NYC Tastes

2016 was Book of Mormon summer for Mr. T and I.  We were determined to win front row tickets during their daily lottery and showed up Tuesday- Friday for two months straight and NEVER WON. It was incredibly disappointing and we quit all together.   It wasn't until I found myself in Times Square for work last week that I decided to stop by again. This time as I was placing my lottery ticket into the barrel I suddenly felt a bolt of electricity.  Seriously if this had been a movie, magical beams of light, glitter and possibly even unicorns would have come shooting out from all sides.  I knew was going to win that day- and I did! Of course with less than a two hour window between winning the ticket and showtime we had to scramble a little.  I called Mr. T immediately to tell him we finally won and to leave work immediately so we could grab dinner before the show. I started to think of places we like in the area; Danji, Sake Bar Hagi, Don Antonio, etc. ...

Ahhh...there's nothing better than checking out an old favorite after a long break.  Walking down the stairs into this subterranean sake joint I was brought back to so many fun nights spent chowing down on endless skewers of yakitori... ...and pitcher upon pitcher of Sapporo beer. There are some great things in life that never change.  Hopefully Sake Bar Hagi will always be one of them. Sake Bar Hagi 152 West 49th between 6th & 7th Avenue New York, NY 10019

Winter Restaurant Week kicked off on Monday and I went straight to lunch at one of my old favorites,Charlie Palmer's flagship Aureole. It's hard to believe this place has been open for 27 years.  I love everything about it; the gorgeous zinc topped bar, the enormous glass windows overlooking the hustle and bustle of 42nd Street and the warm comfortable service that always makes me feel right at home.  I began with the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare topped with jicama, cucumber and bonito cream in a citrus broth.  The acid from the fruit gave the dish a gentle delicious "pop" without overtaking the fresh flavor of the fish. Braised Short Rib with pearl barley, horseradish and watercress was an absolute monster of an entree. There was easily enough food here for three people and while the meat was falling off the bone tender I was hoping for a little more flavor from the pearl barley.  It tasted more like an afterthought than a true component to the dish. ...

Working in Times Square just got a whole lot better last week.  NYC's newest food hall City Kitchen finally opened its doors and unleashed a slew of great food options.  There's a couple East Village favorites like Whitman's flipping their incredible burgers... ...and Luke's Lobster churning out all three of their rolls Lobster, Crab and Shrimp. One of my neighborhood favorites Ilili Box has all sorts of Mediterranean delights like their rich Duck Sharma, Phonecian Fries and crispy Brussels Sprout topped with mint yogurt and fig puree. Ramen fans won't be disappointed with Kuro Obi.  The Kuro Moderne from this Ippudo offshoot is just as porky and rich as the original and the fat, delicious Hirata Pork Buns make an appearance as well. Azuki has a long sushi counter at the end of the hall with fresh sashami, house rolls and salads. Plus there's all sorts of tacos from Gabriela's Taqueria including Al Pastor, Cr...