NYC & Company today announced the launch of the third phase of the Just Ask The Locals campaign that includes city dining tips from local chefs and celebs. Though the chefs and restaurateurs are quick to plug some of their own establishments, it’s interesting to see some of the other places around the five boroughs they frequent and some of their favorite foods around the city…here’s a taste:
Eric Ripert – digs the wood-buring oven at Peasant, eats late night at Balthazar, L’Absinthe and Yakitori Totto, romances at Chanterelle, Danube and Annisa and calls Peter Luger legendary.
Mario Batali — Katz’s pastrami sandwich, Morandi, Centro Vinoteca, Gottino, Spotted Pig and for a recession special he goes to Mamoun’s Falafel (though I doubt he goes there cause his wallet’s tight). His off the beaten path spots include Mario’s in the Bronx and Ferdinando’s Focacceria in Brooklyn for the spleen sandwich and panelles.
Vero Panini & Wine Bar: (2nd Ave @ 53rd) On Monday nights, order a glass of wine, martini, cocktail or a beer and receive a free panini.
Bloomingdale Road: (Broadway @ 88th) Offering half-price bottles of wine on Monday nights.
Park Avenue Bistro: (Park b/t 26th and 27th) Starting next week, PAB is offering a two-for-one deal on Mondays and Tuesdays. An e-mail sent out to the bistro’s customers this week says “bring a friend and the lowest priced entrée is on me.” Owner Tim Brown told Crain’s NY, “It’s a sort of gift, it shows that it’s cheaper to eat in my restaurant than to go to the grocery store and cook that evening.” He added, “It’s very unusual to see your restaurant empty when it used to be full,” he said “Not even after Sept. 11 was it like this. We’ve never seen this.”
Tailor: (Broome nr Thompson) Monday night special of huitlacoche corn dogs with a beer for $12.
’Cesca: (75th @ Amesterdam) Half-price wine on Mondays; $31 three-course dinner before 6:30 on weekdays.
Steak Frites: (Varick @ Clarkson) 20% off your entire check through March 31, 2009. Click here for details.
Wine Spectator announced today its much-anticipated list of the Top 100 Wines of 2008. According to WS, they reviewed more than 19,500 wines from around the world in blind tastings. More than 5,300 of them earned outstanding ratings (90 points or higher on the WS 100-point scale). They then narrowed the list down based on four criteria: quality (represented by score); value (reflected by release price); availability (measured by case production or cases imported); and an X-factor they call excitement. The final selections, however, reflect WS “editors’ judgment and passion about the wines they tasted.” As perhaps expected, several 2005 Bordeaux (the vintage of the century) made their way onto the list, including 3 of the top 10 and 4 of the top 11 wines. Lets hope for WS’s sake that no fake wines made the list. Click here if you’re not sure what I’m getting at.
The Top Values ($20 and under) in the Top 100 after the jump…
We attended the Undergrounds Unite 12-course Thanksgiving-inspired feast on Friday night. Undergrounds Unite is a consortium of five of the city’s underground supper clubs. Late Wednesday we got an email from UU about the undisclosed loft location where the feast would be held. Here’s what it said:
So, wondering how it works?
-Please arrive at the Playwright (35th between 5th and 6th about halfway down the block on the North side) promptly at 7:45PM. Look for the man learning “How to Cook Everything.” He will direct you to the location of the feast.
-At 8PM we will begin the cocktail hour. Feel free to mingle with guests, say hello to new and old friends, and choose your seat accordingly. Dinner will begin promptly at 9PM.
-We will be serving wine with the event (Brooklyn Oneology), but feel free to BYO if you prefer another type of drink. The menu and more after the jump… Continue Reading »
Sound redundant? I thought so too until I realized there actually is a wine producer that calls itself ‘Recession Wines.’ Apparently, they are offering 2 Recession Reds, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot, and 1 Recession White Chardonnay. The best part by far is their promotional video featuring Recession Wines’ spokesperson Poris Hilton. You gotta see this for yourself. Lets hope their wines have better taste than their advertising.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve been hearing alot about super-secretive supper clubs that have been popping up around the city (like NY Bite Club) which hold multi-course tasting dinners semi-regularly in private lofts and apartments around town. This weekend five of these underground supper clubs will be joining forces for a massive, 150-seat communal dinner in an undisclosed midtown loft. Somehow Jill was able to score us 2 seats by sending an email them through their website for a password. The so-called “Undergrounds Unite” shindig will feature a 12-course meal, with each dinner club handling three courses each. We just got the email disclosing the secret location and how things will work this morning. More on the participating, ‘not-so-secret anymore’ dinner clubs after the jump…
We picked up a bottle of this Wine Spectator 90-pointer from our local wine shop last night to pair with our homemade Top Chef dinner. We had no idea at the time this under $12 riesling had just received mention in the Nov. 15th issue of Wine Spectator as a great value buy, but we can see why. It had really nice floral and apricot flavors and aromas and is a perfect fall weather wine. We would recommend pairing with asian food, mexican food, indian food and it would also be a nice wine for Thanksgiving dinner. Click here to find it in your neck of the woods.
Ready for a ‘culinary boner’? Our favorite tv show starts up again tonight on Bravo at 10pm. Needless to say, we’re pretty psyched. We’ll be keeping with tradition from last season and preparing a home-cooked meal beforehand to enjoy while we watch the show…and what’s a Top Chef premiere without a recession special value wine. On tonight’s menu is Tabla tikka-marinated chicken breasts on the grill, caramelized broccoli with garlic, and one of Jill’s famous salads. As for the wine, we will be trying a value riesling, which we heard pairs nicely with spicy Indian food. We’ll let you know which one we try and how it is. For those of you without cable, you can watch with Colicchio himself, who will be hanging out and eating dinner in the lounge at his Craftsteak during the show’s airing. Craftsteak is extending their bar menu ’til 11, when it ends. We’ve been hearing some good things about the $15 and under bar menu, from the burger, with its layer of balsamic onions, to some of the best smoked chicken wings in town.
With the worldwide financial crisis in full swing, it’s a time when a lot of wine lovers will be looking to dial back their wine budgets. From people we’ve spoken to and articles we’ve read, it seems that most are still drinking the same amount of wine, but less expensive selections.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to launch a new feature called “Recession Wines.” More on “recession wines” and a couple of Thanksgiving extreme value picks after the jump…
We should have known better- arriving at the Sunburnt Cow at prime brunch time on a Sunday… What were we thinking? After learning of the over 1 1/2 hour wait to partake in the biggest Sunday Funday all-you-can-drink brunches/parties in town, we decided to go elsewhere. We were intrigued by the french/chill/islandy music and the very budget friendly brunch menu at Arcane, a French-Caribbean restaurant at 111 Ave. C between 7th and 8th Street, so we decided to take a risk and give it a try. Arcane’s vibe, music, and lack of an hour (or longer) wait beckoned us inside. The waiters and the bartender were incredibly friendly- all with strong French accents, trendy East Village garb, and big smiles. We were sat immediately underneath a colorful (mobile-like) hanging of voodoo dolls. The space had nice modern lighting, tropical plants, lighted candles, and a big wooden bar. The music was great and almost had Andy rocking out on the air bongo. Our waiter was sure to close the door so we were not cold at our table by the entrance- without us even asking. More about our low expectations-high results brunch after the jump…
Before there was the Spotted Pig and before the rise of the gastropub, there was Waterfront Ale House. You would never guess from the outside that this Murray Hill saloon (there’s a second location in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill) serves up some amazing grub. A hand-painted sign on the wall self-depracatingly proclaims this pub to be the “Home of Warm Beer, Lousy Food and an Ugly Owner.” But make no mistake about it, the beer is served at the perfect temp, the food is anything but lousy and the owner is a former Ralph Lauren model (not exactly true, but we did get to meet him once and Jill didn’t find him too hard to look at). Given its location adjacent to the Kips Bay movie theater, Waterfront Ale House has been a part of our dinner and a movie night routine for some time now. What’s not to like about a friendly, neighborhood bar where you can choose among a great beer selection, where you can grab free popcorn from a self-serve popper and where you can order from a diverse and fairly eclectic menu and know that it’s gonna be pretty darn good. The taps are constantly changing and the kitchen features sublime pub fare with many comfort food favorites, including great burgers and award-winning bbq. It’s the perfect spot to grab a beer and a bite on a rainy day, which is exactly why we decided to head over there on Sat. afternoon…more of what we love about WAH after the jump…Continue Reading »
Here’s one that may be too good to refuse. For a limited time, you can choose either a free bottle of wine or 20% off your food at Philip Marie in the W. Village. Click here for more on this deal. Apparently they also have an unlimited mimosas/bloody mary’s brunch that we need to check out, too. Read what Zagat says about Philip Marie after the jump… Continue Reading »
Just heard about this restaurant week-esque deal that OpenTable is offering at some NYC restaurants for the week of Nov. 17-21. $35 dinners and $24 lunches…and after a quick look there are some great restaurants participating…click here to check ‘em all out.
It’s been close to a fortnight since we ate at Babbo and I can’t stop thinking about the grilled octopus with “borlotti marinati” and spicy limoncello vinaigrette (thanks to Solo for recommending this), the mint ‘love letters’ pasta with spicy lamb sausage, the papardelle with butter, parmesan and (generously shaved) white truffles, the guinea hen special…even the complimentary amuse bouche chickpea bruschetta was amazing. We were planning to both do the pasta tasting menu, but since it was close to 11pm when we finally got seated, we went with a mini-tasting recommended by our server instead. Pics and descriptions of the meal after the jump… Continue Reading »
When times get tough, the tough eat burgers and drink beer, or at least we do. We thought it would be fitting to kick off Burger Wars by pitting a couple of wallet-friendly burger + beer deals against one another.
The Competitors:
I. Molly’s Pub & Restaurant: 287 3rd Avenue (22nd & 23rd). Molly’s Jumbo 10 ounce pub burger with your choice of cheddar, american, swiss, mozzarella, or blue cheese, served with french fries, potato salad, mashed potatoes, or onion rings (other toppings available for $1). Cost: $11 (+ cost of beer).
II. The Smith: 55 3rd Avenue (10th & 11th). The Smith Sunday “Get a burger and a beer for $12″- Burger with cheddar cheese, french fries, and your choice of beer. Cost: $12. The final verdict after the jump…
NYC & Company today announced the launch of the third phase of the Just Ask The Locals campaign that includes city dining tips from local chefs and celebs. Though the chefs and restaurateurs are quick to plug some of their own establishments, it’s interesting to see some of the other places around the five boroughs they frequent and some of their favorite foods around the city…here’s a taste:
Wine Spectator announced today its much-anticipated list of the 
We attended the Undergrounds Unite 12-course Thanksgiving-inspired feast on Friday night. Undergrounds Unite is a consortium of five of the city’s underground supper clubs. Late Wednesday we got an email from UU about the undisclosed loft location where the feast would be held. Here’s what it said:
Over the past couple of years, we’ve been hearing alot about super-secretive supper clubs that have been popping up around the city (like 
We picked up a bottle of this Wine Spectator 90-pointer from our local wine shop last night to pair with our homemade Top Chef dinner. We had no idea at the time this under $12 riesling had just received mention in the Nov. 15th issue of Wine Spectator as a great value buy, but we can see why. It had really nice floral and apricot flavors and aromas and is a perfect fall weather wine. We would recommend pairing with asian food, mexican food, indian food and it would also be a nice wine for Thanksgiving dinner. Click 
Ready for a ‘culinary boner’? Our favorite tv show starts up again tonight on Bravo at 10pm. Needless to say, we’re pretty psyched. We’ll be keeping with tradition from last season and preparing a home-cooked meal beforehand to enjoy while we watch the show…and what’s a Top Chef premiere without a recession special value wine. On tonight’s menu is Tabla 
With the worldwide financial crisis in full swing, it’s a time when a lot of wine lovers will be looking to dial back their wine budgets. From people we’ve spoken to and articles we’ve read, it seems that most are still drinking the same amount of wine, but less expensive selections.
It’s been close to a fortnight since we ate at Babbo and I can’t stop thinking about the 
