232 Bleecker
Observations from my first visit Only twice in my life have I been surprised about a PB & J iteration at a restaurant. The first time was about a year or so after Grant Achatz opened Alinea. The first course was a de-skinned grape (I…
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Restaurant Reviews
Da Toscano
Observations from my first visit Da Toscano marks Michael Toscano’s return to New York after closing Perla some half a decade ago. . . to the same address at 24 Minetta Lane. My visit came about a week or so since opening to the public. …
VERŌNIKA
Observations from my first visit Located within a landmarked building in the Flatiron district originally called “The Church Mission” which is the New York home for Fotografiska, a Stockholm-based photography museum, is Verōnika. This restaurant is the latest from Stephen Starr and is designed by…
Le Crocodile
Observations from my first visit The Grub Street article and lead photo is what had me hustle to make a reservation at Le Crocodile. The piece was about the restaurant opening and the image was of the chicken and fries plate with the headline “Together…
Café Kitsuné
I added Café Kitsuné to the New & Noteworthy list when it opened in the West Village in mid-November. The co-founders of the Maison Kitsuné brand are Masaya Kuroki and Gildas Loaëc, who began their business fusing their loves of fashion and music, and now…
Kochi
Observations from my first visit I recently wrote that I was off tasting menus given the recent hefty price tags and time commitment. And I had never made it to Neta, Chef Sungchul Shim’s last kitchen. And I had only read one announcement of Kochi…
Llama San
Observations from my first visit I was excited to try Llama San, which opened in early September. It was still early days when I dined there for dinner, which is to say that both the front staff and kitchen staff were still getting their bearings…
Hutong
Observations from my first visit Hutong restaurant from the Aqua Restaurant Group (which has locations in London, Hong Kong and Beijing) opened its first US outpost in the former Le Cirque space. It positions itself as a high-end Northern Chinese restaurant and bar, so in…
Mercado Little Spain
Observations from my first visit José Andrés came onto my radar when molecular gastronomy was still all the rage and his restaurant, The Bazaar, at the SLS hotel in Los Angeles received four stars from the LA Times in 2009. I think I visited not…
Niche Mazémen
Rave reviews from restaurant critics for Chef Shigetoshi Nakamura brothless ramen from Ryan Sutton from Eater and Pete Wells from The New York Times prompted me to visit Niche (though the non-reservation policy kept me away for a few weeks and avoiding a weekend evening).…
Method Japanese Kitchen & Sake Bar
With the name ‘Method’ in cursive script and its darkened doors, it is sort of easy to mistake this establishment as another trendy bar specializing in cocktails, but over the last few months, Method Japanese Kitchen & Sake Bar has been getting attention from discerning…
Empellón Al Pastor (Pod 39)
A very quick visit to the bar I read somewhere that Alex Stupak’s Empellón Al Pastor at the Pod 39 hotel was all about bar food so I knew it would be a quick meal. I think we were in and out in under 45…
Rocco at The Standard Grill
Observations from my first meal I went with great anticipation to The Standard Grill restaurant, where I could experience the genius of Rocco Dispirito. For those who were not in New York in the ‘90s and dined at his restaurant Union Pacific, it was a…