-
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.
-
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…
-
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…
Most Recent Dish
Accademia Di Vino
1081 Third Ave., near 64th St. (212) 888-6333 Open seven days a week, noon-midnight. CUISINE Italian VIBE Sprawling wine cellar OCCASION Neighborhood bites, casual family affair DON’T MISS DISH King salmon crudo, truffle pate pizza PRICE Appetizers, $4-$15; Entrees, $14-$45. RESERVATIONS Recommended Apparently, New York can never have too many Italian eateries. At least, that’s what the latest battery of restaurateurs is banking on this season. Enotecas, vinotecas, trattorias – they are the latest incarnations of Italian fare. Accademia...
Read MoreCrave Ceviche Bar
946 Second Ave., near 50th St. (212) 355-6565 Dinner: Sun.-Wed., 5:30-10 p.m., Thu.-Sat., 5:30-midnight. CUISINE Creative ceviche VIBE Lively neighborhood haunt OCCASION Solo flight, casual date DON’T-MISS DISH Spicy yellowfin tuna; Kona kampachi PRICES $8-$25 RESERVATIONS No reservations accepted There are those few precious restaurants you contemplate keeping to yourself. It is a selfish act, though not an unreasonable one, as a way to safeguard tiny haunts harboring gutsy chefs and even gutsier flavors. Crave Ceviche Bar is one...
Read MoreAthens Tavern
Owners Antonia Sapounakas and Nicos Gregoriou are set to introduce Athens Tavern, their contemporary Greek restaurant, to Queens this Wednesday, October 17th. The pair are so passionate about authentic cooking, they’ve brought Michelin-starred chef Yianni Baxevanis over from Greece. Far from the forests of Athens where he forages his own herbs, Baxevanis has created a rustic selection to highlight these imported, hand-picked seasonings. The 85-seat spot is decorated with burgundy painted walls, wood floors and Greek murals. Homemade bread,...
Read MoreQ & A With Sam DeMarco
Having grown up in an all-Italian Brooklyn household, Sam De Marco was raised on the caliber of authentic home cooking most New Yorkers travel to the Italian countryside for. He worked his way up the ladder, training under David Burke at the The River Cafe as well as Gray Kunz at Adrienne. Having forged on to develop his own imaginative global fare at both District and First, De Marco’s since reemerged at Fireside in The Omni Berkshire Hotel. In...
Read MoreQ & A With Marc Meyer
Having begun his career over twenty years ago at Odeon, Marc Meyer has since become quite an entrepreneur. With restaurateur and wife Vicki Freeman, the pair own and operate three thriving NYC restaurants – Provence, Cookshop, and Five Points – a significant feat in one of the world’s most fickle cities. While they succeed at mixing business and pleasure, Meyer concedes to a bit of time in couples therapy during the launch of Five Points. Five Points’ brunch has...
Read MoreCentro Vinoteca
Address: 74 Seventh Ave., nr. Barrow St. Phone: (212) 367-7470 Dinner: Mon.-Sun.CUISINE Inspired Italian Vibe: Stylish West Village clamor Occassion: Night out downstairs, intimate date upstairs Don’t miss dish: Rabbit involtino, fennel pollen-crusted porkchop Drink Specialty: 25 well-priced quartinosPrice: Appetizers $3-$18; entrees $19-$36; desserts $8 Reservations: Recommended a week in advance This is chef Anne Burrell’s domain. Visible through an open kitchen, Burrell (Felidia, Savoy) dons a cowgirl skirt and a newly minted executive chef coat, her spiky-haired...
Read More4-Foodies at Chinatown Brasserie
On Tuesday October 2nd, 4-Foodies takes a trip to Chinatown for its fourth tasting event at Chinatown Brasserie: Dim Sum Du Jour. Guests will sample a variety of Cantonese specialties – shrimp dumplings, beef buns with scallions, and vegetable spring rolls – prepared by Hong Kong native Chef Ng. Tickets can be purchased online at www.4foodiesusa.com for $50 per person. Currently open to new members, the group holds monthly events at renowned restaurants throughout Manhattan. Where: Chinatown Brasserie When:...
Read MoreNYC’s First-Ever Chocolate Week
Attention all chocoholics: New York has declared its “First-Ever Chocolate Week.” Launching Sunday, November 4th, restaurants around the city – Artisanal, Butter, Le Cirque, Country, P*ong, to name but a few – will be getting in on the action with chocolate cocktails, tastings and entire chocolate menus (sweet and savory). In conjunction with the week’s festivities, the 10th Annual Chocolate Show will be held from November 9-11 at the Metropolitan Pavilion and Altman Building (125 W. 18th Street)....
Read MoreAt The Table New York
On October 18th, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs hosts At The Table New York, a fundraising reception and five-course dinner in support of scholarships and internship opportunities for women in culinary careers. Participating chefs include Patti Jackson (Centovini), Anne Burrell (Centro Vinoteca) and Ivy Stark (Amalia). Rebecca Charles (Pearl Oyster Bar) will be taking a one-night reprieval from her famed lobster roll to serve guests scallop chowder, while Nancy Olson (Gramercy Tavern) delights with chocolate bread pudding. Tickets can be...
Read MoreQ & A With Philippe Bertineau
As this month marks the ten year anniversary of Payard Patisserie and Bistro, we deemed it appropriate to go “Behind Kitchen Doors” with executive chef Philippe Bertineau. Bertineau cultivated his technique as sous chef at such prestigious restaurants as London’s Auberge de Provence and New York City’s Daniel before joining up with pastry chef Francois Payard to launch Payard on the upper East Side. With a talent for the southwestern cuisine of his native France, Bertineau sticks to his...
Read MoreSake 101
With over 300 varieties at this year’s sake celebration as well as a handful of noteworthy NYC restaurants in the mix – Megu, Nobu & wd-50 – we thought we’d check in with expert & Joy of Sake event coordinator, Chris Pearce, for a few tips on the basics of sake. There are three main sake categories – junmai, ginjo and daiginjo – with different ratios of rice polishing. Generally speaking, the more the rice is polished before steaming,...
Read MoreShinbashi
Once upon a time, Shinbashi served as a NYC midtown restaurant fixture where waitresses wore customary Japanese garb and the kitchen peddled in dishes still foreign to American palates. Ruth Reichl regarded Shinbashi a “venerable Japanese” in 1998, while Bryan Miller awarded it: “Weirdest Dish II: Raw lobster in the shell,” in 1986. Though the raw lobster is conspicuously missing from the new menu, Shinbashi is nonetheless having its second coming in the three-story space, formerly home to Savannah...
Read MoreQ & A with Johnny Iuzzini
Johnny Iuzzini’s earned three stars from Michelin, four stars from the New York Times, and a James Beard Award for Pastry Chef of the Year in 2006. He’s worked under the highest acclaimed chefs in the industry (Payard, Haas, Poitier), and now proudly wears his title as Executive Pastry Chef at Jean Georges. Like a straight-A student, Iuzzini’s accolades undoubtedly match his talents and CIA education. Here, he dazzles with a mango lassi with carrot froth as well as...
Read MoreWakiya
The dressed-up Chinese at Wakiya gets lost in translation. 2 Lexington Ave., at 21st St. (Gramercy Park Hotel) (212) 995-1330 Dinner: Mon.-Sat., 5:45 p.m.-11 p.m, Sunday, 5:45 p.m.-10 p.m. Cuisine: Contemporary regional Chinese Vibe: Moody Asian den Occasion: Swanky night out Don’t Miss Dish: Shanghai soup dumplings Drink Specialty: Cucumber martini Price: Appetizers, $6-$34; Entrees, $13-$38; Desserts, $9-$14. Reservations: Highly recommended Designer-clad servers amble down a red carpet that streams through Wakiya’s glossy dining room, flourished with floor-to-ceiling red...
Read MoreElio’s
1621 Second Ave., at 84th St. (212) 772-2242 Dinner: Mon.-Sun., 5:30 p.m.-midnight Cuisine: Authentic northern Italian Vibe: Boisterous, cozy classic Occassion: Family affair, festive occasion Don’t Miss Dish: Spaghetti frutti di mare Price: Appetizers, $8-$17; entrees, $17-$38; desserts, $8-$12 RESERVATIONS Recommended Some restaurants never change – it’s precisely what people love about them. Unlike newcomers who bend to the latest culinary whims du jour, there remain a few steadfast institutions that succeed simply by resting on their laurels. There...
Read MoreJames Beard Foundation’s Taste America
In celebration of the James Beard Foundation’s 20th Anniversary and the launch of the foundation’s annual Taste America, there will be a dinner tribute this Tuesday September 18th at the illustrious, The Four Seasons. Dinner will be prepared by chef Christian Albin (The Four Seasons) and chef Vitaly Paley (Paley’s Place). Portions of the proceeds will benefit both City Meals on Wheels and the James Beard Foundation. Tickets can be purchased by calling (212)754-9494 or online at www.jbftasteamerica.com Where:...
Read MoreQ & A With Scott and Heather Fratangelo
Husband-and-wife team, Scott and Heather Fratangelo, have figured out the equation to both a happy marriage and a thriving career in food. At Spigolo, their UES Italian team effort, the two manage to maintain a packed house with month-long waits for reservations. While Scott serves as the executive chef, Heather skillfully leads the pastry and wine programs. Their ambitious menu features veal scallopine paired with beet greens and spring onions, and grilled pork rib chop with plum mustardo and...
Read MoreSHARE Hosts 4th Annual “A Second Helping of Life”
25 of the city’s finest women chefs will gather Monday, September 17th, for the 4th Annual SHARE event, to raise money in support of ovarian and breast cancer survivors. Executive Chef of the event Rebecca Charles of Pearl Oyster Bar will have Ruth Reichl as her sous chef, creating her legendary lobster roll. Acclaimed mixologist Julie Reiner of Flatiron Lounge will be mixing up her famous sidecar. Other chefs to include: Gabrielle Hamilton (Prune), Nicole Kaplan (Del Posto), Anita...
Read MoreCheck out my Book — Try This
Recent Videos
Recently Interviewed
Most Recent Gizmos
