I’m sitting in the cutest coffee shop on the Upper East Side as I write this. Everything in this place spells comfort – from the fabulous aromas of fresh Java to the woodsy, country, rustic look of the Café that makes it feel like home. Read the rest of this entry
Miette is french for “little crumbs”. What a perfect little name for a perfect little place. Housed in the Ferry Building in San Francisco, Miette is just as adorable as it sounds. Read the rest of this entry
“The Best Halal. Delicious Chicken and Gyro - We are different!” scream the yellow shirts worn by “The Gyros Guys” on 53rd and 6th avenue.
They have no official name and are known as anything from the Halal Cart to Chicken and Rice to Platter! Read the rest of this entry
Rouge Tamate is just as sensuous an experience as the name suggests - ”Rouge (Red) represents a passion and commitment to stimulating the senses while Tomate (Tomato) symbolizes an adherence to fresh, seasonal balanced cuisine”.
Opened in 2008 by Emmanuel Verstraeten in New York ( it has a counterpart in Brussels), Rouge Tamate adheres to the principles of SPE® (Sanitas Per Escam which means health through food).
They source and prep their food with a conscience, which means you won’t get any of that deep fried or heavily grilled dishes that are bad for you. The kitchen at Rouge Tamate sources locally and serves sustainable foods. Read the rest of this entry
Three Sixty at the Oberoi Hotel is one of the poshest eateries in New Delhi, India. It’s a great spot for people watching as it is frequented by the Delhi elite and celebrity crowd. The impressive space is huge and bathed in natural light. The decor is modern and extremely chic. All of this makes for a great place to hang out at …..(with a pretty price to pay for it of course!) Read the rest of this entry
Strolling around Chinatown one day, my interest was piqued by the hustle bustle at a neat looking dumpling house. That’s how I discovered Vanessa’s Dumpling House on Eldridge Street. Vanessa’s works like a well-oiled machine and is run by an all women crew – love that! Read the rest of this entry
Take a trip to Southeast Asia by eating at Jean-George Vongerichten’s Spice Market. The cuisine here is inspired by regional street food combined with Vongerichten’s distinctive touch. The interiors are resplendent and definitely make you feel like you are in some exotic locale of Asia. There are decorative pagodas and arches that adorn the enormous space and a grand staircase that leads to the hopping bar area downstairs. All of this makes for a really great spot to hang out at where one is stylishly served by waiters and scantily clad waitresses, dressed in bright orange hues. Read the rest of this entry
“Tired” is the word that comes to mind when I think about my evening spent at Le Perigord, which is nestled in the heart of Sutton Place. Every thing about the evening was just so pathetically dreary and tiring.
There was no real “welcome” when we entered the restaurant. We were ushered to our table and just kind of left there for quite some time with the menus till we asked for someone to come and take our order. The general air of all the servers was brusque. And even the little charm that I thought the place had in its simple table setting wore off by the time the appetizers were done. For the rest of the meal – I just kept hearing the “tick-tock” of a clock….when will this be done? Read the rest of this entry
Yummalicious……..
We reached around 6:15PM for the event which began at 6:30 PM for the Non-VIP ticket holders (that’s me!!). The line was wrapped around an entire Manhattan city block!!!! It took us almost an hour to reach the entrance! Of-Course I spent the entire hour worrying that there would be no food left for me……Boy was I wrong!
Once we were in……….the ultimate fest in gluttony began! Read the rest of this entry
Chao Thai is one of Elmhurst’s food treasures. It’s the kind of place that really makes Queens famous for having some of the best ethnic eats in New York City. This tiny eatery couldn’t be more than 200 sq. ft, but they sure have packed in some flavor into that small space. Read the rest of this entry
Who doesn’t love a good Brownie?
In New York City’s Chelsea market, the Fat Witch Bakery has built an entire business on selling just brownies. Their brownies area called “witches” and you can get them in all kinds of bewitching flavors and sizes. What a marvelous concept! Read the rest of this entry
Flushing is swarming with tiny eateries to giant banquet halls that serve Dim Sum. In this sea of competition, I feel that Dong Yi Feng distinguishes itself by continually serving delicious Dim Sum at amazingly low prices. Their food is definitely a cut above the rest.
They have two floors of seating and a parking lot next door (if you get there early enough). The staff is very efficient and the Dim Sum cart ladies are just dolls – sweet and friendly as can be!
This really is one of my favorite weekend brunch meals. The earlier you get there, the better your chances are of not waiting on line. Sometimes we roll out of bed and head straight there for breakfast. Generally the crowds start coming in by about 11:00 AM……..so be the early bird because at Dong Yi Feng, there are many yummy worms to catch!
Here is some of what we ate:
I just love the screen presence that Bobby Flay has on his food shows. With so many TV shows and Iron Chef accolades under his belt – I was thrilled to finally try out one of his restaurants. We chose to go to Bar Americain because the most recent issue of The Food Network Magazine (March 2010) had featured his Shellfish Cocktails – which looked outstanding!
Boy was I disappointed……
I feel like I spent the entire evening at Bar Americain catching wisps of the Bobby I thought I knew and loved………
Everything about this restaurant felt so overwhelmingly underwhelming. The space is huge and its overdone with giant lamps hanging from the ceiling. I felt it was all so mass – it lacked the attention to details and personality I expected.
The waiters were friendly but disconnected to the customers! The food was the biggest disappointment. I expected highly creative dishes with Bobby Flays jazz and pizazz – a dash of this a dash of that and poof – a magical dish would appear before me. No such luck! I kept waiting for the magic to happen but it never really did.
I felt like I spent the whole evening looking for Bobby Flay. He would show up just a little – here and there in a dish or two – but nothing quite hit the mark or made a lasting impression.
I guess my search for the real Bobby Flay will just go on……..perhaps Mesa Grill…. but after this experience …I think it will be a long time before I’m willing to “throwdown” this kind of cash for a meal like that! Read the rest of this entry
Aegean Cove, was my first foray into Greek food and I have to say that I think I hit the bonanza on my first try. What a great little restaurant this is, tucked away in a quiet part of Steinway street in Astoria. The minute you enter Aegean Cove, you are enveloped in the warmth that exudes from every corner of this restaurant. Everyone is so friendly, you feel like you are eating in someone’s dinning room.
The food was good. I liked some dishes more than others and would have loved to have tried more. The waiter was so helpful and patient with us as we mulled over our choices for a rather long time.
Enter Mr Chow, Tribeca and you are struck by the conspicuous, monochromatic interiors where walls are adorned with enormous black and whites of a much younger Mr. Chow. The interiors are dramatic and very cool. Everything about the place feels crisp from the gorgeous white orchid, lit table settings to the immaculately suited waiters who serve you flawlessly.
When Mr Chow opened up in the United States in the late 70′s, his concept was brilliant. He blended eastern food with the western palate and made it very chic. The dishes at Mr. Chow’s are very placid. There’s nothing bold or radical on the menu. The food served here is very “easy” on the palate and really reminds me of Chinese food in Japan. Everything is flavorful and pleasant. The food itself is styled on “Beijing Cuisine” which influenced Chinese imperial and aristocratic cuisine.
If you are looking for “authentic’ Chinese food then Chinatown is not too far away for one-tenth the price! However, I think that Mr. Chow’s is worth going to at least once – its just one of those New York places, that has to be experienced. Read the rest of this entry
Ever been Nixtamalized???
If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you have to go and experience Tortilleria Nixtamal in Corona, Queens. Once you have laid your lips on one of their tortillas made from nixtamalized corn – you aint never going back to eating “regular” tortillas again.
Fernando Ruiz and Shauna Page are the wonderful co-owners of this cheery “Tortilleria” where the tortillas taste like they were made in heaven! Yes – they really are that good! Shauna says that on an average day, they make about 200 pounds of tortillas and the numbers go significantly higher on weekends and in the summer months.
The key to their delicious tortillas is the “Masa” which is painstakingly produced fresh everyday and made from nixtamal ( treated corn). Shauna took us on a little tour of the inner workings on how they make their Masa – just as the Aztecs used to way back when…. Read the rest of this entry
Sushi of Gari is the abode of celestial sushi! Chef Masatoshi “Gari” Sugio in his brilliant creations has redefined sushi completely. Gari set out to educate Americans on how to truly enjoy the delicate flavors of sushi without dousing it in globs of wasabi and soy sauce. In doing so, he has masterfully paired the finest fish with the most innovative toppings and sauces. So, when the sushi is presented to you at Sushi of Gari, it is complete in itself and requires no additional flavoring to be added.
If you are looking for an other worldly experience at Gari, then don’t try any of the “regular” items on the menu. Skip the appetizers and go for the gold. All the food is really good at Gari but the thing to really have is the “Sushi Special“ or the “Omakase“ ( chef’s choice). Be prepared to spend spend spend but for food this good – who needs to save for college anyway!! Read the rest of this entry
Chef Daniel Boulud’s db Bistro Moderne in mid-town, is a perfect lunch spot where French cuisine meets the American palate to create delightfully flavored food. Chef Oliver Muller, has created a seasonal menu that is really marvelous. The interiors are modern with very clean lines though quarters can get very cramped, especially in the back room. The service is very warm and friendly (very cute waiters with charming smiles!). I recommend going for the pre-fix lunch as food here can get pretty pricey.
I went to db Bistro Moderne during the NYC winter restaurant week and got a great deal on lunch. Though we didn’t try the Original db Burger, it’s meant to be the dish to eat here. Perhaps next time…….. Read the rest of this entry
Well over 15 years ago, when I was visiting Sri-Lanka, I had one of the best meals at the home of one of the local residents. I can’t remember what I ate but just remember it being one of those truly unforgettable meals. Ever since then, I have been trying to find shadows of that meal somewhere….anywhere …….here in New York City.
My search led me to Sigri on the Lower East Side. Sigiri is perched in a small space on top of an ethnic gorcery store right around the Bangladeshi- Indian Restaurant Row on East 6th street. Read the rest of this entry
BKNY is so aptly named because once you enter this restaurant, you really are transported from New York to Bangkok – at a fraction of the cost!
This fabulous find is a real jewel in a part of Queens where really good ethnic food is very hard to find. BKNY was opened in 2006 and has been serving up phenomenal Thai cuisine ever since. The owner Usai has managed not only to bring the authentic flavors of Thailand here to New York but also the unmatched warmth and hospitality that can only be truly Thai. Read the rest of this entry
Restaurateurs Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani, have truly outdone themselves in creating Ame – their most recent food endeavor. Ame is housed in the graceful St Regis Hotel in San Francisco. This restaurant epitomizes zen elegance in both setting and food.
Given the sublime flavors that are served here, Sone and Doumani couldn’t have picked a more appropriate name for this restaurant. Ame, in French means soul – and the masterful menu that combines Japanese, American, French and Italian influences is divinity that truly touches ones “Ame”! I tried the tasting menu but got to sample a vast array of dishes from what my family ordered.
Oh Ame! What a gorgeous meal with fabulous service– it’s a dining experience that truly speaks to ones soul! I, for one, cant wait to go back……. Read the rest of this entry
Ever been to a Vietnamese Restaurant and not had Pho?
I have!
Pho Bang serves up some of the tastiest, bang for your buck eats one can find. The average cost for a dish is between $5-6 and boy do they feed you well. When we went, there were 7 of us. We ate like maniacs- ordered all the meats from shrimp to beef and the bill only came to about $60!! Now that’s a deal. My most favorite thing to eat at Pho Bang is the grilled pork. I think they have mastered their pork dishes. If you don’t eat pork there is plenty you can substitute with.
Here is some of what we ate: Read the rest of this entry
This little mid-town “Indian Spice Rave” as they call themselves is quickly becoming one of my favorite Indian food finds. Being Indian, I’m usually very picky about eating Indian out and really don’t end up liking very much of what I try. Bukhara Grill however is quite an exception to my rule.
The restaurant is a carbon copy of one of the most famous Restaurants of yesteryears in India called Bukhara. They have styled their wooden menus, the copper drinking glasses, checkered napkin-bibs you can wear while eating, in exactly the same way. While the look and feel of the two places are the same, the food at Bukhara Grill has far surpassed that of its old and tired counterpart in India.
Copper Drinking Glasses & Checkered Apron Bibs
Wooden Menu
The first time I ate at Bouley was in 1996. My mother in-law took my husband (fiancée at that time) and me for dinner to celebrate our graduating Graduate School from Columbia.
The experience for me was beyond divine. Even though it was almost 12 years ago, I still remember being delighted by every course we were served! Little did I know at that time that Bouley would close down that very year. I’ve never forgotten that meal. I really think it was one of the best meals I have ever had….in my entire life!
So, after 12 long years of Bouley having closed, reopened, moved locations and so on, I finally went back to try it one more time. This time I went for lunch. They have a great pre-fix deal for lunch for $48. Read the rest of this entry
