NYC Tastes

Summer weekends call for festive, fruity tiki drinks and King Thai has some of the best. This tiny Miami themed spot in Crown Heights not only whips up amazing cocktails like the Pina Banana with with rum, pineapple and banana milk or the Monk's Respite with gin, coconut and honey, but also offers a fantastic selection of wine and beer which includes a rotating selection of Hill Farmstead . Of course all these great beverages are best paired with their big, crispy beef and cheese empanadas.  But for those that don't love empanadas (who are you strange people) King Thai also allows guests to bring in their own food to nosh on.  Is there anything not to love about this spot?  King Thai Bar 1095 Bergen Street Brooklyn, NY 11216

Missy Robbins brand new Willamsburg spot Misi  is currently the hot topic of conversation on the NYC food scene.  But while critics continue to argue the merits of this newest venture, we've decided to head back to the original Williamsburg debut, the bright and beautiful Lilia for the Sheep's Milk Agnolotto. A meal at this casual Italian gem begins with a few small snacks at the bar, a bowl of chili powder potato chips and peanuts dusted with fresh rosemary. The foccaccia of the day, a warm savory round with grilled onions and Parmesan cheese served with a dollop of whipped ramp butter.  I would officially like to add this butter to everything I eat moving forward, it was so good! Then onto the famous Sheep's Milk Agnolotto; soft pillows of yellow pasta bursting with sweet ricotta cheese in a honey and saffron sauce with dried tomato.  It's like a happy little oasis right inside a bowl.  Lilia will be celebrating its 3rd anniversary in ...

Pancakes have never been something I seek out in restaurants.  I see them mostly as a vessel for maple syrup and butter (two of my favorite condiments) rather than a crave worthy brunch dish. However after just one bite of the pancakes at Chez Ma Tante last weekend, my mind has been changed forever.  These beauties arrived piping hot with a spongy, fluffy interior and a crisp, almost brunt exterior that left the edges of each cake crunchy and slightly caramelized.  On top a heavy dose of pure Vermont Maple Syrup and a pat of rich, creamy Normandy butter.  These pancakes were perfect; soft enough for soaking up all that wonderful syrup but crisp enough to give each bite a satisfying crunch.   In addition to the incredible pancakes Chez Ma Tante has some fantastic brunch cocktails beyond the usual Bloody Mary or Mimosa.  Mr. T ordered a refreshing John Daly (iced tea, lemonade & beer) while I sipped on the Pick Me Up Negroni with espresso. ...

I love New York so much.  Just when I think I've seen everything, I find something completely new and different, like the fantastic Jordan's Lobster Dock.   Located on the very tip of Sheepshead Bay this family owned fish market and clam bar has been serving up delicious seafood since 1938. I knew I was about to have a great experience, when this giant yellow  fisherman greeted me from down the road. The restaurant itself is quite small with about 10 tables inside, a bar, an outdoor patio and a fish market in the very back (plus a huge TGI Fridays behind that seemed terribly out of place). I had been planning to dive into some big, briny oysters but the spring weather suddenly turned back into winter on my walk and I realized a soup would be a much better option.  Jordan's Lobster Bisque was the perfect choice; thick and buttery with chunks of fresh lobster dotting each delicious bite. This soup was just one of the ma...

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  

I don't usually get too excited about Italian fare but Barano in South Williamsburg has been invading my dreams consistently since the last visit.  Helmed by Chef Albert Di Meglio of Rubirosa, this cozy little spot is churning out some seriously incredible food.  Let's start with the pizzas, all of which are made in their gorgeous wood burning pizza ovens. The crust is thin and crispy with charred edges that make a satisfying snap when cut using their special metal pizza scissors.  The list of toppings change frequently but I highly suggest the Kabocha Squash Pizza with gorgeous stracciatella cheese, spiced crema and speck drizzled with an aged balsamic vinaigrette. The second thing I love about Barano are their inventive pastas, specifically the Saffron Gigli. These toothsome orange noodles are dusted with a layer of pecorino cheese and black pepper then doused in a Calabrian Honey Sauce.  It's both spicy and sweet a...

Staying local once again this New Brew Friday with an absolutely fantastic brew from Equilibrium Brewing in Middletown New York.   Equilibrium uses a Mass Brewing Balance system which researches how to balance and maximize the flavors in beer.  The DHop2 was an exploration into the symmetry of their ale strain with a strong dose of Mosaic and Citra hops.  The result is a hazy frothy Double IPA that tastes like fresh squeezed orange juice with a hint of pine bitterness. This was an incredible brew that I enjoyed at one of my favorite Brooklyn beer spots Gold Star Beer Counter .  Cheers to the weekend! Equilibrium Brewing 22 Henry Street Middletown, NY 10940

I love fall for all sorts of reasons- the crisp cool October air, the changing leaves and all the amazing food events in New York City.  It's such a great time to be a food lover in the city.  Here are my top three picks for this great season: Sunday October 22nd- Tuesday October 24th StarChefs International Chef's Congress-  Some of the worlds best chefs and industry icons descend upon the Brooklyn Expo Center this weekend to showcase the techniques, knowledge and flavors that define them through the theme "Cook Your Culture."  Chef José Andrés will kick off the event with An Ode to the Immigrant Cook while presentations by Pierre Herme, Wylie Dufresne and Michael Ruhlman are just a few of the great culinary masters on the star studded lineup.  We're especially excited about the first ever Wing Battle taking center stage on Tuesday afternoon.  Full Congress passes or individual day tickets are still available on the StarChefs website....

Today's New Brew Friday we're heading just a few blocks north of Other Half to check out Folksbier in Carroll Gardens. This new little brewery is quite possibly the cutest little log cabin I've ever seen.  It's what I'll refer to as "Brooklyn Rustic" with an open window overlooking a garden out front with a view of brownstones in the distance. Wood panels and picnic tables fill the long tasting room with gorgeous detailing of animals etched onto the tops of the bar stools. The tasting room has a mix of ales, German style pilsners and some fruit forward Berliners on draft.   I tried out Recurring Dreams 6 & 7; both tasty Oat Pale Ales the first finished with Lemon Drop and Wakatu hops and the second with Citra & Mosaic.   Folksbier has a small list of cheese and pretzels just perfect for enjoying alongside some fresh beers. We came here after a particularity crazy release at Other Half and the quiet rustic ambiance wa...

The approaching Fall season always makes me think of three things-  food festivals, football and beer. And even though we still have a few weeks of summer left, there's some great events coming up this weekend to start the celebration. All Star BBQ 2016 Taste Talks - This three day conference is coming back to Brooklyn for the 5th year in a row with a weekend full of tastings, food panels and awards curated by the great chefs Wylie Dufresne and Andrew Carmellini.   Friday night kicks off with the Tasty Awards at the Weylin Hotel where some of the biggest industry influencers like April Bloomfield (Spotted Pig), Amanda Cohen (Dirt Candy) and Ken Oringer (Toro) will present awards in 30 different culinary categories.   Saturday the symposium takes places with demos and tastings around sushi, wine and cocktails alongside the Future Food Expo which showcases everything new and exciting in food from around the world.  Sunday the fun continues with the ...

It's New Brew Friday and today I'm checking out NYC's newest beer spot Circa Brewing which just opened shop about 5 blocks from my office in Downtown Brooklyn. This massive brewery is located on Lawrence Street, directly across from my weekday dumpling spot Yaso Tangbao .  It has a small outdoor seating area up front... ...and a long wooden bar that snakes around the front room showcasing all of their steel brewing tanks.  Danny Bruckert, former head brewer for Sixpoint Brewing in Red Hook, is in charge of the beer operations and focused on creating easy drinking session beers.   When I stopped in the beer list included three different IPA's, a Pilsner, a Pale Ale and a Nitro Stout. All four I tried out were solid but the Double IPA really stood out for its wonderful tropical flavors and light body that hid the 8% abv.     In addition to house beers Circa has a small list of wines and cocktails and a food menu with various pizzas, veg...

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...

Memorial Day weekend- WooHoo!   Time to break out the white pants, pop up some rose and start hitting up all those rooftops, patios and park parties.   This city has a ton of great events going on all weekend long but here’s a few especially for the food focused.   We even included something on Tuesday night for those who wish to extend the holiday weekend just a little bit further. Saturday May 27 th - Fried Chicken Doughnut Collaboration Southern food favorite Root & Bone and the incredible Doughnut Project are teaming up this weekend to serve a fantastic Fried Chicken Doughnut sandwich.  This isn’t just a regular doughnut either; it’s a Maple Bourbon Tabasco Glazed doughnut!  The sandwich is available at Root & Bone and the doughnuts will be at Doughnut Project all weekend long. Sunday May 28 th - Soft Shell Crabs at Toloache Celebrate Memorial Day by digging into some the seasons first Soft Shell Crabs in taco form at ...

I'm a big fan of Greenpoint craft beer bar Torst.  Ever since it opened four years ago I've spent hours upon hours sampling their rotating drafts, scouring through the massive bottle list and chatting with the incredible bartenders.  However one thing was always missing from the total bar experience- the bar food.  They had the wonderful Michelin starred Luksus in the back room where I enjoyed an  incredible tasting menu ; but unfortunately that was just way to expensive for a casual beer drinker most evenings and has since closed its doors. In its place Torst has opened up the back room for more bar seating with a brand new a la carte menu of incredible dishes like Fried Maine Shrimp Sandwich with celery gribiche and hot sauce, a traditional Danish Hot Dog topped with scallions and daikon kimchi and the French Montana; a rich tender short rib sandwich topped with melted gruyere cheese and horseradish. The food is inventive and delicious, much more ...

It's always nice to find some drink specials during happy hour but how about some killer Double Decker Broccoli Tacos for just $5 a piece as well- enter No. 7 Brooklyn. This lively spot stuffs a hard shell taco full of chopped broccoli and creamy feta cheese then tops it with crispy fried shallots and wraps it all in a soft tortilla shell layered with black bean hummus.  It may seem a bit strange and may not even sound that good to some people but I have yet to meet a person who doesn't love them. Add on a cocktails like the Trigger Happy made with aquavit, vodka and Thai basil or a classic Negroni for the perfect after work pit stop. No. 7 Restaurant 7 Greene Avenue  Brooklyn, NY 11238

It's kind of ridiculous when I think about how much of my life is spent just hitting the F5 button trying to purchase various event tickets.  There's been all sorts of concerts, numerous beer festivals, way too many restaurant reservations (looking at you Momofuku Ko) and most recently for pizza from Margot Pizza in Brooklyn. This pop up inside Emily restaurant is hosted just once a month by Slice founder and Serious Eats writer Adam Kuban, the guru of pizza in NYC.  The specialty here is bar pie (my favorite style) served thin and crispy from the wood fired oven. Each ticket gets one drink and one choice of pie from a small menu of eight different varitites.  We decided to split our pizzas starting with the classic Margot-rita with tomato sauce, romano, cheese, basil and oregano and the Collaboroni with pepperoni, pickled jalapenos and post oven honey. Both pizzas were ultra thin with slightly burnt edges loaded with cheese. I absolutely  loved ...

Rainy days like today call for some serious lunch time comfort eats; which in Downtown Brooklyn means a bee-line to Yasa Tangbao and their incredible Shanghai Street food.  The specialty of the house are dumplings, handmade and filled with plump crab meat, veggies, pork and broth. But recently they added a new dish, the Chili Oil Wontons that I absolutely dream about. Tight little purses of pasta stuffed with ground pork and drizzled in a sweet and savory sauce of vinegar, chili oil and garlic. There's no filler or grease here- just spicy, Sichuan style wontons light as air and deeply satisfying. In addition to dumplings a variety of rice and noodles dishes are served with the famous Shanghai lion-head; a large meatball made from pork and cabbage in a rich, dark brown sauce.  It's the perfect place to warm up on a rainy Monday! Yaso Tangbao 148 Lawrence Street Brooklyn, NY 11201

I realized the other day that I hadn't been out to Brighton Beach in over two years.  I love exploring the city but somehow this section is just far enough off the grid that I completely forget about it; which is a shame because it's a fascinating spot.  This area also known as Little Odessa, a nod to the Ukrainian city where many of the residents come from, feels light years away from NYC.  Restaurants boast over the top Old World decor (the more gold the better), vodka is the local drink of choice and everything is in Russian.  EVERYTHING.  Just walking into the various stores and restaurants you are greeted with  привет  instead of hello and many people don't seem to know English at all, or at least they pretend not to. I began my little journey at the Wise Espresso Bar on Coney Island Avenue.  This cozy, owl themed coffee bar was absolutely hopping with a mix of couples and friends enjoying house specialties like the creamy Caffe Vienn...