NYC Tastes

The wildly popular Spanish Brasserie by Dani Garcia continues to be an absolute mad house most nights.  Show up for lunch and you'll find a much calmer scene with the same excellent food.  I was able to get a booth right by the windows all to myself the other day and ordered the Lobster Salad. Huge, leafy pieces of Romaine structured like a little house held a large chunk of poached lobster.  The greens are dressed with a foamy tomatillo vinaigrette and accompanied by an avocado and spicy mayo roll. The salad may look simple but just like the other dishes I've sampled from Garcia the flavors are bright and exciting.  Manzanilla has a great a la carte lunch menu  and also a $24 Prix fix which includes appetizer's like Spring Garlic Soup and entree's like Hanger Steak with roasted potatoes and chorizo.  If you want to enjoy Garcia's cooking without the crowds this is the ...

Manzanilla is one in a handful of new restaurants that just opened in our neighborhood.  This sprawling Spanish Brasserie from Dani Garcia is a bit hidden off Park Avenue South with big windows up front by the bar and an elegant back room for dining.  So far I've only tried appetizers like the Kale Salad with valdeon blue cheese, poached quail eggs, puffed wheat, almonds and black olive dressing. When I read the description of this salad I knew it would be a winner.  The funky blue cheese, salty almonds and silky egg were a perfect match for the briny black olive dressing.  If only the portion were a little bit larger for the $14 price tag. The Pork Belly Brioche were also tasty.  The buns had a great buttery texture perfect for holding in all the moist, fatty pork.   The service still has a few kinks to work out...there always seems to be a little confusion as to who's doing what at the bar and last time my pou...

It's been a crazy few weeks of openings, closing and renovations here in my neighborhood   Let's start with renovations...Parea has gone from complete Greek to meat with a whole new steakhouse menu.  Now called Parea Prime you can enjoy steaks and chops along with your saganaki plus a full raw bar.  Go between 4-7 for their 6 for 6 happy hour where $6 buys 6 oysters or 6 clams. Parea Prime Right next door to Parea Prime is a brand new restaurant County. The menu boasts small plates such as Waygu Beef sliders and Smoked Chicken Breast.  The decor looks really homey from the outside and every night it's been pretty packed with lots of cocktail drinkers...I'll have to stop by soon and check out the food. County Speaking of cocktails the new Milk and Honey is now open on 23rd Street.  While reservations are no longer mandatory you can still make one through their website if you want to ensure a seat in the ti...