Food Adventuring Around NYC
The Place: If it weren’t for the blackboard on the sidewalk or the intoxicating smells seeping out the door, you’d think Yanni’s Coffee was just a neighborhood third wave coffee shop. And you’d be right. I especially love how this is the one and only location. Yanni’s does not look to be trying to conquer …
The Place: Bub’s Bakery, a completely gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free bakery, recently opened amongst all the other hip trendy food places in Noho. It’s right around the corner from This Bowl and across the street from locations of Los Tacos No. 1 and Levain Bakery. It fits right in with this line-up, featuring expensive pastries …
I imagine most of us like to end (and start) the year with a little something sweet. And truly, from my time in Lisbon, I know the sweet eggy tarts known as pastel de nata don’t really need a special occassion. But since I recently got to try the playful versions at Libsonata in Crown …
THE SPOT: I love Partybus. This is a true local neighborhood bakery where Jacqueline, the owner and baker, is more often than not behind the counter and sweating in the kitchen. She started the business across the street at the Hester Street Fair from a bus her friends coined “the partybus.” The “party” in the …
THE PLACE: We spent most of our time in Bordeaux in the historic Old Town or the trendy Chartrons District. It wasn’t until the last night that we wanted a low-key meal not far from our hotel and so we wandered over to the area surrounding the Basilica St. Michel. That’s where we discovered a …
The signs are everywhere, splattered all over the city that you need to try the viral Dubai chocolate. Have you spent your life’s saving to try this chocolate bar? I don’t get it – what’s all the fuss???
THE SPOT: If you’ve ever taken a train or a bus in or out of New York, you’ve encountered Zaro’s Family Bakery. These take-out spots are an iconic local bakery that started in the Bronx in 1927 and are now mostly found at Grand Central, Penn Station, and Port Authority Bus Terminal. They were once …
I first visited Sundaes Best shortly after they opened. It was a very rainy day and I had to catch a bus. Perhaps the zombie-like staff felt my energy because they did not respond well to my questions and made clear the limitations on sampling. I can’t say it was a great experience. I never …
It does seem like nowadays the best place to get a black and white cookie is not at a German bakery, but rather at a Jewish appetizing shop. The exciting Simply Nova tries to do it all when it comes to New York Jewish food from smoked salmon to pastrami sandwiches and, of course, black …
Bakeries open all the time in this city. It seems everybody is taking the time to let their dough rise and laminate their croissants (and stuff them with all sorts of colorful fruits and nuts). It’s inspired me to burst into song with this parody of Dua Lipa’s hit song Levitating. I present Leavening….
I’m counting down the 10 best dishes I tasted in 2024… As I put together my list of the ten best dishes I tried in NYC, I realized just why I love this city. I didn’t purposely curated this list to be diverse in terms of neighborhood, cuisine, or price point. It just ended up …
I’m counting down the 10 best dishes I tasted in 2024… As I put together my list of the ten best dishes I tried in NYC, I realized just why I love this city. I didn’t purposely curated this list to be diverse in terms of neighborhood, cuisine, or price point. It just ended up …
Some might say everything is better on a stick. Kababs, yakitori, Corn dogs? Most don’t think of candied fruit, but it’s pretty brilliant. I was a skeptic at first (does fruit really need to be covered in sugar), but I gave in to the viral appeal and I’m pleased I did. Tanghulu are a traditional …
I love Rocco’s – I really do. They are a truly authentic, beloved Italian pasticceria in the middle of touristy Greenwich Village. Years ago I wrote about their stellar cannoli, and I still bring tour groups here regularly. Along with their rainbow cookies, pignolis, and napoleons, I also would get a regular glimpse of their …
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 …
What do you think of when you hear about an ice cream shop called Marvel? At first, I assumed this was a shop where you “marvel” at the amazing soft serve ice cream. Or maybe it’s a cheap ploy to get comic book fans here. But then it dawned on me, when pronounced with the …
Leave it to a kid on the verge of a meltdown to work their magic. I brought my nieces to check out the weird and wild cakes at AnnTremet, which is an adorable little bakery on a crooked street between Chelsea and the West Village. I thought they would be happy with any one of …
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 …
Orwashers is an institution in upper Manhattan. The bakery was opened on the Upper East Side back in 1916 by a Hungarian family. That was just a few years after Glaser’s opened in the same neighborhood and the black and white cookie was supposedly invented. So while Orwashers has changed ownership and probably wasn’t selling …
You might be thinking, “I’ve been to Breads Bakery in Union Square or Lincoln Center or Bryant Park and I love their babka but never saw a black and white cookie on their shelves.” And you would be correct. Because the only location of Breads Bakery that has their wacky version of the New York …