City Bites

The best City Bites from New York

Unique Coffee Shop: Ariston Flowers & Cafe, Chelsea, NYC

Need a place to meet for coffee?  My current favorite is Ariston Flower's & Cafe where the aroma of coffee mingles with flowers as you walk through the flower shop to the cafe in the rear. In addition to the Devocion farm-fresh specialty Colombian coffee selections, Ariston Flowers & Cafe offers pastries, sandwiches, salads and other breakfast offerings. On my last visit, my friend enjoyed their egg & bacon on a brioche roll ($9.50) and coffee while we sat and yakked while sitting in the aromatic location. I highly recommend this coffee shop Ariston Flowers & Cafe Union Square 78 5th Avenue New York, NY 10011 646-759-1963 aristonflowers.com

By |2025-02-08T13:25:41-05:00February 10th, 2025|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|1 Comment
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Baar Baar, Lower East Side, NYC + Wicked

My friend asked me to join her for comp cocktails and a meal at Baar Baar, an Indian gastro pub with a modern yet rustic approach to contemporary Indian cuisine. The restaurant is walking distance from where we saw Part I of  Wicked at the local AMC with their comfy reclining chairs! We began sampling their unusual cocktails, with my friend sampling their Anarkali made with gin, Aperol, housemade rose cordial and Prosecco and the Hera Pheri with clarified Mezcal, orange liqueur and spicy guava chutney. We nibbled the assorted papad and crisps, along with three homemade chutneys including mango and tomatillo chundo, chili and peanut and mint cilantro ($15). [...]

By |2024-12-15T14:51:25-05:00January 15th, 2025|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Rosa Mexicano, Lincoln Center, NYC + Robert Downey Jr. in McMeal

After seeing Robert Downey Jr. in McMeal at Lincoln Center Theatre, we crossed the street to grab a bite at Rosa Mexicano. The show is Ayad Akhtar’s new play, which closed in November, about a literary icon who gets assistance from AI. The subject matter reminded me of Glenn Close in The Wife. With five of us, we started with a double portion of their tableside guac ($32)— served with warm corn tortilla chips and roasted tomato salsa—and margies, with one ordering the frozen blood orange ($16). Being hungry, I overindulged in the guac and chips! Four of us then shared two orders of the roasted half chicken ($31) with sautéed [...]

By |2024-12-20T09:51:09-05:00December 20th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Orso, Theatre District, NYC + The Counter

Orso on Theatre Row was one of my go-to's when I lived in Connecticut and came into the city to the theatre. The food was consistently good, and I often saw a celebrity at a table. We started with a white pizza topped with fennel sausage, romano and mozzarella cheese, sprinkled with rosemary ($24). It could have been our meal! I had their rigatoni with a bolognese meat sauce ($28) and my dining partner, the sauteed calf's liver with fried onions ($32). Sadly, nothing stays the same. The service was lackluster, but the food was fine. I loved that they still served on a beautifully painted Italian terra cotta dinnerware. [...]

By |2024-11-26T07:45:06-05:00November 26th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Pre-Theatre Menu at the Greek Kellari Taverna, Theatre District, NYC + Our Town

After reading Ann Patchet's Tom Lake for one of my book groups, where they put on a production of “Our Town,” by Thornton Wilder, we realized that show was coming to Broadway and vowed to go together. We did. I highly recommend the production with Jim Parsons playing the narrator. Before the show, we opted for the $65 three-course pre-fix dinner at Kellari Taverna. We all nibbled the olives, hummus and radishes. One started with the cauliflower soup, and the other three enjoyed their gently pan-fried tender calamari with onions, peppers, capers and fava bean spread. One chose the swordfish daily special, another the lavraki (also called branzino or Mediterranean [...]

By |2024-11-03T08:02:32-05:00November 8th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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The Lambs Club + Roommate, Not

A leisurely lunch at the Lambs Club was our plan. Then, we'd walk around the corner to see Mia Farrow and Patty Lupone in Roommates at the Booth Theatre on 45th Street. We hadn't yet discovered that the show was canceled as Mia Farrow had COVID. The Lambs Club is America's first professional theatrical club, organized in 1874. At that time, no women were allowed. It moved, reorganized and re-opened after COVID in 2022. The walls are adorned with portraits of former club members. We chatted with the lovely manager about the club, the menu and the cuisine.  After that, he kindly sent us the sweet and savory summer green gazpacho gratis [...]

By |2024-11-03T19:12:06-05:00October 22nd, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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New Location of Mission Ceviche, Union Square, NYC + Once Upon a Mattress

I first sampled Peruvian food in Lima over 50 years ago when I went to meet my newborn nephew, who is now 51. I recently stopped into the newly opened, grand Mission Ceviche in Union Square for more Peruvian fare. It's a sister to the original one on the Upper East Side. This one is spacious, with Italian marble bars for its ceviche and sushi station, a mosaic octopus at the entrance and an unusual rope chandelier with lots of fresh plants hanging from it lights the expansive restaurant designed by New World Design Builders with Peruvian-inspired fabrics reminiscent of the sea and a commissioned wall covering made of thousands of fish-shaped scales. [...]

By |2024-10-13T09:07:25-04:00October 12th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Salinas, Chelsea, NYC + Pilobolus @ The Joyce Theater

What a find! We were off to see the second Pilobulus re:CREATION dynamic dance performances at The Joyce, looking for a new place to grab a bite. We ended up in the glass-roofed garden room at Salinas on Ninth, serving authentic Spanish cuisine from Chef Luis Bollo, a native of San Sebastian, in the heart of Basque Country. We shared everything, starting with their bravas con huevas marinas ($21), crispy potatoes topped with lumpfish caviar and shaved bottarga in a tasty brava sauce; their Canary Island octopus ($31) with black beans and Meyer lemon; and two pieces of the classic grilled tomato bread ($14), our only disappointment. For the entrees, we [...]

By |2024-08-18T07:57:48-04:00September 22nd, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Le Rivage, Theatre Row, NYC + Hell’s Kitchen

Silly me. I've avoided dining on Theatre Row, remembering it as too touristy. I decided to book the longtime French bistro serving classic fare in an old-world, rustic setting, mentioning we were celebrating a birthday. Since reading both Danny Meyer's "Setting the Table" and Will Guidara's "Unreasonable Hospitality," focusing on hospitality, I've been noticing exceptional service even more. The hostess warmly greeted me as I entered the restaurant for lunch, inquiring whose birthday it was. I said, mine. A few minutes after being seated, my server came to the table, introduced himself, welcomed me by name and said, Happy Birthday! We were off to a great, hospitable start. When my guest [...]

By |2024-09-21T11:30:51-04:00September 16th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Authentic Moroccan at Tara’s Kitchen, Tribeca, NYC + Pilobolus

I had never heard of 1000-hole pancakes, nor had I had them in Morocco. My friend was invited to sample these spongy semolina pancakes, also called beghrir, at Tara Kitchen in Tribeca, owned by Aneese Waheed. The pancakes are cooked only on one side and not flipped. Thanks to yeast in the batter, tiny holes appear on the surface, giving the pancakes a delicate and lacy texture. The Tara Kitchen serves them with housemade honey butter and a berry compote. We liked the texture and flavor of this tasty item on their brunch menu. We also sampled her cocktails. I'd recommend the delicious and unusual rhubarb Cosmo ($22) with vodka, [...]

By |2024-09-21T11:22:38-04:00September 10th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Zou Zou’s, Manhattan West, NYC + The Fringe’s “Pretty Good, Not Bad” + Stereophonic

It is not normal for me to attend two shows in one day. That said, it was my friend's only day to reschedule seeing Stereophonic, the Tony-award-winning show at the Golden Theatre about the rollercoaster ride of recording an album. We loved the show, yet felt they could have trimmed the 3+ hour show a lot. After the show, I headed to Zou Zou's at Manhattan West — across from Moynihan Train Station — to meet some friends for dinner before attending the one-woman performance of Pretty Good, Not Bad at The Tank that evening. Thank goodness the second show, starring Ellen Toland and directed by Rachel McBath, was just about an [...]

By |2024-09-08T09:47:07-04:00September 8th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|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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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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Barbuto, West Village, NYC + Breaking the Story + Twyla Tharp

After we went to different matinees, we met for dinner at Johnathan Waxman's Barbuto on the corner of Horatio and West Street in the West Village, just a 2-minute walk from Little Island. There, we saw a full-length premiere from Twyla Tharp featuring live music by T Bone Burnett and David Mansfield. I had seen Breaking the Story, a play that didn't get good reviews yet had a magnificent performance by Maggie Siff. They also saw the powerful, must-see Mother Play by Paula Vogel, starring Jessica Lange, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Jim Parsons, which I had already seen. Dinner started with their Hannah pizza with burrata, fontina and Parmesan on tomato ragu [...]

By |2024-07-29T16:57:18-04:00July 20th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Breakfast at The Marshal, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Illinoise

Charlie Marshal's eponymous restaurant, a unique gem in Hell's Kitchen, is one of my go-to pre-theatre places. This time, we returned for brunch before heading to the Tony-nominated Illinoise, the narrative dance musical at the St. James Theatre that's a coming-of-age story.  We sampled a few items for the first time: the spring asparagus pizza with aged and fresh mozzarella and pancetta ($28.50) and his wood-fired French toast ($19.50)stuffed with blueberry compote, topped with honey-infused whipped cream and served with Deep Mountain maple syrup. I recommend a trip to Charlie's before the theatre and the unusual Illinoise. The Marshal Hell’s Kitchen 628 10th Avenue (at 44th) New York, NY 10036 (212) 582-6300 the-marshal.com/

By |2024-06-14T09:22:17-04:00June 19th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Chicka and the Don, Flatiron-Gramercy, NYC

Chicka and The Don is a new Latin American restaurant in the Flatiron District, where Almayass was on 21st Street. The waiter mentioned a third that had come and gone. As their guests, we sampled much of the menu. My dining partner chose a Margie, while I sampled The Don ($20), a unique twist on an Old Fashioned made with Japanese whiskey and a wine and honey-infused rum with aphrodisiac claims. When our waiter mentioned that he would bring the food out family style as it was ready, we didn't imagine receiving everything but dessert almost at once. Other than a banquet in front of us at the same time, everything is worth [...]

By |2024-08-03T09:07:39-04:00June 17th, 2024|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Populares Mexican Restaurant, Lower East Side, NYC + Board of Education

We laughed out loud at the comedy Board of Education, part of the Fresh Fruit Festival. It's a comedy following two aimless millennials from being waiters at a gastropub to running for the board of education. Richard Spitaletta, who wrote it, also stars in it. After the show, we walked around the corner to the newly opened Populares Mexican Restaurant, where I was invited as a guest. We sipped Margies, both classic and unsweetened ($14) while nibbling on freshly made chips with four flavorful salsas: pico de gallo, spicy salsa rojo, and salsa verde, both fresh and cooked ($12), plus their housemade chunky guacamole ($16). We were happy while we [...]

By |2024-06-17T09:35:10-04:00June 7th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Chalong, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + A Sign of the Times

Chalong is worth a special trip. We ended up at this Southern Thai restaurant because of its proximity to New World Stages, where we saw A Sign of the Times, a musical review about a woman's journey set to the soundtrack of our Baby Boomer generation. The perfectly seasoned coconut crab curry had just enough heat to be pleasant. The crab was lumps of meat and a soft-shelled mini, fried crab. Betel leaves added to the heat. Perfection. The waiter suggested tossing the lumpu salad before enjoying it. We followed his advice, mixing the fresh oysters, chili paste, seafood sauce, fried shallots, radish slices, fresh mint, cilantro and pea shoots [...]

By |2024-06-01T17:19:22-04:00June 2nd, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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A Return to Marseille, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Suffs

Brunch at Marseille before theatre is de rigueur, as it's ideally located when heading to a show. We stopped there before seeing "Suffs," the musical about the women's suffrage movement that started at The Public in 2022 and is bound to be a hit. I highly recommend it. As many women did at the State of the Union, we dressed in white — a symbol of the suffragists' movement — to attend the performance. To start, we all sipped the light Lillet spritz with their rose plus sparkling wine ($15), along with asparagus vinaigrette topped with aged Comté coulis, spring mushrooms and fresh mâché ($17). Don't miss.  Entrees included a [...]

By |2024-05-19T08:32:04-04:00May 12th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Sardi’s, Times Square, NYC + Outsiders

Remember the torrential rain with flash flood warnings as spring sprung? That was the night I ended up at Sardi's as it was easier to get to the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre to see the new musical, The Outsiders, not a show I'd suggest rushing to see. As you may know, Sardi's is more about seeing and being seen than the food.  The food is fine, nothing exceptional, but the service is quite attentive and good. From what we ate, I'd only recommend the classic Caesar  ($18), the teriyaki glazed salmon with caramelized ginger sweet potato puree all over sauteed spinach ($37), and the shrimp Sardi style ($39). I had [...]

By |2024-05-05T08:31:20-04:00May 3rd, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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