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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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New York’s Coolest Iced Drinks
It really doesn’t matter how many cold snaps or rain storms there are between Memorial Day and Labor Day because we officially switch over to Iced Coffee and Iced Tea the second that temps rise above 60, and we don’t touch the hot stuff again until well into September. Luckily, there are plenty of places in New York to get a frosty beverage fix this summer that go well beyond the expected chilled coffee and tea. Think everything from fresh, frozen fruit drinks at Kelvin Natural Slush and Italian Iced Chocolate at Eataly to throwback Cherry Lime Rickey’s at Brooklyn Farmacy and citrusy sippers at Del’s Frozen Lemonade…
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Red White & Bluefin Tuna with Blinis
We love hamburgers and hot dogs as much as anyone. But why not add a touch of elegance to your Fourth of July bash this year? Topped with white Crème Fraiche, red Salmon Roe, Caviar and Bluefin tuna, these fun-to-eat pancakes are truly celebratory and totally holiday appropriate. All you’ll need is a chilled bottle of champagne and a prime view of the fireworks, and you’ll be ready to ring in the Fourth in high style!
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The Best Seafood Shacks for Summer
There’s little we associate with summer as much as shellfish… from whole steamed lobsters served with corn on the cob and drawn butter, to toasted rolls piled high with full belly clams, and iced platters lined with freshly shucked raw oysters, cocktail sauce, and lemon wedges. Can’t make it to Nantucket, Newport, or Puget Sound this year? There are plenty of seaworthy spots in New York that are no more than a subway ride away, from The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market to the recently opened Kittery in Brooklyn. So treat yourself to a crustacean staycation this summer, by chowing down at some of the city’s best seafood shacks.
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Best of – Fourth of July Dining in NYC
Planning for July 4th has gotten a little bit tricky these last few years. Ever since Macy’s moved its annual fireworks display from the East River to the Hudson, it’s difficult to see the show from most points in Manhattan, or for that matter, anywhere in Brooklyn or Queens. But this is New York and we don’t let much get in our way of having a good time. So we’ve compiled a list of ultimate places to eat your way through Independence Day this year — from a rooftop BBQ at Pera Soho to an all-day food fest on Coney Island, and even an out-of-city jaunt to this year’s sleeper, Thirty Acres, in New Jersey.
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Q & A with Alder’s Jon Bignelli
wd-50, Wylie Dufresne’s seminal, molecular gastronomy-loving eatery, is closely associated with all sorts of madcap, culinary experiments. After all, signature dishes include deconstructed Eggs Benedict with english muffin crumb-coated fried hollandaise, and Pizza “pebbles” made from a variety of dehydrated, tomato and parmesan flavored powders. So what can patrons expect from his new East Village restaurant, Alder? According to executive chef and wd-50 alum, Jon Bignelli, he and Dufresne have taken a decidedly more traditional (but no less fun and creative) approach to food.
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Restaurant Spotting: Brooklyn’s Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
Almost a year and a half after it was first announced to the public, the newest outpost of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que has finally roared to life on Union Street in Brooklyn, straddling leafy Park Slope and industrial Gowanus. It’s really the perfect location for the rowdy restaurant — well enough removed from potentially put out residents on the other side of Fourth Avenue, and less than a half a block’s stumble to the subway.
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Instant Slushie Maker
Ever want to turn your drink into a Slushie in an instant? Sounds dreamy, right? Well, we just discovered Zoku (of frozen pop’s fame) newest summer gadget, a Slush & Shake Maker. That’s right. Simply freeze the inner core of the Zoku Maker, then add a drink and stir. It’s as deliciously simple as that. You can add anything from Iced Coffee to Grapefruit Juice or a Margarita. It’s get better. Add anything with milk and you’ve got an instant Smoothie. This will keep us busy through Labor Day.
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Costata – Reviewed
How sweet it is! I bet that’s what Michael White is thinking right about now. How many chefs get to return to the very same space where they were once a young chef struggling to make a name for himself and come back as an owner with a legion of successful restaurants to show for himself? That about sums up the story of Costata. Anyone remember Fiamma, BR Guest’s upscale Italian, located in a townhouse on Spring Street just off Sixth Avenue? Michael White got his start in Fiamma’s kitchen. Over a dozen restaurants and eleven years later, White has returned to the former Fiamma space with an Italian steakhouse all his own called Costata, which means rib eye in Italian.
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Gourmet Gossip New York – June 2013
In this great dining city of ours, barely a day passes without news of an exciting new restaurant opening, a devastating closing, a shocking chef shuffle, or a groundbreaking, must-try dish. That’s why we’re keeping you apprised of the industry’s most noteworthy bits and bites, from Alex Guarnaschelli’s brand new Butter expansion in Midtown, to a wave of predictions from trend-setting chefs in Aspen.
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Do-It-Yourself Butter Kit
Is there anything greater than the simple pleasure of freshly churned butter smeared on bread? We don’t think so. Or how about summer corn glossed in the good stuff? No matter how you use it, butter is an irresistible accent, especially in summer recipes. This one unassuming ingredient can turn your backyard barbecue, Fourth of July picnic, or potluck party platter into a feast for the senses.
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Summer’s Sweetest Ice Creams
We’re not gonna lie. We tend to splurge on ice cream all year round. And the long, hot days and balmy nights of a New York summer give us even more of a reason to overindulge. How can we not, when the city has such an abundance of fun and unique sweet shops? And we’re not just talking vanilla soft serve, chocolate ice cream sandwiches or strawberry on a sugar cone. Oh no. There are all sorts of ways to get your dairy fix this summer, from the elegant sorbet at Amorino in Greenwich Village, to the unusual black sesame seaweed ice cream at SkyIce in Brooklyn, and the sticky sundaes at Eddie’s Sweet Shop in Queens!
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ABC Cocina – Reviewed
Who would have thought one of the best places to eat right now is tucked inside a furniture and home store? But that’s exactly the case ever since ABC Carpet & Home first teamed up with Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Dan Kluger to open ABC Kitchen. Over three years later and it’s nearly as hard to get a reservation at this seasonal and local American spot, tucked inside the 19th street side of the store.
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Father’s Day Steak n’ Scotch Eggs
Serving a Father’s Day dinner of steak and scotch is an easy sell for most dads. But what if you’d rather do brunch? It’s not really considered the manliest meal of the day. That’s what set our wheels turning. Steak and Scotch… Steak and Eggs… Scotch Eggs! What if we took the classic British dish (a hard boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and fried) and swapped in lean, ground sirloin?
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Chefs Speak: What’s Your Favorite Father-Related Food Memory?
Many classic childhood food memories tend to revolve around one’s mom. The special soup she made you whenever you got sick. The warm batch of cookies waiting when you tramped in from the cold after a long day of sledding and snowball fights. But that doesn’t mean our fathers didn’t leave just as formative an imprint. From Paul Denamiel’s Baba Rhum-fueled escapades with his papa in the foothills of France, to the secret recipe tomato sauce Bryce Shuman used to woo the ladies, these chefs lives never would have been the same without a little culinary help from dad. Here are a few of their favorite father-related food memories!
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Adjust-A-Burger Press
Okay, so we’ve got dad on the brain right now. After all, Father’s Day is just around the corner and we’ve been on the hunt for great gift ideas. Well, we just found another one. If your dad is like most men, he’s got a thing for the grill and he’s probably spent half his life perfecting his burger blend or trying to achieve the ideal medium rare. But one of the most challenging things about burgers is molding them to fit the bun.
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What’s New On the High Line 2013
Known as the “park in the sky,” The High Line also happens to boast some serious eats to be had while taking in a just as serious view this summer. With a roster of food vendors offering everything from legitimate Texas-style barbecue to Mexican Paletas, gourmet Pretzels, Tacos, we could go on and on…
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New York’s Hottest Happy Hours
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the ritual of Happy Hour has been taken to a whole new level lately. Forget half-priced Coronas and bar nuts. This is New York, one of the finest food cities in the world, and we’ve got some killer happy hours to savor this summer. We’ve discovered everything from Fatty Crab’s Pork or Vegetable Steamed Buns to Portuguese-inspired Seafood Fritters with Smoked Paprika Aioli (compliments of the house!) at Louro and an endless array of $1 oysters at Maison Premiere in Brooklyn.
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Gizmo Girl’s Chef BBQ Set
As the weather warms up and summer days roll in, barbecue season has finally arrived. Whether you are firing up the grill in your own back yard this weekend, planning a tail gate party before the ballgame, or traveling to an outdoor picnic for July Fourth fireworks, you’ll need the right tools to grill the perfect burgers and hot dogs—not to mention less traditional but equally delectable barbecue fare like sizzling salmon, charred shrimp and even grilled veggie-and-fruit kebabs. Enter the Travel Chef BBQ Set!
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