NYC Tastes

When I heard Chef Jose Garces was opening an outpost of Amada in NYC I was pretty excited.  I've visited the original location in Philadelphia quite a few times and I love the lively atmosphere, the small plate menu and of course the incredible food. This new spot tucked away in the corner of Brookfield Place in Battery Park City has a very similar feel inside with a big open kitchen, bright tiled walls and lively Spanish music playing overhead. Since it was restaurant week I looked at the menu online and had my entire meal planned before even sitting down. However it seems they switched to a Restaurant Week brunch menu for Sundays instead which was a little annoying at first but then my basket of complementary brunch pastries arrived and I was a much happier lady. A trio of flaky Pain au Choclat, sweet Banana Bread and a powdered sugar croissant studded with cranberries and strudel.  This was a really nice way to kick off brunch and a surprise addition to the r...

I love Covino so much that I named it as one of my favorite new places of 2016.  I was obsessed with their incredible Hummus , then the fabulous Wagyu Cheeseburger and now its the wonderful Chopped Salad served at lunch. Let me preface this by saying that I love   a good Cobb Salad and this is similar but better; mixed greens topped with fresh sliced avocado, green & red onion with crumbles of blue cheese, then kicked up a notch with thick, crispy Nueske's smoked bacon, a flurry of Parmesan cheese and a sweet and spicy dressing.  I loved the strong smokiness of the bacon and the light spicy vinaigrette was a welcome change from the heavy dressing that all to often weigh down the salad and drown out the other flavors.  Another simple yet fabulous dish from Covina! Covina 127 East 27th Street New York, NY 10010

It's kind of ridiculous when I think about how much of my life is spent just hitting the F5 button trying to purchase various event tickets.  There's been all sorts of concerts, numerous beer festivals, way too many restaurant reservations (looking at you Momofuku Ko) and most recently for pizza from Margot Pizza in Brooklyn. This pop up inside Emily restaurant is hosted just once a month by Slice founder and Serious Eats writer Adam Kuban, the guru of pizza in NYC.  The specialty here is bar pie (my favorite style) served thin and crispy from the wood fired oven. Each ticket gets one drink and one choice of pie from a small menu of eight different varitites.  We decided to split our pizzas starting with the classic Margot-rita with tomato sauce, romano, cheese, basil and oregano and the Collaboroni with pepperoni, pickled jalapenos and post oven honey. Both pizzas were ultra thin with slightly burnt edges loaded with cheese. I absolutely  loved ...

It's New Brew Friday and today's beer comes from Angry Chair out in Florida, a fantastic brewery that always churns out amazing brews with pretty killer artwork on front. This Imperial Stout pours a thick jet black with a frothy brown head and strong aromas of coffee beans, mocha and cinnamon.  The flavor follows suite with big bold notes of coffee, chocolate and long lasting finish of red cinnamon candies.  I absolutely  love this beer.  It's smooth, roasted goodness and that cinnamon just takes it over the edge.  It also completely fits my somewhat angry mood right now about our country that surely need an Imperial Awakening of some sort itself.  Ugh- politics aside I hope everyone has a great New Brew Friday- Cheers!!! Angry Chair 6401 North Florida Avenue Tampa, Florida 33604

The flurry of snow that blanketed the city MLK weekend was absolutely wonderful!  I couldn't wait to get outside and soak in the magic of my beautiful snowy city and what better place to do that then Pasquale Jones.   This cozy little spot formerly housed Toby's Public House, a bar/restaurant I always found drab and depressing were it not for the fantastic windows over looking the streets of Nolita.   The space has since been redone and the changes are fantastic. The painted white walls and soft hanging lamps above each table give the space a lively, vibrant feeling while the wood burning ovens and gorgeous glassware add in some rustic, elegant charm. At lunchtime Pasquale Jones serves a small menu of pizzas, pasta and appetizers including their signature Little Neck Clam Pie topped with a creamy garlic sauce, lemon and a flurry of chopped parsley.  The Neapolitan style dough was perfect; light and puffy with blistered edges and a slightly ch...

Rainy days like today call for some serious lunch time comfort eats; which in Downtown Brooklyn means a bee-line to Yasa Tangbao and their incredible Shanghai Street food.  The specialty of the house are dumplings, handmade and filled with plump crab meat, veggies, pork and broth. But recently they added a new dish, the Chili Oil Wontons that I absolutely dream about. Tight little purses of pasta stuffed with ground pork and drizzled in a sweet and savory sauce of vinegar, chili oil and garlic. There's no filler or grease here- just spicy, Sichuan style wontons light as air and deeply satisfying. In addition to dumplings a variety of rice and noodles dishes are served with the famous Shanghai lion-head; a large meatball made from pork and cabbage in a rich, dark brown sauce.  It's the perfect place to warm up on a rainy Monday! Yaso Tangbao 148 Lawrence Street Brooklyn, NY 11201

A full day of shopping always deserves a drink at the end which is why SoHo has some great happy hours.  The always popular Lure  of course with it's fruity martini's and crisp calamari, the wonderful  Pera SoHo  with it's bright, fabulous bar and then there's Lucky Strike, one of the first restaurants from Keith McNally that is my absolute favorite.  This lively little brasserie has just the right amount of glitz and grit with a somewhat worn but comfy decor. From 4:00-7:00 every day Lucky Strike offers $5 glasses of wine, beer and margaritas along with a small food menu including delicious Moules Marinieres with white wine and garlic, Tomato Bruschetta with Avocado Cream and a big bowl of classic Bistro Fries for just $3.00. The tiny round tables may be a bit cramped but the soundtracks overhead are always awesome (Jimmy Hendrix and John Coltrane the last visit), the drinks are stiff and the prices can't be beat.   Lucky Strike 59 Gra...