NYC Tastes

The holiday season is in full swing! Now with the city wrapped in a gorgeous white blanket of snow this morning, it seems like the perfect time to get out and start celebrating. Quintessential NYC- The Plaza Hotel Whether you grew up watching the Eloise Christmas or Kevin in Home Alone just about everyone has a vision of The Plaza during holiday season.  Although the classic Oak Room is still sadly closed the redone Palm Court is a great second choice for a little holiday bubbly. The Plaza Hotel 768 5th Avenue at 58th Street New York, NY 10019 Best Christmas Bar- Miracle on 9th Street Christmas presents hang from the ceiling in shiny boxes, the bartenders have on their best Santa hats and the cocktail menu reads like something straight out of the North Pole.  There's a Christmopolitan with vodka and spiced cranberry, a Christmas Tree Gimlet with pine needle cordial and my personal choice the Bad Santa. It's got two kinds of rum, pineapple juice, coconut ...

I was devastated three years ago when Nancy Olson left Gramercy Tavern to move back to her native North Dakota.  She created some absolutely incredible desserts including my favorite ice cream treat of all time the  Blueberry Corn Sundae .  I honestly thought that masterpiece was gone forever until I found a similar creation just last week at sister restaurant Maialino. Blackberry takes the place of blueberry in this dessert with a rich mascarpone gelato drizzled with caramel sweet corn and blackberry compote then topped with a crispy popcorn cookie.  It's got that incredible sweet and savory balance I love so much and those fresh blackberries really showcase our fantastic New York State farms.  I split this dessert with friends on my birthday and then returned the very next day to have one all to myself :) Maialino Gramercy Park Hotel 2 Lexington Avenue at 21st Street New York, NY 10010

I love living so close to all of Danny Meyers restaurants.  It's so easy to pop into Gramercy Tavern for a bite at the bar, Blue Smoke for some ribs or over to Maialino for a glass of wine and a delicious dessert. The seasonal Strawberry Rhubarb Sundae was catching my eye on my last visit but the Hazelnut Chocolate Bread Pudding won out in the end (as chocolate usually does). Rich eggy cake sitting atop a swirl of hazelnut cream and topped with a dollop of Vanilla Bean Marscapone and Praline crunchies.  Bread Pudding perfection. Maialino 2 Lexington Avenue at 21st Street New York, NY 10010

This week has been absolutely gorgeous.  Walking home over the Brooklyn Bridge with rays of sun on my back, smelling the gorgeous tulips in bloom all around Gramercy Park. It's officially time to put away those heavy red wines and slip into something a bit more light and lively.  I had the pleasure of sipping some fantastic wines perfect for the season last week with winemaker Laurent Prada of Barton & Guestier, the largest importer of French wine in the United States. The Vouvray is their most popular wine made entirely of Chenin Blanc grapes. It has a sweet but vibrant balance of fruit and acidity with flavors of crisp apple, pineapple and white peach.  It's fresh and light bodied; the perfect pairing for fried dishes like Maialino's Baby Artichokes. The Cotes De Provence Passeport Rose was much drier than the Vouvary with honeysuckle and pear aromas.  Rich notes of strawberry and raspberry dance across the palate making this a great wine for ...

Christmas is less than two weeks away so break out those ugly red sweaters and pretend it's not actually a balmy 65 degrees today and hit up some holiday bars with our updated holiday cocktail guide. Quintessential NYC- The Plaza Hotel Whether you grew up watching the Eloise Christmas or Kevin in Home Alone just about everyone has a vision of The Plaza during holiday season.  Although the classic Oak Room is still sadly closed the redone Palm Court is a great second choice for a little holiday bubbly. The Plaza Hotel Best Christmas Bar- Miracle on 9th Street Christmas presents hang from the ceiling in shiny boxes, the bartenders have on their best Santa hats and the cocktail menu reads like something straight out of the North Pole.  There's a Christmopolitan with vodka and spiced cranberry, a Christmas Tree Gimlet with pine needle cordial and my personal choice the Bad Santa. It's got two kinds of rum, pineapple juice, coconut water and c...

Best Christmas Bar- Miracle on 9th Street Christmas presents hang from the ceiling in shiny boxes, the bartenders have on their best Santa hats and the cocktail menu reads like something straight out of the North Pole.  There's a Christmopolitan with vodka and spiced cranberry, a Christmas Tree Gimlet with pine needle cordial and my personal choice the Bad Santa. It's got two kinds of rum, pineapple juice, coconut water and coconut butter served piping hot...so basically like a warm and buttery pina colada.  What's better for the holidays than some nice rosey cheeks after a hot cocktail! Miracle on 9th Street Quintessential NYC- The Plaza Hotel Whether you grew up watching the Eloise Christmas or Kevin in Home Alone just about everyone has a vision of The Plaza during holiday season.  Although the classic Oak Room is still sadly closed the redone Palm Court is a great second choice for a little holiday bubbly. The Plaza Hotel Best Eggn...

I just love this time of year so it's time for me to sign off and spend some good time with family.  If you're looking for some last spots to celebrate the Library Bar at the NoMad is an excellent choice... The room is always cozy but this time of year the brightly lit tree and special holiday drinks like make it extra festive.  Unfortunately they were out of the Egg Nog last time we stopped in so we walked down to another holiday favorite Maialino. They were offering their annual Egg Nog and it's wonderful.  Each one is made to order so the top gets nice and frothy with a solid dusting of nutmeg....Yum....Happy Holidays!

After a long day its nice to unwind.  The bar at Maialino looks directly onto Gramercy Park so it's a serene and peaceful escape from the craziness of the city. Work had been so busy I had missed lunch so I nibbled on a little Pecornio with a thick, sweet honey. Then onto an order of Roasted Squash with a raw squash vinaigrette...simple, clean, delicious flavors. Maialino

Before my parents left to return home we met up for one last meal- brunch at Maialino. I didn’t have a reservation but luckily we got one of the last tables available right around noon. Everything sounded fabulous but finally I decided on the Contadino- Poached Eggs with Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash. Sounds like an interesting combination doesn’t it? The squash was actually in the form of a puree and it covered the bottom of the dish adding a nice sweet element to the eggs. Especially once I cut the eggs up and mixed everything in together. This was a tasty brunch dish for sure but I have to admit a pastry completely stole the show. The Brioche Caramellato looks quiet and unassuming but it’s not. Take the softest brioche, cover the top with a toffee glaze and then toast it so the inside is warm and fluffy and the toffee just drapes around the sides, hugging the dough in a sticky, warm embrace. What’s not to love! Maialino hit on all cylinders and mad...

We’ve done the Rockefeller Center guide but what about some good old fashioned holiday cocktails! First up the classic Egg Nog at Maialino. This delicious frothy drink is a little lighter than most versions and gets a nice dose of nutmeg and cinnamon. Truth be told this picture is from me enjoying last years- hopefully they’ll put it back on the menu soon! Looking for something a little lighter on the waistline? Try Northern Spy in the East Village. This cozy little place specializes in aperitif-driven cocktails- which basically means tasty drinks with a little less alcohol than most cocktails. Usually made from a sherry base or Lillet blanc, Chris Ronis’s creations allow you to enjoy the festive flavors of the year without waking up with that holiday hangover! How about their Salvadoran Fence made from Jalapeño infused Lillet blanc, Punt e Mes, watermelon, basil, lime and Asgoatura bitters. However a little something stronger may be needed when dealing with all the f...

To round out the end of Sunday night we all decided dessert was in order. We had just finished at Eataly so we wandered down to Gramercy Tavern for my favorite German Chocolate cake in the city. Unfortunately the Tavern was packed (damn you holidays) so we made an audible and walked up to Maialino instead. One of Danny Meyer’s other restaurants, Maialino was also busy but the front bar area was wide open. We grabbed a table near the window and decided to continue on our kick of wine. We ordered a bottle of Cesanese di Olevano Romano and hunkered down with the dessert menu. I didn’t really even have to look. I knew my order before even walking inside- one of my favorite Italian specialties an Affogato. I love, love, love gelato and I like espresso just as much so putting these two together was just simply divine. I left Maialino completely satisfied and happy. So there you have it. After an incredibly rough morning, Sunday turned out to be quite a success after all. Maialino

I got an email from Tasting Table about a special menu they were offering last week at Maialino. The items looked tasty and I had been holding onto my $20 gift certificate from Restaurant week, so Monday morning I stopped by for breakfast. The restaurant was so calm and quiet on a weekday morning. It was a little weird honestly. I’m not one to go out for breakfast unless it’s the weekend and usually a mimosa is involved. With the Tasting Table menu I had to choose one item from each category. First up some much needed morning caffeine- my macchiato. Then just moments after my coffee came these sweet little puffs of sugar and dough arrived. These are my Bomboloni con Crema or Doughnuts with cream. The rounds were very light and I truly enjoyed the dusting of sugar on the outside. I was also surprised how much cream was inside. These guys were filled to brim and two were more than enough sweetness to get the day started off right. I was super excited for my main cou...

It’s that time of year again! The time of year when I take a lot of half days at work and punch a further hole in my belt to make room for restaurant week lunching. This past Tuesday was my first summer RW meal and I had a reservation at Maialino. I looked online at the menu and was so excited to see their ever so famous chicken and fried artichokes being offered. It was an absolute downpour when I made my way over and I arrived somewhat soaked. My friend was running late so I took a seat at the bar and watched the sheets of rain as it pummeled the outside. The restaurant was packed and when my friend showed up about 15 minutes later we were given a table in the back corner. Now I’m going to admit our service was pretty shaky at first. We waited for well over five minutes before getting our menus and another 10 before ordering our wine. However we were 15 minutes late so I’m sure that affected their staggered seating technique. Then we had a little snafu with an incorrect wine but ...

I have yet to enjoy a full meal in the dining room at Mailino but the bar has become quite a cozy serene place for a glass of wine and some tasty small bites. We stopped by for some Father’s Day drinks with Mr. T’s parents and enjoyed one of the best appetizer’s I think I have had yet there- the Ricotta Fritta. Fresh churned ricotta cheese is fried but somehow remained almost impossibly light and airy. Pair that with Mailino’s unbelievably tasty tomato sauce with fresh basil and you have one stellar plate of food. These little balls of cheese just melted in your mouth and changed the way I look at fried cheese sticks forever. Another little morsel of delight I had last week wasn’t nearly as wonderful but it still was pretty good- a hot dog from the Boat Basin Café. First of all it looks pretty funny. One lone hot dog in a basket? I think it was supposed to come with potato chips but they forgot. The hot dog was cooked well done just as I like, with some charred bits outside a...