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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…
Most Recent Dish
A60's Plum Sake Sangria
Ingredients:1 bottle plum sake12 oz. Svedka Clementine8 oz. dry white wine6 oz. Triple Sec8 oz. pineapple juice2 oz. lime juice Procedure:Chop fresh fruit into cubes (kiwi, pineapple, oranges) and combine with liquid. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve over ice in a wine glass. Makes 12-14 servings. A60Thompson Hotel60 Thompson St., btwn. Spring St. & Broome St.(212)...
Read MoreCitrus Wedger
Whether you’re making iced tea or mojitos, citrus is essential to summer drinks. Unfortunately, cutting up dozens of lemons or limes can take forever, not to mention you almost never get every piece the same size. This citrus wedger saves time and gets it right every time, cutting lemons, limes and tons of other citrus fruits into 6 identically-sized wedges. The wedges are all cut in one swift motion making preparation easier for the home bartender. Garnish a glass...
Read MoreRecession Proof Baking Tips
Another great use for bananas is making a banana whip, so creamy that it could easily sub in for ice cream. Mix three mashed bananas with 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice, and cook until it boils over a medium flame. Chill in the fridge and then fold in a cup of whipped cream. You can chill it and eat it like a pudding, or put in the freezer for a banana “ice cream” like I did. ...
Read MoreMarea
Seafood shrine is a great catch. Cuisine: Coastal Italian Vibe: Breezy fine dining Occasion: Business or bargain lunch, romantic date, dinner for an occasion Don’t Miss: Lobster with burrata, brodetto di pesce, garganelli with sausage ragu, zucchini torte with frozen yogurt Price: Appetizers, $11; entrees, $18; dessert, $9 Reservations: Recommended Phone: (212) 582-5100 Location: 240 Central Park South, between Broadway & Seventh Ave. Chef Michael White is either really confident or completely out of his mind. These days everyone...
Read MoreBest of Unique Summer Treats
Summer’s in full swing. There’s a Mister Softee truck on almost every corner, Italian ice carts in front of almost every pizza parlor, and berries at every market. There’s no need to fall into the same vanilla cone or lemon ice habit because there’s too many refreshing, new drinks and desserts this year. Counter105 First Ave., btwn. E. Sixth St. & E. Seventh St.(212) 982-5870www.counternyc.comCounter has one of the city’s largest organic spirits selections, but their new cocktail popsicles...
Read MoreVan Leeuwen's Bittersweet Chocolate Ice Cream
Created by Chef & Truck Owner Ben Van Leeuwen Ingredients: 2 cups heavy cream 2 1/2 cups whole milk 1 & 1/4 cup sugar 7 egg yolks 6 oz Michel Cluizel 99% Method: In a double boiler, simmer milk with ¾ sugar until the sugar dissolves, 5-10min on very low heat. (Note: At this point you begin infusing the flavor of your choice) Add 2 and 1/3 cups of cream and stir, cover and allow to cool for...
Read MorePizzaQue Grill-Top Pizza Stone
It seems like everyone’s opening a pizza joint these days. First, it was butchers and now pizzaiolas are becoming the food celebrities. You can become a pizzaiola yourself. Instead of waiting on line for the latest cult favorite, you can make your own pie at home. We found this grill-top pizza stone that you put right on top of the grill. It’s got a built-in thermometer, so you can monitor the temperature. The best part about making it on...
Read MoreQ & A with Eric Hara
It takes courage to step into a sinking kitchen, but Eric Hara plunged into The Oak Room at the Plaza after the departure of Joel Antunes. He’s certainly qualified for the task. He began experimenting with souffles at the age of sixteen and worked under Michel Richard at Citronelle in Santa Barbara. By age twenty-six, Chef Hara was already running the kitchen at Chez Josephine. Soon after, he built a lasting relationship with David Burke at both David Burke...
Read MoreDBGB Kitchen & Bar
Cuisine: Global Vibe: Tavern chic Occasion: Group dinner; casual date; night out Don’t Miss: DBGB dog, tuna crudo, lamb Tunisienne sausage, raspberry pistachio cake Price: Appetizers $11, entrees $18, dessert $9 Reservations: Recommended Phone: (212) 933-5300 Location: 299 Bowery., between Houston & First Sts. If Daniel Boulud ran a hot dog stand, how would it look? Now we know. DBGB Kitchen & Bar looks like a gourmet mess hall. The bar is loud and crowded – so crowded that...
Read MoreDovetail's Cucumber Vichyssoise
By Executive Chef & Owner John Fraser(Serves 4) Ingredients: 4 cucumbers – 3 ½ cucumbers for the soup; ½ for the garnish 1 large leek (white and pale green parts only) 2 Yukon gold potatoes 1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil ½ cup crème fraiche 1 T Champagne wine vinegar 8 cups water salt, to taste ½ cup dill 1 smoked trout (purchased at the store) peel skins and bones and shredded Procedure: Peel and slice cucumbers. Wash leek...
Read MoreFruit Infusion Pitcher
There’s nothing better than ordering a glass of peach iced tea or a fruit-infused cocktail in restaurants come summertime. But infusing anything at home always ends up being too complicated – they’re messy to pour and you often end up with big chunks of fruit in your cup. This fruit infusion pitcher by Prodyne solves both problems (and even makes a great centerpiece). The fruit goes inside the cylindrical insert and the juice mixes with the liquid via slots in the...
Read MoreQ & A with Joel Dennis
You would assume Alain Ducasse would put a Frenchman in charge of Adour, his haute French restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel. Joel Dennis isn’t from France. “I’m just a kid from upstate New York,” says Dennis, who grew up in his mother’s kitchen. He started at the very bottom, working as a dishwasher at a Vermont ski resort, where he learned humility and dedication were instrumental in the kitchen. Dennis went from the CIA straight into Alain Ducasse’s...
Read MoreLocanda Verde
Cuisine: Italian Vibe: Buzzing trattoria Occasion: Group dinner, casual date, night out Don’t Miss: Blue crab crostino; fettuccine verde with white Bolognese; almond semifreddo Price: Appetizers, $13; entrees, $22; desserts, $8 Reservations: Recommended Phone: (212) 925-3797 Location: 377 Greenwich St., near N. Moore St. What a disaster Ago was. It seemed to have everything going for it – Robert De Niro, the Greenwich Hotel, a distinguished designer, and it was an Ago, an offshoot of the original Hollywood eatery...
Read MoreOff-the-the-Beaten Path Frozen Desserts
Pesso’s Italian Ices20320 35th Ave., at 203rd St.Bayside, Queens(718) 224-9130You can spend a day trying to eat your way through Pesso’s extensive selection of ices, ice creams and gelatos, easily worth a day trip out to Queens. If you’re dining in the neighborhood, it’s a great last stop. On a recent visit I had the dulce de leche and the zabaione gelato, both of which were super dense and true to their names. A lighter menu item is the “miscela,”...
Read MoreSummer Treats
Considering the economy, this might not be the season for lots of leisure, but summer in the city’s not such a bad thing. You can still delight in lobster rolls and hot dogs and ice cream on sweltering days. Here are my five favorites for each of these three classic summertime eats: HOT DOGS Nathan’s, 1310 Surf Ave., at Stillwell Ave., Coney Island, or Citi Field No other hot dog defines New York like 90-year-old Nathan’s does. Katz’s...
Read MoreMorimoto's High Line Cocktail
Ingredients: *1 oz. shochu*1 oz. vodka*5 sliced cucumbers*2 shiso or mint leaves. Procedure: 1) Combine shochu and vodka. 2) Add muddled cucumber and shiso. 3) Serve in a highball glass on the rocks with a sugar and chili powder rim. Address: 88 10th Ave. (btwn. 15th & 16th Sts.) Phone: (212)...
Read MoreQ & A with Gina DePalma
If you need a little inspiration, just look at Gina DePalma. She’s battling ovarian cancer, launched a cancer foundation, won a James Beard Award, and writing a second cookbook. She’s also the pastry chef at Babbo. Not bad at all. It was a long road up. DePalma’s first job was as the cook, the only cook, in the kitchen of a small town cafe in Northern Virginia. After years working in the restaurants, she earned a culinary...
Read MoreMesa Coyoacan
Cuisine: Mexican Vibe: Laid-back chic Occasion: Group dinner, communal dining, neighborhood bites Don’t Miss: Tacos de suadero, enchiladas de mole, churros Price: Appetizers, $8; entrées, $14; desserts, $4.50 Reservations: Accepted only for six or more Phone: (718) 782-8171 Location: 372 Graham Ave., between Skillman Ave. and Conselyea St., Brooklyn The first time I ate tacos de suadero was from a street cart in Mexico City. The persuasive aroma of cooked meats and freshly baked, corn tortillas drifted down the...
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