Restaurant Girl: Best Food Blog & Restaurant Guide

Fruit Scoop & Slice

This time of year, it’s easy to find juicy and colorful fresh fruit to work into dinner or to put out while you’re entertaining. Markets around the city are showcasing vibrant displays of mangoes, papayas, and avocados, and after a long winter, they’re a sight for sore eyes. But while finding the best fruits this time of year isn’t a challenge, getting them from the farm to the table (wink) might be. Ever try to keep avocado looking presentable while separating it from the peel? Good luck.
Lightened Up Wiener Schnitzel with Tomato & Fennel Salad

Austrian favorites like goulash and spaetzle are perfectly suited for winter weather. But why shouldn’t we be able to enjoy them just as often now that it’s spring? We’re taking a cue from the refined wiener schnitzel at Seåsonal in Midtown, by adding our own, figure-friendly, and more importantly, seasonal twists to the classic dish.
Q & A with Edi & the Wolf & The Third Man’s Eduard Frauneder and Wolfgang Ban

There aren’t really a whole lot of Austrian restaurants in the city. That’s what makes Eduard Frauneder and Wolfgang Ban such ambassadors of the cuisine. Ever since opening their first restaurant, Seäsonal, in 2008, the pair has refused to be pigeonholed; consistently showcasing Germanic dishes that go well beyond sausage, fried potatoes and Weiner Schnitzel.

Most Recent Dish

Q & A with Louro’s Chef David Santos

Posted on Feb 19, 2013 in Chef Q&A

There are some chefs that would much prefer to hole up in the kitchen with their sauces than interact with their customers. And that’s cool… it’s just not David Santos. On the contrary, the gregarious, heart on his sleeve chef is the kind of guy who invites patrons (and strangers at that!) into his home for supper club meals. Now, you can get a taste of Santos’s cooking, a unique mix of Portuguese, American and other globally inspired cuisines in one.

Personalized Glassware

Posted on Feb 14, 2013 in Gizmo Girl

Personalized gifts for couples aren’t hard to come by. The usual suspects,...

2013 Annual C-CAP Benefit

Posted on Feb 13, 2013 in Eating Events

Not all food events are alike. Some have great food and then there are some leave you with a bad taste in your mouth so to speak. Of course, they’re all for a good cause, which is what matters. But C-CAP’s annual benefit is one of our all-time favorites and not just because the food is excellent. (It is!) This unique organization provide scholarships to underserved youth who demonstrate talent in the kitchen.

Dark Chocolate Champagne Truffles

Posted on Feb 13, 2013 in Recipes

Candle light. Romantic poems. Your significant other doing the dishes for once in his or her life. They all go a long way to fan the flames of passion on Valentine’s Day… but nothing stirs the soul quite as effectively as fizzy champagne, accompanied by lots and lots of sinfully rich chocolate.

Where To Celebrate Mardi Gras in NYC

Posted on Feb 12, 2013 in Best Of

What with Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl Sunday, and Groundhog Day (for those of you that celebrate), it’s easy to forget that other, fun February festivity… Mardi Gras. French for Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras traditionally refers to the practice of eating rich, fatty foods before Lent. In modern times, it’s more closely associated with parades, bead throwing, debauchery, and general gastronomic excess.

The Marrow – Reviewed

The Marrow

West Village

Posted on Feb 11, 2013 in First Bite, Reviews, What I'm Loving

There is marrow on the menu at Harold Dieterle’s new West Village eatery, of course. It comes roasted and topped with sea urchin, teeny nibbles of fried potatoes, a few wisps of baby celery greens, and a drizzle of meyer lemon aioli. Looking for a light bite? Consider eating elsewhere. But if you’re looking for some heart-warming (or stopping) cooking to cozy up to this winter, The Marrow has quite a few terrific options.

Restaurant Openings to Look Forward to in 2013

Posted on Feb 7, 2013 in Sneak Peek

For food writers, each year generally ends with a flurry of restaurant “Best Of” listicles, chronicling the highs and lows of eateries both old and new. But as soon as the calendar reads January 2nd, we hit the reset button, turning our attention towards a brand new crop of impending openings. From Michael White’s eagerly anticipated double header in Manhattan (The Butterfly and Ristorante Morini), to Andy Ricker’s continued expansion of his Pok Pok empire in Brooklyn (Whiskey Soda Lounge), it’s already shaping up to be a banner year for the New York restaurant scene. And who knows? A few of them just might make our “Best Of” lists at the close of 2013.

Sexy Steamed Mussels with Citrus & Prosecco

Posted on Feb 6, 2013 in Recipes

It’s a funny thing about mussels. They’re delicious, healthy, easy to prepare and cheap (generally five dollars a pound, which is pretty damn good for shellfish!). But people rarely think to make them at home. Sure, they’ll order them out… who hasn’t had a good Zuppa de Mussels served with hunks of crusty Italian bread or a bowl of tender mollusks steamed in beer and sided with a pile of crusty fries? We’ve seen them dotting saffron rice in Spanish Paella, served A la Plancha (most recently at Willow Road in Chelsea), and done up Southeast Asian style, loaded with Lime, Chili, Coconut Milk and Kaffir leaves.

The Ultimate in Chocolate for Valentine’s Day

Posted on Feb 5, 2013 in Best Of

Valentine’s Day compels us to take a moment during the doldrums of February to show that special someone or crush that we really care. But it also happens to be a celebration of something equally important. Chocolate. And we’re not just talking about those cheesy, heart-shaped boxes of candy peddled at every Duane Reade or corner store (although we do have a certain fondness for them, too). Forget flowers…

Best of New York’s Chicken Wings

Posted on Feb 4, 2013 in Best Of

It always happens to us: Right around Super Bowl Sunday, we start to get cravings for all sorts of comfort-cum-sports bar foods, from chili to wings. Except lately, we’ve noticed wings have become more than just a dive bar staple. We certainly didn’t expect to find them being served as a special at Andrew Carmellini’s The Dutch, or glazed in agave and a chile spice blend at Alta, a tapas joint in the West Village. Shall we dare call fried chicken wings a trend?

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Posted on Feb 1, 2013 in Recipes

Whenever we think of comfort food, the very first thing that springs to mind is creamy and melty Macaroni and Cheese. We love it every which way, from the electric orange stovetop stuff that comes out of a box, to refined casseroles of artisanal cheese, hand-cranked pasta and brioche breadcrumbs.

Best Of Super Bowl Eats

Posted on Jan 31, 2013 in Best Of

Even if we don’t necessarily love football, we love the opportunity to indulge in support of our peers that do love it. After all, the Super Bowl is the second biggest eating day of the year, only superseded by Thanksgiving. Why should this eating-related holiday only be for football fans? We’re not just thinking about nachos, although a properly executed nacho platter warrants real recognition. In New York City, we can pair our football with all sorts of foods, from Italian to real deal barbeque.

Valentine’s Day in NYC

Posted on Jan 30, 2013 in Best of Everything

Valentine’s Day comes with very high expectations, but it’s not easy to plan something original and impressive every single year. Most guys will just stick with a classy dinner, but with everything New York has to offer, why not plan something a little different this time round? I’ve found six great Valentine’s Day activities around the city that are sure to impress. And don’t worry, they’ve all got great eats, of course.

Q & A with The Marrow’s Harold Dieterle

Posted on Jan 29, 2013 in Chef Q&A

Way back in 2006, Harold Dieterle was the first to win a little culinary competition called Top Chef. But for anyone familiar with his refined cooking style, drama-free demeanor and unfaltering work ethic, it came as no surprise when he quickly proved himself outside the confines of the show. Lately, Dieterle has food folks chattering over his newest restaurant, The Marrow, with Brooklyn residents bemoaning the fact that it didn’t open in Hotel 718 as originally planned.

Heated Appetizer Tray

Posted on Jan 28, 2013 in Gizmo Girl

If you’re entertaining, you’ve got plenty on your mind. Between cleaning the house, prepping the food, and buying (and probably drinking most of) the alcohol, the last thing you need to worry about is keeping the appetizers warm once they’ve been served. But it’s always a dilemma, isn’t it? Unless you’re breaking out the Sternos, it’s nearly impossible to keep everything tasting fresh from the oven.

The Ultimate Roast Chicken

Posted on Jan 25, 2013 in Chef Q&A Recipes, Recipes

If nothing else, every home cook should know how to make the perfect Roast Chicken. It’s inexpensive, soul satisfying, and equally impressive as either the centerpiece of an elegant dinner party, or served to the family for a laidback, weeknight supper. Chefs as noted as Thomas Keller and Lidia Bastianich would both request the humble roast chicken for their last meal on earth. And as we recently illustrated in our article “Food Trends to Watch for in 2013,” family-style, roast chicken dinners have become the pride of some of the best restaurants in the city.

The Glory of Grains

Posted on Jan 24, 2013 in Best of Everything

We always crave comforting, earthier fare when temperatures decline, and few things satisfy that craving more than unprocessed whole grains. Nutty, complex, and versatile, grains like quinoa, farro, barley, and amaranth can serve as a base for pretty much any dish and chefs across the country have been discovering the glories of grains.

Restaurant Trends to Watch for in 2013

Posted on Jan 23, 2013 in Trendwatch

Do you remember when it was, exactly, that Sriracha became the go-to condiment in restaurants across the city? Neither do we, but that’s precisely how food trends work. They take root little by little, gradually seeping into public consciousness and onto our plates, until eventually, you’d be hard pressed to find a relevant restaurant without a Kale Salad or Housemade Charcuterie. But those are so 2012, and we’ve got our eye on the horizon. Here are the burgeoning trends we predict we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of in 2013…