NYC Tastes

It's New Brew Friday, the last day of June and I have a four day weekend coming up.  This is a serious time to celebrate with some local suds the Moon Roof from Hudson Valley Brewery. This hazy orange DIPA has been double dry hopped with Citra, Azacca and Idaho 7 hops giving it strong hints of melon on the nose with big flavors of melon, sweet mango and ripe pineapple with a bright juicy finish.  These guys brew up in Beacon, New York and have been taking over the taps in almost every bar I visited the last two weeks. Really great local brews perfect for this long holiday weekend.  Cheers! Hudson Valley Brewery 2 Churchill Street Beacon, NY 12508

Each June the Specialty Food Association kicks off their annual Summer Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center; three days filled with a staggering amount of the latest and greatest in the food and beverage industry.  This year was the biggest event yet with over 180,000 different specialty food products on the floor. Obviously with that many items I wasn't able to taste everything but I certainly did try (my body is still recovering).  Here are some of my favorites  from the show and some food trends to look forward to in 2017. Healthy beverages continued to dominate the show with hundreds of specialty coconut waters, vegetable driven energy drinks and things like  Oxigen Water  which contains 100 x's more oxygen than regular water by using highly stabilized O4 molecules. It promises increased stamina, higher mental clarity and improved  endurance.  I honestly drank this most of the festival and reall...

Ahhhhh my neighborhood happy hour spot Barbounia.  I love absolutely everything about this gorgeous Mediterranean restaurant.  The long sleek marble bar, the festive music overheard and of course the cocktails I'm a little obsessed with the Basilka made with pressed basil, pear and St. Germain. I also love their small plates like spicy feta with jalapenos and lightly fried rings of calamari. Every food order comes with their incredible fresh baked rosemary bread that's perfect for sharing.  Happy Hour runs from 3:00-7:00 PM seven days a week with deals on wine, cocktails and champagne. Barbounia 250 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10003

It's New Brew Friday and time for a collaboration beer from two great breweries on the east coast Stillwater Artisanal in Maryland and Aslin Brewing in Virginia- Recess.   This beer pours a gorgeous deep pink color with tight little bubbles that cling to the sides and bottom of the glass.  The aroma is big fresh raspberries with a tart creamy raspberry flavor balanced with a hint of lime.  This beer is dry, sour and incredibly refreshing.  Perfect for crushing during this summer heat- Cheers to the weekend! Aslin Beer Company 257 Sunset Park Drive Herndon, VA 20170

Ahhh New York City food crazes... There was the year of the Cronut, the year of the cupcake, the year of the rainbow bagel.  Now it seems like the year of cookie dough has arrive and that's thanks to this tiny new spot  DŌ. My childhood favorite cookie dough right from the bowl now available in multiple flavors and safe.  No more fear of salmonella!   DO offers all sorts of great flavors like Brownie Batter and Oatmeal M&M, Peanut Butter Snickerdoodle and Fluffernutter but I like the classics- one scoop of chocolate chip and a dollop of Sugar Cookie sans topping.  The line stretches across the street and can last up to two hours on sunny days so stop in at open (right around 11:00 am) for a quick bite or be prepared to wait.   Cookie DŌ 550 LaGuardia Place New York, NY 10012

I always get a little stressed out when I'm asked to pick a spot to eat near the Lincoln Center.  There are a lot of great places in that area for sure but I find so many of them to be overpriced and geared towards the tourist crowd.  Luckily the Smith opened its doors a few years ago and although it is also overpriced in my opinion it is easily the best brunch spot in the area that consistently cranks out delicious food with excellent service. Hot Potato Chips layered with a blue cheese fondue and blue cheese crumbles...  ...a decadent Breakfast Pot Pie stuffed with sweet sausage, bacon, eggs and cremini mushrooms encased in a fluffy cheddar biscuit...   ...and the Simple Scramble with home fries and crispy smoked bacon.  Not exactly a healthy meal but certainly a satisfying start to the weekend. The Smith 1900 Broadway at 66th Street New York, NY 10023

Saturday was such a cold, wet mess the only thing Mr. T and I felt like doing was curling up with a big bowl of matcha at Radiance Tea House. I used to frequent the Midtown West location quite a bit but this was my first time at the East Side restaurant.  The space was a bit smaller and more sparsely decorated but the tea and food list was just as extensive as always. After some soothing sips of tea and biscuits an order of Szechuan style wontons arrived. I am absolutely OBSESSED with these dumplings lately.  Ever since Yaso Tangbao took wontons off their menu I have this insane fear deep down that they will be erased from menus everywhere and can't stop eating them.  The radiance dumplings were much firmer than most with big chunks of fresh white meat chicken sprinkled with green onion and cilantro. Mr. T added on an order of Golden Crispy Oversized prawns and these were seriously the biggest shrimp I've ever seen; easily four to five times the size of a regul...

Remember  when I booked a trip with Delta just because Shake Shack was serving breakfast ?Well that was four years ago and finally I no longer have to travel so far for that wonderful food.  The Madison Square Park Shake Shack just started serving breakfast!!!  Now it's just a quick walk across 23rd Street to pick up this incredible spread- a thick Sausage, Egg & Cheese for Mr. T and a Bacon, Egg & Cheese for me... ...delicious cold squeezed orange juice... ...and a warm cinnamon sugar dusted Apple Turnover from Four & Twenty Blackbirds. Breakfast is available every day but I try to save it as a special treat for Sunday mornings. Life just got a whole lot happier in the AM! Shake Shack 23rd Street between 5th & Madison Madison Square Park New York, NY 10010

Steamy hot summer days like today call for lots of AC, a light delicious salad and a crisp glass of Rose to cool down at Jeffrey's Grocery. This lively little spot from the Happy Cooking family  is always buzzing with excitement. The morning crowd dines on fluffy lemon blueberry pancakes and coffee while the afternoon tuns into a menu of cocktails, oysters and a variety of small plates like the crisp Cesar Salad dusted with Parmesan cheese and shrimp. Their Cesar is made with smoked whitefish giving a creamier texture to the dressing and a slightly smoky finish.  It's crisp, cool and refreshing- just perfect for these 90 plus days.  Stay cool! Jeffrey's Grocery 172 Waverly Place New York, NY 10014

If your perfect weekend involves drinking copious amounts of beer, eating delicious hot dogs and hanging with some fantastic people then I got you covered.  Head down to One Mile House tomorrow for Chef Rob's annual Dog Days of Summer event!  There will be an incredible line up of beers from Queens favorite Singlecut Beersmiths including their hazy, hoppy IPA Does Anyone Remember Laughter and their tart fruity Kim Raspberry Berliner Weisse... ...along with an incredible menu of specialty hot dogs created by Chef Rob like the classic NYC Bagel Dog topped with cream cheese, everything seasoning and scallions, the decadent Haute Dog with foie gras, fig jam and truffle mayo and the spicy the Perros Elotes with corn salsa, Oaxaca, chili powder and lime. Delicious dogs, incredible local beer and a great outdoor patio in back to catch some of this wonderful summer sunshine.  Saturday plans secured! One Mile House 10 Delancey Street New York, NY 10002

I was in serious need of an afternoon pick me up last week and stumbled across this cute little spot in the West Village Mah Ze Dahr Bakery.  There were a lot of delicious looking treats in the display case; a thick, slice of Devils Food Cake, a fluffy Brioche Doughnut sprinkled with sugar and round Vanilla Choux balls, but it was the simple Chocolate Chip Cookie that called my name. Small and round with a golden brown top this cookie had just the perfect amount of chew with a buttery brown sugar dough and thin discs of chocolate layered throughout ensuring a piece in each delicious bite. Paired with a frothy Macchiato this was homey, chocolate comfort perfection.  Mah Ze Dahr Bakery 28 Greenwich Avenue New York, NY 10011

This year's Memorial Day Weekend was a bit different than in the past.  Instead of hitting up the usual BBQ's and bottle shares we stayed right in the city for the entire weekend.  Mr. T was still recovering from a brutal cold so we decided to take a break from friends and just enjoy the empty city at a slow relaxing pace with a trip downtown to the Financial District.  Mr. T had never seen the new World Trade Center  Oculus or Brookfield Place so we explored that two spots, then over to the 911 Memorial and the downtown Eataly, through Stone Street until it was finally time for a drink at the new Beekman Hotel bar Fowler & Wells.  Cocktails seemed in order after our long trek- a Pink Lady for me and the Jungle Bird for Mr. T. This spot was opened by Chef Tom Colicchio and it's absolutely gorgeous.  The main room feels like an elaborate old library with large wooden bookcases lining the walls, big plush blue chairs and couches surrounding...

Le Coucou is the newest Stephen Starr restaurant to grace the NYC dining scene.  It's been getting rave reviews since opening last year and most recently took home the James Beard award for Best New Restaurant in May.   The space is absolutely gorgeous.  The entryway is flanked by a beautiful bar to the right with fresh flowers and citrus fruits and a dining room to the left, bright and crisp with long rays of sunshine streaming through the windows onto the white linen tablecloths. I was seated in the middle of the dining room with direct view of the open kitchen in back.  A warm  basket of bread to begin studded with toasted sesame seeds and freshly churned Vermont butter.   Le Coucou offers a two course prix fixe menu at lunch time with an ever changing choice of dishes like Grilled Leeks with hazelnuts, Fried Montauk Eel and Halibut in buerre blanc. I chose the Charred Asparagus with Big Eye Tuna sashimi for my first cours...

I absolutely love that I can jump on the L train any Sunday afternoon and be at Interboro Ales in under 20 minutes (until 2019 at least).  A spot at the wooden bar, an empanada in hand and a flight of fresh brews later and suddenly ahhhh...the day is totally made. Interboro recently started canning and their lasted batch is AMAZING.  Stay G-O-L-D is an IPA inspired by and brewed for  Run the Jewels  with Citra and Mosaic hops then double dry hopped with Mosaic hop dust.   Mad Fat Fluid is also an IPA but brewed with Mosaic, Centennial and Equinox which is then double dry hopped with Mosaic Lupulin powder. These beers are bright and juicy with tons of citrus, pineapple and melon flavors with a dry but balanced bitter finish.  Both are still available by can today in the tasting room and growlers fills of this and other awesome Interboro beers are always ready for growler fills. Get out there and enjoy some awesome local beers today- Happy N...