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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 Best Passover Desserts
Just as Hanukkah sweets (i.e., jelly donuts) tend to pale in comparison with the sugar rush associated with Christmas, traditional Passover desserts (i.e., gummy macaroons) don’t exactly hold a candle to Easter’s candy bacchanalia. But this is New York we’re talking about, and our pastry chefs simply don’t miss an opportunity to take treats to the next level; so leave room on your Seder table for Zucker Bakery’s Matzoh Cake, Jacques Torres’ Shalom bars and Mouth’s dark chocolate frogs.
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A Spotlight on Smorgasburg’s Most Noteworthy New Vendors
While they offer an abbreviated roster of vendors during their indoor, winter iteration, Smorgasburg is at its best during spring and summer, when 120 artisans gather at the Williamsburg waterfront, or inside Prospect Park. And 25 culinary craftsman have joined the already formidable lineup this season…
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Wallflower’s Foie Gras Bagel Will Make You Rethink The Schmear
A bagel and schmear is the consummate NYC breakfast, but what if you replaced the expected cream cheese with a river of whipped foie gras? Not something you could order at the corner deli, to be sure, although you will find it during brunch at the West Village charmer, Wallflower…
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Inside dinnertable, NYC’s First “Reverse Speakeasy”
There’s nothing ostensibly clandestine about the goings-on at The Garret East. Make your way through the (well marked) doors, and you’ll find the music pumping, the crowds bumping and everyone drinking; in perfectly plain sight. But if — perhaps in a boozy search for the bathroom — you happen to stumble your way past an inconspicuous curtain, you’ll be confronted with a single, discreet buzzer on a wall, enigmatically demanding that you “Push For Food.”
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Impero Caffe – First Bite
It’s crazy how things change in just a few years. I remember when the area north of Madison Square in New York, now famously referred to as NoMad, was a haven for nothing more than fake handbags. Now, it’s not only a hotel destination, but also a restaurant destination. But the newest entry to the NoMad’s food scene was a surprise to me. I was waiting around for Scott Conant to open his long-awaited, eponymous new eatery, Conant…
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Q & A with The Cecil’s JJ Johnson
Marcus Samuelsson may be considered the culinary king of Harlem, but The Cecil’s JJ Johnson isn’t that far behind. In addition to being included on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and receiving a James Beard Foundation nomination for “Rising Star,” the chef has made it his mission to educate the public about African food, by way of his critically acclaimed restaurant on W. 118th Street…
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Seasonal Eats: Here Come the Fiddlehead Ferns
Ramps may tend to steal the spotlight as the most lusted-after spring delicacy, but one of the first — not to mention most unusual — veggies to pop from the ground at the end of winter are crunchy, intriguingly coiled fiddlehead ferns. Tasting like a cross between asparagus and young spinach, the tightly wound fern tips appear at the very beginning of spring…
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Thanks to Lilia, Brooklyn Is No Longer a No-Reservation Zone
Need proof that Lilia’s the hottest Brooklyn opening of the last few years — in Manhattan’s estimation, at least? Witness the capacious refurbished auto body shop, properly prettified with exposed beam ceilings, soaring casement windows, tableaus of wine bottles and stacked cords of wood for the grills — utterly packed by 6:30pm…
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Trend Spotting: What’s With All the Bagna Cauda?
It seems an odd sort of thing to be trending, but boy have we been spotting Bagna Cauda all over the place lately! A Piedmontese dip, made with garlic, anchovy, olive oil and butter and served warm with an assortment of vegetables — like an Italian crudite — is popping up everywhere from Lilia to Lowlife…
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Where to Celebrate Passover 2016
It’s almost time for the Jewish holiday of Passover, lasting from April 22nd-30th this year. And while there are a number of dietary restrictions involved (including not eating leavened bread), it won’t feel like a sacrifice if you dine out in NYC, at deliciously observant spots like Russ & Daughters, Balaboosta, and even the contemporary Chinese Fung Tu!
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Paris Import Le Coq Rico is Flying High in Flatiron
Upon walking into the glittering Le Coq Rico in the Flatiron, your hostess will likely ask you if you’ve been there before. A seemingly odd question, considering the sleek French restaurant has barely been open two weeks, until you realize she’s referring to the original; a largely identical, poultry-focused spot in Paris. This is far from being your run of the mill brasserie…
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Edible Events: April 2016
There are all manner of fun, food events taking place in New York on a daily basis — from lavish, charity-driven galas to crowded, walk-around tastings and an endless array of pop-ups. But unless you have the time and money to party seven days a week, you’ll have to be somewhat discerning about what goes onto your calendar. So here are just a few worthy food celebrations we recommend getting tickets (or making reservations) for now…
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Gourmet Gossip: April 2016
In this great dining city of ours, barely a day passes without news of an exciting new restaurant opening, a shocking chef shuffle, or a new, must-try dish. That’s why we’re keeping you apprised of the industry’s most noteworthy bits and bites — from Scott Conant’s return to the New York dining scene with Impero Caffe to a couple of concepts from Momofuku kingpin, David Chang (what, only two?)…
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Make the Most of In-Between Season at the Best New Restaurants in NYC
Yes, it’s officially spring, and temperatures have seemingly settled in the 50 to 60 degree range, but we haven’t seen the last of cabbages, gourds, tubers and roots just yet. So until venerated veggies like ramps, asparagus, peas and artichokes fully descend on farmers markets, restaurants like Nix and Lilia are making the most of this interesting, in-between season…
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Restaurant Spotting: Indian Accent
While Asian cuisines like Japanese, Korean, and Filipino have been hotbeds of innovation over the last few years, Indian fare has remained largely relegated to Murray (Curry) Hill. But in just the last year, it’s begun to muscle its way into the spotlight, including New Delhi import, Indian Accent…
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Down Home Comes to NYC
Ever heard of a meat-and-three? It’s a down-home restaurant style that’s considerably more popular in the South than it is in NYC — allowing customers to choose their protein (such as meatloaf or chicken-fried steak), along with a trio of soulful sides, such as creamed corn or mac & cheese. But as swiftly as New York has appropriated Nashville hot chicken, we’ve poached their beloved, countrified concept as well, with not just one, but two new debuts…
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John Fraser 86’s Meat at His Newest Restaurant, Nix
With his “Meatless Mondays” menu at Dovetail & his legitimately farm-to-table Narcissa (sourcing eggs and produce from partner Andre Balazs’ Hudson Valley-based plot), chef John Fraser has long been well ahead of the curve. So instead of feeling like a tip of the hat to the current, “vegetable-focused” crave, his newest venture, Nix, reads as an ambitious next step, in his culinary evolution…
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The Best Easter Candy in NYC – 2016
It doesn’t matter how old you get; Easter just isn’t Easter without baskets brimming with candy. That being said, most of us have evolved far beyond Jelly Bellies, Cadbury Crème Eggs, and those omnipresent marshmallow Peeps; so indulge your decidedly adult sweet tooth this holiday, with refined confections from Vosges, Tumbador, La Maison du Chocolat and more!
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