NYC Tastes

Ahhhh...Bar Pisellino, my brand new "happy place" in NYC.    This gorgeous spot from owners Rita Sodi and Jody Williams is absolutely bursting with old school Italian charm.  The long marble bar inside is perfect for sipping mid-day espressos, while the tiny tables out front beg for cocktails and people watching. The Pisellino drink list is split into two categories; Apertivi made with Prosecco and Italian cocktails focusing on gin and vermouth.  Negroni's are my current obsession, but since the temperature has risen I've moved on to the classic Sgroppino. Sgroppino's originated in Venice years ago and are a simple blend of Prosecco, vodka and  lemon sorbet.  These are sometimes served as a dessert but I find them refreshing enough to have at any time.  Lemon, bubbles and a cold creamy body, this i summer in a glass!   In addition to drinks, Bar Pisellino has a small menu of arancini, bomboloni and paninos to snack on, b...

After a quick pit stop at our hotel and a few tasty beverages at J Wakefield, we decided to head to Enriqueta's Sandwich Shop for some Cuban eats.  Unfortunately halfway there I remembered Enriqueta's closed at 7:00 PM each day.  Since it was almost 10:00 PM at this point I had to think fast.  Mr. T was starving and we didn't exactly know the neighborhood we were in...then like a gorgeous beacon of light the sign for Beaker & Gray was suddenly shining bright ahead of us.  Two minutes later we were sitting outside on their patio, cocktails in hand and ready for some food. I was actually still really full from our Kyu lunch and told Mr. T I didn't want anything.  Of course he ended up ordering a bunch of food, which really annoyed me, until I decided I was a little hungry and dove into the Red Shrimp & Uni Risotto. Rich, creamy layers of rice and uni melded together with cheese and green onions, this was every bit as...

2016 saw the closing of two of my favorite cocktail bars of all time; the incredible Russian vodka room Pravda and the formidable Campbell Apartments in Grand Central Terminal.  Unfortunately as 2017 comes to an end another great spot will be closing its doors, the fantastic Temple Bar. My first visit to this fabulous spot was way back in 2003 when Yankees (now manger) Aaron Boone hit a walk off home run against the Boston Red Sox to win the American League Championship Series.  It was easily the best night of my young NYC life.   We had been watching the game at nearby Tom and Jerry's for about six hours prior and decided to move our celebration over to Temple Bar.  I'm not sure if the bar was actually closing down for the night or if the bouncer noticed our glassy eyes, hoarse voices and general rowdy drunkenness, but we weren't allowed inside.  No this place required a bit more reserved behavior, a bit more class; neither of which we had at that mome...

I have a favorite new spot in the city and it's so good I want to keep it all to myself. But that would be a shame because everyone should really check out the incredible food and drinks at ROKC- Ramen, Oysters, Kitchen and Cocktails. This tiny little spot tucked away on the ground floor in Hamilton Heights looks unassuming from the outside.  But don't let those looks fool you; inside the bartenders are whipping up some of the best cocktails in the city like the incredible Thai Tea.  Made with cachaca, condensed milk and absinthe this is every bit as creamy and refreshing as the original Thai Iced Tea with a cute little quail egg on the side filled with an extra shot of liquor. The Pineapple cocktail doesn't look like much from this picture but it was literally on fire upon arrival with red and blue flames shooting up from the tropical blend of vanilla, lime and pineapple on top. This place has a cocktail for just about any palate and th...

It's official- Bar Goto is my favorite cocktail bar in New York City.  I've been coming here for the past two years and each visit I'm still amazed with their incredible Miso Wings tossed with toasted black sesame seeds and scallions.   These are executed to perfection with a crispy exterior and the perfect balance of sweetness and heat.   Of course most people enjoy a fantastic chicken wing but when was the last time celery ever had some wow factor?? Fresh stalks are drizzled with sesame oil then dusted with red shiso, white sesame seeds and salted komba creating a crunchy, nutty side dish that will make you see this tepid vegetable in a totally new light.   The cocktail program has always been excellent at Bar Goto but the two newest menu additions may be my favorite yet.  The tart and sour Jasmine-Apricot 75 made with champagne and gin...  ...and the insanely delicious Matcha Sesame Punch that's both creamy and cool; an absolute must for match...

The theme for day two Eat@ICC focused on food made with freshly milled grains.  My first bite was a traditional take on the grain theme from local duo Jake Novick Finder and Maria Espina of Gristmill in Brooklyn with these warm flaky Garlic Knots topped with Everything Butter or Cacio e Pepe.   Steve Santana from Taquiza in Miami Beach took a different spin on the theme creating Tamal en Cazuela. This was wonderful. The texture was surprisingly soft with the spicy, rich flavor of blood sausage and white olotillo offset by the fresh herbs. My favorite of  the Mill Master theme had to be these amazing Buckwheat Crullers with goat milk custard, blackberry compote and honey miso butterscotch from Melissa Denmark of Gracie's in Providence, Rhode Island. The inside was eggy like a cannale perfect for soaking in the miso butterscotch with a caramelized outer shell. This was so incredible I went back for seconds then thirds...quite possibly the best dessert I'v...

Dollar oyster happy hours are everywhere but finding one where you can actually choose from a few different kinds and add on other raw bar items is a real treat.   Enter Good Night Sonny the newest cocktail bar from the folks behind the Wayland. From 5-7 every day they have special prices on all beer, wine and cocktails like Other Half Superfun, sparkling roses and spicy margaritas. Plump juicy shrimp, super fresh oysters and open windows looking out onto the action of St. Marks (serious action- we saw two people get arrested during our visit).  This is a great new spot to get happy in the East Village.  Good Night Sonny 134 1st Avenue @St. Marks New York, NY 10009

On night two of Star Chef's the conference space turned into a fabulous cocktail party with bartenders from all over shaking up wonderful new drinks.  This year the ever popular Negroni was the theme with cocktail guru's like Jim Meehan pouring an East India Negroni made with Island Rum right beside his PDT predecessor Jeff Bell. Each bartender had a different spin on the drink.  Nacho Jimenez of the Daily created the delicious Solera Negroni made entirely without gin. James Beck from the Patterson House in Nashville, TN created a frothy pink Dee-Dely-Dee made with coconut and cocoa nib infused Ford Gin, vanilla infused Cocchi Americano, Campari, whole egg and dusted with fresh cinnamon. It was great to see some NYC newcomers on scene like Katie Stipe from one of Brooklyn's best new bars Grand Army creating an incredible espresso bean infused Campari cocktail. But it was Williamsburg's Extra Fancy that stole my heart with ...

I absolutely love summer Saturdays in NYC. The streets are empty, the sun is shining bright and everything just feels so peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  It's the perfect time for a relaxing cocktail infused brunch at The Wayland. Everything on the menu is amazing; creamy Avocado Toast, Cauliflower & Egg Sandiwch with jalapeno yogurt and Blueberry Corn Cakes are all sure bets. But for a classic "Big Breakfast" it gets no better than The Man Child; a massive platter of eggs, bacon, fingerling potatoes, brussels sprout hash and sausage bread. It's everything that's amazing about breakfast on one big plate.  The only thing that makes this even better are the incredible cocktails like the Sugar Magnolia with marmalade and orange peel... ...or the refreshing Rose Sour with a twist of mint. Summer in the city just doesn't get much better than this. The Wayland 700 East 9th Street @Avenue C New York, NY 10009

After our cocktails at Donna we walked around Willliamsburg some more then hopped on the train back to Manhattan for one more drink at Booker and Dax the cocktail bar at Momofuku Ssam. I hadn't been inside since this changed from the Duck Ssam counter to the bar and I was pleasantly surprise by the sleek feel to the small space and wide array of drinks on the menu.  The list is broken into four parts- Shaken, Stirred, Carbonated and On The Rocks with a special Shaved Ice section just for summer.  Mr. T ordered the silky Tee-Time made with milk washed tea vodka, lemon and honey while I chose the Watermelon Gimlet; a bright summery drink made with clarified watermelon and lime cordial. This place is dangerously wonderful... each drink was carefully handcrafted by the bartender and went down way too easy.  If we didn't have dinner reservations I think we would have spent the entire night sipping drinks at the bar. Booker and ...

After Luger's we took a stroll around the neighborhood a bit and stopped into Donna for one of their signature draft cocktails.  I was so full from lunch but somehow managed to fit in the incredible Frozen Brancolada made with Branca Menta, Appleton Rum, Coconut Cream, Pineapple and Orange Juice. Mr. T went for the Dizzy Izzy made with Fino Sherry, Plantation Rum, Pineapple and Thai Chilies. Both were fantastic- one fruity and rich and the other light and spicy.  Donna bills itself as "a mini-vacation you can take any day of the week" and I totally get that vibe inside.  There's just a great airy, laid back feel that makes the outside world seem light years away.  I have to remember return during the depths of winter for one of these tropical pick me ups. Donna 27 Broadway Brooklyn, NY 11249

This past week I was invited to the U.S. Cocktail Challenge hosted by The House of Angostura.  It was a face off between East Coast bartenders all vying for a spot in the finals at the fabulous Tales of the Cocktail  in New Orleans and ultimately a trip to Trinidad for the Global Cocktail Challenge finale.   The rules were simple...create two cocktails under six ingredients the first using 5 dashes of Angostura Bitters and the 2nd using Angostura Rum.  Maggie Arts the bartender/manager from  Salt of the Earth ,  Butcher & The Rye  and the brand new  Tako  out in Pittsburgh was the first to compete with her cocktail the Hummingbird's Garden. Spencer Warren (Beverage Director from Butcher & the Rye) was up next with his cocktail Rum for the Money followed by Megan Arts from  Marvel Bar  in Minnesota with the CocoTea and finally Aaron Butler from West Village favorite  L'Artusi  with his drink ...