No, this post is not about a trip to Vermont, in the middle of nowhere: it is about The Stone House at Clove Lakes, in the heart of Staten Island. Looking at the photos, it is difficult to believe that, less than 30 minutes from Manhattan lies a little paradise that would make you forget the speedy life of the city.
This place is impressive: first the outside, with a romantic view of the lake making it the perfect place for a special occasion. The Stone House is surrounded by water, being on an island, with for sole access a stone bridge.
The Upper West Side is an interesting neighborhood that is changing as time passes. It does not have the same appeal as others like Soho, Chelsea or TriBeCa and its crowd is often associated with moviegoers, theatergoers and tourists. It is in this mix of hungry people that we tasted TESSA, a restaurant serving mainly Mediterranean cuisine. Taking its name from the daughter of one of the owners, this place has a fantastic decor that is a mix of rustic, with its exposed whitewashed bricks, and industrial, with the double layered blackened steel security gates that cover the entire ceiling and can be found all over the restaurant, wrapping around the bar for instance.
I discovered Ramen Takumi few years ago, at the time it was located close to Union Square. It then moved few steps from Washington Square Park. We were going for ramen in another location when we passed in front of it and finally decided to eat there. Funny enough, the restaurant was packed when we arrived. Ten minutes later, half of the dining room was empty.
We were looking for a good Indian restaurant in TriBeCa, the best one so far being the reasonably priced Balucci's (their crab curry is the best). We stumble upon Saalam Bombay, a more upscale place.
The dining room is fairly large, with a traditional decor, overlooking the section of the kitchen where the tandoor oven is. Menu wise, you will find the classic, with of course a large selection of dishes cooked in that oven.
Last week, I was invited to an event organized by Tabelog, a restaurant review site that is conquering the US and where lots of bloggers contribute, posting amazing photos of food that make me drool each time I visit it. This time was at Andanada 141, the Michelin-starred Spanish tapas restaurant located on the Upper West Side. As always, the event was perfectly organized, giving us the opportunity to meet with the Chef, Manuel Berganza who prepared a delicious meal for us, straight from the menu.
There are many Thai restaurants in Hell's Kitchen and, when I go to one, I am always curious to see what would make it different from the others. Thai cuisine is often associated with cheap lunch menu and Thai Select is no different, with a lunch special served everyday for less than $9, where you get a salad, an appetizer and a main dish. Pretty good deal! No, what makes this place different is the menu: yes you will get the basic dishes like that Pad See-Ew that was delicious or the Massaman curry that I have tried with chicken, that had a nice kick, but was not over spicy. More surprising are the wide choices of appetizers, some of them being a bit unusual like the crab croquettes that are some sort of crispy wonton stuffed with crab meat and...cream cheese. W
I cannot believe it has been two years already since I went to Osteria Del Circo, the restaurant from the Maccioni family, the owners of Le Cirque. It was for their first annual Bollito Misto and I got the privilege to meet with the matriarch of the family: Mama Egi.
Restaurant Week is the perfect occasion to try restaurants that are usually on the pricey side, of course, assuming that they play by the rules and truly offer a menu where the quality will not be sacrificed. So, I was curious to see what China Grill would do for Winter Restaurant Week. Not that this place was unknown to me as I went few times to this elegant restaurant that serves Asian inspired dishes family style. And going with several of my coworkers was ideal as we got to share few dishes. The result?
And going to Kailash Parbat in Curry Hill did not change that curiosity that I have for Indian food, to the contrary. First of all, there were only few dishes that I knew on their menu: no paneer tikka masala or chana masala. Second, I learned few things I did not know. To start, the name of the restaurant comes from a sacred Himalayan mount, Mount Kailash (Parbat = mount). Then, the restaurant serves two kinds of specialties:
I admit that it has been a while since we went to The Madison Bar and Grill. Our past experience for dinner being so so. We did enjoy their regular brunch, but, with all the options around, never went back. Until...Yes, until a night where we were feeling going out, but somewhere close by.
The Malt House is not your regular tavern: for sure, you will get a nice selection of beer, on tap or bottle, as well as any kind of drink you could think of, from wine to scotch, without forgetting their cocktails. No, what makes this place special is their menu crafted by Executive Chef Armando Avila, who from Mexico to New York, worked in places like STK or 5 Napkin Burger.
Nai Tapas Bar is the kind of gem people would keep to themselves, the cozy atmosphere and phenomenal food making this place unique in a restaurant scene that is quickly evolving. This place is the result of the collaboration of Chef Ruben Rodriguez and General Manager/Wine director David Martinez, who offer, in this East Village joint a tapas menu that is phenomenal. Chef Rodriguez first started serving dishes inspired from his grandmother, Emilia Arias, and his mother (Nai), Ana Maria Gonzalez Arias, who is also a Chef.
When I got invited to Ben and Jack's Steakhouse, I was really excited. I know that place as I went there already, enjoying their delicious pieces of meat dry aged for 32 days. My excitement was not just for the food, but also because I got to meet Executive Chef Admir Alibasic.
Chef Admir is truly passionate about what he is doing, working tirelessly to make sure his customers will have the best experience. He explained to me the dry aged process in a scientific manner, that is not surprising considering he has a degree in science.
I love The Gotham West Market and my favorite places there are El Comado, a Spanish tapas place, and The Cannibal. We went back few weeks ago to see what was new and found Choza Taqueria. As it has been a while since we had Mexican food, we decided to get a bite, before having dessert at Ample Hills Creamery.
Maison Kayser is like a trip to France for the cost of a subway fare. I love that place. My first visit, I was a bit disappointed by what I got: I remember I was looking forward to getting an authentic Mille feuille, but what I got was not what I expected and the cafe gourmand was so so. But, since then, each time I went back, I got some delicious cakes or viennoiseries (croissant, pain au chocolat, etc.). And since then, locations have been popping up throughout the city. At this pace, Maison Kayser will be the Starbucks of French Boulangeries-Patisseries.
I do not know why, but I always loved diners. It might be because I saw them on TV when I was a kid in France, with their all-you-can-drink filtered coffee (as opposed to espresso) and the fact that their was always a pie on the menu. It was usually there that cops would meet their informants or envelopes would be passed...When going to a diner, like others, I am not expecting anything earth shattering, but more comfort food with dishes that represent America.
I recently received a sample from Think Jerky, a company that makes Chef-crafted beef or turkey jerky. The idea behind Think Jerky came when the founder, Ricky Hirsch, realized how unhealthy (especially the amount of sugar), most jerky are. He decided to make a version more healthy and delicious, reducing salt and sugar. Think Jerky prides in using grass fed beef or free range turkey, non-GMO, no antibiotics, with a serving not exceeding 100 calories.
I found Amelie thanks to Opentable, as I was looking for a place to meet our friends Anne and Klaus who were visiting us from Denmark for brunch. We liked it so much that we decided to go back for dinner the same week.
Lots of people are talking about the mainstream ramen joints that are Ippudo or Momofuku, but they should not miss some great, more low key ramen restaurants that one can find walking the streets of the city. This is how we found Ramen Thukpa, by simply walking down 7th avenue.
When Taka Taka, a restaurant serving Mexican and Japanese fusion (Japanese-Cantina as their neon sign said), I was a bit disappointed: I liked the concept and the conveyor belt sushi. But then, I saw Combina, a Spanish and Israeli fusion restaurant from Chef Einat Admony who opened the wonderful Taim many years ago. I was intrigued and really looking forward to try it. Combina opened mid-November 2015 and thus far, has been successful. We went on a Tuesday night and were surprised to see this place so packed. Too packed I would say, the tables really being close to each other (at this point, let's just have communal tables).
We found Mighty Quinn's Slow Smoked Barbeque thanks to Jodi's friend Caleb. It is no secret that I love BBQ and I could not wait to try this place. There are several places in fact: one in Greenwich Village, where we went, one on the East Village where I could have ended up if I did not call Jodi to reconfirm the address, as well as others in Brooklyn, New Jersey, etc.
I might have found one of the best places for burgers in Hoboken! I use to think that, besides Five Guys that I adore, Hudson Tavern had the best burger in town, but Onieal's surpasses it. Imagine that they have a whole burger menu that will make you dizzy: so many choices that can then be multiplied by the number of combinations their toppings allow you to create.
Shigure means shower in late autumn or early winter that I guess explains the logo for this bar located in TriBeCa. I had it on my list for a while, after discovering sake with my friend from Tabelog as well as during my various eating adventures in some of the great Japanese restaurants in the city, like EN Japanese Brasserie, Maison O, or Sakamai.
Dining at Eleven Madison Park is for sure one of the best culinary experience I had and trust me: I had many. No wonder how this place got some many accolades, from 3 Michelin stars since 2012, to James Beard Awards to name a few: the service was impeccable and the food was not only creative, but also fantastically presented and delicious. Know that they only offer a tasting menu and there is no a la carte, so your meal with take few hours for the pleasure of your eyes, palate and stomach. We even got the chance to meet with Executive Chef and owner Daniel Humm and chatted a bit about the menu
I was looking for a noodle place near Christopher Street when I found Niu Noodle House on Greenwich. When we arrived, we realized that we passed many times in front of it. It is a nice place: big with a nice decor, the exposed bricks in some areas and wood all over the place giving a bit of warmth. What really interested me in this place is their menu: they offer a wide range of Asian dishes, from dim sum, noodles or soup (well they have much more).
Located in The Park Hyatt Hotel, The Back Room is an impressive restaurant. Overlooking Carnegie Hall, this place has a sophisticated decor combining modern and luxury elements. There are a few things that I really appreciated there besides the food: the noise level that was perfect (it was louder near the bar area, located at the entrance), the music being in the background, allowing people to have a conversation; second were the tables that were not too close to each other; and last, the service that was not only courteous, but also unhurried, letting us not only talk, but also enjoy their meal.
It's been a while since we went to Cho Dang Gol and went on Christmas Day at the request of Jodi's cousin Jessica, as we were all meeting in the city to see the latest installment of Star Wars (great movie by the way, the spirit of the original movies being kept).
So, Dum Pukht is a slow cooking method from the Awadh region of Northern India, Dum meaning breath in and Pukht meaning to cook. What is extraordinary there is that the Chef, Gulam M. Qureshi, is a fifth generation of Chefs, and cooks according to the tradition.
Opened in 1958, Gaudio's is your neighborhood pizza parlor that makes a solid slice and some comforting Italian food. It is a family business where regulars like to meet for lunch or dinner in an area that has changed since it opened. We spoke with the manager, Nick, who, with his cousin Dominic, who is also the owner, runs he show. I liked what he said:
You have probably seen Vivi Bubble Tea at some point, while walking in the streets of New York: they are everywhere and, at the time I wrote this post, they have 14 locations in the city and many locations in other states. One of them in Hoboken, where they opened in 2014, serving not only bubble tea, but also ramen. We wanted to go for a while, but either went for ramen in the city, or looking for another restaurant because of the crowd. We decided to go on a Sunday, right when they opened, figuring that it would be crowded later. And we were right: we were the first, but the place started to fill up 15 minutes later.