NYC Tastes

The new Hudson Yards opening has completely changed my quality of life at work.  What was once a desolate wasteland of crappy bodegas and a lone Subway sandwich shop, has now exploded into an actual food and drink destination.  Restaurants by world renown chefs Thomas Keller, David Chang and Michael Lomonaco dot the upper floors of the mall, while the incredible Chef Jose Andres took over the basement with Mercado Little Spain.  I've heard this space being referred to as the Spanish Eataly; guests can eat, drink and shop as they peruse the different market stalls. But the focus here is much more on the prepared foods than bringing ingredients home to cook on one's own.   I was solo on my first visit to the tapas bar La Barra, where I could sit and order food and drink without moving around from kiosk to kiosk.  My glass of Spanish Rose was absolutely delicious but at $17 a glass the meager pour I received was disappointing to say the le...

StarChefs kicked off it's 12th Annual Congress Sunday at the Brooklyn Expo Center with a star studded line up of chef's slinging some incredible eats.  My first bite of the day was from local boy Chef Jeff McInnis of  Root & Bone in the East Village with a decadent Pork Belly Biscuit drizzled with Nespresso Whiskey Maple Syrup. The theme for the Congress this year was "Cook Your Culture" encouraging chefs to cook using the flavors and techniques that define them as individuals.  This could be seen in every facet of the conference from the giant Roasted Skull Island Prawns with Calabrian chiles... ...to the toothsome udon noodles and fried garlic in the Pork Belly Ramen from Chef Jeffrey Hansell of  Ox lot 9  in New Orleans.  These Chefs were all cooking straight from the heart. American Food Carts was the theme for Sunday's Eat@ICC and what's more American than the hot dog. Chef Greg Laketek brought the Chicago heat w...