Posts

Showing posts from March, 2018

Happy Hour at Boucherie Park Avenue

Image
The newest location of popular West Village Boucherie just opened on Park Avenue South unveiling an absolutely gorgeous interior. All the wonderful elements of the previous tenant Florian remain intact, like the long beautiful bar that wraps around the front, with lively open kitchen added in the back and gorgeous flowers dotting the main room giving the entire space a romantic feminine flair. I stopped in for their "Green Hour" where select wine, cocktails and Boucherie Burger available at the bar for just $12.00. Dry-aged Pat La Frieda Beef topped with caramelized onions, aged gruyere cheese and a side of thick, crispy french fries to make it a filling meal.  Green Hour runs Monday- Friday from 4:00-7:00 PM. Boucherie 225 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10003

Pinch Chinese

Image
NYC has seen a serious influx of new Chinese spots in recent years. Restaurants once confined to Chinatown have been popping up in all new neighborhoods like Jing Fong in the Upper West Side, Tim Ho Wan in Union Square and my new favorite, Pinch Chinese in SOHO.  This sleek spot on Prince Street is run by a former chef from  Din Tai Fung , a Taiwan based restaurant that earned Michelin stars across the globe for its addictive Xiao Long Bao. These soup dumplings are much smaller than most, almost bite sized with a thin exterior of dough that somehow manages to stay perfectly intact.  Inside a mix of pork and seafood soup that's rich and satisfying without that fatty shine of most soup dumplings. These were absolute perfection; I've never enjoyed xio long bao as much as these little pouches of goodness. In addition to traditional dishes like cold Sichuan Chicken and Pan Fried Beef Dumplings Pinch also has more whimsical menu items like spicy Breakfast Dumplings stuffed w

Slow Wine at Eataly Downtown

Image
Slow Wine stopped into downtown Eataly once again this year to showcase wines from their 2018 Wine Guide.   This guide focuses on winemakers who strive to work with respect for the environment, protecting the wine regions biodiversity using sustainable techniques. On hand were some incredible Italian wines like this surprisingly fresh, fruity Dolcetto from Marziano Abbona that burst with flavors of strawberry and cherry. The wonderful 2010 Barolo's from Casa E. di Mirafiore full of plum, black berry and tobacco with a relaxed rich finish. And a stunning 2012 Barolo Riserva from the Franco Conterno family. In addition to these fabulous Italian wines Slow Wine included California producers for the very first time including Littorai Winery. This small, family run vineyard showcased some of my favorite wines of the day including the 2015 Wendling Vineyard Pinot Noir and 2013 B.A. Theiriot Vineyard Chardonnay that had the perfect balance of creamy eleganc

The Grill

Image
To celebrate our wedding anniversary we picked The Grill this year; the old Four Seasons spot located inside the iconic Seagram's Building.  The lounge looks very similar to what it used to with a square shaped bar, big windows overlooking 52nd Street and Richard Lippold's gorgeous but slightly terrifying wire sculpture hanging from center ceiling.   It was quite full with the after work crowd so when Mr. T was announced by the hostess (yes they do this type of thing here) we decided to head to the table for an apertif instead.   Bread Service- grilled Sourdough, Parker House Roll & Pretzel Stick with herb butter.  I'm a little obsessed with great butter and this was definitely up there in flavor; smooth and creamy with a nice balance of chive and garlic.   The Pasta a la Presse~ a dish unknown to both of us before this dinner.  The server brings over a bowl of pheasant, duck and chicken to show the table.  It's then placed inside a big

The Mercer Burger

Image
Checking out an old NYC classic at The Mercer Kitchen; Jean George's market driven New American spot that opened back in 1998. This place was the hottest ticket in SOHO then and seems to be going strong twenty years later with the downstairs dining room almost completely full on a Wednesday evening. I was in a "classic NYC" state of mind so I ordered the signature Mercer Burger~ grass fed beef patty with pepper jack cheese, sliced avocado, red onion, lettuce, tomato and Russian dressing. First of all this thing was sloppy; the slippery avocado caused the meat to slide off the bun and the dressing on top made things even worse.  However it was so insanely delicious the mess just doesn't matter. I ate the entire thing before I even realized what was happening.      Also delicious were the accompanying French Fries done McDonald's style~ thin, salty and perfectly crisp.  I may have liked these even more than the burger!   This might not be

New Beer Friday- Bourbon County Reserve Stout

Image
It's New Brew Friday and to celebrate yet another snow storm in the books, we're opening up a Goose Island Bourbon County Reserve Stout 2017. The base for this beer is the original Bourbon County Stout which has been aged in eleven year old Knob Creek Bourbon Barrels.  This has all the wonderful qualities of a regular BCBS, loads of bourbon, chocolate, oak and vanilla, but with a slightly less sweet, more powerful barrel finish.  This beast of a beer clocks in at a 14.8% and is best enjoyed next to a crackling fireplace.  Cheers to the weekend! Goose Island Brewery Chicago, Illinois

Gramercy Tavern

Image
If I could celebrate every special occasion in life with a seafood platter and a magnum of wine, I would be an insanely happy girl.  Maybe that's not one of the best "goals" to have in life (don't worry I have others) but it's a fact I realized last month when Mr. T and I stopped into Gramercy Tavern for a little celebration.  Being that there were only two of us we skipped the magnum (obviously Mr. T's decision) but went all in for the Tavern's incredible new Seafood Platter.   Big, briny oysters and green apple studded scallops filled the first tier with Red Snapper Ceviche, creamy Lobster Salad and Miso Marinated Shrimp rounded out the second tier.  Everything was wonderful, the highlight being those delicate miso marinated shrimp that practically melted they were so tender. For entrees Mr. T chose the Wagyu Meatloaf with whipped potatoes and roasted vegetables. I had suggested he not order this dish; my mind filled with horrible visi

Torst

Image
Ahhh...Torst.  It had been way too long since Mr. T and I spent a rainy afternoon inside this awesome bar.  Just take a look at this Stracciatella Cheese. Known by most people as the creamy innards of burrata, this version was studded with green ramps, fresh basil and a spicy pepperoni chili oil alongside buttery thick cut She-Wolf Sourdough Bread.   This is a bowl of cheese worth getting up close and personal for... ...paired with a fantastic new Grimm and some of the best bartenders in the city.  This is my idea of the perfect afternoon. Torst 615 Manhattan Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11222