drinks, we ordered the [...]

By |2022-07-11T12:53:16-04:00July 5th, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Opening of Jue Lan Club Rose Garden, Gramercy-Flatiron, NYC

If you're looking for a location to enjoy good food and libations in an outdoor enclosed setting, try The Rose Garden at Jue Lan Club.  It opened last month on one of those perfect spring days with a party replete with flowing cocktails, non-stop food offerings and live music. Idyllic. All was offered gratis, yet I've added their menu prices for your info. Some samplings included their chicken satay coated in peanut sauce (3 for $22), dumplings filled with pureed edamame, drizzled with truffle oil and sitting in miso broth (6 for $20), crispy scallion pancakes with hoisin dipping sauce ($18), braised oxtail bao buns (3 for $20) spicy samurai [...]

By |2022-07-03T09:19:01-04:00June 23rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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GupShup, Flatiron-Gramercy, NYC + The Stand Comedy Club

Even the drinks are delicious at the Bombay-inspired Gup Shup. My green Margie-like "hot like Kohli" was made with Espolon Silver tequila and Montelobos mezcal in a spicy-lime salted rim garnished with a hot pepper. My dining friend liked their version of a Negroni with Darjeeling tea and black cardamom added to the gin, Campari and vermouth. Our whole Tandoori cauliflower ($18) arrived as we were sipping our drinks. We were in heaven enjoying every morsel of the fork-tender chou fleur. We each commented how Miznon, known for their classic whole roasted one, paled in comparison. I'd recommend it along with a serving of their garlicky naan ($6) to sop [...]

By |2022-06-02T07:48:10-04:00June 3rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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