NYC Tastes

It was another crazy and amazing year that seemed to go by way too quickly as always.  Things got off to a great start with the return of  Founders CBS  one of my favorite beers of all time.  I really didn't think this would ever be brewed again so I spent the first two months drinking it as much as humanly possible.  Fried Chicken Sandwiches became all the rage; Fuku , Delaney BBQ and the Brooklyn Shake Shack continue to have epic lines for these crispy creations.  The Blue Hill pop up WastED  was also a huge highlight of the year.  It was amazing to see the community of chefs, farmers and retailers come together to shine light on the extreme waste of food in the industry and celebrate these "leftovers" by incorporating them into incredible new dishes.  And as a personal success it only took me two full years but I finally got a  Cronut !   Of course as time passes the culinary landscape must change and...

My absolute favorite place in Philadelphia is Matyson, a cute little restaurant right in Center City that consistently churns out some of the most creative and delicious food I've ever tasted.  The menu changes all the time but it's always focused on what's fresh and in season. Plus it's BYOB which means Mr. T and I can get creative with the food and drink pairings.  Since our dining companions had just gotten engaged the night before a bottle of Veuve seemed like the appropriate way to kick things off and actually paired wonderfully with my Goat Cheese Gnocchi. Soft little pillows of cloud like cheese studded with crunchy pine nuts and brussels sprout in a duck ragu.  I've had a LOT of gnocchi in my day (thank you my Italian college roommate) but this was one of the most satisfying versions I've ever tasted.  There was just something incredible about that rich duck ragu with those earthy vegetables.  I basically had to fend off my dining companions from fi...

As I look back on the past year I'm shocked by how much delicious food was involved.  I didn't come even close to hitting all the restaurants on my 2013 Wish List.  I made it to only two out of fourteen...yet I still consider this year an incredible success of food and drink moments for both old favorites and brand new places.  To the list! Best Wings-  Pork Slope/Talde This is a complete tie between Dale Talde's two Brooklyn restaurants.  Both are fried in rice flour for an ultra crisp exterior; the first coated in garlic, butter, Sriracha, Franks Red Hot and honey while the second combines crunchy peanuts, sweet chili and hot sauce.  I can't choose between the two and with both restaurants being just blocks apart there really isn't a need to:) Best Foie Gras-  Marc Forgione There aren't enough words to adequately describe how silky and luxurious the Foie Gras is at Marc Forgione.  This may have been the best thing I've eaten all ye...

Remember that fabulous Beet tasting menu I enjoyed in Philadelphia last year?  I loved Matyson so much it immediately went into my top five places of all time. We had a trip planned to Philadelphia this past Sunday and the first order of business was heading back to the restaurant for another meal. The tasting menu on Sunday is slightly different than the week day offering.  They still choose one ingredient for the base but instead of five course there is only four and it's $35 instead of $55.  As always, Matyson is BYOB so when we saw pork as the ingredient we decided to create a beer pairing for each course on our own.  To begin BBQ Pig Tails, birch beer glaze and celery root slaw paired with Russian River Damnation. This is my first experience with pig tails and I have to say it will definitely not be my last....these were amazing!  They were similar in texture to a spar...

As I looked back on the past year I was seriously humbled by the amount of amazing places I've had the opportunity to enjoy.  I am so lucky to live in this wonderful city and don't take a moment for granted.  Hopefully this will serve as a guide for those of you trying to pick out some tasty meals in 2013.  It's not all new for 2012 but it was all new to me! Enjoy! Best Chocolatier- Chocolat Moderne This little shop on the 9th floor of an office building may be challenging to find but impossible to forget. Joan and her husband are creating incredible combinations such as Dark Chocolate Lime Toffee, Salted Espresso Milk Chocolate Caramel and Kalamto Olive with Sea Salt.  The patterns are almost to beautiful to eat but don't let the look fool you...they're way to delicious to leave for eyes only. Best Brunch (High End)-  Locanda Verde From the warm seasonal doughnuts (think apple cider in fall and fresh blueberry in ...