NYC Tastes

To celebrate our wedding anniversary we picked The Grill this year; the old Four Seasons spot located inside the iconic Seagram's Building.  The lounge looks very similar to what it used to with a square shaped bar, big windows overlooking 52nd Street and Richard Lippold's gorgeous but slightly terrifying wire sculpture hanging from center ceiling.   It was quite full with the after work crowd so when Mr. T was announced by the hostess (yes they do this type of thing here) we decided to head to the table for an apertif instead.   Bread Service- grilled Sourdough, Parker House Roll & Pretzel Stick with herb butter.  I'm a little obsessed with great butter and this was definitely up there in flavor; smooth and creamy with a nice balance of chive and garlic.   The Pasta a la Presse~ a dish unknown to both of us before this dinner.  The server brings over a bowl of pheasant, duck and chicken to show the table.  It...

Monday morning I woke up feeling surprisingly calm.  Usually on days off I completely overwhelm myself with ideas on how to spend the day.  Perhaps I'm finally learning to relax or perhaps the holidays this year beat all the excitement out of me.  All I know is I just wanted to find a place to completely unwind; so I headed to Fairfax. This cozy little cafe in the West Village was completely full when I arrived with people casually eating lunch, grabbing a cup of coffee or working on their laptops with a glass of wine.  I got incredibly lucky with the last seat at the bar and ordered the Fairfax special.  Each day from 11:30-6:30  Fairfax offers a plate and a glass of wine for just $24 with options like Roman Gnocchi with charred onions, citrus laced Diver Scallops and one of my favorite dishes Steak Tartare.   Those who enjoy a thick cut tartare will love this rendition with big chunks of raw meat drizzled with olive oil and...

I absolutely love Sunday afternoons with nothing to do.  I suppose I could use the time to clean the apartment or run some errands but it's so much nicer to just go for a long walk instead and relax with a solo dinner at Balthazar. Their incredible Steak Tartare chopped with capers, cornichons and anchovy then served with crispy slices of baguette and a lovely glass of Bordeaux. This classic NYC restaurant is always lively and bustling.  Even when Mr. T and I had our somewhat secret court house wedding we got the very last table in the bar area at 10:30 on a Friday morning.  And we certainly weren't the only couple drinking a bottle of champagne at that early hour either.  It's just one of those magical spots that everyone seems to love.  Simple, delicious Sunday at its finest. Balthazar 80 Spring Street New York, NY 10012