Food Adventuring Around NYC
Brian Hoffman is a classically trained actor who is now a full-time tour guide, blogger, and food obsessive. He leads food and drink tours around New York City, which not only introduce tour-goers to delicious food, but gives them a historical context. He has written food articles for Gothamist and Midtown Lunch in addition to overseeing this blog and a few food video series, including Eat This, Locals Know, and Around the World in One City. His latest series is an international cooking show with his son which can be found on this site.
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… When I am feeling under the weather, I run to the nearest Thai restaurant and order their spicy and sour tom yum gong soup. Clears things right up. The trendy Fish Cheeks is far from a take-out joint and their communal soup is one …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… SADLY, CARLA HALL’S SOUTHERN KITCHEN IS NOW CLOSED. Spice comes in all forms and while the fried chicken at Carla Hall’s Brooklyn restauarant may look harmless enough – it has a serious burn. This is especially true as you get higher in numbers on the …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… SADLY, CONEY ISLAND BREWING COMPANY IS NOW CLOSED. First they did it with sodas, like Root Beer and Cream Soda. Now Coney Island Brewing Company has turned to famous cocktails to inspire their beers. The Hot Toddy is an unlikely beer style, but it …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… Cikarashi is the underdog in the new poke movement sweeping the city. The bowls are a bit more refined with a chef’s eye rather than just a mess of raw fish and Asian toppings. The composed raw fish bowls are quite interesting, but I …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… This year the iconic Union Squarre Cafe closed due to rising rents. They have since reopened in another location. But in its original space came a Japanese udon shop called TsuruTonTan which is causing quite a ruckus. The signature dish showcases the thick chewy noodles …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… 2016 was a tough year. From a whirlwind political circus to the loss of many beloved celebrities to worldwide tragedies, the news was full of sad things. But there was still joy out there and as usual, I found a lot of that joy through food. …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City It’s fitting for my last Dish of the Year for 2016 to be a surprising and bold dish. All the food at Fish Cheeks is full-on. The new and ultra-trendy Thai restaurant is much more than …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… New Yorkers just could not get enough poke this year. It was hand’s down the hottest food trend in the city with laughable queues at lunch for same chopped raw fish over rice. Pokeworks might have the longest lines but when I found an …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… 2016 was a tough year. From a whirlwind political circus to the loss of many beloved celebrities to worldwide tragedies, the news was full of sad things. But there was still joy out there and as usual, I found a lot of that joy through food. …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… She’s a favorite of both Oprah and Tom Colicchio, but now pastry chef Umber Ahmad is going to be a favorite of all New Yorkers. She opened her first official bakery this year in thbe West Village and it’s full of fantastic goodies. My …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… SADLY, ZADIE’S OYSTER BAR IS NOW CLOSED. What used to be a little wine bar called Terroir has transformed into a temple for oysters, oysters, and more oysters. The bivalves are available in all forms – I really loved the baked oysters with seaweed butter, …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… Before Brooks Headley opened the vegan burger sensation Superiority Burger, he was the famed dessert chef of Michelin-rated Del Posto. And his soft serve/sorbet combo feels like one of his composed plated dessert but in a fast food atmosphere. Flavors range seasonally but the tangy …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… SADLY, NIX IS NOW CLOSED. You wouldn’t expect what looks like a giant charred bone-in rib eye steak to walk through the dining room of vegetarian-focused Nix. It’s actually not a steak but a game-changing dessert cut to resemble a steak. A quartered tandoor-roasted pineapple is crisped …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… Steakhouses are tough in this city. And they should be medium rare. What I mean is, they are so expensive that it’s only possible for a special occasion (unless you are one of the lucky elite). Quality Eats is one of the few places …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… SADLY, HANK’S JUICY BEEF IS NOW CLOSED. New Yorkers and Chicagoans spar over which pizza reigns supreme (we all know whose it is) but after Hank’s Juicy Beef opened in Tribeca, we can all agree who makes the better beef sandwich. The slow roasted beef …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… Chawanmushi is not a dish you see on many menus at hip, seasonal Brooklyn restaurants. But Olmsted is not your typical hip, seasonl Brooklyn restaurant. It’s the best restaurant I visited all year and the fact that Chef Greg Baxtrom is reinterpreting this Japanese …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… The two times I’ve been to Greece, I could not get enough of the tiny little fish that were breaded and fried with a hint of salt. I haven’t found smelt on most Greek menus in the city but was excited when I uncovered …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… Bronx Brewery is doing so many great things and have now been more ubiquitous around town. Their take on a double IPA is no joke – hitting on all cylinders with a number of different hop varietals playing together for different levels of hoppiness …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… For Thanksgiving dessert, I popped open a bottle of Big Alice’s ambitious beer that is aged in used gin barrels. Granted this was a lot drier and more savory than I imagined with layers of sweetness and bold balanced acidity. Probably not the best beer …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2016… SADLY, DELANEY CHICKEN IS NOW CLOSED. At his stall in Vanderbilt UrbanSpace, Daniel Delaney has changed his fried chicken menu a number of times. First there were drumsticks then giant wings and finally spicy chicken sandwiches. The current offering is great with a sweet golden breading that …