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Air’s Champagne Parlor is All About the Bubbly
Beer, wine and even cider bars abound in NYC, but Air’s Champagne Parlor is one of the few area drinkeries devoted to bubbly. To be fair, the Riddling Widow briefly preceded it, but owner Ariel Arce was actually beverage director during its tenure, as well as Birds & Bubbles before that, and Chicago’s Pops for Champagne (not to mention Grant Achatz’s exclusive, original The Office) before that. Meaning her reputation as queen of Cuvèe absolutely proceeds her.
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Where to Celebrate Oktoberfest 2017
If you’re already mourning the loss of summer, Oktoberfest is a reliable way to get you over the hump. Essentially spanning the duration of fall (kicking off on September 16th this year & extending all the way to October 31st, allowing revelers to seamlessly transition to Halloween), the 16 to 18-day festival is a giddy saturnalia of German culture…
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Spotlight on the Finalists for the 2017 Vendy Awards
As a fun challenge to the James Beard Awards, the Vendy ceremony — now in its 13th year — is dedicated to honoring the very best in street food. So here’s who’s in the running during the September 16th event at Governors Island; from an artisanal twinkie baker to an upstart french toast sandwich maker, to a Chinese meat skewer purveyor, whose been tapped for the Vendy Cup…
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Raising the Bar on Organic Food – Free Foods NYC
You have to admire chef Matthew Kenney’s unbridled enthusiasm for opening restaurants. Though Heirloom and Blue/Green Organic Juice Cafe were both unsuccessful, Kenney seems to be making a comeback at Free Foods NYC. With business partner Peter Schatzberg, Kenney has launched this organic answer to fast food – a quickly burgeoning trend in NYC. Though this eatery is located in the heart of midtown, the space feels more like a Vermont country store. Shelves are lined with organic sodas and...
Read MoreChubo Closes Its Doors
A Lower East Side favorite, Chubo officially shut its doors this past Friday, February 29th. This LES eclectic Frenche We’ve been informed that chef/owner Claude Chassagne is already looking for a new location in the West Village. A Japanese cooking school plans to take over the space come summer. Until we eat again,Restaurant Girl**Don’t forget to subscribe for Restaurant Girl’s...
Read MoreDovetail’s Butterscotch Pudding
By Pastry Chef Vera Tong (Yield: 8 portions) Ingredients: Sugar ¾ cup Water ¼ cup Heavy Cream ¼ cup Muscavado Sugar ½ cup Cornstarch ½ cup Kosher salt 1 ½ teaspoons Milk 3 cups Egg Yolks 4 Unsalted Cold Butter 4oz and 2 tablespoons ¼ cup Scotch Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon Preparation: Caramelize sugar and water in a heavy bottomed sauce pot until color is deep amber. Meanwhile, heat heavy cream in another saucepan. Slowly add to caramel. In...
Read MoreGizmo Girl’s Edge Brownie Pan
For the finicky brownie eater who is partial to the crust – this brownie pan is for you. It’s strategically shaped so every brownie has the crispy and slightly overcooked edges. If you’re not a fan of the edge pieces, consider yourself saved from eating a pan of brownies… Edge Brownie Pan Want to share your favorite kitchen gizmo? Email...
Read MoreQ & A With Alfred Portale
With Gotham Bar & Grill, Alfred Portale has successfully managed to build a 24-year old East Village institution with exemplary modern American fare. Portale has earned numerous high accolades, including two James Beard Awards and multiple 3-star reviews in the New York Times. This Wednesday, February 27th, the Careers through the Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) is honoring him at their 10th annual benefit dinner. Not only a leader in the restaurant industry, but Portale also generously donates time to...
Read MoreGreenwich SteakNBurger Opens in Tribeca
Owner Stephen LoCastro has transformed what was formerly Tribeca Studio Deli into Greenwich SteakNBurger. Don’t be deceived by the name as LoCastro (Tre Scalini) to implement an American bistro menu with an impressive selection of gourmet burgers (ten to be exact) and homemade sauces. Highlights include a New Zealand lamb burger with smoked onions, Maryland crab burger, and Sicilian veal burger with sweet potato gnocchi. There’s also a sizeable bistro menu with a signature “NY steak tartar burger” appetizer,...
Read MoreZenkichi
A hidden gem in Brooklyn ADDRESS: 77 N. Sixth St.,at Wythe Ave., Brooklyn PHONE: (718) 388-8985 DINNER: Tues.-Sat.,6-11:30 p.m.; Sun., 5:30-11 p.m. CUISINE: Japanese brasserie VIBE: Clandestine speakeasy OCCASION: Romantic date; under-the-radar dining DON’T-MISS DISH: Grilled miso oysters; scallops tempura PRICES: Small plates $5-$14; desserts $6-$6.50 RESERVATIONS: Highly recommended If James Bond were craving Japanese in Brooklyn, I imagine it would look a lot like Zenkichi. An air of mystery and glamour begins at an unmarked wood door on...
Read More2008 South Beach Wine & Food Festival
In keeping with a seven-year tradition, swarms of foodies descended on South Beach for the 2008 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food festival this past weekend. Rachel Ray, Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay and Giada DeLaurentis were on hand for the four-day long celebration. Vegetarians need not have attended this year’s “Burger Bash” where guests dined on 17 unique renditions. Though Radius of Boston officially beat out the competition, other noteworthy competitors included chef Laurent Tourondel (BLT) as well...
Read More15 East’s Ikura Shoyu – Soy Marinated Salmon Roe
By Executive Sushi Chef Masato Shimizu (Serves 4) Ingredients for the ikura: 4 oz ikura (salmon roe) Salt Yuzu zest Ingredients for dashi jiru: 6 ½ oz katsuo dashi (bonito broth) 0.3 oz mirin 0.3 oz soy sauce To prepare ikura: In a medium bowl, wash roe in salted ice water to separate the eggs then strain. In a large bowl, wash the roe in fresh cold water and strain. Repeat three times, straining well each time. ...
Read MoreQ & A With Joe Campanale & Gabe Thompson
First-time restaurateurs Joe Campanale and Gabe Thompson have recently opened the instantly successful West Village wine bar, dell’anima. With Thompson in the kitchen and Campanale focused on the wine, the two have formed a partnership that brings a new outlook into the trendy NYC wine bar scene. Campanale brings his experience as a sommelier from Babbo to dell’Anima, where he has not only installed a rigorous Italian wine program, but also leans on his travels through Italy when creating...
Read MoreBar Boulud
Address: 1900 Broadway, near 64th St. Phone: (212) 595-0303 Dinner: Sun.-Thurs., 5-11 p.m; Fri. & Sat., 5 p.m.- midnight; Lunch: Mon.-Fri., noon-3:30 p.m. Cuisine: Contemporary French. Vibe: Bustling wine bar. Occasion: Charcuterie quest; casual UWS dinner. Don’t Miss Dish: Pate grand-mere; braised flatiron steak. Price: Appetizers, $8-$18; entrees, $17-$28; desserts, $6-$12. Reservations: Highly recommended. Chef Daniel Boulud’s new French bistro, which opened across from Lincoln Center, is unlike any other Boulud production. This is the iconic chef’s answer to...
Read MoreBuddakan’s Spicy Chocolate Cremeux
(with Roasted Bananas & Whipped Cream) By Pastry Chef Daniel Skurnick Ingredients Chocolate Crémeux Milk 1 c. Heavy Cream 1 c. Cinnamon Sticks 1 each Star Anise 1 each Small Dried Chile 1 ea Egg Yolks 5 each Sugar 1/3 c. Dark Chocolate, chopped 14 oz. Roasted Bananas Bananas 2 each Palm Sugar 1 T. Butter 1 T. Dark Rum 3 T. Sea salt 1/8 t. Preparation: (for the Chocolate Crémeux) In a small sauce pan, bring the milk,...
Read MoreGizmo Girl’s Valentine Fondue Set
The reservations are booked and the tables are set, but for those who would rather stay in the comforts of their pajamas tonight, take part in some chocolate fondue and dip your heart out in this ceramic heart shaped bowl with some veggies and sweet fruits. Heart Shaped Fondue Set Want to share your favorite kitchen gizmo? Email...
Read MoreQ & A With Josh Eden
Chef/owner Josh Eden has fully embraced the nickname given to him when he worked at upscale French eatery, Jojo. After twelve years of diligent service in Jean-Georges’ artillery of kitchens, Eden ambitiously launched his first restaurant in SoHo. Though his training may be in fine French cuisine, his menu is packed with inventive spins on comfort food fare. He douses codfish and caramelized onions with a rich, gruyere broth, evoking a “French onion soup” twist. There’s also an outstanding...
Read MoreBar Blanc
Address: 142 W. 10th St., at Waverly Place. Phone: (212) 255-2330. Dinner: Tues.-Sun., 5:30-11 p.m. Closed Mondays. Cuisine: Creative European. Vibe: Stylish lounge. Occasion: Intimate date; chic dining. Don’t Miss Dish: Four-cheese ravioli; ginger-roasted red snapper. Price: Appetizers, $12-$18; entrees, $26-$36; desserts, $10. Reservations: Recommended. Everyone looks beautiful at Bar Blanc. Perhaps it’s the way the candlelight bounces off the polished white tables that casts an unmistakably flattering glow throughout the space. It’s a stylish stage set in the...
Read MoreValentine’s Day – Dining Out
It’s getting down to the wire for Valentine’s Day and you can probably write off all the usual dining suspects. Yes, they’re completely booked. But there are still plenty of restaurants and some off-the-beaten path spots to celebrate the romantic occasion. Without further ado… Meskerem 124 MacDougal Street New York, NY 10012 (212) 777-8111 There’s nothing more sensual than eating with your hands. This dimly lit Ethiopian spot affords an exotic and lowbrow evening, where couples can dine on...
Read MoreGizmo Girl’s Valentine’s Day Stencils
With Valentine’s Day next week, it only seems fitting to tout this romantic cupcake accessory. Crate & Barrel’s cupcake stencils add an artful finishing touch, as long as you don’t eat all of the batter first. A nearly foolproof gadget, just place each stencil atop each cupcake, iced or not, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and suddenly you’ll design desserts as crafty as a professional. Valentine Cupcake Stencil Want to share your favorite kitchen gizmo? Email Us. Until we eat...
Read MoreQ & A With Josh Gripper
Pastry chef Josh Gripper has most recently garnered attention for his dazzling creations at A Voce, a prominent Italian newcomer on New York’s dining scene. A native New Yorker, Gripper jump-started his career as a child baking for his family in Queens. Upon graduating from the New York Art Institute, Josh joined the opening team at downtown Butter, but left soon after to work at Cafe Boulud where he first met chef Andrew Carmellini. He would later team up...
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