NYC Tastes

This was a crazy and amazing year filled with lots of great food, friends and travel.  It began in January with a fantastic trip to San Diego with my parents.  They learned more about beer on that trip than they probably ever cared to know hitting up spots like Alpine, Ballast Point  and Societe Brewing .  Then Mr. T and I spent a few days in Florida  before embarking on an absolutely incredible trip to Copenhagen  and Brussels  with our close friends and certainly the best beer festival of my life the  Copenhagen Beer Celebration .  Add in a few trips to Buffalo,   Vermont  and Nashville  and I would say we've been pretty busy.  But in the end it's always NYC that holds the biggest spot in my heart.  This year the food was better than ever and with new breweries like  Third Rail  and  Other Half  joining the leagues of Peekskill, Kane and Barrier there's never been a better tim...

One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is an annual trip to midtown for tree gazing in Rockefeller Center, shopping in Columbus Circle and of course gingerbread house delight at Le Parker Meridien.  Every December City Harvest hosts the Gingerbread Extravaganza to raise money for the coming year and showcase some of the best bakeries in the city.  All the creations are amazing but a few really stood out like the Domino Sugar Factory created by Sullivan St. Bakery... Going Ape Over New York by Cake Alchemy... ...and my absolute favorite Breakfast at Tiffany's created by FIKA. I actually completed all of my shopping after the gingerbread tour and had an extra hour to spare!  Just enough time for a quick holiday drink at The Plaza. The Palm Court has been completely redesigned with an open bar in the middle just perfect for a relaxing glass of champagne.  Cheers to the holidays! Gingerbread Extravaganza The Palm Court

I've been a big fan of Marcus Samuelsson since his early days at Aquavit.  I can still remember the first time I had brunch there with Mr. T's family about 12 years ago.  It was a smorgasbord of pickled veggies, cold seafood salads and just about every single kind of herring imaginable.  All of us kids were expecting a brunch more heavy on bacon and eggs than herring but we dove right in and made the best of it.  I remember having one shrimp salad that was almost florescent pink in color.  It was an enlightening experience to say the least... Obviously my tastes towards Nordic cuisine have since changed but that wouldn't even matter at Samuelsson's newest place. The Red Rooster celebrates American cuisine and the culinary traditions of the neighborhood of Harlem.  Actually the only Swedish thing I saw all afternoon was a special holiday Glogg everyone was drinking Red Rooster offers two lunch menus; a special 3 course prix fix for $25 ...

Sometimes the best thing to do during the holidays is put on some holiday music, bake some cookies and craft a delicious cocktail in your very own kitchen.  For just those times here's a recipe for a classic cocktail recreated with the honey and spice of Drambuie Scotch Liqueur: DRAMBUIE   Alexander In a mixing tin half-filled with ice, add:         4 parts DRAMBUIE          2 part Tia Maria           2 part Half-and-Half           1 part Egg Beaters           2 tsp. Sugar  Shake to froth, strain into a snifter;       Garnish with fresh-grated nutmeg. Drambiue

Best Christmas Bar- Miracle on 9th Street Christmas presents hang from the ceiling in shiny boxes, the bartenders have on their best Santa hats and the cocktail menu reads like something straight out of the North Pole.  There's a Christmopolitan with vodka and spiced cranberry, a Christmas Tree Gimlet with pine needle cordial and my personal choice the Bad Santa. It's got two kinds of rum, pineapple juice, coconut water and coconut butter served piping hot...so basically like a warm and buttery pina colada.  What's better for the holidays than some nice rosey cheeks after a hot cocktail! Miracle on 9th Street Quintessential NYC- The Plaza Hotel Whether you grew up watching the Eloise Christmas or Kevin in Home Alone just about everyone has a vision of The Plaza during holiday season.  Although the classic Oak Room is still sadly closed the redone Palm Court is a great second choice for a little holiday bubbly. The Plaza Hotel Best Eggn...

It's about that time of year so I'm rolling out my holiday guide once again.  This is just a break down of places to go in Rockefeller Center/Times Square area. Later in the week we'll get into the good stuff with a listing of the best places for holiday drinks! 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 tired 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 though...

Benchmark is a cozy little place in Park Slope  just off the main drag of 4th Avenue.  The restaurant has a gorgeous canopy out front and a tiny but cute bar inside, not to mention one of the best prix-fix deals in town. Benchmark offers a three course lunch with options like Lobster Bisque, Braised Beef Short Rib and Pan Seared Crab Cakes for the incredible price of $18. I was eyeing the Lobster Bisque but then I read the full description of the salad and was completely won over.  Organic Seasonal Lettuces with crisp yuca, radish confit, goat cheese and truffle vinaigrette. I can't pass up anything with truffle these days and this dressing was just what I love... strong earthy truffles mixed with big dollops of creamy goat cheese...the perfect pairing.  Onto entree the Benchmark Burger with hand cut fries and homemade fixins. The burger comes with your choice of cheese and they place it directly on the bottom bun of the burger rather than on top of ...