Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Chicken Satay, Tom Yum, Green Curry with Roasted Duck, Chu-Chee Shrimp
Sripraphai, Woodside, NYC
Category Archives: CUISINES
Thalassa, Tribeca, NYC
Pok Pok Phat Thai, Lower East Side, NYC
Miraj Healthy Grill, Williston Park , NEW YORK
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆
Ambiance: ☆ ½
Cost: $$
Must try: Chicken Kabab, Kashkeh Bodemjan
Oficina Latina, Nolita, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$
Must try: Avocado Cilantro Margaritas, Sardinas a la Plancha, Jarrete de Cordero
(This meal was complimentary which did not affect my review.)
Kabul Kabab House, Flushing, NYC
Almondine Bakery, Park Slope, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$
The Almondine Bakery now has a second location in Park Slope!
The former pastry chef from Le Bernardin and Windows on the World Hervé Poussot has been serving up delectable treats at this French patisserie in Brooklyn for quite some time now.
Using ultra fresh ingredients, Almondine offers a host of fresh-baked French goods such as croissants, fruit tarts, muffins, macarons, baguettes, pastries and more. They serve delicious coffee using La Colombe beans from Philadelphia and a decadent hot chocolate made with Valrhona chocolate.
The Park Slope Almondine is housed in a small cozy space with a working fireplace, which seats about 25. Located right by the train station, it is really hard not to make a small detour to start your day just right!
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Almondine Bakery | |
| * Overall | |
| ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| DUMBO / American Traditional | |
| * Street Address | |
| 85 Water St ((between Main St & Washington St) ), Brooklyn, NY 11201 | |
| * Phone | |
| (718) 797-5026 |
Pacificana, Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$$
Must try: Shrimp and Chive Dim Sum
Pera Soho, SoHo, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆ ½
Cost: $$$
Must try: Adana Cut Roll, Bouillabaisse, Smoked Eggplant w/ garlic yoghurt and Whole Roasted Leg of Lamb .
Gramercy Tavern, Gramercy/Flatiron, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Prix – Fixe, Mushroom Lasagna
Biang! Flushing, NYC
Miss Lily’s Restaurant, Greenwich Village/ West Village, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Ackee Dip And Plantain Chips , Jerk Chicken
Jerk chicken does not get better this!
Miss Lily’s is my new Mecca for Caribbean food in New York City.
The menu offers modern Jamaican food, which maintains its authentic roots. Chef Bradford Thompson is French trained and has racked up accolades from Food and Wine and James Beard for best chef. All his skills are evident in just one dish – the Jerk chicken! I have never had a bird more tender yet spiced and grilled to perfect crispness.
I really enjoyed everything I tried there. The plantain chips with Akki dip was fabulous and the curried goat with roti was yummy too, albeit a bit watery for my taste. The hot sauces were really spicy and added all the more to the fun and flavor of this wonderful Caribbean oasis!
Multifaceted in its structure – Miss Lily’s weaves in and out of avatars in its Houston Street location. There are three facets to this spot that you can enjoy.
One is the Miss Lily’s bar/ restaurant part. Then there Miss Lily’s Variety & Bake Shop and Melvin’s Juice Box. This is a West Indian Boutique, record store, casual café, bakery and juice bar all rolled into one. The variety store is home to Radio Lily which is Miss Lily’s Internet radio station where a DJ is live streaming Reggae beats. This creates what they refer to as a “cultural social club”.
Basically what is – is a really cool space to hang out at with great eats at arms reach!
Here is some of what we ate:
Ginger Beer
Jaquitos
Ackee Dip And Plantain Chips
Jerk Chicken
Curried Goat
Roti and Rice and Beans
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Miss Lily’s | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆ ☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| West Village / Jamaican | |
| * Street Address | |
| 132 West Houston St., New York, NY 10012 | |
| * Phone | |
| (646) 588-5375 |
Tableau, The Wynn, Las Vegas
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆☆
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Ahi Tuna Tartare, Open Faced Dungness Crab Club Sandwich
Tableau might be one of the best-kept secrets at the Wynn.
This elegantly whimsical restaurant is tucked away in a serene corner of the Wynn Hotel. Overlooking a pool and garden, Tableau offers a luxurious breakfast and lunch menu. The food here is top-notch as is the service and the prices.
Known for its Saturday and Sunday brunch – Tableau really offers a wonderful respite from the brisk pulse of the Vegas beat.
Here is some of what we ate:
Ahi Tuna Tartare
Open Faced Dungness Crab Club Sandwich
Grilled Vegetable Salad
Chocolate Dessert
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Tableau | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American New | |
| * Street Address | |
| 3131 S Las Vegas Blvd , Las Vegas, NV 89109 | |
| * Phone | |
| (702) 770-3330 |
Bouchon, Las Vegas, NV
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Beignets de Brandade de Morue, Quiche
Bouchon is housed at the Venetian and is known for its clever interpretations of classic French bistro cuisine.
Thomas Keller is a food icon and eating at Bouchon, which is based on his Napa Valley bistro, was one of the most anticipated events of my trip to Vegas.
Unfortunately my experience turned out to be a rather lackluster one. I think it was more to do with the service versus just the food.
Our server was rather edgy which really took away from the kind of comfort and ease I expected the evening to present.
The food was definitely good but nothing blew me away. I thought the appetizers proved to be better than the entrees. The quiche was amazing as were the cod fritters.
However, overall I was disappointed as I had much higher expectations from a Thomas Keller restaurant. I would go back to give it a fair chance – perhaps for lunch next time.
Here is some of what we ate:
Quiche du Jour
Beignets de Brandade de Morue
Gigot d’Agneau
Confit d’Esturgeon
Truite Amandine
Île Flottante
Tarte au Citron
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Bouchon Bistro | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| French | |
| * Street Address | |
| 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard S , Las Vegas, NV 89109 | |
| * Phone | |
| (702) 414-6200 |
Jean Philippe’s Patisserie, Las Vegas, NV
Jaleo by José Andrés,Las Vegas, NV
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Patatas Bravas, Setas al ajillo con La Serena, Espinacas a la Catalana, Patatas Bravas
José Andrés is the culinary mastermind who is credited with bringing authentic Spanish cuisine and the concept of Tapas to the United States.
At Jaleo, which is at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas, Andrés along with Chef Ramon Martinez, offers a delightful blitz of fantastic small plates showcasing the very best of Spanish cuisine.
Andrés has created a remarkable paella pit at Jaleo, lit by all wood fires, which flavors their delicious paella of the night.
The menu is extensive offering over 70 options to diners to pick from. Each dish delights in different ways as do the wonderful drinks. The service at Jaleo is just as charming as the food is. For me, this was a perfect Vegas food spot to kick off an evening of fun.
Here is some of what we ate:
Jaleo Bramble
Gambas Al Ajillo
Espinacas a la Catalana
Setas al ajillo con La Serena
Patatas Bravas
Tortillas de patatas clasica
Pollastre amb Escamarlans
Paella de verduras de Temporada
Gin and Tonic Sorbet
Flan al estilo
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Jaleo by José Andrés | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Spanish | |
| * Street Address | |
| 3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South , Las Vegas, NV 89109 | |
| * Phone | |
| (702) 698-7950 |
Cannelle Patisserie, Jackson Heights, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $
Must try: Croissants,
Cannelle Patisserie is perhaps one of the most unusual finds in its location at a strip mall in East Elmhurst.
This venture was brought to fruition by Jean Claude Perennou and Gnanasampanthan Sabaratratnam – both Ex- Waldorf Astoria pastry chefs.
Cannelle Patisserie offers Manhattan quality baked goods at super affordable prices. The display cases are a riot of colors, textures and artful creations such as, napoleons, éclairs, profiteroles, all kinds of baked pastries and cookies. They also offer a range of fresh baked breads, quiches, tarts and so on. Their crowning glory is their super flaky croissants, gâteau Breton, Saint Honoré and Paris-Brest
The most wonderful thing about this Cannelle – other than its ethereal offerings is how it reflects the diversity of its surrounding in both its clientele and its staff. At Cannelle, people from all ethnicities, across all ages have found a great homey neighborhood spot to stop by and linger at over fabulous eats.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Cannelle Patisserie | |
| * Overall | |
| ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Jackson Heights / American New | |
| * Street Address | |
| 75-59 31st Ave, East Elmhurst, NY 11370 | |
| * Phone | |
| (718) 565-6200 |
Marea, Midtown West, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Crudo, Granchio peekytoe crab, Astice nova scotia lobster
Maialino, Gramercy , NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Mortadella , Tonnarelli
Economy Candy, Lower East Side, NYC
Economy Candy located on Rivington Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan is a New York institution that has been around since 1937. Owned by Jerry Cohen, this sweet stop is stacked with floor to ceiling racks filled with every imaginable kind of candy.
Zabb Elee, Woodside, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$
Must try: Kai Yang, Crab Fried Rice, Larb, Spicy Shrimp with Basil, Pad Thai
Pancho Villa Taqueria, San Francisco,CA
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $
Must try: The salsa bar, any burrito
There is a reason why the Espinoza brothers Taqueria has been thriving in the wildly competitive Mission District of San Francisco for many decades now.
Pancho Villa hits a home run when it comes to satisfying that burrito craving that one often gets. Delivering authentic, fresh Mexican food in huge portions has garnered this spot a huge fan following and several awards over the years.
The line is out the door starting pretty early in the day. Service is helpful and pleasant and the digs are clean enough. What rocks is the fresh salsa bar they have the back of the restaurant, which serves up some of the most unique and tastiest salsas, I have had.
Pancho Villa has all the ingredients in being the a cut above it’s competitive rest.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Pancho Villa Taqueria | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Mexican | |
| * Street Address | |
| 3071 16th Street , San Francisco, CA 94103 | |
| * Phone | |
| (415) 864-8840 |
Tartine Bakery, San Francisco, CA
Food: ☆☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$
Must try: Everything!
The first problem one faces in trying to get to Tartine Bakery is finding it. Located in the Mission District, the only way to identify this spot is by the huge line of people waiting outside to get their share of the outstanding goodies that are being concocted inside.
Stepping indoors one encounters a totally different kind of problem – how not to eat the house?
The display cases flaunt a parade of stunning French inflected baked goods. There are breads, croissants, tarts, puddings, sandwiches, cakes and all kinds of bakes.
The husband-wife team of Chad Robertson and Elisabeth Prueitt are several time winners of James Beard awards as well as many other accolades. Using only the freshest of local ingredients and organic as much as possible, the goodies served here are pretty much ‘off the charts!’
Mark Bittman declares that Tartine Bakery is his favorite bakery in the United States – I might just have to agree!
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Tartine Bakery | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American Traditional / French | |
| * Street Address | |
| 600 Guerrero St , San Francisco, CA 94110 | |
| * Phone | |
| (415) 487-2600 |
Zaytinya, Washington D.C.
Food: ☆☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Any mezze, Kabab platter, Lamb special
Zaytinya is José Andres’s masterpiece in Washington DC.
Set in a striking space, Zaytinya offers modern mezze dishes from the cuisines of Greece, Turkey and Lebanon. The small plate fare here is exceptional. Dishes crafted with zesty vegetables, tender meats and a perfect balance of spices really keep both the palate and the soul gleaming.
The service was outstanding. Our dishes were brought in and whisked away with a gracious efficiency and the quickly disappearing basket of warm pita bread and drinks were constantly replenished throughout our meal. Everyone from our waiter to the maitre d’ kept tabs on how our meal was progressing. The head chef Michael Costa even created a special spicy dip just for us when we asked for a side of hot sauce.
My experience at Zaytinya was near flawless. Other than a slightly chewy octopus dish, there wasn’t a bite or a moment that I didn’t relish at Zaytinya.
Here is some of what we ate:
HOMMUS
TZATZIKI
BABA GHANNOUJE
FATTOUSH
BANTIJAN BIL LABAN
SEASONAL WILD MUSHROOMS
FALAFEL
SPANAKOPITA
KEBAB PLATTER
PEYNIRLI PIDE
OCTOPUS SANTORINI
LAMB KLEFTICO
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Zaytinya | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American New / American Traditional | |
| * Street Address | |
| 701 9th St NW , Washington, DC 20001 | |
| * Phone | |
| (202) 638-0800 |
