Food & Wine Events in NYC

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Craft

This past week my mom, brother and I went to Craft in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan (map). The restaurant, owned by the famous Tom Colicchio, is an amazingly cool space with modern hanging lights and a large leather wall. The menu lists our a wide range of meets, side dishes, salads, pasta, seafood and more and is served family style, meant to be shared with the table. We ordered a wide variety of dishes each better than the next! We started off with cocktails and two side dishes. My brother ordered the Crispy Bacon, recommended by our waiter, while I went with the Roasted Tokyo Turnips. The Crispy Bacon was four big slices of bacon, it was like nothing I had ever seen before, I never knew bacon could be so large. The bacon was sauteed in orange marmalade and my brother loved it. The turnips were very tasty and a great dish to share.
Before our entrees were served we were greeted with a shot-like portion of fava bean panna cotta puree. Thankfully I had mentioned to the waiter that I'm a vegetarian when we ordered our side dishes because they gave me the non-bacon garnished fava bean puree. :)
Our entrees included the Roasted Baby Carrots, Asparagus, Roasted Beets with tarragon, Gratin Potatoes, Mezzaluna Pasta (moon-shaped pasta) and the Braised Beef Short Rib.
It was too hard to pass up dessert since everything else we tasted was so fabulous we knew that dessert would not disappoint. My brother had a single scoop of vanilla ice cream while my mom and I shared the Warm Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting, candied walnuts and Rhubarb sorbet.

The service was amazing, our waiter was very friendly and made wonderful suggestions. Just like at Bouley the hospitality continued until we left the door, as we left we were each presented with individually wrapped homemade chocolate chip muffins.
Craft is a restaurant where you are encouraged to sit as long as you'd like, enjoy your company, the food and the wine. You may want to make your reservations via Open Table a few days in advance.

Studio Square- Astoria Beer Garden

I don't go to Astoria very often but every time I do I have a great time. This past weekend a group of friends and I checked out the brand new beer garden- Studio Square.

Until now I've only experienced beer gardens in Germany where there are hundreds of communal tables lined up outside with a very small indoor space, if any, and bars that only serve beer, bratwurst, giant pretzels and radishes. So you can imagine my surprise when I entered into the huge modern warehouse space on 36th St. in Astoria. There are three indoor areas to escape the rain or the cold if that's the case but there is also a large outdoor space with rows and rows of communal tables and a square fire pit.
Not a beer lover?- not to worry, the bars at Studio Square are fully stocked with all kinds of liquor, beer, wine and sangria. The menu puts an American twist on traditional German beer garden fare, offering bratwurst, hamburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, and keeping vegetarians in mind by offering a portobello sandwich, jumbo pretzels, french fries and more!

I definitely recommend you visit this fabulous beer garden- it's perfect for big groups or even for a party of two! It's located at 35-33 36th Street and is open Monday - Friday: 4pm-4am and Saturday - Sunday & Holidays: noon - 4am.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts of Studio Square!
To see more photos of Studio Square check out Yelp

L'Orange Bleue

L'Orange Bleue is a Moroccan restaurant on the corner of Broome and Crosby Streets in NYC. And it's hard to miss with it's royal blue exterior and outdoor seating.A few girl friends and I met for a Sunday afternoon brunch. The prix-fixe menu is $12.95 and includes orange juice, mimosa, coffee and a choice of special brunch dishes like different types of eggs, sandwiches, crepes, and salad.
Besides brunch L'Orange Bleue offers fun evening events like Monday Drums with live Brazillian bands playing every Monday night at 8:30pm and again at 10pm. Monday Drums prix-fixed menu is $35.

Barocco

Nearly eight weeks ago the owners of Zampa (Anthony Briatico, Danny Emerman and chef AlessandroProsperi) opened another wine bar, this one in Chelsea. Barocco is nestled in on 9th Avenue between 17th & 18th Streets, down the street from the Maritime Hotel. Barocco is similar to Zampa- it's a small wine bar with a menu much like Zampa's in that they have amazing cheeses, homemade fresh pastas and an assortment of Italian sandwiches.
Much like my experience at Zampa, my friends and I shared three bottles of wine and an assortment of tapa-style plates to share. We started with a basket of bread (baked daily at Zampa), and a cheese plate consisting of dolce gorgonzola, truffle pecorino and tres creme. For our main course we shared the fava bean and snow pea puree crostini, roasted artichokes served with sea salt, and mushroom lasagna.
The girls (myself not included) passed around a plate of golden calimari, compliments of the chef which, I was told, was delicious!

What's your favorite NYC wine bar or favorite wine bar experience?

Peasant

Some time last year I was lucky enough to dine at Peasant, a Soho hotspot located on Elizabeth St. and Spring St. Peasant has the same sort of modern rustic feel as Stanton Socialwith exposed brick giving it that intimate touch but somehow it also feels very exclusive and chic. The food at Peasant carries on the rustic setting with artisan bread and hearty-sounding entrees like the mushroom gnocchi and four types of wood oven pizzas.
Interesting fact I read on NYMag.com was that Peasant's Italian cooking method uses fires fueled by different fruit woods and Hardwood charcoals. It's definitely a great spot for friends or on a date as it is a bit romantic.

Medieval Times Giveaway!

Did you read my recent review of my Medieval Times experience last month? Whether you've been to Medieval Times before or not I definitely recommend you experience it at least once in your life! So to help you get there I'm hosting a Medieval Times Giveaway! The prize pack will include two complimentary tickets to any Medieval Times location in the US (there are 9 different locations) and other Medieval Times goodies including a DVD!

To enter to win leave a Medieval Times-themed comment below, either explain who you would take with you and why, share a story from your Medieval Times experience, etc. You have until June 1st to enter, at which point I will select one winner.

And for all the other Gossip Street readers Medieval Times would like to offer you a free Royalty Upgrade for your next visit. From now until 8/31/09 enter this promotional code [ROYALB9] upon checkout and you'll bumped up to Royalty status for free at any show (any location)!
You can purchase your tickets HERE.

El Parador Cafe

This Murray Hill establishment was founded in 1959, making it the oldest Mexican restaurant in Manhattan, according to their profile on OpenTable. Typically I would have walked passed the aged red awning on East 34th St. thinking the restaurant would be old and gross inside but to my surprise the decor inside is quite charming. The rustic lanterns casting dim light against white stucco walls.
The chips, salsa and guacamole are all homemade (as they should be). Their salsa is definitely unique, seasoned with undertones of cinnamon was an unexpected but delicious twist on traditional salsa!
Three friends and I shared two vegetarian entrees and two bottles of wine for a very reasonable price and loved our dishes. After reviewing the main menu we asked to see the vegetarian menu, which unfortunately isn't available so you'll just have to trust me that it features some amazing dishes. We ordered the spinach and cheese enchiladas served with a thick black bean sauce and sweet potato tostadas- two flat tostadas served with a sweet potato mash that was sweetened with honey and citrus. I would definitely recommend trying the sweet potato tostadas but I think it would be too sweet to eat the whole thing as an entree so consider sharing it either as an appetizer or an entree.
Besides the food, El Parador Cafe also offers an extensive wine list that's primarily Spanish wines, white and red sangria and an encyclopedia of tequilas.
As you've noticed from my reviews, Mexican cuisine is always one of my favorites... what's your favorite Mexican restaurant in NYC?

Sanctuary Tea

I recently went to Sanctuary Tea for brunch with five other ladies and found it to be absolutely lovely. Located in Soho, near Novecento, this little tea house was the perfect brunch spot. And I have to say, I was actually quite impressed with the menu that included a light yogurt parfait, Farmer's Omelet, Eggs Benedict, Tahitian Vanilla Bean Pancakes and much more!
Sadly I didn't order a brunch cocktail but their tea infused-concoctions did sound absolutely delicious- Blood Orange Martini, Lavender Cosmopolitan, and Rise & Shine (pear, green tea, vodka and lemon). And of course, their massive menus of teas did not disappoint.

Mediterraneo

For quite some time I have been tempted by this Upper East Side's relaxed outdoor seating and finally had the chance to experience it first hand. On a beautiful Saturday evening a friend and I decided to enjoy the fresh air with a glass of crisp white wine and a fresh green salad. Mediterraneo seemed the best solution.Sitting outside really made the experience. The starters menu offered a long list of salads and several that were completely vegetarian (not vegan) which was nice to see. I ended up with the Insalata Arobaleno- fresh arugola with yello and red roasted peppers, grilled with zucchini and mozzarella.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Mediterraneo if you're looking for a quiet Upper East Side dinner outside.

The Results Are In!

The results are in from my first poll, "What info is most important to you when reading a restaurant review?" [Poll #1] It turns out that the majority of Gossip Street readers (48%) like to have suggested menu items when reading restaurant reviews.
I have just posted the second poll, see to the right- let me know what outing you most prefer with a group of friends: brunch, lunch, dinner, or drinks. [Poll #2]
Thanks for voting!

Apizz

A new NYC hotspot, Apizz is located in the Lower East Side on Eldridge near Stanton Street (map). "Apizz" is Italian for pizza and is pronounced "ah-beets."I recommend making reservations a couple days ahead of time and be on time, especially if you want a good seat. I got lucky and got the last Thursday evening reservation after calling earlier that afternoon. But given the cocktail menu it's not a bad spot to have to wait at the bar and enjoy one of their concoctions. My favorite? The Blood Orange Mojito. My friend Rolland Berry and I went here a couple weeks ago and loved the food. Each meal starts off with a basket of rustic bread served with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce instead of butter. For an appetizer we shared the amazing APizz Bianca E Verde, a flatbread pizza topped with fresh ricotta, parmigiano-reggiano, buffalo mozzarella d.o.c. and sauteed spinach. For my entree I ordered the Insalata Di Formaggio- romaine hearts, drunken goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, croutons and I substituted the creamy sherry vinaigrette with the lemon-honey vinaigrette. The salad was good but did not stand up to the quality of the pizza appetizer. Rolland had the Lasagna Cinghiale- lasagna, ragu of braised wild boar and parmigiano-reggiano, which he apparently wanted to try since it was a unique twist on the traditional lasagna dish.
Overall, I enjoyed Apizz but would have liked to have sat in the main dining area of the restaurant instead of the tables by the bar. I've heard that Apizz is not only great for dinner but a wonderful weekend brunch spot as well.
John Lafemina is the owner and executive chef of Apizz and The Orchard as well as the author of A Man and His Meatballs.

Aquamarine

After work a colleague and I went to Aquarmarine for a dinner meeting and loved it! The menu has something for everyone- even the non-sushi lovers. Naturally we started off with an appetizer of edamame. They offer an entire vegetable section including the Sauteed Asian Veggie Thai Style, which I highly recommend. And of course they offer classic sushi rolls like avocado, cucumber, and more but they also offer an aray of Aquamarine Special Rolls including a Hawaiian Roll with salmon and pineapple topped with avocado and spicy mayo and the Manhattan Roll with shrimp tempura, enoki mushrooms, kani, spicy may and red tobiko. They even offer a Japanese Fruit salad which I didn't have but it sounds great, especially for lunch. The fruit salad consists of mesculin, mango, avocado, pineapple, kiwi, orange and cherry tomato with yogurt dressing.
Watch this video to get the full inside view of Aquamarine:

Medieval Times

This past weekend my friends and I thought it would be fun, and completely random, to go to the Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in New Jersey. Surprisingly the Lyndhurst, NJ Castle is only 15-20 minutes outside of Manhattan. Upon entering my friends and I were totally impressed by the Medieval shop, museum and dress up photo area... and of course the three bars where we were able to order three bottles of wine throughout the evening! The dinner show began at 8pm but I am so glad we got there around 7pm so that we could hit the bar and enjoy some fantastic people watching!
I have to admit I was expecting the worst food imaginable but was pleasantly surprised by the vegetarian dish my friend requested for me upon purchasing the tickets. Which was incredibly thoughtful of her because I ended up with a tasty platter of hummus, pita chips, rice and beans, and a vegetable kabob of roasted potatoes, zucchini and red bell pepper.
I recommend purchasing your tickets in advance since shows do seem to sell out a week ahead of time. The dinner theater experience ranges from $45 - $60 depending on which location you select. Plan your Medieval Times experience HERE. And there are nine Medieval Times throughout the US and Canada from New Jersey to California (complete list of locations HERE).
After reviewing their website I noticed that they are pretty involved within the social media realm. They have a Facebook Page, MySpace page, a Flickr channel to showcase all the Medieval photos and a Twitter channel! So props to Medieval Times for taking advantage of the modern times!

August

August restaurant in New York's Greenwich Village is a hole in the wall that's definitely worth visiting. We found this quaint little spot after searching New York Mag's Restaurant list using Critics' Pick and Bistros. The menu is a mix of European foods ranging from Mediterranean to Northern European and changes seasonally since they use local ingredients. There was a nice variety of meat and vegetarian dishes and thankfully most dishes, like the Lemon-Ricotta Gnocchi, can be made to order to accommodate for vegetarians, etc. This past weekend one of the specials was a vegetable spread that included a spring pea and fava bean salad, fava bean puree, ramps and three fried Morel mushrooms.
Besides the food, I loved the rustic feel of the restaurant. The front of the restaurant only has about ten table tops while the back of the restaurant is in a glass-covered courtyard with greenery all around. We sat in the back which I definitely recommend, especially during the hot summer months ahead. August is open for brunch, lunch and dinner and is located in the heart of Greenwich Village at Bleecker & Charles Streets (map).
Click HERE to learn about August's Executive Chef Terrence Gallivan.

Bistro 61

Bistro 61 is a modern bistro located on the corner of 1st Avenue and 61st Street.
The menu is a delightful combination of classic Provecal fare fused with inspiration from the Mediterranean coast. The menu changes throughout the year to include seasonal changes as well as daily changes to accommodate specials. One thing that was especially interesting to me was the option of a Children's Menu, a good idea for restaurants on the Upper East Side. I was completely impressed during my experience at Bistro 61 from the service to the food. I ordered La Tour de Betterave et Chevre Chaud (roasted beet and goat cheese tower with fresh mint and pine nuts) while my friend enjoyed the one of the most tasty gnocchi dishes I have ever had. He ordered the Gnocchi al Gorgonzola, a vegetarian gnocchi in a gorgonzola sauce with spinach and roasted pecans. I was very impressed that three out of the four selections on the Pasta & Risotto section of the menu were vegetarian dishes.

Watawa

Another Astoria restaurant posting. The first time I was ever in Astoria was to visit a friend and dine at her favorite Japanese restaurant Watawa. I'm not a huge sushi fan but I was pleasantly surprised by the veggie sushi rolls and miso soup I had at Watawa.
The restaurant is located at 33-10 Ditmars Blvd. in Astoria, NY.

Bouchon Bakery

Always expect a wait for Sunday brunch in Manhattan no matter where you go, even the third floor of the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle at Bouchon Bakery. The picture to the left is of the actual bakery where you can pick up delicious baked good to eat on the go. Across from here is Bouchon Bakery's sit down cafe with view overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. Our bunch quickly turned into an early lunch so I ordered the Bibb Lettuc salad- bibb lettuce with shallots, garden herbs, roquefort cheese and red wine vinaigrette. The French bakery also offers delicacies like Viennoiserie, Pastries, Muffins, Tarts, Cookies, Chocolates, Soup and Salads, Sandwiches, Quiche and even Pet Treats.

Ammos Estiatorio

I seem to always gravitate toward Greek restaurants and this time is no different. Ammos Estiatorio restaurant is located on Vanderbilt Avenue near Grand Central (btw. Park & Madison) which makes it a convenience place to meet friends after work. My friend and I sipped on crisp white wine while enjoying a plethora of Mediterranean dishes. We started with Krya Orekitka- a platter of House Made Spreads and Grilled Pita. The spreads included Kalamatat-Chickpea, Garlic-Ground Almond, Greek Yogurt, Roasted Pepper-Feta and Eggplant. For my entree I had the Kolokithokeftedes- fried zucchini cakes, Myzithra cheese, mint and Tzatizki sauce.
Everything was so good here- the food, the wine and the service!

Brooklyn: Pizza & Ice Cream

Living in Manhattan I don't take advantage of the boroughs that are just a bridge or subway ride away. One of the best ways to get out of the city and into Brooklyn is to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Once in Brooklyn you shouldn't miss out on the opportunity of having pizza from the famous Grimaldi's. No mater how long the line is their coal brick oven pizza is worth the wait. I recommend finishing the day with a scoop of strawberry ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, located directly under the bridge.