New York City

Best Deal in Tribeca – Bâtard, New York City

Bâtard NYC Dining Room

Retaining their Michelin star for 2016, Bâtard is one of the best deals in New York City with 2 courses for $55, 3 courses for $69, or 4 courses for $79. The warm golden lighting splashed on the lovely textured wallpaper surrounds an upbeat and bustling dining room with an unpretentious air.

My favorite dish of the night was the beautifully plump and delicately textured sea scallops, a hint of sweetness from vanilla, a dash of savory herbs served with kale and rich potato mousseline. Continue reading →

Breakfast in Soho – Jack’s Wife Freda

Jack's Wife Freda Entrance

Jack’s Wife Freda is a cute little spot in Soho on Lafayette Street. We walked by and noticed the charming white and green awning and took a peek inside to find a bright yet cozy space with leather bench seating along the walls and a long communal table in the center. Arriving just at opening ensured us a seat and it steadily filled up by the minute.

Jack's Wife Freda Interior

We ordered a cappuccino (Stumptown, yay!) while we looked at the hand drawn menu and contemplated the origin of the restaurant’s name. The menu has Continue reading →

Late Night @ Sushi Seki – Upper East Side, NYC

My ultimate sushi destination is Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo, Japan a Michelin 3-star restaurant run by Jiro Ono. He is close to 90 and has run this world-famous restaurant for years. As you can imagine he takes his sushi seriously and the fish speaks for itself. Since I am not getting to Tokyo nor spending $300 for a meal anytime soon so I search out sushi bars that are unassuming and treat sushi like artists.

Image via businessinsider.com

Image via businessinsider.com

Enter Sushi Seki.  The unassuming store front that opens up into a no-frills medium-sized restaurant has some of the best sushi waiting for you inside.  The vibe is laid back but hyper focused on the fish and service.  Crowd is a mix of Upper East Siders, cabbies and chefs (the sushi bar is open until 3am).  The preparation and presentation fall somewhere in between traditional and modern style sushi.

Sushi Seki Sushi Bar Continue reading →

The Mind of a Chef (Preview) Coming to PBS Nov. 9, 2012

Anthony Bourdain hosts the new show on PBS that will focus on going “inside” the mind of David Chang of Momofuku fame. “The Mind of a Chef is a reinvention of a travel-cooking show,” says Bourdain. “This season we go inside the kitchen, the world, and the mind of chef David Chang. This show is a chance to explore that mind in all its tangled glory.”

I did not get to catch all of the Layover shows so I am looking forward to seeing what Anthony Bourdain can do with this format.

36 Hours In NYC – Gotham Bar & Grill, The High Line and More!

If you can swing it, last-minute travel can be the way to go when exploring a city like New York.  I had a weekend free and wanted to get out-of-town, have good weather, eat some great food, stay in a hotel with a nice view and celebrate an anniversary, oh and not spend a million dollars on a plane ticket.  I know, a pipe dream.

However, you can find great deals by booking hotel and flight together at the last-minute (I used Expedia). We were even offered a hotel upgrade upon arrival. Now we could focus on eating and shopping. The next thing was to find a restaurant that had an open table on a Friday night at decent time with a couple of days notice. Fortunately for me I was able to reach out to an old friend that hooked me up with an 8pm reservation at Gotham Bar and Grill.

After checking out our lovely room view (support beam in the way but 2 sides of the room were wall to ceiling windows) we headed to Gotham Bar and Grill.

Located in Greenwich Village, Gotham Bar and Grill is the perfect place to go for Continue reading →

News: Magnolia Bakery In Chicago Loop

Image via designerscollaborativenyc.com

I had my first Magnolia cupcake in the West Village in 1999. I remember it being good but what I really remember is the long line. I expect the Magnolia Bakery that is opening up in the Loop will be very popular as well. I just hope the lines don’t equal what they were/are in NYC. It just might be worth it though; I’ll let you know.

Magnolia Bakery is also open in Los Angeles and Dubai.

Magnolia Bakery – 108 North State Street in Block 37, Chicago, IL

News: Magnolia Bakery.