NYC Tastes

It seems like everyone is talking about Chef Justin Smillie's Upland. The newest of the STARR restaurant's to hit the neighborhood was jam packed on a recent Tuesday evening. We barely squeezed our way onto the last bar stools just minutes before the bar area swelled to three people deep and it was only 5:00.  I'm not exactly a big fan of crowds so I quickly ordered a glass of wine and the one dish I wanted to try most Beef Tartare. It's always cool to see the various tartare preparations in the city; here the beef is topped with puffed faro and black trumpet mushroom with egg yolk and anchovy powder on the side.  The farro imparts a spongy texture to the meat while the anchovy brings a salty aquatic flavor that's strangely satisfying. Regardless of sitting in the main room or bar area, each diner receives a small loaf of warm, buttery potato bread that's so delicious on it's own there's no need for the small round of butter. I had t...

I had one last opportunity for a restaurant week meal and I found myself standing outside The 21 Club.  I absolutely love  the feel of old NYC establishments; places like the refined Bemelmans Bar, the stately Keens Steakhouse and cozy White Horse Tavern are some of my favorite spots in the city. The 21 Club is certainly impressive with a gorgeous wrought-iron gate entrance protecting the ornamental jockeys that adorn the windows and a secret wine cellar inside used extensively during Prohibition time. I was seated in the back room with an excellent view of the storied ceiling decorated with collections of toys. A bread basket was dropped at my table approximately 5 seconds within sitting.  It was the fastest bread basket I've ever been served actually.  The food menu followed soon after but for some reason it took three different attempts to see a wine list.  My waiter actually looked shocked when I inquired.  "Didn't I want to place my food order...

I was invited by the wonderful folks over at  Tabelog  to a party at Tuome last week; a cozy little East Village spot helmed by Chef Thomas Chen formerly of Eleven Madison Park and Commerce.  The cuisine is billed as Asian Fusion but that loose term doesn't adequately describe the incredible dishes coming out of this kitchen.  Here's a look at some of the tasting: Beet - quinoa, five spice yogurt, pumpkin seed.  This tiny bite really set the tone for the night. The toasted quinoa imparted a nutty, smoky flavor that brought out the meaty texture of the beet with a touch of heat.  It was so simple yet stunningly delicious. Chicken Liver- mousse, NY maple, milk bread.  The sweet bread and maple cut right through the richness of the mousse and made this decedent bite seem almost light. Egg- deviled, crispy, chili.   The egg white is panko fried so it's super crispy then filled with a mixture of yolk, shallot, Dijon mustar...

Restaurant Week is a great excuse to meet up with old friends, try out a brand new place and share a little bit of everything OR you could go to an old favorite, order the same exact thing as your dining mate and still have an incredible time, which is basically what Carrie and I did at Park Avenue Winter. We both began with the Peekytoe Crabcake, a crisp buttery mound of fresh crab meat with hearts of palm and citrus... ...followed by the Lobster Salad, a $10 supplement on the RW menu but totally worth it for the huge hunks of lobster meat, ripe avocado and fennel.  Both of these dishes were just so fresh and light, a fantastic departure from the usual winter menus filled with root vegetables and beef.  Oh and don't forget about those wonderful Parker House rolls with butter and rosemary. The only time we ordered different items was dessert.  For some reason I just couldn't pass up the Sticky Toffee Pudding. This was a standard Pudding with sliced banana on ...

Today marks the end of NYC Beer Week but really the fun has just begun.  That's because all those wonderful breweries have started to bottle/can their beers.  So it's entirely possible to crack open an amazing NYC beer in the comfort of your own living room.  Here's a few I'm especially excited about. The Finback Barrel Aged BQE is a big espresso imperial stout brewed with chocolate from Mast Brothers in Brooklyn and coffee from Native Coffee Roasters in Queens.  It's a pure NYC original and the thick bourbon flavor is perfect for this cold winter weather.  The two cans on either side are from Other Half Brewing, a session pale ale Super Fun on the left and the Double IPA Green Diamonds on the right.  These will be a permanent addition to my picnic supplies once spring finally arrives.  Cheers! Other Half Brewing 195 Centre Street Brooklyn, New York Finback Brewery 78-01 77th Avenue Queens, New York

BBQ and beer just naturally go together so it only makes sense that Danny Meyer's Blue Smoke has a great draft list. The most recent visit Bells Hopslam was on tap; a tropical,piney Double IPA with a long bitter finish sweetened slightly with honey.  This is a big, bold beer that stands up well to saucy bar food like the Blue Smoke Chipotle Chicken Wings. These are big, hefty wings; more smokey than spicy with thick, creamy blue cheese dressing on the side.  It's a match made in heaven. Blue Smoke 116 East 27th Street between Park & Lex New York, NY 10016

Let's keep celebrating NYC Beer Week with a little bit of brunch and beer....two things always in fashion at The Blind Tiger.  Most people don't realize this but early Sunday afternoon is one of the best times to visit the Tiger. The epically large crowds have yet to arrive, sunlight streams in on the tables up front and it's the only time you can get an order of Chef Tommy's special Beer Battered Pancakes He switches them up a bit each week with ingredients like citrus and cinnamon but you can always expect three extra fluffy pancakes with a side of sweet Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup. The Spanish Breakfast is also a menu staple; eggs, chorizo and manchego with a spicy saffron aioli served omelet style or on Ciabatta.  It's delicious on it's own but we always like to add a little extra meat because it's just not brunch without bacon. And of course order a beer!  With over 30 draft beers on constant rotation there's always somethin...