Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$
Must try: Calamari all a Griglia, Cozze alle Tre di Coppa, Tartufo Pizza, Homemade Tiramisu
Three of Cups, East Village, NYC
Author Archives: Malini Sood Horiuchi
Mihoko’s 21 Grams, Chelsea, NYC
Mihoko Kiyokawa has made her debut into the New York City fine dining scene with her high-end Franco-Japanese restaurant named Mihoko’s 21 Grams.
I was invited to a cocktail party to preview the place where I spent an evening noshing on little bites made for the elite of the New York scene.
At 21 Grams (which refers to the alleged weight of a person’s soul) Mihoko’s tries to blend the essence of French cuisine with the subtlety of Japanese cuisine.
The digs are elegant, designed by Bruno Borrione and leans more towards the French aesthetics. This richly decorated space boasts of etched-glass murals from the Cartier mansion and rare tableware and other artifacts collected by Mihoko during her world travels. There is a really cool French Lounge in the basement, which showcases unique and artfully created cocktails.
The menu is still a work in progress. I thought the food lacked clarity and definition but was told that they are still in the process of fine-tuning many of their dishes. The restaurant has had a soft opening and will officially launch in the fall.
Here is some of what we ate & drank:
Mixed Cocktails
Wildflower and Herb Salad Sushi
Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad
Chickpea Panisse
Alaskan King Crab with Avocado
Chawan Mushi
Maine Lobster Tempura
Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado
Asparagus and with Black Truffle
Spanish Mackerel
Beef Ragu
Duck with Potato
Bright Angel Restaurant – Breakfast: Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
EL Tovar Dining Room – Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
Food: ☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
The Grand Canyon is one of the most magnificent sights in Arizona. This canyon was carved by the Colorado River exposing nearly two billion years of the Earth’s geological history. It truly is a wonder.
A wonderful way to splurge whilst visiting the Grand Canyon is to try a meal at the historic El Tovar Hotel. Though the food in not outstanding, the experience and views from window tables that overlook the canyon are.
The menu is quite comprehensive and “gourmet”. It’s better than any other meal you will find in and around the park but it is pricey. Skip the desserts – they were all abominations!!
What I really liked about the menu at El Tovar is that the kids are not just stuck with the kids menu but can order any entrees which is served to them in a half-portions at discounted prices.
Do make sure that you make reservations weeks ahead of time. In the busy seasons, it can be virtually impossible to snag a table at any kind of earthly dinning hour. Window seats can be requested but are not reserved or guaranteed.
Here is some of what we ate:
Smoked Salmon and Trout Crostini with Goat Cheese and Capers
Deviled Crab Cakes with Sonoran Remoulade
French Onion Soup Gratinée
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Natural Chicken Piccata
Roasted Half Duck with Sundried Cherry Merlot Sauce
Apple Strudel
Chocolate Ganache Cake
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| El Tovar Dining Room | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American Traditional | |
| * Street Address | |
| Grand Canyon National Park, Village Loop Dr Grand Canyon, AZ 86023, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 | |
| * Phone | |
| (928) 638-2631 |
The Restaurant at the View Hotel at Monument Valley, Navajo Tribal Park
Monument Valley located in Navajo Tribal Park is known as Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, in Navajo meaning valley of the rocks. This gorgeous valley houses some of the most picturesque mesas, plateaus and buttes.
The relatively new View hotel, started by Armanda Ortega a native Navajo, offers stunning panoramic views of Monument Valley.
Fiesta Mexicana, Page, Arizona
Food: ☆
Service: ☆ ½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$
Page, Arizona is famous for a remarkable collection of geological wonders, monuments, historical sites, slot canyons and so much more.
Finding good food in Page is a whole different story though!
Why is Fiesta Mexicana rated so highly on every online food guide???
This cheery, colorful Mexican themed restaurant looks inviting enough. We started off with really good chips and salsa and everything went downhill from there. The service is friendly but painfully slow. The food is average bordering on awful. How disappointing is all I can say.
This place is just about one step up from pulling up to the drive through window at a Taco Bell!
Please don’t eat here!
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Fiesta Mexicana | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★☆☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Mexican | |
| * Street Address | |
| 125 S Lake Powell Blvd , Page, AZ 80604 | |
| * Phone | |
| (928) 645-4082 |
The Restaurant at the Lodge at Bryce Canyon, Utah
Mean Bean Coffee House, Zion National Park, Utah
Food: ☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$$
The Mean Bean Coffee house offers you more than just a pot of excellent fresh cup of Joe!
This tiny coffee nook is home to some really cool breakfast and lunch dishes. They have a whole array of fresh baked items and make some cool sandwiches. The portions are great and the price is just right too.
Many hikers get their breakfast/ lunch and coffee to go and there is quite a long line to place your order. You can choose to stay in and eat too but it does get a little smoky indoors with all the cooking going on in the semi-open kitchen.
Either way, hanging at the Mean Bean is a great way to start your day just right at Zion National Park.
Here is some of what we ate:
Cinnamon Roll
Egg Sandwich
Belgian Waffle
Breakfast Panini
Veggie Omelet
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Deep Creek Coffee Co | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American Traditional | |
| * Street Address | |
| 932 Zion Park Blvd , Springdale, UT 84767 | |
| * Phone | |
| (435) 767-0272 |
The Bumbleberry Bakery, Springdale, Utah
Oscars Café, Zion National Park, Utah
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Hank’s Horse-Shoe
Oscars Café is located right outside Zion National Park in Springdale, UT. This cute café offers interesting menu options for breakfast. The portions are mammoth sized so make sure you are hungry when you go in there.
We had a good breakfast – they have super yummy home fries!!! Don’t miss their Hank’s Horseshoe, which is a breakfast dish in which they have thrown in the kitchen sink. It is a foundation of toast and breakfast potatoes – baked in a bowl with cheese then topped with Ham, Sausage and Bacon with three eggs (your way), smothered in Hollandaise sauce and topped with fresh guacamole and sour cream.
The servers are really friendly and the views are gorgeous. If the weather is right – sit outdoors and take in the spectacular red rocks that surround this spot.
Here is some of what we ate:
Kickin’ Spicy Omelet
Breakfast Croissant Sandwiches
Hank’s Horse-Shoe
Eggs Benedict
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Oscar’s Cafe | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American New / Mexican | |
| * Street Address | |
| 948 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767 | |
| * Phone | |
| (435) 772-3232 |
Bit and Spur Restaurant and Saloon, Zion National Park, Utah
Food: ☆☆ ½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$
The Bit and Spur Restaurant and Saloon is located right outside Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah.
This popular Mexican food spot and local watering hole serves up some decent bites with very friendly service. They make some really cool homemade hot sauces, which help kick up the dishes a notch. Do try their desserts, which are really home-style – I loved the pecan brownie with vanilla crème brulee.
Eating out on the garden patio offers a great spot to catch the sunset as it colors the splendid ridges of Zion Canyon.
Here is some of what we ate:
Chips and Salsa
Stuffed Jalapenoes
Chicken Quesadillas
Bit and Spur Rib Eye
Chicken Burrito
Pasta Tomate
Berry Crisp
Pecan Brownie with Vaniila Crème Brulee
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Bit & Spur Restaurant & Saloon | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Tex-Mex | |
| * Street Address | |
| 1212 Zion Park Blvd , Springdale, UT 84767 | |
| * Phone | |
| (435) 772-3498 |
Red Rock Grill, Zion National Park, Utah
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try:
Zion National Park is one of the most awesome natural parks in Utah.
The Lodge at Zion National Park offers a few options for dining. I always have low expectations from national Park dining rooms but I have to say that the Red Rock Grill really surprised me.
This full service restaurant, located at Zion Lodge within the canyon, offers wonderful dining options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The fare is American with a Southwestern touch. The food is good and they have a wonderful salad bar and dessert options.
Set with a gorgeous view of the spectacular rock formations, try to snag a table in their seasonal open-air terrace. If not, then sitting by the window works just as well too.
The servers are super friendly, which makes the entire dining experience all the more wonderful. I can’t think of a better way to spend an evening munching on good food whilst surrounded by the magnificent beauty of Zion Canyon.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Red Rock Grill at Zion Lodge | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American New | |
| * Street Address | |
| 995 Zion National Park , Hurricane, UT 84779 | |
| * Phone | |
| (435) 772-7700 |
Christos Steak House, Astoria, NYC
Christos Steak House in Astoria is a great spot for steak and more. Paying homage to its neighborhood, the talented Chef Mina Newman offers signature Greek appetizers and sides to go with an extensive selection of prime-aged meats and seafood.
The style of dishes served is very classic. The menu is rather extensive with many options, which is rather unusual for a steakhouse. I really enjoyed the grilled shrimp, seared scallop and the Christos salad as appetizers. The Lobster mashed potatoes is a huge favorite and comes loaded with chunks of lobster meat.
The service and ambiance at Christos is very pleasant. It’s no wonder that it is a local favorite in Queens.
Here is some of what we ate:
Ribeye Cap
Balsamic Roasted Figs
Roquefort Broccoli
Grilled Shrimp
Seared Scallop
Christos Salad
Almond Crusted Goat Cheese and Endive Salad
Surf and Turf
Broccoli Rabe with Roasted Garlic
Lobster Mashed Potatoes
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Christos Steak House | |
| * Overall | |
| ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Astoria / American Traditional | |
| * Street Address | |
| 4108 23rd Ave, Astoria, NY 11105 | |
| * Phone | |
| (718) 777-8400 |
Tanoreen, Bay Ridge, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$
Must try: Kibbie, Eggplant Napoleon, Musakhan, Fried Brussel Sprouts
Laverne of Great Neck, Great Neck, NY
Lupa, Greenwich Village, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Salumi, Roasted Mushrooms with Cavolo Nero
Please Vote for me to win a four-day foodie trip to Hawaii!
Hi everyone,
I need your help!
I am trying to win the Island Hopper Blogger Contest through Urbanspoon for my Restaurant Fairy blog where I will be sent to blog in Hawaii for 4 days!!
The blogger with the most votes will receive a four-day foodie trip to Hawaii!
I need you to vote for me…
You can only vote through your Facebook accounts
Just click the link below and click on vote now and vote for The Restaurant Fairy upto once a day until sunday.
This does NOT work with mobile devices so please use the web on a lap/desktop.
Please share with your friends
http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/234973/voteable_entries/51655610
Thank you all so so much!!
Co-Op Food & Drink: Brunch, Lower East Side, NYC
Kuboya, East Village, NYC
Food: ☆☆ 1/2
Service: ☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$
Must try: Miso Ramen
Looking to escape the long waits at the crazy popular, overcrowded noodles shops that dot the Lower East Side? Kuboya Ramen on East 5th St, is a good option for some solid, good Japanese food.
The space is cozy with cushioned window seats that fan out over two rooms. The menu offers a nice variety of dishes including Ramen. I think the Spicy Miso Ramen was the best of the offerings. Nothing I tasted blew me away but it was a good meal and a spot I would gladly be willing to eat at in lieu of an hours wait.
Yes….. you will look over longingly at Minca next door wishing “if only….” but your sated appetite will tell you otherwise.
Here is some of what we ate:
Taco-chan sausage
Char Siu Pork Buns
Fried Rock Shrimp
Katsu Pork Curry
Garlic Potatoes
Avocado & Shrimp
Spicy Miso Ramen
Kuboya Triple Blend Ramen
Shoyu Ramen
Seasons 52 at Roosevelt Field Mall, Garden City,NY
I was invited to an exclusive VIP Media preview lunch at Seasons 52 hosted by the Executive Chef and Master Sommelier. The highly acclaimed fresh grill and wine bar restaurant, is scheduled to open March 26, 2012 at Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City.
Ça Va Todd English, Times Square, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆ ½
Cost: $$$
Ça Va Todd English is a French Brasserie with a Mediterranean twist. Ça Va is located in the heart of the Times Square/ Theater district in the contemporary Intercontinental Hotel. The space is crisply modern. The food is enticing enough but the service….oh the service….was friendly but grossly inept. I’m not sure if the kitchen was running slow or the servers but we never received our bread basket, it took so long just to flag someone down to refill our water or make special requests … and it took eons to get our dessert.
Ça Va has a nice enough menu with decent fare. It offers a nice break from the cacophony of the busyness that exists outside its doors. However I’m not sure I would go back as once I was on the inside, I found it wasn’t exactly the sort of relaxing retreat I had hoped for.
Here is some of what we ate:
MUSHROOM VELOUTE
CHICKEN SALAD CREPE
LA SALADE ÇA VA
POMME FRITES
LOUP DE MER RÔTI
APRICOT BREAD PUDDING
The DL, Lower East Side, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: PB&J, Rice Crispy Crusted Monkfish
The Spotted Pig, West Village, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆ ½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
I recommend: Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Gnudi, Seared Mackerel, Banoffee Pie
Zum Stammtisch, Glendale, NYC
Chinatown Brasserie, NoHo, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆ ½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$
Must try: E-Fu Noodles, General Tso’s Chicken, Watercress, Shrimp & Pork Dumplings