NYC Restaurant Reviews

Our New York City restaurant reviews

Brunch at Dame-Owned Vinateria, Harlem, NYC

Like many of the fun Les Dames d'Escoffier conference events, our New York Harlem fund-raiser was sold out. I decided to take a group who hadn't booked in time to Harlem for brunch at Dame Yvette Leeper Bueno's Vinateria, where I'd dined before. (A Dame is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier.) Brunch entrees include a mimosa, bloody Mary or complimentary coffee or tea. Our group tried their delicious carbonara ($21) with guanciale, egg and Grana Padano; the autumn salad ($15) with roasted squash, carrots, roasted red pepper, apples, candied walnuts, cranberries, feta and chicory; and the house-cured smoked salmon eggs benedict; and the Applewood smoked bacon cheeseburger with fries [...]

By |2022-12-04T17:02:52-05:00November 25th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Mermaid Inn in the Red Cat Space, Chelsea, NYC

As we were seated at our table in the new Chelsea Mermaid Inn in the old Red Cat space on Tenth and 23, the waiter rushed over to share that happy hour would end in three minutes. That welcoming enabled us to save $6 on each of our well-made cocktails and to order the fried calamari ($11) only on the HH menu. Instead of Prosecco, they use blanc de blanc for the Aperol spritz bubbles; and olive juice and hot sauce for the "dirty" martini. I liked the peppadew garnish in the latter. Both those drinks and the squid were good. That Happy hour runs from 4:30 to 6:30 at [...]

By |2022-12-04T16:59:51-05:00November 23rd, 2022|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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Prosciutto & Delice Board at RH Rooftop, Meat Packing, NYC

To commence a celebration of a friend's birthday, we started at RH Rooftop with a bottle of rosè bubbly. Specifically, the Pierre Sparr Cremant d'Alsace ($64). This ripe and juicy sparkler worked well with our prosciutto and cheese platter with a warm baguette and chilled grapes ($45). Knowing we were starting a b-day celebration, the restaurant brought us a warm (making it irresistible) chocolate chip cookie bearing a lit candle. A wonderful way to spend an afternoon. If you've never been, I highly suggest a trip. RH Rooftop Meatpacking District 9 Ninth Avenue New York, NY 10014 rh.com

By |2024-07-21T11:04:02-04:00November 17th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop|0 Comments
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Lafayette, NoHo, NYC + Baldwin and Buckley

Pre-COVID, I have had some decent meals, including a fun birthday at Lafayette, Andrew Carmelini’s French restaurant in NoHo. We stopped in for brunch one rainy day before heading to The Public to see Baldwin and Buckley. For a review of that show, click here. We appreciated the good vibe as we lucked out being seated in a corner banquette away from the noise. Four of us started with purportedly spicy bloody Marys ($17). Other than the composed Niçoise Salad garnished with rare tuna, anchovies and an egg ($36), the rest of the food was plebeian at best.  The smoked salmon Benedict ($30) was okay. The shakshuka was overcooked, resulting in [...]

By |2022-11-20T17:35:34-05:00November 12th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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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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Lunch in the Tavern of Gramercy Tavern, Gramercy/Flatiron, NYC

Hadn't been to Danny Meyer's Flatiron District Gramercy Tavern since before the pandemic (I did stop by to support them by buying take-out.) I was eager to see how they fared. The Tavern, open since 1994, offers contemporary American cuisine and warm hospitality. Their accolades include three New York Times stars, one Michelin star, the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant and the Best Chef: NYC award for Michael Anthony. When you dine, you have two choices the fixed-price-only dining room or the bustling bar area. We chose the more casual Tavern with our informative server Derek offering suggestions -- many of which we followed. We started with three starters [...]

By |2022-11-01T09:57:30-04:00October 27th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Giardino 54, Hells Kitchen, NYC + Los Otros, The Musical

We chose Giardino 54 for its proximity to A.R.T./New York Theatres, where we were seeing the musical Los Otros with music by Michael John LaChiusa, who we bumped into at the performance. Los Otros is a musical about love, risk and revelation told through two characters who explore significant moments in their lives. I recommend. I started lunch at Giardino 54 with a glass of their on-tap Vicentini Agostino Valpolicella, Vento 2019 ($10), reminiscent of Italian house wine. They also offer a white — Trebbiano, Poderi Dal Nespoli IGT, 2017 — on tap. Our friendly, attentive waiter served us an olive oil-balsamic mixture for dipping the bread. I tried their [...]

By |2022-10-20T08:55:21-04:00October 22nd, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Brunch at the French La Mercerie, Soho, NYC

It was French cuisine in Soho for brunch one Sunday recently. We had lots to catch up on, so we started with a bottle of Marsannay 'Le Centenaire' Domaine Bruno Clair 2019 rosé. We shared two entrees served separately, starting with one of their classic dishes. Crèpe complète ($28) with a buckwheat crêpe wrapped around Paris ham and comté, with a sunny-side-up egg, all drizzled crème fraîche. Delicately delicious. Next, we shared the Croque monsieur ($21 + $3) with the Paris ham and comté, turned madame with the addition of an egg, that our server forgot. He brought us the egg later. We did indulge in their profiteroles (5) au [...]

By |2022-10-18T08:29:30-04:00October 17th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Tom Colicchio’s Italian Vallata, Gramercy/Flatiron, NYC

From Gramercy Tavern to Craft and Riverpark, I've been a fan of Tom Colicchio restaurants. Wanting to support his new Italian adventure, I met a friend for lunch. Vallata is right next to Craft on 19th Street. We were two of the six people in the empty characterless restaurant. I tried their pasta and wine special for $29 — a real bargain. The housemade lumache with Bolognese alone is $28. And with it, they offered a glass of Paolo e Noemia d'Amico Villa Tirrena from Umbria. The large shell-shaped pasta was nicely firm, yet the sauce was too salty and buttery. And I had to hunt for the meat. Had [...]

By |2022-10-18T08:32:17-04:00October 15th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A return to Shukette, Chelsea, NYC + MJ The Musical

Our afternoon started on our feet, applauding the amazing performances in MJ the Musical  — telling the story of Michael Jackson — at the Neil Simon theatre. It won four Tony awards, including best actor in a musical (Myles Frost) and best choreography (Christopher Wheeldon). I highly recommend. From there, we headed downtown to 24th Street and Ninth Avenue for an early dinner at Shukette, serving the creative cooking of Brooklyn-born Chef Ayesha J. Nurdjaja. The name is from the Hebrew word for an open-air market, shuk. Again, we were seated inside, at the front of the restaurant, yet this time not surrounded by others. The noise was much easier [...]

By |2022-10-09T09:42:21-04:00October 7th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Lunch at Veeray da Dhaba, Lower East Side, NYC

Finding a good restaurant open for lunch on a Monday in Manhattan is always a challenge. I start by looking at my "To try" list. I lucked out with Veeray da Dhaba, which is open on Mondays for lunch.  It's an Indian restaurant on the lower east side with food by a Michelin-star chef featuring Punjab roadside cuisine. Dhaba (da'ba) is a roadside stand offering wallet-friendly local cuisine in India. You don't go to Veeray da Dhaba for libations. They offer $35 bottles of wine to accompany the food; the latter is what you go for. We chose a bottle of their Fairvalley Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa, 2020. [...]

By |2022-10-09T09:56:49-04:00October 3rd, 2022|NYC Best Bites, 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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José Andrés’ Zaytinya Now in New York, NoMad, NYC

We dined at Zaytinya the week it opened in the Ritz Hotel in NoMad, being there for their first Friday night. The staff was attentive and still learning, something I'd expect during their first week. By the time you're reading this, I bet the team worked out the kinks we experienced.   Zaytinya is one of José Andrés' establishments, with his original one in DC and a short-lived one in Dallas. As you know, he's that culinary angel who does humanitarian outreach through World Central Kitchen. We started with cocktails. I tried their Ankara Rye Club, made from Old Forester rye whiskey and sweet vermouth seasoned with fresh thyme, cumin and [...]

By |2023-08-12T10:41:16-04:00September 11th, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|3 Comments
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The Tasting Menu at Hortus, Nomad , NYC

During the pandemic, my friends discovered Hortus, an Asian-fusion restaurant, and its spacious, well-lit backroom. After much negotiation, we selected their tasting menu ($70 each) instead of their Restaurant Week menu. It was similar, but without the Royal Platter we chose for our starter. That extra dish included a chilled lobster, yellowtail crudo, shrimp cocktail and one dozen oysters with many sauces, including hot butter, cocktail sauce and a not-so-spicey gochujang one. The platter contained two over-cooked claws, not the menu stated lobster tail. We sipped a deliciously bold, slightly tannic  Bordeaux Cuvée, La Petite Marquise, Saint Julien France, '16 ($80). Two of us ordered their crispy octopus leg (+$4 [...]

By |2022-07-30T13:26:07-04:00September 7th, 2022|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|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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Lunch at The Cookshop, Chelsea, NYC

It was too hot and humid to take a long walk in Hudson River Park one weekday. Instead, we headed to Cookshop for lunch, arriving as they were opening. I smiled as I saw the empty restaurant realizing that the popular brunch place would be packed if this were a weekend. My friends each ordered the gem lettuce salad with chunks of Persian cucumber and sliced cherry tomatoes topped with large roasted chicken breast ($23). I would have ordered a burger had I not just devoured one at JG Melon's earlier that week. Instead, I decided to on their salad Niçoise sandwich. The Pan Bagnat ($19) contained chunks of olive [...]

By |2022-09-11T03:37:30-04:00September 1st, 2022|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 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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