Restaurant Girl: Best Food Blog & Restaurant Guide

A New & Improved Nick And Toni’s in the Hamptons for 2013

It’s one thing for a Hamptons restaurant to draw crowds during the height of the summer season. But the 25-year-old Nick and Toni’s is a veritable institution year round, attracting both local, loyal clientele, and a steady stream of celebrities as varied as Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, Steven Spielberg and Martha Stewart.
Where to Celebrate Memorial Day 2013

Memorial Day is the ultimate indicator that summer is just around the bend. (We can almost taste it!) Come this Monday, we all get an extra day off from work. Every local beach and park will officially open, bustling with the flip-flopped and (weather permitting) bathing suit-clad. And most importantly, the smell of barbecue and salty sea creatures will fill the air. So where to eat this celebratory, three day weekend?
Fruit Scoop & Slice

This time of year, it’s easy to find juicy and colorful fresh fruit to work into dinner or to put out while you’re entertaining. Markets around the city are showcasing vibrant displays of mangoes, papayas, and avocados, and after a long winter, they’re a sight for sore eyes. But while finding the best fruits this time of year isn’t a challenge, getting them from the farm to the table (wink) might be. Ever try to keep avocado looking presentable while separating it from the peel? Good luck.

Most Recent Dish

Lightened Up Wiener Schnitzel with Tomato & Fennel Salad

Posted on May 17, 2013 in Recipes

Austrian favorites like goulash and spaetzle are perfectly suited for winter weather. But why shouldn’t we be able to enjoy them just as often now that it’s spring? We’re taking a cue from the refined wiener schnitzel at Seåsonal in Midtown, by adding our own, figure-friendly, and more importantly, seasonal twists to the classic dish.

Q & A with Edi & the Wolf & The Third Man’s Eduard Frauneder and Wolfgang Ban

Posted on May 16, 2013 in Chef Q&A

There aren’t really a whole lot of Austrian restaurants in the city. That’s what makes Eduard Frauneder and Wolfgang Ban such ambassadors of the cuisine. Ever since opening their first restaurant, Seäsonal, in 2008, the pair has refused to be pigeonholed; consistently showcasing Germanic dishes that go well beyond sausage, fried potatoes and Weiner Schnitzel.

Where to Eat At The Great Googa Mooga 2013

Posted on May 15, 2013 in Eating Events

The Great GoogaMooga sounds like one of the most fantastic food festivals imaginable. Almost 200 of New York’s best restaurants, breweries and wine purveyors assembled in the bucolic Nethermead Meadow in Prospect Park. Fun, ticketed pop-up dinners like Roberta’s Urban Renaissance Faire, April Bloomfield’s The Spotted Pig Haus (a play on the German beer garden), and Gabe Stulman’s Little Wisco Seafood Boil and BBQ. And oh yeah, there’s music too.

Best of Bangkok

Posted on May 14, 2013 in Best of Everything

It’s one thing to eat Thai food in America. It’s another thing entirely to eat Thai food in Thailand. The flavors are brighter, brighter, and more, well, Thai. If you get the chance to go to Bangkok, eat your face off. Seriously. Aside from seeing the Golden Buddha, The Grand Palace and a few other buddhas, you’ll want to focus your efforts solely on food. Especially the street food and just as importantly, the dive joints.

New York’s Best Outdoor Dining

Posted on May 13, 2013 in Al Fresco Dining, Best Of

Spring is about three things… long days, balmy nights, and eating and drinking outdoors. Luckily, the city has tons of al fresco options, and we don’t just mean a few table and chairs spread out on the sidewalk (although that’s perfectly enjoyable too). So if you really want to make the most of the season, study up on our outdoor dining guide, featuring the bucolic garden at Pure Food and Wine in Gramercy, and the sexy rooftop at Juliette in Brooklyn!

Gizmo Girl’s Glass Marinade Set

Posted on May 10, 2013 in Gizmo Girl

t’s true. We’re not loyalists where the kitchen is concerned. We’re always looking for the next best gadget, anything to make our lives easier, save precious prep time, or just do something better. Well, we found another goodie: This Glass Marinade Set just upped the game on marinating our favorite steaks, fish and even vegetables. Behold this two-piece set with a Glass Carafe, and a Basting Tool that happens to defy gravity.

Q & A with Traif & Xixa’s Jason Marcus

Posted on May 9, 2013 in Chef Q&A

A Jewish chef cooking pork and shellfish in East Williamsburg, one of the largest Hasidic neighborhoods in the city, may seem like little more than a running gag. Especially when he calls that restaurant Traif. And yes, the cheeky irony may initially attract visitors this corner of Brooklyn (the colorful space festooned with heart-studded piggies is also good for a laugh). But Jason Marcus’ thoughtful brand of cooking guarantees their return, long after the joke has worn off.

Seasonal Eats: Soft Shell Crabs

Posted on May 8, 2013 in Spring Eats

Most people think vegetables when they consider all of the culinary delights associated with the spring. But there’s an under-the-sea treat that’s equally delicious, with a season every bit as fleeting, as morel mushrooms, ramps and fiddlehead ferns. Soft-shell crab season is traditionally marked with the first full moon in May. At that time, the blue crab begins molting its shell, in order to accommodate summer growth.

Drink Spotting: Mint Juleps at Maison Premiere

Posted on May 7, 2013 in Drink Spotting

If what excites you most about the upcoming Kentucky Derby is horseracing and oversized hats, well, you’ve come to the wrong place. For us, the annual event is nothing less than an unabashed celebration of the mint julep, one of our favorite, seasonal cocktails. Considered the signature drink of the Kentucky Derby for over 70 years, the standard julep is made with bourbon, sugar, water, and mint, and traditionally served in a silver or pewter cup. But this in NYC, not the Deep South. And our cocktail scene is infinitely more exciting — so why limit yourself to sipping a single rendition of the centuries old tipple all night? That’s why we’re placing our bets on Maison Premiere as a serious front-runner this Saturday, in a race to become the city’s top Kentucky Derby destination.

Dish Spotting: Pork Slope’s Shrimp Po’ Boy

Posted on May 6, 2013 in Dish Spotting

With a name like Pork Slope, it may seem a transgression to order anything off of the menu that didn’t formerly have a snout. In chef Dale Talde’s hands, however, a seriously substantial Shrimp Po’Boy is anything but a cop-out; a mere half-hearted gimme to the other-white-meat adverse. In fact, like most of his re-worked working class creations, it’s not only insanely delicious, but a gold standard of its kind. Instead of the expected French bread (a sturdier, more reliable conveyance for the overstuffed innards of the average New Orleans sub), Talde substitutes two infinitely tastier slabs of his addictive black pepper butter toast.

Citrus Mister

Posted on May 3, 2013 in Gizmo Girl

This spring there’s a new gizmo that promises to help out in a ridiculously simple yet utterly practical way. Turn your lemons or limes into little personal spritzers with this innovative Citrus Mister. Just pop the mister right into the fruit and use it just like you would any other spritzer. It comes with two sizes (one for smaller fruits like limes and one for larger ones like grapefruit) and they even throw in a little stand to place your fruit upright on while you’re not using it.

Tacombi’s Cinco de Mayo Chilaquiles

Posted on May 3, 2013 in Recipes

Since Cinco de Mayo falls on a Sunday this year, it only makes sense to kick off your celebrations with brunch. And there are plenty of places in the city to indulge in hearty, Mexican breakfast dishes, like Migas, Huevos Rancheros, or Chilaquiles Verdes. We especially love Tacombi’s tasty Chilaquiles; a pile of homemade tortilla chips topped with salsa verde, crèma fresca, pickled onions, and two sunny side up eggs.

Q & A with Arlington Club’s Laurent Tourondel

Posted on May 1, 2013 in Chef Q&A

Laurent Tourondel may be a native of France, but his brand has become synonymous with American classics. Think burgers, fries and milkshakes at LT Burger in Bryant Park, and juicy sirloins and rib eyes at BLT Steak. Though he parted ways with E Squared Hospitality and the BLT empire a few years ago, he just recently returned with his own brand of steakhouse at Arlington Club and he’s taken his famous Gruyere popovers with him.

The Ultimate Mother’s Day Dining Guide

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 in Best Of

Chances are your mom dealt with your toddler tantrums, indulged your New Kids on the Block obsession, bought you your first car, sent you to college, and suffered through your string of highly unsuitable significant others. And let’s not forget that whole pushing you out of her birth canal business. So why not make a few installments on a lifetime of payback by taking her out for Mother’s Day? From an elaborate dinner at The NoMad in Manhattan to laidback Italian at Antica Pesa in Brooklyn, and a day trip to City Island in the Bronx, this handy guide will help show your mom how much you really care.

Dish Spotting: Pop’s of Brooklyn’s Texas Sr. Burger

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 in Dish Spotting

Normally, wandering around NYC in search of a great meal with no concrete plan doesn’t end well. If you manage to come across a place with a decent menu that will seat you without a reservation, chances are it won’t be long before you realize why the joint wasn’t exactly packed. But, once in a while you might come across a gem that not only accommodates your poor planning, but also becomes one of your new favorites. And that’s exactly what happened when we stumbled into Pop’s of Brooklyn this past weekend in search of a quick burger and beer.

The City’s Best Cinco de Mayo Celebrations

Posted on Apr 26, 2013 in Best Of

What immediately springs to mind when you think of Cinco de Mayo? Probably...

Gwynnett St. – Reviewed

Posted on Apr 25, 2013 in Reviews

I’d return to Gwynnett St. for the whiskey bread alone. It may sound silly, but it’s that good. Served warm, this crusty, homemade loaf is as sweet as cornbread, soft on the inside, and dosed with plenty of whiskey. It’s also the simplest thing on the menu… by far. The food at this newish Williamsburg spot is entirely complicated, and yet utterly satisfying, a rare feat as far as restaurants go.

“Ramp up the Volume” Pesto with Seared Sea Scallops

Posted on Apr 24, 2013 in Recipes

Did you claw your way to the front of a farmers market stand, in order to get your hands on one of the season’s first bushels of ramps? Perhaps even foraged them yourself, on a hike through the woods upstate? Either way… congratulations! You’re currently in possession of spring’s most coveted veggie, wild young leeks with a garlic-like aroma and pronounced onion flavor. But how the heck do you use them?