Food Adventuring Around NYC
The Place: The long line during the day on the corner of Cornelia Street in the Village is for Arcane Estate, which was recently voted one of the best coffee shops in the world. Then when the evening approaches, another line forms a few doors down in front of Sip & Guzzle, which was recently …
I remember when Grimm started as a gypsy brewer creating sour ales on other breweries’ equipment. Since then, they have grown to be one of the preeminent brewery destinations in Brooklyn. Been a while since I’ve re-visited their sours, so I was excited to crack open Color Field. This clear pink beer is a classic …
It’s that time of year where the weather starts getting a bit chilly and we all come under attack from pumpkins – with or without spice. From doughnuts to pancakes to cream cheese, pumpkins are lurking around every corner in New York City and it seems like there’s no escape….
THE PLACE: ThisBowl is still as trendy as ever and recently expanded to a second location in Nomad. I predicted them to be the best Sweetgreen a few months back when I wrote about their fresh and flavorful salads, and still stand by that. Although there is something that feels a bit less corporate about …
THE PLACE: Not exactly a “speakeasy” but Chez Zou is certainly hidden from view in the somewhat undiscovered neighborhood (or rather, development plaza) of Manhattan West – inside and upstairs a trendy Mediterranean restaurant. It feels like an extension of Zou Zou’s with large couches and a bar that is nestled into the wall. It’s …
Have you noticed that coffee shops now moonlight as florists and flower shops are now also cafés? How often do we need both flowers and coffee at the same time? Perhaps I have not thought of every single situation…. until now.
THE PLACE: This prime corner bar space has changed hands many times in the last few years, but it’s current tenant is possibly the most major player in the cocktail scene that has inhabited this space in recent memory. ¡Superbueno! has been beloved by those in the drinks industry and in 2024, it was named …
THE PLACE: One of the newer speakeasies in the city, Paradise Lost is a super fun new tiki bar that has become a little secret among local bartenders. A (mostly) unmarked door that requires a hostess to buzz you in, reveals a kitschy transportive hallway leading to a “tropical hellscape” that is as fun 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 …
The city is constantly changing. It’s one of the most exciting and also heartbreaking things about it. Long Island City is one of the neighborhoods that is always in flux. And it’s very obvious in the local beer scene. I used to give beer tours in this Queens community before COVID and it’s very different …
Make something crazy and wacky and odds are I will try it. I read about the unusual fruit coffees at Not As Bitter and thought “I would definitely try those.” It must have been somewhere in the back of my subconscious, because I just randomly wandered down East 10th Street. Durian coffee was not part …
My search for the best beer in New York continues…. At first this Five Boroughs beer caught my eye because of the design and then the name (which sort of hinted at a very strange combination), and then finally the low ABV. I love big IPA’s, but in my older age, I can’t drink too …
We took a family trip down to Puerto Rico recently and found great eats. I’ll be writing about some of them over the next few weeks, but the one I present today is not one I expected to write about. Or even like. Piña Coladas were invented in San Juan many years ago and have …
Is it me or has the “craft beer” scene sort of cooled off? I am sadly not as plugged into it as I once was, despite still following it somewhat, especially in New York. And while there were quite a few brewery openings over the last decade (I remember when there were only four in …
I have been sorely out of tocuh with the craft cocktail scene as of late. Before COVID, I was on top of it, even leading cocktail tours. Boy, I miss those days! Well, when we had a night out for my birthday without our well-under 21 year old son, a cocktail bar was in order. …
Sound the alarms! The best new brewery in NYC is one that has been flying under-the-radar and sadly does not yet have a physical location for you to drink all their beers. That’s why I recommend stocking up on their five offerings to date and doing a tasting at home. Back Home Beer is an …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City I recently visited family in North Carolina and had a very nice time. As always, I went looking for the best food and drink. But I am quite surprised that the taste I most remembered from this …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City When Bronx Brewery first hit the scene back in 2011, they had a very smart focus. They made pale ales, all based around their base recipe. From pale ale, they created India Pale Ale, Black Pale …
Did I ever think I’d make a hot dog during this international cooking journey? Maybe. Hot dogs are not just an American thing. You might be surprised to discover they are huge in Scandinavia, Asia, and, of course, South America. When thinking through the traditional dishes from Chile, it only made sense to share with …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City I almost never order a classic martini at dinner. If I’m going to get a cocktail, I’ll try to choose one that is unique and surprising. A martini is certainly reliant on the skills of a …