A friend of mine is attending the French Culinary Institute and we’d been saying for forever that we were going to try out the restaurant associated with the school, L’Ecole.

There are two options: one is an earlier seating between 5:30 and 7PM with a $42 prix fixe four course meal, and the second is a later seating between 8 and 9PM and is also $42 prix fixe for a five course meal.

The meals prepared for the earlier seating are done by the chefs who teach at the school and the four courses include a choice of appetizer, entrée, pre-dessert, and dessert. The later seating is prepared by the students of the school and the five courses include a choice of appetizer, fish course, meat course, salad, and dessert. That’s a mouthful, but in a paragraph, that’s how it works! Read the rest of this entry »

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One of my favorite spots for Italian food in the city is Barbone. Yes, Avenue B can be a little bit of walk over for those not living in that section in the East Village, but this one is worth it. The restaurant has a small, intimate feel, perhaps from the direct interaction the owner has with the patrons every time I have been  there. Somehow, the restaurant itself has plenty of room to accommodate a nice number of patrons per evening. They have an outdoor patio area I’ve yet to experience. Perhaps will squeeze that in before the cold arrives to stay.

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To have lived in Miami for about three and a half years, there are still quite a few types of Latin American cuisines I have somehow never sampled - Venezuelan being one.

I walk by Caracas Arepa Bar frequently and typically find the restaurant packed with patrons, overflowing to those waiting on the sidewalk in front. Their specialty are arepas, which are sandwiches of a flat cornmeal patty where the cornmeal can be grilled, baked, or fried. These tasty treats are even wheat-free.

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If i had a food mantra for my attitude towards food in the city, it would be “will travel for good food.” I’d read about Peaches Market long before its arrival in Bedford-Stuyvesant. I’m not sure how it took me this long to make it out there. Catch the A to Brooklyn and then get off at Utica Avenue. Great food is just a short walk away from there. Read the rest of this entry »

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I can’t help but notice any time reference is made to Southern cuisine in the city. It is often heavy, greasy food which is stamped “Southern” and allowed to slide by as acceptable. Eh. Pass. But when I read about The Redhead, I knew I had to go. It sounded promising. I had read they have some amazing biscuits, apparently the likes of which are not being rolled out until cold weather. Note to restaurant: there is nothing about biscuits that is required to go with cold weather. Read the rest of this entry »

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After reading Serious Eats’ review of Papatzul’s “under appreciated” food, I decided to return back to check out the place. As I’ve mentioned, I’m always trying to find my go to Mexican spot in the city. Something with good prices, reasonable quality, and a fairly traditional menu. I was curious if this might finally be it.

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I’m sure many of you think that the time for Restaurant Week has come and gone. But oh no no… there are quite a few restaurants that have extended their participation on through September 1st, but only offering the menu Monday through Friday.

I have mixed feelings about Restaurant Week, which were somewhat confirmed by my two restaurant visits. But that will not keep me from going each time, and I recommend you use it as a good chance to check out some spots you wouldn’t otherwise. I’m a big fan of checking out the regular menus and pinpointing those restaurants where it would be a significant discount. Read the rest of this entry »

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Coffee beans that is. New Yorkers love their coffee, and the options rather than the typical Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts abound. I will admit to having traveled a bit in the name of coffee. Here are some of my favorites.

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Can NYC do BBQ? Better yet, can they do a slight upscale version at that? I’d read much of Wildwood since their opening back in December 2007, but I dragged my feet to allow some time for the kinks to be worked out before checking it out.

It was restaurant week so Wildwood’s regular menu was only available on the weekends. It all looked good. One friend ordered their grilled chicken sandwich, the highlight seemed to be their homemade salt ‘n’ vinegar chips. Next time, I think I’ll add that to my must-have-sides list.

A friend and I split their pork spare ribs, which the menu describes as “dry dusted with Lou’s Sugar and Spice rub”. I’m not sure who Lou is, but they were very tasty. There was more than enough for two. And the table has multiple options for further dressing up your meat. There are two types of sauces, one a more standard BBQ sauce and the other a more spicy, chipotle sauce. I opted for spicy, which while quite tasty, I’ll own up to my nose twitching and stinging a bit for a couple of hours following. Read the rest of this entry »

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If I had not been planning on hitting Nolita House, I might have walked clear by the entrance. It’s almost lost amidst some serious scaffolding. While not so attractive at the moment from the exterior, lurking inside is a cozy brunch spot you should not miss.

However, I will warn it was definitely one of the noisier brunch locales I have tried so if you have a pounding headache, need to have a deep conversation, or are bringing perhaps more audibly sensitive guests with you, I might recommend you hold off on this one. Read the rest of this entry »

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