-
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
The John Dory's Sea bream Ceviche
By Executive Chef April BloomfieldIngredients: 1.25 oz thinly sliced Sea Bream Maldon Salt & Lemon Juice to taste 3 Cherry Tomato (mixed colors), halved 2 leaves of marjoram, torn small 5 small dollops of crème fraîche 1. 5 t extra virgin olive oil Procedure: Place sea bream, tomatoes, and marjoram on a plate.Dollop crème fraiche sparingly. Season with Maldon salt and lemon juice. Drizzle with olive oil to finish. Address: 85 10th Ave., between 15th & 16th Sts.Phone:...
Read MoreQ & A with Danny Meyer
Even the most talented chefs and savvy restaurateurs have had to abandon ventures and close one of their restaurants at times. Not Danny Meyer. In the 24 years he’s been in the business, he’s never had to close a restaurant. Instead, his empire continues to grow with a new trattori called Maialino in the Gramercy Park Hotel. Eleven Madison Park just received four stars in one of Frank Bruni’s final reviews. Eleven Madison Park is now one of just...
Read MoreCookie Press
I love dessert, especially freshly-baked cookies. But there isn’t always time to make them from scratch. It can take forever to roll out the dough, cut, and decorate each cookie. This cookie press is a foolproof, time-saver. Just put the dough in the barrel and with the touch of a button it dispenses perfectly formed cookies. The press comes with various-shaped discs to make star, flower-shaped treats, among lots of other shapes. It’s just not a press. It can...
Read MoreCivetta
New Nolita Italian spot Civetta makes disappointing debut Cuisine: Italian-centric Mediterranean Vibe: Inviting downtown kitchen Occasion: Group dinner; drink date downstairs Don’t Miss: Rigatoni alla Bolognese, lamb goat cheese polpettine, lamb sausage with drunken raisins Price: Appetizers, $13; entrees, $28; desserts, $7 Reservations: Recommended Phone: (212) 966-9440 Location: 98 Kenmare St. between Mulberry St. and Cleveland Pl. If a restaurant could have a midlife crisis, Sfoglia is having one. Sfoglia is an irresistible Italian spot on the upper East...
Read MoreLocanda Verde's Pistachio Brown Butter Cake
From Chef Karen DeMasco From her new cookbook “The Craft of Baking” Ingredients: 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for the pan1 cup unsalted pistachios1 tablespoon all-purpose flour3/4 cup cake flour 2 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt7 large egg whites (3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons)1 cup sliced plums and apricots2 tablespoons Demerara sugar Procedure: Put the butter in a small heavy bottomed saucepan and cook it over medium heat until...
Read MoreQ & A with Josh DeChellis
Josh DeChellis is a jack-of-all-trades in the food world. He was born in Colombia, got his first job in an Italian joint in New Jersey, and has since cooked everything from French to Asian to tempura. DeChellis trained at the CIA, then went on to work with such notable chefs as Wolfgang Puck, David Bouley, Jean-Georges, and Charlie Trotter. DeChellis had dinner at Rocco DeSpirito’s Union Pacific and and decided he wanted to work there. Following Union Pacific, he...
Read MoreThermal Beach Cooler
I like gadgets that multi-task. It means more counter space and less spending. This isn’t just a thermal cooler, it’s also a blender, which comes in pretty handy in the heat. I hate feeling like I’m racing the clock when I’m drinking a frozen margarita poolside. The second half usually ends up a watery mess. You just put it on the base, blend ice and whatever you’re making — milkshakes, slushees, margaritas — then tote the cooler outside. It...
Read MoreThe Standard Grill
The Standard Grill: High life on the High Line – at a reasonable price Cuisine: American Vibe: Bustling High Line haunt Occasion: Night on the town, date, group dinner Don’t Miss: Octopus with sweet potato & chilies, lamb chops, rainbow trout with currant and pine nut relish, shaved lime-mint ice Price: Appetizers, $9; entrees, $18; dessert, $7 Reservations: Recommended Phone: 645-4646 Location: 846 Washington St., at 13th St. Hip usually comes at a cost. When a restaurant’s hip, you...
Read MoreBest Summer Ceviches
Certain foods seem to define summer — rose, lobster rolls, gazpacho, and ceviche. There are few better ways to capture the freshness of just-caught seafood than soaking it in a little citrus and spices. Whether you like your ceviche brightened with just lime juice or more creative preparations, we’ve found this summer’s best ceviches. Toloache251 W. 50th St., btwn. Broadway & Eighth Ave.(212) 581-1818www.toloachenyc.comIf you can’t get a seat at the five person ceviche bar, Chef Julian Medina offers the...
Read More5th Annual Great Chefs Dinner
This Sunday, August 9th, chefs from the East End of Long Island, will be cooking in honor of Jeff Salaway and the Jeff Salaway Foundation. Toni Ross of Nick & Toni’s and Jon Snow of Hayground camp will be hosting the all-night affair of cocktails, a silent auction, and a seated dinner prepared by Eric Ripert and Nick & Toni’s Joseph Realmuto among others, like Miche Bacher of Sacred Sweets and produce from the Hayground School’s Slow Food Greenhouse....
Read MoreQ & A with Ryan Lowder
Ryan Lowder craves action – perhaps that’s why he traded a career in finance for one in the kitchen. And just recently, he jumped from Spanish cooking at Mercat, where he ran the kitchen, to Italian. This former pro skier and mountain biker credits his culinary interests to grandparents who were farmers. He got his start at the bottom, delivering pizzas, washing dishes, and bussing tables in Salt Lake City, and eventually headed east to the Culinary Institute of America. Instead...
Read MoreHotel Griffou
Hotel Griffou: Setting the bar high for drinks Cuisine: Retro-American Vibe: Subterranean swank Occasion: Night out; impress a date; cocktail cravings Don’t Miss: Every cocktail; lobster thermidor fondue; deviled crab croquettes Price: Appetizers, $10; entrees, $25; dessert, $9 Reservations: Recommended Phone: (212) 358-0228 Location: 21 W. Ninth St., bet. Fifth & Sixth Aves. The cocktails at Hotel Griffou are phenomenal. There’s one called the Trophy Wife. I wanted to dislike it based on its name alone, but it’s excellent...
Read MoreRecession Proof Baking Tips
If you love peaches as much as I do, you’re pretty happy right now. It’s prime peach season. I love them in pies, cobblers and ice cream, but I don’t have the time for such labor intensive baking. I love this easy and versatile recipe for baked peaches. It’s not just for peaches, it works with nectarines and apricots too. Slice your peaches in half, remove the pit and peel off the skin unless you’re fine with skin. (I...
Read MoreJo's Gazpacho
By executive chef Ian Topper Kapitan(Serves 6) Ingredients: 2 lbs Ripe Heirloom Tomatoes 1-Cup Bread Crumbs 1 ½ Cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Cloves Garlic 6 Tbsp Spanish Sherry Vinegar 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt 1 Red Pepper 2 Basil Leaves 1/2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Chives 1 Baguette Preparation: · Preheat broiler or grill. Cook the whole peppers over high heat until they have blackened spots and blisters and are tender. · Place the peppers into a brown...
Read MoreHome Canning Kit
Tomatoes, berries and cucumbers are in their prime during summer. It’s only ashame that fresh, ripe produce only lasts a few months, so I’ve discovered canning. When summer is over, I’ll be able to enjoy strawberry jam, tomato sauce, pickles, and some great relish. This 5-piece canning kit comes with a jar lifter and magnetic lid lifter for removing jars and lids from boiling water, kitchen tongs, and a funnel to get ingredients into the jar without making a...
Read MoreQ & A with George Mendes
Distinguishing yourself as a chef is not easy. Yet, George Mendes has done just that with his first restaurant, Aldea located in the Flatiron District. This Portuguese chef has managed to bring invigorate Iberian cuisine with his modern twists on classic Portuguese and Spanish fare. Mendes has been working two years to get Aldea off the ground. Prior to his solo debut, Mendes graduated from the CIA and went on to train under such esteemed chefs as David...
Read MorePrime Meats
Good meat, well-aged ambience Cuisine: Northern European Vibe: Victorian barroom Occasion: Neighborhood dining; bar bites; meat cravings. Don’t Miss: Daily punch, herb and Gruyere spaetzle, Vesper Brett, Prime Meats burger. Price: Appetizers, $9; entrees, $13; dessert, $5. Reservations: No reservations accepted. Cash only. Phone: (718) 254-0327 Location: 465 Court St., at Luquer St., Brooklyn Remember when Sam the butcher used to make house calls to the Bradys? The Brady-era butcher shops were different from earlier ones. Through the end...
Read MoreNYC's Best Summer Soups
Summertime’s perfect for chilled soups. Not only are they the perfect respite from the city’s heat, but tomatoes, zucchini, and the like are all ripe and ready to be made into soup. We still love a classic gazpacho, but we’ve also found some unique newcomers on summer menus this year. Pierre Loti West 258 W. 15th St.(212) 645 5684www.pierrelotiwest.com This cozy Chelsea sister of the Iriving Place wine bar serves a full menu, including Tomato-Strawberry Chilled Soup topped with...
Read MoreCheck out my Book — Try This
Recent Videos
Recently Interviewed
Most Recent Gizmos
