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