Food Adventuring Around NYC
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 …
It takes a lot for me to write about two dishes from the same restaurant two weeks in a row. It hasn’t happened since 2022 when I gushed over Gage & Tollner. And now Tatiana absolutely deserves at least two of their dishes being highlighted on these pages. In truth, I could probably keep going …
How did we possibly end up with reservations at Tatiana on the one date night we’ve had in months? It was just meant to be, I guess. I had placed a notification on Resy for Tatiana never thinking we would actually get a reservation. I just thought if we had an evening free, I should …
Perhaps by the end of this adventure, we’ll have learned how to say “coast” in every language? Doubtful, but last time we visited a Spanish-speaking coast (Costa Rica) and this stop will be a French-speaking coast in Western Africa. While we could have included this country with the letter “I”s since most Americans know it …
I have fond memories of doing an impromptu restaurant week lunch at Aquavit a few years back before Marcus Samuelsson was on every commercial and cooking show this side of the Food Network. I was less impressed years later at Red Rooster. But now I was excited to try a brand new restaurant of his …
Midtown lunchers are always on the search for the newest variation of the bowl. Customizable grains topped with protein, vegetables, and sauces. Many chains, like Sweetgreen and Cava, have taken the concept across the region. I really hope dùndú, the latest foray into this bowl sensation, can make the leap to spread its food across …
We decided for this episode to combine two very nearby countries into one video. Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo are two neighboring countries divided by the river that gives them both part of their name. These countries in Central Africa have different histories, but a decent amount in common, especially their geography …
I never thought we would get so fancy on this journey, but tonight we had lobster in a vanilla butter sauce. Courtesy of a former French colony where both lobster and vanilla are plentiful on possibly the most beautiful smelling country in the world. Comoros produces vanilla, cloves, and the ylang ylang flower which is …
I’m counting down the 10 best dishes I tasted in 2022… Ever since the great pandemic of two years ago (the one that is, yes, technically still raging), I am very grateful for another year immersing myself in the food of NYC. Yes, lots has changed. I’m not able to as freely get to the …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City Despite the fact that it’s overrun with tourists, Chelsea Market has always done a really great job of curating excellent food options. So whenever something opens inside the market, I get a good sense it will be worth fighting …
Since the beginning of this journey, we have always made a dish for dinner from each country. We may have incorporated a drink or a dessert here and there, but it’s always been dinner. This week will be a little different. We’re waking up early and getting the day started with a warming breakfast from …
We need to give every country a fun four year old nickname. The truth is we weren’t the first to say CAR when referring to Central African Republic, but you’ll see how Sam’s ears prick up when I tell him what some people call this country. Of course, the poverty crisis in Central African Republic is not …
Sam gets to learn what an archipelago is and I continue trying to pronounce it correctly. A series of islands off the coast of West Africa, Cabo Verde (or Cape Verde) conjures up images of beautiful beaches, humpback whales, and volcanoes. But it’s also a place with really delicious food. Say it in English or …
Sam had never heard of the country Cameroon until we signed him up for an awesome soccer class with strong connections to the Central African country. Kids in Cleats offers soccer class by a Cameroonian soccer coach and also proceeds from the classes go to help children in Cameroon find their way our of poverty through education and sports. It’s …
And we’ve come to another milestone. We have now completed a meal from every country beginning with the letter B. Check and check. We finish with another African country that sadly suffers from great poverty. Food insecurity is prevalent in Burundi (as well as our last country Burkina Faso) and Sam and I work to create two of the …
We’re heading into the last two countries starting with the letter B. Both are in Africa and both sadly suffer from quite a good deal of poverty. The food we’re going to make is quite hearty and filling and we are fortunate enough to include it as part of a cultural cooking project, while some …
Thanks to large deposits of diamonds, Botswana is no longer the massively poor country it once was. Since the 1980’s it’s been one of the leading producers of gem diamonds in the world. Although there is still an unfortunate amount of poverty, the country itself is now one of the wealthiest in Africa. Neither Sam nor I are particularly …
Unfortunately, I could not easily find many recipes from The Republic of Benin, an integral country in Western Africa that is known for being the birthplace of voodoo. Voodoo, as it originated in Benin, is a religion that is very misunderstood and unfortunately not been helped by fictional movies and pop culture. Benin was also …
One of the things I miss most about dining out in New York City is the adventures I would take to neighborhoods and communities that were very unfamiliar to me. For this at home journey, if I want to be as authentic as possible, I’m going to also have to seek out special ingredients at …
After last week’s success (mostly thanks to Sam), we’re now really cooking (pun intended). And, in fact, this is the week that Sam really learned about a brand new dish and has since fully incorporated it into his diet. He now often eats couscous for lunch – without all the meat and spices, of …