Food Adventuring Around NYC
There are certain ingredients that come up very often on this blog. Mushrooms are impossible for me to resist and I almost always include a dish from all of my Thai meals in the city. But this is the first time where sweet potatoes have played the starring role two weeks in a row. Last …
It seems like the UrbanSpace Holiday Markets, which have always featured somewhat gimmicky food vendors, has turned into a full-on Tik Tok frenzy. Lines have gotten insane and one dumpling vendor even turned me away when I ordered saying a certain dish was only available for “Influencers.” To be honest, I am not as interested …
I have been mourning the closure of my absolute favorite food business in New York City: Chikalicious. The Japanese dessert bar (whose praises I have sang endless times on this blog) closed this past summer because chef Chika) was retiring. I’m happy they closed on their own terms and that there is still a Japanese …
Many consider the best part of Thanksgiving to be the side dishes, which is why I don’t understand why they are often as boring and bland as the turkey itself. Creamed green beans? Gelatinous cranberries? If only we turn to the dips of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine for our Thanksgivings, Novembers would be a …
Thanks to inflation and the crazy prices at high-end sushi restaurants, my omakase days are mostly behind me. Which is so sad because it is by far my favorite food experience. High quality sushi made by a master and with surprises just can’t be beat. But since most non-gimmicky omakase meals are hundreds of dollars …
As the weather has slowly started to get a bit chilly, it’s finally officially ramen season. I say officially because, of course, ramen is in season all year long. It’s sort of funny that now that the weather has cooled and I finally found my way to the Chelsea favorite Jun-Men, I ordered a noodle …
Somehow along the way, mushrooms became my absolute favorite food. Their earthy woodsy umami flavors won me over and at this point, if a restaurant has fungi on the menu, I’m ordering it. But it becomes much more difficult for me when everything on the menu is a mushroom. That is both the curse and …
Have I just gotten old or was Thyme Bar just weird? Opened in 2020, this is one of the newer speakeasies (opened shortly before COVID) that became very popular in the city since the pandemic. It sits below a pastry shop on 23rd Street in an historic cellar. Thyme Bar is a little less hidden …
A few months ago I got a quick slice from Vito’s Slices & Ices and was not overly impressed. It was fine, but nothing more than typical New York pizza. Great if you’re from elsewhere, but if you’re from here, you know there are better options. I didn’t get to try the other side of …
When I visit an ice cream shop, I want to try all the flavors. I expect that. But when I stop at a taco joint, I don’t expect to want to try all the cuts of pork. But Carnitas Ramirez is not your typical taco joint. The owners of Taqueria Ramirez opened this small house …
I hope Ras Plant Based succeeds on Bleecker Street, but I am cynical. It seems to me that this block of Bleecker between Sixth Avenue and LaGuardia is one of the most difficult streets to keep a small food business going. I can’t tell you how much turnover I have seen in the years that …
I’ve been trying to eat at Sofreh for years now. Every time we have plans to go to Barclays Center or BAM, it’s the first place I try to score a reservation. Somehow it’s nearly impossible to get into this hot Persian restaurant – even after it’s been open for 5 years. Thankfully, it got …
When we spent a few days on the Istrian Peninsula, I knew I would have to get my fill of truffles. This fascinating bit of mountainous, waterfront land has changed hands between Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia over the years. Since the fall of Yugoslavia, this has been mostly Croatia. And lucky Croatians, they ended up …
My new favorite European city is Ljubljana. Of course, dating back to the 13th century, it’s not new at all. Yet it somehow is still considered “undiscovered” or even “unheard of” by most Americans. I urge you to check out this beautiful European capital and spend a few days here. And while here, of course, …
After exploring the absolutely breathtaking (and crowded) Lake Bled, I knew there was one more thing to do before heading back to Ljubljana. We needed to try some cakes. Given Slovenia’s proximity to Austria, it’s no surprise that just about each town has their own cake. We had to seek out Zima (which means “the …
Our first meal on our recent whirlwind trip around Croatia and Slovenia set the stage for incredible meals to come. Despite our jet lag, we made our way to a modern little hip restaurant in the capital city of Zagreb just outside the city’s market Dolac. Gostinoica Ficlek is a really cute little spot that …
It seems like every other week I’m documenting either a Thai restaurant or a mushroom dish. I tend to play favorites. Well, this week I’m bringing those favorites together. Bangkok Supper Club is one of the more difficult reservations to get. It’s definitely possible but takes a bit of panning and late night Resy stalking. …
Who knew there were so many versions of biryani? I’ll admit I am not so well-versed on the regionality of Indian cuisine, but I was surprised by a lot of the items on the menu at Hyderabadi Zaiqa under the biryani section. Biryani, of course, is a rice dish mixed with spices and a range …
Hidden, secret food and drink establishments will always be fun and exciting. But an interesting location is not enough to sustain a place. Shacking Burger is the newest food establishment in the unlikeliest of places. It’s in a gas station on the outskirts of Chelsea. Not only is a prepared food restaurant in a gas …
It seems like I’ve been doing this for so long that I’ve covered all the old time spots, but that is so far from true. While I’ve been to El Castillo de Jagua, the Dominican gem in the heart of the Lower East Side, I’ve never written about it on these pages. I think I …