Our foodie expert has decamped to Boston. A new city, and new restaurant picks. Her first discovery–a local treasure with a great prix-fixe menu.
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Long Island City’s foodie scene is one to watch. Sage General Store has perfected gourmet brunch food that everyone will love. It’s worth the visit no matter where you live.
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In the mood for the best ceviche in New York? Head to the Flatiron’s latest opening Nuela to indulge. You won’t be sorry.
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The Meatball Shop has become a lower east side hotspot thanks to its throw back atmosphere and a menu that specializes in meatball subs. There is substance behind the hype.
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Peek through the window of Minar’s store front, catch the slogan “Indian Fast Food,” and you’d be tempted to make a 180. From one foodie to another, don’t.
With a 20-year history in Manhattan, this South Indian mainstay serves traditional, delectable Indian fare at bargain basement prices and is a perfect takeout or delivery option. An $8 combination platter will secure you either one meat and two vegetables or two meats and one vegetable. Tikka masala was comprised of fresh, flakey chunks of high quality white meat. No mystery meat disguised by potent sauces here. Roasted cauliflower and potatoes were accented with curry that carried a spicy punch. Pureed spinach with cheese was typically prepared. Nan or rice, you ask? Doughy, warm nan was the size of a large pizza pie and was devoured before I could say yum.
They’ll even deliver from river to river from 14th to 57th streets.
Minar Indian Restaurant
138 West 46th Street
212-398-4600
–Melissa Matarese
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Degustation is a small-plate oriented tapas restaurant in the East Village that incorporates molecular gastronomy essentials and is a great choice for any foodie. The 15-item menu utilizes 16 seats to frame out three sides of the open kitchen. Despite close quarters with neighboring diners, the setting is ideal for a duo (particularly a date). Larger parties should shy away from this restaurant as a side-by-side group discussion would be nearly impossible.
Though the menu is particularly meat-oriented, the servers will zealously accommodate any dietary restrictions or preferences. Lured by the exotic and gourmet nature of the offerings, my companion and I dove into the five-course tasting menu for $55. The first course was cuddle fish, decorated with red radishes, essence of hazelnut, and dressed with yogurt and green pesto. Next was a pureed sunchoke soup, poured on top of salmon colored sea urchin and garnished with diced apples and fresh tarragon.
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My all-time favorite chef Jean Georges is at it again, this time with ABC Kitchen juxtaposed to the well-known retail space of ABC Carpet & Home. Natural tones pervade, both cosmetically and gastronomically. White and black themes dominate the dining space, while green-style, organic cooking defines the menu. A list of local purveyors is delineated for the curious.
The cuisine is approachable and mainstream, unlike some of Georges’ higher end restaurants–though, ABC Kitchen is far from simple. I started with an innovative apple cider cocktail, a mixture of spiced cider, sparkling wine, and sparkling apple cider. Other cocktails worthy of attention are the blood orange Bellini and the vodka thyme lemonade. All incorporated exotic fruits and spices and were priced around $12. Because of the $35 corkage fee, my dining group also brought along two fine bottles of wine, an excellent way to save a few on wines that are often marked up by magnitudes of scale.
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Retro and hip for Vietnamese street food, Bun Soho, run by Chef Michael “Bao” Huynh, is all about small plates. Start off by diving in to the crisp, salt accented, rice puffs and place your order for artichoke tea which exudes the herbal essences of the vegetable.
Ingredients are fresh at Bun, exemplified by the crisp flavors of the papaya and beef jerky salad accented with peanuts and lime and the lobster salad with citrus, pineapple and lemongrass dressing. The hot steamed roll is prepared like a pancake noodle, bursting with fresh mushrooms and served with soy sauce.
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With contemporary white walls, a white tiled floor, and white tables and chairs, somehow Falai exudes warmth in its intimate, Lower East Side, location. Falai is a wine bar and restaurant, so don’t head here looking for a cocktail, but rather expect a diverse selection of Italian varietals to choose from. Also, with a $25 corkage fee, feel free to bring your own wine.
Falai certainly earns a gold star. Given its low-key atmosphere, the greeting of an amuse bouche of fried and crispy corn in pumpkin soup was unexpected, but well received. Furthermore, the restaurant boasts a versatile menu, including three tasting menus: the nine course Menu Fantasia, the Pasta Tasting, and the three course Menu Tradizione, all of which can be paired with wine.
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The Ace Hotel, while it formally opened this summer, has only recently started to gain momentum in the New York nightlife scene. The hipster hotel attracts a laid back, yet cool crowd. The space, which opened in phases, now boasts Stumptown Coffee Roasters at the front, a trendy bar in the lobby, and any day now, the Breslin Dining Room (above) and boutique, Project No. 8 will open to the public. The restaurant, is owned by the same owners of The Spotted Pig and will operate by the same, no reservations, mantra.
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