Muffin Tops
There’s a gadget for almost everything these days. Craving a muffin sans the bottom? No problem. Someone with a muffin top fetish or a Seinfeld fanatic came up with this clever pan. Though I’d have no problem baking the whole muffin, the truth is I’d rather just eat the crusty top too. Most people would. Since the molds are shallow, it takes a lot less time to bake. So if you have a few extra minutes at breakfast, you can whip up some batter, pour it in these non-stick molds and can start your day with a freshly baked, homemade muffin. Since it’s pumpkin season, I want to make pumpkin muffin tops. Muffin Tops $...
Read MoreGrown Up Halloween Treats
You never really outgrow Halloween. You may not feel like dressing up or going to door to door for treats, but you still want to seize the opportunity to eat candy. I never turn down sour patch kids or a bag of M & M’s (especially peanut or the new pretzel variety, which happen to be very good), but sometimes you want something a little more interesting and sophisticated. We scouted out this year’s best treats for grown ups and grown up kids alike… Not Your Average Ring Pop Papabubble Address: 380 Broome St. Phone: (212.966.2599) Website: www.papabubble.com Ring pops were a favorite of mine as a kid; I loved the idea of wearing my food. Barcelona-based candy company, Papabubble, makes a version (pictured right) I wouldn’t mind wearing out at night or to the office. Funky and fun,...
Read MoreQ & A with Chef Seamus Mullen
Chef Seamus Mullen played a crucial role in the tapas trend that hit New York, back in 2006. After all, it was Mullen who ran the kitchen at Boqueria, where he served classic Spanish tapas with a distinctly seasonal twist. Having recently left his executive chef post at Boqueria, Mullen is now a free agent, and this may just be his break out moment. While he’s well known for flare for Spanish food, he’s also well versed in cuisines from all over the map, including Indian. In fact, he spent time in Tabla’s kitchen with Floyd Cardoz and he’s crafted a Mediterranean-inspired menu for Crudo. This Thursday, October 21st through the 23rd, Mullen will be cooking at The Feast, a 1920s-inspired pop-up restaurant. “I am really intrigued by the 1920s,” Mullen explains. “I think of it as a golden...
Read MoreNew York's Best Izakayas
What’s better then a good bar? A good Japanese bar with scores of sake, shochu and Asian beer! Just like any Spanish tapas bar, Japanese izakayas offer plenty of traditional small plates to nibble on. Most fly under the radar, but there are some terrific izakayas hidden all over Manhattan. Venture into any one of them and you’ll discover natives nostalgic for a taste of home, foodies and chefs seizing the opportunity to snack on grilled chicken meatballs, fried oysters, homemade tofu, and cold, spiced octopus. My favorite is Yakitori Totto in midtown. I love their shochu cocktails with lemon or lime juice you squeeze fresh right at the table, along with chicken delicacies, seaweed salad, and some surprisingly great desserts. But there’s izakayas all over the city — a taste of Japan without hopping a plane to Tokyo....
Read MoreQ&A with Po's Steven Crane
It’s not easy to open a restaurant in New York, and it’s even harder to keep it open after the newness has worn off. But Po has managed to not only survive the New York dining scene, but also thrive and even get better with age. After two decades, Po is still going strong, which has a lot to do with its owner, Steven Crane. When Po first opened, Crane was partnered with chef Mario Batali, who also helmed the kitchen. Though Batali’s no longer in the picture, the restaurant is still going strong. Crane has managed to keep Po relevant with its phenomenally fresh pastas, seasonal menu and commitment to neighborhood purveyors. But Crane started out as a dish washer in the Jersey Shore in the 1970’s. He worked in California waiting tables for several years, then moved...
Read MoreNYC's Most Unusual Restaurant Restrooms
Whether restaurateurs realize it or not, a restaurant’s restroom is an integral part of its appeal. It’s true. Women visit the restroom more frequently than men to “reapply their face,” take a little break from an unbearable first date, or well, go to the restroom. But we all go. And depending on its level of cleanliness, comfort and charm, the restroom can make or break a dining experience. Some are social experiences, while others are just plain entertaining. Here’s a few of our favorites…. The Hurricane Club Address: 360 Park Ave. Phone: (212)951-7111 How often do you go to the bathroom and return with your shoes shines and a little bottle of rum? I’m tempted to visit this new Gramercy tiki lounge just for the restroom experience, which happens to include a rum fountain with pretty decent rum. But...
Read MoreNew York's Best Beer Gardens
I don’t know about you, but I always associate fall with football and tall, frothy glasses of beer. Luckily, the weather’s been nice enough to sit outside (or inside) and do just that. New York not only happens to have great food, but also some terrific beer gardens with an interesting variety of brews on tap and by the bottle. Besides, it’s almost Oktoberfest and German-bent Radegast Hall & Biergarten and Zum Schneider, are two great e great places to celebrate the occasion. But we also love the rare Asian beers at Bia Garden and all the regional, Belgium beers at Williamsburg’s Spuyten Duyvil, to name just a few. Here our some of our favorites… Spuyten DuyvilAddress: 359 Metropolitan Ave nr. Havemeyer Street (Brooklyn)Phone: (718) 963-4140 If you’re a beer freak, this is a destination beer garden worth visiting. ...
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