NYC Best Bites

Opening of Fogo de Chão, Brooklyn, NYC

I'm a Fogo de Chão fan and have been since I experienced my first churrascaria (grilled BBQ) at their midtown location. I couldn't resist heading to City Point Mall in Albee Square in Brooklyn for the opening. This location features an open churrasco grill, where customers can watch their chefs butcher, prepare and grill various meats over an open flame. Like all others in the chain, it offers a salad bar—Market Table—like no other. We nibbled hors d'oeuvres before being seated with a seafood tower at our table and selecting from the Market Table. The roving waitstaff then started circling the room with grilled meats to be sliced from large [...]

By |2024-06-01T11:21:27-04:00May 27th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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The Dining Room at The Met + The Look Again: European Paintings 1300–1800

Now that you no longer need to be a member to dine there, I highly recommend the fourth-floor Met dining room while visiting the museum. This time I was with out-of-town friends who selected the "Look Again: European Paintings 1300–1800" installation. Over lunch, we discussed that Vermeer—whom I am familiar with—wasn't as prolific as the other Dutch masters. Only 36 of his approximately 60 paintings survived, compared to hundreds of Rembrandt's. The three of us shared two $85 four-course meals, which was a perfect amount of food for three people, plus a Paul Prieur Sancerre from the Loire Valley ($85). Everything is recommendable.  We started with the braised octopus with [...]

By |2024-06-01T11:20:13-04:00May 24th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to Leitao, West Village, NYC

I returned to the friendly Portuguese Leitao in the West Village, again lucking out to sit at one of the two fairly quiet window tables — this time with my grad school roomie and her hubbie. Their Iberico pork ribs, Porco Preto ($22), cooked in wine, capers and housemade Calabrian garlic chili, were as delicious as last time. Again, the meat fell right off the bones. This was my first time sampling their thinly sliced Portuguese octopus with chorizo, red pickled peppers and potatoes ($28), but it won't be my last. The plentiful Arroz de Marisco ($39, seafood with rice) with shrimp, clams, mussels, cod and chorizo in a flavorful [...]

By |2024-05-19T08:23:49-04:00May 19th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Blooms Tavern, Midtown, NYC + Roosevelt Island

Our ex.expat group toured Roosevelt Island when the cherry blossoms were in bloom with tour guide extraordinaire Kevin Draper, who detailed the history and the newly built Cornell University technology campus and future redevelopment plans for the island. After our tour, we took the tram back to Manhattan and headed to Blooms Tavern, a super-friendly Celtic-fused restaurant with an attentive staff who couldn't have been nicer. We sampled lots, including grilled cheese with tomato soup ($16), an impossible burger with fries ($16) and Blooms beer-battered codfish and chips ($25). All tasty and served with a smile!  I recommend a visit to Blooms and a tour of Roosevelt Island (or anywhere) [...]

By |2024-05-21T07:16:10-04:00May 14th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|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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Osteria La Baia, Theatre District, NYC

We popped a magnum of Faust 2018 ($250) Cabernet to start our birthday celebration for three friends at Osteria La Baia in the theatre district. Some of the highlights of our apps included the chickpea and escarole tomato soup ($19), a Caesar salad ($22) made with butter lettuce and roasted octopus ($35) and fingerling potatoes in a red pepper remoulade. Our entrees included their rigatoni with vodka sauce  ($40), rib-eye steak ($65), a lamb shank with broccoli rabe risotto and red snapper du jour ($70). We also had their yummy asparagus and crisp sliced garlic. We ended with profiteroles stuffed with cream, glazed with chocolate ($18) and crème brûlée ($18) [...]

By |2024-05-19T08:33:38-04:00May 10th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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L’Amico, Chelsea, NYC + Macy’s Flower Show

Another year, another flower show at Macy's main store between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Last year's exhibition was much more beautiful, yet the show is always aromatic and worth visiting the iconic store. Afterward, we walked downtown a few blocks to L'Amico, where Chef Laurent Tourondel serves an American menu with Italian influences in a warm cozy setting with fabulous service. We shared a Tuscan salad of arugula, artichokes and fava beans lightly dressed with a lemon vinaigrette and topped with pecorino sardo ($21) followed by their crispy crust buffalo mozzarella pizza with San Marzano tomatoes ($24). I highly recommend a visit to L'Amico. L'Amico Chelsea 849 Avenue of the [...]

By |2024-05-19T08:21:38-04:00May 8th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Dim Sum Go Go, Chinatown, NYC

Jury duty brought me downtown to serve, with lunch in Chinatown, a quick walk from the courthouse. That's how I ended up at Dim Sum Go Go on East Broadway. Their hot and sour soup ($7) is fine. I'm still looking for a bowlful to rival my homemade. My favorite was their pork and shrimp shumai ($7.50 for four), a dish I learned to make when I taught restaurant management to budding restaurateurs in Chinatown long ago and served for a NY realtor's 50th roller skating party. These were good. The shrimp with broccoli ($14.95) served with rice was fine. The best part was Dim Sum Go Go's proximity to [...]

By |2024-04-07T17:40:17-04:00May 5th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|2 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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Fig & Olive, Meat Packing District, NYC

After visiting the Whitney Museum's Biennial 2024, we headed to Fig & Olive for a quick bite before my friend left for JFK on a flight to Amsterdam. We yakked and shared two salads. I'd recommend either the Fig & Olive salad with kale, red cabbage, sun-dried tomato, pear slices, Gorgonzola and candied pecans ($21) or the Little Gem salad with avocado, toasted almonds and ricotta salata in a shallot mustard vinaigrette ($18). Since we were sharing both, we asked for the grilled salmon to top them on the side ($13). A good place to stop when in the meatpacking district or visiting The Whitney. Fig & Olive Meatpacking District [...]

By |2024-05-05T08:33:18-04:00May 1st, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings|0 Comments
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Hav & Mar Seafood Restaurant, Chelsea, NYC

I returned to Marcus Samuelson's Hav & Mar with friends recently. It's his successful seafood restaurant, a 3-minute walk from the seasonal Frying Pan, one of my favorite warm-weather floating restaurants. We, of course, had to share his Hav Bread Basket ($19) containing teff biscuits, blue cornbread, injera crisp with Shiro hummus,  tomato chutney and honey butter, being careful not to consume all so we still had room for what was to come! Next, our Uni Caesar Salad ($22) arrived with romaine leaves topped with parmesan cheese, injera crumble and grilled prawns. Our main was the Grand Lobster Jubilee ($99), said to serve 2 to 4, with a whole, grilled, [...]

By |2024-05-05T08:35:23-04:00April 29th, 2024|NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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A Return to the Met Dining Room, Upper East Side, NYC + Harlem Renaissance

As I've previously mentioned, you don't need to be a member to dine at the fourth-floor Met Dining room, but you do need a res. Before heading upstairs to the dining room, we first visited the Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism exhibit, which explored how Black artists portrayed everyday modern life. We sipped a glass of the Alsaisian Lucien Albrecht Pinot Blanc, 2019 ($15) while sharing the cauliflower salad with tahini, arugula and a lemon salsa verde topped with fried cauliflower ($18) and the wine-braised octopus ($23) with crispy potatoes (I'd have loved more!), pickled red onions and black garlic aioli. We had the day's special ($38) of lightly fried [...]

By |2024-05-05T08:37:24-04:00April 26th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Cafe Chelsea, Chelsea, NYC

Inspired by the long tradition of French bistro dining, Café Chelsea in the historic Hotel Chelsea offers an all-day menu with a contemporary take on classics. We stopped in for brunch and were seated at the comfy front window booth with the sunlight pouring in. Idyllic. Like Raines Law Room, the reconstruction of the Chelsea Hotel seems as if from a previous century, although it's new. After we dined, the director of guest services showed us around all their offerings. They have spectacular facilities. My friend ordered a Gruyère omelet with a green salad ($21). I sampled their burger and fries ($32). I'd recommend either. I do not recommend their over-salty [...]

By |2024-05-05T08:40:01-04:00April 24th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Toloache, Midtown, NYC + Enemy of the People

I hadn't been back to Toloache since it reopened after the pandemic. Like many other restaurants, their website prices are lower than you'll pay. We started with their yummy guac ($16) with the accompanying salsa ($2 for extra) and chips. Delicious with their Cadillac Margie—the Oro Blanco ($18), made with Espolon reposado and Cointreau. Our dishes included their Ensalada de Jicama ($13), which included jicama, radishes, mixed greens, avocado, orange, almonds, and a tamarind vinaigrette, along with grilled chicken (+$8);  the enchiladas borrachas ($26) of pulled chicken, tomatillo-5 chiles salsa, Mexican cheeses, crema and an avocado-radish salad and the Quesadilla de Camaron ($17) with mini shrimp atop a tortilla with [...]

By |2024-03-23T10:31:05-04:00April 19th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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An Irish Pub: The Long Room, Theatre District, NYC on St. Patty’s Day

My grand-niece and her college roommates requested going to an Irish pub when visiting on St. Patty's Day. That's how we ended up at The Long Room in Times Square. The place was packed and noisy, offering a special holiday menu and live music. We all had draft beers ($9 - $10) — including one Guinness — with our food. We tried the spinach and artichoke dip in a cast-iron skillet along with pita bread not the crispy chips menu described. We shared sweet potato fries ($12), a classic burger ($21) with fries and ale-battered fish and chips.  Noisy, but fun.   The Long Room Times Square 120 W 44th [...]

By |2024-03-17T10:43:19-04:00April 16th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Cacio E Pepe, East Village, NYC

I dined with the owner's relatives at Cacio e Pepe six years ago. I loved it and couldn't wait to return.  After the watery Cacio e Pepe at Basta Pasta, we decided to visit the original eponymous restaurant on Second Avenue for the minimalist classic dish of pasta, butter, cheese, and pepper. When two of us arrived, our server mentioned that happy hour was ending and offered a glass of house cabernet ($9) before the discounted time ended. Nice. When our friend arrived, she offered her a glass, implying she was offering the discounted wine. We shared two appetizers, the fabulous Timballo Di Melanzane ($16) — layers of molded eggplant parmesan. Delicious. [...]

By |2024-04-21T20:48:51-04:00April 14th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Haven Rooftop, Midtown, NYC + Prayer for French Republic

Haven Rooftop, atop the Sanctuary Hotel, is in the heart of the theatre district, making it a good spot for pre-theatre brunch. We stopped in before heading west on 47th to see the final performance of Prayer for the French Republic. We started brunch with mimosas ($13) and a virgin bloody mary ($12). Yet instead of egg options, two of us chose their lobster roll served with fries ($30), another their perfectly sliced heavenly chicken in a beurre blanc sauce with mesclun salad and fries ($28). Food was good, as always. As the play began, we realized we had seen it before. My memory isn't that good, but my computer [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:02:25-04:00April 11th, 2024|NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop, Theatre|0 Comments
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Three days a month: Marc 179, Tribeca, NYC

A building mate emailed me about the opening of Marc179, Marc Murphy's  (Landmarc, Ditch Plains and Chopped) latest unique venture in Tribeca. Marc 179 is open only three days a month. offering a rotating $75 prix fixe menu, plus a small but inviting wine list. When not used as a restaurant, the space will be MM Kitchen Studio, a private event space, demo kitchen, and filming studio. Marc179 takes reservations two months in advance, and the menus are published one month out. The upcoming dates already posted include April 11th-13th, May 16th-18th, and June 20th-22nd. When I visited in March, the prix fixe menu included an arugula salad with pan-roasted [...]

By |2024-04-21T20:50:04-04:00April 9th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Brunch at Sesamo, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + White Chip

We returned to Sesamo for brunch before heading to MCC to see White Chip, a play with a stellar lineup of producers, including Jason Biggs, John Larroquette, Hank Azaria, and Annaleigh Ashford—the wife of Joe Tapper, who plays Steven, the lead. The play takes its name from the Alcoholics Anonymous sobriety-chip system; each of the many times Steven — the main character — resolves to stop drinking, he gets a white chip. He has a bowlful. For brunch, I started with a bloody Mary ($15), followed by Shakshuka, as I had to have it again as it was so good last time. Not this time. It was way overcooked, even [...]

By |2024-04-07T16:49:59-04:00April 7th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Happy Hour** at Rick Bayless’s Tortazo, Times Square, NYC + Doubt

I've meant to try Rick Bayless's Tortazo since it opened near Times Square about a year ago. I learned to love this Chicago restaurateur's food at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. Tortazo is a modified version of Rick’s popular airport outlets. One opened in NoMad in 2021. Times Square area is his second NYC location. This Michelin-starred chef features antojitos — Mexican bites—at Tortazo. Some are available during happy hour when I slipped in before heading to Roundabout Theatre to see Liev Schreiber in Doubt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-winning 2004 play. The drama teaches the potentially destructive consequences of being too certain about anything.  I recognized the fabulous flavors [...]

By |2024-04-07T16:48:05-04:00April 5th, 2024|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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