NYC Tastes

It's supposed to be an absolutely gorgeous weekend filled with sunny skies so I thought I'd give you some great outdoor food ideas to enjoy every second of it! First up Madison Square Market which closes up shop on Friday. I stopped by for one last Asia Dog the other day and got The Mash- an all beef dog with spicy ketchup, jalapeno mustard and crushed up salt and pepper potato chips. Can you say delicious!!! OMG I loved this even more than the Wangding- I'm a firm believer that ketchup NEVER belongs on a hot dog but this changed my opinion forever. Over in Midtown you can check out the new BeerParc and enjoy one of the games on the Giant 35 ft. Screen. They have about 10 different beers on tap and food carts from Fatty Snacks, Edi & the Wolf and Thai food from Harold Dieterle. If you’re looking for some time on the water you’ve got two great options over on the East Side. Riverpark added some additional tables to their outdoor space complete with a separate sna...

It seems like I've been waiting forever for the opening of Eataly's rooftop restaurant but last night it finally happened. Mr T and I were walking around Eataly and noticed a security guard standing at the entrance. I asked him what was going on and he said "20 minutes till opening". WTF! I was in line waiting immediately. Soon we were up in the elevator and walking onto the open patio was amazing! I absolutely loved the beautiful wooden staircase painted with various phrase's from Dante’s Divine Comedy. We knew we wanted to eat dinner but I felt like checking out the bar scene so instead of sitting at one of the red tables in the middle we grabbed a few seats at the bar. I started out with one of their cask brews an Eataly Pale Ale. This had nice golden hues and standard hops- a very tasty Pale Ale. For the more adventurous beer drinker I would suggest the Gina- a Thyme Pale Ale which brought a spicy kick to the front and tasted extremely refreshing on th...

I happened to be in the Columbus Circle area last week and felt an enormous craving for sushi. Luckily Blue Ribbon was right nearby so I popped in and got a seat at the counter in back. I knew I was having a big dinner later that night so I stuck with a light lunch- Yellowtail Scallion Roll and a piece of Tuna Sushi. My Goodness how long has it been since I’ve had good sushi! Everything tasted amazing! The scallion was so fresh I could truly smell the onion as it was placed before me. The Yellowtail was vibrant and the Tuna was simply bright and luscious. I absolutely loved their rice as well. It was sticky but smaller grain than usual and had a slightly salty flavor. For $9.25 the roll was certainly pricier than average but I would pay the extra buck or two any day for quality like this. Service was exceptional as well. My waitress was friendly and efficient- perfect for a midday lunch.

This is probably my favorite weekend of the year. Masses of people flock to the beach, college students return home for summer and the city becomes a little bit more calm and a little bit more peaceful. No plans? Head on over to the Madison Square Market which is still going on. You can pick up something different than the regular old Hot Dog or Hamburger here. For instance check out Asia Dog! First you pick your dog- beef, organic beef, chicken or veggie, then you pick your topping. There's no regular old mustard here! Think Kimchi and Curry, Mango and Peanut, or what I went for the Wang Ding with BBQ Pork Belly and Onions. Truth be told I had this already once back at the Lucky Rice Festival and loved it! Here they topped it with a tad too much Hosin sauce but it was still delicious. The casing was snappy and the dog had a wonderful smokey flavor that rocked with the fatty belly. Plus you can enjoy a beer while sitting outside! What's better! So enjoy the w...

Located in the crazy area between Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen, Radiance Tea House is a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of Midtown at lunchtime. When I arrived the other day just after 12:30 the place was about three quarters filled but calm and quiet. It was almost as everyone was talking in hushed tones but completely enjoying themselves. It was very Zen. They have an extensive list of Hot Tea, Iced Teas and even Tea Cocktails! I was feeling something cool so I ordered a deliciously creamy Almond Latte. For lunch I ordered their Shrimp and Avocado Rice Bowl which came with a soup or salad. The presentation on this dish was lovely. Everything looked and tasted so fresh and wonderful. The side salad was your standard but the Miso dressing on the shrimp and slightly sticky rice really made this lunch special really stand out. I couldn’t even come near finishing everything and for $12.95 this is quite a steal for a filling lunch. This might sound odd but ...

It was a gorgeous day for a food tasting this past Saturday and the streets of Tribeca were packed for the annual Taste of Tribeca. I decided to attend last minute and unfortunately most of the good dishes were already gone by the time I arrived at 2:00 but I did enjoy some. Delightful was the Olive Oil Cured Diver Scallop with Caviar Mousse from Thalassa. The presentation was stunning and the many layers of flavors were exceptional. The best thing I ate was the Bacalhau Tatar from Macao Trading Co. It doesn’t look that wonderful in the picture but it was salty, refreshing and delightful! Apparently seafood on a cracker was my mantra that day. There was a decent showing of Lamb Meatball from Loconda Verde. Although I love lamb and meatballs, I’m finding the combination a bit overdone and boring. This version was a little too sweet on the sauce for me and I only had a bite. Also decent but not exactly successful were the beef sliders from Warren 77 and the chicken Tacos...

The season is almost over so we're ending with two Ramp specials from Eataly. First up from Le Verdure Bruschetta with Tomato and Chargrilled Ramps. This was a celebration of the season for sure! The char on the ramps brought out a meaty flavor to the plant and along with it a salty smoky aftertaste. The sweet tomato and delightful pour of olive oil underneath made this the best bruschetta I have ever had. Over in the Piazza Mr. T tried out a different Seasonal Special Soft Shell Crab with Grilled Ramps. I still can’t get over the texture of Soft Shell Crabs so I only tried a bite but Mr. T thought it was delicious. I was happy when he used some free bread to make it into a sandwich so I didn’t have to see him just chow down on the whole crab. However at almost $20 a pop this was a little overpriced for what you received. So there’s one last little celebration of the ramp dishes. Hope you all enjoyed!