Food

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

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Yale Immersive Dining Experience presented by the Mediterranean Diet Roundtable and La Molisana pasta held at Yale's main and very gorgeous dining hall, Schwarzman Center. Press and food service business professionals gathered together for 90 minutes of making fresh pasta with some of La Molisana and Schwarzman Center chefs. I found…read more

Wow, if you are an appreciator of fine authentic Southern Italian fare from around both Puglia and Naples, Masseria Dei Vini on Ninth Avenue between 57th and 58th Street might just be your dream restaurant--but don't go in without checking out Masseria Caffè immediately north or it first! They have the finest selection of homemade bombolini, cannoli, eclairs, ricotta cheesecake…read more

The minute you walk into Cathédrale in the Moxy Hotel on East 11th Street (directly across from Webster Hall), your eyes will be wide open and the stunning scents emanating from the open kitchen will have you salivating. Think about having the finest fare from Italy, France and Spain in a huge dining room with the highest of ceilings and…read more

You might want to save the dates of 7/27 and 8/24 since the Hawaiian-Asian rooftop restaurant El Ta’Koy at The Dominick Hotel in SoHo is offering their highly anticipated Summer Luaus on those nights! I do not have to tell you that luaus are hard to come by in The Big Apple and El Ta'Koy does theirs right! For only…read more

I was excited to try NYY Steakhouse not only because I have heard great things about their Yankee Stadium location but because I was anxious to see the new Hard Rock Hotel in Midtown. The steakhouse, like the hotel, was created in a sophisticated style with high ceilings and modern fixtures but it is not intimidating. It is still in…read more

I love the Brooklyn Diner because it has made West 57th Street near Carnegie Hall a great place! I actually would rather be having an egg cream and burger inside Brooklyn Diner than to be inside Carnegie Hall attending a violin concerto but hey, some people do both in one evening! I love the fun atmosphere due to the retro…read more

When you walk into Mollusca, you pick up all the vibes of the Meatpacking District that it is located in. It is arty, open and you can even sit at a table in the front window that I would call "half inside and half outside." There are velvet chairs and banquettes, industrial lighting and dark walls but at the same…read more

If you want an out of the ordinary dining experience, I strongly recommend that you visit the only one-month-old El Cartel at 613 Ninth Avenue between 43rd and 44th Streets. It's a fun and colorful eatery with painted exposed brick walls an all glass front entrance so you can people watch. There is plenty of great Colombian music adding to…read more

The View Restaurant & Lounge at the Marriott Marquis in the heart of Times Square has a truly one-of-a-kind dining experience every Thursday, Friday and Saturday for an limited time only. It is a captivating and immersive dining experience as an animated French Chef prepares a four-course meal right at your table! With Le Petit Chef as your guide, guests…read more

There is only one event at the Javits Center each summer that is my only MUST ATTEND event--that is the Fancy Food Show which is presented in NYC each summer and in San Francisco each winter. This year it came back to the Javits from June 12-14 and had an especially big crowd since it was canceled two years in…read more

You won't believe your eyes when you first reach the Royalton Rooftop in the Royalton Park Avenue Hotel on the SW corner of 29th Street and Park Avenue South. Guests get a truly unique city view that cannot be found anywhere else in the Nomad neighborhood. There is a terrace on each side of the lounge and you get to…read more

I was so thrilled to be able to visit David Burke Tavern last week. The legendary chef (who first became a superstar in his field back in 2003 with ultra successful David Burke & Donatella) seems to believe in the motto "go big or go home." The creative presentations of classic Modern American dishes are something that you will never…read more

You might already be a fan of Mosaic Foods and have been one of the happy customers who have ordered your vegetarian and vegan meals from there since it first started three years ago. This brand is the forerunner of high end yet reasonably priced frozen vegan meals that can be heated in a flash. Not only that, but recipes…read more

It goes without saying that some NYC neighborhoods just have tons of character but it's especially the ones that still have most of their original low rise buildings from 100 years ago that really feel romantic and cozy. Now take this setting, add in a fabulous corner storefront resto with some of the city's best Argentinian fare and you've got…read more

Redeye Grill is a jewel in the crown of the Fireman Hospitality Group but I probably do not have to tell you that! This Modern American brasserie style resto has served solid fare that ranges from great steaks to the freshest seafood for decades now. (It is probably best known for its award winning fish dishes more than anything else…read more

Have a mom who's a foodie and a "bevvie" (beverage lover)? I've picked out a few items that you might like to surprise Mom with. You can mix 'n match them and they are all quite unique (especially the beverage pick)! I have also thrown in Persona Nutrition for the super health oriented Mom so that her daily regime of…read more