Food Adventuring Around NYC
The Place: The smell once you walk into Justin’s Salt Bread lets you know you’re in the right place. Somewhere between a coffee shop, a bakery, and a communal gathering space, the vibe is comfortable and trendy. You probably won’t find a seat, but you’re here for the namesake specialty and maybe one of their …
NY’ers know to eat the world, you just have to hop aboard the international express, also known as the wild 7 Train… If you want to be hard core and travel the globe in Queens, join me for an epic international food tour through Jackson Heights and Elmhurst – we eat everything from Peruvian food …
The Place: Last year, Long Island City gained an exciting Asian food hall not so dissimilar to the ones you can find further out in Queens in Flushing, which are, of course, not so dissimilar to the ones you can find in Shanghai. On my visit to the LIC Food Hall on a cold weekday …
The Place: Starting the new year on a fresh, clean note is important to me. So I always think seafood is a great first step, which conjures up memories of my recent lunch at Strange Delight, a seafood-centric restaurant and bar in the middle of Fort Greene. The chef’s counter is always a great spot …
You’d think these small bite-sized potato latkes would be a special for Hanukkah when fried potato pancakes are traditional eaten. But Edith’s Sandwich Counter specializes in updated versions of traditional Jewish foods all year long. So these totkes are something you can (and should) order any day of the year. Edith’s are experts at frying …
Tacos are hot again. Like really hot. Santo Taco, which took over the iconic La Esquina take out window this past summer, has already expanded further uptown. And it’s not the only taqueria in the city garnering lots of attention. I’ve tried quite a few of the new ones (more reviews to come) and I …
THE PLACE: Man, I miss giving the Cocktail Tours I used to run before the pandemic. Not just because they were awesome and I got to hang out at some of the best cocktail bars in town, but also because I really got to explore the local late night food scene in the East Village. …
THE PLACE: I had a bit of post traumatic stress when I entered Buba Bureka in the former home of Manousheh. I loved that place and while they stuck it out in a very difficult neighborhood for a decade, Manousheh was forced to close last year. The Israeli-owned Buba Bureka (named for BUreka BAkery) did …
THE PLACE: The well-loved Miller’s Twist sits towards the back of the iconic Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. For those unfamiliar with the market, it is one of those over-run tourist places that somehow is also beloved by locals. The same seems to hold true for this pretzel vendor that started in the market in …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. SADLY, SPICE BROTHERS IS NOW CLOSED. Falafel hasn’t been quite as successful when given a gourmet spin. It lives very comfortably in the world of street food and fast food and while unique spins on the chickpea fritter are welcomed, high prices usually are not. …
THE PLACE: Bar Goto is a narrow unmarked cocktail den in the Lower East Side that has become legendary in the craft cocktail world. The bar is the main centerpiece, but a few intimate tables wrap around it and a serious, but casual mood is set by the expert bartenders and wait staff. It’s both …
THE PLACE: There are certainly no other Irish Soda Bread Shops that I can think of in Manhattan. Perhaps that is why Mary O’s has had a huge line since the store debuted a few months ago. In addition to having a niche product, the bread at Mary O’s has developed a massive following when …
I’ve resisted reviewing Shelsky’s Brooklyn Bagels because there is a potential conflict of interest here. I’ve been praising their freshly made bagels for years now since their other location on Court Street is a stop on one of the Brooklyn food tours I lead. I’ve known Peter Shelsky and his business partner Lewis for a …
The buzz started when Nate Skid started popping up his new pizza business at local breweries. I had heard about Nate’s and figured one day I would actually give it a try. Amazingly, I was wondering down Atlantic Avenue after a Brooklyn food tour and lo and behold, Nate’s had permanently popped up in the …
THE SPOT: On a corner between Soho, Tribeca, and Chinatown, this is the first Manhattan location of Lucia Pizza which has been operating on Avenue X in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn for over 4 decades. The newest generation of owners seem to have felt it was time to expand and play with the big boys in …
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 …
Not only is Mama’s Too in the West Village the second location of this highly praised pizzeria (the first is far up on the Upper West Side), but it’s also the second over-hyped pizzeria to open its second location right here in the West Village. That’s a lot of seconds! And it only took a …
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 …
SADLY, ZILLIONS PIZZA IS NOW CLOSED. I almost skipped over Zillions Pizza. While the old movie marquee and neon sign is rather inviting, the neighborhood it’s located in is not. Sandwiched right between Cannabis stores and behind Port Authority, this is not the most appetizing of blocks. But I was trying to grab a quick …
Trying to find some really good food on Coney Island is tough. You’re mostly here for the kitsch and crappy fast food. I somehow managed to track down some decent tacos and ice cream recently, but more often than not, you’re going to want to eat at Nathan’s. If you’re a first timer to Coney …