Food Adventuring Around NYC
You may disagree with me, but I think a destination bakery is pretty rare nowadays in New York. Expert bakers with great pastries and sourdough loaves are seemingly everywhere. You don’t have to go far to find well-made croissants and cinnamon buns. Radio Bakery, however, which has been getting a ridiculous amount of hype in …
In their old space, I think I may have worked my way through Superiority Burger’s menu of inventive vegetarian fast food. I’m a bit ashamed that I hadn’t been able to visit them in their new location until now. This spring, they came back in a much larger space (with wait staff) in an old …
On the food cart tour I lead, I often talk about how many street vendors hope to one day transition into a brick-and-mortar location. Well, a few months ago that came true for Lai Sheng Zhang, who with his wife, operated a cart in Chinatown, and now has a small little takeout restaurant on one …
Oma Grassa is a moody romantic pizza restaurant, in the vein of Lucali or Una Pizza Napoletana, although with a much shorter wait than either of those two. Not too far from the Barclays Center or Brooklyn Academy of Music, this is a good choice for a neighborhood spot for dinner before or after an …
Zhu Ji Dumpling Stall has been hiding in Flushing for a long time, yet somehow I missed it until now. This is literally a stall just off Main Street where those in the know stop for some cheap and juicy dumplings. The set-up reminds me a bit of Fried Dumpling down an alley in Chinatown, …
During a morning trip to Queens, I found Neapli Bhanchha Ghar open early and so I snuck in for some Himalayan pites. This place has been well-known in the borough for a number of years and in fact, I realized I too had been here but didn’t take good note of the name. That’s ok …
A Greek diner is all too common around the tri-state area. But a modern hipster Greek diner? That is something different. Baby Blues Luncheonette is a very cool local Williamsburg hang-out that opened in 2022 and has been a super fun hangout, especially for breakfast. I found the prices a bit high, but the food …
What was I doing ordering a plain bagel?? That is very out of character for me. Don’t worry – I am not going vanilla in my old age. I chose it because when I asked my usual “Which is the hottest?” question, it was unfortunately the only answer I got. Granted, I’m sure all the …
SADLY, SUNDAY C&C EATERY IS NOW CLOSED. My yearly resolution for some time now has been to eat less meat. I’m not ready to go full vegan (but wouldn’t be surprised if I find myself there in the future), yet I am eager and more than willing to try as many of the plant-based New York …
I’m counting down the 10 best dishes I tasted in 2023… My eating out was definitely different this year. I let go of the need to visit all the latest “hot spots” and found much more comfort and enjoyment in old standbys and casual neighborhood spots. The pricing at new middle-tier restaurants also reached peak …
When I awarded Lin & Daughters a perfect 10 our of 10 last year, I did not think I would get better (or as good) dumplings for a long time. But that is because I had not yet been to Samniwago. It was not for lack of trying. I visited the Mott Street Eatery (one of the …
I’m counting down the 10 best dishes I tasted in 2023… Eating out was definitely different this year for me. I let go of the need to visit all the latest “hot spots” (still have not been to Bad Roman or Tatiana) and found much more comfort and enjoyment in old standbys and casual neighborhood …
Even though they spell out how special they are in their name, I was late to the game when it came to Winner. Their original Park Slope location had been on my radar since they opened days before the pandemic became a pandemic. Since then the lines to get loaves of bread, sandwiches, and cookies …
I keep saying that the quality of Thai food all over the city has drastically improved in the last few years. And now we get one of the best restaurants yet. It’s not surprising that Untable has popped up on a few food critics’ best of the year lists (it may just be on mine …
There are certain dishes that get credit for being invented in New York. Baked Alaska, Waldorf salad, the Cronut, among many others. But on that often gets overlooked are those ubiquitous Cold Sesame Noodles. Found in most Chinese takeout restaurants, the story goes these were invented by Taiwanese chef Shorty Tang at his restaurant Hwa …
I’m not sure I really understand the difference between a finger and a nugget when it comes to chicken. The birds, of course, don’t have either. I’m sure the difference comes from the shape of the fritter. It wasn’t until I was ordering the house made versions at the local favorite Krupa Grocery that I …
My search for the best pizza in New York continues…. I think there was a time not that long ago that I thought I would try every pizzeria in the city. Others have attempted to do that, but of course with so many opening and closing all the time, it’s not really possible. I also …
Before I discovered the wonders of Elmhurst, for me, Hell’s Kitchen was the center of Thai food in New York. In fairness, it was the center of a lot for me since I had spent most of my time in the Theater District and I would wander west to discover as much interesting international food …
In the past, I would always try to match the Dish of the Week to the upcoming holiday. For Thanksgiving, it was always turkey, pumpkin something or other, mashed potatoes, or the like. I often forgot about the second half of the holiday – the giving part. Sea & Soil is an incredible new neighborhood …
Back in 2021, a now closed dumpling spot did the unthinkable and made pickle ice cream. Of course, I had to try it (especially since it checks two boxes for me: pickles and ice cream). I never thought I would encounter it again, but while walking through the new Moynihan Hall at Penn Station, I …
