Located on the second floor of the Cyber Hub in Gurgaon, Soi 7 is a pub and brewery that serves Asian fare. Yes, it is a brewery and you can see the beer fermenters from the dining room that definitely have a nice pub feel, as well as a rooftop where the most surprising part is the boxing ring, not used for the purpose of kicking the bottom of the customers who try to leave without paying, but as entertainment.
I cannot imagine what it is to have a peanut allergy and not being sure how food is made when you are traveling. One of my colleagues has one and eating in India can be challenging, a lot of dishes containing some sort of nuts. So, he was glad to find Jamie’s Pizzeria at The Ambience Mall in Gurgaon near Delhi. He talked so much about this place that I decided to try it. Little did I know that it was a restaurant from celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver. Located on the third floor of this giant mall (7 miles of stores), this is a nice little place where they cook pizza on a stone.
I love delicatessen for the atmosphere and food they serve and was looking forward to trying Sarge's in Murray Hill. Opened since 1964, this place is the perfect example of a deli experience: lots of items on the menu, huge sandwiches and rude service. It is opened 24/7 and has this authentic feel that gives the restaurant some charm: diner like decor, Tiffany's lamps and celebrity photos on the wall.
Dons Bogam is not unknown to me as I discovered this place 4 years ago, looking for a restaurant for lunch on Christmas Day, before seeing The Hobbit. So, I was excited when I got invited to their new location Dons Bogam Black, also located Midtown. I guess the "Black" from the name is similar to what you get with an American Express Black card: upscale Korean food, but fortunately without outrageous prices that would make you wish you had that coveted credit card...
We were looking for a brunch place near Herald Square on OpenTable and reserved a table at an Italian restaurant called L'Amico, realizing only when we were there that we knew this place. Well kind of: we passed so many times In front of it, thinking that we should go check it out one day. I did not know at the time or more did not pay attention to their sign, that this is another restaurant of French Chef Laurent Tourondel who gave us BLT Prime or BLT Steak. This is a nice place, with an elegant rustic feel.
Few weeks ago, we discovered a small Thai place near the MeatPacking District called Pad Thai Noodle Lounge, a restaurant with a nice decor and definitely a lounge-y feel with its dimmed lights and music. With its nice decor, it boasts an interesting menu where classic curry are present, as well as a nice selection of noodles that you would probably find in any other Thai places, except that they are highlighted not only on the menu it also in the name of the restaurant.
After we went to Le Relais de Venise for lunch (great steak frites there), we decided to have some frozen yogurt at Culture An American Yogurt Company in the West Village. This small joint manufactures its own yogurt and frozen yogurt, with no preservatives or additives, right in the back where you can see the large tanks. And when they are making yogurt, the light is on...
It's been a while since we went to Green Rock Tap & Grill, one of the first restaurants we tried in Hoboken, raving about their burgers made with English muffins rather than buns. It a cool place, like your old-school bar where dark wood is omnipresent. Conveniently located few steps from the path train, we just needed to find a day when no game would be playing, enjoying the quiet time of a place that can become crazy.
I recently discovered Osteria Al Doge, a restaurant serving Venetian fare near Times Square. I am always a bit wary when eating in that area, lots of restaurants counting more on foot traffic than really returning customers; but, at Osteria Al Doge, not only was the food good, but the service was on point.
Recently, we went to Williamsburg to see the exhibit of one of Jodi's friends, Marco, and, as usual, I was in charge of finding a spot to eat. I had two in mind, a primary choice, Pies'n Thighs, and a backup, The Rabbithole. The former was full with a long line in front of the door, line that I was not ready to face. That's how we ended up at The Rabbithole, and I have to say that I am pretty happy about that!
It's been a while since I went to Empire Steakhouse and definitely never been to their new location attached to the Hilton Hotel Midtown. I went there on a Thursday for dinner, eager to eat some good steak that is aged for a month. I love steak (my favorite cut being the ribeye) and was expecting the kind of meal that makes you regret not wearing stretch pants...
It's been a while since I wanted to try Estiatorio Milos, the upscale restaurant of Executive Chef Costas Spiliadis, that has locations not only in New York, but also Montreal, Miami, Las Vegas or Athens. And I was not disappointed by this place specialized in fresh seafood. I could say that it is a beautiful place, but it would be in reference only of their downstairs dining room as they were undergoing renovations and their main dining room was therefore closed.
It's been a while since we went to The Hoboken Gourmet Company, always discouraged by the wait in that small place that truly has a neighborhood feel. But the 4th of July came and allowed us to dine there for brunch. The issue with going to a restaurant on that day is often they are short staffed (they did a good job anyway and apologized for the lack of attention that we apparently got - did not really notice) or the shortage of ingredients (the Chef left the place saying "I need sourdough" and coming back minutes later with a back from a fine grocery store close by).
Every year seems to bring its new ice cream sensation, as if people get bored with classic ice creams and are looking for something spectacular. Move over Blacktap Burger (that I did not like, preferring Birch in Hoboken) or Eggloo (still part of the craze though): Taiyaki is the new thing. Named after the fish shaped cakes that replace the traditional cone, Taiyaki served some interesting combination, the star being the cake, but also they soft served ice cream that they make in small batches to preserve the quality.
We were looking for a nice brunch place with my brother and nephew close to their hotel Midtown and settled for The Smith, the trendy American Bistro that has fed hungry crowds since 2007. I love their philosophy translated in their name and described on their website:
Smith [smiTH] noun
1. A maker skilled in creating something.
Cooksmith, Barsmith, Blacksmith, Locksmith
When people visit from Europe, I always suggest to go for steaks, a suggestion rarely discarded unless people are vegetarian or...told all steaks in the US are full of hormones! So, as we had to plan a dinner with my brother and nephew, I was looking for a steakhouse with a great setting and decided to go to Michael Jordan's Steakhouse in Grand Central Station, combining the eating with sightseeing.
I passed so many times In front of the Luma hotel, barely noticing the restaurant located on the first floor. Little I knew that this place, Ortzi, would be a fantastic experience, service and food wise. With its beautiful and warm decor, and its open kitchen where unfortunately Chef Jose Garces was absent, it does not have an hotel feel.
I recently ended up with my colleagues at JJ Bitting Brewing Company in Woodbridge. Interesting place indeed: big, rustic, you can see in the middle of the main dining room some of the fermenters used to make beer. Yes, as its name indicates, JJ Bitting is a brewery and I tried one of their beers, the Aldahat Amber, a medium bodied ale that was fruity and slightly bitter, exactly as they described it. I could have gone for their beer flight, but admit that I am a light weight and as it was equivalent to two beers, I passed.
My nephew wanted to eat at The National, the restaurant of acclaimed celebrity Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, located in The Benjamin Hotel. You do not need to long to convince me to go to a place to eat, and here we are, in this American bistro inspired by European restaurants as well as American dining rooms.
