Just in time for Valentine's Day, we found the perfect gadget for barbecue and tech geeks.  Yes, the iGrill (pictured right) is a thermometer, but it also links to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, so you don't need to hover over the grill or even the oven, making sure you're meat doesn't overcook.  Nope.  Talk with your guests and monitor the roast's internal temperature from your phone wherever you are. It has an alarm that goes off when the desired internal temperature is reached.  Plus, it's Bluetooth-enabled, with a range of 200 feet. 

This stand-alone thermometer also has a built-in probe storage space, and an easy-to-read, lighted display, which comes in very handy for outdoor barbecues long after the sun's set. The iGrill has a touch display, and comes with two probes, which means it can actually monitor two separate pieces of meat simultaneously.  Perfectly done meat and time to socialize with friends?  What more could a cook ask for?  Pretty great Valentine's Day gift for a BBQ fanatic.

The iGrill, $99.99
http://store.igrillinc.com/igrill-white/

With all the buzz around coffee these days, tea sometimes gets neglected.  And while New York's experiencing a coffee revolution, there are just as exciting things happening in the world of tea.  We can't help but notice several new tea spots determined to change the way we see and sip tea.  There's the French-inspired Bosie Tea Parlor with a Bouley-trained pastry chef turning out killer macaroons and one-of-a-kind David's Teas  made with everything from popcorn to chili and chocolate.  Here's a few of our favorites...

David's Tea

Address: 275 Bleecker St., btwn. Jones and Cornelia Sts. (multiple locations)

Phone: (212) 414-8599

Website: www.davidstea.com

We can thank Canada for this exciting, new tea shop, which just recently opened in Manhattan.  David's Tea (pictured above) ups the ante with one-of-a-kind blends that will change the way you think about tea.  Think we're exaggerating?  How about a hot cup of "Forever Nuts" with real apples, cinnamon and almonds or "chocolate chili chai" with all of the above.  "Movie night" has real popcorn in it and dulce banana has caramelized banana bits, coconut and rooibos.  There's hundreds (yes hundreds) of loose-leaf teas in stock, organized by category - black, green, herbal, oolong, rooibos, white, mate, pu'reh.  Don't get intimidated.  The staff is beyond helpful even with the most high maintenance customer and let you smell and any of the teas.  You can buy a few to-go and get a cup hot or cold right in the store.  And with Valentines Day fast approaching, try a cup of "Read my lips" with a sexy combination of vanilla, peppermint, chocolate bits, spicy red peppercorns, and most notably, little red candy-lip sprinkles. 

Podunk 

Address: 231 E. 5^th St., btwn. Bowery & 2^nd Avenue

Phone: (212) 677-7722

If you weren't looking for it, you might miss this off-the-beaten path spot in the East Village and that would be ashamed because it's worth seeking out.  Podunk's  mismatched furniture and iced tea served in Mason Jars set a cozy, bed and breakfast-like scene.  While there's a laundry list of traditional teas to choose from, we recommend one of the 'pot chocolates,' which comes with cookies and cream. The delicious and unique 'pot chocolates' offerings include Earl Grey-infused dark chocolate, classic milk chocolate, rose and chili chocolate, chai-infused chocolate, and black apricot tea-infused chocolate.  There's even homemade chai teas, like coconut and Vietnamese vanilla or the cardamom and black pepper. 

Bosie Tea Parlor

Address: 10 Morton Street between Bleecker and 7^th Avenue

Phone: (212) 352-9900

Website: bosienyc.com

Finally, tea gets its due at this new French tea parlor, which just recently opened in the West Village.  This sleek spot(pictured right) not only boasts 80 varieties of tea, but also a pedigreed pastry chef, Damien Hergott, who worked at Bouley Bakery.  The result is tea sandwiches made-to-order, including egg salad with thyme blossoms and chicken with curried mayo, quiche lorraine and plenty of other French classics.   If that doesn't convince you of its merits, then one bite of the lemon teacake or the salted caramel macaroon surely will.

Alice's Tea Cup

Address: 102 W. 73^rd Street & Columbus Avenue (multiple locations)

Phone: (212) 799-3006

Website: alicesteacup.com

Imagine stepping into one of Alice in Wonderland's tea parties and you've got the idea.  The perfect afternoon respite, this whimsical tea parlor with both an upper west and east side location has a lot more going for it than merely tea.   Their baked goods rival some of the best in the city, including their fresh baked biscuit and spiced pumpkin scones.   We're even more excited about their health conscious tea selection with a remedy for whatever ails you.   With cold season upon us, there's ginger orange peach, an organic Indian black tea with ginger root, orange peel and ginger pieces.  Or try the herbal detox blend with alphalpha, dandelion, nettle bush, plantain, red clover and mint.  Our favorite option is the hard-to-find,  gyokuro green tea,  touted as the most superior or all Japanese green teas. 

Radiance Tea House and Books

Address: 158 W. 55^th St., between 6^th and 7^th Aves.

Phone: (212) 217-0442

Website: radiancetea.com

This serene tea house in midtown feels like it's anywhere but midtown Manhattan.  In fact, Radiance Tea House (pictured right) is a veritable mecca for tea culture with its own book store dedicated to English and Chinese tea studies and over 100 teas to choose from.  In keeping with the traditional Chinese and Taiwanese tea ceremony, Radiance uses clay tea ware, bamboo tea tools and mineral-infused water.  The one-hour ceremony includes tea tasting, ceremony performance, and three teas off of the traditional and herbal menu.   There's homemade dumplings, wontons and freshly baked Asian pastries to complement your brew.  

Two for the Pot

Address: 200 Clinton St., btwn. State Street & Atlantic Avenue

Phone: (718) 855-8173

Tucked away along the border of Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill is Two for the Pot, a local mainstay and mom-and-pop style tea shop that boasts superior knowledge and friendly service. There's a stellar selection of teas, but what's more, there's an equally impressive stock of tea accessories, from pots to brewing equipment. There's more than tea - although the selection of loose-leaf teas is quite impressive - there's also roasted coffee, spices, exotic chocolates, local honey, and a variety of British treats. 

Tea and Sympathy

Address: 108 Greenwich Ave., btwn. 12^th and 13^th Sts.

Phone: (212) 989-9735

Website: teaandsympathynewyork.com

If you're on the hunt for quintessential British tea service, you need look no further than Tea and Sympathy in Greenwich Village.   With a menu built on British classics, the likes of Yorkshire pudding and bangers and mash, it's no surprise to find proper afternoon tea here, too.  Aternoon tea here includes assorted finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, a selection of cakes, and of course, a steaming hot pot of tea.    Tea and Sympathy also carries their own line of teas, available for dining in or taking home retail. 

Lady Mendl's Tea Salon

Address: 56 Irving Place between 17^th and 18^th Streets

Phone: (212) 533-4466

Website: www.innatirving.com

If you want to experience afternoon tea the way Englishwomen did centuries ago, you'll want to visit Lady Mendl's Tea Salon at the Inn at Irving Place.  Set in a landmark townhouse built in 1834, the Victorian-style tea salon plays the part right down to the tea cups and tablecloths. This isn't your typical afternoon tea.  It's a traditional tea service with five-courses, which includes classic finger sandwiches, fresh baked scones, a clotted cream, and yes, a fine selection of teas. 

RG Writer: Ali Baker

Bone marrow is one dish that leans heavily towards the decadent end of the culinary spectrum and deliciously so.  This winter, we've noticed quite a few unctous appearances in restaurants around the city, some prepared classically, others with a new twist.  Miso-glazed bone marrow with orange and olive marmalade? That's one we never had before Saxon + Parole recently opened.  There's everything from spoonable bone marrow at Prune to bone marrow tacos at Belcourt. Yes, bone marrow tacos. Here's a few of our favorite discoveries... 

What do you get when you combine beer, nose-to-tail butchery and bikes? The Cannibal in Murray Hill. In fact, restaurateur Christian Pappanicholas named this new, butcher shop-cum-bar after a famous bicycle dubbed "The Cannibal" because he and his chef, Michael Berardino, are both avid cyclists.  To call it a bar is misleading because the menu's as ambitious as the beer selection, thus the nightly crowds of carnivores dropping in for porchetta spiced pork rinds, a pig's head Cuban, or veal tartare.

Pappanicholas got his start butchering at a very young age.  "Being Greek, we roasted whole pigs, goats and lambs. We, by this I mean my crazy Greek uncles and father, slaughtered them in the garage, sometimes butchered them, sometimes left them whole. It taught me about the different parts of the animals and how they cooked them differently," he explains.  Fast forward to the present where he currently owns to successful, meat-centric restaurants.  Come spring, he'll launch outdoor beer events in The Cannibal's garden where they'll show the French bike races and serve French beer with charcuterie.

Single/Married/Divorced?
Married to a beautiful woman.   

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A professional tennis player.  I'm still trying to be!  

What was your first job in food and what did you learn?  
I was a bus boy and prep cook at my father's restaurant.  I learned that bussing tables during brunch puts lots of money in your pocket for video games at the arcade.  But really, it taught me the value of work and kept me out of too much trouble.    

How did you become passionate about nose-to-tail food? What about Belgian beer?
Being Greek, we roasted whole pigs, goats and lambs. We, by this I mean my crazy Greek uncles and father, slaughtered them in the garage, sometimes butchered them, sometimes left them whole. It taught me about the different parts of the animals and how they cooked them differently.  Wrapping all of the organs in the small intestine and roasting it over the spit, it was my first look at great product utilization. The Belgian beer came later. My friend and roommate from college, Matt Flamant, is Belgian.  He and his entire family are crazy passionate people about their culture and their beer. It became very infectious.   

Whom do you consider your industry mentors?
[Restaurateur] Jason Denton, he was the only guy in this industry I knew I had to work for.   

So what inspired you to open The Cannibal?
The Cannibal started out of necessity.  Resto needed a butcher room where we could break down all of the whole animals we get in every week.  When I found out the space was becoming available, I grabbed it thinking we will open a butcher shop.  From there, as always, the ideas began flowing and I thought we could have a beer and butcher shop.  The name was a funny thing, as [Chef] Michael Berardino and I are both avid cyclists so when I said we can name it after the Merckx brand bicycle "The Cannibal," it seemed sort of perfect.   

What's the most difficult part about opening a restaurant?
Staffing.  

What are some advantages and disadvantages with opening a spin-off restaurant next door to the original restaurant? How do you keep Resto relevant and exciting when The Cannibal is getting so much attention now?   
The advantages are as the team grows and economies of scale are realized.  We try to stay relevant by always pushing, perfecting, creating and trying to make it nice.  In addition, my team is really amazing and they push me to be better.   

What do you look for when hiring a chef? How did you and The Cannibal Chef Michael Berardino meet? 
Eric Kleinman, the chef at Inoteca, introduced us back in 2008.  We talked about cycling right away and did some riding.  We always spoke about working on a project together; I thought it would be Italian since he is a crazy Italianophile.  He, Bobby (our chef at Resto) and I spent two weeks traveling in Southern Italy in 2010.  We went to see [legendary butcher] Dario Cecchini and I think that's when the butcher idea became really interesting to all of us.  When we finalized the idea he and I were talking a lot about it, and he was very excited to be part of the project.   

Describe your ideal meal at The Cannibal.   
I would come in after a ride up to Nyack, NY, sit in the back yard and drink Petrus Aged Pale Ale from 2009.   Then I'd have peanuts from the Men's Methodist Church of North Carolina - I love peanuts - a little country ham, blood sausage, kielbasa, merguez, rabbit terrain and Cote De Boeuf with escarole salad, because a man needs his greens.

And what beers would you drink with that meal? Though we know that may be difficult to choose, with the hundreds of selections available.  
 Other than the Petrus, I would have some two year old Orval I have stashed, Liefmans Gouldenband, and some De Struise Pannepot Reserve.

Where do you guys source most of your meat?
Bev Eggleston and Eco Friendly Farms, Four Story Hill, Ragsdale Family Farm and Pat Lafrieda of course.   

Do you ever have your on-premise beer master, Cory Bonfiglio, collaborate with Michael on the menu or vice versa?   
Absolutely.  When if comes to picking beers, wines, spirits, and food, it is very much a collaborative effort here.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of opening their own restaurant?
Jump on in, the water's warm.   
  

Is there any cut of meat you won't eat?
No.

What has been your biggest mistake in the restaurant industry?
Too many to name.   

Where do you dine in your Flatiron neighborhood?
The Breslin, ABC Kitchen and Hill Country Chicken. My son and I are addicted to their chicken fingers.

What big plans are coming up for Resto? What about for The Cannibal?  
At the Cannibal we are looking forward to the Spring when we can begin a series of group rides and beer drinking events, we will be showing all of the major cycling races and even doing a pairing series, French race, French beer, French charcuterie, etc.  We really want to be the destination for all cyclists in NYC, like The Spoon in Nyack.   And at Resto, we are working on some new large format feast packages, which will involve breed and farm specific dinners.  Lastly we are hard at work planning our farm in Shokan.   We had a small plot of land last year where we grew our own vegetables; this year we will be bringing is some heavy hitters and expanding the plot in order to really up the ante.   

You're on your deathbed...Sex or dinner?  
Sex.

Resto
Address: 111 East 29th St. bet. Lexington and Park
Phone: 212-685-5585

The Cannibal
Address: 113 East 29th St. bet. Lexington and Park
Phone: 212-686-5480

Apparently, not all kitchen essentials are for cooking, Especially not in this day and age when cell phones have virtually replaced landlines and you can pull up a recipe on your ipad or iphone. That's why we love this practical, new kitchen tool, the Rosie Cell Phone holder (pictured right). 

This sleek, stainless steel holder fits onto any rail or shelf and is big enough to hold anything from a cell phone to a tried-and-true cordless phone.  There's prongs on the back to wrap loose cords to keep them out of harm's way and even holes in the bottom of the holder to put your cords through. Let's face it: The kitchen's a messy place and no one wants to lose a  phone to a pot that runneth over over an oil spill. And, because it's kitchen friendly, it's also dishwasher safe.  It's pretty hard to beat that.


Rosie Cell Phone Holder $39.95