Located few steps from Union Square, Al Vicoletto is an Italian eatery and gourmet market. I like the vibe of the place that has a certain energy and a European feel.
At the beginning of the meal, they gave us some bread, as well as a small sandwich bites made with focaccia bread, peck and cheese: a great way to start, although, so delicious that I stopped eating it as I was expecting to have a feast...
When it comes to elegance and gourmet food, Petrossian comes into my mind. The famous caviar purveyor has, for a long time, showcased some products that go beyond the treasured fish eggs. And this time, they invited me as well as other press / bloggers to discover some amazing products for the season coming. At the same time, I got the pleasure to see again Executive Chef Richard Farnabe that I met few months ago during an amazing tasting at the restaurant.
One evening last week, I was invited to a workshop by KitchenAid, with Pastry Chef Ron Ben-Israel and Robin and Jeffrey Selden from Marcia Selden Catering. I went there with my friend Malini, The Restaurant Fairy, so now you will know that I am not wearing any nail polish and that it is her hand that you will see on the photos, holding some of the delicious bites we got to sample.
Located at the corner of 93rd and 3rd on the Upper East Side, Korali Estiatorio went beyond my expectations. I love Greek food and was definitely not disappointed after going to a tasting I was invited to. This beautiful restaurant that gets its name from "Coral", to honor the seafood of the Mediterranean sea, is the jewel opened a year ago by Gregori Politis (formerly of Yefsi Estiatorio), a 20-year veteran in the hospitality industry who wanted to bring the authentic recipes from his childhood in Greece to NYC.
The Old Homestead Steakhouse is not unknown to me, as I ate there few years ago, but skipped it since I started this blog, except for sliders as they offered a very good deal for lunch at the time. But it was way too long and we really wanted to go back to the oldest steakhouse in New York, serving carnivores since 1968! This place did not change and I was glad that they sat us on one of the corners, in a round table with a banquette, that had a good light. This latest detail was not only noticed because of the photos I was going to take, but also because, often, steakhouses are dim.
We were on the Lower East Side and were looking for a place to have lunch when we stumbled upon Cho-Ko, a small ramen joint. The weather was perfect for ramen, so I was looking forward to it. It is a small place and I was surprised it was empty, although we arrived five minutes after their opening time. But it remained empty until we left...
Last week, I was invited at Bustan, a restaurant located on the Upper West Side, that serves Mediterranean cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. I was not able to meet with Bustan's new partner and Executive Chef Raphael Hasid, but chatted a bit with his Chef de Cuisine, Christopher Burgess, who brings more than 30 years of experience in the industry, having worked even with Michael White or Anthony Bourdain. He explained to me that they are using a taboon to cook most of the food in their tiny kitchen, a taboon being a wood fire oven with a temperature of 800 degrees and a rotating center so the food cooks evenly.
We were at the Flux Factory in Long Island City for the New York Academy of Art Alumni exhibit where Jodi participated with a beautiful painting (see her work at www.jodigerbi.com), and we decided to eat in that area after the show. I just needed Google Map to find Beija Flor (Hummingbird in portuguese), a Brazilian restaurant that serves some delicious food. At first, I was worried that there would be live music as I wanted to have a quiet dinner, being able to hear each other and thankfully, there was not and the noise level was pretty nice.
Sometimes, I should just stick to the original plan...It all started with wanting to eat ramen at Jun-Men in Chelsea. But the weather was pretty good for November and, as we walked passed Stage Door Deli, we changed our mind, reserving ramen for a colder day. I was excited for sure, thinking about the Reuben I would inhale in few minutes.
Located on the 8th floor of Macy's, hidden like a priceless gem is the De Gustibus Cooking school. I mean, even some employees of the store did not know it was there and it took me a couple of inquiries to find my way to what would be a wonderful evening, where my friend Malini, The Restaurant Fairy, brought me along, generously sharing the experience with me and Cindy, from the food blog Chubby Chinese Girl.
We were walking on 9th Avenue when we stumbled upon Bombay Grill House and the photo of their thali, a plate containing various dishes making a full meal, from appetizer to dessert. I discover Thali many years ago in Mumbai and specifically remembered one that was vegetarian, that I loved, a weird thing to write considering my love for meat...Anyway, I kept Bombay Grill House in mind and few weeks later, we decided to try their cuisine. The place was not that full, although we could see traces of a large table that left probably before we arrived.
Being a blogger has its perks and one of them is that you get sometimes invited to previews of upcoming menus or collections such as the 2017 Valentine's and Easter Collections event organized last week at La Maison Du Chocolat on The Upper East Side. Well, I was not just excited about the chocolate, although I could easily imagine being locked inside this place all night...It was also because I got the opportunity to meet Geoffroy D' Anglejan-Chattilon, Managing Director of La Maison du Chocolat with whom I had a nice chat.
I love NY for the diversity of its food and was not disappointed after eating at Esperanto, a Latin restaurant located in Alphabet City that is celebrating its 17th Anniversary. This place has a neighborhood latin café feel that I always like to find, far from the famous places where there is no soul. It is not a big place, but it benefits from having space outside for a few tables, so patrons can enjoy the last bit of good weather before winter comes. Esperanto is not a big place; it is colorful and warm, with a rustic feel.
When temperatures start to go down, I am always looking forward for ramen. I was really looking forward to try Mentoku in Hell's Kitchen. I saw that place while walking down the street and noticed their spicy ramen with...whipped cream. Not that I was going to try it as it seems to be really spicy, but still, I was a bit curious. We went on a Saturday to this small cash only place that was not as crowded as Totto Ramen that we passed by few hours later.
The last time I went to Fogo de Chao was few months after this upscale steakhouse opened, back in December 2013. I even went to one of their locations in Sao Paolo that I found of lesser quality than their sister restaurant in the big apple. Well, the location itself is amazing with its three floors and I cannot imagine the rent they pay a month.
Meaning Sir Lala, Lala Sahab is the new venture of Executive Chef and owner Lala Sahab that I met few months ago at Surya, where he not only treated us with a sublime meal, but also made a demonstration of the use of the tandoor oven.
Roni-Sue's Chocolates is not unknown to me as I got to a try few times their amazing chocolates, even recently at the Great Big Bacon Picnic in Williamsburg where they presented a delicious bacon butter crunch toffee.
