I discovered Don’s Bogam few years ago, thanks to Jodi’s cousin, Jessica. This Korean BBQ place is great: good food, great drinks and courteous staff, a trifecta that makes for a perfect evening.

Eating at a Korean BBQ, there is always the excitement of getting the banchan, these small plates they bring at the beginning of the meal, with kimchi being usually the only sure thing you would get. And unless you ask, it is sometimes difficult to recognize what the dishes they are bringing are, or how…

It’s been a while since we have been to Bryant Park Grill and so, we decided to go for dinner on a Friday evening. The weather was nice but not enough for us to sit outside, so we ended up in the dining room, enjoying the noise level that I would love to see more often in restaurants.

When going to Gallagher ‘s, I always remember the first few times I went there: disappointing. But then, after they changed ownership and renovated the restaurant that clearly needed a new decor, I went back and was blown away. Not only did the place get a fantastic makeover, the food there has always been outstanding. Here…

I heard about the afternoon tea at Prince Tea House, so we decided to try as we were on a quest to try all the afternoon teas in the city. Interesting place for sure with a chic decor that is perfectly suited to the theme of this place.

We discovered Turkish Cuisine in Hell’s Kitchen few years ago and have been raving about their cotton candy dessert for some time. So, it was time to go back. Ok, the name is not that original, but at least you know what that this is a Turkish restaurant! We went on a Friday evening and the place was packed! I admit that I did not recall the decor that was full of little dolls and…

When people ask me what the best ramen place in NYC is, my answer is simple: Ippudo. I have been to this place for so many years and not once have I been disappointed.

It is a great experience. First, as you enter the restaurant, you are welcomed in Japanese (that always makes me think about an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm), and you are…

I really do not remember how many times we tried to go to Battello, an Italian restaurant located in Jersey City, with breathtaking views of the New York skyline. Well, weekends are more for private parties so we decided to go on a Monday a couple of months ago. Definitely ideal as there were not that many people, they sat us in the covered patio where we could admire the view while enjoying a delicious meal.

I cannot believe that it has been 2 years since we went to Basta Pasta, the US outpost of an Italian restaurant that opened in Japan in 1985, that I discovered few years ago and remains one of my preferred Italian restaurants in the city. Always packed, the menu there is amazing with so many mouth watering dishes that you are not sure what to get and just want to order the entire menu.

It’s been a while since we wanted to go back to Maiella, an Italian restaurant we discovered few years ago. So, as we were in Long Island City to see the opening of Peter Drake, the Provost of the New York Academy of Art and an amazing painter, we decided to make a reservation there, on a Saturday evening. Well, we went around 6pm and the place was not that busy and I enjoyed the fact that we could have a quiet dinner, until they started to increase the volume of the music and people started to come, large tables filling up with people ready to celebrate birthdays and other kinds of events.

We were looking for a place to eat near Bryant Park when we decided to try the new location of La Pecora Bianca. Although it was a Tuesday, we decided to still reserve a table: I am glad we did as the place was quite packed…and loud! The noise level in restaurants is definitely something I will never get used to, but we really wanted to try their menu.

I started off by ordering a negroni from…

We discovered L’Adresse a while back and decided to go back for dinner on a Friday as we were looking for a place close to Bryant Park. I remembered that I had a good meal there and was curious to know if they were still good considering that they opened a second location in the City, a sign that I took as a success for their venture.

The place was not that crowded and I really…

We were exploring the Financial District when we stumbled upon Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill at The Lowell, a luxurious apart-hotel. I knew Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken and was always curious to try this venture, having seen plenty of photos on Instagram that seem to showcase delicious food. We went on a Friday evening and, although the place was not that packed when we arrived, it changed as the evening went, the dining room filing up very quickly…

We decided to explore the Financial District when we stumbled upon Mezcali, a Mexican restaurant that opened few months ago. So we decided to book a table for the following Friday. Well, a Friday is always busy and this place was no exception: our table on the ground floor was located close to a table of screaming diners (the four of them sounded like there were hundred people, the alcohol not really helping), as well as a large table of corporate folks going there for a drink before the week end. We were there so there was no turning back, especially as I wanted a particular dish that I…

For a celebratory dinner, we decided to go to Porterhouse in Columbus Circle. We had a deal with Jodi: I would get my steak and she would get the dessert that she has been eyeing for some time…

To celebrate, we got two cocktails: the penicillin (Japanese whisky, honey, lemon, ginger and laphroaig 10 years myst) and a margarita…that was not what we originally ordered.

It’s been a while since I wanted to try Cha kee, a Chinese restaurant that opened in September 2021 in the heart of Chinatown. there, Executive chef Akiko Thurnauer (formerly of Mission Chinese, En Japanese Brasserie, Nobu Tribeca), crafted an interesting menu, far from the classic Chinese cuisine you usually find: no vegetarian dumplings or scallion pancakes. In fact, the menu is quite limited if you are vegetarian, so it was a bit of a challenge for Jodi. Not for me.

I discovered Pepolino in TriBeCa many years ago. This Italian restaurant has been there for some time, that is no wonder when you tried their food. Comfy, it reminded me some of the delicious dishes we had in Italy, like their pappa Al pomodoro, a soup made with tomato, garlic and bread. A peasant soup that is very comforting.
Another classic is their melanzane e scarmoza that is made with thin slices of eggplant topped with smokey mozzarella. Good, with a nice smokiness, I just wished that the eggplant would have been more cooked since it was bit…

I recently discovered Osteria La Baia, an Italian restaurant that opened a couple of months ago in Midtown Manhattan. I was not sure what to expect, but the few times I went there, I was blown away: great service and delicious food are the two impressions that remain…

You may think when reading the title of this post that I made a typo in the name of the restaurant, especially when seeing a mural of a tiger in the back of the dining room, but it is not the case. The Y replaced the I, as nod to The Tyger, a poem by the English poet William Blake, published in 1794 as part of his Songs of Experience collection. At The Tyger, Chef Paul Donnelly, crafted a menu with dishes from Southeast Asia, but with his own modern interpretation. We liked it so much that we went twice, two weekends in a row…

We are looking for a place to eat for brunch near Grove St in Jersey City, when I stumbled upon The Ashford, a sports bar. That’s usually not the type of places I would go to, my noise tolerance being a low, but, when I saw that they had a loaded croque madame on their website (it had fried chicken in it), I could not miss it.

The place is quite big, with multiple floors and a rooftop, and of course, large screens all over…

We were craving dim sum and planned to go to Jing Fong in Chinatown when we realized that this place closed, apparently temporarily, the only location still open being on the Upper West Side. Smaller than its sister restaurant, this place was packed and we could only have a seat at the bar, opposite to the counter that had a view on the kitchen. I wonder if it explains why it took them so long to come get our order…