NYC Tastes

We took the train to Northport last week for an amazing visit with friends that included lunch at Maroni's (pictures to come next week) and drinks at brand new Sand City Brewery.  This cozy little spot hidden right off the Main Street is churning out some excellent beers. We tried just about everything on the list that day including the Close Talker IPA, South Down Breakfast Stout, Red Sound Amber and the Sonder Pale Ale. The South Down tasted incredibly similar to a Founders Breakfast Stout with an amazing coffee nose and deep silky body with lots of coffee and chocolate.  The Sonder was a solid juicy pale ale and the Close Talker was so fresh and citrusy we grabbed a growler for the train ride home.  Even the tasting flight vessel was well done with deep wooden holes for keeping the beer from spilling and small goblets for catching the best aroma from each brew.  The tasting room room was jam packed when we visited with a nice mix of family and friends creati...

It's the start of a new month which means a brand new Cronut flavor from Dominique Ansel. This March the flaky layers of dough are stuffed with plump raspberry jam, rich coconut cream and topped with a lime sugar frosting. I can never quite decide what I like most about a cronut; the crispy burnt caramel ripples or the luscious cream inside.  One is more than enough to satisfy a dessert craving; these guys are huge and  super sweet but it's always nice to enjoy this famous Dominique treat. Dominique Ansel 189 Spring Street at Thompson New York, NY 10012

Tuesday are pretty much the worst day of the week in every sense so I usually skip a regular lunch and go straight for some caffeine and sugar.  Lucky for me the newest location of Maison Kayser opened right across from my Brooklyn office...enter the Cafe Gourmand. A signature Parisien treat with espresso, macchiato or coffee paired with three mini desserts and a perfect financier on the side.   On my visit a delicate creme puff, raspberry tart and chocolate passion fruit were the chefs chosen desserts; each one a little bite of pastry heaven just perfect for getting through the day. Maison Kayser 57 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11201

I've been eating oysters nonstop since our return from Boston and the incredible  Row 34 .  One of my first stops back in NYC was Upstate where the fabulous oysters went so quickly I couldn't even get a picture.  But we were with friends which was a great excuse to also share some new dishes like the Crab Cakes.  Crispy outside, grease free and accompanied by an arugula salad dressed with habanero honey.  OMG...my spicy sweet addiction has found another love. I highly recommend the trout if it's on the special board; dressed with a light citrus sauce glaze that gave just the perfect amount of acidity to the fish. Of course the Seared Scallops with mushroom risotto is always worth an order.  This restaurant is so spot on and guess what...they just opened up a new place right around the block with more seating, more seafood and online reservations.  Welcome Edwin & Neals to the hood! Upstate NY 95 1st Avenue New York...

It's been a fantastic NYC Beer Week; possibly the best one yet with incredible events all over town like the Grimm tap takeover at St. Gambrinus this past Monday.   Maple Bourbon Barrel Double Negative, Lambo Door, Subliminal Message, Lumen and Super Spruce were all on tap creating a rainbow of incredible flavors and colors.  There's still a whole weekend of awesome beer events left so get out there and check out the incredible NYC beer scene- Cheers! NYC Beer Week

Winter is an amazing time for Italian wine in NYC.  January always kicks off with incredible Benvenuto Brunello event at Gotham Hall.  This year marked the 50th anniversary of the famous Brunello di Montalcino DOC and the 2011 vintage was unveiled from over 40 different wineries along with the 2010 Riserva, Rosso and Moscadello. Of course coming after arguably the greatest vintage of Brunello ever the 2011 falls a little short. It doesn't have that rich powerful complexity of 2010; rather a softer, fruitier wine that actually makes it accessible for just about any palate. On the heels of Benvenuto came Italian Wine week with Vinitaly International and Tre Biccieri events. I was really surprised by the intensity of the Mirabella Saten made from 100% Chardonnay and the Demetra which had a strange yeasty aroma that I've never had in a Prosecco before... ...and the gorgeous Severus (no affiliation with Harry Potter) from Podere Marcampo made from 100% Sangiovese aged ...

Hatsuhana is one of NYC's longest running sushi restaurants.  It opened in 1976 and over the past four decades their mission has remained the same; creating the perfect sushi rice and obtaining the freshest fish from around the globe.  My last meal was at the Park Avenue  location about four years ago so this visit was way overdue.  I stopped in at right around noon and the space was already filled with a mix of business men and women from the surrounding area.  Luckily I was able to get the last seat at the upstairs sushi bar and ordered the Sushi Lunch which comes with 5 pieces of sushi, choice of two rolls and miso soup or salad. I ordered a Spicy Tuna and Yellowtail Scallion roll, then requested no salmon due to my allergy which was happily accommodated with another piece of luscious tuna. The fish was served on a long Hawaiian Ti Leaf, expertly cut by the chef's behind the bar and so incredibly tender certain pieces seemed...