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Arzak: A Review
As foodies, amateur chefs, avid restaurant-goers and two+-months-in-advance resy makers, my husband and I finally made the pilgrimage to the so-called food mecca, San Sebastián, Spain. I had read all of the reviews and listened to all the raves, rants and endless comparisons, so it was time to check it all out firsthand and see what all of the fuss was about. The coastal Basque region is home to the highest number of Michelin stars per capita in the world and boasts a lively pintxos scene to boot (more on that later). Although the contrary would be a far more fascinating story, I have to admit San Sebastián was a memorable experience that most certainly lived up to the hype.
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Dinner at Del Posto
This past weekend we finally made it back to one of the fanciest Italian restaurants in New York, Del Posto. The hotspot, run by celebrity Italian food personalities, Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and Lidia Bastianich, occupies an opulent space in Chelsea, where live piano fills a bustling, warmly-lit dining room. Del Posto received a four-star rating from New York Times critic Sam Sifton a couple years back, much to the surprise of discerning editors and restaurant-goers alike who doubted it deserved a coveted spot next to the finest dining establishments in the city–Per Se, Daniel, Le Bernardin, Eleven Madison Park and Jean Georges.
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Haute Lobster “Rolls” at Le Bernardin
It’s a bit of a secret that many of the top Michelin-starred restaurants in New York offer a lounge menu in their bar area that serves a selection of the chef’s top dishes à la carte without having to
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Sandwiches from Mile End
This weekend we checked out Mile End Sandwich Shop, the Noho outpost of the Boerum Hill, Brooklyn favorite. Located on posh Bond Street between Lafayette and Bowery, this inventive and modern Jewish delicatessen is just what we needed in the neighborhood. The inside is sleek and minimalist, with a long communal table filling the room and dozens of hungry patrons lining up for take-out orders at all hours of the day and night. On the menu full of enticing combinations of meats, cheeses, vegetables and bread, there is truly something for everyone. Playful names such as “The Ruth Wilensky” (fried beef salami, mustard) and the “Chopped Liver” (gribenes, pickled shallots), make the whole experience exciting and fun.
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Saturday Morning at Russ & Daughters
It’s a Saturday morning tradition for us. We wake up, grab coffee at Think Coffee and then swing by Russ & Daughters for some of the best bagels and smoked fish in the city.
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King Cole Bar
It has been said by cocktail aficionados that the King Cole Bar in New York City was the first bar in the U.S. to serve a Bloody Mary after being originally invented at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. It’s this type of history that makes this bar, situated in the posh St. Regis Hotel, so special.
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Forcella: Pizza di Napoli on the Bowery
I finally made it to pizza master Giulio Adriani’s new restaurant on the Bowery, Forcella. We went this past Friday, which was the first day the East Village got power back after Hurricane Sandy, so I give them extra points off the bat for hustling open to the delight of hungry SoPo diners like ourselves.
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NYC: Brunch at Calliope
It was time for sunday brunch and this week my fiancé and I decided to forgo the usual mad rush to Peels, Five Points or Café Cluny and try out a chic new neigborhood bistro from Waverly Inn alum Eric Korsh and his wife, Ginevra Iverson, formerly of Prune, called Calliope. This impressive pedigree seriously got our hopes up – and it sure did deliver.
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NYC: The Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern
The Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern, $26 Minetta Tavern, a bustling French bistro in the middle of Greenwich Village, has 2 burgers on the menu: The $16 Minetta Burger and the $26 Black Label Burger. Do me a favor and please order the Black Label Burger – I promise it’s worth it! Like all foodies in NYC, I have sampled all of the best burgers in town and this one ranks right up there with the best of them. It is juicy, succulent, oozing with flavor and topped with sweet caramelized onions set on a perfect sesame brioche bun and, of course, complemented by a mountain of salty, crispy frites. A force to be reckoned with, I guarantee.
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NYC: Pommes Frites : A Taste of Belguim in the East Village
Hungry East Villagers know that the spot for the most delicious, authentic Belgian french fries is Pommes Frites on Second Avenue. Crispy, salty, thick-cut and accompanied by endless choices of tasty dipping sauces, these fries are irresistible. This miniature shop ONLY sells fries, but really what else would you want anyway? Go in and grab a paper cone overflowing with fries and you will feel like you just stepped into a hidden fry shop off a cobblestone street in Europe.’
The dipping sauces range from curry ketchups to creamy blue cheese to Sambal Olek. They let you sample, so feel free to be adventurous. I heard they are now offering an organic black truffle mayo… what a combination!!
