I was recently invited to Via Vai, an Italian restaurant that opened in June 2014, conveniently located few steps from the Ditmars train station in Astoria. This place use to be a gentlemen's club, not that I was a customer, but it came up in the conversation we enjoyed with owners Cynthia and Antonio Morichini, who is also the Executive Chef, as we were talking about the long path it takes to open a restaurant.
January 20th is National Cheese Lover's Day. Yes, there is indeed a National Cheese Lover's Day and I think that it should be National Cheese Lover's Month as there are so many cheeses to try, each of them with their own taste and texture...and smell...
I asked people I know what they drink with cheese and most of them said red wine, stirring an interesting debate, especially when I mentioned that few sommeliers as well as Maitre Fromager Max McCalman, explained to me that the problem with red wine is that the tannins will change the taste of the cheese, and so white wine was better.
I admit that just seeing the name Zutto, I would I thought it was an Italian joint. But, when I looked for a place in Tribeca on OpenTable, I saw that it was Japanese. Then, going to their website to check out their menu, it said Japanese American Pub. So, I was not sure what to expect. We went on a Friday night.
The Green Table is a farm to table restaurant in Chelsea Market that serves a menu made with fresh ingredients purchased daily in local farms and green markets. This place has definitely some charm with its decor that could make you think you are in a home somewhere in the country side, with, of course, green tables and flowers.
We went there for brunch and dinner: for brunch, if you go early enough, you can find a spot. Dinner is another story: we though we were early, but the place was packed and we had to wait few minutes, waiting patiently for a text on my phone to let us know our table was ready. Both times, they brought us some delicious focaccia that was definitely greasy, but so addictive, with its crunchy cheesy top that was covered with pepper flakes, making it a bit spicy.
I remember that when I was a kid, I used to see TV series or movies where people were making pancakes, wondering what it was, as we did not have that in France. In all cases, I would definitely not say that crepes are like pancakes and it makes me cringe when I hear people comparing the two as they are totally different!
Anyway, here is the way I make pancakes at home.
I was looking for a pizzeria Midtown Manhattan, when I stumbled upon Don Antonio by Starita. This place is the result of the association of Chef Roberto Caporuscio of Kesté Pizza & Vino on Bleecker street, and Antonio Starita, third generation owner of one Naples’ oldest pizzerias, Pizzeria Starita a Materdei. I was not only interested to go there for their Neapolitan pizza, but also because they serve fried pizza or pizza fritte, a dish I never tried before and that made me curious.
The burger looked sublime, between the nice char on the side of the patty and the generous amount of cheese that was dripping all over. I so wanted that first bite that I forgot to take a photo when fully closed! But trust me: that first bite was divine; the meat was delightfully charred, perfectly cooked medium and juicy.
Located on the second floor of the Langham Place Fifth Avenue, Ai Fiori (means Among the flowers in Italian) is one of the ultimate fine dining experiences this city has to offer. Opened in 2010 by restauranteur Ahmass Fakahany and Chef Michael White, it serves a mix of Italian and French riviera dishes. I was really excited to go there as it was on my list of Michelin star restaurants to go to.
I hesitated between that dish, their tandoori combination platter and the chicken tikka masala. But the crab curry at Baluchi's is so good, that I could not resist and was not disappointed. Normally, it is spicy, because of the chillies in the dish, but I asked them to make it not spicy and, although there was a subtle kick, they did a good job.
I love BAO, these steamed buns of all sorts of shapes that you can find in Chinese restaurants. I love it so much that I was curious to know how to make it and decided to try myself. I made two versions: pork belly for me and tofu for Jodi (not entirely vegetarian as it contains fish sauce). It is not that this recipe is complicated, but it takes some time.
Baja is a Tex-Mex restaurant located uptown Hoboken, several blocks from the second Charrito's location and far from East LA. I rediscovered this place recently, after several years of a hiatus, being disappointed in the past by their menu. I was just wondering if they changed anything; for instance, will their guacamole be homemade rather than store bought? Would they have a more interesting menu? That is what we would discover.
Flight is a Gastropub located on the Upper East Side, opened in October 2014, by Dermot Kelly (who is also the beverage director), Taukiv Azam and Executive Chef Golam. Although their logo has a wing, this is not a place for the aficionados of aviation, but more for the foodies who would like to enjoy a sampling (a flight) of drinks (beer, wine or whiskey) or food.
Le Village is a French restaurant located in the East Village that opened last January. This place is not totally unknown to me as it is the continuation of an incredible adventure Chef and owner Didier Pawlicki, who also own Taureau and La Sirene started few years ago with Table Verte: the first French vegetarian restaurant in the city.
I discovered Taïm more than 2 years ago, as I was searching for the best falafel in the city. And it truly was for me the best one. Then, they opened an outpost in Soho that I did not get a chance to try until recently. Taïm (pronounce Ta-eem, that means in Hebrew tasty, delicious) is an all vegetarian hole in the wall that will flabbergast you.
