Landmarc Lands at Time Warner Center
Landmarc10 Columbus Circle, 3rd floor (TWC)Hours: Open 7 days a week 7am-11pm.212.823.6123DELIVERY – 646.437.3200 Landmarc uptown officially opens today – finally. With the success. Landing a prime location in the Time Warner Center, Landmarc will now rub elbows with Cafe Gray, Masa, Porterhouse NY and Per Se. That’s not too shabby for a Tribeca bistro with humble beginnings. While deemed a "neighborhood spot", Marc Murphy & wife Pamela Schein Murphy’s Landmarc earned deserved praise for both its New American fare & unpretentious vibe, fast becoming a dining destination. To boot, Murphy boasts a wine list with a mere 30% markup, a practical steal in a city where 100% markups are par for the course. With an industrial chic space & 300 seats, this is a jackpot for midtowners. Landmarc’s menu remains intact: smoked mozzarella & ricotta fritters, pumpkin &...
Read MoreAnthos
52nd Street, btwn. 5th & 6th Aves.212-582-6900 TYPE: New GreekVIBE: Sleek midtownerOCCASION: A serious date, business lunch or family gatheringDON’T MISS DISH: Trio of tuna, scallop & yellowtail crudoDRINK SPECIALTY: Eclectic wine listPRICE: $65 & upHOURS: Dinner, Mon – Thu, 5-10:30 pm, Friday & Saturday, 5-11 pm; Lunch, Mon – Fri, 12 – 2:45 pm. RESERVATIONS: Reservations recommended, especially on weekends.RESTAURANT GIRL RATES: N/A for preview It had all the makings of a Greek tragedy: A gifted young chef, having just received pivotal acclaim for his Italian-Greek fusion at Dona, prematurely brought down by a greedy real estate developer. So chef Michael Psilakis returned to his Upper West Side roots where he aptly reconceived his Modern Greek (Onera) into more rustic home-cooking with Kefi. Less than two months since the closing of Dona, Psilakis has re-emerged with...
Read MoreSam DeMarco Emerges at Fireside
Chef Sam DeMarco, formerly of First and District, has marked his re-entry into the New York dining scene with a $3 million venture midtown at the Omni Berkshire Hotel. Fireside is technically situated within the hotel’s domain, but this spot has managed to take on an identity and entrance of its own. A surprisingly alluring midtown refuge on a frigid winter’s night, the fireplace accoutrements, checkered table tops and dark woods, all lend themselves to a cozy, library-like atmosphere. But perhaps the most charming of all, are the damask-draped nooks, where customers can dine in seclusion or adjourn for post-dinner cocktails. Fireside has jumped on the admirable seasonal cocktail wagon, serving up inspired riffs on classics: cider martini, hibiscus sidecar & huckleberry mojito. Though the huckleberry mojito was an ambrosial cocktail with fresh huckleberries & a tall sprig...
Read MoreKlee Brasserie
200 Ninth Ave., btwn. 22nd & 23rd Sts.(212)633-8033website TYPE: European AmericanVIBE: Homey brasserie OCCASION: A cozy date, bar dining or group dinnerDON’T MISS DISH: Swordfish steak with barbecued creamed chard DRINK SPECIALTY: Wines by the glass, carafe & bottle; Signature cocktailsPRICE: $40 & up HOURS: Dinner, Mon – Sat, 6 PM – 11 PM; Lunch, Mon – Fri, 12 PM – 3 PM (will begin the next couple weeks); Brunch, Sundays, 11:30 AM – 2 PM.RESERVATIONS: Reservations accepted, recommended on weekends.FINAL WORD: There’s no place like home as Chelsea gets a warm and fuzzy brasserie all its own, with an eclectic menu & inspired cocktail list to boot. There’s nothing glamorous or remotely over the top about Klee Brasserie, the latest addition to Chelsea’s dining scene. Part ski-slope resort, part bistro, this intimate, new spot feels mostly like home. ...
Read MoreTwo New Restaurants Hit The NYC Streets
‘Tis the season for new restaurants and there’s countless to devoured. Here’s a sneak peek at two of the lastest newcomers. savorNY63 Clinton Street, btwn. Stanton & Rivington Sts.(212)358-7125Website TYPE: Eclectic small plates VIBE: Inviting LES nook OCCASION: A casual date or neighborhood nibblesDON’T MISS DISH: Chinese bbq duckDRINK SPECIALTY: 35-bottle wine selection, all available by the glass ($7-$12), or the bottle ($26-$45).PRICE: $35 & up HOURS: Open seven days a week. Dinner, 4 PM – until the last diner leaves; Brunch, Saturday & Sunday 12 PM -3 PM.RESERVATIONS: No reservations accepted. This Lower East Side gem has slipped onto the restaurant scene to little, but worthy fanfare. Owner Craig Gross, a long-time manager at Blue Water Grill, and his partner Joe Dobias, formerly a chef at Quaint in Queens, have teamed up to deliver global cuisine and wines at...
Read MoreThe Crack of Cake
Cake Man Raven708-A Fulton StreetBrooklyn NY 11217718-797-2598718-694-CAKE (to pre-order cakes) I have accidentally stumbled upon the perfect slice, (no, not Di Fara’s pizza). Behold, Cake Man Raven’s sublime red velvet cake; a cake so decadently divine, it literally keeps me up at night. I suggest you get yourself to Fort Greene immediately for the slice of a lifetime. At the risk of playing the role of the playground drug dealer, this is one addiction I encourage you to indulge in, calories be damned. Deep in Fort Greene, a line of people slowly file into a modestly marked shop, slip the counter girl a five, then skip out with a slice as if you’re about to engage in some sort of illicit activity. Parodixically located in Park Slope, Harlem Baking Company sells giant fluffy slices of red velvet cakes. ...
Read MoreComix Bombs in the Meatpacking District
353 West 14th Street (just east of Ninth Avenue)(212)524-2500Comix website Having been accused of being too positive on an occasion or two, I thought I’d share a restaurant rant with you. In search of dinner and a good laugh, I ventured to Comix, the Meatpacking’s first comedy haunt, an ambitious 14,000 square foot comedy club with purportedly "high-end regional American cuisine". Equipped with a first floor bar, comedy showroom and a generous downstairs lounge, this uber-mod space is minimally accented to the point of awkward, with a copper-clad bar, mirrors and metal mesh accents. But comedy this trendy comes with unabashedly, trendy Meatpacking prices. After investing in a $30 show ticket, I made a pre-show pitstop at the bar for an over-priced $13 Creme Brulee martini, a gimmicky and cringe-worthy, saccharine sweet attempt at the mixology game. Already a...
Read MoreRussian Tea Room
150 West 57th Street (between 6th & 7th Aves.)(212)581-7100Scheduled to open last week in October Okay, so I’m a food snoop. Here’s the skinny on the Russian Tea Room to come – Gary Robins (formerly of the now defunct Biltmore Room) is set to head up the kitchen at the Russian Tea Room, which will be reinvented by the new owner, who goes only by Hussan. Having once acted as manager at Gotham Bar & Grill, Scott Kearney is moving uptown to manage the renovated four-story space. One of four sommeliers (one for each floor) leaked that the new Russian Tea Room will offer formal Russian & French fare, waiters to parade the space in coat tails and all, offering up over 40 vodkas (some never been offered in the US), and an impressive selection of caviars (sadly not...
Read MorePinkberry
I should’ve known something would go wrong. Too good to be true with no line of frenetic, yogurt-addicted women in sight, I scurried towhat would hopefully be a yogurt utopia, the potential beginning of the end of Tasti-D-Lite. I would be the first to christen the Pinkberry machine, sample the first bite (of all three flavors). Say it isn’t so – Pinkberry was still closed. Exasperated, and rightfully so as it was 10:45 in the morning, I knocked persistently until a manager inforrmed me that maybe, just maybe, they would open around 3 PM today. Door ajar, I scanned the "work in progress" and I stress "inprogress". My bet is Pinkberry will open officially tomorrow at 11AM, but I don’t want to get my hopes up again. Until then, there’salways Tasti-D-Lite. Until we eat again,Restaurant...
Read MorePicholine
35 West 64th Street (btwn. CPW & Broadway) (212)724-8585 website CODE.TV video (with Restaurant Girl) Savory NY video TYPE: Mediterranean-influenced French VIBE: Whimsical elegance OCCASION: A romantic affair or cheese cravings DON’T MISS DISH: Paella spring rolls PRICE: Wine & cheese bar – tapas & tasting plates, $15-$18 (full dinner menu also available); dining room – prixe fixe, $64 for two courses, $14 each additional course (without cocktails). HOURS: Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 5 PM-11 PM; Friday & Saturday, 5 PM-11:45 PM; Sunday 5 PM-9 PM; Lunch, Saturday 11:45 AM – 2 PM. SEATING: 15 seats in wine & cheese bar; 96 in dining room; 24 in private dining room. INSIDE SCOOP: The tapas menu is also available in the main dining room. FINAL WORD: Cheese doesn’t get any better than this. The famed Artisanal cheese cart’s...
Read MoreRobuchon's L'Atelier
57 East 57th Street nr. Park Ave.(212)350-6658 After opening in Paris, Vegas & Tokyo, New York finally gets a L’Atelier of its own. Having received three consecutive Michelin stars (which is like receiving three Oscars), Joel Robuchon was considered the "chef of the century", praised for his peerless French fare. You might ask what took him so damn long to get here, but that would be like looking a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, after almost retiring permanently from the restaurant business at the tender age of 51, foodies are just glad he’s back in the kitchen and officially opening for business in the Four Seasons Hotel, September 5th (reservation lines open August 15th). But starting August 9th, L’Atelier’s open to the public for lunch & dinner on a first-come, first-serve basis. Somehow, I managed to slip inside...
Read MoreDrink Pink
I met a Wine Girl who’s been around the grapevine & happily volunteered to coax us through the wine list. Without further ado: What’s the perfect summer wine for a picnic, bbq, or outdoor fine dining? Ranging in sweetness and seriousness, there’s a ROSE to fit any fare and satisfy even the most sophisticated palate. And rose isn’t just for ladies – real men aren’t afraid to drink pink. What is a rose? Rose wine generally comes from black-skinned grapes of any varietal (Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet, Sangiovese, etc.). What makes rose different from red wine is the length of time the grape juice stays in contact with its skin, aka, maceration. The grapes are first crushed, de-stemmed, then left to macerate before pressing. The rest of the rose wine-making process is exactly the same as it is for...
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