NYC Tastes

Restaurant Week is upon us once again and this year we kicked it off at Park Avenue Summer, the gorgeous NoMad spot known for it's fantastic RW options and seasonal decor.   Even knowing this was such a popular place we forgot to make a lunch reservation and were relegated to dining at the bar.  This was a fine excuse to indulge in one of their delightful cocktails the Papa's Pineapple Sumaquiri made with Bacardi Ocho and sumac. Their signature cornbread arrived first, piping hot and served with spicy jalapeno butter.  I usually try not to fill up on bread but these were too delicious to resist.  1st Course- Tuna Tartare with champagne mango and avocado.  A classic preparation of light, cooling ingredients perfect for these soaring temperatures. 2nd Course- Green Circle Chicken with roasted summer squash and grilled lemon.  I honestly forgot grilled lemon was listed as an ingredient, so my first bite of that sharp citrus fruit hidde...

When I read the Best of 2018 lists this year, there was one place that appeared in almost every article, Frenchette; a lively little French bistro on the edge of Tribeca. Chef Riad Nasr and Chef Lee Hanson are in the kitchen; a dynamic duo who opened the kitchen of Balthazar together back in 1997. The space exudes a mix of characteristics similar to city's classic French spots; the bright, clean elegance of Balthazar and the cool, bar vibe of Raouls; but it's also decidedly different with a small, simple menu and a casual, laid back style of service. On the weekend lunch menu a rich, smoky Duck Confit served atop a bounty of root vegetables perfect for soaking up all the juicy drippings. A beautiful Brouillade studded with garlic Peconic escargot; a dish that truly showcased the French lust for butter.    Crispy Pomme Frites with an eggy mayo  and a scoop of creamy Salted Caramel Ice Cream for dessert. C'est magnifique! Frenchette 241 West...

Hidden on the edge of the Financial District sits Temple Court; Tom Colicchio's lesser known restaurant inside the stunning Beekman Hotel.  This sleek little spot specializes in classic American food using the fresh seasonal ingredients.   I wanted to order everything on the RW menu; creamy Burrata with heirloom squash and pesto, Mussels steamed with saffron and Gnudi with shaved Brussels sprout, Granny Smith apples and sage. To be quite honest, if a dish mentions both sage and brown butter, I'm always going to order it and these little pockets of cheesy potato gnudi were the perfect vessel for that explosive flavor combination.    Onto entrees a beautiful Skate Meuniere dressed with lemon, capers and a trio of roasted cauliflower.  Restaurant Week which ends in a few days, so make those lunch/dinner plans now before time runs out. Temple Court 5 Beekman Street New York, NY 10038 

It's always hard to choose our dining spots in Paris.  There are so many places the decision seems absolutely overwhelming.  However after a ton of research online and fantastic advice from the great people on  Chowhound , I settled on La Condesa and it ended up being one of the best decisions of the entire trip. We were the first ones to arrive for the lunch and although we were incredibly early they welcomed us warmly with a seat at the window overlooking some beautiful flowers and a lively street in the 9th Arrondissement.   La Condesa has no set menu; guests simply choose the 3, 4 or 6 course tasting and everything is left completely up to the Chef.  Since we were planning to spend most of the day eating we decided on the 3 course tasting and kicked things off with some Crémant as the parade of food began. Amuse Bouche~ Crispy Corn Galette with whipped corn mousse Amuse Bouche~ Mushroom Tempura with Sorrel mayonnaise 1st Cours...

Day two of the Bordeaux wine tour was also my birthday and it was absolutely perfect.   We began in Saint-Ėmilion, an amazing medieval town on the Right Bank of Bordeaux with breathtaking views and one of our favorite winery's of the trip Château Guadet.  This small vineyard is one of only two wineries in the heart of Saint-Ėmilion and owned by the famous Petrus wine family.   The vineyard consists of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc grapes, merlot being the prominent grape grown on most Right Bank properties. We started our tour upstairs to learn about the cement vats used to vinify their wine.  Then we took a steep ladder down to the massive cellar, where miles of limestone quarries had been created for storing wine.  This was easily the best part of any wine tour I've experienced.  The cool, dark caves winding beneath the Château were astounding to behold; it was almost an entirely new city underground. We then stopped into...

Restaurant Week has descended upon NYC once again so I decided to do a solo lunch at Indian favorite Babu Ji.  This place was all the rage a few years back and I never got a chance to go.  Luckily they have since moved into a bigger space close to Union Square and I was able to easily grab a spot at the bar Sunday afternoon.  To begin the dish that Babu Ji is most famous for the Colonel Tso's Cauliflower; fried cauliflower tossed in a sweet and spicy Tso's sauce, finished with sesame seeds, chives and nigella seeds.  The flavor of these fried nuggets were spot on, sweet and sticky at first with a gentle heat that grew the more I consumed.  But the veggies were cooked uneven; some bites were perfectly tender while others were so hard my knife didn't even make a dent. Onto the main course Unauthentic Butter Chicken served with a bowl of basmati rice and garlic naan. Wow- this Butter Chicken was exquisite.  Big flavors of garlic, tomato ...

I absolutely love when it snows, it makes everything look magical with big flakes dotting the tops of yellow cabs and street lamps, turning the city into one big snow globe.  Last storm I headed to Fusco and found the perfect spot in their front windows for watching the snow fall while indulging in their brand new two course espresso lunch.   Guests have a choice of appetizer and pasta finished with espresso and biscotti for just $28. There were so many great appetizers to choose from; Hamachi Crudo tossed with chili and ginger, Kale Parmigiana Salad with almonds and a hefty Short Rib Spätzle served with bone marrow custard. I had an incredibly tough time choosing what to order, but it was the beautiful Burrata that won in the end, thick and creamy, studded with radicchio, fresh basil and pignoli vinaigrette. Onto entrees Fusco's Tajarin, a thin yellow pasta tossed with garlic, bonita flakes and clams that had all the freshness of the ocean ...