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Showing posts from November, 2017

The Dish at Bar Pitti

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Bar Pitti is certainly no secret.  This tiny little spot on 7th Avenue South draws huge crowds for its affordable pasta, great al fesco dining and the possibility of a celeb sighting from its A-list of regular customers.  But when people finally get that coveted table many times they have no idea what to actually order.  This is NOT the time to ask the waiter for recommendations.  The Bar Pitti wait staff are notoriously rude trying to deal with so many customers at once.  In order to have the best experience possible look at the menu prior or just follow my advice and order the best thing on the menu- the Pappardelle a la Fiesolana. Big, thick stands of homemade pasta studded with smoked pancetta, tomato and parmigiana cheese in a wonderful cream tomato sauce.  It's not overly creative but it's so damn delicious you'll find your entire plate clean within seconds.   Which is good, because then you have plenty of time to run downstairs to the ATM when you realize this

Riso e Risotto at Eataly

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There are so many reasons to be thankful this year.  I'm honestly always thankful to have Eataly in my neighborhood but this year I'm even more thankful because they're hosting a pop up called Riso e Risotto.  Located in the Le Verdure restaurant this pop up is all about the rice based dishes of Northern Italy and the king of Italian rices Carnarali.   The menu includes five different Risottos with various toppings like mixed mushroom & thyme, Bartlett pear & mascarpone or simply the classic with butter and parmigiana cheese.  Alongside the rice dishes are a slew of new Le Verdure specialties including these pillowy Pumpkin Gnocchi's topped with cheese, melted butter and crispy sage. It's also truffle season at Eataly so every dish is available with white or burgundy truffles for an extra price.  There's never been a better time to Eataly. Riso e Risotto At Le Verdure- Eataly 200 5th Avenue New York, NY 10010

Beating the Cold at Beechers Handmade Cheese

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I've been battling a terrible cold the past few days and in serious need of some comfort food.  Of course nothing says "comfort" more than a thick, creamy bowl of tomato soup and a melty Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Beechers Handmade Cheese is only four blocks from my apartment and a total lifesaver in this situation of illness. Their tomato soup is super chunky with shreds of melted Parmesan cheese inside and loaded with crunchy croutons.  Of course I always ask for my croutons on the side in favor of dipping my sandwich directly into the bowl instead.  It's not exactly proper dining etiquette but honestly when you have a bad cold who really cares.   Beechers Handmade Cheese 900 Broadway at 20th Street New York, NY 10003

A Little D.C.Dining

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The last two months of my life has been absolutely insane.  So insane that I never even got around to talking about my quick trip to D.C. where we ordered just about everything on the brunch menu at Kyirisan.  To begin their amazing pastry platter. Doughnuts Holes glazed with red miso, strawberry and Bavarian creme alongside flaky croissants, buttery biscuits and two wondrous pastry delights; the Molly's Pocket, a chocolate and coconut caramel glazed square stuffed with cream cheese and the Vanilla Custard Bao; a delightful spin on that doughy dim sum staple topped with a crackly creme brulee glaze and stuffed with creamy vanilla bean custard.  Continuing on with the sweet portion of the meal with a stack of thick, fluffy Blueberry Pancakes topped with a huge square of Yuzu Butter... ...before moving into more savory dishes like this towering Panko Crusted Chicken Sandwich with cheddar cheese, lettuce, pickles and avocado all topped with a truffle aioli on a bri

New Brew Friday- Fifth Hammer Brewing

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It's New Brew Friday and today we're checking out the brand new Fifth Hammer Brewing in Long Island City, Queens.  This enormous spot opened by former Gun Hill and 508 Gastorbrewer Chris Cuzme boasts 15 barrels and a huge tap room filled with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs perfect for lounging on a weekend afternoon. We tried out quite a few of their selections and our two favorites were the bright sour berliner weisse Cherry Giggle Gaggle and the crisp hoppy pale ale Tasty Feelings.  In addition to the awesome glassware all of the tap handles are made from actual hammers which makes for a fun unique atmosphere.  This area of LIC is becoming its own little beer hub with other great spots like LIC Beer Project and Transmitter just blocks away.  Cheers to New Brew Friday! Fifth Hammer Brewing 10-28 46th Avenue Long Island City, NY 11101

Brunching at Markt

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Cold windy Saturdays are the perfect excuse to stay under the covers an extra hour or two, lounge around all morning in PJ's and finally ease into a delicious neighborhood brunch.  Markt was actually my favorite restaurant when we moved to NYC about 15 years ago.  Back then it was located in the Meatpacking District and was one of the few places in the city to get a good Belgium beer.   Of course now Belgium beer is everywhere and the new location on 6th Avenue, while not quite as fancy, has still got a great vibe and a fantastic menu for any time of day.  My Eggs Benedict was absolutely on point; a perfectly poached egg drizzled with Hollandaise sauce on top of crispy Canadian Bacon and a side of sliced potatoes. Mr T couldn't resist one of the freshly baked croissants; flaky and buttery with the perfect amount of chew and sidled by butter, jam and Nutella. I couldn't resist adding on a bright springy Juniper Splash with gin, prosecco and blueberry shrub to

StarChefs Congress Day III

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The StarChefs Congress closed out this year with a festive celebration entitled Bad Hombres y Mujeres.  Which was a really incredible array of some bad ass chefs cooking some of my favorite food in the world- tacos!  Luis Acre Mota & Rigo Cervantes from LES spot La Contenta were grilling up some delicious octopus tacos alongside a gorgeous and refreshing hibiscus cocktail. Top Chefs contender Katsuji Tanabe from Mexikosher on the Upper East Side was doling out some creamy Corn Esquites layered with cheese and paprika...   ..while Chef Jake Rojas of Tallulah's Taqueria in Providence, Rhode Island cooked up my favorite dish of the day Tacos de Lengua con salsa fesca (Beef Tongue Tacos). The meat in this taco was incredible.  So rich and tender; held together by a perfect corn tortilla and a douse of fresh lime juice with hot sauce.  I honestly haven't had a Beef Tongue dish of any sort in years and this was a fresh reminder to never shy aw

StarChefs Cocktail Congress

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Monday night the StarChefs Congress turned into an incredible cocktail party with mixologists from all over the country shaking up fabulous drinks.   I kicked off the night with a bit of bubbly from Jacob Tschetter of  Grand Army  in Cobble Hill.  His Strawberry Champagne Mojito was a beautiful and refreshing start to the evening.  Kevin Denton, former bar director of WD-50 and current mixologist for  Pernod Ricard  created a bright green Emerald City with Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Gitana Fino en rama Sherry, apple juice, honey and  the ever popular matcha.    Easily the most creative drink of the night came from A-K Hada of  Please Don't Tell  in the East Village.  Her Peking Duck cocktail managed to bring the savoriness of this classic Chinese dish from dinner plate to shaker glass. Mixologist Jeremy Oertel from Brooklyn favorite  Donna  went tropical with a creamy pineapple Brancolada of rum, Branca Menta and coconut cream. Yeal Vengro