NYC Tastes

That's correct!  My favorite place in the city for Rugelach and Babka now serves up big puffy Sufganiah too! Just like a Bomboloni, these guys are filled with all sorts of things like raspberry jelly, vanilla custard and hazelnut creme.  They're fluffy and sweet, an amazing treat any time of day but only available for a limited time so get there soon if you want to try one out. Breads Bakery

Remember that beer I just talked about- the incredible Goose Island Bourbon County Stout?  What I didn't mention was that I had to stand outside in the cold for 2 hours in order to get that beer.  Goose Island decided to do a Black Friday release and suddenly I found myself doing exactly what I said I would never do...waking up at the crack of dawn after Thanksgiving to buy something.   Well luckily that something was incredibly delicious and once the beer was secured we were done for the day.  Time to warm up with some breakfast!  We walked over to The Lafayette and and got a table inside the sprawling dining room.  I've always loved this space.  It's changed a lot since the Chinatown Brasserie days...the front door opens onto a bakery where the smell of warm bread permeates the air, the honey blue tiled walls shimmer in the sunlight that comes streaming in from the big windows overlooking Lafayette Street.  It's such bright, bustling place...

I totally missed New Brew Friday so here's a Sunday edition that's seriously worth the wait- the 2013 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. Let's start with the aroma....good lord I could honestly just sit here and smell this beer all day.  Boozy notes of bourbon, raisin, plum and toffee with some nice roasted malts.  The taste is big on bourbon followed by vanilla, cherry, oak and coffee.  It's complex and rich yet smooth and silky with a chewy mouthfeel.  The 2012 release was great but this blows it out of the water for me. This is just an exceptional beer.  Cheers! Goose Island

Bamiyan is a cozy little restaurant in our neighborhood that's been serving up delicious Afghan cuisine for years.  The decor is a little dated but still gorgeous...thick Bukhara rugs line the walls and seat cushions, with regular dining to the side and low tables for those wishing to relax with a hookah perhaps.  We opted for a low lying table by the front window, slipped off our shoes and settled in for dinner.   We began with Kadu, an appetizer of crispy fried turnovers filled with pumpkin. These little guys were so hot I burned the roof of my mouth immediately.  Mr. T had warned me to be patient...something I'm not so good at when it comes to food.  Luckily the yogurt dip cooled the burn a bit and I was able to enjoy the flaky delights of cinnamon and spice releasing some of the pent up steam inside. We were given a basket of chewy house made bread before moving onto one of the main attractions at Bamiyan- Kebobs! We had diffic...

Al Di La has been in Park Slope for years now...fifteen to be exact.  It's a cozy family owned restaurant that just bursts with warmth and love right upon entering the door.   The menu is small but well balanced with a handful of panini's, antipasti, pasta and meat entrees. It was difficult to choose just one thing.  Ricotta Cavetalli, Grilled Bluefish...everything sounded amazing but the Chicken Saltimbocca won in the end.  They pound the chicken flat, wrap with layers of prosciutto and then roast it in the oven after a liberal dousing of garlic, chili flakes and sage.  This dish has a lot going on.  The prosciutto seeps right into the meat giving it a salty crisp shell which then gets intensified by the heat from the chili.  The flavors were incredible and the portion size was huge. I left with a bag of leftovers for dinner and a full happy belly. Al Di La

The newest addition to the Murry Hill scene is Grace.  Located in the old McCormick's space this place has a refurbished bar, a veteran mixologist and a brand new menu.  I'll admit I was a little leery after I paid $9 for a Founders All Day IPA on opening day but I decided to give it another shot when we were strapped for a brunch spot.  We arrived right around 12:30 on a Saturday and the place was virtually empty. The brunch menu had various options from a classic Irish Breakfast to Roast Prime Rib.  I wasn't feeling very adventurous so I went for the Fried Egg Croissant sandwich. This was a pretty standard dish...flaky croissant, american cheese on top and a slab of undercooked hash browns on the side.  I probably could have gotten the same thing done slightly better at my local bodega. The Kale Salad was a better option.  Filled with Parmesan cheese, hazelnuts and a creamy tahini dressing the only thing wrong with this dish was the small se...

Whether that title makes you feel joyful or stressed out, the time is here and there's no stopping it.  Below is my annual Holiday guide with a few updates around the city like Quality Italian and Momofuku Milk Bar. NYC is a wonderful and magical place to visit around the holiday season. The Rockefeller Center tree is gorgeous, all the hotels are decked out in red and gold, holiday pop-up shops fill the parks- what could be better? Unfortunately you have to be prepared for what I can only describe as controlled chaos. You will be wrangled like cattle to see the tree, stand in line at a Starbucks for 30 minutes, not for a caffeine fix but to use the single smelly bathroom and you’ll probably be so pooped out from all of your shopping and touring that you’ll see a TGI Friday’s or Olive Garden and think it’s an oasis in the storm. Two hours later (because you’ll have to wait for a table like all of the other tourists who thought the line at McDonald’s and Subway were too long) you...