I heard about Haandi, a fast casual restaurant serving Pakistani and North Indian cuisine: it is apparently a favorite spot for taxi drivers and the line of taxis in front of this place when I arrived seemed to confirm this, although when I entered the joint, it was not that crowded and the customers who came later seem to be business people rather than cabbies.
I admit that at first, I did not intend to go have dinner at Georgia's Eastside BBQ with my friend Benny. No, we wanted to go get some fried chicken at Sweet Chick located a block away. Unfortunately, and despite the info I got on the Internet, the place was closed for "staff appreciation day". Nice thing in retrospect, but at that point, I was more thinking about "client appreciation day"! So, the other alternative was Russ and Daughters on Orchard and it is while walking towards it that I noticed Georgia's Eastside BBQ.
I passed so many times in front of Rice 'n' Beans in Hell's Kitchen, thinking it was a takeout place and not realizing that, first it is a Brazilian place (I could have by simply looking at the flag, but did not pay attention because, again, I thought it was a takeout place), and second, that it is serving a pretty good food, beyond the simple casual feel the place gives.
I will not surprise anybody by saying that Empanadas Café serves mainly...empanadas. If you want to eat something else, you are going to be very, very, very, limited. I was excited to go there, not only because I love empanadas, those little pockets of deliciousness that are either baked or fried, but also because they offer a wide variety of them, away from the classic beef or cheese ones.
People always talk about John's Pizza, Grimaldi's or XXX, but there is a little gem on Bleecker Street that I highly recommend: Kesté Pizza and Vino. Serving sublime Neapolitan pizza, one of their best credentials is that their owner, Roberto Capiruscio is the president of the US branch of the Association of Neapolitan Pizzaiuoli (APN - Association of Neapolitan Pizza Makers), that ensures that Neapolitan pizza are made following strict guidelines (water temperature, specific flour, etc. ).
That brownie was one of the best I ever had! Wait! Flashback: this is supposed to be a post about a healthy place: how did I end up talking about a brownie? Well, EXKI, from the French word "exquis" that means exquisite, is a healthy casual eatery with more than 75 locations in Europe, trying to appeal to the busy and health conscious New Yorker (no brownie so far). With two locations in New York, this one is not new, but they upgraded their space to make it brighter (thanks to the carrera marble, white walls and light colors) and simpler, letting the food shine.
Food wise, there is no duplicity, rather authenticity and Executive Chef Gian Pietro Ferro crafted a menu that would satisfy any palate eager to discover Italian food. There are of course the pizza with the thin crust, but their homemade pasta are also noticeable. I decided to start the meal with a cocktail and went for the Paolo Uccello, named after a Renaissance painter. It was made with tequila, blood orange liquor, fresh rosemary and lime.
I was recently invited to a dinner prepared by Italian Chef Walter Potenza for the launch of Pasta Lensi's line of legume pasta. Yes, you heard well: legume pasta. At first, I was not sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by this pasta, and not just because of the recipes cooked by Chef Potenza, his logic being to make the pasta the star of the dish (he only uses three ingredients to keep the recipe simple and the flavors clean) and not just a "carrier" for a sauce.
After our trip to San Francisco and our fantastic meal at La Taqueria, we were craving Mexican food. So, as we were going to see a movie in Times Square, I searched for a restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. That is how we found El Centro, a very colorful place with an interesting decor, especially the figurines made of metal that cover one of the walls.
I was looking for a French restaurant when I stumbled upon Chez Jacqueline, a bistro in Soho. Besides an interesting menu, what convinced me further to try it was their Wednesday deal: $15 for steak. And not just a couple of cuts: you can choose sirloin, filet mignon, skirt, etc. Of course, for that price, do not expect a ribeye or porterhouse!
Located in Hell's Kitchen, Esanation is a Thai restaurant with a lounge vibe. Serving northeastern cuisine (Isan province = Isan nation for the name of the place?), they serve patrons in a modern decor with couple of neons (Love neon in the back or the disco ball in the dining room) playing an upbeat music, setting itself apart from many restaurants that will play Thai music. In fact, it reminded me a bit Viv, another Thai place close by.
Finding Adrienne's Pizzabar, a restaurant located in the Financial District, is like finding a needle in a haystack. You definitely need a GPS to find this amazing place and, once you do, you will be blown away. First of all, the area where it is located, Stone Street, has a European feel with its cobblestones as well as multiple tables and benches installed in the street by the various restaurants. Except that the day we went, it was raining cats and dogs and only few courageous patrons dared to eat or grab a drink outside.
With its casual yet trendy decor, Kurry Qulture is the kind of restaurant you wish you had in your neighborhood. Serving authentic Indian cuisine, the dishes there are of the quality of some of the best restaurants in New York, but for reasonable prices, in part thanks to the differential in rent between the Big Apple and Astoria. Well, it might be also because Sonny Solomon, who, with his wife, opened this place a year ago, has an impressive resume, having worked at Devi and Tulsi, two renown Indian restaurants crowned with Michelin stars, thanks to the collaboration with Chef Hemant Mathur who helped create the menu of Kurry Qulture.
Food and wine are two components that, with good company, contribute in making a meal a great experience. So, when a renown wine maker celebrates 80 years of wine making with a celebrity Chef, you can expect an amazing experience. And it is what I witnessed at Todd English Food Hall at the Plaza Hotel. I admit that I did not know when I arrived that Chef Todd English would be there and was surprised to see him talking to his staff when I entered in the restaurant. That place is beautiful, spacious, with a bit of a brasserie feel.
Last Monday, I got the privilege to attend the Japan Rice Peace Project seminar, chaired by Jeff Santos from The Santos Marketing Group, in the presence of Mrs Akie Abe, the wife of Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. This project emphasizes the role of rice in food action, whether it is sustainability, crisis relief or social responsibility. We often say that rice is in Asia like bread in western countries: a common staple. Well it is a bit more and the recent natural disasters in Japan, such as the earthquake in Tohoku in 2011 followed by the Fukushima nuclear incident, or even more recently the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes are reminders that food is key in case of crisis.
Alright people: listen up! If you love bacon, you cannot miss this week end's event called The Great Big Bacon Picnic in the Old Pfizer Factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There, you can taste bacon, bacon, as well as bacon, in many different ways. This bacon-palooza features so many restaurants that I ended up with a bacon coma at the end of our visit. They are there the entire week end, so check them out at: http://greatbigbacon.com
As its name indicates, Jun's Macaron Gelato serves...macarons and gelato. In fact, I mistakenly thought that they even serve a macaron gelato sandwich, but I guess I was close to reality...It is a small shop that opened in August 2016 and proposes a wide variety of gelato: chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut, cookies and cream, etc...
If you are looking for a great lunch deal, you should stop by Room Service, a Thai restaurant located in Hell's Kitchen (who would guess with that name that it is a Thai joint?). It has been a while since we wanted to try it, but it seemed to be always packed for dinner, so, one Saturday, we decided to try it for lunch, without knowing that they propose one of the best lunch prix-fixe I have seen so far. And it is not only the price ($8.50), but also the quantity that makes it awesome. So, for that $8.50, you get an appetizer and an entrée. For $1.50 more, you can add a Thai iced tea or a Tom Yum soup.
