Q & A with Fung Tu’s Jonathan Wu and John Matt Wells
At the forefront of the refined Chinese food trend, Fung Tu — fittingly straddling traditional Chinatown and the envelope-pushing East Village — gained instant notice for dishes like Bean Curd and Bacon Terrine, Smoked Chicken Salad over Masa Pancakes, and smoky, Duck-Stuffed Dates. But it sort of faded into the background just as fast, in the face of Danny Bowien’s flashier Mission Chinese Food and Thomas Chen’s newer Tuome.
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Health-Conscious Cafe Clover is Ideal for Ladies (and Gents) Who Lunch
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In this great dining city of ours, barely a day passes without news of an exciting new restaurant opening, a devastating closing, a shocking chef shuffle, or a groundbreaking, must-try dish. That’s why we’re keeping you apprised of the industry’s most noteworthy bits and bites — from Wylie Dufresne and the Momofuku crew’s game-changing sandwiches, to Atera’s high-end, booze-free libations…
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Edible Events: August 2015
There are all manner of fun, food events taking place in New York on a daily basis — from lavish, charity-driven galas to crowded, walk-around tastings and an endless array of pop-ups. But unless you have the time and money to party seven days a week, you’ll have to be somewhat discerning about what goes onto your calendar. So here are just a few worthy food celebrations we recommend getting tickets (or making reservations) for now…
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Raising a Glass to In Vino in the East Village
There may be a high intimidation factor when it comes to wine, but the vibe couldn’t be any more relaxed at In Vino in the East Village. In fact, you’ll generally find owner and head oenophile, Keith Beavers, working the room in a Star Wars or Ween t-shirt (he originally moved from Syracuse to Manhattan in hopes of becoming a rock star)…
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The Summer’s Best Sweets
As tempting as it may be, you probably shouldn’t eat ice cream every day of the summer. And not for health or diet reasons mind you, but because it would be a shame not to miss out on other (non-frozen) and equally delicious seasonal sweets — from the “Comfort” with roasted apricots and pistachio mousseline at Gabriel Kreuther, to the Cherry Kuchen at Virginia’s & the expanded menu of ice cream cakes at Parm…
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Gourmet Gossip: July 2015
In this great dining city of ours, barely a day passes without news of an exciting new restaurant opening, a devastating closing, a shocking chef shuffle, or a groundbreaking, must-try dish. That’s why we’re keeping you apprised of the industry’s most noteworthy bits and bites — from fallout from the foam ban to the fuss over Fuku’s fried chicken fingers…
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Inside Oleanders: Brooklyn’s Addition to the Hotel Restaurant Renaissance
Hotel restaurants used to have a really bad rap, but nowadays, that couldn’t be further from the case; eateries situated in hotels are frequently counted amongst Manhattan’s finest, from Jean-Georges in the Trump Tower and Café Boulud in The Surrey, to The Breslin in the Ace, Marta in the Martha Washington, and The NoMad in, well, The NoMad…
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Restaurant Girl Road Trip: Where to Eat In & Around Bar Harbor Maine
Who says you need to fly to some exotic, overseas locale this summer? They don’t call Maine “Vacationland” for nothing, and for New Yorkers, it’s only a few hours a way by car, and even less by plane. So if you really want to experience the very best that Maine has to offer — from clamming on the coast to hiking in the mountains — you’ll book your next trip to the Bar Harbor & Acadia area…
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The Season’s Most Refreshing Summer Cocktails
Any summer day (or afternoon, or evening) spent without a frosty, fruity, refreshing cocktail kind of seems like a summer day (or afternoon, or evening) wasted, doesn’t it? That’s why we’ve rounded up our favorite, seasonal, and eminently quaffable libations, from Frozen Negronis at Alta Linea near the High Line, to boozy Sno Cones from Branch Ofc in Brooklyn…
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Where to Dine During New York Restaurant Week, Summer 2015
New York Restaurant Week, debuts this coming Monday, running from July 20th-August 14th. And far from being a showcase for exclusively budget establishments, the cut-priced promotion has attracted participation from some of the best chefs in New York — we’re talking $25, three-course lunches and $38 suppers from the likes of Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Daniel Boulud, Michael White and Andrew Carmellini!
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A New Start for Neta
Nick Kim and Jimmy Lau helped make Neta a star in the city’s already stacked sushi circuit, bringing their staggeringly high-end restaurant experience (at Masa and Bar Masa, respectively) to bear. But when the pair departed last year, to open their own, equally elite kaiseki spot, Shuko, it left Neta in a potentially awkward position — should they stay the course with $50 morsels of caviar-dotted toro, without the firepower of their two sushi celebrities, or find a way to set themselves apart?
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Trend Spotting: The French Food Revival
It seems odd to speak of French food as a trend, considering that its associated techniques, ingredients, flavor profiles and dishes form the backbone of a seemingly endless, totally disparate range of cuisines, from Japanese to Haitian to farm-to-table American. And yet, in the last couple of years, the French influence in New York has been far more evident than the occasional cassoulet, a swipe of béchamel sauce, a quenelle of sorbet, or vegetables cut into a perfect julienne or brunoise.
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Guide to French Restaurant Week 2015
Most everyone is aware of New York Restaurant Week (which kicks off next Monday), but did you know that there’s also a French Restaurant Week? Founded in 2011 and corresponding with Bastille Day — which celebrates French independence — the promotional event lasts from July 13-19th this year, and features over 120 participating restaurants offering special menus throughout New York and Chicago.
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Q & A with dell’Anima & L’Artusi’s Joe Campanale
It’s no small feat to become a sommelier at Mario Batali’s Babbo at the tender age of 23, but Joe Campanale did just that, and he hasn’t stopped impressing the food community ever since. Together with restaurateur August Cardona and chefs Gabe and Katherine Thompson, the now 31 year-old Joe Campanale has made the Epicurean Group a triumphant success that it is…
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Grilled Seafood Salad
There’s really nothing you couldn’t (or shouldn’t) throw on the grill come summer, and seafood is very much included! So instead of defaulting to steaming your seasonal shellfish, throw hearty specimens like calamari, shrimp and sea scallops directly over the flame, to add a seriously smoky element to this delicious, lemon and herb-dressed salad!
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The Best Seafood Dishes for Summer
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again — there’s little we adore more than seafood. Which is why summer is totally our happy time; the season for raw, shimmering oysters, crispy soft shell crabs, buttery lobster boils and more! Want to get in on the shellfish fun? We’ve rounded up some of our favorite, seafaring dishes on New York restaurant menus right now — from Lupolo’s smoky, Portuguese Octopus, to Noreetuh’s Hawaiian Tuna Poke & more…
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New York’s Most Outrageously Delicious Ice Cream
Ice cream is summer’s number one dessert by far, but goodness knows, not all scoops are created equal. So in order to avoid eventual Mr. Softee fatigue, check out our list of the very best frozen treats in town, from Filipino shaved ice at Pig and Khao to ice cream “flights” at MilkMade and burrata-flavored soft serve at Dominique Ansel Kitchen.
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Restaurant Spotting: Tito King’s Kitchen
East Village stalwart, Jimmy’s No. 43, has long been about more than great beer — although with up to 50 hard-to-find bottles and 14 unique drafts on tap, it certainly has that, too. But owner Jimmy Carbone is equally devoted to food, whether he’s hosting an annual Cassoulet Cook-off, or welcoming in edible pop-ups, such as Revolving Dansk & their Danish-style hot dogs. Which is why he recently joined forces with King Phojanakong, the talented chef/owner of Kuma Inn and Umi Nom, to create a permanent, in-house eatery dubbed Tito King’s Kitchen — effectively making Jimmy’s No. 43 a full-on, 7-day-a-week dining destination…
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Red, White and Blueberry Pork Buns
Fourth of July-themed food can be undeniably cheesy, but we’ve got a great way to embrace the red, white and blue color scheme (and no, we’re not talking about whipped cream-frosted, berry-decorated sheet cake). Our fluffy, snow-white Chinese steamed buns are glazed with a spicy, blueberry-sriracha sauce, and topped with ribbons of crunchy red cabbage, for a fabulous party dish that’s totally holiday appropriate, yet entirely unique!
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Gourmet Gossip: June 2015
In this great dining city of ours, barely a day passes without news of an exciting new restaurant opening, a devastating closing, a shocking chef shuffle, or a groundbreaking, must-try dish. That’s why we’re keeping you apprised of the industry’s most noteworthy bits and bites — from Wylie Dufresne and the Momofuku crew’s game-changing sandwiches, to Atera’s high-end, booze-free libations…
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