For years, each time I was raving about the cheesecake at Junior’s, people were talking about The Cheesecake Factory. So, when I discovered that there was one at the Newport Mall in Jersey City, I could not wait to check it out.

We went on a weekday that I was off and surely our…

When I learn that Myron Mixon was opening a BBQ place where Soul Curry, my favorite Indian restaurant in Hoboken was, I was really looking forward to it. I met Myron Mixon aka the “winningest man in barbecue” and four times world BBQ champion in 2017, at an event organized by McCormick. We talked a little bit and when I told him that what we call barbecue in France is grilling, he told me: "when you go back to France, tell them that there is an old guy in America that is telling them that grilling is barbecue". I still…

With a last name like Vongerichten, I am sure people always compare you to the most known in the family or at least always make a reference as I am going to do it in this post. But you cannot not mention that Jean-Georges’ son, Cédric is, with his wife Ochi, the owner of Wayans, a restaurant located in Nolita that serves Indonesian cuisine with French influence…

I always loved delicatessen: there is something homey and nostalgic about these places, the only annoyance being the tourists invading obnoxiously places like Katz’s Delicatessen. Kosher or not, they have quite a classic menu, more geared towards the non-vegetarian than the vegetarian, cold cuts and all sorts of meats being the star. So yes, I was excited to go to the 2nd Avenue Deli. This time, we decided to go to their location on the Upper East Side on…first avenue.

We were walking around the mall at Hudson Yard, looking for a place to eat when we stumbled upon Miznon, an Israeli restaurant that replaced Bel Campo who had to close their doors because of a scandal. The place is big and they kept the same decor at Bel Campo besides few changes to make it their own. Interestingly, lunch was sit down but not dinner: we ordered, pick up and found ourselves a comfortable booth.

Dominique Ansel Workshop is like the laboratory of a mad scientist who is trying to find a secret formula. Items change on a regular basis with sometimes some of them being available only through the weekend. I wonder if it is not to test them and see if people would buy them before proposing them in his bakery.

Porter is an Gastropub in Port Imperial, Weehawken, that I had on my list for a while, thanks to one of my colleagues who raved about this place that opened in the Winter of 2020. There, Chefs Christopher Lim and Tara Glick crafted a modern American menu that caters to a wide range of diners, vegetarian and non vegetarian, made in the open kitchen. Accessible from the NY Waterway Port Imperial Ferry Terminal and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, this is both a restaurant and a bakery and cafe called…

I discovered Muteki Ramen last year, as, loving ramen, I could not wait to try some of these noodle soups that they offer, the ramen scene in the Mile Square city being limited to Japanese restaurants having few offers on their menu and Vivi Bubble Tea and South Street Fish and Ramen downtown. Muteki opened in September 2020, during Covid and I admit that I mainly knew them from delivery and just decided to go check their restaurant after they messaged me on Instagram, offering a complimentary lunch to thank me for the shoutout I did previously on social media for this place.

It’s been a while since we wanted to try the afternoon tea at The Plaza Hotel in New York City: this is a must do, although pricey. We went on a Monday I was off and it was perfect: not too many people, quiet, the way I like! It was our first time at The Plaza and the doorman made sure we had a good reason to get in: you are either a patron or a guest to enter in this iconic place that is stunning, especially in this time of the year, dressed with Holiday decorations…

I am not sure how I feel about the Elysian Cafe in Hoboken. This place has been open since 1895 and that is quite a while, continuing to serve an hungry crowd, lines always forming outside. The Elysian calls itself a French bistro, but, putting French names on their menu and a very limited number of dishes like the steak frites or French onion soup, I would qualify it more as…

Serving Mexican food, Orale has quickly conquered the Hoboken crowd from day one. It is probably because of the creative menu they offer with only few standard dishes like, of course, guacamole (although they propose the classic one but also ), but most of their dishes have a twist making their menu unique. The decor, colorful and cozy, with its Mexican soda walls that are…

Jersey City has quite few gems and Lokal is surely one of them. I discovered this place back in September 2019, for their Grand Opening and we recently went there a couple of times for dinner. The place did not change if not for the outdoor dining that is probably the only benefit diners got from Covid: the floor to ceiling windows provide an unobstructed view of the…

We passed by Los Cuernos in Newport few times and so, as we love Mexican cuisine, we decided to give it a try on a Friday evening. Surprisingly, this place was not packed and, as the weather was nice, we decided to eat outside and drink as well, I decided to try their house margarita that is apparently made with their house tequila. Nice and a great price as only $8 (this was not a happy hour).

It’s been a while since we went to Black Barn, north of Madison Square Park and, as we passed in front of it, we decided to plan a visit for brunch, their outside setup being quite nice. So here we are, a couple of years later, ready to see how their menu evolved but also if we would have a better experience than before (dinner was great, but not brunch - this was before Covid).

If you like hot cocoa and French pastries, there is one place you cannot miss in Paris: Angelina, near the Louvres Museum. This spot that opened in 1903 is a little gem where the highlight of their menu is their hot chocolate that has been their recipe for success for many years. Even in the hot weather, you cannot resist it. So, when I heard that they were opening an outpost in New York, near Bryant Park, I was excited (beware that there is…

It’s been a while since we wanted to try Buvette in the West Village, but I admit that seen the lines of people waiting there with no possibility of reservation was a turn off. So, on a Monday I was off, we thought that it would be a good moment to try, people working. For sure the line was much shorter and we got our table in less than 10 minutes, showing up at 11am…

Instagram can be a great tool for restaurants as you get free advertising thanks to the photos they post or that their diners post. So, it is thanks to Instagram that we decided, last minute, to go to Sona for brunch. We had no plan that day and then I saw a photo from Chef Hari Nayak: it did not take us long to reserve a table and be on our way…

We passed in front of 12 Chairs Cafe in Soho many times, intrigued by the line in front of it as I never heard about this place before. The name comes apparently from the time their small cafe had only 12 chairs, a thing from the past considering that they expanded, with even a restaurant in…

Several weeks ago, Jodi went to Laduree with her friends Greg and Fletcher. She of course had to tell me what people ordered and that made me want to go back there. So, on Columbus Day, we decided to go back, myself being eager to get that vol au vent I had the last time we went.

As it was a Holiday, there were not that many people and…

I have always been a fan of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, loving their steaks that they cook in butter and bring in a 500 degree plate to your table, sizzling, like hearing angels singing in your ear. But know that, unlike most of the chains, they are not consistent from one location to the other. I like the one…