NYC Restaurant Reviews

Our New York City restaurant reviews

Drift In, Hudson River Parkway + Elephant Migration, Meat Packing, NYC

The migration of 100 life-size elephant sculptures began in Newport, Rhode Island before the herd took up residence in the meat-packing district of New York City. They stayed there through late October, when they headed south to Miami, Florida, before heading to Browning, Montana, in May 2025. Like many others, we walked in amazement among the giant creatures we learned were for sale. You can purchase a limited-edition, life-size sculpture supporting the conservation work and bringing a message of coexistence into your world. These elephants aim to raise funds for non-profit conservation organizations and foster awareness about wildlife's challenges. According to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, "Each elephant sculpture is made [...]

By |2024-11-17T06:07:06-05:00November 14th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|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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Happy Hour*** Springs Tavern and Grill, East Hampton, New York

On an overcast weekend in East Hampton late summer, we visited Springs Tavern and Grill for their delightful happy hour menu. On our first round of margaritas, three of us had the regular; one tried the frozen refreshing blood orange one, although the sweetness made it more like a dessert. With that, we shared their delectable steamed mussels ($14) with garlic, herb butter, white wine and a soupçon of cream, then topped with fries; plus the mouthwatering Mediterranean platter ($15) that included housemade hummus — a regular and herbaceous green version with basil, a little mint and garlic — plus marinated olives, pita points and grana padano. I loved that [...]

By |2024-11-17T06:35:46-05:00November 5th, 2024|Happy Hours, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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La Palapa, Gotham West, NYC + Intrepid Museum

Our ex.expat of New York group visited the Intrepid, an American military and maritime history museum at Pier 86 at 46th Street, along the Hudson River. Our tour guide brought the ship alive through personal stories about sailors and pilots who spent time on the Intrepid, protecting our country through the Vietnam war. Some of us squeezed into the Submarine USS Growler, and others sat in the Concorde, the British Airways commercial plane that flew from Europe to New York in about 3 1/2 hours. Afterward, we walked to Gotham West to grab some authentic Mexican food at La Palapa. Some had tacos, others enchiladas, guac and chips, salad and [...]

By |2024-11-03T08:02:19-05:00November 1st, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Italian Dinner at Novita, Flatiron, NYC

Thank you again, Jeffrey — the man I met on the train from Amagansett back to the city — for introducing me to Novita. He recommended this hidden gem seven years ago. This cozy Italian place on 22 Street, right off Park Avenue, consistently has good food and attentive service. We sipped the Nero d’Avola,” Saia” Feudo Maccari 2018 ($95) while nibbling bread sticks, while waiting for the crab cake with fresh mango salad in a citrus vinaigrette. We split that ourselves at the table ($22). We followed that with flavorful asparagus au gratin ($19) that they split and plated in the kitchen before finishing. COur last dish is their [...]

By |2024-09-24T07:48:46-04:00October 30th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Lusardi’s , Upper East Side, NYC

The evening started at my friend’s home with apps and icy vodka in chilled martini glasses. Then, off to Lusardi’s on Second Avenue, an Italian institution started by two brothers in the 1980s. Once seated at this white-tablecloth restaurant, the waiter brought us a basket of bread with a cruet of olive oil. We nibbled that while sipping the Sicilian Nero d'Avalo, Mortgante, 2021 ($65). We were seated outside, yet I slipped into the spacious restaurant to see it as I hadn’t previously been. My friend had raved about their veal, so I had to try her suggestion of their Vitelli martini. I loved the simplicity and flavor of the [...]

By |2024-11-03T19:00:58-05:00October 27th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|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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A Return to Hutong, Midtown, NYC

This time, I knew where to find the Hutang restaurant, whose address is on Lexington Avenue. Its entrance is in the alley off 58th Street, where Le Cirque had been, halfway between Lex and Third. Hutang, by the way, means alley. We were there for the prix fixe $30 lunch offering a selection of appetizers, entrees and side dishes. Some sipped a glass of their one rosé selection, crisp and dry Chateau De Rouet, Reserve Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Cotes de Provence, France, 2023 ($22). Some started with their hot and sour soup, others the king prawn salad. The soup was tasty—peppery and tangy—but I prefer my homemade better. I prepare it [...]

By |2024-10-22T07:40:55-04:00October 20th, 2024|General Food Info, NYC Restaurant Reviews|1 Comment
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A Sad Return to Electric Lemon + Circle Line Around Manhattan

After our end-of-summer Circle Line 2.5-hour cruise around Manhattan Island through Spuyten Duyvil Creek and down the Hudson back to the dock at Pier 83, I stopped at Electric Lemon with a friend for a light bite. If you have never done — or haven't taken the cruise in years — I highly recommend the trip on the boat around Manhattan. It's always informative with something new to learn about the city. As a regular reader, you'd know I've raved about Electric Lemon's deviled crab ($24). I've sent many people there just for that dish, as I loved their creamy ginger dressing and crunchy ginger crumb topping on the fresh [...]

By |2024-10-13T09:24:38-04:00October 18th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Mexican at Fonda, Chelsea, NYC

After reading about Fonda's happy hour in Chelsea, I asked a friend to meet me there to sample their fare. When we arrived at happy hour, we learned that the offers were only available at the bar. Sadly, their barstools have no backs, making it uncomfortable for my aching back to sit without support. I requested one of the many empty booths next to the bar, explaining my back issue and mentioning that we also planned to order off the menu. Management declined. I'm guessing they haven't had a chance to read Danny Meyer's "Setting the Table," which focuses on hospitality or Will Guidara's "Unreasonable Hospitality," both of which I recommend. My [...]

By |2024-10-13T09:22:28-04:00October 16th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|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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Winona’s, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, NYC

Winona’s is a family-run restaurant owned by Cressida Greening and Emir Dupeyron, who originally started it as a supper club in their apartment next door in Northern Bed-Stuy. I was invited to sample their seasonally driven food and natural wines. We started with their well-crafted cocktails. My dining partner had a Passion Sour ($16) made with pisco, Aperol, Shinola passionfruit liqueur and egg white. I sipped their forest Old Fashioned with housemade mushroom-infused bourbon plus scotch, Pedro Ximenez sherry and chocolate ($16). With our cocktails, we indulged in three must-have appetizers. We got every last drop of their smoked trout dip ($18) with housemade potato chips. Also delicious is their [...]

By |2024-10-13T09:14:46-04:00October 10th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Happy Hour* Mediterranean ZIZI, Chelsea, NYC

One temperate night, I met a neighbor at ZIZI (formerly Zizi Limona), a modern Mediterranean restaurant on Eighth Avenue. Emmit, our server, mentioned that it was still happy hour and explained the offerings that included a martini selection from their few varieties and $6 off the small z's "3Z's" appetizer selection. I chose an espresso martini that included Spring 44 vodka, Luxardo espresso liqueur and espresso. We then selected their roasted head of cauliflower, the four falafel balls and the crazy baba (a blend of charred eggplant, feta and basil) with four large, warm pita ($23). We did order an entree but had no room for it, as we were [...]

By |2024-10-13T09:16:35-04:00October 8th, 2024|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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The Italian Malaparte, West Village, NYC

Lifetime Fitness recently opened on 23rd Street, allowing access to those whose insurance offers Renew Active. I put my name on the waiting list in April and recently got in. I discussed books with the others in the women's steam room and then moved on to dining. One new friend mentioned that one of her favorites is the Italian Malparte, a place I had neither heard of nor been to. We decided to go together. We met at this intimate neighborhood eatery on Washington Street and started with a bottle of their Nero D'Avola ($50) while nibbling on fresh focaccia and sliced dense bread. I had to try their gorgonzola [...]

By |2024-10-13T09:18:48-04:00October 6th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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Carlotto, Flatiron-Gramercy, NYC

My friend raved about the restaurant week menu at Carlotto, a fairly new restaurant in our hood that neither of us had tried. We went on that recommendation. Our appetizer of their slow-roasted lamb rib "presse" was worth the trip with its tender braised meat with a seared finish to crips the edges with the unusual accompaniments of pickled chanterelles and salsa verde. I'd go back just for this dish. With it, we sipped the Rafael Tamassi Valpolicella Classico ($54). We ordered one $60 Restaurant Week menu, selecting the tender short rib with some potatoes and one asparagus. We then added an entree of slow-cooked wild boar ragú pappardelle. The [...]

By |2024-10-06T08:33:31-04:00October 4th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Seafood at Oceana, Midtown West, NYC

On a rainy day recently, I met my financial advisor for lunch at Oceana, a restaurant he frequents because of its proximity. Expecting nothing other than money talk over seafood, I was pleasantly pleased by the attentive service of good food. I sipped a glass of their Sancerre with their lump crab cake in a mustard celery root remoulade puddle topped with frisée. I'd go back for that. And for their parfait ($15), reminiscent of the Good Humor truck's orange sherbet creamsicle filled with vanilla ice cream. Theirs tops olive oil cake with orange sorbet, orange cream and oatmeal crumble. A delightful place to get lunch pre-theatre. Oceana Midtown West 120 W. 49th [...]

By |2024-10-06T08:47:58-04:00October 2nd, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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City Vineyard, Hudson River Park, NYC

Each summer on the island of Manhattan, I try to visit each of my favorite Hudson River waterside haunts at least once. Some include The Frying Pan, Grand Banks, Drift In, Mezze (formerly the Merchant House) and City Vineyard, located at Pier 26. We chose the air-conditioning inside, as it was one of our hot and humid days. No one sat outside. I sipped an Aperol Spritz ($19), my dining partner, their Provencal rosè selection ($15). We were so busy solving the world's problems that I neglected to ask for our salad lightly dressed. The watermelon, arugula and feta salad ($22) came drenched in a balsamic glaze. We added (+$10) grilled [...]

By |2024-10-06T08:53:50-04:00September 30th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Restaurant Week at Perry Street, West Village, NYC

When Restaurant Week first started, it was just that, one week. By the time you heard the buzz, it was often too late. No more. We now have four weeks, giving us ample time to make a res or two once we know it's happening. When I learned that Perry Street offered a special 3-course, $60 menu, I had to make a res. Jean-Georges Vongerichten's intimate waterfront restaurant in the Richard Meier Towers, and his son Cedric runs the kitchen. We each had the 3-course menu ($60) and wine pairings ($48). I chose the fresh sweet pea soup with crunch from an occasional crouton and topped with tendrils and flower petals. [...]

By |2024-10-06T08:59:36-04:00September 28th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Sempre Oggi, Upper West Side, NYC

Sempre Oggi is a new Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side with a well-trained service staff. We met for a leisurely dinner at this restaurant, whose name loosely translated means "Always Today." They interpret that as embracing the very best of right now. This staff warmly welcomed me as I arrived at the hostess stand. That cordiality continued as I walked through the dining room and was seated at my table, with the service staff making eye contact and greeting me as I passed. I recommend their spin on an Aperol spritz that they did by adding select aperitivi ($15). The martini ($22) was also good. Sempre Oggi lists [...]

By |2024-10-06T09:03:57-04:00September 26th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Grand Banks, Hudson River Parkway, Tribeca, NYC

When the weather is good, I try to frequent all my fav outdoor-by-the-water restaurants in Manhattan, from the Frying Pan to the North River Lobster Boat, with Grand Banks in between. These establishments are open only when the weather is good, and each offers awe-inspiring views. Grand Banks is in the water at the southwest edge of Hudson River Park's Pier 25 in Tribeca. These on-the-water locations are all special for different reasons. Grand Banks is the celebrated oyster bar aboard the historic wooden schooner Sherman Zwicker, whose chef is Kerry Hefferman. We went to celebrate my friend's big birthday. The crew raised the bar on birthdays, with each and every person [...]

By |2024-10-06T10:01:35-04:00September 24th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 Comments
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