City Bites

The best City Bites from New York

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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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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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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Thai at Wan Waan, Chelsea, NYC + The Joyce

I love discovering new places with good food close to a theatre! That's Wan Waan Thai restaurant on Eighth Avenue near The Joyce. We stopped in for lunch before a matinee performance of what we thought was hip-hop dance. That Joyce's production was more tale than dance. The story was of love, fear and triumph that's rooted in the traditions of Hip-Hop, not as much dance. The London Times called it "The Basquiat of the U.S. contemporary dance scene."   Wan Waan's weekend special offered a choice of an appetizer (we both chose the small spring rolls) and an entree. We chose their coconut green curry ($16) with bell peppers, bamboo shoots, [...]

By |2023-03-18T09:17:44-04:00March 22nd, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Ideal Brunch Location: Sesamo + “Wolf” at Theatre at MCC

As seasoned ticket holders to MCC's relatively new location on West 52 between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, we always look for restaurants to sample before theatre. We decided to try Sesamo, an ideally located restaurant on Tenth and 52, before heading to see Hansol Jung's "Wolf Play," about a South Korean boy being re-homed with new LBGTQ parents. A puppet represents the boy on stage. Sesamo is the Asian-Italian eatery I recently sampled as their guest and so enjoyed. We started with their $32 bottomless brunch. I tried their bloody Mary, my dining partner their red sangria. I'd recommend their chef's selection of crispy (6) dumplings filled with garam masala seasoned [...]

By |2023-03-23T23:27:51-04:00March 20th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|1 Comment
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A Quick Bite at Aperitivo, Midtown, NYC + “Untitled”

Aperitivo, located just east of Avra Madison on 60th Street, is a quiet, small Italian-style restaurant with a perfect location for a lite meal before heading to 59E59 Theater. Service is a bit off, but friendly. Our arugula salad ($17) arrived before our cocktails. I'd recommend that salad with its shaved fennel, slivered red onions, toasted pine nuts and shaved parmesan in a charred tomato vinaigrette. Delicious. Those drinks that arrived after our salad included their Cucumber Breeze, made with Grey Goose, mint, cucumber, lemon and elderflower (18) and their Tivo's Old Fashioned, made with Casamigos mezcal, reposado and sweetener ($20). Neither was what we expected. Their pizza is more [...]

By |2023-03-23T23:40:55-04:00March 14th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Cucina 8 1/2, Midtown West, NYC + Pictures from Home

In the space that housed Brasserie 8 1/2, you'll now find the elegant Cucina 8 1/2. We decided to sample it one night before heading to the theatre to see Pictures from Home, starring the all-star cast of Nathan Lane, Danny Burstein, and Zoe Wanamaker. We descended the grand stairway into the sleek, softly lit dining room. Service was attentive; the food plentiful. Since it was Restaurant Week, we each indulged in the three courses for $45, nibbling on their parmesan crisps as we perused the menu. Their insalata verde came with gem lettuce in a creamy dressing with lots of aged ricotta and Marcona almonds. The three large meatballs sit [...]

By |2023-03-11T09:46:37-05:00March 4th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, Theatre|0 Comments
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Hold Fast Kitchen & Spirits, Theatre Row, NYC + The Collaboration

Wished I had seen The Collaboration with Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope before I attended a Jean-Michel Basquiat show. The show centers around the partnership between the two artists —Andy Warhol and Basquiat—and their work. I'd recommend you see it, but it closed recently. Before seeing it, we grabbed some lunch at Hold Fast Kitchen & Spirits, a friendly pub on Restaurant Row, 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. The small, dimly lit pub has friendly service and adequate pre-theater food.  My dining partner enjoyed their hearty portion of garlicky shrimp with jalapeno grits ($18); I tried their Westside chicken sandwich ($13), with marinated thigh pieces, a tomato slice [...]

By |2023-03-11T09:48:14-05:00March 2nd, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Kimberly Akimbo + A Return to Saar, Midtown West, NYC

If you see only one thing on Broadway, see Kimberly Akimbo, the musical about a 15-year-old with a fictionalized rare disease that ages her four times the normal. The show is Tony-worthy, especially two of the performances. Victoria Clark makes you believe Kimberly is 15 instead of ready for Medicare. Aunt Debra (Bonnie Milligan) stops the show each time she belts her songs. After the show, we walked north a few blocks to Saar Indian Bistro.  The last I'd been was when we welcomed Les Dames d'Escoffier Legacy winner Chef Helen Vass almost five years ago. [Nominations for this year's 2023 LDEI Legacy Awards are open until March 17, 2023. [...]

By |2023-02-24T17:17:31-05:00February 18th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling, Theatre|0 Comments
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Patti Lupone at 54 Below, Theatre District, NYC

A friend invited another friend and me to see Patti Lupone's sold-out final performance of her gig at 54 Below. We couldn't resist. Patti has three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and two Grammy Awards and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fame. She's best known as a singer and actress in stage musicals. Most recently, I saw her performances in London and New York in Company.  (Michael Allan Galvez, photographer) As good New Yorkers, we didn't bother the famous folks we noticed in the small theatre. At one table was Kristin Chenoweth; at another were Jessica Lange, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Chelsea Clinton. We tried not to stare. [...]

By |2023-02-24T17:10:11-05:00February 14th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Sapphire, UWS, NYC + Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool

(Sadly, Sapphire just closed on December 31, 2022.) Sapphire Cuisines of India on the Upper West Side is close enough to the Vivian Beaumont Theater to grab a bite before attending a show. We did just that before seeing Mike Birbiglia in his one-man show. My dining partner noticed some small batch bourbons and ordered Old Fashions for us made with Clyde Mays, an Alabama-style whiskey ($18) that we sipped while topping the crispy flatbread papadum with the two sauces. I'd recommend the Lasuni Gobi ($9), their cauliflower florets batter-fried in a garlic sauce and their fried onion fritters ($9) made using a spiced gram flour batter.    Also good [...]

By |2023-01-15T12:02:31-05:00January 3rd, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|4 Comments
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Ella Social, Upper West Side, NYC + Historical Society

We're always looking for a restaurant to serve a group of at least twenty of us for lunch after one of our Ex.expats of New York monthly outings. This time it was after curator-led tours at the New-York Historical Society. Dr. Wendy Ikemoto, Senior Curator of American Art, took us through the "Scenes of New York: The Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld Collection," followed by Anna Danziger Halperin, Center for Women's History, tour through "The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming." We ended up at Ella Social, with the owner being so accommodating for a prefix 3-course lunch with unlimited tea or regular coffee for $35, including tax and tip. A [...]

By |2022-12-30T16:28:11-05:00December 29th, 2022|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Katsuya, Manhattan West, NYC + Citizens

An invitation came for the opening of Citizens Marketplace at 398 Tenth Avenue. Like Urban Hawker, it is a food court. The difference is this one is anchored by two upscale restaurants, the Spanish Casi Dani and Katsuya sushi. I was invited to stay to sample the latter after their open house.  I do recommend their delicious grilled octopus ($27), their highly seasoned edamame ($13) and their crispy and crunch Japanese slaw ($19) with chicken in an umeboshi dressing. I'd go back just for the latter. Also impressive is their sashimi. It was tender, sweet and buttery; especially the toro, reported my sushi-eating dining mate. We sampled the Tuna Belle [...]

By |2022-12-30T16:35:52-05:00December 26th, 2022|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Nubeluz Rooftop Bar in The Ritz, NoMad, NYC

Nubeluz is from the Spanish words for cloud (nube) and light (luz). It's the name of the Ritz-Carlton NoMad's swanky rooftop bar with incredible city views and a unique take on cocktails from José Andrés, who also opened Zaytinya on the ground floor. The bar opened in July at the corner of Broadway and 28th street. Nubelez tries to keep it mysterious. The hostess, dressed in a gold lamè short cocktail dress, will have you wait after you've stopped at the stand to give your name -- even if you have a reservation and the rooftop is not fully committed. It's how they've been trained. Once the hostess decides to [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:03:34-04:00December 23rd, 2022|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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Keith McNally’s Minetta Tavern, Greenwich Village, NYC

The high-end French bistro, Minetta Tavern, originally opened in 1937, was named after the eponymous Brook that ran southwest from 23rd Street to the Hudson River. Various writers — Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Eugene O'Neill, E. E. Cummings, Dylan Thomas, and Joe Gould — frequented the tavern. Today it still has vintage decor, a warm vibe and friendly service. While sipping our hearty cocktails — my Bulleit Old Fashioned, one friend's Cosmo and Lemon Drop ($21 each), we nibbled their warm loaf of bread. Dangerously, addictive. Two of us indulged in their acclaimed burger and fries. Since we couldn't decide between the regular Minetta burger ($31) topped with Cheddar or [...]

By |2023-01-02T14:02:52-05:00December 21st, 2022|Big Apple Life, City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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This Time Dinner at Electric Lemon, Hudson Yards, NYC

I've been recommending Electric Lemon on the 24th floor of the Equinox Hotel at Hudson Yards since I tasted their crab in a crunchy ginger dressing. It was that good. We started with that crab ($24) and added the cauliflower flatbread ($20) topped with hummus, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs and a bottle of Sancerre, Noël et Jean-Luc Raimbault 2021 ($78) One entree was better than the next. The juicy chicken sat atop ($34) a flavorful blend of veggies; the halibut atop a pool of beans topped with mustard greens; and the tender dry-aged duck over honey and plum-sweetened freekeh. Each worth going back for. Skip the polenta fries — it's [...]

By |2024-09-12T11:38:18-04:00December 18th, 2022|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Aldo Solm Wine Bar, Midtown, NYC + Leopoldstadt

Urban Hawkers didn't cut it for us, as we both prefer being served to food courts. That's how we ended up at Aldo Salm, the casual wine bar across the alley from Le Bernardin serving light French fare. I'd expect a server to provide a clean glass for sampling each wine at a wine bar. Not! Our waiter oddly used one wine glass for sampling two wines. We ended up with the crisp Fiano, Ciro Picariello, Irpinia, Campania ‘21 ($14), which worked with the whole roasted cauliflower with chimichurri sauce ($18) and the duck confit ($26) over highly dressed frisée and watercress with thinly sliced fennel and radishes. I wished [...]

By |2022-12-18T22:45:41-05:00December 15th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Serra by Birreria on Eataly Rooftop, Flatiron, NYC

A trip to the original Eataly on 23rd Street with lunch on their scenic rooftop was the final stop before my Dame friends departed after our October international Les Dames d'Escoffier conference. Being our last meal together this time, we asked our waiter to serve our order in courses so we could linger. And we ordered their special "$39 Bottle" red, their Pietro Beconcini Antiche Vie Chianti, Tuscany. He first served us the Gnocchi al Pomodoro ($19) and the Insalata del Mercat ($16). The salad blended Lani's Farm lettuces and shaved  carrots and fennel in a red wine vinaigrette. We wished we had bread to sop up the tomato-basil sauce [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:03:49-04:00December 9th, 2022|City Bites, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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