Food

My recent visit to Caliza on Greenwich Street was a real treat. I had read the all the reviews stating that they have the best guacamole in town but I was really there to put their margarita and wagyu beef tacos to the test plus try a couple of their gorgeous desserts! Caliza is the brainchild of Chef Daniel Mendoza…read more

The Los Angeles Times Coast To Coast tasting event returned for the third year, bringing L.A. and NYC together for a night of legendary eateries. The event featured award winning chefs and restaurants from both cities serving up a couple of their famous dishes for guests to sample. (Portions at each booth were actually quite generous!) Hosted by The LA…read more

I was happy to be invited for brunch at Osteria Accademia at 93rd and Amsterdam after enjoying a fabulously authentic and classy dinner there five or six months ago. The service is quick and friendly, the portions are respectably sized and the prices are in the medium range (brunch entrees are $17 to $28). Some items are fresh takes on…read more

Everyone’s got a bit of a sweet tooth and undoubtedly your mom would love to let loose on her special day and sample some of New York’s great “sweet spots.” If you are not in NYC for Mother’s Day, every place in this list has items available for mail order and a lot have discounts if you are signing up…read more

GG Tokyo has got it all—truly unique food and cocktails that you can’t get anywhere else, ultra modern and quirky art and a cozy dining room and bar area. Think of “rustic charm” meeting “chic and sophisticated” and you’ve got GG Tokyo. There are cozy tables and booths but you might want to sit at the bar. It’s clean and…read more

In case you have been curious about those “places with the giant white ice cream cones just outside the front doors” that you have seen around town, they are Venchi chocolate and gelato boutiques. If you do a search on the web, you will know that they are wildly well received and that many New Yorkers visit the various stores…read more

Today, as food becomes more diverse, we can experience global cuisines without leaving our country. So, let's take a closer look at some of the world's most popular cuisines and dishes, according to the latest study conducted by pickyeaterblog.com. To determine the most popular cuisines, meal types, and availability of cuisines, and restaurants, The Picky Eater analyzed Instagram hashtags. Next,…read more

I just discovered MacKenzie Limited this past Christmas while Googling “complete holiday dinners.” I went on their site and found both classic meal combos as well as unusual items that their chefs developed and have become “signature dishes.” Because of being so impressed by the MacKenzie Limited site, I wanted to try some of their goodies for Easter. The fact…read more

If you want to get any kind of food any time of day (especially if you live close to or visit the Sutton Place area), I can’t recommend anyplace more reliable than Sutton Cafe. Situated at 56th and First Avenue, this 30-year-old eatery has a relaxed vibe thanks to the fact that the staff treats everyone like old friends, the…read more

I just went to METRO Marché at 30 West 57th Street for the first time and was dazzled by the menu choices and the freshness of everything served! This is a place that really caters to the daytime crowd as it closes at 6 PM on Monday through Friday and at 4 PM on weekends. Many local shoppers, workers and…read more

This year, I wanted to focus on a couple of serve at home Valentine’s Day meal options that give you mega luxurious choices that won’t cost and arm and a leg like eating out will! You might notice that there is no such thing as a Valentine’s Day prix fixe dinner that is less that $80 per head in these…read more

If you love a classic Southern Italian restaurant with a bit of modern flair and presentation—along with a romantic dimly lit interior—then Savelli will become your go-to place. Everything is ultra fresh and vegetables, meats and cheeses are created with products from local farms, sometimes on the same day. Savelli is truly a standout among the many unique storefront restaurants…read more

Not too many cigar bars operate in New York City and I personally can only think of three or four. Merchants Cigar Bar at 62nd and First Avenue is special not just because of its fine selection of alcohol and cigars (with a bartender who is an expert on both) but because of its elevated Modern American menu. Everything is…read more

I recently visited Brine, which is a new casual chicken eatery in Chelsea at 106 Eighth Avenue…and was really “wowed”! I had only heard of brining turkey before but these guys brine chicken for a solid 24 hours, let it rest to a certain temperature and then fire grill it! It comes out so juicy that you might not even…read more

I think that I have discovered New York’s best corned beef—had it yesterday at the Brooklyn Deli Times Square (1501 Broadway) as part of a classic Reuben on a potato roll. The pastrami’s not too shabby either but the corned beef is in a league of its own. Interestingly enough, there is a pizza bar behind glass as well as…read more

I was lucky enough to get invited to the grand opening of the seventh location of the renowned Dim Sum Palace and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. There was plenty of fanfare including fabulous lion dancing that started in front of this cozy but large eastern Chinatown location and moving through the crowd…read more

I was thrilled to be invited to experience the newly opened Osteria Accademia on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Osteria Accademia is a classy and sophisticated small Italian restaurant with Mediterranean overtones that is perfect for intimate dinners with loved ones and friends. It’s library-like vibe is really something different in terms of atmosphere and you can see that the guests…read more

I recently visited the one-year-old Latin American restaurant Comodo in the Freehold Hotel at 23 Lexington between 23rd and 24th Streets. Upon walking in for the first time, I was impressed by the 1920’s vibe of the decor, dark lighting and cozy booths. I quickly noticed the rollicking scene by the large wooden bar in the center of the dining…read more

Legasea Bar & Grill in the Moxy Times Square has the perfect atmosphere for an entertaining dining experience--but that is to be expected from the legendary Tao Group Hospitality. I recently went to Legasea and liked that it had a casual vibe with high end yet simple cuisine. There is truly something for all tastes here! The menu is a…read more

Every year I go to NYCWFF and basically just attend the Grand Tasting, which lets guests sample cuisines both common and exotic. This year I attended three events and had a blast at all of them. All of the NYCWFF Tasting events have a party atmosphere and the bigger ones are outdoors. The most commonly used locations for their larger…read more

Pavé at 20 West 46th Street in midtown--partially brought to you from the folks at the fabulous and funky Hawaiian eatery Noreetah in the East Village--is causing a sensation by serving high end quick breakfast and lunch options at super reasonable prices (sandwiches are generous in size and run $7 to $12, for instance). They just opened on 9/21 but…read more

How "sweet" is this?! Lady M Confections, creator of the world-famous Mille Crêpes, recently announced they will be donating 100% of proceeds from their Pink Éclairs sales throughout the month of October to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for Breast Cancer Research. Lady M’s Pink Éclairs ($6 each) are a classic choux pastry filled with strawberry custard cream and topped…read more

The opening party for the Tin Building was a truly unique experience! It started out with a ribbon cutting, a drum corps and dancing troupe dressed up in chef's garb, confetti, 1920s cars and some circus performers. Inside this giant foodie marketplace created by Jean-Georges Vongerichten are counters of fare from raw seafood to burgers to Mexican food to "old…read more

It goes without saying that Taste Of Upper West Side is the best way to sample all the great cuisine ‘n cocktails that this classic Manhattan neighborhood has to offer! There is unlimited food from 60 plus eateries not to mention an open bar–and you’ll definitely be able to get your hands on exclusive signature cocktails and try wines from…read more

I have to say that I have not had much Gastropub experience but I have had enough to know that Side Door--conveniently located at 151 East 57th between Third and Lexington--has an insane variety of cuisines that puts them light years ahead in this grub genre. German specialities like weinerschnitzel, Polish/Ukrainian legends like pierogies, American BBQ classics like rib stickin'…read more

Il Gradino, a new 66-seat Southern Italian eatery started by Diego Argudo the beloved former captain at the legendary Scalintella, is filled to the brim starting every night about 6:30 and that is for a few different reasons. The first reason is that the food is prepared to order, meaning that the staff gladly takes your preferences into consideration and…read more